The study in this study wanted to know about the leadership role of the Quadruple Helix in Covid-19 non-natural Disaster Management in Mataram City, West Nusa Tenggara Province. Quadruple Helix leadership is a form of leader capacity who is an actor who has successfully collaborated in disaster response. The Quadruple Helix leadership model in the Unitary State of Regional Autonomy can be implemented with the Government acting as a regulator and implementing socialization, then Academics are tasked with making research and issuing their latest innovation products, while Business or Private plays a role as fund support, and the Community participates in supporting policies. The form of active collaboration between the Government, the private sector, universities and the community is the basis of the Covid-19 non-natural disaster management system as an effort to handle and mitigate. The method used in this study is qualitative research with interview data collection techniques to related stakeholders. The results in this study were the management of non-natural Covid-19 disasters in Mataram City using the Quadruple Helix model running well. The cooperation of the four (Government, Academics, Business/Private and Community) was able to suppress the spread of Covid-19 in Mataram City. Collaboration from all existing Helix is needed to continue to encourage the birth of innovations in the field of knowledge, formulation of ideal and targeted policies, support for assistance and donations in the form of logistics and medical devices, and mutual understanding from the community that is able to have a positive impact in suppressing the spread of Covid -19 in Mataram City.


A B S T R A C T The present paper describes the design, construction, calibration and operation of a spray rainfall simulator . The design of the plots used for the purpose of this study is also described in order to determine hydrological and erosion parameters. Selected rainfall intensity of 64 mm h- 1 are representative of heavy storm conditions in Galicia. Drop size distribution results in these conditions , a D5 0 of 1.2 mm, were similar to those calculated for natural rainfall by BUBENZER (1979). Fall velocities reached were between 75 and 100% terminal velocity, depending on drop diameter and 13.05 J m- 2 m m- 1 kinetic energy was obtained. Surface area of the plots used was 1 m 2 , surronded by a metal structure connected to a V-shaped system to collect the surface runoff and sediment produced in the diff e r e n t e x p e r i m e n t s .


During the past four years a number of state legislatures have imposed restrictions preventing the marriage of persons found to be afflicted with syphilis. This has been accomplished by the amendment of existing laws or the setting up of new statutes. The requirements to be met vary greatly in the twenty-six states which have adopted this type of legislation. In general, the issuance of a license is based on the result of physical examination, laboratory tests or in some instances the mere certification of freedom from venereal disease by a registered physician. The medical profession has not been unanimous in its sanction of such legislative efforts. The most definite expressions of disapproval have come from eminent syphilologists. 1 A summary of the dissenting opinion indicates the following objections: ( a ) Too great a reliance is placed on the results of blood examinations. ( b ) Many patients who have positive reactions of the


Background Breathing exercises improve oxidative stress in healthy young adults and patients with diabetes, hypertension, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Furthermore, the mechanism of respiratory intervention is controversial. Therefore, in this meta-analysis, we aimed to systematically evaluate the effects of breathing exercises on oxidative stress biomarkers in humans and provide evidence for the clinical application of breathing exercises. Methods The Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, and WANFANG databases were searched for studies about the effects of breathing exercises on human oxidative stress levels, with no restraints regarding time, race, or language. The experimental group included various breathing exercises, and the outcome index included malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione, nitric oxide, vitamin C, or total antioxidant capacity levels from a randomized controlled trial. Data were extracted by more than two authors and reviewed by one author. Results Ten studies were included from five countries. Data from patients with no disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, or diabetes were included. Participants who performed breathing exercises had greater changes in the included biomarkers than those who did not, suggesting that these biomarkers can be used to evaluate oxidative stress after respiratory interventions. Conclusion Breathing exercises increased SOD and GSH activities and decreased MDA content. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022337119, identifier CRD42022337119.


Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is the IP Next Generation Protocol (IPng) that will replace the current IPv4 which has been used for 30 years, but there is problem in IPv4 on the allocation of IP addresses. This problem can be overcome by utilizing various strategies in IPv4 to IPv6 migration such as dual stack IPv4-IPv6. This research analyzed the performance of dual stack IPv4-IPv6 system in University network by using of jitter and delay period in interconnection. We calculated the jitter and delay period by transferring various files with different size and the result shows that average of jitter period is around sizes transfer The result shows that dual stack system is reliable implementation for migration of IPv4 to IPv6 system.


Factor VIII C-domains are believed to have specific functions in cofactor activity and in interactions with von Willebrand factor. We have previously shown that factor VIII is co-targeted with von Willebrand factor to the Weibel-Palade bodies in blood outgrowth endothelial cells, even when factor VIII carries mutations in the light chain that are associated with defective von Willebrand factor binding. In this study, we addressed the contribution of individual factor VIII C-domains in intracellular targeting, von Willebrand factor binding and cofactor activity by factor VIII/V C-domain swapping. Blood outgrowth endothelial cells were transduced with lentivirus encoding factor V, factor VIII or YFP-tagged C-domain chimeras, and examined by confocal microscopy. The same chimeras were produced in HEK293-cells for in vitro characterization and chemical foot-printing by mass spectrometry. In contrast to factor VIII, factor V did not target to Weibel-Palade bodies. The chimeras showed reduced Weibel-Palade body targeting, suggesting that this requires the factor VIII C1–C2 region. The factor VIII/V-C1 chimera did not bind von Willebrand factor and had reduced affinity for activated factor IX, whereas the factor VIII/V-C2 chimera showed a minor reduction in von Willebrand factor binding and normal interaction with activated factor IX. This suggests that mainly the C1-domain carries factor VIII-specific features in assembly with von Willebrand factor and activated factor IX. Foot-printing analysis of the chimeras revealed increased exposure of lysine residues in the A1/C2- and C1/C2-domain interface, suggesting increased C2-domain mobility and disruption of the natural C-domain tandem pair orientation. Apparently, this affects intracellular trafficking, but not extracellular function.


Larval Ambystoma tail regenerates, innervated by the intact spinal cord, were cultured with their epidermal covering in modified Parker's medium (CMRL-1415) and the morphological integrity of the explanted regenerates was maintained with consistent success. The results show that the larval urodele tail blastema is capable of undergoing growth and differentiation when isolated in vitro and regeneration follows the normal in vivo pattern. A diffuse aggregate of blastema cells, which extended caudally from the cut end of the notochord at the time of explantation, underwent differentiation in vitro in the presence of the regenerating spinal cord. The importance of the nerve in regeneration is discussed in relation to the in vitro system.


Competitive multi-player game play is a common feature in major commercial titles, and has formed the foundation for esports. In this paper, the question whether it is possible to predict match outcomes in First Person Shooter-type multi-player competitive games with mixed genres is addressed.The case employed is Destiny, which forms a hybrid title combining Massively Multi-player Online Role-Playing game features and First-Person Shooter games. Destiny provides the opportunity to investigate prediction of the match outcome, as well as the influence of performance metrics on the match results in a hybrid multi-player major commercial title. Two groups of models are presented for predicting match results: One group predicts match results for each individual game mode and the other group predicts match results in general, without considering specific game modes. Models achieve a performance between 63% and 99%in terms of average precision, with a higher performance recorded for the models trained on specific multi-player game modes, of which Destiny has several. We also analyzed performance metrics and their influence for each model. The results show that many key shooter performance metrics such as Kill/Death ratio are relevant across game modes, but also that some performance metrics are mainly important for specific competitive game modes. The results indicate that reliable match prediction is possible in FPS-type esports games.


Desmoplasia or abundant fibrotic stroma is a typical property of most malignancies, which has a great effect on tumorigenesis, angiogenesis, and resistance to therapy. The activated stroma cells comprises several cell types including endothelial cells, nerve cells, inflammatory/macrophages cells, stellate cells, and extracellular matrix. In other word, the interactions of cancer‐stroma modulate tumorigenesis, therapy resistance, and poor delivery of drugs. Therefore, targeting the tumor stroma in combination with conventional chemotherapeutic agents could provide a promising approach in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. This review summarizes the current knowledge about pancreatic stellate cells, targeting stroma compartments with particular emphasis on preclinical, and clinical trials on targeting of stroma as an option in pancreatic cancer treatment.


Background Ankylosing spondylitis (RS) is chronic inflammatory disease that causes inflammation of the joints between the spinal bones, and the joints between the spine and pelvis. It eventually causes the affected spinal bones to join together. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) has been implicated in a number of arthritic disease states, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. Adalimumab is the first fully human, high-affinity, recombinant immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) anti-TNF monoclonal antibody. Objectives To determine whether treatment with Adalimumab improves disease activity, occupational outcomes and increases work productivity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods During 2009-2011, 178 patients with confirmld diagnosis AS were included in the study. 82.79% were male and 17.21% female, aged 20-75 (mean 42) years. Patients were divided in two subgroups due to disease activity, first group with moderate disease activity (BASDAI 4-7) and second group with severe disease activity (BASDAI 8-10). Patients were treated with Adalimumab for at least 6 months.Changes in functional status and disease activity were assessed using the Bath ASDisease Activity Index (BASDAI), Visual Analog Scale(VAS)and Work Productivity and ActivityImpairment questionnaire in AS (WPAI:SpA). The results were analyzed with regression analysis ANOVA on SPSS. Results Patients with severe activity of AS showed significantly greater reduction of BASDAI score than patients with moderate disease activity(3.4 vs. 1.9) p. Of the 178 patients included in this study, 145 (81.46%) showed clinical response (reduction of BASDAI score by at least 2 points). Clinical responders had significant improvement in work productivity, workday loss and daily activity impairment according to WPAI-SHP scores (presenteeism -21.1, p=0.04; overall work impairment -22.2, p=0.04; daily activity impairment -24.4, p Conclusions Disease activity in patients with AS determine patient's ability to work. Patients treated with Adalimumab and responded to the treatment had significant reduction in limitations of work and daily activity. Treatment with Adalimumab significantly reduce workday loss among employed patients with AS. References [AB] Abbott Laboratories Press Releases. Abbott announces US and EU regulatory submissions seeking approval of Humira® (adalimumab in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) 2005. Oct 4, Accessed 3 April 2006. Maksymowych WP, Gooch KL, Wong RL, Kupper H, van der Heijde D: Impact of age, sex, physical function, health-related quality of life, and treatment with adalimumab on work status and work productivity of patients with ankylosing spondylitis. J Rheumatol 2010, 37:385-392 Keat AC, Gaffney K, Gilbert AK, Harris C, Leeder J: Influence of biologic therapy on return to work in people with work disability due to ankylosing spondylitis. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2008, 47:481-483. van der Heijde DM, Revicki DA, Gooch KL, Wong RL, Kupper H, Harnam N, Thompson C, Sieper J: Physical function, disease activity, and health-related quality-of-life outcomes after 3 years of adalimumab treatment in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Arthritis Res Ther 2009, 11:R124. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


This article discusses the tradition of Melayokaken, the causal factors, and the impacts of the tradion on Using Society in Banyuwangi. Melayokaken, as a tradition of elopement, had been maintained by Using community for a long time. For some Using People in Banyuwangi (UPB), this tradition was regarded as a pride because it could help to maintain the tradition that had been formed since the time of their ancestors. But on the other hand, melayokaken tradition is considered violating the norms followed by Using people, namely religious norms, anti conflicts and living in peace. The method used in this study is qualitative method. Data were collected through participatory observations, interviews, notings, and recordings. The method of analysis used in this research is descriptive qualitative method. This research resulted in the finding that there is a factor that can maintain the tradition of melayokaken, namely as an alternative means to resolve the impasse communication in entering the marriage, for example due to: differences in status and social class, educational factors, the bride family may not marry more than one time in a year, the bridegroom candidate has not got a job yet, the candidates of the bride and the bridegroom are not yet old enough, the birth dates of the two are not good and matched, the marriage must not precede an older sister marriage, the bride candidate has already been betrothed by parents. This entails two impacts of the tradition, namely positive and negative. The positive side proves that melayokaken can penetrate the gap in status and social class between the two families and the things which are recognized less rational in the contemporary perspective. And the negative side proves that melayokaken had violated the norms, ethics, and religious values embraced by Using society although there was no significant impact on the doers' social lives and in the community.


Objectives: To compare the frequency of wound infection between subcuticular stitches versus interrupted mattress sutures after cesarean section. Setting: Obstetrics & Gynecology Department, Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur. Study duration: 21st July 2019 to 20th December 2020 Study design: Randomized controlled Clinical trial Materials & Methods: In this clinical trial study, A sum-total of 60 women, 18-40 yrs of age, scheduled for planned elective cesarean section through Pfannenstiel incision were enrolled. In Group I women, subcuticular sutures were placed while in group II women, interrupted mattress sutures were placed. All women were discharged on tablet Augmentin 1gram x twice a day for 7 days at which wound infection was noted. Results: The mean age of women in group I was 27.60 ± 5.16 years and was 27.40 ± 3.99 years in group II. My study has shown the wound infection in group I (sub-cuticular stitches) as 01 (3.33%) and in group II (interrupted mattress sutures) as 08 (26.67%) respectively with p-value of 0.011. Conclusion: The inference from my study shows that the wound infection after cesarean section is less after sub cuticular stitches as compared to interrupted mattress sutures. Keywords: cesarean section, sub cuticular stitches, wound infectio


The experiment was carried out on lattice (Lactuca sativa) seeds flown in a biocontainer equipped with plastic detectors to record heavy charged particles (HCP). The purpose of the experiment was to determine the yield of aberrant cells as a result of irradiation, and to identify this effect as a function of HCP topography in the seed. The cytogenetic examination of flight seedlings revealed a significant difference between the seeds which were hit with HCP and those that remained intact. This indicates a significant contribution of the heavy component of galactic cosmic rediation into the radiobiological effect. The relationship between the radiobiological effect and the HCP topography in the seed was established: zones of the root and stem meristema proved to be most sensitive targets.


Several years ago, a chance experience focused my attention on the possibilities of a new method for intravesical excision of papillary tumors of the bladder. A patient who was to have a transurethral resection for prostatic hypertrophy also had a small papilloma of the bladder. The tumor was approximately one centimeter in diameter and the pedicle was attached just above the right ureteral orifice. It occurred to me that this growth could be removed with the resectoscope at the time of operation on the prostate gland. Hence, when the prostatic resection was completed, the papilloma was engaged in the loop of the instrument. Two or three bites removed the tumor cleanly down to the bladder mucosa, and the base then was coagulated thoroughly. Cystoscopic examination several months later demonstrated that the growth had been removed completely, and there was no evidence of recurrence. These observations stimulated my interest in this method of treatment and, as a consequence, smaller pedunculated tumors of the bladder have been excised intravesically in this fashion in twentysix instances during the last three years. A technic has been evolved which is applicable to tumors as large as 5 centimeters in diameter or, roughly, the size of a golf ball.


Phenomena covered by the term duality occur throughout the history of mathematics in all of its branches, from the duality of polyhedra to Langlands duality. By looking to an "internal epistemology" of duality, we try to understand the gains mathematicians have found in exploiting dual situations. We approach these questions by means of a category theoretic understanding. Following Mac Lane and Lawvere-Rosebrugh, we distinguish between "axiomatic" or "formal" (or Gergonne-type) dualities on the one hand and "functional" or "concrete" (or Poncelet-type) dualities on the other. While the former are often used in the pursuit of a "two theorems by one proof"-strategy, the latter often allow the investigation of "spaces" by studying functions defined on them, which in Grothendieck's terms amounts to the strategy of proving a theorem by working in a dually equivalent framework where the corresponding proof is easier to find. We try to show by some examples that in the first case, dual objects tend to be more ideal (epistemologically more remote) than original ones, while this is not necessarily so in the second case.


The 16 April 2016 Kumamoto earthquake (M 7.3) took place in north-central Kyushu where several active arc volcanoes exist (e.g., Aso, Kuju, Tsurumidake, and Unzen) due to the active subduction of the Philippine Sea (PHS) plate beneath the Eurasian plate. On 8 October 2016 the Aso volcano erupted, which may be related to the occurrence of the Kumamoto earthquake. Many previous studies have suggested that earthquakes and volcanoes can interact with each other in subduction-zone regions. To investigate the possible earthquake-volcano interaction in Kyushu, in this work we study the three-dimensional seismic velocity (Vp, Vs) and attenuation (Qp and Qs) structures in the source area of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake (M 7.3) using ~62,000 P and S wave arrival times and 48,000 t* data measured from digital seismograms of 742 local shallow and intermediate-depth earthquakes recorded by the Hi-net stations in Kyushu Island. Our results show that significant low-velocity (low-V) and low-Q (high attenuation) anomalies exist in the crust and mantle wedge beneath the volcanic front and back-arc area, which reflect hot and wet anomalies caused by convective circulation in the mantle wedge and fluids from the PHS slab dehydration. The PHS slab is imaged clearly as a high-velocity (high-V) and high-Q (low attenuation) dipping zone in the upper mantle. The 2016 Kumamoto earthquake occurred in a high-V and high-Q zone in the upper crust, which is surrounded and underlain by low-V and low-Q anomalies in the lower crust and upper mantle. These results suggest that the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake took place in a brittle seismogenic layer in the upper crust, but its rupture nucleation was affected by fluids and arc magma ascending from the mantle wedge. In addition, a prominent low-V and low-Q zone is revealed in the forearc mantle wedge beneath Kyushu, which reflects serpentinization of the forearc mantle due to abundant fluids from the PHS slab dehydration. These results suggest that arc magma and fluids play an important role in the generation and nucleation processes of large crustal earthquakes which can in turn rupture the active faults and produce new cracks in the crust, facilitating the volcanic eruption. As a result, earthquake-volcano interactions take place in north-central Kyushu.


Within the historical times, which roughly corresponds with the Holocene epoch, the whole of mankind is believed to be a single species. Homo sapiens. But the human genealogical tree (phylogeny) is populated by a really astounding number of paleontological species and paleontological genera: Ardipithecus ramidus, Australopithecus anamensis, Australopithecus afarensis, Australopithecus africanus, Paranthropus robustus, Paranthropus boisei, Homo habilis, Homo georgicus. Homo erectus, Homo ergaster, Homo antecessor, Homo heidelbergensis, Homo neanderthalensis, Homo sapiens. (cf. Gyula 2002). In fact there are many more (Sahelanthropus tchadensis, Orrorin tugenensis, Kenyanthropus platyops, Australopithecus garhi, Australopithecus aethiopicus) but Foley (2002), quite reasonably, states that the evidence for their existence is, at present, insufficient. The existence of these multiple forms is beyond any doubt. The doubt, however arises concerning the human or "prehuman" status of them. Were they really true specific forms, half-way between the apes and Holocene man? Is it possible that they constitute a number of different ecotypes (or paleoraces) within the same natural species of Homo sapiens?


BACKGROUND
Early graft function (EGF) has an enduring effect on the subsequent course after kidney transplantation. This study compares quantitative parameters of EGF for the prediction of graft survival.

METHODS
We involved 300 consecutive transplant recipients from deceased donors from 1989 to 2005. Urine output during 24 h post-transplant (UO), and serum creatinine after 1 week (Cr7) were taken for explanatory variables. We generated Kaplan-Meier (K-M) estimates of graft survival, by quintiles of the explanatory variable. Cox regression was applied to control for various recipient factors.

RESULTS
K-M survival estimates indicate a threshold effect of UO and Cr7, which can dissect the risk of graft failure. The thresholds referring to the 2nd quintile correspond to a UO >630 ml and a Cr7 <2.5 mg/dl and were associated with a proportional hazard ratio of 0.52 (95% CI 0.33-0.84) and 0.34 (95% CI 0.18-0.65), respectively. Combining both of the parameters predicted a 5-year graft survival probability >90%, according to a hazard ratio of 0.21 (95% CI 0.09-0.46). Requirement of dialysis post-transplant lost its discriminatory power and was not a significant explanatory variable in the multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION
Routine parameters for monitoring of EGF display a threshold effect allowing accurate prediction of 5-year graft survival at the earliest point in time. The quantitative threshold levels for an optimum discriminatory power require validation in a larger, preferably multicentre database.


Serological detection of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibodies is frequently used in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) mass screening. However, the large number of seropositive subjects who require close follow-up is still a big burden. The present study aimed to detect the nasopharyngeal EBV load in a high-risk population seropositive for antibodies against EBV, as well as to examine whether assay for nasopharyngeal EBV DNA load might reduce the number of high-risk subjects for follow-up and improve early detection of NPC. A prospective and population-based cohort study was conducted in southern China from 2006 through 2013. Among 22,186 participants, 1045 subjects with serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies against viral capsid antigen (VCA) titers ≥ 1:5 were defined as high-risk group, and were then followed-up for NPC occurrence. Qualified nasopharyngeal swab specimens were available from 905 participants and used for quantitative PCR assay. Our study revealed that 89% (802/905) subjects showed positive EBV DNA in nasopharyngeal swab. The nasopharyngeal EBV load in females was higher than that in males. The nasopharyngeal EBV load increased with increasing serum VCA/IgA titers. Eight cases of newly diagnosed NPC showed an extremely elevated EBV load, and 87.5% (7 of 8 patients) were early-stage NPCs. The EBV loads of 8 NPCs were significantly higher than those of 897 NPC-free subjects (mean, 2.8×106 copies/swab [range 4.8×104-1.1×108] vs. 5.6×103 [range 0-3.8×106]). Using mean EBV load in NPC-free population plus two standard deviations as cut-off value, a higher diagnostic performance was obtained for EBV load test than serum VCA/IgA test (area under ROC, 0.980 vs 0.895). In conclusion, in a prospective and population-based study we demonstrated that an additional assay of EBV load in the nasopharynx among high-risk individuals may reduce the number of subjects needed to be closely followed up and could serve as part of a NPC screening program in high-risk populations.


Increasingly, the management, availability and preservation of research data concern researchers, research institutions as well as research funding agencies and scientific journals. All of them aim to develop good research practices allowing the data confirmation and their reuse, the improvement of the dataset building and the development of new ways of searching through the use of data already produced. This paper presents the different stages of the data life cycle and shows the international and national initiatives to develop these important issues to the health field.


Two previously developed failure criteria for predicting the uniaxial tensile strength of a laminated composite containing through-the-thickness material discontinuities (notches) are subjected to further experimental scrutinization. In particular, the two-parameter (unnotched tensile strength of the laminate and a characteristic length) models, which are capable of predicting observed discontinuity size effects without resorting to the concepts of linear elastic fracture mechanics, are based on limited experimental verification. In the present paper, and experimental program is presented which examines the effect of changes in the material system, the laminate fiber orientations, and the notch shape and size (stress gradient), on the model predictions. This is accomplished by obtaining experimental data on two material systems, glass/epoxy and graphite/ epoxy, in conjunction with two orientations of fiber-dominated laminates containing through-the-thickness circular holes and sharp tipped cracks of several sizes. In addition to the test results, two observations based on the models are presented. First, the statistical failure distribution for a composite containing a circular hole is predicted using the models and shown to agree well with experimental observations. Second, an Irwin type correction factor applied to the stress intensity factor is shown to result in nearly constant values of the critical stress intensity factor for all values of crack length. The correction factor is shown to be related to the characteristic length of the present models.


We study infection spread among biased random walks on $\mathbb{Z}^{d}$. The random walks move independently and an infected particle is placed at the origin at time zero. Infection spreads instantaneously when particles share the same site and there is no recovery. If the initial density of particles is small enough, the infected cloud travels in the direction of the bias of the random walks, implying that the infection does not survive locally. When the density is large, the infection spreads to the whole $\mathbb{Z}^{d}$. The proofs rely on two different techniques. For the small density case, we use a description of the infected cloud through genealogical paths, while the large density case relies on a renormalization scheme.


Machine learning has the potential to assist many communities in using the large datasets that are becoming more and more available. Unfortunately, much of that potential is not being realized because it would require sharing data in a way that compromises privacy. In order to overcome this hurdle, several methods have been proposed that generate synthetic data while preserving the privacy of the real data. In this paper we consider a key characteristic that synthetic data should have in order to be useful for machine learning researchers - the relative performance of two algorithms (trained and tested) on the synthetic dataset should be the same as their relative performance (when trained and tested) on the original dataset.


Radioiron- and radioiodine-labeled forms of human diferric and monoferric transferrin and apotransferrin, isolated by preparative isoelectric focusing, were used to define transferrin-iron uptake by human reticulocytes. In mixtures of human diferric and monoferric transferrin, the diferric molecule had a constant 7-fold advantage in delivering iron to reticulocytes, as compared with the 2-fold advantage when single solutions of mono- and diferric transferrins were compared. This was shown to be due to competitive interaction in iron delivery, probably at a common membrane-receptor binding site for transferrin. Apotransferrin did not interfere with the iron-donating process and its limited cellular uptake was inhibited in noncompetitive fashion by diferric transferrin.


ABSTRACT Global governance of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) has moved beyond the World Health Organization (WHO) to become a shared responsibility of WHO, the United Nations General Assembly, and other willing stakeholders. Despite the significant attention NCDs have received, progress towards global goals and political commitments remains disappointing. This lack of progress calls for greater attention to be given to how actions taken at the international level can lead to improvements in health at the country level. This paper reviews progress in the global response to NCDs by highlighting the role of pathways – both current and potential – for translating global aspirations into national actions that improve health outcomes. Important pathways to national action include the development of normative instruments, political accountability mechanisms, provision of economic support and technical assistance, and other forms of engagement we refer to as 'institutional pathways'. We find that global leadership on NCDs has focused predominantly on generating a suite of normative instruments for influencing national policy, together with global targets and reporting processes but with inadequate development assistance for NCDs, or investment in capacity building. We point to the distinctively legal and regulatory nature of many priority interventions identified by WHO for NCD prevention and control, arguing that legal capacity building of both government and civil society stakeholders is a vital, cost-effective yet neglected pathway for strengthening national responses. We outline a modest vision for global, regional and national leadership in capacity-building and in promoting the role for law in NCD prevention and control.


Purpose: Unsolved pre-war problems of agricultural production are additionally burdened by ongoing military operations, which have caused inevitable changes in domestic and foreign markets. Identifying and eliminating threats to the development of the agricultural sector will increase the efficiency of agricultural production, which will increase the level of foreign economic security of the country and, at the same time, strengthen global food security. Design/Method/Approach: Based on the data of domestic and international statistical services and organizations, we used economic and statistical methods (regression, trend analysis) and graphically presented the obtained results. Findings: A critically low share of imports negatively affects foreign economic security and pricing in the domestic market. The products export of plant-origin and low-value metals, as opposed to the high-tech products import, is critical. The condition with the provision of fish and fish products, fruits, berries and grapes, eggs, vegetables, and melon food crops is unstable. It depends either on conditions in foreign markets or only on domestic factors. The geographical structure of foreign trade is unsatisfactory and threatening due to excessive imports from China. An inverse correlation between the export volume of Ukrainian agricultural products and the world level of food prices has been established. Theoretical Implications: The work confirms the importance of the Ukrainian agricultural sector in the context of global food security. Practical Implications: We offer a set of actions, the implementation of which will make it possible to eliminate problems in agricultural production that negatively affect the state of foreign economic security. Originality/Value: Work on a highly specialized topic, which includes the development of agricultural processes against the background of ongoing military operations. Research Limitations/Future Research: In further research, it is advisable to consider the importance of the agricultural sector in the system of economic security of different countries since this article is limited to the methodology of the Ukrainian government.


This article examines the cost of the 2011 general elections in Nigeria in real and financial terms. It reviews the regulatory framework for financing the elections and attempts to estimate the costs, drawing on figures and reports published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and reports relating to the financial activities of political parties, candidates and other politicians. It estimates the cost to have been about N566.2-billion, representing about 2% of the gross domestic product. This figure does not include party and campaign financing. The article explores other, nonmonetary, costs, including the loss of life and property in the violence that followed the elections, and concludes that the cost of the elections was too high for the sustenance of democracy. Hopeful that future elections will cost less, it offers suggestions about ways of reducing costs without impinging on the integrity of elections.


In the last decade, special attention has been paid to the nucleation and control of the vortex state in magnetic nanostructures, for possible applications in nonvolatile magnetic random access memories and logic networks. Here, we study bicomponent magnetic nanodisks, in both single and 2D array arrangements, as potential storage systems where the information unit is represented by vortex chirality (magnetization rotational direction). We mainly focus on 300 nm diameter disks made of a permalloy lens and an iron crescent, with variable locations of the permalloy-iron interface. Through an extensive micromagnetic modeling analysis, we demonstrate the possibility of tuning, via the application of a magnetic field parallel to the interface, the nucleation of the vortex (always occurring in the permalloy region), its motion up to the expulsion site, and its chirality. Moreover, we find that the vortex stability is preserved over a wide field range also for strongly packed disks, due to the reduced effects of interdisk magnetostatic coupling. The main features of the magnetization reversal mechanism are preserved by reducing the disk diameter up to about 60 nm, making possible their exploitation in concept devices for magnetic encoding and logic computation.In the last decade, special attention has been paid to the nucleation and control of the vortex state in magnetic nanostructures, for possible applications in nonvolatile magnetic random access memories and logic networks. Here, we study bicomponent magnetic nanodisks, in both single and 2D array arrangements, as potential storage systems where the information unit is represented by vortex chirality (magnetization rotational direction). We mainly focus on 300 nm diameter disks made of a permalloy lens and an iron crescent, with variable locations of the permalloy-iron interface. Through an extensive micromagnetic modeling analysis, we demonstrate the possibility of tuning, via the application of a magnetic field parallel to the interface, the nucleation of the vortex (always occurring in the permalloy region), its motion up to the expulsion site, and its chirality. Moreover, we find that the vortex stability is preserved over a wide field range also for strongly packed disks, due to the reduced effects of...


Abstract Deaths in traffic represent a global and multicausal problem. We verified, through a linear regression model, that cognitive abilities (CA) and population indebtedness (PI) predict, together, 56% of the variation of death rates in the traffic (DT) of the twenty-seven states of Brazil. CA's are related to a greater control of the attention and, possibly, to a greater compliance with norms for preventing traffic accidents, has a greater impact than PI on DT, since PI associates to only one deficit of people's attention resources. The decrease of PI and the improvement of CA can decrease DT.


The role of the mast cell in tumour growth was examined in the rat with the use of a transplanted sarcoma. Mast cells were found at the periphery of the tumours and in fibrovascular trabeculae within the tumour mass. Histochemical studies showed that these cells contained an immature proteoglycan molecule, in contrast to normal mast cells. The mast cells appeared to be of the connective tissue phenotype and their local occurrence correlated with an antero‐posterior difference in tumour growth. Mast cell enhancement of tumour proliferation was demonstrated by the addition of mast cells to the initial tumour inoculum and by pharmacological inhibition of mast cell degranulation.


Introduction Wikipedia is accessed by hundreds of millions around the world and that makes Wikipedia one of the most powerful platforms for the dissemination of science information. While Wikipedia offers high-quality content about certain topics, a large proportion of articles are insufficiently developed. The Wikimedia Foundation has engaged in partnerships with scientific and academic institutions to improve the coverage and communication of science to the public. These efforts are beneficial to professional and academic associations interested in sharing reliable, vetted information about their discipline with the world. Methods The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is one of the research agencies engaged in this effort. NIOSH developed and manages the WikiProject Occupational Safety and Health. NIOSH also participates in a classroom program (where students write Wikipedia articles) to expand and improve Wikipedia's content on public and occupational health. The evaluation of their efforts is conducted using an Altmetrics platform that tracks alternative metrics for information products located on the web that have a persistent tracking number, such as an ISBN or DOI. Result Metrics on these efforts are publicly available thru Wikipedia, the Wiki Education Foundation and Altmetric so reach can be evaluated continuously by the number of views and quality of entries. Discussion Several mechanisms exists to motivate researchers to get involved and to evaluate the impact of the efforts in Wikipedia. Throughout these initiatives, new scientific content related to acoustics was successfully added to Wikipedia, and the quality of the entries were improved.


We optimize radiotherapy (RT) administration strategies for treating low-grade gliomas. Specifically, we consider different tumour growth laws, both with and without spatial effects. In each scenario, we find the optimal treatment in the sense of maximizing the overall survival time of a virtual low-grade glioma patient, whose tumour progresses according to the examined growth laws. We discover that an extreme protraction therapeutic strategy, which amounts to substantially extending the time interval between RT sessions, may lead to better tumour control. The clinical implications of our results are also presented.


Continuous federal budget deficits and a rising public debt have been presented in terms that have produced mounting dissatisfaction with government. One solution offered to deal with this discontent has been a constitutional amendment to balance the federal budget. In a working paper, Charles J. Whalen presents a historical review of balanced budget legislation, including the constitutional amendment proposed in the Republican Contract with America. He outlines the arguments in favor of and against such legislation and concludes that such an amendment would be both politically and economically misguided. In light of this conclusion, Whalen offers an alternative direction for federal budgetary policy.


The distribution of dominant coral genera and their response to the recent sea temperature anomalies in the last three decades are analyzed across reefs of the Maldivian Archipelago, which spans 860 × 120 km in the central Indian Ocean. The Maldives suffered one of the worst coral mortality rates in the Indian Ocean in the 1998 warming event and experienced two sub-lethal thermal anomalies in 2003 and 2010. The results showed that the Acropora proved an important driver of post-1998 recovery and has become a major dominant genus in most Maldivian reefs at present. The average coral cover and proportion of acroporids have decreased from south to north and represent correspondently 70.6/59% for the southern atoll, 62/53% for the central atoll and 33/10.3% for the northernmost atoll. Stylophora, Seriatopora and the hydrocoral Millepora were not found and are considered candidates for local extirpation from the Maldives. Higher thermal variability and frequency of thermal stress might lead to the decrease in the abundance of susceptible taxa in the northernmost atoll. No phase-shift to algae-dominated reefs was observed in any of the three locations. Factors contributing to coral recovery and acclimatization are discussed.


Subcutaneous emphysema of lower extremity is a rare disease entity. Crepitation and swelling on physical examination and gas on radiographs raise the concern of infection due to the presence of gas gangrene forming organisms. Therefore, delay of diagnosis and appropriate management can be a major predisposing factor for sepsis and further associated high mortality. We experienced a rare case of subcutaneous emphysema of the right lower extremity after knee arthroscopy; life-threatening infection was ruled out by physical examination and laboratory testing. The patient recovered uneventfully with conservative management. Therefore, we report on this case with a review of current literature.


Samples from five basins on the southern California continental borderland were examined for diatoms and silicoflagellates. These basins, Santa Monica, San Pedro, Santa Catalina, San Nicolas, and Tanner, represent a transect of approximately 85 nmi in a southwesterly direction across the continental shelf. The two nearshore basins, Santa Monica and San Pedro, contain the greatest species diversity and the smallest number of reworked specimens. Tanner basin, however, has the greatest abundance of diatoms and silicoflagellates in the study area, and the highest percentage of reworked specimens. The reworked diatoms are mid-Miocene to late Miocene in age. San Nicolas and Santa Catalina basin samples contained both lower species diversity and abundance totals than the other t ree basins. These two basins also contained a significant number of reworked diatoms. As might be expected benthic species were common in Santa Monica and San Pedro Basins, however, a large number of benthic species were in the Tanner Basin samples, which was not expected. There was also a disproportionately low number of smaller planktonic diatoms in the sediments when compared to the very large numbers found in the phytoplankton standing crop in this area. End_of_Article - Last_Page 438------------


Plasma induced charging damage and oxide degradation after metal and poly etch and photo-resist strip were studied using unpatterned oxide wafer technique. The time dependence of plasma induced charging, internal oxide damage and charging "fingerprint" were investigated for poly etch, metal etch and photo-resist strip after metal etch processes. Comparison of oxide charging monitor results and SPIDER antennae structures data for photo-resist strip process is presented.


The operating principles of complex regulatory networks are more easily understood with mathematical modelling than by intuitive reasoning. In this thesis, I study the dynamics of the mitotic exit control system in budding yeast. I present a comprehensive mathematical model, which provides a system's-level understanding of the mitotic exit process. This model captures the dynamics of classic experimental situations reported in the literature, and overcomes a number of limitations present in previous models. Analysis of the model led to a number of breakthroughs in the understanding of mitotic exit control. Firstly, numerical analysis of the model quantified the dependence of mitotic exit on the proteolytic and non-proteolytic functions of separase. It was shown that the requirement for the non-proteolytic function of separase depends on cyclin-dependent kinase activity. Secondly, APC/Cdc20 is a critical node that controls the phosphatase (Cdc14) branch and both cyclin (Clb2 and Clb5) branches of the cell cycle regulatory network. Thirdly, the model proved to be a useful tool for the systematic analysis of the recently discovered phenomenon of Cdc14 endocycles. Most proteins belonging to the cell cycle control network are regulated at the level of synthesis, degradation and activity. Presumably, these multiple layers of regulation facilitate robust cell cycle behaviour in the face of genetic and environmental perturbations. To falsify this hypothesis, I subjected the model to global parameter perturbations and tested viability against pre-defined criteria. According to these analyses, the regulated transcription and degradation of proteins make different contributions to cell cycle control. Regulated degradation confers cell cycle oscillations with robustness against perturbations, while regulated transcription plays a major role in controlling the period of these oscillations. Both regulated transcription and degradation are part of important feedback loops, that combined promote robust behaviour in the face of parametric variations.


This paper proposes software version update solutions in compliance with smart technologies (1) - architectural designs and software components which using metainformation on the system and its operation requirements are able to solve efficiently the problems of software maintenance. In order to ensure automated version update the authors propose several mutually independent mechanisms such as environment testing, software version update, automated data migration to the latest versions as well as automated self-testing of the installed version on internal consistency. Based on experience in software development, distribution and introduction, the authors identify and describe particular framework principles for integration of automated function of software version update into produced software.


Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a potent hepatocarcinogen, is known to impair specific and nonspecific immune responses. Recent studies suggested that AFB1 affects macrophage functions. Macrophages play an important role in a host defense against tumors and bacteria. In addition, some macrophage products, including tumor necrosis alpha (TNF-alpha), can be cytotoxic. In the present study, we investigated the effect of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on LPS-induced TNF-alpha production by a mouse macrophage cell line, RAW 264.7 cells. Cells were pretreated with increasing concentrations of AFB1 for 2 hours followed by stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 6 h. The concentration of TNF-alpha released in the culture medium was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). AFB1 at 1, 10, 50 or 100 µM reduced the production of TNF-alpha induced by LPS. Compared to vehicle control, there was a greater reduction of TNF-alpha production with increased concentration of AFB1 pretreatment and LPS stimulation. AFB1 at 100 µM decreased the synthesis of both TNF-alpha mRNA and protein in RAW 264.7 cells. To explore the mechanism of AFB1 activation by RAW 264.7 cells, we examined the expression of CYP3A4 and CYP3A11, two isoforms of cytochrome p450 known to activate AFB1. Our data indicated that CYP3A11 but not CYP3A4 was significantly expressed in RAW 264.7 cells. These results suggest that AFB1 pretreatment suppresses LPS-induced TNF production in RAW 264.7 cells. (Supported by NIH grant R01ES04139.) Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4378.


None of the current surgical alternatives for the short bowel syndrome is sufficiently safe and effective to be used routinely. Surgical therapy should be considered only in selected patients to achieve specific results. Patients with dilated intestinal segments and stasis may benefit from intestinal tapering and lengthening. The results of intestinal transplantation in animals have improved and justify clinical attempts, but recent experience in humans has been disappointing. Growing neomucosa has not been shown to increase absorption, but the patching technique may be useful in preserving intestinal length. Patients with sufficient absorptive area but rapid transit may benefit from colon interposition or intestinal valves. Thus, the surgical emphasis should continue to be prevention of intestinal resection and conservation of intestinal length when resection is required.


A topologically complex peptide [4]catenane with the crossing number of 12 was synthesized by a folding and assembly strategy wherein the folding and metal-directed self-assembly of a short peptide fragment occur simultaneously. The latent Ω-looped conformation of the Pro-Gly-Pro sequence was found only when pyridines at the C- and N-termini coordinatively bind metal ions (Ag(I) or Au(I) ). Crystallographic studies revealed that the Ω-looped motifs formed four M3 L3 macrocycles that were intermolecularly entwined to generate an unprecedented peptide [4]catenane topology.


Abstract The present study regards the creation of a support model for access control and optimization of cargo loading at ports. It aims to minimize the deficiencies of port accesses and to optimize shipping rates, using an algorithm to create virtual queues and use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. The theoretical approach and some of the data reported in this paper came from a master's degree research project of one of the authors, through the Civil Engineering Graduate Program at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. The port chosen for implementing the proposed model was the Porto de Vitória, one of the busiest transportation terminals in Brazil. Initially, a survey was carried out locally and the data collected were tabulated to be used in a simulator. The results show the effectiveness of the model based on the use of a simulation system (Arena®). The applied model helps to avoid traffic jams in the port area and also allows the automation of port access.


In this document we present an analysis on the use of cash as well as debit and credit cards in Colombia, emphasizing the historical evolution of its use. We also discuss some factors that explain the high use of cash that persists in the country. Additionally, using the first Oportunidades Banking Demand Study (Estudio de Demanda de Banca de las Oportunidades, 2015), we carried out a Probit type exercise, which identifies that the demand for credit depends on the labor status, region, age and confidence in the system of each individual. On the other hand, the demand for deposit accounts depends on the area (rural / urban), income level, education level, belong to the SISBEN system and confidence in the individual's financial system.


The headwater catchments of the Yellow River Basin are of great importance for the whole basin in terms of water resources, and streamflow from these catchments has decreased in the last decades. The concept of climate elasticity was used to assess the impacts of climate and land surface change on the streamflow. Results show that for the period 1960–2000 the elasticity of streamflow in relation to precipitation and potential evapotranspiration are 2.10 and −1.04, respectively, indicating that streamflow is more sensitive to precipitation than to potential evapotranspiration. However, land use change played a more important role than climate in reducing streamflow in the 1990s. It is estimated that land use change is responsible for more than 70% of the streamflow reduction in the 1990s, while climate change contributed to less than 30% of the reduction. The precipitation elasticity appears to have an inverse relationship with the runoff coefficient but a positive relationship with the aridity index, showing that the drier the catchment, the more sensitive the streamflow with respect to precipitation change.


Corneal transplants normally enjoy a high percentage of survival, mainly because the eye is an immune‐privileged site. When allograft failure occurs, it is most commonly due to rejection, an immune‐mediated reaction that targets the corneal endothelium. While the exact mechanism by which the endothelium is targeted is still unknown, we postulate that corneal endothelial cell loss during allograft failure is mediated by apoptosis. Furthermore, because corneal endothelial cells do not normally regenerate, we hypothesize that suppressing apoptosis in the graft endothelium will promote transplant survival. In a murine model of transplantation, TUNEL staining and confocal microscopy showed apoptosis of the graft endothelium occurring in rejecting corneas as early as 2 weeks posttransplantation. We found that bcl‐xL protected cultured corneal endothelial cells from apoptosis and that lentiviral delivery of bcl‐xL to the corneal endothelium of donor corneas significantly improved the survival of allografts. These studies suggest a novel approach to improve corneal allograft survival by preventing apoptosis of the endothelium.


Hg-based multi- and super-multi-layered cuprates HgBa2Can-1CunOy (Hg:12(n-1)n) (n⩾4) are composed of the charge reservoir layer (CRL) HgBa2Ox, and of CuO2 planes: outer planes (OP) with pyramidal oxygen coordination and inner planes (IP) with square oxygen coordination, with different charge distribution. This fact gives rise to very interesting phenomena, like coexistence of superconductivity (SC) in OPs with antiferromagnetism (AF) in IPs in Hg:1245. The dependence of Tc on the number n of CuO2 planes is also interesting: for n increasing from 4 to 5 and to 6, Tc decrease from 125 to 108 and then to about 103 K; further increase in n keeps Tc constant at about 103 K. In Hg:1245 we show that the AF ordering at TN of 60 K has no influence on vortex dynamics, and there is a quite robust c-axis supercurrent. Vortex melting lines of various samples showed that Hg-based multi-layered cuprates (n = 4, 5) behaves in the usual way (increasing n resulted in decrease of Josephson coupling (JC) and a less sharp melting line) and are well described by the usual anisotropic GL-based theory. Samples with n ⩾ 6 have all the same melting line, suggesting that, in this case, the short-range JC becomes much less important than the long-range magnetic coupling (MC). However, since the JC between two pancakes in OPs of adjacent unit cells (pancakes separated by the thin CRL) is large, we suggest that the vortex matter in Hg-based super-multi-layered cuprates is composed of magnetically-coupled pancake-vortex-molecules.


Albino Artocarpus heterophyllus Seedlings (AAS) were found in the preliminary investigation by our group and were used as materials for researching. The phenotype of AAS leaves were observed and measured. In parallel, the photosynthetic physiological parameters were determined under different photosynthetically active radiations (PAR). The results suggested that the length, width, area and thickness of AAS leaves were less than normal seedings. Likewise, the net photosynthetic rate, intercellular CO2 concentration, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate of AAS leaves were not susceptible to PAR in contrast to normal individuals. Furthermore, the transcriptome sequencing technology was performed to clarify the expression of genes related to photosynthesis. It is as expected that numerous down-regulated genes were found in the synthesis of photosynthetic pigments, as well as the pathways of photosynthesis - antenna proteins, photoreaction and carbon fixation reaction of AAS leaves. Compared to other albino plants, AAS have a longer life span and more stable phenotypic traits with larger leaves, which could provide ideal materials for investigating photosynthesis of woody plants.


Human bone marrow contains two major cell types, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). MSCs possess self-renewal capacity and pluripotency defined by their ability to differentiate into osteoblasts, chondrocytes, adipocytes and muscle cells. MSCs are also known to differentiate into neurons and glial cells in vitro, and in vivo following transplantation into the brain of animal models of neurological disorders including ischemia and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) stroke. In order to obtain sufficient number and homogeneous population of human MSCs, we have clonally isolated permanent and stable human MSC lines by transfecting primary cell cultures of fetal human bone marrow MSCs with a retroviral vector encoding v-myc gene. One of the cell lines, HM3.B10 (B10), was found to differentiate into neural cell types including neural stem cells, neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in vitro as shown by expression of genetic markers for neural stem cells (nestin and Musashi1), neurons (neurofilament protein, synapsin and MAP2), astrocytes (glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP) and oligodendrocytes (myelin basic protein, MBP) as determined by RT-PCR assay. In addition, B10 cells were found to differentiate into neural cell types as shown by immunocytochical demonstration of nestin (for neural stem cells), neurofilament protein and β-tubulin III (neurons) GFAP (astrocytes), and galactocerebroside (oligodendrocytes). Following brain transplantation in mouse ICH stroke model, B10 human MSCs integrate into host brain, survive, differentiate into neurons and astrocytes and induce behavioral improvement in the ICH animals. B10 human MSC cell line is not only a useful tool for the studies of organogenesis and specifically for the neurogenesis, but also provides a valuable source of cells for cell therapy studies in animal models of stroke and other neurological disorders.


Despite the research attention that has been paid to the public and self-stigma of mental illness, much less attention has been given to stigma and physical disabilities, particularly compared with psychological disabilities. Participants were 243 workers on Amazon's Mechanical Turk, an online crowd-sourcing tool, who completed measures of public stigma, self-stigma, stigma consciousness, as well as outcome measures of self-esteem, social anxiety, depression, and ostracism. Compared with physically disabled individuals, psychologically disabled participants reported significantly higher scores on public stigma, the awareness component of self-stigma, stigma consciousness, and all four outcome measures. Of particular import, however, is that persons with physical disabilities, though reporting lower levels of stigma than individuals with psychological disabilities, still evidenced both public and self-stigma. The results highlight the need for additional research examining stigma and physical disabilities, specifically, and research comparing these experiences with those of individuals with psychological disabilities. Implications of the findings for reducing stigma are discussed.


Gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR), a member of the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily, has been utilized for receptor-mediated targeting of imaging and therapeutic agents; here we extend its use to oligonucleotide delivery. A splice-shifting antisense oligonucleotide was conjugated to a bombesin (BBN) peptide, and its intracellular delivery was tested in GRPR expressing PC3 cells stably transfected with a luciferase gene interrupted by an abnormally spliced intron. The BBN-conjugate produced significantly higher luciferase expression compared to unmodified oligonucleotide, and this increase was reversed by excess BBN peptide. Kinetic studies revealed a combination of saturable, receptor-mediated endocytosis and non-saturable pinocytosis for uptake of the conjugate. The Km value for saturable uptake was similar to the EC50 value for the pharmacological response, indicating that receptor-mediated endocytosis was a primary contributor to the response. Use of pharmacological and molecular inhibitors of endocytosis showed that the conjugate utilized a clathrin-, actin- and dynamin-dependent pathway to enter PC3 cells. The BBN-conjugate partially localized in endomembrane vesicles that were associated with Rab7 or Rab9, demonstrating that it was transported to late endosomes and the trans-golgi network. These observations suggest that the BBN-oligonucleotide conjugate enters cells via a process of GRPR mediated endocytosis followed by trafficking to deep endomembrane compartments.


The design and analysis of a reconfigurable dual-band down-conversion mixer for IMT-advanced (3.4–3.6 GHz) and UWB (4.2–4.8 GHz) applications are presented. Based on a folded double-balanced Gilbert cell, which is well known for its low voltage, simplicity and well balanced performance, the mixer adopts a capacitive cross-coupling technique for input matching and performance improvement. Switched capacitors and resistors are added to shift the working bands. Fabricated in a TSMC 0.13 μm process, the test results show flat conversion gains from 9.6 to 10.3 dB on the IMT-A band and from 9.7 to 10.4 dB on the UWB band, with a noise figure of about 15 dB on both bands. The input third-order intercept points (IIP3) are about 7.3 dBm on both of the frequency bands. The whole chip consumes 11 mW under 1.2 V supply and the total area of the layout is 0.76 × 0.65 mm2.


As a result of widespread of peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing applications, it is a serious problem that inter-domain traffic between Internet service provider (ISP) networks increases. We present a novel inter-domain traffic flow model focusing on the presence of a passive peer, and proposes a new P2P traffic control method based on the model. This method uses a filter considering P2P flow characteristics and can be applied to the P2P networks whose protocol is closed. We also evaluate both validity and effectiveness of our proposals by performing more than 20 days experiments using real P2P network environment. The results prove that our model is reasonable enough and the proposed method is promising for decreasing inter-domain P2P traffic.


In Girard (2001), J.-Y. Girard presents a new theory, The Ludics, which is a model of realisibility of logic that associates proofs with designs, and formulas with behaviours. In this article we study the interpretation in this semantics of formulas with first-order quantifications and their proofs. We extend to the first-order quantifiers the full completeness theorem obtained in Girard (2001) for $MALL_2$. A significant part of this article is devoted to the study of a uniformity property for the families of designs that represent proofs of formulas depending on a first-order free variable.


Abstract Aim To evaluate the rehospitalization rates of premature infants who received palivizumab prophylaxis and its influence on the growth and development of these infants. Methods Infants with a gestational age of less than 32 weeks were randomized to receive prophylaxis with palivizumab (study group) or nothing (control group). Nasal swab samples were obtained monthly in all cases and also in case of infection and hospitalization. At the corrected age of 18 months Guide for Monitoring Child Development (GMCD) was administered to all patients and anthropometric indices were evaluated. Results The study was completed with 39 infants in the study group and 40 infants in the control group. Incidence of hospitalization due to respiratory syncitial virus (RSV) was found to be significantly lower in the study group both at the year of prophylaxis and in the following year (p = 0.001, odds ratio 1.32 [1.11–1.57]). There were no significant differences in terms of anthropometric indices or GMCD tests between the groups at the corrected age of 18 months. Conclusion Palivizumab reduced the incidence of lower respiratory tract infections and hospitalizations due to RSV both in the year of prophylaxis and in the following year. However, this decrease did not have any impact on the development of infants.


We propose a new variant of the Mumford-Shah model for simultaneous bias correction and segmentation of images with intensity inhomogeneity. First, based on the model of images with intensity inhomogeneity, we introduce an L0 gradient regularizer to model the true intensity and a smooth regularizer to model the bias field. In addition, we derive a new data fidelity using the local intensity properties to allow the bias field to be influenced by its neighborhood. Second, we use a two-stage segmentation method, where the fast alternating direction method is implemented in the first stage for the recovery of true intensity and bias field and a simple thresholding is used in the second stage for segmentation. Different from most of the existing methods for simultaneous bias correction and segmentation, we estimate the bias field and true intensity without fixing either the number of the regions or their values in advance. Our method has been validated on medical images of various modalities with intensity inhomogeneity. Compared with the state-of-art approaches and the well-known brain software tools, our model is fast, accurate, and robust with initializations.


The article reviews history, indication and follow-up after heart transplantation, including the mechanical assist devices. Various complications of posttransplant follow-up are mentioned, e.g. rejection, infection, vasculopathy, meta-bolic disorders, hypertension or malignities. Pharmacotherapy used for immunosuppression is discussed. Heart transplantation improves the prognosis of patients with previous heart failure and also their quality of life. Key words: heart transplantation - immunosuppression - mechanical assist devices - rejection - terminal heart failure.


More than a quarter of all Americans are estimated to have multiple chronic conditions (MCC). It is known that shared modifiable lifestyle behaviors account for many common MCC. What is not precisely known is the dynamic effect of changes in lifestyle behaviors on the trajectories of MCC emergence. This paper proposes dynamic functional continuous time Bayesian networks to effectively formulate the dynamic effect of patients' modifiable lifestyle behaviors and their interaction with non-modifiable demographics and preexisting conditions on the emergence of MCC. The proposed method considers the parameters of the conditional dependencies of MCC as a nonlinear state-space model and develops an extended Kalman filter to capture the dynamics of the modifiable risk factors on the MCC evolution. It also develops a tensor-based control chart based on the integration of multilinear principal component analysis and multivariate exponentially weighted moving average chart to monitor the effect of changes in the modifiable risk factors on the risk of new MCC. We validate the proposed method based on a combination of simulation and a real dataset of 385 patients from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort. The dataset examines the emergence of 5 chronic conditions (Diabetes, Obesity, Cognitive Impairment, Hyperlipidemia, Hypertension) based on 4 modifiable lifestyle behaviors representing (Diet, Exercise, Smoking Habits, Drinking Habits) and 3 non-modifiable demographic risk factors (Age, Gender, Education). For the simulated study, the proposed algorithm shows a run-length of 4 samples (4 months) to identify behavioral changes with significant impacts on the risk of new MCC. For the real data study, the proposed algorithm shows a run-length of one sample (one year) to identify behavioral changes with significant impacts on the risk of new MCC. The results demonstrate the sensitivity of the proposed methodology for dynamic prediction and monitoring of the risk of MCC emergence in individual patients.


Background. Problems encountered during revision hip arthroplasty are presented, based on 30 years of experience at the Orthopedic Clinic of the Medical University of Lodz. Material and methods. During this period of time 96 cases (5,13%) with aseptic hip loosening were diagnosed. All patients were evaluated clinically based o the Merle d'Aubigne-Postel criteria, and radiologically by means of De Lee and Gruen migration zones. Results. In our material hip loosening was most frequently observed in cases where a McKee-Farrar hip prosthesis had been used, and in cases with a PM uncemented acetabulum or uncemented Mittelmeier pin. Conclusions. The study showed that surgical technique plays the most significant role in aseptic loosening of hip replacement. The aseptic loosening of hip prostheses should be diagnosed early, and revision hip arthroplasty should be performed as soon as possible. This surgery must be preformed in specialized centers with adequate equipment and a team of experienced surgeons.


Objective: To describe a case of malignant transformation of a medulloepithelioma of the optic nerve. Methods: A 3-year-old boy presented with right-sided proptosis, swollen eyelids, restricted ocular movements, pain and nausea. Visual acuity was hand motions. A benign non-teratoid medulloepithelioma of the optic nerve was surgically removed. Due to relapse in the orbit 10 months postoperatively enucleation and partial orbital exenteration were performed. Light microscopy and immunohistochemistry now revealed a malignant medulloepithelioma. The boy was further treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy and is still alive 36 months after primary surgery. Results: Medulloepithelioma of the optic nerve is extremely rare. Only eight cases have been described in the literature. Unlike intraocular medulloepithelioma, all have been malignant tumours. This is the first case described of a benign medulloepithelioma of the optic nerve, later transforming into a malignant tumour. One third of patients with medulloepithelioma of the optic nerve have died from direct intracranial spread or metastasis to the central nervous system (CNS). Conclusions: Medulloepithelioma of the optic nerve should be considered malignant despite morphology with tendency to spread to the CNS. Furthermore; it should be considered as a differential diagnosis when observing a tumour of the optic nerve in a child.


Double-planting is the practice of planting two seedlings at every planting spot. When both seedlings survive, then either the less vigorous seedling is removed or each seedling is given an equal chance of being removed. Some researchers double-plant so that tree growth among experimental plots is not affected by initial differences in stocking. However, double-planting might have an effect on conclusions when the response variable is affected by initial survival. A growth and yield program was used to estimate the effects of double-planting on yields obtained from eliminating hardwood competition. As expected, increasing stocking (by double-planting) increased standing volume at age 25 year. If the herbicide treatment increased survival, the predicted increase was greater for double-planting than for single-planting. However, when the use of herbicides reduced seedling survival, the predicted increase in volume gains was greater for single-planted stands.


The lion's share of smartphones, computers, televisions, semiconductor devices, and other electronics goods is made in East Asia. Final electronics goods are assembled in China, and sophisticated parts and components (P&C) such as semiconductor chips, image sensors, and ceramic filters in upstream Asian economies such as Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. How did Asia become the center of electronics manufacturing? How did learning take place that allowed Asian workers to produce cutting-edge products? Are there lessons for countries like the US that seek to reshore manufacturing of semiconductors, flat-panel displays, and related products? This Element addresses these issues.


The authors present a fabrication technique of superconducting single photon detectors made by local oxidation of niobium nitride ultrathin films. Narrow superconducting meander lines are obtained by direct writing of insulating niobium oxynitride lines through the films using voltage-biased tip of an atomic force microscope. Due to the 30nm resolution of the lithographic technique, the filling factor of the meander line can be made substantially higher than detector of similar geometry made by electron beam lithography, thus leading to increased quantum efficiency. Single photon detection regime of these devices is demonstrated at 4.2K.


Mutual adaptation is considered to be one of the key issues in realizing a human robot interaction (HRI) system. In order to develop a mutually adaptive interactive robot system, the authors adopt a bootstrapping approach comprising three stages: a human-human WOZ (Wizard of OZ) experiment, a humanrobot WOZ experiment, and a human-adaptive robot experiment. This paper will focus on the second stage where the authors developed a human-robot WOZ experimental environment and conducted an experiment to evaluate its effectiveness. The primary results suggested the following: the WOZ environment can function well; the operator's view mode can be considered as a relatively intuitive operational mode for a human WOZ operator; and the realtime video image of the robot's movement is necessary for the WOZ operator when he/she operates the robot while simultaneously watching the gestural instructions of the instructor. Some adaptive behaviors are observed as well. In addition, the primary results also suggested that the environment can be easily utilized with minor modifications to build a human-adaptive robot experiment.


In this paper we study the use of resources by students in their mathematical work at the beginning of university. The institution offers a variety of resources: lecture notes, books, exercises, websites, to name but a few. Leaning on a theoretical framework by Rabardel, we argue that the university teachers expected an epistemic mediation of these resources, as they supported student learning of (higher level) mathematics. However, analysing two case studies (one in the UK and one in France) we observe that the actual use of resources by novice mathematics students corresponded to a pragmatic mediation, as they searched for worked examples and "reproduction techniques", all very similar to their use of resources at secondary school.


A facile method is presented for synthesis of novel pearl-string-like NiO nanowire/In2O3 nanoparticle heterostructures. The synthesis was carried out by using a chemical vapor deposition method with Indium granules and Nickel (II) Chloride Hexahydrate as precusors. The structures were investigated by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Room and low temperature photoluminescence of the heterostructures was studied. Our work provides a new strategy for fabrication of novel nano-heterostructures and is promising for future device applications.


As humanity struggles to contain the global COVID-19 pandemic, privacy concerns are emerging regarding confinement, tracing and testing. The scientific debate concerning privacy of the COVID-19 tracing efforts has been intense, especially focusing on the choice between centralised and decentralised tracing apps. The privacy concerns regarding COVID-19 testing, however, have not received as much attention even though the privacy at stake is arguably even higher. COVID-19 tests require the collection of samples. Those samples possibly contain viral material but inevitably also human DNA. Patient DNA is not necessary for the test but it is technically impossible to avoid collecting it. The unlawful preservation, or misuse, of such samples at a massive scale may hence disclose patient DNA information with far-reaching privacy consequences. Inspired by the cryptographic concept of "Indistinguishability under Chosen Plaintext Attack", this paper poses the blueprint of novel types of tests allowing to detect viral presence without leaving persisting traces of the patient's DNA. Authors are listed in alphabetical order.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Human Neutrophil Peptides (HNP) are major neutrophils' products which may contribute to the airway inflammation and lung remodelling during chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We aimed to assess whether HNP sputum concentrations could be used as indicators of airway inflammation and progression towards pulmonary functional impairment, and correlate with the degree of airways obstruction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
We measured, by ELISA tests, HNP concentrations from 37 symptomatic smokers and 34 COPD patients. All participants underwent pulmonary function tests. Sputum samples were collected at the enrolment, and 6 months after smoking cessation. Differences between groups and correlation coefficients between variables were determined using non parametric tests.

RESULTS
Sputum HNP concentrations were higher in COPD patients as compared to symptomatic smokers (14 +/- 1.5 microg/ml vs 1.6 +/- 0.4 microg/ml; p < 0.0001). Among COPD patients HNP concentrations were higher in individuals with severe obstruction than in patients with mild to moderate COPD (19.9 +/- 2.3 microg/ml vs 10.3 +/- 0.8 microg/ml, p = 0.003). A negative correlation was observed between HNP levels and FEV1 (rho = -0.38, p = 0.02), and FEV1/FVC (rho = -0.42, p = 0.01). No differences were found in HNP levels before and after 6 months of smoking withdrawal (1.1 microg/ml +/- 0.3 vs 1.1 microg/ml +/- 0.3 for symptomatic smokers, p = 0.9, and 14.4 microg/ml +/- 1 vs 16 microg/ml +/- 1.1 for COPD, p = 0.6).

DISCUSSION
Sputum levels of HNP may represent a marker of severity of functional impairment in COPD. Our data support the hypothesis that HNP may have a role in smoking- and COPD-related lung inflammation.


MEMS Accelerometers are broadly used in the area of vibration sensor. Their applications range from seismic disturbances, to automotive industry such as airbag systems, active suspension, and smart braking. Traditionally, the acceleration is detected electrically by measuring either capacitive variations or piezoelectric signals. Those approaches suffer from a number of drawbacks, such as low sensitivity due to low signalto-noise ratio (SNR), small dynamic range, high temperature sensitivity, etc. In this thesis, a MEMS-based optical accelerometer is designed and analyzed. The device can be fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer, on which a double-leg single-mode optical rib waveguide is used to propagate 1.55μm laser beam. The device integrates the waveguide with a mechanical oscillator, and is able to detect in-plane vibrations of the oscillator by taking advantages of optical interference. According to the analysis, the maximum working range of the oscillator can be as large as 50μm and the acceleration sensitivity can be below 1μg/Hz. Device fabrication and characterization are also carried out and described in the thesis. All necessary fabrication steps and details as well as characterization setups are given. Due to several fabrication challenges in UBC (e.g. malfunctioned equipment), a complete device has not been fabricated. More fabrication and characterizations are to be continued as future work.


A pair of recent research articles has cast the public spotlight on treating children and adolescents with antipsychotic medications.1,2 In the first report, a large and broadly representative group of child and adolescent patients, all naive to antipsychotic medications, was followed for approximately 10 weeks after initiating treatment with olanzapine, risperidone, quetiapine, or aripiprazole. The average weight increase ranged from 18.7 pounds (olanzapine) to 9.7 pounds (aripiprazole).3 In the second report, Medicaid-insured youth were found to be approximately 4 times as likely as privately insured youth to fill prescriptions for antipsychotic medications. Only a minority of the privately-insured (32.6%) and Medicaid-insured (26.9%) youth had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or a pervasive developmental disorder.4


One of many educational challenges in higher education is to combine theory with the practical knowledge that students need to have learned upon graduation. Most business schools in North America address this issue by using case studies. In the business area of internet marketing, learning by analyzing case studies does not create the excitement in students that many teachers would hope for. Unless the learning objectives are directly linked to the students' personal career objectives, the success of the traditional case study approach is slowly decreasing. To break from a typical case study approach, this Author has introduced a modified live case study to the students in the School of Business at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in Canada. Instead of collaborating with external businesses sponsors, the students became project sponsors themselves. The entire experience required the marketing students to obtain the knowledge needed to fully understand many challenges of internet marketing. It included real activities such as developing content for a website, creating and running online advertising, monitoring website performance, and solving many challenging problems.This paper summarizes this live case study experience, which has been successfully implemented in the last two semesters at TRU. It provides recommendations that other instructors may consider before introducing a similar experience in their classrooms.


This paper is about the development of non-invasive heart rate and oxygen saturation in human blood using Altera NIOS II soft-core processor system. In today's world, monitoring oxygen saturation and heart rate is very important in hospitals to keep track of low oxygen levels in blood. We have designed an Embedded System On Peripheral Chip (SOPC) reconfigurable system by interfacing two LED's of different wavelengths (660 nm/940 nm) with a single photo-detector to measure the absorptions of hemoglobin species at different wavelengths. The implementation of the interface with Finger Probe and Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) was carried out using NIOS II soft-core system running on Altera NANO DE0 board having target as Cyclone IVE. This designed system is used to monitor oxygen saturation in blood and heart rate for different test subjects. The designed NIOS II processor based non-invasive heart rate and oxygen saturation was verified with another Operon Pulse oximeter for 50 measurements on 10 different subjects. It was found that the readings taken were very close to the Operon Pulse oximeter. Keywords—Heart rate, NIOS II, Oxygen Saturation, photoplethysmography, soft-core, SOPC.


The periselective Diels-Alder reaction of 5-substituted pentamethylcyclopentadienes and nitroethylene has been realized by helical-chiral hydrogen bond donor catalysts. To our knowledge, this represents the first asymmetric catalytic nitroalkene Diels-Alder reaction via activation of nitroalkene, and thus establishes its proof-of-principle.


New processes and devices in the area of optical microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) as researched in the Berkeley Sensor & Actuator Center (BASC) are described. A technique and fabrication procedure is presented to produce high‐quality microlenses at selected locations in a micro‐optical system. Polarization beam splitters are produced by another process, and their performance is measured and described. A new, much simplified process to fabricate vertically offset comb actuating structures is applied in the design of high‐performance scanners, which are in turn used to control a laser ablation system. Very favorable performance comparisons are demonstrated between the researched system and a conventional commercial laser ablation system. A second system demonstration is a prototype Shack–Hartmann (SH) sensor, in which microlenses are mounted in carriages that can be individually addressed using the selectivity of their mechanically resonant mountings. This design is shown to increase markedly the dynamic range in wave aberration to which the SH sensor can be applied. A final application of optical MEMS design is to a reduced‐size, enhanced‐performance, phase shifting interferometer. Copyright © 2007 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan© 2007 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


Several supported metal catalysts were synthesized, characterized, and tested in heterogeneous hydrogenation of propene with parahydrogen to maximize nuclear spin hyperpolarization of propane gas using parahydrogen induced polarization (PHIP). The Rh/TiO2 catalyst with a metal particle size of 1.6 nm was found to be the most active and effective in the pairwise hydrogen addition and robust, demonstrating reproducible results with multiple hydrogenation experiments and stability for ≥1.5 years. 3D (1) H magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 1 % hyperpolarized flowing gas with microscale spatial resolution (625×625×625 μm(3) ) and large imaging matrix (128×128×32) was demonstrated by using a preclinical 4.7 T scanner and 17.4 s imaging scan time.


This paper presents a real-time procedural texturing algorithm for hatching parametrized surfaces. We expand on the concept of Tonal Art Maps to define self-similar, procedural tonal art maps that can service any required level-of-detail, allowing to zoom in on surfaces indefinitely. We explore the mathematical requirements arising for hatching placement and propose algorithms for the generation of the procedural models and for real-time texturing.


Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) is the major causative bacteria in dental caries. Xylitol is effective anticarious natural sugar substitute by inhibiting the virulence of S. mutans. However, long-term xylitol consumption leads to the emergence of the xylitol-resistant (XR) strains which means xylitol is no more inhibited their growth. We therefore confirmed the general characteristics and the virulence factors of the xylitol-sensitive (XS) and XR S. mutans for different concentrations of xylitol. S. mutans KCTC 3065 was maintained in TYE medium containing 0.4% glucose with 1% xylitol during 30 days at 37oC, 10% CO2 to form XR strain. The strains were transferred to new medium every 24 hr and the same procedures without xylitol were repeated for the formation of XS S. mutans. Both XS and XR were cultured in different concentrations of xylitol (0%, 0.1% and 1%) then, cell growth, acid production and mRNA expression of gtf genes were analyzed. Xylitol reduced the cell growth of XS S. mutans in dose-dependent manner, but not reduced that of XR. Xylitol inhibited acid production of XS in dose-dependent manner, but not inhibited that of XR. Xylitol reduced the gtfB and gtfD mRNA expression of XS S. mutans which genes synthesized soluble and insoluble extracellular polysaccharides, but not reduced that of XR. These results indicate that the virulence of XR S. mutans is different characters of XS strains, which suggests XR strains may have different cariogenicity of XS strains. Further study is needed to explain the mechanism related to extracellular polysaccharide in the XR strains.


The goal of the ALICE experiment at LHC is to study strongly interacting matter at high energy densities as well as the signatures and properties of the quark-gluon plasma. This goal manifests itself in a rich physics program. Although ALICE will mainly study heavy-ion collisions, a dedicated program will concentrate on proton-proton physics. The first part will introduce the ALICE experiment from a pp measurement's point of view. Two unique properties are its low pT cut-off and the excellent PID capabilities. The various topics of the proton-proton physics program, which will allow a close scrutiny of existing theoretical models, will be described. Furthermore, the interpretation of measurements of heavy-ion collisions necessitates the comparison to measurements of pp collisions. The second part will concentrate on the day-1 physics program of ALICE. At startup, neither the LHC luminosity nor its energy will have their nominal values. Furthermore, the ALICE detector is in the process of being aligned and calibrated. Still several physics topics can be studied from the very beginning. These will be presented as well as the effort that is already ongoing to be ready for the first collision. The statistics needed for each of the topics will be given with respect to the foreseen LHC startup scenario.


Purpose: to analyze information on cases of evacuation of seafarers from seacrafts for medical reasons and make proposals on improvement of health maintenance for personnel of sea and river crafts.Materials and methods: the analysis of information on cases of evacuation of seafarers from seacrafts for medical reasons for the period from 2014 to 2019 was carried out. Results and discussion: increase in mean annual rate of evacuation and absolute number of evacuated seafarers for the period from 2014 to 2019 in comparison with previous period from 2009 to 2013 was revealed. Maximum number of evacuated seafarers among five sea basins for the period from 2014 to 2019 was observed in Far Eastern and Northern sea basins and is equal to 40% and 21% of the total number of evacuated seafarers. The formation of universal health care for sick and injured people at seacrafts in the Russian Federation as well as adoption of joint normative legal documents of Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation on issues relating to organization of medical evacuation and application of telemedicine technologies is required.


The study examined soil conservation practices used by arable crop farmers in Enugu – North agricultural zone of Enugu State. One hundred and twenty randomly selected arable crop farmers were interviewed. Data were analysed by use ofvpercentage and mean score. The study revealed that respondents used organicvmanure (87.5%), planting of cover crops (87.5%), crop rotation (86.7%), mulchingv(85.8%), inorganic manure (76.7%), contour bonds (75.8%), liming (61.7%), andvterracing (60.8%) for soil conservation in the zone. However, organic manure (M=3.32), use of inorganic manure (M= 3.08), crop rotation(M=2.86), and mulching (vM=2.82) were most preferred by the respondents The major reasons indicated forvuse of most soil conservation practices included enhanced productivity, high quality products, long term nutrient value and others. While most of the preferred conservation practices hold great potential for increased production, income for farmers and enhanced food security for the nation, some are implicated as causes of climate change. The more environment friendly and climate change sensitive practices are less popular among the farmers. The paper recommends concerted efforts to promote among farmers the conservation practices that aid mitigation and adaptation to climate change and at the same time enhance production. Researches and a corresponding creation of awareness on the most efficient and environmentally safe way of using practices that contribute to climate change should be intensified, since the pressure on ensuring food security remains a formidable challenge in the nation


We study the effects of nonequilibrium correlations and interactions between constituent particles of a bunch or pulsed beam, arising in course of its motion through a medium, or under the scattering of particle stream on a cluster or finite cloud of impurities [1]. Formally, these correlations are determined by the effect of dynamical screening. Such induced correlations and dynamical friction forces on impurities are manifested most pronouncedly in the case of collective dynamical screening effect and are enhanced in the case of a nonlinear medium when strong local fluctuations of scattered field begin to act as additional scattering elements along with impurities. In addition, collective scattering effects depend on the degree of impurity cluster disorder [2]. We focus on effects provoked by the collective scattering on randomly inhomogeneous structures and by the presence of local fluctuations. The presence of strong fluctuations of the scattered field is shown to give rise to strong local fluctuations of nonequilibrium forces acting on certain particles within the impurity cluster that can be a precursor of dynamical instability of the cluster, which is manifested in the peculiar behavior of the tails of probability distribution function for the drag force [3]. The description of the impurity cluster in terms of effective parameters breaks down due to the presence of such fluctuations.
Acknowledgments: This work was partially supported by a grant for research groups of young scientists from the National Academy of Science of Ukraine (Project No. 0120U100155).
[1] O.V. Kliushnychenko and S.P. Lukyanets, Effects of gas interparticle interaction on dissipative wake-mediated forces, Phys. Rev. E 95, 012150 (2017).[2] O.V. Kliushnychenko and S.P. Lukyanets, Effects of collectively induced scattering of gas stream by impurity ensembles: Shock-wave enhancement and disorder-stimulated nonlinear screening, Phys. Rev. E 98, 020101(R) (2018).[3] O.V. Kliushnichenko, S.P. Lukyanets, arXiv: 2012.09266 (2020).


Multirate filter banks introduce periodic time-varying phenomena into their subband signals. The nature of these effects depends on whether the signals are regarded as deterministic or as random signals. We analyze the behavior of deterministic and wide-sense stationary (WSS) random signals in multirate filter banks in a comparative manner. While aliasing in the decimation stage causes subband energy spectra of deterministic signals to become shift-variant, imaging in the interpolation stage causes WSS random signals to become WS cyclostationary (WSCS). We provide criteria to quantify both shift variance and cyclic nonstationarity. For shift variance, these criteria separately assess the shift dependence of energy and of energy spectra. Similarly for nonstationarity, they separately assess the nonstationary behavior of signal power and of power spectra. We show that, under aliasing cancellation and perfect reconstruction constraints of paraunitary and biorthogonal filter banks, these criteria evaluate the behavior of deterministic and WSS random signals in a consistent, dual way. We apply our criteria to paraunitary and biorthogonal filter banks as well as to orthogonal block transforms, and show that, for critical signals such as lines or edges in image data, the biorthogonal 9/7 filters perform best among these


The interest in designing interactive systems is going beyond their functionality and more towards their aesthetics. Often, research fails to address how qualities of the interaction as a medium can actually create pleasurable experiences. However, it points out the importance of understanding temporal aspects of interactions to understand their aesthetics. The aim for this thesis is to address this by the creation and evaluation of an interactive artwork working as a platform to explore relations between Interaction attributes and Pleasures, as well as how temporal aspects in interactions can affect these Pleasures. This to help interaction designers think more clearly around and make better design choices regarding interactions within interactive systems. The results of this showed that there can be many such relations, but also that they are complex. Additionally, it is discussed that Pleasures might also partly be experienced before or after the interaction with the artwork.