Much as it is to be regretted, there still remains much doubt concerning important etiologic and pathologic factors of intraocular tension, and notwithstanding certain pathologic conditions are pretty constantly found in glaucomatous affections, the problem is yet to be solved. Glaucoma is of even more importance than "sympathetic" ophthalmitis, 1 because it appears to be little, if any, better understood, and still more on account of its far wider prevalence and equally fatal consequences to sight when uncontrolled. It is not my deliberate purpose to condemn unreservedly the conventional treatment, or to call any especial attention to the chaos that has always reigned in these branches of disease, nor to harbor any fancy or vain imaginations against the true spirit of science, to attempt the promulgation of a "complete system" by making "new knowledge" fit into the old; I will therefore endeavor to confine my remarks to some observations of


Over the last few decades, task-based language teaching has inspired and propelled much research into how task complexity affects second language (L2) learners' performance and development. To date, however, the task-based approach has mainly been researched in connection with learners' oral and written production, while its applicability to L2 reading has largely been unattended to. In addition, only a few studies exist that have examined the effects of glossing on L2 grammatical constructions, and so far the findings have been inconclusive. To fill these gaps, this thesis intends to examine how task complexity and glossing affect L2 learners' reading processes and comprehension, as well as their learning of target L2 constructions. Working memory capacity, which is central to both L2 reading comprehension and L2 learning, is included as a moderating variable. The present thesis consists of three studies. The first two studies report experiments that investigated how task complexity and glossing affect L2 English reading comprehension and the learning of English unaccusative verbs and ten pseudo-word items by Korean adult learners. The participants' working memory capacity was also measured in order to examine if they moderated the effects of task complexity and glossing. The results of mixed-effects modelling revealed that task complexity and glossing had differential effects on learners' development in their knowledge of target L2 constructions, depending on the level of task manipulation (i.e., discourse level vs sentence level). L2 reading comprehension scores, however, were not influenced by either task complexity or glossing. Although working memory was found to moderate some of the relationships among the variables, no clear patterns emerged. The third study employed eye-tracking technology to explore cognitive processes during task-based reading performance and validate task-complexity manipulation. By triangulating eye-movement data with simulated recall protocols, it was found that reading processes were considerably influenced by task complexity.


The library POLCA implements the averaging of biological structures whose images are recorded in digital form from electron micrographs. The averaging protocol is based upon a method developed about ten years ago, which allows one to operate on a sequence of objects oriented and displaced at random within their frame; the relative rotations and the displacements of the structures are detected with the use of correlation algorithms and modified to make all objects appear the same, apart from their noisy components. The average image is then obtained by a simple addition and the signal-to-noise ratio is improved by a factor equal to the square root of the number of objects used to calculate the average. With respect to the original implementation of the method, two novel features characterize the library: the first one deals with the functions that are cross-correlated to determine the relative rotations of the structures; the functions used here are the inverse transforms of the amplitude spectra (IAS functions), which give rise to sharp maxima when they are cross-correlated. The second peculiarity is the systematic adoption, in the transformations of coordinates and in other circumstances, of an interpolation technique based upon the Fourier series kernel. POLCA is written in C and runs on a VME machine under the UNIX V/68 operating system. A programming style has been adopted to exploit fully the machine resources.


Group B streptococci (GBS) lack catalase, and they produce and release H2O2;thus, they should be readily killed by phagocytes with a diminished respiratory burst. Surprisingly, although strains of Staphylococcus aureus were killed at H2O2 concentrations greater than 0.5 mM, GBS strains were killed only at concentrations greater than 5mM. In contrast, GBS were killed by hydroxyl radicals generated by the xanthine oxidase-acetaldehyde system at O2 fluxes greater than or equal to 3.5 nmol/ml per min, whereas O2 fluxes greater than or equal to 10 nmol/ml per min were required to kill the S. aureus strains. Results with virulent and laboratory strains of GBS were similar. The differences in susceptibility of GBS and S. aureus seemed to correlate with differences in content of endogenous oxygen-metabolite scavengers. GBS contained approximately 100-fold more glutathione and approximately 20-fold more glutathione reductase than did S. aureus, whereas S. aureus was rich in catalase that GBS lacked. GBS that were grown in buthionine sulfoximine, however, contained 87% less glutathione than did controls but were not more susceptible to killing by H2O2 or the xanthine oxidase-acetaldehyde system. Similarly, the relative susceptibility of GBS to tert-butyl hydroperoxide and H2O2 paralleled that of S. aureus. Thus, inherent differences in susceptibility of vital cellular functions to oxidative damage rather than content of oxygen-metabolite scavengers may account for the differences in susceptibility of GBS and S. aureus.


Abstract The complete mitochondrial genome of Daimio tethys (Hesperoidea: Hesperiidae) is a circular molecule of 15,341 bp in length, containing 37 typical animal mitochondrial genes: 13 protein coding genes (ATP6, ATP8, COI-III, ND1-6, ND4L, Cytb), 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and a non-coding AT-rich region. Its gene order and content are identical to all other available butterfly mitogenomes. All PCGs initiate with typical ATN codons, except for COI, which is initiated by the CGA codon as observed in other butterfly species. Ten PCGs use complete termination codons TAA or TAG, whereas the COI, COII and ND5 genes end with a single T. A total of 179 bp of intergenic spacers are interspersed in 11 regions, ranging in size from 1 to 82 bp. The AT-rich region is 415 bp long and contains some conserved structures characteristic of the lepidopteran mitogenomes, including the motif ATAGA followed by a 17 bp poly-T stretch and a microsatellite-like (AT)8 element preceded by the ATTA motif.


Nowadays, in industrialised societies, it is fashionable for women to be slim. However, throughout history, this has not always been the case, especially as "cellulite" (cellulitis) was full of typically feminine symbols. The ideal feminine silhouette has changed with the rhythm of cultures. Cellulitis is an inappropriate term used by women to describe curves which they judge to be too plump and not very aesthetic, mostly around the thighs and hips. This lipodystrophy of the adipose tissue represents approximately 25% of a woman's body weight. It is clinically characterised by an "orange peel" skin surface, which is a result of the excessive development of the volume of the adipocytes organised in lobules within the walls of the unstretchable conjunctive tissue. This phenomenon is associated with an insufficiency of the venous tonus and an increase in the capillary permeability, which both contribute to an increase in the infiltration of water in the tissue. In reality, the understanding of cellulite has truly progressed with research based on adipocyte functions. An adipocyte is a metabolically active cell which plays a central role in the control of the energetic balance of the organism. In order to assume this role, it possesses all the enzymatic equipment necessary for synthesis (lipogenesis) and for triglyceride storage, mobilisation and liberation as free fatty acids (lipolysis). During these last few years, as well as this role as an energetic reserve which manages lipogenesis/lipolysis balance, the adipocyte has acquired the status of an endocrine and paracrine cell through the identification of numerous secreted factors. When we look back at the history of slimming products launched on the market since the 1980's, we can notice the role of the adipocyte tool and understand its functions in the choice of active ingredients, the development of complementary actions, the importance of the texture, the evolution of methods used to evaluate the efficacy on human volunteers and of course, we must not forget the women satisfaction and the power of seduction through words.


The effects of protein restriction on Δ9 desaturase (EC 184.108.40.206) activity were studied in growing rats. A control group was fed on a balanced diet (200 g casein/kg; BD) for 28 d. The experimental group was fed on the low-protein diet (20 g casein/kg; LP) for 26 d, then refed the balanced diet (BD-R) for 2 d. Rats were born to and suckled from normally fed dams. The enzyme activity was measured after 2 and 14 d of LP, and 26 d of LP plus 2 d of BD-R, by incubations in vitro of hepatic microsomal pellets with [1-14C]stearic acid. The results indicated a decreased Δ9 desaturase activity after 2 and 14 d of LP of -33 and -43% respectively. Refeeding for 2 d was sufficient to super-repair this activity (+ 66%). The fatty acid composition of total liver lipids and microsomal phosphatidylethanolamines (PE) and phosphatidylcholines (PC) were also investigated; 18:0 decreased in total liver lipids at 14 d of LP, when 18:1n-9 increased. Stearic acid (18:0) increased in PC at 2 d of LP and in PE at 14 d of LP; oleic acid (18:1n-9) did not change. Therefore, it is concluded that a defect occurred in the bioconversion of 18:0 into 18:1n-9 by Δ9 desaturation during protein depletion. As oleic acid is accumulated in total liver lipids during LP, we speculate that this is due to a decreased oxidation or transport of this fatty acid


Solid tumor growth is accompanied by neovascularisation. In the absence of neovascularisation most tumors might become dormant at a tiny diameter 2-3 mm. New capillary growth is elicited by a diffusible factors generated by malignant tumor cells and by host cells. The inhibition of angiogenesis may provide a form of cancer treatment, either substitutional or additional to the conventional form of therapy. The present review summarized the state of our knowledge on this topic, angiogenesis and tumor growth.


The ability syariate banking to survive and develop is determined by the
ability of the company increased brand emotional bond and loyalty.The purpose of
this study is conceptually to develop new theoretical approaches about brand
personality and brand emotional bond. The approach also introduced a new variable
brand religiosity aura to offer new relationship between brand personality and brand
emotional bond.Concept development to build a new concept is the concept of
consumer behavior, segmentation and brand.
The population in this study are customers saving their money in syariate
banking. The samples used were syariate bank customers in at Surabaya, Semarang,
Yogyakarta, Bandung, and Jakarta. The study employed purposive sampling and
convenience sampling to obtain required respondents. This study distributed
questionnaires to 320 respondents worth response rate 100 persen. However only
277 were used because the problem of normality. Eleven hypotheses were developed
and tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with AMOS software which
supported nine hypotheses
The results show brand religiosity aura mediates the relationship between
brand personality and brand emotional bond. While the result shows that brand
personality through brand religiosity aura and brand emotional bond have positive
effect on brand loyalty. Brand personality through brand attractiveness and brand
emotional bond have positive effect on brand loyalty. Moreover, brand personality
through brand attractiveness and brand preferences also have significant positive
effect on brand loyalty. Managerial implications promoting the role of moral values,
justice and common interest based on the teachings of the religion of Islam and
distanced materialistic and consumptive behavior.


We estimate Canadians' willingness to pay (WTP) for medals won by Team Canada in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games using data from contingent valuation method (CVM) surveys of nationally representative samples conducted before and after the Games. The results permit an assessment of Own the Podium, a government program designed to increase Canada's medal count. International prestige and national pride are important determinants of WTP. The results are sensitive to cost and scope, respondents' beliefs about the effectiveness of the program, as measured by expected medal count. WTP estimates suggest that Own the Podium generated benefits above its cost to a degree unique in the growing literature of sport CVM studies.


sequent special instruction which has called forth the existence of the Army Medical School at Fort Pitt, Chatham, where the candidates now spend from four to five months before receiving commissions. The first session of this school commenced on Tuesday, the 2nd of October last. There were present the lliglit-Honourable Mr. Sidney Herbert, the Secretary of State for War; J. 13. Gibson, M.D., C.B., Director-General of the Army Medical Department; Major-General Eyre, Commanding the Garrison at Chatham ; Colonel Twiss, Commanding the lloyal Engineers; Dr. Sutherland; Dr. Hume, Deputy Inspector-General and P.M.O. at Chatham; Professors Parkes, Longmore, and Aitken. The candidates (forty-three in number) were also present, as well as several officers, combatant as well as medical, belonging to the army and the navy. Thomas Longmore, Esq., Deputy Inspector-General and Professor of Military Surgery, delivered the introductory lccture ; and we are extremely sorry that this address lias not yet been published. We may probably see it issued from some departmental office long after the special interest of the subjects which it deals with has passed away. The establishment of a fresh element ill


Notch signaling is an evolutionarily conserved pathway, which regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. It has been reported that the members of Notch signaling are expressed in mammalian ovaries, but the exact functions of this pathway in follicle development is still unclear. In this study, primary follicles were cultured in vitro and treated with Notch signaling inhibitors, L-658,458 and N-[N-(3,5-Difluorophenacetyl)-l-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester (DAPT). We found that the cultured follicles completely stopped developing after L-658,458 and DAPT treatment, most of the granulosa cells were detached, and the oocytes were also degenerated with condensed cytoplasma. Further studies demonstrated that the proliferation of granulosa cells was dependent on the Notch signaling. L-658,458 and DAPT treatment inhibited proliferation of in vitro cultured primary granulosa cells and decreased the expression of c-Myc. Lentivirus mediated overexpression of Notch intracellular domain 2, and c-Myc could promote the proliferation of granulosa cells and rescue the growth inhibition induced by L-658,458 and DAPT. In conclusion, Notch signaling is involved in follicular development by regulating granulosa cell proliferation.


RATIONALE
Although platelets are considered key inflammatory mediators in respiratory diseases, their role in bronchiectasis has not been fully explored.

OBJECTIVES
We hypothesized that thrombocytosis in stable state may be associated with bronchiectasis severity and worse clinical outcomes.

METHODS
Bronchiectasis patients have been enrolled from 10 centers in Europe and Israel, with platelet count recorded during stable state. Primary outcome was five-year all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included exacerbations, hospitalizations, and mortality at one, two and three-year follow-up. Analyses were conducted using logistic regression after adjustment for confounding variables.

RESULTS
Among the 1,771 patients (median age: 67 years; 63.4% females) included, 136 (7.7%) had thrombocytosis. Patients with thrombocytosis had a significant higher disease severity, worse quality of life, higher number of exacerbations and hospitalizations, and higher mortality rate at both three-year (23 [22.8%] vs. 83 [8.5%], respectively; p-value <0.01) and five-year (26 [35.1%] vs. 116 [15.9%], respectively; p-value <0.01) in comparison with those with normal platelet count. Thrombocytosis was significantly associated with hospitalizations due to severe exacerbations [OR (95% CI): 1.83 (1.20-2.79); p-value: 0.01] after one-year follow-up, as well as increased 3-year [OR (95% CI): 3.06 (1.74-5.39); p-value <0.01] and 5-year [OR (95% CI): 2.46 (1.39-4.37); p<0.01] mortality.

CONCLUSIONS
Platelets represent a cheap and easy to evaluate biomarker and the presence of thrombocytosis during stable state is associated with disease severity, hospitalizations due to exacerbations, poor quality of life and mortality in adults with bronchiectasis.


This paper reviews the design challenges and techniques of high-performance SRAM in the "End of Scaling" nanoscale CMOS technologies. The impacts of technology scaling, such as signal loss due to leakage, degradation of noise margin due to VT scatter caused by process variations and random dopant fluctuation, and long term reliability degradation such as NBTI, are addressed. Design directions and leakage/variation/degradation tolerant SRAM circuit techniques to mitigate various performance and reliability constraints in conventional planar CMOS technology are discussed. Examples are given and merits discussed for cell isolation and strength preservation, thin cell layout, bit-line and word-line leakage mitigation, migration to large signal read-out, undamped bit-line, dual-supply, dynamic Read/Write supply, floating power-line, header/footer power-gating structures, Read- and Write-assist circuits, leakage/variation detection and compensation techniques, word-line and bit-line pulsing schemes, gate leakage tolerant design, and NBTI tolerant design. Alternative cell structures, such as asymmetrical SRAM, 7T, and 8T SRAMs, which decouple the cell storage node from the Read-disturb and half-select disturb to improve the SNM are discussed. Finally, some design issues and opportunities in emerging technologies such as FD/SOI and multi-gate FinFET are illustrated.


Haydn's Op. 20 has often been viewed as representing some sort of "crisis" later resolved in the Op. 33 quartets, which is often defined as the first work of Haydn's "maturity," and thus confining Op. 20 to the "Early Period." The traditional view of the Op. 20, one that is expressed even by such distinguished scholars as Charles Rosen, is that these earlier quartets are somehow less coherent in terms of musical logic. This essay will focus on the fugal quartets (Op. 20 Nos. 5, 6 and 2), often seen as unsuccessful attempts to enrich the galant idiom with Baroque counterpoint. However, I will argue that there is good evidence to suggest a greater unity in these quartets, and that such evidence falls into two main categories. Bringing to attention James Webster's 1991 work on through-composition and "cyclic integration" in the contemporaneous Farewell Symphony, I will suggest a reading of these works guided by inter-movement links, and based on the idea that, in each quartet, the fugues serve as appropriate "culminations" (to borrow Webster's terminology) of their respective works. I will then make reference to James Grier's discussions in his 2010 article on invertible counterpoint in these quartets (Journal of Musicology, vol. 27), a technique that I interpret to be a successful solution to the issue of the "incompatibility" of Baroque and galant procedures. In combining these two aspects, Haydn's fugal quartets are presented in a more optimistic light, and a case is made for the removal of labels pertaining to any notion of "immaturity."


OBJECTIVE
To describe simultaneous pharmacokinetics (PK) and thermal antinociception after intravenous (i.v.), intramuscular (i.m.) and subcutaneous (SC) buprenorphine in cats.

STUDY DESIGN
Randomized, prospective, blinded, three period crossover experiment.

ANIMALS
Six healthy adult cats weighing 4.1±0.5 kg.

METHODS
Buprenorphine (0.02 mg kg(-1)) was administered i.v., i.m. or s.c.. Thermal threshold (TT) testing and blood collection were conducted simultaneously at baseline and at predetermined time points up to 24 hours after administration. Buprenorphine plasma concentrations were determined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. TT was analyzed using anova (p<0.05). A pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) model of the i.v. data was described using a model combining biophase equilibration and receptor association-dissociation kinetics.

RESULTS
TT increased above baseline from 15 to 480 minutes and at 30 and 60 minutes after i.v. and i.m. administration, respectively (p<0.05). Maximum increase in TT (mean±SD) was 9.3±4.9°C at 60 minutes (i.v.), 4.6±2.8°C at 45 minutes (i.m.) and 1.9±1.9°C at 60 minutes (s.c.). TT was significantly higher at 15, 60, 120 and 180 minutes, and at 15, 30, 45, 60 and 120 minutes after i.v. administration compared to i.m. and s.c., respectively. I.v. and i.m. buprenorphine concentration-time data decreased curvilinearly. S.c. PK could not be modeled due to erratic absorption and disposition. I.v. buprenorphine disposition was similar to published data. The PK-PD model showed an onset delay mainly attributable to slow biophase equilibration (t(1/2) k(e0)=47.4 minutes) and receptor binding (k(on)=0.011 mL ng(-1) minute(-1)). Persistence of thermal antinociception was due to slow receptor dissociation (t(1/2) k(off)=18.2 minutes).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
I.v. and i.m. data followed classical disposition and elimination in most cats. Plasma concentrations after i.v. administration were associated with antinociceptive effect in a PK-PD model including negative hysteresis. At the doses administered, the i.v. route should be preferred over the i.m. and s.c. routes when buprenorphine is administered to cats.


Recurrent neural networks (RNNs), originally developed for natural language processing, hold great promise for accurately describing strongly correlated quantum many-body systems. Here, we employ 2D RNNs to investigate two prototypical quantum many-body Hamiltonians exhibiting topological order. Specifically, we demonstrate that RNN wave functions can effectively capture the topological order of the toric code and a Bose-Hubbard spin liquid on the kagome lattice by estimating their topological entanglement entropies. We also find that RNNs favor coherent superpositions of minimally-entangled states over minimally-entangled states themselves. Overall, our findings demonstrate that RNN wave functions constitute a powerful tool to study phases of matter beyond Landau's symmetry-breaking paradigm.


A generalization of the geometric measure of quantum discord is introduced in this article, based on Hellinger distance. Our definition has virtues of computability and independence of local measurement. In addition it also does not suffer from the recently raised critiques about quantum discord. The exact result can be obtained for bipartite pure states with arbitrary levels, which is completely determined by the Schmidt decomposition. For bipartite mixed states the exact result can also be found for a special case. Furthermore the generalization into multipartite case is direct. It is shown that it can be evaluated exactly when the measured state is invariant under permutation or translation. In addition the detection of quantum phase transition is also discussed for Lipkin–Meshkov–Glick and Dicke model.


Over the past twenty five years, fiscal and monetary authorities around the world have pursued policies roughly consistent with the insights from optimal monetary and fiscal policy. In the area of monetary policy, the modern consensus is to set policy rules so that nominal interest rates and inflation are low. In the area of fiscal policy, statutory corporate income tax rates have decreased sharply in OECD countries on average over time. Typically, theoretical models in the literature usually examine either monetary or fiscal policies in isolation, but not both of them simultaneously. This book presents two alternative dynamic, general equilibrium models where the prescriptions from optimal monetary and fiscal policies are simultaneously examined. These models offer some new insights on the interaction of such policies, especially in terms of their effects on household's welfare. A third chapter examines optimal fiscal policy in the context of preference reversals. This book should be especially useful for policymakers in the area of macroeconomics and researchers working in the field.


Binary and ternary TeO2 based oxy-chloride glass systems have been prepared and characterised by absorption and low-temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy, and by the measurements of dc electrical conductivity. Prepared glasses exhibit transmittance 75-80% in a broad transmission range 0.3 – 6.5µm with modest shift of upper absorption edge to longer wavelength as heavier ions are introduced into the system. Electronic transitions between 4f-4f inner shells of Pr3+ ions embedded into the host glass have been investigated in a wide temperature range as a function of used precursors used for doping. The temperature dependence of dc electrical conductivity exhibits Arrhenius plots with the single activation energy. PACS codes 81.05.Kf, 78.20.Ci, 78.55.Hx


The overall results on the Executive
Accountancy paper were extremely
disappointing. The pass rate which was
14% was lower than the previous year's.
The aim of this article is to emphasise
in more detail what the Executive Accountancy
paper really contains and the
position of the Executive Accountant
both in industry and commerce.
The industrial and commercial accountant
has had a hard struggle to get
out of the accounting house into the
Board Room. With this struggle, the accountants
are now being promoted into
managerial positions in accountancy
functions with little experience and even
without professional training in effective
management


Summary. The interrelationships between the intrinsic motility and electrophoretic properties of fowl spermatozoa were studied in glycine-citrate buffer at temperatures of 3 to 5\m=.\5\s=deg\ C using Staflo electrophoresis. Migration patterns obtained with sperm concentrations of 25 \m=x\ 106 and 250 \m=x\ 106/ml were similar and gave average electrophoretic mobilities of 1\m=.\65\m=+-\0\m=.\10\m=x\ 10\m=-\4 cm/sec/V/cm, corrected to conditions of 1% sucrose at 3\s=deg\ C. At 4\s=deg\ C, there was no significant difference between collection fractions with regard to viable (eosin-negative) spermatozoa. At 5\m=.\5\s=deg\ C, however, the lower collection fraction was enriched relative to the upper fraction with regard to motility, viability, fertility and hatchability. For these properties, the lower fraction did not differ from the high quality control. With lower quality starting samples, absolute enrichment may be expected.


A semiconductor nanocrystal film is a unique class of nanocomposite, whose collective properties are determined by those of its constituents. Colloidal synthetic methods offer precise size control and finely tuned optical properties via quantum confinement, while recent improvements in charge transport through films have led to a variety of optoelectronic applications. However, understanding the role of defects and impurities in doping, crucial for optimizing device performance, has remained more elusive. In this perspective, we review recent progress in understanding and controlling the doping of semiconductor nanocrystal thin films, with a special focus on its relevance to photovoltaic applications. We highlight an array of postsynthetic techniques based on stoichiometric control, metal impurity incorporation, and electrochemical charging. We conclude with a review of the state of the art for nanocrystal photovoltaics, and propose the use of controlled doping and charge balance as a pathway to higher device efficiencies.


Paideia – i.e. Greek culture, comprising, amongst other things, language, literature, philosophy and medicine – was a constituent component of the social identity of the elite of the Roman empire: as a number of influential studies on the Second Sophistic have recently shown, leading members of society presented themselves as such by their possession and deployment of cultural capital, for example by performing oratory, writing philosophy or showcasing medical interventions. As the 'common language' of the men ruling the various parts of the empire, Greek culture became a characteristic of, and thus a de facto condition for, leading socio-political positions. Whilst most elite men would have taken for granted a good cultural education no less than a leading position, an outstanding command of the classical Greek language, literature and tradition as displayed in epideictic performances allowed some orators, philosophers and doctors to move distinctively up the social ladder, sometimes reaching the ears of, and thereby wielding influence over, the emperor himself.


By utilizing the centrifugal force of an electron, resulting from a magnetic field in the cathode plane as a restoring force, an electrostatically-confined beam flow can be obtained through the strong focusing of a periodic electric field. Because of the extremely steep nature of the potential valley derived from its particular force field, the focusing scheme is far more stable than any previous ones. A uniform magnetic field threading the cathode is employed when a very thin, hollow beam is to be focused. By using a radially varying magnetic field, the focusing scheme can be applied to thick hollow beams, of low as well as of high perveance. Experimental results indicate that the focusing performance obtained is much less critical than that obtained with a periodic magnetic field which has been recently tested extensively.


In this paper an integrated electronic system has been designed, constructed and tested. The system utilizes an interface card through the parallel port in addition to some auxiliary circuits to perform fuzzy control operations for DC motor speed control with load and no load. Software is written using (C++ language Ver. 3.1) to display the image as control panel for different types of both conventional and fuzzy control. The main task of the software is to simulate: first, how to find out the correct parameters for fuzzy logic controller (membership's function, rules and scaling factor). Second, how to evaluate the gain factors (KP, KI and KD) by Ziegler-Nichols method. When executing any type of control process the efficiency is estimated by drawing the relative speed response for this control.


The chain-rule processor is a method of constructing an optimal Bayes classifier from a bank of processors. Each processor is a feature extractor designed to separate the given class from a class-dependent reference hypothesis, thereby avoiding the curse of dimensionality. This work builds upon prior work in optimal classifier design using class-specific features. The chain-rule processor is an improvement that recursively applies the PDF projection theorem.


In the Dutch Public Health Status and Foresight report (PHSF), the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment explores the future of public health and health care in the Netherlands up to 2040. In the first article of a short series on the PHSF 2014, we briefly explained the study and four normative perspectives on public health. In the second article, we described the most important future trends up to 2030. In this, the final article on the PHSF 2014, we use the four normative perspectives as a foresight of future guidelines. We make some recommendations in which normative diversity is taken into account. Our ultimate goal is to see our results and analyses also being put to use in other strategic discussions and determinations.


Tarhana is a traditional food produced by the fermentation, drying and grinding of dough prepared with wheat flour, yoghurt, various vegetables and spices. Microbiological risks and pest formation are the major problems encountered during the storage of tarhana. In this study, the effect of irradiation was determined in order to eliminate microbiological risks and pest formation while preserving the quality features during the storage of tarhana. Depending on the irradiation dose, microbial inhibition occurred in tarhana samples, and the maximum protection was achieved with 10 kGy. Nevertheless, doses of 2.5 and 5 kGy inhibited the growth of Bacillus cereus. Additionally, all irradiation doses prevented pest formation. The consistency coefficient of soups prepared with irradiated tarhana samples decreased depending on the irradiation doses. There was no difference in 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and total phenol content in the control with irradiated tarhana samples. However, the 10 kGy irradiated tarhana sample included higher thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. In conclusion, irradiation was applied for the first time to preserve tarhana by reducing the microbiological risk and preventing pest formation. Accordingly, a 5 kGy irradiation dose was recommended, with which the tarhana rheology was affected slightly.


The paper proposes a method for feedback stability evaluation for discrete-time, linear time-varying control systems. It is assumed that the time-varying system can be described by linear matrices operators, equivalent to general discrete-time, time-varying state space model with nonzero input-output delay. The main used tools are Bode diagrams approximated for time-varying systems, using power spectral density properties, discrete Fourier transform and singular value decomposition of the system operator.


The LHC beam dumping system performed according to expectations during Run 1 of the LHC (2009 – 2013). A brief overview of the experience is given, including a summary of the observed performance by comparison to expectations. An important number of changes are applied to the beam dumping system during the present Long Shutdown in order to further improve its safety and performance. They include the addition of a direct link between the Beam Interlock System and the re-triggering system of the dump kickers, the modification of the uninterrupted electrical power distribution architecture, the upgrade of the HV generators, the consolidation of the trigger synchronisation system, the modifications to the triggering system of the power switches and the changes to the dump absorbers TCDQ.


In a non aerated incubation medium, the oxidation of the tested thiaoleic acids by C. vulgaris was regioselective. Moreover the non oxidised 14-thiaoleic acid had no influence on the endogenous fatty acid pattern whereas the 13-thiaoleic acid, readily oxidised by the microalgae, caused a significant 18:1 accumulation in phospholipids. Examination of the 13-thiaoleic acid metabolism revealed that up to 15% of the substrate was specifically oxidised in the phospholipids before being transferred into the neutral lipids class of C. vulgaris. Confirmation of the monooxygenase-like delta 12-desaturase intervention in this biotransformation was obtained by the stereochemical analysis of the optically active sulfoxide isolated from the endoplasmic phospholipids.


This retrospective study to assess the role of hypertension in acute heart failure (HF) reviewed the case records of 86 patients, including 35 men (41%) and 51 women (59%), mean age 55.6 ± 18 years, who were hospitalized for an acute exacerbation of HF. The cardiovascular risk factors considered were hypertension (56%), diabetes (8%), and smoking (13%); 11 patients were alcoholics (13%). HF was global in 71 cases (83%). Among the underlying heart diseases, hypertensive cardiomyopathy was noted in 22 patients (26%) and valvular disease in 17 patients (20%); the precise cause was not elucidated in 40 (47%). A decompensation factor was identified in 53 cases (62%). Among the patients admitted on an emergency basis for acute HF, the relative risk (RR) of severe hypertension (n = 41, 48%) was 3.75 (95% CI: 2.31 to 6.08, p<0.0001), of heart rhythm disorder (n = 25 cases, 29%) 0.96 (95% CI 0.6 to 1.4, p = 0.5), and of poor adherence to standard treatment (n = 16, 18%) 2.2 (95% CI, 1.6 to 2.97, p<0.0001). Other decompensation factors were severely impaired renal function in 8 cases (9%) and stroke and anemia in 6 cases each (7%).


The dielectric constants, electrical conductivity, specific heat, and pyroelectric coefficients of ferro‐electric Sr1−xBaxNb2O6 (SBN) are investigated as a function of temperature in the range 10°–500°K, and as a function of the Sr/Ba composition of the material. A simple technique for measuring absolute pyroelectric coefficients and spontaneous polarizations of ferroelectrics is described. The electric field and frequency dependence of the dielectric properties are also investigated. The theory of pyroelectric detection is discussed from a materials point of view, and the experimental data are considered in terms of the usefulness of SBN as a pyroelectric detector of electromagnetic radiation.


Aspergillus tracheobronchitis is a rare form of invasive aspergillosis reported exceptionally in the immunocompetent patient. Its diagnosis is difficult, and the treatments proposed so far are of little effectiveness, all of which constitute a real problem for the health team. We present the case of an immunocompetent 28 years old woman, with no epidemiological background, who developed necrotizing tracheobronchitis due to invasive aspergillosis and received voriconazole with local instillation by bronchoscopy with a good response.


The decision-directed blind equalization algorithm is often used due to its simplicity and good convergence property when the eye pattern is open. However, in a channel where the eye pattern is closed, the decision-directed algorithm is not guaranteed to converge. Hence, a modified Bussgang-type algorithm using a hyperbolic tangent function for zero-memory nonlinear(ZNL) function has been proposed and applied to avoid this problem by Filho et al. But application of this algorithm includes the calculation of hyperbolic tangent function and its derivative or a look-up table which may need a large amount of memory due to channel variations. To reduce the computational and/or hardware complexity of Filho`s algorithm, in this paper, an improved method for the decision-directed algorithm is proposed. In the proposed scheme, the ZNL function and its derivative are respectively set to be the original signum function and a narrow rectangular pulse which is an approximation of Dirac delta function. It is shown that the proposed scheme, when it is combined with decision-directed algorithm, reduces the computational complexity drastically while it retains the convergence and steady-state performance of the Filho`s algorithm.


This study showcases the escalation of research productivity of UPES (University of Petroleum and Energy Studies), Dehradun for the time span of 10 years from 2008 to 2017. In total 892 publications has been retrieved from the Scopus database. Amongst them, 54.82 % are research articles published in scholarly journals and 36.32 % in Conference proceedings. This paper also highlights the research fraternity of UPES who all are active in the research domain, their collaborative works, their productivity in terms of publications, journal citations etc. Findings also reveal that the International Journal of Applied Engineering Research is the most preferred journal and Kumar, A. is the most productive author and has made the highest number of publications.


The major problem with the standard technique for irradiation of the breast or chest wall and peripheral lymphatics is field matching at the junction between the supraclavicular and tangential fields. Overdosing or under-dosing across the junctions is unavoidable because of beam divergence. Various techniques using a half-blocked supraclavicular field in conjunction with special tangential fields have been introduced recently to eliminate the junction problem; they are, however, complicated, involving couch motions and machine isocentre repositioning when changing from the supraclavicular to the tangential fields. The breast treatment technique which we have used over the past twelve months utilises a supraclavicular half-blocked field, two tangential half-blocked fields and an optional posterior axillary field. The technique is simple and easy to set up since the same machine isocentre is used for all treatment fields and no couch movement or patient repositioning is required. The same half-block collimator which is used to define the caudad border of the supraclavicular field is used to define the cephalad edges of the two tangential fields. The margin of error of treatment is reduced and the dose measurements demonstrate excellent dose homogeneity through the entire treatment volume with no overdose or underdose at the field junction.


There are two aspects that distinguish the approaches used to conceptualize problem gambling in adolescence. The first aspect concerns the type of variables involved in conceptualizing the phenomenon: most approaches integrate variables of an individual nature in their modelling and give little consideration to social type variables. The second aspect concerns the distinction between determinism and interactionism: many of the approaches seem to follow a determinist line of thinking and few consider people as social actors in interaction with their environment. Consequently, this article aims to conceptually prepare the ground for later studies that will adopt a more sociological and interactionist approach. To do so, the theoretical perspectives that are most commonly used in conceptualizing the phenomenon will be analysed by way of the two above aspects. A new analysis perspective will then be presented, namely the general theory of rationality (GTR) by Raymond Boudon. The GTR proposes a theoretical reversal to other approaches by focusing on social actors and variables of a social nature rather than on a person's psychology. In this sense, the theory adopts a viewpoint that has not been greatly employed in the analysis of adolescent problem gambling.


Multiplication is one of the most common arithmetic operations employed in digital systems such as FIR filters and DSP processors but multipliers are the most time, area, and power consuming circuits. Improvement in any of these parameters can be advantageous for improv-ing the efficiency of the circuit. High-speed multiplier which uses the high-speed adder is designed based on the Wallace tree concept in this paper. In this paper first we present an approach towards the reduction of delay in Wallace tree multipliers by using 8:2 and 4:2 adder com-pressors, in the partial product reduction stage. The proposed design is also compared to the Wallace Tree multiplier which uses 4:2 and 8:2 adder compressors in terms of propagation delay. The proposed design enhances speed of the system by 74.1% compared to the conven-tional Wallace Tree multiplier, while 24.1 % reduction was achieved in the delay of the system relative to Wallace tree multiplier with 16-bit adder with one of the 8-2 adder compressors.


The problem of automated crowd segmentation and counting has garnered significant interest in the field of video surveillance. This paper proposes a novel scene invariant crowd segmentation and counting algorithm designed with high accuracy yet low computational complexity in mind, which is key for widespread industrial adoption. A novel low-complexity, scale-normalized feature called Histogram of Moving Gradients (HoMG) is introduced for highly effective spatiotemporal representation of individuals and crowds within a video. Real-time crowd segmentation is achieved via boosted cascade of weak classifiers based on sliding-window HoMG features, while linear SVM regression of crowd-region HoMG features is employed for real-time crowd counting. Experimental results using multi-camera crowd datasets show that the proposed algorithm significantly outperform state-of-the-art crowd counting algorithms, as well as achieve very promising crowd segmentation results, thus demonstrating the efficacy of the proposed method for highly-accurate, real-time video-driven crowd analysis.


According to mating principle of gears with circular tooth profile and on the basis of deep inquiring into the relationship between axis error of such gears and transmission error, a quantitative formula of transmission error due to this axis error is deduced. The related transmission error can be calculated conveniently with this formula.


This paper describes a novel distributed data parallel self consistent field (SCF) algorithm and the distributed data coupled perturbed Hartree-Fock (CPHF) step of an analytic Hessian algorithm. The distinguishing features of these algorithms are: (a) columns of density and Fock matrices are distributed among processors, (b) pairwise dynamic load balancing and an efficient static load balancer were developed to achieve a good workload, and (c) network communication time is minimized via careful analysis of data flow in the SCF and CPHF algorithms. By using a shared memory model, novel work load balancers, and improved analytic Hessian steps, we have developed codes that achieve superb performance. The performance of the CPHF code is demonstrated on a large biological system.


The major objective of this Third Consultative Group Meeting is to bring together representatives of various research groups involved in research on groundnut rosette virus (GRV) disease to review their research findings and to coordinate plans for future research and cooperation. It is indeed pleasing that so many of you have been able to attend this meeting. I am sure the research reports will be of great interest and that we shall be able to make effective plans for further cooperation in research to combat this important virus disease. Another objective is to consider the possible usefulness of producing an ICRISAT Information Bulletin on GRV. If such a publication is considered desirable in the near future, we may have to solicit your assistance in its preparation. An additional objective, and one that influenced the choice of venue, is to give those of you from outside Africa the opportunity to see GRV disease in the field, and in particular to examine research currently in progress at ICRISAT's Regional Groundnut Improvement Program for Southern Africa. This program is located at the Chitedze Agricultural Research Station of the Malawi Ministry of Agriculture. You will also be shown some of the field trials conducted by research staff of the Malawi Ministry of Agriculture, and will be able to visit farmers' fields in Lilongwe district. The meeting should provide us with ample opportunity for informal as well as formal discussions. I am sure that the objectives will be met, that valuable information will be presented, and important proposals formulated for continuing cooperative research.


Abstract The nature of student involvement in research project activity in higher education can be influenced by the extent to which student and institutional researchers hold mutual interests in common and the political and socio-cultural characteristics of the environment in which the research project is located. Productive systems models could provide a useful means of identifying different opportunities for students to engage in producing knowledge, particularly when combined with an analysis of the character of knowledge in production within different project contexts and activities.


Introduction: Diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) can be accompanied by fear of negative evaluation (FNE). Emerging MS symptoms and FNE affect patients' health in dimensions including social well-being (SWB). The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between FNE and SWB among Iranian patients with MS. In addition, the moderating role of disease duration on this relationship was examined. Methods: In this descriptive correlational study, 200 MS patients were recruited from two clinics in Qazvin, Iran, through convenience sampling. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Brief FNE Scale, and the SWB Questionnaire. Results: Mean scores for FNE and SWB were 35.12 ± 13.39 and 100.11 ± 9.81, respectively. We did not find a significant relationship between FNE and SWB (b = 0.092, P = 0.321). However, there was a statistically significant positive association between the duration of the disease and SWB (b = 0.928, P = 0.001). Moreover, there was a statistically significant interaction between the duration of the disease and FNE in predicting SWB (b = −0.025, P = 0.049). Conclusion: The study showed that the strength of the relationship between FNE and SWB depends on the disease duration. More specifically, FNE predicts well-being in patients with longer disease duration but not in patients with shorter disease duration.


OBJECTIVE
To explore the effect of puerarin injection on the amount of GLUT4 protein at the plasma membrane in insulin-resistant rat skeletal muscle.

METHOD
The rat model of insulin resistance (IR) was made by being fed with high-fat diet. The animals were divided into three groups (ten in each group): group I: controls; group II: Insulin-resistant rats; group III: Insulin-resistant rats + Puerarin treatment. Insulin-resistant rats were injected with 100 mg puerarin injection per kg body weight through abdominal cavity once a day for 4 weeks. Fasting blood glucose and fasting serum insulin levels were measured before and after Puerarin treatment, respectively. Insulin treatment was achieved by intraperitoneal injection of insulin (1 unit insulin per kg body weight.) 15 minute before killing the animals. The right hindlimb skeletal muscle was rapidly dissected. Then the expression of GLUT4 protein at the plasma membrane in all the animals was assessed with Western blot method.

RESULT
The GLUT4 content at the plasma membrane in insulin-resistant rats skeletal muscle was significantly lower (about 31%) than that of controls (P < 0.01). Puerarin Injection partly corrected fasting blood glucose (from 6.17 +/- 0.67 mmol x L(-1) to 5.54 +/- 0.35 mmol x L(-1)) and fasting serum insulin levels (from 17.09 +/- 2.02 mU x L(-1) to 11.86 +/- 1.35 mU x L(-1)) and increased the GLUT4 content at the plasma membrane by 1.18-fold in insulin-resistant rats skeletal muscle.

CONCLUSION
Puerarin Injection can ameliorate IR, and the mechanism may be involved in increasing cell-surface level of GLUT4 through decreasing fasting blood glucose and fasting serum insulin levels, improving GLUT4 trafficking and intracellular insulin signaling.


Proximate analysis for ash, protein, ether extract, crude fiber and nitrogen-tree extract has provided much valuable information, but these values are not now considered adequate to evaluate fully the nutritive .. qualities of range forages (Hansen et al., 1958). Some detailed analyses (Waite and Gorrod, 1959; Binger and Sullivan, 1954) have provided useful information on the composition of grasses; however, their methods are too complex and time consuming to permit routine use. These procedures are being shortened and adapted to provide the needed information. Some of these modifications and their application are reported in this paper.


In management studies, whiteness is learnt through the discipline's epistemic norms and conventions, received intellectual history, conceptual canon, driving logics and institutional frameworks. The foundational white epistemology of management produces and secures racial inequality while insisting that race is irrelevant and racism is obsolete in a post-racial imaginary. In this conceptual piece, I explore how scholars of colour and our knowledge experience a phenomenon of seen invisibility. This dialectical condition is reproduced through mechanisms and practices by which our discipline is disciplined within the prevailing racial order. After analysing examples of these normalised mechanisms and practices through the testimonies of scholars of colour who research, review, teach and edit management theorising in the Global North, I discuss how we might unlearn whiteness in our discipline through epistemic resistance.


Inhibition of intracellular nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) represents a new mode of action for cancer-targeting antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) with activity also in slowly proliferating cells. To extend the repertoire of available effector chemistries, we have developed a novel structural class of NAMPT inhibitors as ADC payloads. A structure–activity relationship-driven approach supported by protein structural information was pursued to identify a suitable attachment point for the linker to connect the NAMPT inhibitor with the antibody. Optimization of scaffolds and linker structures led to highly potent effector chemistries which were conjugated to antibodies targeting C4.4a (LYPD3), HER2 (c-erbB2), or B7H3 (CD276) and tested on antigen-positive and -negative cancer cell lines. Pharmacokinetic studies, including metabolite profiling, were performed to optimize the stability and selectivity of the ADCs and to evaluate potential bystander effects. Optimized NAMPTi-ADCs demonstrated potent in vivo antitumor efficacy in target antigen-expressing xenograft mouse models. This led to the development of highly potent NAMPT inhibitor ADCs with a very good selectivity profile compared with the corresponding isotype control ADCs. Moreover, we demonstrate—to our knowledge for the first time—the generation of NAMPTi payload metabolites from the NAMPTi-ADCs in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, NAMPTi-ADCs represent an attractive new payload class designed for use in ADCs for the treatment of solid and hematological cancers.


The thermal environment (TE) inside swine production systems substantially affects animal performance as well as facility natural resource usage; hence, our measurement, understanding, and assessment of the TE must be advanced to sustainably meet the animal-protein demand of the growing global population. The TE describes the parameters that influence heat exchange between an animal and its surroundings, with maximum animal performance achieved when minimal thermoregulatory effort is required. Instrumentation and analysis techniques connecting the impact of the TE on total heat loss and subsequently, to animal performance in intensive housing systems are limited. Therefore, the goals of this dissertation research were to create a novel measurement system for quantifying the TE, develop a mechanistic model to understand the interaction between pigs and their TE, and lastly, establish the methodology to assess the TE for improved management strategies. This dissertation describes the design, validation, and implementation of an innovative TE sensor array (TESA) featuring dry-bulb and black globe temperature, airspeed, and relative humidity measurements. A low-cost omnidirectional thermal anemometer was engineered and calibrated with documented measurement uncertainty for reliable airspeed measurements. These measured parameters were needed as inputs to estimate the convective, radiative, and evaporative modes of heat loss in the developed model, which simulated the cascade of behavioral and physiological thermoregulatory responses of group-housed, grow-finish pigs as a function of the TE. Model results were used to generate a new thermal index for assessing different combinations of the TE and predicting the subsequent impact on animal performance. This index was applied to spatially and temporally analyze data collected from a network of 44 TESAs deployed symmetrically in two rooms of a commercial swine facility. TESA adds a new level of measurement precision greatly needed in modern facilities and goes beyond solely measuring dry-


On a periodic basis, publicly traded companies report fundamentals, financial data including revenue, earnings, debt, among others. Quantitative finance research has identified several factors, functions of the reported data that historically correlate with stock market performance. In this paper, we first show through simulation that if we could select stocks via factors calculated on future fundamentals (via oracle), that our portfolios would far outperform standard factor models. Motivated by this insight, we train deep nets to forecast future fundamentals from a trailing 5-year history. We propose lookahead factor models which plug these predicted future fundamentals into traditional factors. Finally, we incorporate uncertainty estimates from both neural heteroscedastic regression and a dropout-based heuristic, improving performance by adjusting our portfolios to avert risk. In retrospective analysis, we leverage an industry-grade portfolio simulator (backtester) to show simultaneous improvement in annualized return and Sharpe ratio. Specifically, the simulated annualized return for the uncertainty-aware model is 17.7% (vs 14.0% for a standard factor model) and the Sharpe ratio is 0.84 (vs 0.52).


Twenty patients with type I Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease received dietary supplementation with the essential fatty acids (EFA), linoleic and gamma-linolenic acids, and vitamin E. A 3-month blinded trial of placebo (paraffin oil and vitamin E, 81.6 IU/d) was followed by 1 year of 3 grams daily of EFA and vitamin E. Serum fatty acid values doubled, but total esterified fatty acid proportions did not change. Arachidonic acid proportions correlated with the amount of prostaglandin-mediated lymphocyte suppression measured at the same times. Improvement demonstrated at the end of the placebo period by neuropsychological tests and neurologic examination was maintained during the 1 year of EFA supplementation. This effect may reflect a membrane stabilization benefit of vitamin E.


In the last decade electrospinning has shown its potential of being a feasible technique to manufacture scaffolds for tissue engineering [1]. Previous studies observed that, on a micrometer scale, the topology of the scaffold plays a fundamental role in the spreading and the differentiation of the cells [2], and in the growth of neo-extracellular matrix. On a tissue scale (in the order of cm) the stiffness of the construct enables the possibility of applying mechanical cues for the development of a functional engineered tissue [3]. Studies on scaffold mechanics based on volume-averaging theory succeeded in demonstrating that the arrangement of the micro-scale scaffold components influences the macro-scale mechanical behavior [4].Copyright © 2012 by ASME


The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of board size on the financial performance of manufacturing firms listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange from 2014 to 2018. The research method used is multiple linear regression. The financial performance is measured with a return on assets (ROA). The research shows that board size does not significantly influence firm performance. This paper is particularly important to the policymakers and shareholders of firms in Indonesia and other developing economies since it provides a comprehensive insight into the board size – firm performance relationship and therefore it helps them to decide the most optimal board size.


Abstract. On the one hand Jungian John Sanford criticizes Carl Jung for underestimating the importance granted evil by at least some strains of Christianity. On the other hand Sanford follows Jung in assuming that psychology is entitled to criticize Christianity whenever it fails to grant evil its due. Like Jung, Sanford contends that he is faulting Christianity on only psychological grounds: for failing to cope with evil in man–the shadow archetype. In fact, Sanford, like perhaps Jung as well, is also criticizing Christianity on metaphysical grounds: for failing to acknowledge not just psychological but also ontological evil. Whether Sanford is thereby using psychology to assess Christian metaphysics is the issue.


Personal flotation devices (PFD) are promoted and in many states are required for safe boating practices and to prevent drowning. Primary use of PFDs is associated with water sports (water skiing, tubing, etc.), boating and other water activities. Their purpose is to preserve life and prevent drowning. However, their effectiveness to prevent drowning and near-drowning has not been well established. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effectiveness of PFDs to prevent drowning and near-drowning of individuals involved in personal watercraft (PWC) crashes. Methods include the 48-month collection of PWC crash data from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for 1994-1997. Information on PFD use, swimming experience, whether passengers were ejected from the watercraft and crash cause was queried. Results show that 38% were not swimmers, 98% wore a PFD and 54% were ejected from the PWC. Alcohol was a causal factor in six crashes and one death. It is estimated that PFDs saved 38 Arkansans who could have drowned. This study highlights one example of the effectiveness of PFDs to prevent mortality and morbidity.


Background To assess the position accuracy of the six-degree-of-freedom (6-DoF) couch based on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and exploit the correlation of the six degrees errors. Methods CT scans of an anthropomorphic phantom and patients were obtained at 3 mm slice thicknesses using a Philips scanner at the head, first supine and prostrate positions. An Eclipse Treatment Planning System was used to create a treatment plan. Different levels of known position errors were introduced to simulate patient position status for the anthropomorphic phantom. CBCT datasets for each position were acquired and registered to original CT datasets to evaluate the accuracy of the 6-DoF couch and determine the setup errors of patients. The setup errors of 200 CBCT datasets from 14 patients with pelvic tumors were analyzed. The correlations between six degrees position errors were finally extracted. Results For the phantom study, the difference between known introduced errors and the setup errors were almost negligible. The deviation (mean ± one standard deviation) in registration methods were (0.01±0.02) cm, (0.04±0.075) cm, (0.02±0.004) cm, (0.01±0.04)°, (0.1±0.08)°, (0.03±0.05)° and (0.01±0.01) cm, (0.03±0.007) cm, (0.01±0.01) cm, (0.05±0.06)°, (0.08±0.08)°, (0.04±0.05)° for supine and prone position, respectively. The deviation in positions were (0.07±0.10) cm, (0.16±0.02) cm, (0.08±0.06) cm, (0.54±0.46)°, (0.24±0.16)°, (0.09±0.09)° and (0.06±0.09) cm, (0.19±0.09) cm, (0.09±0.07) cm, (0.49±0.49)°, (0.16±0.08)°, (0.1±0.13)° for bone and soft tissue registration methods, respectively. For patient data, the setup errors were (−0.07±0.22) cm, (0.14±0.35) cm, (−0.12±0.4) cm, (0.79±1.6)°, (0.41±0.71)°, (−0.03±0.8)° for supine position and (0.16±0.27) cm, (0.19±0.48) cm, (−0.05±0.34) cm, (1.1±1.49)°, (0.65±1.00)°, (−0.23±0.75)° for prone position, respectively. There is a significant moderate correlation between the longitudinal and pitch directions and between the vertical and pitch directions when the patient is in the supine position. Conclusions The six-dimensional couch positioning verification system based on CBCT has high accuracy and can meet the requirements of precise radiotherapy for pelvic tumors. There is a certain correlation between translation direction and rotation direction.


Abstract The present paper focuses on the structures and dynamics of flame edges in planar turbulent non-premixed flames bounded with a wall using direct numerical simulation (DNS). The global quenching behaviour was first examined and the flame edges were identified based on the intersections of mixture fraction and OH mass fraction iso-surfaces. For the upper branch of the planar jet flame, it is observed that the structures of flame edges change from tribrachial to monobrachial with increasing scalar dissipation rate. The flame edge speed is negatively correlated with the scalar dissipation rate in regions away from the wall, highlighting the role of turbulent mixing on the flame edge dynamics. During flame–wall interactions, the propagation speed of flame edges is mainly affected by the projection of edge flame normal in the wall-normal direction, i.e. $\boldsymbol {N}_{Z}\boldsymbol {\cdot }\boldsymbol {N}_{wall}$. In particular, the propagation speed increases with increasing $\boldsymbol {N}_{Z}\boldsymbol {\cdot }\boldsymbol {N}_{wall}$ in the near-wall region. The interactions of flame edges and turbulence bounded with a wall are characterized by the alignment between edge flame normal and principal strain rates. The normal of quenching edges has a tendency to align with the most extensive strain rate $\boldsymbol {e}_{1}$ in regions where the heat-release-induced dilatation is dominant over turbulent strain. In contrast, when the heat loss by cold wall effect is large enough to counteract the heat release induced by chemical reactions, turbulent strain is prevalent and the edge flame normal of the quenching edges preferentially aligns with the most compressive strain rate $\boldsymbol {e}_{3}$.


The authors illustrate the diagnostic and therapeutic problems posed by pigmented villonodular synovitis of the hip by reviewing the literature and reporting on six original cases. Four of these cases were treated by synovectomy and two by prostheses. The best results were obtained with the total prostheses, but this must be considered in the light of the fact that most of the patients were young.


A 24-year-old woman was admitted to our department for further examination of hypercalcemia, a high level of intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) and a right parathyroid tumor. She complained of bone pain throughout her body and was unable to walk due to systemic cystic osteofibrosis, including a brown tumor of the left lower extremities. Neck ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a tumor 2 cm in diameter in the upper side of the right thyroid lobe. 99mTc sestamibi (99mTc-MIBI) imaging and F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) were performed to diagnose primary hyperparathyroidism and examination of other parathyroid glands. However, neither imaging modality detected the parathyroid tumor. To confirm the diagnosis, we performed selective venous sampling around the parathyroid and the patient was diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism due to a right parathyroid tumor. Resection of the right parathyroid tumor was performed and the pathological diagnosis was parathyroid adenoma. To date, both 99mTc-MIBI and FDG-PET are useful to localize parathyroid tumors. In this case, however, neither modality detected the tumor. Although recent studies state that expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in parathyroid tumors plays an important role in the false-negative results of both 99mTc-MIBI scans and FDG-PET, immunohistological study detected no P-gp expression in the parathyroid tumor in the current case.


In the 20 years since its invention in Europe, cross-laminated timber (CLT) has become a widely used construction material in parts of the old continent and has started to attract global attention. CLT possesses numerous advantages as a construction material, including its superior structural and environmental performance, as well as the speed and efficiency with which CLT buildings can be erected. In this study, European engineers were surveyed to learn about their current level of awareness of CLT, the major barriers to CLT adoption, and about the most pressing research needs to advance the use of CLT as a construction material. The study used a web-based survey with a convenience sample of 93 different kinds of timber and civil engineers and/or researchers, most of which belong to a European CLT research network. Results showed that participants think that, in general, the level of awareness about CLT among developers, construction managers, engineers, architects, and construction managers, is low. The majority of perceived barriers for CLT adoption involved its building code compatibility and the availability of technical information. The most pressing research needs for CLT development, according to respondents, are in the areas of structural performance and connections, moisture performance, and market research.


This case study applies the theoretical concepts of frame and framing processes to identify and describe the diagnostic and prognostic frames for water sustainability expressed through an environmental decision support system. The research examines the development of WaterSim, a computer simulation model of water supply and demand in central Arizona. Qualitative data were generated through semistructured individual and group interviews, participant observations, and document analysis. The analysis identified a diagnostic frame defining the water sustainability problem as uncertain and long-term water supply shortage caused by prolonged drought, climate change impacts, and population growth. The prognostic frame for water sustainability defined the solutions to be urban residential water demand management, retirement of agricultural lands, and conversion of agricultural water to municipal uses to achieve safe yield of groundwater. The results of the study are discussed in terms of implications for decision support systems (DSS) design.


Intervertebral disc (IVD) is the fibrocartilage between the vertebrae, allowing the spine to move steadily by bearing multidirectional complex loads. Aging or injury usually causes degeneration of IVD, which is one of the main reasons for low back pain prevalent worldwide and reduced quality of life. While various treatment strategies for degenerative IVD have been studied using in vitro studies, animal experiments, and clinical trials, there are unsolved limitations for endogenous regeneration of degenerative IVD. In this respect, several tissue engineering strategies that are based on the cell and scaffolds have been extensively researched with positive outcomes for regeneration of IVD tissues. Scaffolds made of functional polymers and their diverse forms mimicking the macro- and micro-structure of native IVD enhance the biological and mechanical properties of the scaffolds for IVD regeneration. In this review, we discuss diverse morphological and functional polymers and tissue engineering strategies for endogenous regeneration of degenerative IVD. Tissue engineering strategies using functional polymers are promising therapeutics for fundamental and endogenous regeneration of degenerative IVD.


Background Setting physical barriers, for example platform screen doors (PSDs), has been proven to be effective in preventing falls onto railway tracks, but its cost-effectiveness is not known. For economic evaluation of public health interventions, the importance of including non-health factors has been noted despite a lack of empirical studies. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of PSDs, which are installed in part of the Hong Kong railway system, for preventing railway injuries. Methods Data on railway injuries from 1997 to 2007 were obtained from the railway operators. Poisson regression was used to examine the risk reduction. Two incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) were calculated to assess the cost-effectiveness based on (1) disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) only and (2) DALYs with potential fare revenue and passengers' waiting time lost due to railway circulation collapse. Results The PSD installation has effectively reduced railway injuries (adjusted 5-year average percentage change: −68.8%, p<0.0001) with no apparent substitution effect to the other platforms observed. To be cost-effective, the cost of gaining a healthy life year (ICER) should not exceed three times the per capita GDP (US$74 700). The PSD installation would only be cost-effective if the loss of fare revenue and passengers' waiting time, in addition to DALY, were included (ICER: US$65 400), while the ICER based on DALY only would be US$77 900. Conclusion The challenges of complexity for economic evaluation appear in many community-based health interventions. A more extensive perspective for exploring other outcome measurements and evaluation methods to reflect a fair and appropriate value of the intervention's cost-effectiveness is needed.


Network traffic anomaly detection is of critical importance in cybersecurity due to the massive and rapid growth of sophisticated computer network attacks. Indeed, the more new Internet-related technologies are created, the more elaborate the attacks become. Among all the contemporary high-level attacks, dictionary-based brute-force attacks (BFA) present one of the most unsurmountable challenges. We need to develop effective methods to detect and mitigate such brute-force attacks in realtime. In this paper, we investigate SSH and FTP brute-force attack detection by using the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) deep learning approach. Additionally, we made use of machine learning (ML) classifiers: J48, naive Bayes (NB), decision table (DT), random forest (RF) and k-nearest-neighbor (k-NN), for additional detection purposes. We used the well-known labelled dataset CICIDS2017. We evaluated the effectiveness of the LSTM and ML algorithms, and compared their performance. Our results show that the LSTM model outperforms the ML algorithms, with an accuracy of 99.88%.


While there is considerable debate in the popular press about the changing roles of men and women, labour force statistics suggest that there has been little change in the work patterns of men and women. Despite the increasing availability of part-time work, men in professional and managerial roles are not considering part-time as an option for them. Rather, there are increasing organizational pressures for men to be working long hours in the paid workforce. In this paper, men's absence from part-time work is considered from a multidisciplinary perspective. Factors operating at the individual, social and organizational levels are identified and explored in terms of their impact on men's working patterns. A model is presented that characterizes men's absence from part-time work as a result of the mutually reinforcing nature of these factors.


Crowdsourcing ideas from consumers can enrich idea input in new product development. After a decade of initiatives (e.g., Starbucks' MyStarbucksIdea, Dell's IdeaStorm), the implications of crowdsourcing for idea generation are well understood, but challenges remain in dealing with the large volume of rapidly generated ideas produced in crowdsourcing communities. This study proposes a model that can assist managers in efficiently processing crowdsourced ideas by identifying the aspects of ideas that are most predictive of future implementation and identifies three sources of information available for an idea: its content, the contributor proposing it, and the crowd's feedback on the idea (the "3Cs"). These information sources differ in their time of availability (content/contributor information is available immediately; crowd feedback accumulates over time) and in the extent to which they comprise structured or unstructured data. This study draws from prior research to operationalize variables corresponding to the 3Cs and develops a new measure to quantify an idea's distinctiveness. Applying automated information retrieval methods (latent semantic indexing) and testing several linear methods (linear discriminant analysis, regularized logistic regression) and nonlinear machine-learning algorithms (stochastic adaptive boosting, random forests), this article identifies the variables that are most useful towards predicting idea implementation in a crowdsourcing community for an IT product (Mendeley). Our results indicate that consideration of content and contributor information improves ranking performance between 22.6 and 26.0% over random idea selection, and that adding crowd-related information further improves performance by up to 48.1%. Crowd feedback is the best predictor of idea implementation, followed by idea content and distinctiveness, and the contributor's past idea-generation experience. Firms are advised to implement two idea selection support systems: one to rank new ideas in real time based on content and contributor experience, and another that integrates the crowd's idea evaluation after it has had sufficient time to provide feedback.


BACKGROUND
There are two reasons to believe antidepressants and anxiolytics might help in smoking. First, anxiety and depression are symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, and smoking cessation sometimes precipitates depression. Second, smoking appears to be due, in part, to deficits in dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, all of which are increased by anxiolytics and antidepressants.

OBJECTIVES
The aim of this review is to assess the effectiveness of such drugs in aiding long term smoking cessation. The drugs include bupropion; buspirone; diazepam; doxepin; fluoxetine; imipramine; meprobamate; moclobemide; nortriptyline; tryptophan; ondansetron; venlafaxine and the beta-blockers metoprolol, oxprenolol and propanolol.

SEARCH STRATEGY
We searched the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group trials register which includes trials indexed in Medline, Embase, SciSearch and PsycLit, and meetings abstracts.

SELECTION CRITERIA
We considered randomized trials comparing anxiolytic or antidepressant drugs to placebo or an alternative therapeutic control for smoking cessation. We excluded trials with less than 6 months follow-up.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We extracted data in duplicate on the type of study population, the nature of the drug therapy, the outcome measures, method of randomisation, and completeness of follow-up. The main outcome measure was abstinence from smoking after at least six months follow-up in patients smoking at baseline. We used the most rigorous definition of abstinence for each trial, and biochemically validated rates if available. Where appropriate, we performed meta-analysis using a fixed effects model.

MAIN RESULTS
There was one trial each of the anxiolytics diazepam, meprobamate, metoprolol and oxprenolol. There were two trials of the anxiolytic buspirone. None of these showed evidence of effectiveness in helping smokers to quit. There was one trial each of the antidepressants fluoxetine and moclobemide, two of nortriptyline, and four trials of bupropion. Nortriptyline and bupropion increased cessation and other antidepressants might also be effective. One trial found combined bupropion and nicotine patch produced higher quit rates than patch alone.

REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS
There is little evidence that anxiolytics aid smoking cessation. Some antidepressants (bupropion and nortriptyline) can aid smoking cessation. It is not clear whether these effects are specific for individual drugs, or a class effect.


Purpose Some patients who undergo surgical resection of pancreatic cancer survive longer than other patients. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that affect long-term survival after resection of histopathologically confirmed pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Methods A single-center, retrospective study was conducted among 164 patients who underwent surgical resection of pancreatic cancer, between May 1995 and December 2004. The patient follow-up process was conducted via telephone survey and review of electronic medical records for at least 5 years or until death. Results We compared patients with long-term (≥60 months, n = 19) and short-term survival (<60 months, n = 145). Resection margin status, differentiation of the tumor, tumor stage, pre-operative serum level of albumin, total bilirubin and carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 level are related with survival difference (all factors, P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that a pre-operative serum total bilirubin level <7 mg/dL and a pre-operative serum CA19-9 level <37 U/mL is a statistically significant prognostic factor for long-term survival. Conclusion The preoperative serum total bilirubin and serum CA19-9 levels are associated with long-term survival after surgical resection of pancreatic cancer.


Purpose: Despite compelling evidence indicating chemopreventive agents can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer, they remain underused. This is common in elective therapies that hold the possibility of side effects. Effective risk stratification and patient-provider communication are critical for identifying those patients who stand to benefit most from these agents. However, there are few tools available for wide scale breast cancer risk assessment that also integrate decision support. To address this critical gap in healthcare delivery, we developed and performed preliminary evaluations of www.BreastHealthDecisions.org. This tool provides automated risk assessment and internet-based, patient-tailored decision support. Development Methods: www.BreastHealthDecisions.org was developed to guide informed, value-driven, and patient-centered breast cancer prevention decisions. We implemented four commonly used breast cancer risk prediction models in the form of web-services to provide wide scale automated, individualized breast cancer risk assessments. Our internet-based decision aid is then tailored to individual patients based on risk predictions from these models. The decision aid is designed to integrate patient data from multiple sources including electronic surveys, electronic medical record (EMR), and other databases. Evaluation Methods: Under Institutional Review Board approval, we evaluated the risk assessment tool and decision aid through patient focus groups, usability testing, and provider interviews (including breast specialist, primary care physicians, and genetic counselors). This included demonstrations and data collection at two scientific conferences (2009 International Shared Decision Making Conference, 2009 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium) Result: Overall, the evaluations were favorable. The patient focus group evaluations and usability testing (N=34) provided qualitative feedback about the format and design of the decision aid; 88% of these participants found the tool useful and 94% found it easy to use. 91% of the providers (N=23) indicated that they would use the risk assessment tool and decision aid in their clinical setting. Conclusion: www.BreastHealthDecisions.org represents a new approach to breast cancer prevention care and a framework for high quality preventive healthcare. The ability to integrate wide scale risk assessment and decision support in real time will allows for informed, value-driven, and patient-centered breast cancer prevention decisions. The tool is being further evaluated in a randomized controlled trial designed to determine the optimal mode of delivery in the primary care setting. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2010;70(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-09-11.


The author analyzes the Eurasian Customs Union, the motives for its creation, its impact on Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus as well as the perspectives for the further integration of its member states to establish the Eurasian Economic Union. It is argued that the creation of the Eurasian Customs Union is based mostly on the foreign trade policy measures applied by Russia and adopted by the other members of the Union. The Eurasian Union and its institutions such as the Eurasian Economic Commission and Court are seen as agents of the member states, especially Russia, rather than independent supranational actors acting in of the Union's interests. The Eurasian Union represents a regional entity which is both being modelled on the EU and is intended to provide a competing center of attraction for third countries. The establishment of the Eurasian Customs Union has changed the geopolitical situation in the EU eastern neighborhood by creating an alternative option of regional integration for the EU Eastern Partnership countries. For Ukraine and other countries of the Eastern Partnership, which declare their intention to sign association and deep and comprehensive free trade agreements with the EU, joining the Eurasian Customs Union would imply that the EU will have to negotiate agreements on trade with the Eurasian Union rather than with individual countries. This would significantly postpone the prospects of integration of these countries into the EU. The eastern partners of the EU, therefore, have to choose between two alternatives of integration (and Belarus has already chosen the eastern direction). Meanwhile, the EU has to rethink its own policy towards the Eastern Partnership countries and offer incentives for the further reforms to advance trade liberalization and association with the EU without damaging its own credibility. This is the key issue for the Lithuania's EU Council Presidency forthcoming in the second half of 2013.


This communication describes the first one-compartment hydrogen peroxide semi-fuel cell as a micro-power source for miniaturized applications. This power source is inspired by the high energy content of metals and producing a light-weight, adaptable design that is easy to package. Theoretical specific energy densities of 8600 and 17 000 W h kg−1 are achievable for the power source by oxidation of magnesium (Mg) or aluminium (Al) at the anode side in combination with the reduction of hydrogen peroxide at the cathode side. We have fabricated a cell with Mg as the anode and Prussian blue as the cathode that had an open-circuit potential of 2.3 V and a net maximum power density of 7.5 mW cm−2. These results are the highest ever reported for a one-compartment H2O2-based power source. This cell design can provide a platform for fabricating a new generation of power sources for portable and miniaturized applications.


Faced with a panorama of growing competitiveness in which universities are forced  to get resources on their own, the concept of market orientation can be seen as a solution backed by ample literature. However, the existing literature is based principally on the profit-making sector with the publications in the educational field being still scarce. The purpose of our exploratory research is to develop and validate a market orientation measure in a sampling of Spanish universities. The scale integrates and expands the theoretical proposals from previous research; it shows acceptable levels of reliability and validity while allowing the setting-up of future lines of research in the area.


Hugo Grotius's Philosophorum sententiae de fato et de eo quod in nostra est potestate (from hereafter:
psf
) has, so far, received little scholarly attention, even though it provides us with an interesting insight into Grotius's philosophical interests (and the intellectual debates that these interests were reacting to). This text, published posthumously in 1648 (Paris and Amsterdam) by Grotius's wife, Maria van Reigensberg, contains translations of texts from various philosophers on the question of fate.
The aim of this article is to 1) place the debate on fate, in which Grotius was actively involved throughout all his life and career, in the wider context of the theological and philosophical debates on free will and divine foreknowledge; 2) acknowledge the importance played by Grotius's
psf
, a gnomological collection of philosophical sources ranging from Pythagorean philosophers to early patristic authors all providing different, although converging arguments in favor of the existence of free will; and 3) suggest that debates on fate are distinctively linked by Grotius with those on the importance of law and punishment as a guarantee of order. This "legalistic" interpretation of fate ultimately allows Grotius to reconcile divine decrees with human liberty.


The composition of the time-resolved surface pressure field around a high-pressure rotor blade caused by the presence of neighboring blade rows is investigated, with the individual effects of wake, shock and potential field interaction being determined. Two test geometries are considered: first, a high-pressure turbine stage coupled with a swan-necked diffuser exit duct; secondly, the same high-pressure stage but with a vane located in the downstream duct. Both tests were conducted at engine-representative Mach and Reynolds numbers, and experimental data was acquired using fast-response pressure transducers mounted on the mid-height streamline of the HP rotor blades. The results are compared to time-resolved computational predictions of the flowfield in order to aid interpretation of experimental results and to determine the accuracy with which the computation predicts blade interaction. The paper is split into two parts, the first investigating the effect of the upstream vane on the unsteady pressure field around the rotor (vane-rotor interaction) and the second investigating the effect of the downstream vane on the unsteady pressure field around the rotor (rotor-vane interaction). The paper shows that at typical design operating conditions shock interaction from the upstream blade row is an order of magnitude greater than wake interaction and that with the design vane-rotor inter-blade gap the presence of the rotor causes a periodic increase in the strength of the vane trailing edge shock. The presence of the potential field of the downstream vane is found to affect significantly the rotor pressure field downstream of the Mach one surface within each rotor passage.Copyright © 2002 by ASME


This paper presents an advanced transit signal priority (ATSP) control model that considers bus progression at downstream intersections when giving priority at upstream intersections and stochastic bus arrival times. The ATSP control model is applicable to arterials with bus lanes. At the center of the ATSP control model is a stochastic programming model formulated to find the optimum priority strategies at each intersection of interest, which minimize bus delays while having the least negative impact on general traffic. The uncertainty in bus arrivals is taken into account by considering stochastic bus dwell times. The ATSP control is implemented in a traffic micro-simulation environment and compared with conventional transit signal priority (CTSP) control. Extensive simulation experiments are conducted with different traffic congestion levels, bus headway levels, and dwell-time distributions. Results show that the ATSP control generates an additional reduction in bus delay of around 10% when compared to the CTSP control.


Singlet α-methylbenzylidenecarbene has been detected and characterized for the first time by femtosecond transient absorption (fs-TA) spectroscopy. The carbene was generated by photolysis of the hydrocarbon precursor, 1-(1-phenylethylidene)-1a,9b-dihydro-1 H-cyclopropa[ l]-phenanthrene, in acetonitrile. The photolysis initially forms the singlet excited state of the precursor which then extrudes α-methylbenzylidenecarbene in 4.0 ps. The decay of α-methylbenzylidenecarbene, which was previously shown to rearrange into phenylpropyne by a 1,2-phenyl shift, occurred over 13.3 ps. Computed spectra at the TD-B3LYP/6-311+G** level of theory are consistent with the experimental observations. CASSCF(10,10)/6-311+G** calculations, using one of the carbene conformers as a model, indicated that the reference wave function is dominated by a closed-shell description.


The immune responses to varicella zoster virus were studied in 67 otherwise normal children participating in a placebo-controlled trial of acyclovir for the treatment of chickenpox. No differences were observed between acyclovir and placebo groups. Children were studied longitudinally, at onset of chickenpox, and at 1 month, 3 months, 1 year, and 3 years after infection. These data help define the natural history of the immune response to chickenpox in children.


Fingerroot (Boesenbergia pandurata (Roxb.)) belongs to the family Zingiberaceae (Ginger). B. pandurata has pharmacological benefits such as neuroprotective, chemoprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, antioxidant, an inhibitor of protease enzyme NS2B/NS3 dengue virus, Japanese encephalitis virus and swine flu virus (H1N1). This study aims to determine the most effective compounds from B. pandurata as neuraminidase inhibitors of H5N1 virus. The amino acid sequence for neuraminidase of avian influenza A virus subtype H5N1 of A/China/GD02/2006 was retrieved from protein sequence database at NCBI. Then, modeled by Swiss Model. Analyse of molecular docking was performed using PyRx and the interactions between neuraminidase inhibitors of H5N1 and B. pandurata active compound was analyzed by PyMol software and LigPlot+ software. From the 30 active compounds which have been docked, 4-hydroxypanduratin A, rubranine, boesenbergin B, boesenbergin A, 5,7-dimethoxyflavone, and tectochrysin had an equal or smaller free binding energy than control compound. 4-hydroxypanduratin A proved to be the most potent active compound as a neuraminidase inhibitor (NA 1) because it has the most negative binding energy and the same amino acid binding residue with the control compound. Therefore, 4-hydroxypanduratin A is predicted to be used as inhibitors of neuraminidase in the H5N1 virus.


Commonplace optical biosensing techniques include the classical techniques of optical spectroscopy, polarimetry, and ellipsometry, in addition to more modern techniques such as surface plasmon resonance and guided waves. Currently state-of-the-art techniques under extensive investigation include whispering-gallery waves and surface-enhanced optical phenomena near metallic nanoparticles. A succinct overview of the fundamentals of these techniques accompanies remarks on commercial successes and research accomplishments.

Keywords:

optical biosensors;
surface plasmons;
surface-enhanced effects;
optical spectroscopy;
polarimetry;
ellipsometry


The purpose of this study was to determine gain the most desirable mixture ratio for the ingredients of Backhapbyung. Sensory examination and mechanical test were conducted on the texture, water contents and color degree of Backhapbyung with various ratios of liliibulbs powder and sugar added to nonglutinous rice flour. The results of sensory evaluation showed that Backhapbyung composed of put 8% (24g) liliibulbs powder, 40g sugar, 40ml water and 276g nonglutinous rice flour had the highest overall score in terns of acceptability, after-swallowing and taste of flavor, and overall quality preference. Overall among the recipes tested, that with 6% (24g) liliibulbs powder, 40g sugar, 40m1 water and 282g nonglutinous rice flour showed the highest marks in springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess and chewiness. The moisture content was 33.54% nonglutinous rice flour, and 11.8% liliibulbs powder. The overall quality of sensory examination for bitterness was positively correlated with the hardness of sensory examination and the mechanical examination for adhesiveness. The overall quality of sensory examination for chewiness was positively correlated with the moistness of sensory examination and the mechanical examination for cohesiveness. From the above results, the best mixture ratio of Backhapbyung, with a moisture content of 37.18%, is 8% (24g) of liliibulbs powder, -10g sugar, 40ml water, and 3g salt and 276g nonglutinous rice flour.


Crime scene staging and sexual posing and/or positioning of a body in a crime scene are recognized homicide investigation phenomena. Even though staging and sexual posing might misdirect an investigation if unrecognized, there are no reliable data on the frequency of occurrences. The results of a survey administered to 46 trained homicide investigators indicated that while staging may be frequently observed at crime scenes, sexual posing occurs infrequently. Of an estimated 44,541 homicide investigations, respondents indicated that sexual posing was present in less than 1% of the cases ( n = 428). Results also indicated that most often sexual posing, in contrast to crime scene staging, was typically not carried out to mislead, but the offenders' motivation was more often based on a psychological need for sexual fantasizing or to satisfy anger at the victim. Homicide case examples are presented and discussed to elaborate on the characteristics of sexually-posed crime scenes. Keywords: Homicide investigation, sexual posing, crime scene staging, signature, criminal motivations, forensic science.


An alternative multirod solar laser end-side-pumping concept, based on the megawatt solar furnace in France, is proposed to significantly improve the TEM00-mode solar laser output power level and its beam brightness through a novel zigzag beam merging technique. A solar flux homogenizer was used to deliver nearly the same pump power to multiple core-doped Nd:YAG laser rods within a water-cooled pump cavity through a fused silica window. Compared to the previous multibeam solar laser station concepts for the same solar furnace, the present approach can allow the production of high-power TEM00-mode solar laser beams with high beam brightness. An average of 1.06 W TEM00-mode laser power was numerically extracted from each of 1657 rods, resulting in a total of 1.8 kW. More importantly, by mounting 399 rods at a 30° angle of inclination and employing the beam merging technique, a maximum of 5.2 kW total TEM00-mode laser power was numerically extracted from 37 laser beams, averaging 141 W from each merged beam. The highest solar laser beam brightness figure of merit achieved was 148 W, corresponding to an improvement of 23 times in relation to the previous experimental record.