We evaluated the effects of seasonality on the richness and abundance of dipterans of the families Calliphoridae and Mesembrinellidae associated with the decomposition of a clothed Large White swine Sus scrofa domesticus (Artiodactyla: Suidae) carcass. Experiments were carried out in less rainy, rainy, and intermediate periods between 2010 and 2011 at Reserva Florestal Ducke, Manaus, Amazonas. Two pig carcasses, each weighing approximately 40 kg, were used in each period. A total of 63,872 individuals of 18 species of Calliphoridae and Mesembrinellidae were collected. The abundance and richness of these dipteran families were influenced by the interaction between period and decomposition stage. The compositions of the Calliphoridae and Mesembrinellidae assemblages differed among periods, with the fauna of the less rainy period being less similar to those of the intermediate and rainy periods than they were to each other. Three species were selected as indicators for the less rainy period, namely Paralucilia pseudolyrcea (Mello, 1969) (Diptera, Calliphoridae), Paralucilia nigrofacialis (Mello, 1969) (Diptera, Calliphoridae), and Eumesembrinella randa (Walker, 1849) (Diptera,Mesembrinellidae) while Chloroprocta idioidea (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830) (Dipetra, Calliphoridae) was selected as an indicator species for the rainy period; no taxon was selected as an indicator of the intermediate period. Among decomposition stages, only fermentation and black putrefaction had indicator taxa, with Hemilucilia souzalopesi Mello, 1972 (Diptera, Calliphoridae and Chysomya putoria (Wiedemann, 1830) (Diptera, Calliphoridae), respectively. Clothes did not prevent the laying of eggs and became a kind of protection for immature stages. The clothed model presented a delay in decomposition compared to other studies developed in the Amazon region.


With Christopher Columbus, on his second voyage of discovery to America, in the year 1493, there came Dr. Diego Alvarez Chanca, a distinguished practitioner of much learning and professional skill, who held the position of physician-in-ordinary to the King and Queen of Castile and Aragon, and had attended their first-born child, Princess Isabella (who afterward became Queen of Portugal) during a serious illness the year before. He was a native of the city of Seville, and had been especially appointed by the Spanish monarch to accompany that expedition, not only on account of its great political and commercial importance, but also because among the 1,500 persons who came over from Europe to America in that fleet were several distinguished personages and a large number of aristocratic young gentlemen, restless and daring warriors who had done excellent service in the war just ended against the Moors. As an able practitioner, he


ARNE REIMERS E-mail: email@example.com Arne Reimers (born 1965), Dr. Philos., is a specialist in clinical pharmacology and senior consultant at the Department of Clinical Pharmacology, St. Olavs University Hospital, and associate professor at the Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology. The author has completed the ICMJE form and reports no conflicts of interest.


The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) and onion peel extract (OPE) on body and fat weights; serum levels of liver enzymes, lipid profile, glucose, insulin and leptin hormones and on activities of renal tissue antioxidant enzymes and histopathology of kidneys in obese diabetic rats. Forty nine male Sprague Dawley rats were randomized into 7 equal groups (n=7). Group 1 (negative control) was fed on basal diet, while the other 6 groups were fed on high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 weeks to induce acute obesity and hyperlipidemia. The obese rats were then rendered diabetic by intraperitoneal injection of alloxan (120 mg/kg/day) for 5 days. On becoming diabetic, group 2 was kept obese diabetic as positive control and groups 3, 4, 5 and 6 were orally given PPE in doses 100 and 200 mg /kg b.wt and OPE in doses 100 and 200 mg/kg b.wt, respectively for 6 weeks. Group 7 was orally treated with Glibenclamide (standard antidiabetic drug) in a daily dose 5 mg/kg b.wt for 6 weeks. Blood samples were collected for biochemical analyses. Kidneys were dissected out for histopathology and renal homogenates were prepared to assay activities of tissue antioxidant enzymes. The results showed that oral administration of PPE and OPE to obese diabetic rats significantly reduced body and fat weights; decreased serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total cholesterol, triglycerides and low density lipoprotein. It also decreased blood urea, creatinine, glucose and leptin hormone and increased in insulin levels. Both extracts increased activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase antioxidant enzymes in renal tissues and alleviated kidney histopathological lesions induced by diabetes. The results denote that pomegranate and onion peel extracts possess anti-obesity, antidiabetic effects, and consequences in obese diabetic rats. The study recommends that pomegranate and onion peels as waste products may be economically used for manufacture of safe and beneficial product for trials on obese diabetics patient.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the diagnosis, prenatal treatment and prognosis of pregnancy with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).

METHODS
The clinical data of 92 cases of pregnancy with ITP in Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital during Oct. 1994 to Oct. 2003 were analysed, including the changes of platelet counts, bleeding improvement, and the outcome of mothers and infants after treatment by using glucocorticoids, gamma globulin and transfusion of platelets.

RESULTS
The incidence of pregnancy with ITP was 2.4 per thousand. Thirty-four cases (40%) were accompanied with other complications, such as hypertensive disorders complicating pregnancy (7), postpartum hemorrhage (6), premature labor (9), impaired glucose tolerance (19) and fetal macrosomia (10). Among the 92 cases, vaginal delivery and cesarean section were performed in 20 (22%) and 72 (78%) cases, respectively. Twenty-six, 18 and 24 cases were treated by glucocorticoids, glucocorticoids plus gamma globulin, and glucocorticoids plus gamma globulin plus transfusion of platelets, respectively. Significant effects were achieved in 42 cases (62%), general effects in 16 cases (24%), and improvement in 8 cases (12%), respectively. The incidence of postpartum hemorrhage was 8% (6/72 cases). There was no maternal death. The infantile death ratio was 2/94 during perinatal period. The platelet count of peripheral blood in all the newborns was higher than 100 x 10(9)/L. There were no intracranial hemorrhage and other diseases related to platelet decrease.

CONCLUSION
Glucocorticoids, gamma globulin and transfusion of platelets are effective methods for the treatment of ITP in mid-late pregnancy. They can increase the platelet counts and decrease the postpartum hemorrhage of the patients, and have no side effects to mother or infant.


Long-term adrenalectomy (ADX) is known to result in apoptosis within the dentate gyrus of the rat hippocampus. While the underlying mechanism is still unclear, adrenal steroids appear to play a pivotal role in granule cell survival, as administration of the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) agonists, corticosterone and aldosterone, to ADX rats results in protection against the ADX-induced effect. The consequence of administration of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) agonists, dexamethasone and RU28362, however, is less clear, and either complete or only partial protection for the ADX animal has been reported. This study investigated further the role played by GR in the degenerative process. After establishing the characteristics of seven-day ADX-induced apoptosis in the young male Wistar rat, the effect of chronically-implanted, subcutaneous pellets containing various doses of dexamethasone and corticosterone, on ADX-induced apoptosis was studied. Both high and low doses of corticosterone were found to be protective. In contrast to some other studies, however, neither dose of dexamethasone had any obvious protective effect and rather seemed to increase apoptosis in dentate gyrus of intact animals. Intracerebroventricular infusion of dexamethasone for seven days was also found to be ineffective in preventing apoptosis, demonstrating that it is occupation of MR, rather than GR, which is crucial to dentate gyrus granule cell survival.


The objective of this study was to evaluate antioxidant activities of Rehmannia glutinosa (Raw Jihwang) by traditional method. The total phenol content of Rehmannia radix Preparata (the final cycle of Jihwang) was increased to 205%, compared with Rehmannia glutinosa. Antioxidant activities, determined by ferric-reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP), 2,2`-azinobis(3 ethybenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities, increased remarkably as the number of steaming-drying cycles increased. Especially, FRAP value increased 285%. Also, values for DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities of the final 9th-cycling product, decreased 48.4% and 76%, respectively, compared with those of Rehmannia glutinosa. Our result was suggested that antioxidant activities of Rehmannia radix Preparata improve according to the increasing number of steaming-drying cycles.


Background Up to 31% of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) discontinue treatment with disease-modifying drug (DMD) within the first year, and of the patients who do continue, about 40% are nonadherent. Shared decision making may decrease nonadherence and discontinuation rates, but evidence in the context of RRMS is limited. Shared decision making may, however, come at additional costs. This study aimed to explore the potential cost-effectiveness of shared decision making for RRMS in comparison with usual care, from a (limited) societal perspective over a lifetime. Methods An exploratory economic evaluation was conducted by adapting a previously developed state transition model that evaluates the cost-effectiveness of a range of DMDs for RRMS in comparison with the best supportive care. Three potential effects of shared decision making were explored: 1) a change in the initial DMD chosen, 2) a decrease in the patient's discontinuation in using the DMD, and 3) an increase in adherence to the DMD. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses of a scenario that combined the 3 effects were conducted. Results Each effect separately and the 3 effects combined resulted in higher quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and costs due to the increased utilization of DMD. A decrease in discontinuation of DMDs influenced the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) most. The combined scenario resulted in an ICER of €17,875 per QALY gained. The ICER was sensitive to changes in several parameters. Conclusion This study suggests that shared decision making for DMDs could potentially be cost-effective, especially if shared decision making would help to decrease treatment discontinuation. Our results, however, may depend on the assumed effects on treatment choice, persistence, and adherence, which are actually largely unknown.


A broad consensus has not been reached on the appropriate timing for cessation of peritoneal dialysis (PD). Decreasing urine volume, repeated and refractory peritonitis, and deterioration of the peritoneal membrane are major reasons to stop PD. Also, the link between length of time on PD and encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) should be an additional concern. The aim of the present study was to investigate patients who had been on continuous ambulatory PD (CAPD) for a long time. All patients undergoing CAPD at our kidney center for more than a decade from January 1990 to September 2011 were included in the study. Among more than 436 CAPD patients, 11 met the inclusion criteria. Their mean PD duration was 12.3 +/- 3.1 years. Mean age at CAPD introduction had been 46.0 +/- 10.1 years. All patients had nondiabetic nephropathy as the underlying cause of their end-stage renal disease. At least 2 of the 11 had developed EPS, and 1 had subsequently died from EPS. Patients on prolonged CAPD for more than a decade are still rare. The CAPD modality may be continued if it is efficiently maintained within an acceptable level, but EPS remains a serious complication of prolonged PD.


Muslim theologians, jurists, and healthcare workers have been addressing the challenges of modern biotechnology for years. Major textbooks on religion and bioethics cover Islam in one or two articles, offering only a general introduction to these important discussions. The five articles in this issue of the Journal of Religious Ethics, originating from a conference at Pennsylvania State University, are unusual in the specificity of their topics—brain death, feeding tubes, sex selection, spiritual counseling, and organ transplantation—and in their engagement with complex discussions in the Muslim and non-Muslim worlds. In this essay, I introduce the five articles and consider two larger implications: the changing definition of the human person in light of biotechnological advances and the continuing importance of religious traditions, especially Islam, in legitimizing ethical responses to these advances.


TOTHEEDITOR: Wewereinterested toreadthearticleby Gilbertet al. (JNuclMed26: 1283—1286, 1985)in whichthey reported their use of indium-I 11 white blood cell scan to localize unilateral renal abscess in a febrile patient with poly cystic renal disease, where a gallium-67 (67Ga)scan failed to identify the source of infection. In contrast, we have found that the 67Ga scan has been helpful in detecting infected polycystic kidney disease in a series of renal transplant patients. The following case report illustrates the value of this technique. A 52-yr-old male with polycystic kidney disease diagnosed in1977 had his first cadaveric renal transplant in1982 which failed after 1 mo due to vascular rejection. In March 1983 he had his second cadaveric renal transplant which functioned satisfactorily. Postoperatively, he developed recurrent fever and urinarytract infectionswithpositiveurinecultures(Pseu domonas, Klebsiella, and E. Coil). He denied any loin tender ness. A 67Ga scan was carried out in order to identify the source of infection. This demonstrated abnormal uptake lo calized to the region of the right kidney (Fig. 1). A right nephrectomy was also performed. Histologically, the renal parenchyma had been completely replaced by multiple pus filled cysts. Four months later his fever and urinary tract infections returned. A second 67Gascan demonstrated an abnormal accumulation of 67Gain the remaining left kidney (Fig. 2). Surgical exploration revealed muLtiple infected cysts, and a left nephrectomy was carried out. A follow-up 67Gascan at 2 mo showed no activity in either renal area, indicating the clearance of the suppurative process. The correlation of local


This article examines the implementation of programmatic buying in the digital audio sector. The sustained growth present in the different markets helps the consolidation of this medium that brings enormous benefits to commercial communication. The main aim of this research is to understand the current situation of the programmatic audio advertising buying sector. In order to address the object of study, an exploratory approach has been carried out by applying a qualitative and quantitative methodology developed with professionals from the sector and supported by the collaboration of entities such as IAB and Programmatic Spain. The results show that there is a greater commitment by brands to invest in digital audio due to its flexibility and the ability to send segmented messages with greater effectiveness and consumer engagement. As a non-invasive medium, the inclusion of digital audio in media plans has a direct impact on listener's attention. Data shows that there has been a significant increase in the consumption of streaming music, online radio, and podcasts. Nevertheless, investment is still focused on traditional radio and the results of the study show a reluctance to plan integrated campaigns. Moreover, the difficulty in measuring return on investment is a major deterrent to the investment attracted. Professionals interviewed say that the market provides transparency and quality guarantees, as opposed to other problems such as fraud in data measurement that have slowed down investment in the past.


The article is concerned with the formulation of recommendations for the diagnostics of competitiveness of stock exchanges in Ukraine. The main stages of the study are described, the definitions and stages of economic diagnostics are given, and the features of the diagnostics of the competitiveness of economic entities are formulated. A brief characterization of three of the four existing capital market operators (stock exchanges) selected by the authors as objects of competitiveness diagnostics is presented. Based on a detailed analysis of the public reporting of stock exchanges, annual reports of securities issuers, audit reports, regulatory provisions governing exchange activities in Ukraine, and other open information, the article substantiates the choice of indicators of competitiveness of stock exchanges and provides the ratio for their determination. Indicators of competitiveness are determined for 2020–2021 (exclusion from the list of objects for diagnosing the competitiveness of the PFTS stock exchange is due precisely to the lack of relevant information for the implementation of the necessary calculations). In order to correctly determine the competitive status of capital market operators, the normalization of the values of the selected competitiveness indicators was carried out using their minimum and maximum values (which made it possible to abandon the formation of the object of comparison with the best hypothetical characteristics and allowed to use the maximum values of indicators of stock exchanges as guidelines for their competitiveness in the most important areas of activity). The integral indicator of the competitiveness of stock exchanges is proposed to be determined as a result of averaging the normalized values of the corresponding indicators. Based on the results of the carried out diagnostics of the competitive status of stock exchanges, general recommendations for improving their competitiveness are formulated, together with the promising directions for further research in this sphere.


We are surrounded by sensing devices. We are accustomed to them, appreciate their benefits, and even create affective bonds and might neglect the implications they might have for our daily life. By presenting Eyecam, an anthropomorphic webcam mimicking a human eye, we challenge conventional relationships with ubiquitous sensing devices and call to re-think how sensing devices might appear and behave. Inspired by critical design, Eyecam is an exaggeration of a familiar sensing device which allows for critical reflections on its perceived functionalities and its impact on human-human and human-device relations. We identify 5 different roles Eyecam can take: Mediator, Observer, Mirror, Presence, and Agent. Contributing design fictions and thinking prompts, we allow for articulation on privacy awareness and intrusion, affect in mediated communication, agency and self-perception along with speculation on potential futures. We envision this work to contribute to a bold and responsible design of ubiquitous sensing devices.


Ultrabithorax (Ubx) is a Drosophila melanogaster transcription factor protein the the Bondos group discovered has the ability to form ordered materials in vitro. Ubx monomers are produced in E.coli and, following purification, are suspended in a buffer solution and where they do not aggregate in the volume of the solution when refrigerated. When allowed to rest at room temperature, the monomer self assembles at the air/water interface through nucleation, fibril formation and, eventually, film integration. The the self assembled film can then be pulled into a fibre with diameters in the range of 250 m or lifted off as a film with microscale thickness. These materials are highly elastic and maintain physical properties through cycles of drying and re-hydrating. Novel functions can be directly incorporated into Ubx-based materials via gene fusion to produce chimeric polypeptides capable of both self-assembly and the desired chemical reactivity. Unlike most protein-based materials, the gentle conditions under which Ubx self-assembles enable incorporation of active heterologous proteins. This talk will review recent work on the continued development of this unique materials system including mechanical properties enabled by dityrosine bonding between monomers, dynamics of surface film assembly, and advances in Ubxbased materials production. A key advantage of protein


Phototherapy develops on the experimental observation of general and considerable improvements of a lot of pathologies by the action of exposition to the optical radiation, especially visible and infrared. Recently the exposition to Polarized P o l y c h romatic Incoherent Light Low Energy Radiation (PILER) (400 λ 2000 nm) demonstrates high biological efficacy, safety for patient and, more o v e r, it is low cost. This work shows first results about the phototreatment of chronic radiation-indu ced dermal injuries at the left hand of an or t h o p a e d i s t . I rradiation dose was 40 mW/cm 2 by a source of polarized poly c h romatic incoherent light (Bioptron: 400 λ 2000 nm). A f t e r a year considerable improvements were observed but, in order to s u p p o rt this result and to avoid fresh outbreak, it is important to continue the phototreatment re g u l a r l y. The A A believe this the rapy a valid solution to treat radiation-induced dermal injuries because PILER phototherapy has not collateral effects and it is possible a domiciliary employ.


Empirical studies demonstrate striking patterns in stock market returns in relation to scheduled macroeconomic announcements. First, a large proportion of the total equity premium is realized on days with macroeconomic announcements, despite the small number of such days. Second, the relation between market betas and expected returns is far stronger on announcement days as compared with non-announcement days. Third, risk as measured by volatilities and betas is equal on both types of days. We present a model with rare events that jointly explains these phenomena. In our model, which is solved in closed form, agents learn about a latent disaster probability from scheduled announcements. We quantitatively account for the empirical findings, along with other facts about the market portfolio.


Several approaches have been developed for answering users' specific questions about AI behavior and for assessing their core functionality in terms of primitive executable actions. However, the problem of summarizing an AI agent's broad capabilities for a user is comparatively new. This paper presents an algorithm for discovering from scratch the suite of high-level "capabilities" that an AI system with arbitrary internal planning algorithms/policies can perform. It computes conditions describing the applicability and effects of these capabilities in user-interpretable terms. Starting from a set of user-interpretable state properties, an AI agent, and a simulator that the agent can interact with, our algorithm returns a set of high-level capabilities with their parameterized descriptions. Empirical evaluation on several game-based scenarios shows that this approach efficiently learns descriptions of various types of AI agents in deterministic, fully observable settings. User studies show that such descriptions are easier to understand and reason with than the agent's primitive actions.


The immediate result of surgical treatment of a patient with the combined degenerative-and-dystrophic involvement of the hips and spine is presented. The analysis of clinical observation evidences the compensation of the changes in sagittal spine-pelvis relations in the patient with bilateral coxarthrosis at the expense of pelvis tilting anteriorly and lumbar hyperlordosis formation. Leading clinical symptoms were the following: pain and movement limitation in the hips and lumbar spine, as well as bilateral limping. The performance of total endoprosthetics of the hips has allowed not only stopping the pain, eliminating the combined persistent contracture, increasing the range of movements in the hips, but restoring normal spine-pelvis relations, elimination the pain syndrome of lumbar spine as well.


Eliminating waste is a natural bodily function, common to all, yet its protocols are evidence of a strange discomfort in society. This thesis investigates the ways in which this discomfort manifests in the architecture of the toilet, suggesting in the process that the toilet is space that is more significant than the architecture profession might acknowledge. A toilet and its accompanying infrastructure are not typically considered architecture. While a necessary feature of a building, a typical toilet must be discrete, private, with an emphasis on functionality; any particular design flair - unless it is of service to concealment - is considered unusual. Such architectural tendencies cannot be separated from attitudes to excrement, which is generally considered disgusting, worthless or dangerous. These negative attitudes are not strictly scientific or rational in their foundation ; instead, attitudes to excrement and the toilet are culture and context specific. Accordingly, the architecture of the toilet in the West is neither inherently 'correct', nor 'desirable'- rather, it is the product of specifically Western perceptions of waste, which are shrouded in negativity. In this light, this thesis argues that the architecture of the toilet should not be viewed as an unquestionable norm. Instead, the profession should be considering its responsibility to interrogate the place of waste in our society. Don't poo-poo the toilet: architectural contributions to human waste reveals that the toilet is an architectural manifestation of broader societal attitudes towards what is considered dirty. The toilet unifies all of human kind at a common, base level, and yet it reveals much about how the human world is divided into categories of clean and dirty, proper and improper, good and bad. This thesis thus offers a lens for viewing the world we live in, through the dirt of this architecturally neglected space.


The laser frequency was tuned by varying the optical length of the cavity. To perform scanning, we glued one of the cavity mirrors to a piezoelement or used a n electro-optic modulator made of lithium niobate, which was placed near one of the cavity mirrors. The piezoelement allowed a slow scanning of modes along the contour of the gain line with a frequency of 10-50 Hz, whereas the electrooptic modulator provided an opportunity for a fast frequency modulation (up to 250 kHz). In a cavity with a frequency modulated optical length, the intensity of any of the modes can be written as


Previous studies have reported that the performance of a developer can greatly impact the quality of the software he/she has worked on. Such performance can be measured using two developer risk metrics during a particular development period. One is the ratio of the number of bug-introduce commits to the total number of commits made by a developer (i.e., the DQ metric). The other is the proportion of faulty software modules out of all modules modified by the developer (i.e., the BR metric). However, all bug-introduce commits, no matter its severity, are treated equally by both DQ and BR metrics. Moreover, the complexity of a software module that a developer is working on may also have a potential impact on his/her performance but is not considered by either DQ or BR. To resolve these two problems, we propose Developer Risk Score (DRS), which takes both program complexity and the severity of bug-introduce commits into account, to evaluate the performance of a developer. Nine software risk metrics based on DRS are further derived to predict the fault proneness of a given software module. Results from our case studies show that (1) DRS-based software risk metrics are generally more correlated with the number of bugs in a software module and the cumulative severity score of bug-introduce commits for a module than DQ-and BR-based metrics, and (2) models using DRS-based metrics are generally more effective in predicting software fault-proneness than those using DQ-and BR-based metrics.


Background: Serodiscordant refers to a couple where one has human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and the other partner is HIV negative. HIV-serodiscordancy often results in diverse psychological and emotional challenges. Evidence demonstrates that the dynamics of living in an HIV-serodiscordant relationship are often stressful. This study explored the psychosocial- and disclosure-related challenges faced by couples in HIV-serodiscordant relationships in South Africa. Methods: An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) design was followed. A total of 13 HIV-serodiscordant partners were purposively sampled. Data were collected through individual face-to-face interviews and analysed using the IPA framework. Results: The findings indicated that HIV-serodiscordant couples experienced diverse psychosocial challenges such as shock, sadness, hurt, denial and disbelief. Participants also experienced challenges such as selective disclosure and fear of further disclosure. Conclusions: The findings have implications for public health and are critical in programming and designing couple-based HIV care interventions. Couples in HIV-serodiscordant relationships would benefit more from differentiated, client-centred psychosocial support. To contribute to the HIV epidemic control and reduction of new HIV infections, specific interventions such as couples counselling, disclosure counselling, support groups, health education and safer conception risk reduction strategies need to be implemented.


Tibito Tephra was first recorded in the central highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG) in 1971. By the late 1970s, the tephra had been mapped across tens of thousands of square kilometres, traced to its source on Long Island in the Bismarck Sea, and linked to pyroclastic density currents in the Matapun Beds on the island. With a tephra fall volume >10 km3, this eruption was clearly one of the 10 largest globally in the past 600 years. Although almost certainly in the AD 17th or 18th centuries, determining just when this VEI 6 eruption occurred has proved difficult. Whether this eruption occurred before or after William Dampier sailed past, named, described and drew a profile of Long Island has been debated also. Dating the Long Island eruption has implications for assessing the rate of revegetation of the island, recolonisation of the island and caldera lake, Jared Diamond's theory of 'supertramp' birds, correlations between major eruptions and ice core chronologies, the constant rate of supply model of 210Pb concentration in lake sediments, reservoir effects in Lake Kutubu in the southern highlands of PNG, the timing of a prehistoric phase of agriculture in the Western Highlands and the longevity of oral histories recording a taim tudak (time of darkness) when sand fell from the sky, houses collapsed, crops were ruined and people died. This paper reviews early dates based on radiocarbon, 210Pb and paleosecular magnetic variation, historical reports and genealogical dates from oral histories, and speculation based on tree ring and ice core evidence. Analyses of 10 new radiocarbon dates from the Matapun Beds on Long Island are reported. Our best estimate places the eruption between 1651 and 1671 AD with a 95.4% probability and between 1655 and 1665 AD with a 68.2% probability.


Abstract There is a growing recognition in the fields of public health and medicine that social determinants of health (SDOH) play a key role in driving health inequities and disparities among various groups, such that a focus upon individual-level medical interventions will have limited effects without the consideration of the macro-level factors that dictate how effectively individuals can manage their health. While the health impacts of mass incarceration have been explored, less attention has been paid to how the "war on drugs" in the United States exacerbates many of the factors that negatively impact health and wellbeing, disproportionately impacting low-income communities and people of colour who already experience structural challenges including discrimination, disinvestment, and racism. The U.S. war on drugs has subjected millions to criminalisation, incarceration, and lifelong criminal records, disrupting or altogether eliminating their access to adequate resources and supports to live healthy lives. This paper examines the ways that "drug war logic" has become embedded in key SDOH and systems, such as employment, education, housing, public benefits, family regulation (commonly referred to as the child welfare system), the drug treatment system, and the healthcare system. Rather than supporting the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities, the U.S. drug war has exacerbated harm in these systems through practices such as drug testing, mandatory reporting, zero-tolerance policies, and coerced treatment. We argue that, because the drug war has become embedded in these systems, medical practitioners can play a significant role in promoting individual and community health by reducing the impact of criminalisation upon healthcare service provision and by becoming engaged in policy reform efforts. KEY MESSAGES A drug war logic that prioritises and justifies drug prohibition, criminalisation, and punishment has fuelled the expansion of drug surveillance and control mechanisms in numerous facets of everyday life in the United States negatively impacting key social determinants of health, including housing, education, income, and employment. The U.S. drug war's frontline enforcers are no longer police alone but now include physicians, nurses, teachers, neighbours, social workers, employers, landlords, and others. Physicians and healthcare providers can play a significant role in promoting individual and community health by reducing the impact of criminalisation upon healthcare service provision and engaging in policy reform.


In the formation of projections that map one area of the nervous system onto another, guidance of axonal growth cones by directional cues encoded in target tissues is well established by observations on misrouted fibres, though other mechanisms contribute to the precision of connectivity patterns. General physical principles indicate that, if there is directional guidance of normally as well as misrouted axons, leading them toward their appropriate target positions, the inference for a role of graded distributions of molecules is a strong one. As explained in this paper, curving, meandering, branching and shifting connections are fully consistent with a crucial role of directional cues encoded by graded molecular distributions. A model is proposed according to which slight directional cues are strongly enhanced within the axonal growth cone; if the proximal part of the growth cone is activated indicating that the growth cone points in an entirely wrong direction, then a discontinuous directional change such as branching is elicited. Pathways are corrected in this way, and near the appropriate target position the terminal arbour is formed because from there all routes point towards less optimal positions, leading to multiple branching.


This article presents a method and results based on confocal microscopy for non-contact axial distance measurement from a lens to a partially reflective surface using an array of photodetectors. The ratio of the photodetector signals is independent of the surface reflectivity and light source variations over a range of distance. By using logarithmic photodetector signals the object distance is proportional to the difference between the signals. This technique potentially allows measurement of sound produced by single living cells, or the high velocity surface shape changes in the hohlraum in laser fusion experiments.


Currently, the field of teacher education is undergoing a major shift—a turn away from a predominant focus on specifying the necessary knowledge for teaching toward specifying teaching practices that entail knowledge and doing. In this article, the authors suggest that current work on K-12 core teaching practices has the potential to shift teacher education toward the practice of teaching. However, the authors argue that to realize this vision we must reimagine not only the curriculum for learning to teach but also the pedagogy of teacher education. We present one example of what we mean by reimagined teacher education pedagogy by offering a framework through which to conceptualize the preparation of teachers organized around core practices. From our perspectives, this framework could be the backbone of a larger research and development agenda aimed at engaging teachers and teacher educators in systematic knowledge generation regarding ambitious teaching and teacher education pedagogy. We conclude with an invitation to the field to join with us in imagining approaches to generating and aggregating knowledge about teaching and the pedagogy of teacher education that will move not only our individual practice but also our collective practice forward.


HYPOTHESIS
Factors that lead to failures in antireflux procedures can be identified, and dealing with them at the initial operation may decrease the number of such failures.

DESIGN
Analysis of symptoms, 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring, manometry, upper gastrointestinal tract radiographs, and correlation with operative anatomic findings.

SETTING
University referral center.

PATIENTS
Forty-eight patients who previously underwent antireflux surgery (Nissen fundoplication, 29; Hill fundoplication, 7; Angelchik prosthesis, 1; multiple, 5; unknown, 6) and had symptoms of foregut disease.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Determination of the cause of failure of previous operations and identification of factors that may prevent recurrence.

RESULTS
Fourteen patients (29%) presented with symptoms of an incompetent cardia (heartburn and regurgitation), 15 patients (31%) presented with symptoms of defective esophageal emptying (dysphagia), 13 (27%) had symptoms of both, and 6 (13%) had other symptoms. All patients were initially treated medically and/or with dilation. A reoperation was performed in 31 patients (65%) whose symptoms persisted. Reoperation was completed laparoscopically in 28 patients (90%). At reoperation we identified 3 main types of failure: type 1, patients in whom the gastroesophageal junction was herniated through the hiatus, either with the wrap (IA) or without it (IB). There were 13 patients (43%) classified as having type IA, and 5 patients (16%) classified as having type IB. Type II failure involved a paraesophageal component resulting from a redundant wrap in 5 patients (16%), and type III involved a malformation (defective position or construction) of the wrap in 2 patients (6%). The remainder had a failed Hill fundoplication (3 patients), a herniated Angelchik prosthesis (1 patient), and normal postoperative anatomy (2 patients).

CONCLUSIONS
Failure of the crural closure and malformation of the wrap are the main reasons for failure of antireflux procedures. Use of proper surgical techniques including meticulous closure of the crura and appropriate construction and fixation of the wrap at the first operation will help prevent recurrence.


Road delineation treatments enhance the ability of drivers to control their vehicle safely on winding roads. A simulator experiment compared night-time driving on a country road under three conditions: on an unlit road, on a road illuminated on curves by typical road luminaires, and on a road with an active lane delineation application, where self-luminous road studs are turned on to outline the lane and road edges as the driver approaches and passes the curves. The unlit condition induces greater lateral position variability and longer crossovers relative to the studs condition, demonstrating better lateral vehicle control in the latter. The luminaires condition induce greater lateral position variability in left curves, and longer crossovers in right curves, relative to the studs condition, which also demonstrates a better lateral vehicle control in the studs condition. At a subjective level, the participants perceived both the studs condition and the luminaires condition as safer, more comfortable and allowing better control than the unlit road. It was concluded that the tested application enhanced the ability of drivers to control the virtual car, as compared to an unlit road or road lighting.


Literary writers convey their personal experiences in the society through literature, deploying the recourses of language, the scientific study of which is referred to as linguistics. In linguistics, language is studied at the phonological, syntactic and lexico-semantic levels. The goal of stylistics which has style as its object of study is to explain the relationship between language and artistic function. In a literary text, the stylistician is primarily concerned with the features that are stylistically significant in creating meanings. This study, which focuses mainly on textual investigation of Strange Encounters, a satirical novel, examines the significant syntactic features in the novel, and explicates how Wale Okediran, a Nigerian novelist, utilizes them to convey the themes of corruption and injustice in the Nigerian society. He also condemns such vices and their perpetuators in totality, suggesting ways of correcting them for the growth and development of the society.  Key words: Language, meaning, stylistics, Wale Okediran, Nigeria.


While communication experts largely recommend avoiding climate change messages that create negative emotional states, little is known regarding how members of the public use emotions in their own communication about climate change. Given the important role individuals can play in addressing climate change via their interpersonal communication, it is important to understand preferences for using or avoiding communication framed with negative emotions, and their ultimate impact on taking action to address climate change. Further, social expectations about the use of emotions may influence whether individuals' gender and political identity impacts their preference for using specific types of emotions. Three studies tested preferences for and impacts of three negative emotions common to climate change responses: fear, sadness, and anger, in comparison to messages framed without emotion. Findings indicate that people generally prefer messages framed without emotion, although in line with predictions, women and Democrats are more apt to prefer emotional messages than men and Republicans. Although participants say they prefer messages framed without emotion, climate change messages framed with negative emotions are more likely than messages framed without emotion to match participants' feelings on climate change, while messages framed with specific types of negative emotions are more likely than messages framed without emotion to convey impressions of the speaker as rational, strong, and caring, which in turn predict greater preference for emotional over non-emotional messages. Further, results from a petition-signing study indicate that communicating with negative emotions does not promote nor hinder behavioral engagement.


The federated Byzantine agreement system (FBAS) is a consensus model introduced by Mazi\`eres in 2016 where the participating nodes conceptually form a network, with links between them being established by each node individually and thus in a decentralized way. An important question is whether these decentralized decisions lead to an overall decentralized network. The level of (de-)centralization in a network can be assessed using centrality measures. In this paper we consider three different approaches for obtaining centrality measures for the nodes in an FBAS. Two of them are based on adapting well-known measures based on graphs and hypergraphs to the FBAS context. Since the network structure of an FBAS can be more complex than (usual) graphs or hypergraphs, we also develop a new, problem-adapted centrality measure. This new measure is based on the intactness of nodes, which is an important ingredient of the FBAS model. We illustrate advantages and disadvantages of the three approaches on several computed examples. We have implemented all centrality measures and performed all computations in the Python package Stellar Observatory.


The language used in a product or service has an extraordinary impact on the creation of its brand and on its online success. As localization is a key aspect of a globalized business, attention should be given to the localization of brand language to ensure global consistency. This study explores brand language localization problems in an online help corpus. Specifically, it analyzes the problems posed by the localization of brand names and terms in the pre-translation phase, following Nord's pre-translation text analysis theory (2012). The main objective of the study is to understand the nature of identified brand language problems (professional purposes) and examine them (research purposes). The method implemented is a qualitative, interpretative analysis of a monolingual corpus in English comprising representative extracts from the Dropbox and Google Drive Online Help systems. The study is part of a wider research project exploring the concept of localization problems in online help localization.


We aim to compare cool excimer laser-assisted angioplasty (CELA) versus tibial balloon angioplasty (TBA) in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) with tibial artery occlusive disease. The primary end point is sustained clinical improvement (SCI) and amputation-free survival (AFS). The secondary end points are binary restenosis, target extremity revascularization (TER), and cost-effectiveness. From June 2005 to October 2010, 1506 patients were referred with peripheral vascular disease and 572 with CLI. A total of 80 patients underwent 89 endovascular revascularizations (EVRs) for tibial occlusions, 47 using TBA and 42 using CELA. All patients were Rutherford category 4 to 6. Three-year SCI was enhanced with CELA (81%) compared to TBA (63.8%; P = .013). Three-year AFS significantly improved with CELA (95.2%) versus TBA (89.4%; P = .0165). Three-year freedom from TER was significantly improved with CELA (92.9%) versus 78.7% TBA (P = .026). Three-year freedom from MACE was comparable in both the groups (P = .455). Patients with CELA had significantly improved quality time without symptoms of disease or toxicity of treatment (Q-TWiST) at 3 years (10.5 months; P = .048) with incremental cost of €2073.19 per quality-adjusted life year gained. Tibial EVR provides exceptional outcome in CLI. The CELA has superior SCI, AFS, and freedom from TER, with improved Q-TWiST and cost-effectiveness.


We have developed a system of compositing three-dimensional (3D) video images based on the depth information of the objects. The system consists of the Axi-Vision Camera that can measure object distance in real time and an arithmetic image processor that can synthesize video images according to the depth information. The paper demonstrates how to three-dimensionally synthesize such a scene as an array of computer-generated characters moving around a standing person in real time. The feasibility of using such a signal processor to create realistic TV programs in a broadcasting station has been studied.


Modeling Differential Equations in Biology, 2nd ed. Clifford H. Taubes, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, U.K., 2008. ISBN: 978-0-521-70843-2, 524 pages, US$60. This book is essential for a biomedical engineer who is working with experimental biologists or for a biologist who has a reasonably sophisticated mathematics background, is competent in mathematics, and wishes to become outstanding in his or her field. The field does not include the analysis of DNA molecules; the DNA abbreviation is not mentioned. The book is meant for life science students and biologists who measure data and plot associated curves and bar graphs. Frequently, the analysis of their data via differential equations will bestow important predictive power. The author, Clifford Taubes, has a Ph.D. degree in physics and is in the Mathematics Department of Harvard University. The book is based on a onesemester course given by Taubes. The book has an outstanding peculiarity: Out of 524 pages in total, only 240 consist of text contributed by Taubes. The remaining 284 pages are reprints, in black and white, of 54 articles that appeared, mostly in Science and Nature magazines, between 1993 and 1999. They were assembled for the first edition of the book in 2001. Besides deciding which reprints (called Readings) to include, Taubes digested each reprint and wrote an appropriate commentary that precedes each Reading. Each Reading is like a numerical example that illustrates one or more aspects of that chapter's equations. There are 28 short chapters; on average, each is about eight-and-one-half pages long. A typical chapter consists of text, a few commentaries and associated Readings, followed by excellent exercises. Unfortunately, answers are not given with the exercises. Another peculiarity of the book is that, following Chapter 28, 17 pages are devoted to 32 "Extra Exercises and Solutions" that should be invaluable for self-study because answers are given. The book is presented in three parts: Part 1: Basics of ordinary differential  ▼ equations with a single-time derivative. Chapter titles are: Chapter 1: Introduction  ■


The historical background and typification of the widely distributed and highly appreciated breadfruit tree, Artocarpus altilis (≡ Sitodium altile; Moraceae), and breadnut, A. camansi, is discussed. Sitodium altile is lectotypified selecting a watercolour painting by Sydney Parkinson made in Tahiti in 1769, during James Cook's first voyage around the world (1768–1771) in HMS Endeavour, and preserved at the Natural History Museum of London. A specimen from E. D. Merrill's "illustrative specimens" of Blanco's Philippine plants in the United States National Herbarium is designated as the neotype for A. camansi.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the accuracy of four-channel multidetector CT for investigation of the proximal and distal renal arterial blood supply.

MATERIAL AND METHOD
Four-channel multidetector CT was performed in 51 patients prior to nephrectomy (3 bilateral nephrectomies). The anatomy of the renal pedicle was described intraoperatively and arteriography of the nephrectomy specimen was performed immediately postoperative. Preoperative CT data were compared to intraoperative anatomical findings and arteriography findings on 54 nephrectomy specimens. Concordance analysis (determination of the kappa coefficient) was based on 4 criteria: number of renal arteries, position of the artery with respect to the vein, the intra-sinus or extra-sinus situation of the division of the artery and the number of first order branches.

RESULTS
The concordance between CT and intraoperative anatomical findings was good for number of renal arteries (kappa = 0.78) and moderate for the position of the artery with respect to the vein (kappa = 0.65). The concordance between CT and arteriography was poor for the intra-sinus or extra-sinus situation of the division of the renal artery (kappa = 0.5) and for the number of first order branches of the renal artery (kappa = 0.41).

CONCLUSION
Four-channel multidetector CT precisely visualizes the proximal renal arterial blood supply, but remains less accurate than arteriography for investigation of the distal arterial blood supply.


With the advent of modern neuroimaging techniques, transient ischemic attack (TIA) has been redefined as, "a transient episode of neurological dysfunction caused by focal brain, spinal cord or retinal ischemia, without acute infarction." If infarct is evident on neuroimaging, the event is a stroke. It is important to recognize and correctly diagnose TIA and minor stroke because of the substantial early risk of stroke. Much of the early stroke risk is attributable to large artery atherosclerosis. Stroke-risk stratification in TIA patients can be done based on clinical grounds using an ABCD2 score. There is, however, abundant data to support inclusion of neuroimaging in stroke-risk determination, which can also be combined with a clinical risk assessment. The hybrid ABCDE⊕ score further refines early stroke risk. Rapid assessment and treatment in the emergency department or in specially designed 'TIA clinics' appear to reduce stroke rate.


Abstract Eleven years after Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence, Spain's position vis-à-vis Kosovo has not only not varied, but it has become stronger, turning Madrid into the leader of the Kosovo non recognizers club within the EU. This paper analyses Kosovo-Spain relations in the last eleven years. More specifically, the paper examines the reasons behind the non-recognition of Kosovo and the approach of the Spanish governments toward Kosovo's statehood. This is followed by a thorough analysis on how Kosovo's path for self-determination played a major role in Catalonia's quest for independence in 2017. The empirical research demonstrates that Spain's main reason not to recognise Kosovo is based on the country's internal dynamics; namely, Catalonia and the Basque country. Likewise, the paper argues that the Spanish governments throughout the last eleven years have created an analogy between Kosovo and Catalonia; not in their political statements, but in their political decisions, by worsening the almost inexistent diplomatic relations with Kosovo, when the Catalan path for independence was at its highest peak. By the same token, the paper reveals that this position was enhanced and driven by Catalan separatism, that continuously used Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence as a model to further their own path for self-determination. The data provided and analysed in this paper as well as the statements made are based on desk research and seven semi-structured interviews conducted in Prishtina, Brussels, Madrid and Barcelona in 2018.


The modern urban life is characterized by the concentration of large masses of people in territories with a dynamic infrastructure. This requires ensuring and maintaining a higher ecological standard for the urban population. One of the axes of such standard is the provision of acoustic comfort to the urban environment, through decorative vegetation for noise dust and gas protection. An urban design should plan and provide eco-zones for every public space in the city, including boulevards and streets. The considered project offers specific solutions with sustainable plant species to achieve acoustic and aesthetic comfort of the environment, taking into account the adjacent environment and the status of the object – a monument of the garden – park art. By means of linear compositions, with physiologically resistant and long-lasting types of vegetation planted in a heavy urban environment, a good result for noise and dust protection was achieved. At the same time, decorative vegetation affects habitus, texture, color and aromas. Through a "Green Tram" additional horizontal vegetative area is provided a microclimate and low noise pollution level. The research and analysis in the project also formulate the need for an urban planning strategy for ecological planning and organization in order to ensure long-term acoustic comfort for the city's inhabitants.


Dimensionality reduction is ubiquitous in the analysis of complex dynamics. The conventional dimensionality reduction techniques, however, focus on reproducing the underlying configuration space, rather than the dynamics itself. The constructed low-dimensional space does not provide a complete and accurate description of the dynamics. Here I describe how to perform dimensionality reduction while preserving the essential properties of the dynamics. The approach is illustrated by analyzing the chess game--the archetype of complex dynamics. A variable that provides complete and accurate description of chess dynamics is constructed. The winning probability is predicted by describing the game as a random walk on the free-energy landscape associated with the variable. The approach suggests a possible way of obtaining a simple yet accurate description of many important complex phenomena. The analysis of the chess game shows that the approach can quantitatively describe the dynamics of processes where human decision-making plays a central role, e.g., financial and social dynamics.


Abstract In this feasibility study of virtual reality (VR)-based learning, we surveyed Master of Social Work students (n = 54) to examine student perceptions of a VR client simulation (VRCS) as a preparatory tool to work with real clients. The pre-post survey examined changes in students' perceived anxiety, stress, excitement, competency, confidence and frustration to communicate and interact with a client. We also measured changes in students' perceived interest toward working with older adults (70+) years. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests showed statistically significant decreases in participants perceived anxiety, stress, and frustration, and statistically significant increases in participants perceived competency, confidence, and excitement to interact with a future live client as part of their practicum placement requirements. There was a statistically significant increase in participants' perceptions that practicing with a VRCS will transfer effectively to interacting with a real live client in the future. Results also showed statistically significant increases in participant's perceived interest to work with older adults. Outcomes suggest a VRCS may complement other learning activities in a curricular program especially at the start as an experiential strategy to prepare students for practicum.


The automation of organic compound synthesis is pivotal for expediting the development of such compounds. In addition, enhancing development efficiency can be achieved by incorporating autonomous functions alongside automation. To achieve this, we developed an autonomous synthesis robot that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic technology to establish optimal synthetic recipes. Given a target molecule, our AI initially plans synthetic pathways and defines reaction conditions. It then iteratively refines these plans using feedback from the experimental robot, gradually optimizing the recipe. The system performance was validated by successfully determining synthetic recipes for three organic compounds, yielding that conversion rates that outperform existing references. Notably, this autonomous system is designed around batch reactors, making it accessible and valuable to chemists in standard laboratory settings, thereby streamlining research endeavors.


Thermal Mixing Process, which is important in various industries, is a multiple-input multiple-output process (MIMO). It works by regulating hot-water and cold-water flows to control the temperature and level of the mixture. The Adaptive Fuzzy PID Control (AFPIDC) algorithm is a combination of two types of controller, has a simple PID basis with added Fuzzy aspects to speed up control. The AFPIDC algorithm is applied to the simulation of water thermal mixing process and is done with MATLAB/SIMULINK program. The fuzzy algorithm uses two inputs (errors & changes of errors) and has three outputs (changes of PID constants). The system is tested by simulating setpoint changes and adding disturbance. The testing result shows that AFPIDC controllers performs better than PID in controlling temperature and level. In temperature control, the PID settling time is 830 seconds, AFPIDC is 328 seconds and the PID overshoot is 6,3% and AFPIDC is 0%. In level control, the settling time of PID is 3221 seconds, while AFPIDC is 235 seconds, with PID overshoot is 10,5%, while AFPIDC 0%. From testing the system with leakage disturbance, the temperature controller needs time to regain stability at PID 780 seconds, AFPIDC 250 seconds. Meanwhile the level controlling stabilizes at PID 4510 seconds, and AFPIDC at 225 seconds.


Changing Patterns of Global Trade outlines the factors underlying important shifts in global trade that have occurred in recent decades. The emergence of global supply chains and their increasing role in trade patterns allowed emerging market economies to boost their inputs in high-technology exports and is associated with increased trade interconnectedness.The analysis points to one important trend taking place over the last decade: the emergence of China as a major systemically important trading hub, reflecting not only the size of trade but also the increase in number of its significant trading partners.


Objective: Atrial fibrosis plays a critical role in atrial fibrillation (AF). A key event in the pathogenesis of fibrosis is the activation of fibroblasts (FBs) into myofibroblasts (MFBs). Paracrine factors released from MFBs lead to ion channel expression changes in cardiomyocytes (CMs). Downregulation of L-type calcium channel Cav1.2 expression is a hallmark of AF-associated ionic remodeling. However, whether exosome (Exo)-mediated crosstalk between MFBs and CMs regulates Cav1.2 expression remains unknown. Methods: Atrial FBs and CMs were isolated and cultured from neonatal rats by enzymatic digestion. The activation of FBs into MFBs was induced by angiotensin II. Co-culture assay and in vitro Exo treatment were used to determine the effect of MFB-derived Exos on Cav1.2 expression. Confocal Ca2+ imaging was performed to examine the adrenergic stimulation-elicited Ca2+ influx signals. The levels of potential Cav1.2-inhibitory microRNAs (miRNAs) were measured by qRT-PCR. Results: Untreated FBs expressed limited amounts of alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), while angiotensin II induced a significant upregulation of α-SMA-expressing MFBs. Co-cultures of MFBs and CMs resulted in downregulation of Cav1.2 expression in CMs, which was largely abolished by pretreatment of MFBs with exosomal inhibitor GW4869. More importantly, treatment with MFB-derived Exos caused repression of Cav1.2 expression in CMs. Additionally, the adrenergic receptor agonist-elicited Ca2+ influx signals in CMs were remarkably attenuated by pretreatment with MFB-derived Exos, corresponding to the paralleled change in Cav1.2 expression. Finally, miR-21-3p, a potential Cav1.2-inhibitory miRNA, was enriched in MFB-derived Exos and upregulated in CMs in response to MFB-derived Exos. Conclusion: We uncover an Exo-mediated crosstalk between MFBs and CMs, contributing to increased vulnerability to AF by reducing the expression of Cav1.2 in CMs.


This article presents the results of the research on the development of the technology of increasing the service life of the sheets in the working conditions of the casting at the Central Repairs and Mechanical Plant at the Almalyk Mining and Metallurgy Refinery (CPC). One of the factors that led to the loss of Val schisternia was the study of the appearance, rupture and dental breakdown of the working surfaces, which led to increased production costs. Analyzes have shown that thermal processing and so-called thermal processing are recommended to increase the working capacity of the plants and factories at the refineries of electrochemicals (EHP).


Food-borne diseases, including those caused by seafood products, are common and greatly underreported sources of morbidity. In this article we review the epidemiology of scombroid fish poisoning and its possible relationship to the noncommercial and recreational catch and sale of fish. More than 20% of all fish sold in the United States is caught by sport fishers, and outbreaks of scombroid fish poisoning have involved improperly handled fish from private catches. We report an outbreak of scombroid fish poisoning among recreational fishers in California. The unregulated sale of recreationally caught fish for consumption and the prevention of scombrotoxism are discussed from the perspectives of public health agencies, clinicians, and the fishing public. Scientific and policy issues that require further attention are high-lighted.


Table 5 on page 2747 has a calculation error in the ratio of exposure for the ''Drinking water risk assessment at the Farmoor andWalton intakes on the Thames River during mean flow conditions.'' The value should reflect the threshold divided by the exposure as presented in the ratio of exposure for ''Drinking water risk assessment at the Farmoor and Walton intakes on the Thames River during 90th percentile flow conditions.''


Dysregulation of the Akt/PKB pathway has been associated with poor prognosis in several human carcinomas. Current approaches to assess Akt activation rely on intensity-based methods, which are limited by the subjectivity of manual scoring and poor specificity. Here, we report the development of a novel assay using amplified, time-resolved Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), which is highly specific and sensitive and can be adapted to any protein. Using this approach to analyze primary breast tissue microarrays, we quantified levels of activated pAkt at a spatial resolution that revealed molecular heterogeneity within tumors. High pAkt status assessed by amplified FRET correlated with worse disease-free survival. Our findings support the use of amplified FRET to determine pAkt status in cancer tissues as candidate biomarker for the identification of high-risk patients.


The aim of this study was to evaluate the mothers' perceptions and expectations of the behavior of their children who were HIV positive, during dental treatment. The sample was composed of 40 mother and child pairs. The mothers answered seven questions during two different appointments (M1, the child's initial appointment, and M2, the child's treatment appointment) in order to identify their perceptions and expectations about their children's behavior during dental treatment. In addition, child's behavior during the appointments was evaluated. The results of the mothers' interviews were then correlated with their children's behavior using Spearman's correlation test (p<0.05). There was no significant correlation between the mothers' perceptions and expectations and the behavior displayed by their children during dental treatment (p>0.05).


In Latin America, acute gastroenteritis remains to be an important cause of morbidity in adults and a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children. A child under 5 years of age belonging to a low income segment of the Latin American population will develop 5 to 10 bouts of diarrhea every year. The bacterial and viral enteropathogens associated with acute diarrhea are reviewed in this article. Updated information on epidemiologic, clinical, and pathogenic aspects for the relevant enteropathogens is discussed with special emphasis on regional data when available. The current diarrheogenic E. coli classification is particularly discussed. A diagnostic approach to acute gastroenteritis for both the clinical and research laboratories in Latin America as well as guidelines for treatment are proposed.


The bis(phosphino)borate ligand class is used as an anionic anchor to stabilize reactive, low coordinate arsenic centers. The neutral, zwitterionic As(I) species, 2, is formed very cleanly, and isolated in good yields using cyclohexene as a halogen scavenger. The uniqueness of this heterocyclic As(I) compound is on display with the coordination to Group 6 metal centers, (2 M(CO)5; M = Cr, Mo, W). The arsenic-metal bond lengths are longer than the related AsPh3 complexes suggesting that compound 2 is a weak sigma donor. The metal complexes reveal a trigonal pyramidal arsenic atom, which provides the first experimental evidence for the presence of two "lone pairs" of electrons on the As(I) center. When more flexible and more electron-donating isopropyl substituents were used, an intermediate (compound 5) in the formation of low coordinate pnictogen compounds was crystallographically characterized. This structure, formally a base-stabilized dichloroarsenium cation, provides an alternative mechanistic proposal to the one described in the literature.


Tumor suppressor p53 maintains genome stability by regulating diverse cellular functions including cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, senescence and metabolic homeostasis. Mutations in the p53 gene occur in almost all human cancers with a frequency of up to 80%. However, it is only 20% in breast cancers, 18% in endometrial cancers and 1.5% in cervical cancers. Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) plays a pivotal role in hormone-dependent cancer development and the status of ERα is used for designing treatment strategy and for prognosis. A closer look at the cross-talk between p53 and ERα has revealed that their activities are mutually regulated. This review will summarize the current body of knowledge on p53, ERα and ERβ in cancer. Clinical correlations between estrogen receptors and p53 status have also been reported. Thus, this review will discuss the relationship between p53 and ERs at both the molecular and clinical levels.


Some interrelations between physical stress and immune competence were studied in pigs. One group of pigs underwent 2 intense short-term treadmill exercise tests, separated by an interval of 1 week, and another group served as controls. In vitro production of interferon alpha by blood mononuclear cells and the ability of lymphocytes to proliferate and produce interleukin 2 were chosen as markers of immune competence; plasma concentrations of cortisol, lactate, and purines were used as markers of physical stress. Blood samples were drawn from a catheter in situ 60 minutes before, immediately after, and at 10, 30, and 60 minutes, and 7, 24, and 72 hours after exercise. Physical stress resulted in immediate increase in the plasma concentrations of cortisol, lactate, and hypoxanthine, but had no effect on the blastogenic capability of lymphocytes or on their interleukin-2 production on either of the test occasions. Ability of blood mononuclear cells to produce interferon alpha in vitro was not affected by exercise stress.


Trackside railway workers can benefit of intelligent systems for automatic track warning, that are able to safely (i) detect trains or rolling stock approaching the worksite, and (ii) notify their arrival to the workers. The usage of wearable mobile devices to monitor workers positions and notify trains arrivals requires to face serious challenges mainly in terms of service timeliness, safety, security and ergonomics (this last one to define notification signals to the workers that are always perceivable). This paper presents the design and the prototype of the Mobile Terminal (MT), a wearable, real time, wireless, safety-critical device which exploits information received from track monitoring devices to inform a worker about trains or rolling stock approaching the worksite. The MT design concept is based on a hybrid architecture to favor the apportionment of different requirements, in terms of timing and security, to the different parts of the MT. Additionally, the MT includes novel solutions to interface with the worker, to realize an accurate localization service and to achieve safety-critical real-time communication.


Alpha-lipoic acids are Known as a good analgesic in neuropathic pain, especially in diabetic patients. This research aimed to assess the analgesic activity of ALA by three acute pain models using broiler chicks. We used electrical stimulation, hot water test, and formalin test to elicit acute pain. The up and down method was used to calculate the median effect of the analgesic dose. The ED50 of ALA was 45.18 and 74.56 mg/kg intraperitoneally by electrical stimulation and hot water test, respectively. We demonstrated that the peak of analgesic effect was after one hour by using different doses and different times. ALA at 0, 75, 150, 300 mg/kg intraperitoneally produces a dose-dependent analgesic effect by formalin test. In conclusion: ALA induced analgesic activity, probably by closing voltage-gated calcium and or voltage-gated sodium channels. These outcomes show that therapeutic doses of ALA can affect pain and may mask or reduce nociception induced by acute pain models.


Conflicting interests in the use and management of wetlands have always resulted in their degradation.
The degradation of wetlands affects their natural functioning, environmental health and
livelihood of the people who depend on them. The eastern Usangu wetland has suffered a lot from
multiple-use pressure arising from both national and local interests. As a result, the government
banned the use of the wetland in 2006 to support its restoration process. The aim of the current
study was to assess the restoration process of the eastern Usangu wetland using time-series
Landsat images over a 20-year period, from 1995 to 2015. Cross-tabulation of composite NDVI
images was used to examine the changes. The results indicate that the land cover declined by 20%
between 1995 and 2005, and increased by more than 25% between 2005 and 2015. The size of the
permanent swamp increased consistently, by more than 15% between 1995 and 2015. Wetland
use has declined to about 15% over the 20 years. Wetland restoration seems to be a slow process
that depends on multiple factors. It thus is important that wetlands are managed well for sustained
benefits, rather than waiting to rescue them in a crisis. The well-being of the people depending
on the wetlands should be considered when implementing measures to protect the wetlands.
Awareness creation among the users, diversification of sources of income and enforcement
of the laws and policies governing the use of wetlands by the government may improve status of
wetlands.


This paper describes an arch bridge alternative using straight chords to replace curved arch ribs and the development of a simple, economic and accelerated erection method. The alteration of arch rib profile allows the arch ribs to be erected straight up vertically in the form of column bents on temporarily restrained horizontal hinge devices at the springing lines. In this way, the construction requires only a small workspace and the arch ribs can be built with better integrity and high stability as stand-alone structures at any stage of construction and thus eliminating the need for a high-cost temporary supporting system. After the half-leaf arch ribs are completed, temporary restraints at the base of erected column bents are removed to restore hinge mechanism and the horizontal rotation restraint is transferred to an external guying system. With controlled guying cable releasing, the erected half-leaf arch rib can slowly rotate down on its own weight to meet at the mid-span for closure and form a complete arch frame in just a few hours. The erection method provides superior advantages over the existing construction methods for arch bridges in terms of erection simplicity, overall construction speed and safety, environment impact and cost saving. It offers a viable solution for the arch bridge construction in congested urban areas with requirements of minimal traffic disruption, shorter construction time and lesser environment impact, or over a deep ravine having steep-sloped banks with limited workspace and lack of accessibility. The key elements of design and construction procedures are discussed, and a pilot project is included.


The article examines problematic issues of theoretical understanding, legislative regulation and application in judicial practice of the criminal procedure the institute of the dismissal of the jury in view of its tendentiousness. The article notes that this institution is not implemented in judicial practice in a positive aspect, since all variations for the manifestation of a possible tendentiousness of the collegium are rejected by appeal and cassation courts. It is concluded that there are two irreparable contradictions in the basis of the procedural consolidation of this institution, which determine the ineffectiveness of its positive application. The first contradiction, considered in the article, arises between the need to motivate the application for the dismissal of the jury in view of its tendentiousness and the amorphousness (uncertainty) of the grounds for such a group challenge. The second contradiction arises between the absence of grounds for peremptory challenge of each of the candidates for jury and the existence of grounds for the dismissal of the jury as a whole. The article concludes that the institution under consideration does not adequately fulfill the function of a legal means ensuring the impartiality and objectivity of the jury, and should be excluded from the legislative model of proceedings in the jury trial of the Russian Federation.


Cochlear sensitivity, essential for communication and exploiting the acoustic environment, is due to the sensory-motor outer hair cells (OHCs) that operate in the structural scaffold of supporting cells and extracellular spaces in the cochlear organ of Corti (OoC). It is unclear whether supporting cells (e.g., Deiters cells [DCs] and outer pillar cells [OPCs]) control cochlear sensitivity in vivo. Here we employed optogenetics to measure in vivo sound-induced cochlear mechanical and electrical responses, and ex vivo light-induced DC electrical responses in the OoC of mice that conditionally expressed channelrhodopsins (ChR2) specifically in DCs and OPCs. Illumination activated a nonselective ChR2 cation conductance and depolarized the DCs. This transient action reversibly blocked continuous, normally occurring, minor adjustments of tone-evoked basilar membrane displacements, and OHC voltage responses to tones at and close to their characteristic frequency, and speeded recovery from temporary acoustic desensitization. This is the first direct evidence for the interdependency of the structural, mechanical, and electrochemical arrangement of OHCs and OoC supporting cells which together fine control cochlear sensitivity.


New analysis of lateral distributions (LD) of electrons, muons and charged particles in extensive air showers generated by 1015 − 1019 eV cosmic rays has been made with respect to the scaling formalism for LD and air shower universality paradigm. It is found that lateral distributions of electrons and muons, when considered separately, are well described by one-parametric scaling functions, while for the charged particles mixture distributions the scaling description is not accurate in radial distance range where electrons and muons give a comparable contribution to the local particle densities. The use of scaling formalism enables enhancing the electron/muon separation capabilities and, when combined with theoretically motivated air shower universality concept, provides robust mass composition estimates. The proposed approach could be implemented for the present and future (multi-) hybrid air shower observations, especially in realizing the potential of Auger and Telescope Array observatories upgrades, as well as for re-analysis and cross-calibration of the data collected from different air shower arrays in a broad primary energy range.


Ten hypokinetic parkinsonian patients and ten age- and sex-matched controls were tested, using reaction times with and without a warning signal. The time difference between each was used as a measure of phasic arousal. Both groups' reaction times improved with a warning signal, but there were no differences in reaction-time reduction between the parkinsonian and control groups. These results suggest either that hypokinesia in parkinsonism is not caused by an arousal defect or it is caused by a defect in the "autoevoked" arousal system.


Context: Familial isolated pituitary adenoma (FIPA) due to aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein (AIP) gene mutations is an autosomal dominant disease with incomplete penetrance. Clinical screening of apparently unaffected AIP mutation (AIPmut) carriers could identify previously unrecognized disease. Objective: To determine the AIP mutational status of FIPA and young pituitary adenoma patients, analyzing their clinical characteristics, and to perform clinical screening of apparently unaffected AIPmut carrier family members. Design: This was an observational, longitudinal study conducted over 7 years. Setting: International collaborative study conducted at referral centers for pituitary diseases. Participants: FIPA families (n = 216) and sporadic young-onset (≤30 y) pituitary adenoma patients (n = 404) participated in the study. Interventions: We performed genetic screening of patients for AIPmuts, clinical assessment of their family members, and genetic screening for somatic GNAS1 mutations and the germline FGFR4 p.G388R variant. Main Outcome Measure(s): We assessed clinical disease in mutation carriers, comparison of characteristics of AIPmut positive and negative patients, results of GNAS1, and FGFR4 analysis. Results: Thirty-seven FIPA families and 34 sporadic patients had AIPmuts. Patients with truncating AIPmuts had a younger age at disease onset and diagnosis, compared with patients with nontruncating AIPmuts. Somatic GNAS1 mutations were absent in tumors from AIPmut-positive patients, and the studied FGFR4 variant did not modify the disease behavior or penetrance in AIPmut-positive individuals. A total of 164 AIPmut-positive unaffected family members were identified; pituitary disease was detected in 18 of those who underwent clinical screening. Conclusions: A quarter of the AIPmut carriers screened were diagnosed with pituitary disease, justifying this screening and suggesting a variable clinical course for AIPmut-positive pituitary adenomas.


We evaluated the biologic effects of short course radiation therapy (1800 to 2000 rads) administered before cystectomy by placing tumors in tissue culture and observing their growth. No differences in growth were observed between irradiated and nonirradiated tumors. The minimal sublethal dose of radiation that effectively suppresses the growth of transitional cell carcinoma needs to be determined.


BACKGROUND
Talus is a well-supported bone in the foot. A fracture of talus requires a high-impact injury. A wedge-shaped inferolateral component is the lateral process of the talus (LPT). A fracture of LPT is also known as a 'snowboarder's fracture'. Simultaneous bilateral snowboarder's fracture is rarely reported in English literature.

CASE
We present here a case of simultaneous bilateral snowboarder's fractures in a slow-moving motor vehicle accident in the icy conditions. The injuries were unique because the snowboarder's fractures were accompanied by fractures of the inferior aspect of talus bilaterally and a fracture of the anterior process of the calcaneus in the right foot. To our knowledge, no such case has been reported in the past. Our patient underwent successful open reduction and internal fixation with plate and screws.

CONCLUSION
Snowboarder's fractures are frequently missed by the clinicians, which causes significant morbidity of the patients. Adequate knowledge and awareness among the physicians about this type of injury may improve the patient care.


ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 9 Number 4 (2020) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Movement protein is a non-structural protein encoded by plant viruses to allow their movement from infected cell to neighbouring one. It defined as plant virusesencoded factors that interact with plasmodesmata to mediate the intracellular spread of virus infection. viruses subvert an intracellular communication network that supports the trafficking of wide spectrum of endogenous protein and ribonucleo protein complexes that play non-cell autonomous roles in development and physiological processes. Plant viruses revealed that PD allow the cell-to-cell trafficking of virally encoded proteins, termed the movement proteins (MPs). This non-cell-autonomous protein (NCAP) pathway is similarly employed by the host to traffic macromolecules. Viral MPs bind RNA/DNA in a sequence nonspecific manner to form nucleoprotein complexes (NPC). Host proteins are then involved in the delivery of MPs and NPC to the PD orifice and help them to enter into neighbour cells. MP modify the plasmodesmata by one of two well-understood molecular mechanisms. The ER is linked to the desmotubular ER and thereby provides a direct pathway for the targeting of ERassociated VRCs to PD, mechanisms may play a role. The TGB2 and TGB3 proteins of PMTV associate with endocytic vesicles proposed to be involved in recycling TGB2 and TGB3 back to the ER once they have delivered the VRC to PD. The MP of many plant viruses form a transport tubule within the pore of the plasmodesmata that allows the transport of mature virus particles. A cell wallassociated protein that specifically binds the viral MP was purified from tobacco leaf cell walls and identified as pectin methylesterase (PME). Callose a β-1,3 glucan polymer, can be considered a regulatory component of plasmodesmata because its deposition at the plasmodesmal orifice can physically constrict the dimension of the opening, reducing the size exclusion limit (SEL), or even seal it completely, blocking plasmodesmal trafficking. Processes of cytoskeleton mediated aggregation of VRCs with host membranes and viral as well as host proteins supports the important role of the cytoskeleton as a scaffold for the anchoring and accumulation of proteins. By providing such anchored accumulation sites the cytoskeleton may support virus infection by increasing the local concentration of viral and host components required for replication, movement, and assembly, and by shielding the virus and its replication from host defense. Aggregation of proteins with support of cellular scaffolds may also facilitate cellular responses that recognize virus components and target them for storage and degradation. Viruses may have evolved means to make themselves recognizable as aggregates and thus be targeted to the microtubule-organizing centre (MTOC) to concentrate host and viral proteins in one place to facilitate replication and assembly. K e y w o r d s Movement Protein (MP), Viral movement, Plasmodesmata, Virion maturation Accepted: 10 March 2020 Available Online: 10 April 2020 Article Info Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2020) 9(4): 1263-1279

https://www.ijcmas.com/9-4-2020/Priyanka Kumari, et al.pdf


This research aimed at investigating the role of social capital on the rights and duties of citizenship among master students of Marvdasht Islamic Azad University. 353 students were surveyed using cluster sampling. The study made use of two questionnaires of citizenship and social capital corporation. This instrument benefited from face and structural validity and the reliability index was reported to be more than 7.0. Data analysis was done using correlation and structural equation model with overt and covert variables. Data from surveys were put into AMOS and Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software in order to be analyzed. The findings indicated that there is a significant relationship between social capital and compliance with laws and awareness of rights. However, no significant relationship was found between social capital and participation and sense of responsibility. Significant relation was also found between citizenship rights. The developed model for social capital fitted with citizenship rights and duties.


We aimed at characterizing mechanisms controlling cadmium accumulation in lettuce, which is a food crop showing one of the highest capacities to accumulate this toxic compound. In this study, plants from three lettuce varieties were grown for eight days on media supplemented or not with cadmium (15 µM CdCl 2) and containing different concentrations of calcium (0.5, 1, 2.5, 5 and 10 mM Ca(NO 3)2). Our results show that exposure to cadmium resulted in biomass reduction. The biomass reduction was particularly high at 0.5 mM calcium but supplementation of the medium with increasing calcium concentrations alleviated the toxic effect of cadmium on the growth and water status of lettuce plants. The three lettuce varieties displayed different abilities to accumulate cadmium. Interestingly, increasing the calcium concentration in the medium resulted in a strong decrease in cadmium contents. These results suggest that cadmium uptake in lettuce plants is negatively associated with the presence of calcium in the culture medium, maybe due to a competition between these two cations for binding and absorption sites in roots. In conclusion, the results suggest that fertilization with Ca 2+ appears to be a


Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) provide a flexible method for acquiring high-resolution imagery with relative simple operation and cost-effectiveness. This technology emerged 30 years ago and it is widely used by commercial, scientific, and military communities due to its versatility. However, new technology brings new challenges. One of them is the radiometric accuracy of the UAV imagery. Radiometric accuracy is especially important when working with different illumination conditions, dates or sensors.
The present study focuses on reducing radiometric errors of UAV images for vegetation mapping. The fieldwork took place from September 2016 to May 2017 in an agricultural area and a mire. The effect in incident light variations was studied flying in different dates and at different times of the day. Sun elevation angle and presence of clouds gave significant variations in UAV imagery. The study of the sun elevation angle showed that suitable hours for UAV surveys at higher latitudes surveys is within 2 hours of solar noon, since the amount of shadows is low because the sun elevation angle is between 20° and 40°.
The difference in the type of radiation affected the homogeneity of the UAV imagery and the radiometric correction, making the correction of UAV imagery from days with clear sky more difficult, when the direct radiation is predominant. The BRDF effects were less pronounced under overcast conditions, when the predominant incident radiation is diffuse.
Nine correction methods were tested, and their effect on different vegetation indices was compared, showing that the irradiance correction method prior to an empirical line calibration provide less errors than other methods. However, the errors are still high when compared with ground spectral samples (lowest RMSE 38% under overcast conditions for the NDVI).
A simple workflow was developed for vegetation mapping purposes for the Micasense Rededge camera. We suggest to use the automatic dark current-corrected and automatic reduced vignetting effect images, plus irradiance compensation and the use of empirical line calibration to obtain reflectance values in single images before generating the orthomosaic. The radiometric correction process should be done for each spectral band, having a new calibration equation per mission due to the change in sky conditions.
Unfortunately, this workflow will not provide accurate results in the calculation of vegetation indices that assess small variations like the case of chlorophyll indices or vegetation indices that combine several bands. Further research is needed to improve the accuracy of the correction.


This chapter examines the descriptive epidemiology of elder abuse. After consideration of the conceptual issue of definitions in use, there is an examination of the different types of abuse, detailing the most commonly agreed forms: physical, psychological and emotional abuse, neglect, financial abuse, and sexual abuse. This is followed by an exploration of the prevalence of abuse and further to this there is an investigation of known risk factors in relation to elder abuse and neglect. Risk factors are examined within an ecological framework, i.e. considering factors at individual, relationship, community, and social levels. Although comparatively little is known at this point, there is also brief consideration of the issue of protective factors that may be pertinent in this field. The chapter concludes with summarizing comments including an emphasis on current gaps in knowledge and understanding in this nascent field.


Domain Name System (DNS) is a fundamental component for today's Internet communications, enabling the domain-to-IP translations for billions of users and numerous applications. Yet, the operational failures of DNS are not rare and sometimes lead to severe consequences like Internet outages. To gain a better understanding of DNS operational failures, previous works examined large-scale DNS logs (DNS queries and responses between Internet users and DNS servers), but the DNS logs cannot offer a comprehensive view of the failures (e.g., errors at domain registrars) and explain the failures at a finer grain. In this paper, we try to assess DNS operational failures from another data source, the supporting forums built by DNS service providers. Specifically, we mined 4 DNS forums and crawled more than 10000 posts and 50000 replies. With a new analysis framework developed by us, we are able to tag the forum posts by different categories (e.g., general concerns, issue locations, and record types), and gain new insights regarding how and why users encounter DNS failures. In the end, we offer suggestions to DNS service providers and users to mitigate DNS operational issues.


In this paper, after analyzing the known memory
access methods, conventional memory organization
and its challenging problems, we propose new ordered
memory access method and a new type of memory – the
ordered access memory. This method is aimed at working
with data arrays and provides memory access in the
prescribed manner. Proposed method unlike widely used
method of sequential memory access allows extending the
functionality of the memory as it provides not only
sequential, but also any other ordered memory access.
Unlike another widely used method of address memory
access, the implementation of the proposed method
provides parallel conflict-free memory access. It also allows
eliminating data binding to a specific memory location that
makes it possible to disintegrate the apparatus for data
ordering and eliminates the need to store addresses of
locations the data are placed in, and the need to submit the
address to the address inputs during data writing and
reading.
The new method distinctive features compared to the
known memory access methods are considered. Input data,
their indices and output data of the ordered access memory
are described as well as the approaches to this type of
memory design and use. The interface of the ordered access
memory is considered as well as its advances compared to
the random, associative, and sequential access memories.
An example of the ordered access memory usage in
application-specific processors with parallel and pipeline
structures is demonstrated and the results of the ordered
access memory implementation in FPGA are considered.


Free flap reconstruction is the standard of care for extensive defects of the head and neck area. In this study, two types of free flaps, the antero-lateral thigh flap (ALT) and the vastus lateralis muscle flap, were compared. The primary endpoint was flap success, secondary endpoints were complication rates, hospitalization and surgery time. Cases with defect situations of the scalp and consecutive microvascular free flap reconstructions using either ALT flaps or vastus lateralis muscle flaps between 2014 and 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Indications, perioperative handling and outcomes were compared. Twenty patients were included in the analysis. Ten patients (50%) received a free flap reconstruction using an ALT flap and ten patients (50%) received a vastus lateralis flap. A simultaneous two-team approach was possible in each case and the flap success rate was 100% with the need for one successful anastomosis revision. The mean defect size in our cohort was 147 ± 46 cm2. There were no significant differences in surgery time, duration of hospitalization or complication rate between both cohorts. Both free flaps, the ALT and the vastus lateralis flap, are suitable for the closure of large scalp defects. They provide high success rates, short surgery times without the need for patient repositioning and low donor-site morbidity. The vastus lateralis muscle flap bares the advantage of being perforator-independent and allows for the preparation of long vessels for anastomosis if needed while baring the disadvantage of a prolonged period of healing via granulation or the need for secondary surgery in terms of covering by split-thickness skin grafts which may interfere with necessary adjuvant treatment in oncological patients.


The decision for buying a heating system is a long-term one, as many different aspects have an influence on this choice which were analysed in a Germany-wide, written survey. The respondents (only owners of a private house) had to answer questions about their attitude towards e.g. economics, convenience or ecological aspects related to heating systems and the respective combustibles. Using a multinomial logistic regression model the choice of the heating system is mainly explained by ecological attitudes and the estimation of different combustibles.