The design method for transonic turbine blades has been developed based on Wavier-Stokes equations. The present computing process is done on the four separate steps, i.e., determination of the blade profile, generation of the computational grids, cascade flow simulation and analysis of the computed results in the sense of the aerodynamic performance. The blade shapes are designed using the cubic polynomials under the control of the design parameters. Numerical methods for the flow equations are based on Van-Leer's FVS with an upwind TVD scheme on the finite volume. In the present study, numerical simulation has been done to investigate the effects of the design parameters on the aerodynamic peformance of the axial-flow turbine blades. Applications are made to the VKI transonic rotor blades. Computed results are analyzed with respect to four parameters and compared with the experimental data.


Becoming a Mindful Sport Psychology Consultant: Defining, Developing, and Integrating Mindfulness into Practice Michelle M. McAlarnen Sport psychology consultation is a problem solving situation and process (Sears, Rudisill, & Mason-Sears, 2006) in which sport psychology consultants (SPCs) are interpersonal and content communicators. To date, research in applied sport psychology has not examined consultants from the perspective of consultants as communicators in problem solving situations. Additionally, it remains unclear how consultants' graduate education and applied training experience relates to certain communication skills, such as mindfulness, cognitive flexibility, and communication flexibility. Yet, these skills, and its influence on consultants, have garnered interest for further study in professional practice literature (Baer et al., 2008; Davis, 2013; Poczwardowski & Sherman, 2011). Therefore, this study examined the relation between graduate education and applied training and three consultant skills: (a) mindfulness, (b) cognitive flexibility, and (c) communication flexibility. Professional consultants (n = 157) and graduate level consultants (n = 72) completed an online survey, which included three brief questionnaires (i.e., educational background, mindfulness exposure, and demographic questionnaires) and three scales: (a) Comprehensive Inventory of Mindfulness Experiences-beta (Bergomi, Tshacher, & Kupper, 2013a), (b) Cognitive Flexibility Scale (Martin & Rubin, 1995), and (c) the Communication Flexibility Scale (Martin & Rubin, 1990; 1994). Results from structural equation modeling indicated a partially mediated model in which mindfulness mediated the relation between mindfulness exposure and cognitive flexibility and communication flexibility. Mindfulness exposure also directly related to communication flexibility. Applied training directly related to cognitive flexibility and communication flexibility. However, the revised model was not significantly different than the hypothesized theoretical model and demonstrated poor model fit. Mindfulness did not significantly differ between type of graduate education, thought cognitive flexibility and communication flexibility did. Additionally, participants (n = 7) were interviewed regarding how they developed mindfulness and its role in their applied practice. Following a grounded theory approach (Charmaz, 2014), results suggested that after exposure to mindfulness, participants engaged in self-directed learning. Integration of mindfulness into consultation occurred in client-directed and SPC-directed ways and reflected SPCs' definitions of mindfulness. These results aim to: (a) contribute to the on-going discussion about sport psychology training and (b) inform professional development programming in graduate programs and professional organizations, (c) understand the role of mindfulness in consultation. SPCs' EDUCATION, MINDFULNESS, AND FLEXIBILITY iv


Swimming is a good form of physical activity that keeps swimmers fit and healthy. In countries with cold climates, swimming is allowed only indoors. Since adequate water and air parameters must be ensured in these buildings, they are very energy-consuming. In new buildings, modern solutions can be used, thanks to which technologically advanced energy-saving systems can be used. Unfortunately, in existing buildings, it is not always possible to make technical changes, or they are associated with high financial expenses. In this article, a method of in situ measurement of selected air parameters is proposed, on the basis of which it is possible to suggest scenarios for changes in the control of air technology and parameters in order to achieve energy savings. The easy measurement method was applied in a typical swimming pool building, and energy-saving measurements were taken on the first day to obtain a baseline. Seven scenarios were analyzed that would lead to a reduction in energy consumption without the introduction of new elements into the facility. The main task was to find a solution that ensured adequate thermal comfort in the building. Significant energy savings were achieved in each scenario: 6–47% compared to measured energy consumption. To improve the energy efficiency of swimming pools, especially in the current energy crisis related to the economic and political situation, all methods for reducing the energy demand are desirable. The proposed assessment method will allow for energy-consuming elements and allow for changes in the use of equipment in the swimming pool building. However, the main objective is to maintain the thermal comfort of swimming pool users, as no savings can be achieved at the expense of worsening the feeling of building users.


Positron emission tomography (PET) using 2-deoxy-2-[(18)F] fluoro-D-glucose ((18)F-FDG) has been used with increased frequency in the care of patients with soft tissue sarcomas to predict malignant potential of tumours, prognosis of survival and response to chemotherapy. Although there are several other PET tracers, which have found limited use in sarcomas, this review focuses on the use of (18)F-FDG, which is the most common used tracer. Recent literature and developments covering major aspects of PET imaging in the management of patients with soft tissue sarcomas will be discussed in this review with focus on treatment monitoring. Positron emission tomography cannot be used instead of histology to diagnose sarcomas, but may aid in biopsy planning. In particular, using the last generation PET/computerized tomography (CT) scanners, it is easily possible to combine morphological information provided by CT and/or magnetic resonance imaging with biological information based on PET. Imaging with PET has been shown to detect accurately primary tumours as well as lymph node and bone metastases in patients with sarcomas. In soft tissue sarcomas, changes in tumour (18)F-FDG uptake correlate significantly with histopathological response, risk of tumour recurrence and survival. In conclusion, PET is emerging as an important imaging modality in the management of patients with soft tissue sarcomas.


COVID-19 not only led to a significant loss of human lives but also brought indelible economic loss. To transfer the natural disaster risk, a variety of financial instruments written on the environmental phenomena have been developed and issued by financial institutions. The gamma distribution family is characterized by sparsity, heavy tail, and high skewness;thus, it has been widely used to model the data of environmental phenomena. To exploit the versatility of the gamma distribution, Vitiello and Poon propose the pricing model for financial instruments under the general equilibrium risk neutral valuation relationship (RNVR) framework. Though the VP model is capable of pricing financial instruments, their underlying is limited to a single asset. However, the vast majority of firms face various risks and prefer more efficient and cheaper ways to hedge these risks and maintain financial stability. To price multiple-asset financial instruments, this study extends the single-asset VP model to a multi-asset VP model (MVP) under the RNVR framework. Based on the MVP model, this study demonstrates two applications to price basket options and spread options. To manage the pricing of financial instruments that do not have closed-form pricing formulas, this study develops the Monte Carlo simulation method within the MVP model framework. For risk management, this study provides hedge ratios for market practitioners to manage their risk exposures. © 2023 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.


Massive BA-type supergiants are among the visually brightest stars in galaxies with active star formation. As such they are versatile tools for studies of stellar and galactochemical evolution. Moreover, they can act as distance indicators for the calibration of the cosmological distance scale. In the present work abundance patterns of the light elements helium, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen are investigated in several Galactic BA-type supergiants in the mass range between 8 and 18 M_sun. Based on high-resolution and high-S/N Echelle spectra obtained with FOCES on the Calar Alto 2.2m telescope, model atmosphere analyses are performed using state-of-the-art non-LTE spectrum synthesis. Stellar parameters and chemical abundances are determined with high accuracy. This gives tight observational constraints on the evolutionary status of the stars. Objects evolving from the main sequence to the red supergiant stage and those on a blue loop can be distinguished by their mixing signature (pure rotational vs. first dredge-up). The most sensitive tracer of nuclear processed matter, the N/C ratio, indicates a higher mixing efficiency than predicted by current evolution models of rotating stars with mass-loss.


The purpose of this paper is to urgently report the decline in groundwater levels at Thang Long Industrial Park (TLIP) in the area of Northwest Hanoi, Vietnam. The total pumping capacity in TLIP is 56,970 m3/day. According to the records of the observation well close to TLIP, groundwater levels have declined since 2008. The amount of decline was approximately 5.67m between 2008 and 2011. Lower levels appear in the dry season, particularly in March-April. In order to maintain sustainable use of groundwater in TLIP, one of the issues is to carry out an artificial recharge of groundwater using Kim Hoa Canal, of which water is supplied by the Ca Lo River.


Rationale: Deregulated vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation contributes to multiple vascular pathologies, and Notch signaling regulates VSMC phenotype. Objective: Previous work focused on Notch1 and Notch3 in VSMC during vascular disease; however, the role of Notch2 is unknown. Because injured murine carotid arteries display increased Notch2 in VSMC as compared with uninjured arteries, we sought to understand the impact of Notch2 signaling in VSMCs. Methods and Results: In human primary VSMCs, Jagged-1 (Jag-1) significantly reduced proliferation through specific activation of Notch2. Increased levels of p27kip1 were observed downstream of Jag-1/Notch2 signaling and were required for cell cycle exit. Jag-1 activation of Notch resulted in increased phosphorylation on serine 10, decreased ubiquitination, and prolonged half-life of p27kip1. Jag-1/Notch2 signaling robustly decreased S-phase kinase–associated protein, an F-box protein that degrades p27kip1 during G1. Overexpression of S-phase kinase–associated protein before Notch activation by Jag-1 suppressed the induction of p27kip1. Additionally, increased Notch2 and p27kip1 expression was colocalized to the nonproliferative zone of injured arteries as indicated by co-staining with proliferating cell nuclear antigen, whereas Notch3 was expressed throughout normal and injured arteries, suggesting Notch2 may negatively regulate lesion formation. Conclusions: We propose a receptor-specific function for Notch2 in regulating Jag-1–induced p27kip1 expression and growth arrest in VSMCs. During vascular remodeling, colocalization of Notch2 and p27kip1 to the nonproliferating region supports a model where Notch2 activation may negatively regulate VSMC proliferation to lessen the severity of the lesion. Thus, Notch2 is a potential target for control of VSMC hyperplasia.


Gothenburg city is today working with the challenge to develop a sustainable city and transportation system, where space and resources are used in an optimal way. This raises the discussion of new ways of designing the urban structure. A sustainable city needs to reduce car usage and integration of sustainable mobility solutions is needed already in the planning phase of new dwellings. The aim of this study has therefore been to investigate carpool as a mobility solution in new house construction.
The process has included literature research, interviews, calculation comparison and execution of a survey. During the research, it was found that implementation of carpool in new house construction, in the central part of Gothenburg, is beneficial since it contributes to the sustainable development. But it is not easy to implement because the parking ratio regulation requires a special assessment and there is no guarantee this will be approved. Also, it was discovered that the behavioural aspect plays an important role where circumstances in life and the car's anchoring in the society makes it more complex. Thereby affecting the intrinsic value and in turn the choice of owning a car versus using a carpool. In addition, the result has contributed with stronger reasons to make the actual cost of parking places visible for those who demand a parking place because this might eliminate the subsidizing and the manipulated parking demand.
The study concludes there are problems with the parking ratio regulation regarding flexibility, economical rationality and estimation of the parking demand. The recommendation is to apply flexible parking ratios based on a will-controlled approach. In addition, economic rationality and behaviour changes should be taken into consideration in the regulation.
Further studies are requested to investigate how to formulate a new regulation in order to work well. An analysis how these kinds of changes would affect people's travel behaviour and the parking demand is recommended to be done.
The contribution has been to rethink the designing of new dwellings and understand that cooperation and communication among different actors is important in order to create updated and well-functioning regulations. Hopefully this can create a debate about how create incentives in regulations to strive for a sustainable development in the built environment.


Iridium is a promising substrate for self-limiting growth of graphene. However, single-crystalline graphene can only be fabricated over 1120 K. The weak interaction between graphene and Ir makes it challenging to grow graphene with a single orientation at a relatively low temperature. Here, we report the growth of large-scale, single-crystalline graphene on Ir(111) substrate at a temperature as low as 800 K using an oxygen-etching assisted epitaxial growth method. We firstly grow polycrystalline graphene on Ir. The subsequent exposure of oxygen leads to etching of the misaligned domains. Additional growth cycle, in which the leftover aligned domain serves as a nucleation center, results in a large-scale and single-crystalline graphene layer on Ir(111). Low-energy electron diffraction, scanning tunneling microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy experiments confirm the successful growth of large-scale and single-crystalline graphene. In addition, the fabricated single-crystalline graphene is transferred onto a SiO2/Si substrate. Transport measurements on the transferred graphene show a carrier mobility of about 3300 cm 2 · V − 1 · s − 1 . This work provides a way for the synthesis of large-scale, high-quality graphene on weak-coupled metal substrates.


Frictional contact results in surface and subsurface damage that could influence the performance, aging, and reliability of moving mechanical assemblies. Changes in surface roughness, hardness, grain size and texture often occur during the initial run-in period, resulting in the evolution of subsurface layers with characteristic microstructural features that are different from those of the bulk. The objective of this LDRD funded research was to model friction-induced microstructures. In order to accomplish this objective, novel experimental techniques were developed to make friction measurements on single crystal surfaces along specific crystallographic surfaces. Focused ion beam techniques were used to prepare cross-sections of wear scars, and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) and TEM to understand the deformation, orientation changes, and recrystallization that are associated with sliding wear. The extent of subsurface deformation and the coefficient of friction were strongly dependent on the crystal orientation. These experimental observations and insights were used to develop and validate phenomenological models. A phenomenological model was developed to elucidate the relationships between deformation, microstructure formation, and friction during wear. The contact mechanics problem was described by well-known mathematical solutions for the stresses during sliding friction. Crystal plasticity theory was used to describe the evolution of dislocation content in the worn material, which in turn provided an estimate of the characteristic microstructural feature size as a function of the imposed strain. An analysis of grain boundary sliding in ultra-fine-grained material provided a mechanism for lubrication, and model predictions of the contribution of grain boundary sliding (relative to plastic deformation) to lubrication were in good qualitative agreement with experimental evidence. A nanomechanics-based approach has been developed for characterizing the mechanical response of wear surfaces. Coatings are often required to mitigate friction and wear. Amongst other factors, plastic deformation of the substrate determines the coating-substrate interface reliability. Finite element modeling has been applied to predict the plastic deformation for the specific case of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coated Ni alloy substrates.


This study aims to analyze the conceptions of the senior students at the faculty of education along with their attitudes towards multicultural education according to gender and department variables, and to identify degree to which their conception of teaching and learning predicts their attitudes towards multicultural education. A total of 278 prospective teachers, including 190 female and 88 male, who are attending the Faculty of Education of Cumhuriyet University participated in the study, which was conducted using a relational screening model. Data were collected using the Teacher Multicultural Attitude Survey (TMAS) and the Teaching and Learning Conceptions Questionnaire (TLCQ). Data obtained in the study was analyzed using One-Way Anova, Scheffe Test and Multiregression analysis. According to the findings of these analyses, the prospective teachers' conceptions of teaching and learning, and their multicultural educational attitudes varied significantly depending on the variables of department and gender. The prospective teachers' conceptions of teaching and learning predicted their attitudes towards multicultural education at a significant level. The obtained results were discussed in the light of the relevant literature, and were made for future studies.

 Key words: Conceptions of teaching and learning, multicultural education, prospective teachers.


The activity of container cleaning service is one of the service activities in PT Kaltim Kariangau Terminal which aims to assist containers, this activity was one of the activities that was provided for Shipping Loading Expedition (EMKL) before EMKL carried out the delivery of its Customer goods. To carry out freight forwarding and container cleaning activities, EMKL borrows containers first from shipping companies because shipping is an institution that has rights related to containers to be leased to EMKL. To minimize the cost of lending to shipping parties and improve the accuracy of shipping goods customers need accurate data, where this data can be obtained from cleaning activities at PT Kaltim Kariangau Terminal. But at PT The Karingau East Kalimantan Terminal itself also does not have a system that supports the cleaning service itself. EMKL cannot increase the accuracy of the time in shipping the Customer's goods and also in the reduction of borrowing costs for containers. In designing the method to be used is the Waterfall Method using this method for each person that will be done before proceeding to the next stage. The results of this study are systems that support all activities in PT Kaltim Kariangau Terminal which will process all the processes that occur during the ongoing cleaning process EMKL can use the data in conducting customer goods planning systematically and can be used by the customer as a result of planning the delivery of the goods.


This paper proposes a Bayesian design approach to planning a pre‐production accelerated design test (ADT) with physically based statistical models. To motivate the study, we consider the hot‐carrier‐induced degradation of modern MOS field effect transistors. A single‐path power‐law statistical degradation model with nonlinear stress–life relationships is first developed. Based on this model, we formulate a Bayesian optimal design problem that minimizes the expected pre‐posterior variance of the quantity of interest at use environment. To solve the problem, a simulation‐based stochastic optimization method, which yields a consistent estimate of the optimal design, is utilized. As demonstrated by the numerical example, such an algorithm is of great practical importance in planning an ADT because it is considerably faster than the commonly used Monte Carlo simulation for evaluating the expected pre‐posterior variance. Finally, we perform a comparison study between the proposed Bayesian plan and the locally optimal plan, which is based on the maximum likelihood theory. Results strongly suggest that the robustness of the proposed plan against the uncertainty associated with planning inputs can be significantly enhanced. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


This paper proposes a fractional-order PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) control used electromagnetic strip stabilization controller in a continuous galvanizing line. Compared to a conventional PID controller, a fractional-order PID controller has integration-fractional-order and derivation-fractional-order as additional control parameters. Thanks to increased control parameters, more precise controller adjustment is available. In addition, accurate transfer function of a real system generally has a fractional-order form. Therefore, it is more adequate to use a fractional-order PID controller than a conventional PID controller for a real world system. Finite element models of a 1200×2000×0.8mm strip, which were extracted using a commercial software ANSYS were used as simulation plants, and Gaussian mixture models were used to find optimized control parameters that can reduce the strip vibrations to the lowest amplitude. Simulation results show that a fractional-order PID controller significantly reduces strip vibration and transient response time than a conventional PID controller.


Interpretation of the relationships of the second- and third-order depositional sequences, their sequence boundaries, maximum flooding surfaces, low stand and high stand systems tracts, and their surfaces were made on three wells in the East China sea. The age of the sediments is based on the integration of calcareous nannofossils, planktonic, benthic and large forams, and palynomorphs. The maximum flooding surfaces, sequence, and systems tract boundaries were identified and annotated on well logs and on a sequence stratigraphy analysis chart. These surfaces and boundaries on well logs were correlated with a series of seismic reflection profiles. The lacustrine-fluvial sediments in the Shi Men Tan 1 well were correlated to similar sediments in the Ming Yue Feng 1 well. Lowstand systems track slope fan complexes, that were deposited at the same time as the Andrews and Forties fans in the North Sea, were found in the Shi Men Tan 1 and Ming Yue Feng 1 wells. The slope-fan complexes were deposited in upper bathyal water depths (200-500 m) based on benthic foraminifers. Coastal swamp lagoonal sediments identified in the three wells could be the source rocks for hydrocarbon accumulations in the channels or channel overbank deposits in the slope-fan complexes andmore » the lowstand prograding complexes. Stratigraphically above these deposits, nummulite carbonate banks were identified in the Shi Men Tan 1 and the Ling Feng 1 wells. Several significant angular unconformities were recognized at various intervals in the three wells.« less


Software pipelining is an instruction scheduling technique that exploits the instruction level parallelism (ILP) available in loops by overlapping operations from various successive loop iterations. The main drawback of aggressive software pipelining techniques is their high register requirements. If the requirements exceed the number of registers available in the target architecture, some steps need to be applied to reduce the register pressure (incurring some performance degradation): reduce iteration overlapping or spilling some lifetimes to memory. In the first part, we propose a set of heuristics to improve the spilling process and to better decide between adding spill code or directly decreasing the execution rate of iterations. The experimental evaluation, over a large number of representative loops and for a processor configuration, reports an increase in performance by a factor of 1.29 and a reduction of memory traffic by a factor of 1.36. In the second part, we analyze the use of backtracking and propose a novel approach for simultaneous instruction scheduling and register spilling in modulo scheduling: MIPS (modulo scheduling with integrated register spilling). The experimental evaluation reports an increase in performance by a factor of 1.46 and a reduction of the memory traffic by a factor of 1.66 (or an additional 1.13 and 1.22 with regard to the proposal in the first part). These improvements are achieved at the expense of a reasonable increase in the compilation time.


AIM
The aim of the study was to compare working memory and executive function capacity in the first years of illness, in early-onset schizophrenic subjects with later-onset patients, who became ill in adulthood. The aim was also to asses the possible level of cognitive dysfunction in two groups of schizophrenic patients in partial remission of psychopathological symptoms.

METHOD
25 adolescent schizophrenic patients, aged 15-18 (Mean 17) years during partial remission of symptoms (PANSS-77) and 25 adult schizophrenic patients, aged 20-37 (Mean 26.9) years during partial remission of symptoms (PANSS Mean 56). The control group consisted of 25 healthy adolescents, aged 15-18 (Mean 17) years and 25 healthy adults, aged 21-39 (Mean 26.8) years.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
In schizophrenic patients with various types of illness onset (early vs. later), the significant dysfunction of working memory and executive function, compared to healthy controls were found. In the first years of the disease there were no differences in the level of working memory and executive functions impairment in patients with early-onset compared with patients with illness onset in adulthood.


The economics literature has developed various methods to recover the values for environmental commodities. Two such methods related to revealed preference are property value hedonic models and equilibrium sorting models. These strategies employ the actual decisions that households make in the real estate market to indirectly measure household demand for environmental quality. The hedonic method decomposes the equilibrium price of a house based on the house's structural and neighborhood/environmental characteristics to recover marginal willingness to pay (MWTP). The more recent equilibrium sorting literature estimates environmental values by combining equilibrium housing outcomes with a formal model of the residential choice process. The two predominant frameworks of empirical sorting models that have been adopted in the literature are the vertical pure characteristics model (PCM) and the random utility model (RUM). Along with assumptions on the structure of preferences, a formal model of the choice process on the demand side, and a characterization of the supply side to close the model, these sorting models can predict outcomes that allow for re-equilibration of prices and endogenous attributes following a counterfactual policy change.
 Innovations to the hedonic model have enabled researchers to more aptly value environmental goods in the face of complications such as non-marginal changes (i.e., identification and endogeneity concerns with respect to recovering the entire demand curve), non-stable hedonic equilibria, and household dynamic behavior. Recent advancements in the sorting literature have also allowed these models to accommodate consumer dynamic behavior, labor markets considerations, and imperfect information. These established methods to estimate demand for environmental quality are a crucial input into environmental policymaking. A better understanding of these models, their assumptions, and the potential implications on benefit estimates due to their assumptions would allow regulators to have more confidence in applying these models' estimates in welfare calculations.


Waterborne infections, contaminated seafood, and chemical toxins, which are surfaced as an outcome of marine water pollution, are consciously challenging human health and economic status of the region bounded as well. Hence, monitoring the seawater quality is considered as a significant and prioritized task. This paper assessed whether the sample data taken for the study complies with the marine water quality standard, which is to ascertain that the aquatic organisms would survive with the vital nutrients of marine water. Further, this paper has proposed the prediction models for the marine water quality indicators using the univariate and multivariate regression analysis. An open public dataset was used to create the regression model with goodness-of-fit and Pacific Ocean data was utilized to validate the model.


Three patients were studied in whom percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) was attempted in stenotic saphenous vein bypass grafts. In two cases, large splits were present in the thick fibrotic intima of the vein grafts, accompanied by rupture of atherosclerotic plaques or hemorrhage into atherosclerotic plaques. Both cases required emergency coronary artery bypass surgery. In the third case, a vein graft failed to dilate after multiple attempts. Only small splits were present in that fibrotic intima. Two other patients were studied in whom coronary artery PTA was attempted. In both cases, laceration of a nonatherosclerotic segment of the artery occurred. Combined with our previous report, these observations indicate that PTA results in lacerations of atherosclerotic plaques, fibrotic intima, and otherwise normal vessel walls and that laceration is the mechanism of both successful dilation and serious complications.


Subperiosteal implants are generally used in the severely
resorbed areas, and although dwindling in use, they have shown to be successful
treatment options for the edentulous dental patients. We report a case of
maxillary subperiosteal implantitis that caused sinusitis. A 59-year-old man
was referred to our clinic in March 2003 with a chief complaint of pain and
swelling in the bilateral upper molar region. He received a surgical
operation for maxillary subperiosteal implant at another dental clinic in April
2001. CT scans demonstrated that the radiopacity of the right maxillary sinus
extended to the ethmoid and frontal sinuses. Extensive surgical debridement was
performed. The radiopacity of the right maxillary sinus in CT almost
disappeared in a month. Two months later, the occlusal function was recovered
using a new maxillary complete denture. The patient has had no symptoms and no
occlusal disturbance by the denture for more than nine years.


Rotational mode specificity of the title reaction is examined using an initial state selected time-dependent wave packet method on an accurate ab initio based global potential energy surface. This penta-atomic reaction presents an ideal system to test several dynamical approximations, which might be useful for future quantum dynamics studies of polyatomic reactions, particularly with rotationally excited reactants. The first approximation involves a seven-dimensional (7D) model in which the two non-reactive N-H bonds are fixed at their equilibrium geometry. The second is the centrifugal sudden (CS) approximation within the 7D model. Finally, the J-shifting (JS) model is tested, again with the fixed N-H bonds. The spectator-bond approximation works very well in the energy range studied, while the centrifugal sudden and J-shifting integral cross sections (ICSs) agree satisfactorily with the coupled-channel counterparts in the low collision energy range, but deviate at the high energies. The calculated integral cross sections indicate that the rotational excitation of H2 somewhat inhibits the reaction while the rotational excitations of NH2 have little effect. These findings are compared with the predictions of the sudden vector projection model. Finally, a simple model is proposed to predict rotational mode specificity using K-averaged reaction probabilities.


Incremental learning (IL) suffers from catastrophic forgetting of old tasks when learning new tasks. This can be addressed by replaying previous tasks' data stored in a memory, which however is usually prone to size limits and privacy leakage. Recent studies store only class centroids as prototypes and augment them with Gaussian noises to create synthetic data for replay. However, they cannot effectively avoid class interference near their margins that leads to forgetting. Moreover, the injected noises distort the rich structure between real data and prototypes, hence even detrimental to IL. In this paper, we propose YONO that You Only Need to replay One condensed prototype per class, which for the first time can even outperform memory-costly exemplar-replay methods. To this end, we develop a novel prototype learning method that (1) searches for more representative prototypes in high-density regions by an attentional mean-shift algorithm and (2) moves samples in each class to their prototype to form a compact cluster distant from other classes. Thereby, the class margins are maximized, which effectively reduces interference causing future forgetting. In addition, we extend YONO to YONO+, which creates synthetic replay data by random sampling in the neighborhood of each prototype in the representation space. We show that the synthetic data can further improve YONO. Extensive experiments on IL benchmarks demonstrate the advantages of YONO/YONO+ over existing IL methods in terms of both accuracy and forgetting.


Attempts to replicate probabilistic reasoning in expert systems have typically overlooked a critical ingredient of that process. Probabilistic analysis typically requires extensive judgments regarding interdependencies among hypotheses and data, and regarding the appropriateness of various alternative models. The application of such models is often an iterative process, in which the plausibility of the results confirms or disconfirms the validity of assumptions made in building the model. In current expert systems, by contrast, probabilistic information is encapsulated within modular rules (involving, for example, "certainty factors"), and there is no mechanism for reviewing the overall form of the probability argument or the validity of the judgments entering into it.


Helix-loop-helix (HLH) genes encode for transcription factors affecting a whole variety of developmental programs, including neurogenesis. At least seven functional classes (denoted I to VII) of HLH genes exist, (1) with subclass members exhibiting homo- and heterodimerisation for proper DNA binding and transcriptional regulation of downstream target genes. In the developing nervous system, members of class II, V and VI have been most extensively studied concerning their roles in neural programming. In contrast, the function of class I proteins (such as E12 and E47) is poorly defined and the orthodox view relegates them to general dimerisation duties that are necessary for the activity of the other classes. However, closer scrutiny of the spatiotemporal expression patterns of class I factors, combined with recent biochemical evidence, would suggest that class I proteins possess specific functions during early neural differentiation. This essay supports this possibility, in addition to putting forward the hypothesis that, outside their general dimerisation activity, class I genes have independent roles in regulating neurogenesis.


Background During the Delta variant COVID-19 wave in Poland there were serious regional differences in vaccination rates and discrepancies in the enforcement of pandemic preventive measures, which allowed us to assess the relative effectiveness of the policies implemented. Methods Creating a model that would predict mortality based on vaccination rates among the most vulnerable groups and the timing of the wave peak enabled us to calculate to what extent flattening the curve reduced mortality. Subsequently, a model was created to assess which preventive measures delayed the peak of infection waves. Combining those two models allowed us to estimate the relative effectiveness of those measures. Results Flattening the infection curve worked: according to our model, each week of postponing the peak of the wave reduced excess deaths by 1.79%. Saving a single life during the Delta wave required one of the following: either the vaccination of 57 high-risk people, or 1,258 low-risk people to build herd immunity, or the isolation of 334 infected individuals for a cumulative period of 10.1 years, or finally quarantining 782 contacts for a cumulative period of 19.3 years. Conclusions Except for the most disciplined societies, vaccination of high-risk individuals followed by vaccinating low-risk groups should have been the top priority instead of relying on isolation and quarantine measures which can incur disproportionately higher social costs. Our study demonstrates that even in a country with uniform policies, implementation outcomes varied, highlighting the importance of fine-tuning policies to regional specificity.


OBJECTIVES
We determined current trends and patterns in overweight, obesity, and extreme high obesity among Pennsylvania pre-kindergarten (pre-K) to 12th grade students and simulated future trends.

METHODS
We analyzed body mass index (BMI) of pre-K to 12th grade students from 43 of 67 Pennsylvania counties in 2007 to 2011 to determine trends and to discern transition patterns among BMI status categories for 2009 to 2011. Vinsem simulation, confirmed by Markov chain modeling, generated future prevalence trends.

RESULTS
Combined rates of overweight, obesity, and extreme high obesity decreased among secondary school students across the 5 years, and among elementary students, first increased and then markedly decreased. BMI status remained constant for approximately 80% of normal and extreme high obese students, but both decreased and increased among students who initially were overweight and obese; the increase in BMI remained significant.

CONCLUSIONS
Overall trends in child and adolescent BMI status seemed positive. BMI transition patterns indicated that although overweight and obesity prevalence leveled off, extreme high obesity, especially among elementary students, is projected to increase substantially over time. If current transition patterns continue, the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and extreme high obesity among Pennsylvania students in 2031 is projected to be 16.0%, 6.6%, and 23.2%, respectively.


A base-controlled [3+3] cycloaddition reaction of isoquinoline N-oxides with azaoxyallyl cations is developed. 1,11b-dihydro-[1,2,4]oxadiazino[3,2-a]isoquinolin-2(3H)-ones are obtained when isoquinoline N-oxides are treated with α-halohydroxamates in the presence of sodium carbonate, while 2-(isoquinolin-1-yloxy)acetamides are unexpectedly produced when the base is changed to cesium carbonate. This transformation proceeds through an azaoxyallyl cation generated in situ from α-bromohydroxamate, and the [3+3] cycloaddition reaction is the key step for the final outcome.


Capital as a regulatory instrument has been shown to contribute to competitiveness distortions between developed and developing countries. There is a dearth of literature that analyses the possibility of further competitiveness discrepancies to which capital requirements may contribute among developing countries.
This article explores whether regulatory capital requirements lead to unequal competitive conditions between developing countries based on their costs of capital. It also attempts to identify drivers of such discrepancies. Data of 52 financial institutions from 20 countries spread across 4 geographical regions are used for the analysis.


A Review of:
Reilly, M., & Thompson, S. (2014). Understanding ultimate use data and its implication for digital library management: A case study. Journal of Web Librarianship, 8(2), 196-213. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19322909.2014.901211

Abstract

Objective – To investigate the implications of intended and actual usage data retrieved from a digital library on digital library management and design.

Design – Case study.

Setting – A digital library of predominantly high resolution images based at a large research university in the United States of America.

Subjects – Responses from 917 users of an open access digital library.

Methods – Researchers used a literature review to identify previous research on this topic and to inform the methodology for their research. Two distinct studies informed the methodology: research by Beaudoin (2009) that identified categories of both users and questions around usage was incorporated, and the ultimate use categories suggested by Chung and Yoon (2011) to compare against those used in this research. Researchers used data extracted via recorded system logs that are part of the statistics feature of the digital library. This feature is an in-house developed system, the Digital Cart Service (DCS). The logs tracked usage of 917 images recorded over a three year period, from 2011-2013. After eliminating personal information, researchers examined three fields: university affiliation, intended use, and description. After exporting the data from these three fields to a Microsoft Access database for text analysis, researchers normalized the data using a series of codes assigned to the responses. It is unclear how many description fields were used to yield more information.

Main Results – Researchers identified five user-types among users of the digital library. The biggest user group was visitors, followed by university staff, while university faculty had the lowest usage. Visitors were found to use images for personal use, such as inspirational and artistic purposes. The products developed from images in the digital library were-wide ranging, and included image albums, research, artwork, and video productions. These findings have implications for four areas of practical management of digital libraries: metadata creation, system design, marketing and promotion, and content selection. Among the eight categories of intended uses recorded, the highest uses were found to be for personal use, followed by 'other' use. Researchers examined the 'other' use category and further divided it into 12 sub-categories. Of these sub-categories, the highest use was for publication and research, while the lowest use was for 'gift' and 'industry.'

Conclusion – Incorporating user-generated metadata and distributing it to digital library managers is found to produce enhanced metadata and to aid the promotion and awareness of collections. Usage data may inform marketing efforts, as it provides a more comprehensive picture of who uses digital libraries and why they use images retrieved from those libraries. Equally, usage data may reveal the least frequent users of digital libraries, which informs targeted user marketing campaigns. Finally, the authors find that usage data combined with user-generated metadata should form part of content selection criteria for digital library managers.


Introduction Pleural effusion (PE) is a common condition. Malignancy accounts for Finding malignant cells in PE by thoracentesis suggests metastatic and incurable disease making further tests and staging procedures superfluous. Objectives In patients with PE referred to pulmonologists for workup, we wanted to ascertain A) risk of malignancy; B)diagnostic yield of a single thoracentesis; C)time from PE to diagnosis; and D)impact of finding malignant cells in PE on use of additional tests. Methods Retrospective, observational study including all patients referred 01.01.2013 to 31.12.2014 to the Dep. of Pulmonology, Odense University Hospital, Denmark, and having a thoracentesis performed. Data were collected from electronic medical file. Results In total, 138 patients were identified, and 78 (57%) were diagnosed with malignancy. A single thoracentesis diagnosed PE malignancy in 39 (28%) patients: these patients had significantly shorter time from thoracentesis to final diagnosis compared to those without PE malignancy (n=99), and to those with malignancy diagnosed by other tests (n=39). Use of PET, bronchoscopy and thoracoscopy did not differ between groups. Conclusion Malignancy is the most likely diagnosis in patients with PE referred to pulmonologists. Half of cases were diagnosed by thoracentesis but without a reduction in number of investigations used. Additional tissue for advanced immunohistochemistry, or same-day investigational procedures might be underlying causes for this discrepancy.


Simultaneous recordings from large populations of individual neurons across distributed brain regions over months to years will enable new avenues of scientific and clinical development. The use of flexible polymer electrode arrays can support long-lasting recording, but the same mechanical properties that allow for longevity of recording make multiple insertions and integration into a chronic implant a challenge. Here is a methodology by which multiple polymer electrode arrays can be targeted to a relatively spatially unconstrained set of brain areas. The method utilizes thin-film polymer devices, selected for their biocompatibility and capability to achieve long-term and stable electrophysiologic recording interfaces. The resultant implant allows accurate and flexible targeting of anatomically distant regions, physical stability for months, and robustness to electrical noise. The methodology supports up to sixteen serially inserted devices across eight different anatomic targets. As previously demonstrated, the methodology is capable of recording from 1024 channels. Of these, the 512 channels in this demonstration used for single neuron recording yielded 375 single units distributed across six recording sites. Importantly, this method also can record single units for at least 160 days. This implantation strategy, including temporarily bracing each device with a retractable silicon insertion shuttle, involves tethering of devices at their target depths to a skull-adhered plastic base piece that is custom-designed for each set of recording targets, and stabilization/protection of the devices within a silicone-filled, custom-designed plastic case. Also covered is the preparation of devices for implantation, and design principles that should guide adaptation to different combinations of brain areas or array designs.


This research study sheds light on students' views toward mathematics as a subject, and particularly the role of teachers in the formation of these views. Data were collected using questionnaire surveys as a quick means for gathering students' views. This method of data collection has also been found to be convenient for the study participants. Results gleaned throughout this study have significant implications for mathematics pedagogy and research.


Objectives: It is unlikely that by fall and winter of 2020, standard vaccine or treatment is available for COVID-19 infection. In this period, differentiation between COVID-19 and Influenza induced pneumonia will be critical for patient management. To develop an automated platform to perform this task, artificial intelligence models were developed by using the transfer learning techniques on chest CT.Methods: Chest CT images from known cases of COVID-19, H1N1 Influenza induced pneumonia (before December 2019), and normal chest CTs were collected. Different pre-trained Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) models, including VGG 16, VGG 19, ResNet-50, Wide ResNet, InceptionV3, and SqueezNet were fine-tuned on this data set. 60% of the dataset was used for training, 20% for validation, and 20% for test the final models. Accuracy, Precision, Recall and F1 score of each model were calculated.Results: For differentiation of COVID-19 pneumonia versus H1N1 Influenza pneumonia versus normal CTs, the ResNet-50 (accuracy above 92%) outperformed other models followed by InceptionV3 and wide ResNet.Conclusions: The pre-trained image classification AI models are feasible to be fine-tuned and used for differentiation COVID-19 versus H1N1 Influenza pneumonia. In this context, ResNet-50 and then InceptionV3 architectures appear more promising and are suitable start points for further development. We share the source code and trained models in the supplement of this manuscript to be used by other researchers for further development.


The long-standing problem of determining band offsets at semiconductor interfaces is readdressed and a new method for obtaining these values is proposed. Ab initio self-consistent pseudopotential calculations have been done on the Si/Ge and InAs/GaAs systems and the band offsets in specific cases determined. The problem of band offsets in superlattices is also investigated with particular reference to the superlattice period length and orientation. The existence of these band offsets is found to depend strongly on the localisation of some of the valence or conduction bands in either of the constituents.


One issue of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) prevention concerns the development of situational operational leeway for all actors of an organisation. The situational operational leeway of first-line supervisors is decisive because their possibilities to deal with critical situations influence the characteristics of the activities of supervised operators. The aim was to identify the components of the situational operational leeway of two supervisors, working through subcontracting, in the meat cutting sector. When the supervision work is done on a client's premises in a subcontracting relationship, those resources might well be reconfigured. The results led to the identification of characteristics which could support the possibility for supervisors to deal with critical situation taking into account the prevention of MSDs prevention for supervised operators. Through the analysis of 15 critical situations' regulations, it appeared that situational operational leeway was built up in the combination of individual, organisational and collective components. In this subcontracting context, the collective components are observed in interaction with the team and with workers of user companies. The individual components related to the supervisor appeared to be the ones mobilised most often. The organisational components related to the employer company and to the user company were not identified systematically. The collective components were mobilised particularly in situations in which organisational components were absent. The multiplication of cases, the comparison with other subcontracting contexts should allow to pursue the identification of the components of supervisors' operational leeway in order to progress in the prevention of MSDs for supervised operators.


Neutrophils are required for the development of arthritis, and their migration into the synovial tissue coincides with the onset of clinical disease. Synovial neutrophil numbers also correlate with rheumatoid arthritis disease activity and severity. We hypothesized that certain arthritis severity genes regulate disease via the regulation of neutrophil migration into the joint. This hypothesis was tested in the synovial-like air pouch model injected with carrageenan using arthritis-susceptible DA and arthritis-resistant F344 rats. DA had nearly 3-fold higher numbers of exudate neutrophils compared with F344 (p < 0.001). Five DA.F344(QTL) strains congenic for severity loci and protected from autoimmune arthritis were studied. Only DA.F344(Cia4) (chromosome 7) and DA.F344(Cia6) (chromosome 8) congenics had significantly lower exudate neutrophil counts compared with DA. TNF-α levels were 2.5-fold higher in DA exudates as compared with F344 exudates, and that difference was accounted for by the Cia4 locus. Exudate levels of NO, a known inhibitor of neutrophil chemotaxis, were higher in F344, compared with DA, and that difference was accounted for by Cia6. This is the first time that non-MHC autoimmune arthritis loci are found to regulate three central components of the innate immune response implicated in disease pathogenesis, namely neutrophil migration into an inflammatory site, as well as exudate levels of TNF-α and NO. These observations underscore the importance of identifying the Cia4 and Cia6 genes, and suggest that they should generate useful novel targets for development of new therapies.


Significance Knowledge of plant rooting depth is critical to understanding plant-mediated global change. Earth system models are highly sensitive to this particular parameter with large consequences for modeled plant productivity, water–energy–carbon exchange between the land and the atmosphere, and silicate weathering regulating multimillion-year-timescale carbon cycle. However, we know little about how deep roots go and why. Accidental discoveries of >70-m-deep roots in wells and >20-m-deep roots in caves offer glimpses of the enormous plasticity of root response to its environment, but the drivers and the global significance of such deep roots are not clear. Through observations and modeling, we demonstrate that soil hydrology is a globally prevalent force driving landscape to global patterns of plant rooting depth. Plant rooting depth affects ecosystem resilience to environmental stress such as drought. Deep roots connect deep soil/groundwater to the atmosphere, thus influencing the hydrologic cycle and climate. Deep roots enhance bedrock weathering, thus regulating the long-term carbon cycle. However, we know little about how deep roots go and why. Here, we present a global synthesis of 2,200 root observations of >1,000 species along biotic (life form, genus) and abiotic (precipitation, soil, drainage) gradients. Results reveal strong sensitivities of rooting depth to local soil water profiles determined by precipitation infiltration depth from the top (reflecting climate and soil), and groundwater table depth from below (reflecting topography-driven land drainage). In well-drained uplands, rooting depth follows infiltration depth; in waterlogged lowlands, roots stay shallow, avoiding oxygen stress below the water table; in between, high productivity and drought can send roots many meters down to the groundwater capillary fringe. This framework explains the contrasting rooting depths observed under the same climate for the same species but at distinct topographic positions. We assess the global significance of these hydrologic mechanisms by estimating root water-uptake depths using an inverse model, based on observed productivity and atmosphere, at 30″ (∼1-km) global grids to capture the topography critical to soil hydrology. The resulting patterns of plant rooting depth bear a strong topographic and hydrologic signature at landscape to global scales. They underscore a fundamental plant–water feedback pathway that may be critical to understanding plant-mediated global change.


BACKGROUND
Ringsted et al created a statistically validated questionnaire to assess pain-related limitations in daily activities following thoracic surgery and translated it to English. We utilized the questionnaire to assess the impact of pain impairing certain daily activities in a United States thoracic surgery population.

OBJECTIVES
Examine if the questionnaire developed and translated to English by Ringsted et al to assess the effects of chronic pain after thoracic surgery on daily activities would be applicable in a sample of thoracic surgery patients in the United States.

STUDY DESIGN
Cross-sectional study by mailed questionnaire.

SETTING
All patients who had thoracic surgery between 6 months and 3 years ago at a university hospital.

METHODS
We sent questionnaires to patients who had undergone thoracic surgery between 6 months and 3 years ago, yielding a sample of 349 eligible patients. Questionnaire results were statistically assessed for item fit, dimensionality, and internal reliability.

RESULTS
The response rate was 26.4%. Of the responders, 36% (95% CI: 26.1% to 46.5%) identified themselves as having chronic pain related to their thoracic surgery. Activities such as lying on the operated side, coughing, and carrying groceries were impaired in more than 50% of the patients who had thoracic surgery related pain (P < 0.05). Patients with chronic pain were more likely to report pain in other body locations. Few activities were limited in the patients identifying themselves as not having chronic pain. Statistical measures indicate high internal reliability.

LIMITATIONS
This was a retrospective questionnaire with 26.4% response rate.

CONCLUSIONS
Pain continues to impair the daily activities of a significant proportion of patients after thoracic surgery in a sample from the United States. Despite cultural differences, the Danish procedure-specific questionnaire provides an applicable and similar assessment of functional impairment after thoracic surgery in American patients.Key words: Thoracic surgery, chronic pain, impairment, daily life, questionnaire.


Here we present 860 fs pulses from a monolithic AlInGaAs multiple quantum well two-section MLL fabricated by employing a very simple self-aligned wet etching technique. By using Benzocyclobutene (BCB) as the isolation layer and minimizing the metal pad size, we are able to modulate the SA at 22 GHz and synchronize the laser to an external source. By doing so we achieve very effective FHML (280 fs timing jitter) which shows distinct advantages over other methods.


1. The influence of the sympathetic nervous system on intestinal fluid transport by the jejunum and ileum of the anaesthetized rat was investigated under basal conditions and during active secretion induced by intra-arterial infusion of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). 2. Intra-arterial infusion of noradrenaline (3, 10, 30 nmol min-1, i.a.) and i.v. injection of the selective alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist UK 14,304 (1 mumol kg-1, i.v.) increased the rate of basal fluid absorption. The effect of UK 14,304 was blocked by yohimbine (10 mumol kg-1, i.v.). However, the selective alpha 1-adrenoceptor agonist phenylephrine (5 mumol kg-1, i.v.) did not alter either the jejunal or ileal absorption rate. 3. The alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonists yohimbine (0.3, 1.0, 3 and 10 mumol kg-1, i.v.) and rauwolscine (10 mumol kg-1, i.v.) decreased the basal absorption rate, while the alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin (3 mumol kg-1, i.v.) was without effect. Intracerebroventricular injection of yohimbine (3 mumol kg-1) caused a significant antiabsorptive effect in the jejunum but not ileum. 4. Peripheral chemical sympathectomy induced by pretreating animals with 6-hydroxydopamine (150 mg kg-1, i.p., total dose) induced a trend towards impaired absorption in the jejunum and ileum. 5. The findings provide evidence that the sympathetic nervous system exerts tonic control on intestinal fluid transport and that the effect is mainly through peripheral alpha 2-adrenoceptors. 6. The subtype determination of alpha 2-adrenoceptors in modulating intestinal fluid transport was assessed by determining the effects of alpha 2-adrenoceptor agents on intestinal fluid secretion induced by i.a. infusion of VIP (0.8 microgram min-1). 7. Intravenous administration of UK 14,304 caused a dose-dependent reversal of the secretory phase of the VIP-induced response, but failed to restore fluid transport to the control level of net absorption. EC50 values were 0.17 mumol kg-1 in the jejunum and 0.22 mumol kg-1 in the ileum. 8. The effect of UK 14,304 was blocked by the selective alpha 2A/D antagonist BRL 44408 and the nonselective alpha 2 antagonist yohimbine (each 10 mumol kg-1). The selective alpha 2B/C antagonist ARC 239 (10 mumol kg-1) did not affect the antisecretory action of UK 14,304. It is suggested that the alpha 2-adrenoceptors in the rat intestinal epithelium are the alpha 2D or alpha 2A-like subtype.


Several reviews have been conducted to assess the association between greenspace and overweight or obesity, but the conclusions were inconsistent. However, an updated comprehensive review and meta‐analysis is warranted, because several high‐quality papers have been published more recently. The objectives of this study are to systematically and quantitatively assess the evidence for a link between greenspace with overweight/obesity and to make specific recommendations for further research. We searched three English language databases, four Chinese language databases and the reference lists of previously published reviews for epidemiological studies on greenspace and overweight/obesity published before January 2020. We developed inclusion criteria, screened the literature and extracted key data from selected papers. We assessed methodological quality and risk of bias, and we graded the credibility of the pooled evidence. We also performed sensitivity analyses. Fifty‐seven records met our inclusion criteria and were included in the study. Most studies were cross‐sectional designs (81%) and were from developed nations (88%). More than half (55%) of the included studies found beneficial associations between greenspace and overweight/obesity in overall or subpopulations. Our meta‐analytical results showed that greater normalized difference vegetation index was associated with lower odds of overweight/obesity in a statistically significant fashion (odds ratio [OR]: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.84, 0.91) but not residential proximity to greenspace (OR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.00), proportion of greenspace (OR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.85, 1.08) or number of parks in an area (OR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.97, 1.01). However, we detected high between‐study heterogeneity in two of the four meta‐analyses, which reduced the credibility of the pooled evidence. Current evidence indicates that there might be an association between greater access to greenspace and lower odds of overweight/obesity. However, additional high‐quality studies are needed to more definitively assess the evidence for a causal association.


This paper presents an initial design concept and specification of a civilian Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) management simulation system that focuses on explainability for the human-in-the-loop control of semi-autonomous UAVs. The goal of the system is to facilitate the operator intervention in critical scenarios (e.g. avoid safety issues or financial risks). Explainability is supported via user-friendly abstractions on Belief-Desire-Intention agents. To evaluate the effectiveness of the system, a human-computer interaction study is proposed.


OBJECTIVE
To explore the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and the correlation between HIF-1alpha and apoptosis after traumatic brain injury.

METHODS
Using experimental traumatic brain injury in the rats, the expression of HIF-1alpha was studied by immunohistochemistry in cerebral tissue, apoptotic cell death was evaluated with TUNEL (transferase-mediated X-dUTP nick end labeling), and double-labeled immunohistochemistry and TUNEL methods were used to investigate the relationship between HIF-1alpha and apoptosis.

RESULTS
There was remarkable difference in the expression of H IF-1alpha between the experimental groups and the control groups (P<0.01), in the experimental groups, the expression of HIF-1alpha at 48 hours was highest; the evidence of apoptotic cell death after experimental traumatic brain injury was found by TUNEL; the apoptotic percentage increased or decreased according to the changes of the positive expression of HIF-1alpha (r=0.99).

CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that secondary brain ischemia plays a crucial role in apoptotic cell death after traumatic brain injury; HIF-1alpha can prompt apoptotic cell death after experimental traumatic brain injury.


Once we conceived the physical world in terms of unbreakable conservation laws. Now we see those principles as deriving from something more fundamental: symmetries. Group theory provides the mathematical language that describes these symmetries and enables deep insights to be obtained about them. Zee's book provides a highly accessible account of the principles of group theory, taking the reader from the complete basics, through representation theory of finite groups, Lie algebras, tensors and spinors, and applying the ideas to various applications in quantum mechanics, particle physics and cosmology. Zee has an entertaining and informal writing style. He quickly settles into an easy familiarity with the reader, peppering his account with plenty of jokes and good stories (often squirrelled away in the footnotes which are invariably worth reading). He brings in some imaginary characters to further liven up the text, including 'the jargon guy' (a formalist, whose off-camera words are reported by Zee, thereby introducing the correct technical term for some idea that Zee has explained more informally), Dr Feeling (a savant, who interrupts one of Zee's more technical arguments with a highly intuitive, feeling-in-the-gut type explanation that cuts through the formalism) and Confusio (an idiot, who consistently gets the wrong end of the stick, and whose misapprehension Zee is then forced to correct). Zee has used these characters in his other books, and describes them as 'much loved'; whether you agree with him on that or feel that they are unnecessary is perhaps a matter of taste. In fact, Zee is perhaps a bit too self-congratulatory at times. He quotes admiring reviews of his other books in his preface, and while describing homotopy he points the reader to his favourite paper on the subject, which is one of his own. But these are perhaps minor quibbles as Zee is a cheerful and inspirational guide to material that in many other hands could be dry and lifeless. My biggest gripe with this book is the inaccurate title. It should really be Group Theory in a Nutshell for Theoretical Particle Physicists. Zee really is happiest describing the Lie groups that are important for theoretical particle physics and Colour: how we see it and how we use it, by Michael Mark Woolfson, London, World Scientific Press, 2016, 239pp., £28 (paperback), ISBN 978-1-786340856. Scope: monograph. Level: general readership.


Received Nov 16, 2021 Revised Feb 3, 2022 Accepted Feb 12, 2022 Measuring semantic similarity between terms is a crucial step in information retrieval and integration since it necessitates semantic content matching. Even though several models have been proposed to measure semantic similarity, these models are not able to effectively quantify the weight of relevant items that affect the semantic similarity judgment process. In this study, we present a new method for measuring semantic similarity between cross-ontologies, that consists of hybridizing node-based approaches such as WuP and Reda with the weight of similarity computed using WordNet. The proposed approach has been experimented to show its efficiency with two ontologies, configuration management tool (CMT) and ConfOf, from the conference domaine in the web ontology language (OWL) ontologies benchmark OAEI 2015 and evaluated using two metrics: density and cohesion.


Patient: Male, 58 Final Diagnosis: Prostate cancer Symptoms: Testicular mass Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Oncology Objective: Unusual clinical course Background: Prostatic adenocarcinoma is the most frequently diagnosed carcinoma in the male population; the most common sites of secondary lesions are nodes, bones, and lungs. We report the clinical case of a 58-year-old man presenting with a single metastasis in the left testis after a radical prostatectomy/lymphadenectomy for prostate cancer. Case Report: This clinical report focuses on a 58-year-old man with prostate cancer who developed an uncommon single metastasis in the left testis after radical surgery and adjuvant pelvic radiation therapy. Conclusions: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels are important in the follow-up of prostate cancer. At the same time, physical examination of all possible sites of metastasis and proper evaluation of all signs/symptoms are indispensable in the process of identifying recurrence and for the selection of patients undergoing adjuvant therapy.


The response of synaptosomes isolated from Wistar non-diabetic rats and Goto-Kakizaki (GK) diabetic rats to the beta-amyloid fragment Abeta25-35 was compared. The synaptosomal redox activity, evaluated by the MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay, was shown to be decreased in GK rats (72.8 +/- 7.45% of MTT reduction). However, the reduction of MTT was decreased in synaptosomes of Wistar rats upon Abeta25-35 treatment (84.47 +/- 3.73%), while in GK rats it was not affected. Abeta25-35 induced lipid peroxidation in synaptosomes of Wistar rats, but not in that of GK rats, leading to an 1.5-fold increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels. In the absence of Abeta25-35, basal TBARS levels were 1.6-fold higher in GK rats. In the former preparations, the content in vitamin E was also higher (2-fold). A decrease in ATP levels, of about 2-fold, was observed in synaptosomes of Wistar rats treated with Abeta25-35, while no significant changes were observed in synaptosomes of GK rats. No significant differences between the two groups were detected in the basal ATP levels. The extrasynaptosomal accumulation of aspartate and glutamate increased upon Abeta25-35 treatment, only in synaptosomes of Wistar rats (aspartate and glutamate accumulation increased by 1.1-fold and 1.5-fold, respectively), while the accumulation of glycine increased in both Wistar (by 1.8-fold) and GK (by 2.2-fold) rats. No statistical differences in the basal accumulation of aminoacids were observed. These results show that synaptosomes of GK diabetic rats have a lower redox activity, but are less susceptible to the Abeta25-35-induced toxicity. Data also suggest that oxidative stress occurs in this hyperglycemia animal model and that an increase in the antioxidant defense systems may exert protection against toxic insults. This mechanism, occuring in the early phases of diabetes, may correspond to an adaptive response.


Unit level traceability (ULT) is a powerful tool that allows complete die histories to be accessed in the course of testing and analysis. It is especially useful for identifying the likely causes of microprocessor failures and in cases where failure analysis resources are limited. In the article, the author explains how he used ULT in the investigation of a 0.25-µm CMOS processor. Using the ULT of the die, he discovered a failure signature based on die location on the wafer. One root cause of failure was traced to cross-field variation in the lithography process due to marginal focus control. Another failure, observed after burn-in, was traced to the presence of residual titanium left after metal etch.


Abstract- Patients with heart failure (HF) are frequently admitted for episodes of decompensation. Cardiac troponins are easily accessible biomarkers role of which for risk stratification of re-hospitalization among HF patients is less certain. We aimed to evaluate high-sensitive cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) levels among re-hospitalized patients with decompensated heart failure (D-HF). Consecutive subjects admitted with D-HF to 2 hospitals in Tehran, during the year 2014 were recruited. Excluded ones were patients with a suspected acute coronary syndrome or myocarditis/pericarditis, those with cardiopulmonary resuscitation/DC shock delivery, or major complications during or after hospitalization. Along with echocardiography parameters, level of hs-cTnI was checked at the first hour of hospitalization and 3 months after discharge. The patients were then categorized according to having or not having re-hospitalization during 3 months post discharge. A total of 97 patients were finally recruited. Among re-hospitalized patients, Left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction was significantly lower (38±14 % vs. 50 ± 12%; P=0.001), and LV end-systolic dimension was significantly higher (44±9 mm vs. 38±11 mm; P=0.012) compared to the other group. Moreover, levels of hs-cTnI were significantly higher among the re-hospitalized patients, both at initial visit (0.66±0.43 ng/ml vs 0.51±0.14 ng/ml, respectively; P=0.017) and at 3 months (0.59±0.48 ng/ml vs 0.48±0.23 ng/ml, respectively; P=0.030). This prospective study demonstrated that levels of hs-cTnI (both at the base and at follow up) are higher among patients who readmitted during 3 months of hospitalization for D-HF.


Rice is the staple food of more than half of the world's population; yet, it faces numerous challenges to meet the rising food demands and worsening climates. An urgent global imperative is to address imminent food shortages through intensive and sustainable agri-food systems and steady genetic gains. Intensification of rice production through direct-seeded rice (DSR) has been progressively practiced but is hindered by poor germination of existing high-yielding varieties in flooded soils. Identifying donors of anaerobic germination (AG) tolerance in rice will expedite the development of varieties suitable for DSR and will lead to enhanced and sustained agricultural productivity. This study aims to dissect the genetic architecture and physiological mechanisms of AG tolerance using systems biology and omics approaches. A Rice Diversity Panel (343 accessions) consisting of 5 subpopulations was screened for AG tolerance under greenhouse conditions, mapped through genome-wide association study (GWAS), and profiled for metabolites. Analyses revealed that most of the AG-tolerant varieties are japonicas with few indicas) and aus. Tolerant japonicas employed better root growth or rapid shoot extension, while tolerant indicas exhibited only the latter. A total of 51 significant GWAS peaks were detected across the genome, some of which were co-localized with known quantitative trait loci while others were novel, more so tolerance was found to involve different genetic controls across subpopulations. AG stress causes distinct biochemical signatures for tolerant genotypes and the profiles contrast among subpopulations implicating divergent metabolic adjustments, including shifts in sugars, intermediates, amino acids, antioxidants, and hormones. This study provides a systems-level approach for underpinning physiological mechanisms of AG tolerance; elucidating phenotypic heterogeneity, genetic architecture, transcriptomic networks, and metabolic landscapes from a genome-wide perspective. ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY The integration of GWA mapping, gene network analysis and, non-targeted metabolite profiling elucidates genetic architecture and physiological mechanisms of tolerance to germination and early seedling growth under anaerobic conditions in rice.


I. The characteristics of prenatal spontaneous activity of rat fetuses of 16 through 20 days of gestation, and the development of responses to cutaneous stimulation are discussed and tabulated. In early fetuses of 16 and 17 days, only few activity bursts occur between long intervals of inactivity. The frequency of activity bursts increases greatly at day 18 and attains a peak at this stage, whereupon it declines to a lower level from day 19 through term. 2. Qualitatively, the movements appear to be unintegrated. Three types of activity have been distinguished: Total, generalized or mass movements, when all parts that are capable of movements participate; regional when only one body region such as the head and forelimbs are in motion, and local movements of single parts. In the earliest stage, only head and forelimb movements are observed. There is a gradual extension of motility in rostro-caudal and proximodistal direction, but there are exceptions to this rule. The movements in the rat fetus seem to be more smooth compared with those of the chick embryo where the movements are more jerky. 3. Our recordings show that no clear, or one-to-one correlation exists between fetal activity and uterine contractions. Amnion contractions do not occur in the rat fetus. 4. The first evoked responses in the rat fetus are interpreted as an incipient total or regional pattern. In later stages of development, discrete, low-amplitude unintegrated local responses are identifiable. At 17 and 18 days the local responses are frequently combined with regional and total mass body movements, but by day 19, total movements are less frequently elicited, and the local responses are more complex, resembling mature and fully integrated action patterns. The conclusion is made that in the rat fetus local complex patterns are built up from less complex units. 5. Spontaneous motility in other mammalian embryos and the origin of integrated specialized local action patterns are discussed in relation to the development of the structure and organization of the spinal cord.


Background and objective: The cysteine protease cathepsin K is elevated in both human and animal models of heart failure. Global deletion of cathepsin K attenuates both high fat diet- and pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy and contractile dysfunction, although the role of cardiac cathepsin K remains unclear. To this end, the objective of this study was to generate a cardiomyocyte-specific knockout of cathepsin K ( Ctsk -/- ) and to test the hypothesis that deletion of cardiac cathepsin K protects against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. Methods: Ctsk -/- mice were generated by Ctsk targeted trap-allele including both FLP-FRT and Cre-lox systems. Cre-recombinase in myosin-heavy chain-Cre transgenic mice recognizes LoxP sites in "floxed (flanked by LoxP)" mice, and deletes the exons from 2 to 5 of Ctsk . Protein and mRNA levels of Ctsk and exon 2 were determined by Western blot and quantitative RT-PCR respectively. Four-months-old control (fl/fl-Cre - ) and Ctsk -/- (fl/fl-Cre + ) mice received two injections of doxorubicin (10mg/kg, i.p. at 3-day intervals, 20mg/kg cumulative), one week following which, body and tissue weight, echocardiographic properties, cardiomyocyte contractile function and Ca 2+ -handling were evaluated. Results: Cathepsin K mRNA and protein were attenuated by over 80% in the hearts of the knockout mice compared to the control. Doxorubicin injections resulted in an increase in total heart mass and the length of individual cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, doxorubicin-treated mice exhibited cardiomyocyte contractile dysfunction, characterized by depressed peak-shortening, maximal velocity of shortening and re-lengthening, and impaired intracellular Ca 2+ homeostasis. Additionally, mice receiving doxorubicin exhibited significant increases in end-systolic and end-diastolic diameters and decreased fractional shortening and wall thickness. These deleterious cardiac effects of doxorubicin were significantly attenuated or reversed in mice lacking cardiac cathepsin K. Conclusion: Mitigation of doxorubicin-induced cardiac anomalies by targeted deletion of cardiac cathepsin K suggests that cathepsin K represents a novel, bona-fide, pharmacological target for cardiac toxicity and complications.


1 Sets and Mappings 1.1 Sets We assume that we know what sets are, and we assume some familiarity with standard operations. For a candidate x and a set X, we say x ∈ X if and only if x is an element of X. Otherwise, we say x 6∈ X. For us, given a set X and an object a, we assume that there is a sub-routine or oracle which will answer "Is a ∈ X, i.e., is a an element of X?. For two sets Y,Z, we say that Y ⊆ Z, if every element x such that x ∈ Y implies that x ∈ Z. For sets X,Y , X ∪ Y and X ∩ Y will denote, respectively, the union and the intersection. If Z = X ∩ Y , then the oracle for Z is as follows. Given a, we have a ∈ Z iff a ∈ X and a ∈ Y . Thus it is easy for us to program X ∩ Y . One can similarly write programs for other set functions. We will use the notation A∪̇B as the usual union of A and B, but where we want to assert that A and B are disjoint. We say two sets X and Y are equal, i.e., X = Y iff for every a ∈ X we have a ∈ Y , and vice versa. We can prove the familiar identity that X ⊆ Y and Y ⊆ X implies that X = Y 1 The symbol φ will usually denote the empty set. We assume we know when a set X has finite cardinality, and we denote this by |X|. There are some standard constructions which help in creating new sets from old. For example, if X and Y are sets, then we define


It is shown that the experimental data on the temperature dependences of the effective electrical resistance and thermal conductivity in the range of 4.2–300 K of the electroconsolidated Fe0.5Ni0.5 composite are within the Hashin–Shtrikman boundaries for the conductivities of a three-phase system. The components of the system are pure Fe and Ni, and the intergranular medium in the form of an alloy with an average composition close to Fe0.5Ni0.5 is considered as the third phase.


Exposure to ambient air pollution particles has been associated with increased human morbidity and mortality, much of which is nonpulmonary. One proposed explanation of this extrapulmonary tissue injury is a transport of the particles outside of the respiratory tract. In the August 2006 issue of EHP, Elder et al. (2006) tested a postulate of extrapulmonary transport of particulate matter (PM). Specifically, the authors focused on the potential translocation of particles by olfactory neuronal pathways to the central nervous system. Comparable to previous studies on systemic transport of PM, they used a metal particle (i.e., a manganese oxide). Elder et al. measured tissue Mn concentrations in an effort to establish transport of the particle. Past research has repeatedly demonstrated that components of PM can be solubilized, mobilized, and transported to tissues outside the respiratory tract independently of the original particle (e.g., nicotine transport from the cigarette-smoke particle to the blood and central nervous system of the smoker). Metals are among those components that can be solubilized and mobilized from particles and distributed systemically without the translocation of the particle from the original site of deposition in the respiratory tract. To meet the demands of growth and homeostasis, living systems frequently acquire metals from particles using some combination of chemical reduction and direct chelation (Currie and Briat 2003). Elder et al. (2006) reported that the transport of Mn, with elevated concentrations of the metal in extrapulmonary tissues, supports a translocation of the original PM into the central nervous system. However, their use of Mn oxide to test any postulate of extrapulmonary transport of a particle is inappropriate as a result of the in vivo availability of both reductants (e.g., superoxide, ascorbate, glutathione) and chelators (e.g., transferrin, lactoferrin, citrate, urate) in the mammalian respiratory tract. These reductants were not available in their in vitro solubility tests (performed in normal saline), the results of which they used to support their conclusion of direct in vivo translocation of particles. Elevated concentrations of the metal in extrapulmonary tissues do not prove direct translocation of the original PM, but rather reflect solubilization and mobilization of the Mn from the oxide particle, with subsequent distribution. Additionally, the rapidity of change in metal concentration at an extrapulmonary site should not support a direct translocation because the time required for solubilization, mobilization, and systemic transport of a metal from any particle has never been defined; the required time for such transport is predicted to be short for ultrafine particles, which have an increased surface area available for rapid interactions of the PM with endogenous reductants and chelators. What is required to prove the existence of an extrapulmonary transport of PM is employment of a particle with components that cannot be independently solubilized, mobilized, and transported from the site of its original deposition. A carbon-based PM would be appropriate. When evaluating previous investigations for evidence of extrapulmonary transport of carbon-based particles, there is little to support translocation of such PM outside the respiratory tract. A recent study by Mills et al. (2006) showed no translocation of insoluble, radiolabeled ultrafine carbon particles from the lung into the bloodstream of humans. The small amount of radioactivity they found in the bloodstream and other organs within 6 hr of inhalation could be attributed entirely to the small amount of leached, soluble radiolabel from the particles. Among miners who were exposed to coal dust at 1,000 times the concentrations of ambient air pollution PM, LeFevre et al. (1982) observed the particle in only the lung and the reticuloendothelial system; the presence of the particle in the reticuloendothelial system reflects the transport of PM after sequestration within phagocytes, because the particles are always detected within these cells at these sites. Finally, decades of research have provided no evidence of an extrapulmonary transport (including via olfactory neuronal pathways) of particles associated with cigarette smoking; smoking exposes the individual to literally kilograms of a particulate combustion product that includes ultrafine particles. While again demonstrating that a metal component of a particle can be solubilized, mobilized, and transported from the site of original deposition, Elder et al. (2006) provided no evidence to support a disbursal of the actual PM to tissues outside the respiratory tract. The authors declare they have no competing financial interests. Andrew J. Ghio Office of Research and Development U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Research Triangle Park, North Carolina E-mail: email@example.com


Evolutionary deep intelligence was recently proposed as a method for achieving highly efficient deep neural network architectures over successive generations. Drawing inspiration from nature, we propose the incorporation of sexual evolutionary synthesis. Rather than the current asexual synthesis of networks, we aim to produce more compact feature representations by synthesizing more diverse and general-izable offspring networks in subsequent generations via the combination of two parent networks. Experimental results were obtained using the MNIST and CIFAR-10 datasets, and showed improved architectural efficiency and comparable testing accuracy relative to the baseline asexual evolutionary neural networks. In particular, the network synthesized via sexual evolutionary synthesis for MNIST had approximately double the architectural efficiency (cluster efficiency of 34.29× and synaptic efficiency of 258.37×) in comparison to the network synthesized via asexual evolutionary synthesis, with both networks achieving a testing accuracy of ~97%.


The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic led the German government to introduce containment measures to suppress transmission. This article tests if compliance with those measures was influenced by trust in the governing, health, and scientific institutions that were managing the crisis. The research draws on a survey collected amid the early days of the pandemic. Principal components analysis uncover three trust dimensions: trust in scientific, political, and regional institutions. Multivariate generalized linear models then find that individuals trusting of scientific and political institutions were more likely to reduce social contacts, avoid crowded places, and maintain social distance. These effects endure net of political partisanship and exposure to social media. By demonstrating that trust influenced compliance, I reframe a public health emergency as one set within a relationship between citizens and the state and advocate for policy learning structures in which the role of trust is more meaningfully incorporated.


Today many owners of Web sites are looking to user`s satisfaction survey as a key means of measuring the usability of a Web site. While it is preferred for it simplicity and ease of use, this survey method is not without potential risks. This paper focuses on showing that the existing practice of questionnaire-based usability measurement is subject to human recall errors, and that such flaws can be reduced when the questionnaire survey is followed by the users hands-on experience of the site. An empirical study was conducted, and the results indicate that the above speculation holds true. Even if respondents felt highly confident about their responses on a recall survey, a hands-on experience with a focal Web site increased the extent to which the respondents were satisfied with the shopping mall site. This indicates that a user`s perception of the quality of a Web site may be distorted or lost as time goes by. In addition, the findings have shown that the use of the verbal protocol analysis method can reveal critical information that can help track the root causes of Web site usability problems, thereby helping to develop site enhancement strategies. The paper concludes with directions for future research.


When osmotic pressure across an artificial membrane, produced by a permeable electrically neutral solute on one side of it, is balanced by an external pressure difference so that there is no net volume flow across the membrane, it has been found that there will be a net flux of a second electrically neutral tracer solute, present at equal concentrations on either side of the membrane, in the direction that the "osmotic" solute diffuses. This has been ascribed to solute-solute interaction or drag between the tracer and the osmotic solutes. An alternative model, presented here, considers the membrane to have pores of different sizes. Under general assumptions, this "heteroporous" model will account for both the direction of net tracer flux and the observed linear dependence of unidirectional tracer fluxes on the concentration of the osmotic solute. The expressions for the fluxes of solutes and solvent are mathematically identical under the two models. An inequality is derived which must be valid if the solute interaction model and/or the heteroporous model can account for the data. If the inequality does not hold, then the heteroporous model alone cannot explain the data. It was found that the inequality holds for most published observations except when dextran is the osmotic solute.


Objective: This study aimed to define the challenges faced by medical students rotating in the orthopedics department and their suggestions regarding improvement during covid-19 pandemic. Study Design: A mixed method cross sectional study design. Place and Duration of Study: It was conducted on 4 and 5 year MBBS students at Shifa college of Medicine with clerkship rotation in the department of orthopedics from 16 March 2020 to 23 August 2021. Materials and Methods: Students were enquired about their comfort levels while using the internet and computer for online sessions. Data was collected through an online questionnaire and analyzed using Google forms. Frequencies, percentages, and standard deviations were calculated for qualitative variables. Results: Out of 147 study participants, 64(43.4%) students strongly agreed that they had no difficulty and were extremely comfortable using internet and computer during covid-19 pandemic. Eighty-five (58%) students used online available reading material shared on Google classrooms and what's app groups. While only 23(16%) agreed to concentrate during online sessions. One hundred and eighteen (80%) agreed with a lesser desire to study for online classes as compared to on campus. Major problems faced by the students during the pandemic included very limited patient centered learning, limited hands-on experience, less interactive sessions, problems with internet connections, technology handling and class timing issues due to time zone differences. Conclusion: We conclude that our students faced lot of challenges during Covid-19 pandemic including internet issues, lack of awareness of technology, distractions because of family, siblings and homely environment and lack of conducive learning environment like learning at bedside. Flexible class timings, multiple breaks, recorded lectures and online interaction of real patients can improve online clinical learning.


INTRODUCTION
The typical factors precipitating diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) include infections (30%), cessation of antidiabetic medication (20%), and a new diagnosis of diabetes (25%). The etiology remains unknown in 25% of cases. Less frequent causes cited in the literature include severe thyrotoxicosis and, infrequently, pericarditis. Few publications have described the role of human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) in endocrine and metabolic disorders. Based on a clinical case associated with several endocrine and metabolic disorders, we suggest a potential role for HTLV-1, an endemic virus in the Amazonian area, and review the literature concerning the role of this virus in thyroiditis, pericarditis and diabetes mellitus.

CASE REPORT
A fifty-year-old Surinamese woman without any medical history was admitted for diabetic ketoacidosis. No specific anti-pancreatic autoimmunity was observed, and the C-peptide level was low, indicating atypical type-1 diabetes mellitus. DKA was associated with thyrotoxicosis in the context of thyroiditis and complicated by nonbacterial pericarditis and a Staphylococcus aureus subcutaneous abscess. The patient was infected with HTLV-1.

CONCLUSION
To our knowledge, this uncommon association is described for the first time. Few studies have analyzed the implications of HTLV-1 infection in thyroiditis and diabetes mellitus. We did not find any reports describing the association of pericarditis with HTLV-1 infection. Additional studies are necessary to understand the role of HTLV-1 in endocrine and cardiac disorders.


Let x:M→Rn be an (n−1) ‐dimensional hypersurface in Rn and B be the Laguerre second fundamental form of the immersion x. An eigenvalue of Laguerre second fundamental form is called a Laguerre principal curvature of x. An umbilic free hypersurface x:M→Rn with non‐zero principal curvatures and vanishing Laguerre form C≡0 is called a Laguerre isoparametric hypersurface if the Laguerre principal curvatures of x are constants. In this paper, we obtain a complete classification for all oriented Laguerre isoparametric hypersurfaces in R6 .


Introduction: The nephrology in Cuba has been since 1966. Chronic Kidney Disease is now recognized as a global public health problem. As health improvement development in Cuba, it is important to evaluate the changes in dialysis status. We report the dialysys Program trend over de past 10 years. Methods: This report includes data of indicators of structure, process and results defined from patients who were receiving chronic dialysis treament over he past 2001-2011. Data was collected by the Center of PANER. Results: Access to dialysis care is a right of every Cuban citizen and all treatment modalities are availables and it is universal. The total number of Services increase of 24 in 2001 to 49 in 2011 The prevalence of D-RRT continue to grow: in 2001 was 150 pMP, ant the 2011 of 243 pMP. Hypertension (34%) and diabetes (27%) are the leading cause of renal disease. In our case the possible explanations for the increase of patients and decrease of the crude mortality are of the increase in the capabilities of hemodialysis, improvements in technology, the use of erythropoietin and iron to all who need, between others. Conclusion: The dialysis RRT in Cuba has increased over the past 10 years, at the expense of the haemodialysis, as the clinical results have improved by the increase in the number of nephrologists their expertise and competence, comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to patient care, the best treatment of comorbidities and the priority given to the Program at all levels of the health system.