The spleen is a central organ in the pathophysiology of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Splenic lymphoid tissue synthesizes anti-platelet IgG, and splenic cordal macrophages destroy platelets coated with anti-platelet antibodies. The morphologic features of the spleen in this disease reflect this splenic function: hypertrophied lymphoid follicles with secondary germinal centers in the white pulp, with perivascular plasma cells in the red pulp and evidence of increased platelet phagocytosis in cords of the Billroth. Foamy macrophages and evidence of a variable degree of extramedullary hematopoiesis also have been noted. The authors have studied 17 spleens removed for therapeutic purposes in patients with proven ITP previously treated with varying amounts of corticosteroids. In all cases there was little or no morphologic evidence of follicular hyperplasia or plasmacytosis. However, platelet sequestration and phagocytosis were demonstrated easily in all cases, both in histologic sections and in touch imprints. The authors' findings indicate that morphologic evidence of lymphoid activation characteristic in spleens from patients with ITP usually is ablated by prior corticosteroid therapy but that the characteristic platelet sequestration and phagocytosis persists.


Prison Law is the leading text in its field. It offers comprehensive coverage of the substantive law, the Prison Rules, and the remedies available to prisoners, including complaints procedures, civil claims, judicial review, and claims under the Human Rights Act. Both domestic and international avenues of redress are explained in detail. The book covers all aspects of prison life, from categorization and allocation to living conditions, access to the outside world, transfer and repatriation, discipline, and the procedures governing the release of fixed term prisoners and those serving life sentences. In recent years, restricted access to legal aid and the ongoing threat to the Human Rights Act have made it increasingly difficult for prisoners to exercise their rights. It would now be impossible for prison law to play the same major role in developing constitutional and public law as it has for the past 30 years. As a result, prison law practitioners are having to adapt and evolve their approach to cope with new challenges. The new edition has been completely revised and updated to take account of relevant decisions under the Human Rights Act and at the European Court of Human Rights, including important decisions on IPP sentences, ministerial involvement in prison release, conditions of detention, and their policy ramifications in the UK. The changes to the life sentence regime and the prison disciplinary system, implemented since publication of the previous edition, have been fully addressed. It also covers the Equality Act and its application in the prison context. Further, it includes a new introduction summarizing the development of prison law over the 20 years since the first edition, and its importance in the wider context of public law principles especially the expansion of jurisdiction (St Germain, Leech and Hague), fairness (Duggan, Doody), the principle of legality (Raymond v Honey, Leech No 2, Pierson, Simms and O'Brien) and HRA review (Daly and subsequent HRA decisions). Critical analysis is combined with practical guidance to make Prison Law immensely useful to practitioners, academics, and anyone with a professional interest in crime and punishment.


This research paper focuses on the impact of Ajman free zone employee's performance on customer satisfaction and the challenges they might face in achieving both of customers and investors satisfaction. The main goal of the research paper is to analyse the role of Ajman free zone work practices and their employee's performance on customers satisfaction which leads to retaining loyal customers. The literature review focus on articles related to service industry and its impact of customer services. The data collection in this research paper is done using primary method and secondary method. In primary data collection method interviews with Ajman free zone employees and surveys that were completed by approximately 40 customer of Ajman free zone customers were used .The secondary data collection method included -sources from internet and peer-reviewed journals and articles.


Multiple myeloma is a malignant tumour of plasma cells that remains incurable for the vast majority of patients with a median survival of 2–3 years. The bax protein is a member of the Bcl-2 family and is an important pro-apoptotic protein. Low BAX expression has been shown to be associated with prolonged survival in patients with myeloma(1). A novel polymorphism, G(-248)A in the BAX promoter in patients with Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) has shown to be associated with reduced Bax protein expression, progressive disease and treatment failure(2, 3). We report here the impact of this polymorphism on survival in 304 (M: 168; F: 136) patients with myeloma Materials and Methods This study included 158 (M: 89; F: 69) patients from MRC Myeloma VII trial and 146 (M: 79; F: 67) under our care from January 1992 and February 2006. DNA was extracted from myeloma patients and healthy volunteer's peripheral blood using a standard salting out method. Analysis of the 5-UTR polymorphism was undertaken using method already published by our centre(3). Patients received either intensive or non intensive antimyeloma therapy as per standard practice. Statistical analysis was carried out using SAS software. Results The frequency of GG and GA/AA genotypes was 81.6% and 18.4% in myeloma patients as compared to 85.2% and 14.8% in normal controls. Median age at diagnosis was 58 yr (range 34–87 yrs). (GA/AA Group: 58 yrs (42–85); GG Group: 58 yr (34–87)). There were no significant differences in the sex distribution, β2 microglobulin, haemoglobin, bone lesions, calcium and age between the GA/AA & GG groups with p values 0.72, 0.46, 0.95, 0.61, 0.49 and 0.46 respectively. Abnormal creatinine levels were significantly few in GA/AA group (p value: 0.002). Median survival for the AA/GA group was 48 months (95% CI 36 – 61 months) compared with 54 months in the GG group (95% CI 46 – 63 months)[p=0.5 log-rank test] with a median follow up of 62 months (range 1 to 141). Conclusions Our results show that the GA/AA polymorphism has no impact on the overall survival in patients with myeloma. Further work is ongoing in order to assess the impact of this polymorphism on response in various treatment groups.


The members of the ZC3H12/MCPIP/Regnase family of RNases have emerged as important regulators of inflammation. In contrast to Regnase-1, -2 and -4, a thorough characterization of Regnase-3 (Reg-3) has not yet been explored. Here we demonstrate that Reg-3 differs from other family members in terms of NYN/PIN domain features, cellular localization pattern and substrate specificity. Together with Reg-1, the most comprehensively characterized family member, Reg-3 shared IL-6, IER-3 and Reg-1 mRNAs, but not IL-1β mRNA, as substrates. In addition, Reg-3 was found to be the only family member which regulates transcript levels of TNF, a cytokine implicated in chronic inflammatory diseases including psoriasis. Previous meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies revealed Reg-3 to be among new psoriasis susceptibility loci. Here we demonstrate that Reg-3 transcript levels are increased in psoriasis patient skin tissue and in an experimental model of psoriasis, supporting the immunomodulatory role of Reg-3 in psoriasis, possibly through degradation of mRNA for TNF and other factors such as Reg-1. On the other hand, Reg-1 was found to destabilize Reg-3 transcripts, suggesting reciprocal regulation between Reg-3 and Reg-1 in the skin. We found that either Reg-1 or Reg-3 were expressed in human keratinocytes in vitro. However, in contrast to robustly upregulated Reg-1 mRNA levels, Reg-3 expression was not affected in the epidermis of psoriasis patients. Taken together, these data suggest that epidermal levels of Reg-3 are negatively regulated by Reg-1 in psoriasis, and that Reg-1 and Reg-3 are both involved in psoriasis pathophysiology through controlling, at least in part different transcripts.


Four inorganic-organic hybrid compounds, [Cu(I)(4)(bte)(4)(SiW(12)O(40))] (1), [Cu(II)(2)(bte)(4)(SiW(12)O(40))].4H(2)O (2) [bte = 1,2-bis(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)ethane], [Cu(I)(4)(btb)(2)(SiW(12)O(40))].2H(2)O (3), and [Cu(II)(2)(btb)(4)(SiW(12)O(40))].2H(2)O (4) [btb = 1,4-bis(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)butane], were hydrothermally synthesized through use of the same Keggin polyoxometalate as the template and tuning the molar ratio of the bis(triazole) ligand to the Cu(II) ion. The ratio of the bis(triazole) ligand to Cu(II) has a crucial influence on the structures of this series. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses indicate that compound 1 is constructed by tetranuclear ring-connecting chains and polymerized [Cu(bte)](+) chains, between which SiW(12) anions are inserted to form a three-dimensional (3D) structure. Compound 2 shows a (4(4).6(2)) two-dimensional grid sheet. The discrete SiW(12) anions are sandwiched by the sheets, just like "hamburgers". Compound 3 presents channel-like [Cu(2)(btb)](2+) polymerized chains, which are further connected by SiW(12) anions to construct a 3D framework. Compound 4 exhibits a (6(6)) 3D Cu-btb framework with hexagonal channels, into which the tetradentate SiW(12) anions are incorporated. The thermal stabilities of the compounds are discussed.


Sandstone stimulation remains challenging because of formation heterogeneity and the sensitivity of clay minerals to acids such as hydrochloric acid (HCl) and mud acid [HCL/hydrofluoric acid (HF)]. Fines migration complicates the well-stimulation process and reduces formation productivity. Multiple field studies show that some stimulation methods can result in permanent damage to the rock matrix near the wellbore because of fines migration. This study aims to locate, quantify, and describe the damage resulting from fines migration after the stimulation of sandstone formations, and examine the composition of clay content in the formation and its effects on the stimulation process and subsequent fines migration.
 This work evaluates the fines-migration damage during well stimulation in Bandera, Gray Berea, and Kentucky Sandstones. Fines migration was induced by injecting deionized water between brine stages to trigger the mobilization of the clay minerals in sample cores. HCl, formic acid (HCOOH), and HF stimulation stages were then injected after the fines-migration induction. The new formation-damage-evaluation method proposed in this work uses computed-tomography (CT) scanning and nuclear-magnetic-resonance (NMR) measurements before and after the fines-migration induction and experimental stimulation. The CT and NMR data were then combined and processed to generate a 3D representation of the pore structure throughout the core samples, which yields insight on how the clay composition affects the stimulation process and changes the pore system.
 The developed technique exhibited an excellent ability to visualize the pore-size distribution and the changes in the pore structure after the fines-migration damage and the acid treatment. The mapping of the pore-size distribution using CT and its comparison with the rock mineralogy of Bandera, Gray Berea, and Kentucky Sandstones successfully predicted the changes in the pore structure of these formations upon induction of fines-migration damage using deionized water. These changes in pore structure prevailed as a controlling variable of the acidizing process. The stimulation of the damaged cores at 150 and 250°F resulted in aluminosilicate deposition toward the core outlet. These deposits are attributed to the acid leaching of aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) ions from the aluminosilicate structures. The higher temperature resulted in the deposition of aluminosilicates closer to the injection point. However, an enhancement in permeability was noticed in all of the sampled formations, which was because of the propagation of narrow channels between heavily deformed pore structures.
 This work adds to the understanding of sandstone-stimulation technology and contributes a new process to assess the effects of acid stimulation on fines-migration damage. The high level of resolution in visualizing the changes in the pore structure facilitates the optimization of treatments to reduce costs while improving production from clay-rich sandstone formations. This technique offers further potential as a formation-evaluation tool for real-time assessment of a variety of formation-damage mechanisms, such as fracturing fluids and water blockage.


Success in engineering activities mostly depends on success in transfer of human intent into product. Recently, product development applies product model as medium to describe product information in product data base. While modeling gives a great chance for the description of engineer's intent, current information based product models are not capable of this description. Human intent remains in the mind of engineers and its description in interrelated data of engineering objects is still at a shallow level. Because the main barrier is information based nature of current product models, the authors propose a method to extend this product model to the background of modeled object information to include human intent. Called as information content based modeling, this new product modeling method is developed starting from modeled intent of engineers and other influencing people. Definition of information in the product model is controlled by human intent and other information content entities that are also defined by using of model of human intent. This paper concentrates on definition of human control on product model information, modeling of human intent, human intent based definition of information content and some implementation issues.


This is a single case study of undergraduate business curriculum design and pedagogic practice in a post-1992 university business school (UBS). The central aim of the research was to investigate the factors that combined to influence the design and enactment of the BA Business Studies and BA Entrepreneurship and Innovation programmes. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with academics from the department of Systems and Management and a documentary review of programme texts. The data were analysed within an analytical framework which brings together Bhaskar's critical realism, Fairclough's critical discourse analysis and Bernstein's theory of the pedagogic device. This thesis contends that the undergraduate curriculum in UBS has become recontextualised as a business project which frames knowledge as a commodity for the purposes of income generation, pedagogy as a rational, 'quality-assured' system for its 'delivery' and academics as the 'deliverers'. The pedagogic codes which underpin this model legitimise knowledge as narrow projections of business practices and confine didactics to behaviourist, sometimes incoherent, approaches to knowledge generation predicated on 'employability' and 'transferable skills'.


In this study it is investigated the effects of interfacial space charge of interface in HVDC XLPE cable joint. A model was designed for simulating XLPE-LSR interface and the DC interfacial breakdown experiment was performed with and without DC Pre-Stress. The result showed that the DC interfacial breakdown voltage decreased due to DC Pre-Stress, suggesting a role of space charge accumulated on interface.


The efficacy of oral rehydration solution (ORS) enriched with Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 and zinc in infants with acute gastroenteritis, is poorly defined. The aim of this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, was to assess the efficacy of an ORS enriched with Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 and zinc (ORS+Lr&Z) in well-nourished, non-hospitalized infants with acute diarrhoea. Fifty one infants with acute diarrhoea were randomly assigned to receive either ORS+Lr&Z (28 infants, mean ± SD age 1.7 ± 0.7 years, 21 males), or standard ORS (ORS−Lr&Z; 23 infants, mean ± SD age 1.8 ± 0.7 years, 16 males). Stools volume and consistency were recorded pre- and posttreatment using the Amsterdam Infant Stool Scale and were compared between the two groups, as well as lost work/day care days, drug administration and need for hospitalization. Both groups showed reduction in the severity of diarrhoea on day two (p < 0.001) while, all outcomes showed a trend to be better in the ORS+Lr&Z group, without reaching statistical significance, probably due to the relatively small number of patients. No adverse effects were recorded. In conclusion, both ORS were effective in managing acute diarrhoea in well-nourished, non-hospitalized infants. ORS enriched with L. reuteri DSM 17938 and zinc was well tolerated with no adverse effects.


Abstract This paper proposes a new interval type-2 fuzzy logic system (IT2 FLS) for financial investment with time-varying parameters adaptive to real-time data streams by using an on-line learning method based on a state-space framework. Particularly, our state-space approach regards the parameters of IT2 FLSs as state variables to sequentially learn by Bayesian filtering algorithms under dynamic environments, where time-series data are continuously observed with occasional structural changes. Moreover, our proposal is effective for financial investment, which often involves various practical complex constraints, because general state-space model makes it possible to flexibly deal with non-linearities. In our empirical experiment with time-series data of global financial assets, our approach is applied to on-line parameter learning of type-1 and type-2 FLSs for portfolio decision making. As a result, it is shown that the IT2 FLS holds its advantage against the type-1 FLS, even though both of the type-1 and type-2 models have the adaptive time-varying parameters, which is an unexplored topic for empirical studies of this area.


The Rho kinase pathway has previously been reported to possess a close relationship with the growth, migration and invasion of lung cancer cells. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of this pathway on lung cancer cells are still elusive. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of Ras homolog family member A (RhoA) on the proliferation and apoptosis of SPCA1 lung carcinoma cells. Stable SPCA1 lung cancer cell lines, in which RhoA expression was silenced by small interfering RNA, were isolated following Geneticin screening. Inhibition of RhoA expression significantly decreased the proliferation of SPCA1 lung cancer cells, whereas apoptosis was significantly increased (P<0.01) as determined by the MTS tetrazolium assay and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. At the molecular level, knockdown of RhoA resulted in the significant activation of caspase-3 (P<0.01), and a significant reduction in the levels of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription (phospho-STAT3; P<0.01), as determined by western blotting. The results suggested that RhoA knockdown prevents cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in SPCA1 lung cancer cells. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms responsible for these effects may include the activation of caspase-3 and the reduction of phospho-STAT3 levels.


Precopulatory clasping was studied in the harpacticoid copepod Zausodes arenicolus in Tampa Bay, Florida. Clasping of all juvenile copepodite stages (I-V) was observed, but no adult females or males were clasped. Clasping of early copepodites, rarely reported for other harpacticoids, occurs frequently in Z. arenicolus. The size-distribution of clasped individuals changed seasonally, with a higher proportion of younger stages being clasped when adult males are abundant relative to juveniles than when juveniles are relatively more abundant. We suggest that clasping of early stages in Z. arenicolus may be a response to scarcity of available mates.


The project "Submerged cultural and natural heritage of South Moravia" was solved in the T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute, p. r. i., in 2013–2016. Project DF13P01OVV012 was founded by the Programme of applied research and development of national and cultural identity (NAKI) supported by Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.


Marker bands that cast dense shadow on X-ray are placed at crucial points on a catheter (for example on a peripheral angioplasty catheter on either side of the balloon) so that those parts of the catheter can be guided inside the body by X-ray. For catheter guidance by ultrasound, an ultrasound sensor in the mid-balloon region of an angioplasty catheter is integrated to the scanhead of an ultrasound scanner, via a catheter system interface (CSI). When the sensor in the catheter is imaged by the ultrasound scanner, the CSI injects a bright arrow corresponding to its position. This allows accurate catheter guidance using ultrasound. This paper describes the principles of ultrasound guidance of catheters and the initial clinical experience using this new catheter system (Echomark) in carrying out peripheral transluminal angioplasty.


Single thenar motor unit F waves (FMUPs) were collected from 23 healthy volunteers (age range 21–91 years, mean 46 ± 20 SD). In each subject, 10 distinct FMUPs were recorded, using surface stimulating and recording electrodes, and the conduction velocity (CV) of each motor unit was calculated. The distribution of CVs (overall range 42–66 m/s; individual FMUP CV dispersion range 6–27% of the maximal FMUP CV) was close to those previously reported whatever the technique used. With age, a progressive CV reduction was observed, and maximal FMUP CV was significantly correlated with age (r = −0.58, P < 0.01), whereas no statistically significant correlation was found between minimal FMUP CV and age (r = −0.27, ns). Individual FMUP CV dispersion presented a statistically significant decrease with age (r = −0.46, P < 0.05). Furthermore, thenar motor unit number (MUNE), estimated by the adapted multiple point stimulation method, decreased progressively with age and was statistically correlated with maximal FMUP CV (r = 0.59, P < 0.01), whereas there was no correlation with minimal FMUP CV (r = 0.34, ns). Thus, we propose that motor unit loss is progressive with age throughout life, affecting particularly the largest and fastest conducting motor units. Preferential involvement of these fibers could be responsible for the age‐related changes in motor nerve CV. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 22: 1022–1029, 1999


This paper presents two different yet successful approaches that have been taken for integrating process mapping technology and simulation technology. The discussion is based on two actual implementations in which two different process mapping tools were separately integrated with ProModel simulation software. The process mapping tools used in the integration were Design/IDEF from Meta Software Corporation and ABC FlowCharter from Micrografx, Incorporated. Both of these tools have been widely adopted in government and private industries for process reengineering. Also, both tools are based on different paradigms which present unique challenges for use with simulation. Design/IDEF is based on the IDEF-O modeling paradigm which is highly structured with limited adaptability. ABC FlowCharter is an unstructured process diagramming tool which is adaptable for doing all types of diagramming. In effect, they both plug into ProModel as a front-end interface. The implementation of the bridge is different in both instances, however one approach uses a modified version of the process mapping tool while the other utilizes OLE automation without having to modify either the process mapping software or the simulation software. This presentation deals with the issues and challenges encountered in each integration effort. We will also discuss how these challenges were addressed and how a successful solution was implemented. Finally, we "I assess the suitability of integrating process mapping and simulation and compare the relative outcome of each. The successful integration of process mapping and simulation is a major step towards a complete integration of process reenginecring technologies.


Astrocytes comprise half of the cells in the central nervous system and play a critical role in maintaining metabolic homeostasis. Metabolic dysfunction in astrocytes has been indicated as the primary cause of neurological diseases, such as depression, Alzheimer's disease, and epilepsy. Although the metabolic functionalities of astrocytes are well known, their relationship to neurological disorders is poorly understood. The ways in which astrocytes regulate the metabolism of glucose, amino acids, and lipids have all been implicated in neurological diseases. Metabolism in astrocytes has also exhibited a significant influence on neuron functionality and the brain's neuro-network. In this review, we focused on metabolic processes present in astrocytes, most notably the glucose metabolic pathway, the fatty acid metabolic pathway, and the amino-acid metabolic pathway. For glucose metabolism, we focused on the glycolysis pathway, pentose-phosphate pathway, and oxidative phosphorylation pathway. In fatty acid metabolism, we followed fatty acid oxidation, ketone body metabolism, and sphingolipid metabolism. For amino acid metabolism, we summarized neurotransmitter metabolism and the serine and kynurenine metabolic pathways. This review will provide an overview of functional changes in astrocyte metabolism and provide an overall perspective of current treatment and therapy for neurological disorders.


In this paper we give an overview of the UDK project, an international software engineering effort to facilitate access to environmental data. The UDK (Environmental Data Catalogue) is a metainformation system and navigation tool that documents collections of environmental data from the government and other sources. Potential users of the system include government agencies, industry, as well as the general public. Technically, the UDK is based on a three-way object model that distinguishes between environmental objects, environmental data objects, and UDK (meta) objects. Each (real-world) environmental object is described by a collection of environmental data objects. Each environmental data object is in turn associated with exactly one UDK object that specifies its format and contents. UDK objects are classified in accordance with an object-oriented inheritance hierarchy. They may be connected in a hypertext fashion to represent semantic associations, such as maintenance responsibilities and aggregation relationships. In January 1995, a first version of the UDK was made available in Austria; most German states will follow shortly. We also expect a prototypical version of the UDK to be available on the World Wide Web by early 1996. • Introduction • The UDK Object Model • UDK Object Classes and Inheritance • Semantic Associations Between UDK Objects • Conclusions and Future Work • References


Patterning physical, chemical, and biological functions at solid surfaces combines technological development with scientific discoveries in many disparate fields. A variety of top-down and bottom-up approaches has proved successful for applications in the solid state, affording large-area patterning at ever-shrinking length scales. Here we review a collection of recent efforts that highlight the versatility of short-wavelength ultraviolet light and photogenerated reactive oxygen species as a simple and cost-effective means to pattern a variety of challenging materials and thin-film configurations. In particular, we discuss two different classes of materials that present different challenges for patterning: fluid phospholipid bilayers at the buried solid-water interface and the surfaces of bulk elastomers. Despite the use of an identical patterning source, the generation and stabilization of patterns in these two classes of materials follow different mechanisms and produce different functionalities.


Speaker recognition is a major task when security applications through speech input are needed. Nevertheless, speech variability is a main degradation factor in speaker recognition tasks. Both intra-speaker and external variability sources produce mismatch between training and testing phases. In this contribution, channel and inter-session variability are explored in order to accomplish real automatic systems for both commercial and forensic speaker recognition. Results are presented making use of "AHUMADA", a subset of "GAUDI" large speaker recognition-oriented database in Spanish.


Cohort life tables for the Netherlands based on data from the period 1860-1989 are presented. Consideration is given to trends in age-specific mortality comparisons of life expectancy in successive cohorts at different ages and improvements in infant and child mortality. (SUMMARY IN ENG) (ANNOTATION)


The memristor is a nonlinear element and intrinsically possesses memory function. When it works as nonlinear part of a chaotic system, the complexity and the randomness of signal will be enhanced. In this paper memristor is introduced into a three-dimensional chaotic system based on the augmented L system. The interesting and promising behaviors of complex single, double and four-scroll chaotic attractors generated only by varying a parameter have not been reported in memristive chaotic system and thus they deserve to be further investigated. It is also obvious that such a simple change of one parameter could be used to generate a variety of quite complex attractors. Therefore, as a nonlinear device the memristor plays an important role in this system. Firstly, some basic dynamical properties of the memristive chaotic system, including symmetry and in-variance, the existence of attractor, equilibrium, and stability are investigated in detail. By numerically simulating the power spectrum, Lyapunov exponent, Poincare map and bifurcation diagram, in this paper we verify that the proposed system has abundant dynamical behaviors. The sensitivities of system parameters to the chaotic behaviors are further explored by calculating, in detail, its Lyapunov exponent spectrum and bifurcation diagrams. The results of simulation and experiment are in good agreement, thereby proving the veracity of analysis. The memristive chaotic circuit is designed using the memristor, operational amplifier, analog multiplier and other conventional components. The circuit implementation of the memristive system is simulated using SPICE (simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis). The SPICE simulation results and the theoretical analysis are found to be in good agreement, and thus verifying that the system can produce chaos. Pulse synchronization has the following characteristics: low energy consumption, fast synchronization and easy-to-implement single-channel transmission. Therefore, it is more practical in chaotic secure communication. Subsequently the pulse chaos synchronization is realized from the perspective of the maximum Lyapunov exponent, and numerical simulations show the existence of new memristive chaotic system and the feasibility of pulse synchronization control, and also provide an experimental basis for further studying the applications of the memristive chaotic system in voice secure communication and information processing.


Gut analysis revealed that 23 food objects re-grouped into 9 major groups (algae, crustaceans, detritus, fish prey, insects, macrophyte materials,  molluscs, nematodes and sand grains) were eaten by schlegel's goby,  Porogobius sclzlegelii in the Qua Iboe estuary, South Eastern Nigeria. The ingestion of the dietaries varied considerably, Crustaceans were the only food objects eaten by all the length classes (3-11 cm TL). Diet breadth and food richness correlated with fish length class and each other. The  small-sized group (SSG) increased in the consumption of relative  importance of Sesarma remains, Porogobius schlegelii , unidentified fish, Neritina glabrata and nematodes whereas shift in dietaries of Spirogyra, Sesarma alberti, coarse detritus, fish remains, macrophyte materials, and sand grains were in favour of the big-sized group (BSG). Diet breadth and food richness were higher in the BSG than in the SSG. Despite the  significant similarity in the rank-order of the food objects between the size-groups, the proportions of some of them were different. The BSG was significantly higher in the ingestion of the food objects. Analysis of indices of gut fullness: gut repletion index (GRI) and mean gut fullness (MGF) indicated that feeding behaviour of P. schlegelii increased with increasing length class. The higher GRI and MGF in the BSG buttressed the idea of a shift in diets and foraging behaviour by adults vis-a-vis juveniles of P. sclzlegelii. Keywords : Porogobius schlegelii ; ontogenetic shift; foraging behaviour; Qua Thoe estuary; Nigeria.


We use a micro dataset that collects information across individuals, countries, and time to investigate the determinants of entrepreneurial activity in thirty-seven developed and developing nations. We focus both on individual characteristics and on countries' regulatory differences. We show that individual characteristics, such as gender, age, and status in the workforce are important determinants of entrepreneurship, and we also highlight the relevance of social networks, self-assessed skills, and attitudes toward risk. Moreover, we find that regulation plays a critical role, particularly for those individuals who become entrepreneurs to pursue a business opportunity. The individual characteristics that are impacted most by regulation are those measuring working status, social network, business skills, and attitudes toward risk


A Gaussian based neural network is applied to the clustering problem. We consider the hypothesis that the samples are drawn from a finite mixture of Gaussian density functions. Each of them corresponds to one cluster. Competitive learning algorithms are then used to estimate the network parameters. The number of units in the hidden layer is determined by minimising the information criterion of Akaike. Performance evaluations using training data from mixture Gaussian densities are presented.<<ETX>>


Endoscopic resection (Endoscopic mucosal resection [EMR] and endoscopic submucosal dissection [ESD]) is already established as a first-line treatment modality for selected early gastric cancer (EGC). In Korea, the number of endoscopic resection of EGC was explosively increased because of a National Cancer Screening Program and development of devices and techniques. There were many reports on the short-term and long-term outcomes after endoscopic resection in patients with EGC. Long-term outcome in terms of recurrence and death is excellent in both absolute and selected expanded criteria. Furthermore, endoscopic resection might be positioned as primary treatment modality replacing surgical gastrectomy. To obtain these results, selection of patients, perfect en bloc procedure, thorough pathological examination of resected specimen, accurate interpretation of whole process of endoscopic resection, and rational strategy for follow-up is necessary.


Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)/polyaniline (PANI) hybrid films were prepared by casting the suspension containing well-dispersed SWNTs and CSA-doped PANI. The electrical conductivity of the SWNT/PANI film at first increased with the increasing SWNT content and then decreased at high SWNT content, whereas the Seebeck coefficient increased monotonically in the present SWNT content range. Moreover, the electrical conductivity values of the SWNT/PANI composites were much higher than the values calculated based on the series-connected two-component mixture model, whereas the dependence of the Seebeck coefficient on the SWNT content fitted well with the mixture model. Thermal conductivities increased with the SWNT content, but the rate of increase was much lower than the values estimated using the mixture model. The maximum values of electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient of hybrid films were up to 769 S cm−1 and 65 μV K−1. Consequently, the maximum thermoelectric power factor and ZT value at room temperature reached 176 μW m−1 K−2 and 0.12, respectively. The optimal TE property of the SWNT/PANI hybrid film was remarkably higher than those of either individual component of the composite, and exhibits the highest values for inorganic–organic composite materials reported so far. XRD and Raman analyses revealed that the PANI molecules in the composite film had a more expanded conformation, and were more orderly arranged compared with both pure PANI bulk and pure PANI film. The abnormally enhanced thermoelectric performance is attributed to the highly ordered PANI interface layer on the SWNT surface, which formed by the synergetic effect of chain expansion by the chemical interactions between PANI and the solvent and chain-ordering due to the π–π conjugation between PANI and CNTs.


Post-training administration of different doses of baclofen (a GABAB agonist) has been shown to impair memory retention, in a step-down passive avoidance test in mice. We have studied the effects of b-adrenergic agonists and antagonists on baclofen-induced memory impairment in mice. Dobutamine (a b1-agonist) or salbutamol (a b2agonist) reversed the memory impairment induced by baclofen without exhibiting intrinsic actions on memory when administered alone. The administration of atenolol (a b1-antagonist) or propranolol (a b-antagonist) produced a memory impairment. When co-administered with baclofen, both atenolol and propranolol exacerbated the memory impairment induced by the GABAB agonist. It is concluded that b-adrenergic mechanisms may be involved in the modulation of memory via GABAB receptors. Behavioural Pharmacology 15:293–297 c 2004 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.


Recently, HD transmission was commonplace in the case of the terrestrial broadcasting, furthermore, 4k UHD broadcasts are also being pilot and such as HD contents are common even in smart-phones. Like this, through both the content and audience are in the situation to take advantage of the HD mobile TV, only QVGA video contents are being transmitted in the terrestrial DMB broadcasting. In this paper, introduction plan of HD DMB service for activation of DMB industry will be described in terms of technical, institutional, and policy to overcome the limitations of such as DMB broadcasting. Due to the introduction of HD DMB, high quality contents will be provided to audience and the advertising revenue DMB broadcasters increased so that the market share of DMB in mobile broadcasting be recovered.


The population structure of Phytophthora infestans in China was studied and three mitochondrial haplotypes (Ia, IIa, IIb) were observed. Genetic analysis with 10 highly informative SSR markers identified 68 different genotypes, including three dominant clonal lineages. In the Chinese P. infestans population, the genotypes were strongly clustered according to their geographic origin. One of dominant clonal lineages was genetically similar to Blue_13, a dominant clonal lineage found in Europe since 2004. This is the first report of Blue_13 outside Europe. Only one mating type (A1) was found in the northern and southeastern provinces, but in southern and northwestern China both mating types were observed. The mating type ratio and SSR allele frequencies indicate that in China the sexual cycle of P. infestans is rare. These results emphasize that the migration of asexual propagules and the generation of subclonal variation are the dominant driving factors of the population structure of P. infestans in China. They may also have implications for the role of monitoring P. infestans populations in potato late blight management strategies in China


Two site-directed mutations within the wild-type 2-O-benzoyltransferase (tbt) cDNA, from Taxus cuspidata plants, yielded an encoded protein containing replacement amino acids at Q19P and N23K that map to a solvent-exposed loop region. The likely significant changes in the biophysical properties invoked by these mutations caused the overexpressed, modified TBT (mTBT) to partition into the soluble enzyme fraction about 5-fold greater than the wild-type enzyme. Sufficient protein could now be acquired to examine the scope of the substrate specificity of mTBT by incubation with 7,13-O,O-diacetyl-2-O-debenzoylbaccatin III that was mixed individually with various substituted benzoyls, alkanoyls, and (E)-butenoyl CoA donors. The mTBT catalyzed the conversion of each 7,13-O,O-diacetyl-2-O-debenzoylbaccatin III to several 7,13-O,O-diacetyl-2-O-acyl-2-O-debenzoylbaccatin III analogues. The relative catalytic efficiency of mTBT with the 7,13-O,O-diacetyl-2-O-debenzoyl surrogate substrate and heterole carbonyl CoA substrates was slightly greater than with the natural aroyl substrate benzoyl CoA, while substituted benzoyl CoA thioesters were less productive. Short-chain hydrocarbon carbonyl and cyclohexanoyl CoA thioesters were also productive, where C(4) substrates were transferred by mTBT with approximately 10- to 17-fold greater catalytic efficiency compared to the transfer of benzoyl. The described broad specificity of mTBT suggests that a plethora of 2-O-acyl variants of the antimitotic paclitaxel can be assembled through biocatalytic sequences.


Three years since the COVID-19 pandemic started, there is still little information about patients with chronic medical conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), who become infected with SARS-CoV-2. A retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with cardiovascular comorbidities hospitalized with positive RT-PCR results for SARS-CoV-2 during the highest peaks of the first three pandemic waves: April 2020, October 2020, and November 2021. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality; the secondary outcomes were length of hospitalization and required mechanical ventilation to assess the disease severity. Data were extracted from the hospital electronic database system: 680 eligible cases were identified out of 2919 patients. Mortality was the highest in wave 3 (31.9%) compared to the previous waves (13.6% and 25.8%). Hospitalization was also significantly longer in wave 3 (11.58 ± 5.34 vs. 8.94 ± 4.74 and 10.19 ± 5.06; p < 0.001), and so was the need for mechanical ventilation (21.7% vs. 8.2% and 9%; p < 0.001). Older age and male gender were confirmed as highly significant predictors of unfavorable outcomes. Ischemic heart disease worsened the odds of patients' survival irrespective of the three pandemic waves (Breslow–Day test, p = 0.387), with a marginally significant Mantel–Haenszel common estimate for risk: OR = 1.604, 95% (0.996; 2.586). The significantly worse outcomes in wave 3 could have been influenced by a combination of factors: the low percentage of vaccinations in Romanian population, the more virulent delta strain, and pandemic attrition in the care provided to these patients with chronic CVDs.


Background. The frame of reference for this research is provided by a cross-disciplinary approach to the anthropology of martial arts. The results of research into genetics, linguistics, anthropology, general ancient and medieval history, and hoplology have provided a check on the hypotheses and supported the logical explanation backing the ideas presented in this paper. Aim. The authors pose questions concerning the Slavs, the Scythians and Sarmatians, and their systems of warfare and their relationship to today's Lekhs. The following hypothesis is presented: if the Scythians, Aryans and Slavs came from a single genetic root, then today's Slavs, especially the Western and Eastern ones, are their descendants, but the relationship is not limited merely to biology. Results. The Scythians and Sarmatians made a great contribution to the development of the art of war. This applies particularly to the use of horses and the tactical use of cavalry and archery. Their warrior-ethos has been preserved in the legends, symbols and traditions of the Polish (Lekh) nobility. Historic genetic material – also indicates the presence of ancestors of the Slavs in Central Europe from c2700 BCE. The languages of the Aryans and Scythians were closely related to the Slavic languages, and known as proto-Slavonic. However Scythians were speaking apparently different languages. Another proof of kinship may be the similarity between the iconography of the coats of arms of the Polish nobility and Scythian ornamentation. Conclusions. A genealogy based on the presence of specific haplogroups on the Y chromosome indicates a lack of foreign genetic influences, suggesting the autochtonicity of the Slavs in the lands between the Oder and the Dnieper Rivers, between the Baltic Sea and the Carpathian Mountains. The original Scythians were probably carriers of haplogroup R1a, with the subgroups R1a1a1b2 (created as a result of mutation F992/S202/Z93) and R1a1a1 (created as a result of the emergence of mutation M417) most widely represented. The direct or indirect descendants of the early Scythians, or Proto-Slavs (the commonly-agreed terms) are, in particular the Poles, characterized by the highest concentration of the R1a1a1b1a1 haplogroup (M458/PF6241) and other Western Slavs, e.g. today's Sorbs and Slovaks. © Idōkan Poland Association "IDO MOVEMENT FOR CULTURE. Journal of Martial Arts Anthropology", Vol. 16, no. 3 (2016), pp. 1–14 DOI: 10.14589/ido.16.3.1


This paper integrates the natural gas and hydrothermal systems in terms of power and gas optimal short- term operations planning and unit commitment. In this paper, the natural gas network model including storages and pipelines are integrated with hydrothermal systems to optimize short-term operation of both systems simultaneously. The proposed model considers the constraints at the hydrothermal system, natural gas extraction, natural gas storage operation and pipeline. The proposed model results in a large-scale mixed-integer nonlinear programming problem where the objective function is to minimize the integrated gas-electricity system operation costs. To solve the integrated electricity-gas optimal short-term planning problem an approach based on Dual Decomposition, Lagrangian Relaxation and Dynamic Programming is employed. A didactic integrated hydrothermal and gas system case study is presented. The proposed model shows the importance of the integration of the two systems in terms of operation, planning, security and reliability.


Mechanical forces, applied via covalent polymer mechanochemistry, have been used to bias reaction pathways and activate otherwise inaccessible reactions. Here, single-molecule polymer mechanochemistry is used to induce the disrotatory outward ring opening of a cis-dialkyl substituted syn-chloro-gem-chlorofluorocyclopropane, in violation of the Woodward-Hoffmann-DePuy (WHD) rule. The forces required to trigger the anti-WHD pathway on the ∼100 ms time scale of the experiment are about 200 pN greater than those involved in the WHD favored process (1290 vs 1500 pN). The kinetics are complemented by tension trapping experiments that suggest that the reaction proceeds along a reaction pathway that generates substantial diradicaloid character.


Brown's syndrome is an easily recognizable congenital or acquired ocular motility defect. Typically, there is restriction to active and passive elevation of the eye in adduction. Elevation improves as the eye is rotated out of the field of vertical action of the superior oblique muscle. In abduction, there is little to no elevation deficit. If a hypotropia exists in primary gaze, the patient may present with a compensatory chin-up head posture. We treated a young woman who presented with typical Brown's syndrome that developed shortly after the birth of her first child. Report of a Case. A 17-year-old woman developed vertical diplopia less than 2 hours after an uncomplicated vaginal delivery. She denied any history of orbit or facial trauma or any history of rheumatoid arthritis or sinusitis. A photograph taken 1 year earlier revealed no evidence of anomalous head posture, lid fissure asymmetry, or ocular misalignment. On ocular motility


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to extend current theories in crisis communication, by developing a more systemic approach to understanding the role of emotions in crises and the strategies organizations can use to respond. The authors' integrated crisis mapping (ICM) model is premised on a public-based, emotion-driven perspective where different crises are mapped on two continua, the organization's engagement in the crisis and primary public's coping strategy. Design/methodology/approach – Content analysis was used to analyze 259 stories in US mainstream newspaper covering five different crisis cases. Findings – The initial test suggests theoretical rigor. It found that publics involved in crises pertaining to reputational damage, technological breakdown, industrial matters, labor unrest, and regulation/legislation, are likely to feel anxious, angry, and sad. At the same time, they are likely to engage in conative coping. Originality/value – Understanding publics' emotions in crisis is a rarely studied area. This model is arguably the first to suggest a framework of emotions. This study is the first of a series of tests to generate what Yin termed "analytic generalization" for the ICM model.


Public health practitioners are called to effectively communicate with the public on climate change. The climate crisis requires swift action that starts with public awareness of climate-related health impacts and leads to public support for individual, community and systemic actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change. This paper discusses learnings about public opinion research and communication strategies and how a health-focused climate communication campaign—#MakeItBetter—could help to increase awareness and engage new audiences, including public health partners, in conversations about climate change in order to reduce climate-related health impacts for current and future generations. The #MakeItBetter campaign was grounded in evidence-informed messaging, being sensitive to health inequities. Emerging research and pre-campaign testing suggest that framing climate change as a health issue is a promising practice. The #MakeItBetter campaign appeals to parents/caregivers to learn more about climate-related health impacts, take protective action for children and support multi-level climate action. The campaign launch secured 89 news stories, including multicultural media coverage. Longer-term evaluation is required to determine the campaign's effectiveness in building public support for climate action. An innovative approach to climate communication that draws on the intersections between behavioural and climate sciences and engages in multi-sectoral collaboration can spur both climate action and health protection, aiding public health practitioners and partners in effectively communicating the urgency for climate action. More work is needed to support communication on climate change as an inequity multiplier and promote climate action and community resilience for health equity co-benefits.


Abstract To predict the effects of dredging operations in the Western Scheldt estuary, insight into the morphological behaviour of its channels is needed. The estuary features two large main channels that meander alongside each other and that are linked by smaller connecting channels. These connecting channels originate from water level differences between the two main channels. Three hydrodynamic mechanisms are investigated that are responsible for generating such water level differences: (1) differences in tidal wave propagation along two neighbouring main channels, (2) centrifugal forces, and (3) Coriolis forces. The magnitude of the three mechanisms is analytically assessed based on channel geometry, which is derived from historical depth charts. The analysis demonstrates a large temporal variability of the water level differences due to tidal wave propagation, mainly as a function of changes in the depth ratio between the two main channels. Conversely, both the centrifugal effect and the Coriolis effect are relatively constant over time. The temporal evolution of the connecting channels can therefore primarily be attributed to the wave propagation mechanism. A correlation analysis reveals a linear relationship between connecting channel dimensions and the net water level differences produced by the three processes. The relationship suggests that dredging operations may significantly influence the evolution of connecting channels by changing the depth ratio between the two main channels. The proposed future deepening of the navigation channel is therefore expected to induce a decline in the size, or even a total disappearance, of connecting channels in some parts of the estuary.


Aligned electrospun fibers used for the fabrication of tubular scaffolds possess the ability to regulate cellular alignment and relevant functional expression, with applications in tissue engineering. Despite significant progress in the fabrication of small-diameter vascular grafts (SDVGs) over the past decade, several challenges remain; one of the most problematic of these is the fabrication of aligned nanofibers for multilayer SDVGs. Furthermore, delamination between each layer is difficult to avoid during the fabrication of multilayer structures. This study introduces a new fabrication method for minute delamination four-layer tubular scaffolds (FLTSs) that consist of an interior layer with highly longitudinal aligned nanofibers, two middle layers composed of electrospun sloped and circumferentially aligned fibers, and an exterior layer comprising random fibers. These FLTSs are used to simulate the structures and functions of native blood vessels. Here, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/polycaprolactone (PCL)/polyethylene glycol (PEG) were electrospun to fabricate FLTSs or tubular scaffolds with completely random fibers layer (RLTSs). The surface wettability of the TPU/PCL/PEG tubular scaffold was tested by water contact angle analysis. In particular, compared with RLTSs, FLTSs showed excellent mechanical properties, with higher circumferential and longitudinal tensile properties. Furthermore, the high viability of the human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) on the FLTSs indicated the biocompatibility of the tubular scaffolds comparing to RLTSs. The aligned and random composite structure of the FLTSs are conducive to promoting the growth of HUVECs, and the cell adhesion and proliferation on these scaffolds was found to be superior to that on RLTSs. These results demonstrate that the fabricated FLTSs have the potential for application in vascular tissue regeneration and clinical arterial replacements.


Objectives : To understanding biological mechanism of acupuncture therapy, we have proposed a hypothesis. First of all, there exists electric property in meridian and meridian point. Second of all, energy flowing in meridian is related with electric property. Third of all, there is electronic interaction between the operator who performs acupuncture therapy and the receiver who is given acupuncture therapy. Forth of all, acupuncture effects may depend on the electric capacity which is transferred between the operator and the receiver via acupuncture needle. Methods : Under the hypothesis, we studied the effects of electric change in generated by Tanchim (彈鍼) manipulation which was stimulated at point. And compared with data on the changes of electric change from the hand of the operator during acupuncture stimulation. Electric charge induced via acupuncture needle from the operator may be important factor that causes the changes of electric change in meridian and acupoint in the receiver. Therefore we investigated the changes of electric charge induced by the operator using Maclab 400 by the following methods. The one was in stable electric circle condition and the other was in unstable electric circle condition. Results : In this experiments, the changes of electric change from the stimulation type of Tanchim manipulation performed in our lab condition in acupuncture therapy was induced at least three factor, one was the difference of bio-potentials between the operator and the receiver of acupuncture therapy, another was the depth of acupuncture insertion from the skin of the receiver, the other was an electromyogram of the receiver. Conclusion : The data imply that the first factor should make a capacitance current when the operator touched the acupuncture needle which was inserted in the receiver. Therefore, the results suggest that capacitance currents stimulus in electronic view may be important factor in acupuncture therapy between the operator and the receiver of acupuncture therapy.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the contributions that critical realist ethnographies can make to an understanding of the multinational corporation.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper draws on a discussion of methodological challenges in researching the multinational corporation and the ways in which critical realist ethnographies can respond to these challenges. The example of research on the transfer of management practices is used to illustrate this.

Findings
Taking the example of researching the transfer of management practices within the multinational, the paper argues that the potential of critical realist ethnography including critical realist global ethnography to contribute to the field of International Business and International Management remains relatively untapped.

Research limitations/implications
Adopting the sociological imagination of the critical realist ethnographer has implications for the kinds of questions that are asked by the researcher and the ways in which we seek to address these methodologically. Researching from a critical standpoint fruitful empirical themes for further research relate to the experience of change for example in business systems, internationalization of organizations and "globalization".

Practical implications
The critical realist ethnographer can contribute insights into the complex social and political processes within the multinational and provide insights into how social structures are both impacting on and impacted by individuals and groups. Ethnographic research located within a critical realist framework has the potential to address questions of how stability and change take place within specific structural, cultural and power relations.

Originality/value
At the methodological level, this paper highlights the potential of critical realist ethnography in researching the multinational, in addressing significant questions facing the critical researcher and in gaining a privileged insight into the lived experience of globalization.


Urban agriculture, is increasingly incorporated into food system policies to address social equity. However, assessing its effectiveness requires primary data on the demographics of agricultural gardeners and the type of gardening pursued, which are limited. This paper reports on a first detailed survey of 6,152 representative urbanites in three US cities, enabling a detailed demographic analysis of agricultural gardeners. We find low engagement in community vs. household agricultural gardening (~2% vs. ~27%). Indoor and outdoor household agricultural gardening was generally dominated by higher-income, White, males (24–44%). Community agricultural gardening appears more diverse; however, participation is low, hence, benefits may not scale up. Designing urban agriculture to address social equity requires gathering data on who gardens and how, for which our paper provides a first template.


In this paper we consider a model case of stationary vibrations of a thin flat plate, one side of which is embedded, the opposite side is free, and the sides are freely leaned. In mathematical modeling there is a local boundary value problem for the biharmonic equation in a rectangular domain. Boundary conditions are given on all boundary of the domain. We show that the considered problem is self-adjoint. Herewith the problem is ill-posed. We show that the stability of solution to the problem is disturbed. Necessary and sufficient conditions of existence of the problem solution are found. Spaces of the ill-posedness of the considered problem are constructed.


The properties of two-dimensional rod systems are examined, use being made of the complex potential in conjunction with the conformal-transformation technique. The concept of prescribed trajectories whereby stronger, effective, levitational forces can be obtained is introduced. It is shown that the high-gradient magnetogravimetric-separation system is amenable to scale-up since sufficient levitational force, in terms of the equivalent specific gravity, is generated. Examples of gratings with circular and different oval cross sections, which are subject to the magnetizing field in two alternative directions, are discussed.


The suggestive hypothesis of the neural system of Messi that slows the external motor perception was recently proposed by Jafari and Smith and commented by Erren et al. This theory is re-discussed considering the principles of motor anticipation, fast decision making, the memory of past situations and originality during decision making. The anticipation of the motor anticipation was supposed as a distinctive characteristic of high-level players.


Mitochondria are dynamic organelles with the capacity to adapt to environmental stimuli and stress. Here we use yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) in combination with proteomic approaches to quantify the changes in the protein composition of mitochondria in the presence of salt stress provoked by NaCl. We identified 15 proteins that were more than twofold overrepresented in salt adapted mitochondria. These proteins are mainly involved in the oxidative stress defense, the biosynthesis of amino acids and ubiquinone or in the metabolism of pyruvate and acetate. Loss of function of most of the upregulated proteins did not result in a significant growth phenotype under high salt conditions. However, all identified proteins were necessary to sustain efficient growth under oxidative stress caused by hydrogen peroxide. Additionally, a subset of outer mitochondrial membrane proteins was shown to be upregulated upon salt stress. We furthermore identified nine proteins that were more than threefold underrepresented in salt adapted mitochondria. These proteins were mainly glycolytic enzymes or proteins with a predominant localization at the endoplasmatic reticulum. Our results underline the complex nature of the stress adaptation of mitochondria and identify functional groups of proteins whose specific role in salt resistance should be revealed in the future.


Parameter identification scheme and discrete-time adaptive sliding-mode controller applied to Pioneer 3-DX wheeled mobile robot (WMR) are presented in this paper. The dynamical model for mobile robot with one pair of active wheels, time– varying mass and moment of inertia have been used in sliding-mode control. Two closedloop, on-line parameter estimators have been used in order to achieve robustness against parameter uncertainties (robot mass and moment of inertia). Two sliding-mode adaptive controllers corresponding to angular and position motion have been designed. Closedloop circular trajectory tracking Pioneer 3-DX real-time control is presented.


The heliosphere is the bubble formed by the solar wind as it interacts with the interstellar medium (ISM). The collimation of the heliosheath (HS) flows by the solar magnetic field in the heliotail into distinct north and south columns (jets) is seen in recent global simulations of the heliosphere. However, there is disagreement between the models about how far downtail the two-lobe feature persists and whether the ambient ISM penetrates into the region between the two lobes. Magnetohydrodynamic simulations show that these heliospheric jets become unstable as they move down the heliotail and drive large-scale turbulence. However, the mechanism that produces this turbulence had not been identified. Here we show that the driver of the turbulence is the Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) instability produced by the interaction of neutral H atoms streaming from the ISM with the ionized matter in the HS. The drag between the neutral and ionized matter acts as an effective gravity, which causes an RT instability to develop along the axis of the HS magnetic field. A density gradient exists perpendicular to this axis due to the confinement of the solar wind by the solar magnetic field. The characteristic timescale of the instability depends on the neutral H density in the ISM and for typical values the growth rate is ∼3 years. The instability destroys the coherence of the heliospheric jets and magnetic reconnection ensues, allowing ISM material to penetrate the heliospheric tail. Signatures of this instability should be observable in Energetic Neutral Atom maps from future missions such as the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP). The turbulence driven by the instability is macroscopic and potentially has important implications for particle acceleration.


The temperature dependence of threshold current Ith in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) can be approximated by the equation Ith(T)=alpha+beta(T-Tmin)2 , where Tmin is the temperature of lowest Ith,alpha and beta are parameters, and temperature is T. We compare the temperature dependence of threshold current in VCSELs with GaAs, InGaAs, and strain compensated InGaAs-GaAsP quantum wells. From our analysis we find the coefficient beta is related to the gain properties of the quantum well, and is shown to serve as a benchmark for the VCSEL temperature sensitivity. The incorporation of strain-compensated high-barrier GaAsP layers in the active region of 980-nm VCSELs is demonstrated to reduce the threshold dependence on temperature


OBJECTIVE
To explore the mechanism of endotoxin tolerance (ET) through observing the expression of interleukin 1 receptor associated kinase-4 (IRAK-4) during endotoxin tolerance development in Kupffer cells (KCs).

METHODS
Isolated KCs of Balb/c mouse were divided into two groups: the non-endotoxin tolerance (NET) group and the endotoxin tolerance (ET) group, which were pretreated with 10 ng/ml lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 24 h. Then, the two groups were treated with 100 ng/ml LPS. The expressions of IRAK-4 gene and protein level were determined by RT-PCR and Western blot. The activities of NF-kappaB of KCs and the TNFalpha level were estimated by ELISA at 0 h, 1 h, 3 h, 6 h and 12 h after LPS stimulation.

RESULTS
The ultimate level of IRAK-4, the activities of NF-kappaB and the TNFalpha level were evidently lower in the ET group than those in the NET group (t = 12.4, 17.4 and 138.9 respectively, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS
Pretreatment with LPS on KCs could induce endotoxin tolerance of KCs and inhibition of IRAK-4 expression may be one of the reasons for its development.


Decay heat power of actinides and fission products from spent nuclear fuel of power VVER-1000 type reactors at long-term storage is calculated. Two modes of storage are considered: mode in which single portion of actinides or fission products is loaded in storage facility, and mode in which actinides or fission products from spent fuel of one VVER reactor are added every year in storage facility during 30 years and then accumulated nuclides are stored without addition new nuclides. Two values of fuel burnup 40 and 70 MW·d/kg are considered for the mode of storage of single fuel unloading. For the mode of accumulation of spent fuel with subsequent storage, one value of burnup of 70 MW·d/kg is considered. Very long time of storage 105 years accepted in calculations allows to simulate final geological disposal of radioactive wastes. Heat power of fission products decreases quickly after 50-100 years of storage. The power of actinides decreases very slow. In passing from 40 to 70 MW·d/kg, power of actinides increases due to accumulation of higher fraction of 244 Cm. These data are important in the back end of fuel cycle when improved cooling system of the storage facility will be required along with stronger radiation protection during storage, transportation and processing.


Agroforestry systems (AFSs) have emerged as an alternative to the slash and burn agriculture practiced in the Amazon region. This study therefore aims to analyze the influence of the socioeconomic characteristics of farmers on the adoption of agroforestry systems. The study was carried out in Braganca (01 o 03 '15''S and 46 o 46' 10 "W), in the Brazilian State of Para. Data was collected by way of structured interviews and direct observation, both of which are Rapid Rural Evaluation tools. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear correlation. Fifty-three smallholders with AFSs were identified in 19 rural communities. The socioeconomic characteristics identified in this study, such as the origin of the farmers, social organization, age, level of education, land tenure, and lot- and AFS-size, as well as labor force and income generation, influenced the adoption of commercial agroforestry systems in Braganca. The family is the most common source of labor in family production units. The man carries out the main productive activities related to commercial AFSs, and is responsible for the adoption of these systems. The AFSs, in general, are important for the economy of small farmers in Braganca. However, public policies are needed for these systems to become socioeconomically sustainable, including: expanding the areas of commercial AFSs; ensuring efficient technical assistance is provided for farmers; adapting the products to the consumer market, enabling farmers to manage agroforestry systems, increasing the income generated by these systems; and finally empowering the farmers to establish funding projects.


That the histologic picture at the margins of chronic or subacute cutaneous ulcers often simulates or actually reproduces that of carcinoma cutis is common knowledge to the pathologist. This would especially apply to the more highly differentiated type of epithelioma, approximately grade 1 of Broders.1It is well known that there are many irritative factors which may lead to mimicry of malignant hyperplasia of the epidermis, such as cutaneous blastomycosis, bilharziasis of the rectum, Paget's eczematoid dermatitis, and around pellagrous dermatitis.2In all these, the histologic picture may at times be quite good for a malignant growth, but we learned long ago that a malignant condition microscopically was not necessarily a malignant condition clinically; i.e. not a matter of life and death to the patient. In some classes of cases it has thus developed that we have had to require in addition some of such clinical changes as


In the context of stellar reionization in the standard cold dark matter model, we analyze observations at z ∼ 6 and are able to draw three significant conclusions with respect to star formation and the state of the intergalactic medium (IGM) at z ∼ 6. (1) An initial stellar mass function (IMF) more efficient, by a factor of 10–20, in producing ionizing photons than the standard Salpeter IMF is required at z ∼ 6. This may be achieved by having either (a) a metal-enriched IMF with a lower mass cutoff of ⩾30 M☉ or (b) 2%–4% of stellar mass being Population III massive metal-free stars at z ∼ 6. While there is no compelling physical reason or observational evidence to support (a), (b) could plausibly be fulfilled by continued existence of some pockets of uncontaminated, metal-free gas for star formation. (2) The volume-weighted neutral fraction of the IGM of at z = 5.8 inferred from the SDSS observations of QSO absorption spectra provides enough information to ascertain that reionization is basically complete with at most ∼0.1%–1% of IGM that is unionized at z = 5.8. (3) Barring some extreme evolution of the IMF, the neutral fraction of the IGM is expected to rise quickly toward high redshift from the point of H ii bubble percolation, with the mean neutral fraction of the IGM expected to reach 6%–12% at z = 6.5, 13%–27% at z = 7.7, and 22%–38% at z = 8.8.


We present a new method for first person sketch-based editing of terrain models. As in usual artistic pictures, the input sketch depicts complex silhouettes with cusps and T-junctions, which typically correspond to non-planar curves in 3D. After analysing depth constraints in the sketch based on perceptual cues, our method best matches the sketched silhouettes with silhouettes or ridges of the input terrain. A specific deformation algorithm is then applied to the terrain, enabling it to exactly match the sketch from the given perspective view, while insuring that none of the user-defined silhouettes is hidden by another part of the terrain. As our results show, this method enables users to easily personalize an existing terrain, while preserving its plausibility and style.


Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of survivin expression and the decrease or loss of KAI-1 on the clinical stage and the survival rate in gastric adenocarcinomas. Materials and Methods: Expressions of survivin and KAI-1 were immunohistochemically determined in 40 cases of gastric adenocarcinomas. The survivin and KAI-1 expressions were also analyzed by using western blots in 14 cases among them. Results: Resected gastric cancer specimens from 40 patients (intestinal type: 15 cases and diffuse type: 25 cases) were evaluated immunohistochemically. Survivin protein expressions were significantly higher in diffuse types (P=0.03) and in advanced clinical stages (UICC TNM II and III, P=0.02). In contrast, a decrease or loss of KAI-1 expression had no statistically significant correlation with the Lauren classification or the clinical stage. Survivin protein positivity was associated with an unfavorable prognosis. Decrease or loss of KAI-1 was associated with a shorter disease free survivial rate (P


This paper presents a multidisciplinary adjoint-based design optimization of a turbocharger radial turbine for automotive applications. The aim is to improve the total-to-static efficiency of the turbine while keeping mechanical stresses below a predefined limit. The search for the optimal design is accomplished using an efficient Sequential Quadratic Programming algorithm considering additional aerodynamic and manufacturing constraints. The aerodynamic performance of the wheel is evaluated by a Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes solver, whereas the maximum stresses in the material are predicted by a Finite Element Analysis tool. The design gradients required by the optimizer are computed with the adjoint approach which provides sensitivity information largely independent of the number of design variables. The results presented in this paper show the clear need to take into account mechanical stresses during optimization, as they are the most restrictive design limitation. However, the gradient-based optimization algorithm is able to effectively keep the stress levels below the critical value while significantly improving the turbine efficiency in a few design cycles.


Based on a modification of the indispensability argument, the paper claims that fictions are indispensable, thus true, and simultaneously rejects any ontological commitment to fictional entities. In the first part, data coming from natural language semantics are gathered to argue for a disconnection between truth and ontology, against Quine's criterion of ontological commitment. In the second part, we exploit analyses from literary criticism and philosophy of art to support the indispensability of fiction, and to account for a strong sense of truth of fiction. In the background of the paper lies the idea that fictional narrations pertain to the interpretative and practical uses rather than to any descriptive use of language.


The mechanism of Fog computing is a distributed infrastructure to provide the computations as same as cloud computing. The fog computing environment provides the storage and processing of data in a distributed manner based on the locality. Fog servicing is better than cloud service for working with smart devices and users in a same locale. However the fog computing will inherit the features of the cloud, it also suffers from many security issues as cloud. One such security issue is authentication with efficient key management between the communicating entities. In this paper, we propose a secured two-way authentication scheme with efficient management of keys between the user mobile device and smart devices under the control of the fog server. We made use of operations such as one-way hash (SHA-512) functions, bitwise XOR, and fuzzy extractor function to make the authentication system to be better. We have verified the proposed scheme for its security effectiveness by using a well-used analysis tool ProVerif. We also proved that it can resist multiple attacks and the security overhead is reduced in terms of computation and communication cost as compared to the existing methods.


Abstract
Internet becomes an integral part of current Indonesian society's life. Meanwhile, the figure of kiai clearly cannot be separated from the history of Indonesian socio-religious life up until recently. Both the kiai and Internet are inseparable parts of current Indonesian social reality, in which, each of them possessed their particular share of power and ran according their own logics. Focusing on the case of Pandalungan Muslims community, where the kiai's authority is greatly acknowledged, this paper will shed the lights on the logic behind those two powers and the contestation (for authority) occurred between them. This paper concludes that the logic of the kiai-ness is the logic of culture and media logic is in the logic of culture. This made the kiais' authority is still standing strong in current media life.


Due to early implementation of public health measures, Greece had low number of SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 severe incidents in hospitalized patients. The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (ΝΚUA), especially its health-care/medical personnel, has been actively involved in the first line of state responses to COVID-19. To estimate the prevalence of antibodies (Igs) against SARS-CoV-2 among NKUA members, we designed a five consecutive monthly serosurvey among randomly selected NKUA consenting volunteers. Here, we present the results from the first 2500 plasma samples collected during June–July 2020. Twenty-five donors were tested positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 Igs; thus, the overall seroprevalence was 1.00%. The weighted overall seroprevalence was 0.93% (95% CI: 0.27, 2.09) and varied between males [1.05% (95% CI: 0.18, 2.92)] and females [0.84% (95% CI: 0.13, 2.49)], age-groups and different categories (higher in participants from the School of Health Sciences and in scientific affiliates/faculty members/laboratory assistants), but no statistical differences were detected. Although focused on the specific population of NKUA members, our study shows that the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 Igs for the period June–July 2020 remained low and provides knowledge of public health importance for the NKUA members. Given that approximately one in three infections was asymptomatic, continuous monitoring of the progression of the pandemic by assessing Ig seroprevalence is needed.


Landfill require special care due to the dangers of nearby surface water and underground water pollution caused by leakage of leachate. The leachate does not leak due to the installation of the geomembrane but sharp wastes or landfill equipment can damage the geomembrane and therefore a means of protecting the geomembrane is required. In Korea, in accordance with the waste control act being modified in 1999, protecting the geosynthetics liner on top of the slope of landfill and installing a drainage layer to fluently drain leachate became mandatory, and technologies are being researched to both protect the geomembrane and quickly drain leachate simultaneously. Therefore, this research has its purpose in studying the drainage functions of leachate and protection functions of the geomembrane in order to examine the application possibilities of Geo-Multicell-Composite (GMC) as a Leachate Collection?Removal and Protection System (LCRPs) at the slope on top of the geomembrane of landfill by observing methods of inserting filler with high-quality water permeability at the drainage net. GMC's horizontal permeability coefficient is 8.0 × 10-4m2/s to legal standards satisfeid. Also crash gravel used as filler respected by vertical permeability is 5.0 cm/s, embroidering puncture strength 140.2 kgf. A result of storm drain using artificial rain in GMC model facility, maximum flow rate of 1,120 L/hr even spray without surface runoff was about 92~97% penetration. Further study, instead of crash gravel used as a filler, such as using recycled aggregate utilization increases and the resulting construction cost is expected to savings.


This thesis investigates competition law, State aid law and free-movement law in their interaction with Article 11 TFEU's obligation to integrate environmental protection requirements into all activities and policies of the Union. The Article is formulated in broad and sweeping terms which makes integrating environmental protection requirements complex and context-dependent. The challenge of integrating environmental considerations is further increased as such integration in competition, State aid and free- movement law is different from other areas of EU action. The three areas are the core provisions protecting the internal market by prohibiting certain actions of the Member States and undertakings. Unlike in other areas, the EU is therefore not in the position to develop or design the actions but has to scrutinise the measure according to pre-established parameters. To address this challenge, a novel functional approach to environmental integration is developed. The approach should facilitate a better understanding of environmental integration and in particular its application to competition law, State aid and free-movement law. An important element of this thesis equally the comparison between the three areas of law. It sheds light on conceptual issues that are not only relevant to the integration of environmental protection. The comparison advances the understanding in relation to questions such as how restrictions are defined and how the respective balancing tests are applied. The contribution of this research is therefore twofold. One the one hand, it compares how the different tests in competition, State aid and free-movement law operate, thereby offering opportunities for cross-fertilisation. On the other hand, this comparison and the improvements suggested as a result help to conceptualise environmental integration thereby paving the way for a more transparent and consistent integration of environmental protection in competition, State aid and free-movement law.


Copper is an essential micronutrient for higher plants and algae and has a direct impact on photosynthesis. It is a constituent of the primary electron donor in photosystem I, the Cu-protein plastocyanin. Many authors have also described Cu as a constituent of photosystem II (PSII). However, high Cu concentrations inhibit the photosynthetic electron transport, especially in PSII. In addition, both Cu deficiency and Cu toxicity interfere with pigment and lipid biosynthesis and, consequently, with chloroplast ultrastructure thus negatively influencing the photosynthetic efficiency.

In this review, the different functions proposed for the metal in PSII are reviewed. With reference to the effect of toxic Cu on PSII, the polemic results concerning its mechanism of action and Cu-binding sites are discussed. Other effects of Cu toxicity and Cu deprivation on the thylakoid membrane are also briefly described.


Social recognition is crucial for many aspects of animal behavior in stabilized population. Preliminary data proposed impairment of social recognition in male mice with long experience of aggression. To check this hypothesis, experiments with male mice with different aggressive experience (during 2 and 20 days) were performed. Two types of losers were used as partners: losers with active defense reactions and losers displaying submissive postures. The enhanced aggressive motivation was found in both groups of aggressors. Mice with short aggressive experience demonstrated intensive attacks toward the active losers and decreased aggression directed to submissive losers. Mice with long aggressive experience did not change their behavior depending on a type of the partner and displayed a high level of aggression as a result of dominant aggressive motivation and impaired social recognition.


Robots moving safely and in a socially compliant manner in dynamic human environments is an essential benchmark for long-term robot autonomy. However, it is not feasible to learn and benchmark social navigation behaviors entirely in the real world, as learning is data-intensive, and it is challenging to make safety guarantees during training. Therefore, simulation-based benchmarks that provide abstractions for social navigation are required. A framework for these benchmarks would need to support a wide variety of learning approaches, be extensible to the broad range of social navigation scenarios, and abstract away the perception problem to focus on social navigation explicitly. While there have been many proposed solutions, including high fidelity 3D simulators and grid world approximations, no existing solution satisfies all of the aforementioned properties for learning and evaluating social navigation behaviors. In this work, we propose SocialGym, a lightweight 2D simulation environment for robot social navigation designed with extensibility in mind, and a benchmark scenario built on SocialGym. Further, we present benchmark results that compare and contrast human-engineered and model-based learning approaches to a suite of off-the-shelf Learning from Demonstration (LfD) and Reinforcement Learning (RL) approaches applied to social robot navigation. These results demonstrate the data efficiency, task performance, social compliance, and environment transfer capabilities for each of the policies evaluated to provide a solid grounding for future social navigation research.


Stock exchange is a venue for companies to find out some finance to support their business. The trading activities in this field come up with high level uncertainties which are potential to shape various behaviors of the investors. Stock exchange investors sometimes behave irrationally by showing certain action taken on the bases of judgment deviated from rational assumptions. Theoretically, someone's actions are derived or shaped by his or her basic needs which are developed under the influence of his or her environment where he or she works or lives. Hence, psychological factors can also shape the investors' behavior in doing the transactions in the stock market. According to the result of the analysis carried out in the research, the 23 initial constructs analyzed can be reduced into seven factors having cumulative variance value 69,952% that can be used to explain the behavior of investors in investing. Those factors are relationship and experiences, convenience, greed, reality, trust and safety, profit orientation, and emotion. Based on the statistical logistic regression test, it is known that Ho is accepted with significance number 0,899 (>0,05), which means that those factors can be used to predict the behavior of the investors in facing the risks. In addition, based on the independent sample t-test, it is known that the significance number of the six out of the seven factors is bigger than 0,05, which means Ho cannot be rejected. It can be explained that there is no significant difference among the six factors shaping the female and male investors in Lampung stock exchange. There is only emotion factor which shows the significance number bigger than 0,05. It means emotion factor of female and male investors is different. It can be concluded that the fourth hypothesis of the research is rejected. Keywords : behavior, finance, stock exchange


This study was conducted to find an appropriate statistical model to forecast the volatilities of PSEi using the model Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH). Using the R software, the log returns of PSEi is modeled using various ARIMA models and with the presence of heteroskedasticity, the log returns was modeled using GARCH. Based on the analysis, GARCH models are the most appropriate to use for the log returns of PSEi. Among the selected GARCH models, GARCH (1,2) has the lowest AIC value and also has the highest LL value implying that GARCH (1,2) is the best model for the log returns of PSEi.


[1] VHF, LF, and ELF lightning events, thunderstorms, and surface electric fields related to sprites were observed simultaneously during the winter of 2004/2005 in Hokuriku, Japan. The analysis of these observations enables us to investigate the relationship among sprites, lightning characteristics, and thunderstorm structure just before sprite genesis. Typical winter sprite parent thunderstorms had a mesoscale cloud area with small, embedded convective cells. Positive charges responsible for sprites tend to reside in the upper part of the thunderstorms; only a few positive charges were assumed to be located in the lower part. The total amount of positive charges removed by a sprite-producing flash from the upper and lower parts of the thunderstorms were estimated to be approximately 100 C and as large as 300∼400 C, respectively. Active thunderstorms with lightning accompanied by transient currents tended to generate simple sprites; more complex sprites were excited by lightning with continuing currents, which were generated by a few active thunderstorms and thunderstorms with precipitating stratiform clouds. VHF sources related to sprites can be found in the range of 5 to 72 km. The range of displacement between a sprite element and the corresponding positive cloud-to-ground lightning discharge or the first VHF source was 6∼30 km, and the bottom of the sprite bodies was located between 66 and 74 km. On the basis of these results, we deduced that the complexity of sprite morphology might be attributed to the differences in lightning characteristics.


This letter introduces a new representation of discrete signals based on the mathematical notions of functionals and continuous dual spaces. A new and more general sampling theorem is also suggested. Next, the problems of interpolating and resampling discrete signals are addressed; and a general solution using functional interpolation-which is applicable to many different settings-is proposed. Families of resampling filters dubbed de Boor-Ron filters that use de Boor-Ron interpolation are introduced, and their numerical realization is discussed. Some applications of this research are suggested


This paper reviews the role played by a company's project asset in stimulating operational
performance for oil and gas company, which is moderated by asset readiness in life cycle activities.The constructs of this paper are based on a comprehensive review of recent literature on value management, asset management and asset life cycle costing. A detailed discussion revealed
effects activities on asset acquisition, asset maintenance and asset disposal. Several risks also have been identified. Implementing good asset management system will give value to an organization. It considers and optimizes the
conflicting priorities of asset utilization and asset care, of short-term performance opportunities and long-term sustainability, and between capital investments and subsequent operating costs, risk and performance. "Life
cycle" asset management is also more than simply the consideration of capital costs and operating costs over predetermined asset "life" assumptions. Truly optimized, whole life asset management include risk exposures and performance attributes, and considers the asset's economic life as the result of an optimization process (depending upon the design, utilization, maintenance, obsolescence and other factors). In summary, this paper highlights the importance of Asset life cycle activities toward operational performance of PBJV Company, as well as reviews the latest literature from the perspective of value and asset management


For designing high intensity linear accelerators all known effects for emittance increase should be avoided, like mismatch, beam instabilities and reorganization of the particle distribution due to the field energy. In order to have a reasonable accelerating gradient and to avoid instabilities, in many cases the longitudinal acceptance is too small at the beginning. Therefore in high intensity bunched beams particles at the end of the bunch will see strong nonlinear field components. This nonlinearity causes emittance growth but no particle losses. In this paper a model is described by which an improved calculation of the longitudinal acceptance can be given.


Background: Diabetes mortality is increased when accompanied with depression. Screening for depression is recommended by national and international authorities.

Aims & Objective: To have an estimate of the diabetic patients at risk of depression and to identify the risk factors for depression in diabetic patients.

Material and Methods: The study was designed as a cross-section design. Two hundred and three patients were selected by convenience sample. Diabetic patients of either sex, 18 years and older, new to the clinic or follow up were included. Mentally retarded patients or with psychiatric disease were excluded. An interview questionnaire was used for data collection. The two-item version of patients' health questionnaire (PHQ-2) was used as a screening tool.

Results: Patients with PHQ-2 positive were constituted 45.8%. Depression was associated with female gender (p=0.049), long standing diabetes (p=0.035), insulin use (p=0.024), and with other medical comorbidities (p=0.006).

Conclusion: Although all diabetic patients are at risk of having depression, female gender, long standing diabetes, insulin use and having medical comorbidities are at higher risk.


PURPOSE OF REVIEW
To understand the global distribution of different forms of pulmonary hypertension.

RECENT FINDINGS
Different registries have explored the epidemiological characteristics of pulmonary hypertension. Interestingly, there is a clear difference in the prevalence of different forms of pulmonary hypertension in developed regions in comparison with less developed countries. This finding suggests not only that extrapolation of data should be avoided but also that the known prevalence of pulmonary hypertension might be underestimated.

SUMMARY
Pulmonary hypertension might be more prevalent than what is currently believed. Specific forms of pulmonary hypertension distributed worldwide might characterize an unrecognized burden that still have to be properly approached. This highlights the heterogeneity of pulmonary hypertension around the world. It is clear that more epidemiological data are still needed as well as studies addressing management alternatives in these specific regions.


The analysis of experimental methods for determination of mechanical losses of power in the hauling electric engines of direct current is presented


Constructing autonomous systems capable of high-level behaviors often involves reducing these behaviors to a collection of low-level tasks. This requires developing a method for switching among possible tasks, for example using a hybrid automaton. Recent work has developed an alternative approach using continuous dynamical systems that have an internal drive state to select the desired task. In one particular result, authors considered a scenario where individual behaviors were encoded in control vector fields with unique, globally stable equilibria. A further level of complexity arises when one seeks to create a system that switches between tasks encoded as globally attracting sets with recurrent behaviors, rather than as point attractors. This work outlines the problem using the recently-developed drive-based dynamical framework. First we generalize the formulation of tasks as one part attracting set and one part recurrent behavior on said attracting set. Then as a proof-of-concept we demonstrate the existence of an attracting set consisting of orbits that repeatedly flow between two canonical limit cycles (e.g., Hopf oscillators).


It is seen that the Alevi-Sunni relations are mostly shaped by the stereotyped perceptions of the two groups about each other. In particular, the fact that Alevism is a closed society due to the pressure they have experienced throughout history has prevented them from being perceived correctly. As such, it is seen that there are many misconceptions about Alevis and their rituals that do not match the reality but are accepted as correct by the society. Due to the lack of communication that could not be developed through this "unknown" in the historical process, Alevi-Sunni relations have always been open to manipulations. As a matter of fact, it is seen that Alevis' relations with Islam, the Djem ceremonies that form the basis of Alevism, and the content of Djem ceremonies have always remained a mystery to Sunnis. Unfortunately, this misperception also reflected negatively on the communication between the two groups. As it is known, if stereotypes arise when there is incorrect information about the target group, the best way to correct them is to create common contact environments that will bring individuals to the right information. Here in this article, the unknown Djem ritual and especially the Qur'anic verses that they refer to during the Djem ceremonies are discussed.