BACKGROUND
Since 1990, maternal mortality ratio (MMR) has significantly decreased in Iran. However, estimates for mortality and morbidity by cause at subnational scale are not available.

METHODS
This study is part of the Global Burden of Diseases study (GBD) 2019. Here we report maternal mortality and morbidity by age and cause across 31 provinces of Iran from 1990 to 2019.

RESULTS
Since 1990, MMR declined from 44.5 (95% UI: 38.6-50.1) to 15.9 (14.7-17.3) per 100000 live births in Iran. In 1990 MMR ranged from 18.5 (11.2-26.4) to 76.9 (38.4-114.7) per 100000 live births across provinces. Respective figures for 2019 were 7.1 (5.2-9.3) to 34.0 (25.1-44.7) per 100000 live births. In 2019, MMR was higher in young women (aged 10 to 14) and older women (aged 45 or more). Percentages of deaths under 25 years was 24.8% in 1990 and 16.0% in 2019. There was remarkable decline in years lost due to premature death (YLL) rates from 1990 to 2019. While the decline was modest for years lived with disability (YLD) rates. Indirect maternal deaths and other maternal deaths ranked first or second in almost all provinces. Ultimately, there was an evident decrease in MMR along with increase in socio-demographic Index (SDI) from 1990 to 2019 in all provinces and an evident convergence across provinces.

CONCLUSION
MMR has declined to levels much lower than Sustainable Development Goals in all provinces. Although there was a convergence in trends, there are still disparities across provinces. The decline in disabilities caused by maternal disorders is not as significant as mortality, which needs further actions.


BACKGROUND: Porcine circovirus diseases (PCVD) are still one of the commonest diseases of swine in Korea. The objective of the present paper is to report a case of pig co-infected with porcine circovirus type 2 and streptococcus suis.
CASE PRESENTATION: A 40 days old pig exhibited symptoms of diarrhea; a difficulty breathing and neurological sign was diagnosed for possible cause(s) of death by pathological and molecular based methods. The notable gross lesions were (i) rubbery consistency of the lungs with multiple petechial hemorrhages, (ii) congestion of lymp nodes, and brain; (iii) the wall of the small intestine was slight congestion, yellowish fluid accumulated in the lumen was observed. The main microscopic lesions were: (i) interstitial pneumonia, degeneration of lymphocyte, dense mononuclear cell infiltrated in the interstitium; (ii) germinal centers of lymph node were reduced or absent with depletion of mature lymphocytes and distribution of pyknotic nuclear material; (iii) lymphocytes, macrophages, and mainly plasma cells distributed along blood vessels within the meninges of the brain. By extensive examining previously known pathogens of nervous, respiratory, and digestive systems, only PCV2 and Streptococcus suis were systematically detected and confirmed by sequencing.
CONCLUSION: The pig described in this study suffered from an atypical porcine circovirus disease which was based on the presence of PCV2 systemically and a typical lesion of lymphoid depletion.


Both Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion (CSII) and Multiple Daily Injections (MDI) are effective ways of implementing intensive management of DM1 to attain near normal glycemic levels and a more flexible lifestyle. CSII is as safe as MDI and has some advantages over it mostly in diabetic patients with frequent hypoglycemias with important dawn phenomenum, gastroparesia, during pregnancy, in children and in patients with an erratic way of living. CSII allows a better chance to reach better glycemic control with less hypoglycemia, asymptomatic hypoglycemias and a better quality of life. Besides, risks are lower and adverse events are less frequent in DM1 patients under CSII as compared to MDI. To obtain results like this, a careful adjustment of basal and boluses insulin doses and an adequate patient follow-up are essential.


The poly-Si/SiO2 based MOSFETs have been encountering a problem with the limitation of channel length for the
device miniaturization. The drain induced barrier lowering (DIBL) effect is the main threat for the device to acquire
excellent device's characteristics. Thus, the metal-gate/high-k technology is a smart choice for the future replacement of poly-Si/SiO2 channel. This paper introduces the implementation of WSix/TiO2 channel to replace the poly-Si/SiO2 channel in vertical double-gate NMOS structure, followed by the application of Taguchi method to reduce the drain induced barrier lowering (DIBL) effects. The device was virtually fabricated and characterized by using both ATHENA and ATLAS modules of SILVACO TCAD tools. The L12 orthogonal array, main effects, signal-to noise ratio (SNR) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were utilized to analyze the effect of process parameter variations on the DIBL. Later, the interactions between the process parameters were investigated by using L8 orthogonal array of Taguchi method. Based on the final results, halo implant tilt angle and source/drain (S/D) implant energy were identified as the most dominant process parameters where each of them contributes 24% and 16% of factor effects on SNR respectively. The lowest possible value of DIBL after the optimization with the interaction test is 1.552 mV/V.


Context • Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a major public health problem in developing and developed countries. Elevated cholesterol levels, especially low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and the emergence of CHD, have been positively correlated in many clinical and epidemiological studies. The health benefits of probiotics have received a great deal of attention, including their blood cholesterol-lowering effects on humans. Objective • The research team intended to determine the current state of research examining the effects of various probiotic strains on lipid profiles, including measures in serum of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Design • The review examined studies, in both animal and human models and focused on the potential of various probiotic strains to be dietary adjuncts in lowering levels of serum cholesterol with the aim of reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CHD. Articles were reviewed systematically from Web search bases including PubMed and Cochrane Clinical Trial Registry. Articles meeting the inclusion search criteria were selected for further review and analysis. Only randomized controlled trials evaluating the effects of probiotics on lipid profiles in animals or humans were considered for inclusion in the review. Setting • The selection of articles and further inclusion in the review was performed in Institute of Home Economics, University of Delhi (New Delhi, India). Results • Some of the studies, in both animal and human models, have revealed that several strains were able to improve at least 1 lipid fraction. Although the results from animal studies have been fairly consistent, the findings from studies on humans have varied. Some strains when evaluated in human studies have shown insignificant effects on lipid fractions. Conclusions • Although several mechanisms for cholesterol removal by probiotics have been proposed, they need further investigation to be validated.


BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Because most parasitic plants do not form mycorrhizal associations, the nutritional roles of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in them have hardly been tested. Some facultative root hemiparasitic Pedicularis species form AM associations and hence are ideal for testing both direct and indirect effects of AM fungi on their nutrient acquisition. The aim of this study was to test the influence of AM inoculation on phosphorus (P) uptake by Pedicularis rex and P. tricolor.

METHODS
(32)P labelling was used in compartmented pots to assess the contribution of the AM pathway and the influence of AM inoculation on P uptake from a host plant into the root hemiparasites. Laboratory isolates of fungal species (Glomus mosseae and G. intraradices) and the host species (Hordeum vulgare 'Fleet') to which the two Pedicularis species showed obvious responses in haustorium formation and growth in previous studies were used.

KEY RESULTS
The AM colonization of both Pedicularis spp. was low (<15 % root length) and only a very small proportion of total plant P (<1 %) was delivered from the soil via the AM fungus. In a separate experiment, inoculation with AM fungi strongly interfered with P acquisition by both Pedicularis species from their host barley, almost certainly because the numbers of haustoria formed by the parasite were significantly reduced in AM plants.

CONCLUSIONS
Roles of AM fungi in nutrient acquisition by root parasitic plants were quantitatively demonstrated for the first time. Evidence was obtained for a novel mechanism of preventing root parasitic plants from overexploiting host resources through AM fungal-induced suppression of the absorptive structures in the parasites.


The architecture design phase is one of the most important steps in the system LSI development process. In this paper, we propose a C-based pipeline architecture design methodology and apply it to the design of the output probability computation circuit for a real time speech recognition system. Several variable length vector pipeline architectures accelerated by loop optimization, memory access optimizations, and application-specific circuit design were implemented to calculate the hidden Markov model (HMM) output probability at high speed and their performances evaluated.


UNLABELLED
The World Health Organisation defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of a disease or infirmity. The female breast, surgically considered as a "troubled organ", can be affected by disorders of various types. Its normal morphology can be changed by deformities which may have a serious impact on the mental state of female patients. Assessment of these deformities is essential when doctors should define the inclusion and exclusion criteria for each breast operation that has elements of esthetic surgery in it, the breast being indisputably a symbol of female beauty. When we consider the parameters of normal breast morphology, it is only proper to take into account their dependence on race, national culture, folk psychology, etc. For Bulgarian women, P. Tepavicharova has found that the distance from fossa jugularis to the nipple-areolar complex can have the following characteristic proportions: 15.5-17 cm for a woman 155-160 cm in height and with breast circumference of 75-80 cm; 17-18.5 cm for woman 160-165 cm in height and with breast circumference of 89-95 cm; and 18-20 cm for a woman 165-170 cm in height and with breast circumference of 95-100 cm. J. Lalardie points out that breast stability is determined by three principal factors: skin and its elasticity, the condition of the underlying collagenous structure of the breast, and the firm bond between the skin and fibrous elements. RB Brinks defines the four forms of ptosis of the breast: glandular ptosis, true ptosis, parenchymal maldistribution, and pseudoptosis. According to P. Tepavicharova, the violation of breast symmetry is the major factor triggering a sequence of psychosomatic reactions.

CONCLUSIONS
The basic parameters of female breast morphology are the mammary base, mammary perimeter, the forward projection of the breast, symmetry, breast volume, and the state of the axillary extension. The major deviations from normal breast morphology that can have an impact on the quality of life are mammary ptosis, hypertrophy, asymmetry, and deformations of the breast shape as well as the operation cicatrices on the breast. An assessment of the association of the deviations from normal morphology with the correction to normal morphology (with or without dealing with a pathological process) and with the impact on the quality of life is a possible base for objective assessment of the latter parameter.


All-trans retinoic acid (RA), the carboxylic form of vitamin A, inhibits fat cell differentiation in vitro in multiple mammalian species. However, the ability of RA to limit adipose tissue accretion in monogastric meat-producing animals in vivo has not been investigated. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of feeding RA on total carcass lipid and tissue concentrations of RA in growing broilers. In the first experiment, 48 one-day-old birds were fed either a commercial starter-grower diet or the commercial diet supplemented with 14 mg/kg RA for six weeks. Feeding RA decreased carcass weight (12%; P<0.0001), feed intake (9%; P<0.0001), and average daily gain (12%; P<0.0001) while tending to increase feed efficiency (4%, P<0.07). Retinoic acid significantly decreased total carcass lipid was by 14% (P<0.008) though abdominal fat mass only tended to be decreased in RA-treated birds (12%; P<0.07). In the second experiment, 36 one-day-old chicks were randomly assigned to either the control or RA-supplemented diet (14 mg/kg) and liver and adipose tissue RA concentrations were determined using HPLC. Liver RA concentrations were three-fold higher in birds consuming the RA-supplemented diet (P<0.02) diet did not significantly affect RA concentration in adipose tissue (P<0.21). However, RA concentrations were numerically lower in birds fed the RA-supplemented diet on each day measured. Expression of retinoic acid receptors, retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα) and retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRα) was verified in adipose tissue by semi-quantitative PCR. These results suggest that feeding RA can reduce carcass adiposity. However, this approach may be limited by physiological mechanisms that constrain retinoic acid accumulation in adipose tissue. Better characterization of these mechanisms may reveal targets that could be useful for reducing carcass fat in growing broilers either through selection programs or the administration of exogenous effectors.


The service oriented architectures (SOA) approach designing the interaction between various business entities leads to complex and highly automated relations between formerly separate organisations. In particular the automation of these processes demands a high level of trust of each partner in the underlying IT infrastructure and the results produced. This paper discusses the security and trust implications and shows how to utilize Trusted Computing within the SOA approach introducing means for integrity and authenticity.


Diplomacy has been changing dramatically in recent years as a result of an adjustment to more interconnected and hybrid international relations. One of the signs of this change is more stress put on soft-power tools as public diplomacy. Classic diplomacy has shifted from the domain of politics to the public sphere, where public opinion is formed. Formerly latent diplomacy has become public diplomacy with the effect of a more symmetric conduct of international political communication. Poland's public diplomacy is conditioned by the country's size and its status as a "new" EU Member State, but there are lessons to be learned from strategies adopted by other countries in the European Union, particularly in the fields of culture, development aid, and education.


Abstract China has recently become one of the world's largest shale gas producers. However, little is known about how shale gas development and fracking affect local communities in China nor how local communities view this development. Drawing on fieldwork conducted during August 2015 in two villages in Sichuan province and Chongqing municipality, this article shows that while fracking leads to serious environmental and social problems there are also substantial economic and social benefits. Furthermore, this study uncovers both active and resigned support of shale gas development in rural China depending on whether local residents prioritize economics or politics.


This study was designed to examine whether the sublingual gland parenchyma is influenced by the development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The sublingual glands of rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes were examined by light and electron microscopy. In order to define the limiting membrane of mucous granules in more detail, samples processed by rapid freezing following by freeze-substitution in addition to chemical fixation were also prepared for electron microscopy. Light and electron microscopy showed vacuole-like structures considered to be lipid droplets in the cytoplasm of serous demilune cells, the largest reaching 4 microm in diameter. Electron microscopy of the chemically fixed samples revealed granule-like structures in addition to the mucous granules proper in the mucous cell cytoplasm. However, electron microscopy of the freeze-substitution fixed samples demonstrated no limiting membrane on the surface of the granule-like structures, although this was clearly observed on the surface of the mucous granules. Accordingly, the granule-like structures present in the mucous cell cytoplasm appeared to be lipid droplets. These findings suggest that the sublingual gland mucous cells become dysfunctional during the development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, although to a slighter degree than the serous demilune cells.


It costs high in both memory usage and time consuming to sample the space to compute charge density and calculate electric field on that with large size of plasma data. In real-time and interactive application, accelerating the compute time is critical problem. In this paper, we suggest new method to visualize electric field by using convolution theorem, and the parallel computing to accelerate computing time by using GPGPU. We conduct a simulation that compare running time between the methods with convolution and without convolution. We discussed the method of visualization of multivariate data in three dimensional space using colored volume rendering and surface construction.


Background: Burst abdomen (abdominal wound dehiscence) is a severe post-operative complication. Burst abdomen is defined as post-operative separation of abdominal musculo-aponeurotic layers. The study aims to find etiological factors of burst abdomen in hospitalised patients, evaluate current management methods and to compare conservative and operative approach with respect to complication and outcomes. Methods: All cases presenting with abdominal wound dehiscence after surgery were included. An elaborate clinical history was taken in view of the significant risk factors, the types of surgery performed, type of disease involved and management methods and their outcome. A total of 82 cases were included in this prospective study. Data was analyzed using appropriate software. Results: The results concluded that male patients have a higher incidence of laparotomy wound dehiscence and in 5 decade. Patients presenting with peritonitis secondary to gastro-duodenal perforation are more prone to burst abdomen. Conclusions: Burst abdomen is a serious sequel of impaired wound healing. Presence of anaemia, hypoproteinaemia favours high incidence of burst abdomen. Delayed suturing, of burst abdomen has a lower frequency of complications. Adherence to proper technique and sincere efforts to minimize the impact of the predisposing factors play a much larger role in both treatment and prevention of this condition.


The present research was designed to synthesize some 2-naphthyloxy derivatives of N,N-substituted acetamides employing the secondary amino moiety and insertion of-OCH2-group between the aromatic ring and the side chain.2-Naphthol was condensed with methylchloroacetate followed by fusion with different amines to give target compounds 3a-3f. The compounds synthesized after pharmacological investigations have been found to possess significant antiamnesic activity when compared with piracetam. Compounds 3b, 3d, 3f showed dose dependent antiamnesic effect with 3b being most potent. Further, neuropsychopharmacological studies (hypnotic, anticonvulsant, antianxiety, locomotor, muscle relaxant, antidepressant and antiamnesic activities) on 3b confirmed its memory enhancing potential which was comparable to piracetam, a known nootropic agent.


The letter about the reliability of winged needles (butterfly) (Anaesthesia, 1983; 38: 1102) and the high incidence of 'cut-out' is interesting. I recently have also conducted a similar simple study into their reliability. This followed a potentially serious situation, where venous access was needed during anaesthesia. At the vital moment, the Butterfly (Abbott) which had been secured on the dorsum of the hand, had 'cut-out' and had to be resited. wasting valuable time. In 75 cases a Butterfly was used to induce anaesthesia and for all subsequent drug administrations. Fifteen per cent of the Butterflies had 'cut-out' of the veins by the time the patients were in the recovery room. This was in contrast to a similar group who had a small 21 gauge teflon cannula (Wallace Y-can) inserted into the back of the hand, where none had 'cut out'. The winged needle although properly positioned and secured, cuts through the vein during subsequent movement at the wrist joint while the patient is being positioned, etc. The consequence of needle displacement is at least bruising, and at the worst, subcutaneous injection of drugs. The latter event has resulted in financial compensation. Metal needles have a high incidence of 'cut-out'.' Some hospitals buy up to 40000 winged needles per annum. thus large numbers of patients are provided with potentially insecure venous access during anaesthesia. The recent introduction of teflon cannulae with self-sealing injection sites, surely makes the use of indwelling metal needles now unnecessary. The teflon cannulae at least provide secure venous access, especially during cases not requiring larger cannulae for intravenous infusion during surgery. The increase in cost must be marginal. A 19-gauge teflon cannula can be used as a universal cannula because it is small enough to be used in place of a winged needle for induction, and yet will allow subsequent infusion of crystalloid where indicated.


Pregnant ewes were implanted with 1 g testosterone between Days 30-80, 50-100, 70-120 or 90-140 of gestation. Treatments which began on Days 30, 50 or 70 resulted in the birth of androgenized females which failed to show regular oestrous cycles in adult life, but which exhibited patterns of male-like behaviour. This was most marked in the Day 50-100 and 70-120 groups, whereas complete masculinization of the external genitalia was confined to the Day 30-80 group. Animals in the Day 90-140 group had regular oestrous cycles although they showed slight enhancement of masculine behaviour compared to the control ewes. These results demonstrate that androgenization involves both a suppression of female behavioural patterns, and the development of male patterns; these are not mutually exclusive.


We assess the proposal for a new fiscal framework that is currently being negotiated in the Parliament of the Czech Republic. The new framework contains the following elements: an expenditure rule that aims to restrain the growth of expenditures through cyclically adjusted revenues and a debt brake at a debt level corresponding to 55% of GDP to avoid unsustainable debt levels. Additionally, this set of rules shall be complemented by the Fiscal Council. Our assessment focuses on evaluating the performance of the new framework using two types of counterfactuals if it had been implemented a decade ago. In general, although we confirm the positive effects of the proposed framework, we also raise several concerns, primarily related to the effects of the rule on the ability of the public finances to operate as a macroeconomic stabilization policy.


Micro end-milling has been becoming an important machining process to manufacture a number of small products such as micro-devices, bio-chips, micro-patterns and so on. Many related researches have given grand effects to micro end-milling phenomenon, for example, micro end-milling mechanism, cutting force modeling and machinability. This paper strongly concerned actual problem, micro tool deflection, which causes excessive machining errors on the workpiece. Machining error were predicted and measured through a series of test micro cutting and analysis of their SEM images and FEM analysis. Experiments are carried out to validate the approaches.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether the gene similar with transposase gene (vpiT) from pathogenicity island of Vibrio cholerae exists in V. alginolyticus strains, and to analyze molecular biological characteristic of the gene and its flanking sequences.

METHODS
PCR detection of the gene, similar with vpiT in pathogenicity island of V. cholerae was done among 94 strains of V. alginolyticus. PCR products from positive strains were directly sequenced. Based on acquired partial sequences, we designed primers for reverse PCR, and got the amplification fragment containing complete gene (valT) from V. alginolyticus E0601, which was similar with vpiT gene. The reverse PCR product was cloned and sequenced, and the acquired sequence was analyzed with bioinformatic methods.

RESULTS
We found that among 94 V. alginolyticus strains, only V. alginolyticus E0601 and E0612, from east coastal areas of Guangdong province, produced predicted positive amplification fragments in PCR detection. Sequencing indicated that amplification fragments from V. alginolyticus E0601 and E0612 had identical DNA sequence (named valT-S1). Sequence valT-S3 from V. alginolyticus E0601, containing complete valT gene and flanking segments, was finally obtained through reverse PCR, cloning, and sequencing. Bioinformatic analysis on valT-S3 suggested that valT was transposase gene, highly similar with vpiT in V. cholerae VPI.

CONCLUSION
According to above result and related references, we believe that valT and its flanking segments were acquired from heterogenous bacteria, and VPI or its component probably transfers among Vibrio species including V. alginolyticus.


The Chinese share market as an emerging and fast-growing listing venue has experienced a significant development since 2000. Prior studies on this market overwhelmingly concentrate on IPO-pricing-related and post-IPO performance-based propositions with lagging data. Adopting the updated data within the last couple of years, this paper comprehensively explores and accounts for some striking features of the Chinese stock market, and unfolds some new causes contributing to these characteristics.Some new findings are revealed. 1) Two new factors may lead to the extreme underpricing in China's market, which are the unseasoned investors and their high demands of IPO shares. 2) The foreign-currency trading platform is not effective and efficient to attract the overseas investors. 3) The imbalanced industry structure of the listed firms is very significant, the Chinese share market is dominated by the manufacturing firms. 4) The Growth Enterprise Market of China is essential to address the long-standing financing difficulties for the Chinese Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, which are unqualified to raise capital from the Primary Stock Market.


It is shown that the flux linkages of a circuit may be changed in two very different ways-either the flux may be varied causing a voltage to be induced according to Faraday's Law of Electromagnetic Induction, or the turns may be varied by a substitution of circuit without inducing a voltage. In the Appendix it is mathematically shown that the flux may be changed either by transformer or cutting action, but that the presence of one or the other of these actions is dependent on the choice of reference axes. Thus any argument to the effect that one of them in particular is a necessary part of all induction phenomena is futile. It is possible to identify in every d-c. machine the building up of flux linkages so as to generate a voltage, and the reduction of flux linkages by a substitution of circuit so as not to generate a voltage. The alternate working of these two methods for changing the flux linkages of a circuit is an essential and necessary feature of every d-c. dynamo-electric machine. General criteria are introduced for ascertaining in any given case the nature of the changes in inter-linkages which occur, and whether voltages are induced thereby. By way of application, a new restriction on the use of coefficients of inductance is pointed out, the sliding contact and homopolar machine are discussed, and finally a table has been prepared illustrating the various types of flux linkages found in familiar apparatus.


This paper describes the first results and on-going work in the VerCors project. The VerCors project is about Verification of Concurrent Data Structures. Its goal is to develop a specification language and program logic for concurrent programs, and in particular for concurrent data structures, as these are the essential building blocks of many different concurrent programs. The program logic is based on our earlier work on permission-based separation logic for Java. This is an extension of Hoare logic that is particularly convenient to reason about concurrent programs.
 The paper first describes the tool set that is currently being built to support reasoning with this logic. It supports a specification language that combines features of separation logic with JML. For the verification, the program and its annotations are encoded into Chalice, and then we reuse the Chalice translation to Boogie to generate the proof obligations.
 Next, the paper describes our first results on data structure specifications. We use histories to keep track of the changes to the data structures, and we show how these histories allow us to derive other conclusions about the data structure implementations. We also discuss how we plan to reason about volatile variables, and how we will use this to verify lock-free data structures.
 Throughout the paper, we discuss our plans for future work within the VerCors project.


The Public Health Center seeks to mobilize and monitor the implementation of cross-sectoral development including by the community and the business world in its working area, so that it is insightful and supports health development. Puskesmas actively monitors and reports on the health impacts of the implementation of each development program in its working area. Efforts made by the Public Health Center in health development are to prioritize health maintenance and disease prevention without neglecting disease healing and health restoration. Data analysis was carried out descriptively by describing health and nutrition problems, how to overcome them, community nutrition programs (PGM), implementing supervision of institutions, as well as planning, implementing and evaluating programs at the Regional Technical Implementation Unit of the Gilingan Community Health Center. Program planning is carried out by collecting target data, the program that has been implemented until March 2020 is the provision of high-dose vitamin A capsules for infants and toddlers. Program evaluation is carried out in monthly mini-workshops. Evaluation is carried out in several ways, such as coaching or training posyandu cadres at the kelurahan level by community health center officers.


During ejaculation, cauda epididymal spermatozoa are suspended in a protein-rich solution of seminal plasma which is composed of proteins mostly secreted from the seminal vesicle. These seminal proteins interact with the sperm cells and bring about changes in their physiology, so that they can become capacitated in order for the fertilization to take place. Sulfhydryl oxidase (SOX) is a member of the QSOX family and its expression is found to be high in the seminal vesicle secretion of mouse. Previously, it has been reported to cross-link thiol containing amino acids among major seminal vesicle secretion (SVS) proteins. However, its role in male reproduction is unclear. In this study, we determined the role of SOX on epididymal sperm maturation and also disclosed the binding effect of SOX on the sperm fertilizing ability in vitro. In order to achieve the above two objectives, we constructed a Sox clone (1.7 kb) using a pET-30a vector. His-tagged recombinant Sox was over expressed in Shuffle Escherichia coli cells and purified using His-Trap column affinity chromatography along with hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The purified SOX was confirmed by Western blot analysis and by its activity with DTT as a substrate. Results obtained from immunocytochemical staining clearly indicated that SOX possesses a binding site on the sperm acrosome. The influence of SOX on oxidation of sperm sulfhydryl to disulfides during epididymal sperm maturation was evaluated by a thiol labelling agent, mBBr. The SOX protein binds on to the sperm cells and increases their progressive motility. The effect of SOX binding on reducing the [Ca2+]i concentration in sperm head, was determined using a calcium probe, Fluo-3 AM. The inhibitory influence of SOX on sperm acrosome reaction was shown by using calcium ionophore A32187 to induce the acrosome reaction. The acrosome-reacted sperm were examined by staining with FITC-conjugated Arachis hypogaea (peanut) lectin. Furthermore, immunocytochemical analysis revealed that SOX remains bound to the sperm cells in the uterus but disappears in the oviduct during their transit in the female reproductive tract. The results from the above experiment revealed that SOX binding on to the sperm acrosome prevents sperm capacitation by affecting the [Ca2+]i concentration in the sperm head and the ionophore-induced acrosome reaction. Thus, the binding of SOX on to the sperm acrosome may possibly serve as a decapacitation factor in the uterus to prevent premature capacitation and acrosome reaction, thus preserving their fertilizing ability.


This article aims to find out how communication (proselytizing) message appeals in the literacy proselytizing of Ustadz Giovani Van Rega. Using a descriptive qualitative method, this study has revealed that the message appeals used by Ustadz Rega are rational message appeals, appeals of fear, appeal for rewards, and motivational appeals. Ustadz Rega is considered using a rational appeal because he refers to the Qur'an and hadith. While the appeal of fear clearly understood from his statement that Indonesian Muslim youths Islam will suffer from weak faith, physical, science, and weak creativity if they are illiterate. The proposition of the appeal of reward is the more a Muslim well literate, the more honorable he is. Whilts the motivational appeal refers to his that the dakwah of literacy is a necessity in order to be able to conquer the world.


If adequately designed and high quality material and good construction practices are used, portland cement concrete is very durable. This is demonstrated by the oldest pavement in Iowa (second oldest in the U.S.) paved in 1904, which performed well for 70 years without resurfacing. The design thickness is an important factor in both the performance and cost of pavement. The objective of this paper is to provide a 30-year performance evaluation of a pavement constructed to determine the required design thickness for low volume secondary roadways. In 1951 Greene County and the Iowa Highway Research Board of the Iowa Department of Transportation initiated a four-mile (6.4 km) demonstration project to evaluate thicknesses ranging from 4-1/2" (11.4 cm) to 6" (15.2 cm). The project, consisting of 10 research sections, was formed pavement placed on a gravel roadbed with very little preparation except for redistribution of the loose aggregate. Eight sections were non-reinforced except for centerline tie bars and no contraction joints were used. Mesh reinforcing and contraction joints spaced at 29' 7" (9.02 m) intervals were used in two 4-1/2" (11.4 cm) thick sections. The only air entrained section was non-reinforced. The pavement performed well over its 30-year life carrying a light volume of traffic and did not require major maintenance. There was substantial cracking with average slab length varying directly with thickness. The 4-1/2" (11.4 cm) thick non-air entrained, mesh-reinforced pavement with contraction joints has performed the best.


The purpose of the study was to find the level of family financial management behavior of urban housewives and to discern the difference between financial stability and financial satisfaction according to change-orientation of financial management behavior among urban housewives, and thus provide the fundamental data to improve stability and financial satisfaction. The following findings emerged during the study: First, groups with higher change-oriented family financial management behaviors among housewives subjectively felt more financial satisfaction than other groups. Second, groups with above average levels of change-oriented management behavior appeared to have more stable families than groups with below average objective financial stability, emergency funds, risk provisions, debt burdens and liquid index. Third, groups with high levels of change-oriented family financial management behavior had higher financial satisfaction.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the diagnostic value and efficacy for risk stratification of myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

METHODS
One hundred and sixty-two patients were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent coronary angiography. They were divided into 3 groups: ACS group (n=54), SAP group (n=54) and control group (n=54). Blood samples were taken from the artery before angiography in all patients and the concentrations of MPO, hsCRP and cTnI were measured. Each subject was asked details of history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes and smoking habits. The efficacy of therapy, the cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, the need for revascularization, or death) were recorded after 6 months of follow-up.

RESULTS
The plasma MPO level in ACS group (30.98 ng/mL) was significantly higher than those in the SAP group (14.67 ng/mL) and the control group(14.23 ng/mL)(P<0.01), and the plasma MPO levels in patients of the SAP group and the control group were not significantly different (P=0.74). There was no obvious correlation between the levels of plasma MPO and the serum levels of cTnI, hsCRP,the prevalence of the 4 major risk factors for CHD. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that plasma MPO level, free plasma glucose and sex were the significant variables. The risk for subsequent cardiovascular events was higher in the patients with elevated level of MPO.

CONCLUSION
Plasma MPO may be a new risk biomarker for ACS and may predict the incidence of subsequent cardiovascular events.


Based on a number of tests on different rocks, Suggested Methods for Determining the Fracture Toughness of Rock (SMs) was reviewed. The advantages of SMs are obvious, but some problems are also discovered. A serious one is that the nonlinear corrected fracture toughness of chevron bend specimens, KCCB, is less than the uncorrected one, KCB, for hard rock like granite, marble and others. The reason is discussed and the proposal is given.


This study was designed to develop an efficient protocol for Lallementia royleana in vitro culturing and to analyze the effect of various hormones on its culturing ability. The indirect organogenesis and its callogenetic ability were evaluated; with the best (100%) results with 1 mg L-1 of benzyl aminopurine (BAP) and 2 mg L-1 of indole acetic acid (IAA) combination. In direct regeneration, leave petioles, nodes and internodes explants were cultured for shooting on various concentrations of BAP and kinetin (KIN). Maximum shooting (80%) was obtained from nodal parts with 1.0 mg L-1 of BAP and 0.5 mg L-1 of KIN. Similarly, the best in vitro rooting (24 roots) was achieved with 1 mg L-1 naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Lallementia royleana showed higher regeneration through direct regeneration than callogenesis. Significant variability (p = 0.002625) among callus induction, plant parts and hormonal combinations were observed. The node and internode explants showed observable callus responses in combinations of 2, 4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) with NAA, and BAP with IAA.


OBJECTIVES: the aim of this study was to determine the overall cost involving the surgical procedure for liver transplantation performed at the Hospital das Clinicas, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (HC/UFPE). METHODS: the authors analyzed the last four liver transplantation procedures performed at the mentioned hospital. Patients were classified according to the United Network for Organ Sharing Health Severity Index into class one, (two patients), class two (one patient); and class four (one patient). The parameters evaluated to determine the procedure costs were: hospitalization, operating room and monitoring equipment fees. Cost estimate was provided by the financial department of the hospital in July 2001; and comprised of oxygen fees, disposable material and medications, diagnostic tests and hemotherapy costs. The authors did not include cost analysis for procedure on donors, nor the cost of the medical, nursing and paramedics involved. RESULTS: the disposable materials items accounted for the leading cost parameters, reaching 48,5% of the overall cost, followed by hospitalization and medication fees with 17,9 % and 16,1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: the authors concluded that the average cost of a liver transplantation at the HC/UFPE in the period 1998-2001, was of R$22.184,00 reais (US$8.873,76; U$1,00 = R$2,50).


Several applications have been implemented since the advent of mobile robots. Such applications include, but are not limited to, performing search and rescue missions and optimizing the material handling process in automated warehouses. This high interest in the field of cooperative Multi-Robot Systems is due to their robustness and flexibility, in addition to their high performance and affordability. In this study, an algorithm for the MultiRobot Task Allocation problem has been developed to incubate the two well-known approaches for system architectures which are centralized and decentralized approaches. The algorithm utilizes the advantages of both approaches in a Multi-level structure and uses an economic, Market-Based Approach, to solve the problem. Several attributes have been considered and encapsulated in the robots and tasks such as the energy levels of the robots, which play an important role in solving the task allocation problem. The algorithm has been tested on three different known environments with different complexities and sizes. Several scenarios have been tested by varying the number of robots and tasks. Results show high performance of the algorithm and its applicability in solving the Multi-Robot Task Allocation Problem. 


An online delay estimation algorithm based upon an analogue quadrature phase detector that is suitable for determining the subsample delay between two noisy sinusoidal signals is introduced. The new technique is based on the recently proposed discrete-time quadrature-delay estimator (QDE). The algorithm uses the in-phase and quadrature-phase components of the received signals to produce a bias-free estimate of the delay between the input signals. The technique directly minimizes the delay error estimate, which is in turn used to adapt the coefficients of a simple fractional-delay filter (FDF). The algorithm is insensitive to variations in the amplitudes of the input signals, and does not require an accurate prior estimate of the frequency of the input sinusoids. The algorithm directly updates the delay error estimate, which is in turn used directly as the coefficient input to an adaptive FDF. The technique is simple to implement and has a reduced complexity compared to other adaptive techniques. Simulations show that in the presence of system noise, the new estimator outperforms conventional FDF-based estimators.


Abstract : The dismounted marine currently uses portable power systems mainly for radio communications, however the future will require a wide range of portable power systems for an "electronics rich" environment. The marine is already burdened with traditional equipment and the addition of new equipment will likely add to this load. This places a premium on reducing the weight of the power sources to maintain the mobility and effectiveness during combat. This need for lightweight power sources is the catalyst for developing higher energy density (Wh/kg) power sources. Current power source requirements are met with the LiSO2 (EA-5590) primary batteries and any possible substitute power sources shall be compared to this baseline. A power source that offers promise in this application is the Aluminum-air system (for the chemistry see the Appendix). This system actually has a higher energy density than the LiSO2 system and could be significantly higher, if a larger portion of its theoretical energy density could be realized. The system displays a significant difference between the practical and theoretical energy densities. Part of the inefficiency is due to the difference in the theoretical Al-air voltage (2.7V) and the practical operating Al-air voltage (1.35V). The goal of this program was to improve the practical energy density of the Al-air system, The focus of this Phase I program was to identify and evaluate alternative cathode materials to reduce this difference between the practical and theoretical energy density of the aluminum anode. Several new air cathodes were developed using different catalysts and carbons. These new cathodes were characterized and then discharged in actual aluminum air cells. One new air cathode formulation performed better than our existing cathode. The new Vulcan cathode performed better than the existing Mn cathode at the current densities of 5 and 10 mA/sq cm with an improvement as high as 21%.


A dynamical correspondence is established between positively curved, isotropic, perfect fluid cosmologies and quasi-two-dimensional, harmonically trapped Bose–Einstein condensates by mapping the equations of motion for both systems onto the one-dimensional Ermakov system. Parameters that characterize the physical properties of the condensate wavepacket, such as its width, momentum and energy, may be identified with the scale factor, Hubble expansion parameter and energy density of the universe, respectively. Different forms of cosmic matter correspond to different choices for the time-dependent trapping frequency of the condensate. The trapping frequency that mimics a radiation-dominated universe is determined.


Formulae have been obtained for the degree of linear polarization of recombination radiation from a homogeneous plasma having an anisotropic electron velocity distribution, f(v vector), characterized by an axis of symmetry. Polarization measurements are described which utilize these formulae to determine aspects of the anisotropy such as the symmetry axis direction and the lowest order even angular moments of f(v vector). As a special case, if the plasma conforms to a distribution such as a bi-Maxwellian with drift, one can determine the quantities u/sub D//T/sub parallel to/ and (1/T/sub parallel to/ - 1/T/sub perpendicular to/) which involve the electron drift speed, and the perpendicular and parallel electron temperatures. Also, the radiative recombination rate has been calculated for ions whose speeds are comparable to or greater than the electron thermal speed. The change in the rate is small for thermonuclear products in fusion plasmas, but large for cosmic rays in interstellar plasma.


Despite numerous studies showing that mutagen sensitivity is a cancer predisposition factor, the heritability of mutagen sensitivity has not been clearly established. In this report, we used a classic twin study design to examine the role of genetic and environmental factors on the mutagen sensitivity phenotype. Mutagen sensitivity was measured in peripheral blood lymphocytes from 460 individuals [148 pairs of monozygotic (MZ) twins, 57 pairs of dizygotic (DZ) twins, and 50 siblings]. The intraclass correlation coefficients were all significantly higher in MZ twins than in dizygotes (DZ pairs and MZ-sibling pairs combined) for sensitivity to four different mutagen challenges. Applying biometric genetic modeling, we calculated a genetic heritability of 40.7%, 48.0%, 62.5%, and 58.8% for bleomycin, benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide, gamma-radiation, and 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide sensitivity, respectively. This study provides the strongest and most direct evidence that mutagen sensitivity is highly heritable, thereby validating the use of mutagen sensitivity as a cancer susceptibility factor.


Unique bedded Ni-Mo ores hosted by black shales were discovered in localized paleobasins along the Yangzte platform of southern China in 1971. Textural evidence and radiometric dates imply ore formation during sedimentation of black shales that grade into readily combustible beds, termed stone coals, which contain 10 to 15 percent organic carbon. Studies of 427 fluid inclusions indicate extreme variation in hydrothermal brine salinities that were contained by Proterozoic dolostones underlying the ore zone in Hunan and Guizhou. Variations of fluid inclusion salinities, which range from 0.1 to 21.6 wt percent NaCl equiv, are attributed to differences in the compositions of brines in strata underlying the ore bed, complicated by the presence of sea-water and dilute fluids that represent condensates of vapors generated by boiling of mineralizing fluids or Cambrian meteoric water. The complex processes of ore deposition led to scattered homogenization temperatures ranging from 100 degrees to 187 degrees C within the Hunan ore zone and from 65 degrees to 183 degrees C within the Guizhou ore zone. While living organisms probably did not directly accumulate metals in situ in sufficient amounts to explain the unusually high grades of the deposits, sulfur isotope ratios indicate that bacteria, now preserved as abundant microfossils, provided sufficient sulfide for the ores by reduction of seawater sulfate. Such microbiota may have depended on vent fluids and transported organic matter for key nutrients and are consistent with a sedex origin for the ores. Vent fluids interacted with organic remains, including rounded fragments of microbial mats that were likely transported to the site of ore deposition by the action of waves and bottom currents prior to replacement by ore minerals.


Almost ten years ago, Ralf Hinze has written a functional pearl on how to derive backtracking functionality for the purely functional programming language Haskell. In these notes, we show how to arrive at the efficient, two-continuation based backtracking monad derived by Hinze starting from an intuitive inefficient implementation that we subsequently refine using well known program transformations. It turns out that the technique can be used to build monads for non-determinism from modular, independent parts which gives rise to various new implementations. Specifically, we show how the presented approach can be applied to obtain new implementations of breadth-first search and iterative deepening depth-first search.


In The Netherlands in winter the flower production of freesia is low and the quality of the stems is generally mediocre. In two winter seasons the possibilities of photosynthetic lighting in a winter crop of freesia cv 'Blue Heaven' were investigated. The equipment used consisted of SON-T lamps. The effects of the daily light sum (unlit, 155, 215 and 310 Wh.m-2 .day-1), lighting period (16 and 24 hours per day) and starting time of lighting on growth, yield, quality and vase life were studied. Light-integral-based and current-level-based lighting resulted in higher stem and corm production, stem quality and flowering as the daily light sum was higher. Starting at a bud length of 2 cm gave the same results as starting 3 weeks later at a bud length of 15 cm. Lighting for 24 hours per day had adverse effects on stem production, compared to 16 hours lighting (8 hours at night), whereas the effects on corm and cormlet production were favourable. Twenty-four hours lighting gave less stem yield when started at a bud length of 2 cm than at a bud length of 15 cm. As the daily light sum increased the percentage of visible leaf necrosis also increased. In conclusion, results show that light-integral-based and current-level-based lighting till a lightsum of 200 – 225 Wh.m-2.day-1 offered most prospects for freesias grown in the winter. To start with lighting was only usefull at a bud length from 15 cm. Twenty-four hours lighting in an early stage was disadvantageous.


Objectives and Background Recently the usefulness of time targets for Emergency Department (ED) length of stay as a quality indicator has been questioned, and there has been a call to use more clinically orientated indicators. However there is uncertainty about which markers should be used and to date indicator selection has been largely by expert opinion. The aim of this study was to develop an objective tool which can be used to critically appraise candidate indicators of quality of care in the ED. Methods A search of websites of EQUATOR network, CASP, Cochrane Effective Practice, EPIQ, NHS, RAND, TJC and NIH was conducted, along with structured searches in Medline, Embase and CInAHL and communication with experts in the field. Potential tools were compared using an evidence table. Results Thirty two potential tools were identified. All considered some aspects of the validity and the technical properties of indicators to a lesser or greater extent. All were based on "Level five" evidence. There were differences in terminology and completeness of the tools. Only one was ED specific and none had a closing summary reflecting the final recommendation about whether the indicator under investigation should be used. An "ED Quality Indicator Critical Appraisal Tool" was developed, using elements of the existing tools, with provision to consider the value of the indicator both within the ED and as a marker of whole system quality of care. Conclusion An "ED Quality Indicator Critical Appraisal Tool" (ED QICAT) has been developed. If validated, this may be used by clinicians and health policy makers to objectively evaluate and compare ED based candidate quality of care indicators prior to their adoption and implementation.


Starting from the frescoes of the cathedral of Anagni which present an obvious relationship between Hippocrates as Galen's teacher and the medieval image of man's place in the universe dominated by the number four, this paper returns to the origins of this quaternary theory in Hippocratic medicine with the four humors (Nature of Man), then follows its evolution in Galen and finally into late Greek and Byzantine medicine where the quaternary division will have an unprecedented extension, with the four temperaments. In particular, a new piece of evidence from this late period attributed to Hippocrates (the small treatise of Greek Medicine The Pulse and the Human Temperament) appears as the veritable source of the Latin Letter attributed to Vindicianus. Therefore, contrary to what was believed until now, the doctrine of the four temperaments was not elaborated first in a Latin form. Throughout its history, the quaternary theory will remain connected to Hippocrates, but the image and teaching of the Father of Medicine will change as the theory evolves. A second rediscovered treatise of the late period (The Formation of Man) starts with this phrase: 'Words of Hippocrates to Galen his own pupil'. This seems a felicitous commentary to the medical scene in the cathedral of Anagni.


The Chinese digital technology giants, Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent (BAT), dominate over their competitors in China across platforms that include e-commerce, digital entertainment, e-finance and artificial intelligence (AI). To understand BAT's corporate power and their strategic role working with the government – in this case, their involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – this paper unveils the capabilities of these three oligopolies and discusses their international expansion in relation to the BRI. The BRI is being constructed on two layers, the physical and digital infrastructure, and the BAT are contributing to the latter. This paper examines the interrelations between BAT and the state through case studies, observing the tensions and potential contradictions arising from the reliance of the Chinese state on the BAT to build digital infrastructure, while the BAT seek to minimize direct state regulation for their data-driven business models.


Shuttle-box avoidance learning is a well-established method in behavioral neuroscience and experimental setups were traditionally custom-made; the necessary equipment is now available by several commercial companies. This protocol provides a detailed description of a two-way shuttle-box avoidance learning paradigm in rodents (here Mongolian gerbils; Meriones unguiculatus) in combination with site-specific electrical intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) and simultaneous chronical electrophysiological in vivo recordings. The detailed protocol is applicable to study multiple aspects of learning behavior and perception in different rodent species. Site-specific ICMS of auditory cortical circuits as conditioned stimuli here is used as a tool to test the perceptual relevance of specific afferent, efferent and intracortical connections. Distinct activation patterns can be evoked by using different stimulation electrode arrays for local, layer-dependent ICMS or distant ICMS sites. Utilizing behavioral signal detection analysis it can be determined which stimulation strategy is most effective for eliciting a behaviorally detectable and salient signal. Further, parallel multichannel-recordings using different electrode designs (surface electrodes, depth electrodes, etc.) allow for investigating neuronal observables over the time course of such learning processes. It will be discussed how changes of the behavioral design can increase the cognitive complexity (e.g. detection, discrimination, reversal learning).


Datacenter-scale AI training clusters consisting of thousands of domain-specific accelerators (DSA) are used to train increasingly-complex deep learning models. These clusters rely on a data storage and ingestion (DSI) pipeline, responsible for storing exabytes of training data and serving it at tens of terabytes per second. As DSAs continue to push training efficiency and throughput, the DSI pipeline is becoming the dominating factor that constrains the overall training performance and capacity. Innovations that improve the efficiency and performance of DSI systems and hardware are urgent, demanding a deep understanding of DSI characteristics and infrastructure at scale. This paper presents Meta's end-to-end DSI pipeline, composed of a central data warehouse built on distributed storage and a Data PreProcessing Service that scales to eliminate data stalls. We characterize how hundreds of models are collaboratively trained across geo-distributed datacenters via diverse and continuous training jobs. These training jobs read and heavily filter massive and evolving datasets, resulting in popular features and samples used across training jobs. We measure the intense network, memory, and compute resources required by each training job to preprocess samples during training. Finally, we synthesize key takeaways based on our production infrastructure characterization. These include identifying hardware bottlenecks, discussing opportunities for heterogeneous DSI hardware, motivating research in datacenter scheduling and benchmark datasets, and assimilating lessons learned in optimizing DSI infrastructure.


We report on non-linear transport properties in K0.3MoO3 molybdenum blue bronze. We show that the conductivity sharply increases above a characteristic threshold field ET* in three perpendicular crystallographic directions. This threshold field is visible up to room temperature in the direction perpendicular to the (01) plane. Data suggests that this singularity is probably not related to the motion of the Charge Density Wave (CDW). Along the CDW axis, the electric field dependence of the conductivity for E < ET* can be very well described by the scaling theory of the CDW creep in the presence of randomly distributed pinning centers.


The purpose of this study was to identify the variant of Platanus occidentalis, whose bark looks white, also can be classified as P. occidentalis and to examine its genetic difference from the general P. occidentalis. For the variant identification of P. occidentalis, SNP and ISSR analysis were used in this study. Thirteen samples of P. occidentalis white variant were collected in Cheongju and 24 samples of normal P. occidentalis obtained in Cheongju, Pyongtaek, Ansan, Suwon, Osan and Jincheon area. ITS 1 and ITS 2 sequences of white variants were identical with those of P. occidentalis. We could not find any sequence difference between normal and white P. occidentalis. So we concluded that the white variant belongs to normal P. occidentalis even their bark is white and peeled easily. By ISSR test, 98 amplicons were acquired using 10 primers. P. occidentalis and white P. occidentalis showed different band patterns from the UBC #834. According to the result of Nei (1979)'s genetic distance analysis, the members of white P. occidentalis were grouped more tightly than the members of normal P. occidentalis. The UPGMA dendrogram shows that the variant and P. occidentalis divided widely into two groups. These results show that the phenotype of P. occidentalis white variant is caused by genetic factors rather than by environmental factors.


Following the adoption of 8 August resolution at Gowalia tank in Bombay, Indian masses rose to revolt, which became famous as the Quit India movement. It was a call for freedom. 'Nothing less than freedom', to quote Gandhi. Unlike the 1920–21 Non-cooperation and 1930–32 Civil Disobedience movements which were basically peaceful campaigns against the British rule in India, the Quit India movement was the ultimatum to the British for final withdrawal, a Gandhi-led un-Gandhian way of struggle since the Mahatma exhorted the people to take up arms in self-defence, and resort to armed resistance against a stronger and well-equipped aggressor.


Test-time adaptation (TTA) refers to adapting neural networks to distribution shifts, with access to only the unlabeled test samples from the new domain at test-time. Prior TTA methods optimize over unsupervised objectives such as the entropy of model predictions in TENT [Wang et al., 2021], but it is unclear what exactly makes a good TTA loss. In this paper, we start by presenting a surprising phenomenon: if we attempt to meta-learn the best possible TTA loss over a wide class of functions, then we recover a function that is remarkably similar to (a temperature-scaled version of) the softmax-entropy employed by TENT. This only holds, however, if the classifier we are adapting is trained via cross-entropy; if trained via squared loss, a different best TTA loss emerges. To explain this phenomenon, we analyze TTA through the lens of the training losses's convex conjugate. We show that under natural conditions, this (unsupervised) conjugate function can be viewed as a good local approximation to the original supervised loss and indeed, it recovers the best losses found by meta-learning. This leads to a generic recipe that can be used to find a good TTA loss for any given supervised training loss function of a general class. Empirically, our approach consistently dominates other baselines over a wide range of benchmarks. Our approach is particularly of interest when applied to classifiers trained with novel loss functions, e.g., the recently-proposed PolyLoss, where it differs substantially from (and outperforms) an entropy-based loss. Further, we show that our approach can also be interpreted as a kind of self-training using a very specific soft label, which we refer to as the conjugate pseudolabel. Overall, our method provides a broad framework for better understanding and improving test-time adaptation. Code is available at https://github.com/locuslab/tta_conjugate.


Abstract Alcohol and other substance use problems are common, and the efficacy of current prevention and intervention programs is limited. Genetics may contribute to differential effectiveness of psychosocial prevention and intervention programs. This paper reviews gene-by-intervention (G×I) studies of alcohol and other substance use, and implications for integrating genetics into prevention science. Systematic review yielded 17 studies for inclusion. Most studies focused on youth substance prevention, alcohol was the most common outcome, and measures of genotype were heterogeneous. All studies reported at least one significant G×I interaction. We discuss these findings in the context of the history and current state of genetics, and provide recommendations for future G×I research. These include the integration of genome-wide polygenic scores into prevention studies, broad outcome measurement, recruitment of underrepresented populations, testing mediators of G×I effects, and addressing ethical implications. Integrating genetic research into prevention science, and training researchers to work fluidly across these fields, will enhance our ability to determine the best intervention for each individual across development. With growing public interest in obtaining personalized genetic information, we anticipate that the integration of genetics and prevention science will become increasingly important as we move into the era of precision medicine.


BACKGROUND
Stellate ganglion block (SGB) is performed for the diagnosis and treatment of sympathetic dependent pain in the head, neck and upper limbs. However, the effects of bilateral SGB on cardiovascular and autonomic regulation remain unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of bilateral SGB on cardiovascular and autonomic function by measuring heart rate variability (HRV), systolic blood pressure variability (SBPV) and spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (SBRS).

METHODS AND RESULTS
Twenty healthy volunteers were randomly allocated to receive right or left SGB with 8 ml 1% lidocaine solution; after 20 min, the contralateral side SGB was performed. Changes in the RR interval (RRI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), HRV, SBPV and SBRS were assessed before and after bilateral SGB. The low-frequency (LF, 0.04-0.15 Hz) and high-frequency (HF, 0.15-0.4 Hz) components of HRV and SBRS decreased significantly; however, no significant changes were found in RRI, SBP and the LF and HF components of SBPV after bilateral SGB. In subjects with symptoms of vagal blockade, HRV, SBP and SBRS were significantly affected by bilateral SGB.

CONCLUSIONS
Bilateral SGB should be performed cautiously because it can reduce cardiac vagal modulation and BRS, especially for those with symptoms of vagal blockade after bilateral SGB.


The rate of folding of the precursor of beta-lactamase is not influenced by the presence of SecB under conditions in which GroEL/ES retards the folding. Wild-type beta-lactamase and several mutants in the signal or the mature protein, affecting either transport or enzyme kinetics and probably folding, were examined for total expression, total enzymatic activity, and transported beta-lactamase (in vivo resistance) in secB- and secB+ strains. We conclude that there is no indication of any relevant interaction between SecB and pre-beta-lactamase in vitro, nor did the secB- mutation affect the transport of wild-type beta-lactamase or any of the mutant in vivo. Thus, putative Escherichia coli "folding modulators' must be of limited specificity.


The goal in image segmentation is to label pixels in an image based on the properties of each pixel and its surrounding region. Recently content-based image retrieval (CBIR) has emerged as an application area in which retrieval is attempted by trying to gain unsupervised access to the image semantics directly rather than via manual annotation. To this end, we present an unsupervised segmentation technique in which colour and texture models are learned from the image prior to segmentation, and whose output (including the models) may subsequently be used as a content descriptor in a CBIR system. These models are obtained in a multiresolution setting in which hidden Markov trees (HMT) are used to model the key statistical properties exhibited by complex wavelet and scaling function coefficients. The unsupervised mean shift iteration (MSI) procedure is used to determine a number of image regions which are then used to train the models for each segmentation class.


Antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenging activities of crude root extract fractions from Artemisia afra, Gunnera perpensa and Eucomis autumnalis were determined. Minimum inhibitory concentration was determined by using micro dilution method. In order to assess antioxidant scavenging capacity of plant extracts and fractions, 2, 2-di (4-tert-octylphenyl)-1-picrylhydrazyl and 2, 2´-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic was used as substrate. Anti-inflammatory activity of the plant extracts against 15-soybean lipoxygenase enzyme was evaluated by measuring change in absorbance at 234 nm using linoleic acid as substrate. The highest activity was obtained from methanol fraction of Gunnera perpensa with EC50 value of 1.069 μg/ml against 2,2-di (4-tert-octylphenyl)-1- picrylhydrazyl. Eucomis autumnalis crude and acetone fraction displayed DPPH• free radical scavenging activity of EC50 of 2.891 μg/ ml and 2.41 μg/ ml respectively. Artemisia afra crude fraction and fractions of acetone and methanol displayed activity (EC50 for DPPH• radical, 2.113 μg/ ml with crude 4.393 μg/ ml with acetone fraction, 4.715 μg/ ml, with methanol fraction and with ABTS•+ radical cation, 6.447 μg/ ml and 6.208 μg/ ml from crude and methanol fraction respectively). The antioxidant properties of the extracts increased with the polarity of the fractions. Gunnera perpensa crude extract and fractions displayed antimicrobial properties with the methanol fraction being the most active with an EC50 of 80 μg/ ml, against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and EC50 of 160 μg/ml against Candida albicans. Artemisia afra acetone and methanol fractions displayed inhibitory activities of 20 μg/ml against Escherichia coli and good-moderate activity ranging 160-320 μg/ml for the crude extract. Eucomis autumnalis had activities ranging 160- 320 μg/ml by the crude extract and fractions against the organisms tested except for crude extract activity against Escherichia coli of 630 μg/ml. The activities validate claims by the traditional healers use for cure offering possible alternative as dietary supplements to the management of inflammation related conditions.


Virtual Reality (VR) refers to the computer generation of realistic three‐dimensional artificial worlds in which humans, typically equipped with head‐mounted 3D displays, interactive gloves and even whole‐body suits, can be 'immersed', and are free to explore and interact with graphical objects in real time, using such natural skills as looking from different angles, moving, pointing, grasping, listening and talking. The early history behind the emergence of VR is short and incredibly intense and characterized by a small group of familiar names. As one of the key figures, Myron Krueger has described it, '…Like particles in a fission reaction, personnel from one project disband and reappear with new affiliations'. That reaction continues today, with a reproduction of the American experience in Europe.


Brachystegia eurycoma , a plant in the Fabaceae family has been used ethno-medicinally in the softening of bulky stool, and has been associated with protection of colonic cancer. This study was therefore aimed at the evaluation of possible modulatory effect of the stem bark extract of Brachystegia eurycoma (BE) on gastrointestinal motility. The in vivo activity of BE on gastrointestinal motility was evaluated using the following experimental models viz: normal intestinal transit, castor oil- induced diarrhoea, and intestinal fluid accumulation tests in rodents. The in vitro activity on isolated intestinal motility was also investigated on the following parameters viz: spontaneous, acetylcholine- and high KCl-induced intestinal contractions. BE (100, 300 and 700 mg/kg p.o.) produced a moderate decrease in normal intestinal transit while significantly (P < 0.05) reducing the propulsive movement in castor oil-induced diarrhoea compared with the control group (5% tween 80 10 ml/kg, p.o.). The extract also produced a dose-dependent, significant increase in the onset of diarrhoea. BE (100, 300 and 700 mg/kg) additionally reduced the diarrhoea score, number and weight of wet stools. The in-vivo antidiarrheal index (ADI in-vivo ) of 37.14% produced by the extract at the dose of 300 mg/kg was lower compared to that produced by loperamide 5 mg/kg (54.74%). In vitro results revealed that the crude extract, the aqueous and chloroform fractions inhibited both spontaneous, acetylcholine and KCl-induced contractions in a concentration-dependent manner. In conclusion, the stem bark extract of Brachystegia eurycoma has been shown to exhibit antidiarrheal activity, possibly mediated by anti-muscarinic receptor activity or interaction with calcium channels


A class of algebras called down-up algebras was introduced by G. Benkart and T. Roby. We classify the finite dimensional simple modules over Noetherian down-up algebras and show that in some cases every finite dimensional module is semisimple. We also study the question of when two down-up algebras are isomorphic.


Local custom regulating successoral practice is inadequate when confronted with the testaments themselves. With a sample of 313 wills from the confessionally mixed community of Layrac-en-Brulhois, France, (1606-1707) the authors distinguish the different patterns of succession and link them to the social attitudes of which they are the instrument, underlining the basic coherence and unity of local practice across time and across confes sional and social boundaries. The flexibility allowed individual testators was used to protect the elderly foremost, to enhance individuals' welfare over estate consolidation, and to mete out justice in a world of dearth and insecurity.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

Objective

To study the difference of serum FSH level between breast cancer and healthy people in postmenopausal women; To investigate the internal relations of FSH and the tumor clinical classfication ,lymph node metastasis, and the status of ER,PR,Her-2 and Ki67; To study the expression of FSHR in breast cancer cell line and breast cancer tissue ; To study whether rhFSH induce proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer cell line and the exact mechanism in vitro and in vivo.

Method

Part 1: Clinical datas of 187 postmenopausal women diagnosed of breast cancer and 374 postmenopausal healthy people were collected for statistic analysis.

Part2: Two breast cancer cell line (Bcap-37 and MDA-MB-231) have been used to study whether the rhFSH induce proliferation and metastasis in vitro.

Part3: In vivo study of the rhFSH whether to promote tumor proliferation.We established a postmenopausal animal model of Balb/c nu/nu mouse by ovariectomized (OVX). The experiment was divided into four groups: Sham , OVX control, using GnRha after OVX, using GnRHa followed rhFSH after OVX.

Part 4: RT-PCR and Reverse-PCR has used to investigate the expression of FSHR in many breast cancer cell line. The expression of FSHR in 17 samples of breast tissue was also been detected by RT-PCR.

Results

Part1: The serum level of FSH ,LH in postmenopausal breast cancer were higher than postmenopausal healthy people( 61.83±1.475 vs. 48.13±1.256 IU/L;27.83±0.74 vs.23.88±0.6499 IU/L).FSH has a positive correlation with Ki67 and Her-2 expression in breast . Part2: It has been found that rhFSH could promote the Bcap-37 and MDA-MB-231cell proliferation regardless of whether low concentration (10 ng/mL) or high concentration (50 ng/mL) in vitro. The rhFSH induce the proliferation and metastasis by activated ERFR/ERK1/2 cell pathway. Part3: A high concentration of rhFSH (≈100IU/L) could promote breast cancer cell line Bcap-37 and MDA-MB-231 proliferation in vivo.

Part4: The FSHR was not expressed in all of the breast cancer cells tested and breast cancer tissue.

Conclusion

Postmenupausal breast cancer patient favored a high serum gonadotropin level compared with healthy people.FSH has a positive correlation with the Her-2 and Ki 67expresssion in breast cancer. The rhFSH cound promote the proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer cell line Bcap-37 and MDA-MB-231 by activated the EGFR/ERK1/2 pathway. A high concentration of rhFSH (≈100IU/L) may also promote the proliferation of breast cancer cell line in vivo. However, there is no FSHR expression in breast cancer cell line and breast cancer tissue. Further studies are needed to charlify the exact mechanism between FSH and postmenopausal breast cancer.

Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting.

Citation Format: Yi-Ding Chen. Preliminary study of the follicle-stimulating hormone α/β and the pathogenesis of postmenopausal breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 624. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-624


The beginning of three-dimensional (3D) imaging has revolutionized the imaging trends in the maxillofacial region. Dentascan is a computer software program which provides computed tomo graphic (CT) imaging of the mandible and maxilla in three planes of reference: axial plane, panoramic plane, and oblique sagittal plane. The clarity and identical scale between the various views permits uniformity of measurements and cross-referencing of anatomic structures through all three planes. Unlike previous imaging techniques, the oblique sagittal view permits the evaluation of distinct buccal and lingual corti cal bone margins as well as clear visualization of internal struc tures, such as the incisive and inferior alveolar canals. It has been widely used preoperatively for implant surgery, cyst, tumors, distractions, accuracy of root canal obturation, jaw growth, stages of tooth development, and cases of fractures in either the mandibular or maxillary arch. This review summarizes the capabilities of dentascan as an imaging method for the maxillofacial pathologies.


A new analytical theory including friction was developed to assess strain limits in punch stretching of anisotropic sheet metals. This new approach takes into consideration the anisotropic behaviour of sheet materials and could explain the mechanical behaviour of a variety of anisotropic sheet materials. The theory explains the sheet metal failure so for the drawing as the stretching region of the forming limit curve, particularly for materials that present the strain‐ratio dependence of limit strain e1, where de1/dρ is not always greater than zero. de1/dρ or de1/de2 could be equal to or smaller than zero for a range of materials. Therefore, this new theory can explains such experimental observations, besides to assuming that membrane element relations near the pole, for the case of punch stretching are dependent of sheet metal properties as the process history and also suggests that the onset of local necking is controlled by shear. Thus, theoretical results obtained through this new approach are compare...


Many scholars have studied the Covid 19 epidemic and online-based courses on English lectures using inventive good strategy mapping. Using two online platforms, this study investigated the social practices in learning English as a foreign language. The research method used in this study is a quantitative descriptive method with fifty students from two different study programs: 1) Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Mulawarman; 2) Public Administration Study Program, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of 17 Augustus 1945 Samarinda. A quantitative description was used in this study, followed by an in-depth conversation with a sample of the existing population. The study's findings provide an overview of the usage of social techniques in learning English, with the two groups of students favoring the other five tactics. This research also shows how the two groups of respondents apply various aspects of the technique. The findings of this study are expected to be valuable to teachers and curriculum creators when it comes to setting up cooperative learning online. As part of constructive learning, social strategy is one of the strategies that support our learning style. It should be treated at any English level, rather than achieving learner capacity in English through group discussion. This study should be encouraged to everyone through added study with the same previous activities.


In view of the intensive development of the swine industry, monitoring and surveillance of infectious diseases require low-cost, effective, and representative population sampling methods. We present herein the state of knowledge, to date, in the use of alternative strategies in the monitoring of swine health. Blood sampling, the most commonly used method in veterinary medicine to obtain samples for monitoring swine health, is labor-intensive and expensive, which has resulted in a search for alternative sampling strategies. Oral fluid (OF) is a good alternative to serum for pooled sample analysis, especially for low-prevalence pathogens. Detection of viral nucleic acids or antiviral antibodies in OF is used to detect numerous viruses in the swine population. Meat juice is used as an alternative to serum in serologic testing. Processing fluid obtained during processing of piglets (castration and tail-docking) may also be used to detect viruses. These matrices are simple, safe, cost-effective, and allow testing of many individuals at the same time. The latest methods, such as snout swabs and udder skin wipes, are also promising. These alternative samples are easy to acquire, and do not affect animal welfare negatively.


Numerical solution of the phase-field model of brittle fracture involves the capture of high gradients at cracks. Meshfree methods are convenient to construct high order approximation and to implement local refinement. This facilitates the capture of local high gradients to a large extent. Due to this reason, this paper introduces the element-free Galerkin (EFG) method, which is one of the major meshfree methods, to the phase-field modeling of crack growth. The meshfree discretization of the governing equations is described. To further improve the computational efficiency, the consistent integration scheme for quadratic EFG method is employed. The capability of the proposed consistent meshfree method for phase-field model of brittle fracture in predicting the load-displacement response and crack patterns is demonstrated by numerical examples.


In this paper, we propose a method to recover multi-person 3D mesh from a single image. Existing methods follow a multi-stage detection-based pipeline, where the 3D mesh of each person is regressed from the cropped image patch. They have to suffer from the high complexity of the multi-stage process and the ambiguity of the image-level features. For example, it is hard for them to estimate multi-person 3D mesh from the inseparable crowded cases. Instead, in this paper, we present a novel bottom-up single-shot method, Center-based Human Mesh Recovery network (CenterHMR). The model is trained to simultaneously predict two maps, which represent the location of each human body center and the corresponding parameter vector of 3D human mesh at each center. This explicit center-based representation guarantees the pixel-level feature encoding. Besides, the 3D mesh result of each person is estimated from the features centered at the visible body parts, which improves the robustness under occlusion. CenterHMR surpasses previous methods on multi-person in-the-wild benchmark 3DPW and occlusion dataset 3DOH50K. Besides, CenterHMR has achieved a 2-nd place on ECCV 2020 3DPW Challenge. The code is released on this https URL.


testinig by the Governmlienit until their herds alle clear fIomi the disease. Section 4 of the Infectious' Disease (Preveiltion) Act, 1890, should be amended to permit of the suspension of the sale of milk on epidemiological evidence, the requirement of a justice's warrant should be dispensed with, and compensation should be allowed in a case of unjustifiable suspension. There should be a penalty for sellinig dirty milk, alnd the cancellation of the vendor's licence should follow three convictions.


The investigation takes its point of departure in the Royal Ordinances which regulated church-building during the period 1780–1880 and how the bishops in the Dioceses of Strangnas and Vaxjo, respectively, used these Ordinances to restructure and rationalize the parochial landscape, i.e. regulate the number of parishes and churches. The Diocese of Vaxjo is characterized by intensive church-building activity during the period, while in the Diocese of Strangnas hardly any new churches were built. An important cause for this difference was major differences in parish structure. The Diocese of Strangnas had a more uniform pattern than the Diocese of Vaxjo with regard to the area and population of the parishes for one thing, their internal organization into vicarages of different size on the other.An important factor, particularly in the Diocese of Strangnas, was changes in the agricultural production system. An increasing use of cottager labour made for a more mobile population and increased social distances in the parishes. As land ownership regulated voting rights at the parish councils, the number of those who had any say in the joint concerns of the parish, such as church-building, went down at the same time as the estate owners became less and less interested in such matters. Planning and decisionmaking at the parish councils therefore were wanting and decisions to build a church could not be taken.Another important circumstance was that a real need for church renewal in the Diocese of Strangnas was not at hand until towards the end of the 19th century. At that time a lower rate of church attendance together with the above-mentioned difficulties to reach decisions made for the old churches to be kept


The species Lantana camara, commonly used as ornamental, has spread worldwide becoming one of the world's most important weeds. To develop new methods of control of this plant, it is essential to distinguish it from other species of the same genus, and this is usually accomplished through taxonomic studies of fertile samples. Considering the similarity between L. camara and L. radula, and the consequent difficulty in distinguishing one from the other when only sterile samples are available, this work aimed to investigate the use of the anatomical characteristics of the leaves of both species as tools for supporting correct classification. The leaves of L. camara and L. radula were anatomically examined by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The major differences were observed in the petiole, which presented secretory idioblasts in L. camara. Secretory idioblasts were observed in the leaf blades of L. camara and Crystalliferou idioblasts were found in L. radula. Glandular and nonglandular trichomes as well as the abaxial surface are different in each species. Such results can support the strategies aiming at the control of L. camara without interfering


The identification of particulate matter sources is an important step in the development of indoor air quality control strategies. Advanced modelling techniques, termed as receptor modelling, are used to identify the presence, determine the sources of aerosols and most importantly quantify the source contributions. This study presents a source apportionment analysis, supported by targeted experimental campaign, to identify the main pollution sources in an office indoor environment. For the purpose of the experimental campaign, continuous monitoring of particle (0.3 > 20.0 μm in aerodynamic diameter) number concentrations took place during the period between 16 th and 27 th July 2007 in two office environments, in Athens, Greece. A portable dust monitor (GRIMM model 1.108) was used to measure in real-time the particles size distribution in 16 different size channels. Two adjacent offices -with similar characteristics except for the presence of smokerswere used. Additionally, the contribution of other possible sources (e.g. photocopy machine, air conditioner, penetration and outdoor environment) was investigated. The indoor temperature, relative humidity and light intensity levels were also recorded in a continuous basis. Finally, all activities were daily recorded in detail on a logbook. The positive matrix factorization (PMF) method has been applied on the data collected during the experimental campaign for source apportionment analysis. The output of the analysis has been related with source information provided by the occupants and other source profiles by bibliography. This study aims to elicit indoor source characteristics based on particles size distribution data, especially in situations where the indoor sources are unknown beforehand.


An exact method of analysis is presented for a class of pulse-modulated feedback control systems which can be modeled by a multiple-loop nonlinear feedback system. The nonlinearity has a hysteresis characteristic. By means of the Tsypkin-Hamel criterion, suitably modified, a set of equations is obtained, determining the switching frequency, duty cycle, and steady-state dc error. Based on the graphical form of these equations, a design procedure is set forth. Specific cases have been examined and peculiar phenomena are evidenced; experimental data verify both the chosen model and the suggested procedures. A simplified pulse ratio modulator is also presented.


More and more applications and protocols are now running on wireless networks. Testing such applications and protocols is a real challenge as the position of the mobile terminals and environmental effects strongly affect the overall performance. Network emulation is often perceived as a good trade-off between experiments on operational wireless networks and discrete-event simulations on Opnet or ns-2. However, ensuring repeatability and realism in network emulation while taking into account mobility in a wireless environment is very difficult. This paper proposes a network emulation architecture based on off-line computations preceding online pattern-based traffic shaping. The underlying concepts of repeatability, dynamicity and accuracy are defined in the emulation context. Three different simple case studies illustrate the validity of our approach with respect to these concepts.


In the field of intelligent systems, research and design approaches vary from predefined architectures to self-organizing systems. Regardless of the architectural approach, such systems may grow in size and complexity to levels where the capacities of people are strongly challenged. Such systems are commonly researched, designed and developed following several methods and with the help of a variety of software tools. In this paper we want to describe our research and development environment. It is composed of a set of tools that support our research and enable us to develop large scale intelligent systems used in our robots and in our test platforms. The main parts of our research and development environment are: the component models BBCM (brain bytes component model) and BBDM (brain bytes data model), the middleware RTBOS (real-time brain operating system), the monitoring system CMBOS (control-monitor brain operating system) and the design environment DTBOS (design tool for brain operating system). We will compare our research and development environment with others available on the market or still in research phase and we will describe some of our experiments


OBJECTIVE
The study objective is to present the tactics of surgical treatment of simple (solitary) bone cysts of the clival region and CII body.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Two patients were operated on for simple clival and axis cysts.

RESULTS
The first patient with a simple clival cyst underwent transoral clivectomy and bone cyst evacuation. Postoperative control SCT scans revealed that the cyst cavity was lined with a hemostatic material and biological glue. Restoration of bone structures of the clivus occurred after 8 months. The second patient with a simple cyst of the second cervical vertebra (axis) underwent a two-stage surgical treatment: occipitospondylodesis was carried out first, and transoral removal of the pathological process of the CII body was performed at the second stage. Control scans a year after the surgery revealed the formation of bone tissue in the axis body region, an increased cystic cavity in the odontoid process of the axis, and posterior migration of the odontoid process, which caused compression of the brainstem structures. In connection with this, we performed transoral re-intervention with removal of the cystic separated odontoid process. Postoperative control scans revealed complete removal of the cystic odontoid process and decompression of the dural sac. The article provides a detailed analysis of the modern literature that has not reported any cases of a simple bone cyst located in the clivus or upper cervical vertebrae region and, thus, has not described the tactics for surgical treatment of these complex diseases. The article presents illustrative pre-, intra-, and postoperative images and histological specimens.

CONCLUSION
The described cases present successful recurrence-free surgical treatment of simple (solitary) bone cysts located both in the clivus region (1 case) and in the body and odontoid process of the axis (1 case). A feature of the second case was that the patient had an extremely rare combination of a bone cyst of the C2 body and the cystic separated odontoid process of the axis (cystic os odontoideum).


The authors re-examine conventionally used terms for hills on the basis of a morphometric study of landforms in Japan. Relative relief and drainage density are calculated for every 250 m grid on topographic maps.Figure 2 shows relative relief on the vertical axis and drainage density on the horizontal axis. Hills are clearly delineated from mountains by these parameters. The relative relief for hills is smaller than 110 m120 m, and the drainage density is greater than 4050 streams/km2. The Shiranuka Hills in Hokkaido should more appropriately be called the Shiranuka Mountains, because of their high mean relative relief (134.3 m) and lower drainage density.Figure 2 also indicates a possible subdivision of hills into 2 types, or 'flat topped hills' with a relative relief of less than 60 m, and 'ridge hills' with a relative relief of 60 m 120 m. The standard deviation of relief energy can also be taken as a criterion to distinguish the 2 types of hill, namely, the flat topped hills have a standard deviation of 8.120.6, in contrast to the ridge hills, which have a standard deviation of 21.029.8.The drainage density generally increases corresponding to the length of time through which terraces are transformed into hills and the amount of uplift. Therefore, hills have greater drainage density than terraces. But, it is worthy of note that the drainage density is never greater than 7080 streams/km2. The greatest density is found in the Oku-Noto Hills, one of the ridge hills 480, 000780, 000 years old. Indications are that the development of a drainage system culminates at some stage between flat-topped hills and ridge hills, and then valleys are gradually unified, resulting in a lower drainage density.Both flat-topped hills and ridge hills may be derived from various origins such as terraces, depositional surfaces of pyroclastic flows, dissected Tertiary or early Quaternary soft rocks, or degradation of mountains with medium relief. But, the formation of ridge hills requires a greater speed of uplift, and rocks that are hard enough to sustain steep slopes with a relative relief of 80 m120 m. The conditions being the same, ridge hills are older than flat-topped hills.


headings – Endometriosis. Abdominal wall. abstRact – Background: The exact incidence of endometriosis in the general population is unknown. Confirmation of this disease is only possible by histopathological analysis of a fragment obtained by some invasive procedure, because there is so far, no clinical secure marker. Aim: To report the experience with the clinical manifestations and surgical treatment in patients with abdominal wall endometrioma. Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients operated for abdominal wall endometrioma with emphasis on data relating to age, symptoms, previous cesarean, relation of symptoms with the menstrual cycle, physical examinations and additional surgical treatment, postoperative course and histopathological results of specimens. Results: Forteen patients were operated during the study period, aged between 28 and 40 years. The presence of local mass and pain that worsened during menstruation were the main complaints. Ultrasound and CT examinations were important to precisely localize the disease. Surgical excision was a wide excision of the tumor and affected tissues. The patient progressed satisfactorily and histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of abdominal wall endometrioma in all cases. Conclusion: Exists a clear relationship between cesarean operation and abdominal wall endometrioma; ultrasound studies and CT scans help to plan the surgical resection allowing resection of tumor and all affected adjacent tissues.


Effects of initial conditions of axial deformation (length) and attitude (pitch) angle have been investigated on the subsequent orbital motion, attitude (librational) motion, and axial deformation (length) of a large space structure under the action of the earth's gravitational force. The space structure is assumed to be axially flexible and is considered to be executing a planar motion around the earth. It is observed that the initial values of the parameters can have appreciable effects on the structure's axial deformation and its attitude motion, whereas they have negligible effects on the structure's orbital motion (orbital radius and angular velocity).