We examined the interrelationship of eating attitudes, body-checking behavior cognition, and depression among Japanese female university students. The 197 student participants were divided, according to their Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) scores, into 3 groups: high (EAT-H), medium (EAT-M), and low (EAT-L). Body-checking behavior and depression scores were compared among the 3 groups, using a 1-way analysis of variance. Results showed that the EAT-L group had the lowest scores for objective verification, body control, and depression. Further, the obsessive thoughts body image score increased as scores on the EAT-26 did, indicating that inappropriate eating attitudes have a strong impact on obsessive thoughts. In addition, the EAT-M group had a higher reassurance–confidence score than that of the EAT-L group, and the EAT-H group had the highest scores for objective verification, obsessive thoughts, body control, and depression. Implications of the findings are discussed and directions for future research proposed.


The experience of delays in conception or possibility of remaining childless has the potential to create considerable psychological discomfort. In couples with severe male factor infertility, therapeutic intrauterine insemination using donor sperms (TDI) is offered as a treatment, second to in vitro fertilization using donor sperms. TDI is lucrative, less invasive, and a hopeful treatment. However, there are intricacies associated with it. Its immediate outcomes involve limited success rates, nonresponse, and chances of implantation failures, miscarriages, and multifetal pregnancies. Due to this, couples experience distress when they are advised to undergo three to six cycles of TDI in order to meet the expectations of having a baby. TDI has long-term issues on the triad comprising the "recipients," the "donors," and the "the children born out of TDI." Nevertheless, managing psychosocial needs for couples undergoing TDI and other treatments in Indian clinics are grey areas of the conventional treatment pathway. The present review expands on the psychological issues and needs in couples opting for TDI.


This paper deals with the reconstructibility of Boolean control networks (BCNs) with time delays in states. First, a survey on the semi-tensor product, weighted pair graph, constructed forest and finite automata is given. Second, by using the weighted pair graph, constructed forest and finite automata, an algorithm is designed to judge whether a Boolean control network with time delays in states is reconstructable or not under a mild assumption. Third, an algorithm is proposed to determine the current state. Finally, an illustrative example is given to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.


The control systems of today's smart power-distribution grids have evolved significantly. Such systems improve system reliability by reducing the frequency and duration of outages. They also optimize asset utilization and increase power quality. But the scale of automation and the ultimate configuration of the system need to be considered carefully with each client. The decision to proceed must be based on a sound economic evaluation; it cannot simply echo the mantra of automation.


Rat thymic epithelial cells were cultured for 39 days in the presence of various concentrations of oestradiol, testosterone, progesterone and corticosterone and the supernatants assessed for effects on the stimulation of cells from the thymus, bone marrow, lymph nodes and spleen, with several agents. All the steroids, except progesterone, were found to significantly regulate the secretion of immunoregulatory factors by the epithelial cells at physiological levels but the effects were dose dependent. Fractionation of active supernatants indicated that the capacity to enhance or depress cellular proliferation was mainly associated with substances having molecular weights greater than 30,000 or less than 1000, respectively. This study supports the idea that certain steroids can influence the immune response indirectly through the thymus.


A high‐resolution aeromagnetic survey collected over the North Slope of Alaska by World Geoscience was acquired in response to a need for highly detailed data in an area where traditional geophysical techniques are expensive and prohibitive (McConnell, 1995) (Figure 1). These data were recently released to the University of Texas' Institute for Geophysics and provide a unique opportunity to investigate the problem of cultural noise suppression in aeromagnetic data. The data contain isolated magnetic anomalies that are presumably from the many drill platforms and their accompanying cultural objects such as buildings and pipe repositories (Figure 2). We present a new, automated method to reduce the amplitude of these cultural anomalies without affecting the magnetic signal from the surrounding geology.


With the advances of the big-data process technology, acquiring the real-time information from the massive image data taken by a mobile device inside a vehicle will be possible in the near future. Among the information that can be found around the vehicle, the route information is needed for safe driving. In this study, the automatic extraction of route information from the road sign imagery was dealt with. The scope of the route information in this study included the route number, route type, and their relationship with the driving direction. For the recognition of the route number, the modified Tesseract OCR (Optical Character Recognition) engine was used after extracting the rectangular-road-sign area with the Freeman chain code tracing algorithm. The route types (expressway, highway, rural highway, and municipal road) are recognized using the proposed algorithms, which are acquired from colour space analysis. Those road signs provide information about the route number as well as the roads that may be encountered along the way. In this study, such information was called "OTW (on the way)" or "TTW (to the way)" which between the two should be indicated is determined using direction information. Finally, the route number is matched with the direction information. Experiments are carried out with the road sign imagery taken inside a car. As a result, route numbers, route number type, OTW or TTW are successfully recognized, however some errors occurred in the process of matching TTW number with the direction.


The Bible as the holy book of Christians who are very close to the religious life and as a moral guide for Christians. So the Bible become a necessity when a christians want to search for for specific data or information. But sometimes to find the answer to a question people sometimes having a trouble, because people did not know how to find the answer that they are looking for at the verses in the Bible that's relatively large of amount. Therefore an application that have an ability to provide answers from the Bible verses that have the possibility of answers to questions raised by the user is needed. Where users can enter questions using keyword when, where, why, whom and what. Question Answering System Application will operate on a digital Bible in Indonesian language by using Rule-Based Question Answering System and created using Visual Basic 6.0 and Microsoft Access 2003 database. Based on application testing that made, the aplication has been able to find answers to the questions that asked according to the keywords. Meanwhile, based on testing with the questionnaire, the application obtained an average percentage of 77.2% from the respondents.


Mammalian preimplantation blastocysts exhibit insulin-stimulated glucose uptake despite the absence of the only known insulin-regulated transporter, GLUT4. We describe a previously unidentified member of the mammalian facilitative GLUT superfamily that exhibits approximately 20-25% identity with other murine facilitative GLUTs. Insulin induces a change in the intracellular localization of this protein, which translates into increased glucose uptake into the blastocyst, a process that is inhibited by antisense oligoprobes. Presence of this transporter may be necessary for successful blastocyst development, fuel metabolism, and subsequent implantation. Moreover, the existence of an alternative transporter may explain examples in other tissues of insulin-regulated glucose transport in the absence of GLUT4.


This article is the final of three in a series providing analysis of the discursive activity and speech act behavior of South Dakota Public Broadcasting (SDPB) managers and producers. Applying Habermas' theory of universal pragmatics to the discourse and conversations detailed previously in IJHCS 2(3), 2015, pp. 729-765, this work will consider whether that discourse is being conducted according the assumptions and rules of communicative action and rationality or according to the goal directedness of instrumental rationality. In United States, Public Broadcasting was founded upon the ideals of diversity and alternative programming (Carnegie I, 14). Such ideals should be influential in the construction of meaning for cultural producers. However, as already discussed in previous chapters, capitalist steering mechanisms such as power and money have the potential to distort communication and essentially disable the consensus forming process, shape the lives of the citizenry, and work to construct meaning, knowledge and cultural production through action which is contradictory to the democratic process. This article will apply the rules and speech act elements of the ideal speech situation to the discursive behavior of South Dakota Public Broadcasting managers and producers and it will provide evidence of either distorted communication and instrumental rationality or communicative action and democratic participation. The discourse and speech acts discussed in Schlenker, IJHCS 2(3) will be considered in working toward an understanding of interaction at South Dakota Public Broadcasting during 1992 and early 1993, which involved the resignation and replacement of the Executive Director. This analysis will provide an understanding of the structural influences on the communicative patterns within the SDPB organization. This analysis is divided into three segments including (1) a six-month period following the resignation of the Executive Director, (2) the arrival of the new Executive Director, and (3) a three-month period following the arrival of the new Executive Director.


BACKGROUND
Few studies have focused on the impact of malocclusion on lip - tooth relationships during smiling and speech.

AIM
To evaluate the impact of different malocclusions on lip - tooth relationships during smiling and speech, using video images.

METHODS
One hundred and three subjects with Class I (N = 31), Class II division 1 (N = 26), Class II division 2 (N = 16) and Class III malocclusions (N = 30) were asked to repeat the same sentence and then smile in front of a video camera. Nine frames were extracted from each subject's video clip: at rest, posed smile, unposed smile and during the pronunciation of the sounds: 'che', 'fa', 'se', 'chee', 'tee' and 'mee'. On each frame, up to 10 parameters describing the lip - tooth relationships were measured.

RESULTS
In all frames, there were no statistically significant differences in the upper central incisor display ratios among the malocclusion groups (p > 0.05). The buccal corridor ratio in the posed and unposed smiles did not differ significantly among the malocclusions (p > 0.05). The most frequently visible last maxillary tooth was the first premolar in the posed smile, and the second premolar in the unposed smile. In each malocclusion group, the upper central incisor display ratio varied significantly among the nine frames and the buccal corridor ratio during the unposed smile was less than the ratio during the posed smile; although this was only significant in the Class II division 2 subjects. The smile arc was similar in all malocclusions.

CONCLUSIONS
In each malocclusion the upper central incisor display ratio varied significantly among the nine frames. In each group, the buccal corridor ratio during the unposed smile was less than that during the posed smile, but only the Class II division 2 group was significantly different. The smile arc did not differ among the malocclusions.


The research is carried out to investigate the flow mechanics and effectiveness of face ventilation using induction fans, as an effort to provide a more efficient alternative to conventional auxiliary duct or brattice ventilation systems. The induction effects and plume longevity of fluid jets are being studied with the help of a plexi-glass model, using water as the fluid medium and creating a system that is dynamically similar to the flow in mine headings. This scaled model represents a typical 1.5m x 6m x 25m heading connecting to a crosscut. Reynolds Number criteria are used to obtain dynamic similarity of the flow in the designed model to simulate real mining conditions. The role of various parameters such as nozzle position in three dimensions, airway roughness, nozzle geometry, and flow rate in the jet are studied. During the laboratory tests, flow visualization techniques, coupled with still and video photography, were employed to identify the flow patterns. The results indicate that in typical coal mine headings, jet fans can produce effective face ventilation for distance up to 30 meters.


AIM
To evaluate in vivo changes after therapy using autologous serum (AS) eye drops in Sjögren's syndrome (SS)-related dry eyes by confocal microscopy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
In this study, 24 patients with SS-related dry eyes [12 in AS eye drop therapy and 12 in artificial tear (AT) therapy] and 24 healthy volunteers were recruited. Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), central corneal thickness, tear film, break-up time, corneal and conjunctival staining, Schirmer's test and corneal confocal microscopy were investigated.

RESULTS
Tear production, tear stability, corneal staining, inflammation, and central corneal thickness, Langherans cells, activated keratocytes, intermediate epithelial cell density, nerve tortuosity, number of sub-basal nerve branches, and number of bead-like formations differed between patients and controls (p<0.0001). The AT and AS groups differed in the OSDI, number of branches, and number of beadings (p<0.0001).

CONCLUSION
AS eye drops improve symptoms and confocal microscopy findings in SS-related dry eyes.


Purpose: To investigate the spasmolytic and laxative properties of Buxus sempervirens Linn (Buxaceae) in rabbits and mice. Methods: Aqueous methanol extract (AqMeBS) as well as the dichloromethane (DCMF) and aqueous (AqF) fractions of Buxus sempervirens were investigated on isolated rabbit jejunum to explore its antispasmodic effect, relative to the standard drug, verapamil. Laxative and prokinetic potentials of 250 and 500 mg/kg doses of AqMeBS extract were evaluated in mice and compared to that of negative (normal saline) and positive (carbachol) control groups. The effects of AqMeBS and carbachol were also tested in mice pretreated with atropine (10 mg/kg). Single dose, acute oral toxicity study on AqMeBS was also executed in mice at 4000, 8000 and 12000 mg/kg doses. Results: AqMeBS, DCMF and AqF significantly inhibited the rhythmic contractility of jejunum with 0.961, 0.0327 and 0.242 mg/mL, respectively, as median effective concentrations (EC 50 ). In addition, AqMeBS, DCMF and AqF significantly relaxed the contractions due to K + , with EC 50 of 1.85, 0.05 and 1.07 mg/mL, respectively. Ca 2+ concentration response curves (CCRCs) were shifted to the right by AqMeBS and DCMF, in the same manner as verapamil. In the in vivo experiments, AqMeBS produced significant ( p < 0.0001) laxative and prokinetic effects at 250 and 500 mg/kg doses and was comparable to that of carbachol. The acute toxicity study showed that AqMeBS was associated with one mortality at the highest tested dose (12000 mg/kg). Conclusion: These results provide the pharmacological basis for the traditional use of B. sempervirens Linn as a laxative and prokinetic remedy in the management of constipation. Keywords: Buxus sempervirens , Calcium channel blocker, Prokinetic, Laxative, Spasmolytic


The use of music streaming services has been proliferating all around the world, including in Indonesia. While being a leader in music streaming service, Spotify is not at their top performance lately due to having reached the maturity stage, and even shows a decline in the percentage of paid users as compared to the total users. Their growth has also slowed in the past five years. Strategic marketers claim that companies need to fully understand the needs of the consumers to create suitable products and therefore grow their company, and failure to do so is creating marketing myopia and problems. This research was done to find out the effect of social value, value for money, app rating, and enjoyment on the intention to purchase Spotify, specifically the premium version of Spotify. The sample was Spotify users who had been using Spotify for at least one month (both free and premium), aged at least 13 years old, who had a smart device, and were domiciled in Surabaya, Indonesia. 135 samples were used. All independent variables positively and significantly affected the dependent variable, both individually and as a whole. The most dominant factor was the value for money, followed by enjoyment, app rating, and finally, social value. The findings can be used to develop strategies to help improve the performance of freemium businesses, including Spotify.


Ceramic proton conductors have the potential to become important components in future clean and efficient energy technologies. In this manuscript, barium cerium yttrium zirconate (Ba(Zr0.5Ce0.4)8/9Y0.2O2.9) and strontium cerium yttrium zirconate (SrZr0.5Ce0.4Y0.1O2.95), proton conducting perovskites were employed as solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) electrolytes for hydrogen production via intermediate temperature steam electrolysis at 550 and 600 °C. Cathode-supported button cells examined for a 12 μm Ba(Zr0.5Ce0.4)8/9Y0.2O2.9 electrolyte, with Ni–SrZr0.5Ce0.4Y0.1O2.95 as the H2-electrode, and porous Ba0.5La0.5CoO3 as the anode reached current densities of 0.2 and 0.5 A cm−2 with applied voltage of 1.45 V, at 550 and 600 °C, respectively. Moreover, a hydrogen evolution rate of 127 μmol cm−2 per minute was achieved at 0.5 A cm−2, translating to a current efficiency of 82%. In addition, excellent cell performance was obtained using SrZr0.5Ce0.4Y0.1O2.95 as an electrolyte. Current densities of 0.2 and 0.5 A cm−2 were obtained at 600 °C with applied voltages of 1.28 and 1.63 V, achieving faradaic current efficiencies of 88 and 85%. The NiO–SrZr0.5Ce0.4Y0.1O3−δ composite cathode was more favorable for the densification of the supported Ba(Zr0.5Ce0.4)8/9Y0.2O2.9 electrolyte during sintering and could be promising for use as a cathode substrate in proton-conducting SOECs.


We study one of the simplest causal prediction algorithms that uses only conditional independences estimated from purely observational data. A specific pattern of four conditional independence relations amongst a quadruple of random variables already implies that one of these variables causes another one without any confounding. As a consequence, it is possible to predict what would happen under an intervention on that variable without actually performing the intervention. Although the method is asymptotically consistent and works well in settings with only few (latent) variables, we find that its prediction accuracy can be worse than simple (inconsistent) baselines when many (latent) variables are present. Our findings illustrate that violations of strong faithfulness become increasingly likely in the presence of many latent variables, and this can significantly deterioriate the accuracy of constraint-based causal prediction algorithms that assume faithfulness.


Arterial compliance is found to be reduced in haemodialysis patients. It is not clear whether decreased arterial compliance in uraemic patients is a consequence of long-standing increased mean arterial blood pressure or a consequence of the uraemic state. An adequate blood pressure can be achieved by long-treatment-time dialysis of 8 h three times a week. We studied femoral and carotid artery wall properties in 24 normotensive patients on long-treatment-time dialysis and 24 normal controls matched for mean arterial pressure, age, sex, and body mass index. Arterial distensibility coefficient and compliance coefficient were determined with a vessel wall movement detector system, 24 h after dialysis in the supine position. The patients were 5.9 +/- 6.6 years on long-treatment-time dialysis at a Kt/V of 1.8 +/- 0.4. We found no significant differences in mean arterial pressure or pulse pressure between patients (85 +/- 13, 55 +/- 17 mmHg) and controls (84 +/- 6, 50 +/- 13 mmHg). Femoral distensibility coefficient and compliance coefficient were lower in patients (6.0 +/- 2.4 10(-3)/kPa; P < 0.05, 0.52 +/- 0.28 mm2/kPa; n.s.) compared to the controls (8.8 +/- 4.0 10(-3)/kPa, 0.67 +/- 0.38 mm2/kPa). No differences in carotid distensibility coefficient and compliance coefficient were found between patients (12.8 +/- 4.6 10(-3)/kPa, 0.72 +/- 0.30 mm2/kPa) and controls (14.1 +/- 4.4 10(-3)/kPa, 0.70 +/- 0.23 mm2/kPa). We conclude that patients on long-treatment-time-dialysis have an increased stiffening of the muscular femoral artery but not of the more elastic carotid artery. Results suggest that the uraemic state itself has a deleterious effect on the elastic properties of the muscular femoral artery.


Background Conditions during an individual's rearing period can have far reaching consequences for its survival and reproduction later in life. Conditions typically vary due to variation in parental quality and/or the environment, but in cooperative breeders the presence of helpers adds an important component to this. Determining the causal effect of helpers on offspring fitness is difficult, since high-quality breeders or territories are likely to produce high-quality offspring, but are also more likely to have helpers because of past reproductive success. This problem is best resolved by comparing the effect of both helping and non-helping subordinates on offspring fitness, however species in which both type of subordinates commonly occur are rare. Methodology/Principal Findings We used multi-state capture-recapture models on 20 years of data to investigate the effect of rearing conditions on survival and recruitment in the cooperatively breeding Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis), with both helping and non-helping subordinates. The number of helpers in the rearing territory, but not territory quality, group- or brood size, was positively associated with survival of offspring in their first year, and later in life. This was not a result of group size itself since the number of non-helpers was not associated with offspring survival. Furthermore, a nestling cross-foster experiment showed that the number of helpers on the pre-foster territory was not associated with offspring survival, indicating that offspring from territories with helpers do not differ in (genetic) quality. Conclusions/Significance Our results suggest that the presence of helpers not only increase survival of offspring in their first year of life, but also subsequent adult survival, and therefore have important fitness consequences later in life. This means that when calculating the fitness benefits of helping not only short-term but also the late-life benefits have to be taken into account to fully understand the evolution of cooperative breeding.


The soft shell crab productivity has been hampered due to the long rearing time and unsimultaneous molting of the crab. This study aimed to determine the effect of murbey (Morus spp.) leave extract as molting stimulant on Scylla olivacea and its best extract dosage to be applied in soft shell crabs production technology. Application of murbey extract was conducted by using injection method with 5 treatments such as (a) 0 ppm (as control); (b) 100 ppm; (c) 125 ppm; and (d) 150 ppm for 12 individual per treatment. The results showed that the highest molting percentage (50%) was obtained at the concentration of 100 ppm. Meanwhile, the control (0 ppm), 125 ppm, and 150 ppm treatments displayed the same molting response (33.3%). The fastest latent molting time (29 days) was found at the treatment of 125 ppm and the slowest one of 44 days at 100 and 150 ppm treatments. The best growth of crabs injected with murbey leaves extract was at the concentration of 100 ppm with the carapace width of 6.0 mm and the body weight of 32.98 g, while the lowest was obtained at the concentration of 150 ppm with the carapace width of 3.8 mm and the body weight of 25.43 g. Crabs treated with murbey extract at the concentrations of 100, 125, and 150 ppm exhibited survival rate of 91.7 % vs. the control of 83.3%. Murbey leaves extract have been proven to be effective in stimulating molting mud crab (Scylla olivacea). The 100 ppm exhibited the best response for growth and molting percentage, while the 125 ppm showed the best performance for latent period molting of the crab.


The bovine rumen papillae are in contact with a wide array of microorganisms and the metabolites they produce, which may activate an inflammatory and/or immune response. Cytokines, chemokines and their receptor genes were tested for differential expression in the rumen and jejunum of beef steers with greater and lesser average daily body weight gain (ADG) near the average daily dry matter intake (DMI) for the population. Angus-sired steers (n = 16) were used to represent the greater (ADG = 2.2 ± 0.07 kg/day; DMI = 10.1 ± 0.05 kg/day) and lesser (ADG = 1.7 ± 0.05 kg/day; DMI = 10.1 ± 0.05 kg/day) ADG groups with eight steers each. Rumen epithelium and jejunum mucosal samples were collected at slaughter, and gene expression was evaluated using a commercially available qRT-PCR array containing 84 genes representing chemokines, cytokines and their receptors. None of the genes on the array were differentially expressed in the jejunum of the steers with greater vs. lesser ADG. However, in the rumen, two chemokine genes (CCL11, CXCL5) and one receptor gene (IL10RA) were detected as differentially expressed (P < 0.05). The genes IL1A, BMP2, CXCL12 and TNFSF13 also displayed trends for differential expression (P < 0.10). All of the genes identified were lower in transcript abundance in the greater ADG animals. Thus, greater ADG steers have a lesser inflammatory response in the rumen papillae, which may lead to a more efficient use of nutrients.


In this paper, the problem of stochastic sampling control for a class of nonlinear continuous-time systems is investigated. For the simplicity of calculation, only two different sampling periods are considered whose occurrence probabilities are given constants and satisfy Bernoulli distribution, which can be further extended to the case with multiple stochastic sampling periods. By using the input delay approach and the Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy system method, a class of nonlinear continuous-time systems with stochastic sampling is transformed into a continuous-time T-S fuzzy system with time-varying delays and the stochastic parameters. Based on Lyapunov stability theory, a mean square asymptotic stability condition for the closed-loop T-S fuzzy system is proposed. Furthermore, the controller design method is given in terms of LMI. Finally, a numerical example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.


Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the world. With the advent of an aging population and improving life expectancy worldwide, the number of PD patients is expected to increase, which may lead to an urgent need for effective preventive and diagnostic strategies for PD. Although there is increasing research regarding the pathogenesis of PD, there is limited knowledge regarding the prevention of PD. Moreover, the diagnosis of PD depends on clinical criteria, which require the occurrence of bradykinesia and at least one symptom of rest tremor or rigidity. However, converging evidence from clinical, genetic, neuropathological, and imaging studies suggests the initiation of PD-specific pathology prior to the initial presentation of these classical motor clinical features by years or decades. This latent stage of neurodegeneration in PD is a particularly important stage for effective neuroprotective therapies, which might retard the progression or prevent the onset of PD. Therefore, the exploration of risk factors and premotor biomarkers is not only crucial to the early diagnosis of PD but is also helpful in the development of effective neuroprotection and health care strategies for appropriate populations at risk for PD. In this review, we searched and summarized ∼249 researches and 31 reviews focusing on the risk factors and prodromal biomarkers of PD and published in MEDLINE.


We conducted a document analysis study in response to a request from district-level gifted education specialists about additional services to support their gifted high school students. Given the fact that these students are diverse in many ways (e.g., readiness, interest areas, and backgrounds such as race, ethnicity, culture, gender identity, and sexual orientation), it is important they have access to a continuum of differentiated services. Therefore, we applied a pragmatic lens to examine the 2019–2022 North Carolina gifted education plans from one region to identify how districts proposed they would serve gifted high school students. Our analysis yielded six topical themes and related services: (1) acceleration, advanced courses, and programs; (2) differentiation: curriculum, instruction, and assessments; (3) enrichment; (4) collaboration and advising; (5) social and emotional; and (6) learners from diverse groups. We conclude with practical suggestions for educators and recommendations for future research in this under investigated area.


Objective Analyse procalcitonin value in clinical practice for diagnosis of sepsis, classification of sepsis severity and prognosis evaluation, in critically ill children. Results We designed several studies to find procalcitonin and C-reactive protein (CRP) cut-off values for diagnosis of sepsis. The cut-off value for procalcitonin was 1.1 ng/ml and for CRP was 5.6 ng/ml with an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of 0.91 (95% CI 0.88 to 0.94) and 0.75 (95% CI 0.69 to 0.80), respectively. Procalcitonin values increase as sepsis severity increases. Procalcitonin values higher than 5.0 ng/ml and 20.0 ng/ml were very common in severe sepsis and septic shock, respectively. Procalcitonin values between 0.25 and 0.50 ng/ml were usually present in localised infection. Procalcitonin could be used for the early identification of critically ill children who are at high risk of mortality. In our experience, procalcitonin values higher than 100 ng/ml could serve as a marker of mortality, especially if the values do not decrease after 24 h. Conclusions Absolute values of procalcitonin are useful but the dynamics of procalcitonin levels could be more important. Procalcitonin should be determined when a clinical suspicion of sepsis or shock is present. In our patients, procalcitonin values lower than 1 ng/ml indicate the absence of sepsis, but localised infection could be present. Persistently high or increasing procalcitonin values mean that the process we are managing is out of control and we have to change our therapeutic approach, whereas decreasing procalcitonin values mean good evolution without the need to change therapy.


The Early–Middle Cambrian Mount Cap Formation, NWT, hosts a diverse range of exceptionally preserved fos sils. Like the celebrated Burgess Shale of British Columbia, the Mount Cap contains carbonaceous compression fossils of animals that lacked mineral ized hard parts, as well as the fully articulated skeletons of shelly taxa. Its unique importance, however, lies in exceptional carbonaceous preservation at a microscopic scale. Acid-extracted microfossils from the 'Little Bear biota' of the Mackenzie Mountains reveal important details of problematic groups including chancelloriids and hyolithids, and provide direct evidence of Cambrian diets in the form of fae cal strings. A complementary microfos sil assemblage from the subsurface of the Colville Hills region contains an extraordinary diversity of exquisitely preserved arthropod cuticle, and con stitutes the oldest known record of complex crown-group crustaceans. We discuss the wider significance of the Mount Cap fossils, and describe some new forms that point to the potential for future discoveries.


The curvature evolution of a thin film layer stack containing a top Al layer is measured during temperature cycles with very high heating rates. The temperature cycles are generated by means of programmable electrical power pulses applied to miniaturized polysilicon heater systems embedded inside a semiconductor chip and the curvature is measured by a fast wafer curvature measurement setup. Fast temperature cycles with heating duration of 100 ms are created to heat the specimen up to 270 °C providing an average heating rate of 2500 K/s. As a second approach, curvature measurement utilizing laser scanning Doppler vibrometry is also demonstrated which verifies the results obtained from the fast wafer curvature measurement setup. Film stresses calculated from the measured curvature values compare well to literature results, indicating that the new method can be used to measure curvature during fast temperature cycling.


We report X-ray diffraction measurements of the charge-ordered organic conductor θ-(BEDT-TTF)2CsZn(SCN)4 at various temperatures with external currents. The two kinds of diffuse scattering observed at q1=(2/3 k 1/3) and q2=(0 k 1/2) exhibit remarkable difference in the interplane correlation along the b-axis, the temperature dependence, and the electric-current dependence. These observations suggest that the two diffuse scatterings come from spatially different charge-ordered domains. The external current melts the q2-type domains, which can control the competition of the two orders.


This paper presents an active cell balancing method for lithium-ion battery stacks using a flyback dc/dc converter topology. The method is described in detail, and a simulation is performed to estimate the energy gain for ten serially connected cells during one discharging cycle. The simulation is validated with measurements on a balancing prototype with ten cells. It is then shown how the active balancing method with respect to the cell voltages can be improved using the capacity and the state of charge rather than the voltage as the balancing criterion. For both charging and discharging, an improvement in performance is gained when having the state of charge and the capacity of the cells as information. A battery stack with three single cells is modeled, and a realistic driving cycle is applied to compare the difference between both methods in terms of usable energy. Simulations are also validated with measurements.


The varices of the lower limbs and its complications are very common Surgical procedure which consists of ligatur of the venous tranks or stripping of them, ligation of perforating veins are basic methods of the treatment. After surgery, veins compression prevents secondary bleeding and above all, the development or recurrence of thrombosis The purpose of this study was the assessment of graduated compression stockings in prophylaxis of varicose vein disease recurrency. The study included 120 patients who underwent phlebectomy due to varicose veins. The period of follow up lasts 3 years and has been carried out in two groups. The first one was agreed to use compression therapy following surgery. The second group did not get any physical support to their legs. Compression class I and II: calf, thigh, panty medical stockings and were used. The first group of 60 patients (102 legs) wearing medical stockings following surgery have no either subjective or objective signs of venous insufficiency in long period of time after surgery. Statistical analysis pointed out marked significance between both groups of patients p < 0.001.


Abstract Objectives: The effects of smoking on color vision have been scarcely studied. To bridge such gap, this study examined if there were differences in chromatic discrimination between heavy and light smokers. Methods: The psychophysical Trivector test was used to evaluate chromatic discrimination in healthy controls (n = 36), heavy smokers (n = 29), and light smokers (n = 32). The subject's task was to identify the orientation of the Landolt C ring gap – presented and randomized in one of the four positions (e.g., up, down, right, and left). Results: The thresholds for Protan (red), Deutan (green) and Tritan (blue) were higher in heavy smokers compared to nonsmokers but not to light smokers. Conclusions: The results confirm that heavy smoking and chronic exposure to its harmful compounds affect color discrimination when compared to light smoking; and this is more pronounced in heavy smokers than light smokers. This is particularly important to understand the differences among smokers on visual and multisensory processing.


ABSTRACT— Two hundred patients clinically certified as suffering from anxiety state were investigated with a view to understanding the clinical manifestation of the condition in Nigeria. We found that 67 symptoms were manifested by those patients, but only 15 symptoms were presented by about 10% of the sample. These common symptoms were: frequent headaches, difficulty in falling asleep, flushing, difficulty in concentrating, rapid or irregular heart beating, weakness, hot flashes, dizziness, feeling of something crawling in the head, heaviness of the head, nervousness, poor appetite, poor sight, nightmares, and chest pain. The five major precipitating factors were physical ailments, studying and examinations, use of drugs, psychological phenomona, pregnancy and childbirth, in decreasing order of magnitude. The most vulnerable age group was between 18 and 23 years old. The first born children account for the highest number of anxiety patients, but as the number of siblings increases, the vulnerability of the last‐born increases. Anxiety neurosis as seen here is predominantly a problem of single males and females with secondary school education.


This paper describes a novel experiment in which two very different methods of underwater robot localization are compared. The first method is based on a geometric approach in which a mobile node moves within a field of static nodes, and all nodes are capable of estimating the range to their neighbours acoustically. The second method uses visual odometry, from stereo cameras, by integrating scaled optical flow. The fundamental algorithmic principles of each localization technique is described. We also present experimental results comparing acoustic localization with GPS for surface operation, and a comparison of acoustic and visual methods for underwater


Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most prevalent chronic neurodegenerative disorder worldwide, following Alzheimer's disease. Along with the characteristic motor symptoms of the disorder, especially bradykinesia, cognitive deficits can often be found prior to the onset of the disorder. These mainly concern executive functioning. To detect cognitive deficits at an early stage, initial screening procedures are recommended. The new cognitive rapid test Paarassoziationslernen-5 ("PAL-5") has been developed to detect the most prevalent cognitive symptoms - namely executive impairments - of PD patients. It consists of a direct recall of five incompatible and newly jointed word pairs (capitals vs. countries), an intermediate formal lexical word fluency task ("FAS-Test") and a delayed recall. Thereby, the three major executive functioning processes are tested: cognitive flexibility, inhibition and memory. In the department of neurology of the University Clinic of Cologne, the PAL-5 was completed by 154 PD patients, 115 participants with cognitive deficits without a PD diagnosis and 115 controls (N = 384) between 2014 and 2016. For purposes of retest reliability determination, another 42 controls were examined from February to July 2017, with a four-month time interval between the initial and second test. Highly significant group differences have been found. PD patients and cognitive impaired participants scored significantly lower than the control group. A comparison of PD patients and cognitively impaired participants did not reveal significant group differences. Additionally, a moderate to high correlation between PAL-5 and MMST as well as PAL-5 and PANDA was found (respectively p < .001). An ROC analysis of the PAL-5 total score of PD patients with a score lower than 11 showed an AUC of .91. Therefore, a cut-off of ≤ 10 seems to be practicable to detect cognitive deficits - especially executive functioning deficits and memory impairments - in PD patients. It has been shown that cognitive flexibility, inhibition and memory is a short useful combination for a screening procedure of PD patients.


The rapid spreading of broadband Internet access is enabling new methods of delivery for modern engineering and science curricula. This paper describes the design and implementation of a remote laboratory architecture, which allows the execution of experiments in real time. Contrary to previous remote-laboratory implementations based on a batch mode of operation, in this new system the students can interactively control the experiments and obtain the corresponding outputs (including raw data, data plots, video/audio streams and recordings) in an integrated browser-based user interface. Furthermore, this real-time system was designed in a platform-independent fashion such that it will facilitate its expansion beyond the boundaries of the original institution. A mechanical vibration setup is used to illustrate the system capabilities.


Organic gelators and metal-coordination frameworks based on perylene derivatives as functional materials have attracted great attention because of their intense fluorescence emission as well as unique electronic and photonic properties. We report here the structures and properties of a luminescent titanium(IV) coordination compound of a perylene tetracarboxylate (PTC) derivative, [Ti2(OiPr)6(L1)(phen)2] (1), along with its two naphthalene analogues, [Ti2(OiPr)6(L2)(phen)2] (2) and [Ti2(OiPr)6(L2)(bpy)2] (3), where L1 = 3,9-dicarboxylate-(4,10-diisopropanolcarboxylate)perylene, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, L2 = 1,5-dicarboxylate-(2,6-diisopropanolcarboxylate)naphthalene, and bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine. Compound 1 is a rare early-transition-metal PTC coordination compound that can be simply prepared in one pot as crystals by a low-heat synthesis. Unlike those of paramagnetic late-transition-metal PTC compounds, compound 1 showed intense fluorescence emission. More remarkably, the crystals of 1 can be turned immediately to a fluorescent hydrogel just through a simple procedure, putting the crystals in water and then treating with ultrasound. No acid catalyst or pH adjustment is needed. Hydrolysis of the titanium isopropanol group in water and π-π interaction of the perylene and phen play important roles in the gelation process. The film prepared from the gel can be used as a visual fluorescence sensor for aromatic amines and phenols, which are hazards for the human and environment.


Acquired FXIII deficiency is a relevant complication in the perioperative setting; however, we still have little evidence about the incidence and management of this rarely isolated coagulopathy. This study aims to help find the right value for the substitution of patients with an acquired mild FXIII deficiency. In this retrospective single-center cohort study, we enrolled critically ill patients with mild acquired FXIII deficiency (>5% and ≤70%) and compared clinical and laboratory parameters, as well as pro-coagulatory treatments. The results of the present analysis of 104 patients support the clinical relevance of FXIII activity out of the normal range. Patients with lower FXIII levels, beginning at <60%, had lower minimum and maximum hemoglobin values, corresponding to the finding that patients with a minimum FXIII activity of <50% needed significantly more packed red blood cells. FXIII activity correlated significantly with general coagulation markers such as prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and fibrinogen. Nevertheless, comparing the groups with a cut-off of 50%, the amount of fresh frozen plasma, thrombocytes, PPSB, AT-III, and fibrinogen given did not differ. These results indicate that a mild FXIII deficiency occurring at any point of intensive care unit stay is also probably relevant for the total need of packed red blood cells, independent of pro-coagulatory management. In alignment with the ESAIC guidelines, the measurement of FXIII in critically ill patients with the risk of bleeding and early management, with the substitution of FXIII at levels <50%-60%, could be suggested.


This is a good introductory textbook on the subject of power system dynamic performance and control, and I would recommend it to both students of power system dynamics and practicing engineers. It is well written with a good balance between mathematical rigger and physically insightful discussions. The book provides a good broad coverage of dynamics, stability and control of power systems covering all the major issues such as voltage stability, angular stability, frequency stability and control, and modeling of power systems and their components.


The excretion of creatinine, VMA, and aldosterone was measured in the urine of 14 normal and 25 persons with stable essential hypertension during a day time (7.00-23.00 hrs) and a night time (23.00-7.00 hrs) period. Excretion of VMA and aldosterone per hour in the two groups was lower during the night period than during the day. No significant difference existed between the excretion values of both groups. Night/day rations for the excretion of VMA and of aldosterone respectively, per mg of creatinine excreted were calculated for each subject. In the normal group the night/day ratios of aldosterone excretion showed a significant correlation to the corresponding ratios of VMA excretion; such correlation was not found in the hypertensive group. The fact that a correlation was observed in the normal group is compatible with the hypothesis that catecholamines are involved in the regulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Lack of correlation in the group of hypertensive does not as yet allow any conclusions. In two patients with primary hyperaldosteronism, the aldosterone excretion during the night was relatively more elevated than in the day.


AA5182-polypropylene sandwich sheet was manufactured, and the mechanical properties evaluation was executed in order to identify Luders band that causes fabrication process problem and especially surface roughness. To identify formability, deformation behavior, plastic strain ratio (R-value) and pole figure were measured, and texture analysis was performed. In the case of sandwich sheet, the unstable deformation behavior has decreased. As well, for sandwich sheet, Al skin could manage the most of load, and the elongation has improved about 45% more than that of Al skin. The plastic strain ratio of Al skin and sandwich panel, which indicates serration behavior, was obtained from instantaneous plastic strain ratio evaluation. Also, the planar anisotropy of sandwich sheet has decreased more than that of Al skin. According to these results, the sandwich sheet produced lightening effect and could control unstable deformation characteristic, that is, surface roughness caused by Luders band. Furthermore, it was proved that the texture control of the rolling attachment of Al skin is necessary to improve the formability of the sandwich panel.


Construction of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) was the aim of present research it consists of the categories, viz., Inattention, Impulsivity and Hyperactivity 60 parents of ADHD children were approached in different special schools of Jodhpur district. Finally 40 parents were worked as sample because of dropouts. 62 Items were selected containing the symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity as mentioned in DSM-IV-TR. 56 Items were taken after items analysis. Scoring-Never-0, Sometimes-1 and Often-2 is done for three categories responses with maximum score ll2. Test-retest reliability and Criterion related validity is worked out for all subscales as well as for total scores.


I n response to a shortage of plate steel during the Second World War, the United States Maritime Commission ordered 24 ships and 58 barges to be constructed with lightweight concrete. The ships were typically about 336 ft (110 m) long with a beam of 54 ft (16.5 m) and a displacement of about 11,000 tons (10,000 t). These ships and barges performed various levels of military service but typically for relatively short times due to several factors, not the least of which was the end to hostilities shortly after their launches. The useful service of these vessels (as ships and barges) was measured in months, with some being decommissioned immediately after delivery. However, at Powell River in British Columbia, Canada, as a floating breakwater and impoundment for the log storage pond, most of the surviving hulks have over 50 years of service in a saltwater environment. The Powell River floating breakwater is comprised of seven WWII steamships, two WWII barges, and one WWI steamship. The paper mill in Powell River acquired these ships between 1948 and 1966. After their arrival, the ships were stripped of amenities and machinery and the hulks placed in service as a breakwater. For most of the hulks' life as a breakwater, they were protected from direct barge impact by the numerous logs floating in the storage pond defined by the hulks. With the changing operations of the mill and the removal of the logs, the hulks became vulnerable to impact by barges also operating in the pond. This article describes the recent shotcrete repair of the impact damage to some of the hulks.


This document adds a small number of mandatory tests required for the
secure operation of the Internet Key Exchange Protocol version 2
(IKEv2) with elliptic curve groups. No change is required to IKE
implementations that use modular exponential groups, other than a few
rarely used so-called Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA) groups. This
document updates the IKEv2 protocol, RFC 5996.


One of the most crucial principles of democratic regime is the concept of civil society. The implications of such concept are also visible within the area of labour law as the right to strike has been perceived as its core element. The primary purpose of the presented article is to consider whether the application of the doctrine of civil society automatically disables for a recognition of lockout for the employers' organizations within the Polish legal system as well as international standards. The presented paper will mainly rely upon the legal dogmatic analysis of the provisions of Polish Constitution from 1997 and international regulations. The author will also use the elements of the comparative analysis between Polish standards amd norms enacted by the Council of Europe and the European Union. The innovative approach of the paper is the complex analysis of the Polish solutions from the intenational perspective in terms of equality between labour and the capital.


The anion binding tendencies of the two fluorogenic ureas L(1)H and L(2)H, containing the 2-anthracenyl and 1-pyrenyl moieties as signaling units, respectively, have been investigated in MeCN and DMSO by absorption, emission, and (1)H NMR spectroscopies. The formation of stable 1:1 receptor:anion H-bond complexes has been confirmed by structural studies on the crystalline [Bu4N][L(1)···Cl] and [Bu4N][L(2)H···CH3COO] salts. Complexation induces significant variations of the emission properties of L(1)H and L(2)H according to a multifaceted behavior, which depends upon the fluorogenic substituent, the solvent, and the basicity of the anion. Poorly basic anions (Cl(-), Br(-)) cause a red shift of the emission band(s). Carboxylates (CH3COO(-), C6H5COO(-)) induce fluorescence quenching due to the occurrence of an electron-transfer process taking place in the locally excited complex [*L-H···X](-). However, this excited complex may undergo an intracomplex proton transfer from one urea N-H fragment to the anion, to give the tautomeric excited complex [L···H-X](-)*, which emits at higher wavelength. F(-) displays a unique behavior: It forms with L(1)H a stable [L-H···F](-) complex which in the excited state undergoes intracomplex proton transfer, to give the poorly emissive excited tautomer [L···H-F](-)*. With L(2)H, on moderate addition of F(-), the 1:1 H-bond complex forms, and the blue fluorescence of pyrene is quenched. Large excess addition of F(-) promotes deprotonation of the ground-state complex, according to the equilibrium [L(2)H···F](-) + F(-) ⇆ [L(2)](-) + HF2(-). The deprotonated receptor [L(2)](-) is distinctly emissive (yellow fluorescence), which generates the fluorimetric response ON(1)-OFF-ON(2) of receptor L(2)H with respect to F(-).


In the past, various approximate theoretical models have been used to analyze TEM horn antennas. Because of the limitations of these approximate models, there has been, to date, only qualitative agreement of measurements for TEM horn antennas with the predictions of the theories. In this paper, the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method is used to accurately analyze TEM horn antennas for pulse radiation. First, the metallic triangular-plate TEM horn antenna is considered. Computed results for the reflected voltage in the feeding transmis- sion line and the time-varying radiated electric field are shown to be in very good agreement with new experimental measurements. Graphs of the electric field in the space surrounding the antenna (magnitude of field plotted on a color scale) are used to give physical insight into the process of radiation. Next, the method is used to analyze two TEM horns that were previously designed for pulse radiation. The geometry and electrical properties of these antennas are more complicated than for the metallic, triangular- plate horn. One has shaped metallic plates with a resistive termination at the open end; the other has plates whose resistance varies continuously along their length. The computed results for these antennas are compared with previously made experimental measurements.


Resources that support drama-based approaches to education. Includes links to journal articles, books, videos, lesson plans, websites, and presentation tools.


In recent years, a number of indirect data collection methodologies have lead to the proliferation of uncertain data. Such data points are often represented in the form of a probabilistic function, since the corresponding deterministic value is not known. This increases the challenge of mining and managing uncertain data, since the precise behavior of the underlying data is no longer known. In this paper, we provide a survey of uncertain data mining and management applications. In the field of uncertain data management, we will examine traditional methods such as join processing, query processing, selectivity estimation, OLAP queries, and indexing. In the field of uncertain data mining, we will examine traditional mining problems such as classification and clustering. We will also examine a general transform based technique for mining uncertain data. We discuss the models for uncertain data, and how they can be leveraged in a variety of applications. We discuss different methodologies to process and mine uncertain data in a variety of forms.


The intrasellar pressure has been studied in a consecutive series of 24 patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenoma. The mean intrasellar pressure for the group was 23 +/- 2.5 mm Hg (+/- standard error of the mean), with a mean pulse pressure of 3.5 +/- 1 mm Hg. The waveform partly resembled the arterial configuration. The results are correlated with the radiological and endocrinological features of the tumors. A hypothesis is proposed to explain the mechanism of hyperprolactinemia associated with the pituitary stalk compression syndrome.


Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of canalith repositioning maneuvers (Semont, Epley, and modified maneuvers) in the treatment of posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) in comparison to the rate of resolution in the untreated control cohort. Data Sources: Source articles were identified by a MEDLINE search of English language sources before 2004 plus manual crosschecks of bibliographies from identified articles, selected national meeting abstracts, review article references, and textbook chapters. Study Selection: Each controlled trial that compared canalith repositioning patients to untreated control subjects in posterior canal benign positional vertigo (blinded and unblinded) was reviewed for inclusion. Data Extraction: Data were abstracted systematically, scaled on validity and comparability, and cross-checked independently by another author. Data Synthesis: Studies were combined with fixed effects meta-analysis to estimate spontaneous resolution, 95% confidence intervals (CI) of effect size, and heterogeneity. Conclusion: Canalith repositioning is more effective than observation alone for the treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, despite spontaneous resolution rates of one in three at 3 weeks. Public health implications are discussed, based on the high frequency of unrecognized BPPV reported in elderly patients, and the improvements after canalith repositioning in postural control and health-related quality of life (SF 36 Health Survey) documented in the literature.


Abstract An individual's rate of aging directly impacts one's functioning, morbidity and mortality. Identifying factors related to accelerated or delayed aging may provide important information for potential areas of intervention. While race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status and behavior characteristics have been linked to biological aging, it is unclear whether neighborhood characteristics are associated with one's rate of aging. We use a novel aging measure, Expanded Biological Age, from the 2016 Health and Retirement Study Venous Blood Study (HRS-VBS) to investigate whether individuals living with unfavorable neighborhood conditions are experiencing accelerated aging compared to those living in more favorable conditions. We constructed a summary measure of expanded biological age using 22 novel biomarkers in the HRS-VBS; we then regressed the summary measure on age and used the residuals as indicators of accelerated or delayed aging. We measured neighborhood physical disorder, presence of green space, and perceived social cohesion using the 2016 HRS Interviewer Observation data and Self-Administered Questionnaire. We find that individuals living with higher levels of neighborhood physical disorder appeared 1.05 years older biologically than the average for those of the same chronological age. Individuals living near green space including parks were 1.5 years younger biologically than expected based on their chronological age though this association was marginally significant. We did not find an association between neighborhood social cohesion and accelerated aging. This implies that living with severe neighborhood disorder, characterized by presence of disrepair, trash/litter, and abandoned structures, and living near green space, play an important role in who lives longer.


The authors present the case of a patient who presented acutely with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and a contralateral iatrogenic dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF). Diagnostic angiography was performed, revealing a right-sided middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm and a left-sided DAVF immediately adjacent to the entry of the ventriculostomy and bur hole site. A craniotomy was performed for clipping of the ruptured MCA aneurysm, and the patient subsequently underwent endovascular obliteration of the DAVF 3 days later. The authors present their treatment of an iatrogenic DAVF in a patient with an aneurysmal SAH, considerations in management options, and a literature review on the development of iatrogenic DAVFs.


Astrocytes play an important role in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and ammonia toxicity, whereas little is known about microglia and neuroinflammation under these conditions. We therefore studied the effects of ammonia on rat microglia in vitro and in vivo and analyzed markers of neuroinflammation in post mortem brain tissue from patients with cirrhosis with and without HE and non‐cirrhotic controls. In cultured rat microglia, ammonia stimulated cell migration and induced oxidative stress and an up‐regulation of the microglial activation marker ionized calcium‐binding adaptor molecule‐1 (Iba‐1). Up‐regulation of Iba‐1 was also found in the cerebral cortex from acutely ammonia‐intoxicated rats and in the cerebral cortex from patients with cirrhosis who have HE, but not from patients with cirrhosis who do not have HE. However, ammonia had no effect on microglial glutamate release, prostaglandin synthesis, and messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2), and the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)‐1α/β, tumor necrosis factor α, or IL‐6, whereas in cultured astrocytes ammonia induced the release of glutamate, prostaglandins, and increased IL‐1β mRNA. mRNA and protein expression of iNOS and COX‐2 or mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokine monocyte chemoattractive protein‐1 in cerebral cortex from patients with liver cirrhosis and HE were not different from those found in patients with cirrhosis who did not have HE or control patients without cirrhosis. Conclusion: These data suggest that microglia become activated in experimental hyperammonemia and HE in humans and may contribute to the generation of oxidative stress. However, HE in patients with liver cirrhosis is not associated with an up‐regulation of inflammatory cytokines in cerebral cortex, despite microglia activation. (HEPATOLOGY 2011;)


Abstract A very useful identity for Parseval frames for Hilbert spaces was obtained by Balan, Casazza, Edidin, and Kutyniok. In this paper, we obtain a similar identity for Parseval p-approximate Schauder frames for Banach spaces which admits a homogeneous semi-inner product in the sense of Lumer-Giles.


Summary: Techniques of antigenic analysis were used to examine the synthesis of the exosporium during sporulation of Bacillus cereus. An antiserum to a soluble extract of exosporium from mature spores was used to analyse extracts of cells from various stages of the Bacillus life cycle by the technique of one-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis. Exosporium antigens were absent from vegetative cell extracts and were first detected in extracts of cells at stage III of sporulation, where they appeared simultaneously in the soluble and particulate cellular fractions. The results indicate that the exosporium contains antigens which are spore specific.


Human P5CR genes have been identified as modulators of the p53 pathway, and thus are targets for the treatment of diseases associated with defective p53 function. Comprising screening to look for agents that modulate the activity of P5CR, a method for identifying modulators of p53 are provided.


Fibrosis is driven by a misdirected cell response causing the overproduction of extracellular matrix and tissue dysfunction. Numerous pharmacological strategies have attempted to prevent fibrosis but have attained limited efficacy with some detrimental side effects. While stem cell treatments have provided more encouraging results, they have exhibited high variability and have not always improved tissue function. To enhance stem cell efficacy, we evaluated whether mechanical memory could direct cell response. We hypothesized that mechanically pre‐conditioning on a soft matrix (soft priming) will delay adipose‐derived stem cell (ASC) transition to a pro‐fibrotic phenotype, expanding their regenerative potential, and improving healing in a complex tissue environment. Primary ASCs isolated from rat and human subcutaneous fat exhibited mechanical memory, demonstrated by a delayed cell response to stiffness following two weeks of soft priming including decreased cell area, actin coherency, and extracellular matrix production compared to cells on stiff substrates. Soft primed ASCs injected into our rat model of post‐traumatic elbow contracture decreased histological evidence of anterior capsule fibrosis and increased elbow range‐of‐motion when evaluated by joint mechanics. These findings suggest that exploiting mechanical memory by strategically controlling the culture environment during cell expansion may improve the efficacy of stem cell‐based therapies targeting fibrosis.


[Background] Docetaxel (TXT), a novel member of the taxoid family, and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) are key drugs against oral cancer chemotherapy. The promising clinical activity of TXT and 5-FU has promoted considerable interest in combining these drugs. Although the combination treatment has been reported to improve the response rates, sequential treatment with TXT and 5-FU was unknown. [Purpose] The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-tumor effects of sequential treatment with TXT and 5-FU against oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. [Methods and Results] Two human oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines, B88 and CAL27 cells were used in this study. The effects of sequential treatment on the inhibition of tumor growth with TXT and 5-FU were investigated by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiaol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, flow cytometric analysis, and the xenograft on nude mice. In vivo study, B88 or CAL cells (5×10 6 ) were subcutaneously inoculated into the backs of nude mice. When the tumor reached 0.5 cm in diameter, tumor-bearing nude mice received either the intraperitoneal administration of TXT (10 mg/kg) alone, 5-FU (15 mg/kg) alone, TXT followed by 5-FU or 5-FU followed by TXT treatment. TXT followed by 5-FU treatment more effectively inhibited the tumor growth in vitro and in vivo, and induced apoptosis than 5-FU followed by TXT treatment. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying growth inhibitory effect of TXT followed by 5-FU, we examined the expression of 5-FU metabolic enzymes, thymidylate synthase (TS), dehydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), and ortate phosphorybosyl transferase (OPRT) by real-time PCR and western blot analysis. Down-regulation of TS and DPD expression, and up-regulation of OPRT expression were induced by TXT treatment compared with 5-FU, suggesting that they enhanced the efficacy of 5-FU. [Conclusions]These findings demonstrated that sequential treatment with TXT followed by 5-FU can be effective for the patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3640.


Multihoming – the decision to design a complement to operate on multiple platforms – is becoming increasingly common in many platform markets. Perceived wisdom suggests that multihoming is beneficial for complement providers as they expand their market reach, but it reduces differentiation among competing platforms as the same complements become available on different platforms. In a study of the US video game industry, we find that multihoming is not as simple as commonly assumed and that platforms, i.e. game consoles, differ in their attractiveness for multihoming complements, i.e. games. Specifically, we find that the complexity of a console reduces the quality performance of multihoming games so that the same game receives a lower quality score on a more complex platform than on a less complex one. However, games that are released on the complex platform with a delay or developed and marketed by a vertically integrated firm suffer a smaller drop in quality on complex platforms, while the use of standardized technological tools – middleware – does not help to attenuate the performance drop on complex platforms. This has important implications for managers considering expanding their reach through multihoming.


Abstract: The calcium binding protein calmodulin and the opiate receptor binding sites are unevenly distributed in various subcellular fractions of neuroblastoma‐glioma NG108‐15 cells. The crude mitochondrial‐membrane fraction of these cells contains two membrane fractions that are separable by sucrose gradient centrifugation. These two differ in the content of both calmodulin and opiate receptors. Leucine enkephalin and d‐Ala2‐methionine enkephalinamide decrease the amount of membrane‐bound calmodulin in the NG108‐15 cells in a time‐ and dose‐dependent manner, whereas the opiate antagonists naloxone and levallorphan have an opposite effect. Naloxone blocks the effect of leucine enkephalin and dextrallorphan has no significant effect. The opiate alkaloids entorphine and phenazocine induce changes similar to that of the enkephalins whereas morphine is inactive even at high concentrations. The alteration in the amount of membrane‐bound calmodulin after a short incubation (15 min) with the enkephalins or with naloxone is reflected as an opposite change in the amount of calmodulin in the cell cytosol. Naloxone and levallorphan also increase the number of opiate receptors in NG108‐15 cells but dextrallorphan has no such effect. Modulation of the intracellular distribution of calmodulin by opioid peptides and alkaloids may control the activity of various membrane‐bound and cytosolic systems that are calmodulin‐ and/or calcium‐dependent.


The goal of the present research is to understand individual differences and growth of children's and adolescents' performance on two spatial tasks through a formal model framework. In Study 1, 579 subjects aged 7-16 years old drew lines to represent their water-level task predictions for eight tilted rectangular vessels. In the verticality task, called the "van task," subjects drew lines representing their predictions concerning the orientation of a plumb line suspended from the ceiling of a van parked on eight different inclines. In Study 2, 185 subjects aged 9-16 years were presented with video displays on a computer monitor and were instructed to adjust lines on the screen to indicate their predictions for the same stimuli used in Study 1. Later, they responded to a multiple-choice verbal analogies test and answered interview questions concerning their task performance strategies for the van and water-level tasks. In both studies, responses on the van and water-level tasks were scored as correct or incorrect on the basis of empirically derived scoring criteria that varied with age. The number of correct responses for each subject on the van and water-level tasks was modeled as a binomial random variable. Individual differences, growth differences, and sex differences in task performance were modeled as mixtures of binomial distributions, a model that may be viewed as a latent class model. Data for Study 1 subjects 11 years and older were combined so that the joint structure of the water-level and van tasks could be studied. This structure was modeled as a mixture of bivariate binomial distributions. On the basis of their task performance, subjects in Study 1 were assigned to their corresponding latent classes. Once classified, the original response distributions of subjects within each latent class were explored in an effort to understand their various response strategies. Additionally, the correspondence between verbal explanations and van and water-level task performance was investigated in Study 2. Results include the following: 1. A two-component binomial mixture distribution fit well the van and water-level task data for each age and sex group; each binomial component may be viewed as a different latent class. Variance accounted for under the model often exceeded 90%. One binomial component (latent class) modeled the poor performers with poor task success rates, and the second component modeled the remaining good performers who consistently performed well.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


Mossbauer spectroscopy has been used to investigate the magnetic structure of doped with 1 at.% . Our experiments on polycrystalline reveal the known spin-rearrangement magnetic phase transition at , which until now has not been observed in polycrystalline samples. A spiral-like spin structure with a variable angle between the moment direction and the b- or c-axis seems to be the correct model for the spin structure of .


Vibrational excitation near threshold was measured in cis- and trans-difluoroethene with the aim of assessing the role of the dipole moment in threshold peaks. Threshold peaks were found in both the isomer with and the isomer without a permanent dipole moment, but only for IR-active vibrations. A comparison with cross sections calculated with the Born approximation revealed that a `nontrivial' contribution to the threshold peaks, that is, one which cannot be explained by direct dipole excitation, is found only for the isomer with a permanent dipole moment (cis).


Meshing the 3D scattered point data is an important task in machine vision since it allows the rendering of the 3D structures on a commodity graphics hardware. In this paper, we develop a fast and adaptive method to approximate an organized set of 3D scattered data points from stereo images by a triangular mesh and which can be applied to systems that require low delay response such as telepresence. The method starts by reducing the number of points through the employment of image adaptive sampling techniques. Then, an initial triangular mesh is constructed using the reduced set of points and later refined to minimize a predefined approximation error. Compared to some state of the art schemes, the proposed method results in a significant reduction in the processing time while preserving the quality of the mesh.


We read with interest the article by Huang et al. (2011) in the April 2011 issue of the Journal of Medical Microbiology. In the case report, 'A case of pulmonary aspergilloma and actinomycosis', the fungal identity is well documented histologically (acute angled branching septated hyphae) and by culture (Aspergillus flavus). On the other hand, the diagnosis of actinomycosis is not conclusive. The photographic documentation (Fig. 2b) suggesting actinomycosis shows images of 'sulfur granules' in the Splendore-Hoeppli material that is not pathognomonic of the infection as it is a common feature of several diseases, including aspergilloma. This finding considered by the authors as actinomycosis may be a fragment of aspergilloma with Splendore-Hoeppli phenomenon (Rodig & Dorfman, 2001; Ravise, 1984). For this reason, it is possible that a fragment of the fungus ball has been mistaken for actinomycosis. To ensure the correct aetiology of the Splendore-Hoeppli material is determined, it is necessary to look for the presence bacterial filaments using a different stain, such as the Gram stain.


Objective: To determine the different grades of meconium-stained liquor and association of fetal outcome (still birth, poor Apgar score, NICU admissions) among meconium-stained liquor patients according to their grades. Subject and Methods: This prospective case series study was conducted at the department of obstetrics and Gynaecology, civil Hospital Karachi, for 6 months from April 2019 to September 2019. After per vaginal examination meconium-stained amniotic liquor and grades of meconium-stained liquor were confirmed and these patients were monitored by auscultation of fetal heart sounds by pinard stethoscope and cardiotocography performed and when patients delivered, the frequency of fetal outcome according to grades noted and was documented on pre-designed proforma. Results: A total of 150 patient women were studied, their average age was 28.62±4.19 years and mean gestational age was 38.38+1.00 weeks. There 56% multiparous women. Of all meconium-stained liquor, grade II was commonest 40%, grade I 30% and grade III 30%. Still birth was 2.0%, poor Apgar score was 24.7% and rate of NICU admission was 28.0%. Maternal age, parity and gestational age effects were statistically significant on grade of liquor (p-<0.05). Conclusion: Meconium-stained liquor grade II was observed to be high. The adverse fetal outcomes in terms of still birth, low Apgar score and neonatal intensive care unit admission were observed to the significancy associated with meconium-stained liquor grades II and III. Meconium-stained amniotic fluid as a serious problem so early decision should be taken to improve the fetal outcome. Keywords: Meconium-stained amniotic fluid, still birth, poor Apgar score


Expression of sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) by thyroid epithelial cells is primarily regulated by TSH, which acts at the level of NIS gene transcription. Knowledge of the mechanisms governing NIS expression mainly comes from studies of rat thyroid-derived cell lines forming cell monolayers. In this study we investigated the impact of the three-dimensional organization of thyroid cells into follicles on the regulation of NIS expression. We used porcine thyrocytes in primary culture that, depending on cell density and the moment TSH is added, either predominantly form a cell monolayer (CM) or reconstitute thyroid follicles (RTF). NIS expression analyzed at transcript and protein levels was remarkably high in RTF compared with CM. Cells forming RTF were NIS positive, whereas in CM, NIS was only detected in the limited number of cells forming follicle-like structures. When thyrocytes were cultured at increasing cell density to obtain a gradual shift from CM to RTF, the progressive increase in the proportion of cells enrolled in RTF was accompanied by a parallel increase in NIS expression. Other TSH-regulated genes, thyroperoxidase, Na(+),K(+)-adenosine triphosphatase alpha-subunit, and thyroglobulin, were expressed at similar levels whatever the organization of thyrocytes in culture. The transcription factor, Pax-8, was equally expressed in NIS-negative CM and NIS-positive RTF. We show that TSH highly activates NIS expression only when thyrocytes have undergone histiotypic morphogenesis. This finding suggests that TSH activation of NIS gene transcription might involve, in addition to Pax-8, a regulatory factor(s) whose synthesis and/or activity are triggered by cell-cell interaction(s) occurring in the course of folliculogenesis.


A novel composite composed of tubular titanate-two dimensionally deposited carbon nanosheets was prepared with carbon nanosheets as templates through intercalation and hydrothermal treatment; this nanotube-based composite and its calcined products exhibit both excellent adsorptivity and high photocatalytic activity toward organic molecules.


Recent developments in deep learning with application to language modeling have led to success in tasks of text processing, summarizing and machine translation. However, deploying huge language models for mobile device such as on-device keyboards poses computation as a bottle-neck due to their puny computation capacities. In this work we propose an embedded deep learning based word prediction method that optimizes run-time memory and also provides a real time prediction environment. Our model size is 7.40MB and has average prediction time of 6.47 ms. We improve over the existing methods for word prediction in terms of key stroke savings and word prediction rate.


As one moves from the social science literature of religion and politics to the literature of women's movements in Latin America, the "silence is deafening" regarding the phenomenon of Pentecostalism, a movement primarily made up of women. This article argues that Pentecostalism does fit into the newer analyses of feminism and women's movements in the region in a much-needed interdisciplinary approach. The research is a literature review reinforced by field study in Central America. Pentecostalism provides an arena where women help each other and can learn civic skills to participate in fledgling democracies in Latin America.


The interest for lipid metabolism in the stem cell field has increased in the last few years (1,2,3). Membrane lipidomics embraces many aspects of cell metabolism and the role of lipids is now considered more than merely inert and structural in delimitating the extra- and intra-cellular compartments (4,5). Nevertheless, we are still far from understanding the impact of membrane lipidomics in stemness maintenance and differentiation patterns. The aim of our work was to study membrane lipidomics of mesenchymal stromal cells derived from human placenta and correlate it to specific biological properties, by using chemically- defined tailored lipid supplements (Refeed®). In the experimental study, the cell membranes of freshly isolated mesenchymal stromal cells obtained from human fetal membranes (FM-MSCs) were characterized for fatty acid composition. Then, we investigated cell morphology, viability, proliferation, differentiation and immunomodulation after in-vitro exposure to Refeed® supplements. Control MSCs were cultured without lipid supplementation. Our results showed a significant reduction of membrane fluidity for in-vitro primary cells, with cell membrane fatty acid composition greatly differing from the in-vivo one. By tailoring lipid supplementation, the fatty acid composition and biophysical properties of in-vitro cell membranes resulted more similar to the in-vivo counterparts, with higher omega-6 fatty acid content and increased membrane fluidity. These modifications of membrane composition and properties had no effect on cell morphology and viability, whereas ameliorated cell proliferation rate, diffentiation ability and immunomodulatory properties. In particular, supplemented FMMSCs showed an increased expression of cell membrane molecules like Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptors 1 (VEGFR-1 or Flt-1) and 2 (VEGFR-2 or KDR), that correlated with a more efficient response to angiogenic commitment. Moreover, regarding immunomodulation, supplemented FM-MSCs displayed an increased expression of the tolerogenic cell surface protein HLA-G, that positively influenced the in-vitro cell immunomodulatory ability. Finally, these data suggest that specific lipid supplementation have functional consequences on in-vitro MSC behavior and may influence cell-based therapeutic approaches.


The need for security is particularly acute when highspeed Internet connections are used to combine widespread computational resources into Grids. It is envisioned that in real Grids there will be many usage scenarios where collaborations will take place among small and dynamic working groups. For this to happen, the ability to establish transient collaboration with little or no intervention from resource administrators is a key requirement. Recent research seeks to provide manageable Grid security services for self-regulating, stable communities. This paper revolves around the idea that establishment of Trust plays a key role in enabling an environment for ad-hoc Virtual Organizations to support collaborations that are relatively spontaneous, short-lived, across cross-administrative domains, and involve few individuals.


A new multi-output flyback constant frequency zero voltage switching quasi resonant converter with low switching and conduction losses for aerospace applications is presented in this paper. The proposed converter is designed for outputs of 5 V/1 A and 12 V/0.5 A with resonant frequency of 165 kHz. A simple control method based on a single chip two pulse resonant controller UC3861 is developed to regulate 5 V output of the proposed converter and the other output voltage is maintained constant at 12 V. A prototype model of this converter is developed and the control method is implemented. The cross correlation effects of the two outputs are studied for different load variations and supply disturbances in experimental set-up. Results reveal the superiority of the proposed method.


Rapid expansion of wind power in the electricity sector is raising questions about how wind resource variability might affect the capacity value of wind farms at high levels of penetration. Electricity storage, with the capability to shift wind energy from periods of low demand to peak times and to smooth fluctuations in output, may have a role in bolstering the value of wind power at levels of penetration envisioned by a new Department of Energy report ('20% Wind by 2030, Increasing Wind Energy's Contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply'). This paper quantifies the value storage can add to wind. The analysis was done employing the Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) model, formerly known as the Wind Deployment System (WinDS) model. ReEDS was used to estimate the cost and development path associated with 20% penetration of wind in the report. ReEDS differs from the WinDS model primarily in that the model has been modified to include the capability to build and use three storage technologies: pumped-hydroelectric storage (PHS), compressed-air energy storage (CAES), and batteries. To assess the value of these storage technologies, two pairs of scenarios were run: business-as-usual, with and without storage; 20% wind energy by 2030, with and without storage. This paper presents the results from those model runs.


Albania is a country poorly known in Europe despite its rich history and cultural heritage. Otherwise known as "the land of eagles" or "the bridge linking the east with the west", Albania has given a lot to the history and culture of Europe. In 1992 this country came out of a long communist dictatorship and began its path to democratization. Tourism, which during the communist era was considered as "a problem of society", is taking a leap today, becoming one of the main branches of the Albanian economy. In this context there was needed to inform and educate the public for the advantages and the disadvantages of tourism. The Geo-Physics condition of Albania provides enough opportunities for the development of different forms of Sports Tourism. With about 70% of the mountain surface, Albania offers the possibility of outdoor sports development as: Hiking, Mountaineering, Skiing, etc. The 400 km coastline offers the possibility of the development of aquatic sports such as Kayak at Sea, Diving, Kite Surf, etc. Numerous rivers and lakes offer the opportunity of developing sports: Fishing, Rafting etc. This rich natural tourist potential and the growing demand of tourists that practice these kinds of sports faces with tourist and cultural deficiencies service that Albania offers. For this reason the Sports University of Tirana and in particular the Faculty of Physical Activity and Recreation have created opportunities to students in this field. Between lessons in the auditorium and hours of practice in mountainous areas and in coastal areas, those first generation students in sports and recreation tourism was given the opportunity to be pioneers in the development and spread of this sports tourism culture in Albania.


Somatic contiguous hypermutation (CHM) operators are important variation operators in artificial immune systems. The few existing theoretical studies are only concerned with understanding the optimization behavior of CHM operators on solving single-objective optimization problems. The MOEA/D framework is one of the most popular strategies for solving multi-objective optimization problems (MOPs). In this paper, we present a runtime analysis of using two CHM operators in MOEA/D framework for solving five benchmark MOPs, including four bi-objective and one many-objective problems. Our analyses show that the expected runtimes of CHM operators on the four bi-objective problems are better than or as good as that of the well-studied standard bit mutation operator. Moreover, using CHM operators in MOEA/D framework can improve the best known upper bound on the many-objective problem by a factor of n. This paper provides insight into understanding the optimization behavior of CHM operators in the well-known MOEA/D framework, and indicates that using the CHM operator in MOEA/D framework is a promising method for handling MOPs.


ABSTRACT The gene pth, encoding peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase (Pth), is essential for protein synthesis and viability of Escherichia coli. Two pth mutants have been studied in depth: apth(Ts) mutant isolated as temperature sensitive and a pth(rap) mutant selected as nonpermissive for bacteriophage λ vegetative growth. Here we show that each mutant protein is defective in a different way. The Pth(Ts) protein was very unstable in vivo, both at 43°C and at permissive temperatures, but its specific activity was comparable to that of the wild-type enzyme, Pth(wt). Conversely, the mutant Pth(rap) protein had the same stability as Pth(wt), but its specific activity was low. The thermosensitivity of the pth(Ts) mutant, presumably, ensues after Pth(Ts) protein levels are reduced at 43°C. Conditions that increased the cellular Pth(Ts) concentration, a rise in gene copy number or diminished protein degradation, allowed cell growth at a nonpermissive temperature. Antibiotic-mediated inhibition of mRNA and protein synthesis, but not of peptidyl-tRNA drop-off, reducedpth(Ts) cell viability even at a permissive temperature. Based on these results, we suggest that Pth(Ts) protein, being unstable in vivo, supports cell viability only if its concentration is maintained above a threshold that allows general protein synthesis.


The validity of interpreting questionnaire results is threatened by the possible overuse of extreme and midpoint response options. Since respondents may view the response options in different ways, accounting for midpoint (MRS) and extreme response style (ERS) use is important for accurate estimation of the latent trait. Biased sum scores provide poor trait estimates for two people with the same latent trait yet different response styles. With the categorical view of response styles, respondents are seen as having a certain response style or not and are classified into different groups. The mixture graded response and mixture partial credit models were compared in this study.

With the continuous view of response styles, respondents are seen as having varying degrees of different response style traits. A multidimensional model estimates substantive and response style trait levels for each person. A Multi-process model (M-PM) was used in this study to break down the response process into two and three subprocesses used in completing a five point Likert scale. The Multidimensional Partial Credit (MPCM) and Multidimensional Nominal Response (MNRM) models with substantive and response style scoring functions were also explored.

This study used an existing data set to investigate how the five different IRT models for addressing ERS and MRS performed for three different personality subscales (Anxiety, Openness to Experience Feelings, and Compliance) from the German version of Costa and McCrae's NEO Personality Inventory-Revised.

Each subscale illustrated different relationships with and uses of ERS and MRS traits. The response process traits of the M-PM differed from response style traits of the other models. The two and three class mixture models, the two and three dimensional MNRM and MPCM, and the two process model for intensity ERS and direction fit better than standard IRT models. ERS accounted for more item response variability than MRS. The MPCM is suggested to account for ERS and MRS due to the number of estimated parameters and amount of explained variability in item responses. The results are compared with each other and to results from a previous study. Limitations of this study and ideas for future research are presented.


The purpose of this study was to devise and propose appropriate conditions for the photographing of thermal images in the oral cavity and to evaluate which thermography techniques can be applied to dentistry by evaluating the differences in temperature among oral tissues. Thermal images of oral cavities of 20 volunteers in normal oral condition were taken according to the guidelines of the Japanese Society of Thermography, with five added items for oral observation. The use of a mirror made it possible to take thermal images of the posterior portion or palate. Teeth, free gingiva, attached gingiva and alveolar mucosa were identified on thermal images. There were differences in temperature between teeth, free gingiva, attached gingiva and alveolar mucosa. These were nearly in agreement with the anatomical view. Thermography need no longer be restricted to the anterior portion using a mirror, and can now be applied to the dental region.


Ecotourism is a utilization of mangrove forest ecosystems in a sustainable manner through tourism activities that are responsible to environment. The application of the ecotourism concept in the mangrove forest area in Sari Ringgung Beach Sidodadi Village of Padang Cermin Pesawaran is expected to reduce the damage to mangrove ecosystems by increasing public awareness of the mangroves existence. This research objectives are to develop a plan of mangrove forest ecotourism through the exploration landscape potential in the form of biophysical elements and social community. Ecotourism planning activities consist of an potential inventory, analysis, synthesis, scheming concepts, and tread design. Inventory data results are categorized into the potential and constraints are analyzed logically to obtain the synthesis results. Space zoning development plan was produced at the planning stage as the basic design of the space concept, circulation paths, and green governance. Mangrove forest in Sari Ringgung Beach has ecotourism potential including physical and visual condition, plants diversity and mangrove wildlife animals, visitors crowd, and good community support. Ecotourism plan is designed by the spatial distribution of ecotourism into 15 ha as reception area, 2 ha as service area, 68 ha as buffer area, and 12 ha as ecotourism area. Ecotourism access is developed in three path circulation are: paving block path in the dry land route, boardwalk path to cross the wetlands, and ships route to cross the open beach. Coconut and Pine selected as a space filler plants and various types of mangrove as wetlands rehabilitation plants. Kata kunci: ecotourism, mangrove, landscape planning


Photogrammetry is a method for determining the 3 dimensional form of a structure through the recording and measurement of 2 dimensional photographs. An investigation into close-range applications of the technique, including the calibration of 3 coordinate measuring machines, have shown that there are several aspects of photogrammetry which may benefit from research. These relate to the performance of the recording camera, photographic emulsion and plate measuring microscope. A completely new camera lens, the Centrax, has been developed that overcomes some fundamental limitations associated with the optical properies of conventional lenses. The Centrax exhibits total freedom from distortion, enhanced depth-of-field and a high resolution. It has a designed specification that offers an order of magnitude improvement on the measurement accuracy of existing systems. Two examples of the Centrax, a liquid-filled and an all-glass version have been fabricated, assembled and installed into specially constructed camera bodies. The prototype has been rigorously tested to assess its perfection of construction and employed in a preliminary investigation involving a purpose-built 3 dimensional artefact. These trials have verified that the designed performance of the Centrax may already have been realised. As well as the development of the camera and its compatible colaborative targets, the associated plate measuring microscope has received attention. This research has lead to the modification of an existing precision microscope and the design of a compact measuring instrument based on moire interferometry. The principle of a spherically symmetric aperture in the Centrax has been extended to other lens designs and included in conventional camera lenses. In this way, classical photographic imaging is preserved together with the added advantages of increased depth-of-field and enhanced resolution for point source targets. A comparatitive measurement study between the Centrax system and the NPL precision 3 coordinate measuring machine, the Moore 5Z, has shown that for some applications, the Centrax may offer comparable accuracy with more simplicity of operation and a considerable saving in cost.


Polynickeltetrathiooxalate (poly[Ni-tto]) is an n-type semiconducting polymer having outstanding thermoelectric characteristics and exhibiting high stability under ambient conditions. However, its insolubility limits its use in organic electronics. This work is devoted to the production of a printable paste based on a poly[Ni-tto]/PVDF composite by thoroughly grinding the powder in a ball mill. The resulting paste has high homogeneity and is characterized by rheological properties that are well suited to the printing process. High-precision dispenser printing allows one to apply both narrow lines and films of poly[Ni-tto]-composite with a high degree of smoothness. The resulting films have slightly better thermoelectric properties compared to the original polymer powder. A flexible, fully organic double-leg thermoelectric generator with six thermocouples was printed by dispense printing using the poly[Ni-tto]-composite paste as n-type material and a commercial PEDOT-PSS paste as p-type material. A temperature gradient of 100 K produces a power output of about 20 nW.