This study investigates the problem of communication for a network composed of two half-duplex parallel relays with additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN). There is no direct link between the source and the destination. However, the relays can communicate with each other through the channel between them. Two protocols, i.e., simultaneous and successive relaying, associated with two possible relay schedulings are proposed. The simultaneous relaying protocol is based on the Broadcast-Multiaccess with Common Message (BCM) scheme considered in . For the successive relaying protocol: (i) a non-cooperative scheme based on the Dirty Paper Coding (DPC) and (ii) a cooperative scheme based on the Block Markov Encoding (BME) are considered. The composite scheme of employing BME in at most one relay and DPC in at least another one is also proposed. It is proved that this scheme achieves at least the same rate when compared to the cooperative and non-cooperative schemes for the Gaussian case. A Simultaneous-Successive Relaying based on Dirty Paper Coding scheme (SSRD) is also proposed. The optimum scheduling of the relays, and hence the capacity of the half-duplex Gaussian parallel relay channel in the low and high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) scenarios, is derived. In the low SNR scenario, it is revealed that under certain conditions for the channel coefficients the ratio of the achievable rate of the simultaneous relaying based on BCM to the cut-set bound tends to be 1. On the other hand, as SNR goes to infinity it is proved that successive relaying, based on the DPC, asymptotically achieves the capacity of the network.


AIMS
To estimate the effect of maternal cannabis use on birth weight.

DESIGN
Meta-analysis of published observational studies adjusted for cigarette smoking. Separate analyses were performed for studies of low birth weight and mean birth weight. We used fixed and random effects models, but in all cases the results were identical.

SETTING
From the Medline database, we identified 10 studies in which the results were adjusted for cigarette smoking. In seven studies, information on cannabis use was collected prenatally. Five studies reported results for differences in mean birth weight associated with maternal cannabis use.

PARTICIPANTS
32,483 women giving birth to live-born infants.

MEASUREMENTS
Mean birth weight and odds ratio for low birth weight.

FINDINGS
Three analyses of the studies on mean birth weight were conducted to avoid double-counting women from one study. The largest reduction in mean birth weight for any cannabis use during pregnancy was 48 g (95% confidence interval (CI) 83-14 g), with considerable heterogeneity among the five studies. Mean birth weight was increased by 62 g (95% CI 8 g reduction-132 g increase; p heterogeneity 0.59) among infrequent users (< or = weekly) whereas cannabis use at least four times per week had a 131 g reduction in mean birth weight (95% CI 52-209 g reduction; p heterogeneity 0.25). From the five studies of low birth weight, the pooled odds ratio for any use was 1.09 (95% CI 0.94-1.27, p heterogeneity 0.19).

CONCLUSIONS
There is inadequate evidence that cannabis, at the amount typically consumed by pregnant women, causes low birth weight.


Dienogest is orally active synthetic progesterone. In this study, Dienogest Oral Tablet 2 mg is being developed for use as in therapy of endometriosis, hysteromyoma and uterine leiomyoma. Micronization is a process involves reducing the size of the solid drug particles to 1 to 10 microns commonly by use of attrition methods (Fluid energy or Air Jet Mill). Micronization technique is a cost effective technique for improving the dissolution of Dienogest, a poorly soluble drug. Particle size reduction was realized by Air Jet Milling. Micronization of Dienogest enhanced its dissolution rate in multimedia compared to nonmicronized material. Dienogest Oral Tablets are commercially available in Germany and other European market dissolved similarly to micronized Dienogest, but significantly higher than the nonmicronized Dienogest. The results suggest that micronization technique for the preparation of rapidly dissolving formulations of Dienogest, and could potentially lead to improvement in the bioavailability of oral Dienogest product.


Because of the larger difference between the two images to be registered, such as exposure degree or noise pollution, the common registration algorithm that based on mutual information of original gray, is easy to fall into local extreme value, thus the registration accuracy is unsatisfactory. In this case, a new method of image registration algorithm that based on mutual information of gradient and improved PSO is developed in this paper. The experiment result shows the method works well, and comparing with traditional registration algorithm, the registration accuracy is significantly improved while the efficiency is also guaranteed.


A process for removal of ions from wastewaters by using water soluble polymers such as polyetilenimine (PEI), polyacrylic acid (PAA), polyacrylic acid sodium salt (PAASS) and poly(dimethylamine–co–epichlorohydrin–co–ethylenediamine) (PDEHED) as chelating agents and the Cu2+ ion as model in combination with ultrafiltration membranes (PAUF process), is described.

The tests on the complexing agents, to establish the binding capacity and the best operating conditions of the process, showed that complexation conditions depend on pH: indeed, copper ion is complexed by PEI, PAA, PAASS and PDEHED at pHs higher than 6, 4.6, 4.6 and 8, respectively. The decomplexation reactions took place at pH < 3. Binding capacity was 0.333 mg Cu2+/mg polymer for PEI, PAA and PAASS. For the chelating agent PDEHED the ratio was 2. Ultrafiltration tests were realized at two transmembrane pressures (2 and 4 bar), by using five different membranes, to make a comparison of polymers and membranes performances, as flux and rejection. UF tests showed that the PAA polymer and the PAN membrane GKSS HV2/T can be used when the objective of the purification process is to decrease the metal concentration not lower than a certain value that is accepted for water reuse or fixed by law for water discharge. The polymer PDEHED is useful if the objective of wastewater treatment is to obtain a complete copper removal.

The described work shows: i) the importance to use optimal chemical conditions to obtain a maximum binding capacity of the polymer; ii) the role of different types of UF membranes in order to employ the PAUF process in metal ions removal from various types of wastewaters.

Keywords:

ultrafiltration-complexation;
polymer-assisted;
ultrafiltration;
wastewater treatments;
membrane processes;
hybrid;
membrane processes;
removal of pollutants from waters;
water;
purification;
water remediation;
metal removal from waters;
water;
recycling;
metal recovery from waters;
complexing polymer reuse


Recently, similarity-preserving hashing methods have been extensively studied for large-scale image retrieval. Compared with unsupervised hashing, supervised hashing methods for labeled data have usually better performance by utilizing semantic label information. Intuitively, for unlabeled data, it will improve the performance of unsupervised hashing methods if we can first mine some supervised semantic 'label information' from unlabeled data and then incorporate the 'label information' into the training process. Thus, in this paper, we propose a novel Object Detection based Deep Unsupervised Hashing method (ODDUH). Specifically, a pre-trained object detection model is utilized to mining supervised 'label information', which is used to guide the learning process to generate high-quality hash codes. Extensive experiments on two public datasets demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art unsupervised hashing methods in the image retrieval task.


Recently, it was shown that using an ellipsoidal mesh in an einzel-type lens, spherical aberration can be corrected over a wide acceptance angle of up to 120 degrees. The present paper creates the possibility for beam analysis by achieving dramatic improvements in deceleration lens capabilities. This provides a scheme for simultaneous angular distribution measurement suitable for application to high-energy charged-particle beams up to around 10 keV. We consider the behavior of wide-angle charged-particle beams in electrostatic fields given by simple solutions of the Laplace equation, starting with a discussion on a spherically symmetric deceleration field. A beam focusing over a wide acceptance angle of 100 degrees is found in a special spherically symmetric field. However, in many cases of the spherically symmetric field, focusing of wide-angle beams is obstructed by the presence of spherical aberration. We show that the spherical aberration can be corrected by two kinds of deformation of the spherically symmetric field, a deformation of the field under a spherical boundary condition and an ellipsoidal deformation of the field. We study practical realization of such fields under the use of a few electrodes and a curved mesh (spherical or ellipsoidal mesh). Some variations of the arrangement of electrodes are considered, and simple designs of deceleration lenses with wide acceptance angles of up to 120 degrees are obtained. Here fine focusing of wide-angle beams can be achieved in a three-electrode deceleration lens with an ellipsoidal mesh.


Globalization is a key challenge in the modern software industry. It covers issues like developing software in joint teams all around the world or developing software that needs to be used in many different countries and different cultural environments. In this tutorial, we focus on this second aspect of globalization: developing software, in particular variants of software for markets around the world.
 PLE4G was designed as a special approach to enrich classical product line engineering with considerations of globalization issues. As we will assume that participants are mostly familiar with the basics of product line engineering, we will focus in particular on those issues that are specific to globalization.


An evolving transformation in nursing ethics is examined in terms of two basic metaphors of the nurse's role and its norms and virtues. Early discussions of nursing ethics portrayed nursing as military service in the battle against disease, associated with the virtue of loyalty and with the norms of obedience and the maintenance of patient confidence in physicians as authority figures. During the past decade, a metaphor of the nurse as advocate of patients' rights has largely replaced the older image. The author supports this change while cautioning that attention should be given to clarifying the meaning of advocacy, revising state laws to allow for expanded nursing roles, educating patients to accept the nurse as advocate, teaching nurses to cope with controversy, and identifying a legitimate place for loyalty to one's associates.


Text-to-Image (T2I) diffusion models have achieved remarkable success in synthesizing high-quality images conditioned on text prompts. Recent methods have tried to replicate the success by either training text-to-video (T2V) models on a very large number of text-video pairs or adapting T2I models on text-video pairs independently. Although the latter is computationally less expensive, it still takes a significant amount of time for per-video adaption. To address this issue, we propose SAVE, a novel spectral-shift-aware adaptation framework, in which we fine-tune the spectral shift of the parameter space instead of the parameters themselves. Specifically, we take the spectral decomposition of the pre-trained T2I weights and only control the change in the corresponding singular values, i.e. spectral shift, while freezing the corresponding singular vectors. To avoid drastic drift from the original T2I weights, we introduce a spectral shift regularizer that confines the spectral shift to be more restricted for large singular values and more relaxed for small singular values. Since we are only dealing with spectral shifts, the proposed method reduces the adaptation time significantly (approx. 10 times) and has fewer resource constrains for training. Such attributes posit SAVE to be more suitable for real-world applications, e.g. editing undesirable content during video streaming. We validate the effectiveness of SAVE with an extensive experimental evaluation under different settings, e.g. style transfer, object replacement, privacy preservation, etc.


Given a spatio-temporal network (STN) and a set of STN operations, the goal of the Storing Spatio-Temporal Networks (SSTN) problem is to produce an efficient method of storing STN data that minimizes disk I/O costs for given STN operations. The SSTN problem is important for many societal applications, such as surface and air transportation management systems. The problem is NP hard, and is challenging due to an inherently large data volume and novel semantics (e.g., Lagrangian reference frame). Related works rely on orthogonal partitioning approaches (e.g., snapshot and longitudinal) and incur excessive I/O costs when performing common STN queries. Our preliminary work proposed a non-orthogonal partitioning approach in which we optimized the LGetOneSuccessor() operation that retrieves a single successor for a given node on STN. In this paper, we provide a method to optimize the LGetAllSuccessors() operation, which retrieves all successors for a given node on a STN. This new approach uses the concept of a Lagrangian Family Set (LFS) to model data access patterns for STN queries. Experimental results using real-world road and flight traffic datasets demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms prior work for LGetAllSuccessors() computation workloads.


The principal goal of this paper is to use attempts at reconciling the Swift long gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs) with the star formation history (SFH) to compare the predictions of Lambda cold dark matter (Lambda CDM) with those in the R-h = ct Universe. In the context of the former, we confirm that the latest Swift sample of GRBs reveals an increasing evolution in the GRB rate relative to the star formation rate (SFR) at high redshifts. The observed discrepancy between the GRB rate and the SFR may be eliminated by assuming a modest evolution parametrized as (1 + z)(0.8) - perhaps indicating a cosmic evolution in metallicity. However, we find a higher metallicity cut of Z = 0.52 Z(circle dot) than was seen in previous studies, which suggested that LGRBs occur preferentially in metal-poor environments, i.e. Z similar to 0.1-0.3 Z(circle dot). We use a simple power-law approximation to the high-z ( greater than or similar to 3.8) SFH, i.e. R-SF proportional to [(1 + z)/4.8](alpha), to examine how the high-z SFR may be impacted by a possible abundance evolution in the Swift GRB sample. For an expansion history consistent with Lambda CDM, we find that the Swift redshift and luminosity distributions can be reproduced with reasonable accuracy if alpha = -2.41(-2.09)(+1.87). For the R-h = ct Universe, the GRB rate is slightly different from that in Lambda CDM, but also requires an extra evolutionary effect, with a metallicity cut of Z = 0.44 Z(circle dot). Assuming that the SFR and GRB rate are related via an evolving metallicity, we find that the GRB data constrain the slope of the high-z SFR in R-h = ct to be alpha = -3.60(-2.45)(+2.45). Both cosmologies fit the GRB/SFR data rather well. However, in a one-on-one comparison using the Akaike information criterion, the best-fitting R-h = ct model is statistically preferred over the best-fitting Lambda CDM model with a relative probability of similar to 70 per cent versus similar to 30 per cent.


ABSTRACT Chronic stress resulting from prolonged exposure to negative life events increases the risk of mood and anxiety disorders. Although chronic stress can change gene expression relevant for behavior, molecular regulators of this change have not been fully determined. One process that could play a role is DNA methylation, an epigenetic process whereby a methyl group is added onto nucleotides, predominantly cytosine in the CpG context, and which can be induced by chronic stress. It is unknown to what extent chronic social defeat, a model of human social stress, influences DNA methylation patterns across the genome. Our study addressed this question by using a targeted-capture approach called Methyl-Seq to investigate DNA methylation patterns of the dentate gyrus at putative regulatory regions across the mouse genome from mice exposed to 14 days of social defeat. Findings were replicated in independent cohorts by bisulfite-pyrosequencing. Two differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified. One DMR was located at intron 9 of Drosha, and it showed reduced methylation in stressed mice. This observation replicated in one of two independent cohorts. A second DMR was identified at an intergenic region of chromosome X, and methylation in this region was increased in stressed mice. This methylation difference replicated in two independent cohorts and in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) postmortem brains. These results highlight a region not previously known to be differentially methylated by chronic social defeat stress and which may be involved in MDD.


The materials that follow are intended to provide step by step instructions for completing the initial identification stage for examining Disproportionate Minority Contact within a jurisdiction. The purpose of these instructions is to provide some guidance in the analysis process, both by specifying the steps to take (including data, data definitions, and basic descriptions of the juvenile justice system) and by providing an example to follow using a data tool developed for the purposes of this analysis. The example is one of a real jurisdiction, not selected for any particularly glaring reason, but rather believed to be fairly typical of juvenile justice systems in the country.


Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are widely recognized for their potential to revolutionize healthcare and health research. Little has been published about the transformative ways in which EHRs can be used to optimize the performance of clinical trials. EHR systems can be valuable tools for assessing potential trial populations, recruiting patients, and enhancing trial efficiency, cost-effectiveness, quality, and accuracy.
 Geisinger Health System has been using an EHR since the late 1990s. All care delivered at Geisinger-inpatient and outpatient care at any Geisinger hospital or community practice site-is recorded within the EHR. We review the use of EHRs to recruit for 5 large randomized clinical trialsat Geisinger, reporting the power and pitfalls associated with its use. The utilization of the EHR can transform how clinical trials are performed, but changes within the industry will be needed to fully realize the benefits.


Today's young people experience a very different world from that in which current theories about learning and literacy were developed. Many school-aged young people spend considerable periods of their out-of-school time playing computer games and there are potentially positive learning and literacy experiences to be gained from their playing, regardless of the game genre. Such experiences generate, and require, new understandings about learning and literacy. This paper proposes a methodology for exploring questions about the kinds of multiliteracies that are exhibited by young people playing computer games in out-of-school settings. It describes a multimodal methodology for capturing and analysing the on-screen game-playing practices, and the players' accounts of their practices. Drawing on the prior work of Gee (2003) and Bangert-Drowns and Pyke (2001), an initial protocol for recognising multiliteracies in the game-playing data is presented. To provide further nuanced explanations of the players' understanding of their multiliterate experiences, a discourse analysis methodology is conceptualised that combines membership categorisation analysis and critical discourse analysis.


This study aimed to: (1) Produce KKNI-based PhyCCTM learning tool to improve HOTS and independent character Learners, (2) to know the result of HOTS improvement in Physics learning by using KKNI-based PhyCCTM Learning Tool developed, (3) to know the level of character category self-supporting Learners in Physics learning using KKNI-based PhyCCTM learning tools developed, and (4) to know the effect of applying learning using KKNI-based PhyCCTM learning device to control class and experiment on HOTS and Independent character of Learners. The developed product uses R & D method in the form of KKNI-based PhyCCTM learning device on impulse and momentum materials covering Syllabus, RPP, Teaching Material, LKPD, HOTS Evaluation Test and Self Character Sheet. The study was conducted in SMAN 8 Yogyakarta and SMAN 1 Kasihan. The results showed that (1) PhyCCTM-based learning tools KKNI worthy of the category "Good and Very Good". (2) KKNI-based PhyCCTM learning tools can improve HOTS for learners (Sig. 2-tailed by 0.001). (3) KKNI-based PhyCCTM learning tools can enhance the independent character of learners with the category "Fair". (4) KKNI-based PhyCCTM-developed learning tools effectively improve HOTS and independent character of learners (Sig. 0.000).


Based on the topologies proposed for zeolites, six metastable semiconductor carbon allotropes with band gaps of 2.72–3.89 eV are predicted using ab initio density functional calculations. The hardnesses of these allotropes are about 90%–94% that of diamond, indicating that they may be superhard materials. We also present simulated X-ray diffraction spectra of these new carbon allotropes to provide a basis for possible experimental observations and synthesis. These new carbon structures with a range of band gaps and with hardnesses comparable to diamond could be potential targets for the synthesis of hard and transparent materials.


Schwertmannite, a new iron oxyhydroxysulfate mineral formed by bacterial oxidation of Fe (Ⅱ) in SO4-2-rich acid mine waters, is of poorly crystallizable, special morphologic and highly reactive surface groups. In the light of these features, the authors hold that it may play an important role in translocation or attenuation of metals and metalloids. Formation, composition and structure of schwertmannite and its environmental behaviors with metals or metalloids are reviewed in this paper. Its potential application to the treatment of arsenic-bearing groundwater is also discussed in detail.


Experiments were performed on 44 rabbits anesthetized with a mixture of urethane and chloralose. The effects of microinjection of glutamate and glycine in bilateral rostral ventrolateral medulla (rVLM) on the reaction of electroacupuncture (EA) of "Neiguan" acupoint (PC 6) after myocardial ischemia by ligature of the left ventricular branch of coronary artery were observed. Results showed that (1) EA could significantly promote the recovery of ECG ST-segments, mean blood pressure (MBP), left ventricular pressure (LVP) and the maximum rising rate of LVP (dp/dt max); (2) Glutamate could enhance the effects of EA on MBP, LVP and dp/dt max to a certain extent; (3) The effects of EA could be weakened significantly by glycine. It suggests that EA-induced improvement of the cardiovascular function can be strengthened further in some degree when neurons of rVLM are excited and weakened pronouncedly while the neurons are inhibited. Therefore, rVLM participates in the regulatory process of EA on functional activity of the heart.


How immigrants and their descendants adapt to the dual earner family model of Scandinavian welfare states is a topic of considerable interest. While earlier studies have addressed this issue in terms of economic integration, expanding our understanding of how cultural adaptation underpins these processes is vital. This study aims to identify patterns and dynamics shaping attitudes towards mothers' employment in Norway. The analysis draws on a survey including immigrants from Pakistan, Iran, Iraq and Vietnam, as well as descendants of Pakistani immigrants and a Norwegian control group. Survey data are linked with public register data. The analysis suggests both cultural persistence and adaptation; among immigrants, country of origin is a strong predictor of attitudes, whereas years of residence in the host country is of limited importance. While I find little evidence of a gradual process of adaptation over time, the analysis shows that both economic and linguistic integration is related to more positive attitudes to mothers' employment. Pakistani descendants express stronger support for mothers' employment than immigrants from Pakistan. Although Pakistani descendants are still less supportive of mothers' employment compared to the Norwegian control group, this suggest a significant degree of adaptation from one generation to the next.


This chapter examines Gaiman's intensive use of social media to create a shadow self that gives fans the access they crave to his inner processes and daily life. This means making selections, much like a curator faced with a massive archive must select pieces that form a cohesive exhibit, a process that is much more nuanced than the commercial call to create a "brand," an idea that is commonly touted within the world of business. Instead, it is a conscious construction of a shadow self, an embodiment that both is and is not the real Neil Gaiman.


This research study looks to determine the varying quality of election coverage in democratic nations. Articles from USA Today and The New York Times that covered the 2012 presidential election were used to study media quality in the United States, The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian provided coverage of the 2010 British election, and The National Post and The Globe and Mail were used to examine coverage of the 2011 Canadian election. The articles chosen from these newspapers provided election coverage from one month before the respective election days. A comprehensive list of terms and phrases denoting high or low quality media coverage was used to compare the quality of the newspapers from each nation. The findings of this research showed that Canada had the highest quality media while Great Britain had the lowest. All three countries had similar percentages for low quality terms.


Language is basically speech, but writing is an attempt to represent speech. It is proven that man knows speech before writing long time ago. Writing emerged in a later period of human history. The child learns to speak before he can learn to write, which he begins to learn when he enters school. All good people speak their mother tongues fluently and there are many people do not know how to write in their own languages. There are some languages still spoken in unwritten way. Cooperative learning is not where students who work together to achieve their goals unless they cooperate with each other. The mere distribution of students to groups and informing them to work together does not fall under the name of cooperative learning, even if these are the most important features and main features, there is a wide difference between the distribution of students on groups to work, and the consolidation of the concept of cooperation and rooted in the minds of students with special needs.


As a part of higher education, higher vocational education is developing rapidly in China. To build a perfect higher vocational education system and improve the quality of teaching is the most important part of higher vocational education. Under the background of the integration of industry and education, higher vocational colleges should combine with the industry, attach great importance to the work of teaching supervision, give full play to its role of supervision, supervision and management, so as to promote the overall teaching quality and personnel training quality of the school. This paper will analyze the new mechanism and team building of teaching supervision in Medical Vocational Colleges under the background of the integration of industry and education, and explore the importance of teaching supervision to improve the quality of teaching.


Learning a second language seems problematic especially for those who have to learn one additional language except their mother tongue as a bridge in order to reach over the target one. With this mindset, this paper was written with the purpose of exploring the problems of learning English language along the Kewat learners of English in general and their accent problems in particular. For this, the notion of narrative approach was employed for collecting the stories of four Kewat learners of English language from the Mahottari district as data. From the stories, three major themes viz Learning Experience of Kewat and Accent Problem in Learning English were generated under the lens of cognitive theory of language learning where Narrative Inquiry is taken as a methodological standpoint. Finally, the conclusion indicated that the learners of Kewat community have many difficulties in learning the English language especially the accent related difficulties in which they have been facing the problem of uttering the English sounds like: /l/, /r/, /t∫/, and /∫/ because of their mother tongue interference based on Krashen theory of learning second language (1982).


Recognition memory is one of the few areas of cognition in schizophrenia in which deficit has not been found. Such a finding has important theoretical implications for the understanding of schizophrenia. However, past studies in this area have been experimentally deficient. This paper presents a study of recognition in long-term episodic memory in schizophrenia in which previous findings of no deficit were replicated. The nature of the cognitive deficit in schizophrenia is discussed.


ABSTRACT.
 Prionovolva is recharacterized as having a wide aperture, outer labral teeth visible in lateral view, and a strongly projecting, smoothly curving terminal ridge. A new species, Prionovolva melonis, is described from Somalia, Zanzibar, and the Saya de Malha Bank, Indian Ocean, and compared to P. breris (Sowerby 1,1828) and P. castanea Cate, 1978, with which it has been confused. Prionovolva castanea is newly synonymized with P. breris, as is P. nivea Cate, 1974. Synonymy of P. wilsoniana Cate, 1973 with P. brevis and placement of Galera choshiensis Cate, 1973 in Prionovolva are confirmed. Prionovolva freemani Liltved & Millard, 1994 is reinstated to Prionovolva, having previously been placed in Habuprionovolva and Testudovolva, and its range is extended from South Africa to Mozambique. Prionovolva ericae Cossignani & Calò, 2002, is transferred to Testudovolva, yielding the new combination T. ericae. A lectotype is designated for Prionovolva aureomarginata Shikama, 1973, which is synonymized with Margovula tinctilis Cate, 1973. A lectotype is designated for Globovula cavanaghi Iredale, 1931, with the same specimen designated as neotype of Amphiperas bullatus Gould, 1861, making them objective synonyms, but G. cavanaghi is given precedence under ICZN Article 23.9.


OBJECTIVES
A novel clinically translatable iron oxide nanoparticle (IOP) is currently being tested in phase 2 clinical trials as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent for hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis. The purpose of our study is to evaluate if this IOP can detect activation of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) due to CD47 mAb-targeted immunotherapy in 2 mouse models of osteosarcoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The toxicity, biodistribution, and pharmacokinetics of IOP were evaluated in 77 female and 77 male rats. Then, 24 female BALB/c mice with intratibial murine K7M2 tumors and 24 female NOD scid gamma mice with intratibial human 143B osteosarcoma xenografts were treated with either CD47 mAb (n = 12) or control antibody (n = 12). In each treatment group, 6 mice underwent MRI scans before and after intravenous infusion of either IOP or ferumoxytol (30 mg Fe/kg). Tumor T2* values and TAM markers F4/80, CD80, CD206, and Prussian blue staining were compared between different experimental groups using exact 2-sided Wilcoxon rank sum tests.

RESULTS
Biodistribution and safety evaluations of IOP were favorable for doses of less than 50 mg Fe/kg body weight in female and male rats. Both IOP and ferumoxytol caused negative enhancement (darkening) of the tumor tissue. Both murine and human osteosarcoma tumors treated with CD47 mAb demonstrated significantly shortened T2* relaxation times after infusion of IOP or ferumoxytol compared with controls (all P's < 0.05). Higher levels of F4/80+CD80+ were found in murine and human osteosarcomas treated with CD47 mAb compared with sham-treated controls (all P's < 0.05). In addition, murine CD47 mAb-treated tumors after infusion of either IOP or ferumoxytol showed significantly higher numbers of Prussian blue-positive cells compared with controls (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference of F4/80+CD206+ cells among any of the groups (all P's > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Iron oxide nanoparticle-enhanced MRI can be used to diagnose CD47 mAb-mediated TAM-activation in osteosarcomas.


This essay, originally delivered as a response to Leo Bersani's presentation "Father Knows Best" at UC Berkeley's "Queer Bonds" conference, provides a critical appraisal of Bersani's reading of Claire Denis's film <span style="text-decoration:underline;" xmlns:m="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> Beau Travail </span> , exploring both the film's neoand postcolonial implications and its radical reconfigurations of subjectivity. Already implicit in Bersani's reading is a question about the limits of a certain psychoanalysis for reimagining subjectivities less agonistically forged than narrative traditions in the West, which Freud inherits, allow. Further, Bersani explores the possibilities of an impersonal, nonnarrative radicalization of subjectivity through analyses of form in the work of art. This essay focuses, rather, on the ways narrative and visual textualities remain agonistically tethered to embodied subjectivity in the work under consideration, and asks whether and how subjectivity might be reconceived otherwise, even as genealogical inheritance continues to haunt its instantiations.


Abstract. Although many studies exist on the estimation and monitoring of above-ground biomass (AGB) of forest ecosystems by methods of remote sensing, very little research has been carried out for ecosystems of low primary production, such as grasslands, steppes, or savannas. Our study intends to approach this gap and investigates the correlation between space-borne radar information and AGB at the scale of 10 tons per hectare and below. Additionally, we introduce the integration of passive brightness temperature as an additional covariate for biomass estimation, based on the hypothesis that it contains information complementary to microwave backscatter of the active sensors. Our findings show that large-scale estimates of AGB can be conducted for grasslands and savannas at high accuracy (R2 up to 0.52). Additionally, we found that the integration of passive radar can increase the quality of AGB estimates in terms of explained variance for selected cases. We hope that these indications are a starting point for more integrated approaches toward biomass estimations based on Earth observation methods.


Objectives: A pandemic can have multiple psychosocial effects. This web-based, cross-sectional study analyzed psychosocial effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on Turkish society. Methods: The research data were collected electronically via an online questionnaire platform using a personal information form, a form that requested information about experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-42 (DASS-42). A total of 1420 individuals participated in the study. Descriptive statistical methods (number, percentage, mean, SD) were used to assess the data. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare quantitative data between 2 groups and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used for comparisons of >2 groups. Multiple comparison tests were performed to examine differences. Results: It was determined that 44.8% of the participants experienced mild depression, 36.1% had moderate anxiety, and 40.8% displayed moderate stress. Demographic characteristics of gender, age, marital status, educational and occupational status revealed differences in depression, anxiety, and stress values (p<0.05). Individual experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic were also associated with differences in terms of depression, stress and anxiety (p<0.01). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic had clear psychological, economic, social, and behavioral effects that may have a lasting impact on society. © 2022 by Journal of Psychiatric Nursing.


Neurosurgical patients, in particular patients with severe head injury require frequent computed tomogram (CT) of the head, usually at short notice. A mobile CT may prove to be invaluable for these patients. This report reviews the initial experience with a mobile CT at tertiary trauma center. A total of 1292 head CT scans were done during 9 months study period with an average of 4.78 CT scans for day. Of the 563 patients in whom the detailed prospective data was available, 456 (81%) patients were on ventilator, 450 (80%) patients were on sedation, and 37 (6.5%) patients were on ionotropic support at the time of doing CT scan. The mean Glasgow Coma Scale score at the time of CT was 8.1 (range 3-15). The average time to do a CT scan (from time of request to transmission into picture archiving and communication system) was 12.6 min (range 7.8-47 min). Image quality was judged to be excellent by all the neurosurgical faculty in the intensive care unit. During the study period, the main CT scanner broke down four times (for variable time periods) and the mobile CT scanner could manage the load of severe head injured patients in the casualty without any problems. The mobile CT machine itself broke down 36 times and the mean response time was 12.5 h (range 1-144 h) during each breakdown point. This experience suggests that mobile CT is extremely useful in the management of patients with severe traumatic brain injury and can be recommended for any high-volume neurosurgery department in the country.


Background and Objectives The effect of Baicalin, a PPARy activator, was investigated on erythroid differentiation of CD133+ cord blood hematopoietic stem cells. Materials and Methods The effect of PPARγ agonists (Baicalin and Troglitazone) were evaluated in erythropoiesis. CD133 + cells were isolated from human cord blood using MACS technology and cultured in the medium containing PPARγ agonists in a dose-dependent manner with SCF (20 ng/mL) and Epo (4.5 u/mL). The morphology of CD133 + cells, cell surface markers (Transferrin receptor and glycophorin A), and the formation of erythroid colony were assessed with microscopicanalysis, flow cytometry, and colony forming assay, respectively. Results Microscopic and flow cytometric analysis revealed the differentiation of CD133 + cord blood hematopoietic stem cells to erythroid lineage. Flow cytometry showed that both of the PPARγ agonists were able to diminish significantly Transferrin receptor and glycophorin A positive cell population. The inhibitory effect of PPARγ agonists on erythroid differentiation was dosedependent. The colonies formation of erythroid was suppressed by both of PPARy agonists; hence, the effect of troglitazone was markedly higher. The inhibitory effect of Troglitazone on colonies formation of Erythroid was also markedly higher than Bicaline. Conclusions Our findings demonstrated that PPARy agonists modulates erythroid differentiation of CD133 + hematopoietic stem cell; therefore, they might play an important role in regulating normal erythropoiesis in vivo. The inhibitory effect of Baicalin on erythropoiesis should be noted because this herbal remedy mostly is used to treat a wide range of diseases.


Abstract The Theoretical Aspects of Erroneous Actions During the Process of Decision Making by Air Traffic Control evaluates the factors affecting the operational decision-making of a human air traffic controller, interacting in a dynamic environment with the flight crew, surrounding aircraft traffic and environmental conditions of the airspace. This article reviews the challenges of air traffic control in different conditions, ranging from normal and complex to emergency and catastrophic. Workload factors and operating conditions make an impact on air traffic controllers' decision-making. The proposed model compares various operating conditions within an assumed air traffic control environment subsequently comparing them against a theoretically "perfect" air traffic control system. A mathematical model of flight safety assessment has been proposed for the quantitative assessment of various hazards arising during the process of Air Traffic Control. The model assumes events of various severity and probability ranging from high frequency and low severity up to less likely and catastrophic ones. Certain limitations of the model have been recognised and further improvements for effective hazard evaluation have been suggested.


Background. Small supernumerary marker chromosome (sSMC) is a challenge in prenatal diagnosis. Its' presence is associated with advanced maternal age and distinct ultrasound findings, prediction of postnatal clinical consequences and prenatal counselling is difficult. Exact characterization of an sSMC is augmented by the application of novel molecular methods such as fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and array comparative genome hybridization (aCGH). Case presentation. Chorion villous sampling of a fetus of a 42-year old secundipara was carried out due to advanced maternal age and the conventional banding cytogenetic examination revealed a mosaic sSMC. Detailed prenatal ultrasound scan showed no fetal malformations. The karyotype from confirmatory amniocentesis was 47,XY,+mar[45]/46,XY. The level of mosaicism was 70% from chorionic villus and amnion cells as well. By using FISH and SNP based aCGH the exact origin of the marker was described and the final prenatal karyotype was determined as 47,XY,+mar[70].arr[GRCh38]16p11.2p11.1(31699804_35989873)x3dn/46,XY[30]. The increase in DNA dosage was 4,29 Mb affecting 20 genes with two OMIM ones (ZNF267 and TP53TG3), the SNP analysis excluded the possibility of uniparental disomy (UPD) of the chromosome. The application of the molecular cytogenetic methods allowed us the differentiate the mosaic marker chromosome from the known 16p11.2 duplication syndrome in close neighboring that is connected to developmental delay and autism spectrum disorder. The present case was identified as a harmless de novo euchromatic variant (EV) of the short arm of chromosome 16. Postnatal karyotyping from neonatal peripheral blood confirmed the presence of the marker. FISH analysis with probe D16Z2 on cultured lymphocyte and buccal smear samples revealed a 64% and 45% mosaic state of the sSMC, respectively. The precise karyotype was finally defined as 47,XY,+min(16)(:16p11.2->p11.1:)dn[64]/46,XY. Conclusions. Novel microarray methods combined with molecular cytogenetic analysis is particularly effective in the rapid and accurate diagnosis of sSMCs, especially in a prenatal situation when the exact characterization of a genomic imbalance is of utmost importance. Precise diagnosis facilitates proper genetic counseling, allows informed decision making and helps avoiding unnecessary pregnancy termination.


The seasonal variation and the soil texture effect were evaluated in the phenolic contents (FolinCiocalteu) of Quercus sideroxyla (red oak) leaves as a parameter of the genus deterioration. Leaves of six trees from eight sites were sampled and their edaphic characteristics determined as soil texture: clayed (12,5%), lime-clayed (75%) and clay-sandy (12,5%). Soils and sites were unaltered during the four season collections. It was found in spring a notorious decrease in phenolic content of Quercus leaves followed by a substantial increase during summer. A high positive correlation was found between phenolic content of leaves and electric conductivity of clay-sandy soils, and also between soil moisture retention and phenolic content, independently of the soil texture.


The influence of ligand states on the orbital magnetism of a 3d atom in a ferromagnetic compound has been studied using an ab initio technique. It is shown, using VAu4, MnAu4 and VPt3 as examples, that the large spin-orbit coupling of the 5d atom is responsible for the reversal of the coupling between the V(Mn) spin and orbital moments with respect to that for similar compounds. The VAu4 compound has a large magneto-crystalline anisotropy (MCA) and the spin-up states are completely occupied, which makes its MCA proportional to the orbital moment anisotropy as stated by Bruno's perturbative formula (Bruno P 1989 Phys. Rev. B 39 865). For the latter compound it is also shown that a partial substitution of copper for gold decreases the vanadium orbital moment and hence the MCA. The ligand state effects on the orbital moment together with this alloying procedure may initiate a new approach in the search for ultra-soft magnetic materials.


Despite the remarkable tumor inhibition effect of doxorubicin (DOX), its cardiotoxicity severely limits the clinical dosage and further impairs the chemotherapy efficacy. To improve the biosafety and effectiveness of conventional chemotherapy, we propose a strategy to co-deliver DOX and ART to supplement apoptosis with ferroptosis. To this end, ART and DOX were incorporated into ferrous LiMOFs to develop a nanoreactor, utilizing ferrous ions as a catalyst to decompose ART into radicals and thus to induce efficient ferroptosis. Further, DOX can induce another form of death, apoptosis, which in combination enhances tumor inhibition. The synthesized nanoreactor (DOX/ART@LiMOFs) possesses a size of ∼100 nm and maintains a regular crystal structure. The pH-responsive disassociation endows it with acid-sensitive drug-releasing kinetics, and the liposomal bilayers bring about a sustained release feature (up to 12 h). The cellular ROS assay indicated that the supply of ferrous ions dramatically increased the ROS mediated by ART and led to markedly enhanced tumor inhibition in animal tests accompanied by the apoptosis of DOX. Consequently, this work presents an innovative strategy to synchronously induce potent ferroptosis and apoptosis, promoting conventional cancer chemotherapy.


Clinical research is a critical resource for the development of new cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment techniques that could become new standards of care. In order for the results of clinical research to be generalizable to the broader population, research participants must reflect demographic factors of the population, including race/ethnicity, gender, and age. Underrepresentation of minorities in clinical research persists. A 2005 report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) found that racial and ethnic minorities, adolescents, the elderly, rural populations and individuals of low socioeconomic status are all underrepresented in clinical trials funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and identified more than 100 barriers to recruiting underrepresented populations to cancer clinical trials. Commonly reported barriers were un or underinsurance and a lack of culturally and linguistically competent health professionals. In an attempt to remove barriers faced by underrepresented populations, patient navigator (PN) programs have been created and some states have mandated health insurance coverage for clinical trials. Coverage mandated through Medicaid may be particularly beneficial to recruitment of the otherwise uninsured. We analyzed state-level legislative data from the NCI9s State Cancer Legislative Database (SCLD) to identify statutes (enacted as of September 30, 2008) related to insurance coverage for cancer clinical treatment or prevention trials, access to patient navigator programs, translation of treatment information, and cultural and language competency training for healthcare workers. Preliminary data from SCLD reveal that fewer than 40 percent of states statutorily mandate some level of insurance coverage for clinical trials. Fewer than 10 percent mandate that Medicaid or other public insurance cover the costs associated with cancer clinical trials. While Federal legislation has been enacted to fund PN demonstration projects, there is a paucity of state-level policy and legislation; few states have codified guidelines published by NIH supporting the inclusion of women and minorities in clinical trials or introduced legislation calling for PNs. Given the substantial cancer burden borne by minorities, it is apparent that policies need to be developed to address the barriers that preclude broad access to trials and broad applicability of their results. Next steps would involve linking SCLD state policy data with sociodemographic and state-of-residence data for cancer clinical trials participation. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Knowledge and Access to Information on Recruitment of Underrepresented Populations to Cancer Clinical Trials. June 2005. Available online at www.ahrq.gov/downloads/pub/evidence/pdf/recruitcantrials/recruit.pdf.


One of the most challenging questions in fluid dynamics is whether the incompressible threedimensional (3D) Navier-Stokes equations can develop a finite-time singularity from smooth and bounded initial data. It is well-known that global regularity of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations is still wide open even in the axisymmetric case with general non-trivial swirl, although this case appeared more tractable than the full three-dimensional problem due to special features. In this paper, we prove that the blowup of the solutions of the 3D Navier-Stokes equations in the axisymmetric case with general non-trivial swirl can not occur at the time T if the scale-invariant quantity inf R>0 sup t∈[0,T [ ‖Γ(t)1{r≤R}‖L∞ is sufficiently small, where Γ = ruθ. To get our result, we use some results of recent works on the stabilizing effect of the convection term in the 3D incompressible Navier-Stokes equations and the interaction between the swirling velocity and the angular vorticity fields. We show also that our regularity criterion is less restrictive than those involved in the recent papers.


Parasitic diseases remain as unresolved health issues worldwide. While for some parasites the treatments involve drug combinations with serious side effects, for others, chemical therapies are inefficient due to the emergence of drug resistance. This urges the search for novel antiparasitic agents able to act through multiple mechanisms of action. Here, we report the first multi-target model based on quantitative structure-activity relationships and a multilayer perceptron neural network (mt-QSAR-MLP) to virtually design and predict versatile inhibitors of proteins involved in the survival and/or infectivity of different pathogenic parasites. The mt-QSAR-MLP model exhibited high accuracy (>80%) in both training and test sets for the classification/prediction of protein inhibitors. Several fragments were directly extracted from the physicochemical and structural interpretations of the molecular descriptors in the mt-QSAR-MLP model. Such interpretations enabled the generation of four molecules that were predicted as multi-target inhibitors against at least three of the five parasitic proteins reported here with two of the molecules being predicted to inhibit all the proteins. Docking calculations converged with the mt-QSAR-MLP model regarding the multi-target profile of the designed molecules. The designed molecules exhibited drug-like properties, complying with Lipinski's rule of five, as well as Ghose's filter and Veber's guidelines.


Background: Emerging evidence has demonstrated a high prevalence of weight bias internalization (WBI) among adults, as well as consistent links between internalization and adverse psychological and physical health. However, research examining WBI in youth and its impact on their health is scarce, especially among youth seeking weight loss treatment who may be particularly vulnerable to weight stigma from peers and parents. To address this research gap, the present study assessed WBI in a weight loss treatment-seeking sample of adolescents, examining associations between internalization and adolescents' eating behaviors and parental weight-related communication. Methods: Adolescents (N = 148, Mage = 15.97 years), completed online self-report measures to assess WBI (using the modified version of the WBI Scale), body weight, binge eating, eating as a coping strategy, and weight teasing from peers and family members. Adolescents also reported on the frequency of parental comments about body weight, parental dieting, and parental encouragement of adolescent dieting. Results: Adolescents expressed a high mean level of internalized weight bias (M = 5.45, SD = 0.88). Higher levels of internalization were observed across increasing body weight categories; no differences were observed for gender or history of weight teasing. WBI was significantly higher among adolescents who reported binge eating and eating to cope with distress. Regression analyses showed that weight-related comments from mothers (but not fathers) significantly predicted adolescents' WBI (including frequency of mothers' comments about adolescents' body weight, comments about their own body weight, and encouragement of their adolescent to diet), as did increased dieting frequency among mothers. Conclusion: The present study provides novel insights to the scant literature on WBI in youth. Findings indicate that WBI is high in both girls and boys engaged in weight loss, and is associated with maladaptive eating behaviors, higher frequency of maternal dieting, and mothers' comments about body weight. These findings have important clinical implications for youth and families engaged in weight loss treatment, and underscore the need for research to clarify adverse effects of internalization on weight-related health in youth and to better understand the role that parental weight communication may have on adolescents' internalization.


We consider the (numerically motivated) Nanbu stochastic particle system associated to the spatially homogeneous Boltzmann equation for true hard potentials. We establish a rate of propagation of chaos of the particle system to the unique solution of the Boltzmann equation. More precisely, we estimate the expectation of the squared Wasserstein distance with quadratic cost between the empirical measure of the particle system and the solution. The rate we obtain is almost optimal as a function of the number of particles but is not uniform in time.


Cannabinoids form a singular group of plant‐derived compounds, endogenous lipids and synthetic derivatives with multiple therapeutic effects exerted by targeting different elements of the endocannabinoid system. One of their therapeutic applications is the preservation of neuronal integrity exerted by attenuating the multiple neurotoxic events that kill neurons in neurodegenerative disorders. In this review, we will address the potential of cannabinoids as neuroprotective agents in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a devastating neurodegenerative disorder characterized by muscle denervation, atrophy and paralysis, and progressive deterioration in upper and/or lower motor neurons. The emphasis will be paid on the cannabinoid type 2 (CB2) receptor, whose activation limits glial reactivity, but the potential of additional endocannabinoid‐related targets will be also addressed. The evidence accumulated so far at the preclinical level supports the need to soon move towards the patients and initiate clinical trials to confirm the potential of cannabinoid‐based medicines as disease modifiers in ALS.


Belatacept is a B7‐specific fusion protein used to prevent allograft rejection by blocking T cell costimulation. Generally efficacious, it fails to prevent acute rejection in a sizable minority of patients. In experimental models, memory T cells mediate costimulation blockade–resistant rejection (CoBRR), but this remains undefined in humans. To explore relationships between individual patients' immune cell phenotypes and CoBRR, we studied patients receiving belatacept or conventional calcineurin inhibitor–based immunosuppression. We identified a population of CD57+PD1− CD4 T cells present prior to transplantation that correlated with CoBRR. Contrary to data recognizing CD57 as a marker of senescence on CD8 T cells, we discovered a nonsenescent, cytolytic phenotype associated with CD57 on CD4 T cells. Moreover, CD57+ CD4 T cells expressed high levels of adhesion molecules implicated in experimental CoBRR, were CD28−, expressed a transcriptional phenotype broadly defining allograft rejection and were shown to be present in rejecting human kidney allografts. These data implicate CD57+ CD4 T cells in clinical CoBRR. If prospectively validated, this characteristic could identify patients at higher risk for acute rejection on belatacept‐based therapy.


Human dynamic behavior in space is very complex in that it involves many physical, perceptual and motor aspects. It is tied together at a sensory level by linkages between vestibular, visual and somatosensory information that develop through experience of inertial and gravitational reaction forces. Coordinated movement emerges from the interplay among descending output from the central nervous system, sensory input from the body and environment, muscle dynamics, and the emergent dynamics of the whole neuromusculoskeletal system.
There have been many attempts to directly capture the activities of the neuronal system in human locomotion without the ability to clarify how the nervous system adaptively functions as a dynamic system and how it effectively coordinates adaptive interactions with the musculoskeletal system during locomotion. Other studies have tried to artificially emulate locomotion by using mathematical models and robots based on control theory, without any success in the understanding of biological locomotor mechanisms, as the control laws are artificially constructed solely based on an engineering perspective independent of actual biological mechanisms.
This research applies fuzzy granular computing and the fusion of multiple wearable sensor data to analyze human dynamic behavior in 3D space. The outcome of this system may yield cues for the estimation of external stimuli and/or compensatory responses depending upon which factors are controlled.
This novel system has been tested and evaluated using two groups of subjects, able-bodied and neurological patients. The results show a high ability of the system to facilitate an objective and quantitative assessment of functional gait impairment.
This study provides a potential base for a flexible, efficient and cost-effective system for clinical gait assessment, a system to assist both doctors and clinicians in the diagnosis of pathological gait impairments, prescribe treatment, and assess the improvements in response to therapeutic intervention.


[Sar1,Phe(Br5)8] angiotensin II (Br5Ang II) is a specific, quasi-irreversible antagonist of angiotensin II (Ang II) in vitro. In vivo, this compound is a very potent, Ang II-specific antagonist with a very long duration of action against Ang II-induced blood pressure (BP) increases. In the "low-sodium" dog, this compound induces a prolonged BP reduction during and after intravenous infusion at doses comparable to cilazapril, a potent ACE inhibitor. The physicochemical and pharmacokinetic behavior of this peptide was therefore assessed to understand and interpret the prolonged antagonistic and antihypertensive activity of this peptide. Binding studies using beef adrenocortical membranes indicated specific binding of Br5Ang and related analogues to Ang II receptors with a Kd of 1.41 x 10(-9) M against iodinated [Sar1, D-Phe8]Ang II, a standard radioligand antagonist. Iodinated Br5AngII exhibited a very high degree of nonspecific binding to the membranes. It had an octanol-water partitioning coefficient of log P of + 0.903, a coefficient 84-fold higher than for [125I][Sar1, D-Phe8]Ang II. Association kinetics of [125I]Br5Ang II were similar to the standard ligand [125I] [Sar1, D-Phe8]Ang II, but the half-life of dissociation was four times higher (60 vs. 15 min at 20 degrees C). Molecular modeling indicates a practically identical conformational behavior of both peptides, Br5Ang II and [Sar1, D-Phe8]Ang II but with an expanded hydration shell over the Br5 residue. It is concluded that the prolonged duration of action is due to the increased hydrophobicity of the peptide, which leads to a slow dissociation from the Ang II receptor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


A method for defending against MAC table overflow attacks comprises a plurality of operations. An operation is performed for determining whether each one of a plurality of MAC addresses within a MAC table has one-way traffic or two-way traffic corresponding thereto. Thereafter, operations are performed for designating each MAC address having two-way traffic corresponding thereto as a first category of MAC address and for designating each MAC address having one-way traffic corresponding thereto as a second category of MAC address. In response to the number of the MAC addresses designated as the second category of MAC address exceeding a prescribed threshold value, an operation is performed for causing a timeout value of at least a portion of the MAC addresses designated as the second category of MAC address to be less than a timeout value of the MAC addresses designated as the first category of MAC address.


Lockheed Martin's C-130J Avionics/Software Integrated Product Team (IPT) creates software that runs a wide variety of systems on the C-130J aircraft. This team develops embedded safety-critical real-time air vehicle software and a ground-based data analysis system for aircraft analysis. The IPT operates within the infrastructure of the C-130J Software Factory, which consists of Sun workstations and PCs networked to Web servers, a configuration management server, an aircraft simulator implemented in software, and laboratories are composed of the aircraft's hardware mounted in equipment racks for easy access. The article discusses the IPT's diverse education and training needs, focusing on how to address shortfalls in conventional computer science and engineering education that result in mismatched expectations between the new hire and the company.


National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1321 Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1116 Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa, I-56100 Pisa, Italy Department of Physics, School of Physics and Chemistry, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, United Kingdo ~Received 26 October 2001; published 4 March 2002 !


SUMMARY

The upper Jurassic El Quemado Complex was sampled at 36 sites from five localities in the cordilleran foothills of southern Patagonia between Lago Argentino and Lago Posadas–Sierra Colorada, and the middle Jurassic Marifil Formation at 12 sites in the Somuncura Massif near Camarones. The main lithology was ignimbrite, with minor tuff and lava. Petrographical and SEM observation show that the El Quemado rocks suffered an intense, high-temperature alteration which resulted in transformation of most primary Ti-magnetite in pseudobrookite, rutile and minor Ti-haematite and Fe hydrated oxides. A similar, less pronounced alteration occurred in the Marifil rocks. 40Ar/39Ar dating of El Quemado was possible for one sample from Sierra Colorada and yielded an age of 156.5 ± 1.9 Ma. Magnetic mineralogy measurements (isothermal remanence, hysteresis loop, Curie balance) show that the remanent magnetization is dominated by PSD low-Ti magnetite, often associated to a minor high-coercive mineral (haematite). Secondary magnetization components are usually absent or weak at El Quemado sites, strong at Marifil. They were completely erased by thermal and AF demagnetization and a characteristic remanence (ChRM) stable up to temperatures higher than 550°C or peak-field values of 100 mT was successfully isolated.

The virtual geomagnetic pole (VGP) from the Marifil Formation (83°S, 138°E) is in agreement with the literature data for Jurassic rocks from stable South America. The El Quemado VGPs fall in two groups. The localities to the north of latitude 48°S (Lago Posadas, Sierra Colorada) yield a VGP (81°S, 172°E) close to that of Marifil, whereas those south of latitude 49°S (Lago San Martin, Lago Argentino) show a highly elongated VGP distribution consistent with counter-clockwise block-rotation about vertical axes. These rotations were likely caused by thrust sheets which were rotating counter-clockwise at the same time they were advancing towards the foreland. The amount of rotation varies according to the location of the sampling sites in the thrust and fold belt.


This article aims to contribute to the growing scholarly literature on the implementation of shariʿa-based family law codes by describing and analyzing the gender implications of religiously inspired judicial activism in relation to judicial divorce through khulʿ. The article highlights two functions played by family court judges and other legal professionals. First, I argue that Egyptian family court judges and other court personnel, such as court experts and court-appointed arbiters from al-Azhar, enjoy considerable discretion in interpreting and implementing the personal status codes. Second, the article argues that legal professionals sometimes use the court and other legal spaces as a platform to articulate alternative visions of family and marriage, as well as to voice anxieties over a perceived increase in female-initiated divorce. The article situates these contradictory practices against the background of the contestation of early twenty-first-century reforms, which challenged male authority in the family, in particular the 2000 law of judicial khulʿ.


Background M2 occlusions have typically been excluded from endovascular stroke trials. However variations in the size of the MCA branches and the area of brain they supply runs the risk of excluding a dominant trunk supplying a large part of the brain and hence resulting in a significant ischemic injury. Perfusion imaging allows a more functional depiction of the vascular territory and maybe more relevant for endovascular selection. Objective To determine the rate of M2 occlusions amongst all hospital discharges for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and to functionally classify occlusion severity based on baseline perfusion imaging and final infarct volume. To secondarily extrapolate this rate to the national inpatient sample (NIS) database for estimating the annual burden of M2 occlusions that may benefit from endovascular therapy. Methodology All hospital discharges for AIS (ICD-9 codes 433.xx, 434.xx 435.xx) over a 3 year period from a large rural hospital system were screened for an M2 occlusion based on admission imaging. These were classified into the superior or inferior trunk based on anatomy and dominant or non-dominant division based on size. The occlusion severity was graded on time-to-peak (TTP) perfusion imaging as a proportion of the entire MCA. Infarct volume on follow up imaging represented the final ischemic injury. The results were extrapolated to the NIS-database. Results Out of 2757 AIS hospital discharges 118 (4.3%) patients were identified with an M2 occlusion. 71 (60.2%) of these patients presented within 6 hours and 47 (39.8%) after 6 hours of last seen normal (LSN). Baseline perfusion (TTP) and follow-up imaging was available for 75 patients. The superior trunk (ST) was involved in 36 (48%) and the inferior trunk (IT) in 39 (52%) patients. In 27 (75%) patients with ST involvement, it was the dominant division versus 36 (92.3%) patients with IT occlusion had it as the dominant division (p = 0.037). Overall a dominant division was occluded in 63 (84%) patients and a non-dominant in 12 (16%) patients. In 47 (74.6%) patients with a dominant branch occlusion (ST or IT) the TTP abnormality was >1/3rd of the MCA distribution versus 5 (41.7%) patients with a non-dominant branch occlusion that had >1/3rd MCA involvement (p = 0.02). Patients with a dominant branch occlusion had a final infarct volume of 49.6 cm2 (±46.3) versus a volume of 16.7 cm2 (±13.8) for non-dominant occlusions (p = 0.009). In patients with >1/3rd MCA involvement on TTP images the infarct volume was 51.5 cm2 (±47.6) versus an infarct volume of 28.1 cm2 (±31.5) in patients with ≤1/3rd MCA abnormality (p = 0.03). There were 1,135,030 AIS discharges nationally for 2013 for the same ICD-9 codes. A 4% rate of M2 occlusions yields 45,401 potential patients with an M2 occlusion of which 38,137 can have a dominant branch involvement and hence the risk of significant ischemic injury. Conclusion Patients with a dominant branch occlusion, whether superior or inferior, had larger TTP abnormalities (>1/3rd MCA) and final infarct volumes. An estimated 37,137 AIS patients can have a dominant M2 occlusion with significant risk of ischemic injury. A functional as opposed to pure anatomical classification may allow selecting these patients for endovascular therapy. Disclosures A. Rai: 1; C; Stryker Neurovascular. 2; C; Stryker Neurovascular. A. Tarabishy: None. P. Link: None. S. Boo: None. N. Lucke-Wold: None. J. Domico: None. J. Carpenter: None.


We propose a data flushing data transfer (DFDT) protocol. The distributed coordinate function (DCF) of IEEE 802.11 supports data transmissions using the data-ACK method and the request-to-send/clear-to-send (RTS/CTS) method. The data-ACK method has a low protocol overhead, however, the transmissions are prone to collision. Although the RTS/CTS mechanism reduces the probability of collisions of data packets, the handshaking generates extensive overhead. Another issue with the IEEE 802.11 DCF is the contention for channel access; much bandwidth is wasted with the contention, especially when the mean data length is short. DFDT is capable of sending out multiple data packets from the upper layer, after acquiring channel access by a successful contention, within one frame which we call compiled MPDU (cMPDU). Right after the transmission of the data frame, the destination nodes will reply an positive/negative acknowledgement in a consecutive manner. By using this method, the protocol overhead is relatively lowered while retaining service quality and the waste of bandwidth for contention is also reduced. Simulation results show that DFDT can handle higher traffic load and has better throughput then the IEEE 802.11 MAC protocol.


Failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) is one of the formal techniques for evaluation of failure mode in mechanical and electronic equipments. The FMEA may be a very helpful tool for identifying weak points in the design stage of a product/process. The aim of this paper is to develop a new maintenance decision strategy by integrating the criticality of various factors related to failure and repair of a component/subsystem as an alternative to traditional approach of Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA). The methodology presented is based on Analytical Network Process (ANP), a multicriteria decision making technique. We propose a decision support tool analysis for determining maintenance priority action in which the typical FMEA parameters are modeled. The approach has been validated in a real case study concerning the European Train Control System E.T.C.S.


For humanoid robots to fully realize their biped potential in a three-dimensional world and step over, around or onto obstacles such as stairs, appropriate and efficient approaches to execution, planning and perception are required. To this end, we have accelerated a robust model-based three-dimensional tracking system by programmable graphics hardware to operate online at frame-rate during locomotion of a humanoid robot. The tracker recovers the full 6 degree-of- freedom pose of viewable objects relative to the robot. Leveraging the computational resources of the GPU for perception has enabled us to increase our tracker's robustness to the significant camera displacement and camera shake typically encountered during humanoid navigation. We have combined our approach with a footstep planner and a controller capable of adaptively adjusting the height of swing leg trajectories. The resulting integrated perception-planning-action system has allowed an HRP-2 humanoid robot to successfully and rapidly localize, approach and climb stairs, as well as to avoid obstacles during walking.


BACKGROUND: Intersphincteric resection has been performed for very low rectal cancer in place of abdominoperineal resection to avoid permanent colostomy. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate long-term oncologic outcomes of intersphincteric resection compared with abdominoperineal resection. DESIGN: In this retrospective study, propensity score matching and stratification analyses were performed to reduce the effects of confounding factors between groups, including age, sex, BMI, CEA value, tumor height, tumor depth, lymph node enlargement, and circumferential resection margin measured by MRI. SETTING: A database maintained at our institute was used to identify patients during the period between 2000 and 2014. PATIENTS: A total of 285 patients who underwent curative intersphincteric resection (n = 112) or abdominoperineal resection (n = 173) for stage I to III low rectal cancer without preoperative chemoradiotherapy were enrolled in this study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The main outcome was recurrence-free survival. RESULTS: Patients in the abdominoperineal resection group were more likely to have a preoperative diagnosis of advanced cancer before case matching. After case matching, clinical outcomes were similar between intersphincteric resection and abdominoperineal resection groups. Five-year relapse-free survival rates were 69.9% for the intersphincteric resection group and 67.9% for abdominoperineal resection group (p = 0.64), and were similar in the propensity score-matched cohorts (89 matched pairs). Three-year cumulative local recurrence rates were 7.3% for intersphincteric resection and 3.9% for abdominoperineal resection (p = 0.13). In the propensity score-matched model, the hazard ratio for recurrence after intersphincteric resection in comparison with abdominoperineal resection was 0.90. Stratification analysis revealed similar recurrence rates (HR, 0.75–1.68) for intersphincteric resection in comparison with abdominoperineal resection. LIMITATION: Eight covariates were incorporated into the model, but other covariates were not included. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest similar oncologic outcomes for intersphincteric resection and abdominoperineal resection without preoperative chemoradiotherapy in patients with low rectal cancer adjusted for background variables. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A661.


Palynological studies of the mainly terrestrial Edmonton Group in Alberta, Canada have been undertaken for the last 64 years. The Edmonton Group is of Late Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) age and was deposited on the northwestern fringes of the regressing North American inland sea. Satish K. Srivastava initiated the detailed palynological study of the Edmonton Group, publishing many papers on the taxonomy and biostratigraphy of this unit. Subsequent palynological studies have produced significant additional information about the biostratigraphy of these strata. The accumulated data on lithostratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy and radiometric dating have allowed for a better understanding of the group. Satish K. Srivastava formalized many species from the Edmonton Group and a list of type specimens is provided together with new curation information. All of the microscope slides have been transferred to the collections of the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Neotypes and lectotypes are herein designated and illustrated for 21 missing original type specimens. Wodehouseia edmontonicola is emended and new combinations are proposed for Expressipollis catterallii, Siberiapollis major and Corrugatisporites verrucosus. The ranges of selected species provide an updated biostratigraphy for the Edmonton Group.


Abstract Whether gender influences the efficacy of exogenous pulmonary surfactant (PS) for replacement therapy in newborns with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) has not been well studied yet. Retrospective cohort study design. Data on PS therapy including blood gas, oxygenation function parameters, and therapy results were collected and analyzed from 370 infants diagnosed with RDS in 20 hospitals of the Northwest China Neonatal Collaboration from January 2011 to December 2011. Female infants were more sensitive to PS treatment than males. In multivariate analysis, when adjusted for other variables, an increased initial dose of surfactant significantly reduced mortality risk (OR = 0.98, 95%CI [0.96, 0.99], P = .002). An interaction between gender and initial dose of PS was observed. In male infants, an increased initial dose of surfactant was correlated with reduced mortality risk (OR = 0.97, 95%CI [0.96, 0.99], P = 0.005), while in female infants, we failed to found a relationship between the initial dose of surfactant and the risk of mortality (OR = 0.99, 95%CI [0.96, 1.02], P = .543). Moreover, the effect of surfactant replacement therapy was better for female infants than male infants at initial PS doses <130 mg/kg. Gender influences the efficacy of PS treatment. An increased initial dose of PS should be used in RDS therapy for male infants.


This article is a study on palpitation of which disease cause, disease mechanism and formulas were analyzed with reference to annotations on 『Shanghanlun』 and 『Jinkuiyaolue』. And the scope of modern diseases related with palpitation was drawn by research on clinical papers. The source books are 『Zhujieshanghanlun』 and 『Jinkuiyaoluefanglun』 and the clinical papers are searched in China Academic Journals(CAJ) of China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI). 13 clauses in 『Shanghanlun』 and 9 clauses in 『Jinkuiyaolue』 and 12 formulas are related with palpitation. Disease mechanisms of palpitation were classified as yang deficiency, yin deficiency, qi deficiency, blood deficiency, retained fluid, cold, etc and these days, qi stagnation, phlegm turbidity, blood stasis and fire heat are also considered as disease mechanisms. Modern diseases related with palpitation are arrhythmia(extrasystole, atrial fibrillation, bradycardia, tachycardia, sick sinus syndrome, atrioventricular block), vascular diseases(arterial occlusion, phlebothrombosis, Buerger"s disease, coronary artery disease, vasculitis), blood pressure disorder(hypertension, hypotension) and heart diseases such as heart failure, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, myocarditis, cardiomyopathy, pericardial effusion. And diseases related with psychological change(cardiac neurosis, anxiety neurosis, neurosis, depression, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism), pyrexia, anemia, drug intoxication, etc are also related with palpitation. Zhen Wu Tang showing an efficacy in dilating blood vessels and strengthening cardiac function, Wuling Powder with diuretic effect and Fried Glycyrrhizae Decoction acting on the β receptor are applied to heart failure in different ways. Fried Glycyrrhizae Decoction(308 cases), Zhen Wu Tang(154), Wuling Powder(54), Xiao Chaihu Tang(34), Sini San(20) are reported to have been clinically applied to cardiovascular diseases and Zhen Wu Tang and Wuling Powder mainly applied to heart failure, Fried Glycyrrhizae Decoction, Lizhong Wan, Sini San and Zhen Wu Tang chiefly applied to arrhythmia related diseases. This study focuses on the general research and consideration on clinical applications and is a preliminary study to understand relations between Korean Medicine's symptoms and categories of modern diseases.


Escherichia coli senses and signals anoxic or low redox conditions in its growth environment by the Arc two-component system. Under anaerobic conditions, the ArcB sensor kinase autophosphorylates and transphosphorylates ArcA, a global transcriptional regulator that controls the expression of numerous operons involved in respiratory or fermentative metabolism. Under aerobic conditions, the kinase activity of ArcB is inhibited by the quinone electron carriers that act as direct negative signals. Here, we show that the molecular mechanism of kinase silencing involves the oxidation of two cytosol-located redox-active cysteine residues that participate in intermolecular disulfide bond formation, a reaction in which the quinones provide the source of oxidative power. Thus, a pivotal link in the Arc signal transduction pathway connecting the redox state of the quinone pool to the transcriptional apparatus is elucidated.


Findings indicate that this treatment is generally safe.

ABSTRACT
Background: Constipation in hospitalized patients is common. As a treatment of last resort for unresolved constipation, a milk and molasses enema is often used by nursing staff. But there has been little research investigating the safety and efficacy of this approach.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the safety of milk and molasses enemas for hospitalized adults with constipation that remained unresolved after standard treatment options were exhausted.

METHODS
Data were extracted from the electronic health records (EHRs) of 615 adult patients who had received a milk and molasses enema between July 2009 and July 2013 at a large midwestern academic medical center. Data analysis occurred for a random subset of this group.Participant characteristic variables included age, sex, admitting diagnosis, diet orders, medications, laxatives and enemas administered before the milk and molasses enema, and laboratory values. Serious complication variables included bacteremia, bowel perforation, electrolyte abnormalities, allergic reaction, abdominal compartment syndrome, cardiac arrhythmia, dehydration, and death.

FINDINGS
The final sample of 196 adults had a mean age of 56 years; 61.2% were female and 38.8% were male. Of 105 admitting diagnoses, the most frequent (9.7%) was abdominal pain, unspecified site. Of the 14 discharge dispositions, the most frequent was home or self-care (50.5%). A laxative order was present for 97.4% of patients and a stool softener order was present for 86.2%. Sodium and potassium levels remained within normal limits during hospitalization. For the subset of patients who had these values measured within 48 hours before and after milk and molasses enema administration, no significant changes were found. No cases of nontraumatic abdominal compartment syndrome or other serious adverse enema-related events were documented in the EHR.

CONCLUSIONS
No safety concerns were identified from this retrospective EHR review of hospitalized adults who received a milk and molasses enema for constipation relief. The findings indicate that this treatment is safe, although further study examining its efficacy in this population is needed.


The objective of this work was to evaluate the response of green maize (Zea mays) intercropped with cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) to irrigation depths and phosphorus doses. The experiments were carried out in 2008 and 2009 in a randomized block design, with 25 treatments and four replicates. Treatments consisted of five irrigation depths at 70, 110, 140, 180 and 220% of the crop evapotranspiration, and of five doses of P2O5: 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200% of the recommended P dose. Maize was sown at 0.80x0.40 m spacing, and cowpea was planted inside the lines among maize plants. There was no effect of P2O5 doses, but the response to irrigation depths was quadratic for maize and linear for cowpea. The maximum technical yield of green ears of maize with straw (10.76 Mg ha-1) and without straw (7.62 Mg ha-1) was obtained with 530 mm depth, intermediary to the 180 and 220% of the crop evapotranspiration. The highest cowpea green grain (3.40 Mg ha-1) was obtained with the highest water depth, of 644 mm.


In radiologists' routine work, one major task is to read a medical image, e.g., a CT scan, find significant lesions, and write sentences in the radiology report to describe them. In this paper, we study the lesion description or annotation problem as an important step of computer-aided diagnosis (CAD). Given a lesion image, our aim is to predict multiple relevant labels, such as the lesion's body part, type, and attributes. To address this problem, we define a set of 145 labels based on RadLex to describe a large variety of lesions in the DeepLesion dataset. We directly mine training labels from the lesion's corresponding sentence in the radiology report, which requires minimal manual effort and is easily generalizable to large data and label sets. A multi-label convolutional neural network is then proposed for images with multi-scale structure and a noise-robust loss. Quantitative and qualitative experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the framework. The average area under ROC curve on 1,872 test lesions is 0.9083.


In a competitive enzyme immunoassay, the performance was tested with different analyte-enzyme conjugates (signal generators) in their binding constants to antibody. Analyte (progesterone)-enzyme (glucose oxidase; GO) conjugates were chemically synthesized and purified by using a gel column with an immobilized antibody to progesterone. In an elution range from the column, four peaks were detected by measuring total enzyme activities. Results from further analysis indicated that the first peak contained mainly unreacted GO while the next three peaks conjugated GO with progesterone. These three conjugate preparations were compared in doseresponse curves along with the unpurified mixture. The purified conjugates showed higher detection capabilities than did the mixture. Especially, the preparation in the second peak next to the free GO peak improved the detection limit five times. This performance was comparable to that of a progesterone-horseradish peroxidase conjugate that has been identified to have one progesterone ligand.


As a pre-processing technique, the Wiener filter can be used to suppress strong interference and noise. The general solution of optimum transfer function has been found for the multichannel system. By using an inverse matrix formula, a simple expression of optimum transfer function can be derived in the case that only one interference is present. The formula for calculating the system gain is presented. The asymptotic performance of system gain as input interference to signal ratio increasing to infinite is evaluated. When the interference is distorted not only in phase but also in amplitude as well, the system gain can be evaluated in some particular cases. The results of numerical calculation are given in this paper.


in theatre, actors often perform religious rituals on stage. in this article, we argue that in some cases, like in Plautus and Simone Weil, religious rituals are not just imitated but the specific performative structure of the ritual enhances the affective charge of the theatre play. to illustrate this technique we apply Gérard Genette's theory of hypertextuality to develop a new concept of hyper-performativity. consequently, we analyze Plautus' rudens and Simone Weil's Venise sauvée to portray their hyper-performative techniques, in antiquity as well as in late modernity, how to write religious rituals into theatre. Blaž Ploj & Thomas Sojer university of Graz firstname.lastname@example.com & firstname.lastname@example.com


A 70‐year‐old patient developed severe headache after spinal anaesthesia. He was treated with an epidural autologous blood patch with only temporary relief. Three weeks after the spinal anaesthesia, the headache became more intense and was accompanied by nausea and vomiting. A second epidural blood patch was performed without effect. The patient became unconscious and an acute CT scan revealed a large subdural haematoma. This was immediately evacuated and the patient made a good recovery. This case demonstrates that subdural haematoma should be considered as a possible aetiology in severe postspinal headache.


The purpose of this research is to improve the ability of prospective counselor in writing a research proposal through Problem Based Learning method/ Inquiry (PBL/I) and in particular its purpose is to (1) determine the increased activity of the prospective counselor in writing a research proposal with PBL/I method, and (2) the increase in the ability of prospective counselors in writing a research proposal. This study uses classroom action research with the research subjects were VII semester student majoring BK IAIN Batusangkar. The results of the study in the first cycle showed an increase in activity and the ability of prospective counselors in writing a research proposal. This increase is very varied in accordance with the capability and experience of the students. The results of the second cycle study showed mastery of each indicator, but the indicators are controlled and enhanced by the prospective counselor in the research proposal is; select and formulate the title of the actual and straightforward, choosing and using the concept/ theory/ reference that is current and relevant to support the research problem, enter the empirical facts in the background of the problem, restrict and define problems, formulate objectives in line with the formulation of research problems, formulating usability research, select and use the theory / concept of the actual, choose the appropriate method to the problem and research objectives, and the ability to follow the format of the research proposal.


We present new stochastic geometry theorems that give bounds on the probability that $m$ random data classes all contain a point in common in their convex hulls. We apply these stochastic separation theorems to obtain bounds on the probability of existence of maximum likelihood estimators in multinomial logistic regression. We also discuss connections to condition numbers for analysis of steepest descent algorithms in logistic regression and to the computation of centerpoints of data clouds.


Abstract We resolve a minor confusion regarding the holotype of Caecilia volcani. The animal figured in the original description is not the one from which the measurements for the description were taken. The photographs are of a paratype at the Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH 189208). The holotype has had the wrong field number associated with it and is in the collection of the University of Kansas Natural History Museum (UKMNH 203035).


Difficulties experienced include management of pain, odour and exudate as well as problems with dressings falling off or adhering to wounds. In this article, a nurse describes her experience of living with a chronic wound, and its effect on her life over a 10-month period. She provides valuable insight into the way patients cope and adapt to the challenges posed by modern wound care treatments and highlights how the patient experience is essential in informing how we manage care.


BACKGROUND
Many civilian aviation regulators favor evidence-based strategies that go beyond hours-of-service approaches for managing fatigue risk. Several countries now allow operations to be flown outside of flight and duty hour limitations, provided airlines demonstrate an alternative method of compliance that yields safety levels "at least equivalent to" the prescriptive regulations. Here we discuss equivalence testing in occupational fatigue risk management. We present suggested ratios/margins of practical equivalence when comparing operations inside and outside of prescriptive regulations for two common aviation safety performance indicators: total in-flight sleep duration and psychomotor vigilance task reaction speed. Suggested levels of practical equivalence, based on expertise coupled with evidence from field and laboratory studies, are ≤ 30 min in-flight sleep and ± 15% of reference response speed.

METHODS
Equivalence testing is illustrated in analyses of a within-subjects field study during an out-and-back long-range trip. During both sectors of their trip, 41 pilots were monitored via actigraphy, sleep diary, and top of descent psychomotor vigilance task. Pilots were assigned to take rest breaks in a standard lie-flat bunk on one sector and in a bunk tapered 9 from hip to foot on the other sector.

RESULTS
Total in-flight sleep duration (134 ± 53 vs. 135 ± 55 min) and mean reaction speed at top of descent (3.94 ± 0.58 vs. 3.77 ± 0.58) were equivalent after rest in the full vs. tapered bunk.

DISCUSSION
Equivalence testing is a complimentary statistical approach to difference testing when comparing levels of fatigue and performance in occupational settings and can be applied in transportation policy decision making.Wu LJ, Gander PH, van den Berg M, Signal TL. Equivalence testing as a tool for fatigue risk management in aviation. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2018; 89(4):383-388.


The use of chemical injection has been widely used in the oil field on a large scale. One of the enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods to increase production from old oil fields is through polymer surfactant injection, which functions to reduce interfacial tension and water-oil mobility ratio. This study focuses on developing a simulation model for chemical injection of polymer surfactant reservoirs by hypothetically making heterogeneous reservoir models in each layer with dimensions of 10x10x4. It consists of one a vertical well which is producer well located at the top of the left corner and one an injection well which is located at the bottom of right corner. This study shows a comparison between surfactant injection, polymer injection and SP injection using the same surfactant and polymer concentration with a concentration of 1000 ppm with 0.3 PV. Oil recovery in polymer injection turned out to be quite high compared to other chemical injections. In polymer injection, the oil recovery was 4.17%. Meanwhile, surfactant injection and SP injection increased by 0.59% and 0.61, respectively.


Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. The retinal surgeons felt more difficult to achieve clear images during the operation, causing discomfort resulting in the need to refocus repeatedly in macular surgery under multifocal intraocular lens. Therefore, in pseudophakic patients with multifocal intraocular lens, adequate attention should be paid to maintaining optimal visualization during macular surgery. Purpose: To compare the visual/anatomical outcomes and feasibility of epiretinal membrane surgery between patients with multifocal or monofocal intraocular lenses (IOLs). Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 46 patients who underwent epiretinal membrane surgery under multifocal or monofocal IOL pseudophakia. The operation time, mean changes in best-corrected visual acuity, and central macular thickness, and complications were compared between the groups. Results: Macular surgery was performed in 22 and 24 eyes with multifocal and monofocal IOLs, respectively. The total operation time and the total membrane peeling time were similar in both groups (P = 0.125, P = 0.462, respectively). The mean time to create a membrane edge or flap with retinal microforceps was longer for multifocal than for monofocal IOLs (P = 0.013). The mean changes in best-corrected visual acuity and central macular thickness were similar in both groups (P = 0.682, P = 0.741, respectively). Complications were similar between groups. Conclusion: With multifocal IOLs, vision outside the central surgical field was blurred, requiring more time to create the membrane flap. Retinal surgeons should anticipate the difficulty in precise focusing when creating a membrane flap in macular surgery in patients with multifocal IOLs and should pay more attention to the macular surgery.


This work summarized the results of comparative chromosomal study of Cobitis fish from 13 locations in Poland. At least two distinct species C. taenia and C. elongatoides were cytogenetically recognized. The populations of C. taenia were detected in only three lakes located in northern Poland. One hybrid diploid, four triploid and four tetraploid forms were recognized among the samples. These hybrid forms or biotypes of Cobitis could not be distinguished by external characteristics. Based on the species-specific chromosome markers such as NORs, CMA3-positive and C-bands, it is hypothesized that C. taenia, C. elongatoides, and one or two other species have taken part in the origin of polyploids. Two different hybrid diploid-polyploid Cobitis complexes were distinguished. One was composed of C. taenia, two triploid hybrid forms and two tetraploids. The other complex included C. taenia and C. elongatoides, which have taken part in the origin of coexisting hybrid forms: diploid hybrid C. taenia-elongatoides, four different triploid and two tetraploid biotypes. The results obtained indicate the hypothetical mode of origin of some polyploid Cobitis forms.


Experimental studies of nonlinear frequency conversion of CuBr vapour laser (CBVL) radiation by a beta -BaB2O4 (BBO) crystal are conducted and the results compared to similar ones for a copper vapour laser (CVL). The optimum operating regime for conversion is determined and the crystal destruction threshold for the authors' operating conditions is found to be 0.5 GW cm-2 for pulses of length 45-50 ns. The nonlinear conversion efficiency of the BBO crystal for frequency doubling of the CBVL radiation is close to that for the CVL radiation. The conversion efficiency for frequency summing is poor compared to that for the CVL-an explanation is offered.


Model checking is an automatic technique for verifying sequential circuit designs and protocols. An efficient search procedure is used to determine whethe or not the specification is satisfied. If it is not satisfied, our technique will produce a counter-example execution trace that shows the cause of the problem. We describe an efficient algorithm to produce counter-examples and witnesses for symbolic model checking algorithms. This algorithm is used in the SMV model checker and works quite well in practice. We also discuss how to extend our technique to more complicated specifications.