Abstract We study the propagation of electromagnetic waves (EMWs) in both isotropic and anisotropic ferromagnetic material media. As the EMW propagates through linear charge-free isotropic and anisotropic ferromagnetic media, it is found that the magnetic field and the magnetic induction components of the EMW and the magnetization excitations of the medium are in the form of solitons. However, the electromagnetic soliton gets damped and decelerates in the case of a charged medium. In the case of a charge-free nonlinear ferromagnetic medium we obtain results similar to those for the linear case.


Proton and boron-11 c.w. nuclear magnetic resonances have been studied in solid H11B(OCD3)2 and H10B(OCD3)2. For 11B, only the - 1 2 → 1 2 transition, broadened by second order quadrupolar effects and by proton dipolar interaction can be seen; from the spectrum at several rf frequencies, the quadrupolar coupling constant |e 2 qQ/h| was found to be 3.0 ± 0.2 MHz (± always refers to rms errors). In H10B(OCD3)2, the proton line shapes at 53 and 10 MHz are considerably different; this may be interpreted as due to changes in the directions of 10B nuclear quantization. Nuclear magnetic relaxation studies have been made in the liquid phase. From the 10B and 11B relaxation times, the activation energy for molecular reorientation was found to be 8.7 ± 0.4 kJ/mol (2.1 ± 0.1 kcal/mol). Consistent values for |e 2 qQ/h| were obtained from relaxation measurements in liquid phase and from c.w. spectra in solid phase. The temperature dependence of proton relaxation times deviates significantly from the activation energy model at higher temperatures, where spin-rotation interactions may be important. Proton transverse relaxation times (T 2) have also been measured and are consistent with the Allerhand-Thiele theory.


This paper presents a survey about implementing hairpin winding with an oil spray cooling system on the new generation of electrical vehicle (EV) motors as an option to produce high power density, high efficiency, cost-effectiveness, lightweight, reliable EV motors. It provides the advantages and drawbacks of this rectangular winding compared to random winding and considers the hairpin winding production aspects. According to the high AC losses of this configuration, the paper considers two conventional approaches for calculating these losses with their advantages and drawback. Then it proposes the novel hybrid FEA method for calculating the AC copper losses to overcome the weaknesses of analytical and numerical methods. Finally, it provides a holistic view related to the oil spray cooling of the electrical machine and points the future work associated with this cooling method


BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Treatment of methamphetamine dependence requires monitoring of recent use or abstinence. Self-report is commonly used for routine monitoring but the accuracy of self-report is not established. For the treating clinician the key accuracy statistic is the negative predictive value (NPV). The study aim was to estimate the NPV of self-reported non-use of methamphetamine compared with an oral fluid reference standard.

DESIGN
Secondary (sub-group) analysis from a randomised controlled pharmacotherapy trial SETTING: Three Australian outpatient addiction services PARTICIPANTS: 139 people dependent on methamphetamine MEASUREMENTS: Weekly oral fluid samples over 12 weeks to determine methamphetamine (and amphetamine) concentrations, was used as the reference standard. Self-report of any methamphetamine use in the previous seven days by the Timeline Followback method was the index test. Standard diagnostic accuracy statistics were calculated for all available paired episodes (n = 1134). Three NPV values were calculated: unadjusted NPV and NPV adjusted for clustering of observations through logistic regression and generalised estimating equation (GEE). We also calculated the NPVs for a range of prevalence rates of methamphetamine use, for the calculated levels of sensitivity and specificity.

FINDINGS
Sensitivity was 96.4% (95% confidence interval (CI) 95-97.5), specificity was 63.7% (57.3-69.8) and positive predictive value (PPV) was 90.8% (88.8-92.6). The unadjusted NPV was 82.7% (76.5-87.9); adjusted NPV by logistic regression 82.7% (73.9-91.5) and GEE 76.8% (66.8-86.8). At a methamphetamine use prevalence of 5% the estimated NPV would be 99.7% (99.6-99.9) and at 95% prevalence, 48.2% (39.6-57.0).

CONCLUSIONS
Self-report of no recent methamphetamine use appears to be sufficiently accurate to be clinically useful at the expected prevalence rates of methamphetamine use in clinical treatment settings. If generalizable to clinical settings where these tests are routinely conducted, this may permit a reduction in the frequency and cost of oral fluid assays.


The macro structures, microstructures, textures and precipitates in non-oriented electrical steels were studied by means of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron back scattering dispersion (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in the specimens produced by conventional continuous casting process and thin slab continuous casting and direct rolling process. Results showed the macro structures in as-cast slabs and the microstructures in as-rolled strips were more fine-grained and uniform with regard to compact strip production (CSP) process, compared with that in conventional process. No obvious texture was observed in hot rolled strips produced by CSP process.


A facile route has been developed for the preparation of a new family of oligophenyls based on a 2,5,2',5'-tetra-aryl substituted biphenyl structural motif. The cruciform terphenyl dimer 2,5,2',5'-tetra(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,1'-biphenyl () has been prepared in a two step protocol as a representative of this interesting class of materials. The thermal behaviour of the cruciform was analysed by DSC and shows that forms an amorphous glass when cooled from the isotropic melt. Subsequent heating reveals a glass transition temperature at 130 degrees C. X-Ray single crystal structure analysis of 2,2'-bis(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,1'-biphenyl () and shows that both these molecules with a quater-phenyl substructure adopt a folded solid-state structure. Examining the (1)H NMR spectra of and reveals that the interactions that induce this folding in the solid-state are sufficiently strong to bias foldamer formation also in solution. Consequently, it is reasonable to assume that the folded conformation within the lattice is due to intramolecular pi-pi interaction rather than being imposed by crystal packing. The optical properties of the cruciform terphenyl dimer are discussed relative to the linear analogue 1,4-bis(4-tert-butylterphenyl)benzene ().


ABSTRACT:
 Counts of immature stages of the mosquito Aedes aegypti have been used to calculate several entomological indices of dengue vector abundance. Some studies have concluded that these indices can be used as indicators of dengue epidemic risk, while other studies have failed to find a predictive relationship. Ecological niche models have been able to predict distributional patterns in space and time, not only of vectors, but also of the diseases that they transmit. In this study, we used Landsat 7 ETM+ images and two niche-modeling algorithms to estimate the local-landscape ecological niche and the dynamics of Ae. aegypti larval habitats in Bello, Colombia, and to evaluate their potential spatial and temporal distribution. Our models showed low omission error with high confidence levels: about 13.4% of the area presents conditions consistently suitable for breeding across the entire study period (2002–2008). The proportion of neighborhoods predicted to be suitable showed a positive association with dengue case rates, whereas the vector-focused Bretau index had no relationship to case rates. As a consequence, niche models appear to offer a superior option for predictive evaluation of dengue transmission risk and anticipating the potential for outbreaks.


Carbohydrate metabolism was studied in a group of 66 women, taking cyproterone acetate (CA) and ethinyloestradiol (EO) as anti‐androgen therapy for the treatment of hirsutism and/or acne. A reverse sequential treatment cycle was used and women were studied in two groups: the first when taking the combination of CA and EO during the first 12 days of the treatment cycle, and the second taking EO alone during days 13 to 22. The combination reduced fasting plasma glucose and raised fasting plasma insulin concentrations. There was deterioration of glucose tolerance with increased plasma insulin concentrations and these effects were progressive with time. The plasma insulin response to intravenous tolbutamide was increased by 50% but there was no accompanying change in the glucose nadir as compared with controls. These results show that the combination of CA and EO causes insulin resistance. Plasma C‐peptide concentrations following oral glucose were unchanged compared with controls. This shows that the observed hyperinsulinaemia was due to a reduction of hepatic uptake of insulin rather than its increased secretion. We propose that these effects are due to a CA‐induced elevation of fasting plasma insulin resulting in downregulation of hepatic insulin receptors with subsequent induction of insulin resistance and impairment of hepatic insulin uptake. C‐peptide concentrations following i.v. tolbutamide were significantly higher on treatment with CA and EO than in controls indicating increased pancreatic secretion of insulin. Tests carried out while patients were taking EO alone showed impairment of glucose tolerance only with no change in insulin levels. There was an increase in plasma insulin in response to tolbutamide but this was not significant. We conclude that these results are explained by a reduced but persisting effect of CA.


Summary: Aspartate aminotransferase (EC 126.96.36.199) and alanine aminotransferase (EC 184.108.40.206) were extracted from mycelia of Tricchoderma viride, partially purified and characterized. The pH optima for the enzyme activities were 9.0 and 8.6, respectively. Both enzymes were relatively stable at 37 °C but rapidly denatured at 60 °C. They were inducible by both L-aspartate and DL-alanine, but aspartate was the better inducer. The apparent Michaelis constants for aspartate aminotransferase when L-aspartate and 2-oxoglutarate were used were 7.14 mM and 1.32 mM, respectively. In the case of alanine aminotransferase, using DL-alanine and 2-oxoglutarate the corresponding values were 8.33 mM and 1.85 mM, respectively. The enzymes were competitively inhibited by succinate with K
i values of 21 mM and 17 mM for aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, respectively. Both enzymes could use L-methionine whereas only aspartate aminotransferase could use L-tyrosine as amino donor.


The causative agent of banana streak disease is Banana streak virus (BSV). In tropical countries, for example Kenya, the virus causes considerable damages to banana crop as well as banana production yields. Several mealy-bug species have been reported as vectors of BSV. However, latent and retention time of the BSV in the oleander mealy-bug (Paracoccus burnerae) are unknown. These characteristics are important in determining the mode of transmission of viruses by their vectors. The purpose of this study was to determine the latent and retention time of the BSV in its vector, P. burnerae. We employed both Immuno-capture Polymerase Chain Reaction (IC-PCR) and Rolling Circle Amplification (RCA) techniques to select diseased and healthy Original Research Article Muturi et al.; BMRJ, 12(6): 1-10, 2016; Article no.BMRJ.21574 2 plantlets for transmission trials. RCA assays were performed on the deoxyribonucleic acid samples of viruliferous mealy-bug instars of P. burnerae and on the deoxyribonucleic acid of virus-inoculated plantlets. The findings of the study indicated that BSV has no latent period in P. burnerae during transmission at ambient conditions (9-30°C). However, t he vector can retain and transmit BSV for a period of four days under ambient temperatures (9-30°). The results revealed that vector P. burnerae, transmit BSV semi-persistently which is an indication of non-circulative mode of transmission of viruses. The results of this study contribute immensely to the elucidation of the mode of transmission of Banana streak virus by P. burnerae, thus enhancing development of novel control strategies of BSV transmission.


TO THE EDITOR: As ethanol is frequently used in radiopharmaceutical injections, we were interested in the effect of ethanol by injection. Several questions crossed our mind. What is the maximum concentration of ethanol that we can inject without side effects? What is the hemolytic potential of ethanol? Can we dilute ethanol-containing injections just with water? Ethanol can be used in radiopharmaceutical injections to enhance the solubility of highly lipophilic tracers or to decrease adsorption to vials, membrane filters, and injection syringes. More often, ethanol is present as a residual solvent from the eluent for elution of the radiopharmaceutical from a solid phase extraction cartridge or from the mobile phase used to purify the radiopharmaceutical by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Using HPLC, ethanol– buffer mixtures have a relatively high viscosity that results in a high column back pressure, but ethanol has the advantage over other organic solvents of not necessarily requiring complete removal before intravenous injection of the diluted isolated HPLC fraction. After HPLC purification, ethanol can be removed from the collected fraction by evaporation, and the residue is then dissolved in or diluted with normal saline. However, this process delays the use of the radiopharmaceutical, increases the risk of radioactive contamination and the radiation dose to the manipulator, can be accompanied by partial decomposition of the tracer, and may result in adsorption of highly lipophilic tracers to the filter membrane used for sterile filtration and to the vial, rubber stopper, and syringes. An alternative is not to remove the ethanol but to dilute the isolated HPLC fraction to an acceptably low ethanol concentration. The European Medicines Agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have noted that higher amounts of ethanol (more than 0.5%, the common limit on class 3 residual solvents) may be acceptable provided they are realistic in relation to manufacturing capability and good manufacturing practice (1). Indeed, several solutions of poorly soluble nonradioactive pharmaceutical compounds for injection contain ethanol as a cosolvent in concentrations of up to 20% (2). However, to safely use ethanol in radiopharmaceutical injections, one must address several questions. Potential side effects of ethanol on injection are pain and hemolysis, depending on the concentration. To reduce the risk of pain and hemolysis, ethanol-containing formulations should be injected slowly. This will decrease the concentration at the site of injection because of rapid mixing with large volumes of blood. Depending on the concentration, ethanol also causes hemolyses by forming membrane pores in red blood cells by which the cells finally swell and burst through a colloid-osmotic mechanism. At a low concentration, ethanol protects red blood cells from hypotonic hemolysis by partitioning into the cell membrane to increase its surface area. The osmolality of ethanol is calculated to be 2,029 mOsm/kg, which means that a mixture of 1.39% ethanol in water is isotonic. A solution for injection containing 10% ethanol, a limit used in several radiopharmaceutical centers, thus would be hypertonic on a theoretic basis. However, ethanol should not be considered in calculations of osmolality as it freely diffuses through the cell membrane. Solutions of ethanol in 0.9% NaCl show no hemolysis, whereas dilution of blood with an ethanol–water (7:93 v/v) mixture induces massive hemolysis. HPLC fractions isolated during purification of radiopharmaceuticals should thus be diluted with normal saline and not with water, as the latter situation would result in a hypotonic solution and cause hemolysis. NaCl solutions are isotonic at 0.9% (normal saline), but red blood cells are resistant to lysis in hypertonic solutions of NaCl up to 3.6%. Many cosolvents show drastic changes in hemolytic potential as the concentration of NaCl in the aqueous component increases, but the hemolytic potential of ethanol is fairly constant when mixed with 0.9%22% NaCl solutions (3). Injections of radiopharmaceutical preparations rarely exceed 20 mL. For a 10% ethanol solution, which is frequently used and generally accepted, a 20-mL injection would mean the administration of 2 mL of ethanol, resulting in a temporary and rapidly decreasing blood concentration of 0.44 per mille (assuming a blood volume of 4.7 L for a 70-kg adult). This is below the 0.5& driver's limit in force in many European countries. Special attention should be paid to injections for children, women during pregnancy and lactation, persons with alcoholism, and high-risk groups such as persons with liver disease or epilepsy. For some preparations such as 18F-FDG, the presence of ethanol has been shown to reduce radiolysis, which may be an additional advantage of including ethanol in the formulation of radiopharmaceuticals (4). In conclusion, ethanol is the preferred organic solvent in the mobile phases used for HPLC purification of short-lived radiopharmaceuticals, as isolated HPLC fractions can safely be used without removal of the organic solvent after appropriate dilution with normal saline to a concentration of ethanol not exceeding 10% and an injection volume below 20 mL.


Introduction: The aim of this retrospective study was to verify the association between the time of diagnosis and initial and final sex assignment in a disorder of sex development (DSD) diagnostic group, looking at the age of the patients at first visit, severity of genital ambiguity, and karyotype. Methods: The time of diagnosis was divided into 3 groups: before 2000, between 2000 and 2006, and after 2006. Data were categorized and analyzed using the χ2 test with α < 0.05. Results: A total of 567 cases were analyzed; 307 were assigned as male, 135 as female, and 125 remained undefined at the first visit. After clinical and laboratory evaluations, 369 patients were male and 198 were female. Neither initial nor final sex assignment proportions changed over time, but there were significant differences in the age at first visit, with referral occurring at an earlier age, as well as more severe genital ambiguity presentations, a higher proportion of sex chromosome aberrations, and a lower frequency of 46,XX DSD cases. This occurred both in the sample as a whole (567 cases) and in the group of 125 patients without definitive sex assignment at the first visit. The results were similar when only 284 patients aged less than 12 months at the first visit were analyzed. Discussion/Conclusion: Over time, there were no changes in sex assignment proportions, but there was an increased awareness of the need for early referral and changes in clinical, cytogenetic, and diagnostic aspects.


Introduction With demand for organic corn increasing, variety selection is a key step in successful organic corn production. In 2007, research on growing pure stands or mixing organic corn hybrids was initiated in a joint project with Ohio State University and the University of Wisconsin with the overall goal of identifying organic corn varieties best suited for organic grain production in three distinct production regions of the Corn Belt. Activities focused on two objectives: 1) evaluate the agronomic performance and grain quality of organic certified varieties in pure stands, and 2) investigate potential benefits of mixing corn varieties to enhance grain yield and quality. Results of recent studies in South Dakota and Minnesota indicate that farmers can improve grain yield and protein content of corn without additional inputs by mixing varieties of different parentage and similar flowering date in the same field. Studies with various cereals have shown that varietal blends can enhance yield stability and help minimize yield losses from various foliar diseases.


Abstract Background: The pathophysiology and etiology of vestibular paroxysmia (VP) remains unclear, moreover, due to the lack of reliable diagnostic features for VP, the clinical diagnosis will be made mainly by exclusion. Aims/objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic value and curative effect of keyhole microvascular decompression with local anesthesia for VP. Material and methods: 54 patients with trigeminal neuralgia, hemifacial spasm and glossopharyngeal neuralgia underwent keyhole microvascular decompression with local anesthesia, twelve of whom were coexistent with VP. The evaluation of the vertigo after operation was performed with symptom report card for 12 patients with VP and the mean follow-up period was 116 months (range 114–118 months). Results: The cochleovestibular neurovascular compression at the root zone of vestibular nerve was found in 12 patients with VP, of whom 11 patients had the neurovascular compressive vertigo induced intra-operatively and the vertigo disappeared postoperatively, moreover, one patient had no neurovascular compressive vertigo induced intra-operatively and the vertigo was not improved significantly after operation. Of 12 patients with VP during the mean 116-month follow-up, 11 patients had no recurrence of neurovascular compressive vertigo and the effective control rate of vertigo was 91.7%. Conclusions and significance: Keyhole microvascular decompression with local anesthesia is not only an effective method for treating VP and controlling neurovascular compressive vertigo, but also has definite clinical significance in the diagnosis of VP.


In human subjects who drank intoxicating amounts of a strong alcoholic beverage (dry martini) the amount of uropepsin excreted before, during and after drinking was measured. Hangover symptomatology was also evaluated. Each subject was tested with alcoholic beverage alone, beverage followed by aspirin and beverage followed by antacid. The alcoholic beverage alone resulted in a marked increase in uropepsin excretion shortly after drinking, with hypersecretion persisting through the hangover period. Treatment with antacid obviated this increased excretion of uropepsin, and also significantly ameliorated some of the symptoms of hangover. It was tentatively concluded from these observations that the irritating action of the alcohol on the gastric mucosa caused the increased secretion of uropepsin and some of the hangover symptomatology. Submitted on July 30, 1959


Soft cardinality is a generalization of the classic set cardinality (i.e., the number of elements in a set), which exploits similarities between elements to provide a "soft" counting of the number of elements in a collection. This model is so general that can be used interchangeability as cardinality function in resemblance coefficients such as Jaccard's, Dice's, cosine and others. Beyond that, cardinality-based features can be extracted from pairs of objects being compared to learn adaptive similarity functions from training data. This approach can be used for comparing any object that can be represented as a set or bag. We and other international teams used soft cardinality to address a series of natural language processing (NLP) tasks in the recent SemEval (semantic evaluation) competitions from 2012 to 2014. The systems based on soft cardinality have always been among the best systems in all the tasks in which they participated. This paper describes our experience in that journey by presenting the generalities of the model and some practical techniques for using soft cardinality for NLP problems.


MADAM, The report by Jordaati and Cilliers {British Journal of Dermatology, 1986, 115, 495) was very interesting. It is a strong case for those who argue that a dermatologist should also have adequate training in sexually transmitted diseases. What they have encountered is a classical annular syphilide which occurs in late secondary syphilis. A VDRL test rather than a biopsy would have helped to confirm the clinical diagnosis. The pleomorphism of secondary syphilitic rash depends entirely on the degree of inflammatory infiltrate and the level of vascular involvement and the resulting ischaemia of the skin. Annular syphilides are more common in the late secondary stage as the deeper vessels are involved in endarteritic changes. I do not understand why the patient was given 24 million units of benzathine penicillin every week for 4 weeks. A single injection of 2 4 million units of benzathine penicillin is considered adequate for the cure of syphilis if diagnosed within 2 years after the onset of infection.


Gap junction expression has been studied in the atrioventricular junction (AVJ) of many species, however, their distribution in the human AVJ is unknown. The AVJ expression of the gap junction protein connexin 43 (Cx43) is species dependent; therefore we investigated its distribution in the human AVJ. Using Masson trichrome histology, we reconstructed the AVJ of three normal human hearts and one with dilated cardiomyopathy in three dimensions. Cx43 was immunolabeled with vimentin and α‐actinin to determine the cellular origin of Cx43 and was quantified in the following structures: interatrial septum (IAS), His bundle, compact node (CN), lower nodal bundle (LNB), leftward and rightward nodal extensions (LE and RE), and inferior, endocardial, and left‐sided transitional cells. Histology revealed two nodal extensions in three of four hearts. Cx43 was found in the myocytes, but not fibroblasts, of the AVJ. LE and CN Cx43 was lower than the IAS (P < 0.05) and the RE, LNB, and His all expressed Cx43 similarly, with approximately half of IAS expression (RE: 44 ± 36%; LNB: 50 ± 26%; His: 48 ± 12%, P = NS compared with IAS). Cx43 levels in transitional cells were similar to the IAS (P = not significant). Cx43 was found in myocytes of the human AVJ, and its expression pattern delineates two separate continuous structures: one consists of the LE and CN with little Cx43, and the other consists of the His, LNB, and RE expressing approximately half the Cx43 of the IAS. The differential Cx43 expression may provide each structure with unique conduction properties, contributing to arrhythmias arising from the AVJ. Anat Rec, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Despite their pivotal role in agriculture and biological research, polyploids, a group of organisms with more than two sets of chromosomes, are very difficult to study. Increasing studies have used high-density genetic linkage maps to investigate the genome structure and function of polyploids and to identify genes underlying polyploid traits. However, although models for linkage analysis have been well established for diploids, with some essential modifications for tetraploids, no models have been available thus far for polyploids at higher ploidy levels. The linkage analysis of polyploids typically requires knowledge about their meiotic mechanisms, depending on the origin of polyplody. Here we describe a computational modeling framework for linkage analysis in allohexaploids by integrating their preferential chromosomal-pairing meiotic feature into a mixture model setting. The framework, implemented with the EM algorithm, allows the simultaneous estimates of preferential pairing factors and the recombination fraction. We investigated statistical properties of the framework through extensive computer simulation and validated its usefulness and utility by analyzing a real data from a full-sib family of allohexaploid persimmon. Our attempt in linkage analysis of allohexaploids by incorporating their meiotic mechanism lays a foundation for allohexaploid genetic mapping and also provides a new horizon to explore allohexaploid parental kinship.


The two primary cell sources used to produce cell-based therapies are autologous (self-derived) and allogeneic (derived from a donor). This analysis attempts to compare and contrast the two approaches in order to understand whether there is an emerging preference in the market. While the current clinical trials underway are slightly biased to autologous approaches, it is clear that both cell-based approaches are being aggressively pursued. This analysis also breaks down the commercial advantages of each cell-based approach, comparing both cost of goods and the ideal indication type for each. While allogeneic therapies have considerable advantages over autologous therapies, they do have a distinct disadvantage regarding potential immunogenicity. The introduction of the hybrid autologous business model provides the ability for autologous-based therapies to mitigate some of the advantages that allogeneic cell-based therapies enjoy, including cost of goods. Finally, two case studies are presented that demonstrate that there is sufficient space for both autologous and allogeneic cell-based therapies within a single disease area.


An optical technique for measuring charge transfer inefficiency (CTI) in CCDs, operated under near-room temperature, high readout rate conditions, is described. It is possible to measure trap emission times and CTI dependence on signal size, background charge and clock waveform shape to high accuracy, both for serial and parallel transfers. It is shown that the presence of background charge (or "fat zero") can substantially improve charge transfer efficiency. >


This paper addresses two interpretive puzzles in Plato's Philebus. The first concerns the claim, endorsed by both interlocutors, that the most godlike of lives is a pleasureless life of pure thinking. This appears to run afoul of the verdict of the earlier so-called 'Choice of Lives' argument that a mixed life is superior to either of its 'pure' rivals. A second concerns Socrates' discussion of false pleasure, in which he appears to be guilty of rank equivocation. I argue that we can solve both puzzles by attributing to Plato an account of pleasure as a species of intentional attitude.


In this study, the hydrocarbon-degrading bacterium Pseudomonas spp. isolate UTAR EPA2 was formulated with various combinations of formulative materials, comprising of clay-based carrier materials (bentonite (B) and kaolin (K)), enrichment materials (non-fat skimmed milk (N) and sucrose (S)), and a UV-protectant agent (para-aminobenzoic acid (P)). The efficacy of the formulated cells in degrading the aromatic hydrocarbon toluene (methylbenzene) and their subsequent cell viability after exposure to sunlight (natural UV irradiation) were investigated. Results indicated that degradation efficacy was slightly higher for kaolin-based formulated cells compared to bentonite-based formulations, especially after exposure to sunlight, although their percentages of degradation were not statistically different. Nevertheless, kaolin-based formulations have very low viable cell count especially in formulations with P (KP, KNP, KSP, KNSP). This suggested that aside from viable cells, the physical properties of the clays could have also contributed to the degradation of toluene. For storage purposes and applications in the field, we suggest that the bacterium is formulated with bentonite-based formulations especially using bentonite (B) clay singly, as relatively high percentage of toluene degradation and viable cell count was achieved with this formulation.


Abstract Background: The beach chair position (BCP), used during shoulder surgery, is associated with hypotension, bradycardia, and risk of cerebral hypoperfusion. Phenylephrine is commonly used as a first treatment of choice of intraoperative hypotension during surgery. We evaluated the hemodynamic effects of 2 doses of intravenous phenylephrine infusion administered before being placed in BCP for arthroscopic shoulder surgery. The primary endpoint was the incidence of hypotension after positional change. Methods: Sixty-six patients were randomized to receive either intravenous normal saline (group NS) or intravenous phenylephrine infusion (0.5 μg/kg/min, group LP or 1.0 μg/kg/min, group HP) for 5 minutes before being placed in the BCP. Mean arterial pressure(MAP), heart rate, stroke volume variation, and cardiac index were measured before and after positional change. Results: The total incidence of hypotension after the BCP was 93.65%, but was not significantly different among the 3 groups. However, there was a significant difference in trends between the groups for MAP for 5 minutes after BCP (P = .028). Comparison of changes in MAP at 1 minute compared to post-induction MAP was significantly different between group HP and group NS (P = .014). Conclusion: Infusion of 0.5 and 1.0 μg/kg/min of phenylephrine for 5 minutes before the BCP has no preventive effect for incidence of hypotension. However, this study showed that 1.0 μg/kg/min of phenylephrine infusion for 5 minutes can attenuate the severity of hypotension.


A logic procedure, including 12 alternatives within 32 activities and 13 decision nodes has been designed/developed/implemented for the rotary cement kiln control aiming at reducing NOx emissions to atmosphere. The hierarchy of alternatives was evaluated through simple and top-down Kendall's coefficients of concordance, proved to be of statistical significance. An implementation is presented in the case of fuel substitution including 53=125 fuzzy rules, with linguistic variables defined by five linguistic terms according to a Linkert scale in the antecedent or IF-part and three control variables forming nine commands in the conclusion or THEN-part of each rule. The change of fuzzy rules before and after the implementation is determined qualitatively and quantitatively according to Tseng and Klein and the centroid method


Despite the attention marker-less pose estimation has attracted in recent years, marker-based approaches still provide unbeatable accuracy under controlled environmental conditions. Thus, they are used in many fields such as robotics or biomedical applications but are primarily implemented through classical approaches, which require lots of heuristics and parameter tuning for reliable performance under different environments. In this work, we propose MarkerPose, a robust, real-time pose estimation system based on a planar target of three circles and a stereo vision system. MarkerPose is meant for high-accuracy pose estimation applications. Our method consists of two deep neural networks for marker point detection. A SuperPoint-like network for pixel-level accuracy keypoint localization and classification, and we introduce EllipSegNet, a lightweight ellipse segmentation network for sub-pixel-level accuracy keypoint detection. The marker's pose is estimated through stereo triangulation. The target point detection is robust to low lighting and motion blur conditions. We compared MarkerPose with a detection method based on classical computer vision techniques using a robotic arm for validation. The results show our method provides better accuracy than the classical technique. Finally, we demonstrate the suitability of MarkerPose in a 3D freehand ultrasound system, which is an application where highly accurate pose estimation is required. Code is available in Python and C++ at https://github.com/jhacsonmeza/MarkerPose.


Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi is a prominent name in Assamese literature and he has received national recognition with his novel Mouna Ounth Mukhar Hriday which won the Sahitya Academi award in 2005. As an insider, Thongchi has been able to present a new perspective of Arunachalee society- its rich social and cultural diversity. Thongchi announced his arrival on the literary scene of Assam with his first novel Sonam (1981). The novel was translated into English by Mridula Barooah in 2001 (Spectrum Publishers). The story of the novel is set against the Brokpa tribe (a section of Monpa), a community owning yak herds. Polygamy and polyandry are widely accepted in the Brokpa community. The family system of the Brokpas, where a woman is socially allowed to marry more than one man is the custom around which the story of the novel revolves. This paper will be an attempt to analyze the collective beliefs, social practices and cultural discourses that shaped Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi's views as well as his concern in depicting the life and society of the characters of a particular time. New Historicism believes that a literary text is always subject to the particular conditions of a time and place, and is therefore, an appropriate tool with which to interpret the world of the novel.


Osteoarthritis is the single most important cause of disability and limitation of activity of elderly people in the UK. Although joint replacement is now commonplace for hips and increasingly so for knees, pharmacological management continues to be important. In this context, it is necessary to identify valid and acceptable outcome measures to enable progress in treating osteoarthritis to be evaluated. Such measures should benefit not only clinicians managing osteoarthritis and purchasers of healthcare for this condition, but, ultimately also patients through improved forms of treatment. This paper briefly reviews and provides an update on the use of osteoarthritis-specific health and functional status and generic health status outcome measures in health services research and technology assessment. Other equally important clinical outcome measures, such as biochemical markers, radiographic assessment and joint imaging, are not discussed.


The pathogenesis of NAFLD is complex and diverse, involving multiple signaling pathways and cytokines from various organs. Hepatokines, stellakines, adipokines, and myokines secreted by hepatocytes, hepatic stellate cells, adipose tissue, and myocytes play an important role in the occurrence and development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) contributes to the progression of NAFLD by mediating liver inflammation, immune response, hepatocyte death, and later compensatory proliferation. In this review, we first discuss the crosstalk and interaction between hepatokines, stellakines, adipokines, and myokines and NF-κB in NAFLD. The characterization of the crosstalk of NF-κB with these factors will provide a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the progression of NAFLD. In addition, we examine new expert management opinions for NAFLD and explore the therapeutic potential of silymarin in NAFLD/NASH.


Iodine deficiency in a population causes increased prevalence of goiter and, more importantly, may increase the risk for intellectual deficiency in that population. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys [NHANES I (1971-1974) and (NHANES III (1988-1994)] measured urinary iodine (UI) concentrations. UI concentrations are an indicator of the adequacy of iodine intake for a population. The median UI concentrations in iodine-sufficient populations should be greater than 10 microg/dL, and no more than 20% of the population should have UI concentrations less than 5 microg/dL. Median UI concentrations from both NHANES I and NHANES III indicate adequate iodine intake for the overall U.S. population, but the median concentration decreased more than 50% between 1971-1974 (32.0+/-0.6 microg/dL) and 1988-1994 (14.5+/-0.3 microg/dL). Low UI concentrations (<5 microg/dL) were found in 11.7% of the 1988-1994 population, a 4.5-fold increase over the proportion in the 1971-1974 population. The percentage of people excreting low concentrations of iodine (UI, <5 microg/dL) increased in all age groups. In pregnant women, 6.7%, and in women of child-bearing age, 14.9% had UI concentrations below 5 microg/dL. The findings in 1988-1994, although not indicative of iodine deficiency in the overall U.S. population, define a trend that must be monitored.


One of the most effective installation methods of metallic risers is the reel-lay process, in which pipe segments are welded onshore and subsequently bent over a cylindrical rigid surface (reel) in a laying vessel. During installation, the line is unreeled, straightened, and then laid into the sea under tension. In this process, material properties change and eventual weld defects may increase, thus reducing the fatigue life of these joints under operational loads. Therefore, welded joints must be manufactured based on strict weld acceptance criteria. These criteria shall guarantee reliable standards regarding the fatigue life of the joints while not impairing the feasibility of weld manufacture (high cost). In this work, the reeling process is initially simulated through a nonlinear finite element model that incorporates weld defects. The results are then used as guidelines to experimentally obtain fracture mechanics parameters of typical weld and base materials under prestrained conditions. The fatigue life of as-welded and reeled joints with different defects (lack of fusion and lack of penetration) are subsequently estimated via a finite element model that accounts for the changes in the material properties due to pre-straining. The results are compared and used to suggest guidelines to the design of reeled steel catenary risers.Copyright © 2004 by ASME


Phenotypes of liver disease due to chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection show a wide range of variations in terms of histological manifestations and the clinical outcome. Sensing of viral double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) by Toll‐like receptor 3 (TLR3) is likely involved in early pathogen detection and the host response to viral infection. This study analyzed epidemiological and clinical data from a total of 137 patients with chronic HCV infection with regard to two polymorphic positions within the TLR3 gene: rs5743305 (T/A) is located within the promoter region and might affect transcriptional activity, rs3775291 (C/T) is a non‐synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) located within exon 4 and the variant receptor has been shown to be functionally impaired. TLR3 promoter and the exon 4 variations were not found to be associated with TLR3 gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). In the liver, however, a tendency of higher TLR3 gene expression was found for exon 4 TT genotypes. Both variations were not found to be associated with clinical parameters of chronic disease. On the other hand, an analysis of the TLR3 exon 4 genotype distribution with respect to HCV subtype revealed an absence of TT genotype among HCV subtype 1a infected individuals. This study thus failed to reveal any association of the two SNPs under investigation with clinical parameters of chronic hepatitis C. However, data argue for a functional relevance of the exon 4 SNP in terms of conferring a different susceptibility towards HCV subtype infection. J. Med. Virol. 81:1204–1211, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


A patient with disseminated malignant melanoma developed mild renal failure with proteinuria four months following the diagnosis of his neoplasm. Renal biopsy showed a membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. Electron microscopy revealed intramembranous dense deposits in the glomeruli as well as in tubular basement membranes and Bowman's capsule. Immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated granular staining for C3 in these same locations and granular deposits of immunoglobulins in the glomerular capillary loops. Light and electron microscopy of the autopsy kidney obtained 5 months later revealed progression of the number, size and density of the deposits. Eluates from both autopsy and biopsy kidney contained melanoma antigen and anti-melanoma antibodies. This case illustrates the association between the dense deposits and neoplasia with the dense deposits representing immune complexes with the tumor as antigen.


We develop a simulator for quantum computers composed of superconducting transmon qubits. The simulation model supports an arbitrary number of transmons and resonators. Quantum gates are implemented by time-dependent pulses. Nontrivial effects such as crosstalk, leakage to non-computational states, entanglement between transmons and resonators, and control errors due to the pulses are inherently included. The time evolution of the quantum computer is obtained by solving the time-dependent Schrodinger equation. The simulation algorithm shows excellent scalability on high-performance supercomputers. We present results for the simulation of up to 16 transmons and resonators. Additionally, the model can be used to simulate environments, and we demonstrate the transition from an isolated system to an open quantum system governed by a Lindblad master equation. We also describe a procedure to extract model parameters from electromagnetic simulations or experiments. We compare simulation results to experiments on several NISQ processors of the IBM Q Experience. We find nearly perfect agreement between simulation and experiment for quantum circuits designed to probe crosstalk in transmon systems. By studying common gate metrics such as the fidelity or the diamond distance, we find that they cannot reliably predict the performance of repeated gate applications or practical quantum algorithms. As an alternative, we find that the results from two-transmon gate set tomography have an exceptional predictive power. Finally, we test a protocol from the theory of quantum error correction and fault tolerance. We find that the protocol systematically improves the performance of transmon quantum computers in the presence of characteristic control and measurement errors.


Described herein is an environmentally benign method for the synthesis of multisubstituted 3-alkoxylated-2-oxindoles 3 via direct alkoxylation of 3-halooxindoles 1. A wide variety of such multisubstituted 3-alkoxylated-2-oxindole scaffolds were smoothly obtained in good yields (up to 94%) by heating in an oil bath at 35 °C for 24 h. A particularly valuable feature of this method was the development of environment-friendly chemistry using alcohols 2 as both the substrates and solvents in the presence of a catalytic amount of base.


Three titanium (Ti) targets with different purities were used to prepare Ti films on polyimide substrates by DC magnetron sputtering. The microstructures of Ti films were characterized by a metallographic microscope, X-ray diffractometer, field emission scanning electron microscope and three-dimensional surface topography instrument. In this study, we investigated the effects of Ti target purity and microstructure on film deposition rate, surface roughness, microstructure and resistivity. The results show that the deposition rate increased with increasing Ti target purity. Ti film deposited by the high-purity (99.999%) Ti target has fewer surface particles with smaller size, lower surface roughness and lower resistivity when compared to that prepared by the Ti target of low purity (99.7%). The surface roughness of Ti film prepared by the high-purity Ti target was Sa = 121 nm, the deposition rate was 16.3 nm/min and the resistivity was 6.9 × 10−6 Ω·m. For Ti targets of the same purity, the performance of Ti film prepared by a target with equiaxed α-phase grains is better than that of Ti film prepared by a target with twins and β-phase grains.


Bioactive flax cyclic octa- and nona-peptides containing single methionine (Met) and its oxidized forms were treated under mild alkaline conditions to perform regio-selective epimerization. Cyclic peptide epimerization at the Met α-proton in a single chemical step has not been reported previously. The epimerization rate varies among Met oxidation states and ring size. These d-amino isomers along with the developed Met alkylation strategy will enable an approach to novel chemical functionalization of biomolecules. The amino acid configurations were confirmed by Marfey derivatizations, and cytotoxicity studies show the difference among the isomers. These d-amino analogs can act as a potential biomarker in plant protein processing and biomedical applications.


This article includes a translation of the work "The Grammar of the Heart" by one of the most famous sufy theoretics of the Xth century al-Qushchayi (986-1072), as well as the commentary to his work, which is translated from Arabic to Russian for the first time. The article emphasizes on the importance of this work in the history of sufizm, as well as aims to show the meanings of its symbols. The author gives detailed descriptions of saved manuscripts as well as a description of its modern editions.


We have investigated the cleaved surfaces of polydiacetylene crystals, poly-PTS (2,4-hexadiyne-1,6-diol p-toluene-sulfonate) and poly-DFMP (poly-bis[2,2',5,5'-tetraaxistrifluoromethyl-phenyl]butadiene), and liquid-crystal molecules, 8CB (4'-n-octyl-n-cyanobiphenyl), on graphite by atomic force microscopy. Molecular resolved images of each sample were successfully obtained. The contrast mechanism of 8CB for the atomic force microscope (AFM) is discussed.


This report explores pricing strategies for competitive hotels in 14 different Asian-Pacific countries. The research is based on comparing average percentage differences in occupancies, average daily rates (ADR), and revenue per available room (RevPAR) among competing high end hotels in local markets using data gathered monthly between 2001 and 2006. The results reveal that hotels that price below their competitive sets have lower RevPARs, but do not gain concomitant occupancy boosts. Hotels that charge a price premium have substantially higher RevPARs than their competitors, but without substantial reductions in occupancy. Overall, occupancies remain stable while revenues go up or down depending on whether a hotel sets rates above or below those of its competitive set. This report presents an extension of two previous Cornell Hospitality Reports which found that U.S. hotels that discount relative to their competitive set have higher occupancy and lower RevPAR. Examining both U.S. and Asian data over the period of 2001 to 2006 showed that higher occupancies do not necessarily accompany the decision to discount prices, as they did for U.S. hotels in 2001 through 2003. The study explores the ASEAN, China, and Australian markets separately and finds similar patterns.


: COPCORD (Community oriented program from control of rheumatic diseases) is a global initiative of the WHO/International League of Associations from Rheumatology (ILAR). The prevalence data from Urban Area, Bikaner District, North-Western Rajasthan Carried out in 2008-09, is presented. The aim was to study the urban prevalence of rheumatic-musculoskeletal symptoms/diseases (RMSD). A cross-sectional survey of the urban population of Bikaner (non-randomised selection) was completed in five weeks, using validated questionnaires, served by trained volunteers. 356 patients (7.12%) were identified (Phase 1) from 5000 adults, and systematically evaluated (Phase 2 and 3) by a medical team, including a rheumatologist; limited investigations were carried out and diagnosis confirmed during a planned 12 week initial follow-up. Standard clinical criteria were used for the diagnosis; point prevalence estimates (prev) are shown in parenthesis. There was a dominant distribution of 'pain at all sites' (articular/soft tissues) in the females (5.06%); as compared to males (2.06%). 51.4% RMSD were due to Osteoarthritis (females 33.99%; males 17.42%), Inflammatory arthritis (RA) as classified by the American College of Rheumatology, ranking second [35.67% (females 28.93%; males 6.74%)], Unclassified ill defined (4.21%). Spondylosis (Lumbar 2.53; Cervical 1.12%, Cervical and Lumbar 1.12%), Post Traumatic Arthritis (1.12%), Low backache spondylitis, Soft Tissue Rheumatism and Osteoarthritis with spondylosis (0.56% each), 1 person (0.28%) was suffering with prosthetic arthritis, 1 (0.28%) person was suffering with Trigeminal Neuralgia with wrist pain. TB, leprosy, gout and connective tissue disorders were not observed. The Bikaner COPCORD survey demonstrates a significant urban spectrum of RMSD. It provides a reasonable speculation about the Indian rheumatological burden with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis scoring first and second respectively.


A system for measuring the dielectric properties of cereal grains from 1 to 350 MHz with a coaxial sample
holder is presented. Several polar alcohols were used to calibrate and verify permittivity measurements obtained with a
signal-flow graph model from the full two-port S-parameter measurements. At the lowest frequencies (1-25 MHz), where
the phase measurements are less accurate, a lumped parameter model was used for the dielectric loss factor
measurements. The system was calibrated with measurements on air and decanol and verified with measurements on
octanol, hexanol, and pentanol. The standard error for the polar alcohols used for verification was 2.3% for the dielectric
constant and 7.6% for the dielectric loss factor. Although measurements were taken on static samples, the sample holder
is designed to accommodate flowing grain. Dielectric properties measurements at 25°C were taken on four hard red
winter wheat cultivars ranging in moisture content from about 9% to 21% with bulk densities varying from 0.66 to
0.83 g/cm3. Most of the data agreed with measurements reported in the literature.


Health meassages have long been carried on stamps, cancellations and special envelopes. Some postal administrations are particularly active in using stamps as a medium for messages. Others seem to be quite inactive. Perhaps some health ministries, and other interested parties, have not fully understood the enormous potential for health education which exists here. Stamps and frankings can be a major inexpensive source of information about health and other subjects. If those interested in promoting health were to use the full potential of stamps for this purpose, health for all would be 1 step closer to being achieved. The accompanying illustrations show that the health message can take many forms.


As it becomes increasingly evident that wife-beating is widespread in the United States, the need for adequate professional assitance to the victims becomes more pressing. This study, reflecting the author's experiences in offering psychiatric counseling to battered wives, outlines the difficulties in reaching out to this population and offers suggestions for treatment approaches.


The study is one of fundamental researches for the development of future smart clothing and textile products with blocking properties from electromagnetic waves by analyzing human physical symptoms in using electromagnetic products in such an environments. Among various textiles in the experiment, nano silver has shown the best blocking performance from electromagnetic waves, which decreases depending on the distance. The power spectrum distribution and the incidence of electroencephalogram between blocking materials and aural stimuli has shown that, , wave appeared to be active in all channels except for , whereas all waves appeared with processed materials and especially with nano silver silk(NSS), , , , waves appeared active in all regions. As for the brain mapping of wave according to time, there found a strong activity in , of the parietal lobe, with all materials on all time regions. With silk nylon metal(SNM) and NSS, it appeared strong in , as well. As for , wave, the activity appeared strong in frontal lobe before 7min. 30sec, where it tends to diminish abruptly in 7min. 30sec. to 13min. 30sec. region. After 13min., it regained gradually. With NSS, it appeared strong in all areas except for the farthest . The appearance of wave can be deduced as it can affect human body with its toxic property while the silver particles become nano-sized. Therefore, the study conducted with human participants requires a proper particle size of it which would not penetrate cellular tissues and a proper binder and binding treatment for it, to prevent the physical fatigues and the potential diseases. However, it is highly required for back-up researches to verify various aspects in applying nano silver to textile products.


Four heterogeneous catalysts containing Fe including a bentonite-clay-based Fe nanocomposite (Fe-B), hematite (alpha-Fe2O3), amorphous FeOOH, and calcined FeOOH (denoted as FeOOH-M) were employed for the photo-Fenton discoloration and mineralization of 0.2 mM Orange II in the presence of 10 mM H2O2 and 8 W UVC at two different initial solution pH values (3.0 and 6.6). It was found that, at an initial solution pH of 3.0, their photocatalytic activities follow the order Fe-B > FeOOH, FeOOH-M > alpha-Fe2O3. When the Fe-B nanocomposite, FeOOH, and FeOOH-M were used as heterogeneous catalysts, both heterogeneous and homogeneous photo-Fenton reactions were responsible for the discoloration and mineralization of 0.2 mM Orange II because homogeneous photo-Fenton reaction occurred due to the presence of Fe ions leached from the catalysts. At an initial solution pH of 6.6, their photocatalytic activities still follow the order Fe-B > FeOOH, FeOOH-M >> alpha-Fe2O3. However, only heterogeneous photo-Fenton reaction accounted for the discoloration and mineralization of 0.2 mM Orange II because Fe leaching from the catalysts was significantly depressed. In the case of alpha-Fe2O3 as a catalyst, whether at an initial solution pH of 3.0 or 6.6, only heterogeneous photo-Fenton reaction happened for the discoloration and mineralization of 0.2 mM Orange II because Fe leaching from the catalyst is negligible. The apparent discoloration kinetics of Orange II with the four catalysts at two different initial solution pH values was also investigated.


Purpose: The aim of this systematic review is to report about the clinical use of partial and total fresh osteochondral allograft in the ankle joint. The state of the art of allografts with regard to basic science, procurement and storage methods, immunogenicity, generally accepted indications and contraindications, and the rationale of the allografting procedure have been described. Methods: All studies published in PubMed from 2000 to January 2012 addressing fresh osteochondral allograft procedures in the ankle joint were identified, including those that fulfilled the following criteria: (a) level I-IV evidence addressing the areas of interest outlined above; (b) measures of functional, clinical, or imaging outcome; and (c) outcome related to ankle cartilage lesions or ankle arthritis treated by allografts. Results: The analysis showed a progressively increasing number of articles from 2000. The number of selected articles was 14; 9 of those focused on limited dimension allografts (plugs, partial) and 5 on bipolar fresh osteochondral allografts. The evaluation of evidence level showed 14 case series and no randomized studies. Conclusions: Fresh osteochondral allografts are now a versatile and suitable option for the treatment of different degrees of osteochondral disease in the ankle joint and may even be used as total joint replacement. Fresh osteochondral allografts used for total joint replacement are still experimental and might be considered as a salvage procedure in otherwise unsolvable situations. A proper selection of the patients is therefore a key point. Moreover, the patients should be adequately informed about the possible risks, benefits, and alternatives to the allograft procedure.


Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) in mammalian cells depends on phosphorylation of Upf1, an RNA-dependent ATPase and 5'-to-3' helicase. Upf1 phosphorylation is mediated by Smg1, a phosphoinositol 3-kinase-related protein kinase. Here, we describe a human protein, which we call hSmg5/7a, that manifests similarity to Caenorhabditis elegans NMD factors CeSMG5 and CeSMG7, as well as two Drosophila melanogaster proteins that are also similar to the C. elegans NMD factors. Results indicate that hSmg5/7a functions in the dephosphorylation of Upf1. Furthermore, hSmg5/7a copurifies with Upf1, Upf2, Upf3X, Smg1, and the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase 2A. We also demonstrate that Upf2, another factor involved in NMD, is a phosphoprotein. However, hSmg5/7a plays no role in the dephosphorylation of Upf2. These data indicate that hSmg5/7a targets protein phosphatase 2A to Upf1 but not Upf2. Results of Western blotting reveal that hSmg5/7a is mostly cytoplasmic in HEK293T cells.


Economists have puzzled over why eligible individuals fail to enroll in social safety net programs. "Chilling effects" arising from an icy policy climate are a popular explanation for low program take-up rates among immigrants, but such effects are inherently hard to measure. This paper investigates a concrete determinant of chilling, Federal immigration enforcement, and finds robust evidence that heightened enforcement reduces Medicaid participation among children of non-citizens. This is the case even when children are themselves citizens and face no eligibility barriers to Medicaid enrollment. Immigrants from countries with more undocumented U.S. residents, those living in cities with a high fraction of other immigrants, and those with healthy children are most sensitive to enforcement efforts. Up to seventy-five percent of the relative decline in non-citizen Medicaid participation around the time of welfare reform, which has been attributed to the chilling effects of the reform itself, is explained by a contemporaneous spike in immigration enforcement activity. The results imply that safety net participation is influenced not only by program design, but also by a broader set of seemingly unrelated policy choices.


There have been nearly 400 genome-wide association studies (GWAS) published since 2005. The GWAS approach has been exceptionally successful in identifying common genetic variants that predispose to a variety of complex human diseases and biochemical and anthropometric traits. Although this approach is relatively new, there are many excellent reviews of different aspects of the GWAS method. Here, we provide a primer, an annotated overview of the GWAS method with particular reference to psychiatric genetics. We dissect the GWAS methodology into its components and provide a brief description with citations and links to reviews that cover the topic in detail.


Purpose Although the explanation for inconsistencies in the reported association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and chronic pain (CP) has not yet been determined, understanding this discrepancy is necessary for the development of vitamin D supplementation as an effective treatment for CP. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between 25(OH)D concentrations and CP according to drinking habits in Japanese subjects. Patients and Methods We distributed invitation letters to 2314 individuals older than 40 years in Shika town, a rural area in Japan, and 724 subjects (386 females; mean age: 63.9 ± 10.4 years) were recruited. CP was defined as persistent pain lasting at least 3 months in any part of the body. Serum concentrations of 25(OH)D, a biomarker of the vitamin D status, were measured using a radioimmunoassay. A serum 25(OH)D level <20 ng/mL was defined as serum 25(OH)D deficiency. Drinking habits were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. There were three choices, "rarely drink", "sometimes" and "everyday". Respondents who answered "rarely drink" were labelled as non-drinkers and the others as drinkers. Results The prevalence of CP was 40.6%. A significant interaction between CP and drinking habits on 25(OH)D concentrations was observed (p = 0.098). A one-way analysis of covariance was performed to compare 25(OH)D concentrations between the subjects with and without CP in each drinking group, and the serum 25(OH)D levels of subjects with CP were significantly lower than those without CP among drinkers (p = 0.007). A logistic regression analysis revealed a correlation between serum 25(OH)D deficiency and CP in drinkers after adjustments for several confounding factors (odds ratio: 0.499; 95% confidence interval: 0.268 − 0.927; p = 0.028). Conclusion The present results suggest that low serum 25(OH)D concentrations are associated with the development of CP in drinkers.


A new electrochemical sensor based on a Nafion, aminated reduced graphene oxide and chitosan functional membrane-modified glassy carbon electrode was proposed for the simultaneous detection of adenine and guanine. Fourier transform-infrared spectrometry (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and electrochemical methods were utilized for the additional characterization of the membrane materials. The prepared electrode was utilized for the detection of guanine (G) and adenine (A). The anodic peak currents to G and A were linear in the concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 120 μM and 0.2 to 110 μM, respectively. The detection limits were found to be 0.1 μM and 0.2 μM, respectively. Moreover, the modified electrode could also be used to determine G and A in calf thymus DNA.


Identification and prediction of lifetime of industrial cutting tools using minimal sensors is crucial to reduce production costs and down-time in engineering systems. In this paper, we provide a formal decision software tool to extract the dominant features enabling tool wear prediction. This decision tool is based on a formal mathematical approach that selects dominant features using the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) of real-time measurements from the sensors of an industrial cutting tool. It is shown that the proposed method of dominant feature selection is optimal in the sense that it minimizes the least-squares estimation error. The identified dominant features are used with the Recursive Least Squares (RLS) algorithm to identify parameters in forecasting the time series of cutting tool wear on an industrial high speed milling machine.


Two methods for initial rotor position estimation of interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) are developed based on di/dt principle in this paper. Pulse voltage vectors at different electrical angles are applied on the motor, and the di/dt of the motor are calculated to get the information of the rotor position. Fourier analysis is used in method I in order to get rid of the cogging effect. Close-loop controllers are designed in method II, and the final estimation angle will be converged at the rotor position. Experiments on a 40-kW IPMSM are done to show the correctness of the proposed methods.


Yenegoa Town has in recent years witnessed rapid City growth and Urban development and much of these developments are unplanned and unregulated. This has seriously impacted on wetlands in several locations of the town as persistent Wetlands reclamations are being witnessed in study area. This prompted the need for the study which is aimed to map wetlands location in Yenagoa's urban area using GIS and Remote Sensing approach. The study analyzes land use/land cover changes (LULC) using LANDSAT(5) TM, LANDSAT(5) ETM and LANDSAT(7) OLI satellite imageries of 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020 respectively. Through this study, the pattern of urban expansion for Thirty years were been studied. The satellite imageries covering the area were acquired and analyzed using ArcGIS 10.1 and ENVI 5.0 software. The supervised image classification method was adopted and the classification results were validated using the Kappa Index of Agreement (KIA) yielding an accuracy of 0.69m for year 1990, 0.62m for year 2000, 0.58m for year 2010 and 0.73m for 2020. A total area of 13,741.4 hectares was delineated in the study area which is identified as Yenagoa's urban area. After processing the imageries, four land use/land cover (LULC) classes where considered, and the results shows that Built-up area continuously increased in land area from 1990 -2020 with total percentage change of 273.31% (4,178.7ha) and total annual rate of change of 25.33. Vegetation have total percentage change of 38.55% (974.34Ha) and total annual rate of change of 3.85, wetland cover loss with total percentage Change of 61.96% (-51,44.99ha) and total annual rate of change of -6.19ha, and the water body have loss of total percentage of -2.16% (-8.05Ha) and total annual rate of change of -0.22ha wetland at Yenegwe loss by Total %change of -29.918% ( -197.95ha), and wetland at Igbogene loss by total percentage change of -36.028% (-358.7ha). The research findings also revealed that the wetlands in Anyama, Swali, Kpansia and Opolo Towns were completely lost from the third Epoch of 2010, this may be as a result of persistence reclamation of wetland in this parts of the study area. The Markov Chain predicted model were utilized for predicting the likely changes in land use land cover for a period of thirty years. The predicted results also indicates that wetland size of 32.47,%, 30.68% and 28.99% may likely be lost by the year 2030, 2040 and 2050 respectively in study area if no action is taking by concerned authorities to forestall the factors responsible for the lost in wetland. The study justified the dynamics of remote sensing and GIS techniques in modeling wetlands changees over these periods, wise use of wetland resources and improvement of institutional arrangement were recommended so that wetland policies can be fully integrated into the planning process across all disciplines.


Abstract The Victoria and Albert Museum, London (V&A), is delivering an increasingly broad range of services in order to attract a wider and more diverse audience. Much activity is collections based; loans, gallery refurbishment, exhibitions, etc., and the workload for the Conservation Department is extremely high. Concurrently there is a year-on-year reduction in Grant In Aid (GIA) and the museum is responding to this by reducing core staff numbers in preference for project based, shortterm contracts. The paper discusses the strategic approach taken by the Conservation Department to enable it to deliver museum objectives and meet targets without jeopardizing the quality of the work undertaken or the international reputation of the V&A brand. This has involved reexamination and reassessment of priorities and activities. Through the introduction of multiple measures to maximize efficiency, the department has sought to maintain staff skills and promote conservation research in tandem with delivering the V&A's objectives.


Massive hemoptysis is a life-threatening situation and can have a variety of underlying causes. Bronchial arteries are mostly the source of bleeding but in rare cases an aberrant systemic artery may be present, causing hemoptysis. Here, we present a patient in whom an aberrant systemic artery was defined to be the cause of hemoptysis. Obstruction of this artery by videothoracoscopic clipping was curative for the patient's hemoptysis.


Second Quantization Spin in Second Quantization Orbital Rotations Exact and Approximate Wave Functions The Standard Models Atomic Basis Functions Short-Range Interactions and Orbital Expansions Gaussian Basis Sets Molecular Integral Evaluation Hartree-Fock Theory Configuration-Interaction Theory Multiconfigurational Self-Consistent Field Theory Coupled-Cluster Theory Perturbation Theory Calibration of the Electronic-Structure Models List of Acronyms Index


he complexity of the accounting system as the subsystem of management information system requires the continuous arrival of different types of data in different intervals which leads to an increase in complexity during its processing and presentation to management. Promoting the work and operations of military medical institutions requires the use of just such modern accounting information systems. Methods – Queuing system is used in this paper as the basis for positioning of information which needs to be processed within the accounting process, by adhering to certain limitations which are imposed by the specificity of the military medical system which is established. Conclusion – Basis of this information system is comprised of three subsystems, which are financial accounting, managerial accounting and cost accounting. Conditioning processing of data in the accounting process, adhering to accounting principles, primarily the principle of realization, it is very significant that this system supports information which is objectified in the form of accounting documents, so it can be processed and given to its users u military medical institutions.


Oxygen intermediates in copper enzymes exhibit unique spectroscopic features that reflect novel geometric and electronic structures that are key to reactivity. This perspective will describe: (1) the bonding origin of the unique spectroscopic features of the coupled binuclear copper enzymes and how this overcomes the spin forbiddenness of O2 binding and activates monooxygenase activity, (2) how the difference in exchange coupling in the non-coupled binuclear Cu enzymes controls the reaction mechanism, and (3) how the trinuclear Cu cluster present in the multicopper oxidases leads to a major structure/function difference in enabling the irreversible reductive cleavage of the O-O bond with little overpotential and generating a fully oxidized intermediate, different from the resting enzyme studied by crystallography, that is key in enabling fast PCET in the reductive half of the catalytic cycle.


Region Jönköping County (RJC) in Sweden is a healthcare system that is characterised by sustainable work with quality in healthcare and long-term system-wide improvement. This article describes important factors behind the improvement work in RJC, and how the improvement methods and initiatives have been adopted also in mental healthcare. For example, patients otherwise eligible for admission to a psychiatric department were treated at home after introduction of home treatment teams. Patient satisfaction was high and the number of visits to the emergency department, hospital admissions and hospital stay decreased.


The geothermal hot springs has been discovered in the Kaliulo area, Pringapus district of Semarang Regency. The research was conducted by 2-D and 3-D model geomagnetic for find the geological subsurface structure. Observation data such as magnetic field of 61 point used one set of PPM (Proton Precission Magnetometer) GSM geometrics 19 T and two units Geotron Magnetometer Model Unit G5. Data analysis of geomagnet was undertaken by diurnal correction and IGRF (International Geomagnetic Reference Field) correction to obtain the total of magnetic field anomalies. The total magnetic field anomaly data were utilized to  create anomaly contour. That anomaly is used for doing reduction to plansurface process, upward continuation that produce anomalies local and regional, and reduction to pole. Modeling was done on the local magnetic anomalies to review subsurface using Mag2DC and UBC Mag3D. The results showed the + (positive) closure and – (negative)  closure that can indicate anomalies object in other word to be weak zone or geological structure of fault is available, so that the slicing is made on that closure. Based on the model 2-D normal fault structure the northwestsoutheast trending and northeast-southwest, this interpreting so that normal faults which controlled source hot springs Diwak to Kaliulo.


The intermolecular bonding between molecules containing urea moieties is of interest due to the possible bidentate nature of the hydrogen bond. Experimentally, the nature of the hydrogen bond can be determined from the infra-red spectrum of thematerial. TheC=Ostretching frequency shows substantial shifts due to the additional constraints of the hydrogen bonding. To ascertain the capability of quantummechanical methods to understand better the nature of hydrogen bonds between these types of molecules, calculations on urea, dimethyl urea and their dimers have been undertaken as well as calculations of the solid state crystal structures. The calculations involve the determination of the optimum geometries and the relative energetics of the hydrogen bond formation. Calculations of the vibrational frequencies within the quasi-harmonic approximation have also been performed and some comparison can be made with experiment. In addition to a further understanding of the fundamental nature of bidentate hydrogen bond structures, a study of the cost effectiveness of various computational methodologies has been undertaken. Calculations at the Hartree-Fock, Density Functional andMP2 levels of theory are reported and a comparison of various basis sets and treatments of electron correlation is made. The calculations have provided considerable insight into the nature of these type hydrogen bonding systems. Much of the information can be used to provide more effective parameterisation of force-fields to make possible the treatment of crystal structure and crystal growth. A density functional method using the edf1 functional appears to be one of the most cost effective methods. Despite using a small basis set it provides excellent prediction of vibrational frequencies. m13.p23


Abstract. Bao TQ, Viet LH, Hai NH, Tuan NT, Cuong LV. 2021. Population dynamics and regeneration of Shorea roxburghii, a threatened timber species in Southern region, Viet Nam. Biodiversitas 22: 5649-5656. Despite its wide distribution in South and Southeast Asia, Shorea roxburghii G. Don is classified as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to over-exploitation for its valuable timber. This study aims to investigate the population dynamics and regeneration of S. roxburghii in southeastern Vietnam, serving for conservation and sustainable development plan. Six plots of 2,500 m2 each (50 m × 50 m) were established at two forest conditions: i) forest with standing volume > 200 m3/ha (SV>200), and ii) < 200 m3/ha (SV<200); to investigate stems with diameter at breast height (DBH) ? 5 cm and that < 5 cm. Moisture (%), pHH2O of the topsoil and the occurrence of regenerating S. roxburghii were collected from 125 points in the study site. The results indicated that mean stem height, DBH, basal area, and aboveground biomass were significantly higher at the forest stand with SV>200 than that at the forest stand with SV<200 for the pool of all species. Similar higher figures were found in SV>200 for the pool of S. roxburghii compared to that in SV<200, except mean DBH, which was larger in SV<200. There were missing stems with DBH < 5 cm in SV<200, while it was numerous in SV>200 (1,313 stems/ha). DBH/stem distributions in both forest types had an inverted-J shape with a peak at 10-15 cm DBH for the pool of all species, while there was no clear pattern for the pool of S. roxburghii in both forest types. Regression analysis indicated that higher total crown area of stems ? 23 tall leads to higher S. roxburghii stems, while the higher total crown area of stems < 23 tall leads to fewer S. roxburghii stems with DBH < 5 cm. It is concluded that the total crown area of forest stand plays an important role in the sustainable regeneration of S. roxburghii. Silvicultural treatment should be applied to reduce stand density and crown area of stems < 23 m tall to enhance sunlight reaching the forest floor for germination, growth, and survival of S. roxburghii. The moisture of the topsoil ranging from 60 - 80% and the pHH2O ranging from 3.8 - 4.6 are suitable conditions for natural regeneration of S. roxburghii.


Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common occurrence in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). In recent years, our knowledge of the incidence and impact of neonatal AKI on outcomes has expanded exponentially. Neonatal AKI has been shown to be associated with adverse outcomes including increased length of mechanical ventilation, prolonged length of stay, and rise in mortality. There has also been increasing work suggesting that neonates with AKI are at higher risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD). In the past, AKI had been defined multiple ways. The utilization of the neonatal modified Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria as the standard definition for neonatal AKI in research and clinical care has driven the advances in our understanding of neonatal AKI over the last 10 years. This definition has allowed researchers and clinicians to better understand the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes associated with neonatal AKI across populations through a multitude of single-center studies and the seminal, multicenter Assessment of Worldwide Acute Kidney Injury Epidemiology in Neonates (AWAKEN) study. As the impacts of neonatal AKI have become clear, a shift in efforts toward identifying those at highest risk, protocolizing AKI surveillance, improving prevention and diagnosis, and expanding kidney support therapy (KST) for neonates has occurred. These efforts also include improving risk stratification (identifying high risk populations, including those with nephrotoxic medication exposure) and diagnostics (novel biomarkers and diagnostic tools). Recent work has also shown that the targeted use of methylxanthines may prevent AKI in a variety of high-risk populations. One of the most exciting developments in neonatal AKI is the advancement in technology to provide KST to neonates with severe AKI. In this comprehensive review we will provide an overview of recent work and advances in the field of neonatal AKI. This will include a detailed review of (1) the definition of neonatal AKI, (2) the epidemiology, risk factors, and outcomes associated with neonatal AKI, (3) improvements in risk stratification and diagnostics, (4) mitigation and treatment, (5) advancements in the provision of KST to neonates, and (6) the incidence and risk of subsequent CKD.


The photocatalytic degradation of an anthraquinone dye Vat Yellow 4 in aqueous solution with TiO 2 -P25 (Degussa) as photocatalyst in slurry form has been investigated under solar irradiation and UV irradiation. The study on the effect of various photocatalysts on the degradation reveals that TiO 2 is the best catalyst in comparison to other commercial photocatalysts. The effect of operational parameters such as catalyst loading and initial dye concentration on the decolourisation and degradation under UV irradiation in TiO 2 suspension has been investigated to find out the optimum conditions. The decolourisation and degradation kinetics was found to follow first-order kinetics. A study on the effect of electron acceptors on photo oxidation reveals that both decolourisation and degradation increase in the presence of the electron acceptors such as H 2 O 2 , (NH 4 ) 2 S 2 O 8 and KBrO 3 up to an optimum dosage beyond which the enhancement effect is negligible. The effect of the presence of inorganic additives on the degradation was studied and it was found to decrease the degradation. Key words: Photocatalytic degradation, UV, TiO 2 , Vat yellow 4.


Abstract. On-road vehicle emissions are a major contributor to
elevated air pollution levels in populous metropolitan areas. We developed a
link-level emissions inventory of vehicular pollutants, called EMBEV-Link (Link-level Emission factor Model for the BEijing Vehicle fleet),
based on multiple datasets extracted from the extensive road traffic
monitoring network that covers the entire municipality of Beijing, China
(16 400 km2). We employed the EMBEV-Link model under various traffic
scenarios to capture the significant variability in vehicle emissions,
temporally and spatially, due to the real-world traffic dynamics and the
traffic restrictions implemented by the local government. The results
revealed high carbon monoxide (CO) and total hydrocarbon (THC) emissions in
the urban area (i.e., within the Fifth Ring Road) and during rush hours,
both associated with the passenger vehicle traffic. By contrast,
considerable fractions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), fine particulate
matter (PM2.5) and black carbon (BC) emissions were present beyond the
urban area, as heavy-duty trucks (HDTs) were not allowed to drive through
the urban area during daytime. The EMBEV-Link model indicates that nonlocal
HDTs could account for 29 % and 38 % of estimated total on-road emissions of
NOx and PM2.5, which were ignored in previous conventional
emission inventories. We further combined the EMBEV-Link emission inventory
and a computationally efficient dispersion model, RapidAir®,
to simulate vehicular NOx concentrations at fine resolutions (10 m × 10 m in the entire municipality and 1 m × 1 m in the
hotspots). The simulated results indicated a close agreement with ground
observations and captured sharp concentration gradients from line sources to
ambient areas. During the nighttime when the HDT traffic restrictions are
lifted, HDTs could be responsible for approximately 10 µg m−3 of
NOx in the urban area. The uncertainties of conventional top-down
allocation methods, which were widely used to enhance the spatial resolution
of vehicle emissions, are also discussed by comparison with the EMBEV-Link
emission inventory.


The aim of this paper is to offer a reading of P. K. Dick's Ubik which investigates the possibility for a representation of posthuman subjectivity in the novel. The forming of a sustainable posthuman subjectivity occurs in the novel against the backdrop of what might be described in Baudrillardian terms as hyperreality. The use of Baudrillard's idea of hyperreality may not only guide the analysis towards uncovering the circumstances facilitating the emergence of posthuman subjects in Ubik, but also reveal an illustration of the dialogue between the postmodern and the posthuman positions. Ultimately, I contend that Dick's novel depicts the emergence of posthuman modes of subjectivity in a process which is facilitated by the context of hyperreality. This unexpected coincidence occurs through a positive, constructive interaction with the environment, bestowing, through symbolic exchange, sustainability to the inhabitants of unstable reality.


A hypothesis is the starting point of any investigation or inquiry in the process of legal research. For any research to begin, it is always initiated with a problem of inquiry. It is called a tentative statement or generation or assumption or proposition. Whatever it may be, it has to be very clear, simple and definite without any creeping ambiguity therein. The condition attached to it that a hypothesis must be empirically verifiable, testable and comparable with the observed facts regarding a phenomenon or an experience. The formulation of a hypothesis gives direction to arrange the facts. In fact, a hypothesis occupies indispensable portion for any investigation or inquiry. It gives direction in regarding to collection of evidence. It makes observation and experiment possible. It proceeds in a direction to find out answer to the problem saving time, money and energy. Three things are very much essential knowledge, experience and capacity. A researcher has to form hypothesis based on them. We cannot admit anything as valid knowledge until a satisfactory test of the validity of the hypothesis. A researcher cannot satisfy even with results in which he still finds the same occurrence. In a certain place, for example delinquency is found in another area the hypothesis that delinquency in general is due to poverty is false, since other factors than poverty are operative in the production of delinquency among the wealthy. Undoubtedly the test in the first area was correct for that area at the particular time. But delinquency in general cannot be assumed to be due to poverty. So testing of hypothesis is big problem in legal research. If the testing of hypothesis is wrong there ends the research.


Two Early Devonian sections used for this study display a markedly different facies development and lie on opposite limbs of the central Barrandian synform, in the stratotype area of the Pragian Stage. The present biostratigraphical information based on 18 species with a total of 350 conodont specimens is mostly related to the late Lochkovian and early Pragian, whilst the remaining parts of the Pragian involve mostly long-range conodont species. The late Lochkovian conodonts correspond to two zones eurekaensis and delta . The latest Lochkovian zone pesavis was found in the northwestern limb, but not on the opposite side. The absence of pesavis Zone in the south (Koneprusy) and, as it has been newly shown, in the south-east of the central Barrandian synform (Karlik Valley) suggests that a prominent lowstand sedimentary starvation affected much larger areas than only the tops of elevated ridges. The lower two thirds of the Pragian sequences can be zoned using two newly suggested conodont zones steinachensis and serratus , respectively, that are defined by the first and last occurrences of these taxa. The occurrence of Latericriodus steinachensis  (AL-RAWI) eta morph. marks the lower third and the entry of  Pelekysgnathus serratus serratus JENTZSCH corresponds to the base of the middle third of the Pragian. The newly suggested stratigraphical applicability of these two species can effectively substitute the pre-existing sulcatus and kindlei subdivisions that have no zonal species representation in the stratotype area. The first occurrence of Latericriodus bilatericrescens bilatericrescens  (ZIEGLER) seems to indicate the base of the Emsian in the Na Branzovech section. The entry of this taxon is connected with the black-shale Graptolite Event within the latest Dvorce-Prokop Limestone that is several beds higher than the levels usually considered for entry of a debatable taxon Polygnatus pireneae . The base of the Graptolite Event gives better chance for the correlation of the Pragian-Emsian boundary than any of the underlying levels. Evolution of the Barrandian conodont assemblages shows many parallels with those of Morocco and Carnic Alps.


Global warming is expected to intensify the Earth's hydrological cycle and increase flood and drought risks. Changes in global high and low streamflow extremes over the 21st century under two warming scenarios are analyzed as indicators of hydrologic flood and drought intensity, using an ensemble of bias-corrected global climate model (GCM) fields fed into different global hydrological models (GHMs). Based on multi-model mean, approximately 37 % and 43 % of global land areas are exposed to increases in flood and drought intensities, respectively, by the end of the 21st century under RCP8.5 scenario. The average rates of increase in flood and drought intensities in those areas are projected to be 24.5 % and 51.5 %, respectively. Nearly 10 % of the global land areas are under the potential risk of simultaneous increase in both flood and drought intensities, with average rates of 10.1 % and 19.8 %, respectively; further, these regions tend to be highly populated parts of the globe, currently holding around 30 % of the world's population (over 2.1 billion people). In a world more than 4 degrees warmer by the end of the 21 st century compared to the pre-industrial era (RCP8.5 scenario), increases in flood and drought intensities are projected to be nearly twice as large as in a 2 degree warmer world (RCP2.6 scenario). Results also show that GHMs contribute to more uncertainties in streamflow changes than the GCMs. Under both forcing scenarios, there is high model agreement for significant increases in streamflow of the regions near and above the Arctic Circle, and consequent increases in the freshwater inflow to the Arctic Ocean, while subtropical arid areas experience reduction in streamflow.


This study has a main purpose that closely examines the structural relationship among internal marketing, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and organizational citizenship behavior of the commercial sport center. In order to achieve it, the sample from employees were accumulated by using convenience sampling that chose sports center in seoul. The samples were 300 people. and we excluded unsuitable sheet like that were decided as untrustful one and an omission and unclear. So the final samples were 285 people. On the basis of that, The statistical techniques, spss 21.0 and amos 21.0 program have been used for the analysis as per research purpose. The statistical analysis used in the research for a data analysis includes frequency analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and structure equation model analysis. The research has drawn the following conclusions, based on the above mentioned research method and its procedures: First, The internal marketing influences job satisfaction. Second, The job satisfaction influences organizational commitment. Third, The job satisfaction influences organizational citizenship behavior. Fourth, The organizational commitment organizational citizenship behavior.


Business intelligence (BI) has attracted considerable attention in recent years. Despite the hype, BI frequently suffers from broad definitions, unrealistic expectations, and the incongruities of IT needs between headquarters and local business units. We report the findings of a case study at a large international manufacturing firm headquartered in the EU. The firm wants to transform itself from a conservative firm with traditional values to a more entrepreneurial and nimble organization with its supply chains driven by Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT). The firm is going through its transformation, focusing on the BI system. Our observations suggest that firms consider BI to be the enabler of change management rather than simply technical tools that extend the traditional systems environment.


A cross sectional study was carried out among medical students in the University of Ibadan to identify their socio economic and psychological problems. Three hundred and sixteen students, 159 males and 157 females participated in the study. The questionnaire, which was self-administered, sought information about sources of financial support, type of accommodation, use of recreational facilities, smoking and drinking habits and sources of stress and insecurity on the campus. The GHQ-12 was used to assess their mental status. Ninety-four percent of students were sponsored by their parents. Average monthly income as pocket money ranged from N800-N15,000. Sixty-three (20%) reported that their pocket money was inadequate and 11 (3.5%) engage in business ventures to supplement their income. Two hundred and fifty-seven (81%) live on the campus, 11 (3.5%) were current smokers and 54 (18%) were current drinkers. Stealing and lack of money were the commonest causes of insecurity on the campus. Lack of money, fear of failure of examinations, family problems and broken relationships were reported as causes of depression among this study population. GHQ scores ranged from 1 to 9 using a cut-off point of 3 scores, 38 students (12.0%) were categorised as having traits of poor mental health. GHQ scores were not associated with age, sex, smoking or drinking status or students' assessment of the adequacy of their pocket money. However, living off campus and poor self-perception were associated with poor mental health (p < 0.01). Counseling services should be provided in the medical school to assist students to handle issues that constitute a source of stress in their psychosocial environment.


BACKGROUND The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants has become a major concern contributing to increased morbidity and mortality worldwide. OBJECTIVES Here we describe the replacement of the Gamma variant of concern (VOC) with Delta in the western Brazilian Amazon. METHODS In this study, we analysed 540 SARS-CoV-2 positive samples determined by qualitative real-time RT-PCR selected in the state of Rondônia between June and December 2021. The positive cohort was sequenced through next-generation sequencing (NGS) and each sample was quantified using real-time RT-qPCR, the whole genome sequence was obtained, SARS-CoV-2 lineages were classified using the system Pango and the maximum likelihood (ML) method was used to conduct phylogenetic analyses. FINDINGS A total of 540 high-quality genomes were obtained, where the Delta VOC showed the highest prevalence making up 72%, with strain AY.43 being the most abundant, while the Gamma VOC was present in 28%, where the P.1 strain was the most frequent. In this study population, only 32.96% (178/540) had completed the vaccination schedule. MAIN CONCLUSIONS This study highlighted the presence of Gamma and Delta variants of SARS-CoV-2 in RO. Furthermore, we observed the replacement of the Gamma VOC with the Delta VOC and its lineages.


The COVID-19 pandemic's disruptions to daily routines and services have proven especially challenging for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. The current retrospective study aimed to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic's social environmental changes on parental ratings of personal and child concerns about family conflict, opportunities for social interaction, and loss of institutional support (school and therapy services). Analyses of responses from families with ASD in the US determined differences in concerns across three time points which were measured simultaneously: prior to COVID-19, at the start of COVID-19, and at the time of survey completion. From our sample of 246 school-aged children, parents retrospectively reported significantly increasing levels of concern for both themselves and their children over time, with parents' personal concern levels rated consistently higher than their ratings of their child's level of concern. Concerns about loss of institutional support were higher for parents of children reported as having co-occurring intellectual disability. Further, parents of younger children also reported more concerns about loss of services, as well as more social concerns. For parent ratings of child concerns, children who were reportedly aware of COVID-19 were determined to have higher levels of social concerns and concerns about loss of institutional support. Meanwhile, the child's age and gender did not impact their parent ratings of child concerns. The increased level of parental and child-perceived concerns over the course of the pandemic suggests a need for improved service delivery and support for these families. The high levels of concerns observed in the current study provide support for the need to assess families' priorities and tailor services to best meet families' needs. This will potentially increase the quality of life of family members, and improve ASD services across the lifespan, and improve outcomes.


In families that included a chemically addicted father, the nonsubstance abusing mother was assessed using the Brief Symptom Inventory and her children were assessed for depression using the Children's Depression Inventory. The nonsubstance-abusing mothers were psychologically distressed and their distress correlated (positively for girls and negatively for boys) with their children's depression.