The present paper investigates an answer to a key question "is in fl ation regressive or progressive?" by utilizing time series data from 1971 up to 2005 with reference to Pakistan. The main focus of the study is on the in fl ation-inequality puzzle but other control variables are also included in the model that a ff ect income distribution. We have utilized the most advanced technique FMOLS (Fully-Modi fi ed Ordinary Least Square) for long run and ECM (Error Correction Model) for short run dynamics. Our fi ndings suggest that in fl ation is progressive in the case of Pakistan but with low magnitude. There is also a prevalence of a U-shaped relationship between in fl ation and income inequality in non-linear or non-monotonic phenomenon, but it is insigni fi cant. Per capita income deteriorates income distribution, and seems to provide gains to non-poor individuals in the economy. Remi tt ances as share of GDP, and human capital, also appear to increase income inequality in both periods but large size of the government seems to worsen income distribution in the long run. International trade and income inequality are positively correlated that con fi rms the existence of Leontief paradox in Pakistan not only in short run, but also in long run. Financial development declines income inequality insigni fi cantly. Inverted U-shaped curve (Lafer-Curve) indicates an association of trade and income inequality in non-linear fashion insigni fi cantly. This e ff ort provides some new insights for policy makers and development planners in Pakistan.


The main question to address in this paper is to recommend optimal signal timing plans in real time under incidents by incorporating domain knowledge developed with the traffic signal timing plans tuned for possible incidents, and learning from historical data of both traffic and implemented signals timing. The effectiveness of traffic incident management is often limited by the late response time and excessive workload of traffic operators. This paper proposes a novel decision-making framework that learns from both data and domain knowledge to real-time recommend contingency signal plans that accommodate non-recurrent traffic, with the outputs from real-time traffic prediction at least 30 min in advance. Specifically, considering the rare occurrences of engagement of contingency signal plans for incidents, it is proposed to decompose the end-to-end recommendation task into two hierarchical models—real-time traffic prediction and plan association. The connections between the two models are learnt through metric learning, which reinforces partial-order preferences observed from historical signal engagement records. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated by testing this framework on the traffic network in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, U.S., in 2019. Results show that the recommendation system has a precision score of 96.75% and recall of 87.5% on the testing plan, and makes recommendations an average of 22.5 min lead time ahead of Waze alerts. The results suggest that this framework is capable of giving traffic operators a significant time window to access the conditions and respond appropriately.


Autopsies with solid-organ trans plantation (SOT) in UCLA Medical Center were reviewed, especially focussing on the deep-seated fungal infection and the incidence of fungal infections, causative fungi, and organs involved were evaluated. Deep-stated fungal infections were demonstrated in 21.0% of the patients with SOT. The incidence of fungal infections were 26.1% in kidney transplantation, which was the highest rate in SOT autopsies we reviewed, 25.0% in liver transplantation, 14.3% in lung transplantation, and 13.2% in heart transplantation. And the most common causative fungi were Aspergillus species, seen in 70.6% of SOT autopsies. In contrast, Candida species were observed in 25.5%. In addition, the incidence of deep-seated mycosis has been increasing since 1992, this was parallel to the increase of aspergillosis, most of which were found as a generalized spreading. In contrast, candidal lesions, were almost limited to the digestive tracts. The above suggests that from this standpoint, improvement of prophylactic and therapeutic technique against aspergillosis is the greatest problem in deep-seated mycosis in SOT patients.


ABSTRACT Background: The first diver certification programme for recreational 'enriched air nitrox' (EAN) diving was released in 1985. Concerns were expressed that many EAN divers might suffer central nervous system (CNS) oxygen toxicity seizures and drown. Methods: US fatalities on open-circuit scuba occurring between 2004–2013, where the breathing gas was either air or EAN, were identified. Causes of death and preceding circumstances were examined by a medical examiner experienced in diving autopsies. Case notes were searched for witnessed seizures at elevated partial pressures of oxygen. Results: The dataset comprised 344 air divers (86%) and 55 divers breathing EAN (14%). EAN divers' fatal dives were deeper than air divers' (28 msw vs 18 msw, p < 0.0001). Despite this, of the 249 cases where a cause of death was established, only three EAN divers were considered to have possibly died following CNS oxygen toxicity seizures at depth (ppO2 132, 142 and 193 kPa). Conclusion: The analysis of recreational diving fatalities in the US over 10 years found just one death likely from CNS oxygen toxicity among EAN divers. A further two possible, although unlikely, cases were also found. Fears of commonplace CNS oxygen toxicity seizures while EAN diving have not apparently been realized.


With rise of interventional cardiology, Catheter Ablation Therapy (CAT) has established itself as a first-line solution to treat cardiac arrhythmia. Although CAT is a promising technique, cardiologist lacks vision inside the body during the procedure, which may cause serious clinical syndromes. To support accurate clinical procedure, Contact Force Sensing (CFS) system is developed to find a position of the catheter tip through the measure of contact force between catheter and heart tissue. However, the practical usability of commercialized CFS systems is not fully understood due to inaccuracy in the measurement. To support the development of more accurate system, we develop a full pipeline of CFS system with newly collected benchmark dataset through a contact force sensing catheter in simplest hardware form. Our dataset was roughly collected with human noise to increase data diversity. Through the analysis of the dataset, we identify a problem defined as Shift of Reference (SoR), which prevents accurate measurement of contact force. To overcome the problem, we conduct the contact force estimation via standard deep neural networks including for Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), Fully Convolutional Network (FCN) and Transformer. An average error in measurement for RNN, FCN and Transformer are, respectively, 2.46g, 3.03g and 3.01g. Through these studies, we try to lay a groundwork, serve a performance criteria for future CFS system research and open a publicly available dataset to public.


In those chronically exposed to air pollutants--i.e. a mixture of naphtha, tungsten, vanadium, titanium and cobalt--the following indices were calculated: number of erythrocytes and leukocytes, haemoglobin (Hb) level, colour index, hematocrit number, mean volume of erythrocyte (S.O.K.C.), mean weight (S.M.H.), and average haemoglobin concentration (S.S.H.) in erythrocyte, percentage composition of leukocytes. The results were compared with those of the control group. The test population exhibited: slightly decreased Hb level, decreased S.M.H. and S.S.H. in average erythrocyte. It is supposed that the decreased Hb concentration may result from the effect of naphtha on the haematopoietic system, disturbances in hemopoiesis under the effect of vanadium, as well as decreased siderofilin level.


It has been experimentally confirmed that polyethylene terephthalate during its processing into products destruct without carrying out the process of solid-phase polycondensation. The conditions for both primary and secondary polyethylene terephthalate have been determined for carrying out the process of solid-phase polycondensation for its effective reaction extrusion with chain extenders. To confirm the effectiveness of the parameters of the solid-phase polycondensation process of polyethylene terephthalate, its reaction extrusion was carried out with commercially available chain extenders of the diepoxide class. The optimal content of chain extenders of the diepoxide class for changing the complex of physical, mechanical and rheological properties of polyethylene terephthalate modified by them was determined. It allows obtaining materials with an increased by 2.2 times characteristic viscosity.


We report here a unique in-plane self-templating electrochemical growth of arrays of copper nanopearl chains from an ultrathin layer of CuSO4 electrolyte. Scanning electron microscopy indicates that the electrodeposit filaments form equally spaced bundles, which consist of long, straight, pearl-chain-like copper filaments with corrugated periodic structure. The bundle separation can be tuned by changing the applied electric current in electrodeposition. Experiments show that the periodic morphology on the nanopearl chain corresponds to the periodic distribution of copper and cuprous oxide. The mechanism for the bundle formation is discussed.


ii Abstract The heat transfer phenomena in the near-wall region of a randomly packed pebble bed are important in the design of a Pebble Bed Reactor (PBR), especially when considering the safety case during accident conditions. At higher temperatures the contribution of the radiation heat transfer component to the overall heat transfer in a PBR increases significantly. The wall effect present in the near-wall region of a packed pebble bed affects the heat transfer in this region. Various correlations exist to predict the effective thermal conductivity through a packed pebble bed, but not all of the correlations consider the contribution of radiation and some are only applicable to the bulk region. Experimental research has been done on the heat transfer through a packed pebble bed. However, most of the results are case specific and cannot necessarily be used to validate models or simulations to predict the effective thermal conductivity of a pebble bed. The objective of this study is to develop a methodology that uses experimental work together with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to predict the effective thermal conductivity in the near-wall region of a randomly packed pebble bed, and to separate the conduction and radiation components of the effective thermal conductivity. The proposed methodology inter alia includes experimental tests and the calibration of a CFD model to obtain numerical results that correlate well with the experimental results. To illustrate the proposed methodology the newly constructed Near-wall Effect Thermal Conductivity Test Facility (NWETCTF) was used to gather experimental results for the temperature and heat transfer distribution through a randomly packed pebble bed. Two identical but separate experimental tests were performed and the results of the two tests were in good agreement. From the experimental results the effective thermal conductivity was derived. The effect of the near-wall region on the heat transfer and the significance of radiation at higher temperatures are evident from the results. Recommendations were made for future experimental work with the NWETCTF from the findings of the investigation. A numerically packed pebble bed that is representative of the experimental pebble bed was generated using the Discrete Element Method (DEM) and a CFD model was set up for the heat transfer through the pebble bed using STAR-CCM+.. The CFD results showed trends similar to that of the experimental results. However, some discrepancies were identified that must be addressed in future studies by calibrating the CFD model. The effective thermal conductivity for the numerical simulation was determined using the CFD results and the conduction and radiation components were separated.


Highly ordered arrays of Co nanowires with different diameters have been fabricated by electrodeposition in nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide membranes. The prepared Co nanowires have hexagonal close‐packed structure and are [002] preferred oriented crystalline with the c‐axis parallel to the long axis of the nanowires. The high anisotropy of Co nanowires offers the possibility to control their magnetic properties and microwave properties, which are experimentally characterized by a vibrating sample magnetometer and frequency‐swept ferromagnetic resonant flip‐chip based techniques, respectively. The nanowire arrays exhibit strong magnetic anisotropies. As for the ferromagnetic resonance frequency, it increases with increasing value of the applied field, and zero‐field ferromagnetic resonance frequencies up to 28–34 GHz. Also, the magnetic anisotropies and high ferromagnetic resonance frequency of Co nanowire arrays, are shown to be determined by the combined effect of shape anisotropy, crystalline anisotropy, and dipolar interactions between the nanowires.


In this article, I explore the contemporary political and governmental enthusiasm for the participation of ordinary people in fields of economic, social, and political life. I sketch some examples of this growing enthusiasm, beginning with the transformation of welfare states. I then explore different accounts of the centrality of ordinary people to contemporary political and governmental strategies, considering the emergence of advanced liberal efforts of construct "responsible" subjects; the role of popular participation in neoliberalism's de-politicizing tendencies; and the ambiguous place of the people in authoritarian populist politics. I consider the capacity of the idea of "ordinary people" to connect different sites of political and governmental innovation—and the failure of ordinary people to live up to their idealized status.


Because the hand is the most frequently injured part of the body, primary recognition of injured structures, careful assessment of damage, and appropriate treatment or referral by the primary care physician are critical. Most fingertip injuries heal with conservative care. Ideally, the healed wound should be covered with well-padded skin, be free of scar tissue, and not adhere to underlying bone. Crushing fingertip injuries associated with underlying fractures are often overlooked initially, with resultant infection, nonunion, and nail deformity. In the evaluation of flexor tendon injuries, recognition of the location of severed tendon is critical. Improved surgical techniques, when performed by an experienced hand surgeon, have yielded gratifying results, especially in the primary repair of tendon severance in the distal portion of the digit and palm. Mallet deformities at the distal interphalangeal joint are treated with extension splinting for minimum of six weeks without immobilization of the proximal interphalangeal joint. Open reduction is often required when an associated fracture involves more than 30% of the articular surface.


Summary

Cognitive theorists have frequently distinguished between two types of thinking, one associated with control and reason, and the other with emotional expression A similar distinction was made by Freud between secondary and primary process thinking This paper has investigated whether corresponding styles of creativity can be discovered A study was reported in which two types of behaviour appeared a permissive, expressive type, and a controlled, coping type Both of these correlated positively with self-reported creativity A second study contrasted the correlates of originality on tests of divergent thinking with originality on projective tests. Two clusters emerged, one representing competent, stable, resourceful personalities who scored high on divergent thinking tests of originality, the other representing impulsive, emotionally expressive, imaginative persons who scored high on projective test originality

It was concluded that there are two creativity styles corresponding to the two types of cognitive process, and these styles were labelled "cold" creativity and "hot" creativity. Both styles play a part, in varying proportions, in any creativity process

Performance on the divergent thinking tests of originality is more closely related to cold than hot creativity and, therefore, the distinction does not correspond with that between convergent and divergent thinking Nor does it correspond with differences between scientific and artistic interests and creativity.


The oomycete Albugo candida causes white rust of Brassicaceae, including vegetable and oilseed crops, and wild relatives such as Arabidopsis thaliana. Novel White Rust Resistance (WRR)-genes from Arabidopsis enable new insights into plant/parasite co-evolution. WRR4A from Arabidopsis accession Col-0 provides resistance to many but not all white rust races, and encodes a nucleotide-binding (NB), leucine-rich repeat (LRR) (NLR) immune receptor protein. Col-0 WRR4A resistance is broken by a Col-0-virulent isolate of A. candida race 4 (AcEx1). We identified an allele of WRR4A in Arabidopsis accession Oy-0 and other accessions that confers full resistance to AcEx1. WRR4AOy-0 carries a C-terminal extension required for recognition of AcEx1, but reduces recognition of several effectors recognized by the WRR4ACol-0 allele. WRR4AOy-0 confers full resistance to AcEx1 when expressed as a transgene in the oilseed crop Camelina sativa. Significance A C-terminal extension in an allele of the Arabidopsis resistance-protein WRR4A changes effector recognition specificity, enabling the WRR4AOy-0 allele to confer immunity to Albugo candida races that overcome the WRR4ACol-0 allele. This resistance can be transferred to the oil-producing crop Camelina sativa. Graphical abstract


In this review of English language publications from 1970, operative mortality following surgery for gastric cancer has been analysed. Operative mortality has declined in series reporting operations in successive decades to 1970, 1980 and 1990. Series reporting patients having surgery for gastric cancer in the decade to 1990 show a mean operative mortality rate of 7·8 per cent (median 4·6 per cent). This improvement may have contributed to the declining mortality rates for gastric cancer in the face of unchanging surgical workload. Results of operations for gastric cancer should be reported in a standard manner.


This study analysed the genome of gram negative non-proteo infectious bacteria to find out the analogous proteins
present in them, so that we can develop a drug that can act on the specific targets present in the maximum number
of strains of these bacteria's. Our main interest was in the Adhesins which with the help of softwares and databases
helped in predicting the "target" domains. NCBI, ClustalW2, SPAAN, CDD and many other computational
techniques and softwares were utilized for this study. We predicted the domains that can be used as potential targets
in drug discovery. Out of the 900 adhesins, 786 proteins with either one of more than one domain and 114 proteins
were without conserved region were predicted with the help of a database


The data of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in 2015 has shown that the primary students in Indonesia have the 6 th lowest skill. This is occurred as the students have not been facilitated by connection skill to improve their standard one. Mathematics learning activity can be used to improve the connection skill for it has a systematic and connection concepts affecting to their good attitude and logical systematic and rational thinking. Therefore, teachers should be able to choose a learning model to improve mathematical connection skill of the students. One of which is by using Multiliteration learning model. Multiliteration learning model consists of four learning stages including setup, explore, discuss, presenting . The research aims to determine student's mathematical connection skill between learning using Multiliteration and conventional model. This used a quasi-experimental research with non-equivalent control group design. The research had been examined in Primary School. The m aterial taken in the research is Geometry in Theme 7 Curriculum 2013. Based on data processing of connection skill test, the average pretest results of control group is 28,3 and experimental group is 27,7. After receiving different treatment, the average posttest result of control group is 63,3 and experimental group is 86,3. Improvement quality of student's mathematical connection of experimental group is higher than control group, which is in medium.  Thus, Multiliteration learning model can be used as one of the alternative learning model to improve the student's mathematical connection.


It has been proposed that a decrease in the length of telomeres with the successive rounds of DNA replication that accompany mitotic division could play a causal role in the aging process. To investigate this possibility, telomeres from cells of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae that varied in replicative age were examined. No change in the lengths of the telomeres was observed in cells that had completed up to 83% of the mean life span. We conclude that the length of the telomeres is not a contributing factor in the natural aging process in individual yeast cells.


Abstract
 The Thai freshwater fungi are reviewed. Substrates range from baits (Dipterocarpus alatus, Licuala longicalycata and Xylia dolabriformis) to submerged natural wood, collected in northern (Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai), and southern (Narathiwat) and northeastern (Nakorn Ratchassima) parts of the kingdom. The checklist comprises 173 identified species (including 34 Ingoldian fungi) published up to the end of 2010 and is supported with references. The taxa belong to 112 genera, including 30 Sordariomycetes, 12 Dothideomycetes and 70 anamorphic genera. The most frequently collected genera are the hyphomycetes Biflagellospora, Canalisporium, Dactylaria, Dictyosporium and Xylomyces. Five new genera and 26 new species were first described from Thai freshwater habitats. Fungal diversity in different substrates and Sørensen's index in different sites are discussed.


Abstract Context Previous studies suggest that the complexity of glucose time series may serve as a novel marker of glucose homeostasis. Objective We aimed to investigate the relationship between the complexity of glucose time series and all-cause mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods Prospective data of 6000 adult inpatients with type 2 diabetes from a single center were analyzed. The complexity of glucose time series index (CGI) based on continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) was measured at baseline with refined composite multiscale entropy. Participants were stratified by CGI tertiles of: < 2.15, 2.15 to 2.99, and ≥ 3.00. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the relationship between CGI and all-cause mortality. Results During a median follow-up of 9.4 years, 1217 deaths were identified. A significant interaction between glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and CGI in relation to all-cause mortality was noted (P for interaction = 0.016). The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for all-cause mortality at different CGI levels (≥ 3.00 [reference group], 2.15-2.99, and < 2.15) were 1.00, 0.76 (95% CI, 0.52-1.12), and 1.47 (95% CI, 1.03-2.09) in patients with HbA1c < 7.0%, while the association was nonsignificant in those with HbA1c ≥ 7.0%. The restricted cubic spline regression revealed a nonlinear (P for nonlinearity = 0.041) relationship between CGI and all-cause mortality in subjects with HbA1c < 7.0% only. Conclusion Lower CGI is associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes achieving the HbA1c target. CGI may be a new indicator for the identification of residual risk of death in well-controlled type 2 diabetes.


Comparability among population data enumerated within different time periods may be complicated by changing enumeration boundaries over time. Areal interpolation methods are commonly used to solve such zoning incompatibilities, but are frequently based on the questionable assumption of homogeneous population density within the different zones. To achieve more accurate estimates, land cover or other ancillary data may be used to better characterize the underlying source zone population density surface prior to areal interpolation. Although dasymetric techniques such as these are well documented, their effectiveness across different areal interpolation methods are not well established. This research compares the accuracy of a number of areal interpolation methods used to support temporal analysis of population data, and evaluates the effect of dasymetric mapping on interpolation accuracy. Our findings demonstrate that dasymetric refinement noticeably improves interpolation accuracy for the areal weighting, pycnophylactic, and target density weighting (TDW) methods of areal interpolation. A fourth method in which land cover densities are inherently incorporated, the expectation–maximization algorithm (EM), performs equally well. Our results show that the dasymetrically refined TDW method outperforms other areal interpolation methods in most instances, but suggest that the EM algorithm may be preferred as the interval between enumeration periods grows large.


The fruits of Solanum incanum are extensively used among the Gbagyis in Kaduna State as vegetable and also as remedy for injuries. The fruits were analysed using standard methods to evaluate the nutritive value and phytochemical composition of differently processed sample of Solanum incanum (for fresh, boiled for 15 minutes and boiled for 30 minutes) obtained from Hayin Bushiya area of the State. Analyses carried out for proximate composition showed an overall decrease of crude lipid content as the samples were processed for fifteen and thirty minutes. Phytochemicals such as flavonoids, saponin and oxalate were insignificantly affected. The mineral elements were also least affected by processing. The results suggest that boiling of Solanum incanum for a longer period of time could result in losing vital nutrients. The nutritional implications of the findings are discussed.


We have already developed a low-noise 100 GHz band (98-115 GHz) SIS mixer using Nb/AlOx/Nb junction technology. The mixer has a noise temperature of 17 K when used as a double sideband (DSB) heterodyne receiver. The SIS receiver has been in use in the 4 m radio telescope at Nagoya University for five years. As a further application of the SIS mixer, we developed middle-atmosphere ozone monitoring system using an SIS mixer for the first time. The system can measure ozone mixing ratio every 5 minutes. The integration time is less than 1/10 of the time needed in a conventional system using Schottky barrier diode (SBD) mixers. We have also begun developing developing a 200 GHz band (210-280 GHz) SIS mixer for radio astronomy and for monitoring other minor constituents such as ClO. The preliminary experiment showed that the mixer has a rather low noise temperature of 60 K (DSB).<<ETX>>


We explore phonon-mediated quantum transport through electronic noise characterization of a commercial CMOS transistor. The device behaves as a single electron transistor thanks to a single impurity atom in the channel. A low noise cryogenic CMOS transimpedance amplifier is exploited to perform low-frequency noise characterization down to the single electron, single donor and single phonon regime simultaneously, not otherwise visible through standard stability diagrams. Single electron tunneling as well as phonon-mediated features emerges in rms-noise measurements. Phonons are emitted at high frequency by generation-recombination phenomena by the impurity atom. The phonon decay is correlated to a Lorentzian $1/f^2$ noise at low frequency.


Bolt extension as link which do not destroy connective by component at process unload tide used many in so many industrial area like at bridge construction, building construction and various appliance of engine tool. Usage of amount 3 (bolt fruit three) at 5 (standard hole five) at one particular extension construction can be seen at tacking on two plate with bevel form at building roof construction. If usage more at one particular construction extension hence will have an in with wide of section, apart between hole at each bolt as well as its esthetics value. Formation arrange situation an bolt extension at one particular construction very having an effect on to failure of extension construction, is in this case done conducted by examination to an extension construction by 3 bolt fruit at 10 position differ from the target of searching optimal position in accepting style shift at bolt extension construction used by bolt is galvanic type have full of thread to. Is later got by tension value shift at each bolt and got by optimal position (strong position) and weak position from 10 existing position in accepting style shift [at] extension construction. Optimal position in this experiments are position 2 and 4. The position not optimal is position 6. Keywords: fracture surface, bolt , optimal position of bolt, deformation.


To evaluate the skin aging inhibition effect of fermented Reynoutria elliptica, skin aging model was produced by the irradiation of UVB to hairless mice for 5 weeks. The skin erythema index for the positive control (PC), not fermented Reynoutria elliptica extract (NFR), and fermented Reynoutria elliptica extract (FR-500, 1000, 2000) groups were lower than that of the control group. However, both lipid and water capacity for the PC and FR groups were higher than those of the control group. Collagen fibers in dermis of the FR groups were almost intact with a regular arrangement which were similar to the normal (NO) group. Also, relatively much less number of mast cells and inflammatory cells were found in FR groups. The skin TBARS contents and XO activity in the FR group were significantly lower than the control group. The activities of GSH, SOD and CAT for the FR groups were significant higher than the control group. Therefore, fermented Reynoutria elliptica extract can be practically useful for the prevention or improvement of skin aging in terms of health promotion and beauty for the people.


Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are capable of differentiating into chondrocyte‐like cells but fail to produce the quality or quantity of cartilage matrix compared to articular chondrocytes using current differentiation protocols. In this study, we aim to improve the chondrogenic differentiation of hMSCs through the sequential administration of multiple growth factors (GFs). We began by looking at differentiating hMSCs' cell surface GF receptor expression every 3 days throughout differentiation using flow cytometry and found that not only was receptor expression dynamic throughout differentiation, but ligand sensitivity was positively correlated with receptor expression, suggesting that differentiating hMSCs may have varying GF requirements depending on their stage of differentiation. We then constructed GF sequences by administering several prochondrogenic GFs singly every 3 days throughout differentiation and assaying the expression of a variety of cartilage‐related genes using qPCR. The resulting chondrocytic phenotype of sequentially induced hMSCs was then compared to that of hMSCs induced under standard culture conditions using qPCR, dimethylmethylene blue assay, and histology. We found that while the initial GF sequence was unable to improve hMSC chondrogenesis, withdrawal of GF treatment at Day 9 of differentiation in pellet culture vastly improved the success of differentiation beyond that induced by TGFβ1 alone. Additional modifications allowed us to further improve chondrogenesis to levels comparable to that obtained by co‐administration of TGFβ1 and BMP7 throughout differentiation. Taken together, we demonstrated the ability to improve the chondrocytic phenotype of differentiated hMSCs through the sequential administration of multiple GFs. J. Cell. Physiol. 229: 162–171, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Feedback control of instabilities in a continuum is a useful technique, but the analysis of such controlled systems is complicated by the coupling of the normal modes in the feedback loop. A simpler analysis is developed here which shows that mode coupling can be neglected if the feedback is not too large. This simpler method is applied to several examples, and comparisons with earlier more exact results show good agreement over the range of validity of the approximation.


Introduction: Ocular morbid conditions are responsible for partial or total blindness. Ocular morbidities by its sheer magnitude form an enormous problem, not only in human suffering, but also in terms of economical loss and social burden.
Aim: The aim of present study was to find the prevalence of ocular morbidities in rural area.
 Methods: Community based cross-sectional study in area covered by Rural Health Training Centre (RHTC), Hingna which is under the administrative control of Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Indira Gandhi Government Medical College [IGGMC], Nagpur, was carried out in 194 families with 925 study subjects during February 2005- December 2005. The study focuses on ocular examination and diagnosis of ocular morbid conditions. Both eyes were examined and all the relevant clinical findings were recorded in predesigned proforma. Chi Square test was used for the analysis of data .
Results: The results revealed that out of 925 study subjects 297(32.11%) were had ocular morbidity. Common ocular morbidity was Myopia (13.62%), Conjunctival xerosis (12.11%), Hypermetropia (11.68%), Xerophthalmia (3.46%), Pterygium (2.92%), immature senile cataract (2.70%), Eye strain (2.49%), mature senile cataract (1.84%) and Presbyopia (0.86%). Females were more affected (36.58%) as compared to males (28.37%), [χ2 = 7.09; d.f. =1, P< 0.05]. It was observed that as the age increases the prevalence of ocular morbidity increases [χ2=318.03; d.f =7, p<0.001].Higher prevalence of ocular morbid conditions was found in Illiterates 122 (40.94%) [χ2 = 16.47; d.f. =3, p<0.001]
Conclusion: High prevalence of ocular morbidities was found in rural areas of central India with greater predominance among women and illiterates.


The current state of research into the oxo-acidity in alkali metal nitrate, sulfate, and halide melts is analysed on the basis of the proposed classification of oxo-acidity reactions (Lux–Flood acid–base interactions). It is established that a considerable proportion of literature data on homogeneous acid–base equilibria are incorrect, since no account is taken in them of either the levelling of the acid (basic) properties by the solvent or of the error in the determination of the reaction stoichiometries. An explanation is proposed for the considerable scatter of data on the solubilities of oxides in ionic melts, which has been the principal inhibiting factor in the development of this field. The reactions of melts with gaseous acid and basic reagents are examined. The bibliography includes 171 references.


Abstract The contribution from the divergent part of the horizontal wind to the energy conversion between the vertical shear flow and the vertical mean flow has been computed using atmospheric data from the isobaric surfaces: 850, 700, 500, 300, and 200 mb. The new calculations supplement earlier computations giving the energy conversion based on an assumption that the horizontal winds are non-divergent. It is found that the contribution from the divergent part of the horizontal wind normally is very small compared with the contribution from the non-divergent part. The former energy conversion is as a matter of fact generally not significantly different from zero. The abnormal winter 1962–63 has been investigated separately. It is found that energy conversion by the divergent wind component during this period was much larger and constituted a larger fraction of the total conversion than during any other period.


INTRODUCTION ............................................... .......... 253 SYNTHESIS AND ASSEMBLY OF SURFACE COMPONENTS 254 Chemical Composition of the Cell Surface in Protozoa 254 Surface membranes 254 Membrane cytoskeleton . 257 Surface-related microtubule systems 257 Dynamic Nature of Surface Components 258 Induced Synthesis 259 Control of Assembly 260 Synthesis-dependent assembly ..... .................... .............. .... 260 Synthesis-independent assembly ......... 261 Molecular Topography .................. 262 Conclusions 263 LOCAL POSMONING OF SURFACE-RELATED ORGANELLES . 263 Local Patterns in Somatic Surface Areas . 263 Cilium/flagellum.. 263 Basal body 263 Ancillary structures 265 Ciliary unit 265 Ciliary rows 266 Cortex 266 Assembly of Cortical Components . 267 Basal body propagation 267 Propagation within ciliary rows 268 Consequences of Nucleated Assembly: Propagation of Structural Differences 268 1800 rotations of ciliary rows . 268 Cytotaxis 270 Contractile vacuole pores 270 Extra longitudinal microtubule bands. 270 Stability of corticotype . 270 Cytotaxis of ciliary assemblies 271 Local Patterning in the Generation of Oral Structures . 272 Stomatogenesis in Tetrahymena thermophila ... .. 273 Formation of nonciliary oral structures 274 Assembly of axopodal microtubules 275 Patterning of Non-Microtubular Components . 275 Cortical mitochondria in T. thermophila 275 Trichocysts of Paramecium tetraurelia .... 276 Conclusions...... 278 LARGE-SCALE PATTERNING ...... 279 Introduction 279 The Cast ...... 279 Demonstration of Large-Scale Cytotaxis ...... 280 Properties of the "Determinative Region"...... 284 Localization ... 284 Divisibility ......... ... 285 Capacity for quantitative regulation 286 Capacity for restoration after los.287 The "determinative region" as the center of an embryonic field 288 Independence of Polarity and Asymmetry 288 Rotated fields and mirror-image doublets 288 A genically controlled field of mirror-image asymmetry 290


Discourse Analysis is one of the subject matters in the seventh semester in English Department, Teacher Training and Education Faculty, Slamet Riyadi University. In this research, the researchers conducted Discourse Analysis for one English song. This research is aimed to peel up the content of the songs, which was sung by Christina Perri, from the perspectives of meaning, purpose, and the vision of the writer. Contextual aspects and inferential meaning can be seen from that song. Grammatical aspects and lexical meaning are used to see the cohesion and coherence of this song. This research is library research. Then, it used Miles and Huberman's theory of qualitative data analysis. The location of the research was in libraries of Unisri, UNS, UGM, and Balai Bahasa Semarang. The output of this research are: (1) to publish an article in scientific journal which has ISSN (after finishing the research in one semester).; (2) to report the research result that can be used as a reference for students who study Discourse Analysis in English Department, Teacher Training and Education Faculty, Unisri. The research result shows that there were contextual aspects and inferential meaning, grammatical aspects and lexical meaning in the songs of 'Jar of The Heart' by Christina Perri which is obtained by conducting Discourse Analysis. Key Words: Coherent, Cohesion, Context and Inferential, Discourse Analysis, Christina Perri, and Demi Lovato.


Background Targeting interleukin-6 receptor signal transduction by tocilizumab (TCZ) has been shown to be an effective treatment for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Objectives This study aimed to describe safety and efficacy of tocilizumab (TCZ) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in routine clinical practice, based on prospectively registered observational data from a third-level hospital. Methods Forty patients with RA who were started on TCZ at the Rheumatology Unit between April 2009 and July 2011 were included. Changes in tender joint count (TJC), swollen joint count (SJC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), haemoglobin (Hb), 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28), European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response and remission rates with the 2011 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/EULAR criteria after 4, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 weeks (W) were investigated. SPSS 17.0 program was used for statistical analysis. Adverse Events (AE) and withdrawals were also described. Results Thirty-five women and five men were included. Median age was 52 years old (33-79). Median disease duration was 11 (2-39) years. Rheumatoid Factor was positive in 32 patients (80%), anti-citrullinated protein antibody in 34 (85%) and anti-nuclear antibodies were detected in 34 patients (85%). Thirty-four patients (85%) had previously received at least one biological treatment. Decrease of TJC, SJC, ESR and DAS28 was statistically significant in all the weeks. Increase of Hb was statistically significant until W48. By analysing the response data the following results were obtained: Base line W4 W12 W24 W48 W72 W96 Number of patients 40 39 35 30 20 10 4 Das 28 (average) 5.99 4.37 3.33 2.96 2.83 2.36 2.06 EULAR good-or-moderate response rates N (%) 29 (74%) 31 (86%) 28 (90%) 17 (80%) 10 (100%) 4 (100%) Remission rates N (%) 1 (3%) 10 (29%) 8 (27%) 5 (25%) 3 (30%) 1 (25%) Regarding the use of concomitant treatments, the following information compares the first and the last data recorded in each patient: disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in 60% to 48%; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in 80% to 35%; the average dose of corticosteroids (adjusted to prednisone dose) was initially 6.1 mg/day and finally 4.2 mg/day. Regarding safety, 31 patients (77.5%) had at least one AE. The most frequent AE were infections (22 episodes), dyslipidaemia (present in 16 patients) and haematology abnormalities (detected in 14 patients). Three severe AEs were observed (community-acquired pneumonia, fever without source and acute toxic hepatitis). There was no mortality in the group. Fifteen patients (31%) withdrew from treatment for safety-related (25%) or non-safety-related (12.5%) reasons. Conclusions In our serial TCZ had achieved a good-or-moderate EULAR response in patients with RA in routine clinical practice. An early and maintained response was observed. The most frequent AE were infections, dyslipidemia and haematological abnormalities. The main causes of withdrawal were AEs. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


In Eisenmenger syndrome (ES), positive pressure ventilation (PPV) during general anesthesia may lead to an increase in pulmonary vascular resistance and potentially to hypoxemia. In an attempt to predict the patient's hemodynamic response to intraoperative ventilation, we tested preoperatively the hemodynamic effects of noninvasive PPV with continuous positive pressure in a woman with ES scheduled for oophorectomy. The surgery was performed without complications, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 8.


Combating food adulteration is a great challenge in Bangladesh. The customer is the leading economic community and the focus of all commercial activities. The price, availability, variety, and attractiveness of consumer products have increased with the rise in people's incomes. The business sector is practically bursting with complex technology-based new products. Regardless of misleading advertising, unsuitable media coverage, and food adulteration, it is challenging for the customer to select a particular foodstuff. The primary victim is a customer who casually takes adulterated food and pays the price of such corrupt practices. Bangladesh Government has enacted the Food Safety Act, 2013 to ensure food safety. But, consumer awareness is one of the most important steps towards reducing the adulteration of foods. Consumer faces different kinds of challenges to ensure food safety for them. To effectively face these challenges, consumers need to prepare themselves against these issues. In our present study, we have analyzed the different consumer behavior considering food adulteration and their awareness about consumer rights.


Civic engagement fails to foster democratic representation and accountability when women or other marginalized groups face barriers to participation, as they do in many developing countries. Rather than flattening access to participation, a randomly assigned civic education course in Mali widened the gender gap when it increased civic activity among men while decreasing that among women. Qualitative evidence reveals mechanisms by which the information intervention generated perverse consequences for women. In a place where women are traditionally unwelcome actors in the public sphere, the course heightened the salience of civic activity, thus increasing social costs for female participators. Women report implicit and explicit threats of sanctions from male relatives and village elders. The intervention did, however, work to close the gender gap in civic and political knowledge. Together, these findings suggest that resource constraints limit civic participation, but flattening access cannot overcome discriminatory gender norms – and may even exacerbate them.


Cerebral spastic paraplegia (cerebral diplegia) merits special consideration by those concerned with the care of young infants because of its diagnostic and prognostic pitfalls. The striking incidence of antecedent premature birth in this group, together with major delay in motor development and evidence of spasticity of the lower extremities, often erroneously suggest a poor prognosis at an early age. These features, combined with infrequent mental retardation, uninvolved speech, and a low incidence of convulsive seizures in an infant with striking disparity between upper and lower extremity involvement, emphasize the need for identification of this particular group within the general framework of cerebral palsy.


Methylprednisolone Tablets contain methylprednisolone which is a glucocorticoid. Glucocorticoids are adrenocortical steroids, both naturally occurring and synthetic, which are readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Methylprednisolone occurs as a white to practically white, odorless, crystalline powder. It is sparingly soluble in alcohol, in dioxane, and in methanol, slightly soluble in acetone, and in chloroform, and very slightly soluble in ether. It is practically insoluble in water. The chemical name for methylprednisolone is pregna-1, 4-diene-3, 20-dione, 11, 17, 21-trihydroxy-6methyl-, (6α, 11β)-and the molecular weight is 374.48. The structural formula is represented below:


This study presents a modified disinfection kinetics model to evaluate the potential effect of organic content on the chlorine inactivation coefficient of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in fresh produce wash processes. Results show a significant decrease in the bactericidal efficacy of free chlorine (FC) in the presence of organic load compared to its absence. While the chlorine inactivation coefficient of Escherichia coli O157:H7 is 70.39 ± 3.19 L.mg−1.min−1 in the absence of organic content, it drops by 73% in chemical oxygen demand (COD) level of 600 - 800 mg.L−1. Results also indicate that the initial chlorine concentration and bacterial load have no effect on the chlorine inactivation coefficient. A second-order chemical reaction model for FC decay, which utilizes a percentage of COD as an indicator of organic content in fresh produce wash was employed, yielding an apparent reaction rate of (9.45 ± 0.22) × 10−4 μM−1.min−1. This model was validated by predicting FC concentration (R2 = 0.96) in multi-run continuous wash cycles with periodic replenishment of chlorine.


Resource allocation for a distributed system employing the primary site approach for fault tolerance is discussed. Two kinds of systems are considered. The first consists of fault-tolerant nodes where each node has many duplicated servers. One server is the primary, which serves user requests, and the rest are backup. The second does not have fault-tolerant nodes. To tolerate node failures, each node uses other nodes as backups. When a node fails, all requests initially allocated to the node are served by one of its backups. To study the resource allocation for such systems, an approximate model for each system is developed. Using these models, efficient allocation algorithms that take into account the failure/repair rates of the system and the fault-tolerant overheads are presented. Using experimental results, it is shown that the algorithms give the optimal or suboptimal allocations. The algorithms, which incur little overhead, can improve the system performance significantly over an intuitive allocation algorithm. >


Abstract Background Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is an etiologically and clinically heterogeneous condition. Accumulating evidence suggests that persons with lifetime histories of comorbid AUD and non-alcohol substance use disorder (DRUG) constitute an important subgroup of AUD. This study evaluated the distinctiveness of the comorbid AUD/DRUG behavioral phenotype in a community sample with respect to risk factors, AUD course features, and outcome variables assessed at age 30. Contrast groups included persons with histories of AUD only, DRUG only, and neither AUD nor DRUG. Methods This research utilized a prospective study design with an age-based cohort (n = 732). Participants completed four comprehensive diagnostic evaluations during the high-risk periods of adolescence, emerging adulthood, and young adulthood. Results The comorbid AUD/DRUG group was distinguished from the AUD only group by risk factors, AUD course features, and outcomes. Group differences in outcomes were also explained by overall substance use disorder (SUD) severity. Persons with AUD/DRUG comorbidity were indistinguishable from those with DRUG only histories with respect to risk factors and outcomes but demonstrated greater overall SUD severity. Persons with AUD only were indistinguishable from those with neither AUD nor DRUG histories in risk factor endorsements and were mostly similar in outcomes. Conclusions Findings collectively suggest that young adults with histories of AUD only and those with comorbid AUD/DRUG are drawn from dissimilar populations. Similarities between the AUD only group with those absent AUD or DRUG histories are likely related to the former group's developmentally limited AUD course accompanied by relatively few or short-lived alcohol-related problems.


As per the latest roadmap of iNEMI, the global electronics market is emphasizing to identify disruptive technologies that can contribute towards denser, robust and tighter integration on the board level. Therefore, reduction in packaging factor of printed board can accommodate greater number of ICs to support miniaturization. This paper has shown an experimental method to pattern the metallic layer on a Printed circuit Board (PCB) to the smallest feature size. To investigate this, a commercially available FR-4 PCB with photosensitive material coat and a Copper (Cu) layer on it, is used. A reverse-mode Laser assisted writing is implemented to pattern the desired copper tracks. Soon after, a well-controlled development and chemical etching of the Laser-activated regions are done using Sodium Hydroxide solution followed by an aqueous solution of Sodium Persulfate. Current PCB interconnects used by the industries are of the order (~20 μm). Whereas the present work is a contribution towards achieving Copper interconnects with feature size 3.0μm. This miniaturization corresponds to 70% reduction in the feature size from 20 μm to 3μm. The natural adhesion of the Cu layer has remained intact even after the etching, shows the efficiency of the method adopted. Also, variation in the parameters such as etching time, etchant solution concentrations, temaperature, gain and exposure time of Laser beam and their corresponding effects are discussed. Other highlights of this subtractive method includes its cost-efficiency, lesser production time and repeatability.


Chronic lower back pain remains a poorly understood multi-factorial condition, associated with reduced quality of life and function. Traditionally, research in lower back pain has focused on vertebrae, trunk muscles, motor control and biopsychosocial factors. Despite this substantial body of research, chronic lower back pain remains a prevalent global issue affecting health and well-being. Recently, the thoracolumbar fascia has been recognised to play a role in the pathophysiology of chronic lower back pain. Currently, there are no standardised methods for imaging and analysis of the thoracolumbar fascia. This thesis seeks to advance methods of analysis as well as furthering our understanding of role thoracolumbar fascia plays in chronic lower back pain.
The study presented in Chapter 4 aims to assess the reliability of intra- and inter-image reliability of ultrasound images of the thoracolumbar fascia. One investigator acquired and measured ultrasound images of eleven participants. The morphology of the thoracolumbar fascia was measured using an adapted grey-scale MatLab script to measure the echogenicity and an on-screen cursor to measure the thickness of the dense connective tissue layers. The investigator measured the same series of images on day 1, and 2 days later. The investigator acquired a further set of images from the same participants 4 days later. Both sets of images were analysed 3 months after image acquisition. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for same image (intra-image) reliability was >0.94, which represents good reliability. The ICC for inter-image reliability of scans taken across 2 days of the same participants, ranged between >0.95 - 0.63, which represents good to moderate reliability. Inspection of Bland Altman Plots revealed no systematic pattern of variability. It was concluded that ultrasound is a reliable method to evaluate the thoracolumbar fascia, when using one investigator.
The study presented in Chapter 5 used ultrasound to investigate the thickness and echogenicity of the thoracolumbar fascia in people with and without back pain. One hundred and forty-one participants took part in the study (74 with back pain, 67 without back pain). This study found that the echogenicity (brightness of pixels indicating presence of collagen) of the thoracolumbar fascia in people with lower back pain was 10% higher (p = 0.04), compared to people without lower back pain. Higher echogenicity suggests tissue fibrosis, as found in other pathological connective tissues.
The study reported in Chapter 6 was an investigation of the impact of a 4 week endurance training programme on the ultrasound outcomes of the thoracolumbar fascia. This study found no difference in either thickness or echogenicity in either the training group or the control group. This could be an indication that a longer training intervention is required in order to visualise changes in the thoracolumbar fascia, using ultrasound imaging.
The study presented in Chapter 7 was an inter-rater reliability study in which 30 medical practitioners rated the morphology of the thoracolumbar fascia of 30 ultrasound images of 30 individuals. The scans were rated on a Likert-type scale ranging from 5 being very disorganised, to 1 being very organised. Images were selected by a focus group and consisted of a representative range of thoracolumbar morphologies. This study found that medical practitioners can reliably rate scans, regardless of ultrasound experience (Cronbach's alpha - 0.98).
The conclusion of this thesis is that ultrasound is a reliable imaging method to evaluate the thoracolumbar fascia. Furthermore, higher echogenicity was found in images of people with lower back, which could be an indicator of fibrosis. Ultrasound is a viable and promising method to evaluate the thoracolumbar fascia, which has been associated with lower back pain.
These findings contribute to the emerging field of research into the pathophysiology of the human fascial system.


ABSTRACT Canine babesiosis has recently been recognized as an emerging infectious disease of dogs in North America. We sought to develop a seminested PCR to detect and differentiate Babesia gibsoni (Asian genotype), B. canis subsp. vogeli, B. canis subsp. canis, and B. canis subsp. rossi DNA in canine blood samples. An outer primer pair was designed to amplify an ∼340-bp fragment of the 18S rRNA genes from B. gibsoni (Asian genotype), B. canis subsp. vogeli, B. canis subsp. rossi, and B. canis subsp. canis but not mammalian DNA. Forward primers were designed that would specifically amplify a smaller fragment from each organism in a seminested PCR. The practical limit of detection was 50 organisms/ml of mock-infected EDTA anticoagulated whole blood. The primer pair also amplified an ∼370-bp fragment of the B. gibsoni (USA/California genotype) 18S rRNA gene from the blood of an experimentally infected dog with a high percentage of parasitemia. Amplicons were not detected when DNA extracted from the blood of a dog that was naturally infected with Theileria annae at a low percentage of parasitemia was amplified. Due to limited sensitivity, this test is not recommended for the routine diagnosis of B. gibsoni (USA/California genotype) or T. annae. The PCR test did not amplify Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, Leishmania infantum, Cryptosporidium parvum, or canine DNA under any of the conditions tested. The seminested PCR test was able to detect and discriminate B. gibsoni (Asian genotype), B. canis subsp. vogeli, B. canis subsp. canis, and B. canis subsp. rossi DNA in blood samples from infected dogs.


The test results of four I-section prestressed concrete beams with and without steel fibers inside concrete are presented in this paper. Steel fibers provided significant improvements in the shear strength as well as deformation ability and these improvements were greater at a specified fiber fraction of 1.0%. At a higher fraction of 1.5% and 2.0%, the compressive strength of concrete decreased and the shear strength dropped approximately 11% compared with a fraction of 1.0% and no significant increase in the shear strength occurred at a volume fraction of 2.0%.


Synopsis Whole-rock Sm-Nd and Pb-Pb ages of 2770 ± 140 Ma and 2900 ± 100 Ma respectively are presented from a suite of samples from the Corodale Gneiss unit of eastern South Uist, Outer Hebrides. The initial εNd value of c. + 2.4 and model μ1 value of 7.9 are typical of late-Archaean mantle source regions in the Lewisian and are similar to values obtained from other Lewisian mafic-ultramafic complexes. These data confirm that the igneous protoliths to the Corodale Gneisses belong to the earliest crust-forming episode in the Lewisian, and are not correlated with younger mafic intrusive rocks in South Harris. Although the Corodale Gneiss unit has undergone extensive tectonic disruption during formation of the Outer Isles Thrust, there has been little post-Archaean disturbance of large-ion lithophile elements: U and Th have remained immobile in most samples, and there has been limited redistribution of Rb within the Corodale Gneiss unit itself.


New antimicrobial agents are desperately needed to combat the increasing number of antibiotic resistant strains of pathogenic microorganisms. Natural products remain the most propitious source of novel antibiotics. It is widely accepted that actinobacteria are prolific producers of natural bioactive compounds. We argue that the likelihood of discovering a new compound having a novel chemical structure can be increased with intensive efforts in isolating and screening rare genera of microorganisms. Screening rare actinomycetes and their previously under-represented genera from unexplored environments in natural product screening collections is one way of achieving this. Rare actinomycetes are usually regarded as the actinomycete strains whose isolation frequency is much lower than that of the streptomycete strains isolated by conventional methods. Many natural environments are still either unexplored or under-explored and thus, can be considered as a prolific resource for the isolation of less exploited microorganisms. More and different ecological niches need to be studied as sources of a greater diversity of novel microorganisms. In this review, we wish to update our understanding of the potential of the rare actinomycetes by focusing on the ways and means of enhancing their bio-discovery potential.


Through establishing two gravity models and using the panel data of 22 sample countries and areas from 2000 to 2004, this paper investigates the static trade effects in China after starting to establish CAFTA (China-ASEAN Free Trade Area). Firstly, this paper introduces some developments in the gravity model focusing on studying bilateral trade and trade effects and points out the novelty of this paper. Then, through the empirical test, we find that the trade diversion effect is much larger than the trade creation effect and the trend is that the gap between them will become larger and larger. This is different from the opinion of some Chinese researchers. After that, this paper gives the reasons for that. Finally, this paper recommends that future research can be focused on analyzing the trade effects in some certain industry.


BACKGROUND
Due to confounders like hyperglycemia, patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have an increased susceptibility to venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, formal risk assessment models, such as using the Padua score, do not include all T2DM-associated risk factors for VTE. Therefore, this study aims to develop and validate a predictive nomogram for VTE in non-surgical inpatients with T2DM.

METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed the clinical and biochemical data of 420 non-surgical inpatients with T2DM between 2017 and 2021 from three centers (the PLA 474th hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University). A multivariate analysis based on logistic regression model was performed to identify independent risk factors and construct a nomogram. The predictive values were compared by calculating the integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) and net reclassification improvement (NRI), and by decision curve analysis (DCA).

RESULTS
Old age, BMI, D-dimer, hypoproteinemia, acute infection, acute myocardial infarction, cerebral ischemic stroke, reduced mobility, and heart/respiratory failure were independent risk factors for VTE in non-surgical inpatients with T2DM, as indicated by the multivariate analysis. The nomogram demonstrated superior discriminative ability compared to the Padua score (area under the curve: 0.923 vs. 0.849). NRI and IDI were also observed, and the DCA identified the greater net benefit and clinical utilization of the new nomogram.

CONCLUSIONS
A predictive nomogram for VTE in non-surgical inpatients with T2DM was developed and validated in this study. The nomogram is highly predictive and easy to operate, but external data verification is required before it can be further used.


Objective: The current study investigates the effect of bladder neck (BN) preservation on postoperative continence and positive surgical margins (+SMs). Patients and Methods: 150 patients (group 1) who underwent BN-sparing endoscopic extraperitoneal radical prostatectomy (EERPE) and 90 patients treated with EERPE and BN resection (group 2) were retrospectively evaluated. Results: Both groups were similar for age, prostate-specific antigen and prostate size. There was no significant difference in operative time, mean blood loss or transfusion rate. Mean catheterization time was similar. The overall +SM rates were very similar at 10.7% for group 1 and 10.0% for group 2 (group 1, pT2 = 5.1% and pT3 = 30.3%; group 2, pT2 = 2.9% and pT3 = 33.3%). One of 16 patients in group 1 and 1 of 9 in group 2 had a +SM at BN. Statistically significant differences in continence were observed 24 h after catheter removal and 3 months postoperatively between both groups. Conclusion: BN preservation proved to have an impact on postoperative early continence of patients undergoing EERPE. Continence of patients who underwent BN preservation was improved after catheter removal and at the 3-month follow-up in comparison to those without BN preservation, but +SMs were not affected by the BN-sparing surgery.


This study discusses the rapid control prototyping approach used for development and investigation of control algorithm in magneto-rheological (MR) semi-active suspension system. Firstly, a multibody dynamic model based on MR suspension system is developed with the aid of VEDYNA software. Based on the model, a new intelligent control algorithm, human simulated intelligent control (HSIC) is proposed and designed. Finally, by means of dSPACE groupware system, the semi-active control prototype of real car has been built up, road test of real car and parameters of online adjustment have also been carried out. The results of offline simulation and real time control show that HSIC can achieve better comfort under assuring stability. They also show that rapid control prototyping (RCP) on the basis of Matlab/Simulink and dSPACE can shorten the research period of vehicle semi-active controller and reduce the cost of research. It is very significant to promote the industrialization of vehicle semi-active controller.


To investigate the effect of stress on homocysteine metabolism in the rat and explore the mechanism as well as the key regulatory link of stress-induced hyperhomocysteinemia, male Wistar rats were treated with restraint stress while control rats received routine treatment. By HPLC-fluorometry, the homocysteine level in rat plasma was determined. Cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) activity in blood, heart, liver and kidney was measured by radioisotope assay using [(14)C]-serine as the labeled substrate. Total RNA was isolated from rat liver after restraint stress. RT-PCR and Northern blot were used to estimate the level of CBS mRNA. The results showed that hyperhomocysteinemia was induced by restraint stress. The highest CBS enzyme activity was seen in rat livers. A decrease in hepatic activities of CBS was found in restraint stress rats. The 29.4% +/-2.5% reduction in the activity of CBS was accompanied by a 44.1% +/-3.4% decrease in its mRNA level. CBS enzyme activity was slightly elevated in the kidney of stressed rats while it was almost undeterminable in the cardiovascular system. The study suggests that stress leads to an inhibition of the transsulfuration pathway in homocysteine metabolism. The hepatic CBS influenced by stress at the level of transcription exerts a profound effect on the circulating levels of homocysteine. The liver is the key organ where stress affects homocysteine metabolism.


We discuss a novel model for analyzing the working of Genetic Algorithms (GAs), when the objective function is a function of unitation. The model is exact (not approximate), and is valid for infinite populations. Functions of unitation depend only on the number of 1's in any string. Hence, we only need to model the variations in the distribution of strings with respect to the number of 1's in the strings. We introduce the notion of a Binomial Distributed Population (BDP) as the building block of our model, and we show that the effect of uniform crossover on BDPs is to generate two other BDPs. We demonstrate that a population with any general distribution may be decomposed into several BDPs. We also show that a general multipoint crossover may be considered as a composition of several uniform crossovers. Based on these results, the effects of mutation and crossover on the distribution of strings have been characterized, and the model has been defined. GASIM-a Genetic Algorithm Simulator for functions of unitation-has been implemented based on the model, and the exactness of the results obtained from GASIM has been verified using actual Genetic Algorithm runs. The time complexity of the GA simulator derived from the model is O(l(3)) (where l is the string length), a significant improvement over previous models with exponential time complexities.


In this paper, a nonlinear model for large signal analysis of resonant inverter (RI) tuning loops with voltage-pump phase-frequency detector is presented. The proposed model employs the resistance multiplication approach, applicable for the circuits containing periodically operated switch. The generic model is valid for both positive and negative phase error values with slight differences. Transient and stability analysis of an RI tuning loop is carried out by employing the presented model. Time-domain expressions for any initial condition are derived as the result of transient analysis. On the other hand, stability analysis reveals the conditions that make the overall system stable. Experimental results, which confirm the theoretical study, are obtained.


PURPOSE
To evaluate the feasibility of using the weighted hybrid iterative spiral k-space encoded estimation (WHISKEE) technique to improve spatial resolution of tracking images for onboard MR image guided radiation therapy (MR-IGRT).

METHODS
MR tracking images of abdomen and pelvis had been acquired from healthy volunteers using the ViewRay onboard MRIGRT system (ViewRay Inc. Oakwood Village, OH) at a spatial resolution of 2.0mm*2.0mm*5.0mm. The tracking MR images were acquired using the TrueFISP sequence. The temporal resolution had to be traded off to 2 frames per second (FPS) to achieve the 2.0mm in-plane spatial resolution. All MR images were imported into the MATLAB software. K-space data were synthesized through the Fourier Transform of the MR images. A mask was created to selected k-space points that corresponded to the under-sampled spiral k-space trajectory with an acceleration (or undersampling) factor of 3. The mask was applied to the fully sampled k-space data to synthesize the undersampled k-space data. The WHISKEE method was applied to the synthesized undersampled k-space data to reconstructed tracking MR images at 6 FPS. As a comparison, the undersampled k-space data were also reconstructed using the zero-padding technique. The reconstructed images were compared to the original image. The relatively reconstruction error was evaluated using the percentage of the norm of the differential image over the norm of the original image.

RESULTS
Compared to the zero-padding technique, the WHISKEE method was able to reconstruct MR images with better image quality. It significantly reduced the relative reconstruction error from 39.5% to 3.1% for the pelvis image and from 41.5% to 4.6% for the abdomen image at an acceleration factor of 3.

CONCLUSION
We demonstrated that it was possible to use the WHISKEE method to expedite MR image acquisition for onboard MR-IGRT systems to achieve good spatial and temporal resolutions simultaneously. Y. Hu and O. green receive travel reimbursement from ViewRay. S. Mutic has consulting and research agreements with ViewRay. Q. Zeng, R. Nana, J.L. Patrick, S. Shvartsman and J.F. Dempsey are ViewRay employees.


Hepatitis B surface antigen can be serologically defined as ayw1, ayw2, ayw3, ayw4, ayr, adw2, adw4 and adrq+ or adrq-. A study of common HBsAg subtypes in 44 HBsAg reactive sera in University Hospital was conducted using a solid-phase sandwich EIA. Eleven samples were found not typable and among the 33 typable HBsAg reactive sera, 3 HBsAg subtypes: adw, adr and ayw were identified. Subtype adw was found in 66.7% (22/33) of the typable HBsAg reactive sera; 24.2% (8/33) was of subtype adr and 6.0% (2/33) of subtype ayw. One sample was found to be reactive to both adw and adr. HBsAg subtype adw was found more commonly in Chinese but among the Malays, HBsAg subtype adr appeared to predominate. However, the small sample size precludes firm conclusions on the predominant subtype among the Malays.


The factorization method for Schrodinger operators with magnetic fields on a two-dimensional surface M2 with nontrivial metric is investigated. This leads to the new integrable examples of such operators and brings a new look at some classical problems such as the Dirac magnetic monopole and the Landau problem. The global geometric aspects and related spectral properties of the operators from the factorization chains are discussed in detail. We also consider the Laplace transformations on a curved surface and extend the class of Schrodinger operators with two integrable levels introduced in the flat case by S. P. Novikov and one of the authors.


Solar-driven water purification has been deemed a promising technology to address the issue of clean water scarcity. However, traditional solar distillers often suffer from low evaporation rates under natural sunlight irradiation, while the high costs of the fabrication of photothermal materials further hinders their practical applications. Here, through the harnessing of the complexation process of oppositely charged polyelectrolyte solutions, a polyion complex hydrogel/coal powder composite (HCC)-based highly efficient solar distiller is reported. In particular, the influence of the charge ratio of polyanion-to-polycation on the solar vapor generation performance of HCC has been systematically investigated. Together with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the Raman spectrum method, it is found that a deviation from the charge balance point not only alters the microporous structure of HCC and weakens its water transporting capabilities, but also leads to a decreased content of activated water molecules and enlarges the energy barrier of water evaporation. As a result, HCC prepared at the charge balance point exhibits the highest evaporation rate of 3.12 kg m−2 h−1 under one sun irradiation, with a solar–vapor conversion efficiency as high as 88.83%. HCC also exhibits remarkable solar vapor generation (SVG) performance for the purification of various water bodies. In simulated seawater (3.5 wt% NaCl solutions), the evaporation rate can be as high as 3.22 kg m−2 h−1. In acid and alkaline solutions, HCCs are capable of maintaining high evaporation rates of 2.98 and 2.85 kg m−2 h−1, respectively. It is anticipated that this study may provide insights for the design of low-cost next-generation solar evaporators, and broaden the practical applications of SVG for seawater desalination and industrial wastewater purification.


Background Determining patterns of physical activity throughout the day could assist in developing more personalized interventions or physical activity guidelines in general and, in particular, for women who are less likely to be physically active than men. Objective The aims of this report are to identify clusters of women based on accelerometer-measured baseline raw metabolic equivalent of task (MET) values and a normalized version of the METs ≥3 data, and to compare sociodemographic and cardiometabolic risks among these identified clusters. Methods A total of 215 women who were enrolled in the Mobile Phone Based Physical Activity Education (mPED) trial and wore an accelerometer for at least 8 hours per day for the 7 days prior to the randomization visit were analyzed. The k-means clustering method and the Lloyd algorithm were used on the data. We used the elbow method to choose the number of clusters, looking at the percentage of variance explained as a function of the number of clusters. Results The results of the k-means cluster analyses of raw METs revealed three different clusters. The unengaged group (n=102) had the highest depressive symptoms score compared with the afternoon engaged (n=65) and morning engaged (n=48) groups (overall P<.001). Based on a normalized version of the METs ≥3 data, the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) evening peak group (n=108) had a higher body mass index (P=.03), waist circumference (P=.02), and hip circumference (P=.03) than the MVPA noon peak group (n=61). Conclusions Categorizing physically inactive individuals into more specific activity patterns could aid in creating timing, frequency, duration, and intensity of physical activity interventions for women. Further research is needed to confirm these cluster groups using a large national dataset. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01280812; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01280812 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6vVyLzwft)


Miscible gas injection (MGI) processes such as miscible CO2 flooding have been in use as attractive EOR options, especially in conventional oil reserves. Optimal design of MGI is strongly dependent on parameters such as gas–oil minimum miscibility pressure (MMP), which is normally determined through expensive and time-consuming laboratory tests. Thus, developing a fast and reliable technique to predict gas–oil MMP is inevitable. To address this issue, a smart model is developed in this paper to forecast gas–oil MMP on the basis of a feed-forward artificial neural network (FF-ANN) combined with particle swarm optimisation (PSO). The MMP of a reservoir fluid was considered as a function of reservoir temperature and the compositions of oil and injected gas in the proposed model. Results of this study indicate that reservoir temperature among the input parameters selected for the PSO–ANN has the greatest impact on MMP value. The developed PSO–ANN model was examined using experimental data, and a reasonable match was attained showing a good potential for the proposed predictive tools in estimation of gas–oil MMP. Compared with other available methods, the proposed model is capable of forecasting oil–gas MMP more accurately in wide ranges of thermodynamic and process conditions. All predictive models used other than the PSO–ANN model failed in providing a good estimate of the oil–gas MMP of the hydrocarbon mixtures in Azadegan oilfield, Iran. © 2013 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering


This study compares the performance of foreign firms with domestic ones in Russia and Ukraine, using recent survey data of 450 enterprises. We find that foreign owned firms are less prone to inter-enterprise arrears and wage arrears, have a better export performance, and use more sophisticated competition strategies. Foreign investment appears to enhance entrepreneurial know-how. In case of de novo firms foreign investment often led to a 'jump start' of the enterprise, rather than a gradual adjustment over time. Foreign firms have a positive spill-over effect. They introduce healthy financial management methods, and proliferate badly needed market oriented entrepreneurial know-how through the managerial market.


Skill mismatch phenomenon has been discussed in various scientific journals as it is proven to lower productivity and weaken competitiveness. Understanding the skill mismatch effect on competitiveness leads to a new way of thinking about how to manage skill mismatch for the organization sustainability. Previous researches recognize the concept of organizational management in order to be able to compete by creating a learning organization environment. Adhering to the learning organization principles, individuals within the organization should increase their capacity and thus minimizing the negative effects caused by the skill mismatch effects. This study chooses hotel business as an observation unit as the hotel is such a storefront of tourism in Indonesia. The research was done in a descriptive-qualitative manner and used five-stars hotel in Indonesia. The results supported the previous researches on learning organization and training prior to working The findings indicated that in the process of organizational learning in the hospitality business, it was originally started with the involvement of the company or institutionalizing. The originality of this research is presented in the use of the 4i framework in organizational learning to evaluate the skill mismatch.


Reduction in uric acid excretion was observed following oral administration of 0.06 mg isoniazid per day for 5, 10 and 15 days to three groups of Uromastix hardwickii lizards. The rise of serum uric acid levels in the treated groups was 60 per cent higher on day 5, and about 4 and 5 times greater than in control groups on day 10 and 15 respectively. The rise in serum uric acid levels may be attributed to increased reabsorption or decreased excretion of uric acid in the kidneys of isoniazid-treated lizards. Keywords : Uric acid retention, isoniazid, lizard East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol. 15 (2012) 24-26


Computer-generated hologram (CGH) is an effective way to compensate wavefront aberration in null test of aspheric surfaces and freeform surfaces. Our strategies of CGH design for 600mm diameter SiC primary mirror surface figure testing are presented, and an experiment demonstrating the compensation test results of CGH is reported. We design a CGH including two sections on the same substrate in order to align the CGH to the incident wavefront: main section for compensating wavefront in null test, alignment section for adjusting the relative position between CGH and interferometer. In order to isolate different orders of diffraction, we used power carrier to make different orders of diffraction come to focus at different position along the axis to avoid ghost reflections. We measured the 600mm diameter SiC primary mirror using this CGH, and the surface test result is 0.033λ rms.


This study evaluated two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) in the detection of chicken serologic response against Salmonella enterica sorotype Typhimurium. The assays have used as detecting antigen the soluble bacterial proteins of a non-flagellated strain of Salmonella Typhimurium (AgTM), and antibody conjugated to peroxidase or alkaline phosphatase. According to the results, optimal dilutions of antigen (concentration 5.49 mg/mL) and serum samples in both assays were 1:20,000 and 1:1,000, respectively. In such conditions, the ELISA/AgTM was able to detect serological response to Salmonella Typhimurium. Cross-reactions to Salmonella serotypes Gallinarum and Pullorum were seen, but not with other serotypes such as Enteritidis.


Abstract A new approach for the synthesis of the active barbatic acid has been achieved in eight steps with 22.3% total yield by using commercially available methyl atratate as starting material. This synthesis provides access to multi-gram quantities of barbatic acid with good purity for reference supplies and further analytical and toxicology investigations. Graphical Abstract


Introduction: This was a single-center retrospective study to evaluate incidence, prognosis, and risk factors in patients with postoperative pleural effusions, a common pulmonary complication following liver transplantation. Methods: A retrospective review was performed on 374 liver transplantation cases through a database within the timeframe of January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2015. Demographics, pulmonary and cardiac function testing, laboratory studies, intraoperative transfusion/infusion volumes, postoperative management, and outcomes were analyzed. Results: In the immediate postoperative period, 189 (50.5%) developed pleural effusions following liver transplantation of which 145 (76.7%) resolved within 3 months. Those who developed pleural effusions demonstrated a lower fibrinogen (149.6 ± 66.3 mg/dL vs 178.4 ± 87.3 mg/dL; P = .009), total protein (5.8 ± 1.0 mg/dL vs 6.1 ± 1.2 mg/dL; P = .04), and hemoglobin (9.8 ± 1.8 mg/dL vs 10.3 ± 1.9 mg/dL; P = .004). There was not a statistically significant difference in 1-year all-cause mortality and in-hospital mortality between liver transplant recipients with and without pleural effusions. Liver transplant recipients who developed pleural effusions had a longer hospital length of stay (16.4 ± 10.9 days vs 14.0 ± 16.5 days; P = .1), but the differences were not statistically significant. However, there was a significant difference in tracheostomy rates (11.6% vs 5.4%; P = .03) in recipients who developed pleural effusions compared to recipients who did not. Conclusions: In summary, pleural effusions are common after liver transplantation and are associated with increased morbidity. Pre- and intraoperative risk factors can offer both predictive and prognostic value for post-transplantation pleural effusions. Further prospective studies will be needed to further evaluate the relevance of these findings to limit instances of postoperative pleural effusions.


Abstract : This thesis addresses the military value of information in conflict. It is composed of three complimentary experiments. The first experiment uses a simple contest to assess how military decision makers perceive and use information. The results of the experiment demonstrate that many military decision makers do not always use information optimally. Equally insightful, most military decision makers significantly overestimate the value of information compared to force advantage. The second experiment is an exploratory analysis of like naval surface forces and explores the value of information versus force advantage in modern naval surface combat using a computational model of naval missile combat. The results of the exploratory analysis of like naval forces suggest that increasing information advantage can enhance but occasionally may degrade a force's effectiveness. In contrast, increasing force advantage in the same conflict always enhances the combat effectiveness of the forces investigated. The third experiment analyzes a more realistic asymmetric scenario. In this case study, American aegis type ships engage more numerous coastal defense type forces. The results show the advantage of numbers even when the aegis type ships have virtually total information.


Abstract We are concerned with the existence of ground states and qualitative properties of solutions for a class of nonlocal Schrödinger equations. We consider the case in which the nonlinearity exhibits critical growth in the sense of the Hardy–Littlewood–Sobolev inequality, in the range of the so-called upper-critical exponent. Qualitative behavior and concentration phenomena of solutions are also studied. Our approach turns out to be robust, as we do not require the nonlinearity to enjoy monotonicity nor Ambrosetti–Rabinowitz-type conditions, still using variational methods.


When it comes to indoor Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) for an Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV), the most important factor is to minimize the location estimation error. In industrial sites, centimetre-level accuracy is required for the AGV. Since the duration for measuring the position of an AGV is slower than the speed of arriving RF signals, the margin of error inevitably becomes larger than in systems that use low-speed media such as ultrasonic waves. To minimize such errors, a short-range location estimation Recursive RF Active Echo (RRFAE) algorithm is presented. Increasing the time ratio by repeatedly and interactively reflecting the signal can reduce measurement error. That is, there is an effect of expanding the measurement distance by the number of iterations. We propose and implement a precise positioning algorithm in an indoor environment where many reflections exist. The error analysis of the RRFAE algorithm after hardware correction shows that the level of the RRFAE's errors is only one tenth that of an RTLS system that uses other RF signals.


The concept of 'fake news' has exploded into the public's consciousness since the election of Donald Trump to the US presidency in late 2016. However, this concept has received surprisingly little attention within the social psychological literature. We present three studies (N = 2,275) exploring whether liberal and conservative partisans are motivated to believe fake news (Study 1; n = 722) or dismiss true news that contradicts their position as being fake (Study 2; n = 570). We found support for both of these hypotheses. These effects were asymmetrically moderated by collective narcissism, need for cognition, and faith in intuition (Study 3; n = 983). These findings suggest that partisans across the political spectrum engage with the 'fake news' label in a motivated manner, though these motivations appear to differ between-groups. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.


The hot bath, as employed at the Cincinnati Hospital, is given in pneumonia at a temperature of about 100 degrees. In the cases which furnish the material for this report the temperature of the water has been at times 95, at others 102 degrees; in a few cases a temperature of 110 degrees has been advised. Judged by results, no very great difference could be observed dependent upon the slight elevation of temperature in the water employed. A tablespoonful of whisky is given before immersion. The tub is moved alongside the bed of the patient and immersion of the body is complete, the level of the water rising to the chin. The stay in the bath is prolonged to ten minutes, during which time the face is frequently sponged with cold water. On emerging from the bath the patient, without previous drying of the skin, is wrapped in a warm


Fig breeding programs through conventional methods are rare in many countries, e.g. Brazil, since the wasp Blastophaga psenes, which is responsible for the natural pollination, is not present. For these cases a low cost alternative for the breeding program is the induction of physical mutagenesis by radiation. The sensivity of fig explant buds of different sizes to gamma radiation were evaluated. Fig plantlets "Roxo de Valinhos" already established in vitro were classified by size in 2.5 to 4.5 cm, 5 to 9 7 cm and 8 to 10 cm long, and irradiated with: 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 Gy doses. After irradiation each plantlet was cut in pieces containing one-bud and transferred to WPM culture medium, according to the bud position: medium and apical. Explants were grown in a growth room for 90 days when, explant mortality, root formation, height of aerial part, number of buds and plantlet weight were evaluated. Doses of up to 50 Gy do not cause plantlet death and that doses larger than 30 Gy inhibit root formation. Therefore, the 30 Gy dose may be recommended for the irradiation of fig plantlets larger than 2.5 cm.


Surgical treatment is indicated for fractures of radius head and neck with displacement. Surgery was performed in 42 patients. Osteosynthesis with «Aesculap» mini-fixators or screws by AO technique was made in 40 cases. Endoprosthetics of radial head was performed using «Liverpool» endoprothesis (Biomet) in 2 patients. Only one negative result took place due to aceptic necrosis of radial head. The detailed classification of these injuries according to AO type has been proposed, which allows to choose a method for osteosynthesis or endoprosthetics properly


The purpose of this experiment was to obtain informations about variation of anthocyanin content within black-seeded soybean testa according to cultivation and harvest time. Three varieties, Ilpumgeomjeongkong, Geomjeongkong 2, Tawonkong were tested in this experiment. Seeds were planted on April 15 (early planting), May 15 (optimum planting), and June 15 (late planting), respectively. Harvest time was R6 (full seed), R7 (physiological maturity), and R8 (harvest maturity), respectively. The content of delphinidin-3-glucoside (D3G), cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G), petunidin-3-glucoside (Pt3G), and total anthocyanin (TA) had all increased gradually from April 15 to June 15 as well as R6 to R8. There was no varietal difference in D3G, but C3G and TA of Geomjeongkong 2 were higher than other two varieties. Pt3G was the highest Tawonkong of varieties. The value of L as anthocyanin color difference had gradually decreased from April 15 to June 15 and R6 to R8, Geomjeongkong 2 among three varieties was the lowest. The value of a was the highest on May 15 and increased gradually from R6 to R8, Geomjeongkong 2 was the lowest. The value of b was the highest on June 15 as late planting and was the highest Geomjeongkong 2 of varieties. The value of b had increased gradually from R6 to R8. D3G, C3G, Pt3G, and TA contents showed mutually high positive correlation and these four characters were represented high negative correlation with L value but showed high positive correlation with a and b values. The value of L showed high negative correlation with a and b values. The value of a showed high positive correlation with b value.


This article focuses on the problem of studying shared- and individual-specific structure in replicated networks or graph-valued data. In particular, the observed data consist of $n$ graphs, $G_i, i=1,\ldots,n$, with each graph consisting of a collection of edges between $V$ nodes. In brain connectomics, the graph for an individual corresponds to a set of interconnections among brain regions. Such data can be organized as a $V \times V$ binary adjacency matrix $A_i$ for each $i$, with ones indicating an edge between a pair of nodes and zeros indicating no edge. When nodes have a shared meaning across replicates $i=1,\ldots,n$, it becomes of substantial interest to study similarities and differences in the adjacency matrices. To address this problem, we propose a method to estimate a common structure and low-dimensional individual-specific deviations from replicated networks. The proposed Multiple GRAph Factorization (M-GRAF) model relies on a logistic regression mapping combined with a hierarchical eigenvalue decomposition. We develop an efficient algorithm for estimation and study basic properties of our approach. Simulation studies show excellent operating characteristics and we apply the method to human brain connectomics data.


OBJECTIVES
To document the current practice pattern for the treatment of splenic injuries in one Canadian trauma centre and to identify factors that determined which method was employed.

DESIGN
A cohort study.

SETTING
A Canadian lead trauma centre.

PATIENTS
A cohort of 100 patients with splenic injury treated at one trauma hospital over 5 years was identified from a prospective trauma database.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
The success rate and failure rate for splenic salvage by splenectomy, splenorrhaphy or observation. Volume of blood transfused, injury severity score (ISS) and method of diagnosis.

RESULTS
The median ISS for the cohort was 34 (36 for splenectomy, 38 for splenorrhaphy and 35 for observation). A blunt mechanism of injury was present in 96%. The diagnosis was made by computed tomography (CT) in 55%. Splenic salvage was accomplished in 51 patients; of these, 44 (86%) were in the observation group, and the success rate was 90% (within the range reported in the literature). Only seven patients underwent splenorrhaphy. CT was performed more frequently in the observation group than in the splenectomy group (82% v. 25%, p < 0.0001). The splenectomy group had more blood transfused than the successful observation group (mean units 15 v. 3, p = 0.0001) and had a higher median ISS (36 v. 29, p = 0.02). Multivariate analysis revealed that the method of diagnosis (CT v. diagnostic peritoneal lavage) was the strongest factor associated with how the splenic injury was treated.

CONCLUSIONS
The finding in this report of an increase in observational treatment of splenic injuries represents a shift in practice from a previous Canadian report and is in keeping with recent published trends from the United States. Future studies are needed to assess whether any strong regional practice pattern variations in the management of blunt splenic injuries exists in other trauma centres across Canada.


Abstract Purpose Self-determination theory proposes that the satisfaction of basic psychological needs (competence, autonomy, and relatedness) is essential to psychological well-being. This study aims to explore the acute impact of a mild traumatic brain injury on the perception of need satisfaction as well as to better understand which variables among post-concussion symptoms and mood are associated with the satisfaction of these psychological needs. Material and methods A total of 179 adults with mild traumatic brain injury were included. The Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale (BPNS) was completed retrospectively to assess need satisfaction pre-injury and after the injury to assess need satisfaction post-injury. The Rivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire as well as the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were also completed post injury. Results A significant difference between the perception of need satisfaction pre- and post- was found on the total BPNS score, with lower scores on the post-injury evaluation (less satisfaction). Moreover, higher levels of depression and anxiety were associated with less satisfaction. Conclusions These results suggest that sustaining a mild traumatic brain injury may have a negative impact on the satisfaction of competence, autonomy, and relatedness needs. To conclude, it is recommended that these concepts be included in psychological intervention programs following mild traumatic brain injury. Implications for rehabilitation A significant decrease in psychological need satisfaction is highlighted following mild traumatic brain injury. It is recommended that the needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in intervention programs following mild traumatic brain injury needs to be addressed. The more mild traumatic brain injury patients are anxious and depressed the more likely it is that they will present a diminished satisfaction of needs, expressed by a lower level of perception of their autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Thus, integrative intervention for anxiety as well as depression following mild traumatic brain injury is also recommended.


Social media has been widely applied by major religions throughout the world to enhance cohesion among believers. Although a considerable amount of research has focused on the effect of social media on the beliefs of Christianity and Islam, East Asian religions have seldom been featured in current research. This study, therefore, took a representative sample of individuals participating in the celebration of the festival of the goddess Mazu and measured their attitudes towards and perceptions of social media s influence on folk religion. I also explored how social media stimulates transformation in Chinese folk religion, its influence on the preservation of cultural values, and the cross-industry alliance between folk temples and local businesses. Moreover, this study proposes suggestions for further research.