Information is retrieved more effectively when the retrieval occurs in the same context as that in which the information was first encoded. This is termed context dependent memory (CDM). One category of cues that have been shown to effectively produce CDM effects are odors. However, it is unclear what the boundary conditions of these CDM effects are. In particular, given that olfaction has been called an implicit sense, it is possible that odors are only effective mnemonic cues when they are presented in the background. This assertion seems even more likely given that previous research has shown odors to be poor cues during paired associate memory tests, where odors are in the focus of attention as mnemonic cues for other information. In order to determine whether odors are only effective contextual mnemonic cues when presented outside the central focus of an observer, an olfactory CDM experiment was performed in which odorants were presented directly, rather than ambiently. Direct presentation was accomplished with the aid of an olfactometer. The olfactometer not only allows for direct presentation of odorants, but provides other methodological benefits, including the allowance of trial by trial manipulations of odorant presentations and, relatedly, time-specific releases of odorants. The presence of the same odor during both encoding and retrieval enhanced memory performance, regardless of whether the odor was presented ambiently or directly. This finding can serve as a basis for future olfactory CDM research which can utilize the benefits of direct presentation.


This paper reports the study and results of modeling and online compensating of movement disorder stemming from multiple sclerosis (MS) via artificial neural networks. We trained and tested a cascade-correlation neural network with Kalman filtering on data collected from 11 subjects with MS. The test subjects use headcontrolled mouse emulators to move a cursor to a series of random targets on screen. Simulated real-time testing of the trained neural networks shows that the networks successfully make the cursor trajectories of all the 11 subjects less chaotic, and hence more controllable. The neural networks also reduce the time needed to reach the targets by an average of 31.8%. The neural network approach can be easily applied to other human-machine interfaces such as computer mice and joysticks, or powered wheelchairs. This technique is also applicable to movement disorders resulting from certain geriatric diseases such as Parkinson's disease and essential tremor.


This study will explain (The dsnt giveing housing of the female devose at the in Islamic thinking and Iraqi law. The dsnt giveing housing is one of the rights in rem branching right of ownership is a right entitles the owner and his family residential property owned by the non-was organized by the Iraqi legislature in articles 1261 - 1265 of the Civil Code of Iraq, but the law of real estate registration was organized by the making is the possibility of arranging impossible on the ground so that the dispositions contained a drug is known as negligible what were not registered in circles Date property and the latter to refrain from registration for failure to regulate the procedures for registration in the law has focused research on the study of the right kind beginner defined and stand at the characteristics and the statement of the reasons for his earnings and then see its effects and methods expiry to end a set of findings and recommendations which we found that they can deal with what is going on the subject of al legislative missing or modification of an existing legislative situation


Objectives: To compare measurements of crown-heel length (CHL) made with the neorule with CHL measurements made with a stadiometer in term infants. To examine safety and reproducibility of CHL measurements in infants < 32 weeks gestational age (GA) using the neorule. Methods: Three measurements of CHL were made by three teams during the first 2 days of life in healthy term infants. One team used the stadiometer and two the neorule. Two different teams made three measurements of CHL on four occasions at two week intervals in infants less than 32 weeks GA. Infants were continuously monitored, and any adverse event was recorded. Results: Fifty term infants were studied, median (range) birth weight 3440 (2020–5010) g. The mean (SD, 95% confidence interval) difference between values obtained with the stadiometer and neorule was 0.08 (6.22, −1.69 to +1.85) mm and between the two neorule teams was 0.8 (4.48, −0.47 to +2.08) mm. Twenty preterm infants were studied, GA median (range) 29 (25+0–31+6) weeks, median (range) CHL 397 (339–475) mm. There were no adverse events. The difference (SD, 95%CI) between teams in the mean CHL measurement was 0.18 (4.79, −1.02 to +1.38) mm, with interobserver limit of agreement −9.2 to +9.6 mm and coefficient of variation 1.2%. There were no significant differences between measurements made by single observers; the F ratio was 0.449 (df  =  61, p  =  0.6). Conclusion: The neorule is a safe and accurate way to measure CHL in newborn infants.


Metabolomics, focusing on comprehensive analysis of all the metabolites in a biological system, provides a direct signature of biochemical activity. Using emerging technologies in MS, it is possible to simultaneously and rapidly analyze thousands of metabolites. However, due to the chemical and physical diversity of metabolites, it is difficult to acquire a comprehensive and reliable profiling of the whole metabolome. Here, we summarize the state of the art in metabolomics research, focusing on efforts to provide a more comprehensive metabolome coverage via improvements in two fundamental processes: sample preparation and MS analysis. Additionally, the reliable analysis is also highlighted via the combinations of multiple methods (e.g., targeted and untargeted approaches), and analytical quality control and calibration methods.


Most of the early empirical estimates on effects of intergovernmental grants contradict theoretical predictions. In the more recent literature that emphasizes the importance of convincing empirical strategies, the results are more mixed. This paper contributes to this literature by estimating causal effects on local expenditures and income taxes of general, unconditional grants. This is done in a difference-in-difference model utilizing policy-induced increases in grants to a group of remotely populated municipalities in Finland. The finding is that increased grants have a statistically and economically significant positive immediate effect on local expenditures. The effect on local income taxes, while statistically significant, is considerably smaller in magnitude. Furthermore, there is no evidence of dynamic crowding-out—i.e., that the immediate response in expenditures is reversed in later years.


In this study, primer sets of L. monocytogenes virulence gene hlyA were designed for the L. monocytogenes -specific PCR assay. To evaluate the performance of these primer sets, the detection sensitivity and specificity were examined and the most suitable primer set was selected. Subsequently, it was subjected to compare the performance for detection of L. monocytogenes with commercially available kits (TaKaRa detection kit and ABI detection kit) on DNA level. Results of real-time PCR showed that the efficiency of this new primer set was 101.6% while TaKaRa and ABI detection kit were 101.1% and 107.4%, respectively. The detection sensitivity of all three methods was equivalent to less than 1 copy per reaction using purified genomic DNA as template. Detection specificity were 100% when testing L. monocytogenes isolates, and for other Listeria isolates were 15.4%, 76.9% and 100% by the method using hlyA L. monocytogenes detection primer set 7, TaKaRa and ABI detection kit, respectively. In summary, this new PCR detection method is relatively sensitive and more specific to L. monocytogenes under certain conditions, could serve as a rapid detection method and has the potential for detection of L. monocytogenes from contaminated food.


The reversible adsorption and desorption kinetics of nonionic surfactants at a hydrophobic surface have been studied by reflectometry. This enables the measurement of the adsorption isotherm with unprecedented accuracy. It is shown that the adsorption mechanism can be split into three processes. The surface is first covered by single monomers that experience a strong hydrophobic interaction. This is followed by a typically cooperative process leading to the formation of surface aggregates. At the saturation level, the surfactant molecules stagger in the interface such that there is a possible overlap of hydrophilic headgroups with hydrophobic tails. All this information comes directly out of the kinetics that can be modeled in terms of a local equilibrium.


Using the examples of the Royal Porcelain Manufactory and the Royal Medicial Manufactory, the study examines working and power relationships in the large centralized production units before and during industrialization in Prussia. The focus is on the division of employers into "Officiants" (state officials and salaried emplyees) and "Ouvriers" (workers). It is shown how such production units formed the basis for the formation of important groups which influence social structures up to the beginning of the 21st century. The development of the two state manufactories points to the potential for social, economic and technical innovation which marked the organizational form of the manufactory around 1800.


Inoculation and its link with the solidification structure is a relatively new field for low alloy steels. In this study, a cold crucible setup is used to realize direct particle inoculation of 50 g steel ingots. Eight different inoculants powders (oxides, nitrides and carbides) were tried with a 0.3 mass% level addition. Solidification structure sizes and morphologies, presence of inoculant particles and microsegregation have been characterized for all the samples. The best grain refinements were obtained for Si 3 N 4 , TiN and CeO 2 additions whereas the lowest microsegregation intensities are achieved for Si 3 N 4 , HfC and W 2 C additions. The properties of the inoculants – misfits, solubility products and terminal velocities – are used to discuss those changes. The grain refinement could be linked to the misfit in good agreement with the literature. Other morphological changes (secondary arm spacing and dendricity) were attributed to the presence of inert particles staying inside the liquid during the solidification. Last but not the least, the flattest microsegregation profiles were possibly due to inoculant dissolution leading to a change in the MnS precipitation sequence.


With the advent of modern methods of neonatal care, intracranial hemorrhage probably has become the most common neurological complication in premature infants weighing less than 1500 g at birth. This paper is a prospective study of 75 preterm infants of 34 weeks gestation or more and birth weight above 1500 g (range 1500 g to 2500 g). All neonates were screened by cranial ultra-sonography for evidence of peri-intraventricular hemorrhage (PIVH). Perinatal risk factors, incidence of PIVH and neurological outcome were studied. Sonographic abnormalities were detected in 16 (21.3%) of our patients. Intracranial hemorrhage was frequently associated with a low Apgar score, need of resuscitation and/or assisted ventilation immediately after birth (P less than 0.005). This study suggests, that ultrasound screening should be reserved to those large premature infants (greater than 1500 g) with high risk of hypoxic-ischemic injury.


Internet search has initially been a strong driving force for the rapid emergence of 3D building models of large urban areas. Additionally, many commercial and governmental initiatives have been started to develop urban 3D geographic information systems in a transition from the classical 2D- to the novel 3D-GIS. The modeling of building roofs is thus a relevant research topic. The focus has been on the use of aerial LiDAR point clouds (Light Detection And Ranging). However, recent progress in digital aerial cameras has rendered possible the acquisition of very dense point clouds from high overlap digital aerial imagery, and to use these point clouds jointly with the image information to generate 3D building models. This paper presents a multi-step processing framework and work flow for the automatic segmentation of building roofs in densely built-up areas from high-resolution vertical aerial images. Details extruding from, or intruding into, a roof are being excluded so that each roof is being modeled by means of its planar segments and can then be classified as a specific roof type from a set of standard roof shapes. Our experimental work employs a test area in Graz (Austria) with 186 buildings.


We developed the universal switch fabric that has the capacity from 160 Gbps to 320 Gbps with serial interconnection at a speed of 2.5 Gbps and has the architecture of coplanar module. The main purpose of the universal switch fabric easily provides redundancy and scalability as adding existed switch modules and overcomes a defect which switch fabric must be modified by changing the network processor on line cards owing to switch interface. This module has many of queuing engine cards, two switch cards with redundancy, a passive backplane and interconnection copper cables. It supports for sophisticated programmable QoS algorithms, distinct handling for both unicast and multicast/broadcast traffic, as well as supporting for IP, POS, and GbE/10 GbE (Gigabit Ethernet). In this paper, we describe the architecture of the universal switch fabric for supporting line rate at 10 Gbps using CSIX interface, which has frequency 250 MHz, 64 bits parallel interface (Aug. 2000). In general, when a network processor on line card is changed, it is impossible that switch fabric is reused without modifying existed fabric module because switch interface is different by vendor. But, because we developed switch fabric module using coplanar method, although the network processor with CSIX interface is changed, we don't need to change switch fabric module. We also describe the results of a throughput test according to CSIX clock frequency, CSIX data width, a variety of overheads and the maximum payload size of CSIX frame.


Antenna mismatch and crosstalk are recurring issues in telecommunications. For electrically small antenna systems, these are very hard to measure without affecting the radiation performance of the system and, consequently, the measurement itself. Electrically small antennas are found in many applications ranging from consumer electronics to industrial systems. We propose a radically new approach to characterize crosstalk and mismatch based on vector network analysis. By miniaturizing the network analyzer, it can be integrated in the system under test, eliminating the need for cables leaving the system. The tiny integrated network analyzer is a stand-alone Arduino-based measurement system that utilizes the transmit signal of the system under test as its reference. It features a power meter with triggering ability, on-board memory, universal serial bus, and easy extendibility with general-purpose input/output. The accuracy and repeatability of the proposed system is documented through the repeatability of the calibration. To showcase the capabilities of the system, a measurement is made on a modified smart phone with the system inside. These early results show great promise for miniaturized network analysis. With the advances in software-defined radio, we can expect much more flexible and advanced integrated network analyzers in the coming years.


This paper discusses about the Asian countries Library and Information Science publications during the period of 1996-2016 and its citation available in the Scimago Journal and Country Rank data base by the authors from top 15 countries (based on publications). The relevant data are collected from Scimago Journal and Country Rank data base and it was analyzed. It shows among the Asian countries Library and Information Science publications totally 21233 articles were published which are indexed in Scimago database. Among the publications, maximum of 8506(40.06%) articles published by China and followed by Taiwan with 2764(13.02%) publications and India is in 3rd place with 2626(12.37%) publications during the study period.


Wearable electronics has now been well established in universities and company research for several years, but despite several interesting forays into the marketplace for the technically aware there has not yet been a breakthrough in perception and desire among the general public. All the products that have been brought to market so far can be characterized as "boxes in pockets", where existing products have been enhanced with small incremental steps in interfaces, interconnection and wearability. Philips has, of course, been one of the contributors to testing these waters through relationships with both Levi's and Nike. In our opinion, the field of wearable electronics is now awaiting two significant breakthrough opportunities before it can really establish itself in its own right and move beyond an accessory and packaging exercise: "soft electronics" and body centric networks. This paper focuses on the need for a protocol to support the latter of these and the features that must be provided.


The purpose of this study is to identify predictors of psychological empowerment among nurse aides in nursing homes. Five structural factors (information exchange, decentralization of resources, co-worker support, supervisor support, and availability of training) and four control factors (age, sex, level of education, and race) are analyzed using multivariate linear regression to examine their effects on psychological empowerment. Two of the five structural factors, decentralization of resources and supervisor support, are shown to positively influence psychological empowerment. Nursing home managers can consider developing and implementing procedures that decentralize resources and demonstrate supervisor support in order to increase psychological empowerment. Based on the findings of this study theory and practice might benefit from additional study of decentralization of resources and supervisor support.


This article provides a study of the African National Congress (ANC) local organization at party branch level. It focuses on the branches' community activities, on their participation in party structures, and on the ANC political culture. It takes an organizational perspective on the study of political parties and refers to the mass party model. The ANC has a strong tradition of mass organization, and the ANC formal organization conforms to the mass party ideal-type: branches are meant to be active agents on the ground, while the party leadership is supposed to implement the membership's decisions. The ANC has developed a certain type of mass political culture, of popular politics. The article also shows how bottom-up decision-making processes concretely provide a certain level of influence to the members over the selection of leadership and the party's policies (even if through intermediary brokers). This article is a contribution to the renewed academic debates on African political parties and takes the stand that organizational and empirical approaches should be a priority.


Layer-by-layer three-dimensional photonic crystals are fabricated by low-temperature atomic layer deposition of titanium dioxide on a polymer template created by soft lithography. With a highly conformal layer of titanium dioxide, a significantly enhanced photonic band gap effect appears at 3.1μm in transmittance and reflectance. From optical investigations of systematically shifted structures, the robust nature of the photonic band gap with respect to structural fluctuations is confirmed experimentally. With angle-resolved Fourier-transform spectroscopy, the authors also demonstrate that the fabricated photonic crystal can be a diffraction-free device as the photonic band gap exists over the diffracting regime.


Tetracyclines have long been used to treat a wide variety of medical conditions, especially in the field of dermatology. Unfortunately, safety concerns, especially gastrointestinal (GI), have always been present. Other safety concerns have included tooth development in children, candidiasis, vestibular concerns, photosensitivity/phototoxicity, and more unusual adverse effects such as uncontrolled hypertension. This article first discusses the pharmacological development of the tetracyclines from the first to the second generation versions with an emphasis on the safety concerns, especially with regards to doxycycline hyclate (DH). Second, the adverse effects of the tetracyclines are discussed. Third, the favorable side effect profile of DH delayed release capsules (Doryx®) is compared with DH powder contained in tablets (Vibramycin®). Fourth, the increased use with a continued favorable safety profile is also discussed concerning the subantimicrobial dosing of DH for acne. Fifth, the safety of periodontic uses of DH is discussed. Last, the favorable safety profiles of the 2006 approved uses of an anti-inflammatory dose of 40 mg doxycycline for rosacea and an extended-release minocycline tablet for acne are also discussed.


There have been many characteristics of nationalism film. In this study, the nationalism films are classified and analyzed by the main characteristics of these four groups, such as economic, ethnic, political and ideological and cultural nationalism film. Based on these analysis of nationalism films, the Korean nationalism films especially since 1990s are investigated and evaluated that Korean nationalism films during this period were mainly political or ideological films such as anti-American & anti-Japan and anti-globalization. These characteristics might be very related to the opening Korean film market and interest groups against the film market opening during this period. The prospects of Korean nationalism film are both positive and negative. Negative aspect is that nationalism films are against the current globalism trend, while positive one is that culture of specific country could be maintained by nationalism films.


If to consider neutron as a composite particle consisting of proton and relativistic electron, it is possible to predict its magnetic moment, its mass and the energy of its decay, as well as the binding energy of neutron and proton in deuteron.


The detectivity of an NO(2) spatial distribution by a DAS lidar was estimated under practical conditions, and its capability was clarified.


Purpose: This study explores the knowledge of primary school teachers in identifying children with learning disabilities. Method: The study sample consisted of 200 primary school teachers from 16 schools in Bangalore, India. The teachers' knowledge about learning disabilities was assessed using Knowledge Questionnaire on Learning Disabilities. Results: The results revealed statistically significant differences in overall knowledge and various domains across gender, type of school, education, class being taught and years of experience. Conclusion: The need to improve the knowledge of primary school teachers for the identification of children with learning disabilities was highlighted. Based on the findings of the study, the "Manual for Primary School Teachers on Learning Disabilities" was developed.


This minireview aims to cover the developments over the past two decades in the chemistry of sulfonium salts. Specifically, insight is provided into the synthetic strategies available for the preparation of these compounds, the different reactivity patterns that are expected depending on their structural features or the reaction conditions applied, and the diversity of organic scaffolds that can thereby be synthesized. Additionally, the pros and cons derived from the use of sulfonium salts are presented and critically compared, when possible, in relation to reagents not based on sulfur but depicting similar reactivity.


Results of experiment in JT-60U and design study in JT-60SA (Super Advanced) are described focusing on the development of advanced tokamak. In JT-60U, a high-integrated performance plasma with the normalized beta βN=2.6, confinement enhancement factor HH98(y,2)=1.0–1.1 and bootstrap current fraction fBS=0.4 has been sustained for 25 s (14 times current diffusion time (τR)). Neoclassical tearing mode (NTM) with the poloidal mode number m = 2 and the toroidal mode number n = 1 has been stabilized with modulated electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) in synchronization with the mode frequency (∼5 kHz). A high-beta plasma exceeding the ideal MHD limit without conducting wall has been sustained for 5 s (∼3τR) by suppressing resistive wall mode (RWM). In addition, two new instabilities in the high-beta regime, Energetic particle driven Wall Mode (EWM) and RWM precursor, have been observed. In JT-60SA, exploration of full non-inductive steady-state operation with current drive by neutral beams and electron cyclotron waves is planned. In addition, NTM control with ECCD and RWM suppression with external coils are planned.


Now a day's most of the organization are shown keeping interest in using six sigma approaches to improve their performance. Motorola coined the concept of Six Sigma and General Electric Popularized it. This paper focus on minimizing the spool arm defects in a horn manufacturing industry using Six Sigma methodologies. Here in, use of Six Sigma methodologies is tried out in a typical process industry for reduction of defect levels. The tested horn coming out of the horn tuning stage is found to have defects at random times causing horn losses there by impacts a revenue loss to the company. Rejection rate of spool arm defect has been reduced and sigma level of process is increased.


The Native peoples of North America still confront the challenges of lingering colonial cultural imperialism. One such challenge is that of Native education, and its unfortunate management by the European-descended political powers. Using tactics such as assimilation, segregation and integration, the establishment used schooling as a blunt tool to solve the so-called 'Indian problem'---that is, the assimilation of the Native population into the European way of life. The results were predictably tragic; the current education system is still perceived as a tool of colonization by many Natives.
After so many failed attempts, policy-makers are finally looking to return to the First Nations the education they need, not what North America thinks they should have. One example of this is the proposal to create an institution of higher learning within the Cree communities of Northern Quebec. This dissertation examines the possible challenges and benefits of such a project. It explores the relationship between Cree students and the current 'mainstream' education system by way of research, participant-observation narrative and the voice of the Cree themselves while interviewed. Since they must travel to non-Native communities to pursue higher education, Cree students typically deal with culture shock, alienation and no small degree of racism while studying. In addition a commonality of experience between the Cree and students of other Native communities while attending a 'white' school precipitates a pan-Indian/super-tribal perspective, which becomes an important factor in their world view.
Because this dissertation uses participant-observation and interview methodologies for research, and because the subjects of the observation and the interviews are Cree students, then it is necessary for this dissertation to first survey the topics of Pan-Indian Identity and Culture Shock and put them into context. In fact, a large part of the participant-observation narrative is that of the author integrating into a Cree community as an educator. This narrative essentially documents the author's own stages of culture shock, a mirror to that which the Native student faces 'down south' at college. These are examples of the real anxieties and challenges faced when immersed in a new and different culture. The Native perspective is provided by the Cree students themselves in interviews that were fortunately rich in narrative recollection. In addition to answering the standard interview questions, the interviewees offered their own anecdotes, observations and insights into their experiences within the 'mainstream' education system. The conclusions drawn in this body of research may go towards dealing with the legacy of Cree distrust towards an educational system possibly perceived as an imposition of a colonizing society, and to answering the real needs of Native students who are seeking to benefit from education, whatever its form.


The time compression (or time condensation) approximation (TCA) is commonly used in conjunction with an infiltration capacity equation for predicting the postponding infiltration rate, or, more generally, infiltration under time‐varying precipitation. In this paper a power function relationship for TCA between infiltration capacity and its time derivative is proposed for infiltration in the presence of a shallow water table. The results show that the exponent (β) in the power function relationship is not a constant but decreases as infiltration proceeds. The change of β indicates that the TCA relationship changes during infiltration and further suggests the necessity of using different TCA relationships for predicting infiltration rate during different stages after ponding. We argue that the change of β is due to the gradual dynamic change of the relative role of gravity and capillarity during infiltration. A Péclet number (Pe) is proposed for measuring the relative effect of gravity and capillarity. In the early times of infiltration when Pe < 1, with the increase of Pe, β decreases roughly from 3.5 to 2 for clay, silty clay loam, and silty loam, and from 3 to 2 for sandy loam and sand; during the longer times when Pe > 1, β has a linear relationship with Pe. The relationship between Pe and β provides an objective approach to select the suitable TCA function during different infiltration stages after ponding.


An enzyme linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect IgG, IgM, and IgA antibody in urine to a crude antigenic mixture prepared from six arbitrarily chosen strains of common coliform urinary pathogens. In a group of patients with symptoms of urinary tract infection 24 of 80 (30%) urine samples were positive on culture by conventional methods, 58 of 80 (72.5%) were positive for polymorphs on microscopy, and 72 of 80 (90%) were positive for antibody by ELISA. Secretory component was detected in 28 of 80 (35%) samples, and this is consistent with local antibody production. The results show that antibody can be detected in a wide range of urine samples using a simple antigen mixture, and this may form the basis of a useful test to diagnose urinary tract infection.


The current study examines which elements of resilience appear in the BPS description from youth in youth care, and whether there is a relationships between these elements and well-being. It has been shown that there appear elements of resilience, or protective factors, in the BPS description from the individual level, the family level, and the community level. Furthermore, there has been found a positive relationship between these elements of resilience and well-being. Youth with higher well-being more often show three or more different protective factors in their description than youth with lower well-being. This research meets the need for further information on resilience among youth in youth care. Additionally, it shows that the BPS writing can be valuable for practice in several ways. Next to BPS as an intervention the writing assignment turned out to give a lot of information about the writer, and turned out to be suitable for thematic analysis to identify elements of resilience, and possibly other concepts.


Patient enrollment is increasingly recognized as a major limiting factor to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) clinical trial completion. Many IBD trials will fail to enroll enough patients to adequately power their study. This has led to a renewed multifaceted effort to encourage more patients to enroll in clinical trials. Although this is of clear importance, it is also important to ensure that all efforts to enroll patients in clinical trials do not compromise the quality and validity of the patient's/study participant's informed consent. Informed consent has 4 components: disclosure, voluntariness, understanding, and capacity. The application of informed consent to IBD clinical trials for biologic agents has not been previously studied. Yet the nature of clinical trials for biologics in IBD creates certain challenges to properly fulfilling the requirements of informed consent in the recruitment process that should be examined. In the following commentary, the components of informed consent are reviewed, challenges to their fulfillment in IBD trials are reviewed, and practical advice is offered.


The medium access control (MAC) protocol of the IEEE 802.11 standard is based on carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA). The basic retransmission mechanism, binary exponential backoff, may cause large packet delay and jitter values that are not suitable for real-time traffic. In this paper, we first investigate some MAC enhancement mechanisms discussed in the IEEE 802.11 task group E, which was formed for enhancing the current 802.11 MAC protocol to support for applications with quality of service (QoS) requirements. Then, we propose a jamming-based retransmission mechanism that is compatible with the 802.11 standard and could reduce the packet delay of real-time traffic. Besides, this mechanism performs stably when the traffic load is heavy. The optimal setting of our proposed mechanism is discussed analytically. We perform simulated experiments by comparing our proposed retransmission mechanism with the other two mechanisms discussed in the 802.11 task group E. We show that the jamming-based retransmission mechanism can reduce the packet delay and the packet dropping rate.


To establish objectively the involvement of neurons in the medulla oblongata in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), ribonucleic acid (RNA) content was determined in neurons of the hypoglossal nucleus and the nucleus ambiguus. Neurons from those two nuclei showed a significant loss of RNA content in patients with ALS; only 57% and 38% of the normal RNA content was found in hypoglossal and ambiguus neurons, respectively. This marked loss of neuronal RNA suggests changes in functional states of neurons, which may contribute to fasciculations in the tongue and difficulties in swallowing often associated with ALS.


X-ray tubes used in medical x-ray imaging employ peak voltages of between 25 and 150 kV to accelerate electrons from a heated cathode towards an anode target. X rays are produced either as a result of radiative energy loss by electrons slowing down in the target material (bremsstrahlung) or by radiative transitions of electrons within the atoms of the target (characteristic x rays). The former have a continuous range of energies from that of the most energetic electron downwards whereas the latter occur at discrete energies characteristic of the target material. The radiation quality of an x-ray beam can be characterized by the x-ray spectrum. X-ray spectra can be measured by using spectrometers based on scintillation counters, germanium or silicon detectors, or by crystal diffraction. These techniques, however, require considerable expertise and are time-consuming to perform. Therefore, it is recommended that the radiation quality of x-ray beams used for medical imaging be characterized by a combination of various parameters. These include first half-value layer (HVL; symbol HVL1); the second HVL (HVL2); the ratio of HVL1 to HVL2, referred to as the homogeneity coefficient; the tube voltage and the total filtration. In most cases, the quality of an x-ray beam can be adequately specified by means of the combined information on tube voltage, HVL1, and HVL2, or the tube voltage, HVL1, and total filtration. The yield is also an important characteristic of an x-ray tube (including filtration). For this purpose the x-ray tube output is defined in Section 2.5.


This study is aimed to determine the antecedents of Bidayuh's community development and social capital interaction in achieving sustainable tourism. The selected area for this study is Kampung Krokong Tringgus, Bau District in Sarawak. This village is well known for their Fairy Cave exploration and rock climbing, and it is an established tourism destination in Malaysia occupied by the Bidayuh ethnic community. The problem statement highlighted based on the personal communication with the leaders of the community and theoretical gap in the past studies. Lack of understanding on the issues of resource scarcity, empowerment, participation and/sustainability faced by the local community are clear gaps of the study. Thus, the general objective of the study is to capture the underlying factor of Bidayuh's community development and social capital interaction in achieving sustainable tourism. Mixed method approach used with a combination of both qualitative and quantitative methods. The first part of the study is treated as an inductive approach, detailing data collected through in-depth interviews with 12 key informants. The interview data which had been transcribed and translated was analysed using thematic analysis technique. Thematic analysis revealed that there are five community resources that are important to the Bidayuh community to sustain their tourism practice. The five community resources identified are the natural resources, cultural resources,human resources, financial resources and infrastructure resources. Cultural resources have been the most important asset of the Bidayuh's community to run tourism successfully. Next, the analysed qualitative data was put under deduction process using quantitative procedures. In inferential analysis, the results from the analysis and multiple regressions analysis were produced. After finding that all the independent variables are correlated with the dependent variables, multiple regression analysis was conducted. The findings of the multiple regressions analysis show that six independent variables were found to be significant predictor of sustainable indigenous tourism, andthese includes; natural resources, indigenous knowledge, bonding, bridging,participation, empowerment, and capacity building. The findings of this study support the generally discussed theories within the scope of community development and tourism development. This study does not contradict against the social capital theory. The community strongly feels that bridging, bonding and linking are very important to run tourism in sustainable manner. However, the unique contribution to the theory can be seen from the outcome of the Multiple Regression Analysis stating that empowerment, participation and community resources are also important to encourage sustainable tourism. By giving specific attention to the significant factors determining sustainable indigenous tourism in terms of community resources, indigenous tourism,cultural aspects, economic aspects, this aspect could be addressed.


Soil properties are very crucial for civil engineers to differentiate one type of soil from another and to predict its mechanical behavior. However, it is not practical to measure soil properties at all the locations at a site. In this paper, an estimator is derived to estimate the unknown values for soil properties from locations where soil samples were not collected. The estimator is obtained by combining the concept of the 'Inverse Distance Method' into the technique of 'Kriging'. The method of Lagrange Multipliers is applied in this paper. It is shown that the estimator derived in this paper is an unbiased estimator. The partiality of the estimator with respect to the true value is zero. Hence, the estimated value will be equal to the true value of the soil property. It is also shown that the variance between the estimator and the soil property is minimized. Hence, the distribution of this unbiased estimator with minimum variance spreads the least from the true value. With this characteristic of minimum variance unbiased estimator, a high accuracy estimation of soil property could be obtained.


Abstract Artificial intelligence can bring benefits to legal practice, providing agility and precision. It can allow judicial decisions to be the result of the combination of algorithms, enabling the development of a system based on machine learning. This article seeks to demonstrate the current state of the use of artificial intelligence in the Brazilian justice system with the impact of the development of a deep learning system, merely the result of the automation of textual analyses of legal cases, which now serve as models. Reflection is more than necessary given the ethical issues that can arise in view of the inherent precepts that are usually impregnated in the judicial function. Civil servants, lawyers, prosecutors and judges should be guided by a pertinent regulation of new technologies and reflect on whether judicial decisions would be the result of human thinking or not, in addition to the risk that they can carry when the models are biased, in good or bad faith, due to erroneous classification or misinformation in the system.


Abstract Aldegondabreen is a small valley glacier, ending on land, located in the Grønfjorden area of Spitsbergen, Svalbard. Airborne radio-echo sounding in 1974/75, using a 440 MHz radar, revealed a polythermal two-layered structure, which has been confirmed by detailed ground-based radio-echo sounding done in 1999 using a 15 MHz monopulse radar. The 1999 radar data reveal an upper cold layer extending down to 90m depth in the southern part of the glacier, where the thickest ice (216 m) was also found. A repeated pattern of diffractions from the southern part of the glacier, at depths of 50–80 m and dipping down-glacier, has been interpreted as an englacial channel which originates in the temperate ice. From joint analysis of the 1936 topographic map, a digital elevation model constructed from 1990 aerial photographs and the subglacial topography determined from radar data, a severe loss of mass during the period 1936–90 has been estimated: a glacier tongue retreat of 930 m, a decrease in area from 8.9 to 7.6 km2, in average ice thickness from 101 to 73 m and in ice volume from 0.950 to 0.558 km3, which are equivalent to an average annual balance of –0.7 mw.e. This is comparable with the only available data of net mass balance for Aldegondabreen (–1.1 and –1.35m w.e. for the balance years 1976/77 and 2002/03) and consistent with the 0.27˚C increase in mean summer air temperature in this zone during 1936–90, as well as the warming in Spitsbergen following the end of the Little Ice Age (LIA), and the general glacier recession trend observed in this region.


An efficient implementation of a hash join has been a highly researched problem for decades. Recently, the radix join has been shown to have superior performance over the alternatives (e.g., the non-partitioned hash join), albeit on synthetic microbenchmarks. Therefore, it is unclear whether one can simply replace the hash join in an RDBMS or use the radix join as a performance booster for selected queries. If the latter, it is still unknown when one should rely on the radix join to improve performance. In this paper, we address these questions, show how to integrate the radix join in Umbra, a code-generating DBMS, and make it competitive for selective queries by introducing a Bloom-filter based semi-join reducer. We have evaluated how well it runs when used in queries from more representative workloads like TPC-H. Surprisingly, the radix join brings a noticeable improvement in only one out of all 59 joins in TPC-H. Thus, with an extensive range of microbenchmarks, we have isolated the effects of the most important workload factors and synthesized the range of values where partitioning the data for the radix join pays off. Our analysis shows that the benefit of data partitioning quickly diminishes as soon as we deviate from the optimal parameters, and even late materialization rarely helps in real workloads. We thus, conclude that integrating the radix join within a code-generating database rarely justifies the increase in code and optimizer complexity and advise against it for processing real-world workloads.


The mathematical characterization of "the Productive Forces" of a macro economic system is based upon the analogy between political economy and Newtonian mechanics, which is expressed as the product of the growth rate of the profit rate (p) and the surplus value (M), showing several quantum qualities like a photon quanta. The one-dimensional linear harmonic oscillator model can correlate the angular frequency with the change rate of the rate of profit thus with the economic growth rate, resulting the quantum-like interpretation of various business cycles. The matrix operator analysis of the Leontief's input-output table, similar to the matrix mechanics of quantum physics, gives the Schrodinger function like value-price transformation eigen function, with the reduced organic composite of capital as the eigenvalue of the price wave function, namely the relations of production, leading to the "two Cambridge controversy" resolved. The statistic physical entropy increase theory combined with the Marx labor value function leads to the quantitative formulation of the relations of production.


The magnitude of storm events is only one determinant of their geomorphic effects. The timing and sequence of storms and the initial conditions of the shoreline also exert important controls on the geomorphic impacts. Two category three hurricanes struck coastal North Carolina during the summer of 1996, Bertha in July and Fran in September, with similar wind velocities and storm surges in the Neuse River estuary. There was little evidence of wave attack on the faces of shoreline bluffs along the Neuse estuary following Bertha, but the same bluffs experienced retreat of three to 12 meters following Fran. The dominant long-term process of slope retreat is mass wasting. Bertha removed toeslope sedimentary aprons and woody debris, which absorbed the majority of the wave energy. Thus, when the second storm arrived, waves came into direct contact with the unconsolidated bluffs and initiated slope failures by undermining the lower bluffs. The effects of the hurricanes illustrate the importance of event sequencing and initial conditions rather than energy or magnitude in determining shoreline response, and the important interactions between slope (mass wasting) and coastal processes in causing bluff retreat along the Neuse.


The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) became a full participant in the Murray Darling Basin (MDB) Initiative in 1998. This opened the opportunity for the ACT to establish water trading arrangements with the other MDB member States. Provisions to facilitate this trade are currently being developed. In addition, the ACT is required to negotiate an initial "Cap" level with the other MDB members before water trading can begin. The Cap defines the amount of water resources for which each State has extractive rights, and is based on 1993/94 levels of water utilising development. This paper investigates alternative trading strategies that could be used to "build" Cap over time, and explores the implications for negotiation of the initial ACT Cap endowment.


Many, perhaps most, general manuscripts relating to adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) are introduced by a standard mantra: Congenital heart defects are common and because of dramatic surgical advances, and later medical and catheter contributions, survival to adulthood is now the norm even for infants born with the most severe forms of CHD who otherwise would have died within days to months.

There is no doubt that outcomes have improved for people born with CHD. We are, however, increasingly appreciating the longer-term consequences of this triumph, the burgeoning number of adult patients with CHD. It has become painfully evident that too many patients suffer premature disability and death. In the current report, Dr Poterucha et al present a case series of 24 patients with unrepaired single ventricle physiology seen at the Mayo Clinic, all of whom had survived past 30 years of age. ( see page 216 ) Most of these patients had double inlet left ventricle and either pulmonary stenosis or pulmonary vascular disease. In the current era, the chief importance of extended survival in unrepaired single ventricle CHD is the disconcerting questions it raises about our current approach to such patients. Has the paradigm shift towards earlier comprehensive intervention left an identifiable group of patients worse off than if we had done nothing at all? If so, should we be reconsidering our initial approach to a substantial proportion of patients born with a single ventricle?

Dangerous ideas are born of necessary creativity in challenging circumstances. In this case, the challenging circumstance, and the real reason for acute interest in unusual survival with untreated single ventricle physiology is the increasing concern about the long-term outcomes of the Fontan procedure. In addition to anticipated cardiac complications and almost universally reduced aerobic capacity, there is a wide array of end-organ manifestations related to …


ABSTRACT Thirty-nine newly reduced gravity stations are incorporated with other published and unpublished data to produce a Pratt-Hayford isostatic gravity map of the Antilles Islands and Venezuelan Basin. Negative and Positive isostatic anomaly belts of the West Indies island arc are delineated.


Health professionals should record clinical care information in order to provide adequate patient assistance. Such recording process requires an Electronic Health Record (EHR) with complete and integral information adjusted to treatments performed on a patient. Moreover, availability and access to EHR are key features supporting decision making and improve patient care. Nevertheless, designing an EHR fulfilling a set of quality attributes is not an easy task. In fact, an EHR with low usability causes deficient clinical services and poor data quality on medical records. In this paper, an interpretation of the ISO 9241-210 standard, in the context of patients' care in an emergency situation, is presented. It considers three mid-level objectives: understanding, designing and evaluating. In this way, an alignment between high-level guidelines, offered by usability standards, and low-level activities to be followed during an EHR design, is achieved.


In river systems, high‐head dams may increase the distance‐decay of fish community similarity by creating nearly impermeable dispersal barriers to certain species from upstream reaches. Substantial evidence suggests that migratory species are impacted by dams, and most previous studies in stream/river networks have focused on small streams and headwaters. Here, we assess whether a high‐head dam (Lock and Dam 19; LD 19) on a large river, the Upper Mississippi River (UMR), substantially alters fish community structure relative to variability expected to occur independent of the dam's effect as a fish dispersal barrier. Using fish catch per unit effort data, we modelled the distance‐decay function for the UMR fish community and then estimated the similarity that would be expected to occur across LD19 and compared it with measured similarity. Measured similarity in the fish community above and below LD19 was close to the expected value based on the distance‐decay function, suggesting LD19 does not create an abrupt transition in the fish community. Although some migratory fish species no longer occur above LD19 (e.g., skipjack herring, Alosa chrysochloris), these species do not occur in high abundance below the dam and so do not drive variation in fish community structure. Instead, much of the variation in species structure is driven by the loss/gain of species across the latitudinal gradient. Lock and Dam 19 does not appear to be a clear transition point in the river's fish community, although it may function as a meaningful barrier for particular species (e.g., invasive species) and warrant future attention from a management perspective.


Objective: To report a case of long-term treatment of moderate alcohol-related dementia (ARD) with memantine. Case Summary: We present the case of a 48-year-old German woman with a long history of alcohol dependence and cognitive impairments, who was diagnosed with moderate ARD (according to ICD-10 criteria) after having ruled out other dementias. Her cognitive functioning improved with off-label use of memantine (up to 20 mg/d) under abstinent conditions. Discontinuation and reinstitution of memantine were associated with a worsening and an improving of her cognitive performance, respectively, which was documented in neuropsychiatric tests. The patient had 2 alcohol relapses during this study. Only the first relapse was associated with discontinuation of memantine and cognitive deterioration. The second relapse happened during receiving of memantine and was not associated with a decline in cognitive functioning. After 16 months of treatment, moderate ARD had been improved to the grade of an amnestic mild cognitive impairment (according to DemTect) and to mild dementia (according to Clinical Dementia Rating Scale), respectively. Discussion: The on-off-on pattern of the memantine treatment supports the assumption that this antidementia agent played a key role in the improvement of ARD. An alcohol relapse did not attenuate the improvement of cognition with memantine. Conclusion: The use of memantine improved cognitive functioning of a female patient with ARD.


In this article we argue that coach education has been through three distinct phases of development over the past three decades: 1990-2020. These phrases reflect changes in the coaching industry, which itself has seen significant change over the same period. These phases include 'pre-profession', reflected in ad hoc and non-qualification based training, 'practice based professionalisation', which saw a growth in small scale coach providers using professional body competencies, and 'evidenced-based professionalisation', which stimulated the growth in university based coach education programmes focused on evidenced based and research informed training. We argue that as we enter the Mid 2020's we are witnessing a new shift in the coaching industry from 'professionalisation' to 'productization', with the emergence of large scale, digitally enabled, coaching providers. These new providers employ thousands of home working coaches and are focused on delivering coaching at scale to tens of thousands of workers in enterprise size organisations using digital channels. This industrial change calls for a need to rethink and modernise coach education. We must acknowledge the shift towards the management of industrial scale delivery and the focus on data, alongside a movement towards mastery of the technologies which have enabled coaches to work globally. We conclude by suggesting coach education should offer two new career pathways: one for those commissioning and managing coaching services and a second for those working in digital coaching firms in coaching service management, in roles such as Customer Success and Coach Relations, alongside a revitalised coach training which equips coaches to operate in digital environments through a mastery of the communication platforms, tools and apps which they employ and a deeper understanding of new technologies such as AI, VR and MR.


This paper provides a framework to assess the impact of infrastructure investment expected under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on the debt vulnerabilities of countries that are located on BRI transport and connectivity corridors in the absence of comprehensive and consistent information on investments and financing terms. Key assumptions relate to the amount of public and publicly guaranteed (PPG) debt financing and its terms, the size and sectoral type of identified BRI investment, and the expected impact of growth in the medium and long term of that investment. BRI debt financing is expected significantly increase PPG debt in a number of countries. The paper provides estimates for both the medium and the long term. In the medium term, defined as the period 2019-2023, debt financing of BRI investment is expected to be fully disbursed while the full growth impact of BRI related infrastructure is not entirely realized. In this initial phase, around one-third of assessed BRI-recipient countries are estimated to face elevated debt vulnerabilities post- BRI, several of which have already high debt vulnerabilities. The impact of BRI on public debt would improve over the longer term under the assumption of a sustained negative interest rate-growth differential and in the absence of the materialization of BRI related fiscal risks. Still, debt to GDP ratio is expected to remain higher in one-third of countries (11 out of 30 with available data).


The methanol seed extract of Carica papaya (CPE) was investigated for antinociceptive and antiinflammatory activities in mice and rats. The brine shrimp lethality test of the extract showed LC50 of 106.94 ppm at 95% confidence interval. The extract (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly (p < 0.05) increased pentobarbitone-induced sleeping time by more than 280% compared with the control. Like pethidine (9.1 mg/kg, i.p.), CPE (10 and 20 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the paw licking time in early (0 - 5 min) and late (25 - 30 min) phases of formalin-induced nociception. This antinociceptive effect was more in the late phase than early phase. Also, CP (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the number of acetic acid-induced abdominal contortions by 25, 60, and 64%, respectively. Indomethacin (10 mg/kg, p.o.), CPE (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg, p.o.) showed a typical biphasic anti-inflammatory effect in carrageenin-induced paw oedema in rats. The anti-inflammatory effect though moderate, was dose-dependent and higher in 2 h than 4 h after administration of the phlogistic agent. In conclusion, CPE contains potent bioactive compounds (alkaloids, flavonoids and polyphenols) which showed antinociceptive effect probably mediated centrally and peripherally; and also involving mild anti-inflammatory mechanisms.


What does it mean to "judge" something? What are the preconditions and the necessary prerequisites for the formulation of a judgement (be it a cognitive judgement, a moral judgement, or an aesthetic judgement)? Is there a special relationship between finalism and judgement and, if yes, in what sense? The relationship between finalism and judgment has been typically understood along two main lines of interpretation: on the one hand, as the finalism attributed by judging to certain objects or phenomena; on the other hand, from the point of view of the finality of judging itself, i.e., the teleological orientation of judging in the global dimension of life.
This issue of Aisthesis includes a selection of highly relevant contributions to the topic "Judgement and finalism", with the aim of bringing to the fore the circular movement that seems to characterize every judgement in itself – from nature, and from the nature of our mind, to the objects, structures, natural kinds etc. that populate the world, and reversely from the world to the mind. Kant's Critique of the Power of Judgement plays, in this respect, a very fundamental role, as the papers by Stefano Velotti, Luigi Filieri, Lorenzo Sala, and Antonio Branca show brilliantly. Andrea Lanza and Barbara Santini discuss the interconnections between teleology and judgement in the frame, respectively, of Husserl's phenomenology and Friedrich Hölderlin's poetic philosophy. The idea that finalism and the dynamics of judgement have much to do with each other opens new links to disciplines other than philosophy and to an interdisciplinary approach to the activity of judging in research fields such as psychology, cognitive sciences, biology. This is the perspective adopted by Francesco Vitale, in his paper on Ernst Mayr's teleonomy, and by Onerva Kiianlinna, in her a paper on epigenesis and modularity in Evolutionary Aesthetics.
This present issue is further enriched by a substantial focus on images and the aesthetic experience in the digital age (Fabrizio Desideri, Francesca Perotto, Caterina Zaira) and by a multifaceted and intriguing "Varia" section, with contributions by Ricardo Ibarlucia, Mariya Veleva, David Alvaro Gonzàlez, Carmelo Colangelo.


Purpose: To describe outcomes using umbilical amnion for conjunctival fornix, socket, and eyelid margin reconstruction. Methods: A medical record review was performed to identify patients who had received umbilical amnion over a 2-year period in their department. Patient demographics, disease etiology, and data regarding surgical outcomes were collected. The primary outcome was the success rate of the surgical intervention. Results: Twenty-one patients received umbilical amnion for anophthalmic socket contracture (n = 16), orbital implant exposure (n = 3), ocular surface burn (n = 1), and cicatricial entropion repair (n = 1). The primary outcome was met in 76% of patients overall. In anophthalmic socket contracture, the primary outcome was met in 86% and 0% of patients with acquired and congenital anophthalmia, respectively. The primary outcome was met in all cases of orbital implant exposure and cicatricial entropion. The primary outcome was not met in a Roper-Hall grade IV ocular surface burn. Conclusions: Umbilical amnion is an ideal substrate graft for reconstruction of the conjunctival fornix, socket, and eyelid margin. Umbilical amnion appears to be efficacious for the management of socket contracture in acquired anophthalmia, orbital implant exposure, and cicatricial entropion. Further experience is needed to determine the efficacy of umbilical amnion in ocular surface burns. Umbilical amnion is an ideal substrate graft that can be used for reconstruction of the conjunctival fornices, socket, and eyelid margin.


BACKGROUND
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a chronic, not malignant, disease of the hematopoietic stem cells, associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It is a rare disease with an estimated incidence of 1.3 new cases per one million individuals per year. The treatment of PNH has been largely empirical and symptomatic, with blood transfusions, anticoagulation, and supplementation with folic acid or iron. Eculizumab, a biological agent that inhibits complement cascade, was developed for preventing hemolytic anemia and severe thrombotic episodes.

OBJECTIVES
To assess the clinical benefits and harms of eculizumab for treating patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).

SEARCH METHODS
We conducted a comprehensive search strategy. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library 2014, Issue 5), Ovid MEDLINE (from 1946 to 15 May 2014), EMBASE (from 1980 to 25 June 2014), and LILACS (from 1982 to 25 June 2014). We did not apply any language restrictions.

SELECTION CRITERIA
We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) irrespective of their publication status or language. No limits were applied with respect to period of follow-up. We excluded quasi-RCTs. We included trials comparing eculizumab with placebo or best available therapy. We included any patient with a confirmed diagnosis of PNH. Primary outcome was overall survival.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We independently performed a duplicate selection of eligible trials, risk of bias assessment, and data extraction. We estimated risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence interval (CIs) for dichotomous outcomes, and mean differences (MDs) and 95% CIs for continuous outcomes. We used a random-effects model for analysis.

MAIN RESULTS
We identified one multicenter (34 sites) phase III RCT involving 87 participants. The trial compared eculizumab versus placebo, and was conducted in the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia with 26 weeks of follow-up. This small trial had high risk of bias in many domains (attrition and selective reporting). It was sponsored by a pharmaceutical company. No patients died during the study. By using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (scores can range from 0 to 100, with higher scores on the global health status and functioning scales indicating improvement), the trial showed improvement in health-related quality of life in patients treated with eculizumab (mean difference (MD) 19.4, 95% CI 8.25 to 30.55; P = 0.0007; low quality of evidence). By using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Fatigue instrument (scores can range from 0 to 52, with higher scores indicating improvement in fatigue), the trial showed a reduction in fatigue (MD 10.4, 95% CI 9.97 to 10.83; P = 0.00001; moderate quality of evidence) in the eculizumab group compared with placebo. Eculizumab compared with placebo showed a greater proportion of patients with transfusion independence: 51% (22/43) versus 0% (0/44); risk ratio (RR) 46.02, 95% CI 2.88 to 735.53; P = 0.007; moderate quality of evidence; and withdrawal for any reason: 4.7% (2/43) versus 22.72% (10/44); RR 0.20, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.88; P = 0.03; moderate quality of evidence. Due to the low rate of events observed, the included trial did not show any difference between eculizumab and placebo in terms of serious adverse events: 9.3% (4/43) versus 20.4% (9/44); RR 0.15, 95% CI 0.15 to 1.37; P = 0.16; low quality of evidence. We did not observe any difference between intervention and placebo for the most frequent adverse events. One participant receiving placebo showed an episode of thrombosis. The trial did not assess overall survival, transformation to myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myelogenous leukemia, or development or recurrence of aplastic anemia on treatment.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
This review has detected an absence of evidence for eculizumab compared with placebo for treating paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), in terms of overall survival, nonfatal thrombotic events, transformation to myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myelogenous leukemia, and development and recurrence of aplastic anemia on treatment. Current evidence indicates that compared with placebo, eculizumab increases health-related quality of life and increases transfusion independence. During the execution of the included trial, no patients died. Furthermore, the intervention seems to reduce fatigue and withdrawals for any reason. The safety profile of eculizumab is unclear. These conclusions are based on one small trial with risk of attrition and selective reporting bias.Therefore, prescription of eculizumab for treating patients with PNH can neither be supported nor rejected, unless new evidence from a large high quality trial alters this conclusion. Therefore, we urge the reader to interpret the trial results with much caution. Future trials on this issue should be conducted according to the SPIRIT statement and reported according to the CONSORT statement by independent investigators, and using the Foundation of Patient-Centered Outcomes Research recommendations.


Digital stethoscopes offer new opportunities for computerized analysis of heart sounds. Segmentation of hearts sounds is a fundamental step in the analyzing process. However segmentation of heart sounds recorded with handheld stethoscopes in clinical environments is often complicated by recording and background noise. A duration-dependent hidden Markov model (DHMM) is proposed for robust segmentation of heart sounds. The DHMM model was developed and tested with heart sounds recorded at bedside with a commercially available handheld stethoscope. In a population of 60 patients, the DHMM identified 739 S1 and S2 sounds out of 744 which corresponded to a 99.3% sensitivity. There were seven incorrectly classified sounds which corresponded to a 99.1% positive predictive value. Our results suggest that DHMM could be a suitable method for segmentation of clinically recorded heart sounds.


The effects of ''periodic operation (variations of both AF modulation width and their frequency)'' on the activities of fresh and aged PtRh catalysts were systematically evaluated on engine dynamometer in terms of AF and cold-start performance. AF modulation width and its frequency were varied from +-2 to +-10% AF and from 0.5 to 5 Hz, respectively. The periodic operation effects for both catalysts were the most preferable for diminishing THC emission and a little effect was obtained for CO emission. A remarkable improvement of NO/sub x/ emission on the aged catalyst was confirmed, although a medium effect was appeared on the fresh catalyst.


We report global observations of high‐m poloidal waves during the recovery phase of the 22 June 2015 magnetic storm from a constellation of widely spaced satellites of five missions including Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS), Van Allen Probes, Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorm (THEMIS), Cluster, and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES). The combined observations demonstrate the global spatial extent of storm time poloidal waves. MMS observations confirm high azimuthal wave numbers (m ~ 100). Mode identification indicates the waves are associated with the second harmonic of field line resonances. The wave frequencies exhibit a decreasing trend as L increases, distinguishing them from the single‐frequency global poloidal modes normally observed during quiet times. Detailed examination of the instantaneous frequency reveals discrete spatial structures with step‐like frequency changes along L. Each discrete L shell has a steady wave frequency and spans about 1 RE, suggesting that there exist a discrete number of drift‐bounce resonance regions across L shells during storm times.


College teaching competition, one of the important methods of teaching practice, provides a platform for college teachers. It's a significant point to select appropriate teaching sections and optimize teaching designs in competitions. College physics, a basic course of science and engineering, is employed as an example in this paper to describe the teaching section optimization and design, including the selection of teaching sections should be universal and representative, the design of teaching sections should be academic and extensive, and the design of teaching sections should be educational and diversified. To meet the requirements of teaching competition and regulate teaching, we should think more about teaching and "promote teaching through competition", to continuously improve the basic teaching skills of teachers and promote the steady improvement of teaching quality in colleges and universities.


Hexagonal core–shell NaYF4 upconversion nanoparticles (UNCPs) based on Nd3+ sensitization for optical temperature sensing were successfully synthesized by a solvothermal method using oleic acid and octadecene as coordinating solvents. Compared to the conventional Yb3+ sensitized UNCPs, the usage of Nd3+ as the sensitizers can shift the excitation wavelength from 975 nm to 794 nm where the optical absorption of water decreased dramatically, and thus make UNCPs more suitable for biological application. The upconversion (UC) luminescence intensity of the 794 nm-excitation UNCPs is comparable to that of the conventional 975 nm excitation, showing that Nd3+ sensitized UNCPs are efficient. The efficiently successive Nd3+ → Yb3+ → Er3+ energy transfer processes in this UNCP were demonstrated by excitation spectra and time-resolved spectra. The temperature dependence of the fluorescence intensity ratios (FIR) for the two green emissions (525 nm and 545 nm) from the thermally coupled levels of Er3+ was studied in the temperature range from 25 to 60 °C under 808 nm excitation, and the temperature mapping of a device was acquired according to this technique. These indicate that Nd3+ sensitized core–shell UNCPs are promising candidates for application in optical temperature sensors.


The main aim of this study was to determine the impact of Brexit on the NHS service. Other objectives included an examination of some of the challenges that the NHS system might face while striving to assure better health outcomes in the post-Brexit era, as well as recommend some of the strategies that the institution could implement towards addressing the perceived challenges with which Brexit might be associated. Imperative to note is that the study employed the Games Theory to explain some of the effects that a country's withdrawal from a continental bloc could have on its public service; including the health sector. It is further notable that this study relied on secondary data to collect and analyze information regarding the current and future impact of Brexit on the NHS. Indeed, most of the findings concurred with the current literature regarding the complexity and mixed outcomes surrounding the debate of Brexit versus NHS. On the one hand, some of the secondary sources consulted acknowledged that Brexit promises positive outcomes in terms of improved funding. Particularly, these studies contended that the £19 billion that the UK has been channeling to the EU could be redirected to other government priorities and public service in the UK, including the NHS. However, studies that argue that Brexit poses a negative impact on NHS suggest that future uncertainties surrounding the immigration status of EU-origin staff account for the mass exit. The studies hold further that the departure might lead to a significant increase in vacancy rates, with the cost of training nurses and doctors to replace the departing groups documented to exceed that which the UK would have incurred to import trained workers. Therefore, lasting solutions lie in the provision of adequate resources, political will, and the involvement of EU staff in feedback provision, cost-effective analyses of response strategies, and regular seminars and conferences that seek to sensitize workforces regarding the criticality of aligning their personal goals to the overall mission and vision of NHS. Whereas Brexit's uncertainties reflect a looming crisis at the NHS, the manner in which senior leaders and managers will transform challenges into opportunities for improvement will shape the ability of the institution to emerge victorious.


The predictive reliability assessment estimates the future performance of distribution networks, regarding to interruptions of power supply, based on components reliability data and system topology. The indices estimated by predictive models must match with their respective historical values otherwise the credibility of the model is compromised. An alternative to increase the accuracy of the predictive reliability models is to set reliability components data (failure rates and repair times) so that the estimated indices are near to their historical values. This process to adjust reliability data is called calibration. In this paper, nonlinear and quadratic optimization models are proposed to calibrate failure rates and repair times, respectively, of power distribution equipments. Both models are based on the load point reliability indices. The test results in a large scale distribution networks demonstrate that the proposed models can significantly reduce the mismatches between historical and predicted reliability indices.


Alice Lakwena's transformation from a healer into a Christian prophetess occurred during a period of civil war and unrest in Uganda. In 1986, she founded the Holy Spirit Mobile Forces (HSMF) in northern Uganda and waged war against the government of Yoweri Museveni. Above all, her power was based on the practice of possession by gendered spirits, a ritual that fostered a unique form of holy war. Though her forces were defeated, and she later died in a refugee camp in northern Kenya, her fame continued to grow after her death.


Resonant tunnelling diodes for device applications often have to contain very heavily doped contact regions. When the doping is so high, there is a substantial degree of auto-compensation of the dopant, and the impurity band merges with the conduction band, giving a large band tail in the density of states at the bottom of the conduction band. The effect of this band tail on the current-voltage characteristics is investigated, using the GaAs/AlGaAs double-barrier diode as an example system. The bias at peak current is found to increase, and the peak itself to broaden. A small increase in valley current is also found. Also, experiments are suggested in which double-barrier diodes with deliberately heavily doped, highly compensated contact regions are used to study the extent of the impurity band.


Regional variations of dust mineral composition are fundamental to climate impacts but generally neglected in climate models. A challenge for models is that atlases of soil composition are derived from measurements following wet sieving, which destroys the aggregates potentially emitted from the soil. Aggregates are crucial to simulating the observed size distribution of emitted soil particles. We use an extension of brittle fragmentation theory in a global dust model to account for these aggregates. Our method reproduces the size‐resolved dust concentration along with the approximately size‐invariant fractional abundance of elements like Fe and Al in the decade‐long aerosol record from the Izaña Observatory, off the coast of West Africa. By distinguishing between Fe in structural and free forms, we can attribute improved model behavior to aggregation of Fe and Al‐rich clay particles. We also demonstrate the importance of size‐resolved measurements along with elemental composition analysis to constrain models.


Nine of 10 consecutively evaluated men with DSM-III-R nonparaphilic sexual addictions or paraphilias noted improvement in sexual behaviors and depressive symptomatology while treated with fluoxetine, imipramine, or lithium. Depression was measured by means of the Inventory to Diagnose Depression. Sexual behavior was assessed in two dimensions, nonconventional interest and intensified desire, as measured by total sexual outlet. The author conceptualizes these behaviors as sexual dysregulation disorders associated with a primary mood disorder.


In this paper, we propose AR Pointer, a new augmented reality (AR) interface that allows users to manipulate three-dimensional (3D) virtual objects in AR environment. AR Pointer uses a built-in 6-degrees of freedom (DoF) inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor in an off-the-shelf mobile device to cast a virtual ray that is used to accurately select objects. It is also implemented using simple touch gestures commonly used in smartphones for 3D object manipulation, so users can easily manipulate 3D virtual objects using the AR Pointer, without a long training period. To demonstrate the usefulness of AR Pointer, we introduce two use-cases, constructing an AR furniture layout and AR education. Then, we conducted two experiments, performance tests and usability tests, to represent the excellence of the designed interaction methods using AR Pointer. We found that AR Pointer is more efficient than other interfaces, achieving 39.4% faster task completion time in the object manipulation. In addition, the participants gave an average of 8.61 points (13.4%) on the AR Pointer in the usability test conducted through the system usability scale (SUS) questionnaires and 8.51 points (15.1%) on the AR Pointer in the fatigue test conducted through the NASA task load index (NASA-TLX) questionnaire. Previous AR applications have been implemented in a passive AR environment where users simply check and pop up the AR objects those are prepared in advance. However, if AR Pointer is used for AR object manipulation, it is possible to provide an immersive AR environment for the user who want/wish to actively interact with the AR objects.


Previous studies have shown that proteasome inhibitors promote the accumulation of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) in cultured rat adrenocortical cells. Unexpectedly, this response was associated with a moderate lowering in the corticosterone secretion and proliferation rate of cultured cells. Hence, we studied the effects of proteasome inhibitors MG115 and MG132 on the secretion and proliferative activity of the regenerating adrenal cortex in rats 5 days after surgery. Animals were given two subcutaneous injections of 0.15 or 1.5 nmol/100 g of inhibitors 24 and 12 h before decapitation. Real-time PCR and Western blotting showed that StAR expression, both mRNA and protein, was markedly lower in regenerating adrenals than in the intact gland of sham-operated rats. Neither MG115 nor MG132 affected StAR expression in regenerating gland. Inhibitors induced a slight decrease in the plasma concentrations of aldosterone and corticosterone, but did not significantly alter metaphase index of the regenerating adrenal cortex. Our findings provide the first evidence that down-regulation of StAR occurs during the early stages of adrenal regeneration. Moreover, this suggests that the steroidogenic pathway is more sensitive to proteasome inhibitors than that regulating proliferative activity of regenerating adrenal cortex in the rat.


Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystemic inflammatory disorder characterized by recurrent exacerbations. Limited studies have shown it has a negative impact on patients quality of life(QoL). This study aimed to evaluate Quality of Life in Patients with Behçet's disease compared with healthy controls. A case-control study involved 71 patients with BD compared with 71 healthy controls matched in age and sex. Health-related quality-of-life was evaluated using the Short Form-36 (SF-36). All the components of Short Form-36 (SF-36), it's summary scores, and Total Short Form-36 (Total SF-36) score was significantly lower (p-value <0.001 ) in patients compared to controls. Each organ involvement studied may affect independently specific SF-36 subscores. Central nervous system involvement in BD  had a strong impact since it affects most of the SF-36 subscores. In conclusion: Health-related Quality of life was significantly impaired in Iraqi patients with Behçet's disease compared to healthy controls. Each organ involvement studied may affect independently specific SF-36 subscores.


Controlling cell differentiation and proliferation with minimal manipulation is one of the most important goals for cell therapy in clinical applications. In this work, we evaluated the hypothesis that the exposure of myoblast cells (C2C12) to nonionizing radiation (tuned at an extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field at calcium-ion cyclotron frequency of 13.75 Hz) may drive their differentiation toward a myogenic phenotype. C2C12 cells exposed to calcium-ion cyclotron resonance (Ca(2+)-ICR) showed a decrease in cellular growth and an increase in the G(0)/G(1) phase. Severe modifications in the shape and morphology and a change in the actin distribution were revealed by the phalloidin fluorescence analysis. A significant upregulation at transcriptional and translational levels of muscle differentiation markers such as myogenin (MYOG), muscle creatine kinase (MCK), and alpha skeletal muscle actin (ASMA) was observed in exposed C2C12 cells. Moreover, the pretreatment with nifedipine (an L-type voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel blocker) led to a reduction of the Ca(2+)-ICR effect. Consequently, it induced a downregulation of the MYOG, MCK, and ASMA mRNA expression affecting adversely the differentiation process. Therefore, our data suggest that Ca(2+)-ICR exposure can upregulate C2C12 differentiation. Although further studies are needed, these results may have important implications in myodegenerative pathology therapies.


Supravital excitability to electrical stimuli (for convenience, supravital electrocontractility (S.Ec) of the gastrocnemius muscle of rats and bullfrogs was examined after "somatic death" and the time during which S.Ec could be detected (S.Ec duration) was measured. S.Ec of the gastrocnemius muscle of rats and bullfrogs depended on temperature. The maximum S.Ec duration of the muscle of rats and bullfrogs were 110 min and 96 hr, respectively, at a low temperature (5 degrees), and 60 min and 9 hr, respectively, at a high temperature (30 degrees). The time course of rigor mortis at 5 degrees was slow and it was rapid at 30 degrees. In rats, the S.Ec disappeared completely before the onset of rigor mortis, and in bullfrogs, S.Ec existed at progressive stages of rigor mortis and it disappeared completely when rigor mortis reached about the maximum.


The objective of the present research is to develop new fundamental knowledge of the entropy generation process in laminar flow with significant fluctuations (called pre-transition) and during transition prematurely induced by strong freestream turbulence (bypass transition). Results of direct numerical simulations are employed. In the pre-transitional boundary layer, the perturbations by the streaky structures modify the mean velocity profile and induce a "quasi-turbulent" contribution to indirect dissipation. Application of classical laminar theory leads to underprediction of the entropy generated. In the transition region the pointwise entropy generation rate (S"') + initially increases near the wall and then decreases to correspond to the distribution predicted for a fully-turbulent boundary layer as the flow progresses downstream. In contrast to a developed turbulent flow, the term for turbulent convection in the turbulence kinetic energy balance is significant and can play an important role in some regions of the transitioning boundary layer. More turbulent energy is produced than dissipated and the excess is convected downstream as the boundary layer grows. Since it is difficult to measure and predict true turbulent dissipation rates (and hence, entropy generation rates) exactly other than by expensive direct numerical simulations, a motivation for this research is to evaluate approximate methods for possible use in experiments and design. These new results demonstrate that an approximate technique, used by many investigators, overestimates the dissipation coefficient C d by up to seventeen per cent. For better predictions and measurements, an integral approach accounting for the important turbulent energy flux is proposed and validated for the case studied.


The combining multistage interconnection network uses 4*4 switches as switching elements and introduces an extra stage of such switches and links to create four independent paths between any source-destination pair. Four copies of every message are sent through the network simultaneously. The scheduling discipline, the design of the switching elements to support the discipline, and the theoretical proof of correctness of the design constitute the key contributions of this study. Estimates are provided of various network parameters as a function of the workload, using analytical models and detailed network simulations. It is shown that the proposed design for fault tolerance is more cost-effective than the brute-force technique of having multiple copies of the network. >


The influence of cimetidine on skin graft rejection was studied in a well defined transplantation model of inbred mice. Four allogeneic transplantation combinations with increasing antigenic disparity and one xenograft combination were studied. Cimetidine (25 mg/kg body weight) was administered intraperitoneally at 8-hr intervals until rejection occurred. No differences in graft survival were observed between cimetidine-treated groups and saline-treated controls in any of the combinations studied.


The hodlCoin game is a competitive zero-sum massively multiplayer financial game where the goal is to hodl an asset for long periods of time. By hodling, a player deposits coins of a given asset in a common reserve and receives a proportional amount of hodlCoins. Players who un-hodl pay a fee that is accumulated in the common reserve. Thus, the longer a player hodls, in comparison with other players, the more the player will benefit from fees paid by the players who are unhodling earlier. Surprisingly, we prove here that, thanks to the accumulation of fees, the price of hodlCoins in comparison with the underlying asset never decreases!


SUMMARY The generality and easy programmability of modern sampling-based methods for maximisation of likelihoods and summarisation of posterior distributions have led to a tremendous increase in the complexity and dimensionality of the statistical models used in practice. However, these methods can often be extremely slow to converge, due to high correlations between, or weak identifiability of, certain model parameters. We present simple hierarchical centring reparametrisations that often give improved convergence for a broad class of normal linear mixed models. In particular, we study the two-stage hierarchical normal linear model, the Laird-Ware model for longitudinal data, and a general structure for hierarchically nested linear models. Using analytical arguments, simulation studies, and an example involving clinical markers of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), we indicate when reparametrisation is likely to provide substantial gains in efficiency.


Experiments are conducted on a number of mobile radio systems that are suitable for operation in nondispersive microcellular networks. It becomes apparent that the selection of the type of modem and the number of its levels, the choice of speech codec to be used, and whether to deploy a channel codec, depends on the channel signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and teletraffic demand, if the power consumption of the handheld portable is to be minimized. Following the implications of the authors' limited number of experiments, they generalize their findings to some of the requirements of an adaptive transceiver that might be deployed in the next generation of mobile radio networks. >


Foreign Direct Investment has contributed significantly to Chinese economic development. Yet the geographic distribution of the FDI is quite uneven. Compared with the inward FDI in the eastern and mid regions of China, the western region has attracted less FDI. FDI is fuelling much of the rapid economic leap of the developed regions of China and the significant inequity grows further. There are many determinant factors to influence the FDI inflows. The essay takes Gansu province as an example, the author concludes that the core constraining factors of Gansu province in FDI attraction are, but not limited to, the economy development and openness degree, natural environment and the impact of industrial cluster, thus, the government of Gansu province should formulate corresponding measures to attract FDI inflows so as to produce optimal results and stimulate the economy growth.


On July 1, 2012, Jan Crawford of CBS News reported details of the confidential deliberations of the Supreme Court of the United States in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebilius. Specifically, she revealed that Chief Justice John G. Roberts began working with Associate Justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel A. Alito to draft an opinion striking the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the "PPACA") as an unconstitutional exercise of Congress's power to regulate commerce. According to Crawford, he later had a change of heart and worked with Associate Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayer, and Elena Kagan to draft the majority opinion upholding the act under Congress's taxing power. The media seized upon this reported change of position. Conservative media outlets decried Roberts's actions as the result of political pressure from the left. Others suggested that Chief Justice Roberts sought to promote intergovernmental harmony by upholding historic legislation that Congress had passed and the President had approved.Ms. Crawford relied on information that "two sources with specific knowledge of the deliberations" had provided to her. One important question has escaped media attention: can or should Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States discuss details of deliberations with the press, even anonymously? This essay attempts to answer that question by addressing the ethical implications of such statements from the Court, the conflict between the restrictions on judicial speech and the First Amendment rights of the Justices of the Court, and the wisdom of such extrajudicial statements. Both the ABA Model Code of Judicial Conduct and the Code of Conduct for United States Judges contain restrictions on extrajudicial speech. Specifically, those codes prohibit judges from commenting publicly on a pending or impending case. These restrictions on judicial speech would likely survive a constitutional challenge under the First Amendment because of the compelling government interest in maintaining the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary. Unfortunately, neither the Code of Conduct nor the Model Code apply to the actions of the SCOTUS informants in this instance. First, the Supreme Court is not subject to the Model Code because that code serves solely as a model on which specific jurisdictions may choose to base their own codes of conduct. The Judicial Conference of the United States did adopt a version of the Model Code, the Code of Conduct for United States Judges. That code, however, does not lust the Supreme Court among the judges to whom it is intended to apply. Moreover, the Supreme Court created the Judicial Conference and is not subject to its disciplinary authority. The second reason neither code applies to the SCOTUS leaks is because Jan Crawford's story broke days after the Supreme Court issued its opinion in National Federation. Because the decision of the Court was not appealable, that case was no longer pending at the time the confidential information was leaked to Ms. Crawford. Thus, the actions of Ms. Crawford's source did not violate either the Model Code or the Code of Conduct.Although the SCOTUS leaks did not violate either the Code of Conduct for United States Judges or the Model Code of Judicial Conduct, such anonymous comments to the press about the internal deliberations of the Court denigrate the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the institution. In so doing, the actions violated Canons 1, 2, and 3 of the Code of Conduct and Canons 1 and 2 of the Model Code. Moreover, the Comment to Rule 3(A)(6) cautions judges to take care in making public comments concerning a case from the judge's own court, even if otherwise permitted by the rules, because such comments may "denigrate public confidence in the judiciary's integrity and impartiality, which would violate Canon 2A." Moving forward, the Court and its staff should aspire to achieve the overarching principles set forth in the canons of both the Code of Conduct and the Model Code. The Supreme Court must return to a minimum level of discretion and decorum if it hopes to restore its reputation for independence, integrity, and impartiality. If the Supreme Court cannot strive to achieve these goals, there is little hope lesser courts will be as successful in their quests to do so.


As previously reported in Part Ⅰ the author found that hemoglobin had tendency to show the production of MetHb and the decolorization remarkably when Streptococcus hemolyticus, Streptococcus viridans, and Diprococcus pneumoniae Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ were cultured in the medium using the blood of acatalasemic patients. These changes clearly have indicated that the blood of these patients lacking in the catalase is unable to dispose of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) produced by bacteria and subsequently Hb is oxidized to form MetHb and with progress of oxidation the constituents of the blood seem to turn to decolorization substances such as propentodyopent. This time with a view to clarify this point still further, the author studied action of still bacteria en erythrocytes of the normal and the patients, and from the results of this study arrived at the following conclusion. 1) Diprococcus pneumoniae Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Streptococcus viridans markedly accumulate H(2)O(2) during oxidation process of glucose. 2) When glucose is used as substrate loaded with acatalasemic erythrocytes and shaken, in the case of Diprococcus pnemoniae Ⅰ, Ⅱ, or Streptococcus viridans, a marked production of MetHb has bean observed, when normal erythrocytes are loaded, the production of MetHb has been extremely small as compared with each of these bacteria in the case of the acatalasemic erythrocytes. When pyruvate, succinate, or aspartate is used as substrate, the influences of each of these bacteria on erythrocytes are on the whole quite small. 3) Productivity of MetHb and decolorization by bacteria have a parallel relationship with the accumulation of H(2)O(2). 4) Using glucose as substrate, influences of Diprococcus pneumoniae Ⅱ on the respiration of erythrocytes are as follows. a. In the case where erythrocytes are not loaded (the control) O(2)-consumption decreases by 60-90 minutes. b. In the case where acatalasemic erythrocytes are loaded, so long as Hb exists, O(2)-consumption continues to rise. c. In the case where normal erythrocytes are loaded, up to 60 minutes O(2)-consumption is comparatively lower than that of the control but it does not fall even 120 minutes later. d. On examining H(2)O(2) in solution after these reactions, an extremely minutes quantity of it has been traced in the case of loading acatalasemic erythrocytes, while none can be traced in the case of loading normal erythrocytes. e. Thiourea and cysteine have been found to completely recompensate whatever influences exerted upon O(2)-comsumption of bacteria by acatalasemic blood. 5) After studying color changes of the erythrocytes to which H(2)O(2) of various concentrations had been adden, the results thus obtained were quite identical with those which erythrocytes had been influenced by respiring bacteria. 6) From these facts as far mentioned it may be assumed that the influences of respiring bacteria upon the acatalasemic erythrocytes are due to the action of H(2)O(2) produced by bacteria.