Previous studies have shown that patients with schizophrenia are impaired in recalling specific events from their personal past. However, the relationship between autobiographical memory impairments and disturbance of the sense of identity in schizophrenia has not been investigated in detail. In this study the authors investigated schizophrenic patients' ability to recall self-defining memories; that is, memories that play an important role in building and maintaining the self-concept. Results showed that patients recalled as many specific self-defining memories as healthy participants. However, patients with schizophrenia exhibited an abnormal reminiscence bump and reported different types of thematic content (i.e., they recalled less memories about past achievements and more memories regarding hospitalisation and stigmatisation of illness). Furthermore, the findings suggest that impairments in extracting meaning from personal memories could represent a core disturbance of autobiographical memory in patients with schizophrenia.


This study examines the relationship between organizational culture and human resource management in Nepalese commercial banks. This study aims to analyze the impact of specific factors on Nepalese commercial banks' human resource management practices. To estimate the relationship between human resource management, and the organizational cultural dimensions, the study used a descriptive and causal-comparative research design. The study relies on primary data derived from a self-administered questionnaire. In total, 24 commercial banks were chosen for the study, 410 questionnaires were distributed and 390 questionnaires were collected for the analysis. To achieve the study's goal, a structured questionnaire was constructed. The findings show there was a significant positive relationship between power distance (PD), collectivism (CO), masculinity (MA), uncertainty avoidance (UA), and long-term orientation (LTO) with human resource management (HRM). The result further revealed that Power distance (PD), collectivism (CO), masculinity (MA), and uncertainty avoidance (UA) have a significant positive impact on human resource management (HRM), and long-term orientation (LTO) do not have any influence on human resource management (HRM). The findings of this study can be implemented for better management of the human resources of Nepalese commercial banks.


Large sensor arrays are prone to element failures which can seriously degrade their performance. In the event of sensor failures, conventional non-adaptive re-design of array weights for the resulting non-uniform or even sparse array often leads to undesirable mainlobe-versus-sidelobe level trade-offs. Alternatively, adaptive array processing techniques can be employed but for large arrays it can be compromised by lack of snapshot support in dynamic environments. Recently, an approach called beamspace adaptive channel compensation (BACC) was introduced based on the idea of reconstructing the filled array data from the receive beams in which the sidelobe leakage of strong interferers from adjacent beams is minimized. In this paper, BACC and various alternatives are evaluated using actual radar data with both injected and real scatterers. Results of four methods, BACC, MV adaptive beamforming using an augmented Toeplitz covariance matrix (Toeplitz-MV), principal solution beamforming, and conventional beamforming in the presence of faulty sensors are compared in terms of ROC performance, probability of detection versus SINR, and the unmasking of targets in estimated range-Doppler spectra.


With acquisition protocols such as high angular resolution diffusion imaging, head motion can become an issue. Although the misalignment between diffusion-weighted images (DWIs) can be corrected in a post-processing step, this might increase partial volume effects, because of the relatively low spatial resolution of DWIs and interpolation in the registration procedure. If able to detect motion online, the scanner technician could be issued a warning and make a decision accordingly. Orientation distribution functions (ODF) can be reconstructed online using a Kalman filter (KF). We present three contributions related to the problem of online ODF reconstruction and motion detection in HARDI. First, we develop a proper error propagation accounting for the non-linear transform on the diffusion signal. Next, we develop two motion detection algorithms, based on the monitoring of residuals, and compare them using synthetic data.


means understanding the Probation Service as an agency which provides arange of services tGm©ct particular needs. Consequently, after an opening essay by Michael Day which analysesthepoliticat climate in which the Service operates, chapters 2 to 6 deal respectively with civil and criminal courts, the team supervision of offenders, community service, prisoners and the Probation Service, and probation in the USA. Part 2 concerns work wjtbœmmunity rroups or clients who face specific practical prolgo-4enfs, with chapters on the residential, employment and educational needs of offenders, alcohol and drugs, and the problem of racism. The final three chaptemdcal with reparation,, crime prevention, andtberesearehissueofevaluaemg the effectivenessofprobatiÐI1 work which has shifted its focus, to some degree, from individual clients to a broader concern with the wider c~~muni~ty . I found this book easy to read, except ft~r the chapter on the American experience, and at times thought provoking because it presents a new perspective on ce~n i~u~~ with a new response to black clients. One of its strengths is t~t it's written mainly by probation officers which enhances our understanding of probation practice. It fails, however, to devote a specific chapter to an analysis of SNOP which is surprising in a book purporting to deal with issues of policy. PHILIP WHITEHEAD


The authors present GAD, a compiler for arithmetic datapaths, i.e. systems characterized by the absence of conditional branches and abundance of arithmetic operations. GAD's inputs are the functional specification of the datapath in the form of a signal flow graph, as well as the required throughput rate. A netlist is generated for the synthesized datapath, which is optimized for the number of gates used. The synthesis problem is formulated into two parts: (1) pipeline design, where machine cycles are organized into pipeline stages according to operator delays; and (2) scheduling, where operators are assigned to cycles to maximize resource sharing. Heuristics have been developed for these problems; using the characteristics of arithmetic datapaths, they explore systematically and efficiently a large part of the design space


The status of fish fauna of Kalpani beel in the Chirang district of Assam was studied from June to December, 2016. It is an ecologically important oxbow lake. The beel is fed by flood of Manas River originating from Bhutan and an important tributary of the river Brahmaputra. A total of 55 fish species belonging to 38 genera and 21 families (under 7 order) has been recorded during the study period from the lake. Out of these, 1.81% are endangered (EN), 3.63% are vulnerable (VU), 9.09% are near threatened (NT), 78.18% are least concern (LC), 1.81% are data deficient (DD) and 5.45% are not evaluated (NE). The highest no. of species is represented by cyprinidae family (22) followed by channidae (5), Bagridae (3), Mastacembelidae (3), osphronemidae (2), cobitidae (2), Ambassisdae (2), Nemacheilidae, Anabantidae, Badidae, Gobiidae, Nandidae, Notopteridae, Claridae, Heteropneustidae, Shilbeidae, Shilbeidae, Siluridae, Synbranchidae, Belonidae and Tetradontidae (1). The present paper deals with a list of ichthyofauna, collection locality, scientific name, local name based on their locality and their conservation status as per IUCN status. Keywords: Eastern Himalayan river, ichthyofaunal diversity, Kalpani beel, oxbow lake Cite this Article Jabin Chandra Ray, Jatin Sarmah. A Study on the Ichthyofaunal Status of an Oxbow Lake of Eastern Himalayan River of Assam, India. Research & Reviews: A Journal of Life Sciences. 2018; 8(1):  35–42p.


Airlines have been utilising differentiated fare pricing for more than four decades as one of the widely used revenue management (RM) tool which mainly segments the cabin capacity into multiple fare classes often distinguished using fare prices. Studies have shown that there can be significant augmentation in revenues from differentiated pricing, however, most studies have assumed that the market segmentation is perfect and demands observed in the perfectly segmented markets using differentiated prices are deterministic. In perfect market segmentation, there is no demand leakage between the market segments, and therefore, customers do not cannibalise (move) between market segments. It is not uncommon to notice that the market segmentation is seldom prefect with no exceptions to airline industry. In the airline industry, passengers are expected to cannibalise between fare classes. This research addresses the issue of establishing an integrated framework to optimise differentiated fare prices, and seat inventory control for an airline which experiences demand leakage. Mathematical models are proposed for an airline which experiences the price dependent stochastic demand whose distribution is known, and for the situation when the distribution of the price dependent stochastic demand is unknown. We analyse the models to outline an integrated optimal control framework for differentiated fare pricing, and seat inventory control decisions for an airline that experiences the demand leakage between its fare classes. Numerical example shows that the proposed integrated framework significantly improves the revenue gains of an airline.


We present an empirical comparison between neural interspike interval sequences obtained from two different kinds of sensory receptors. Both differ in their internal structure as well as in the strength of correlations and the degree of predictability found in the respective spike trains. As a further tool in this context, we suggest the local uncertainty, assigning a well-defined predictability to individual spikes. The local uncertainty is demonstrated to reveal significant patterns within the interspike interval sequences, even when its overall structure is (almost) random. Our approach is based on the concept of symbolic dynamics and information theory.


Background and Aims HR-injury can induce generation of reactive oxygen species which activate anti-/pro-apoptotic signalling in the cell or cause direct cell damage. The lungs of newborn neonates are susceptible to HR-injury. To explore underlying mechanisms, a temporal profile of a priori selected genes was performed. Methods 84 C57BL/6 mice postnatal day 7 were randomized to 120 min of hypoxia (FiO2 0.08, n=64) or 180 min in air (C21, n=20). The hypoxia group was further randomized to 30 min reoxygenation with FiO2 0.60 (H60) or air (H21). Lung tissue was harvested after observation in air for 0, 150, 300 min or 3 days and 44 mRNA transcripts were analyzed by real-time PCR. Results Bcl2, Bcl2l1, Bnip3 and Gadd45g were significantly up- regulated (p<0.05), and Ccnd1, Chek1 and Casp3 down-regulated in H60vsC21 and H21vsC21 (0 min). Apex1 and Apaf1 were also down-regulated in the comparison H60vsC21. After 150 min Apex1, Bcl2, Casp3, Ccnd1, Chek1 and Mutyh were down-regulated for H60vsC21 and H21vsC21. Bcl2 continued to be down-regulated in both comparisons (300 min). Gadd45g was only up-regulated in H60vsC21 after 150 and 300 min. No significant gene expression changes were observed after 3 days. Conclusion HR-injury in the newborn lung induces an immediate alteration in the expression of both anti- (Bcl2, Bcl2l1) and pro-apoptotic genes (Bnip3, Apaf1, Apex1, Gadd45g), while cell-cycle genes (Ccnd1, Chek1) are suppressed. A suppression of Bcl2 from 150 min and a continuous up-regulation of Gadd45g after hyperoxic reoxygenation may indicate early phase of DNA damage-induced apoptosis.


The structure of a disordered IIb Mg-chamosite was studied using Rietveld refinement techniques and powder X-ray diffraction (CuKα, 18–120° 2θ in 0.02° 2θ increments). The refinement in space group CĪ yielded high precision lattice parameters (a = 5.36982(5)Å, b = 9.3031(9)Å, c = 14.2610(6)Å, α = 90.315(5)°, β = 97.234(7)°, γ = 90.022(9)°) and atomic coordinates very similar to previous studies. However, the presence of semi-random stacking in this specimen created a situation in which not all atoms could be precisely located: the positions of the octahedral cations and anions which repeat at intervals of ±b/3 could be uniquely determined in three dimensions whereas only the z parameter of the other atoms could be refined. The reasonable appearance of the final model, despite the fact that many of the atom positions could be located in only one dimension, may have resulted because all of the atoms in this structure except O(5) repeat at intervals which are very nearly ±b/3.


Abstract Recent studies have shown that obesity is not a homogeneous condition and that there is a subgroup of people with obesity, but without metabolic disturbance. This phenotype of obesity is called "metabolically healthy obesity" (MHO) [1]. More and more data are appearing in the scientific literature, indicating that quantitative and qualitative changes in the gut microbiota (GM) can be a trigger in the development of obesity and metabolic disorders [2]. In order to study the role of GM in the development of various types of obesity, 37 patients were examined, divided into 3 groups: group 1 (n = 11) - healthy people without obesity and overweight (control), group 2 (n = 13) - patients with MHO, group 3 (n = 13) - patients with metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUHO). The basic metabolic parameters were determined for all of them and a quantitative assessment of the condition of the GM was performed using the Real-time PCR method. Results: 1. In people from the control group (group 1) in the GM, compared with formal normative indicators, the number of Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp., B. thetaiotaomicron was reduced (p<0.05) and indicators of the total bacterial mass and Enterobacter spp./Citrobacter spp. were increased (p<0.05). 2. In subjects with MHO (group 2), GM changes similar to group 1 were observed. However, in comparison to group 1, Klebsiella spp. and Proteus spp. were recorded in feces in quantities exceeding the formal regulatory. In patients with MUHO (group 3), in addition to changes detected in group 2, C. difficile was found in feces, as well as a significant (p <0.05) decrease in F. prausnitzii and an increase (p <0.05) in the detection frequency of banal E.coli, as well as the more diverse composition of the microbiota. Thus, the data obtained as a result of a pilot study certainly indicate changes in the GM in people with different phenotypes of obesity and in healthy ones. Further study of the GM in patients with various types of obesity, but in a larger groups, is required. Reference: 1) Phillips C.M. Metabolically healthy obesity across the life course: epidemiology, determinants and implications. Ann N.Y. Acad Sci 2017 Mar;139(1):85-100.doi:10.1111/nyas.13230. 2). Giovanna Muscogiuri, Elena Cantone, Sara Cassarano, Dario Tuccinardi, Luigi Barrea, Silvia Savastano, Annamaria Colao & on behalf of the Obesity Programs of nutrition, Education, Research and Assessment (OPERA) group. Gut microbiota: a new path to treat obesity. International Journal of Obesity Supplements 2019 Apr;9(1):10-19. doi: 10.1038/s41367-019-0011-7


This review examined the costs and benefits of clinical placements and found only limited evidence. No evidence compared a cost and/or benefit in more than one setting, between disciplines or investigated placements in vocational training. Comprehensive data collection is required across the work profile to allow an accurate assessment. The review gives examples of a range of tangible and intangible benefits for health service providers and organisations. Priorities for future research are identified.


PURPOSE
This paper aims to explore the mathematics of Kaplan-Meier and survival statistics, explain how the mathematics are relevant for prosthodontic treatment planning, and provide advice for future presentation of such data.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The mathematics of the Kaplan-Meier and related survival statistic formulas were explored with hypothetical data consisting of 100 prostheses, reviewed yearly for 10 years. The hypothetical impact of failures (n = 1, 2, 9, or 0) and censored data (n = 5, 9, or 10) were reviewed across three life tables and survival curves. Actual published data of 304 porcelain veneers, reviewed regularly for 16 years, were similarly utilized. The impact of changing the number of failures and censored data on the estimated cumulative survival (ECS) and the standard error (SE) was reviewed across two life tables and survival curves.

RESULTS
The ECS and SE are calculated from two data figures: the number of failures that occurred during an interval and the number of prostheses at risk during that same interval. The ECS reduces and its SE enlarges when prostheses fail. These results can also change if prostheses are lost from the study (censored). However, the number of failures is in the numerator of the equation. Therefore, if no failures occur, loss of prostheses from the study cannot change the ECS or the SE. This can dramatically affect the calculated ECS and SE if a prosthesis becomes lost to follow-up rather than presenting as a failure. The hypothetical and actual data were used to explore these concepts.

CONCLUSION
Current techniques for analysis of time-to-event data are imperfect and can be misleading. It therefore behooves authors to strive to improve reporting transparency, journals to support such industry, and readers to remain mindful that the cumulative survival is an estimate, ie, a reflection of reality.


Who makes decisions that shape the housing, policies, and social programs in urban neighborhoods? Who, in other words, governs? This book offers a rich ethnographic portrait of the individuals who implement community development projects in the Fairmount Corridor, one of Boston's poorest areas. The book uncovers a network of nonprofits and philanthropic foundations making governance decisions alongside public officials—a public–private structure that has implications for democratic representation and neighborhood inequality. The book's author spent four years following key players in Boston's community development field. While state senators and city councilors are often the public face of new projects, and residents seem empowered through opportunities to participate in public meetings, the author found a shadow government of nonprofit leaders and philanthropic funders, nonelected neighborhood representatives with their own particular objectives, working behind the scenes. Tying this system together were political performances of "community"—government and nonprofit leaders, all claiming to value the community. The author argues that there is no such thing as a singular community voice, meaning any claim of community representation is, by definition, illusory. The author shows how community development is as much about constructing the idea of community as it is about the construction of physical buildings in poor neighborhoods. The book demonstrates how the nonprofit sector has become integral to urban policymaking, and the tensions and trade-offs that emerge when private nonprofits take on the work of public service provision.


Since 1962, the government of Myanmar had been controlled by the military power. This matter caused Myanmar people losing their rights in social, political, and economic sectors. The losing of those rights then became the factor of Myanmar people to do illegal migration. However, the illegal migration that was done by Myanmar people make them became the victim of human trafficking. Myanmar even become the country with the highest number of human trafficking victims in Mekong River region. In 2010, Myanmar did the election as a sign of the occurrence of political transition there and became the end of the military power that controlled the government for over 48 years. The purpose of the research is to know the effect of political transition in Myanmar on handling human trafficking. This research is mainly based on Guillermo O'Donnell's and Philippe C. Schmitter Political Transition theory, stating that in times of political transition the shift in human rights promotion occurs. Therefore, an idea arise in times of Myanmar's political transition, the number of human trafficking declines. Descriptive type is use on this research to explain the human trafficking phenomenon that happen when political transition in Myanmar was on going. The result of this research shows that political transition in Myanmar take effect on the reduction of human trafficking victim in Myanmar.


ADHD is a mental disorder characterized by attention deficit, hyperactivity and impulsivity so having difficulty concentrating. One of the efforts to increase concentration is giving play therapy Borneo Puzzle based on education game. This study was conducted in the Extraordinary School of Cahaya Bangsa, Bina Anak Bangsa, Kinasih and Autism West Kalimantan. This study aimed to determine the effect of Borneo Puzzle game based on education game towards the level of concentration of chidren with ADHD. The study methods used quasi experimental with population of 20 Elementary Students with total sampling technique. 10 students were given Borneo Puzzle based on education game and 10 students were given a conventional puzzle for 6 consecutive days. We used Concentration Grid Exercise as an instrument, statistic test analyzed with Paired t-test dan Independent t-test. Paired t-test results showed p = 0,000 in the intervention group and p = 0,001 in the control group (p value < 0,05) which means that Borneo Puzzle game based on education game and conventional puzzle had a significant effect on the concentration level of ADHD children. The average difference of total score concentration level between before and after treatment in the intervention group was 4,60 (SD 2,45) greater than the control group which was 3,70 (SD 2,35), with Independent t-test results showed p value = 0,415 (p value > 0,05) shows no significant difference in the total score. Conclusion: there is an influence of Borneo Puzzle game based on education game towards the level of concentration of children with ADHD in the Extraordinary School Pontianak City in 2020. Borneo Puzzle game based on education game can be used as an alternative game model in play therapy to increase the concentration of children with ADHD.


Airbnb hosts' pricing decisions are the choices hosts make when setting the daily rate for their listing of properties. Some Airbnb hosts have a long run approach, charging lower prices to attract more customers and achieve higher occupancy rates, while others have a short-run approach, charging higher prices to maximize the short-run opportunities from the market. The pricing strategy of Airbnb hosts is the key to their eventual success and plays an important role, since it influences their relationship with customers. Airbnb listings can be hard to price. Therefore, each Airbnb host faces an important decision when entering the market: What is the perfect daily rate to charge such that to achieve their goal? Major aspects, such as property location, type (private room, entire home, etc.) and amenities, target customers, other Airbnb competitors, thinking like a guest, the safety and beauty of the neighborhood, seasonality, etc., must be considered. Considering Airbnb's exponential growth since it started in 2007, it is obvious that establishing a suitable pricing strategy is vital for any new host. The present paper uses information from the new listings in 2020 to investigate different hypotheses that explore the pricing strategies of Airbnb hosts for their new listings on the market. This study highlights, on one hand, the great need for Airbnb to encourage dynamic pricing among its new hosts and, on the other hand, the challenges faced by these hosts when they establish the price. An important characteristic of this article is the set of theoretical and methodological implications for the pricing strategy for the new Airbnb new hosts. Furthermore, this document reinforces the idea that the pricing strategy differs between cities and countries, emphasizing the strategy in the case of the new Airbnb new hosts.


Controlling access to resources at remote hosts by mobile agents during their execution is a challenging problem. Current solutions use mainly methodology that detects agents' incorrect access attempts to a particular resource. For that purpose agents' execution logs are checked in order to identify malicious activities or misuse of resources at a particular host. As an alternative, instead of detective approach, we focus on preventive approach for control of access by mobile agents. While detective approach may provide some protection, its primary shortcoming is that it does not provide protection of resources in advance, before access, and in fact requires post-fact manual intervention and activation of countermeasures. With our solution we provide a solution to authenticate and authorize agents at remote hosts before executing any action. The architecture of our system is based on RBAC XACML policies and SAML standards.


AbstractThe props used by students of SMAN 4 metro are only able to show the concept of hydrostatic pressure through spray distance only. This resulted in the limited knowledge of students regarding the concept of hydrostatic pressure.. So researchers need to develop props that are able to show the concept of hydrostatic pressure to be more complex, can show the effect of depth to the amount of pressure, can show the amount of hydrostatic pressure in the same depth, and can show the effect of density to the amount of pressure. The purpose of this research are: (1) produces hydrostatic pressure props that work well, (2) produces hydrostatic pressure props that are suitable for learning media, and (3) to know about students respond of hydrostatic pressure props developed. This research is done by research and development method (R & D) using ADDIE development model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation). The results of this research are: (1) Hydrostatic pressure props developed can work well, (2) the average of feasibility level media component and material is amount of 95.8% include of the criteria of props is very feasible to use as a media of learning., and (3) student's response to props amounted to90.96% means the props are very well received by the students.
Keywords: Research and Development, Learning Media, Hydrostatic Pressure Tool


The most effective chemical pretreatment method for Scenedesmus dimorphus was evaluated based on solubilization rate and saccharification yield. When 1% of S. dimorphus with 0.5 N of chemicals such as HCl, H_2SO_4, HNO_3, NaOH and KOH was autoclaved at 120℃ and 1.1 atm for 60 min, the solubilization rate was high with alkali chemicals while the saccharification yield was low compared to that with acid chemicals. The pretreatment efficiency was significant in order in HNO_3, HCl and H_2SO_4, however, HCl would be effective for field application considering the cost. The proper concentration and time to treat with HCl were concluded in 1 N and 10 min. In the conditions with 1 : 1 mixed acid chemicals such as H_2SO_4+HNO_3, HCl+HNO_3 and HCl+H_2SO_4, the solubilization rate was similar to that with single acid treatment, while the saccharification yield was enhanced about 34% in the mixed condition with H_2SO_4 and HNO_3 compared to that treated with H_2SO_4.


3034 Brain metastases from breast cancer are common and cause significant morbidity and mortality. The underlying mechanism is still largely unknown. We found that brain metastastic breast cancer cells have a higher Ras activity corresponding to a reduced FAK phosphorylation level than their parental breast cancer cells. Dephosphorylation and inhibition of FAK is dependent on Ras activity and mediated by Cdc42 but not other Ras downstream signaling molecules, such as Raf, PI-3K, Ral, and Rac. Furthermore, overexpression of the wild-type tyrosine phosphatase PTP-PEST, but not its catalytic domain mutant, dephosphorylates FAK. Expression of FAKY397F mutant or FRNK in Ras transformed cells enhanced cell migration and invasion. These results strongly suggest that dephosphorylation and inhibition of FAK resulting from PTP-PEST, which is downstream from activation of Ras and Cdc42, contribute to brain metastases of breast cancer cells.


Abstract. Concentrated photovoltaic (PV) technology represents a growing market in the field of terrestrial solar energy production. As the demand for renewable energy technologies increases, further importance is placed on the modeling, design, and simulation of these systems. Given the cultural shift toward energy awareness and conservation, several concentrated PV systems have been installed across the world. This research presents a new model for carrier concentration within a solar cell. The goal of this innovation is to facilitate the determination of the steady-state operating temperature as a function of the concentration factor for the optical part of the concentrated PV system, to calculate the optimum concentration that maximizes power output and efficiency. This model will be shown to produce a more realistic estimate of the current through a solar cell, which will enable further research into dynamic thermal modeling.


C60Pdn polymer-like materials were prepared and reacted with toluene, one of the harmful gases. Toluene was successfully adsorbed on C60Pdn at ambient temperature without additional energy sources. This adsorptivity was retained even at low concentration of 1000 ppb, which is close to the actual toluene concentration in the environment. The strong adsorption of toluene molecules toward C60Pdn was confirmed by IR, TG-IR, and cyclic voltammetry. The πelectrons of toluene are believed to adsorb on the partially positive Pd atoms of C60Pdn, and theoretical studies have suggested that the π-electrons of C60 and toluene overlap through the d-electron orbitals of the Pd atom, representing not just physical adsorption. This result should open the door to application of fullerene materials as adsorbents for harmful gases.


In this paper, we present a new algorithm and an experimental implementation for factoring elements in the polynomial n'th Weyl algebra, the polynomial n'th shift algebra, and ZZ^n-graded polynomials in the n'th q-Weyl algebra.
The most unexpected result is that this noncommutative problem of factoring partial differential operators can be approached effectively by reducing it to the problem of solving systems of polynomial equations over a commutative ring. In the case where a given polynomial is ZZ^n-graded, we can reduce the problem completely to factoring an element in a commutative multivariate polynomial ring.
The implementation in Singular is effective on a broad range of polynomials and increases the ability of computer algebra systems to address this important problem. We compare the performance and output of our algorithm with other implementations in commodity computer algebra systems on nontrivial examples.


Rosita, Rizky. 2013. Robinson's Struggle of Life Changes of Robinson Crusoe Personality as Reflected in Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe A Thesis, English Department, Undergraduate Program of Stikubank. The consultant : Yulistiyanti, S.S, M.Hum
This thesis is done by finding the answers of the writer's questions about a novel, 'Robinson Crusoe' by Daniel Defoe. Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe personality, who gets a lot of experiences and he can also change his way of thinking. Then why the struggle of life changes the personality, the writer wants to know more about the character of Robinson Crusoe when he is in the isolated island. The objectives of the study are to find out the character of Robinson Crusoe, which is the main character in Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, the setting, and the struggle of life of Robinson Crusoe. In this study, there are structural and psychological approaches as the methods used in analyzing the novel. The writer also uses qualitative study to do the research. The result of the analysis reveals that the main character has many changes in his characters after he is stranded on a desert island. He becomes a good person. He has good behavior and personality. Since he lives on this island and he has to solve some problem, he becomes patient, a hard worker, and a religious person. This island has changed him to be better.


Thin films of tin disulphide are prepared by reactive evaporation. It is shown that heating above 410K in vacuum reduces the resistivity of the as-prepared film by about ten orders of magnitude. Activation energies for conduction for both as-prepared and annealed films are determined. The refractive index and extinction coefficient are also determined.


In this study, modeling of a semi-solar greenhouse has been done using Matlab software from the viewpoint of energy, exergy and economic, for the first time to the best of the author's knowledge. This simulation predicts the four different point's temperatures of the semi-solar greenhouse, considering mass and heat transfer between greenhouse components and the crop evapotranspiration. The results of the proposed modeling have evaluated by data recording from the constructed typical semi-solar greenhouse experimentally. Noticeable value of 19.5 °C has obtained for the temperature difference of the inside air and the outside air during tests. For statistical error functions of for Coefficient of Determination, Model Efficiency, Mean Absolute Percentage Error, Total Sum of Squared Error and Root Mean Squared Error average values of 97.5%, 87%, 6.08 %, 213.4°C2 and 2.1°C have been calculated which shows the acceptable accuracy of the thermodynamic analysis. Moreover, exergy destruction of heat and mass transfer processes in the greenhouse system has been inspected. Considering the aim of this study as providing suitable thermal conditions for the inside air, the greenhouse air unit cost for each time step of one minute was analyzed. The unit cost of the air inside the greenhouse increases considerably by raising the interest rate from 10% to 20%. Using the technique of double layer glass separated with air filled space as the greenhouse cover, total exergy destruction of the semi-solar greenhouse decreases about 45.36%.


Abstract Peirce believed that his pragmaticism can be conclusively proven. Beginning in 1903, he drafted several attempts, ending by 1908 with a semeiotic proof. Around 1905, he exposes the proof using the theory of Existential Graphs (EGs). This paper modernizes the semantics Peirce proposed for EGs in terms of game-theoretic semantics (GTS). Peirce's 1905 proof is then reconstructed in three parts, by (1) relating pragmaticism to the GTS conception of meaning, (2) showing that Peirce's proof is an argument for a relational structure of the meaning of intellectual signs that our interpretative and strategic practices give rise to, and (3) bringing out the key links between EGs and pragmaticism.


Herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 are ubiquitous and appear often asymptomatic but some individuals suffer from recurrent infections and the causes are largely unknown. In this thesis I present results from evaluations of diagnostic and etiologic studies of methods used for the detection of acute aseptic meningitis (AAM) and in HSV-2 meningitis in particular. The second part we investigated the innate and/or adaptive immune response in patients affected by HSV-1 and 2 in primary genital infection as well as recurrent HSV-2 meningitis compared to recurrent genital infection or seropositive blood donors. The first paper addresses the need for efficient and sensitive diagnostic methods in the management of virus infections in the central nervous system. The objective was to evaluate a real-time PCR for the detection of HSV-2 and VZV DNA from cerebrospinal fluid samples in clinically well characterized patients with HSV-2 meningitis and AAM of unknown origin. The sensitivity of real-time PCR was found to be 87% (33/38) in primary and 70% (19/27) in recurrent HSV-2 meningitis. VZV was detected in 2 of 45 samples (4.4%). The quantitative real-time PCR was also compared with the nested qualitative PCR and found to identify more cases in the recurrent meningitis group. The second paper addresses the etiology of AAM and the diagnostic efficiency in an adult population in Stockholm, using a limited first-line combination of microbiological assays. PCR assays for HSVDNA and enterovirus (EV) RNA in the CSF as well as ELISA for IgM to tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in serum were performed. A viral diagnosis was obtained in 255 of the 419 cases (62%) with these routinely performed assays. Thus, consistent use of CSF-PCR for EV and HSV and TBEV serology established a diagnosis in the majority of AAM patients. The third paper addresses the immune response in patients experiencing a first episode genital HSV infection. In a prospective clinical study the cell-mediated immune response (CMI) was measured and the cytokine profile identified and followed during one year. In patients with primary HSV infection CMI responses declined over time, whereas patients with non-primary HSV infection displayed stable CMI during the follow up year. For patients with primary HSV-2 infection, levels of HSV-specific IL10 and IL-4 responses at first visit were significantly inversely correlated with number of recurrences during the subsequent year. The fourth paper addresses HSV-specific immune response in patients affected by recurrent meningitis caused by HSV-2. During asymptomatic periods, these patients expressed elevated T-cell blasting and cytokine responses against HSV-antigens an also an increased expression of TLR 3 and 9 on dendritic cells as well as increased TLR induced interferon responses in comparison with patients with recurrent genital HSV-2 infection and asymptomatic seropositive HSV-2 individuals. Thus, we did not find that recurrent HSV-2 meningitis was due to deficiencies in adaptive or innate immune functions.


Morphine has cardioprotective effects against ischemic-reperfusion injuries. This study investigates whether morphine could mimic the antiapoptotic effect of preconditioning using a model of cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes subjected to metabolic inhibition (MI). To quantify MI-induced apoptosis, DNA fragmentation and mitochondrial cytochrome c release levels were measured by ELISA. MI-dependent DNA fragmentation was prevented by both Z-VAD-fmk (20 microM), a pan-caspase inhibitor, and cyclosporine A (CsA; 5 microM), a mitochondrial pore transition blocker, added during MI (36% and 54% decrease, respectively). MI-dependent cytochrome c release was not blocked by Z-VAD-fmk but was decreased (38%) by CsA during MI. Metabolic preconditioning (MIP) and preconditioning with morphine (1 microM) were also assessed. MI-dependent DNA fragmentation and cytochrome c release were prevented by MIP (40% and 45% decrease, respectively) and morphine (34% and 45%, respectively). The antiapoptotic effect of morphine was abolished by naloxone (10 nM), a nonselective opioid receptor antagonist, or xestospongin C (XeC, 400 nM), an inhibitor of inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate [Ins(1,4,5)P(3)]-mediated Ca(2+) release. Ca(2+) preconditioning, induced by increasing extracellular Ca(2+) from 1.8 to 3.3 mM, mimicked the antiapoptotic effect of morphine on DNA fragmentation (24% decrease) and cytochrome c release (57% decrease). This effect mediated by extracellular Ca(2+) was also abolished by XeC. Measurements of intracellular Ca(2+) concentration using fura-2 microspectrofluorimetry showed that morphine induces Ins(1,4,5)P(3)-dependent Ca(2+) transients abolished by 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB), a cell-permeable Ins(1,4,5)P(3) antagonist. These results suggest that morphine preconditioning prevents simulated ischemia-reperfusion-induced apoptosis via an Ins(1,4,5)P(3) signaling pathway in rat ventricular myocytes.


The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the ability of commercial bisGMA to stimulate growth in an estrogen-sensitive target tissue. Adult, female, Swiss-Webster mice were ovariectomized and received either oil, estradiol (100 microg/kg), or one of two bisGMA doses (25 microg/kg or 100 microg/kg). Starting on the day of surgery, the hormone, drug or oil was injected subcutaneously 3 times a week. After 3 wk of treatment, the animals were sacrificed, the uteri removed, weighed and stored at -80 degrees C for biochemical analysis. The uteri from ovariectomized mice receiving high dose (100 microg/kg) bisGMA or estradiol showed a significant increase in normalized wet weight that was 29% and 786%, respectively, greater than the ovariectomized control uterine normalized weights. In the low bisGMA dose (25 microg/kg) group, normalized uterine wet weights were not statistically significant from ovariectomized controls. Biochemical analyses of uterine tissues revealed that estradiol resulted in maintaining DNA content, RNA content, RNA/DNA ratios and collagen content significantly above the ovariectomized control. Neither the low nor high doses of bisGMA stimulated RNA content, DNA content or RNA/DNA ratios above ovariectomized controls. However, the high dose (100 microg/kg) of bisGMA caused a significant increase above ovariectomized controls in uterine collagen content.


The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) is a pattern of intense rainfall and associated planetary-scale circulations in the tropical atmosphere, with a recurrence interval of 30-90 days. Although the MJO was first discovered 40 years ago, it is still a challenge to simulate the MJO in general circulation models (GCMs), and even with simple models it is difficult to agree on the basic mechanisms. This deficiency is mainly due to our poor understanding of moist convection—deep cumulus clouds and thunderstorms, which occur at scales that are smaller than the resolution elements of the GCMs. Moist convection is the most important mechanism for transporting energy from the ocean to the atmosphere. Success in simulating the MJO will improve our understanding of moist convection and thereby improve weather and climate forecasting. We address this fundamental subject by analyzing observational datasets, constructing a hierarchy of numerical models, and developing theories. Parameters of the models are taken from observation, and the simulated MJO fits the data without further adjustments. The major findings include: 1) the MJO may be an ensemble of convection events linked together by small-scale high-frequency inertia-gravity waves; 2) the eastward propagation of the MJO is determined by the difference between the eastward and westward phase speeds of the waves; 3) the planetary scale of the MJO is the length over which temperature anomalies can be effectively smoothed by gravity waves; 4) the strength of the MJO increases with the typical strength of convection, which increases in a warming climate; 5) the horizontal scale of the MJO increases with the spatial frequency of convection; and 6) triggered convection, where potential energy accumulates until a threshold is reached, is important in simulating the MJO. Our findings challenge previous paradigms, which consider the MJO as a large-scale mode, and point to ways for improving the climate models.


In the rat thyroid FRTL-5 cell line calcitriol, the biologically most active of the naturally occurring vitamin D metabolites, attenuates both TSH-stimulated cAMP production and the effects of cAMP. Calcitriol treatment abolishes the upregulation of the TSHR number occurring in cells cultivated in the absence of TSH. In addition, the level of G(i-2)alpha increases, which may further attenuate the transmembrane signaling of TSH and facilitate the effects of IGFs. The effect of cAMP on PKAI stimulation is inhibited by increasing the level of the PKA subunit RIIbeta. Regulation of TSHR, G(i-2)alpha and RIIbeta is associated with altered cell proliferation and differentiation in several cells and tissues. Effects of calcitriol on these proteins indicate how the vitamin D endocrine system may regulate cAMP signaling in both classical and nonclassical target tissues.


Background : Neurological manifestations in immunoglobulin G4-related diseases (IgG4-RD) are rare and documented in <2% of cases. It commonly involves pachymeninges forming hypertrophic pachymeningitis and rarely forms tumor-like masses. Case Description: We present our experience with a biopsy-proven case of IgG4-RD presenting with an intracranial extradural tumor-like mass infiltrating the temporal lobe. The patient was treated with high doses of corticosteroids followed by slow tapering. The neurological manifestations gradually improved and resolved after 2 months with a cerebral MRI showing a significant reduction in the tumoral size. Conclusion: When it comes to intracranial mass, IgG4-RD neuropathy is one of the rarest differential diagnoses for the central nervous system tumors. Early recognition of IgG4-RD and appropriate establishment of its long-term treatment may avoid unnecessary investigations and morbidity.


In this manuscript, we present some new results for the semidefinite linear complementarity problem in the context of three notions for linear transformations, viz., pseudo w-P property, pseudo Jordan w-P property, and pseudo SSM property. Interconnections with the P#-property (proposed recently in the literature) are presented. We also study the R#-property of a linear transformation, extending the rather well known notion of an R0-matrix. In particular, results are presented for the Lyapunov, Stein, and the multiplicative transformations.


We have explored the growth of GaN on porous SiC substrates by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The porous 4H- and 6H-SiC(0001) substrates used in this study contain 10 to 100-nm sized pores and a thin skin layer at the surface. This skin layer was partially removed prior to the growth by H-etching. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations indicate that the epitaxial GaN growth initiates from the surface areas between pores, and the exposed surface pores tend to extend into GaN as open tubes and trap Ga droplets. Plan-view TEM observations indicate that the GaN layers grown on porous substrates contain fewer dislocations than layers grown on non-porous substrates by roughly a factor of two. The GaN layers grown on a porous SiC substrate were also found to be mechanically more relaxed than those grown on non-porous substrates; electron diffraction patterns indicate that the former are free of misfit strain or are even in tension after cooling to room temperature.


We have examined the accuracy of Wait's formula for evaluating lightning vertical electric field and azimuthal magnetic field over a mixed propagation path (vertically stratified) by using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique at near (200 m) and intermediate (1000 m) distance range from the lightning channel. For the first return stroke, Wait's formula has a reasonable accuracy for predicting lightning electromagnetic fields within distances of 1000 m. However, for the subsequent return stroke, although Wait's formula predicts the nearly same field peaks as that by FDTD no matter how the ground conductivity is vertically stratified, some waveform differences can be observed at the early-time response within a few microseconds. Therefore, Wait's formula may cause some errors for predicting the field derivates within tens or hundreds of meters.


Cannabis-infused consumables may become a fact of life in Canada by the end of 2019 and, according to this study, food companies are already seriously considering their options for entering the cannabis-infused consumables market. Food and beverage businesses continuously search for growth; new products using cannabis as an ingredient are seen by many as a fresh market that is going to open significant opportunities for growth and earnings. This study does not look at the functional effects of cannabis, but rather food processors' perceptions and plans regarding cannabis as a food ingredient once it is legalized. It explores several dimensions, including perceived risks associated with this embryonic sector, what those risks specifically might be, and any sense of competitive urgency that they may feel. Combined with a similar examination of Canadian consumer attitudes to cannabis consumables, published in January 2018, the two reports provide a unique view of the potential opportunities, hazards, and impediments in this new market sector. A total of 294 food and beverage firms were surveyed in August 2018. Just under 40% of these organizations say they support legalization of cannabisinfused products, while a substantial minority (41%) are ambivalent. Over 65% of responding companies are concerned about the risks edibles represent to children and young adults. That said, 16.4% of surveyed companies confirmed that they are either planning to launch a product as soon as edibles are legal, or are already serving a market with such a product. The most commonly stated reason for not entering the cannabis consumables market is that cannabis is not compatible with their current product line. A general lack of understanding of cannabinoids was the second most popular reason given. The results highlight how just risk-adverse Canadian food industry leaders currently are regarding cannabis. Liability risks (47.1%) and reputational risks (20.1%) are cited as significant deterrents to entering the cannabis-infused consumables market. Other hazards include the lack of regulatory clarity, training of front-line staff, the residual social stigma of cannabis itself, questions about supply chain reliability, and the need for different, tamper-proof packaging. Plainly, regulatory questions remain top-of-mind for most company officials. Food and beverage firms say they are awaiting regulatory guidance as a condition of their plans. Respondents also state that governments are likely the key resource that they would employ during product and strategy development. More than 30% of respondents say governments are their primary choice, followed by their own internal resources. And 45.5% see government bearing the chief responsibility for addressing cannabis-infused edibles issues. At the time of this writing, Health Canada has said it expects to begin industry consultations concerning cannabis consumables early in 2019. Until then, based on this survey's results, we perhaps should expect enthusiastic, yet limited, interest related to these products.


Inhabiting of bromeliad tanks by algae and other organisms is a very interesting phenomenon. Although the conditions in these water tanks are challenging, the occurrence of different algae and cyanobacteria in such specific ecological niches may suggest wide adaptive abilities among these organisms. This work presents the first report of algae in microhabitat of bromeliads in Thailand. In this study, the diversity of algae in small water bodies within bromeliad phytotelmata from the Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden was investigated. We presented both LM and SEM documentation of the taxa identified during the study. We also provided basic physical-chemical data of water gathered in the studied tanks. The results illustrated that 118 taxa classified to eight major lineages including Chlorophyta (35 taxa), Euglenophyceae (31 taxa), Cyanobacteria (18 taxa), Bacillariophyceae (17 taxa), Zygnematophyceae (13 taxa), Cryptophyceae (2 taxa), Synurophyceae (1), and Xanthophyceae (1). Among the algae, Ankistrodesmus fusiformis, Oedogonium sp., Mougeotia parvula, and species belonging to diatoms (Eunotia spp., Gomphonema spp., Pinnularia spp.) were found to be the dominant taxa. This study is the first inventory of the phytotelmata in Thailand and contributes to the understanding of the geographic distribution of taxa. Most taxa recorded are first records for Chiang Mai Province, and 8 species, Aphanothece conferta, Aph. elabens, Astasia comma, Gyropaigne ukrainica, Kirchneriella obtusa, Mougeotia parvula, Nephrochlamys subsolitaria and Oedogonium curvum, are new records for Thailand. The results indicate that botanical gardens provide relatively constant conditions in microhabitats and play an important role in biodiversity and terrestrial ecological systems. The microscale of bromeliad tanks may be repeatable in macroscale (lakes, ponds, reservoirs).


OBJECTIVE
To study the clinical results and stability after correction of dento-maxillofacial deformities by using both of orthodontics and orthognathic surgery.

METHODS
A group of 45 patients with dento-maxillofacial deformities were corrected by preoperative orthodontics-orthognathic surgery-postoperative orthodontics procedure. As a control, another group of 64 patients with the deformities were corrected by orthognathic surgery only. The facial appearance, occlusion and stability of two groups after correction were investigated and compared.

RESULTS
In orthodontics and orthognathic surgery group, 62.2% of patients declared that their mastication were improved. Relapse rate of deformities was 4.4%. In orthognathic surgery group, 42.2% of patients declared that their mastication were improved. Relapse rate of deformities was 9.4%.

CONCLUSIONS
Using both of orthodontics and orthognathic surgery to correct dento-maxillofacial deformities is a good approach to improve results of correction, keep balance of occlusion and reduce the relapse of the deformities.


Abstract Aims: The research on motivations and meanings associated with drug use in prisons has received little scholarly attention. Particularly, there are few studies analysing drug use in prisons from the perspective of both prisoners and prison officers, and in the context of prison-based drug rehabilitation. This article explores prisoners and prison staffs perceptions on why drug use occurs in prison. Methods: The data is derived from participant observation and qualitative interviews (N = 35) conducted during eight months of ethnographic fieldwork in two drug rehabilitation programmes in a closed Norwegian prison. Findings: Prison staff emphasises drug addiction and prisoners troubled life trajectories when explaining in-prison drug use. Prisoners, on the other hand, explain that drug use can be (a) a way to alleviate some of the pains of imprisonment; (b) an integral part of social life in prison; (c) a route to status in the prisoner community and (d) a defiant way to subvert institutional rules and expectations. Conclusions: Prison staff tends to privilege pre-prison characteristics when explaining prisoners' drug use, whereas prisoners tend to privilege how the prison context motivates and give meaning to their drug use. Implications for penal policy and practice are discussed.


Controversies regarding the benefits of breast cancer screening programs have led to the promotion of new strategies taking into account individual preferences, such as decision aid. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a decision aid leaflet on the participation of women invited to participate in a national breast cancer screening program. This Randomized, multicentre, controlled trial. Women aged 50 to 74 years, were randomly assigned to receive either a decision aid or the usual invitation letter. Primary outcome was the participation rate 12 months after the invitation. 16 000 women were randomized and 15 844 included in the modified intention-to-treat analysis. The participation rate in the intervention group was 40.25% (3174/7885 women) compared with 42.13% (3353/7959) in the control group (p = 0.02). Previous attendance for screening (RR = 6.24; [95%IC: 5.75-6.77]; p < 0.0001) and medium household income (RR = 1.05; [95%IC: 1.01-1.09]; p = 0.0074) were independently associated with attendance for screening. This large-scale study demonstrates that the decision aid reduced the participation rate. The decision aid activate the decision making process of women toward non-attendance to screening. These results show the importance of promoting informed patient choices, especially when those choices cannot be anticipated.


Schwannomas of the hypoglossal nerve is a rarity . we present a 32 yr old who presented with hemi atrophy of the tongue.MRI BRAIN of the patient showed a well delineated lobular lesion within the posterior fossa skull base . complete surgical excision was done through a suboccipital craniectomy .Histopathological reports suggested a schwannoma.


Photoluminescence from organic superlattice structures with 8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum (Alq3) and aromatic diamine (TPD) has been studied in terms of the excitation power density of third-harmonic-generation (THG) light from a Nd:YAG laser and the layer thickness of superlattice structures. The photoluminescence intensity from the Alq3 layer is enhanced with decreasing layer thickness of TPD in a superlattice structure independent of the excitation power density. With increasing excitation power density, the photoluminescence intensity from the TPD layer is enhanced compared with that from Alq3. The mechanism of nonlinear photoluminescence emission from Alq3 and TPD superlattice structures is discussed, taking the energy transfer and the interaction of excitons in the superlattice structure into consideration.


Mitral regurgitation (MR), whether primary or secondary, stems from functional or anatomical impairment of components of the mitral apparatus resulting in abnormal blood flow to the left atrium during systole. A common complication is bilateral pulmonary edema (PE), which, in rare instances, may be unilateral and easily misdiagnosed. This case presents an elderly male with unilateral lung infiltrates and progressive exertional dyspnea with the failed treatment of pneumonia. Additional workup, including a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE), showed severe eccentric MR. He underwent mitral valve (MV) replacement with significant improvement in symptoms.


In MPLS/GMPLS networks, a range of restoration schemes will be required to support different tradeoffs between service interruption time and network resource utilization. In light of these tradeoffs, path-based end-to-end shared mesh restoration provides a very attractive solution. However, efficient use of bandwidth for shared mesh restoration strongly relies on the procedure for selecting restoration paths. In this paper, we propose an efficient restoration path selection algorithm for restorable connections over shared bandwidth in a fully distributed MPLS/GMPLS architecture. We also describe how to extend MPLS/GMPLS signaling protocols to collect the necessary information efficiently. To evaluate the algorithm's performance, we compare it via simulation with two other well-known algorithms on a typical intercity backbone network. The key figure of merit for restoration bandwidth efficiency is restoration overbuild, i.e., the extra bandwidth required to meet the network restoration objective as a percentage of the bandwidth of the network with no restoration. Our simulation results show that our algorithm uses significantly less restoration overbuild (63%-68%) compared with the other two algorithms (83%-90%).


Abstract Reminiscence therapy for persons with dementia is often being conducted by employing analog media including pictures and videos organized and presented by a caregiver. However, such media lacks the immersive experience to support patient engagement and successful recollection of reminiscence events. Recently, Virtual Reality (VR) is gaining momentum as a potential technological tool to support dementia care due to its increased immersion, presence, and embodiment. Haptic artifacts can be used to enrich reminiscence therapy as part of the multi-sensory stimuli to increase immersion and patient engagement, as well as improving social connectedness and cognitive health. The purpose of this project is to explore the use of VR application to advance reminiscence therapy for persons with dementia. We have prototyped an immersive and non-immersive VR framework that allows caregivers to deliver reminiscence therapy for persons with dementia with varying stages in their disease progression. These reminiscence therapy sessions are built by employing a narrative storyboard and content management through a series of co-designing sessions with content experts at the Geriatric Dementia Unit in Ontario, Canada. A caregiver-led VR framework will be adopted to enable the caregiver to guide the persons with dementia to safely navigate through the interactive VR environment, while allowing the patients to engage with the interactive VR elements using a point-and-pinch gesture approach. We anticipate that the VR experiences hold the potential for improving the interactions between persons with dementia and caregivers, as well as enhancing the reminiscence experiences to promote the maximal therapeutic benefit of patient's recovery.


As the proportion of older adults increase, there is a need to investigate ways to promote healthy cognitive aging. There is growing interest in longitudinal studies examining the impact of regular musical activity on nonmusical cognitive functions, but the financial and logistical challenges of such studies greatly limits the amount of research on this topic, especially in older adults. To surmount these challenges and stimulate the pace of research in this area we present a novel technology-based method for conducting longitudinal studies of regular singing and song learning in older adults. This method uses a tablet based app (SingFit-R) that is given to participants to take home and used for singing a specified number of songs per day. Participants choose the songs they will sing and then follow a singing schedule created by the experimenter. The app records a variety of data each time a song is sung, including song name, date and time of singing, an audio recording of the singer's voice, and the user-set volume levels of 2 mnemonic aids that facilitate song learning: a "guide singer" and "lyric coach" (the user reduces the volumes of these aids as a song is learned). By analyzing these data researchers can verify compliance and track song learning over the course of the study. We tested the feasibility of longitudinal research with SingFit-R in a 5-week study in which older adults sang 6 songs per day for 5 days per week. We examined measures of working memory and emotion regulation in this group before and after this intervention, and compared them to control groups that listened to music or had no musical activity. Based on measures of attrition, compliance, and enjoyment among users of the app, we conclude that this method is suitable for larger-scale studies on the cognitive impact of regular singing and song learning in older adults.


This study asks, "Does a highly identified sports fan feel a strong bond while watching his favorite football players and then exhibit violent, copycat behavior?" Using the media, copycat framework, this research looked at five categories of domestic violence arrests in the city of Philadelphia on Eagles' "gamedays," for an 8-hr period, beginning with kick-off time. These relationships were tested using comparison of means tests. The mean average of domestic violence arrests on football was statistically significantly different from both comparison Sundays and other sports' "gamedays." As predicted, there was no statistically significant difference between home and away games, removing the possible bias that fans were at the game and then became violent.


The definitive results of the MSLT-1 study in melanoma patients were published recently. The sentinel lymph node (SLN) procedure shows no survival benefit compared with observation. The authors reported, however, that there was a survival benefit with "biopsy management" of patients. This statement is based on subgroup analyses that we find to be incorrect for three reasons: (a) patients with a false negative SLN were incorrectly left out of consideration; (b) accelerated failure time latent subgroup analysis is an unproven statistical hypothesis, which was developed on interim data from the MSLT-1 study, and therefore cannot be used as validation; (c) there is a significant difference in terms of the percentage of patients with affected lymph nodes between the SLN group and the observation group. This excess of "prognostic false positive" patients would have incorrectly falsely improved the survival of the SLN group. We concluded that the SLN procedure does not give a survival benefit and that its role in melanoma patients should be for staging purposes and not for therapeutic purposes.


Multimedia learning greatly enhanced the learning outcome and experience of learners exposed to it. The proposed study will explore the usefulness of multimedia learning software devised to educate Lebanese pregnant women who have a low level of formal education about pregnancy and early infant care. The study will be based on the media richness theory. It is expected that through media rich programs, communication of information is facilitated, promoting the resolving of indecisiveness and ambiguity that stems out of the lack of knowledge or information about a given a subject and the inability to convey a meaning of what is being said respectively.


The reactivities of N-iodosuccinimide and iodine with various goitrogenic compounds were studied with dimethylsulfoxide through which nitrogen had been bubbled as a solvent. Although iodine does not react with all of the compounds, N-iodosuccinimide does react with all of them. N-Iodosuccinimide may, therefore, serve as an interesting model for the "active iodine" of the thyroid.


OBJECTIVE
To combine measurement and image technology as an objective means to help prosthodontists provide better service.

METHODS
The system was developed by consisting of two CCD cameras, real time hardware for the recognition of markers and software for the 3D reconstruction.

RESULTS
It allowed efficient, direct and noninvasive calculation of the 3D liner and angular measurements of the human face.

CONCLUSION
This system is a useful way to get 3D information of the human face. It will be a good supplement to the classic cephalometric analyses.


ABSTRACT  This study is aimed to prove the influence of corporate characteristic on corporate social responsibility disclosure by using independent variables size, age, goverment ownership, foreign ownership, leverage, profitability, industry type, and auditor type. The sample in this study is a non-financial companies listed at the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2013-2017 and consisted of 250 companies. The data used in secondary data obtained from financial from the website www.idx.co.id. Methods of data collection used purposive sampling techniques. This study used a quantitative approach.Data was analyzed using multiple linear regression using SPPSS software version 23.  The results showed that Size and Goverment Ownership of the company had effect possitive on corporate social responsibility. Age, Foreign Ownership, Leverage, Profitability, Industry Type, and Auditor Type have no effect on corporate social responsibility. Keywords : Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure and Corporate Characteristic


It is now widely accepted that Rheumatoid Arthritis should be treated with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) early in the disease process,1–4 in order to reduce the incidence of erosive change, and improve long term outcome.5 A national Clinical Guideline for Scotland6 has recently been published, which advocates that all patients with disease duration greater than 6–8 weeks "should be considered for referral for Specialist rheumatology opinion and DMARD therapy, preferably within 12 weeks". This course of action should, if followed, lead to the early diagnosis and treatment of patients with inflammatory arthritis. There are, however, two inherent difficulties for hospital rheumatology services. Firstly, even if the referral is made promptly, many referral letters contain insufficient clinical information for the Consultant Rheumatologist to determine from the letter whether or not the patient has inflammatory arthritis. Secondly, in many services the waiting time for a first appointment with a consultant is several months long, thus negating the benefit of an early referral. In an initiative to identify those patients who would benefit from early diagnosis and treatment, a nurse-led rheumatology Pre-assessment clinic was developed in Wolverhampton. This was run by an experienced Rheumatology Specialist Nurse, supported and supervised by a Consultant Rheumatologist, and complied with professional7,8 and legal guidelines for nursing practice within the UK. It has been found that the clinic has been effective in identifying patients with inflammatory arthritis and expediting the commencement of DMARD treatment. References Emery P. The Roche Rheumatology Prize Lecture. The optimal management of early rheumatoid disease: the key to preventing disability. Br J Rheumatol. 1994;33:765–8 Emery P. Therapeutic approaches for early rheumatoid arthritis. How early? How aggressive? Br J Rheumatol. 1995;34(Suppl 2):87–90 Hochberg MC. Early aggressive DMARD therapy. The key to slowing disease progression in rheumatoid arthritis. Scand J Rheumatol Suppl. 1999;112:3–7 Irvine S, Munro R, Potter D. Early referral, diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: evidence for changing medical practice. Ann Rheum Dis. 1999;58(8):510–13 Symmon DP, Jones MA, Scott DL, Prior P. Long term mortality outcome in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: early presenters tend to do well. J Rheumatol. 1998;25:1072–7 Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines network. Management of early rheumatoid arthritis. Edinburgh: Royal College of Physicians, 2000 The Scope of Professional Practice. United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting, London, 1992 Code of Professional Conduct. United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting, London, 1992


In this work, we present an experimental and theoretical study of a low frequency, atmospheric plasma-jet discharge in argon. The discharge has the characteristics of a contracted glow with a current channel of submillimeter diameter and a relatively high voltage cathode layer. In order to interpret the measurements, we consider the separate modeling of each region of the discharge: main channel and cathode layer, which must then be properly matched together. The main current channel was modeled, extending a previous work, as similar to an arc in which joule heating is balanced by lateral heat conduction, without thermal equilibrium between electrons and heavy species. The cathode layer model, on the other hand, includes the emission of secondary electrons by ion impact and by additional mechanisms, of which we considered emission due to collision of atoms excited at metastable levels, and field-enhanced thermionic emission (Schottky effect). The comparison of model and experiment indicates that the discharge can be effectively sustained in its contracted form by the secondary electrons emitted by collision of excited argon atoms, whereas thermionic emission is by far insufficient to provide the necessary electrons.


Methods We studied the relationship between calcified chest atherosclerosis and pleural plaques among 505 construction workers with computed tomography. The extent and thickness of pleural plaques and the score of visceral pleural thickening were estimated, as was calcification of both pleural disease and chest atherosclerosis. Results Adjusted for age, BMI, smoking, and asbestos exposure, pleural calcification was associated with calcification in coronary arteries (P < 0.001) and in the aorta (P < 0.001). Conclusion These associations may be due to susceptibility factors common to both conditions. Calcification in pleural plaques may be a hint of atherosclerosis at least among asbestos-exposed people.


Women constitute a large population group in any country and they are the vulnerable or special risk group. The risk is associated with child-bearing. The purpose of antenatal care is to detect early the high risk cases from a large group of antenatal women and to arrange special skilled care for them. Aim of this cross sectional descriptive type of observational study was to find out the proportion of risk factors among women attending antenatal checkup unit of a tertiary level hospital and carried out in the antenatal checkup unit of Model Family Planning Clinic of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh from January 2022 to June 2022. Data were collected from purposively selected 403 women seeking antenatal care by face to face interview, clinical examination and necessary laboratory investigations. Data were analyzed by using SPSS version 26.0. More than three forth (320, 79.4%) of the respondents were in the age group of less than 30 years and the remaining (83, 20.6%) were in the age group of 30 years and over. Mean age of the pregnant women was 24.7 years with a standard deviation of 4.7 years. Most of the pregnant women were housewives (350, 86.8%); 41(10.2%) were students and 12(3.0%) were service holders. Among the respondents rural women (254, 63.0%) were more than urban women (149, 37.0%). Seventy seven (19.1%) respondents were interviewed during 1st trimester; 140(34.7%) during 2nd semester and 186(46.2%) during 3rd semester. It was found that 12 (3.0%) women were elderly primi and 6(1.5%) were short statured primi. Eighteen (4.5%) pregnant women had malpresentations- 17(94.4%) had breech presentation and 1(5.6%) had transverse lie. Each 18(4.5%) had threatened abortion and antepartum haemorrhage. Pre-eclampsia was found in 4(1.0%) and anaemia in 14 (3.5%); twin pregnancy was found in 4 (1.0%) and hydramnios in 9(2.2%) pregnant women. Thirty one (7.7%) women had previous history of either still birth or intrauterine death or manual removal of placenta. One (0.2%) pregnant women was categorized as elderly grand multiparas. Prolonged pregnancy was found in 4(1.0%) women and 76(18.9%) women had the history of previous caesarean or instrumental delivery. Nine (2.2%) pregnant women had general diseases along with pregnancy- 5(55.6%) had asthma, 3(33.3%) had diabetes mellitus and 1(11.1%) had cardiovascular disease. Four (1.0%) women got pregnant after treatment for infertility and 2 (0.5%) women had history of three or more spontaneous consecutive abortions. Finally all the pregnant women under study were categorized on the basis of criteria of "high risk cases" and 97(24.1%) women had high risk pregnancy and the remaining 306 (75.9%) had normal pregnancy. Proportion of women with high risk pregnancy in this study is 24.1% who needs special attention and skilled care in addition to continuing better Maternal and Child Health (MCH) services for all pregnant women.


We examine the effects of trade liberalization on child work in Indonesia, identifying geographical differences in the effects of trade policy through district level exposure to reduction in import tariff barriers, from 1993 to 2002. The results suggest that increased exposure to trade liberalization is associated with a decrease in child work among the 10–15 year olds. The effects of tariff reductions are strongest for children from low-skill backgrounds, older siblings, and in rural areas. Favorable income effects for the poor, induced by trade liberalization, are likely to be the dominating effects underlying these results.


In this text Cassin and Narcy begin their reassessment of the mode of thought that is sophistry, which has historically functioned as the (negative) "other" of classical philosophy. To this end, the authors first present a close reading of Book Gamma of Aristotle's Metaphysics, understood as a concerted "strategy against sophism" that, in establishing a logical basis for metaphysics, seeks to relegate the former to the sidelines once and for all. What proves ineliminable in this operation, however, and which "resurfaces beyond metaphysics," is discourse itself. Cassin and Narcy then set about exploring the contemporary resurgences of sophistry, first through the discourse of (novelistic) fiction, then, more rigorously, in the work of Jacques Lacan, whose own thought poses radical challenges to the relation of language to meaning


Driven by the growing number of the mobile subscribers, efficient channel resource management plays a key role for provisioning multimedia service in the next generation personal communication systems. To reuse limited channel resources, diminishing the coverage areas of cells seems to be the ultimate solution. Thus, however, causes more handover events. To provide seamless connection environment for mobile terminals and applications, this article presents a novel handover scheme called the intelligent channel reservation (ICR) scheme, which exploits the location prediction technologies to accurately reserve channel resources for handover connections. Considering the fact that each mobile terminal has its individual mobility characteristic, the ICR scheme utilizes a channel reserving notification procedure (CRNP) to collect adequate parameters for predicting the future location of individual mobile terminals. These parameters will be utilized by the handover prediction function to estimate the expected handover blocking rate and the expected number of idle channels. Based on the handover prediction estimations, a cost function for calculating the damages from blocking the handover connections and idling channel resources, and a corresponding algorithm for minimizing the cost function are proposed. In addition, a guard channel decision maker (GCDM) determines the appropriate number of guard channels. The experimental results show that the ICR scheme does reduce the handover-blocking rate while keeping the number of idle channels small.


Deaths among older people have risen markedly since the beginning of 2012, prompting Public Health England to launch an investigation into what is causing the rise.

Experts are divided over what could have caused the increase in mortality. There is speculation that cuts to the NHS and social care budgets have had a detrimental impact on services for older people and triggered more deaths. But others say that life expectancy may simply be starting to plateau or that the rise could be a natural fluctuation in statistics, perhaps prompted by unusual weather patterns.

The increased deaths are revealed in an internal report prepared by Public Health England using weekly all-cause death registrations data from the Office for National Statistics, which has been seen by the BMJ .

The report stated that in the year to the end of June 2013 there were 23 400 (5%) more deaths than the 455 000 expected. Furthermore, there were 14 200 (3%) more deaths in the first half of 2013 than …


Tritium (3H) may enter the environment from human activities, particularly at production, processing, or waste storage sites such as the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site, a former nuclear production facility in South Carolina. Understanding the dynamics and potential adverse effects of tritium in exposed organisms is critical to evaluating risks of tritium releases at such sites. Previous studies estimated the biological half-life of tritium in mice to be approximately 1.13 d; however, these laboratory studies were not conducted under environmentally realistic conditions. In this study, designed to be more representative of environmental exposure, mice were allowed to drink water containing tritium (activity about 300 Bq/ml) for a period of 2 wk. The induction of oxidative stress from tritium exposure was evaluated by comparing the activities of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase) in exposed and control mice. From this experiment, the biological half-life of tritium was determined to be 2.26 ± 0.04 d, almost double previous estimates. While positive controls (x-ray irradiated mice) showed responses in antioxidant enzyme activity, there was no indication of oxidative stress induction in mice exposed to tritium at this concentration.


We develop a general equilibrium model that jointly considers the influence of capital accumulation constraints and of labour market frictions on the process of transition. We endogenize the economic and budgetary costs of different government policies and show that, early in transition, governments ought to subsidize state firms. Provided that intertemporal commitment is feasible, this policy limits the initial output fall, which relaxes capital accumulation constraints, accelerates transition, and increases welfare. Moreover, by resorting to indirect - instead of direct - taxes, governments can bring the path of transition closer to the first best. Yet, political pressures may induce a policy of suboptimal subsidization.


Granular superconductors screen out an applied magnetic field only imperfectly. Fluxons enter the intergranular spaces at very low fields and their presence can be easily detected by microwave absorption. Experiments on high Tc superconductors have allowed the identification of two absorption processes, (a) viscous fluxon motion in the microwave field and (b) fluxon nucleation and annihilation by the induced microwave current. Both processes are also observed in conventional superconductors but not always with the same characteristics.


Abstract The K. al-Mashyakha is a manual for Nuṣayrī shaykhs. Its significance as a window into the otherwise secret world of Nuṣayrī ritual was augmented by the role it played in the formation of Nuṣayrī studies: in 1860, it served as the basis for the first monograph on the Nuṣayrī religion, Samuel Lyde's posthumously published Asian Mystery. However, for over 150 years, the K. al-Mashyakha has been missing. This article announces its rediscovery in two identical manuscripts and identifies two additional works based on this text, the well-known Nuṣayrī catechism, K. Taʿlīm diyānat al-nuṣayriyya, and the recently published K. al-Mashyakha issued by the Lebanese press, Dār li-ajl al-maʿrifa. In solving the mystery of its disappearance and rediscovery in two copies, this article provides new insight into the nineteenth-century Nuṣayrī world from which the K. al-Mashyakha emerged, as well as that of the European orientalists who pioneered this field.


—Energy Harvesting Wireless Sensor Devices are increasingly being considered for deployment in sensor networks, due to their demonstrated advantages of prolonged lifetime and autonomous operation. However, irreversible degradation mechanisms jeopardize battery lifetime, calling for intelligent management policies, which minimize the impact of these phenomena while guaranteeing a minimum Quality of Service (QoS). This paper explores a mathematical characterization of these devices, focusing on the interplay between the battery discharge policy and the irreversible degradation of the storage capacity. We propose a stochastic Markov chain framework, suitable for policy optimization, which captures the degradation status of the battery. We present a general result of Markov chains, which exploits the timescale separation between the communication time-slot of the device and the battery degradation process, and enables an efficient optimization. We show that this model fits well the behavior of real batteries for what concerns their storage capacity degradation over time. We demonstrate that a degradation-aware policy significantly improves the lifetime of the sensor compared to "greedy" policies, while guaranteeing the minimum required QoS. Finally, a simple heuristic policy, which never discharges the battery below a given threshold, is shown to achieve near-optimal performance in terms of battery lifetime.


Compact optical oxygen sensors with self-calibration capabilities are undergoing development. A sensor of this type features a single-chip, integrated-optic design implemented by photolithographic fabrication of optical waveguides in a photosensitive porous glass. The porosity serves as both a matrix for retention of an oxygen-sensitive fluorescent indicator chemical and a medium for diffusion of oxygen to the chemical from the ambient air to be monitored. Each sensor includes at least one such waveguide exposed to the atmosphere and at least one covered with metal for isolation from the atmosphere. The covered one serves as a reference channel. In operation, the concentration of oxygen is deduced from the intensity and lifetime of the fluorescence in the exposed channel, with the help of calibration data acquired via the reference channel. Because the sensory chemical is placed directly in and throughout the cross section of the light path, approximately 99 percent of the light in the waveguide is available for interaction with the chemical, in contradistinction to only about 1 percent of the light in an optical sensor that utilizes evanescentwave coupling. Hence, a sensor of this type is significantly more sensitive.


Electric fields, pulsed or dc, can initiate the formation of protrusions on tungsten hairpin cathodes used with plane anodes of varying materials. Topographical studies of both electrode surfaces, using scanning electron microscopy, have now shown that these protrusions appear to be the irregular lips of microcraters. This damage is almost entirely confined to the cathode surface, and its occurrence appears to depend upon the material initially used for the anode; a stainless steel anode having ten times the probability of giving a stable electrode pair than a copper anode. Neutron activation analysis failed to detect any anode material on damaged cathodes. Two possible mechanisms are discussed that could account for the microcratering: (i) the instantaneous vaporization of field emitting micro-features on the cathode surface, and (ii) bombardment of the cathode by high velocity microparticles (clumps), originating at the cathode and subsequently acquiring an enhanced energy by a combination of elastic reflection and charge reversal at the anode.


In this paper, we exploit the Global Standardized Precipitation and Evapotranspiration Index database to search for a nonlinear relationship between hydro-climatic conditions and economic growth on a sample of developing countries over the period 1980-2011. We evidence a nonlinear link between hydro-climatic conditions and economic growth only in developing agricultural-dependant countries, the impact of hydro-climatic variations being more easily absorbed in more diversified economies. Furthermore, threshold values reached by hydro-climatic conditions that drive changes in the pattern of economic growth are lower than to those corresponding to extreme weather conditions, suggesting a high sensitivity of economic growth in developing agricultural-dependent countries to small fluctuations in weather.


This thesis aims at increasing the understanding of the interactions of methane and carbon monoxide with platinum in connection to catalysis and sensor technology for emission control.
Specifically, the low-temperature oxidation of methane and carbon monoxide over supported platinum catalysts and the sensor response mechanism towards CO of platinum-based chemical field effect sensors were studied. Flow-reactor experiments and in situ spectroscopic methods (mainly FTIR and energy dispersive XAS) in combination with mass spectrometry were employed at both steady-state and transient reaction conditions.

The results show that the support material for platinum has a considerable impact on the low-temperature activity for oxidation of both CO and methane in oxygen excess. Under such conditions methane oxidation over platinum is generally low due to oxygen-poisoning, hindering the dissociative adsorption of methane. However, by employing transient operation of the feed-gas composition, the activity for methane oxidation can be substantially increased. A new method was developed and applied for analysis of in situ XAS spectra. It was found that transient operation of the feed-gas affects the surface composition of reactants and the state of the catalyst surface.

At low temperatures, the CO oxidation reaction often suffers from self-poisoning by carbon monoxide. By supplying oxygen to the reaction through alternative routes, e.g. via additional compounds or via the support material, the low-temperature activity for CO oxidation can be significantly increased. Further, the CO coverage and the reduction of oxygen from the surface of platinum-based field effect sensors were found to be important factors in the sensing mechanism towards carbon monoxide of such devices.


This study was aims to intervene the teacher of physical education and sports with kids athletics as a learning medium in the disaster area of Mount Sinabung Tanah Karo Regency, North Sumatra Province Indonesia. This study was conducted with descriptive research method. The samples of this study were 33 of physical education teachers. The instruments of this study were test and portfolio sheets. Analysis was used data exposure and percentage. Result of this study: (1) Intervention with kids athletics as a medium of learning was very good for the preparation of teachers in teaching physical education and (2) The ability of teachers in the practice of application of kids athletics as a medium of learning was very good and in accordance with the conditions of physical education and sports education in the disaster area of Mount Sinabung Karo Regency, North Sumatra Province of Indonesia. The implication of this research result is training and field practice by using athletic kids can be used as alternative for teacher in physical education in the area of natural disaster.


This paper presents an analysis of the linguistic contents of political protest signs that were erected at sit-in sites in
 Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt, during the summer of 2011. Sign authors employed a wide variety of linguistic codes and symbolic visual
 resources to subvert state authority, urge fellow citizens to action, and advocate a number of other political goals. Drawing on the
 methodology of Linguistic Landscape (LL) studies, the current effort investigates the relationship between linguistic code and factors such
 as sign location, medium, length, and thematic content. Multinomial logistic regression analysis reveals a significant relationship between
 sign code and medium, for example, as handwritten signs show more linguistic diversity than printed signs. Qualitative analysis focuses on
 sign authors, use of the symbolic and semiotic resources associated with these codes. This study of the ephemeral, transitory LL of Egyptian
 sit-in sites demonstrates the many and varied ways in which citizen sign authors manipulate concepts of formality, code choice, and imagery
 to encourage audiences to take up their messages as resources for social action in their own worlds.


The stress vs. cycles (S-N) behavior for four amalgams is reported. At 10 cycles/min and for 37 degrees C air and artificial saliva environments, linear regression lines fit the data with high correlations between 10(2) and 10(4) cycles. Significance at 50% exists between the environments and with saliva decreasing failure resistance. The open circuit potential (OCP), the OCP-time transients at constant anodic currents, and the cyclic voltammetry all exhibit changes with loading. With static loading the OCP decreases, while with dynamic loading the OCP exhibits a sinusoidal pattern and a pattern with two maxima and two minima after the loading has progressed and which continues up until failure. The maximum anodic current in voltammetry increases with continual potential cycling (or load cycling), while decreases when performed without loading. The application of anodic currents to the amalgams has, however, not significantly reduced the number of cycles to failure, nor has the application of cathodic currents increased the number of cycles. Rearrangement and coalesence of voids takes place with loading and with microcracking forming preferentially between them. Crack propagation occurs predominantly within the gamma-1 matrix.


Introduction The mechanism of entry of SARS-CoV-2 into the human host cell is through the ACE2 receptor. During the pandemic, a hypothesis has been proposed that Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) could be risk factors for the development of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. Objective To conduct a meta-analysis of the association between ACEi or ARB use and SARS-CoV-2 infection severity or mortality.Data Sources We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Google scholar and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for observational studies published between December 2019 and April 24, 2020Study Selection: Studies were included if they contained data on ACEi or ARB use and SARS-CoV-2 infection severity or mortality. Effect statistics were pooled using random-effects models. The quality of included studies was assessed with the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS). Data ExtractionData on study design, study location, year of publication, study design, number of participants, sex, age at baseline, outcome definition, exposure definition, follow-up, effect estimates and 95% Cis.Results Thirteen observational studies were identified for inclusion, combining to a total sample of 14364 participants. Mean age was 59.2 (SD 7.3) years and 53.5% were men. Mean follow-up was 28.3 (14.2) days. The mean NOS score of included studies was 7.8 (range: 7-9). Results suggested that ACEi or ARB use did not increase the risk of severe disease or mortality from SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR=0.72, 95% CI 0.47-1.11, p= 0.138).ConclusionsAt present, the limited evidence available does not support the hypothesis of increased SARS-CoV-2 risk with ACEi or ARB drugs. However, more evidence needs to accumulate before this controversy can be resolved.


This paper extends the investigation of Ignaczak [5] of the first employment spell of workers across five different birth cohorts using pooled data from the 15th and 20th cycles of the Canadian General Social Survey (GSS) to subsequent spells of employment with the purpose of testing for employment duration dependence. As the information on the GSS surveys spans well over the last half of the 20th century we are able to test not only the potential duration dependence but its stability over time. This paper contributes to the debate of employment stability by analyzing the differences between job and employment durations and showing that successive cohorts of workers have had increasingly shorter first employment durations. The analysis finds cohort effects which play a significant role in explaining declining employment tenure. The cohort effects can be seen as a proxy for a number of socio-economic factors that affect the hazard of separation from employment. Separate analysis is completed for men and women by birth cohort. This pattern of declining tenure has occurred for both men and women, but the decline has been far more prominent for men. For men, macroeconomic factors affect the hazard more strongly in more recent cohorts, which is consistent with recessionary periods generating decreasing employment stability across cohorts. For women, cohort effects are consistent with the increasing generosity of maternity leave provisions through Unemployment Insurance. Classification codes : J01, C14, C12, C16, C41.


Background: The networked economy is a result of the increasin g pecialization and productivity. The blurring of company boundaries enables potential fo r new competitive advantages. However, along with t he growing networked economy, the complexity also increases. Methods: With their current study the German logistics asso ciation sheds a light on the most important trends of the networked and complex economy and the strategies of logistics and supply chain management (SCM) coping with them. Results and conclusions: This paper focuses on the collaboration of actors in logistics and supply chain management and the communication required for being successful . F rthermore, going beyond the study, the role of collaboration for innovation in logistics and SCM is considered, that s been neglected in literature so far. Finally, the paper concludes with a discussion reflecting the current state of c ollaboration in the context of its potential.


Implementors of message-passing libraries have focused on optimizing point-to-point protocols and have largely ignored the performance of collective operations. In addition, algorithms for collectives have been tuned to run well on networks of uni-processor machines, ignoring the performance that may be gained on large-scale SMP's in wide-spread use as compute nodes. This is unfortunate, because the high backplane bandwidths and shared-memory capabilities of large SMP's are a perfect match for the requirements of collectives. We present new algorithms for MPI collective operations that take advantage of the capabilities of fat-node SMP's and provide models that show the characteristics of the old and new algorithms. Using the SunTM MPI library, we present results on a 64-way StarfireTM SMP and a 4-node cluster of 8-way Sun EnterpriseTM 4000 nodes that show performance improvements ranging typically from 2x to 5x for the collectives we studied.