Background: There are few detailed reports on implant-associated sarcoma in dogs; however, loose implants, metal type, and infection have not been shown as specific risk factors for this condition. Case Description: A 14-year-old spayed female Labrador retriever was referred to our hospital with a main complaint of chronic right hind lameness after previous tibial fracture repair. On radiographs, rupture of the bone plate and screws with swelling of the surrounding soft tissue was observed, and osteosarcoma (OSA) was diagnosed after histopathological examinations. During amputation surgery, a plastic band was found associated with the implant. Conclusion: Veterinary surgeons should be aware of implant-associated OSA and refrain from using non-medical materials in the implants. Furthermore, they should recommend the removal of orthopedic implants after fracture repair.


Nurse practitioners who provide women's health care play an important role in the screening and evaluation of cervical dysplasia. The pregnant woman who presents for prenatal care provides an excellent opportunity for cervical cancer screening. However, the evaluation and management of cervical dysplasia during pregnancy is complicated by numerous factors, including concern for the fetus and hormonal changes in the pelvic structures. The pathophysiology, evaluation and management of cervical dysplasia during pregnancy are presented.


When COVID-19 hit, it devastated Tribal communities. Based on past federal policies, American Indians and Alaska Natives suffer various health and socioeconomic disparities that make them not only more vulnerable to contracting COVID-19, but also more susceptible to negative outcomes once infected. Much attention has focused on COVID-19 infection rates and related deaths in Indian country. However, the pandemic's reach has gone beyond physical impacts on the body. COVID-19 has also affected the mental health of Tribal members and their access to mental health services. This Article dives into the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the mental health and general well-being of Tribal communities. A brief history of federal and Tribal relations is provided, followed by a summary of the current state of mental health in Indian country. The impacts of COVID-19 on Tribal communities is discussed as well as the rise of telehealth to provide much needed mental health services during the pandemic. The article concludes by providing recommendations to continue the progress made to fill the historic gap in mental health services in Indian country post-pandemic.


Three-quarters of American adults do not meet recommended guidelines for physical activity. This article presents results from a pilot study of 3 WINS Fitness ("3 WINS"), a free, park-based program for adults that started in 2011 at California State University, Northridge. The program is operated by kinesiology student interns. The pilot study took place in one large park in Los Angeles and included three sessions per week for 10 weeks. Methods: The main outcome was change in BMI after the 10-week program. We collected pre-post data on 66 participants. Change in BMI was examined for the sample as a whole and by normal weight, overweight, and obese classifications. Results: We found a small but significant decrease in BMI at program completion; however, there appeared to be less improvement for participants who were obese. Acceptability of the program was high. Most participants (78.5%) attended 50% of sessions or more. Conclusions: 3 WINS is a promising health promotion program that has the potential to be sustainable and scalable. Implementation of 3 WINS at the site of this pilot study has remained active since 2011. The sustainability of 3 WINS is facilitated by integrating the program into university kinesiology programs, creating partnerships with local parks, and reducing reliance on external funding to implement the program. The program has been adopted by numerous parks throughout Southern California and several universities throughout California.


Betel plant is a terna plant that can be used as an antifungal, antimicrobial and antioxidant. Black betel leaf is proven to contain secondary metabolites of alkaloids, carotenoids, phenolic compounds, flavanoids, saponins, tannins, steroids, and triterpenoids. Gel preparations are used aimed at prolonging the contact time of the preparation with the target location, extending the absorption time and increasing the therapeutic effect. This study aims to determine the characteristics of gel extract of black betel leaf. Black betel leaf extract was obtained by macerating with 70% ethanol into an oral gel preparation as an antimicrobial with carbopol concentration variations. The results of antimicrobial test showed that 5% concentration of black betel leaf extract could increase the growth of Streptoccus sanguinis with inhibition zone diameter 6.261 ± 1.425mm and Candida albicans with inhibition zone diameter 5.152 ± 0.952mm. Black betel leaf extract gel formula F3 with 1.5% carbopol concentration is the best formula that has greenish black, betel and mint flavored, and has a thick and homogeneous shape. It has a viscosity of 2.266 Pa.s, has a pH of 5.37 and spread power 4.37cm.


The effect of exercise on articular cartilage has been assessed on animal models and on humans using various imaging techniques. Joint cartilage, whose water content decreases itself thanks to its unique permeable medium, maintains load distribution and joint function together with the synovial fluid under physiologic conditions and sports activities. The adaptive capacity of joint cartilage is limited under various conditions such as excessive load bearing or prolonged immobilization; however, when these factors are reversed deformed cartilage returns to its former state under normal conditions. Due to its adverse effect on joint cartilage, immobilization period following cartilage damage or operation should be as short as possible for wound healing. It is reported that exercise contributes to cartilage healing and reduces risk for injury, and that moderate exercise can even decrease the number of cases requiring arthroplasty. Conversely, excessive (harsh) exercise may be associated with increased cartilage damage or degenerative changes. Despite the presence of osteophytic changes in joint cartilage of athletes performing mild sports activities, these may not result in osteoarthritis due to the adaptive feature of joint cartilage. In contrast, the risk for osteoarthritis is increased in professional sportsmen exposed to acute repetitive impact and torsional loading. This article reviews the influence of controlled, passive-active exercise on healing, and on the development of osteoarthritis and the short- and long-term changes in articular cartilage associated with exercise and participation in sports of different duration and intensity.


LBA1 Background: BEV, a humanized anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody, has demonstrated single-agent activity in patients with recurrent EOC, or PPC. The therapeutic impact of concurrent ± maintenance BEV with standard chemotherapy (CT) was evaluated in an international, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III trial.

METHODS
Eligible patients had newly diagnosed, previously untreated EOC, PPC or FTC following abdominal surgery for staging and maximal effort at tumor debulking; stage III (macroscopic residual disease) or stage IV disease. The randomly allocated regimens were (1) CT (IV paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 + carboplatin AUC 6 cycles 1-6) + placebo cycles (C)2-22 (R1) (2) CT + concurrent BEV (15 mg/kg) C2-6 + placebo C7-22 (R2) (3) CT + concurrent BEV C2-6 + maintenance BEV C7-22 (R3) Infusions were administered d1 of a 21d cycle. The primary endpoint is progression-free survival (PFS) (radiographic, CA125, clinical criteria or death); secondary endpoints include overall survival, safety, and QoL.

RESULTS
1,873 patients, median age 60, were enrolled from 9/05 - 6/09. Stage III optimally debulked (34%), stage III sub-optimally debulked (40%), and stage IV (26%) patients were similarly distributed in each treatment group. Grade 3 - 4 hypertension was reported in 1.6% (R1), 5.4% (R2), and 10.0% (R3). Grade ≥ 3 GI perforation, hemorrhage or fistula occurred in 0.8% (R1), 2.6% (R2) and 2.3% (R3). Relative to R1, the hazard of first progression or death for R2 was 0.908 (95% CI: 0.795 - 1.04, p=0.16) and for R3 was 0.717 (95% CI: 0.625 - 0.824, p<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that front-line treatment of EOC, PPC, and FTC patients with CT plus concurrent and maintenance BEV prolongs PFS. This is the first anti-angiogenic agent to demonstrate benefit in this population. [Table: see text].


The interactions between vernalization and photoperiodic effects on inflorescence forma tion in radish varieties were investigated by applying a new index •gflower formation index•h to explain these effects quantitatively. According to •gflower formation index,•h as the varieties that responded to the single treatment of either long day or low temperature by which the inflorescence formation dramatically accelerated, whereas either treatment hardly induced the inflorescence formation. Moreover, the condition of long day or short day on the varieties that showed insufficient photoperiodic induction comparatively has a dramatic effect on the inflores cence formation when it was at the condition of insufficient low temperature induction. Thus, the inflorescence formation of radish plants is dramatically influenced by photoperiod as well as by temperature, and the responses to these two factors significantly differ among the varieties. So it was supposed that interactions between vernalization and photoperiodic effects on inflorescence formation in radish varieties should be considered more that we considered until now.


Abstract Immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related disease is characterised by numerous aggregates of IgG4-positive plasma cells in multiple organs. We report two patients who had bilateral proptosis associated with extensive inflammation bilaterally in lacrimal glands, optic nerves, trigeminal nerves, and maxillary sinuses. The patients were treated as idiopathic orbital inflammation syndrome with corticosteroid pulse therapy. As symptoms relapsed upon tapering, a reassessment of immunohistochemical stains of the lacrimal glands confirmed the diagnosis of IgG4-related disease. During 2 years of follow-up, the inflammation regressed spontaneously without any medical treatment in the first patient; however, inflammation in the other patient progressed, and he lost his vision. The extensive orbital involvement, characteristic pathological findings, and slowly progressive clinical course might help practitioners differentiate orbital IgG4-related disease from presumed idiopathic orbital inflammation syndrome.


The objective of this paper was to develop sample entropy (SampEn) as a novel surface electromyogram (EMG) biomarker to quantitatively examine post-stroke neuromuscular alternations. The SampEn method was performed on surface EMG interference patterns recorded from biceps brachii muscles of nine healthy control subjects, fourteen subjects with subacute stroke, and eleven subjects with chronic stroke, respectively. Measurements were collected during isometric contractions of elbow flexion at different constant force levels. By producing diagnostic decisions for individual muscles, two categories of abnormalities in some paretic muscles were discriminated in terms of abnormally increased and decreased SampEn. The efficiency of the SampEn was demonstrated by its comparable performance with a previously reported clustering index (CI) method. Mixed SampEn (or CI) patterns were observed in paretic muscles of subjects with stroke indicating complex neuromuscular changes at work as a result of a hemispheric brain lesion. Although both categories of SampEn (or CI) abnormalities were observed in both subacute and chronic stages of stroke, the underlying processes contributing to the SampEn abnormalities might vary a lot in stroke stage. The SampEn abnormalities were also found in contralateral muscles of subjects with chronic stroke indicating the necessity of applying interventions to contralateral muscles during stroke rehabilitation. Our work not only presents a novel method for quantitative examination of neuromuscular changes, but also explains the neuropathological mechanisms of motor impairments and offers guidelines for a better design of effective rehabilitation protocols toward improved motor recovery.


Contemporary digital communication systems such as those being developed for the deployment of third-generation cellular require ever increasing performance levels in their signal processing chains to extract higher data rates and to provide decreasing price/performance ratios. Additionally, communication systems like 3G that must support multimode flexibility, such as the software radio, must be able to reconfigure their signal processing chains while keeping circuit complexity to a minimum. Given these constraints, DSP is the only viable alternative for baseband processing and digital IF processing. DSP is in many cases the only viable alternative to analog IF processing. Digital IF affords greater flexibility and higher performance in terms of attenuation and selectivity. It also offers better time and environment stability and lower equipment production costs than traditional analog techniques.


The present work describes the design and synthesis of new azopolymer brushes able to generate SRG patterns. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) technique allowed us to investigate the dynamics of azobenzene-grafted polymer brushes upon photo-induced isomerization process in order to clarify how such a single molecular event can lead to the macroscopic phenomenon of mass-migration and aggregation yielding SRGs. Moreover, Lloyd's mirror method imprinted SRG of 60 nm on these azopolymer brushes. Furthermore, modification of their topography using mild conditions close to physiological environment were tested as well as their biocompatibility in order to confirm them as new light-responsive materials for biological applications in the field of tissue engineering. Smart polymer brushes (SPBs) with azo-chromophores have a photo-responsive nature and act as superior materials that can alter their properties by light. The work reported in this thesis described the design and synthesis of new azopolymer brushes for the formation and erasure of micro-scale surface relief gratings (SRGs). An interesting and promising application of azopolymer is in the fabrication and modification of topographical feature using mild conditions for cell engineering in order to provide useful substrates for controlling cellular orientation and migration. In Chapter 2, we describe the synthesis of all azopolymer brushes via RAFT technique by "grafting from" approach. RAFT polymerization is one of the finest synthetic methodologies to achieve polymers having narrow polydispersity index and high graft density. The thickness of the polymer brushes was controlled by tuning concentration of the RAFT agent immobilized on glass surface as well as polymerization time. Polymer brushes of polymethacrylic acid (pMAb) were firstly prepared and then post modified with a derivative of a well-known azobenzene (Disperse Red 1) on the side chains and a cyanine 5 dye (Cy5) on top of the polymer brush. A comprehensive characterization of each synthesized sample is also presented. In Chapter 3 the influence of the azobenzene molecules on the polymer brush dynamics was investigated for the first time by Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS). For this purpose three type of azopolymer brushes were used. Two dynamics were observed, a short one coming from the fluctuation of azobenzene and a long one related to the main chain of the polymer brush, where Cy5 was linked. Furthermore, dynamics was reversible. Thanks to FCS data, we could propose a mechanism of azobenzene dynamics that led to obtain a pattern of micrometric widths, resembling to SRG. In Chapter 4, we discuss mainly on the synthesis of a new type of azopolymer brushes, based on acrylamide derivative of Disperse red 1 as monomer, by RAFT approach. Using Lloyd's mirror method SRGs were created and the reversibility of the pattern was obtained by sonication using water at room temperature. These azopolymer brushes were conducted and biocompatibility test with NIH-3T3 and HUVEC cells. These primary results foresee the possibility to use these azopolymer brushes as novel cell instructive biomaterials.


Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) in pregnancy is characterized by the presence of autoantibodies in association with recurrent early miscarriages, fetal losses or severe obstetric complications such as prematurity, intrauterine growth restriction and uteroplacental insufficiency. Several mechanisms are hypothesized to explain the pathogenesis of pregnancy failures including decidual thrombosis or placental vasculopathy and antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) direct effect on the utero-placental unit. According to the Sapporo criteria, APS is present in patients with three or more unexplained consecutive spontaneous abortions before the 10th week of gestation, after exclusion of maternal anatomic or hormonal abnormalities, or one or more losses starting in the fetal period (from 10th week of gestation). In the last years, several studies were performed for identifying the predictors of pregnancy outcome in APS patients. The uterine artery Doppler is a useful method for the study of patients at higher risk of preeclampsia and small for gestational age infants. A multidisciplinary team (obstetricians, rheumatologists and neonatologists) is important to achieve a good obstetric outcome and to reduce the possible consequences of premature delivery.


Introduction: Odontogenic cysts are characterized by an expansile non–infiltrative growth through several mechanisms which include presence of mast cells in the capsule. The mast cells can be demonstrated histochemically as well as immunohistochemically. Aim and Objectives: The primary objective of the study was to analyze the presence and distribution of mast cells in radicular cyst, dentigerous cyst and keratocystic odontogenic tumor histochemically and immunohistochemically, to intercompare their expression and to correlate it with the degree of inflammation. Material and Methods: Tissue sections of 30 cases each of radicular cyst, dentigerous cyst and keratocystic odontogenic tumor were stained with toluidine blue and CD117. Quantitation and localization of mast cells was determined by dividing the section into subepithelial and deep zone. The mean number of mast cells was compared between toluidine blue and CD117 for each cyst, and also between two zones for each cyst, using ANOVA test. Correlation of mast cells with degree of inflammation was done using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results: The mean number of mast cells were maximum in keratocystic odontogenic tumor, both histochemically and immunohistochemically, with high localization in the subepithelial zone. Immunohistochemical staining detected higher number of mast cells than histochemistry (4.54 and 3.23 respectively). Statistically significant correlation of mast cells with degree of inflammation was observed. Conclusion: Mast cells may play a role in the pathogenesis of odontogenic cysts as an elevated number of mast cells were found in the connective tissue capsule of all three odontogenic cysts.


This study aims to integrate psychological behavior, clinical biochemistry and other indicators, and use multi-mode MRI technology to explore specific imaging indicators of VCIND neurovascular coupling (NVC). NVC analysis and CBF/ ALFF ratio calculation were performed to investigate the neurovascular coupling changes and clinical significance of LVCI, SVCI and HC. Regardless of the level of the whole brain or brain regions, we have found neurovascular uncoupling in VCIND patients compared with healthy controls. These findings will be helpful in screening patients with VCIND, and has important theoretical and clinical significance in preventing and delaying the development of dementia.


Background. Insomnia and disability pension are major health problems, but few population-based studies have examined the association between insomnia and risk of disability pension. Methods. We conducted a prospective nationwide cohort study based on Swedish population-based registers including all 5,028,922 individuals living in Sweden on December 31, 2004/2005, aged 17–64 years, and not on disability or old age pension. Those having at least one admission/specialist visit with a diagnosis of disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep (insomnias) (ICD-10: G47.0) during 2000/2001–2005 were compared to those with no such inpatient/outpatient care. All-cause and diagnosis-specific incident disability pension were followed from 2006 to 2010. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by Cox regression. Results. In models adjusted for prior sickness absence, sociodemographic factors, and inpatient/specialized outpatient care, associations between insomnia and increased risks of all-cause disability pension (IRR 1.35, 95% CI 1.09–1.67) and disability pension due to mental diagnoses (IRR 1.86, 95% CI 1.38–2.50) were observed. After further adjustment for insomnia medications these associations disappeared. No associations between insomnia and risk of disability pension due to cancer, circulatory, or musculoskeletal diagnoses were observed. Conclusion. Insomnia seems to be positively associated with all-cause disability pension and disability pension due to mental diagnoses.


The core promoter is the ultimate target of all transcriptional regulatory processes. The recently discovered diversity of core promoters and basal transcription factors suggests a regulatory role in differential gene expression. However, the direct contribution of the core promoter remains poorly understood. I investigated core promoters and their putative role in differential gene regulation using the zebrafish embryo as an in vivo model system. To analyse the functional requirement for the general transcription factor TATA-box binding protein (TBP), a diverse set of promoters was tested for their TBP dependence. This analysis revealed a differential requirement of TBP for promoter activity. To further explore the roles of core promoters the ability of various core promoters to interact with tissue-specific enhancers was investigated. A high-throughput pipeline combining automated imaging with custom-designed software for registration of spatial reporter gene activity in thousands of zebrafish embryos was developed. The technology was applied in a large-scale screen analysing the tissue specific activities of 202 enhancer - core promoter combinations. A variety of interaction specificities observed suggests an important role of the core promoter in combinatorial gene regulation. Overall, these findings indicate that the core promoter significantly contributes to differential transcriptional regulation in the vertebrate embryo.


Austral Wright 5251 is a wrought, non-heat-treatable, aluminum-magnesium-manganese alloy (5xxx series). It is about mid-way in the series of aluminum-magnesium alloys for alloying content and strength, which is very similar to that of alloy 5052. This datasheet provides information on composition, physical properties, elasticity, and tensile properties. It also includes information on corrosion resistance as well as forming, heat treating, machining, and joining. Filing Code: Al-494. Producer or source: Austral Wright Metals.


After a decade since the emergence of positive psychology, the present article is drawn on a reflection and synthesis of this crescent movement. We have focused on this subject of study and in methodological issues that have characterised the research in this domain, underlying the strengths, weaknesses and well succeeded innovations. We analyze the practical applications of positive psychology in multiple areas of intervention. We placed positive psychology within the world's scientific scene by identifying the currently active working groups and we reflected and forecasted a possible future of this movement, based on integrity and complexity.


A chronic form of intravascular blood coagulation (the DIC syndrome) is an obligatory pathogenetic mechanism in the organism of pregnant women with late gestoses. In order to find the DIC-syndrome and to provide urgent protective measures comprehensive laboratory diagnostics of the hemostatic pathologies is necessary. Analysis of clinician data has shown an optimal quantity and sequence of tests, among which some are traditional and several have been worked out by the authors. This approach can be recommended for corresponding medical institutions as such that provides obtaining exact and informative data about the state of blood coagulation with minimal amounts of human plasma.


In order to study the morphological, phenological and yield characteristics of 70 Desi chickpea genotypes, a trial was conducted on 2007 in Research Farm of Agriculture Faculty of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. In this study, 70 Desi chickpea genotypes from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Seed Bank, were planted in plots without replication including one to Four planting rows at maximum length of 2.5 m and row space of 50 cm. Some characteristics were measured for each accession based on chickpea descriptors, including the days from emerging to flowering, flowering to pod setting, flowering to maturity, plant height, leaflet length and width, number of leaflet per leaf, leaf length, leaf area, number of node per main stem, number of primary, secondary and tertiary branches, flower length, pod length, number of pod per plant, number of seeds per pod, seed color and shape, 1000 seed weight, and seed yield. The results showed that rang of days from flowering to maturity were 32 to 44 days. Highest (47%) and lowest (20%) number of genotypes for days from flowering to maturity had ranges from 37 till 39 days and less than 37 days, respectively. The range of plant height among genotypes was 53 cm and MCC708 with 63 cm had the highest plant height. The height of the first pod from soil surface of 13% of genotypes was more than 15 cm. Seed yield in 64% of genotypes, those had the highest seed yield, was more than 400 gm-2 and MCC608 with 745 gm-2 had the most seed yield. In general, there was considerable diversity among chickpea genotypes for assessed characteristics. So it is possible to exploit this variation in breeding programs for improving yield of chickpea.

Key words: Chickpea descriptor, Germplasm, Yield component


This article describes the use of an indirect porcelain repair technique to improve the occlusal relationship between a new fixed partial denture and an existing one. Porcelain repair techniques offer a conservative, minimally invasive, and cost-effective method of improving the opposing occlusion without replacing an existing restoration.


Among 300 isolates of bovine Escherichia coli, 56 which had been found enterotoxigenic in calf gut loops were characterized on the basis of O and K antigens, colonial morphology and resistance to seven antimicrobial drugs. The 56 isolates enterotoxigenic in the calf were compared with the nonenterotoxigenic ones. Of the 56 enterotoxigenic E. coli the majority possessed the A type of K antigen and had OK groups, O9:K(PS274) or O101:K(RVC118). Fourteen of these isolates had the K99 antigen. None of 27 isolates found enterotoxigenic in the piglet but not in the calf possessed the K99 antigen or belonged to OK groups O9:K(PS274) or O101:K(RVC118). Comparison of the patterns of resistance to seven antimicrobial drugs showed that all enterotoxigenic and nonenterotoxigenic isolates were susceptible to nitrofurantoin and sulphachlorphyridiazine and that there was no significant difference in the patterns between the two groups. The majority of enterotoxigenic isolates were mucoid, whereas most of the nonenterotoxigenic isolates were nonmucoid.


To respond to global climate change and achieve a "carbon peak" and "carbon neutrality" as soon as possible has become a common goal around the world. Economic growth relies heavily on financial development; indeed, low-carbon economic development is inseparable from financial support. This paper studies the impact of financial development on carbon emission intensity and its mechanism from both theoretical and empirical aspects. Based on the 2005–2018 data on Chinese cities and the Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) research results, this paper finds that: (1) Financial development has significantly reduced China's carbon emission intensity overall. After considering spatial effects, financial development increases local carbon emission intensity, although it may lead to a more significant decrease in the surrounding area. (2) The analysis of heterogeneity shows that only the financial development in the eastern region has a substantial detrimental impact on total carbon emission intensity and the carbon emission intensity of neighboring cities. The financial development in the central and western regions has no significant effect on carbon emission intensity. (3) The mechanism test shows that financial development mainly reduces carbon emission intensity through technological innovation and structural optimization, with the effect of technological innovation being 9.5%, and the effect of structural optimization being 12.15%. The expansion of the consumption effects of financial development has no significant impact on carbon emission intensity. Accordingly, this article believes that it is necessary to further support financial development, build large-scale financial centers, continue to optimize the structure of financial products, and encourage the development of green finance.


This article deals with traditional literature of the Pakpak-Dairi and Karo peoples in North Sumatra, who are speakers of closely related Batak languages and have many common features in their language and culture. Their traditional life-style, based on agriculture and the use of forest products, requires the regular performance of community rituals featuring songs, dance, music and other oral traditions including storytelling. The songs, prayers, and stories belonging to their literary tradition have characteristic features that are intimately connected with the social context in which they are created and performed. Karo and Pakpak-Dairi oral genres often contain information about the natural environment, local customs and religious concepts. They may also reflect perceptions of relationships with neighbouring groups, such as the Minangkabau and the Malays who live in the coastal areas.


Synthetic data is widely used in various domains. This is because many modern algorithms require lots of data for efficient training, and data collection and labeling usually are a time-consuming process and are prone to errors. Furthermore, some real-world data, due to its nature, is confidential and cannot be shared. Bayesian networks are a type of probabilistic graphical model widely used to model the uncertainties in real-world processes. Dynamic Bayesian networks are a special class of Bayesian networks that model temporal and time series data. In this paper, we introduce the tsBNgen, a Python library to generate time series and sequential data based on an arbitrary dynamic Bayesian network. The package, documentation, and examples can be downloaded from this https URL.


2 beta,25-di(0-beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-16 alpha,20-dihydroxycucurbit-5-en-3,11,22-trione (cucurbitacin R glucoside--CRG), isolated from Bryonia alba roots, stimulates corticosterone secretion in the adrenal cortex of rats and augments the working capacity of mice. If rats after CRG injections were exposed to immobilization stress, the level of corticosterone in the adrenal cortex and blood plasma was not increased, like in the control groups of rats not receiving CRG. The level of prostaglandin E2 in the adrenal cortex was increased during stress and after CRG administration. These findings indicate that CRG regulates steroidogenesis by influencing the activity of prostaglandin G2-prostaglandin E2 isomerase.


This paper investigates the arbitrage opportunities between Taiwan common stocks and their corresponding GDRs in the consideration of transaction costs. We argue that the arbitrages are induced only when the expected profit exceeds the threshold, which includes the physical transaction costs as well as risk and price premiums. The threshold cointegration is employed here to estimate the thresholds. Owing to the special feature of Taiwan institution, two-way arbitrage is plausible after the March I, 1996 in Taiwan, while only one-way arbitrage is plausible before then. Hence, only one threshold is suggested before 1996 but two thresholds can be found after. Employing seventeen common stocks and their corresponding GDRs, we find the equilibrium errors do not adjust back to the equilibrium in every period. Instead, the adjustment occurs only when the price differences, GDR price minus stock price, exceed the thresholds. The arbitrage opportunities are found indeed to exist.


Plasma CEA as a tumor marker was studied in 681 postoperative patients with invasive epithelial cancer of the ovary. The sensitivity of a single CEA value was low in correlating with tumor burden, relapse status or in predicting subsequent relapse. The false negative rate was high. Serial samples were helpful in predicting relapse in a small number of patients where the value was persistently high. CEA showed greater sensitivity and prognostic value in patients with the mucinous tumor subtype, than other histologies. A clinically useful role for CEA is likely to be restricted to small subsets of patients, such as those with mucinous tumors where CEA may have a complementary role with other markers. A change in assay method during the course of the study resulted in a weakening of the value of CEA as a tumor marker.


Context: Surrogate decision makers experience significant amounts of anxiety, burden, and strain in their role as caregivers and decision makers for loved ones. Objectives: To investigate longitudinally whether surrogate decision makers engaging in ACP together with their loved one reduces perceived anxiety, burden, and strain felt by surrogate decision makers. Methods: Post-hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial evaluating caregivers' perceived self-efficacy to serve as surrogate decision makers. The trial employed a 2×2 study design of patient/caregiver dyads who engaged in advance care planning (ACP) using a standard living will form vs "Making Your Wishes Known" (MYWK), and having the patient engage in ACP alone vs together with the family caregiver. Surrogates completed validated survey instruments surveys longitudinally to compare levels of anxiety, burden, and strain. Results: 246 of 285 dyads completed the measures. No significant reductions in anxiety, burden, or strain were found longitudinally in surrogate decision makers using MYWK together with loved one's vs other control groups. Increases in strain and anxiety were seen across all study groups and increases in burden across 2/4 study groups. Strain and burden increased most in the MYWK Together arm (▴ = +2.22 and ▴ = +1.91 respectively). Conclusion: Family caregivers who engaged in ACP together with patients using the decision support tool MYWK did not experience less strain, burden, or anxiety longitudinally compared to other study arms. These results may help inform the design of future studies and interventions that promote caregivers' involvement in ACP interventions.


ABSTRACT Question: How successful is restoration that is focused on a single dominant plant at enabling the reassembly of the whole vegetation assemblage and what factors affect the relative success of such restoration? Location: Moorlands in England and Scotland, UK. Methods: Vegetation composition was sampled in grass-dominated (degraded), restored and long established Calluna vulgaris-dominated (target) areas within eight moorland restoration sites. Additional soil and biogeographic data were collected. Data were analysed by Canonical Correspondence Analysis, which allowed the impact of moorland management to be examined. Results: All sites showed good restoration success when the dominant managed species (Calluna vulgaris, Molinia caerulea and Nardus stricta) were considered. Restoration success of the remainder of the plant assemblage, disregarding these dominant species, was lower with restored samples at some sites differing little from their respective degraded samples. Moors restored solely by grazing exclusion were more similar to their respective targets than were those restored by more intensive mechanical means. The most important factors in explaining vegetation assemblages were management status (i.e. whether samples represented degraded, restored or target parts of the moor) and latitude. Conclusions: The project demonstrates that, where possible, restoration should be attempted by grazing exclusion alone. Furthermore the importance of applying local restoration targets and of monitoring the whole plant assemblages when assessing the success of moorland restoration is highlighted. Nomenclature: Species names follow Stace (1991) for higher plants and Smith (2004) for bryophytes. Abbreviations: CCA = Canonical Correspondence Analysis, LOI = Loss on Ignition


Computational fluid dynamics is a powerful method for scale-up of reactors although it is still challenging to fully embrace hydrodynamics and biological complexities. In this article, an aerobic fermentation of Pichia pastoris cells is modeled in a batch OKTOP®9000 reactor. The 800 m3 industrial scale reactor is equipped with a radial impeller, designed by Outotec Oy for gas dispersion in the draft tube reactor. Measured Np of the impeller is used in hydrodynamics validation. The resolved energy dissipation rate is compensated, and its influence on mass transfer is analyzed and discussed. Gas–liquid drag force is modified to simulate effects of liquid turbulence and bubble swarms. Resolved steady state multiphase hydrodynamics is used to simulate the fermentation process. Temporal evolution of species concentrations is compared to experimental data measured in a small copy of the reactor at lab scale (14 L). The effect of oxygenation on the P. pastoris cells cultivation is considered.


In this work, we investigate global seismic tomographic models obtained by spectral-element simulations of seismic wave propagation and adjoint methods. Global crustal and mantle models are obtained based on an iterative conjugate-gradient type of optimization scheme. Forward and adjoint seismic wave propagation simulations, which result in synthetic seismic data to make measurements and data sensitivity kernels to compute gradient for model updates, respectively, are performed by the SPECFEM3D_GLOBE package [1] [2] at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF) to study the structure of the Earth at unprecedented levels. Using advances in solver techniques that run on the GPUs on Titan at the OLCF, scientists are able to perform large-scale seismic inverse modeling and imaging. Using seismic data from global and regional networks from global CMT earthquakes, scientists are using SPECFEM3D_GLOBE to understand the structure of the mantle layer of the Earth. Visualization of the generated data sets provide an effective way to understand the computed wave perturbations which define the structure of mantle in the Earth.


Ensembles used for probabilistic weather forecasting often exhibit a spread-error correlation, but they tend to be underdispersive. This paper proposes a statistical method for postprocessing ensembles based on Bayesian model averaging (BMA), which is a standard method for combining predictive distributions from different sources. The BMA predictive probability density function (PDF) of any quantity of interest is a weighted average of PDFs centered on the individual bias-corrected forecasts, where the weights are equal to posterior probabilities of the models generating the forecasts and reflect the models' relative contributions to predictive skill over the training period. The BMA weights can be used to assess the usefulness of ensemble members, and this can be used as a basis for selecting ensemble members; this can be useful given the cost of running large ensembles. The BMA PDF can be represented as an unweighted ensemble of any desired size, by simulating from the BMA predictive distribution. The BMA predictive variance can be decomposed into two components, one corresponding to the between-forecast variability, and the second to the within-forecast variability. Predictive PDFs or intervals based solely on the ensemble spread incorporate the first component but not the second. Thus BMA provides a theoretical explanation of the tendency of ensembles to exhibit a spread-error correlation but yet be underdispersive. The method was applied to 48-h forecasts of surface temperature in the Pacific Northwest in January– June 2000 using the University of Washington fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5) ensemble. The predictive PDFs were much better calibrated than the raw ensemble, and the BMA forecasts were sharp in that 90% BMA prediction intervals were 66% shorter on average than those produced by sample climatology. As a by-product, BMA yields a deterministic point forecast, and this had root-mean-square errors 7% lower than the best of the ensemble members and 8% lower than the ensemble mean. Similar results were obtained for forecasts of sea level pressure. Simulation experiments show that BMA performs reasonably well when the underlying ensemble is calibrated, or even overdispersed.


Cyanobacterial blooms in lakes have been reported causing livestock deaths and liver injury to human populations. In this study bloom material consisting of Microcystis aeruginosa was collected from a farm water storage after the death of sheep drinking from it. The cyanobacterial cells were lysed and a cell-free extract was provided to mice at a series of dilutions as their only source of drinking water. Mice of both sexes, with controls, were killed at intervals up to 1 yr of administration. Autopsies, histopathological examination, and analyses of plasma lactate dehydrogenase and alanine aminotransferase were carried out. Increased mortality was observed, particularly among males, together with chronic active liver injury and elevated alanine aminotransferase in blood. In control mice and those receiving lower concentrations of extract, hepatic amyloidosis with neutrophil infiltration, and bronchopneumonia, were seen with increasing age. The bronchopneumonia appeared earlier among mice receiving cyanobacterial extract. Four tumors were seen in 71 mice receiving a high concentration of extract for up to 1 yr, none in 150 mice receiving lower concentrations, and 2 in 73 control mice. No effects on male or female fertility, embryonic mortality, neonatal viability, or skeletal development were observed, but 7 out of 73 neonatal mice born to parents given cyanobacterial extract showed reduced brain size. No cases were seen in controls. We conclude that the major toxicity exhibited is liver injury. Further attention is needed for evaluation of carcinogenicity and embryonic damage.


Because of the importance of their physiological functions, cell membranes represent critical targets in biological research. Membrane proteins, which make up ≈1/3 of the proteome, interact with a wide range of small ligands and macromolecular partners as well as with foreign molecules such as synthetic drugs, antibodies, toxins, or surface recognition proteins of pathogenic organisms. Whether it is for the sake of basic biomedical or pharmacological research, it is of great interest to develop tools facilitating the study of these interactions. Surface-based in vitro assays are appealing because they require minimum quantities of reagents, and they are suitable for multiplexing and high-throughput screening. We introduce here a general method for immobilizing functional, unmodified integral membrane proteins onto solid supports, thanks to amphipathic polymers called "amphipols." The key point of this approach is that functionalized amphipols can be used as universal adapters to associate any membrane protein to virtually any kind of support while stabilizing its native state. The generality and versatility of this strategy is demonstrated by using 5 different target proteins, 2 types of supports (chips and beads), 2 types of ligands (antibodies and a snake toxin), and 2 detection methods (surface plasmon resonance and fluorescence microscopy).


UNLABELLED
Several studies showed that Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) leads to a lasting improvement of upper extremity function in chronic stroke patients. The original technique includes an intensive 2-week program with 6 hours of daily physiotherapy. Due to high expenses it is difficult to implement this concept in outpatient care.

PURPOSE
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 4-week homebased CIMT program among chronic stroke patients and to compare them with a 2-week CIMT program, based on the original technique.

METHODS
Seven adults with chronic stroke completed a newly developed variant of CIMT, performed at patients' homes (group1, CIMThome), supervised by an instructed family member, constraint of unaffected hand for a target of 60% of waking hours. The intervention was analysed with pre-, post-treatment and 6-month follow-up measurements. Effects on improvement in upper extremity function were compared with patients treated according to the original protocol (group2, CIMTclassic), supervised by a physiotherapist, constraint of unaffected hand for a target of 90% of waking hours.

RESULTS
Patients from both groups showed almost identical improvement of their motor function according to scores on the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and the Motor Activity Log (MAL) immediately after the treatment period as well as at follow-up after 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS
Our study suggests that CIMThome is not only feasible but also as effective as CIMTclassic. This finding should be replicated in a larger prospective randomized trial to perform a non-inferiority analysis.


This article reviews the recent discourse on forced migration in Southeast Asia. In the aftermath of the Cold War era, movements of people have entering a new predicament. The interstate wars have produced displaced populations that many have spill into the neighboring countries or oscillating within border areas. In these new political circumstances, studies on population movement shall move beyond the conventional theoretical framework, derives from the modernization theories. The increasing magnitude of forced displacement, in many instances resulted from the state's failures in resolving political conflicts, critically challenges the conventional study on migration in which politics and security, often neglected. From a narrow academic perspective, displaced people is divided into three broad groups, based on the major cause of displacement: violent conflicts, development and natural disasters. In Southeast Asia, internal conflict that produced internally displaced population and refugees that fill or cross the state borders, is often resulted from elite's conflict or conflict between different factions in the national government, that in turn produce tensions in the society at the grassroots levels. This article argues that the need for a new perspective beyond Eurocentric framework is needed to analyze unfolding events related to migration-development-security nexus in Southeast Asia. The failure of existing international refugee regime to contain the critical issues and the refugee crises in the region mirror the failure of regional cooperation in Southeast Asia to develop a viable regional framework to tackle the problem of refugee and the displaced population. Keywords: Political conflict, force migration, regional framework


We propose a new efficient online algorithm to learn the parameters governing the purchasing behavior of a utility maximizing buyer, who responds to prices, in a repeated interaction setting. The key feature of our algorithm is that it can learn even non-linear buyer utility while working with arbitrary price constraints that the seller may impose. This overcomes a major shortcoming of previous approaches, which use unrealistic prices to learn these parameters making them unsuitable in practice.


As a social practice, traditional crafts have been an important tool that reflects the collective values, esthetics, and art, lifestyles of the society it belongs to for centuries, in short, the cultural and historical wealth of value of that society. Our country has a rich heritage in traditional crafts, and the art of block printing is an important part of it. The art of block printing is a traditional art of hand, using wooden molds carved with local motifs, using vegetable paints made by the masters with special recipes, hand-drawn or prepared wooden molds printed on the fabric. Our cultural wealth and traditions from the past are changing and disappearing with the conditions of the time. The purpose of this study is to combine traditional techniques that are sustainable in the art of block printing with the possibilities of today's technology and to reinterpret current usage items with graphic design to help revive the art of writing. For this purpose, the study has been scanned for the field as a method of data acquisition and the print samples of the art of block printing have been studied. As a result of research, a font named 'Anatolian' was designed with inspiration from the technical and motives of the art of block printing. In the second phase of the design project, the endangered animal figures living in various regions of our country have been selected, and illustration studies have been carried out and tree printing practices have been carried out. Digital illustration studies and Anatolian font have been combined to create a graphic design project where designs are adapted to current usage items. When designers reinterpret traditional art that affects our culture, such as block printing, following the tracks of the past, in their original expression forms, they are thought to be able to take steps in the sustainability of traditional art.


Purpose To examine the associations among physical activity (PA), sedentary time (SED), and TV viewing (TV) with fat mass (FAT) and visceral adipose tissue mass (VAT) from childhood through adolescence (5–19 yr). Methods Participants in the Iowa Bone Development Study (n = 230 males and 233 females) were examined at ages 5, 8, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19 yr. Accelerometers measured moderate- or vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA; min·d−1), light-intensity PA (LPA; min·d−1), and SED (h·d−1). Parent-proxy report (5 and 8 yr) and child-report (11, 13, 15, 17, and 19 yr) measured TV (h·d−1). X-ray absorptiometry scans measured FAT (kg) and VAT (g). Sex-specific growth models were used to create FAT and VAT growth curves for individual participants (level 1), and to test the effect of MVPA, LPA, SED, and TV (level 2) after adjusting for weight, height, linear age, nonlinear age, and maturity. Results Growth models indicated that low levels of MVPA were associated with high levels of FAT and VAT for males and high levels of FAT for females. TV viewing was positively associated with FAT and VAT for males and females. LPA was positively associated with FAT in males. Sedentary time was not associated with FAT or VAT for males or females (P > 0.05). Conclusions This study supports current PA guidelines focusing on MVPA rather than SED. The contribution of high TV, but not high SED, to high levels of adiposity suggests that TV's contribution to obesity is not just a function of low energy expenditure.


Abstract : A model of grand unified theory based on SU(6) gauge group is proposed. It can accommodate two generations of ordinary fermions with V-A weak coupling and two generations of weird fermions with V+A weak coupling. In this model a new discrete symmetry is introduced which insures existence of fermions with lower masses when SU(6) gauge symmetry is spontaneously broken. We choose simple Higgs fields with appropriate vacuum expectation values so that the masses of weird fermions are heavier than those of ordinary fermions. This model also gives the same value of Weinberg angle, sin sq of Theta sub w = 3/8, as in the usual SU(5) grand unified model at the grand unified scale.


Greenhouse gas emissions from natural and anthropogenic sources are frequently cited as the dominant cause of global warming. One adverse effect of global warming caused by these emissions is sea level rise, which poses a significant threat to the sustainable development of coastal regions around the world. In this study we use concepts from dynamic systems control theory to develop a systems model that may be used to predict global temperature change and sea level rise. The model uses the radiative forcing function as an external input to represent the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the dynamic system. The dynamic system is calibrated using historical data on global temperature and sea level. An independent emission scenario, which results in a 2°C increase of temperature by 2100, is used to validate the model. The numerical results show that the model proposed is effective in predicting future global temperature change and future sea level rise. We then apply the proposed model to the 6 CO2 emission scenarios generated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The projections indicate that global temperature will increase between 1.6 and 5.0°C by 2100 and that sea level will rise between 60.3 and 98.4 cm relative to the 1990 level. These results are consistent with projections made by the IPCC and with results of other recent studies that used semi-empirical approaches.


Hypothesis: The new hysteroscopic system with mechanical energy is an effective outpatient technique for diagnosis and treatment that has certain advantages over conventional hysteroscopy in the management of endometrial polyps. Objectives: Our primary objective was to assess the total duration of hysteroscopy and polypectomy performed in an outpatient setting comparing the new mechanical energy hysteroscopy to the bipolar energy system. Our secondary objective was to compare the level of safety of both hysteroscopic techniques using the procedure success rate, the need for subsequent referral to surgery, existing complications, and comfort experienced by the patient during the procedure. Patients and Methods: This randomized controlled trial included the first 90 patients with an ultrasound diagnosis of endometrial polyp (>1 cm) who underwent an outpatient diagnostic and operative hysteroscopy at the Igualada Hospital (Barcelona) and agreed to be included in the study by signing an informed consent. Results: We obtained a 91% success rate with the TRUCLEAR System® compared to a 69% success rate with the Versapoint® system. Total operating time was 6.36 min in the TRUCLEAR System group versus 10.82 min in the Versapoint system group (p Conclusion: The mechanical energy system presents a significant decrease in the total duration of polypectomy and hysteroscopy when performed both by experienced staff and by staff in training, resulting in higher success rates without complications with respect to conventional hysteroscopy with bipolar energy.


The aim of the study was to evaluate dierent breeding strategies for disease resistance in combination with production traits in pastoral systems with experimental data for genetic information and results from questionnaires for socio-economic aspects. Using a stochastic approach, a closed nucleus breeding was simulated. The base population consisted of N = 400 unrelated F2 crossbreed individuals from two breeds with fixed alleles in the desired traits: decrease in packed red blood cell volume (PCVD), decrease in body weight (BWD), natural logarithm of the mean count of parasites (PAR) as indicator of Trypanotolerance, live weight at 12 months of age (LW), milk yield (MY) and calving interval (CI) for production and reproduction traits. There were 10 discrete generations of selection; with selected animals in each generation randomly mated with the assumption of AI and MOET. The genotype of each individual was modeled using 10 unlinked additive quantitative trait loci (QTL) with two flanking markers each and a model with 100 loci without marker information for the polygenic eect. The phenotypic values were sum of genotypic and a residual eect. The input parameters for QTL and marker as well as LW variance and correlations were taken from results of the completed QTL mapping experiments by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Kenya; other information for the remaining traits was based on international studies. The economic values came from a socio-economic study in pastoral production systems. Breeding value estimation for selection was based on best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP), BLUP in combination with marker information (MABLUP) and estimation on markers only (MA). Results indicate greater genetic gain via BLUP-evaluation but also reasonable genetic gain via MABLUP with better results for disease resistance. MA-results require more computational time but show the potential genetic gain without infecting the animals for phenotypic observations.


All aerial organs are produced from shoot meristems, which are dynamic self-sustaining structures located at the growing tips of shoots. Shoot meristems are subdivided into discrete domains with distinct functions. A population of stem cells is maintained in the central zone (CZ), while organogenesis occurs in the peripheral zone (PZ). In the core of the meristem, the rib meristem produces the pith of the stem. On the flanks of the shoot meristem a small strip of lateral organ boundary cells mediates the separation of the lateral organ from the meristem. Proper communication between these zones and the lateral organ boundary is essential for meristem integrity and function. Understanding the mechanisms that control shoot meristem fate and integrity will shed light on the mechanisms that control the patterning of the shoot. The KNOTTED1-Like HOMEOBOX (KNOX) transcription factor (TF) SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM) physically interacts with two related BELL1-like homeodomain (BLH) proteins called PENNYWISE (PNY) and POUND-FOOLISH (PNF) to regulate processes that maintain meristem cell fate. Genetic studies indicate that STM-PNY/PNF also regulates boundary function and flower meristem identity during inflorescence development. Studies from the second chapter of this thesis indicate that communication between PNY/PNF and the lateral organ boundary is essential for maintaining meristem integrity as well as controlling inflorescence patterning events. Based on genetic studies, it is unclear if STM and PNY/PNF regulate developmental processes, such as stem cell homeostasis, boundary function and flower meristem identity, directly or indirectly. Experimental evidence from chapter two suggests that STM but not PNY/PNF directly regulates a gene, which encodes a protein that controls stem cell homeostasis. In the CZ and PZ of the shoot meristem, PNY-STM act to negatively regulate lateral organ boundary genes. However, in the absence of PNY/PNF function, STM functions to specify lateral organ boundary identity on the flanks of the shoot meristem. Although PNY/PNF indirectly regulates flower specification via the lateral organ boundary, studies in chapter two suggest that these BLH proteins and at least one KNOX protein directly regulates an early flower meristem identity gene. Results from this thesis, indicate that the spatial expression patterns and formation of specific KNOX-BLH complexes is essential for maintaining meristem cell fate, integrity and flower meristem identity. Furthermore, PNY/PNF and STM act to regulate these processes in an indirect and direct manner to ensure meristem integrity and function is maintained.


Traffic violation was a major problem in large city. The Law implementation in traffic was Police Officer and Court Institution responsibility as supporters of all law legislation. Legislation mechanism was done by the court, by fast checking with sanction to the violators. Fine sanction couldn't be said cheap, but there was still improvement in violators' quantity. That's why it was important to know about judge decision in traffic violation and the correlation with fairness, certainty, and usefulness in order to minimize the traffic violations.
The research aimed to reveal Judge decision in traffic violation, law decision making in verdict, also fairness aspect, certainty, and benefit aspect in traffic verdict. In this research, the writer used socio-juridical approach. The location was Malang City State of Court which generally used for traffic violation trial. In this research, the writer used interview, observation, and documentation technique. In data analysis, the writer used qualitative descriptive data analysis.
From the writer research, there could be found that judge verdict was fine sanction to the accused, without using legal checking letter also legal verdict about the decision. Judge consideration in traffic was especially related with reality that violation in traffic rule was against the law, which in criminal law shown by wederrechttelijk word to show the illegal activity or means. The concrete form of fairness was the similarity between the law violation with sanction. The law certainty principle mean that the judge should give proper consideration as the measurement of law existed in traffic and highway. The benefit aspect showed that criminal punishment by the traffic violators was needed to stop them doing violation to traffic rule.
The writer suggested a new mechanism to face the accused absence in trial. By paying attention to the fairness aspect and law transparency, the accused should go to the trial for law education.


In the Tristia Ovid adapts to the exilic scenario elegy's long-running engagement with philosophical questions concerning the degree to which we are in charge of our emotions, active in our decision-making, and, ultimately, in control of our destiny. Central to the predicament of both lover and exile is a conundrum of personal agency known as akrasia, a "weakness of will" in which the individual acts against his or her better judgement. This chapter highlights some of the ways in which the Tristia invokes Stoic and Epicurean treatments of these issues: Ovid weighs up his own agency in his downfall, for example, in distinguishing between crimen, culpa, and error; he seeks to come to terms with his diminished self-determination in the fact of his relegation and, despite this, in his continued vocation to poetry; he explores the modus or "limit" both of his sorrow and of the emperor's anger; and, albeit to no avail, he recommends clementia as a philosophically enlightened way forward. In the end, philosophy seems to offer Ovid slight mitigation of his psychological anguish, but it does enable him to take a view of the emperor as one who ultimately is possessed of no higher self-control than the poet he has sought to disempower. Affinities with the exilic writings of Seneca retrospectively confirm the philosophical potential of Ovid's elegies from the Black Sea: the Ovidian in Seneca thus brings to light the Senecan in Ovid.


A variation of J. Capon's (1969) maximum-likelihood (ML) spectral estimation algorithm is described for calculating direction of arrival using a short linear array. The proposed modification involves altering the computed covariance spectral matrix by setting its lowest eigen value to a small, positive constant lambda '(min). Theoretical analysis indicates that as lambda '(min) is reduced, the improved ML spectrum tends towards the Pisarenko estimate (1972), thereby attaining a higher resolution than Capon's original ML technique while at the same time retaining its robustness. Simulation results for an eight-element array are provided to illustrate the performance of the IML spectrum in resolving two incoherent sources in the presence of background noise.<<ETX>>


Amniotic bands can cause a wide variety of deformities and mutilations. They are generally considered sporadic. Two families are presented with apparent familial amniotic band anomalies. Additional cases in the literature are reviewed. These aggregations may be coincidental, and recurrence risk is apparently low. However, amniotic band malformations may be an indication for caution in the use of amniocentesis in future pregnancies.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was 1) to determine the effects of nasal O2 on periodic breathing, arterial oxyhemoglobin desaturation and nocturnal ventricular arrhythmias in patients with heart failure and 2) determine the characteristics of patients whose periodic breathing will be reversed by O2 administration; our hypothesis was that patients with more severe periodic breathing and desaturation, will respond more favorably to oxygen.

DESIGN
Prospective study.

SETTING
Referral sleep laboratory of a Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

PARTICIPANTS
36 ambulatory male patients with heart failure whose initial polysomnograms showed periodic breathing with fifteen or more episodes of apnea (A) and hypopnea (H) per hour (AH index, AHI) were treated with nasal O2 during the subsequent full night polysomnography.

INTERVENTIONS
Oxygen.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS
Arterial blood gases and hydrogen ion concentrations were measured, and cardiac radionuclide ventriculography, Holter monitoring, and polysomnography were done. The studies were scored blindly. Treatment with O2 resulted in a significant reduction in AHI (49+/-19 vs 29+/-29, means+/-SD), central apnea index (28+/-23 vs 13+/-18 per hour), and the percent of total sleep time below an arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation of 90% (23+/-21% vs 0.8+/-2.3%). In spite of virtual normalization of saturation with O2 therapy, the number of ventricular arrhythmias during sleep did not change significantly. In 39% of the patients (14 out of 36), O2 therapy resulted in reversal of central sleep apnea (defined by a reduction in AHI to less than 15/hr). In this group, the AHI decreased by 78% which was significantly (p=0.0001) more than improved (22%) in AHI of the remaining patients (n=22). The main differences between baseline characteristics of the two groups was a significantly higher mean PaCO2 in patients who did respond fully to O2 (39.3+/-5.4 vs 36.1+/-4.2 mm Hg, p=0.03). In both groups, however, O2 administration resulted in significant and similar improvement in arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation (saturation <90%, percent total sleep time 0.1+/-0.3% vs 1+/-3%).

CONCLUSION
In patients with stable heart failure, administration of nasal O2 significantly improves periodic breathing and virtually eliminates clinically significant arterial oxyhemoglobin desaturation. The beneficial effects of O2, however, may be modulated by the level of arterial PCO2. Acute O2 therapy has important benefits on sleep apnea and nocturnal arterial oxyhemoglobin desaturation in heart failure patients. Long term benefits of O2 therapy in heart failure and sleep apnea need to be determined.


Communication is very important for software project management and improper conduct of project communications could fail the software projects and it had happened to 68.4% projects in past 10 years even though there are well defined guidelines from standard bodies for training and certification. In conjunction with the growing needs and identified issues in Malaysia, software industry here also faces the same challenges therefore it is necessary to evaluate the current communications practiced in software development projects. First, the evaluation criteria were listed from literature reviews and a set of questionnaire was designed based on these criteria. Then the level of practice was examined by the criteria found from project communications management in Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and the scale of competence was examined by the criteria found from personal competence on communicating in Project Manager Competency Development Framework (PMCDF). Lastly analyse the distribution of project portfolio, level of practice, and scale of competence. The survey comprised 30 software companies in Johor state, and collected response from 52 professionals who experienced in estimated 1145 software development projects. The results showed all the respondents agreed that communications will help to increase the chance of success in software development projects. However the evaluation showed the actual practices is more than half rated as not currently practicing for all the criteria in project communications management average 54.3%. Stakeholders communications involve mostly face-to-face interactions and spontaneous. There is no specific system that defines exactly how a project team should communicate. Personal competence on communicating shows the individual interpersonal skill set in handling problems solving but also reflecting the weakness in managing stakeholder expectation for consistent performance.


According to a multi-delay dynamic neural group network, the Lyapunov function is constructed firstly to achieve the judgment criteria of global asymptotical stability. Then, the synchronization states are analysized based on the complex coupled network. Through the Lyapunov stability theorem, the multi-delay dependent judgment criteria of synchronization states is presented. Finally, the controller is designed based on this structure. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of this controller.


Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC

The discovery of anti-metastatic agents that inhibit cancer cell motility has been hindered by a dearth of high‐throughput screening (HTS) -compatible cell motility assays. The Oris™ Pro 384 well cell migration assay, developed by Platypus Technologies, is an innovative cell motility assay designed to enable HTS of potential anti-cancer compounds and wound healing agents on adherent tumor and endothelial cell lines. The assay utilizes a centrally located, non-toxic, biocompatible gel (BCG) to form a uniformly sized, cell-free detection zone into which cells migrate. The assay is logistically simple and does not require any mechanical processing steps, such as cell wounding or removal of physical barriers. The assay is fully compatible with laboratory automation, including robotic liquid handlers, plate washers, and high-content screening (HCS) readers.

A formal investigation of the accuracy, robustness, and HTS performance of the assay was conducted following guidelines in place at the University of Pittsburgh Drug Discovery Institute (UPDDI). Using MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells, the assay was optimized for migration kinetics, cell seeding density, and DMSO tolerance. In multi-day variability studies, the assay delivered signal-to-background ratios > 10 and Z-factors above 0.5 on three consecutive days, was insensitive to process errors or edge-effects, and passed UPDDI Assay Protocol Approval Committee (APAC) criteria. The assay delivered equal HTS performance on two different HCS platforms – the Thermo Scientific Cellomics ArrayScan II and the Molecular Devices ImageXpress®Ultra point scanning confocal reader. Screening of a test cassette of 1280 compounds with known biological activities identified several agents with mechanisms associated with cell motility. The multiparametric nature of the HCS assay permitted correlation of antimigratory activity with cellular toxicity. Our results validate the Oris™ Pro 384 cell migration assay as a logistically simple and information-rich cell motility analysis platform that meets the demands of large scale compound screening.

Citation Format: Jennifer Fronczak, Laura Vollmer, Gopal Krishnan, Andreas Vogt. HTS performance and high-content analysis of antimigratory compound phenotypes using the Oris Pro 384 cell migration assay. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3799. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3799


1. The metabolic cost of swimming was studied in mallard ducks ( Anas platyrhynchos ) which had been trained to swim steadily in a variable-speed water channel. 2. At speeds of from 0.35 to 0.50 m/sec the oxygen consumption remained relatively constant at approximately 2.2 times the resting level. At speeds of 0.55 m/sec and higher the oxygen consumption increased rapidly and reached 4.1 times resting at the maximum sustainable speed of 0.70 m/sec. 3. The maximum sustainable swimming speed of the ducks coincided with the limit predicted from hydrodynamic considerations of the water resistance of a displacement-hulled ship of the same hull length as a duck (0.33 m). 4. The cost of transport (metabolic rate/speed) reached a minimum of 5.77 kcal/kg km at a swimming speed of 0.50 m/sec. Ducks swimming freely on a pond were observed to swim at the speed calculated in experimental trials to give minimum cost of transport. 5. Drag measurements made with model ducks indicated a maximum overall efficiency (power output/power input) for the swimming ducks of about 5%. Ships typically have maximum efficiencies of 20-30%. Because of the difficulty in delimiting the cost of swimming activity alone from the other bodily functions of the duck, overall efficiency may present an incorrect description of the swimming performance of the duck relative to that of a ship. An hydrodynamic parameter such as speed/length ratio [speed/(hull length)½] whereby a duck excels conventional ships may present a more appropriate comparison.


Although dynamic random-dot correlogram evoked visual potentials (DRDC-VEPs) are a three-decade-old method to detect the cortical binocularity in humans and animals, our knowledge of the influence of fundamental stimulus parameters and the underlying cerebral processing mechanisms has remained limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of luminance on DRDC-VEPs in adults. The variability and detectability of DRDC-VEPs were investigated under different stimulus luminance conditions with neutral density filters. Our results have demonstrated that DRDC-VEPs can be evoked in a wide luminance range, and the response amplitude was practically independent of luminance between 4.75 cd m−2 and 0.015 cd m−2, while DRDC-VEP latencies showed a strong linear correlation with log luminance. There is, however, a limit (0.06 cd m−2) below which DRDC-VEPs are not reliably recordable. Luminance reduction-induced delays in DRDC-VEP latencies cannot be explained simply by retinal mechanisms, since their regression slope does not follow the course of electroretinogram and cortical evoked potential latencies. Luminance independence of DRDC-VEP amplitude suggests that binocular correlation-processing cortical neurons receive input predominantly from the magnocellular visual pathway.


This paper analyses the interaction of two topics: Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Internet. Merging these two fields is a key area of concern for contemporary managers and researchers. They have realized that Internet can enhance SCM by making real time information available and enabling collaboration between trading partners. The aim of this paper is to define e-SCM, analyze how research in this area has evolved during the period 1995-2003 and identify some lines of further research. To do that a literature review in prestigious academic journals in Operations Management and Logistics has been conducted.


OBJECTIVE
To compare spinal versus epidural anesthesia for transurethral resection of the prostate.

METHODS
A total of 65 patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate between September 1996 and March 1997, from the King Hussein Medical Centre, Amman, Jordan, were enrolled in this study.

RESULTS
Epidural anesthesia was successful in 30 patients using an initial dose of 15 ml of 0.5% bupivicaine; whereas spinal anesthesia was successful in 32, using 2.5 ml of 0.5% bupivicaine. Sensory blockade at the level of T8 was similar in both techniques as were hypotension and postoperative hemorrhage. Differences occurred in the degree of motor blockade with a mean Bromage of 1 in the spinal group versus 3.8 in the epidural group (p <0.05). Maximum cephalic spread was achieved in 13 minutes in the spinal group versus 21 minutes in the epidural group (p<0.05), and the dose of propofol required to produce adequate hypnosis was 1.95 mg/kg/hour in the spinal group versus 2.8 mg/kg/hour in the epidural group (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION
Spinal anesthesia proved to be superior to epidural anesthesia by providing lower incidence of patient movement.


Changes in hydration status influence plasma volume (PV) which is associated with post‐exercise parasympathetic reactivation. The present study hypothesized that, after dehydrating cycling exercise in the heat (DE), stimulation of PV expansion with sodium citrate (CIT) supplementation would promote heart rate variability (HRV) recovery in endurance‐trained men. Twelve participants lost 4% of body mass during DE. During subsequent 16‐h recovery, participants consumed water ad libitum (CIT =5.5‐L, PLC =5.1‐L) and ate prescribed food supplemented with CIT or placebo in a randomized, double‐blind, crossover manner. Relative changes in PV were assessed across DE and 16‐h recovery. HRV was analyzed before and 16 h after DE in three conditions for altogether four 5‐min periods: supine in a thermoneutral environment, supine in the heat (32°C, 46% relative humidity; 2 periods), and standing in the heat. A larger expansion of PV across 16‐h recovery occurred in CIT compared to placebo trial (p < 0.0001). However, no between‐trial differences appeared in HRV parameters (lnRMSSD, lnSDNN, lnLF/HF) in any 5‐min period analyzed before or 16 h after DE (in all cases p > 0.05). Increases in HR (p < 0.001) and lnLF/HF (p = 0.005) and decreases in lnRMSSD (p < 0.001) and lnSDNN (p < 0.001) occurred following DE in both trials. Larger PV expansion induced by CIT supplementation after DE does not improve recovery of HRV at rest and has no influence on HRV responsiveness in endurance‐trained men.


It is shown that the problem of robustness optimization in the gap metric is equivalent to robustness optimization for normalized coprime factor perturbations. The proof of this result involves showing that a ball of uncertainty in the gap metric, of a given radius, is equal to a ball of uncertainty, of the same radius, defined by perturbations of a normalized right coprime fraction, provided the radius is sufficiently small for a controller to be found to stabilize the ball. The relationship between balls of uncertainty defined by perturbations of left fractions with those defined by perturbations of right fractions is investigated. It is shown that these are, in general, different, although it turns out that a controller stabilizes all plants in the left ball if and only if it stabilizes all plants in the right ball. The problem of combined plant and controller uncertainty is also addressed. The plant and controller are shown to play reciprocal roles with respect to uncertainty in the gap. The minimal amount of combined plant and controller uncertainty that may cause instability is determined. A detailed summary of the main properties of the gap metric is given, and a dual metric called the T-gap metric is introduced. The extension of the results to infinite dimensional systems is discussed.<<ETX>>


Background Past studies have identified fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR) as a novel prognostic immune biomarker in various diseases. Here, we investigated the prognostic value of FAR in all combined cancer mortality. Methods We extracted patient data from the Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care Database III. FAR was measured prior to hospital admission. Only first admission data from each patient were used. Baseline data were extracted within 24 h after admission. The clinical endpoints were 90- and 365-day all-cause cancer mortality. Cox proportional hazards models and subgroup analyses were used to determine the relationship between FAR and these clinical endpoints. Results A total of 652 eligible patients were enrolled. Upon adjusting for age and gender, multivariate analysis revealed correlation between higher FAR values and increased risk of all-cause mortality. After adjusting for more confounding factors, higher FAR values significantly correlated with 90- and 365-day all-cause mortality relative to low FAR values (tertile 3 vs tertile 1: HR, 95% CI: 1.65, 1.15–2.39; 1.52, 1.10–2.10). Conclusion Our findings indicate that FAR may predict the risk of cancer mortality and is an independent prognostic indicator of all-cause mortality in cancer patients.


High levels of cholesterol increase the influx of calcium ions into vascular smooth muscle cells, thereby increasing vascular tone and resistance. Simultaneously, endothelium-dependent (NO-mediated) vasodilatation is inhibited in the arteries. Brief reductions in cholesterol induced by dietary intervention or with lipid lowering therapy normalize endothelial dysfunction, and myocardial perfusion will increase well before any beneficial effects on atherosclerosis are detected. These phenomena may explain, at least in part, that in spite of even small differences in angiographic findings between patients who have undergone treatment and those who have not, lowering lipids will cause major reductions in cardiovascular events. Lowering the levels of cholesterol will alter the content and composition of atherosclerotic plaques, thereby making them more stable. The result is probably a substantial reduction in the frequency of plaque rupture, and if rupture should occur, the thrombotic mechanisms will probably be weaker. Consequently, the risk of a thrombotic occlusion of a coronary vessel will be reduced.


Community health projects focusing on secondary prevention of diabetic macrovascular diseases have become increasingly common. In Daegu, Korea, a metropolitan hypertension diabetes management project has been developed in which community primary physicians refer clinic patients to education centers or clinical education teams for target education on lifestyle modification through technology-based information networks. Call centers provide information on lifestyle management and encourage continuous treatment through periodic calls and SMS. Integrative education is presented by doctors, dietitians, exercise specialists, and nurses. This project was developed in response to an educational need study of patients and educators. Patients participating in the program showed significant improvement in both self-efficiency and in clinical outcomes. (J Korean Diabetes 2013;14:36-41)


Pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP) is a ribosome inactivating protein recognized primarily for its ability to depurinate the sarcin/ricin loop of the large rRNA. Studies have demonstrated that PAP also depurinates other RNA templates, such as Human immunodeficiency virus-1 RNA and Brome mosaic virus RNAs. However, the mechanism by which PAP accesses viral RNAs is not known. Considering that PAP was shown recently to bind the m(7)G of the cap structure, we speculated that PAP may interact with other factors involved in translation initiation. By far western analysis, we show that PAP binds specifically to eIF4G and eIFiso4G of wheat germ and analysis with truncation mutants of eIFiso4G indicates that a region of this protein, between amino acids 511 and 624, is required for PAP binding activity. The yeast two-hybrid system supports these results by showing reduced growth and alpha-galactosidase expression with truncation in this region of eIFiso4G. PAP binds m(7)GTP-Sepharose and this interaction does not diminish the binding of PAP to purified eIFiso4G, indicating that a complex can form among the cap structure, PAP and eIFiso4G. We incubated PAP with uncapped and non-polyadenylated transcripts containing a 3' translation enhancer sequence (TE) known to increase translation of the RNA in an eIF4F dependent manner. We show that in the presence of wheat germ lysate, PAP depurinates the uncapped and non-polyadenylated transcripts containing a functional wild-type 3'TE, but does not depurinate messages containing a non-functional mutant 3'TE. These results support our hypothesis that binding of PAP to eIF4G and eIFiso4G can provide a mechanism for PAP to access both uncapped and capped viral RNAs for depurination.


ABSTRACT Ebola virus, a prime example of an emerging pathogen, causes fatal hemorrhagic fever in humans and in nonhuman primates. Identification of major determinants of Ebola virus pathogenicity has been hampered by the lack of effective strategies for experimental mutagenesis. Here we exploit a reverse genetics system that allows the generation of Ebola virus from cloned cDNA to engineer a mutant Ebola virus with an altered furin recognition motif in the glycoprotein (GP). When expressed in cells, the GP of the wild type, but not of the mutant, virus was cleaved into GP1 and GP2. Although posttranslational furin-mediated cleavage of GP was thought to be an essential step in Ebola virus infection, generation of a viable mutant Ebola virus lacking a furin recognition motif in the GP cleavage site demonstrates that GP cleavage is not essential for replication of Ebola virus in cell culture.


Backgroud: To evaluate the doses of prophylactic cranial irradiation (1800cGy/1200cGy) as regards central nervous system (CNS) relapse, late cognitive abilities and learning disabilities. Subjects and Methods: 42 patients treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and categorized to be at high risk of relapse were assessed. None of the patients had CNS disease at diagnosis. 28 patients received 1800 cGy prophylactic cranial irradiation and 14 received 1200 cGy. All patients received intrathecal methotrexate as well as high dose methotrexate. Visual and auditory P300 studies were carried out after a mean of 4.6 years follow-up. Visual and auditory evoked potentials were done to assess visual and auditory functions at lower brain levels. Selected subscales of Wechsler Intelligence scale for children namely; similarities, vocabulary, picture completion, design, total performance, total verbal and total IQ and arithmetic abilities were applied to both subgroups. Results: There was no difference in CNS relapse between the two groups (p=0.845). The 1800cGy group showed a significant delay of the visual P300 latency and reduction of the amplitude and delay of auditory P300 latency (p<0.001). In the 1200cGy group only the visual P300 was significantly abnormal (p< 0.001). Psychometric studies showed no significant differences between the 1800cGy /1200cGy subgroups in total IQ and arithmetic abilities. The 1800cGy subgroup showed significantly abnormalities in some subscales namely in similarities, total performance and picture. Conclusions: Prophylactic whole brain irradiation if given for high risk ALL the recommended dose is 1200cGy due to the lower long term cognitive effect and no difference in the CNS relapse.


The ratification of ILO Labour Standards Conventions is a key explanatory variable in the empirical literature linking labour standards to economic performance. The assumption is that ratification gives information about labour standards implemented in a country. This Paper investigates the determinants of ratification directly and, indirectly, the determinants of labour standards. We find considerable variation across different Conventions, and across developing and developed countries. But there are some systematic and interesting patterns. While economic variables such as per capita income do not explain ratification, legal systems do. Most interestingly, for some Conventions, even after controlling for basic economic characteristics and domestic legal institutions, we find that peer effects are in play and the probability of adopting an international standard depends on how many other countries in a peer group have already adopted that standard.


The conditions of multiferroicity in d(n) perovskites are derived from the pseudo Jahn-Teller effect, due to which ferroelectric displacements are triggered by vibronic coupling between ground and excited electronic states of opposite parity but same spin multiplicity; it takes place for some specific d(n) configurations and spin states only. In combination with the high-spin-low-spin crossover effect this leads to a novel phenomenon, the magnetic-ferroelectric (multiferroics) crossover which predicts magnetoelectric effects with exciting functionalities including electric magnetization and demagnetization.


Although biliary tract surgery for cholelithiasis is performed frequently, cirrhotic patients require special consideration. The prevalence of postoperative severe complications, such as hepatic failure and biliary peritonitis caused by insufficient fistula formation after removal of the T-tube, is higher than non-cirrhotic patients. We suggest that definitive surgery can be carried out safely, in Child's A and B cirrhotic patients, either electively or as an emergency. However, a more conservative approach is advisable in Child's C patients with acute conditions and definitive surgery is recommended as an elective procedure after liver function has improved. And for the treatment of choledocholithiasis in patients with severe cirrhosis, avoiding surgical intervention through the use of such techniques as endoscopic papillotomy is recommended whenever possible.


Abstract Vision scientists are interested in three diverse entities: physical stimuli, neural states, and consciously perceived colors, and in the mapping rules among the three. In this worldview, the three kinds of entities have coequal status, and views that attribute color exclusively to one or another of them, such as color realism, have no appeal.


Tissue clearing methods allow every cell in the mouse brain to be imaged without physical sectioning. However, the computational tools currently available for cell quantification in cleared tissue images have been limited to counting sparse cell populations in stereotypical mice. Here we introduce NuMorph, a group of image analysis tools to quantify all nuclei and nuclear markers within the mouse cortex after tissue clearing and imaging by a conventional light-sheet microscope. We applied NuMorph to investigate a Topoisomerase 1 (Top1) conditional knockout mouse model with severe brain structure deficits and identified differential effects of Top1 deletion on cortical cell-types and structures that were associated with spatial patterns of long gene expression. These tools are applicable for the study of 3D cellular level structural deficits in brains from other animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders.


We describe our efforts at building programs in Earth and space science over the past decade at four Minority Institutions, Medgar Evers College, Norfolk State University, South Carolina State University and the University of Houston-Downtown. We present our institutional models of success and programmatic outcomes as well as barriers to success and lessons learned. The unique path to success for each school is described, along with experiences common among all four. Since these institutions do not offer graduate programs in the geosciences, they have concentrated on recruitment and retention of students in the K-16 pipeline while preparing them for graduate school and careers in the field. These schools represent a range in size, location, population served and in the type and nature of the Earth and space science programs they offer. As such, the experiences described herein offer a broad perspective on what does and does not work in attracting and retaining underrepresented minority students in the geosciences.


Future air traffic concepts foresee that in unmanaged airspace, to reduce workload of air traffic controllers and the resulting constraints on capacity, the separation task will be delegated to the flight deck. Technology-driven pilot self-separation support systems have been developed that present explicit automated solutions to deal with conflicts. These systems do not offer a transparent window on the reasoning of the automation, making it difficult for pilots to judge the validity of the proposed automated solution, or come up with safe 'good-enough' alternatives. This thesis engaged to solve the fundamental problem of determining 'what information', and 'what visual form' would best promote pilot situation awareness (SA), to safely and effectively deal with traffic. Several prototypes for an airborne trajectory planning tool were designed and evaluated. A formative constraint-based design approach was adopted, Ecological Interface Design (EID), to create an 'ecological' airborne separation assistance system. The ecological approach gives priority to the worker's environment, or 'ecology', focusing on how the environment imposes constraints on the worker. EID is hypothesized to improve operator SA and overall system safety when compared to normative, task-oriented, user-centered design approaches, especially in situations that were unanticipated by designers. From this thesis we conclude the following. First of all, this work has clearly shown that an ecological display, providing pilots a profound layer of information without any help of automation in terms of explicit advices, can be as safe and as effective as traditional displays that mainly present explicit automated advisories. Second, the design of ecological interfaces in domains where the abstract functions are less obvious, like the self-separation problem studied here, benefits from an incremental, evolutionary approach. Indeed, EID is not a recipe. Third, from the comparison with the more traditional design it became clear that although reducing the solution space dimension can have benefits in terms of reducing cognitive load, in the end it may lead to more cognitive load for operators to build a correct and complete mental model of the situation. Fourth, and related, although an appropriate ecologically-inspired interface can alleviate a pilot's dependency on an explicit compelling advisory, adding dimensionality to the pilot control actions (e.g., involving more and more constraints) may render the ecological display to become too complex to be used without some sort of automated advisories. The ecological overlays developed here could be the 'missing link' to design a Joint Cognitive System (JCS). That is, the ecological overlays may be used to close the gap in the awareness of situations shared between automation and pilot, enabling pilots to better judge the fidelity of the proposed solution and, in case the automation fails, to come up with good-enough alternative resolutions. That is, traditional task-oriented displays and the ecological displays do not exclude each other's use in one system. On the contrary, whereas task-oriented support may lower cognitive workload in simple standard situations through the availability of easy-to-use, automated instructions, the ecological decision support overlays show the 'total situation' to help the operator to become an expert and able to deal with unanticipated events. Key in this JCS design effort is to use automation as a tool to lower cognitive effort and improve decision making in such a way that it does not destroy the benefits of ecological properties of the design.


Recent review papers reported that many high‐resolution global climate models consistently projected a reduction of global tropical cyclone (TC) frequency in a future warmer climate, although the mechanism of the reduction is not yet fully understood. Here we present a result of 4K‐cooler climate experiment. The global TC frequency significantly increases in the 4K‐cooler climate compared to the present climate. This is consistent with a significant decrease in TC frequency in the 4K‐warmer climate. For the mechanism of TC frequency reduction in a warmer climate, upward mass flux hypothesis and saturation deficit hypothesis have been proposed. The result of the 4K‐cooler climate experiment is consistent with these two hypotheses. One very interesting point is that the experiment has clearly shown that TC genesis is possible at sea surface temperature (SST) well below 26°C which has been considered as the lowest SST limit for TC genesis.


This article presents the current network of care services for the elderly, and seeks to bring out the objectives proposed by welfare policy in Italy. The article focuses on the needs of the elderly and on individual interventions that can be implemented in response to their needs. After presenting the Italian situation concerning social and care services, the question shifts to the model of the Nursing Home (R.S.A.) and the importance of the Individual Care Plan (P.A.I.), as a useful means to define the needs of aging people and create integrated actions that can enhance their capabilities and support them adequately. The message this article wants to convey is that a service is really useful and effective when you realize personalized services and interventions, made to ensure humanity, dignity, respect and individuality of the elderly.


Abstract A first step in investigating colour symmetries of periodic and nonperiodic patterns is determining the number of colours which allow perfect colourings of the pattern under consideration. A perfect colouring is one where each symmetry of the uncoloured pattern induces a global permutation of the colours. Two cases are distinguished: Either perfect colourings with respect to all symmetries, or with respect to orientation preserving symmetries only (no reflections). For the important class of colourings of regular tilings (and some Laves tilings) of the Euclidean or hyperbolic plane, this mainly combinatorial question is addressed here using group theoretical methods.