In this paper we analyze the notion of "stopping time complexity", the amount of information needed to specify when to stop while reading an infinite sequence. This notion was introduced by Vovk and Pavlovic [9]. It turns out that plain stopping time complexity of a binary string x could be equivalently defined as (a) the minimal plain complexity of a Turing machine that stops after reading x on a one-directional input tape; (b) the minimal plain complexity of an algorithm that enumerates a prefix-free set containing x; (c) the conditional complexity C(x |x∗) where x in the condition is understood as a prefix of an infinite binary sequence while the first x is understood as a terminated binary string; (d) as a minimal upper semicomputable function K such that each binary sequence has at most 2 prefixes z such that K(z) < n; (e) as max C(x) where C(z) is plain Kolmogorov complexity of z relative to oracle X and the maximum is taken over all extensions X of x. We also show that some of these equivalent definitions become non-equivalent in the more general setting where the condition y and the object x may differ, and answer an open question from Chernov, Hutter and Schmidhuber [3]. 2012 ACM Subject Classification Mathematics of computing → Information theory


The influence of stress-induced muscle effort during computer utilization was tested in patients with repetitive strain injury (RSI). Twenty academic researchers with a formal medical diagnosis of RSI and 20 matched controls, randomly selected from a sample of 71 colleagues with and without RSI, typed after stress (induced via an intelligence/skill task under social pressure) and after relaxation. Results indicated that both groups had more electromyography (EMG) activity in the shoulder muscles during typing after stress than after relaxation, but that patients started with higher baseline muscle activity. Furthermore, EMG activity of different muscle groups during typing after stress correlated among controls, but not among patients. Finally, analysis of intake forms showed that patients scored higher than controls on neuroticism and alexithymia, but not on extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness. It was concluded that deviations in muscle activity during computer utilization, as well as neuroticism and alexithymia, may be risk factors for RSI.


Channel state information (CSI) is required at receiver in orthogonal frequency division modulation (OFDM) communication systems due to the fact that frequency-selective fading channel leads to inter- symbol interference (ISI) over data transmission. Broadband channel model is often described by very few dominant channel taps and they can be probed by sparse channel estimation (SCE) methods, e.g., subspace pursuit (SP) algorithm, can take the advantage of sparse structure effectively in broadband channels as for prior information. However, these developed methods are vulnerable to both noise, interference and column coherence of training signal matrix. In other words, the primary objective of these conventional methods is to catch the dominant channel taps without a report of posterior channel uncertainty. To improve the estimation performance, we proposed a Bayesian sparse channel estimation (BSCE) method which not only exploits the channel sparsity but also mitigates the unexpected channel uncertainty. The proposed method can reveal potential ambiguity among multiple channel estimators that are ambiguous due to observation noise or correlation interference among columns in the training matrix. Computer simulations show that our technique can improve the estimation performance with comparable computational complexity when comparing with conventional SCE methods.


Constraining the source, genesis, and evolution of Archaean felsic crust is key to understanding the growth and stabilization of cratons. The Akia Terrane, part of the North Atlantic Craton, West Greenland, is comprised of Meso-to-Neoarchaean orthogneiss, with associated supracrustal rocks. We report zircon U–Pb and Lu–Hf isotope data, and whole-rock geochemistry, from samples of gneiss and supracrustals from the northern Akia Terrane, including from the Finnefjeld Orthogneiss Complex, which has recently been interpreted as an impact structure. Isotope data record two major episodes of continental crust production at ca. 3.2 and 3.0 Ga. Minor ca. 2.7 and 2.5 Ga magmatic events have more evolved εHf, interpreted as reworking of existing crust perhaps linked to terrane assembly. Felsic rocks from the Finnefjeld Orthogneiss Complex were derived from the same source at the same time as the surrounding tonalites, but from shallower melting, requiring any bolide-driven melting event to have occurred almost simultaneously alongside the production of the surrounding crust. A simpler alternative has the Finnefjeld Complex and surrounding tonalite representing the coeval genesis of evolved crust over a substantial lithospheric depth. Hafnium isotope data from the two major Mesoarchaean crust-forming episodes record a contribution from older mafic Eoarchaean crust. Invoking the involvement of an Eoarchaean root in the growth of younger Mesoarchaean crust puts important constraints on geodynamic models of the formation of the discrete terranes that ultimately assembled to form Earth's cratons.


Many range-restricted taxa are currently experiencing population declines yet lack fundamental information regarding distribution and population size. Establishing baseline estimates for both these key biological parameters is however critical for directing conservation planning for at-risk range-restricted species. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List uses three range metrics that define species distributions and inform extinction risk assessments: extent of occurrence (EOO), area of occupancy (AOO) and area of habitat (AOH). However, calculating all three metrics using standard IUCN approaches relies on a geographically representative sample of locations, which for rare species is often spatially biased. Here, we apply model-based interpolation using Species Distribution Models (SDMs), correlating occurrences with remote-sensing covariates, to calculate IUCN range metrics, protected area coverage and a global population estimate for the Critically Endangered Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi). Our final range wide continuous SDM had high predictive accuracy (Continuous Boyce Index = 0.927) and when converted to a binary model estimated an AOH = 23,185 km2, a maximum EOO = 605,759 km2, a minimum EOO = 272,272 km2, with an AOO = 53,867 km2. Based on inferred habitat from the AOH metric, we estimate a global population of 318 breeding pairs (range: 258-362 pairs), or 636 mature individuals, across the Philippine Eagle global range. Protected areas covered 34 % of AOH, 15 % less than the target representation, with the continuous model identifying key habitat as priority conservation areas. We demonstrate that even when occurrences are geographically biased, robust habitat models can be built that enable quantification of baseline IUCN range metrics, protected area coverage, and a population size estimate. In the absence of adequate location data for many rare and threatened taxa, our method is a promising spatial modelling tool with widespread applications, in particular for island endemics facing high extinction risk.


Portable nodes in military environments, for example, as in battlefield or an unfriendly area are prone to experience the under go of irregular system network and frequent partitions. Interruption tolerant network (ITN) innovations are getting to be fruitful results that permit remote device conveyed by officers to speak with one another and access the secret data or summon dependably by abusing outside capacity nodes. Possibly the most solid issues in this situation are the necessity of approval arrangements and the strategies redesign for secure information recovery. This paper considers an attribute-based secure data retrieval scheme using CP-ABE for ITNs where multiple key authorities manage their attributes independently. Immediate attribute repeal enhances backward/forward secrecy of confidential data by reducing the windows of vulnerability. Key escrow problem is resolved by an escrow-free key issuing protocol that utilizes the characteristic of the decentralized ITN architecture proposed a decentralized approach; their technique does not authenticate users. We demonstrate how to apply the proposed mechanism to securely and efficiently manage the confidential data distributed in the Interruption-tolerant military network.


A near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) method for rapid determination of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in diverse meadow grasses was developed with a view towards utilizing this material for biogas production and organic fertilizer. NIRS spectra between 12,000 cm−1 and 4,000 cm−1 were used. When validated on samples from different years to those used for the calibration set, the NIRS prediction of nitrogen was considered moderately useful with R2 = 0.77, ratio of standard error of prediction to reference data range (RER) of 9.32 and ratio of standard error of prediction to standard deviation of reference data (RPD) of 2.33. Prediction of potassium was less accurate, with R2 = 0.77, RER of 6.56 and RPD of 1.45, whilst prediction of phosphorous was not considered accurate enough to be of any practical use. This work is of interest from the point of view of both the removal of excess nutrients from formerly intensively farmed areas and also for assessing the plant biomass suitability for conversion into carbon neutral energy through biogas production.


The numerical solution of the low-temperature behaviour of the susceptibility of the spin-S antiferromagnetic chain is presented starting from the exact thermodynamic Bethe ansatz equations for the Takhtajan-Babujian model. It is found that the susceptibility for the several values of S tends to its zero-T value with infinite slope, extending previous results obtained by Eggert et al. (1994) for the S= 1/2 case.


Africa has recently seen movement toward democratization. Whether out of the growing conviction that it is preferable, or the sense that political change is inevitable, several one-party or dictatorial regimes now permit a free press, opposition parties, and more or less "free" elections. Indeed, contested elections are becoming an increasingly common feature of political life in Africa. Of course, there are countries where progress toward democracy seemed to have begun but was halted when the ruling elites saw that this would lead to their removal. But these regimes are no longer so self-confident; they are very much on the defensive and appear to be weakening. The demise of authoritarian regimes does not necessarily mean that democracy will flourish in Africa; authoritarian regimes have not been the only obstacle to democracy. The "legacy of empire"—that all the borders between African states were drawn by outside powers without reference to preexisting national, ethnic, or other boundaries—may become the most serious obstacle to the establishment and maintenance of democracy in Africa. Democratization often brings forward demands for secession or a realignment of existing patterns of ethnic relations. As a result, democratization efforts may not proceed smoothly and peacefully, and may involve internal conflict and demands for the alteration of the colonial-era borders recognized and maintained by the member countries of the Organization of African Unity (OAU).


Gaussian blurring mean-shift (GBMS) is a nonparametric clustering algorithm, having a single bandwidth parameter that controls the number of clusters. The algorithm iteratively shrinks the data set under the application of a mean-shift update, stops in just a few iterations and yields excellent clusterings. We propose several families of generalised GBMS (GGBMS) algorithms based on explicit, implicit and exponential updates, and depending on a step-size parameter. We give conditions on the step size for the convergence of these algorithms and show that the convergence rate for Gaussian clusters ranges from sublinear to linear, cubic and even higher order depending on the update and step size. We show that the algorithms are related to spectral clustering if using a random-walk matrix with modified eigenvalues and updated after each iteration, and show the relation with methods developed for surface smoothing in the computer graphics literature. Detailed experiments in toy problems and image segmentation show that, while all the GGBMS algorithms can achieve essentially the same result (for appropriate settings of the bandwidth and step size), they significantly differ in runtime, with slightly over-relaxed explicit updates being fastest in practice.


The results of ecological and floristic studies of the rarity component of the urban flora of Kharkiv City in the valley of the Udy River within the Novobovarskyi microdistrict are presented. Field studies were conducted in 2017‒2020. A triangular section of 30.48 hectares was investigated near the Novozhanovo railway station. It is located on the left bank of the river Udy and is bounded on both sides by railway embankments. The Udy River valley is situated in the northeast of the city, mainly in the previously underdeveloped areas; its significant part lays in the exclusion zone of the Kharkiv railway junction and road transport routes. A large area of the river valley is swampy, therefore unsuitable for economic use. The Udianskyi eco-corridor of local importance passes through the city. It consists of two key areas: the Zhovtnevyi Hydropark wetlands and the Kriukivskyi hydrological reserve of local importance. Currently, it has been proposed to create a botanical preserve of local importance "Novozhanivskyi" for the protection of species and associations rare for Kharkiv Region and for conservation of the true meadow formation (Prata genuine) of the class Festuceta pratensis. The site is of scientific importance, since a number of species growing there are listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine and need protection under Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) – Ophioglossum vulgatum, Botrychium lunaria, Anacamptis coriophora, A. palustris, Epipactis palustris, Parnassia palustris, Centaurium erythraea, C. pulchellum, Valeriana officinalis, Inula helenium, Dianthus stenocalyx. The investigated area phytodiversity is represented by meadow and psammophytic species of vascular plants: Calamagrostis epigeios, Agrostis vinealis, Poa pratensis, Koeleria cristata, Nardus stricta, Sieglingia decumbens, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Festuca orientalis, Juncus gerardii, Botrychium lunaria, Genista tinctoria, Solidago virgaurea, Euphrasia pectinata, Stellaria graminea, Hieracium villosum, H. umbellatum, Polygala sibirica, Plantago lanceolata, Equisetum arvense, Achillea submillefolium. For the five plant species listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine, the distribution maps within the area of proposed preserve are given.


This paper is concerned with robust aerodynamic design of compressor blades against erosion. The proposed approach combines a multiobjective genetic algorithm with geometry modeling methods, high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics, and surrogate models to arrive at robust designs on a limited computational budget. The multiobjective formulation used here allows explicit trade-off between the mean and variance of the performance to be carried out. Detailed numerical studies are presented for robust geometric design of a typical compressor fan blade section to illustrate the proposed methodology. The performance of a selected robust optimal solution on the Pareto front is compared to a deterministic optimal solution to demonstrate that significant improvements in the mean shift and variance can be achieved.


The present study tested a theoretical model of the correlates of role ambiguity of major sport event volunteers. The sample consisted of 328 volunteers involved with the 2012 Ontario Summer Games. Participants completed an online questionnaire post-Games that included measures of role ambiguity, role difficulty, training, supervision, effort, performance, role satisfaction, overall satisfaction with the Games, and future volunteer intentions. The findings provide support for a multidimensional model of role ambiguity, consisting of performance outcome ambiguity and means-ends/scope ambiguity in this context. A final model indicated that perceived effective supervision was inversely associated with both dimensions of ambiguity, and they differentially predicted role effort, performance, and role satisfaction. Role performance and role satisfaction predicted overall satisfaction with the Games experience, which was significantly associated with future intentions to volunteer. Implications for sport event v...


This article examines the Sangyō-gisho 三経義疏 (Commentaries on the Three Sūtras), three Buddhist texts written in classical Chinese that have been attributed to Japan's Prince Shōtoku (574-622 CE). I will focus on the different ways in which four figures from the Kamakura era (1185-1333 CE) understood, used, and valued these texts. Even among this small group of contemporary monks from the thirteenth century we will find distinct notions of what constitutes the "text," some of which differ in important ways from modern scholarly conceptions of the Sangyō-gisho . Through highlighting these different perspectives, I offer an alternative approach to a large body of modern scholarly studies, which has focused on a set of technical concerns looking back to the moment of the texts' composition.


Original title: Toekomstverkenning mantelzorg aan ouderen in 2040

This report discusses informal care, a form of caregiving which many people are aware of and experience at close quarters because they themselves or a loved one are either giving or receiving informal care.

As a growing number of older people (have to) continue living independently in their own household until a very old age, the importance of informal care is increasing. This raises the question of what the situation will be like in the future. Will there be sufficient informal care available for the growing number of older people in Dutch society as a result of population ageing? The report examines this question and presents a picture of likely developments at regional level in both the number of independent community-dwelling older persons (aged over 75) who will be receiving informal care in the future (2018-2040) and in the availability of providers of that care.

The study was carried out in collaboration between the Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP) and the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL). The outcomes of the most recent regional population and household forecasts from PBL and Statistics Netherlands (CBS) (2019) were combined with the findings of SCP research on giving and receiving informal care (2014-2016).


In a national and international context where there is a concern about the effectiveness of social care services for children and families to address chronic, enduring social problems and where there are finite resources available, the concept of social innovation in social work policy and practice to address need in new ways is receiving increased attention. While an attractive term, social innovation in child and family services is not without its challenges in terms of conceptualisation, operationalisation, implementation and evidencing impact. This article reports on the development and evaluation of the Early Intervention Support Service (EISS), a newly designed family support service in Northern Ireland set up as part of a government supported innovation and transformation programme that aims to deliver a voluntary, targeted, flexible and time limited service to families experiencing emergent problems. Using the EISS as a case study, the challenges, benefits in terms of addressing policy imperatives and future direction of social innovation in social work practice are reflected upon.


SUMMARY:  We conduct an experiment to investigate the effects of early versus late warning of impending time constraints, as well as the presence of instructions to think out of the box on auditors' time-constrained performance. We find that forewarning auditors during audit planning of impending time constraints (i.e., early warning) leads to better time-constrained performance on an inventory task. The incremental benefit of warning is greater when auditors are explicitly instructed to think out of the box. We find that the mechanism by which the joint effects of forewarning and instructions improve auditors' performance is via their allocation of time to effective audit tests that enable them to meet the audit objectives.


The South African health system both in the public and private sectors is fraught with many challenges which render the system unsustainable, costly, hospi-centric, and destructive. In order to curb this loop hole in the health sector, South Africa introduced the National Health Insurance (NHI) that is aimed at providing universal coverage of health care. The objectives of NHI is to provide improved access to quality health services for all South Africans irrespective of whether they are employed or not; to pool risks and funds so that equity and social solidarity will be achieved through the creation of a single fund, to procure services on behalf of the entire population and efficiently mobilize and control key financial resources and to strengthen the under-resourced and strained public sector so as to improve health systems performance. This paper evaluates the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GER), New Growth Path (NGP) and National Development Plan (NDP) policies to determine the challenges and positive aspects of these policies that can be used for the successful implementation of the NHI. The paper further draws lessons from Singapore that has already implemented the NHI and argues that South Africa can learn a lot from these countries experiences. It is concluded that each of the countries provide inspiring positive lessons and also show areas of challenges from which South Africa can draw some lessons. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p2722


Background: Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and electron microscopy (EM) are the most practical techniques for nanoparticles (NPs) characterization. However, the impediments which involved the sample preparation method lead to failure in provided results of mentioned device analysis. These problems will be intensifying, if the examined samples are the soft nanocarriers such as organic ones or biological samples. Objectives: In order to achieve the appropriate results from DLS and EM analysis, an optimized protocol was introduced by this research which would prepare samples with high degree of quality and accuracy. Materials and Methods: Morphological analysis of prepared polymeric nanocarriers (micelles, nanogels) by this protocol were done. Filtration, dilution and sonication as three crucial and effectiveness steps of sample preparation were assessed through DLS data and EM images. Results: This research has tried to introduce a facile method with novelty of simplicity and rapidity. These triple steps could improve the quality of morphological data. The obtained results indicated that sample preparation methods have the most effective factors on sample size distribution and homogeneity of desired samples. Conclusion: The suggested optimized preparation method will be helpful for all soft nanomaterial's samples.


Occlusion of the abdominal aorta and iliac arteries can occur from thrombosis superim-posed on arteriosclerosis obliterans, from thrombosis resulting from unsuccessful surgery on those vessels, or from embolism arising from intracardiac or other sources proximal to the area occluded. Restoration of continuity of the obstructed vessel by thrombendarterectomy * or by resection and graft † has been reported. The latter method has been the method of choice in our clinic. There are certain patients, however, who are poor surgical risks or who present unfavorable local conditions for reconstruction of the vessels themselves, in whom a direct attack on the aorta or common iliac may seem inadvisable and a simpler, or bypass, procedure preferable. The use of the splenic artery as the vessel of origin for the bypass has been suggested by Glenn, 8 in a patient with low thoracic aortic coarctation, and by Freeman and Leeds, 9 in two patients with


Intracranial Haemorrhage (ICH) is a feared side effect of antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents; it is of particular prominence with the advent of the novel antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents. Postmarket Reports of Bleeding with NOACs highlighted the fact that newly marketed products, by virtue of their novelty alone, may elicit adverse-event reports at high rates; reporting rates decreasing over time (the Weber effect). Hence established medications, such as Warfarin and Aspirin, would be far less likely to elicit adverse-event reports than would newer medications with similar risks. The hypothesis of this study was to examine the frequency of antiplatelet and anticoagulant associated ICH (AAICH) in a consecutive series of patients referred to a National Neurosurgical Centre. We also compared the number of referrals of AAICH to the National Neurosurgical Centre in Beaumont Hospital with the number of ICH reported to the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) as an adverse event of these medications. The National Neurosurgical Centre in Beaumont has an estimated referral population of 4 million. All consecutive referrals from July 2013 to January 2014 were reviewed. Data collected included baseline demographics, antiplatelet/anticoagulation usage and indication for same, and CT brain findings of the ICH. The HPRA were contacted and supplied their adverse event reports for the same period. There were 977 consecutive patients with an ICH referred in this period. Of these 328 (33.6%), with a mean age of 77 yrs, female 42.6%, were on an antiplatelet and/or an anticoagulant agent; ASA alone (n = 166, 50.6%), Warfarin alone (106, 32.3%), Clopidogrel alone (11, 3.3%), Rivaroxaban alone (4, 1.2%), Dabigatran alone (4, 1.2%), ASA/dipyridamole alone (3, 0.9%). Thirty one (9.4%) patients were on two agents, 19 on ASA and Clopidogrel, 7 on ASA and Warfarin, 2 on Clopidogrel and Warfarin, 2 on Rivaroxaban and ASA, and 1 patient on ASA and Prasugrel. Three patients were on 3 agents, 2 on ASA, Clopidogrel and Warfarin, one on ASA, Clopidogrel and Rivaroxaban. We excluded 22 patients who had an ICH following thrombolysis or recent heparin therapy. The HPRA received 4 reports of ICH associated with antiplatelets or anticoagulants; 2 associated with Warfarin, 1 with Rivaroxaban and 1 with Rivaroxaban and Warfarin. This study highlights ASA as the most frequently documented antiplatelet/anticoagulant agent in a real life consecutive series of patients referred to a Neurosurgical Unit with ICH. In discussing the role of anticoagulation with patients, particularly the elderly, the significant risk of bleeding with ASA needs to be considered. These results also highlight the lack of adverse reporting with new and old medications alike. It emphasises the importance of reporting to national authorities so their statistics can be a true reflection of the number of adverse events, especially when these outcomes can be catastrophic, like ICH.


Genetic evidence links the Arabidopsis MONOPTEROS (MP) and PIN-FORMED1 (PIN1) genes to the patterning of leaf veins. To elucidate their potential functions and interactions in this process, we have assessed the dynamics of MP and PIN1 expression during vascular patterning in Arabidopsis leaf primordia. Both genes undergo a dynamic process of gradual refinement of expression into files one to two cells wide before overt vascular differentiation. The subcellular distribution of PIN1 is also gradually refined from a non-polar distribution in isodiametric cells to strongly polarized in elongated procambial cells and provides an indication of overall directions of auxin flow. We found evidence that MP expression can be activated by auxin exposure and that PIN1 as well as DR5::GUS expression is defective in mp mutant leaves. Taken together the results suggest a feedback regulatory loop that involves auxin, MP and PIN1 and provide novel experimental support for the canalization-of-auxin-flow hypothesis.


Objectives N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) is a common organic solvent massively used industrially. Exposure of DMF was reported to cause liver function damages and adverse health effects. DMF exposures in workplaces have been of great concern. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess health risk due to occupational exposures to DMF in artificial leather industry. Methods Personal samples at pre-shift and post-shift were collected to assess exposures for each individual study subject in artificial leather factories in this study. Air-monitoring samples were collected through SKC 226-01 coconut charcoal sorbent tubes, and followed by determination of DMF concentrations with Agilent 6890 GC-FID. Pre-shift and post-shift bio-monitoring samples were collected separately. Then urinary N-methylformamide (NMF) concentrations were determined by Agilent 6890 GC-FID. Results The personal DMF exposures were analysed, and all data complied with the current PELs. However, hazard indexes (HI) were assessed by using either the reference concentration (RfC) published by U.S. EPA IRIS database, or the RfC generated from Benchmark dose modeling an animal dataset by using BMD 2.1.1 version software. Eighty of the 106 study subjects with HI value greater than 1. Conclusions These results demonstrate that long-term occupational DMF exposures may cause liver damages or other lung non-cancer effects although complied with the current regulations.


Rosette nanotubes (RNT) are a new class of metal-free organic nanotubes synthesized through self-assembly. Because of the wide range of potential biomedical applications associated with these materials, it is necessary to evaluate their potential in vitro toxicity. Here the cytotoxicity of a lysine-functionalized nanotube (RNT-K) in a human Calu-3 pulmonary epithelial cell line is investigated. The cells were treated with media only (control), lysine (50 mg mL(-1)), RNT-K (1, 5, and 50 microg mL(-1)), Min-U-Sil quartz microparticles (QM; 80 microg mL(-1)), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 1 microg mL(-1)). The supernatants were analyzed at 1, 6, and 24 h after treatment for the expression of three proinflammatory mediators: IL-8, TNF-alpha and EMAP-II. Cellular viability determined with the Trypan blue assay is significantly reduced in the QM and high-dose RNT-treated groups. TNF-alpha and EMAP-II are undetectable by enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the supernatant of all groups. Although IL-8 concentrations do not differ between treatments, its concentrations increase with time within each of the groups. Quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRTPCR) of IL-8 mRNA shows increased expression in the high-dose RNT-treated groups at both 1 and 6 h, while an adhesion molecule, ICAM-1 mRNA, shows the greatest increase at 6 h in the QM-treated group. In summary, RNT-K neither reduces cell viability at moderate doses nor does it induce a time-dependent inflammatory response in pulmonary epithelial cells in vitro.


The overall system efficiency of a hybrid electric vehicle is highly dependent on the energy management strategy employed. In this paper, an electric utility grid-connected energy management strategy for a parallel hybrid electric vehicle is presented. ADVISOR was used as a modeling tool to determine the appropriate size of the hybrid components and the energy management strategy parameter settings. Simulation results demonstrated that with this strategy it is possible to achieve double the fuel economy of a comparable conventional vehicle while satisfying all performance constraints. In addition, the final vehicle design provides an all-electric range capability in excess of 20 miles.


Over-medicalization is a broad concept, which also concerns the elderly patient. It encompasses both over-diagnosis and over-treatment. An increasing awareness of this issue has emerged since 2013, with the first " Preventing Overdiagnosis " conference. Currently, Evidence-Based Medicine does not prevent over-diagnosis. Indeed, the presence of geriatric characteristics such as multiple comorbidities, polypharmacy and frailty can lead to misdiagnosis and to potentially deleterious treatment. Subclinical hypothyroidism and Alzheimer's disease are two examples of pitfalls in the interpretation of biological and para-clinical data that may lead to the administration of useless treatment. Different issues are discussed to identify the causes of over-medicalization and to better prevent it.


This volume addresses the relation of trauma to transnational modern mass media. The first of its kind, Trauma and Cinema: Cross-Cultural Explorations provides ten essays which explore the ways trauma works itself out as media - in images in (and as) film, photography, and video - in global cultural flows. The focus of our volume on the matrix of trauma, visual media and modernity seeks to engage and go beyond current tendencies in trauma studies. The book discusses how trauma presented in the media spills over national boundaries and can be found in images across divergent cultures in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and America. From the Holocaust to the Chinese Cultural Revolution, from Taiwan's colonial experience to the catastrophe of Hiroshima, from attempted annihilation of Australian Aborigines to attempted reconciliation in South Africa, these essays offer the reader a plethora of images of trauma for comparison and contrast.


BACKGROUND
Data from a community-based longitudinal study were used to investigate the association between childhood adversities, interpersonal difficulties during adolescence, and suicide attempts during late adolescence or early adulthood.

METHODS
A community sample of 659 families from Upstate New York was interviewed in 1975, 1983, 1985 to 1986, and 1991 to 1993. During the 1991-1993 interview, the mean age of the offspring was 22 years.

RESULTS
Maladaptive parenting and childhood maltreatment were associated with an elevated risk for interpersonal difficulties during middle adolescence and for suicide attempts during late adolescence or early adulthood after age, sex, psychiatric symptoms during childhood and early adolescence, and parental psychiatric symptoms were controlled statistically. A wide range of interpersonal difficulties during middle adolescence were associated with risk for suicidal behavior after the covariates were controlled. Profound interpersonal difficulties during middle adolescence mediated the association between maladaptive parenting or childhood maltreatment and suicide attempts during late adolescence or early adulthood.

CONCLUSIONS
Maladaptive parenting and childhood maltreatment may be associated with a risk for severe interpersonal difficulties during adolescence. These interpersonal difficulties may play a pivotal role in the development of suicidal behavior. Youths who are at an elevated risk for suicide may tend to be in need of mental health services that can help them to cope with an extensive history of profound interpersonal difficulties, beginning in childhood and continuing through adolescence.


The clogging of drippers due to the development of biofilms reduces the benefits and is an obstacle to the implementation of drip irrigation technology. The geometry of the dripper channel has an impact on the flow behaviours and head loss. The objective of this study was to analyse the influence of hydrodynamic parameters of three types of drippers (flow rates of 1, 2 and 4 l.h-1) fed by reclaimed wastewater on biofilm development kinetics and on the bacterial community. Using optical coherence tomography, we demonstrated that the inlet of the drippers (mainly the first baffle) and vortex zones are the most sensitive area for biofouling. Drippers with the lowest flow rate (1 l.h-1) and the smallest channel section were the favourable areas to biofouling. The low inlet velocity (0.34 m.s-1) in this type of dripper compared to 2 l.h-1 (0.61 m.s-1) and 4 l.h-1 (0.78 m.s-1) drippers can favour the deposition and development of biofilms. In addition, the water velocity influenced the structure of the bacterial communities in the biofilm. Low velocity (0.34 m.s-1) favoured the presence of Hydrogenophaga and Pseudoxanthomonas genera at the early stage of biofilm formation and filamentous bacteria belonging to Chloroflexi phylum at the end. So, maintaining a high flow rate and using drippers with a large flow cross-section is an effective way to control the development of biofilms by limiting the presence of filamentous bacteria.


An analysis of the initiation of deep convection near the triple point between a cold front and dryline is presented. High-spatial-resolution Doppler wind syntheses combined with vertical cross sections of mixing ratio (q) and aerosol scattering ratio retrieved from a lidar flying over the triple point provide an unprecedented view of the initiation process. The Doppler wind synthesis revealed variability along the dryline similar to the precipitation core/gap structure documented for oceanic cold fronts. Vertical cross sections through the dryline suggest a density current–like structure with the hot and dry air being forced up and over the moist air. Double thin lines associated with moisture gradients were also resolved. The vertical profile of retrieved q, approximately perpendicular to the dryline, showed a pronounced jump in the depth of the moisture layer across the triple point. Analyses of dropsonde data show the existence of virtual potential temperature (V) gradients across the cold front and the dryline. Although the vertical velocity was strong at the triple point, deep convection initiated 50 km to the east. The location where convection first developed was characterized by a prominent aerosol and moisture plume, reduced static stability, and the largest potential instability. An internal gravity wave may have provided the lift to initiate convection.


ABSTRACT It is thought that in the gram-negative soil bacteriumSinorhizobium meliloti the protein ExoP is involved in biosynthesis of the acidic exopolysaccharide succinoglycan (EPS I). The amounts and compositions of EPS I produced by mutants expressing ExoP proteins characterized by specific amino acid substitutions in the C-terminal cytoplasmic domain were analyzed. The cytoplasmic domain of the ExoP protein was shown to have ATPase activity. Mutations in the highly conserved Walker A ATP-binding motif prevented ATPase activity of the ExoP protein. Phenotypically, these mutations resulted in much lower levels of succinoglycan which consisted only of monomers of the octasaccharide repeating unit. The ExoP protein has similarities to proteins with autophosphorylating protein tyrosine kinase activity. We found that ExoP was phosphorylated on tyrosine and that site-directed mutagenesis of specific tyrosine residues in the cytoplasmic domain of ExoP resulted in an altered ratio of low-molecular-weight succinoglycan to high-molecular-weight succinoglycan.


The goal of this article is to provide a mediated experience of Dagbamba women's music and dance and to share some of the most rewarding aspects of fieldwork where music, dance, friendship, chance, and circumstance have all converged to illuminate particular moments of advocacy among women. While many Dagbamba women (and men) are Muslim, ancestral worship, herbalism, and spirit possession all coexist along with 'modern' medicine, Christianity, the internet, satellite TV, and cell phones. This article aims to highlight how women's music and dance interact within this complex cultural milieu by examining issues found in and around the music itself. This article argues that women's involvement with singing and dancing can create a transformative space where advocacy, agency, catharsis, and social critique can all take place. Several questions are of particular interest, including: What are the female roles in music and dance around Tamale? What kind of knowledge or critique is passed on or expressed through song? How does music create a transformative space for women in Tamale?


Far-forward scattering measurements from a cylindrical magnetized arc plasma are reported. A well-stabilized CW CO2 laser serves as a light source. Self-excited electron density fluctuations with frequencies in the range 40 kHz to 1 MHz have been observed. Three frequency peaks can be distinguished from a broad background signal. The fluctuation level is maximal near the cathode, where the mean electron density approaches Nc=2*1014 cm-3 on axis. In this region a relative fluctuation amplitude of 5% has been measured. In addition to the beam profile measurements, which are necessary in far-forward scattering experiments, a spatial profile of the modulated light intensity has been obtained. It is found that the scattered power is maximal in the region of the largest electron density gradient. The fluctuations are described as azimuthal propagating waves. In contrast to the plane-wave model used in other publications this model takes the spatial limits of the fluctuation field into account. The spatial distribution of the modulated light intensity at the detection plane is calculated by using the well-known diffraction theory. The theoretical model is in good agreement with the experimental data.


We investigate plasmoid formation in the magnetotail using the global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation GUMICS-4. Here a plasmoid implies a major reconfiguration of the magnetotail where a part of the tail plasma sheet is ejected downstream, in contrast to small Earthwardpropagating plasmoids. We define a plasmoid based solely on the structure of the closed (connected to the Earth at both ends) magnetic field line region. In this definition a plasmoid is partly separated from the ordinary closed field line region by lobe field lines or interplanetary field lines resulting from lobe reconnection. We simulate an event that occurred on 18 February 2004 during which four intensifications of the auroral electroject (AE) index occurred in 8 h. Plasmoids form in the simulation for two of the four AE intensifications. Each plasmoid forms as a result of two consecutive large and fast rotations of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). In both cases the IMF rotates 180 degrees at 10 degrees per minute, first from southward to northward and some 15 min later from northward to southward. The other two AE intencifications however are not associated with a plasmoid formation. A plasmoid does not form if either the IMF rotation speed or the angular change of the rotation are small. We also present an operational definition for these fully connected plasmoids that enables their automatic detection in simulations. Finally, we show mappings of the plasmoid footpoints in the ionosphere, where they perturb the polar cap boundary in both hemispheres.


An emerging trend in music information retrieval (MIR) is the use of supervised machine learning to train automatic music transcription models. A prerequisite of adopting a machine learning methodology is the availability of annotated corpora. However, different genres of music have different characteristics and modelling these characteristics is an important part of creating state of the art MIR systems. Consequently, although some music corpora are available the use of these corpora is tied to the specific music genre, instrument type and recording context the corpus covers. This paper introduces the first corpus of annotations of audio recordings of Irish traditional dance music that covers multiple instrument types and both solo studio and live session recordings. We first discuss the considerations that motivated our design choices in developing the corpus. We then benchmark a number of automatic music transcription algorithms against the corpus.


Sporadic medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) usually presents with a thyroid mass, cervical lymphadenopathy or other local cervical symptoms. Often the diagnosis is unsuspected pre-operatively. We report a unique case of a mixed follicular medullary thyroid carcinoma presenting as a tumour with extreme vascularity. The management of hypervascular thyroid tumours is discussed together with current controversies regarding persistent hypercalcitoninaemia.


The purpose of this study was to determine working conditions for children working at industry sites in Turkey. This descriptive study was conducted between May and June 2010 and included 249 workers 18 years or younger working at a Kahramanmaras industry site. Study data demonstrated that 33.3% of the children were 18 years old, 32.9% were working in a mechanics store, 82.3% were working 9 to 12 hours a day, 68.7% were earning a weekly wage of 55 to 100 Turkish Liras, and only 22 were using annual leave. These children started working under the age determined by law; they entered into the work force and quit school. Also, it was found that working conditions were suboptimal and no auditing was instituted in many workplaces.


Cryo-EM single-particle analysis has proven powerful in determining the structures of rigid macromolecules. However, many protein complexes are flexible and can change conformation and composition as a result of functionally-associated dynamics. Such dynamics are poorly captured by current analysis methods. Here, we present cryoDRGN, an algorithm that for the first time leverages the representation power of deep neural networks to efficiently reconstruct highly heterogeneous complexes and continuous trajectories of protein motion. We apply this tool to two synthetic and three publicly available cryo-EM datasets, and we show that cryoDRGN provides an interpretable representation of structural heterogeneity that can be used to identify discrete states as well as continuous conformational changes. This ability enables cryoDRGN to discover previously overlooked structural states and to visualize molecules in motion.


Abstract EFSA asked the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) to update the scientific and technical guidance for the preparation and presentation of an application for authorisation of a health claim published in 2011. Since then, the NDA Panel has gained considerable experience in the evaluation of health claims. Lessons learnt from these experiences have been translated into a new General scientific guidance for stakeholders on health claim applications (published in January 2016). In this context, it is noted the need to adapt the existing guidance to the new scientific and technical developments in this area. This guidance document presents a common format for the organisation of information for the preparation of a well‐structured application for authorisation of health claims which fall under Articles 13(5), 14 and 19 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. This guidance outlines the information and scientific data which must be included in the application, the hierarchy of different types of data and study designs, and the key issues which should be addressed in the application to substantiate the health claim.


This paper presents a cognitive perspective on the problem of using the Internet via screen readers. An empirical study shows similarities and dissimilarities between using the Internet via screen readers and via the standard graphical screen. In particular, spatial cognition is an important determinant of web task performance even in the absence of any visual cues. Backtracking behavior has a higher cost and impacts performance in a more negative way when using the Internet via screen readers as compared to the standard use. Selective reading can be used as an addition to the existing functionality of screen readers but more research is needed to prove the utility of such support mechanism. Computational cognitive modeling can be used in conceiving, testing and implementing cognitively informed support functionality in screen readers.


The properties of a new cement based material for production of compensators are presented. Broad beam attenuation of 4-20 MV x rays by slabs of the material have been measured at various field sizes and depths in a large water phantom. For comparison the attenuation of aluminum was determined at some of the photon energies and it was found that the attenuation properties of the cement based material are very close to those of aluminum. At 6 and 18 MV, a comparison of different phantoms for attenuation measurements was carried out. For this investigation the ionization chamber was placed in a 50x50x50 cm3 water phantom, a 20x20x20 cm3 water equivalent plastic phantom, and a cylindrical mini-phantom. Agreement was obtained between the measurements in the large water phantom and in the water equivalent plastic phantom. The measurements carried out with the mini-phantom in a 6 MV x-ray beam gave a higher transmission versus absorber thickness than the transmission found with the water phantom resulting in a lower value of the effective attenuation coefficient. At 18 MV x rays the difference between the measurements in the water phantom and in the mini-phantom was less. This shows that a water equivalent plastic phantom with an area comparable with the largest field size applied can be used for measurements of effective attenuation coefficients, whereas a mini-phantom cannot be used directly, especially at low photon energies.


OBJECTIVE
The standard treatment for patients with advanced/metastatic soft tissue sarcomas (ASTS) is systemic chemotherapy with doxorubicin. A previous meta-analysis of 8 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrated the superiority of single-agent doxorubicin over doxorubicin-based combination chemotherapy for ASTS. However, meta-analyses of all RCTs that compare doxorubicin to other single-agent or combination regimens as first-line treatments for ASTS are lacking. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of current primary treatments for ASTS.

METHODS
Eligible studies were RCTs of first-line chemotherapies for ASTS comparing doxorubicin alone to other single agents or to combination therapies (experimental arm). Data from studies reporting hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were pooled. Other time-to-event endpoints were extracted from the studies based on Kaplan-Meier estimates, and pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% CI were calculated.

RESULTS
Twenty-seven eligible RCTs comprising 6156 patients were identified. Overall, the 1-year OS (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.99, P = 0.03) was significantly improved in the experimental arm over the doxorubicin-only arm; however, there was no significant difference in 2-year OS (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.73-1.03, P = 0.11) or OS (HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.91-1.03, P = 0.28) between the two groups. PFS and other time-to-event endpoints were not significantly different between the two treatment arms. While incidences of overall severe adverse events were not significantly different (OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.88-1.65, P = 0.26), severe nausea/vomiting was significantly more frequent in the experimental arm (OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.27-2.83, P = 0.002).

CONCLUSION
The efficacies of doxorubicin-only and experimental arm regimens were similar, although toxicities were more frequent in the experimental arms. Hence, doxorubicin monotherapy remains suitable as a standard first-line regimen for ASTS.


In this article, the authors examine the relative contribution of four domains of predictors that have been linked to adult criminal involvement: (a) sociodemographic characteristics, (b) family-of-origin factors, (c) proximal processes developed during adolescence, and (d) current lifestyle and situational factors. Cross-sectional data were collected through face-to-face interviews with 242 community-recruited adults. Data analysis involved negative binomial regression. Being male, family size, juvenile delinquency, aggression, living with someone involved in illegal activity, and recent violent victimization were independently associated with nonviolent criminal involvement. Aggression, association with deviant peers, and recent violent victimization were independently associated with violent criminal involvement. Juvenile delinquency and aggression mediated the affect of multiple family-of-origin characteristics on nonviolent criminal involvement and aggression mediated the effect of childhood physical abuse on violent criminal involvement. The results emphasize the importance of investigating both antecedents and proximal risk factors predictive of different types of criminal involvement, which, in turn, will assist in developing risk-focused prevention and intervention programs.


Tunneling in experiments (TUNNEX) is a free open‐source program with an easy‐to‐use graphical user interface to simplify the process of Wentzel‐Kramers‐Brillouin (WKB) computations. TUNNEX aims at experimental chemists with basic knowledge of computational chemistry, and it offers the computation of tunneling half‐lives, visualization of data, and exporting of graphs. It also provides a helper tool for executing the zero‐point vibrational energy correction along the path. The program also enables computing high‐level single points along the intrinsic reaction path. TUNNEX is available at https://github.com/prs-group/TUNNEX. As the WKB approximation usually overestimates tunneling half‐lives, it can be used to screen tunneling processes before proceeding with elaborate kinetic experiments or higher‐level tunneling computations such as instanton theory and small curvature tunneling approaches. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the similarities and differences in pattern and severity of clinical expression of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in British and Italian patients.

METHODS
Detailed clinical data were obtained on 48 British patients with PsA and compared with the data of 48 Italian patients. A systematic evaluation of joints, spine, and skin was performed. Forty-one British and 42 Italian patients also underwent a whole body bone scintigram. Radiographic details of hands and wrists were also taken.

RESULTS
The Italian patients did not differ from their British counterparts with respect to duration of arthritis, sex, clinical subgroups, axial involvement, number of tender and swollen joints, or radiographic score. However, significant differences were found with respect to age, duration of psoriasis, number of joints with deformity and/or loss of function, number of affected joints, and number of "active" joints on scintigraphy, which were all higher in the British group. After correction for age, duration of arthritis, and duration of psoriasis the only significant difference was the number of affected joints.

CONCLUSION
Our findings suggest that British patients with PsA are more severely affected than a matched cohort of Italian patients.


Objectives: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a major health concern in terms of its high prevalence, as well as restricted, and costly health care resources in India. The physicians of the Unani system of Medicine have been treating hepatitis since centuries. The purpose of our study was to assess the effect of Unani Formulation in the treatment naive, CHB cases and to collect data to warrant further clinical trials. Methods: We conducted a case series with five patient of CHB, subsequently treated with the Unani formulation. Cases were confirmed with standard hepatitis antigen and viral measurements. The patients were treated for 6 months with measurement of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg). Results: Loss of surface antigen occurred in the patients and became HbsAg negative within an average 13 weeks of treatment. Discussion: We reviewed the literature related to the Unani formulation used for the treatment in this study. Its constituents have exhibited antiviral, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective and antioxidant properties, suggesting possible mechanisms of action in the CHB. Conclusion: The preliminary findings indicate the potential therapeutic role of the Unani formulation in the treatment of CHB. Clinical trials based on this Unani pharmacopeal formulation should be conducted to explore the therapeutic potential of this formulation in CHB. Keywords: Chronic hepatitis B, Unani Medicine, Unani formulation, Complementary Medicine, Herbal antivirals, Hepatoprotective, Warme jigar, Viral hepatitis.


To date, the main natural source of vitamin E is vegetable oils. Among the compounds of the vitamin E group, α-tocopherol has the higher biological activity, the relative content of which in vegetable oils is comparatively small. Significantly higher concentrations of α-tocopherol (up to 4-6 mg / g dry weight) accumulate some microalgae, such as Euglena gracilis, Dunaliella tertiolecta, Nannochloropsis oculata, Tetraselmis suecica and others. Due to this, there has been a growing interest in biotechnology of microalgae as a raw material for the production of vitamins. The largest amount of tocopherols is synthesized in Euglena gracilis cells by myxorotrophic cultivation.Lipid-soluble α-tocopherol is a component of the non-enzymatic antioxidant system and performs the function of protecting cell membranes from reactive oxygen species and free radicals. As a result of many studies, the dependence of the level of α-tocopherol accumulation on the conditions of cultivation of microalgae, including light intensity, photoperiod, nitrogen level, temperature, type of carbon nutrition, etc. At the same time, stressful conditions stimulate the accumulation of antioxidants in photosynthetic organisms, but limit the normal rate of their growth. The problem of increasing the yield of tocopherols is solved in systems of two-stage cultivation through the separation in time of the stage of biomass accumulation and the stage of stimulation of α-tocopherol biosynthesis. The increase in tocopherol content is achieved due to the introduction of exogenous carbon sources at the stage of biomass accumulation and limiting the nutrient medium for some nutrients at the stage of stimulating the synthesis of antioxidants. The review presents data on the effects of the composition of the nutrient medium, type of nutrition, temperature, light intensity, cultivation technique on the accumulation of vitamin E by microalgae cells.


Background Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is known for its poor prognosis. However, it is apparent that subsets of patients have bad outcomes sometimes after a short time of disease duration whether some others will remain stable with a milder disease. The factors that have impact in the prognosis and mortality are yet to be determined. Objectives To study the causes of dead and survival predictors in a Portuguese SSc population. Methods Observational retrospective cohort study was performed including consecutive patients with clinical diagnosis of SSc (based on expert opinion), followed in our rheumatology department since 1990. Clinical and demographic characteristics were retrospectively collected by consulting the clinical files. Patients who have died were compared with the others using Student t-test, Mann-Whitney test, Chi-square or Fisher test. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and log rank were used to compare survival (SPSS 23.0). Significance level was set as <0.05. Results 114 patients were included, 99 (86.8%) females and 15 (13.2%) males, with a mean age of 57.61 (±11.3) and a median disease duration of 7 years (0–38). 100 (87.7%) had localized and 14 (11.1%) had diffuse disease form. The mortality rate observed was 1.1 cases per 100 person-years. Among the 10 patients that have died, 60% (6) were female, 60% (6) had diffuse and 40% (4) had limited skin involvement, and 20% (2) had overlap syndromes (1 overlap with rheumatoid arthritis and 1 with systemic lupus erythematosus). The median age was 63.5 [57 – 84] years and median disease duration was 10 [1–20] years. The causes of death were: infections in 5 (3 sepsis, 1 septic arthritis, 1 pneumonia), cardiovascular events in 3 (right heart failure secondary to pulmonary arterial hypertension) and neoplasia in 2 (1 brain metastases of occult tumour and 1 gastric adenocarcinoma). Mortality occurred more frequently in male patients (26.7% compared to 6% in females, p=0.03), in patients with diffuse skin involvement (40% compared to 4% in limited forms, p<0.001), digital ulcers (16.7% compared to 5%, p=0.04), pitting scars (20.6% compared to 3.8%, p=0.007), pulmonary arterial hypertension (50% compared to 6.5%, p=0.009), interstitial lung disease (19.2% compared to 5.7%, p=0.04) and anti-Scl70 antibodies (20.8% compared to 5.6%; p=0.03). Kaplan-Meier univariate analysis showed a lower survival in patients with diffuse skin involvement (log rank 14.2 p<0.001), interstitial lung disease (log rank 6.3 p=0.04) and positive anti-Scl70 antibodies (log rank 6.4 p=0.04). Conclusions Our results are in accordance with previous studies that show a high frequency of infections and cardiovascular events as major causes of death, but we also find malignancy as an important factor too. Diffuse skin disease, interstitial lung disease and positive anti Scl70 unfavourably influenced the survival and these patients are the ones in need for carefully evaluation and aggressive treatment. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Connected to an inlet side passage of the fluid (8), a pressure type flow rate control unit which is connected to the downstream side of the inlet passage (8) and a control valve which constitutes the (1a) (3), downstream of the control valve (3) and the thermal flow rate sensor (2), between the thermal and flow sensor orifice (6) which is interposed in a fluid passage (10) communicating with the downstream side of (2), the control valve (3) and an orifice (6) a temperature sensor provided in the vicinity of the fluid passages (10) (4), the control valve (3) and an orifice pressure sensor provided in the fluid passage (10) between the (6) (5), an orifice (6) the outlet passage communicating with (9), the temperature signal is inputted from the pressure signal and the temperature sensor from the pressure sensor (5) (4), as well as calculating the flow rate value Q of the fluid flowing through the orifice (6) the difference between the calculated flow rate value and the set flow rate value decreases Flow rate signal (2c) is input from the pressure type flow rate calculation control section for outputting a control signal Pd to opening and closing control valve (3) to the direction the valve driving section to the (3a) (7a) and the thermal flow sensor (2) by the flow rate signal (2c) from the orifice (6) flow rate sensor controller (7b) from the composed control unit (7) and, with the flow rate monitor consisted pressure type flow rate control device for the operation and display the fluid flow flowing through.


The advent of modern technologies has dramatically changed human perception and influenced the development of clip (fragmented) thinking in younger generation. Fragmented thinking reflects various properties of objects without taking into account relations between them. Clip thinking is contrasted with linear model, which is characterized from operational point of view by linear thinking. It helps to put in order the already acquired knowledge and operate with it at a higher level.
As both ways have their advantages and disadvantages, they have to be taken into account in up-to-date planning and materials development for language teaching. For this materials have to be compiled in a brain-friendly manner as the information has to be constantly reviewed and recycled. The process of learning has to be structured on the cognitive model of knowledge processing, which is based on the four phases of learning – impressing, memorizing, authorization and initiation. They take into account the neurophysiological mechanisms of human perception and allow building robust constructions in the brains of language learners, from where the information can be easily accessed.
Information has to be presented visually and texts for reading need to be creolized and contain several meaning making models at once. The interaction between visual and verbal parts in creolized texts becomes a basis for the transmission of meaning. Such clip thinking considering teaching tools will greatly enhance the perception of language learners and lead to the development of linear thinking in clip thinkers.


The Latin American Integration Route (RILA) corresponds to the materialization of an old desire to integrate the peoples of South America. This route will connect important municipalities in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, and Chile. In the state of Mato Grosso do Sul (MS), it will connect important municipalities, and bring opportunities and threats. The objective of the study was to analyze the productive structure of the municipalities in Mato Grosso do Sul that will be directly affected by the RILA to better understand this process.For this purpose, we usedan Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis(Spatial EDA) and the spatial Locational Quotient (sLQ) of the sectorial jobs of the municipalities of the State. The results point out a spatial inequality in productive sectors, delimiting "sectorial islands". In the industrial sector, the northeastern regions and the surroundings of the capital, Campo Grande, stand out. The northeast region of the State also stands out in the Civil Construction sector and, together with the north-central part of the MS, in the agriculture and livestocksector. In the trade sector, the southern region of the MS stands out, with proximity to Paraguay. In the services sector, there is a relative concentration in the capital and the extreme south of the State. In conclusion, we point out the urgent need for public policies to expand opportunities and mitigate the threats of integration managed by the route.


The ways in which Wittgenstein was directly influenced by William James (by his early psychological work as well his later philosophy) have been thoroughly explored and charted by Russell B. Goodman. In particular, Goodman has drawn attention to the pragmatist resonances of the Wittgensteinian notion of hinge propositions as developed and articulated in the posthumously edited and published work, On Certainty. This paper attempts to extend Goodman's observation, moving beyond his focus on James (specifically, James's Pragmatism) as his pragmatist reference point. It aims to articulate the affinity between Wittgenstein's thought on the topic of certainty and that of the neglected pragmatist thinker, George Santayana. The paper draws on Duncan Pritchard's recent reading of Wittgenstein's On Certainty in order to articulate the concept of certainty involved in the notion of hinge propositions. It identifies two important and related points of affinity between this Wittgensteinian line of thought on certainty and the line of thought on the same topic articulated in Santayana's Scepticism and Animal Faith. The paper argues, firstly, that, both lines of thought reflect a pragmatist concept of certainty, according to which our most fundamental certainties are not conceived as purely theoretical objects of belief or knowledge but rather as the arational presuppositions of beliefs and practical action. Secondly, it examines the way in which the pragmatist concept of certainty functions, for the two thinkers as a response to scepticism. It argues that although the two thinkers' responses are very different, they are mutually compatible and, together, point towards the possibility of a distinctively pragmatist response to scepticism which involves an anti-epistemological model of the intimate relation of the human self to the world.


Notices of the AMs VoluMe 65, NuMber 5 Dundas and Skau: Professor Yves Meyer, congratulations on being awarded the Abel Prize 2017 for your pivotal role in the development of the mathematical theory of wavelets. You will receive the Abel Prize from His Majesty the King of Norway in a ceremony tomorrow. The history of wavelets is fascinating and some aspects of it are old, but before we delve deeper into the mathematical side of things, perhaps you could share a bit of your personal journey.


The emergence of COVID-19 at a global level meant that several areas were affected, the educational field is one of them. Face-to-face classes were made impossible by the new health regulations (physical distance, use of masks, compulsory quarantines, etc.), so virtual distance classes took hold from the start of the pandemic. In this sense, obtaining information from the protagonists, in this case, university students from the different Higher Education Institutions in the city of Talca, is fundamental to know their experience with virtual distance education in this con-text and to determine the challenges that exist for this type of post-pandemic education. For this reason, the use of a mixed methodology (qualitative-quantitative), with the application of semi-structured interviews and surveys through virtual means, allowed evidence to be found that the university experience has been affected in practical aspects, learning, and interaction with colleagues and teachers. Likewise, virtual distance education poses certain challenges in terms of technological access, preparation and management, and new pedagogical strategies for this modality.


The development of public health has been a high priority in recent years in Hungary. In spite of concentrated efforts to establish a more advanced health service, the health status of the population has not improved and trends in mortality and morbidity are still unfavourable. Risk factors from the environment and from health-damaging behaviour are generally accepted as the main causes of cardiac diseases, yet lay people still think that progress in therapy can compensate for the effects of an unhealthy, overstrained and self-exploiting way of life. We might have well-educated experts and well-equipped institutes but two in three victims of myocardial infarction do not even reach hospital. A reorientation of health policy to a more prevention-focused approach and joint activities of all administrative, economic and social sectors coordinated at government level are necessary to put health in a more favourable position in the pattern of values in our society. The medical and sociological research work and the community level prevention activities began in 1982 in the 17th district of Budapest. The data of 1,611 residents of the district aged 25-64 were analysed. From data on nutrition, leisure-time physical activity, obesity, blood pressure distribution, and smoking habits it was established that socially unfavourable conditions cause a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


This seminal collection gathers together many general writings of one of the world's leading historians of mathematics. Organized thematically, these essays ponder the intellectual underpinnings of the field, examine the major topics in the history of mathematics, and recount the bizarre history of pseudomath. Ivor Grattan-Guinness explores how people understand mathematics-the routes of learning they take as they make important discoveries and study mathematical concepts and theories. The essays in the first part of the book discuss the history of mathematics as a field and its central philosophical issues. Those in the next part address the history of mathematics education and its importance to current modes of teaching. In the last section Grattan-Guinness investigates various understudied aspects of math, including numerology, Masonic symbols in classical music, and the links between mathematics and Christianity. This collection includes several essays that are difficult to find anywhere else. All historians of mathematics and students of the field will want a copy of this remarkable resource on their bookshelves.


Instagram has become a popular channel to create travel inspiration, arouse interest in a destination, and act as electronic word-of-mouth, leading to the growth of travel influencers on the platform, and adoption of influencer marketing by Destination Management Organizations (DMOs). The purpose of this study was a first effort to examine the motivational factors behind following travel-related accounts on Instagram and how follower motivations differ for travel influencers and DMOs. A quantitative survey found that usefulness, enjoyment and entertainment are the greatest motivational factors for following travel accounts on Instagram, and users prefer to follow DMO accounts for incentives and information. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.


Customer loyalty is an important key to maintaining the position of the company in the market and creating efficiency and effectiveness of the company because if the company does not build customer loyalty then the possibility of companies having to spend more and more energy to find new customers Therefore this study aims to analyze whether product quality, service quality, and location can affect customer loyalty to make repurchases at that place. This research is quantitative research and multiple linear regression analysis with a sample of 160 respondents. Furthermore, there are four variables used in this study, namely product quality  (X1),  service  quality  (X2),  location  (X3),  and  customer  loyalty  (Y).  Data collection was obtained from the distribution of questionnaires to customers of Lontong balap mr.Gendut at Surabaya. The results show that product quality variables  (X1),  service  quality  (X2),  and  location  (X3)  simultaneously  have  a significant effect on customer loyalty (Y). Then variable product quality (X1), service quality (X2), and location (X3) partially have a significant effect on customer loyalty (Y). Based on the results of this study, business owners of Lontong Balap should maintain product quality, service quality and location placement so that customers remain and always buy at that pleace.


Breast lesion detection in ultrasound is critical for breast cancer diagnosis. Existing methods mainly rely on individual 2D ultrasound images or combine unlabeled video and labeled 2D images to train models for breast lesion detection. In this paper, we first collect and annotate an ultrasound video dataset (188 videos) for breast lesion detection. Moreover, we propose a clip-level and video-level feature aggregated network (CVA-Net) for addressing breast lesion detection in ultrasound videos by aggregating video-level lesion classification features and clip-level temporal features. The clip-level temporal features encode local temporal information of ordered video frames and global temporal information of shuffled video frames. In our CVA-Net, an inter-video fusion module is devised to fuse local features from original video frames and global features from shuffled video frames, and an intra-video fusion module is devised to learn the temporal information among adjacent video frames. Moreover, we learn video-level features to classify the breast lesions of the original video as benign or malignant lesions to further enhance the final breast lesion detection performance in ultrasound videos. Experimental results on our annotated dataset demonstrate that our CVA-Net clearly outperforms state-of-the-art methods. The corresponding code and dataset are publicly available at \url{https://github.com/jhl-Det/CVA-Net}.


This paper describes a method for using text description as a natural interface to construct models of mechanical systems. The goal is to convert the natural text description from the user to a system of equations that can be used to model and simulate the system. The algorithm of this process consists of three main stages: 1-Component Extraction, 2-Interaction detection and 3-Attribute detection. The description is first parsed to identify and instantiate components. The text is then scanned again to analyze the action verbs to identify component attributes and to detect connections between the components. Finally, numerical values and initial conditions are associated with the attributes. System equations are generated by detecting loops in the device description. The knowledge is gradually built up through progressive scanning and analysis of text. The paper describes the algorithms, presents a detailed example and identifies current assumptions and restrictions.Copyright © 2009 by ASME


Prolonged facial pain has long been a source of frustration to the medical profession, both from the diagnostic and therapeutic standpoints. The difficulty arises not in the "typical" facial pain syndromes such as trigeminal neuralgia, migrainous neuralgia or post-herpetic neuralgia, nor with pain due to diseases of the teeth, throat, nose, eyes and ears, but in the deep, poorly localized vaguely described pain which does not adhere to a strict anatomical distribution. The latter symptom complex has been given many names, but in spite of this is a remarkably uniform syndrome. It is characterized by pain that is felt deep in the soft tissues or the bone, rather than in the superficial tissues as occurs so often in the typical neuralgias, is poorly localized and vaguely described. The pain may be felt in regions supplied by the fifth and ninth cranial nerves and the second and third cervical nerves. Its distribution does not conform to the peripheral distribution of these nerves, but may involve portions of the sensory supply of two or more of them and may cross the mid-line. In general the pain is constant and endures for long periods of weeks to years. It is unusual to find trigger zones or clear-cut precipitating factors, and the pain is rarely excruciating.


The characteristic curve of the ordinary MOS capacitor is not monotonic, whereas the Laterally Diffused MOS (LDMOS) capacitor has a nearly ideal monotonic property. An oscillator based on LDMOS capacitor is designed and implemented using the standard 0.5µm CMOS technology, and various essential factors have been considered, such as the layout size, the power consumption and the capacitance value, etc. The simulations and measurement results show that the oscillator has a small layout size, a low power consumption, a wide voltage range, and a high frequency accuracy.


Semantic communication (SC) is an emerging intelligent paradigm, offering solutions for various future applications like metaverse, mixed-reality, and the Internet of everything. However, in current SC systems, the construction of the knowledge base (KB) faces several issues, including limited knowledge representation, frequent knowledge updates, and insecure knowledge sharing. Fortunately, the development of the large AI model provides new solutions to overcome above issues. Here, we propose a large AI model-based SC framework (LAM-SC) specifically designed for image data, where we first design the segment anything model (SAM)-based KB (SKB) that can split the original image into different semantic segments by universal semantic knowledge. Then, we present an attention-based semantic integration (ASI) to weigh the semantic segments generated by SKB without human participation and integrate them as the semantic-aware image. Additionally, we propose an adaptive semantic compression (ASC) encoding to remove redundant information in semantic features, thereby reducing communication overhead. Finally, through simulations, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the LAM-SC framework and the significance of the large AI model-based KB development in future SC paradigms.


SiOx nanoparticles were synthesized by using an evaporation and condensation process involving induction melting of silicon (Si) chunks followed by the injection of a H2/Ar mixed gas into the melt. In particular, this research studied the effects of hydrogen gas on the nanoparticles' microstructural and electrochemical properties, etc. During the microstructural analysis, regardless of H2 content, all the nanoparticles were observed to have random shapes; their average particle sizes were 30 ∼ 35 nm. However, a crystalline Si phase, even though it was a small amount, was formed when H2/Ar gas was injected. From the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, the amount of the SiO2 phase in SiOx decreased when the H2/Ar gas ratio was higher than 1.0 vol.%. Injected hydrogen produced a Si-H network in SiOx, and the Si-H concentration was independent of the amount of injected gas. Consequently, due to hydrogen incorporation, not only was a crystalline Si phase formed, but also the amount of the SiO2 phase decreased. In addition, Si-H bonds were formed in the nanoparticles. The crystalline Si phase and the relatively small amount of the SiO2 phase resulted in an enhancement of the Li-ion capacity when those nanoparticles were applied as an anode material for a Li-ion battery. Furthermore, cycle performance was improved even when hydrogen was incorporated. For the sample synthesized with 5.0-vol.% H2/Ar gas, the discharge capacity and the columbic efficiency at the 21st cycle were 889.1 mAhg−1 and 95.0%, respectively.


This article describes the intervention programs attended and progress made by 2 children who exhibited considerable differences in benefit from their cochlear implants. The children differed in many ways, including age at onset of deafness, preimplantation communications skills, age at implantation, the amount and types of intervention services received, and the rate at which they developed oral communication skills. Their intervention programs employed both analytical and synthetic auditory training and emphasized the development of speech production and language skills. These case studies help to illustrate the range of outcomes among cochlear implant recipients and the adaptability needed to design and implement individualized intervention programs.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the foetal outcome and mode of delivery in patients with meconium stained liquor during labour.

METHODS
The observational study was carried out at the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit-II of Liaquat University of Medical Health Sciences from June to November 2007. The patients with gestational age more than 37 weeks who presented with meconium stained liquor and cephalic presentation were included and the foetal outcome and mode of delivery was assessed in all such subjects. The data was collected on pre-designed proforma and analysed using SPSS version 10. Chi square test was applied with 95% confidence interval and p-value < or = 0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS
A total of 75 patients with meconium stained liquor were identified during the study period. The patients with reactive cardiotocography (CTG) were 50 (66.7%) and with non-reactive CTG, 25 (33.36%). Of the total, 45 (60%) patients were delivered through normal vaginal delivery, while 30 (40%) were delivered by caesarean section. The rate of instrumental delivery was also increased which was 12 (26.7%). Among the neonates exposed to meconium stained liquor, 62 (82.7%) babies were delivered with apgar score > 7. Only 13 (17.3%) babies were delivered with apgar score < 7 in one minute.

CONCLUSION
Meconium stained amniotic fluid is a common occurrence during labour and is associated with increased caesarean section rate and foetal morbidity and mortality.


We propose a new primal-dual algorithm for solving nonlinearly constrai- ned minimization problems. This is a Newton-like method applied to a per- turbation of the optimality system that follows from a reformulation of the initial problem by introducing an augmented Lagrangian and a log-barrier penalty to handle both equality and bound constraints. Two kinds of itera- tions are used. The outer iterations at which the different parameters, such as the Lagrange multipliers and the penalty parameters, are updated. The inner iterations to get a sufficient decrease of a given primal-dual penalty function. Both iterations use the same kind of coefficient matrix and the corresponding linear system is solved by means of a symmetric indefinite factorization including an inertia-controlling technique. The globalization is performed by means of a line search strategy on a primal-dual merit func- tion. An important aspect of this approach is that, by a choice of suitable update rules of the parameters, the algorithm reduces to a regularized New- ton method applied to a sequence of optimality systems derived from the original problem. The global convergence and the asymptotic properties of the algorithm are presented. In particular, we show that the algorithm is q-superlinear convergent. In addition, this method is able to solve the well known example of Wachter and Biegler, for which some interior point methods based on a line search strategy fail.


ABSTRACT Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the hemodynamic, oxidative stress (OS), and nitric oxide (NO−) responses to a submaximal isometric exercise session (IES) involving large muscle mass. Methods Fourteen hypertensive (HTG: age = 35.9 ± 8.1 yr, height = 1.73 ± 0.10 m, total body mass = 78.0 ± 15.8 kg) and 10 normotensive (NTG: age = 41.1 ± 9.4 yr, height = 1.71 ± 0.12 m, total body mass = 82.3 ± 22.4 kg) participants performed two experimental sessions in the leg press and bench press: (i) control session and (ii) 8 sets × 1 min contraction at 30% maximal voluntary isometric contraction with 2-min rest interval. Blood pressure (BP) was measured at rest and during 60 min postexercise. Blood samples were collected at rest, immediately after the session, and 60 min postexercise. NO− was obtained through the Griess reaction method. OS parameters were analyzed using commercial kits. A repeated-measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc test was used to analyze all dependent variables. Results A significant decrease in systolic BP was observed only for HTG at 45 and 60 min postexercise (baseline vs 45 min: P = 0.03, Δ% = 4.44%; vs 60 min: P = 0.018, Δ% = 5.58%). NO− increased immediately postexercise only for HTG (P = 0.008, Δ% = 16.44%). Regarding OS parameters, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances presented a significant reduction 60 min after the IES for NTG and HTG; catalase increased in both groups. Conclusions The data showed that only 8 min of IES with a large muscle mass elicits an elevated pro-oxidant activity leading to a greater NO− bioavailability, increases antioxidant reaction, and consequently reduces BP in hypertensive patients.


Three types of PbTe samples, e.g. nanoparticles, nanowires and bulk ingots, have been prepared. The investigation of the Seebeck coefficient of PbTe nanoparticles and nanowires clearly shows the sign change in the temperature range of 575~650 K, which is not observed for bulk ingots. Unfortunately, this temperature range is within the proposed operation temperature range for thermoelectric devices using PbTe and hence, such a change will affect their proper performance. The observed sign change of Seebeck coefficient is not simply caused by the composition variation at high temperature. It is mainly attributed to the extrinsic-to-intrinsic-semiconductor transition for PbTe nanocrystals due to the competing factors between quantum size effect increasing band gap and self-purification process decreasing their charge carrier concentration, which shift the transition point of nanocrystals to lower range as compare to that of bulk samples. Thus, such phenomenon should be considered carefully in the design of thermoelectric devices using semiconductor nanocrystals, which have attracted much attention recently.


The interest expressed by the agriculture in the category of innovative biostimulants is due to the intensive search for natural preparations. Our study is the �rst ever to report a complex approach to the use of allelopathic extracts from Levisticum o�cinale Koch. roots in soybean cultivation, includes analyses of morphological observations, and analyses of biochemical indicators. Hot method of aqueous extraction was applied. The extracts were administered via foliar application and soil treatment. Lovage extracts had high contents of polyphenolic compounds and rich micro- and macroelemental composition. The infusions did not contain gibberellic acid and indole-3-acetic acid but the abscisic acid and saccharose, glucose, and fructose were found. The extracts modi�ed soybean plant physiology, as manifested by changes in biometric traits. Plants responded positively by increased yield. Seeds from the treated plants had higher contents of micro- and macroelements, as well as total concentrations of lipids (with a slight decrease in protein content). In addition, they featured changes in their amino acid pro�le and fatty acid composition. The application of allelopathic biostimulant caused increased concentrations of iso�avones and saponins. The natural biostimulants from Levisticum o�cinale may become a valuable tool in the sustainable agriculture.


We obtain estimates for critical nematic liquid crystal (LC) temperatures under the action of a slowly varying temperature-dependent control variable. We show that biaxiality has a negligible effect within our model and that these delay estimates are well described by a purely uniaxial model. The static theory predicts two critical temperatures: the supercooling temperature below which the isotropic phase loses stability and the superheating temperature above which the ordered nematic states do not exist. In contrast to the static problem, the isotropic phase exhibits a memory effect below the supercooling temperature in the dynamic framework. This delayed loss of stability is independent of the rate of change of temperature and depends purely on the initial value of the temperature. We also show how our results can be used to improve estimates for LC material constants.


Movement-related brain activation patterns after subcortical stroke are characterized by relative overactivations in cortical motor areas compared with controls. In patients able to perform a motor task, overactivations are greater in those with more motor impairment. We hypothesized that recruitment of motor regions would shift from primary to secondary motor networks in response to impaired functional integrity of the corticospinal system (CSS). We measured the magnitude of brain activation using functional MRI during a motor task in eight chronic subcortical stroke patients. CSS functional integrity was assessed using transcranial magnetic stimulation to obtain stimulus/response curves for the affected first dorsal interosseus muscle, with a shallower gradient representing increasing disruption of CSS functional integrity. A negative correlation between the gradient of stimulus/response curve and magnitude of task-related brain activation was found in several motor-related regions, including ipsilesional posterior primary motor cortex [Brodmann area (BA) 4p], contralesional anterior primary motor cortex (BA 4a), bilateral premotor cortex, supplementary motor area, intraparietal sulcus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and contralesional superior cingulate sulcus. There were no significant positive correlations in any brain region. These results suggest that impaired functional integrity of the CSS is associated with recruitment of secondary motor networks in both hemispheres in an attempt to generate motor output to spinal cord motoneurons. Secondary motor regions are less efficient at generating motor output so this reorganization can only be considered partially successful in reducing motor impairment after stroke.


We introduce a droplet-jumping phenomenon on a superhydrophobic surface driven by the resonant AC electrowetting. The resonant electrical actuation enables a droplet to accumulate sufficient surface energy for jumping, and superhydrophobic surface minimizes adhesion and hysteresis effects. They provide the effective energy conversion from the surface energy to the kinetic energy and improve the stability and the reproducibility of the droplet jumping. The controlled droplet jumping made by the resonant AC electrowetting could place another milestone in digital microfluidics by establishing a potential way to realize the three-dimensional droplet manipulation based on the conventional single plate EWOD configurations. This abstract is related to a fluid dynamics video for the gallery of fluid motion 2009.


Extended release bioadhesive buccal tablets for delivery of Nisoldipine were developed using in-situ formation of interpolymer complex providing significantly different attributes to that of individual polymers. When tablet made up of Gantrez and Povidone comes in contact with aqueous solution, complexation through the hydrogen bond formation takes place which was characterized by Infrared spectroscopy. Interpolymer complex resulted to reduced solubility of polymer. A Box-Behnken factorial design was selected to explore effects on bioadhesive strength and drug release by interaction of Gantrez and Povidone. Such effects were confirmed by significant regression coefficient having p less than 0.05. Three check points were also taken into account to validate the polynomial equation. Results show that polymers change the drug release mechanism which is confirmed by model fitting into dissolution point. By optimizing the ratio of polymers to achieve desired release (90%) in the sixth hour and good BAS were obtained for batch G17. Keywords: Bioadhesive, Nisoldipine, Gantrez, Polyvinyl povidone, Box-Behnken design, Polynomial equation.


5% of by the in a mixture of equal parts of nutrient broth and crude centrifuged r.p.m. for 10 min. and the supernatant fluid clarified by filtration through in a sintered glass (Jena, size G.I). 20 c.c. of centrifuged at 10,000 r.p.m. for 3 hr. and the deposit resuspended in 1 c.c. of a mixture of equal parts of nutrient broth and physiological saline. Chemical tests showed that these purified suspensions only small amounts of of virus by the hypochlorous acid appears to have been at least 99%. The fifth experiment is puzzling. The destruction of virus is much less and in contrast to the other experiments the absorption of hypochlorous acid is negligible both initially and during the 15 min. period of standing. It is possible that in this experiment, which was the first to be done, either the estimator or the generator was at fault. A mist, produced by atomizing the mixture of equal parts of nutrient broth and physiological saline used as a suspending medium did not destroy more than an insignificant proportion of the hypochlorous acid gas. There was no significant difference in the behaviour of the crude and the purified suspensions so that the reduction in the concentration of this gas regularly observed in the experiments (except no. 5) must have been due to reaction with the virus itself or accompanying protein. to moderate concentrations for much longer periods (up to 1 : 120,000 vol. for short spells and up to 16 days at about 1: 2 x 10 6 ) produced no observable general toxic effects but, in the higher concentrations only, acute irritation of the conjunctiva and mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract, which did not lead to any apparent permanent damage. These experiments, though few in number and of a preliminary character only, do not suggest that there is any danger in allowing human beings to breathe the lower bactericidal concentrations which have been recommended for public use. of twenty-four was exposed for 3 hr. to a hypochlorite mist. The average concentration was equivalent to 1 vol. of hypochlorous acid gas in 1 x 10 6 vol. of air and the highest concentration reached was 1 in 400,000 vol. of air. Half an hour after being removed from this these mice, together with twenty-four controls, were exposed to an influenza virus aerosol. After 24 hr. and again after 3 days random samples of three mice were taken from the test and control batches; these were killed and the virus content of their lungs titrated. The rest of the mice were kept under observation for 10 days,, when the survivors were killed. Nine of the test group and eleven of the controls died. All the mice showed large or moderate lung lesions. There was no significant difference in the death rate, the severity of the infection, or the virus content of the lungs between the two groups. The experiment, therefore, failed to reveal any increased susceptibility to infection following exposure to hypochlorous acid.


Diabetes is caused by a deficiency of the hormone insulin, which is secreted by the pancreas to lower blood sugar levels. The factors that trigger the occurrence of diabetes are derived from various factors such as a combination of genetic and environmental factors. The phenomenon of the emergence of various beverage brand outlets can be one of the triggers for blood sugar levels in humans. Normal blood sugar levels in the body range from 70-130 mg/dL before eating, less than 180 mg/dL two hours after eating, less than 100 mg/dL after not eating or surviving for eight hours, and 100-140 mg/dL at bedtime. This research aims to determine which algorithm is suitable for building knowledge about diabetes using the Naïve Bayes and K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) algorithm. The accuracy results from Naïve Bayes are 85.60% and K- Nearest Neighbor of 91.61%. The results showed that K-Nearest Neighbor proved to have the best accuracy.


ABSTRACT Fog computing is a new computing architecture, composed of a set of near-user edge devices called fog nodes, which collaborate together in order to perform computational services such as running applications, storing an important amount of data, and transmitting messages. Fog computing extends cloud computing by deploying digital resources at the premise of mobile users. In this new paradigm, management and operating functions, such as job scheduling aim at providing high-performance, cost-effective services requested by mobile users and executed by fog nodes. We propose a new bio-inspired optimization approach called Bees Life Algorithm (BLA) aimed at addressing the job scheduling problem in the fog computing environment. Our proposed approach is based on the optimized distribution of a set of tasks among all the fog computing nodes. The objective is to find an optimal tradeoff between CPU execution time and allocated memory required by fog computing services established by mobile users. Our empirical performance evaluation results demonstrate that the proposal outperforms the traditional particle swarm optimization and genetic algorithm in terms of CPU execution time and allocated memory.