Background Evidence-based guideline development requires transparent methodology for gathering, synthesizing and grading the quality and strength of evidence behind recommendations. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) project has addressed diagnostic test use in many of their publications. Most of the work has been directed at diagnostic tests and no consensus has been reached for prognostic biomarkers. Aim of this paper The GRADE system for rating the quality of evidence and the strength of a recommendation is described. The application of GRADE to diagnostic testing is discussed and a description of application to prognostic testing is detailed. Some strengths and limitations of the GRADE process in relation to clinical laboratory testing are presented. Conclusions The GRADE system is applicable to clinical laboratory testing and if correctly applied should improve the reporting of recommendations for clinical laboratory tests by standardising the style of recommendation and by encouraging transparent reporting of the actual guideline process.


In this paper, double-stator switched flux permanent magnet (DS-SFPM) machines having low rotor numbers and whose stator teeth and rotor pole numbers are relatively same is investigated. Quantitative comparison of their electromagnetic performance is also given. Two-dimensional finite element (2D-FEA) analysis is employed in the prediction of the developed machines' performance. It is observed that the open circuit flux-linkage waveforms of the analysed machines having odd rotor poles are both symmetrical and sinusoidal in contrast to its even number rotor pole counterparts whose waveforms are asymmetrical, non-sinusoidal and unbalanced. More importantly, the developed machines with odd rotor pole numbers exhibit higher torque density than its even rotor pole equivalents. Keywords : Harmonics, low rotor pole, PM usage, and unbalanced back-EMF.


The retreat from aggregate representations of class has opened the way for a reassessment of its role in both Australia and New Zealand's history. This article focuses on two recent New Zealand research projects to review our traditional interpretations of class-based coalitions, interpretations that have often been deeply shaped by the Australian and British scholarship. The first and oldest of these projects has related political change nationally and locally to analyses of demographic class formation in New Zealand's oldest industrial suburbs and its most densely populated urban region, southern Dunedin; the second set out to explain the dominance of conservative parties for most of the twentieth century by investigating electoral behaviour in ten provincial towns. The article concludes with some comparative remarks on how this 'class work' might inform similar studies in Australia.


Migration to the United States has been a core aspect of the country's history, identity, and society. In recent years the issue of undocumented immigration has been politicized and the current administration has made restrictive immigration reform one of its focal points. For many undocumented immigrants in the United States, regardless of legal status, the fear of deportation is a daily matter. Sanctuary cities are localities that respond to these concerns of undocumented immigrants in a wide variety of ways. Although much scholarly research has been devoted to sanctuary cities, there is not yet a fixed or legal definition. In this thesis, I identify three dimensions on which scholarly research concerning sanctuary cities has focused. The first dimension is the relation between sanctuary cities and the discrimination and criminalization of immigrants throughout the history of federal immigration law. The second dimension is the relation between sanctuary cities and the ways in which they respond to issues of federalism by constructing safe spaces for undocumented immigrants. The third dimension is the relation between sanctuary cities and the construction of forms of local citizenship. I argue that the relationship between these dimensions is an ongoing shift in authority over immigration law and its enforcement from the national to a subnational level, especially to the city level. Chicago is one of the many sanctuary cities in the United States. Although this city houses thousands of documented and undocumented immigrants and has declared itself a sanctuary city since 1985, not much scholarship is focused on its sanctuary policies. Because of this gap in research I will utilize Chicago's sanctuary policies as the main example throughout this thesis.


We improved and made the intramedullary interlocking nail and it's instrument for surgical operation in December 1989 by consulting the reported material of the gamma locking nail. 32 cases of the femoral trochanteric fracture were treated by using this fixation system. The results were satisfactory. The patients could stand up and move about beginning from 6th to 13th day after operation. No mechanical failure of implant, infection and other complications occurred in our series. 29 cases were followed-up for 5 to 19 months and showed all of the fractures were healed. Their hip functions were completely or basically recovered. Coxa vara deformity occurred in two cases and one had a 2.5 cm shortening of the lower limb. We consider that the intramedullary interlocking nail conforms to the principle of human biomechanics and it may be used as an effective surgical treatment with the fracture fixation of superior strength and stability for every type of femoral trochanteric fractures.


The urban green areas have a great importance for the local environment in the cities and for people's health. Municipalities own many of the urban green areas and they make plans for these areas, so called green plans, to improve the long-term decision-making. Public participation is getting more and more attention in the society and when including public participation in planning it is called collaborative planning.
This project is a comparison of two green plans of which one is using traditional planning and the other one is using collaborative planning. By comparing them, strengths and weaknesses with collaborative planning can be visualised.
The vision of the traditional plan made in Malmo, Sweden, is to fulfil the citizens green need with a variety of green areas. The vision of the collaborative plan in Vanda, Finland, is to plan together with the citizens for a sustainable management.
Malmo's plan is using inventories and analyses to give a clear picture of the situation today. From that, the planners have developed suggestions for improvement of the green structure. Vanda's planning process started with public meetings where the citizens were valuing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats with the green areas. Smaller working groups were then further evolving this material. Local development committees were prioritising which the most important green areas are, as well as prioritising the suggestions for improvement of the green structure. A draft plan was made and sent out for consideration as well as presented at open meetings, changes were made and then the plan was finally approved upon.
Strengths with collaborative planning are that the knowledge of the citizens, planners and experts is combined. When local people can influence the green areas they become adapted to the local needs. The decisions taken get a better quality and conflicts are dealt with in an early stage.
Weaknesses with collaborative planning are that the process is more difficult to handle. The results are more difficult to present because it does not provide quantitative facts and clear analyses but is the result from a discussion and a learning process. Collaborative planning takes more time than traditional planning and therefore more resources are needed.


cademic and applied interest in customer satisfaction has centered around issues of measurement, modeling and management. While these are worthy topics, research and practice regarding them has been overly myopic. Focusing on the satisfaction of current customers will not be a sufficient basis to accomplish the ultimate goal for which it was designed – shaping strategic management of an organization. What is needed is a much broader set of metrics, coming from a broader set of sources and constituencies (i.e., stakeholders). Groups like prospective customers, lost customers, employees, investors and others need to be considered simultaneously. A broader set of metrics on these diverse groups needs to be captured, monitored, and explored as part of an integrated, interconnected network of causal interrelationships. Customer satisfaction must be put in its place as a necessary but not sufficient area for organizational research and management attention within this broader unified framework. After building a detailed case for that philosophy, some practical implementation methods are suggested. Two brief case study descriptions provide examples of how these ideas can be applied in strategic organizational contexts. PART I. THE PHILOSOPHY OF A BROADER PERSPECTIVE


The current research includes a psychometric test of a nursing home (NH) health information technology (HIT) maturity survey and staging model. NHs were assembled based on HIT survey scores from a prior study representing NHs with low (20%), medium (60%), and high (20%) HIT scores. Inclusion criteria were NHs that completed at least two annual surveys over 4 years. NH administrators were excluded who participated in the Delphi panel responsible for instrument recommendations. Recruitment occurred from January to May 2019. Administrators from 121 of 429 facilities completed surveys. NHs were characteristically for-profit, medium bed size, and metropolitan. A covariance matrix demonstrated that all dimensions and domains were significantly correlated, except HIT capabilities and integration in administrative activities. Cronbach's alpha was very good (0.86). Principal component analysis revealed all items loaded intuitively onto four components, explaining 80% variance. The HIT maturity survey and staging model can be used to assess nine dimensions and domains, total HIT maturity, and stage, leading to reliable assumptions about NH HIT. [Research in Gerontological Nursing, 15(2), 93-99.].


Abstract This article classifies housing development according to horizontal and vertical intensity in the administrative capitals of each of the Polish provinces. Moreover, the distribution of individual types of residential development is assessed on the example of Warsaw. The function of the place of residence is an elementary urban function which translates itself into a large share of residential development in its structure. It assumes different forms which depend on many factors, such as the location in the given region of the world, conditions of the natural environment, housing tradition or location in the city. It should be borne in mind that cities tend to be heterogeneous urban organisms in which different periods of their development overlap which is reflected in the variations in the appearance of development in its individual parts. The character of buildings changes together with distance from the city centre: the farther from it, the less urban the development tends to be, gradually turning into a rural one both within the city boundaries and outside them. The distribution of residential buildings was analysed with the use of measures of centrography, i.e. centre of gravity, standard deviation and the standard deviation ellipse. Data on residential buildings in the cities analysed was obtained from Polish official geodetic and cartographic databases (państwowy zasób geodezyjny i kartograficzny [PZGiK]) – in particular, Database of Topographic Objects. In turn, layers with land parcels come from the Land-Parcel Identification System [LPIS]. Further analyses use information regarding the vertical and horizontal intensity according to the classification proposed by S. Liszewski (1978).


The present work considers the training in risk perception carried out with a motorcycle simulator, the Honda Rider Trainer (henceforth HRT), and investigates the effect of the social setting on the trainees' performance. Through preliminary pilot studies a general procedure and three different social settings are defined: (a) a standard one (one trainee, one instructor); (b) standard with an audience of two schoolmates; and (c) two trainees and one instructor. The results show that in a school environment and with a careful procedure, the users'actions are aligned with the training purpose, and no gender difference emerges in the performance; also, the addition of a small audience, or a parallel training does not modify the trainees' ability to cope with risks.


We intend to carry out a series of plasma lens experiments at the Final Focus Test Beam facility at SLAC. These experiments will be the first to study the focusing of particle beams by plasma focusing devices in the parameter regime of interest for high energy colliders, and is expected to lead to plasma lens designs capable of unprecedented spot sizes. Plasma focusing of positron beams will be attempted for the first time. We will study the effects of lens aberrations due to various lens imperfections. Several approaches will be applied to create the plasma required including laser ionization and beam ionization of a working gas. At an increased bunch population of 2.5/spl times/10/sup 10/, tunneling ionization of a gas target by an electron beam-an effect which has never been observed before-should be significant. The compactness of our device should prove to be of interest for applications at the SLC and the next generation linear colliders.<<ETX>>


Bottom emitting organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) can suffer from lower external quantum efficiencies (EQE) due to inefficient out‐coupling of the generated light. Herein, it is demonstrated that the current efficiency and EQE of red, yellow, and blue fluorescent single layer polymer OLEDs is significantly enhanced when a MoOx(5 nm)/Ag(10 nm)/MoOx(40 nm) stack is used as the transparent anode in a top emitting OLED structure. A maximum current efficiency and EQE of 21.2 cd/A and 6.7%, respectively, was achieved for a yellow OLED, while a blue OLED achieved a maximum of 16.5 cd/A and 10.1%, respectively. The increase in light out‐coupling from the top‐emitting OLEDs led to increase in efficiency by a factor of up to 2.2 relative to the optimised bottom emitting devices, which is the best out‐coupling reported using solution processed polymers in a simple architecture and a significant step forward for their use in large area lighting and displays.


One of the challenges in organic light-emitting diodes research is finding ways to increase device efficiency by making use of the triplet excitons that are inevitably generated in the process of electroluminescence. One way to do so is by thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF), a process in which triplet excitons undergo upconversion to singlet states, allowing them to relax radiatively. The discovery of this phenomenon has ensued a quest for new materials that are able to effectively take advantage of this mechanism. From a theoretical standpoint, this requires the capacity to estimate the rates of the various processes involved in the photophysics of candidate molecules, such as intersystem crossing, reverse intersystem crossing, fluorescence, and phosphorescence. Here, we present a method that is able to, within a single framework, compute all of these rates and predict the photophysics of new molecules. We apply the method to two TADF molecules and show that results compare favorably with other theoretical approaches and experimental results. Finally, we use a kinetic model to show how the calculated rates act in concert to produce different photophysical behavior.


Aptamers are single-stranded oligonucleotide molecules that bind with high affinity and specificity to a wide range of target molecules. The method of systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) plays an essential role in the isolation of aptamers from a randomized oligonucleotide library. To date, significant modifications and improvements of the SELEX process have been achieved, engendering various forms of SELEX from conventional SELEX to microfluidics-based full-chip SELEX. While full-chip SELEX is generally considered advantageous over conventional SELEX, there has not yet been a conclusive comparison between the methods. Herein, we present a comparative study of three SELEX strategies for aptamer isolation, including those using conventional agarose bead-based partitioning, microfluidic affinity selection, and fully integrated microfluidic affinity selection and PCR amplification. Using immunoglobulin E (IgE) as a model target molecule, we compare these strategies in terms of the time and cost for each step of the SELEX process including affinity selection, amplification, and oligonucleotide conditioning. Target-binding oligonucleotides in the enriched pools are sequenced and compared to assess the relative efficacy of the SELEX strategies. We show that the microfluidic strategies are more time- and cost-efficient than conventional SELEX.


Electric furnace roof is an important device for electric steel making, whose heat preservation performance and life-span have a direct impact on the economic benefits of iron and steel enterprise. Considered contact behavior between prefabricate block, this paper establishes the complete CAD/CAE model of the electric furnace roof with finite element software based on the theory of transferring heating subject, and respectively calculates the stable temperature and stress field of the firebrick roof and the prefabricate block roof in last melting stage, as is advantageous to analyze the level and the distribution of temperature and stress of electric furnace roof. Copyright © 2013 IFSA.


The purpose of the study was to analyze and summarize information from the sources of scientific literature on nonspecific reactive hepatitis. Materials and methods. Analytical and bibliosemantic methods were used in the study. The search was performed in Google Scholar, NCBI, PUBMED and Web of Science databases using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) recommendations. Results and discussion. Acute and chronic liver diseases rank as one of the leading places in the structure of pathology of internal organs. The consequence of these diseases in many cases is the development of cirrhosis of the liver, which ranks 11th among the leading causes of death and 15th among the causes of morbidity in the world. Among hepatopathies, nonspecific reactive hepatitis (code K75.2 for ICD-10; DB97 for ICD-11) is rarely mentioned and diagnosed – secondary hepatitis caused by several endogenous and exogenous factors that reflect the liver's response to any somatic disease. There are few publications on this problem, but there are many publications on the deviation of liver function tests: bilirubin, alanine and aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase in many pathological conditions, including in critically ill patients regardless of their trauma, cardiac and acute surgical pathology, intestinal disorders. Frequent signs of hepatic dysfunction in many diseases, along with a small number of clinical diagnoses of nonspecific reactive hepatitis, indicate a problem of underdiagnosis, which can be explained by the lack of clear clinical, laboratory and instrumental signs of this disease. Determination of biomarkers of the liver function used in routine clinical practice requires qualitative and quantitative clarification, ultrasound is not always informative, and computed tomography is not always available. This indicates the urgency of the problem of defining the concept and criteria for the diagnosis of nonspecific reactive hepatitis and the need for large-scale clinical studies, especially in critical conditions of various etiologies, in the pathogenesis of which are hemodynamic disorders and systemic inflammatory response. Conclusion. The low diagnosis of nonspecific reactive hepatitis can be explained not only by the ignorance of doctors, but also by the lack of clear diagnostic criteria. The true prevalence of nonspecific reactive hepatitis does not correspond to the frequency of pathology in clinical diagnoses


The extinction risk of insular species with sessile life histories is expected to increase as they may be unable to track habitat in response to global climate change. Demogenetic simulations can couple population demography and niche modeling to produce spatially-explicit genetic and demographic information for all simulated individuals and provide insight into the effects of climate change at demographic and population genetic levels. We used CDMETAPOP to simulate a population of island night lizards (Xantusia riversiana) on Santa Barbara Island to evaluate its sensitivity to climate change to the year 2100 across 8 scenarios based on 2 climate models, 2 emissions pathways, and 2 connectivity models. We found that 1) X. riversiana is sensitive to climate change with SDMs predicting a loss of suitable habitat of 93%-98% by 2038, 2) population genetic structure is expected to increase drastically to 0.209-0.673 from approximately 0.0346, and 3) estimated minimum abundance is expected to declined sharply over the 2007 to 2038 period and reached values of 0-1% of the 2007 population size in all scenarios by 2100. Climate change is expected to decrease census population size and result in extant habitat patches that are isolated from one another with very high levels of genetic divergence over short periods of time. These patterns may drive the Santa Barbara Island population to extinction under certain scenarios. Management plans should address methods to improve connectivity on the island and attempt to create refugial patches. Contingency plans, such as translocation, may be required to prevent population extirpation. This study highlights the utility of demogenetic simulations in evaluating population demographic and genetic patterns under climate change with suggestions on workflows for running simulations in a high-throughput manner.


ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. elicitor, minimally processed, oxidation, phenolics, postharvest ABSTRACT. The effect of preharvest application of a newly developed second-generation harpin product (2G-Harpin) on shelf life of fresh-cut lettuce (Lactuca sativa) was investigated. The lettuce plants were grown in three locations in the United States: Watsonville, CA, Cedarville, NJ, and Yuma, AZ, and treated 5 days before harvest at 140, 280, and 420 gha -1 (30, 60, and 90 mgL -1 ). Lettuce processed and bagged were stored at 1 to 3 8C and evaluated for quality for 20 days. Lettuce from California treated with 2G-Harpin at 280 to 420 gha -1 consistently showed better visual quality and lower microbial population than the control. Overall results in New Jersey showed no major differences among treatments. In Arizona, microbial populationwas lower and visualquality was higher in lettuce treated at 280and 420 gha -1 during part of the storage period. In further experimentation, we examined the phenolic content of lettuce harvested 1 and 7 days after treatment with 2G-Harpin. The results showed that phenolic content was higher in all treated lettuce than in the control lettuce after 24 h. Six days later, the levels fell back to the initial stage. Antioxidants capacity increased by 40% in head leaves when plants were treated with 280 and 420 gha -1 2G-Harpin, but no change was observed in outer leaves. Overall, it was revealed that a field application of 2G-Harpin can improve quality of fresh-cut lettuce under environmental conditions that need to be determined. Our results with phenolic content and antioxidant activity suggested that improvement in quality is probably the result of alteration of metabolites' composition and demonstrated that increased phenolics do not correlate with lower quality of fresh-cut products.


The highest catalase activity (42.67×10 –2 µM×min –1×mg –1 of protein) in the cells of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans Ya-11 has been observed under the prolonged Pb(NO 3) 2 influence. In the presence of other heavy metals' salts it has been changed in dependence on their concentrations and growth duration. Based on our research data the row of heavy metals' salts by its influence on D. desulfuricans Ya-11 catalase activity has been formed at first: Pb(NO 3) 2 > CuCl 2 > CdCl 2 > ZnCl 2. The highest superoxide dismutase activity (61.52×10 –2 µM×min –1×mg –1 of protein) has been observed under the prolonged ZnCl 2 influence. In the presence of other heavy metals' salts this enzyme's activity increased with increasing the salts' concentrations. Based on our According to our results, the row of heavy metals' salts influence on D. desulfuricans Ya-11 superoxide dismutase activity has been formed at first: ZnCl 2 > Pb(NO 3) 2 > CuCl 2 > CdCl 2.


The authors study the proteins and enzymes release of resting and phagocytosing human leukocytes suspended in Krebs-Ringer-Phosphate milieu containing or not glucose. They measure the metabolic level and the percentage of enzymes release and show the influence of ATP on this phenomenon. These results are in favour of a direct action of ATP on the cellular membrane.


The sulfolipid sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol is one of the three nonphosphorous glycolipids that provide the bulk of the structural lipids in photosynthetic membranes of seed plants. Unlike the galactolipids, sulfolipid is anionic at physiological pH because of its 6-deoxy-6-sulfonate-glucose (sulfoquinovose) head group. The biosynthesis of this lipid proceeds in two steps: first, the assembly of UDP-sulfoquinovose from UDP-glucose and sulfite, and second, the transfer of the sulfoquinovose moiety from UDP-sulfoquinovose to diacylglycerol. The first reaction is catalyzed by the SQD1 protein in Arabidopsis. Here we describe the identification of the SQD2 gene of Arabidopsis. We propose that this gene encodes the sulfoquinovosyltransferase catalyzing the second step of sulfolipid biosynthesis. Expression of SQD1 and SQD2 in Escherichia coli reconstituted plant sulfolipid biosynthesis in this bacterium. Insertion of a transfer DNA into this gene in Arabidopsis led to complete lack of sulfolipid in the respective sqd2 mutant. This mutant showed reduced growth under phosphate-limited growth conditions. The results support the hypothesis that sulfolipid can function as a substitute of anionic phospholipids under phosphate-limited growth conditions. Along with phosphatidylglycerol, sulfolipid contributes to maintaining a negatively charged lipid–water interface, which presumably is required for proper function of photosynthetic membranes.


Many Computer Science Departments report problems with cheating in their courses. Some of these problems can occur in any university course, but others arise from the technilogical nature of computing courses and computing equipment. These special problems require special techniques for prevention and detection. This paper review the general cheating problem and the problems peculiar to computing courses, discuss techniques for preventing cheating ingredients and for dealing with incidents that do occur, and presents a policy statement previously distributed to students in courses at Carnegie Mellon.


This prospective, randomized study compared postoperative pain control with use of a continuous temperature-controlled cryotherapy system versus a traditional ice therapy regimen following outpatient knee arthroscopy. Patients with unilateral knee pathology scheduled for outpatient arthroscopic surgery were included. Patients with major ligament reconstructions were excluded. A specific cold therapy regimen was begun postoperatively and continued for 2 weeks as adjunctive management of postoperative pain. Preoperative and postoperative pain intensity, pain type, functionality, and sleep quality were assessed. Patients were randomly assigned to either an ice or a continuous cryotherapy group. Follow-up questionnaires were completed on 5 postoperative days. Data were analyzed using a chi-square test with a level of significance at P < 0.05. Fifty-three patients completed the study. Pain intensity was similar between groups throughout the course of the study. Among patients who reported experiencing night pain, 36% of those in the continuous cryotherapy group were able to sleep soundly with minimal awakening through postoperative day 2 versus 5.9% among the ice therapy group (P = 0.04). No significant differences existed between groups regarding functional ability, and no differences were noted on other follow-up days. These findings support use of continuous temperature-controlled cold therapy devices for nighttime pain control and improved quality of life in the early period following routine knee arthroscopy.


Summary A review of the present status of clinical management of children with acute leukemia has been presented. The literature on acute leukemia and its therapy has been critically surveyed with respect to ( a ) use of specific chemotherapeutic agents, ( b ) supportive treatment, and ( c ) the management of complications of the disease and of drug toxicity. Progress in more effective handling of the leukemic patient has been indicated by an increase in the number of useful drugs, prolongation of survival statistics, and better control of central nervous system involvement and hemorrhage.


Background Immunosupressive therapy, especially tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitors can induce viral reactivation and potentially fatal liver failure in patients with concurrent Hepatitis B virus (HBV) or Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. But the prevalence of HBV and HCV infections could differ according to geographic regions. Although it is suspected as the prevalance of HBV and HCV in patients with rheumatoid artritis (RA) and ankylosing spondilitis (AS) in not different from general population, multicenter countrywide studies are required to support this idea Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of HBsAg and Anti HCV seropositivity in RA and AS patients. Methods Totally 1514 (F:M=1176/338) RA and 854 (F:M=388/466) AS consecutive patients who were fulfilling ACR 1987 RA and ASAS-EULAR 2009 Spondyloarthropathies criteria and being regularly followed in Rheumatology outpatient clinic from the six different geographic areas of Turkey were recruited in this study. The prevalence of HBsAg and Anti HCV were retrospectively investigated and compared with general population data from "Turkish Hepatology Society" prevalence study that included 5465 healthy subjects. Results The mean age was 48.7±13.9 years in RA and 36.9±10.8 years in AS patients. The mean disease duration was 6.4±6.1 and 6.3±5.9 years, respectively. HBsAg prevalance was lower both RA and AS patients than general population [33 (2.2%), 25 (2.9%) and 218 (3.99%), respectively; p<0.01]. On the other hand Anti HCV prevalence was not different among the groups [15 (1%), 8 (0.9%) and 52 (0.95%), respectively; p>0.05] (see Table 1). Table 1. HBsAg and Anti HCV prevalence in RA,AS patients and general population HBsAg, n (%) Anti HCV, n (%) General population (n: 5465) 218 (3.99)* 52 (0.95) RA (n: 1514) 33 (2.2) 15 (1.0) AS (n: 854) 25 (2.9) 8 (0.9) *p<0.01, *vs RA and AS patients. HBsAg and Anti HCV seropositivity were higher in female than male patients in RA group (HBsAg; 3.9% vs 1.7, p=0.01 and Anti HCV; 1.3% vs 0%, respectively, p=0.03). However, no difference was observed in HBsAg and Anti HCV results between gender in the AS group. (HbsAg; 3.5% vs 2.6% and Anti HCV; %0.8 vs %1.1, respectively p>0.05). Conclusions Prevalence of HBsAg seropositivity in patients with RA and AS is lower than general population. Further studies are required about this low prevalence. Being a HBV carrier might decrease applying to hospital in patients with RA and AS. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


Ebola virus (EBOV) is a virus that is classified under Filoviridae family as a pathogenic organism. On March 2016, World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 28.646 cases caused by EBOV. Thus, it is important to find the antiviral drug for this disease because it can create the epidemic around the world. EBOV VP35 is a potential drug target because it has the component of the viral RNA polymerase complex that will hamper the host interferon (IFN) production. In this research, about 6.662 fragments were obtained from ZINC15 Biogenic Database after the Rules of Three, and pharmacological properties parameters were applied. After that, these fragments were docked into the active side of EBOV VP35 using MOE 2014.09 software. The potential fragments from previous docking simulations were linked each other, resulting 91 ligands in the process. Furthermore, the docking simulation was conducted again and discovered the best three ligands that have lower Gibbs free binding energy than the standards. Moreover, the pharmacological prediction tests were also done to find the ligand with excellent molecular properties. The best three ligands from these tests were continued into molecular dynamics simulation. In the end, we conclude that the LEB 31 ligand can be the new drug candidate as EBOV VP35 inhibitor based on molecular docking, pharmacological prediction test, and molecular dynamic.


Many vision-related processing tasks, including edge detection and image segmentation, can be performed more easily when all objects in the scene are in good focus. However, in practice, this may not be always feasible as optical lenses, especially those with long focal lengths, only have a limited depth of field. One classical approach to recover an everywhere-in-focus image is to use Laplacian pyramid image fusion. First, several source images with different focuses of the same scene are taken and decomposed into the low/high-frequency components image sequences. Within these decompositions, the high-frequency components image sequences with the largest magnitude are selected at each pixel location. Finally, the fused image can be recovered from the decomposed components image sequences. In the support vector machine (SVM), the pixels with larger support values have a physical meaning in the sense that they reveal relative more importance of the data points for contributing to the SVM model. In this paper, we use Laplacian pyramid for the multi resolution decomposition, and then replace the traditional salient features by support values of the mapped least squares (LS)-SVM for fusing image. Experimental results illustrate that the proposed method outperforms the traditional approach.


OBJECTIVE
To compare laparotomy closure with interrupted polyglactin 910 (Vicryl) and continuous polydioxanone (PDS II), and assess the mechanical and other factors that influenced the incidence of burst abdomen.

DESIGN
Retrospective study.

SETTING
University hospital, The Netherlands.

SUBJECTS
A random sample of 346 patients who did not burst their abdomens, taken from the total of 3768 patients who underwent primary midline laparotomy from 1986-1990, together with the 45 (1%) from the total series who did burst their abdomens.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Incidence of burst abdomen, and the association with mechanical and others risk factors.

RESULTS
There were no differences in the incidence of burst abdomen between those sutured with interrupted polyglactin 910 and those sutured with continuous polydioxanone (p = 0.12). Layered closure resulted in significantly more burst abdomens than any other method of closure (p < 0.001 in each case). Postoperative wound infection (14/43, 33%, compared with 33/343 10%) and pulmonary complications (25/43, 58%, compared with 44/344, 13%) were also significantly associated with the development of burst abdomens (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS
A continuous, monofilament, absorbable suture should be used to close a laparotomy incision. Elastic suture material, loop sutures, an the continuous figure-of-eight technique should be investigated.


A methodology for assessing the effectiveness of command, control, and communications systems is extended to include timeliness. The assessment is based on comparing the properties of the system to the mission requirements when both are expressed as loci in a commensurate space of measures of performance. The methodology for evaluating measures of effectiveness is illustrated through application to an idealized fire support system.


This article describes our approach to quantifying the characteristics of meteors such as temperature, chemical composition, and others. The program includes new algorithms for estimating temperature, heat radiation emitted by a fireball, and spectra of meteors containing emission lines. We are using a new approach based on colourimetry. We analyze an image of Leonid meteor-6230 obtained by Mike Hankey in 2012. Analysis of the temporal features of the meteoroid trail is performed. The main fluctuations in the brightness and wobbling of the meteor trail are observed at a frequency of about 3 Hz. The brightness variations in the integrated light are about 3%. The amplitude of the wobbling is about 2%. For determining the meteor characteristics we use the "tuning technique" in combination with a simulation model of intrusion. The progenitor of the meteor was found as an object weighing 900 kg at a speed of 36.5 km/s. The meteoroid reached a critical value of the pressure at an altitude of about 29 km in a time of about 4.6 sec with a residual mass of about 20 kg, and a residual speed of about 28 km/s. At this moment, a meteoroid exploded and destroyed. We use the meteor multicolour light curves revealed from a DSLR image in the RGB colour standard. We switch from the RGB colour system to Johnson's RVB colour system introducing colour corrections. This allows one to determine the colour characteristics of the meteor radiation. We are using a new approach based on colourimetry. Colourimetry of BGR three-beam light curves allows the identification of the brightest spectral lines. Our approach based on colourimetry allows direct measurements of temperature in the meteor trail. We find a part of the trajectory where the meteoroid radiates as an absolutely black body. The R/G and B/G light curves ratio allow one to identify the wavelengths of the emission lines using the transmission curves of the RGB filters. At the end of the trajectory, the meteoroid radiates in the lines Ca II H, K 393, 397 nm, Fe I 382, 405 nm, Mg I 517 nm, Na I 589 nm, as well as atmospheric O I 779 nm.


The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) and the TDRS System (TDRSS) form the basis for NASA's Space Network (SN) originally intended for manned spaceflight communications. While admirably serving this function, the TDRSS can also provide alternate communications for a variety of low-power operational requirements. This includes the use of Short Messaging Services (SMS) with personal-sized devices where small amounts of text can be communicated over beyond line-of-sight distances (BLOS). TDRS's high-gain Ku-band antennas enable BLOS communication to low-power Personal Communications Devices (PCD). In analyzing these communication links, several factors must be considered and alternatives studied to obtain optimum performance. This paper addresses several such factors including link parameters, link closure, data rates, suitable error correction and coding, antenna constraints, transmit power, and area coverage and their relationship in establishing a high-probability of successful communication. Overall, this paper presents a functional concept including practical considerations using TDRSS for SMS with personal communications devices.


The aim of this study was to compare the chemical composition of three spelt wheat cultivars harvested at the milk-dough stage (MDS) and at the fully ripe stage (FRS) in the organic farm in Poland. Green grain of cv. 'Oberkulmer Rotkorn' harvested at MDS showed a significantly higher content of P, K, Ca, Zn, Fe, Na and B, compared to grain harvested at FRS. In unripe grain of cv. 'Rokosz', the content of N, K, Zn, Mn and Na was significantly higher than in ripe grain at FRS. In the case of cv. 'Wirtas', the P, K, Mg, Ca, Zn, Mn and B content determined at MDS was higher than that found in ripe grain at FRS. The content of Lys, Met, Ala and Tyr in green grain of all the cultivars evaluated was higher than that determined at FRS. However, when the grain was harvested at the fully ripe stage, the increase of Arg, His, Leu, Phe, Val, Glu, Pro and Ser was found. The content of fat and α-linolenic fatty acid in green grain of spelt was higher than in ripe grain. The presence of cinnamic and dicarboxylic acids was only found in spelt harvested at MDS. Unripe grain was also characterized by a higher content of hydroxy and phenolic acids.


The authors present a new design of rotor shape of interior permanent magnet motor. Improvements of the flux concentration combined with the Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) method are applied in this article. The significantly selected harmonic contents of the air-gap flux density are reduced by this technique. Therefore, an obtained back Electromotive Forces (EMF) are of better quality. The essential consideration allows reducing the eddy current losses in the solid rotor as same as in the magnets.


Pliensbachian and Toarcian ostracods are described from an interbedded marlstone/carbonate-mud •sequence in South-West England. Sediments of this age in other parts of Britain rarely offer a lithology favourable to the examination of calcareous microfossils. The fauna possesses similarities with other European sequences, particularly to the south. The presence of one species, Ektyphocythere dharennsourensis Boutakiout, Donze & Oulmalch, 1982 suggests possible links with North-West Africa at this time.


In this paper the influence of epinephrine on the isolated papillary muscle has been investigated with respect to the myocardial effects of enflurane and halothane. The contractile properties have been described under isotonic conditions by the parameters "muscle length change", "velocity of shortening and under isometric conditions by the parameters "peak tension" and "maximum rate of tension development". The studies led to the following results: 1. Halothane and enflurane cause a dose-dependent decrease of the contractile properties of the cat papillary muscle. Averaged for all parameters the mycocardial depressant effect of halothane is 2.6 times higher than that of enflurane, referring to equal concentrations. 2. Epinephrine has a positive inotropic effect which is most pronounced under isotonic mode of contraction for "velocity of shortening" and during isometric conditions for "maximum rate of tension development". 3. The positive inotropic effect of epinephrine is partially neutralized by halothane and enflurane. There is, however, evidence that the relative decrease of contractility due to halothane and enflurane is diminished by epinephrine. This finding shows that the myocardial effects of inhalation anaesthetics are overestimated in in-vitro-experiments (because of the lack of exogenous epinephrine) in contrast to experiments with intact animals. As this finding is referring to both halothane and enflurane, there is no specific difference to be found concerning the myocardial effects in comparative studies, including both in-vitro and in-vivo conditions.


As the development of the encoder-decoder architecture, researchers are able to study the text generation tasks with broader types of data. Among them, KB-to-text aims at converting a set of knowledge triples into human readable sentences. In the original setting, the task assumes that the input triples and the text are exactly aligned in the perspective of the embodied knowledge/information. In this paper, we extend this setting and explore how to facilitate the trained model to generate more informative text, namely, containing more information about the triple entities but not conveyed by the input triples. To solve this problem, we propose a novel memory augmented generator that employs a memory network to memorize the useful knowledge learned during the training and utilizes such information together with the input triples to generate text in the operational or testing phase. We derive a dataset from WebNLG for our new setting and conduct extensive experiments to investigate the effectiveness of our model as well as uncover the intrinsic characteristics of the setting.


Abstract The crystal structures of natural Nb-rich chevkinite-(Ce) from the Biraya rare-metal deposit, Russia, crystallizing in space groups C2/m and P21/a, were solved and refined to R1 = 0.03 and R1= 0.07, respectively, from data collected with a single-crystal diffractometer. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to determine the oxidation states of the following ions: Ce3+, Fe2+, Fe3+, Ti4+, and Ti3+. Typically, Nb-rich chevkinite-(Ce) has space group C2/m, but specimens with space group P21/a were also identified. While XPS shows that both C2/m and P21/a crystal structures contain Ti4+ and Ti3+, it also indicates that Ti2+ may occur in the P21/a phases. The general formula for the Nb-rich chevkinite-(Ce) having space group C2/m is (Ce3+,La3+,Nd3+,Pr3+,Ca2+,Na+)∑4Fe2+(Fe3+,Nb5+,Al3+)∑2 (Ti4+,Ti3+,Nb5+,Mg2+)∑2(Si2O7)2O8 and with P21/a is (Ce3+,La3+,Nd3+,Pr3+,Ca2+,Na+)∑4(Fe2+,Mg2+,Ti2+)∑1 (Fe3+,Nb5+,Al3+)∑2(Ti4+,Ti3+,Nb5+)∑2(Si2O7)2O8. It is proposed that, in addition to the substitution CFe3+ + DTi4+ ↔ CFe2+ + DNb5+, niobium can also be incorporated into chevkinite-(Ce) by the substitution 2DTi4+ ↔ DNb5+ + DTi3+, leading to substantial Nb-enrichment. The study has revealed that the distribution of cations between the various structural sites is considerably more complex than that envisaged in standard models of the chevkinite group, and that cations such as Ti can have more than one valency in the structure. Lighter elements with larger ionic radii (Mg2+) tend to occupy the D site in the C2/m crystal structure, whereas in the P21/a structure these elements (Mg2+, Ti2+) tend to enter the B site. Niobium is distributed between the C and D sites. The techniques employed provide a comprehensive representation of the distribution of cations and can be used to examine similar complexity in other mineral groups. The present study has shown that Nb can also be fractionated from residual melts.


We prove that decision trees exhibit the
"approximate fingerprint" property,
and therefore are not polynomially learnable
using only equivalence queries.
A slight modification of the proof
extends this result to several other representation classes
of boolean concepts which have been studied in
computational learning theory.


In the electric fuse operation the arcing period follows immediately the pre-arcing period depicted in Part 1 (Part 1. Pre-arcing period). The transition between these two operation steps is not fully understood at this time. To simplify the beginning of the arcing period can be identified with the electric arc ignition i.e. with the electrodes voltage drop. The consecutive plasma is of metallic type at the beginning of the arcing period and of metallic plus silica type with varying mixture up to the end of the arcing period. The energy brought by the fault current is withdrawn by means of the interaction between the electric arc and the arc quenching material (usually silica sand) whose morphometric properties influence the properties of the plasma column: composition, thermodynamic properties and transport coefficients of the plasma column depend on the porosity (and other morphometric properties) of the filler. The fuse element erosion also known as burn-back is responsible for the lengthening of the plasma column and the variations of the electric field. The whole of these processes is depicted by means of experimental results or modellings when possible.


Pituitary adenoma (PA) is prevalent in the general population. Due to its severe complications and aggressive infiltration into the surrounding brain structure, the effective management of PA is required. Till now, no drug has been approved for treating non-functional PA, and the removal of cancerous cells from the pituitary is still under experimental investigation. Due to its superior specificity and safety profile, immunotherapy stands as one of the most promising strategies for dealing with PA refractory to the standard treatment, and various studies have been carried out to discover immune-related gene markers as target candidates. However, the lists of gene markers identified among different studies are reported to be highly inconsistent because of the greatly limited number of samples analyzed in each study. It is thus essential to substantially enlarge the sample size and comprehensively assess the robustness of the identified immune-related gene markers. Herein, a novel strategy of direct data integration (DDI) was proposed to combine available PA microarray datasets, which significantly enlarged the sample size. First, the robustness of the gene markers identified by DDI strategy was found to be substantially enhanced compared with that of previous studies. Then, the DDI of all reported PA-related microarray datasets were conducted to achieve a comprehensive identification of PA gene markers, and 66 immune-related genes were discovered as target candidates for PA immunotherapy. Finally, based on the analysis of human protein–protein interaction network, some promising target candidates (GAL, LMO4, STAT3, PD-L1, TGFB and TGFBR3) were proposed for PA immunotherapy. The strategy proposed together with the immune-related markers identified in this study provided a useful guidance for the development of novel immunotherapy for PA.


A vision based system is presented for controlling multiple robot platforms in real time using imagery from a top view video camera. This article is a system paper that demonstrates the advantages of computer vision for robot control. A control loop using vision feedback allows creation of a robust working system while greatly reducing the complexity of the rest of the system. Planar marker pattern marker detection is an example of computer vision that is robust enough with today¿s technology for industry, and is employed for locating the robots with passive vision. Image processing in software obviates the need for complex systems for odometry, sonar, etc normally found in robotics. The control of two robotic platforms is achieved with the simplest possible hardware, with computer vision as the only feedback in the system. A system is shown and described where a user can choose desired locations for the robots, which are guided around obstacles to their destinations using ARToolkit marker patterns detected in imagery from a stationary digital video camera.


Objective: Residual bacteria under restorations can survive and proliferate even in the presence of a good seal. This can be prevented using adjunctive treatment with antibacterial agents during dentin bonding. However, its use can interfere with the bonding process. The current research was designed to study the influence of pretreatment with 2% chlorhexidine (CHX) gluconate (Consepsis), and ozonated water on shear bond strength, and microleakage of resin-modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC) to primary tooth dentin. Materials and Methods: Thirty-six noncarious primary molars were selected, and the study was conducted in two parts as follows: evaluation of (1) Shear bond strength and (2) Microleakage. The teeth were randomly divided into three groups as follows: group I – Distilled water (control), Group II – 2% CHX gluconate, and Group III – ozonated water. The shear bond test was done using a Universal Testing Machine (Instron, USA). The results were analyzed using one-way ANOVA for multiple group comparisons and post hoc Tukey's for group-wise comparison. Microleakage was evaluated using stereo microscope. The results were statistically analyzed using the Chi-square test for group-wise comparison. Results: Bond strength was comparable across the three groups with distilled water showing the highest bond strength values followed by ozone group and 2% CHX group. CHX group showed significantly greater microleakage when compared with that of the ozone group. Interpretation and Conclusion: Ozonated water did not affect the shear bond strength or the sealing ability of RMGIC to primary tooth dentin, and hence is a viable option for cavity disinfection.


Viability and biological integrity of tumour cells circulating in the blood were studied in an experimental system using bioassay methods. Results of subcutaneous and intravenous retransplantation as well as explantation of the blood obtained from tumour-bearing animals previously receiving intravenous inoculation of tumour cell suspension (Yoshida sarcoma, Walker 256 carcinosarcoma and DMBA-induced myeloid ascitic leukaemia), revealed that the tumour cells detected in the blood are not only viable at the time of their transportation in the blood-stream but are also in possession of biologic potentials to proliferate and establish metastatic growths in organs.


The principles of assimilation and accommodation are applicable to missions in that the aim of missionary effort involves presenting new concepts to change ideas and behavior. Development of appropriate personal use of vernacular Scriptures is a goal of much mission strategy. Literacy activities play a major role in attainment of that goal. Research literature on cognition and literacy is thus presented to demonstrate that assimilation and accommodation are applicable on three significant levels of literacy activity: (a) A broad culture-wide level, (b) a narrow materials-preparation level, and (c) a midrange program-planning level.


BACKGROUND
The learning process of the basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation guide (CPR) requires the memorization and retention of huge loads of information. Also, the undergraduate physicians (UGP) frequently take part in cardiopulmonary resuscitation events that reinforce the learning. Our objective was to evaluate the UGP learning of CPR during the year of the internship.

METHODS
UGP from three different generations attended a CPR course during their internship year. Their learning and retention was evaluated with the scores obtained from a validated questionnaire applied at the end of the course (M1) and then, after 6 (M2) and 12 months (M3). Each group was integrated with 31 UGP and was compared inside and between groups.

RESULTS
There was no statistical difference in the averages between the three groups during measurements: M1, M2, and M3. The average scores between M1 and M3, decreased to 28 % for group I, 32 % for group II and 31 % for group III, with p = 0.001 in the three groups.

CONCLUSIONS
The main determinant of learning was the a posteriori practices during cardiopulmonary resuscitation events and the application of the repetitions during the practice of the protocol of CPR.


Summary

1
Cleistogenes is an important perennial grass genus found in the pastoral steppes of eastern Inner Mongolia. Despite its dominance in many grassland types, the value of Cleistogenes as a key genus for sustainable grassland development has only recently been recognized. To understand better how to manage Cleistogenes-dominant grasslands, an experiment was conducted in China, to characterize the growth patterns of two Cleistogenes species (C. polyphylla and C. squarrosa) in relation to environmental parameters.

2
Sampling exclosures were established on uniform grasslands at Mangha and Liuhe gachas. Over two growing seasons (1999–2000) vegetation cover, green and dry biomass by species, species height and tiller density of Cleistogenes were measured at about monthly intervals starting in mid-May and ending in mid-October. Cleistogenes polyphylla at Mangha and C. squarrosa at Liuhe accounted for > 50% of green biomass. Neither species made any significant growth before late June, even though soil moisture was available and a large number of tillers were present that had survived the subzero winter intact. In contrast, other species (Prunus sibirica, Potentilla spp. Aneurolepidium chinense) produced up to 500 kg ha−1 biomass in early spring.

3
A relationship between temperature and green weight (wt) tiller−1 indicated that Cleistogenes required an average air temperature > 20 °C to initiate growth, most probably due to its C4 photosynthetic pathway. In this region, temperatures above 20 °C also coincide with periods of most reliable rainfall, which may explain the success of Cleistogenes in grassland degraded by overgrazing. In contrast, competing C3 species (e.g. Stipa spp. and Aneurolepidium chinense) initiate growth earlier in spring when rainfall is highly variable and when small plants are most exposed to severe grazing pressure by livestock emerging from winter in poor condition.

4
Where Cleistogenes spp. completely dominated the grassland, the length of the growing season was shorter and feed shortages in early spring became more acute than for grasslands dominated by C3 species. Livestock producers can minimize this effect by adopting management tactics such as resting pastures in spring to maintain a balance between C3 and C4 perennial grasses. Further research is needed to establish when grazing and strategic rest have most impact on the stability of Cleistogenes-dominant grasslands.


Terpenoids form a substantial portion of chemical diversity in nature. The enormous terpenoid diversity of more than 80,000 compounds is supported by the multisubstrate and multiproduct nature of certain enzymes from the various terpene synthases and terpene cyclases. These highly versatile enzymes are not only able to accept multiple substrates in their active site, but also simultaneously catalyze multiple reactions to the resultant multiple products. Interestingly, apart from the substrates and catalytic mechanisms, multiple regulation factors are able to alter the product profile of multiproduct terpene synthases. Simple variations in cellular conditions by changes in metal cofactors, assay pH, temperature and substrate geometry lead to significant shifts in product profiles. Switch in substrate stereochemistry for multiproduct terpene synthases in some case shows enhanced biocatalysis and in others initiates even a novel cyclization cascade. Hence, organisms can get access to a greater chemodiversity and avoid the expensive process of developing new biocatalysts just by simple changes in the cellular environment. This possibility of modulating chemical diversity provides immobile plants in the same generation access to an enhanced chemical arsenal for defense and communication by simply altering cofactors, pH level, and temperature and substrate geometry.


Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is related with all-cause mortality. Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) has been widely studied in dyslipidemia, and several studies have indicated that Cav-1 genetic variations may correlate with dietary intake of fatty acids. The aim of the current study was therefore to evaluate the interaction of Cav-1 rs3807992 with types of dietary fatty acid in MetS risk factor status Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 404 overweight and obese females. Dietary intake was obtained from a 147-item FFQ. The CAV-1 genotype was measured using the PCR-RFLP method. Anthropometric values and serum levels (TC, LDL, HDL, TG, FBS) were measured by standard methods. Results: It was observed that the (AA+AG) group had significantly higher BMI, WC and DBP (P=0.02, P=0.02 and P=0.01, respectively) and lower serum LDL, HDL and TC (P < 0.05) than the GG group. It was found that A allele carriers were at higher odds of MetS (P= 0.01), abdominal obesity (P=0.06), increased TG concentration (P=0.01), elevated blood pressure (BP) (P=0.01), increased glucose concentration (P=0.45), and decreased HDL-cholesterol concentration (P=0.03). Moreover, the interaction of Cav-1 and SFA intake was significant in terms of MetS (P=0.01), LDL (P=0.03), DBP (P=0.01) and LDL/HDL (P=0.05). Additionally, the (AA+AG) group was significantly related to PUFA intake in terms of MetS (P=0.04), TG (P=0.02), glucose (P=0.02) and HOMA-IR (P= 0.01). Conclusions: Higher PUFA consumption might attenuate the Cav-1 rs3807992 associations with MetS, and individuals with greater genetic predisposition appeared to have a higher risk of MetS, associated with higher SFA consumption To date, studies on this polymorphism have been animal studies and have not been performed on healthy and obese human society For the first time , this study provides information on the interaction of different fatty acids with the Caveolin gene, which is functionally effective in lipid metabolism


Wondimagegn Wondimu 1 Lamessa Dube Teshome Kabeta 2 1Mizan Tepi University, College of Health Science, Department of Public Health, Mizan Aman, Ethiopia; 2Jimma University, Faculty of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Jimma, Ethiopia Background: Tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection was responsible for approximately 300,000 deaths worldwide in 2017. Despite this burden of death, factors associated with the survival of TB-HIV co-infected patients were not adequately studied; and some of the existing evidences are inconsistent. This study was aimed to identify factors associated with survival rates of TB/HIV co-infected patients. Methods: The current study was a retrospective analysis of data extracted from 364 TB/HIV co-infected patients treated at Mizan Tepi University Teaching Hospital, Ethiopia, during the years 2007–2017. Time to event was measured from the date of TB treatment initiation till death, loss to follow-up or completion of treatment. Since the event was death, patients lost from follow-up and those on follow-up were considered as censored. Using Cox-regression, the 95% CI of hazard ratio (HR) and P-value <0.05 were used to identify the significant variables in multivariable analysis. Results: All the 364 patients were followed up for 1654 person-months. There were 83 (22.8%) deaths and the majority, 38 (45.8%), were occurring within the first two months of anti-TB treatment initiation. The overall incidence rate and median survival time were 5.02 per 100 person-months (95% CI: 4.05, 6.22) and 10 months, respectively. Not using CPT (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] =1.72; P=0.023), bedridden functional status (AHR=2.55; P=0.007), not disclosing HIV status (AHR=4.03; P<0.001) and CD4 < 200 cells/mm (AHR=6.05; P<0.001) were factors associated with survival rates of TB/HIV co-infected patients. Conclusion: Our finding signals that care and attention should be given to the victims of these synergistic diseases. There is room to improve the survival of the patients if those with low CD4 count and bedridden functional status are closely monitored; and if CPT is promptly initiated with encouraging HIV status disclosure.


Quantum photonics holds great promise for future technologies such as secure communication, quantum computation, quantum simulation, and quantum metrology. An outstanding challenge for quantum photonics is to develop scalable miniature circuits that integrate single-photon sources, linear optical components, and detectors on a chip. Plasmonic nanocircuits will play essential roles in such developments. However, for quantum plasmonic circuits, integration of stable, bright, and narrow-band single photon sources in the structure has so far not been reported. Here we present a plasmonic nanocircuit driven by a self-assembled GaAs quantum dot. Through a planar dielectric-plasmonic hybrid waveguide, the quantum dot efficiently excites narrow-band single plasmons that are guided in a two-wire transmission line until they are converted into single photons by an optical antenna. Our work demonstrates the feasibility of fully on-chip plasmonic nanocircuits for quantum optical applications.


In order to examine whether catalyst granular size was a factor for tar removal and syngas composition enhancement, three Ni/char catalysts with 90-100 mesh (Ni/SC), 50-60 mesh (Ni/MC), and 20-30 mesh (Ni/LC) size were prepared with a mechanical mixing method and tested in an updraft gasifier. Reforming parameters investigated were the reaction temperature (650-850 C), the Ni loading (5-20% of the weight of char support), and the gas residence time (0.1-1.2 s). It was found that the catalyst granular size affected the diffusion of reactants, as well as of products. Ni/SC, Ni/MC, and Ni/LC removed more than 96.5% of the tars in syngas at 800 C reforming temperature, 15 wt. % Ni loading, and 0.3 s gas residence time. Tar removal efficiencies increased with the decrease of Ni/char granular size, which can be attributed to the higher active surface area with the Ni/SC catalyst. As the catalyst granular size was increased, the H2 content in the syngas was increased and the CO content was significantly decreased. The total amount of combustible gases (H2, CO, and CH4) obtained in the syngas with Ni/MC was higher than with Ni/SC or Ni/LC. It was concluded that Ni/char, especially Ni/MC, can be considered as an effective and inexpensive catalyst for biomass gasification tar removal and syngas conditioning.


Summary Introduction: Clinical decision support science is expanding to include integration from broader and more varied data sources, diverse platforms and delivery modalities, and is responding to emerging regulatory guidelines and increased interest from industry. Objective: Evaluate key advances and challenges of accessing, sharing, and managing data from multiple sources for development and implementation of Clinical Decision Support (CDS) systems in 2016-2017. Methods: Assessment of literature and scientific conference proceedings, current and pending policy development, and review of commercial applications nationally and internationally. Results: CDS research is approaching multiple landmark points driven by commercialization interests, emerging regulatory policy, and increased public awareness. However, the availability of patient-related "Big Data" sources from genomics and mobile health, expanded privacy considerations, applications of service-based computational techniques and tools, the emergence of "app" ecosystems, and evolving patient-centric approaches reflect the distributed, complex, and uneven maturity of the CDS landscape. Nonetheless, the field of CDS is yet to mature. The lack of standards and CDS-specific policies from regulatory bodies that address the privacy and safety concerns of data and knowledge sharing to support CDS development may continue to slow down the broad CDS adoption within and across institutions. Conclusion: Partnerships with Electronic Health Record and commercial CDS vendors, policy makers, standards development agencies, clinicians, and patients are needed to see CDS deployed in the evolving learning health system.


Dear Editor We read with great interest the article by Dudding et al. on rapid rescreening. Although we are unable to present statistical analysis, we would like to brie ̄y report the procedures we use in our laboratory. First, we cover all the slide with speed movement using objective 4x at approximately 30 s, so that cytologist can: · evaluate the `cell pattern', immediately excluding several smears, e.g. some of the atrophic ones; · detect the presence of endocervical component; · detect suspicious areas to evaluate with objective 10x; · pick up microbiopsies. Since the small cells of high grade lesions may not be seen at this magni®cation, for their search and for the serendipitous ®nding of sparse abnormal cells, we switch to the `step' technique at approximately 30 s using objective 10x according to Figure 1(a) in Dudding et al.'s paper. Although we agree with the authors' statement that there is no perfect approach to rapid rescreening, we would like to hear of other cytologists' experiences on procedures which di€er from those described by Dudding et al., in order to improve and eventually standardize the methodology.


Neospora caninum is a protozoan of great importance for livestock, mainly by causing reproductive diseases in cattle. Gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) may be a model to reproduce experimental acute neosporosis of cattle. In this study two groups of gerbils were formed (n=10) and gerbils were inoculated with N. caninum tachyzoites (NC-1 strain) at two different doses appropriate to cause acute neosporosis: 5x10 6 tachyzoites ml -1 (G1) or 5x10 5 tachyzoites ml -1 (G2). Brain, spinal cord, heart, lung, liver, kidneys and spleen were collected and PCR was performed using samples of these tissues and organs. DNA of N. caninum was detected in at least five tissues for most animals (12/20; 60%) considering both groups. In group 1, the frequency of DNA detection, evaluating all samples, was higher (52/70; 74.28%) compared to group 2 (38/70; 54.28%). These results showed that the protozoan replicated efficiently after inoculation spreading by several tissues. Also, was demonstrated that gerbils can be used as model for acute infection with N. caninum showing clinical signs of neosporosis.


Mesoscale anticyclonic eddies in the Irminger Sea are observed using a mooring and a glider. Between 2002 and 2009, the mooring observed 53 anticyclones. Using a kinematic model, objective estimates of eddy length scales and velocity structure are made for 16 eddies. Anticyclones had a mean core diameter of 12 km, and their mean peak observed azimuthal speed was 0.1 m s(-1). They had core salinities and potential temperatures of 34.91-34.98 and 4.488-5.34 degrees C, respectively, making them warm and salty features. These properties represent a typical salinity anomaly of 0.03 and a temperature anomaly of 0.28 degrees C from noneddy values. All eddies had small (<< 1) Rossby numbers. In 2006, the glider observed two anticyclones having diameters of about 20 km and peak azimuthal speeds of about 0.3 m s(-1). Similar salinity anomalies were detected throughout the Irminger Sea by floats profiling in anticyclones. Two formation regions for the eddies are identified: one to the west of the Reykjanes Ridge and the other off the East Greenland Irminger Current near Cape Farewell close to the mooring. Observations indicate that eddies formed in the former region are larger than eddies observed at the mooring. A clear increase in eddy salinity is observed between 2002 and 2009. The observed breakup of these eddies in winter implies that they are a source of salt for the central gyre. The anticyclones are similar to those found in both the Labrador Sea and Norwegian Sea, making them a ubiquitous feature of the subpolar North Atlantic basins.


Organismal movement is ubiquitous and facilitates important ecological mechanisms that drive community and metacommunity composition and hence biodiversity. In most existing ecological theories and models in biodiversity research, movement is represented simplistically, ignoring the behavioural basis of movement and consequently the variation in behaviour at species and individual levels. However, as human endeavours modify climate and land use, the behavioural processes of organisms in response to these changes, including movement, become critical to understanding the resulting biodiversity loss. Here, we draw together research from different subdisciplines in ecology to understand the impact of individual‐level movement processes on community‐level patterns in species composition and coexistence. We join the movement ecology framework with the key concepts from metacommunity theory, community assembly and modern coexistence theory using the idea of micro–macro links, where various aspects of emergent movement behaviour scale up to local and regional patterns in species mobility and mobile‐link‐generated patterns in abiotic and biotic environmental conditions. These in turn influence both individual movement and, at ecological timescales, mechanisms such as dispersal limitation, environmental filtering, and niche partitioning. We conclude by highlighting challenges to and promising future avenues for data generation, data analysis and complementary modelling approaches and provide a brief outlook on how a new behaviour‐based view on movement becomes important in understanding the responses of communities under ongoing environmental change.


Knowing the potential maximum photoautotrophic growth rate for planktonic primary producers is fundamental to our understanding of trophic and biogeochemical processes, and of importance in applied phycology. When day-integrated C-specific growth is considered over natural light:dark cycles, plausible RuBisCO activity (Kcat coupled with cellular RuBisCO content) caps growth to less than a few doubling per day. Prolonged periods of C-specific growth rates above ca. 1.3 d−1 thus appear increasingly implausible. Discrepancies between RuBisCO-capped rates and reported microalgal-specific growth rates, including temperature–growth rate relationships, may be explained by transformational errors in growth rate determinations made by reference to cell counts or most often chlorophyll, or by extrapolations from short-term measurements. Coupled studies of enzyme activity and day-on-day C-specific growth rates are required to provide definitive evidence of high growth rates. It seems likely, however, that selective pressure to evolve a RuBisCO with a high Kcat (with a likely concomitant increase in Km for CO2) would be low, as other factors such as light limitation (developing during biomass growth due to self-shading), nutrient limitations, CO2 depletion and pH elevation, would all rapidly depress realized specific growth rates.


There is an increasing demand amongst resource managers for cost-effective watershed-scale inventories of riparian buffer condition and function. Recent developments in image processing software and decreasing satellite imagery costs enable a new methodology that can help meet this demand. ASTER satellite imagery, which has 15 metre pixel size, is processed with image segmentation software to identify riparian buffers and stands of riparian vegetation. Field data from a stratified sample of locations are used to identify the attributes of the riparian buffers (such as Manning's n) adjacent to different land uses. Field data are also used to identify the attributes of the riparian vegetation (such as average diameter at breast height and average tree height). These attributes are then spatially extrapolated across a large (16 000 km 2 ) watershed using a land use and vegetation classification derived from remote sensing. An independent set of field data is used to assess the classification accuracy and to assess the reliability of the attributes predicted by the classification. The spatially extrapolated attributes are used to calculate indices that describe some of the functions performed by riparian buffers and riparian vegetation at a whole-of-watershed scale. These function indices describe the hydrologic, geomorphic and ecological functions of the riparian zone. The hydrologic index describes runoff interception while the geomorphic indices describe sediment trapping, and bank reinforcement. The geochemical index describes pollutant trapping. The ecological indices describe stream shading and large wood recruitment. This paper contains a description and discussion of these indices, with some illustrative results for the large wood recruitment index. A more detailed description of the theory and results of the large wood recruitment index are contained in a companion paper. KEY TERMS: vegetation mapping; watershed, riparian functions, prioritization


Limited data are available on the management of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in East European countries. The diagnostic tools and most treatment options are also available in Eastern Europe. The diagnostic procedures commonly used became more sophisticated in the past few years, with a greater use of computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging and serology testing; however, double contrast barium enema, enteroclysis, and endoscopy remained standard. The medical therapy and surgical strategies are also somewhat different from those applied in Western countries. In ulcerative colitis, besides mesalazine, the use of sulphasalazine is still frequent, while azathioprine is only used in a minority of patients. The use of conventional corticosteroids is common and the rate of non-colorectal cancer associated colectomies is low. In contrast, 5-aminosalicylates are still used for maintenance in Crohn's disease and azathioprine is generally less frequently given compared with Western Europe. Biological agents have also become available about five years ago, yet their use is restricted mainly to specialised centres.


Three staff development workshops were conducted with 25 teachers in a rural school district in the Southeast. Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group and asked to complete a pre-survey measuring their Internet usage, confidence, and self-efficacy. Participants in the experimental group kept in daily contact with the researcher/workshop trainer via the LISTSERV. During the last workshop, a post-survey was administered to determine if changes in teachers' behavior, confidence, or self-efficacy occurred. In addition, interviews were conducted with six of the participants from the experimental group. Results of the statistical analysis indicated that, although there were significant gains in Internet usage for both groups, there was no statistical difference between the experimental and control group on the post-survey with regard to Internet usage, confidence, or self-efficacy. However, teachers in the control group reported in qualitative interviews that they benefited from the sustained interaction, convenience, and teacher collaboration and they reported higher levels of confidence as a result of participating in the LISTSERV. In addition, teacher created lesson plans indicated that the participants were able to use the Internet to plan or enhance lessons.


Results of the study of the impact of sporadic sources of disturbances on the state of the atmospheric electric field at the high-mountain Tien Shan station (3340 m above sea level, 20 km from Almaty) are presented. The absence of unitary variation (Carnegie curve) is the characteristic feature of diurnal changes in the atmospheric electric field under good weather conditions.

The most geoeffective sporadic sources of disturbances in the near-Earth space and the Earth's atmosphere are giant coronal mass ejections (CME), accompanied by Forbush effects in the intensity of galactic cosmic rays and by geomagnetic storms. Our studies were carried out taking into account the peculiarities of CME manifestations in the atmosphere and magnetosphere of the Earth. It was found that large magnetic storms affect the average level of the atmospheric electric field (increasing or decreasing it due to a change in the rigidity of the geomagnetic cutoff Rc), and also cause its fluctuations in the minute range (10-3 ÷ 10-2) Hz. A significant decrease in the atmospheric electric field after CME is due to large Forbush effects during weak geomagnetic disturbances.

Anomalous changes in the atmospheric electric field on the eve and during earthquakes were recorded, which are unambiguously associated with the activation of seismic processes. Since the city of Almaty is surrounded by a number of potential sources of strong earthquakes, the problem of their prediction is actual for the city and its environs.


How can a business develop sustainable societal relationships in a world that is often described as volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous? While public expectations of companies are complicated and continuously changing, there are clear underlying trends in modern society that shape this relationship. Understanding these trends allows a company to develop the capability of proactively managing societal relationships. The findings of the study are especially relevant for industries that visibly operate in the public space and should anticipate societal resistance.
 This paper first describes the societal trends that shaped the way people and organizations have interacted since the Second World War. In this period increasing environmental and social awareness and assertiveness developed along three evolutionary paths: –active public discourse that continuously pushes the boundaries of what is deemed acceptable and desirable, with increasing focus on human values and space for the individual;–industry sectors and international organizations that try to preempt new societal expectations with voluntary guidelines and self-regulation; and–governments that formalize important and matured parts of the public discourse and voluntary guidelines in laws and regulations.
 Secondly, the authors adopt a practical model to describe how companies have struggled to keep up with this continuously evolving and dynamic societal landscape due to lack of adaptation. An increasingly defensive and reactive business approach to societal pressure has led to a low point in trust from stakeholders. To regain trust and their social license to operate companies need to take a more proactive approach to societal relationships, which require both organizational and cultural change.
 Finally, the authors take the example from the safety journey, where the oil and gas industry has been very successful in demonstrating that excellence in safety is both a moral obligation and good for the bottom line. The same applies to excellence in societal relationships. Using the evolutionary model of safety culture with its maturity ladder as analogue, the authors provide a practical and value-driven framework to guide companies on their organizational and cultural change journey towards effective societal relationship management.


Tailor-made polystyrene nanocomposite with mixed free and clay-attached polystyrene chains was synthesized using atom transfer radical polymerization. Vinylbenzyl trimethylammonium chloride having a double bond, which could be incorporated into polystyrene chains by a grafting through process, was used as a nanoclay modifier. Conversion and molecular weight evaluation was carried out using gas chromatography and gel permeation chromatography, respectively. The thermogravimetric analysis results confirmed the elevated thermal stability of the nanocomposites in comparison with the neat polystyrene sample. Additionally, the Tg increases by clay loading was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The difference in the degradation temperature of CBr bond in attached and free polystyrene chains was well revealed in DSC thermograms. Finally, a lower clay loading resulted in an exfoliated structure as proved by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy results. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2011


Network layer multicast, i.e. IP multicast, even after many years of research, development and standardization, is not deployed in large scale due to both technical (e.g. upgrading of routers) and political (e.g. policy making and negotiation) issues. Researchers looked for alternatives and proposed application/overlay multicast where multicast functions are handled by end hosts, not network layer routers. Member hosts wishing to receive multicast data form a multicast delivery tree. The intermediate hosts in the tree act as routers also, i.e. they forward data to the lower hosts in the tree. Unlike IP multicast, where a router cannot leave the tree until all members below it leave, in overlay multicast any member can leave the tree at any time thus disjoining the tree and disrupting the data dissemination. All the disrupted hosts have to rejoin the tree. This characteristic of the overlay multicast causes multicast tree unstable, data loss and rejoin overhead. In this paper, we propose that each node sets its leaving time from the tree and sends join request to a number of nodes in the tree. The nodes in the tree will reject the request if their leaving time is earlier than the requesting node otherwise they will accept the request. The node can join at one of the accepting nodes. This makes the tree more stable as the nodes will join the tree according to their leaving time, earliest leaving time node being at the leaf of the tree. Some intermediate nodes may not follow their leaving time and leave earlier than their leaving time thus disrupting the tree. For this, we propose a proactive recovery mechanism so that disrupted nodes can rejoin the tree at predetermined nodes immediately. We have shown by simulation that there is less overhead when joining the multicast tree and the recovery time of the disrupted nodes is much less than the previous works. Keywords


Back-up support during percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) is one of the keys for successful intervention. Extra back-up support guiding catheters, deep intubation, buddy wires, and other more complex techniques are usually used to improve this support. Left anterior descending (LAD) artery PCI through the left internal mammary artery (LIMA) are rarely performed because many operators feel reluctant to instrument a disease-free LIMA graft risking iatrogenic complications by passing wire, balloons, and stents to the diseased distal LAD. Improving back-up support during LIMA-LAD PCIs is often challenging because in this particular setting the distance between the LAD lesion and the guiding catheter is exceedingly long. We report a case of a challenging PCI of the LAD through a patent and disease-free LIMA graft. After multiple failed attempts to cross the LAD lesion with conventional stent deployment techniques, we successfully finished the stenting procedure using the Guideliner microcatheter (Vascular Solutions) as a guiding extension through the LIMA graft. With this case, we illustrate that this microcatheter dramatically improves the back-up support, allowing stent deployment also in very difficult settings as in tortuous LIMA grafts.


Epidermal electronics that can be mounted directly onto human skin to monitor biological signals have wide applicability, such as in healthcare and sports. This requires integrating various analogue and analogue/digital mixed-signal circuits on a flexible film as well as sensors. Flexible analogue circuits based on oxide semiconductors or amorphous Si have been realised, but so far they do not allow robust digital signal transmission to an external system, and they have a high operating voltage. Here, we report a low-voltage and fully flexible analogue/digital mixed-signal circuits based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The key contribution is a novel operational amplifier with a high gain and low operating voltage, which is important for negative-feedback circuits and dramatically suppresses the influence of device variability and instability. Fully flexible CNT-based mixed-signal circuits were realised monolithically on a plastic film for the first time and demonstrated stable and continuous operation at a low supply voltage.


Some medically-important Candia species can survive on inner clothing materials in close contact with human genital and extragenital areas. Since soaps and bleach are known to possess antimicrobial properties, this preliminary study was to investigate the candidastic effects of bleach products and commonly available industrial soaps on multi-drug resistant Candida species. Using a modification of agar well-diffusion method, 60 strains from oral rinses / swabs and vulvovaginal C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. pseudotropicalis and C. tropicalis isolated from endocervical / high vaginal swabs of patients presenting for sexually transmissible infections were screened to determine their in vitro susceptibilities to 18 industrial soaps and three brands of bleach samples. Undiluted bleach samples (RBL1, RBL2 and RBL3) were the most inhibitory concentrations, with 10.0-44.0%, 94.0-100% and 96.0- 100% of the Candida strains inhibited in vitro by the respective bleach products. Only 4.0 - 10.0% (C. pseudotropicalis), 5.9 - 10.0% (C. albicans) and 20.0 - 30.0% (C. glabrata) strains were inhibited in vitro at the manufacturers' dilution specifications for the bleach products, while inhibitions at dilution 1:10 were 8.0-16.0% (C. glabrata) and 5.8-10.0% respectively. Only 4.0% and 5.8% of C. glabrata and C. albicans were inhibited in vitro at dilution 1:100; while none of the industrial soaps had in vitro candidastic potentials. In addition to whitening effect, topically-safe and minimally-diluted Clorox and JIK bleach can be used for personal hygiene by disinfection of contaminated inanimate objects, such as panties, undergarments and for toilet purposes to prevent infection / reinfection, in cases of vulvovaginal candidasis.


Measurements of helium isotopes used for geochronological studies are subject to interferences from 12C3+ and HD+. The 12C3+ interference was studied on a Nu Instruments Noblesse mass spectrometer which has sufficient mass resolution to measure the interference on the 4He+ peak due to 12C3+ directly, by setting the magnet at the relevant peak shoulders. Helium sensitivity varies with source trap current. Increasing the source trap current increases the electron fluence, and hence the probability of ionisation, within the source. The source trap current on the Noblesse is typically held at ∼400 μA. Increasing the trap current to 550 μA increases sensitivity to 4He+ approximately two-fold, but 12C3+ increases approximately 17 times. The 4He+ and 12C3+ peak shoulders at m/z = 4 are narrow, despite the high mass resolution, and consequently any instrument drift can cause the peak positions to be lost. However, it is shown that measurement of 12C2+ at m/z = 6 can be used to correct for this interference, allowing the intensity of the broad flat top of m/z = 4 to be used.


The title of the book says it all. It is an ambitious undertaking and so far as your reviewer is aware, one that has not been previously attempted. Building transactions, perhaps because of the time needed from the planning of a project to completion, the number of parties involved and matters over which there is little control, have a well-earned reputation for being dispute prone. As a consequence there has grown a substantial body of legal principle and terms of art solely related to the building process. By way of example, few outside the building industry would understand what a critical path was. This work, true to its title, sets out to explain these legal principles and expressions. The first definition is of 'Abandonment of work' followed by 1050 more items, set out in dictionary format. The last is 'Zero activity'. The publishers suggest that the work would be useful to architects, quantity surveyors, project managers, contractors and construction lawyers. There is no doubt that this is correct and with building law being increasingly taught as a discrete subject the work should find a place in university libraries. It would be an ideal work on the desk of any lawyer starting his or her career in building law. Because of the nature of the book it is appropriate in a review to examine some of the concepts explained. The item as it occurs in the book is identified by quotation marks in the following text. Where a contractor requires 'Access to adjoining land', the difficulties created by absence of consent from the adjoining landholder are noted and the statutory solution described. In a work such as this it is not surprising to find a detailed explanation of the term 'Bills of quantities'. The expression 'Completion' is explained in terms of the artificial contractual construct of 'practical completion' and as the culmination of a conveyancing transaction. A 'Condition' is explained in terms of its relationship to the expression 'Warranty'. The authors also note the propensity of authors of standard contracts to misuse the word. 'Consideration' is defined in terms of the labyrinthine reasoning of the Court of Appeal in Williams v. Roffey Brothers & Nicholls . One could be forgiven for thinking 'Day' and 'Death' needed little explanation but not so when used in the context of building contracts. The provenance of the 'Eichleay formula' was not known to your reviewer—it is now. 'Negligence' is carefully defined with the caveat that liability for professional negligence or negligence in the execution of building work is 'fast growing'. The authors rightly have some doubt about the efficacy of 'Partnering'. It was interesting to learn that Mr G.A. Scott QC was the author of the 'Scott Schedule'. The dispute resolution practice of 'Conciliation' is seen as similar to mediation. In some jurisdictions the expression denotes a more interventionist role on the part of the third party neutral. The United Kingdom courts have been shy to incorporate the notion of 'Good faith' into contracts. Other jurisdictions, notably Australia and the United States, have been less reticent. The word 'Quote' is defined as conduct that will amount to an offer if the terms are definite enough. This is true with the consequence of the offer becoming a binding contract if accepted. Perhaps here, mention could have been made of the need for caution where a party merely wishes to communicate a price without the potential to be contractually bound. A useful feature of the book is the fact that where an expression is defined, cross-references are provided to other related definitions. The work includes references by title to most of the standard building contracts in use in the United Kingdom. Each reference deals with the purpose and scope of the contract. There is, for instance, extensive reference to the JCT suite of contracts. In addition to these headings, where a concept is defined such as 'Completion date' the standard contractual provisions are included in the discussion. The book is 592 pages in length and in addition to the text there are number of diagrams where a concept is better explained graphically. The authors have compiled the work in a scholarly manner and each proposition is supported by the relevant judicial authority. Over 700 cases are cited in the table of cases and the citations are to the most up-to-date authorities.


We generalize the notion of λ-superstrings, presented in a previous paper, to the notion of weighted λ-superstrings. This generalization entails an important improvement in the applications to vaccine designs, as it allows epitopes to be weighted by their immunogenicities. Motivated by these potential applications of constructing short weighted λ-superstrings to vaccine design, we approach this problem in two ways. First, we formalize the problem as a combinatorial optimization problem (in fact, as two polynomially equivalent problems) and develop an integer programming (IP) formulation for solving it optimally. Second, we describe a model that also takes into account good pairwise alignments of the obtained superstring with the input strings, and present a genetic algorithm that solves the problem approximately. We apply both algorithms to a set of 169 strings corresponding to the Nef protein taken from patiens infected with HIV-1. In the IP-based algorithm, we take the epitopes and the estimation of the immunogenicities from databases of experimental epitopes. In the genetic algorithm we take as candidate epitopes all 9-mers present in the 169 strings and estimate their immunogenicities using a public bioinformatics tool. Finally, we used several bioinformatic tools to evaluate the properties of the candidates generated by our method, which indicated that we can score high immunogenic λ-superstrings that at the same time present similar conformations to the Nef virus proteins.


This paper describes a representative selection of materials from the general class known as conductive ceramics. Specifically, the materials discussed are tin oxide, zirconium oxide, silicon carbide, and molybdenum disilicide. A table of some of the more pertinent physical, thermal, and electrical properties of each material is included. Some of the present applications of the materials are discussed and other uses are proposed. A graph of the specific resistivity of tin oxide vs absolute temperature is given, and a figure shows the effect of impurities on the specific resistivity of tin oxide vs absolute temperature. A discussion of the results of a preliminary investigation to determine the feasibility of electroplating various metals on the surface of tin oxide is presented.


A first step to understanding how a species communicates acoustically is to identify, categorize, and quantify the acoustic parameters of the elements that make up their vocalizations. The "chick-a-dee" call notes of the chestnut-backed chickadee (Poecile rufescens) were sorted into four call note categories, A, C, D, and Dh notes, based on their acoustic structure as observed in sound spectrograms, and evaluated based on the syntactical ordering of the note types within calls. The notes were then analyzed using quantitative measures and it was determined which features have the potential to convey information to discriminate note type, individual, and the geographic origin of the producer. The findings were comparable to previous research of congeners in that chestnut-backed chickadee calls were produced with a relatively fixed syntax and contained similarly structured note types across all geographic regions. Overall this information will form a base for future research on chestnut-backed chickadee vocalizations and will strengthen the foundation for future comparative evolutionary studies.