This thesis explorers the reasons for power shortage and the level of maintenance implementation in Iraqi power plants, furthermore, it examines the current organisational culture in Iraqi power plants, and its effect on maintenance implementation factors. Currently the active power plant units in Iraq are producing only 54% their designed capacity, which is in turn only supplying 50% of the countries' demand. Therefore, to try and understand the reasons for this low level of efficiency, this research uses an exploratory sequential mixed method design, starting with semi-structured interviews (qualitative) with nine power plant managers or their representatives, followed by a questionnaire survey (quantitative), receiving 484 responses from the employees of those nine power plants.

The reasons for power shortage in Iraq were identified, Furthermore, the level of maintenance implementation in the Iraqi power plants, was examined found to be at a medium level. In terms of organisational culture, not enough attention has been paid in the literature. This lack of research in the area of cultural effect on maintenance implementation was one of the main motivators for this study to answer the following question; to what extent do organizational culture profiles effect maintenance implementation factors in organisations. Structural equation modelling (SEM) technique was used to examine the relationship between organisational culture and maintenance implementation factors. Furthermore, based on the research findings, maintenance improvement framework was developed and detailed plans for implementation were formulated. The framework was built on the basis that improving organisational culture will improve the factors affecting maintenance and these factors will facilitate Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) implementation in Iraqi power plants.


Mr. J. S. P. LUMLEY, lecturer in surgery, Mr. T. C. CRICHTON, of the department of physics, and Mr. J. DUCKIT, curator of instruments, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London E.C.1, write: In fashioning a terminal colostomy or ileostomy the passage of the gut through the abdominal wall may precipitate faecal soiling of the peritoneal cavity or of the abdominal wall itself. Commonly this manoeuvre is achieved by passing a bowel clamp through the prepared stoma and applying it to the end of the bowel, a previously applied clamp requiring removal or a further segment of bowel requiring resection. Alternatively, a Cope's, or similar, clamp may be applied. This can be passed through the abdominal wall but cannot be easily sealed, and its application may be difficult at the exact site or angle required. The clamp described below is a crushing clamp with removable handles, which can thus be drawn through the abdominal wall without reapplication to the bowel (see Figs.). The ribbed blades of the clamp are 6.5 cm long and have an accompanying pair of Parker-Kerr-type guards. The length of the shaft is 10 cm, this being short enough to allow passage through the abdominal wall without putting tension on a bowel mesentery. The disarticulated ends of the shaft are rounded to facilitate passage through the stoma. The handles add length and purchase to the shaft, on to which they are tee slotted and fixed with milled screws. Each screw end is captive to prevent removal or loss during an operation. The clamp has proved comfortable to handle and has greatly facilitated this procedure. The clamp is available commercially from the Seward Instrument Company, 6 Stamford Street, London S.E.I.


A novel method of rule extraction from artificial neural network with optimized activation function is proposed. Weight-decay approach is used in training and the unnecessary connections in the neural network are pruned at the cost of an increase in the error function within a predetermined limit. A penalty term is added in the activation function to facilitate the values of hidden and output nodes to have better approximation to 0 or 1, which is of great help in symbolic rule extraction in neural network. With the optimized activation function, the rule extraction becomes much easier and simpler. Rule extraction has been experimented on two public datasets of iris and breast-cancer, which results showed that the proposed method has a better rule overcast accuracy than the commonly used methods, such as decision tree algorithm C4.5 and RX algorithm.


Power grid infrastructures have been exposed to several terrorists and cyber attacks from different perspectives and have resulted in critical system failures. Among different attack strategies, simultaneous attack is feasible for the attacker if enough resources are available at the moment. In this paper, vulnerability analysis for simultaneous attack is investigated, using a modified cascading failure simulator with reduced calculation time than the existing methods. A new damage measurement matrix is proposed with the loss of generation power and time to reach the steady-state condition. The combination of attacks that can result in a total blackout in the shortest time are considered as the strongest simultaneous attack for the system from attacker's viewpoint. The proposed approach can be used for general power system test cases. In this paper, we conducted the experiments on W&W 6 bus system and IEEE 30 bus system for demonstration of the result. The modified simulator can automatically find the strongest attack combinations for reaching maximum damage in terms of generation power loss and time to reach black-out.


Multi-class services change the design paradigm and pose new challenges for future wireless networks. In the future, a voice-oriented macrocell and a data-oriented microcell will co-exist to support multi-class services. In this paper, we develop an analytical framework to determine the optimal pilot power ratio for the CDMA system considering the impact of hierarchical cellular structure, cochannel interference, shadowing, and multi-class service requirements. An analytical approach for determining the pilot power in the hierarchical cellular system is developed to maximize system capacity in supporting multi-class traffic. Based on this analytical approach, we find that to maximize the system capacity, it is necessary to increase the pilot power of the microcell, but lower the pilot power of the macrocell.


A systematic approach to optimize stimulation treatments on a field-wide basis has been developed for the Gray Sand reservoir, a member of the Smackover formation, in the Cotton Valley field of northwest Louisiana. Since the inception of the program, productivity increased 72%, costs reduced 14% and service quality significantly improved by a team approach between operator and service company; the application of technology to design and optimization; tracking and evaluation of results. This paper presents the results and advantages of using this three-step approach to optimize stimulation treatments in the Gray Sand reservoir. However, this methodology can be effectively applied to any field to optimize productivity and costs.


Li-ion batteries (LIB) are ubiquitous in today's world with applications ranging from portable electronic devices to electric vehicles. These set of applications require the batteries to have diverse energy and power dense configurations. For these reasons the LIB exists in multiple form factors such as cylindrical, pouch cell configurations and different chemistries. The most commercialized and successful LIB are based on intercalation mechanism, which requires shuttling of Li-ion between anode and cathode with redox reaction occurring on the surface of the electrodes and ultimately leading to the Li-ions to diffuse into the host structure of the electrode. Such electrodes are naturally made to be porous, to maximize the surface area for redox and electrochemical reaction, also giving rise to multiple pathways for Li-ion diffusion and migration. These electrode structures are also integrated with additives to increase the electronic conductivity and mechanical strength. This gives rise to the microstructure as a matrix of different phases with multi-length scale structure and characteristics at different scales. The performance and operation of battery is closely intertwined with these electrode microstructure, and thus microstructural characteristics significantly influence the transport process or kinetics of the reaction. This relation between performance and electrode microstructure is not limited to the composition of electrode rather even with fixed chemical composition the widely different structural arrangement of the phases alters the short- and long-range interactions within the electrode. Specifically based on electrochemical performance model, the electrochemical-thermal interactions can be captured with few important effective electrode properties such as interfacial area, tortuosity and conductivity. Here we develop a framework for the accurate prediction of these effective electrode properties as a function of the microstructural properties. For this purpose of effective electrode property prediction, we develop an integrated framework, including information from the physics informed mesoscale model along with the data driven models. The accurate effective electrode properties are evaluated from pore-scale characterization of microstructure, to serve as output for data set. Our main objective with developing such a framework is to describe the effective electrode properties with simple yet meaningful correlations, which can accurately capture physics while maintaining high predictive accuracy, thus also providing directions for better electrode manufacturing.


Most physicians see disabilities only in the patients they treat, but some doctors speak from personal experience when they say disabilities should not be a barrier to practising medicine. Neurologist Gordon Robinson of Vancouver says the spinal problems that left him a paraplegic could not stop him from practising. Many aspects of his work didn't really require the use of his legs. He could still see patients in the office much as he had before simply by using an examining table that could be lowered. However, it may be more difficult convincing colleagues that physical disabilities are not an insurmountable barrier.


This special issue contains 4 articles and 1 commentary on the determinants of fertility behavior in low income countries with emphasis on Bangladesh. To summarize the editors comments: Mead Cain argues that high fertility is mainly a response to the perceived riskiness of the environment that children are desired as a form of insurance. Thus the only way to significantly affect reproductive behavior in Bangladesh is to implement an employment guarantee scheme. The chief weakness of his analysis is that he does not truly test his hypothesis--1 Bangladesh village and 3 Indian villages do not qualify as a test. Warren Robinsons article elaborates on Cains points contending that the threat of uncertainty should make people live from day to day rather than plan for the future and that contrary to Cains argument many couples have more children than they really want. Rafiqul Chaudhury discusses the effect of female employment on fertility noting that on balance greater female employment leads to fertility decline. This is because women gain higher status in the household as a result of outside work and therefore participate more in household decision making including that concerning contraceptive use. An employment guarantee scheme emphasizing female employment would therefore be positively linked to fertility decline. O.H. Chowdhury summarizes the relative influence of supply and demand factors on fertility reduction on an international basis. His literature survey shows that program effort plays an important independent role in fertility reduction. This finding again casts doubt on Cains contention that unless the risk factor is eliminated no government effort will help reduce population growth. Quibrias note a rejoinder to an earlier article in this journal which argues that poor parents have more children to insure against future risk is probably too stylized to be conclusive. It does demonstrate however that highly specific assumptions have to be made before one can deduce that a risky future encourages higher fertility.


B-cell lymphoma is a clonal expansion of neoplastic cells that may result in fatal outcomes. Here, we report the in vivo targeting and growth inhibition of aggressive A20 murine B-cell lymphoma by idiotype-specific peptide pA20-36. pA20-36 was selected from random peptide libraries and bound specifically to the B-cell receptor (BCR) of A20 cells in mice engrafted with A20 lymphoma, as shown by histology and positron emission tomographic analysis. BCR cross-linking of A20 cells with pA20-36 resulted in massive apoptosis of targeted tumor cells and in an increased survival of the diseased animals without any detectable evidence of toxicity. The pA20-36 treatment reverted the immune suppression of the tumor microenvironment as shown by reduced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, interleukin-10, and transforming growth factor-beta cytokines together with a lower number of CD11b+Gr-1+ inhibitor myeloid-derived suppressor cells and Foxp3+CD4+ Treg cells. Furthermore, pA20-36 treatment was associated with an increased number of tumor-infiltrating, activated CD8+ T cells that exerted a tumor-specific cytolytic activity. These findings show that a short peptide that binds specifically to the complementarity-determining regions of the A20 BCR allows in vivo detection of neoplastic cells together with significant inhibition of tumor growth in vivo.


Host plant resistance against Phytophthora infestans was evaluated for twenty-five potato genotypes in 2010 and 2011 at Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal. A locally isolated strain of P. infestans 'LPR-1' was used for inoculation in all the assays. Host resistance was measured with four assays, three for foliage resistance (field, whole-plant and detached leaf) and one for tuber resistance (tuber slice). The inoculum concentration was 6× 103 sporangiaml-1 in all the assays. Inoculum was equally distributed over the entire foliage using plastic atomizer in field and whole-plant assays. Detached leaves and tuber slices were inoculated with 50 μl suspension of inoculum and incubated at 16.5 ± 0.5◦C for 7 days. Infected foliage area in the field and whole-plant assays, lesion size on detached leaves and colony growth on tuber slices were all individually converted to a 0–9 interval scale for susceptibility. Field assessment was considered the most robust measure of resistance and therefore was used as the benchmark for comparing the other assays. More than half of the genotypes had very little disease (scale value < 1), indicating they were probably expressing race-specific resistance. Susceptibility levels measured in the whole-plant assay were highly correlated (r=0.90) with field values, while the correlation was lower for detached leaf (r=0.63) and tuber slice (r=0.46) assays. Low correlation in the detached leaf assay was assumed to represent lower resolution of the single-cycle assay, and/or experimental error. Low correlation in the tuber assay may have also reflected genetic differences as foliage and tuber blight resistance are not always correlated.


This paper presents a theoretical analysis of new methods for rotation sensing by using a two-coupler type fiber-optic ring resonator. It is shown that in the proposed methods a resonance spike can be generated whose amplitude gives a direct measure of the rotation rates. The approaches are simple and have a major advantage of not using a closed-loop to control the operating points for resonance.


BASF is helping to underwrite a "circularity" competition that could give start-ups access to a 6-month accelerator program and a $25,000 grant. The cleantech incubator Greentown Labs is organizing the competition and will host the winners at its space in Somerville, Massachusetts. The underwriters, which include the tool maker Stanley Black & Decker, are looking for firms with plastics-recycling and battery-reconditioning technology as well as with software that predicts material reuse. Applications are due Aug. 30 at basf.us/circularity-challenge.


Gender Mainstreaming is imperative in contemporary development planning. It is globally accepted strategy forpromoting gender equality especially in institutions of higher education. Polytechnics are crucial centres for change and gender mainstreaming their curriculum, enrolments, and general operation is also crucial as it will enable them to fulfill thismandate. Enhancing quality education by women and men, and removing gender stereotyping in the curriculum, careerchoices and the professions is the panacea for sustainable development. In this respect, obstacles to women'sparticipation in higher education need to be minimized or eradicated completely. Therefore, recruitment, enrolments,promotions and organizational structures need to be gender mainstreamed. This research involved extensive documentaryreviews. Interviews with key selected stakeholders, representative of students, academic and administrative staff and topdecisionmakers and implementers were also contacted. The paper suggests that the application of a gender mainstreamingstrategy is possible, though complex. The case study institution analyzed shows some progress but there are still manychallenges relating to structural issues, sustainability, policy formulation, the commitment of actors involved, and the wholeaspect of attitudinal change both at individual level and collectively for the polytechnic .


Although remarkable progress has been made on single-image super-resolution (SISR), deep learning methods cannot be easily applied to real-world applications due to the requirement of its heavy computation, especially for mobile devices. Focusing on the fewer parameters and faster inference SISR approach, we propose an efficient and time-saving wavelet transform-based network architecture, where the image super-resolution (SR) processing is carried out in the wavelet domain. Different from the existing methods that directly infer high-resolution (HR) image with the input low-resolution (LR) image, our approach first decomposes the LR image into a series of wavelet coefficients (WCs) and the network learns to predict the corresponding series of HR WCs and then reconstructs the HR image. Particularly, in order to further enhance the relationship between WCs and image deep characteristics, we propose two novel modules [wavelet feature mapping block (WFMB) and wavelet coefficients reconstruction block (WCRB)] and a dual recursive framework for joint learning strategy, thus forming a WCs prediction model to realize the efficient and accurate reconstruction of HR WCs. Experimental results show that the proposed method can outperform state-of-the-art methods with more than a $2\times $ reduction in model parameters and computational complexity.


The use of tuberculin as a diagnostic measure is becoming more universal as newer and more reliable methods of application have been developed. While this is true of its use in detecting the tuberculous status of patients, its use as a measure of treatment has practically suffered the fate of therapeutic nihilism by specialists in tuberculosis. As tuberculin, both diagnostically and therapeutically, has survived chiefly in the specialty of ophthalmology, it appears timely to present before this section any experience that would support or discredit such a controversial subject. The breadth of the field which should be covered in order to present the subject at hand in anything like completeness permits only a brief and sketchy presentation without citing the details of the data and experiments by which the present conception and conclusion of the effect of tuberculin have been obtained. The correlated experiments and opinions of the


It is well known that, during the widely used AAA pretreatment (de Vries and Barendsen 1954), alkali treatment is responsible for the incorporation of modern carbon due to the precipitation of atmospheric CO2 as carbonate. Until now, the last step of the experiment, consisting in acid treatment (most of the time with hydrochloric acid) was considered to be sufficient to eliminate all of lab contamination. But wood, peat and sediment present a complex molecular structure. During radiocarbon chemical treatments, functional groups still present in the molecules are likely to form ionic bonds with "modern" carbonates. These new chemical bonds resist a "classical" acid treatment and are responsible for rejuvenation. This short paper presents preliminary results for two common 14C cases: rejuvenation of a 0.4 pMC wood and of an Oxygen Isotope Stage 3 (OIS3) paleosol. For both cases, contamination due to incorporation of modern carbon during chemical treatment is evaluated and an alternative protocol is proposed.


Thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI), when activated, forms a basic carboxypeptidase that can inhibit fibrinolysis. Potential physiologic activators include both thrombin and plasmin. In vitro, thrombomodulin and glycosaminoglycans increase the catalytic efficiency of TAFI activation by thrombin and plasmin, respectively. The most relevant (patho-) physiologic activator of TAFI has not been disclosed. Our purpose was to identify the physiologic activator of TAFI in vivo. Activation of protein C (a thrombin-thrombomodulin-dependent reaction), prothrombin, and plasminogen occurs during sepsis. Thus, a baboon model of Escherichia coli-induced sepsis, where multiple potential activators of TAFI are elaborated, was used to study TAFI activation. A monoclonal antibody (mAbTAFI/TM#16) specifically inhibiting thrombin-thrombomodulin-dependent activation of TAFI was used to assess the contribution of thrombin-thrombomodulin in TAFI activation in vivo. Coinfusion of mAbTAFI/TM#16 with a lethal dose of E coli prevented the complete consumption of TAFI observed without mAbTAFI/TM#16. The rate of fibrin degradation products formation is enhanced in septic baboons treated with the mAbTAFI/TM#16; therefore, TAFI activation appears to play a key role in the extent of fibrin(ogen) consumption during E coli challenge, and thrombin-thrombomodulin, in a baboon model of E coli-induced sepsis, appears to be the predominant activator of TAFI.


In this paper, the feasibility of installing wind power microgeneration in Montevideo urban environments in a self-producing regime is studied. To do this, a characterization of the demand curves of different areas is carried out, data from several wind turbines is collected and the energy produced, the energy replaced and the corresponding savings in electricity bills are simulated. The proposed methodology allows for the identification of cases of location, type of consumer, tariff and the type of wind turbines for which it is feasible to consider installing wind power microgeneration. Keywords—wind power, microgeneration, self-production, feasibility of installation.


Background
Data regarding the benefits or harm associated with the continuation of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACEIs) and Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs), especially the impact on inflammation, in hypertensive, hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in the United States is unclear.

Methods
This is a single-center cohort study of sequentially hospitalized patients with COVID-19 at Stony Brook University Medical Center from March 7, 2020 to April 1, 2020, inclusive of these dates. Data collection included history of known comorbidities, medications, vital signs and laboratory values (admission and during the hospitalization). Outcomes include inflammatory burden (composite scores for multiple markers of inflammation), acute kidney injury (AKI), admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), need for invasive mechanical ventilation, and mortality.

Results
Of the 300 patients in the study cohort, 80 patients (26.7%) had history of ACEI or ARB use prior to admission, with 61.3% (49/80) of these patients continuing the medications during hospitalization. Multivariable analysis revealed that the history of ACEI or ARB use prior to hospitalization was not associated with worse outcomes. In addition, the continuation of these agents during hospitalization was not associated with an increase in adverse outcomes and predicted fewer ICU admissions (OR=0.25, 0.08-0.81) with a decrease in the severity of inflammatory burden (peak CRP (6.9±3.1mg/dl, p=0.03) and peak inflammation score (2.3±1.1unit reduction, p=0.04)).

Conclusion
Use of ACEI or ARBs prior to hospitalization was not associated with adverse outcomes in COVID-19 and the therapeutic benefits of continuing ACEI or ARB in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 was not offset by adverse outcomes.


Disclosed is a vehicle periphery monitoring device characterized by being provided with a first data acquisition unit which acquires first frame image data captured by a first image capturing unit for capturing an image of a first region including a back side, a second data acquisition unit which acquires second frame image data captured by a second image capturing unit for capturing an image of a second region that includes the back side and differs from the first region, and an obstacle estimation processing unit which performs first obstacle estimation processing for estimating a first obstacle present in the first region on the basis of the first frame image data, second obstacle estimation processing for estimating a second obstacle present in the second region on the basis of the second frame image data, and signal output processing for outputting a signal on the basis of the result of the first obstacle estimation processing and/or the result of the second obstacle estimation processing, and characterized in that the condition for the second obstacle estimation processing is changed on the basis of the result of the first obstacle estimation processing.


Abstract Introduction: Maternal smoking during pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk for psychiatric morbidity. We further studied this with Finnish siblings to control for genetic/familial factors. Methods: From the Finnish Medical Birth Register, sibling pairs were selected as the first two children born 1987–1995 to the same mother (n = 150 168 pairs), along with information on maternal smoking (no smoking/smoking). Information on the children's psychiatric diagnoses related to outpatient care visits (1998–2013) and inpatient care (1987–2013), and the mothers' psychiatric morbidity (1969–2013) was derived from the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register. The first pair analysis compared siblings of mothers who only smoked in the first pregnancy (Quitters, 4.7%) and mothers who smoked in both pregnancies (Smokers, 9.6%); the second analysis included mothers who smoked only in the second pregnancy (Starters, 3.3%) and mothers who did not smoke in either pregnancy (Nonsmokers, 77.5%). Smoking information was missing for 5.0% of pairs. Psychiatric morbidity of the siblings and mother was included in the statistical analyses. Results: The risk of psychiatric diagnoses was significantly lower for the second child of quitters (adjusted OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.72–0.83) compared to the risk among smokers. A higher risk for psychiatric diagnoses was found for the second child of starters (1.39, 1.30–1.49) compared to the risk among nonsmokers. The effect of smoking was more robust for externalizing diagnoses. Conclusions: Maternal smoking was independently associated with a higher risk for psychiatric morbidity in children, even when controlling thoroughly for genetic and familial factors. Implications: Maternal smoking during pregnancy has an independent effect on the risk of psychiatric morbidity in children, even after controlling for non-measurable genetic/familial factors by using a sibling pair design. The effect of maternal smoking was robust for externalizing diagnoses. Maternal smoking during pregnancy had an effect on diagnoses both in outpatient and inpatient care.


Means of harmonization of religious discourse are considered by studying communicational behaviour (verbal and nonverbal) between the religion institution and believers. The following factors defining specificity of realization of harmonization in Orthodox and other religious texts are taken into account: the communication channel between the author and the reader, a defining speech genre, the command of language (communication code), and extra-linguistic factors. It is shown that sharing the general social, historical and national experience, as well as a lexical overlapping of actors on both sides of the communication channel are the deciding elements of the harmonization process.

The analysis also shows that usage of rational argumentation is more likely to lead to harmonisation in comparison to other rhetoric tools (i. e. affective ones or story-telling). Rational and unemotional sermonic discourse is perceived as a sign of respect (namely, for the listener's intelligence). Another successful and much-applied way seems to be evoking a feeling of equality, unity and/or identity between clerics and their flocks.


BACKGROUND
Prescription stimulants are widely used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE
A systematic review of the literature was performed to assess available evidence regarding the propensity for abuse and addiction liability of these medications.

METHOD
Trials were searched in computerised general databases (Medline, Psychlit and Embase) and specialised (Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Cochrane Collaboration); by checking reference lists of relevant articles; by handsearching relevant specialist journals; and by contacting relevant authors where appropriate. Publications in all languages were sought. Studies had to have sufficient description of study methodology and statistical analysis to permit critical evaluation. Randomised controlled clinical trials, crossover studies, cohort studies and case control studies were included. Human studies only were considered for inclusion.

RESULTS
Sixty-eight trials were located using the specified search strategy. Of these, fifteen trials met inclusion criteria: five randomised controlled trials; nine crossover studies and one cohort study. The propensity for abuse of prescription stimulants was demonstrated by analysis of drug self administration, discriminatory ability and comparison studies. Insufficient evidence was available regarding the addiction liability of stimulants.

DISCUSSION
Prescription stimulants have the propensity for abuse. There is insufficient evidence available to assess their addictive potential.


Steganography is a branch of information security which deals with transmission of message without being detected. Message, to be send, is embedded in a cover file. Different types of digital can be used as cover object, we used (.WAV) audio as our cover file in the research work. The objective of steganography is to shield the fact that the message exists in the transmission medium. Many algorithms have so far derived for this purpose can be categorized in terms of their embedding technique, time and space complexity. LSB is the acronym of "Least Significant Bit", is one of the algorithm that is considered as the easiest in way of hiding information in a digital media, also it has good efficiency. It perform its task by embedding secret message in the least significant bits of each data sample of audio file. Ease of cracking this algorithm makes it more prone to visual and statistical attacks. Keeping this in mind few improvisation are being done on LSB algorithm that reduces the ease of cracking message. Modified version of LSB algorithm which we call as "MODIFIED LSB ALGORITHM" uses the pseudo-random number generator to spread the secret message over the cover in a random manner. This algorithm will be more immune to statistical attacks without affecting its efficiency significantly.


This article revisits the genesis of modern macroeconometrics by describing the transition from John Maynard Keynes's seminal work, The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money to the Klein-Goldberger model, regarded as the starting point for neo-Keynesian macroeconomic modelling. The first two parts discuss the antecedents of Lawrence Klein's work. At the outset, Keynes was reluctant to accept the econometric work of Jan Tinbergen. Franco Modigliani then reworked John Hicks's inaugural model into what later became the standard version of the IS-LM model. After outlining this basic context, we study Klein's intellectual itinerary. We highlight the fact that Klein set out to give macroeconomics a rigorous microeconomic foundation but gradually moved away from this goal for operational reasons. Moreover, Klein undertook the empirical work with which his name is associated because he wanted to use factual evidence to determine who-of the classical economists or Keynes-was right. We show that Klein failed to achieve this goal, having made the mistake of confusing the natural unemployment rate and involuntary unemployment. Klein's example illustrates a broader phenomenon: the gap between intention and outcome. The fact that certain intellectual contributions end up being viewed as milestones does not necessarily mean that the intentions that guided them have been fulfilled.


Several case series, in the recent past, have postulated an association between plasma cell myeloma (MM) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Population-based data have revealed a bi-directional association between these two malignancies, which points to shared risk factors, similar cytokine (Interleukin-6, IL-6) requirements for growth and survival, and overlapping clinical presentation. The presence of lytic lesions in a patient with prior RCC may simulate bone metastasis; thus, leading to a diagnostic pitfall with potentially adverse clinical implications. Besides these, therapeutic strategies employed for MM have been tried for RCCs with partial success. We aimed to describe two patients, aged 64 and 54 years, with RCC-MM association, with review of relevant literature; and create awareness among pathologists/hematologists, and oncologists. Elucidating a common genetic basis might throw some light in understanding the pathobiology of these tumors and development of newer targeted therapies.


[Purpose] This study was aimed at investigating the influence of seat height and body posture on the activity of the superior trapezius and longissimus muscles. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty two healthy subjects were instructed to perform a total of eight different body postures, varying according three main factors: seat height (low and high seat); trunk inclination (upright and leaning forward at 45°); and the hips in abduction and adduction. Electromyography of the superior trapezius and longissimus was collected bilaterally, and the average values were obtained and compared across all the postures. [Results] The activity of the superior trapezius and longissimus significantly changes according to the seat height and trunk inclination. For both seat heights, sitting with trunk leaning forward resulted in a significant increase in the activity of both muscles. When sitting in a high seat and the trunk leaning forward, the superior trapezius activity was significantly reduced when compared to the same posture in a low seat. [Conclusion] This study contributes to the knowledge on the influence of the body posture and seat configuration on the activity of postural muscles. Reducing the biomechanical loads on the postural muscles must be targeted in order to improve users' comfort and safety.


SIGNIFICANCE These data demonstrate that defocus incorporated multiple segment (DIMS) lens reduces myopia progression in children during the first year of use. PURPOSE This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of DIMS myopia control spectacle lens in Chinese myopic children aged 6 to 15 years. METHODS This is a retrospective study of 1-year longitudinal data. A total of 180 Chinese myopic children were selected from patients at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, from February 2018 to January 2021. One group consisted of 90 children aged 6 to 15 years, with spherical equivalent refraction −0.50 to −7.75 D (−3.82 ± 1.57 D) and fitted with the DIMS lens. The other group consisted of 90 children fitted with single-vision spectacle lenses and matched with the DIMS group for age, sex, refraction, and progression of myopia in the previous year. One-year myopia progression was measured retrospectively in two groups. Unpaired t test was used to compare the myopia progression between the DIMS group and the control group. Pearson correlation was used to explore the relationship between myopia progression, age, and baseline refraction. RESULTS After 1 year of DIMS lens wear, myopia progression was significantly lower in the DIMS group (−0.51 ± 0.50 vs. −0.85 ± 0.51 D, P < .001). Myopia progression was positively correlated with age in both groups. The difference between the DIMS and control groups was more pronounced for children aged 10 to 15 years than for children aged 6 to 9 years. CONCLUSIONS This study confirms that the DIMS lens reduces myopia progression during the first year of use. Efficacy seems to increase with age.


A common approach in visual speech synthesis is the use of visemes as atomic units of speech. In this paper, phonemebased and viseme-based audiovisual speech synthesis techniques are compared in order to explore the balancing between data availability and an improved audiovisual coherence for synthesis optimization. A technique for automatic viseme clustering is described and it is compared to the standardized viseme set described in MPEG-4. Both objective and subjective testing indicated that a phoneme-based approach leads to better synthesis results. In addition, the test results improve when more different visemes are defined. This raises some questions on the widely applied viseme-based approach. It appears that a many-to-one phoneme-to-viseme mapping is not capable of describing all subtle details of the visual speech information. In addition, with viseme-based synthesis the perceived synthesis quality is affected by the loss of audiovisual coherence in the synthetic speech.


Tendency of land use conversion is followed by maximum discharge of Kreo River, but unknown land use type what which can race improvement of runoff. Purpose of the research is study the relation of rainfall runoff at forest, rice field, and mixed garden. Research about rainfall runoff study is including research type of experiment for purpose of descriptive, through observation of rain data and water level at small watershed with one land use types that is forest, rice field, and mixed garden. Instrument of rain and water level attached at small watershed during the rains 2007.Data analysis comprises analysis of stream hydrograph, rain analysis, stream coefficient, and statistic analysis as well. Big the so small runoff value is more determined by rainfall amounts happened non land use type. Number of big rains at one land use will yield big runoff also, while the same rainfall amounts at some land use types will yield varying runoff follows land use type and condition of soil At small watershed (less than 200 ha), the relation of rainfall (P) with direct runoff (DRO) has very strong correlation (R2 bigger than 0.7). Relation between rain intensity (I) with DRO; I with peak discharge (Qp); duration of rain (DR) with DRO; DR with Qp indicated weak reaction (R2 less than 0.3). It indicated there were many factors (more than 70%) which influenced the above mentioned relations. Runoff coefficient value at forest was 0,3566, mix forest was 0,4227, rice field was 0,6661, and mixed garden was 0,4227. Land ability to permeate in the forest (65%) is bigger than mixed garden (57%) and rice field (33%).


In this short report, we present the succesfull surgical traetment of a patient who had an echocardiographic diagnosis of left ventricular mass during her routine controls. This patient was treated by surgical excision of the ventricular mass and after the pathological examination the diagnosis was "myxoma like sclerotic calcified mass". The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on day 7 of surgery. The follow-up period lasted for 2 years without any event and the echocardiograms revelaed no residual or reccurrent lesions. Surgical resection of intracardiac masses are necessary and safe treatment options but there is not a standardization about the type of surgical options. The localization of the mass has the key role in determining the type of the surgical approach. In this case aortotomy provided a good access and facilitated the exposure of this rare myxoma like scle


Objectives Different theories have been suggested to define factors involved in skeletal and craniofacial morphology. Many of these theories explain that the bone morphology is the result of the bone tissue capability to adapt in response to biomechanical forces exerted during growth. Also, it seems logical to hypothesize that there is a relationship between biomechanical connections of muscles to bones with the morphology of musculodentoskeletofacial complex. A few studies have evaluated muscle orientation in different skeletal occlusions (class I, II and III). The aim of this study was to evaluate correlations between masticatory muscle orientation and craniodentofacial morphology in different skeletal malocclusions. Materials and Methods A total of 160 lateral cephalograms of patients between 10–17 years in a dental clinic were evaluated for the orientation of masticatory muscles and craniofacial morphology. All cephalograms were traced and confirmed by an orthodontist. Thirty- seven parameters (skeletal, dental, muscular) were measured. For statistical analysis, canonical correlation, variation and linear regression analysis were performed. Results Increase of the masseter muscle angulation was accompanied by a more superior position of the muscle in female subjects with Class II malocclusion. Increase of temporalis muscle angulation was seen in long face males. Increase of the masseter muscle angulation and its higher position were seen in short face males. Conclusion Increase of the masseter muscle angulation was accompanied by a more superior position of the muscle in female patients with class II properties. Increase of temporalis muscle angulation was seen in male patients with long face characteristics. Increase of the masseter muscle angulation and its higher position were seen in male patients with short face properties.


Tissue factor (TF) is one of the proteins that participate in hemostatic and inflammatory processes. Activated monocytes present in the liver increase expression of TF, and while accumulating in the organ they can intensify inflammation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression of TF on monocytes in advanced liver cirrhosis with regard to other activation markers. The flow cytometric analysis of TF (CD142), CD14, adhesive molecules CD11b and CD11c, costimulatory molecules CD40, CD80 and CD86, and HLA-DR+ on monocytes was carried out in 45 patients with postalcoholic liver cirrhosis (Child Pugh B, 20 patients; Child Pugh C, 25 patients) and in 25 healthy persons. The positive correlation between monocytic TF expression and monocyte [soluble CD14 (sCD14), CD11b, monocyte aggregates] activation, the expression of costimulatory molecules on monocytes (CD40, CD80), blood platelet (soluble P-selectin, microplatelets) activation, the level of tumor necrosis factor-α, biochemical parameters of liver damage (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphate, γ-glutamyltransferase, and bilirubin) as well as coagulation disorders were observed in the study. In conclusion, the study revealed that the activation of monocytes and blood platelets is accompanied by the elevation of monocytic TF expression in advanced liver cirrhosis. The monocytic TF is a significant link connecting clotting processes and inflammatory and immunological phenomena in liver cirrhosis.


We present a 43-year-old male patient who developed a giant cholesteatoma with lateral sinus obliteration and involvement of the posterior cranial fossa. The only complaints were left-sided aural discharges and total sensorineural hearing loss. Examination revealed a mass lesion consistent with cholesteatoma within the left middle ear. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed an extensive acquired cholesteatoma in the left middle ear, invading the posterior cranial fossa and leading to lateral sinus obliteration. The patient underwent left radical mastoidectomy. He had an uneventful postoperative follow-up for 13 months. This case emphasizes the value of preoperative radiologic assessment of giant cholesteatomas that may present with relatively few or limited symptoms.


The objective of this research study was twofold; 1) to explore and identify health supportive design factors in Swedish elderly care homes and 2) to understand their usefulness and suggest implication in Korean elderly care settings. A descriptive and explorative method was applied using a combination of field studies and semi-structured interviews. Three study trips were carried out during Sept. 14 th and Oct. 12 th 2005; two facilities situated in Stockholm suburbs and one in the south of Sweden. According to this research, the valuable factors to support health and well-being for the elderly are as follows; 1) Community integration: These elderly care homes are generally places close to a residential area center or a city center. Services are often shared between residents and community members at large, consequently there is a flow of "visitors" of all ages connecting with the facility on a daily basis. 2) Homelike environment: A noteworthy aspect of Swedish elderly care homes is keeping the facility appearance as homelike as possible. The associations with home may be explored through the appearance and configuration of both the exterior and interior of the building. These homes seemed to be designed with a conscious aim to create a homelike setting. 3) Small scale approach: Clustering of resident rooms is one method through which the small scale approach can be achieved in larger facilities. With unit clusters, the facility can foster opportunities for social interactions among resident. 4) Accessibility to garden and nature: The courtyard is a well developed concept in planning elderly care homes in Sweden. They are generally safe and easily accessible to the residents. Studying Swedish models may provide practical knowledge of how the physical setting may improve resident's health in Korean elderly care homes.


Purpose: This research evaluates whether religious
affiliation and the degree of religiosity are significant
predictors of mental health help-seeking behaviors in the general
US population. Methods: Cross-sectional survey data were used from
The National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). Analyses were
restricted to respondents with at least one CIDI/DSM-IV diagnosed
disorder over the previous 12-month period. All analyses were
conducted using SAS and SUDAAN survey procedures to account for the
complex sample design and weighting of the NCS-R. Four multiple
logistic regression models were estimated, one for each exposure of
interest (religious affiliation and religiosity) and one for each
outcome (perceived need for mental health services and reason for
not wanting mental health services). Results: Compared to the
reference category of no religious preference, Catholics were the
only religious affiliation that had a significant difference in
perceived need (OR, 0.57, 95% CI, 0.37 - 0.86). People over 50
years old were significantly less likely to perceive a need for
mental health services while people of black and Hispanic races
were significantly more likely to perceive need for services. In
the model of perceived need regressed on religiosity, religiosity
was not a significant predictor yet being female and older were. A
sub-analysis among participants who did not perceive a need for
mental health treatment showed that mainline Protestants (OR, 0.39,
95% CI, 0.23 - 0.67) and fundamentalist Protestants (OR, 0.39; 95%
CI, 0.17 - 0.92) were significantly less likely to believe in the
inefficacy of counseling rather than to have low perceived need.
The last multinomial regression model showed religiosity was not a
significant predictor of reason for not seeking help. People with
moderately and highly severe mental illness were significantly more
likely to want to handle the problem on their own or to not believe
in the efficacy of counseling as compared to those having low
perceived need. Conclusions: Overall, religiosity and religious
affiliation are not strong predictors of perceived need and reasons
for low perceived need. Other factors such as age, sex, race and
disorder severity may be more important predictors of help-seeking
behaviors than religion.


In this paper, we study tensor (or monoidal) categories of finite rank over an algebraically closed field $\mathbb F$. Given a tensor category $\mathcal{C}$, we have two structure invariants of $\mathcal{C}$: the Green ring (or the representation ring) $r(\mathcal{C})$ and the Auslander algebra $A(\mathcal{C})$ of $\mathcal{C}$. We show that a Krull-Schmit abelian tensor category $\mathcal{C}$ of finite rank is uniquely determined (up to tensor equivalences) by its two structure invariants and the associated associator system of $\mathcal{C}$. In fact, we can reconstruct the tensor category $\mathcal{C}$ from its two invarinats and the associator system. More general, given a quadruple $(R, A, \phi, a)$ satisfying certain conditions, where $R$ is a $\mathbb{Z}_+$-ring of rank $n$, $A$ is a finite dimensional $\mathbb F$-algebra with a complete set of $n$ primitive orthogonal idempotents, $\phi$ is an algebra map from $A\otimes_{\mathbb F}A$ to an algebra $M(R, A, n)$ constructed from $A$ and $R$, and $a=\{a_{i,j,l}|1< i,j,l<n\}$ is a family of "invertible" matrices over $A$, we can construct a Krull-Schmidt and abelian tensor category $\mathcal C$ over $\mathbb{F}$ such that $R$ is the Green ring of $\mathcal C$ and $A$ is the Auslander algebra of $\mathcal C$. In this case, $\mathcal C$ has finitely many indecomposable objects (up to isomorphisms) and finite dimensional Hom-spaces. Moreover, we will give a necessary and sufficient condition for such two tensor categories to be tensor equivalent.


The aim of the present study was to compare the expression of &agr;2&bgr;1, &agr;3&bgr;1, and &agr;5&bgr;1 integrins between 28 pleomorphic adenomas (PAs) and 10 adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACCs), and investigate differences in the expression of these integrins according to histologic subtypes of ACCs. It was taken into consideration the presence or absence, distribution, and localization of integrin immunoexpression. There was immunoreactivity in the intercellular contacts of the strands, nests, and solid sheets of PAs, as well as in the luminal and nonluminal cells of the duct-like structures, with a predominant immunoexpression in the luminal cells. The immunoexpression in ACCs varied with histologic subtype of the tumor. It was verified for a tendency of absence and/or reduced expression of all integrins in the solid subtype of ACCs. In general, PAs revealed a more diffuse and remarkable immunoexpression of all studied integrins than ACCs. The reduced integrins expression in ACC may be related to a lesser degree of cell differentiation in this neoplasm. Moreover, the absence and/or reduced expression of the studied integrins in solid ACC suggest a possible role in pathogenesis and more aggressive biological behavior of this histologic subtype.


In Saccharomyces cerevisiae the expression of the cargB gene (coding for ornithine aminotransferase) is submitted to dual regulation: an induction by allophanate and a specific induction process by arginine. We have determined the nucleotide sequence of the cargB gene along with its 5' region. The coding portion of the gene encodes a protein of 423 amino acid residues with a calculated Mr value of 46049. To characterize further the regulatory mechanisms modulating the expression of the gene we have analyzed fusions of several fragments of the 5' non-coding region to lacZ, compared the 5' sequences of the cargA (coding for arginase) and cargB coregulated genes and determined the nature of two constitutive cis-dominant mutations affecting the arginine control. These approaches allowed us to define three domains in the 5' non-coding region. The upstream one is implicated in the induction by allophanate. The two other domains are involved in the specific control by arginine; the target of the ARGR gene products, that mediate a positive regulation by arginine, lies upstream of another site where a repression by the CARGRI molecule occurs. The constitutive cargB+O- mutations are located in this repressor domain. The 5' non-coding region of cargA presents the same two-domain organization. These two domains contain three sequences homologous to the cargA and cargB 5' regions.


In a previous paper, I1described 9 orbital reticulosarcomata, showing that they are the most common form of reticulosis and malignant tumors of the orbit in Egypt. The tumor affects any age and either sex. In all the described cases the liver and spleen were not enlarged. In 8 cases the blood and sternal bone marrow counts and in 7 cases the lymph glands were normal. One case showed reticulosarcomata of axillary and inguinal lymph glands and blood eosinophilia. Another case showed affection of secondary cervical lymph glands. Although reticulosarcomata usually occur without leukemia (aleukemic reticulosis), yet in rare cases, as described by Whitby and Britton,2monocytic leukemia is present. Monocytic leukemia is nearly always acute in form, death usually occurring within 3 to 6 months of the disease onset. The chronic form of the disease as stated by Hayhoe3and others has rarely been reported. Monocytic


After nearly thirty years of research and development, it is now commonly agreed that Low Salinity Waterflood (LSW) is an attractive enhanced oil recovery (EOR) method because of its incremental oil recovery performance, reasonable operating cost and low environmental impact compared to conventional waterflood and other EOR processes. From the past studies, LSW is known as a process that comprises many mechanisms, i.e. multiple ion exchanges, wettability alteration, complex geochemical reactions, and fines migration and deposition. However, most studies in the literature have only focused on a single recovery mechanism, with varying, sometimes contradictory conclusions. This paper presents: (1) a comprehensive model that takes into account all the different important physics in LSW, i.e. fines transport, geochemistry and wettability alteration; (2) validation with a core-flood experiment; and (3) field-scale optimization of LSW.
 A model for fines transport has been developed and incorporated in an Equation-of-State compositional reservoir simulator with geochemistry and wettability alteration modeling. The proposed model is capable of accounting for complex transport phenomena of fines (clay) particles in porous media including fines deposition, entrainment, and plugging. The simulator also considers physical phenomena in the oil/rock/brine system such as aqueous chemical equilibrium, rate dependent mineral reactions, multiple ion exchanges, and relative permeability alteration due to wettability changes. Validations with a LSW core-flood experiment were carried out, which provide insights into the important mechanisms for the incremental oil recovery by LSW.
 The proposed model shows good agreement in terms of oil recovery and pressure drop with a benchmark LSW core-flood experiment which was conducted with a non-polar oil and in which migration of clay particles and their plugging of pores were considered as the main recovery mechanism. It is shown that the proposed model can efficiently capture the important physics in LSW processes related to fines transport. The impact of formation damage during LSW can be efficiently evaluated using this model. Finally, an optimization workflow helps maximize the recovery factor of the LSW process.
 To our knowledge, this paper describes one of the first LSW mechanistic models to capture the three principal mechanisms of LSW, i.e. fines transport, geochemistry, and wettability alteration. Excellent match with laboratory experiments and field-scale optimization reinforce validity of the model. The proposed workflow can be extended to other recovery methods such as Low-Salinity Polymer or Low-Salinity Alkali-Surfactant-Polymer.


Agriculture is expected to contribute in substituting of fossil fuels in the future. This constitutes a paradox as agriculture depends heavily on fossil energy for providing fuel, fodder, nutrients and machinery. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether organic agriculture is capable of providing both food and surplus energy to the society as evaluated from a model study. We evaluated bioenergy technologies in a Danish dairy farming context in four different scenarios: 1) vegetable oil based on oilseed rape, 2) biogas based on cattle manure and grass-clover lays, 3) bioethanol from rye grain and whey, and 4) a combination of 1) and 2). When assessing the energetic net-contribution to society from bioenergy systems, two types of problems arise: How to aggregate non-equivalent types of energy services, and how to account for non-equivalent types of inputs and co-products from the farming? To avoid the first type, the net output of liquid fuels, electricity, useful heat and food were calculated separately. Further, to avoid the second type, all scenarios were designed to provide self-sufficiency with fodder and fertilizer and to utilize co-products within the system. This approach resulted in a transparent assessment of the net-contribution to society, which is easy to interpret. We conclude that if 20% of land is used for energy crops, farm-gate energy self-sufficiency can be achieved at the cost of 17% reduction in amount of food produced. These results demonstrate the strong limitations for (organic) agriculture in providing both food and surplus energy.


This article has been written by pupil of A.A. Ukhtomsky, well-known professor of Moscow State University M.V. Kirzon. The article discovers the personal qualities of outstanding biologist A.A. Ukhtomsky, who has founded one of the famed physiological scientific schools in the Soviet Union.


In this study we investigate the extract 154b8–156c9 from the introductory chapters of the Platonic dialogue Charmides so that to examine how the terms of Aesthetics are formed, which focuses on the selfhood and makes it the core of dialectics. Specifically, we structure our study in two chapters each of which includes two subchapters. In the first subchapter we focus on the soul, which in the Platonic text appears to be the criterion for moral perfectness. In the second subchapter, which systematizes the former, we show how Socrates contrives to do the transition from subjective judgments to logical propositions and the terms of the authentic Aesthetics. In the third subchapter, paying attention to the first communication between Socrates and Charmides, we discuss how the Athenian philosopher sets beauty within its true boundaries and activates the logical part of the soul. In the fourth subchapter, we follow the introduction in dialectics, which will lead anyone involved in truth. The main contribution of our study is that we show how in this dialogue Plato succeeds to go from vulgar hedonism to the beauty of the soul, which is a requirement for the inner transformation of selfhood.


This paper presents a unique design of a cylindrical cavity to identify the dielectric materials with high resolution using the supervised machine learning algorithm. The mountable design of an aluminum-based cylindrical cavity records a quality factor of more than 9000 and provides an easy assembly of samples to be tested. The linear region of the cavity precisely provides the identification of dielectric samples in the range of 1 to 20 within $\sim$ 99 % of accuracy using the standard cavity formulation. On the other hand, the proposed machine learning approach works effectively in the non-linear region of the cavity and predicts the dielectric properties accurately in the wide range dielectric constant starting from 20-45 with a typical error of 0.35 %. The non-linearity of the cavity output is modeled using the cascade feedforward architecture of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) for multiinput variables extracted from the simulations. The model is trained using a well-known Bayesian regularization algorithm with an adequate number of samples and subsequently tested over a large sample of novel test input. The mean square error of test samples in the range of 10-4 and correlation coefficient (R) near 1 demonstrates the effectiveness of the approach in dielectric testing using the proposed cavity.


The quantum relative entropy $S(\rho||\sigma)$ is a widely used dissimilarity measure between quantum states, but it has the peculiarity of being asymmetric in its arguments. We quantify the amount of asymmetry by providing a sharp upper bound in terms of two parameters: the trace norm distance between the two states, and the smallest of the smallest eigenvalues of both states. The bound is essentially the asymmetry between two binary distributions governed by these two parameters.


Abstract In literature, a lot of research works have been presented on crashworthiness in order to develop crash performance of vehicles and thin-wall structures. In this research, a new hybrid optimization algorithm based on gravitational search algorithm and Nelder-Mead algorithm is introduced to improve crash performance of vehicles during frontal impact. The results show that the hybrid approach is very effective to develop crash performance of the vehicle components and thin-wall structures.


One of the open issues in Augmented Reality (AR) applications is certainly related to interaction techniques. In these years many different solutions have been proposed with the intent of providing user interfaces that allow users to interact with the AR environment in a natural and intuitive way. Most of them have addressed the issue of representing users' hands in the AR environment. We propose the use of a commercial and low-cost wireless device to use as input device for AR. This paper describes the integration of this device into an AR application, and some preliminary tests aiming at evaluating the tracking accuracy and precision. In addition, we demonstrate the usability of our system through a preliminary testing session with users.


Duration of diabetes and degree of hyperglycemia have consistently been identified as predictors of retinopathy and nephropathy (1–6). Multiple studies have concluded that nearly all individuals with type 1 diabetes will develop some level of retinopathy within 20 years of diagnosis (2,4,5,7,8). However, the study by Bain et al. (9) described the Golden Years study group of type 1 diabetic patients with ≥50 years of diabetes duration who appeared to be protected against nephropathy and large vessel disease but not against retinopathy. However, the associations of glycemic control, duration of disease, and vascular complications were not evaluated (9). This report characterizes the prevalence of complications and associated risk factors in a large number of individuals who have been insulin dependent for ≥50 years.

The 50-Year Medal Program of the Joslin Diabetes Center (JDC) was initiated to recognize JDC or non-JDC patients who survived ≥50 years with type 1 diabetes. This was documented by either medical record or family report. This was a survey-based cross-sectional study of subjects living in the U.S. who were awarded the Joslin Medal between 1997 and 2003. The Committee on Human Subjects at the JDC approved this study. The patients were questioned regarding the presence and absence of eye, kidney, and peripheral neuropathy.

### Clinical validation of retinopathy

Self-reported retinopathy was validated by comparing retinal clinical examination and fundus photography (seven-standard field), in a subset ( n = 92, 28%) of the 326 subjects, to the questionnaire, with the worse eye used for analysis. Grading was performed by two experienced ophthalmologists and discrepancies adjudicated by consensus. Descriptive analyses were performed using the Statistical Analysis System (version 8.2; SAS, Cary, NC). The Cochran-Armitage test was used to test for trends of categorical …


The author considers key issues concerning quoting, referencing and using sources in academic writing faced by Russian students and specialists when dealing with international requirements of Western universities and publishers.


On 28 September 2003, Italy experienced the worst blackout in its history. Other blackouts also occurred in August and September 2003 in the USA, Denmark, Sweden and, on a smaller scale, in England. The coincidence of these events could make one think that liberalization endangers the security of electricity supply. This article attempts to shed some light on this hypothesis starting from the root causes of the 2003 blackouts. The conclusion is that the regulatory and organizational changes in the electricity sector led an increase in the electricity exchanges and modified the incentives of the transmission system operators (TSOs). In a liberalized context, blackouts should be prevented by a good mix of regulation, industrial initiatives and public intervention. This is the only way to maintain the needed collaboration between the TSOs and to ensure the development and maintenance of the transmission equipment.


Creating Gifford-McMahon (GM) cryocoolers for cooling at temperatures below 4,2 K is a quantum leap in the development of techniques for obtaining helium temperatures. The paper provides a comparative analysis of different types of regenerator packing, which allow obtaining temperatures below 4,2 K. The advantages of cenosphere packing filled with helium are shown. Using a wave approach to modelling regenerator operation, we analyzed operation of a two-stage GM cryocooler, having a cooling capacity of 0,2 Watt at the temperature of 4,2 K.  Calculated value of the length of the heat exchanger regenerator with the packing from cenosphere for such cryocooler was equal to 320 mm, i.e. substantially bigger than the length of the regenerator packed with intermetallic compounds of rare earth elements. The resulting length value does not exceed a technically possible size of regenerators for GM cryocoolers. Advantages of cenosphere packing can compensate for the increased size of a cryocooler.


AIDSPARIS-- During an international AIDS meeting here last week, a group of researchers quietly met to plan a 3-year, $9.2 million European Union (EU)-backed effort to develop an AIDS vaccine. The new initiative, called EuroVac, is expected to begin on 1 January and will mark the first time the EU has attempted to pull Europe's top AIDS researchers together into a unified vaccine drive. Yet though the contracts between the EU and the researchers are still being negotiated, the initiative has already become tangled in international AIDS vaccine politics.


We make a comparison for thirteen dark energy (DE) models by using current cosmological observations, including type Ia supernova, baryon acoustic oscillations, and cosmic microwave background. To perform a systematic and comprehensive analysis, we consider three statistics methods of SNIa, including magnitude statistic (MS), flux statistic (FS), and improved flux statistic (IFS), as well as two kinds of BAO data. In addition, Akaike information criteria (AIC) and Bayesian information criteria (BIC) are used to assess the worth of each model. We find that: (1) The thirteen models can be divided into four grades by performing cosmology-fits. The cosmological constant model, which is most favored by current observations, belongs to grade one; αDE, constant w and generalized Chaplygin gas models belong to grade two; Chevalliear-Polarski-Linder (CPL) parametrization, Wang parametrization, doubly coupled massive gravity, new generalized Chaplygin gas and holographic DE models belong to grade three; agegraphic DE, Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati, Vacuum metamorphosis and Ricci DE models, which are excluded by current observations, belong to grade four. (2) For parameter estimation, adopting IFS yields the biggest Ωm and the smallest h for all the models. In contrast, using different BAO data does not cause significant effects. (3) IFS has the strongest constraint ability on various DE models. For examples, adopting IFS yields the smallest value of ΔAIC for all the models; in addition, making use of this technique yields the biggest figure of merit for CPL and Wang parametrizations.


As a case study, the lecturer uses his own example to show how a new role can bring positive changes in the life of a retired person.
In his case, the activity in old age is a family inheritance. His father worked as a proofreader and multi-lingual translator until he died at the age of 83. His grandfather won a competition for modern methods of teaching physics when he was 82.
After retiring as an electrical engineer, Andras Arato, at the age of 65, became known on the Internet, mainly among young people, thanks to a random coincidence. Based on his somewhat sad smile he was given the name Hide the pain Harold, the internet users started making funny memes from his photos. Initially, he did not accept his new role, tried to fight it. It took several years to realize that what he could not change, had to be at the forefront of it. At the age of 72, he got to the point of creating his website for his fans. He started working to replace the not always positive message of the memes to carry a positive point of view. The basic idea of his philosophy, that is the smaller or bigger annoyances of life should not be taken too seriously, they should be overcome with a sad smile, resonated among young people. He already has more than half a million followers worldwide, but his most successful posts reach tens of millions through sharing.
The popularity gained in this way has changed his daily life. Through invitations, he visited many countries around the world from Siberia to South America. His previously more introverted personality became more open to public appearances. Keeping up with the events of the world, new technical possibilities and the way of thinking of young people mean a steady occupation for him. His history is one-off and unrepeatable, but it provides an example of the positive consequences a career change in old age.


This doctoral thesis explores HR management through systems of production incentives in the construction sector which has been instrumental to the Spanish economy. The transformation of a time-based payment system to a performance or production-based payment system is difficult if you consider the complexity of the calculation and the environment in which prices are negotiated. In any case, before agreeing to a piece-rate determined price it is imperative that the person responsible for negotiating on behalf of the company knows the relationship of this piece rate compared to expected labour costs as an objective in the opening plans. The main objective of this thesis is to propose an algorithm in flowchart form that facilitates —from the data found in the costs study— knowledge about the price range within which the economic incentive for piece-rate compensation for any work should be established by applying a few simple conversion coefficients proposed by the model itself


Improved sanitation is one of the core development indicators in the world. Households in sub-Saharan Africa lack improved sanitation. This study examined factors influencing rural households' willingness to pay (WTP) for improved sanitation (in terms of access to toilet and waste disposal) in Oyo State, Nigeria. Primary data was obtained from 268 rural households selected through a multi-stage sampling procedure. Descriptive statistics and Tobit regression analysis were used for data analysis. Results revealed that 92.5% of the respondents made use of unimproved toilet. The mean WTP per household per month for improved public toilet services was N658.80k. The factors that significantly influenced WTP for improved toilet services were respondents' age (p<0.01), Gender (p<0.01), household size (p<0.01), income (p<0.05), distance to toilet (p<0.01) and use of covered latrine (p<0.05). The study inferred that respondents made use of unimproved sanitation sources. The study recommended that government and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) should prioritize provision of improved sanitation services close to respondent's locations at an affordable price.


This study investigated the realization of cultural values and trans-languaging in a picture book. The current discussion of trans-languaging has been focused on the verbal texts found in school textbooks, children's comics or conventional novels. On the other hand, the study offers insights into trans-languaging that is realized in a different semiotic mode, namely visual images. The primary data for the study is a picture book written by an Indonesian writer Clara Ng entitled 'Kancil Yang Baik'.'. The main methodological tools for the study are Wei's (2018) concept of translanguaging and Kress and Van Leuween's (2006) concept of the grammar of visual design, focusing on the compositional function. The data analysis is conducted to elaborate on the features of cultural values and trans-languaging in the visual image format of the picture book. Further, interpretation will be made on the implications of how these features may be used in various reading activities. The results of the study indicate that visual images in a picture book are a rich source of cultural content. Therefore, it is advisable to optimize reading activities that also focus on the visual images of picture books.
Keywords: translanguaging, picture books, visual images, cultural values


My article investigates the representation and significance of the suffering female body in three films by Danish male directors operating in a religious framework: Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), Axel's Babette's Feast (1987) and von Trier's Breaking the Waves (1996). In these films the visual level complements the narrative level in order to accentuate the heroines' physical suffering, often in a manner which is particularly poignant. More specifically, my analysis will point out the ways in which the body is brought into the foreground in each film and valorised against the backdrop of a confrontation between the body as pathos and the word as logos. Dreyer's images and close-ups use the potentialities of the body to suggest the spiritual chasm between Joan of Arc and her judges. Moreover, the opposition between Joan and the theologians is also rendered in terms of the opposition between the oral and the written word, from which she is excluded. Hers is the embodied word and the passion; the subjective experience of embodied suffering becomes a test for her truth. With Babette's Feast we move into a Lutheran pietistic background but the action is still played out in terms of Protestant–Catholic worldviews. Here the suffering of the body is toned down in a symbolic representation. Babette's feast is actually an act of self-giving, her own body being offered to the others, symbolized by the cailles en sarcophages she prepares for the consumption of the community. Bess in Breaking the Waves challenges directly the theological foundations of the Calvinist faith of the community, opposing their veneration of the word as the letter of the Bible with an existential dedication to the embodied Word and the immediate consequences this has for human relationships. Like Joan, Bess lays bare the mechanics of power which becomes violently inscribed on her body.


PURPOSE
To identify the molecular mechanism of steroid-induced downregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) synthesis in Müller cells.

METHODS
Confluent cultures of human Müller cells (MIO-M1) were treated with 100 microM CoCl(2), 1 microg/mL triamcinolone acetonide (TA), or both. VEGF secretion was measured with respect to time by ELISA. VEGF mRNA quantity and stability were analyzed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The activity of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 was measured by the relative binding of HIF-1 protein to the hypoxia response element (HRE), by gel shift and ELISA. The HIF-1alpha protein level was determined with Western blot.

RESULTS
TA decreased VEGF secretion by at least 50% in the presence of continuous cobalt stimulus. VEGF mRNA decreased 50- to 100-fold 6 hours after treatment with TA and cobalt compared with cobalt alone. VEGF mRNA stability was decreased in cobalt-stimulated, TA-treated cells compared with cobalt alone in cells synchronized by exposure to actinomycin D. HIF-1alpha protein level was sustained for the entire 24-hour treatment period and partitioned into nuclear, not cytosolic, fractions. HIF-1 activity was decreased by 20% to 30% in the presence of TA and cobalt compared with cobalt alone.

CONCLUSIONS
TA may decrease VEGF synthesis by nongenomic destabilization of VEGF mRNA in cobalt-stimulated Müller cells. There was little effect on the total HIF-1alpha protein level, HIF-1 partitioning, and HIF-1 activity.


In this report, we describe the case of a premature infant (36 weeks' postgestational age) who underwent left inguinal hernia repair under general anesthesia without the use of any airway device. Anesthesia was induced and maintained with sevoflurane in oxygen and nitrous oxide. An ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block was performed that provided effective analgesia, obviating the need for opioids in the intraoperative period. The infant's hemodynamics remained stable throughout the surgery. This report also briefly explains the advantages of using a transversus abdominis plane block, compared with neuraxial blockade, for hernia repair surgery.


Project Completion Reports (PCRs) are used by development institutions to tell a project's story – achievements, failures and learning. As such, they should provide evidence of effectiveness in bringing about development. But is this the case? This article uses a descriptive content analysis approach to assess the extent of evidentiary support presented in IFAD end-of-project documentation. It employs a custom conceptual framework to classify claims about project results found in PCRs based on the results level, presence and types of evidence sources, and themes. Findings show that the majority of claims relate to output- or outcome-level results and are not explicitly supported by evidence. The lack of evidence-based reporting carries implications to the objective measurement of development effectiveness.


The Lee-Yang theory of adsorbing self-avoiding walks is presented. It is shown that Lee-Yang zeros of the generating function of this model asymptotically accumulate uniformly on a circle in the complex plane, and that Fisher zeros of the partition function distribute in the complex plane such that a positive fraction are located in annular regions centered at the origin. These results are examined in a numerical study of adsorbing self-avoiding walks in the square and cubic lattices. The numerical data are consistent with the rigorous results; for example, Lee-Yang zeros are found to accumulate on a circle in the complex plane and a positive fraction of partition function zeros appear to accumulate on a critical circle. The radial and angular distribution of partition function zeros are also examined and it is found to be consistent with the rigorous results on the Fisher zeros of interacting lattice clusters.


Angle-resolved energy distributions for photoelectrons emitted from the Bi(111) single crystal face are presented at 16.85 eV photon energy. The variation of peak-energy positions as a function of the electron emission angle shows four main dispersing features located between the Fermi level and 5 eV. The bulk electronic structure is found in qualitative agreement with the pseudopotential calculation performed by Golin along the TMU and TQW symmetry lines of the Brillouin zone. The experimental features located at around 0.3 and 3 eV below the Fermi level are sampled in the two-dimensional Brillouin zone along the and symmetry directions (dispersion about 1 eV) and are assigned to electronic surface states.


We describe a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the detection of bovine DNA extracted from meat and bone meal (MBM) samples. PCR primers were used to amplify a 271-bp region of the mitochondrial ATPase 8-ATPase 6 gene, and a fluorogenic probe (BOV1) labeled with a 5' FAM reporter and a 3' TAMRA quencher was designed to specifically detect bovine PCR product. The specificity of the BOV1 probe for the detection of the bovine PCR product was confirmed by Southern blot hybridization analysis of the probe with PCR products generated from ovine, porcine, and bovine genomic DNA extracted from blood and with PCR products generated from genomic DNA extracted from single-species laboratory scale rendered MBM samples. The specificity of the BOV1 probe was also evaluated in real-time PCR reactions including these genomic targets. Both methods demonstrated that the BOV1 probe was specific for the detection of bovine PCR product. The BOV1 probe had a detection limit of 0.0001% bovine material by Southern blot DNA probe hybridization analysis and a detection limit of 0.001% bovine material in the real-time PCR assay. Application of the real-time PCR assay to six industrial samples that had previously tested positive for the presence of bovine material with a conventional PCR assay yielded positive results with the real-time PCR assay for four samples.


Lactation performance was determined on 190 multiparous Holsteins from five herds supplemented with 0, 320, 640, or 960 mg of somidobove every 28 d. The experiment consisted of 21 d of pretreatment and treatment periods of various lengths, depending upon stage of lactation of animals at first administration. Somidobove beginning in early (28 to 45 d in milk), mid (111 to 166 d in milk), or late (166 to 334 d in milk) stages of lactation consisted of 9, 6, or 3 administrations. Milk and 3.5% FCM yields were increased by each dose of somidobove in all stages. Milk composition and dry matter and energy intakes were similar among treatments within stage. Milk to DMI ratio and milk energy to net energy intake ratio were improved by somidobove. Gain was positive for all treatments, but less in somidobove-supplemented cows. Lower body weight and condition score at the completion of somidobove treatment resulted. For early cows, days to first estrus and days to first breeding were similar; however, total number of inseminations for cows receiving somidobove was twofold greater than control, resulting in a longer calving interval. Results demonstrated efficacy of somidobove administered every 28 d to lactating dairy cattle for increased milk yield.


The chemistry of complexes of the d-transition elements containing organoimido functional groups constitutes a rapidly expanding area of research. Examples of molecules containing multiple terminal imido functional groups now exist for representative elements from groups 5-8. In contrast, f-metal terminal organoimido complexes are still relatively rare, and examples of single actinide metal sites coordinated by greater than one imido ligand are unknown. On the basis of the stability of uranyl ion (UO[sub 2])[sup 2+], there appears to be no reason why the isoelectronic bis(organoimido) species should not be accessible. Development of this chemistry has been hampered by the lack of synthetic routes to high-valent (V,VI) uranium complexes and by the relatively small number of ligands which have been demonstrated to stabilize these oxidation states. Here we describe the synthesis and structural characterization of the first bis(organoimido) complex of uranium(VI). This species also represents the first complex of uranium(VI) supporting metal-carbon bonding in either a [sigma]- or [pi]-fashion. As part of our studies of preparative routes to uranium organoimido complexes, we are examining generation of uranium imido functionalities by abstraction of an amido hydrogen by a leaving hydrocarbyl or amido ligand. 4 refs., 1 fig.


The production of olive oil in Portugal and other countries of the Mediterranean region has greatly increased in recent years. Intensification efforts have focused on the growth of the planted area, but also on the increase of the orchards density and the implementation of irrigation systems. Concerns about possible negative impacts of modern olive orchard production have arisen in the last years, questioning the trade-offs between the production benefits and the environmental costs. Therefore, it is of great importance to review the research progress made regarding agronomic options that preserve ecosystem services in high-density irrigated olive orchards. In this literature review, a keywords-based search of academic databases was performed using, as primary keywords, irrigated olive orchards, high density/intensive/hedgerow olive orchards/groves, irrigation strategies, and soil management. Aside from 42 general databases, disseminated research, and concept-framing publications, 112 specific studies were retrieved. The olive orchards were classified as either traditional (TD) (50–200 trees ha−1), medium-density (MD) (201–400 trees ha−1), high-density (HD) (401–1500 trees ha−1), or super-high-density (SHD) orchards (1501–2500 trees ha−1). For olive crops, the ETc ranged from 0.65 to 0.70, and could fall as low as 0.45 in the summer without a significant decrease in oil productivity. Several studies have reported that intermediate irrigation levels linked with the adoption of deficit irrigation strategies, like regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) or partial rootzone drying (PRD), can be effective options. With irrigation, it is possible to implement agroecosystems with cover crops, non-tillage, and recycling of pruning residues. These practices reduce the soil erosion and nutrient leaching and improve the soil organic carbon by 2 to 3 t C ha−1 year−1. In this situation, in general, the biodiversity of plants and animals also increases. We expect that this work will provide a reference for research works and resource planning focused on the improvement of the productive and environmental performance of dense irrigated olive orchards, thereby contributing to the overall enhancement of the sustainability of these expanding agroecosystems.


We investigate the behavior of a mesoscopic 1D ring or 2D torus in an external magnetic field by simulating the Time Dependant Ginzburg Landau (TDGL) equations with periodic boundary conditions. In 1D, we analyze the stability and the different possible evolutions for the phase-slip phenomena starting from a metastable state. We used those results to observe the dynamics of a vortex-antivortex pair dissociation in 2D.


The cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk)-associated protein phosphatase (KAP) is a dual-specificity phosphatase that dephosphorylates Cdk2 and inhibits cell cycle progression. The overexpression of KAP has been found in breast, prostate and renal cell carcinomas. However, the role of KAP in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the expression of KAP in HCC and elucidate its role in tumorigenesis. HCC tissues from 117 patients undergoing surgical resection were collected for western blot analysis and immunohistochemichal analysis to establish clinical correlation. The antisense-mediated inhibition of KAP expression was performed in Huh-7 cell lines for tumorigenicity and growth regulation experiments. Clinicopathological analysis indicated that KAP was overexpressed in HCC tissue from alcoholic patients (P<0.001). It was significantly overexpressed in patients with a tumor number of <3 (P=0.0271), suggesting the potential role of KAP in tumorigenesis during early-stage alcohol-related HCC. Additionally, the antisense-mediated inhibition of KAP in Huh-7 HCC cells interfered with cell cycle progression, decreased cell proliferation, reduced the colony-forming ability of the cells and increased apoptosis. Tumorigenicity experiments showed that the KAP knockdown in Huh-7 cells generated smaller tumors in nude mice compared with the mock controls (P=0.018). In the cells in which KAP had been knocked down, the physical interaction between KAP and Cdk2 significantly increased, despite the reduced expression levels of KAP. The phosphorylation of cell proliferation and apoptosis-associated proteins, including phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), glycogen synthase kinase (GSK), p44/42 and Akt, was decreased. Therefore, it can be concluded that KAP is overexpressed in alcohol-related HCC. The antisense-mediated knockdown of KAP in Huh-7 cells decreased cell proliferation, reduced the colony-forming ability of the cells, interfered with cell cycle progression and suppressed xenograft tumor formation, partly through enhanced KAP and Cdk2 interaction.


A technique was devised for measuring pelvic rotations in the frontal and sagittal planes using precision potentiometers attached to a firmly strapped external 'pelvis girdle'. The system is easy to operate and provides comprehensive results for clinical purposes. The limitations of the system were examined by static and dynamic tests.<<ETX>>


This article describes a teaching experience by using STS (Science, Technology and Society) approach in the HCI (Human-Computer Interaction). The experience was carried out in classes about the use of colors in interface design. It aimed at observing students´ perceptions about the use of STS approach in HCI and its impacts on the course of Project of Information Systems. The methodology used in the experiment was to organize the content (colors and STS) within a didactic sequence of six classes. In this sequence, class themes, pedagogical strategies, aims and content were defined. Results showed more interaction between students and lecture in HCI and more students' interest on using an appropriated code of colors in interface design in the course of Project of Information Systems. It was concluded that engaging methodologies such as STS approach are important and can impact positively for teaching-learning process of students in Software Engineering.


By rebus sic stantibus, the countries with their efforts could demand their rights back. Differences in terminology can thus blurthe differencesand the similarities in theimplementation. The International Law Commission has rejected the usage of the terminology of rebus sic stantibus. They prefer using the terminology of the doctrine of fundamental changes on equality and justice reasons, and getting rid of the terminology of rebus sic stantibus as it is assumed to cause unintended effects. This doctrine, in fact has been performed, primarily after the end of the war between the allies and Germany. A conditional change can be expressed, although it can not properly be predicted before. It depends on the intention and the hopes of the concerned parties, and intended change characteristic as well which may appear from suspension and restriction of doctrine implementation according to the circumstances of that time. Keywords: Rebus sic stantibus - International Law -Implementation


There is a clear and intuitive distinction between arguments and adjuncts, yet the exact nature of this distinction has been difficult to characterize. We report the results of an experimental study that indicates that there is not only a difference between arguments and adjuncts, but also between semantic and syntactic arguments. The study consisted of two tasks. The first task elicited speakers' semantic intuitions, based solely on the meaning of specific verbs, and the second asked speakers to create sentences with the same verbs. We focused on verb classes controversial with respect to their argument structure. We specifically considered verbs that possibly require more than three arguments, instrument verbs, and motion verbs.


CP-96,345, a novel non-peptide antagonist of the NK1 receptor, at 10(-8)-10(-6) M decreased the frequency of peristalsis and reduced peristalsis-associated longitudinal muscle contractions in isolated guinea pig ileum. In the presence of 10(-6) M CP-96,345, further addition of 10(-6) M atropine blocked the peristalsis. When 10(-6) M atropine was first applied, more than half of the preparations developed atropine-resistant peristalsis. CP-96,345 at 10(-6) M blocked the atropine-resistant peristalsis. These results are consistent with the view that substance P is involved in the peristalsis in guinea pig ileum.


A QUANTITATIVELY CONSISTENT MODEL OF NERVE ACTIVITY IS GIVEN IN TERMS OF TWO MAIN BIOCHEMICAL CYCLES NARROWLY INTERLOCKED: an acetylcholine cycle and a calcium cycle. The activity of both cycles is controlled among other things by the electric field and various allosteric effectors. As shown by digital simulations our model accounts for the basic properties of an action potential as described by the electrophysiologists. Thus the shape, time course, and behavior under voltage clamping conditions of both sodium and potassium permeability variations are adequately reproduced.


We view dynamic scheduling as a sequential decision problem. Firstly, we introduce a generalized planning operator, the stochastic task model (STM), which predicts the effects of executing a particular task on state, time and reward using a general procedural format (pure stochastic function). Secondly, we show that effective planning under uncertainty can be obtained by combining adaptive horizon stochastic planning with reinforcement learning (RL) in a hybrid system. The benefits of the hybrid approach are evaluated using a repeatable job shop scheduling task.


Vaginal polyps are uncommon and consist of a heterogeneous group of lesions. Most of vaginal polypoid lesions are fibroepithelial polyps. However, a variety of lesions (leiomyoma, superficial myofibroblastoma of the lower female genital tract, rhabdomyoma, and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma etc.) may present macroscopically as a polypoid mass. Tubulo-squamous polyp of the vagina is a rare benign lesion that has been described recently. Histologically, it is characterized by both epithelial and mesenchymal component, consisting of squamous nests and tubules, embedded in a fibrous stroma. Focal immunoreactivity for prostatespecific antigen (PSA) and/or prostatic acid phosphatase (PSAP) may be observed in some lesions, supporting the possibility that it originates from paraurethral Skene's glands. Herein, we report a 60-year-old female with a tubulo-squamous polyp of the vagina. A brief review of the literature on this novel entity is also provided.


Startup accelerators, which aim to improve the set of choices representing a startup's entry strategy, have become increasingly influential in both regional development and the strategies of individual startups. This article explores an accelerator's impact on startup performance and whether that impact varies substantially by features of the startup's founding environment. Leveraging data from a leading startup accelerator, I use a regression discontinuity framework to hold startup quality constant so that I can compare the performance of admitted startups to those that do not make the cut, and I examine whether any observed performance differentials are driven by accelerator admission and by characteristics of the startup's earlier environment. I find evidence that startups from better pre-accelerator environments experience stronger gains from accelerator admission. I also find evidence of home bias, as local startups have a stronger treatment effect. These results provide evidence of ecosystem effects whereby the impact of one organizational sponsor in an ecosystem is strongly moderated by other features in the ecosystem. The findings help to explain the concentration of accelerator programs in already successful entrepreneurial ecosystems and reveal how such programs may interact with founding environments to complement resource abundance or magnify prior resource inequalities.


A collaborative study was conducted to compare proposed dry-film plating methods, using aerobic count plates and coliform count plates, to standard agar plating methods for quantifying aerobic bacteria and coliforms in dairy products. In this study, 5 food products (chocolate milk, pasteurized cheese, nonfat dry milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla ice cream), selected as representative dairy products, were analyzed by 11 collaborating laboratories. The results indicate that the dry-film plating methods are equivalent to or better than the agar plating methods. The aerobic count and coliform count dry-film plating methods have been adopted official first action.


Abstract "Technology" is simply tool making and 'Ethics in technology' is the ethical commitments that pertain to those who made it, and decision about it, and use it. "Ethics of technology" refers to two basic areas: 1) Ethics in technology is a branch of ethics addresses the ethical issues related to the Technology Age  such as computer security,  computer viruses or generally speaking  the  innovation is ethically right or wrong. Likewise, is it ethical for a scientist to make a product that may have a harmful use while it is needed such as nuclear weapon, sources of energy, robots that replace human job.   2) The ethical issues relevant to intensity of the power of individuals, whether in a positive way or negative way. Examples are bioethics that is causing new life preservation through cloning technologies, in law, the different forms of surveillance threaten the right of privacy, in an internet age, the tracing devices to identify the identification, and in medical area, the genetic screening may affect one's career opportunity. This paper reviews both areas of ethical commitment in technology.