Cooperation design method based on analysis and application of TFG (task flow graphic) model is introduced for different multi-processors system used for the signal waveform scale in the both time-domain and spectrum-domain in this paper. The method is based on the TFG model of the digital signal process algorithm and implemented with multi-processors technology. The multi-processors system consists of DSP, ARM and Nios II processors is discussed. And the whole structure of the system and the structure of each subsystem are given. Then a measurement instrument integrated with simple digital oscilloscope and spectrum analyzer using this multi-processors system is realized. Besides, the hardware architecture and software program flow chart of the real system, as well as the communication approach among the processors, are provided.


Unsourced random-access (U-RA) is a type of grant-free random access with a virtually unlimited number of users, of which only a certain number Ka are active on the same time slot. Users employ exactly the same codebook, and the task of the receiver is to decode the list of transmitted messages. Recently a concatenated coding construction for U-RA on the AWGN channel was presented, in which a sparse regression code (SPARC) is used as an inner code to create an effective outer OR-channel. Then an outer code is used to resolve the multiple-access interference in the OR-MAC. In this work we show that this concatenated construction can achieve a vanishing per-user error probability in the limit of large blocklength and a large number of active users at sum-rates up to the symmetric Shannon capacity, i.e. as long as KaR < 0.5 log2(1 + KaSNR). This extends previous point-to-point optimality results about SPARCs to the unsourced multiuser scenario. Additionally, we calculate the algorithmic threshold, that is a bound on the sum-rate up to which the inner decoding can be done reliably with the low-complexity AMP algorithm.


Abstract The Li-F-Be-B-P bearing Pinilla de Fermoselle (PF) pegmatite occurs in the apical part of a leucogranite body. It shows a clear non-symmetrical vertical zoning from the contact with the leucogranite to a contact with the metamorphic country rocks. The pegmatitic facies evolve upward from (1) the undifferentiated Lower Border Zone (LBZ), with quartz, feldspars, muscovite, biotite, and black tourmaline, through (2) the Intermediate Zone (IZ), with quartz, muscovite, zinnwaldite, black tourmaline, and Fe-Mn phosphates, to (3) the highly evolved Upper Border Zone (UBZ), with quartz, albite, lepidolite, zinnwaldite, elbaite, and beryl. The composition of the pegmatite-forming minerals suggests that a residual melt become progressively enriched in F and Li until the crystallization of the apical UBZ, whereas P partitions in the melt only until the intermediate levels of differentiation attained in the IZ. Chemical variations in the mica and tourmaline as well as in the feldspar and Fe- Mn phosphate minerals are consistent with an internal evolution by crystal fractionation processes. A plausible model for the crystallization of the PF pegmatite involves a rapid, in situ, bottom-up crystallization from significantly undercooled liquids. The lack of metasomatic effects in the metamorphic host-rock and the estimated P content of the initial leucogranite melt suggest that the PF pegmatite mainly crystallized under closed system conditions.


Abstract #5015 Background MRI has been found to be more sensitive than mammography in the detection of breast cancer, with sensitivity of 71% to 100%, compared to 16 to 40% for mammography. Therefore, MRI has been introduced as an adjunct to annual screening mammography and clinical examination (CE) in women at high risk for developing breast cancer. We investigated the efficacy of alternating screening mammography with MRI every 6 months in women at high risk for developing breast cancer.
 Methods Retrospective chart review was performed on 334 consecutive women who were seen in the high risk clinic at one institution, from January 1997 to December 2007. Patients with increased risk for breast cancer and had an MRI were included in this study. Women with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome, personal breast cancer history, a biopsy of atypia or lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), or a 20% or higher lifetime risk of developing breast cancer by the Gail model were included. Mammography, ultrasound, and MRI findings were reviewed, along with biopsy results.
 Results 86 of 334 (26 %) patients underwent annual screening mammography and MRI, with mammography and MRI alternating every six months. The remaining 248 patients underwent prophylactic mastectomies or were treated with chemoprevention. CE was performed every six months. 47% of 86 patients completed the 1 st round of MRI surveillance, 32% completed the 2 nd round, 15% completed the 3 rd round, and 6% completed the 4 th round. Of 86 patients who underwent MRI screening, 70 had BRCA mutations, and 16 had a history of breast cancer , a biopsy of atypia or LCIS, or a 20% or higher lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. The median follow-up period was 2 years (range, 1 to 4 years).
 Nine cancers (6 invasive ductal, 1 invasive lobular, and 2 ductal carcinomas in situ) were detected in 7 of 86 (8.1%) women who underwent screening MRI; two women had bilateral cancers. Among the 9 cancers, 4 (44 %) were identified by MRI but not by mammography, 4 (44 %) were identified by both MRI and mammography, and 1 (11 %) was not identified by mammography or MRI. No cancer was seen by mammography only. Of the 9 tumors, 8 cancers were detected by MRI (sensitivity of 89%). One cancer was identified by mastectomy only (1 mm focus of DCIS). In 4 of the 8 MRI detected-cancers, the mammogram performed six months earlier was normal or demonstrated benign findings. The mean size of the cancers was 10.4 mm (range, 1 to 25 mm). At MRI, 5 cancers appeared as a mass and 3 cancers demonstrated non-mass like enhancement. Metastatic ipsilateral axillary lymphadenopathy was seen in association with 3 of the 9 cancers detected.
 Conclusions In women at high risk for developing breast cancer, alternating mammography and MRI at six month intervals demonstrated that no cancers were detected by mammography only. Future prospective studies should be performed to evaluate screening with annual mammography and MRI, alternating at six month intervals, versus annual MRI alone. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 5015.


In this paper, the performance of IPv4 and IPv6 are compared for both Client-Server and Peer-Peer networks. For both networks, IPv4 produced higher bandwidth for TCP protocol. For UDP, IPv4 and IPv6 showed insignificant bandwidth differences except for packet size of 384 bytes where IPv4 had better performance in client-server environment.


This thesis investigates the current situation and problems of medical students' innovation and entrepreneurship awareness under the strategy of "Healthy China", analyzes the causes of the existing problems, and then puts forward effective ways to cultivate the innovation and entrepreneurship awareness of medical students. This study, first surveyed 426 medical college students in Sichuan Province with a questionnaire to investigate the current situation in the cultivation of students' innovation and entrepreneurship awareness. The data collected by questionnaires were processed by SPSS, and the factors that influence the students' awareness were analyzed. Due to the influence of heavy burden in study, fund shortage, narrow entrepreneurial approach, unsystematic training guidance, and inadequate publicity of the medical school, the students are weak in innovation and entrepreneurship awareness, which needs to be improved and strengthened. Proper guidance and sufficient support from the government, society and school, especially the systematic training and practical guidance of innovation and entrepreneurship from the medical school, are needed to enhance the innovation and entrepreneurship awareness of medical students. Based on students' expertise, they are encouraged to make full use of their time and resources, broaden their source of raising funds, expand their scope of entrepreneurship and enhance their intention of entrepreneurship.


Two developments in the last two decades frame the importance of Web-based marketing communications for firms. First is the phenomenal growth of the Internet as a viable commerce and communication option and second is the clear shift in attitude research toward recognizing the pervasive role of automatic processes in almost all the social psychological processes. Therefore, this article discusses the potential implications of Web-based marketing communications for consumers' implicit and explicit attitudes. In doing so, first, this article reviews the emergence of research on implicit attitudes, distinguishes implicit attitudes from explicit attitudes, and discusses research on explicit and implicit attitudes relative to branding. Second, a brief discussion of marketing research on attitude is provided. Third, five empirically testable research propositions are developed and presented. Finally, given the potential implications for research and practice, the article concludes with a call for research. ©2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


This article analyzes the existing tensions between the recognition of human rights - especially the right to adequate food as it is defined in international agreements and treaties - and the insufficient connection made with care, understood as the set of activities necessary to satisfy the basic needs of existence and human and social reproduction. Applying a methodological approach based in rights and gender, the article analyzes, on one hand, the scope of the right to food and its impact at the level of public institutionality, and on the other, the recent recognition of care as a right at a regional level and its persistent invisibilization in public policies. The results obtained allow for a research and action agenda that identifies tensions and opportunities to achieve universalization in the exercise of rights based in comprehensive and interdependent public policies.


In this study, the developmental capacity and cytogenetic composition of different oocyte activation protocols was evaluated following intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) of in vitro matured bovine oocytes. Motile spermatozoa selected by Percoll density gradient were treated with 5 mM dithiothreitol (DTT) and analysed for ultrastructural changes of the head using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The alterations in sperm morphology after DTT treatment for different times (15, 30 and 60 min) were 10%, 45-55% and 70-85%, respectively. Further, a partial decondensation of sperm heads was observed after DTT treatment for 30 min. Oocytes were injected with sperm treated with DTT for 30 min. In group 1, sperm injection was performed without any activation stimulus to the oocytes. In group 2, sham injection without sperm was performed without activating the oocytes. Oocytes injected with sperm exposed to 5 microM ionomycin for 5 min (group 3), 5 microM ionomycin + 1.9 mM dimethylaminopurine (DMAP) for 3 h (group 4) and 5 microM ionomycin + 3 h culture in M199 + 1.9 mM DMAP (group 5) were also evaluated for cleavage, development and chromosomal abnormality. Cleavage and development rates in groups 1, 2 and 3 were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than those in groups 4 and 5. The incidence of chromosomal abnormality in the embryos treated directly with DMAP after ionomycin (group 4) was higher than in group 5. We conclude that immediate DMAP treatment after ionomycin exposure of oocytes results in arrest of release of the second polar body, and thus leads to changes in chromosomal pattern. Therefore, the time interval between ionomycin and DMAP plays a crucial role in bovine ICSI.


The ageing organism goes through radical changes. Studies on the experimental populations show that there might be epigenetic mechanisms switching off homozygote loci and switching on heterozygote loci during the ageing process. This is assumed to be because of the higher metabolic demands from homozygote loci. A corollary to this hypothesis is that the loci with the largest effect on longevity must have a lower degree of homozygosity. We tested this hypothesis in an international dairy cattle population consisting of 7038 bulls genotyped with more than 50,000 SNPS. The results supported our hypotheses, however, only for loci whose effects were smaller than 4.0 standard deviations larger than the average.


An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of genotype (meat-type or egg-type) on the AME digestibility of selected ingredients. The practice of using only one value for apparent metabolizable energy (AME) of feed ingredients for all classes of poultry has been questioned. The ability to conver t nutrients to the final products depends on a variety of factors, such as age, sex, genetic and housing system. Some studies have indicated that broiler breeders are less able to metabolize diet energy, than are Leghorn birds. In this study, the ingredients included samples of cereals (corn, wheat and barley), one sample of plant protein (soybean meal) and one cereal by-product (wheat bran). Forty adult males (20 per breed) were randomly assigned to five feedstuffs. Each feedstuff was fed to four birds per breed. The AMEn values were determined using a classical total collection method (Sibbald method). The AME of each feed ingredient was calculated from the difference between GE intake and GE losses in the droppings. The AME values were corrected to zero nitrogen balance (AMEn). The results were showed the average AMEn digestibility in wheat (egg-type : 2785, Kcals/Kg ; meat-type : 2750 Kcals/Kg) and barley (egg-type : 2715 Kcals/Kg; meat-type : 2675 Kcals/Kg) samples were similar in two breeds. The AMEn digestibility in White Leghorn birds was significantly greater for corn (egg-type : 3065 kcals/Kg ; meat-type : 2842 kcals/Kg) , soybean (egg-type : 2185 Kcals/Kg ; meat-type : 2040 Kcals/Kg) and wheat bran (egg-type : 1440 Kcals/Kg ; meat-type : 1333 Kcals/Kg) compared to the broiler strain. In this study, considerable differences were also noted between the two breeds that were tested in their ability to utilize the AME of feed ingredients. In mature broiler breeder hens excess ME intake can cause fat deposition; consequently, accurate representation of the energy content of a breeder diet is important. On the other hand, deficiencies of energy around the time of peak egg production will likely reduce egg production at this time, or production will fall after peak by definition. Since tables concerning ingredient composition usually contain ME values determined with White Leghorn, further research is needed if energy content of broiler breeder diets is accurately represented.


The Aviation and Transportation Security Act passed by Congress in November, 2001 required the nation's airports to perform 100% checked baggage screening by December 31, 2002. To determine the impact of this requirement on its operations, Lambert St. Louis International Airport (STL) requested TransSolutions to evaluate the equipment and facility requirements to meet 100% checked baggage screening for all airlines serving STL. Discrete event simulation models were developed to evaluate passenger service levels for each alternative option considered, relative to the airport performance metric that 95% of all passengers in the peak hour would wait no longer than additional 10 minutes for baggage screening. Various protocols with different machine requirements were tested, and the "Drop-and-Go" option was chosen as the most viable alternative. This paper discusses how simulation was used to help the airport's decision making process.


Qatar sits in the middle of the world's most important hydrocarbon producing areas where significant regional refining activity and shipping traffic take place. In addition to significant local coastline, development prominently along the eastern coast, has taken place over recent decades. Protecting Qatar's marine ecosystems from the adverse effects of environmental contaminants is a core component of the Environmental Development pillar within the National Vision 2030. However, a limited number of studies have investigated contaminant concentrations in the coastal environment of Qatar. The accumulation of contaminants in aquatic environments can affect coastal and marine ecosystems, and cause adverse effect on marine organisms and human health. This study aims to determine contamination in Qatar's coastal environment by measuring organic and inorganic contaminants, along with physiochemical parameters, at four sites located on the contrasting east and west coast of the country. The Pearl Oyster Pinctada radiata, which is considered an iconic organism in Qatar, was used to determine a baseline of contaminants in an aquatic organism. Surface seawater, surface sediment and oysters were collected four times over two years in different seasons from the four sites. In-situ parameters (temperature, pH, and salinity), and abiotic parameters (TOC and grain sizes) were measured for seawater and sediment. Organic (TPHs, PAHs) and inorganic contaminants (trace metals including: Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn, T-Hg) were measured in all samples. Overall, Al Wakra (higher in boat traffic and fueling activities) on the east coast reported the highest levels of contaminants. High PAHs were observed in oyster tissues, while high Pb was noted in seawater and high Zn was observed in sediment and oyster. Benzo (a) pyrene was the highest compound detected in oyster. However, high TPHs were also noted in oyster tissues from Simaisma. At Al Khor, also on the east coast, high level of TPHs were recorded in seawater, while high PAHs and TOC observed in surface sediment, which had a relatively higher clay and silt content than other sites. Umm Bab (with a desalination plant near the coast), the sole sample site on the west coast, showed the highest level of TOC in seawater and sediment, highest Ni in seawater and highest total mercury in oyster. Our results, in general, report lower levels in seawater and sediment compared to other studies in the region and more widely; however, in oysters most of the contaminants are higher when compared to international guideline values. These higher levels indicate the potential for these filter-feeding organisms to absorb contaminants into their tissues from the environment that surrounds them. Additionally, bioaccumulation can occur. This study provides background information for further investigation to understand the presence and distribution of organic and inorganic contaminants in Qatar's rapidly changing coastal environment. It indicates the usefulness of applying a holistic view to environmental monitoring including the use of biomonitoring.


Although government and business interest in tracking and tracing has grown enormously over the last decade, a clear and coherent overview of the topic is still lacking and is not found in (logistics) literature. This article presents a structure for development and contemporary practices of tracking and tracing. The development structure is conceptualised by three supply‐chain layers: item coding (the physical layer), information architecture (the information layer); and planning and control (the control layer). On behalf of tracking and tracing, the layers represent different levels of supply‐chain integration. The conceptualisation is derived from similar ideas found in literature on supply‐chain management. From a scientific point of view, the structure provides a coherent and systematic organisation of tracking and tracing concepts. From the viewpoint of business administration, the structure facilitates the determination of the scope of tracking and tracing application(s), which is of management value.


Abstract A vertex cut of a connected graph G is a set of vertices whose deletion disconnects G. A connected graph G is super-connected if the deletion of every minimum vertex cut of G isolates a vertex. The super-connectivity is the size of the smallest vertex cut of G such that each resultant component does not have an isolated vertex. The Kneser graph KG(n, k) is the graph whose vertices are the k-subsets of {1, 2, . . . , n} and two vertices are adjacent if the k-subsets are disjoint. We use Baranyai's Theorem on the decompositions of complete hypergraphs to show that the Kneser graph KG are super-connected when n ≥ 5 and that their super-connectivity is n ( n/2) − 6 when n ≥ 6.


We use the event generator LUCIAE with the mechanism of reduction of strange quark suppression to investigate the strangeness enhancement in relativistic nucleusnucleus collisions. The results of LUCIAE reproduce the corresponding NA35 data quite well and explain very well that the reduction of strange quark suppression plays more important role than the rescattering of final state hadrons in the production of strange particles.


Inthischapter, theprinciplesofcytotoxicchemotherapy treatment and the appropriate use of anticancer drugs, including some of the new targeted drugs, will be discussed. It will not be possible to give a comprehensive description of every drug and regimen, and standard chemotherapy textbooks (e.g. Allwood et al., 2002; Summerhays and Daniels, 2003) or specialist websites (e.g. BC Cancer Agency, www.bccancer.bc.ca/default.htm) should be consulted for this information. However, this chapter should provide chemotherapy prescribers and administrators with enough information to discuss treatments with patients, to prescribe chemotherapy safely and to manage the common treatment-related side effects.


ABSTRACT When ethnicity is said to be manifest and practised through handicrafts, these seemingly innocent objects become political. They raise questions concerning who can do what handicraft, who can use what symbols or what developments are "allowed". They illustrate the continuous production of ethnic norms and boundaries, especially when global tourism enters into the equation. Taking a social constructivist perspective, our study addresses ethnic boundaries and boundary-making in handicrafts in northern Sweden, Norway and Finland. Our findings are based on fieldwork (35 interviewees) with people of diverse local backgrounds making and selling handicrafts. Methodologically, we avoid preselecting people based on ethnicity, but instead contribute to an understanding of the constitutive processes of ethnicity by looking at how ethnic talk comes into conversations about handicrafts. Our findings demonstrate that the interviewees draw an ethnic divide between "Sámi"/"non-Sámi", while other ethnic-choices move to the background. This divide can be seen to be amplified by tourism. The boundary for who can make a Sámi handicraft or use Sámi symbols remains significant, yet also fluid. The article deepens the understanding of the Sámi/non-Sámi ethnic categorization, here in relation to handicrafts. It also helps unravel the complexities between tourism, ethnicities and handicrafts more broadly.


The occurrence of errors, complications, and adverse effects may occur as a consequence of single or multiple events related to the clinician and/or patient. Apparently, the amount of dental literature on these undesirable outcomes has not been as prolific as that obtained for conventional primary periodontal outcome measures. This review explores the potential reasons for the lack of studies reporting on errors and complications in periodontal and implant therapy, as well as other noteworthy methodological aspects, to enlighten their impact on the selection of the best (or most appropriate) "gold standard" periodontal/implant-related treatment options, and on the overall decision-making process. The following points were addressed: (a) the importance of reporting errors and complications in clinical research; (b) the adequate reporting of errors and complications in periodontology and dental implantology; and (c) efficacy trials vs effectiveness studies and their impact on the assessment and report of periodontal and implant treatment-related risks and complications.


The taxonomy, biology and ecology of free-living mesostigmatic mites in Australia and their current and potential use in biological control and bioindication is reviewed. Most current research on free-living Mesostigmata in Australia focuses on species with an established role in the biocontrol of crop pests, such as members of the family Phytoseiidae. Three introduced species and at least seven native species of Phytoseiidae are presently used for the control of phytophagous mites in Australia. The introduced phytoseiids are mostly specific to spider mites and have been selected for resistance to some of the common pesticides. Native species provide the advantage of being generalist feeders and are capable of using alternative food in the absence of mite pests. Therefore they can persist more effectively in the environment and contribute to the control of several pests. The reduced and selective use of pesticides, accompanied by scouting services, has allowed the successful control of phytophagous mites by native species in several Australian tree crops, especially grapevine and citrus. In soils, Mesostigmata are extremely abundant, species-rich and play significant ecological roles. They feed on a broad range of invertebrates, including phytophagous pests that spend part or most of their lives on or in the soil or root systems. However, the majority of mesostigmatic mite species are unknown in Australia. Nevertheless, recent research indicates that many species are habitat-specific, and that they may be sensitive to agricultural practices and other land management systems. Mesostigmata have great potential for biological control of pests, and as indicators of soil quality and sustainable agricultural practices. However, the current paucity of research and information on the taxonomy, life-history and ecology of native species in natural and managed landscapes will continue to hinder their use in biological control and as bioindicators.


International cooperation in science and technology is an important part of addressing major global issues like climate change, infectious diseases, food security and natural disasters. Research infrastructures (RIs) are organizations that enable scientists to use specific facilities, resources and services in order to accelerate scientific achievements, break boundaries and promote sustainable research. Fostering RI partnerships across borders has the potential to improve the efficiency and quality of research to tackle the many challenges faced by society today.


Estrogens have profound effects on bone metabolism. Cellular responses to estrogens are mediated by estrogen receptors (ERs) which belong to the nuclear receptor superfamily. Two estrogen receptors, ERalpha and ERbeta, have been cloned. Previously expression of ERalpha has been shown in osteoblasts. Here we demonstrate that the transcript for ERbeta can be detected in the human osteosarcoma cell lines (MG-63 and SaOS-2) and in cultured human osteoblast-like cells. We also show that ERbeta protein is present in nuclear extracts from these cells. Furthermore, ERbeta immunoreactivity is found in sections of murine and human bone. Murine and human osteoblast and osteocyte nuclei are immunoreactive for ERbeta. Osteoclasts are also ERbeta immunoreactive but the staining is mainly cytoplasmic. The present study demonstrates that ERbeta is present in all the cellular compartments involved in bone formation and bone resorption, both in human and in murine bone tissue.


Two of the distinctive ethical issues that arise for computer users (as opposed to computer programmers) have to do with the file formats that are used to encode information and the licensing terms for computer software. With respect to both issues, most professional philoso- phers do not recognize the burdens that they impose on others. Once one recognizes these burdens, a very simple argument demands changes in the behavior of the typical computer user: some of the ways we use computers gratuitously impose significant burdens on others; it is wrong to impose significant burdens on others gratuitously; some of the ways we use computers are unethical.


This study deals with the conflict of franchised cross-border higher education. The constitution of Somaliland on article 15 No.4 loosen the gate of education for foreign institutions, but bilateral relation between Ethiopian universities and Somaliland higher education is experiencing conflicts. The conflicts are between franchisor and franchisee and among franchisee shareholders. The reasons for the problem are unknown since the existence of cross-border foreign universities in Somaliland. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the reasons behind the conflicts and the effect of the conflicts on the learning-teaching. Case study design was applied. The research approach was qualitative, and both primary and secondary sources of data were employed. Interview, document analysis, focus group discussion (FGD), and observation were drawn for data instruments. The results show that the franchising mode of contract/agreement is not respected by the shareholders, absence of trust is existed in franchised relationship, the involvement of the Somaliland National Commission for Higher Education (SNCHE) is late on the contract and conflicts, the higher education is running without higher education policy, interruption of the learning-teaching, student transfer, and stakeholders suspicion towards cross border universities. The country has joined the world map after Somalia's destructive civil war and focused on development in many aspects. Likewise, the researcher planned to contribute tangible asset for the recently emerged Somaliland National Commission for Higher Education. So that it initiates local or international researchers in this area for further researches.


At Orthopedics Grand Rounds held approximately 1 year ago, Dr John Callaghan discussed the evaluation and management of a 76-year-old woman with osteoarthritis of the hip. 1 The patient was reluctant to undergo hip replacement without a guarantee that her most troubling symptom, limitation of motion of the hip, would be improved after the surgery. Dr Callaghan discussed the natural history of osteoarthritis of the hip, evaluation and treatment, and indications for surgical management. We asked the patient and her doctor to comment on the year that has passed. MRS W, THE PATIENT I feel wonderful. I had my hip replaced in May. They gave me 1 radiation treatment and physical therapy. At first, I couldn't move my hip the way I wanted to, but I found a physical therapist who really helped me. I walk every day and ride an exercise bicycle when I remember. I can put on


Treating the octogenarian and nonagenarian patients who have acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with intensive chemotherapy is controversial. Several models to predict outcome were proposed, including the use of a comorbidity index. However, it is unclear whether the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) or the hematopoietic cell transplant comorbidity index (HCTCI) is more sensitive.


Background: Online Challenge is neither an application nor an internet-based game; instead, users receive a link to it via chat groups on social media. Our aim is to identify the potential differences between the normal population and youth drawn to online challenges. These potential differences are the examining the parenting skills of parents of children who participate in the challenges and determining underlying psychopathologies through structured clinical interviews. Method: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was used to obtain further in-depth information on the comorbid psychopathology of children who play the BWC and on the parenting skills. The Development and Well Being Assessment and Alabama Parenting Questionnaire was applied to the children and their families in both the control and case groups. Results: Two groups of children and parents were recruited: a clinical sample (case) group (n = 34) and a community sample (control) group (n = 141). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), specific phobia and CD (conduct disorder) were significantly more frequent in the clinical sample than in the community sample. The median scores for the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ) parental involvement, positive parenting, and poor monitoring/supervision subscales were significantly lower in the clinical sample than in the community sample. Conclusion: As far as we know, this study is the first to examine comorbid psychopathologies of online challenge-style games and parenting skills. We believe that as research into these subject increases, it will assist mental health professionals to develop prevention strategies and to manage cases resulting from the Blue Whale Challenge (BWC) and other online challenges that pose a serious threat to mental health and that have driven many young people to suicide worldwide. Turan B / Arch Clin Psychiatry. 2021;48(6): 245-249


The Ural Regional Register of hemopoietic stem cell (HSC) potential donors has been created in 2007 at the South Ural Institute of Biophysics. The structure of the Register, its organization and functioning are based on the world, Russian, and home findings. Donors are attracted through mass media, presentations, and individual interviews. The structure of the Ural Regional Register of Donors includes the personal database, HLA typing database, and laboratory of molecular genetic typing of donors. In addition, Donor Center of Ozersk has been created at the Clinical Department of Institute of Biophysics. The center actively cooperates with the Ural Regional Register of Donors. Today the HSC Register has personal information on 3852 donors and the HLA typing data for 250 potential HSC donors. The HLA typing was carried out by the sequence specific primer method by 3 locuses — HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-DRB1.


Abstract Animal colour patterns are adaptive for three reasons: camouflage, communication and physico-physiological functions. This study proposes a conceptual framework for predicting the main adaptive function of carnivore colour patterns based on three factors: visibility, shape and location on the body, as well as, their behavioural ecological correlates. Using a comparative phylogenetic approach, the colour patterns present on the body, the tail and the eyes of 200 species of mammalian carnivores were analysed. Their evolutionary history was reconstructed using MacClade and Maddison's concentrated-changes test was used to test the association between species» colour patterns and their behavioural ecology on a composite phylogeny for all the Carnivora. The results for dark spots, vertical stripes, horizontal stripes, ringed tails, black tail tips, white tail tips, dark eye contour and dark eye patches, are presented. The comparative analyses indicate that spotted, vertically striped and horizontally striped coats evolved for camouflage. Tail markings seem to have evolved for intra- and/or inter-specific communication, while dark markings near and around the eyes are associated with variables consistent with a physico-physiological function. These findings suggest that both the physical environment and animal behaviour are important selective factors driving the evolution of animal colour patterns and that both need to be taken into consideration in future studies of animal coloration.


This is the first paper in a series of three where we take on the unified theory of non-Archimedean group actions, length functions and infinite words. Our main goal is to show that group actions on Zn-trees give one a powerful tool to study groups. All finitely generated groups acting freely on R-trees also act freely on some Zn-trees, but the latter ones form a much larger class. The natural effectiveness of all constructions for Zn-actions (which is not the case for R-trees) comes along with a robust algorithmic theory. In this paper we describe the algebraic structure of finitely generated groups acting freely and regularly on Zn-trees and give necessary and sufficient conditions for such actions.


Psychological factors are supposed to play an important role through "brain-gut interactions" in functional gastrointestinal diseases (FGIDs) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as well as inflammation bowel disease (IBD). Recently, scientists also found that anxiety and depression may be triggered by stress-induced changes to the gut bacteria. The gut-brain axis has been arisen as a major topic of interest in psychiatry. There is a common comorbidity of between psychiatric and gastrointestinal patients, and a large percentage FGIDs are more prevalent in the major depressive disorder (MDD) patients. Therefore, my editorial review for the journal will be focusing on the most prevalent research of the relative brain and gastroenterological investigations to enrich our current knowledge.


Background: de Quervain's tenosynovitis may be caused by thickened extensor retinaculum which holds the tendon in position in wrist. There are both operative and non-operative treatments for the condition. Corticosteroid injection is a very good conservative treatment option.
Objective: To see the outcome of corticosteroid Injection in the de Quervain's Tenosynovitis.
Materials and Methods: This was prospective interventional study conducted at the outpatient department of Kurmitola General Hospital during the period from January 2018 to December 2019. Total 71 patients with de Quervain's tenosynovitis were analyzed. Secondary outcomes were measured by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Quick Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score.
Results: Among the 71 affected hands, 11 (16.22%) patients had recurred. Sixty (83.78%) patients had no positive sign or symptom after 6 months of follow-up. Average VAS before injection was 8.27±1.23. Post injection VAS was 0.82±1.49 at 1 month follow-up and 1.46±2.34 at 6 month follow-up which was improved significantly. Pre-injection average Quick DASH score was 77.33±13.59 which was reduced to 18.34±12.37 after 1 month and 22.97±17.28 after 6 months of follow-up.
Conclusion: Single injection of triamcinolone with local anesthetic for the treatment of de Quervain's disease was proved significant conservative treatment option though there were few complications and failed cases. We should pay more attention to long-term follow-up and proper injection technique.
KYAMC Journal.2021;12(02): 88-91


To determine the prevalence of various gastrointestinal disturbances related to long-distance running and its effect on weight, diet and everyday digestive problems, we gave a questionnaire to 279 leisure-time marathon runners, comprising 10% of the participants in a local marathon race. Their answers disclosed a prevalence of dietary changes, weight reduction and altered bowel habits (mainly looser stools and/or more frequent defaecation) of 37, 38 and 48% respectively. A quarter reported earlier long lasting gastrointestinal problems, which improved in 41% of the runners after they started regular training. Thirty-four percent experienced gastrointestinal disturbances during or after running, 20% to such an extent that it seriously affected their performance.


This thesis describes the development and application of quantitative pharmacological models in oncology for treatment optimization and for the design and analysis of clinical trials with respect to pharmacokinetics, toxicity, efficacy and cost-effectiveness.

A recurring theme throughout this thesis is the quantitative integration of available knowledge during the development of a model. The utility of such integrative approaches relates to the fact that usually some relevant pre-existing knowledge exists, for instance related to physiology, pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics. Across different chapters in this thesis we have studied how such knowledge can be integrated in models to increase their predictive value or clinical utility. A second motivation for integrative approaches is the multi-factorial character of treatment of individual patients, or the design of clinical trials.

The first part of this thesis demonstrated the development of model-based approaches for the design and analysis of studies in special patient populations including children, pregnant patients and patients with renal impairment. A clinical trial simulation was conducted for a drug-drug interaction study in pediatric oncology patients. Subsequently we describe the development of a model quantifying changes in pharmacokinetics for four frequently used anticancer agents in pregnant cancer patients. Finally we showed how integration of established physiological changes during pregnancy can be used to support the prediction and analysis of pharmacokinetic studies in pregnant patients.

In the next part we developed quantitative dynamical models for toxicities. A semi-physiological model for eribulin-induced neutropenia was developed and applied to derive improved dosing strategies. A second toxicity model described trastuzumab-induced cardiotoxicity, which was then used to improve cardiac monitoring protocols.

In the last part of this thesis we first describe the development of a disease-progression model for castration-resistant prostate cancer in patients treated with eribulin, and the subsequent integration of models for toxicity, efficacy and cost-effectiveness that can be potentially used to support decision-making during early drug development. The last chapters describe the development of a generic simulation framework for cost-effectiveness models and an evaluation of the impact of structural uncertainty in such models.


Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2) promote AML pathogenesis through production of 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG). Enasidenib is an inhibitor of mutant IDH2 activity and induces the differentiation of IDH2-mutated leukemic blasts. In a phase I/II clinical trial, enasidenib monotherapy resulted in an overall response rate of 40% and median duration of response of 6 months in relapsed/refractory AML (Stein et. al. Blood 2017).
 We previously discovered that mutant IDH activity sensitizes AML cells to BCL-2 inhibition through accumulation of 2-HG (Chan et. al. Nature Medicine 2015). Pharmacologic inhibition of BCL-2 activity with venetoclax, a highly specific BH3 mimetic, preferentially targets IDH-mutated human AML cells. In a phase II clinical trial of venetoclax monotherapy, IDH-mutated relapsed/refractory AML patients had a response rate of 33% compared to 10% in IDH-wildtype patients (Konopleva et. al. Cancer Discovery 2016).
 Based on the above findings, we hypothesized that combination therapy with enasidenib and venetoclax may demonstrate superior anti-leukemic activity in comparison to single agents in the treatment of IDH2-mutant AML. However, given that the mechanism by which IDH mutations increase BCL-2 dependence is via 2-HG, reduction of 2-HG with enasidenib may antagonize venetoclax activity. As such, we further hypothesized that a sequential dosing schedule may be superior to concurrent dosing.
 To test our hypotheses, we conducted a preclinical study to evaluate the efficacy of monotherapy versus combination therapy in reducing the leukemic burden in three patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of human IDH2-mutant AML. All three PDX models were derived from samples with co-occurring IDH2R140Q and NPM1c mutations. Engrafted animals were randomly assigned to one of six treatment arms (N=5 per arm): vehicle (arm 1), enasidenib alone (arm 2), venetoclax alone (arm 3), concurrent combination (arm 4), and sequential combinations (arms 5 and 6; see Figure 1 for details). Enasidenib and venetoclax were administered by oral gavage at a dose of 40 mg/kg twice a day and 100 mg/kg daily, respectively. Tumor burden was measured in bone marrow samples collected immediately prior to treatment and every 2 weeks during the 12-week treatment period.
 Concurrent combination treatment (arm 4) resulted in the greatest reduction in leukemia engraftment compared to all other treatment arms, including the sequential dosing arms, in two of the three models (#1 and #2, henceforth termed "responders"; Figure 2A). Although venetoclax monotherapy reduced engraftment in all three models, persistent disease above a threshold of 0.1% was detectable in 12 of 13 animals by flow cytometry (9 of 13 by ddPCR) after 12 weeks of treatment (Figure 2B). In contrast, disease was detectable in only 2 of 9 animals (0 of 9 by ddPCR) treated with concurrent therapy in responders. In the remaining model (#3, henceforth termed "non-responder"), combination therapy was not superior to venetoclax monotherapy but importantly, co-treatment with enasidenib did not antagonize venetoclax activity. Interestingly, enasidenib monotherapy increased expression of myeloid differentiation markers, CD15 and CD11b, only in responders, indicating that differentiation might be a precondition for responsiveness to concurrent therapy. We confirmed that the lack of response in non-responders was not due to selection of an IDH2 wildtype clone or failure to block 2-HG production by enasidenib.
 To gain insights into the mechanism by which enasidenib might enhance venetoclax sensitivity, we performed quantitative intracellular flow cytometry staining for the anti-apoptotic proteins BCL-2, BCL-xL and MCL-1 in leukemic cells collected after 12 weeks of treatment. Enasidenib monotherapy resulted in a significant decrease in BCL-2 expression in responders. The reduction in anti-apoptotic protein expression could potentiate mitochondrial priming and sensitization to venetoclax.
 In summary, our findings demonstrate that concurrent combination therapy with enasidenib and venetoclax is a promising therapeutic approach for IDH2-mutated AML. Responsiveness to combination therapy is associated with enasidenib-induced differentiation and reduction in anti-apoptotic protein expression. Our findings support ongoing and future clinical investigations in combination therapies with mutant IDH and BCL-2 inhibitors.

 Cojocari: AbbVie Inc: Employment. Phillips:AbbVie Inc: Employment, Equity Ownership, Patents & Royalties. Leverson:AbbVie Inc: Employment, Equity Ownership, Patents & Royalties. MacBeth:Celgene Corporation: Employment, Equity Ownership. Nicolay:Agios: Employment. Narayanaswamy:Agios: Employment. Ronseaux:Agios: Employment. Liu:Agios: Employment, Equity Ownership. Chan:AbbVie: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding.


Abstract Urocleidoides ectoparasites are mainly found on fish of the neotropical regions. Although molecular research on monogeneans is available, no genetic data exist characterizing species in the Urocleidoides genus. Some DNA sequences have been efficacious in systematic studies and in the reconstruction of phylogenies of fish parasites. Relevant roles have been given to the sequence of the mitochondrial gene of cytochrome c oxidase I (COI). This study characterized COI sequences of the parasites Urocleidoides malabaricusi and U. cuiabai in trahira fish Hoplias aff. malabaricus of the flood plain of the Upper River Paraná, Brazil. The two species under analysis were distinguished by sequencing and analysing a 420-bp fragment of the COI gene, which suggested the existence of the cryptic species U. malabaricusi.


Signaling and regulatory pathways coordinate multiple cellular functions in response to environmental variations. Discovering the pathways governing functionally specific responses is essential for understanding of biological systems. It aims at determining the causal cascades of regulations leading to the observed responses. Their characterization by computational methods remains an important and challenging question. The presented cabin (Causal Analysis of Biological Interaction Network) method determines a causal model view composed of a subnetwork and a set of agent states deduced from observations with regards to a model of network dynamics. The validity of the results is ensured by formally checking the conditions of correctness of a model with respect to observations. State-based and symbolic versions of the algorithm have been implemented and used for a biological case study.


Differential screening was used to select clones from a bovine luteal cDNA library, which were specifically expressed in late luteal stages. One of these clones encoded the bovine homologue of the Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory protein (StAR). The bovine StAR gene is transcribed as 3kb and 1.8kb transcripts, which differ in their sites of 3' polyadenylation. Both transcripts are highly expressed in corpora lutea of mid to late cycle and through pregnancy, but only at low levels in the early cycle. Northern analysis showed expression only in the corpus luteum and in the adrenal gland, but not in any other tissue examined. Within the protein coding region of the bovine StAR gene, there is a marked 124 base homology to the 5' non-coding region of another luteal transcript, TIMP-1, suggesting a possible common regulatory function for this sequence.


Hyper motility is a negative factor in fish handling procedures due to the risks of damages to the animals. Chemicals are widely used to anesthetize fish during biometry and many other handling procedures. 2-Phenoxyethanol is largely employed, but many studies are necessary about tropical fish responses. The present research evaluated the anesthesia induction time for juvenile matrinxa submitted to eight different levels of 2-phenoxyethanol. The range of 2-phenoxyethanol concentration was 250-600mg liter-1. Induction time of anesthesia decreased as a function of 2-phenoxyethanol concentrations. Fish were safely anesthetized approximately after one minute of exposure to 2-phenoxyethanol batches in concentrations above 400mg/liter, and the recover period was about one minute for all anesthetic concentrations. 2-Phenoxyethanol is a safe anesthetic for juvenile matrinxa even in exposures up to 600mg liter-1 being recommended for many field procedures of fish handling.


ABSTRACT Salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) is an uncommon, aggressive tumour, which carries a poor prognosis. SDC affects the major salivary glands, usually occurring in the parotid gland. A 76-year-old male patient presented with right-sided nasal obstruction and rhinorrhoea. A polypoidal mass was seen in the right inferior turbinate mimicking a benign neoplasm. Histological examination following wide excision led to a diagnosis of SDC. There are no therapeutic guidelines and management is based on experience with SDC of the major salivary glands. Given the aggressive nature and poor prognosis of the disease, it is a rare but important differential to consider in patients with unilateral nasal mass.


Purpose of review This paper reviews research published since March 2002 that has addressed the situation of families with a person with intellectual disabilities. Such research is organized into research concerning families with a child with intellectual disabilities and families with an adult with intellectual disabilities, including parents with intellectual disabilities. Trends in family research, including greater methodological diversity and an expanding conception of the family, are highlighted. Recent findings Parents of children with intellectual disabilities report relatively high levels of distress, with a wide range of child, parent, family and service support factors implicated in parental distress. However, many parents also report positive perceptions of their child with intellectual disabilities. Research with parents who themselves have intellectual disabilities report very high levels of maternal distress, associated with a lack of social support. Methodologically, most studies are quantitative cross-sectional surveys using correlational analyses, with little consistency in measures or constructs across studies. However, increasing methodological diversity in family research is apparent. Summary Research concerning families with people with intellectual disabilities is gradually becoming more methodologically diverse and theoretically sophisticated, although more cooperation between research groups is required. Family research is also changing to reflect the changing status of people with intellectual disabilities in society, with expanding conceptions of family systems and increasing attempts to elicit the views of people with intellectual disabilities on their perceptions of these family systems.


The results of surgical procedures for termination of Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) Syndrom were assessed in 59 patients undergoing operation between January, 1980 and December, 1993. All cases of WPW were refractory to medical treatment and 14 of 58 patients had one or several syncopes, and 4 of them had to be reanimated. The surgical treatment of these patients was a dissection of an accessory atrioventricular pathway. 15 patients required additional heart operation. A total of 60 accessory pathways were diagnosed preoperatively, 64 were located intraoperatively. The reoperation rate was 3% (2 patients) due to persistent WPW. Incidence of total AV block after the operation was 7% (4 patients). In the late postoperative stage, 12 patients developed supraventricular tachycardias, but none of these cases required a surgical treatment. The actuarial survival rate after 10 years was 100% and after 14 years 96%. We conclude that surgical dissection of accessory pathways offers a good alternative in cases of unsuccessful catheter ablative procedure or in cases of additional heart operation.


The purpose of the study was to ascertain gender participation, particularly proportionate involvement of male and female in cauliflower seed production and also to identify the relationship between the selected characteristics of the farm households and their participation in cauliflower seed production in four intensive cauliflower seed producing villages of Sadar Upazila under Tangail District. A sample size of 70 respondents were interviewed by using an interview schedule. The study reveals that women played a significant role in cauliflower seed production along with their male counterparts. However, there were variations in participation in different activities performed for the production of cauliflower seed. A clear gender specific division of labor existed in farm families. Women were more involved in less laboring activities, such as gap filling, plant protection, scooping, drying and storage. While men were mostly involved in land preparation, manure and fertilizer collection and application, transportation in the field and weeding and mulching. A varied level of male-female joint involvement was observed. Involvement of women was minimum in land preparation while least involved in seed storage. Women's participation in different activities of cauliflower seed production increased with the decrease of family size, farm size, annual income and educational level of the family head of the farm households.


ABSTRACT The content of this paper focuses/shed light on the effects of X (X = S in P1 and X = O in P2) in C11H7NSX and R (R = H in P3, R = OCH3 in P4, and R = Cl in P5) in C18H9ON2S2-R on structural features and band gaps of the polythiophenes containing benzo[d]thiazole and benzo[d]oxazole by the Density Function Theory (DFT) method/calculation. The structural features including the electronic structure lattice constant (a), shape, total energy (Etot) per cell, and link length (r), are measured via band gap (Eg) prediction with the package of country density (PDOS) and total country density (DOS) of material studio software. The results obtained showed that the link angle and the link length between atoms were not changed significantly while the Etot was decreased from Etot = – 1904 eV (in P1) to Etot = – 2548 eV (in P2) when replacing O with S; and the Etot of P3 was decreased from Etot = – 3348 eV (in P3) when replacing OCH3, Cl on H of P3 corresponding to Etot = – 3575 eV (P4), – 4264 eV (P5). Similarly, when replacing O in P1 with – S to form P2, the Eg of P1 was dropped from Eg = 0.621 eV to Eg = 0.239 eV for P2. The Eg of P3, P4, and P5 is Eg = 0.006 eV, 0.064 eV, and 0.0645 eV, respectively. When a benzo[d]thiazole was added in P1 (changing into P3), the Eg was extremely strongly decreased, nearly 100 times (from Eg = 0.621 eV to Eg = 0.006 eV). The obtained results serve as a basis for future experimental work and used to fabricate smart electronic device.


The Pinalito main hydroelectric tunnel, with a length of 11 km, is located in Cordillera Central mountain range, Dominican Republic. This mountain tunnel has been mined through extremely fractured andesitic-basaltic and rhyolitic tuffs. These rocks are been subjected to shear and collisional displacements between Caribbean and North America plates since middle Eocene. As a result, geological and hydrogeological conditions along the tunnel alignment are rather complicated. This paper presents the main aspects and results employed in order to overcome an unexpected water bearing incompetent rock zone, approximately eleven meters wide, that cross the tunnel alignment at Sta. 5+237.40. Ground treatment was well succeeded and took six months to be concluded. Procedures adopted took into account three steps, respectively: (1) geological drilling; (2) drainage; and (3) spilling and grouting injections.


Coexisting low-energy scales are observed in f -electron materials. The information about some of low-energy scales is imprinted in the electron self-energy, which can be measured by angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES). Such measurements in d-electron materials over the last decade were based on high energy- and momentumresolution ARPES techniques used to extract the self-energy information from measured spectra. Simultaneously, many-body theoretical approaches have been developed to find a link between the self-energy and many-body interactions. Here we show the transcription of such methods from d-electrons to f -electrons by presenting the first example of low energy scales in the f -electron material USb2, measured with synchrotron-based ARPES. The proposed approach will help in answering the fundamental questions about the complex nature of the heavy fermion state.


The purpose of this study was to isolate the adjacent epaxial musculature from exposed spinal cord by modified dorsal laminectomy in dogs with aluminum implant and to verify whether the muscles contribute to form epidural fibrosis, spinal cord compression, and development of neurological signs. Ten dogs were submitted to modified dorsal laminectomy between T13 and L1 and then distributed along two groups. Dogs in the group 1 remained with the spinal cord exposed without the implant; dogs in the group 2 had an aluminum implant inserted between the epaxial muscles and the exposed spinal cord. Neurological examination was daily performed until 180 days post surgery. Additionally, myelography at 15, 30, and 60 days post surgery and macroscopic evaluation of the implant at six months post surgery were done. There was no difference between groups in the neurological examination. A statistical difference in the degree of spinal compression was observed at day 15 post surgery in the group 2. In this group, the epaxial musculature adjacent to the spinal cord was not in contact with the epidural fibrosis, differently to what was observed in the control group. The implant was removed easily with some degree of deformity. The results showed that the adjacent musculature of the spinal cord submitted to a modified dorsal laminectomy in dogs can be isolated by aluminum implant, without any contact with epidural fibrosis or influence in the development of neurological signs.


PURPOSE
Recent studies have demonstrated the capability of graphics processing units (GPUs) to compute dose distributions using Monte Carlo (MC) methods within clinical time constraints. However, GPUs have a rigid vectorial architecture that favors the implementation of simplified particle transport algorithms, adapted to specific tasks. Our new, fast, and multipurpose MC code, named MCsquare, runs on Intel Xeon Phi coprocessors. This technology offers 60 independent cores, and therefore more flexibility to implement fast and yet generic MC functionalities, such as prompt gamma simulations.

METHODS
MCsquare implements several models and hence allows users to make their own tradeoff between speed and accuracy. A 200 MeV proton beam is simulated in a heterogeneous phantom using Geant4 and two configurations of MCsquare. The first one is the most conservative and accurate. The method of fictitious interactions handles the interfaces and secondary charged particles emitted in nuclear interactions are fully simulated. The second, faster configuration simplifies interface crossings and simulates only secondary protons after nuclear interaction events. Integral depth-dose and transversal profiles are compared to those of Geant4. Moreover, the production profile of prompt gammas is compared to PENH results.

RESULTS
Integral depth dose and transversal profiles computed by MCsquare and Geant4 are within 3%. The production of secondaries from nuclear interactions is slightly inaccurate at interfaces for the fastest configuration of MCsquare but this is unlikely to have any clinical impact. The computation time varies between 90 seconds for the most conservative settings to merely 59 seconds in the fastest configuration. Finally prompt gamma profiles are also in very good agreement with PENH results.

CONCLUSION
Our new, fast, and multi-purpose Monte Carlo code simulates prompt gammas and calculates dose distributions in less than a minute, which complies with clinical time constraints. It has been successfully validated with Geant4. This work has been financialy supported by InVivoIGT, a public/private partnership between UCL and IBA.


The diatom genus Tetracyclus Ralfs (Bacillariophyta) is composed largely of extinct, freshwater species many of which have been used as stratigraphic markers across several continents under the assumption that they are relatively widespread and confined to precise geological epochs. Until recently the taxonomy of the genus relied almost exclusively on the shape and dimensions of the preserved siliceous valves. This study forms part of a revision of the entire genus. In this paper the morphology of fossils from the \`ellipticus' species group is discussed. Significant to this study is the relative usefulness of diatom valve dimensions and overall shape, seen here in the context of siliceous morphogenesis and the appearance of particular valve \`shapes' at particular stages in their life cycles. In addition, alternative ways of representing character data have been applied to establish whether the \`ellipticus' species group is monophyletic with respect to the genus. Results suggest that the \`ellipticus' species group is not monophyletic and that the elliptical shape of valves is better viewed as a variable property of ontogeny.


A novel medical image tamper detection and recovery scheme based on Least Significant Bit (LSB) embedding and Piecewise Linear Chaotic Map (PWLCM) is proposed in the paper. To meet the demand of medical usage, the proposed scheme not only improved the precision of detection compared with block-wise scheme of watermark embedding, but also guaranteed the security of the scheme by applying PWLCM. To evaluate the proposed scheme, a former scheme proposed by Xiao et al is used for comparison; the two scheme's visual quality, accuracy of detection, recovery quality and security are tested during the experiment. The experimental results suggest that the proposed scheme meets the demand of visual quality and security for using in medical image tamper detection and recovery.


Clinical analysis of voice issue and assessment of treatment result vigorously depend on exact measurement of voice quality, which is intently attached to the physiology and capacity of the laryngeal instrument. Considering the assessment strategy of the voice, two principle classes of sound-related perceptual appraisal and acoustic examination can be recognized. This work exhibits another methodology for acoustic examination of voice quality, which carries a few focal points to the field. The proposed approach is nonparametric as in it doesn't require the estimation of the principal recurrence or unearthly reaction of the vocal tract. This lessens the computational multifaceted nature of the estimation and decreases the potential blunders because of wrong estimation of those parameters. Also, the technique doesn't make any presumption about the phonetic setting and subsequently can possibly be applied to associated discourse. This work focuses on building up an exact and hearty component extraction for recognizing and grouping voice pathologies by researching diverse recurrence groups utilizing autocorrelation and entropy. We extricated greatest pinnacle esteems and their relating slack qualities from each casing of a voiced sign by utilizing autocorrelation as highlights to identify and group neurotic examples. These highlights were researched in particular recurrence groups to survey the commitment of each band to the identification and arrangement forms.


Gold–(silver) telluride minerals constitute a major part of the gold endowment at a number of important deposits across the globe. A brief overview of the chemistry and structure of the main gold and silver telluride minerals is presented, focusing on the relationships between calaverite, krennerite, and sylvanite, which have overlapping compositions. These three minerals are replaced by gold–silver alloys when subjected to the actions of hydrothermal fluids under mild hydrothermal conditions (≤220 °C). An overview of the product textures, reaction mechanisms, and kinetics of the oxidative leaching of tellurium from gold–(silver) tellurides is presented. For calaverite and krennerite, the replacement reactions are relatively simple interface-coupled dissolution-reprecipitation reactions. In these reactions, the telluride minerals dissolve at the reaction interface and gold immediately precipitates and grows as gold filaments; the tellurium is oxidized to Te(IV) and is lost to the bulk solution. The replacement of sylvanite is more complex and involves two competing pathways leading to either a gold spongy alloy or a mixture of calaverite, hessite, and petzite. This work highlights the substantial progress that has been made in recent years towards understanding the mineralization processes of natural gold–(silver) telluride minerals and mustard gold under hydrothermal conditions. The results of these studies have potential implications for the industrial treatment of gold-bearing telluride minerals.


The emergence of the session initiation protocol (SIP) promises simple and efficient handling of multimedia sessions among multiple users. We present the design and implementation of a VoIP system based on SIP. Our SIP-based VoIP system provides a wide range of services multipoint call, multiple audio encoding formats, and complex functionalities such as call muting and call-hold facilities, and personal mobility support.


In this paper the author presents a framework for understanding how improvement-oriented high school teachers' accounts of change experiences portray their evolving roles as change agents in school reform. The data on which this paper is based come from a one-year long in-depth study (doctoral thesis research project) in which the author set out to investigate how improvement-oriented teachers pursue important changes in the realm of classroom, school and community; how the teachers-initiated changes can be characterized; and how the teachers' roles evolve with their change practices. The researcher employed qualitative case study methodology, using in-depth interviews, classroom observations, post-observation discussion, and document analysis, as the main sources of data. The teachers whose change practices and values are depicted in this report recognize their roles in pedagogical, institutional and social change, and wherever possible, they try to engage in efforts to bring these changes about. Through the study the author recognizes an inherent link between teachers' endeavors aimed at bringing about fundamental change in the classroom and their efforts towards promoting institutional change in the schools and social change in the community.


Changes in abundance, community structure and activity of archaea were investigated for rice paddy soil under long‐term cultivation along a chronosequence that spans 700 years in a coastal area of east China. Topsoil samples were analysed for archaeal abundance and community structures, which were determined with archaeal 16S rRNA and methanogenic mcrA genes. Methane production potential (MPP) was evaluated concurrently with a laboratory anaerobic incubation of treated topsoil samples. Gene abundance of archaea and methanogenic archaea increased from 6.70 × 106 and 1.53 × 105 copies g−1 in marsh to 2.89 × 108 and 2.73 × 107 copies g−1 in rice soil cultivated for seven centuries, respectively. Compared with the uncultivated marsh, diversity indices for both archaea and methanogenic archaea increased markedly with rice cultivation. Methanogenic archaeal community structure was dominated by Methanosarcinales and changed to a lesser extent after 100 years. The measured MPP varied over a range from 241.3 to 301.1 µg CH4 g−1 for the rice soil, whereas it was 101.3 µg CH4 g−1 for the uncultivated marsh soil. Therefore, gene abundance of both archaea and methanogenic archaea appeared to increase with the accumulation of organic matter following long‐term rice cultivation. The changes in MPP and community structure, however, were independent of differences in archaeal abundance. This suggests a complex interaction of soil organic matter, archaeal abundance and community structure, which could change the potential methanogenic activity in rice soil with long histories of rice cultivation.


An electrolytic capacitor that is provided with: an anode that has a dielectric layer; a first conductive polymer layer that covers at least one portion of an inductor layer; and a second conductive polymer layer that covers at least one portion of the first conductive polymer layer. The first conductive polymer layer includes a first conductive polymer and a first polymer dopant that has a sulfonic acid group. The second conductive polymer layer includes a second conductive polymer and a second polymer dopant that has a sulfonic acid group. The first conductive polymer has a lower degree of polymerization than the second conductive polymer.


In the abstract of the paper by Horsburgh and his colleagues on Mycobacterium avium-M. intracellulare (C. R. Horsburgh, Jr., D. L. Cohn, R. B. Roberts, H. Masur, R. A. Miller, A. Y. Tsang, and M. D. Iseman, Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 30:955-957, 1986), it is stated that "susceptibility patterns and serotypes of AIDS [acquired. immunodeficiency syndronme] isolates were significantly different from those of non-AIDS isolates." Fromn the data presented in the paper, I am not convinced that this is so. The serotypes from these two groups are similar except for a predominance of type 4 from New York City only. This appears to be a geographical difference rather than one that distinguishes AIDS from non-AIDS isolates. The documentation of susceptibility patterns is too incomplete to justify the conclusions presented in the paper. The results should have been verified by comparing MICs using several twofold dilutions or by the use of two other concentrations in addition to the single one presented. This is especially true for rifampin, for which only a very high concentration was tabulated. What were the results with concentrations of 1.0 and 5.0 ,ug/ml? Kanamycin was tested at 12 pug/ml. It would be interesting to see the patterns of inhibitioni by 10 and 15 ,ug/ml. Why was kanamycin chosen as the only aminoglycoside drug? What were the results with other aminoglycosides, especially streptomycin and amikacin? No mention is made of colony morphology or pigmentation. It has been said that strains from AIDS patients usually are more deeply pigmented than the usual M. avium-M. intracellulare strains. Were such differences noted in this study?


Saudi Arabia, a country on the verge of demographic transition, experiences a rapid growth in population – both native an expatriate. Ministry of Economics and Planning published a report entitled "Population and Housing Census 2010", recently. In comparison to previous censuses there is an accelerated growth of both native and expatriates in the Kingdom. The growth trends vary across its 13 regions. Regions with large urban infrastructure – Riyadh, Makkah Al-Mokarramah and Eastern Region - grew in its population over the four decades, remarkably. A proportional growth of population – both native and expatriate, urbanization, rural to urban migration and varying life styles are reflected.


The key technical elements in designing digital mobile satellite communication systems are identified, and tradeoff studies on the transmission parameters of the satellite link, which were based on experience with an experimental system and the results of field trials, on digital maritime and aeronautical satellite communication systems, are described. The future evolution of the various new communication services to be offered in the digital mobile communication systems are discussed. In the digital mobile satellite communication systems which will be operated under the condition of low C/N and with a signal-level fluctuation due to multipath fading etc., it has been found that the most important requirement is to establish the frame synchronization quickly and maintain it stably in addition to the stable carrier/clock tracking, under this severe link condition.<<ETX>>


The neuropeptide substance P (SP), a main mediator of neurogenic inflammation, has been shown to have direct and modulatory effects on functional responses of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNL). In this study, we further investigated the effects exerted by SP on human PMNL functions. Pretreatment of PMNL with SP resulted in an increase of superoxide anion (O2-) production in response to formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP), concanavalin A (Con A) and opsonized zymosan (STZ). In contrast, the O2- production induced by tumour necrosis factor (TNF) was strongly inhibited by pretreatment with SP. Both enhancement and inhibition of O2- response were exerted by SP in a dose-dependent manner and at concentrations which did not directly stimulate O2- production. These effects were rapid in onset, and occurred after 5 min of preincubation of cells with the neuropeptide. At concentrations that modulated O2- production by PMNL, SP also directly stimulated release of the chemotactic cytokine interleukin-8 (IL-8). Induction of IL-8 release required a longer incubation time (1 hr) with SP and was preceded by an increase of IL-8 mRNA steady-state levels. Furthermore, as well as directly stimulating IL-8 production, SP was also able to enhance the IL-8 release induced by other stimuli such as FMLP and TNF. The results of this study indicate that, in addition to the rapid and differential modulation of O2- production, SP also induces long-term changes such as IL-8 synthesis and release, and can thus amplify the process of PMNL recruitment to the inflammatory site.


Poppy and Max don't always agree. Sometimes they even argue. But there's one thing they know for sure - they are the best of friends! Poppy and Max see a sign asking for models for a fashion show and Poppy is desperate to volunteer. Max does not like wearing clothes, but somehow ends up as the star of the show!


We report here a case of a 53-year-old woman with mitochondrial 3243 (A-->G) mutation diabetes. Diabetes mellitus was diagnosed at 39 years of age. At 50 years of age, cardiomyopathy and hypothyroidism were noted. At 53 years of age, the patient was admitted to our hospital for treatment of necrotic ulceration of toes. However, she died of massive heart failure. Pathological examination at autopsy showed a decrease in size, number, and acidophilicity of islets in the pancreas. Immunohistochemical stain revealed a decrease in the beta-cell population to 20.5+/-9.2% and a relative increase in alpha-cell population to 48.6+/-11.5%.


In this paper we study the minimal measures for positive definite Lagrangian systems on compact manifolds. We are particularly interested in manifolds with more complicated fundamental groups. Mather's theory classifies the minimal or action-minimizing measures according to the first (co-)homology group of a given manifold. We extend Mather's notion of minimal measures to a larger class for compact manifolds with non-commutative fundamental groups, and use finite coverings to study the structure of these extended minimal measures. We also define action-minimizers and minimal measures in the homotopical sense. Our program is to study the structure of homotopical minimal measures by considering Mather's minimal measures on finite covering spaces. Our goal is to show that, in general, manifolds with a non-commutative fundamental group have a richer set of minimal measures, hence a richer dynamical structure. As an example, we study the geodesic flow on surfaces of higher genus. Indeed, by going to the finite covering spaces, the set of minimal measures is much larger and more interesting.


The flow downstream of a plain cylinder with attached permeable plates having various porosity ratios was investigated experimentally using both Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and dye visualization techniques to control the vortex shedding around the circular cylinder. The diameter of the cylinder and length to diameter ratio of the plate were kept constant as d= 50 mm and L/d=1.0, respectively. The porosity ratio, β which can be defined as the ratio of open area to the whole body surface area was taken as β=0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7 and 0.8 (permeable plates). The study was performed considering deep water flow conditions and depth-averaged free stream velocity was taken constant as U = 95.2mm/s which corresponded to a Reynolds number of Red = 5000 based on the cylinder diameter. The results of a plain cylinder were compared with the results of cylinder with permeable plates in order to understand the control effect. Both qualitative and quantitative results revealed that the plates are effective on the unsteady flow structure downstream of the cylinder, i.e. the vortex formation length was increased, turbulent statistics was reduced and both width and length of the wake were changed by usage of permeable plates attached around the separation point of the cylinder.Copyright © 2015 by ASME


Eliminating the negative effect of non-stationary environmental noise is a long-standing research topic for automatic speech recognition but still remains an important challenge. Data-driven supervised approaches, especially the ones based on deep neural networks, have recently emerged as potential alternatives to traditional unsupervised approaches and with sufficient training, can alleviate the shortcomings of the unsupervised methods in various real-life acoustic environments. In this light, we review recently developed, representative deep learning approaches for tackling non-stationary additive and convolutional degradation of speech with the aim of providing guidelines for those involved in the development of environmentally robust speech recognition systems. We separately discuss single- and multi-channel techniques developed for the front-end and back-end of speech recognition systems, as well as joint front-end and back-end training frameworks. In the meanwhile, we discuss the pros and cons of these approaches and provide their experimental results on benchmark databases. We expect that this overview can facilitate the development of the robustness of speech recognition systems in acoustic noisy environments.


This paper presents torque-controlled drives based on machine flux and torque estimation. The theoretical aspects of these methods are discussed and a comparative analysis is provided with emphasis on DSP implementation and experimental results. The problems in the application of these techniques to propulsion systems are also discussed and possible solutions are presented.


The Bethe-ansatz method is used to solve one-dimensional two-component bosons with a δ-function potential considering the negative coupling constant part. With the string hypothesis of Minoru Takahashi, the features of the ground state and low-lying excited states of this model are discussed explicitly by analytical and numerical methods. Especially for a N = 2 system, the two bosons being pairs is obvious, and the ground state which is independent of the coupling constant should be ferromagnetic.


Digital Architecture is the only guide that shows you how to create accomplished computer drawings by displaying and explaining the work of many of today's most justly celebrated design professionals. It gives you the foundation to understand how these international masters so deftly exploited computers, by providing a clear overview of the hardware, software, and input and output devices involved in digital media. It then showcases the conceptual studies, desktop formats, 3D renderings, digital hybrids, and animation of more than 50 top designers and firms. Each project comes with a succinct explanation of the design concept, drawing techniques, hardware and software used, and output media involved. Featuring an easy-to-use, loose-leaf format, Digital Architecture will be your ongoing reference on hybrid digital representation and an endless source of ideas and inspiration.


Plasmonic bimetal nanostructures can be employed to amplify electrochemiluminescence (ECL) signals. In this work, a high-performance ECL platform was constructed using a europium metal-organic framework (MOF) as a luminophore and Au-Pt bimetallic nanorods (NRs) as a plasma source. Due to the SPR effect of Au-Pt NRs, the aptasensor exhibits 2.6-fold ECL intensity compared to that of pure polyaniline (PANI)-decorated perylene tetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCA)/Eu MOF. Moreover, decoration with PTP greatly enhances the conductivity and stability of Eu MOF, resulting in sizeable plasmon-enhanced electrochemical luminescence. The as-designed plasmon-enhanced ECL aptasensor displayed highly sensitive detection for lincomycin (Lin). The as-proposed aptasensor could quantify Lin from 0.1 mg/mL to 0.1 ng/mL with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.026 ng/mL.


This is the fourth in a series of papers describing the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) within Europe.1–3 CVD remains the most common cause of death worldwide, with the 2013 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study estimating that CVD caused 17.3 million deaths globally. It accounted for 31.5% of all deaths and 45% of all non-communicable disease deaths, more than twice that caused by cancer, as well as more than all communicable, maternal, neonatal and nutritional disorders combined. The 2013 GBD also reported that CVD caused a greater number of deaths and was responsible for a greater percentage of all deaths than in 1990 when 12.3 million deaths were attributed to CVD, corresponding to 25.9% of total deaths.4 Previous publications in this series have reported that despite the decreases in CVD mortality in Europe more than 4 million people die from CVD across the continent every year, with more than 1.4 million dying prematurely, before the age of 75 years.1–3 In this article we present an updated overview of the burden of CVD in Europe, including new statistics for mortality, morbidity, and treatment. Where possible we provide statistics for all CVD and for coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke in particular. All data included here are updated from previous publications and we present prevalence statistics for the first time. This series of publications describing the current burden and distribution of CVD and CHD in Europe has been based on the European Cardiovascular Disease Statistics 2012 report,5 the fourth in a series of Europe-wide compendia, which was published jointly by the European Heart Network and the European Society of Cardiology.

Throughout this article, we present statistics from a number of data sources chosen with consideration of data quality, date of most recent update, and coverage of the …


Abstract Gelatin hydrogels by microbial-transglutaminase crosslinking are being increasingly exploited for tissue engineering, and proved high potential in bone regeneration. This study aimed to evaluate, for the first time, the combination of enzymatically crosslinked gelatin with hyaluronan and the newly developed biotechnological chondroitin in enhancing osteogenic potential. Gelatin enzymatic crosslinking was carried out in the presence of hyaluronan or of a hyaluronan–chondroitin mixture, obtaining semi-interpenetrating gels. The latter proved lower swelling extent and improved stiffness compared to the gelatin matrix alone, whilst maintaining high stability. The heteropolysaccharides were retained for 30 days in the hydrogels, thus influencing cell response over this period. To evaluate the effect of hydrogel composition on bone regeneration, materials were seeded with human dental pulp stem cells and osteogenic differentiation was assessed. The expression of osteocalcin (OC) and osteopontin (OPN), both at gene and protein level, was evaluated at 7, 15 and 30 days of culture. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and two-photon microscope observations were performed to assess bone-like extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and to observe the cell penetration depth. In the presence of the heteropolysaccharides, OC and OPN expression was upregulated and a higher degree of calcified matrix formation was observed. Combination with hyaluronan and chondroitin improved both the biophysical properties and the biological response of enzymatically crosslinked gelatin, fastening bone deposition.


Strange particle production in pp, pA and AA collisions at CERN SPS energies is reviewed. First results from Pb beam experiments are briefly presented. The emerging picture (still incomplete) is discussed.


Fertilizer price cost build up in Tanzania limits 96.5% of the smallholder farmers access to fertilizer that deter agricultural productivity and the goal for attaining food security. The objective of the paper was to examine strategies for addressing fertilizer price build up in Tanzania that would increase fertilizer use and create demand by smallholder farmers. We use secondary data from the reviewed literature on factors for price build up in Tanzania. The study adopts the supply chain analysis from the source of origin, importation, shipping costs, port service charges, quantity procured, methods of procurement, blending and packaging, as well as means of transportation used. The key determinants in the chain include the Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF), port charges, port handling costs, bagging, storage fees and means of transportation. The most two significant drivers for the fertilizer price build up is the procurement method and means of transportation that seem to significantly increase farm gate prices. It has been established that price build up is a function of quantity imported due to economies of scale; that is to say importing small quantities pushes buyers to pay high prices for the product and shipping expenses. The infrastructural factors for fertilizer price build up are associated with the mode of transportation as either road haulage or railways use. It has been established that transporting bulky fertilizers to various destinations by road is more expensive when relatively compared with railway transportation. The paper, therefore recommends for policy change that emphasize bulky fertilizer transportation by railways and monitor its implementation.


The importance of the Manager in any organization is recognized and his problems are analyzed . The responsibilities of the Manager involve Technical, Time and Cost constraints. These demand from him proficiencies in the fields of Engineering, Economics, Law and Communication. Furthermore, photogrammetric productions being of intermittent type, the manager's role becomes more complex. The advantages and disadvantages of such intermittent production organizations are studied. The Cost-Effectiveness Analysis approach is considered as a very important decision making tool for the manager. In this regard , the factors for Cost and Effectiveness analyses are listed separately. The Cost and Effectiveness•gModels•hare discussed . Finally, by combining them into Costeffectiveness mathematical model for analysis as a tool towards decision-making for the manager is discussed . This approach can claim to reduce the margin of error in decision making. Some points of recommendation for the manager are listed.


The Government's Internal Control System is carried out as a function of supervision of the implementation of government. The Inspectorate Office as a government partner is not only tasked with supervising but also giving direction so that the government does not get out of the agreed path. This study aims to find out how the implementation of the Inspectorate's role in the implementation of SPIP in Surakarta City, as well as analysing the constraints that affect the implementation of the role of the Inspectorate in the implementation of SPIP in Surakarta City and analysing the efforts of the Inspectorate to improve the implementation of SPIP in Surakarta. The results of the study show that: Supervision of government administration in Surakarta City which is carried out based on existing laws and regulations, in terms of the scope of supervision is internal supervision carried out internally functionally. Constraints that affect the role of the Inspectorate in the implementation of SPIP in the City of Surakarta are understanding of human resources for SPIP is still lacking and the number of personnel is inadequate, budget oversight activities are inadequate, there is no joint commitment in implementing SPIP and risk assessment and risk mapping are not optimal due to time constraints. The efforts of the Inspectorate to improve the implementation of SPIP in Surakarta City are by proposing the drafting of the Mayor's Regulation and the establishment of the SPIP Task Force, improving the quality of resources.


This paper proposes and experimentally validates a hierarchical control framework for fluid flow systems performing thermal management in mobile energy platforms. A graph-based modeling approach derived from the conservation of mass and energy inherently captures coupling within and between physical domains. Hydrodynamic and thermodynamic graph-based models are experimentally validated on a thermal-fluid testbed. A scalable hierarchical control framework using the graph-based models with model predictive control (MPC) is proposed to manage the multidomain and multi-timescale dynamics of thermal management systems. The proposed hierarchical control framework is compared to decentralized and centralized benchmark controllers and found to maintain temperature bounds better while using less electrical energy for actuation.


We examined trends in group research published in Social Psychology Quarterly (SPQ) from 1975 to 2005. We identified a total of 332 papers about groups published during the time period. Following Moreland, Hogg, and Hains (1994), we created an index of interest in groups by dividing the number of pages in papers about groups by the total number of journal pages. Results show that interest in groups in SPQ generally fell from the late 1970s through the 1980s, rose during most of the 1990s, but stalled in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In 2005 interest in groups hovered just under the 31-year average. We examined the impact of European and social cognition approaches, expectation states theory, social exchange theory, and symbolic interactionism on these trends. The most popular topic of research is group structure. The most common research method is the laboratory experiment. Papers about groups have increased in length, number of references, and number of authors. Most papers report a single study. The most productive authors and most influential papers are identified. Current Research in Social Psychology (Vol. 14, No. 6) Harrod, Welch, & Kushkowski


Atomic emission spectroscopy (AES) combined with an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) excitation source is discussed as an attractive alternative approach to "flameless" atomic absorption spectroscopy for the determinationof trace elements in liquid samples of limited volume. The AES-ICP approach offers the potential advantage of: (a) being able to perform these determinations on a simultaneous multielement basis, and (b) possessing an unusual degree of freedom from interelement effects if solution nebulization techniques are utilized. For 1-ml sample volumes, the relative powers of detection (ng/ml) of the AES-ICP approach are comparable to the values reported for flameless atomic absorption procedures.


The photoinitiated cationic ring-opening polymerizations of 3,3-disubstituted oxetanes display a characteristic induction period followed by very rapid thermally accelerated polymerization. When a thin-film sample of such a monomer is irradiated for a time within the induction period and then allowed to stand at room temperature, no appreciable further conversion of monomer to polymer takes place. However, when heat is applied to a small portion of the films rapid polymerization takes place as a front, which propagates rapidly throughout the entire reaction mass. To characterize these frontal polymerizations, a new monitoring technique, employing optical pyrometry has been instituted. This method provides a simple, rapid means of following these polymerizations and quantitatively determining their frontal velocities.


This report details research carried out from 2012 to 2015 into chipseal flushing. The physical mechanisms causing flushing were investigated and a model was developed to predict the growth of flushing over the New Zealand state highway network. Factors making a major contribution to flushing are: 1. aggregate abrasion and breakdown; 2. compaction and reorientation of the seal layer under traffic; 3. water venting and sub-surface stripping in seal layers. Factors having no or making only a minor contribution to flushing are: 1. thermal expansion of the bitumen; 2. excess bitumen application; 3. binder viscosity. Further work is needed to quantify the significance of chip embedment into the basecourse. A two-part model using parameters in the NZ Transport Agency Long-Term Pavement Performance database was developed. The first part uses a logistic model to predict the onset of flushing and an accuracy of 74% when used to predict the initiation of flushing on a separate data set. The second part uses a linear model to predict the rate of flushing progression. First-coat seals, and second and higher generation seals were modelled separately. The linear model was statistically strong (R2 of 0.445 for first-coat seals and 0.628 for second and higher generation seals).


The application of bioactive ingredients extracted from plants utilized as additives in various cosmetic products has gained popularity, since they are safe, with low adverse effects when applied properly, and are environmentally friendly. Moreover, the awareness of healthier cosmetic products has rapidly increased so that the exploration of screened plants with appropriate properties has attracted significant attention worldwide. This review discusses the potential of one of the fastest-growing tropical plants, Macaranga , applied in skincare cosmetics. Their interesting characteristics, such as being anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial, and their tyrosinase inhibitory effect have been comprehensively summarized. Various scientific literature works have further proven ethnopharmacological studies that explore the traditional use of Macaranga species by local people in the tropics for medicinal and skincare purposes. Therefore, we believe this will allow Macaranga to become a promising material in the future for large-scale industrial skincare cosmetics.


A venture business especially in the field of culinary must issue the products should adapt to the needs and desires of consumers. So the products can compete in the market ,making consumers have many choices of products before making a decision to buy a product that is offered. If consumers have a choice between making a purchase and do not make a purchase or option to use the time, the consumer is in a position to take a decision. Consumer decision may be influenced by several variables, this study analyzed the quality of products, quality of service, price, and location. The population in this study is that consumers who buy a product that is offered at Waroeng Bamboo Tembalang, Semarang. The sample in this study was 100 consumers. The sampling technique in this study was done by using Non Probability Sampling with incidental sampling technique, the sampling technique by coincidence, that anyone who happened to meet with researchers and considered fit to be the source of the data will be sampled this study. Methods of data collection using kuesioner. Teknik analysis used is quantitative data analysis methods. Analyss results using multiple regression showed that : Product quality proven influence on purchasing decisions. Quality of Service proven influence on purchasing decisions. Price shown to influence the purchasing decision, and location proved to influence the purchase decision.