In this essay I investigate some changes in Pindar's Nachleben. I start with the immediate aftermath of his poetry right after its (first) performance and pursue with the process of how it became written poetry securing its way into the Byzantine manuscript tradition. Regarding its popularity in the 16–17th century I highlight the fact that Pindar remained novem princeps lyricorum for a long time and thus served as a lodestar and cynosure for generations of poets to come until the Enlightment brought a wind of change ending the era in which Pindar was a source of inspiration. Yet due attention is paid to the German poet Hölderlin who in his imitation of Pindar differs from the trends of his time. Finally I cast some light on the interesting shift of interest which made Pindar a lively subject of scholarly pusuits whereas his power of shaping modern European lyric was at an end.


Background Surgical resection remains an important component of multimodality treatment for most solid tumors. Neoadjuvant immunotherapy has several potential advantages, including in-situ tumor vaccination and pathologic assessment of response in the surgical specimen. We previously described an in-situ tumor vaccination strategy in melanoma using local radiation (RT) and an intratumoral injection of tumor-specific anti-GD2 immunocytokine (IT-IC). Here we tested whether neoadjuvant in-situ tumor vaccination using anti-GD2 immunocytokine and surgical resection, without RT, could generate immunologic memory capable of preventing recurrence or distant metastasis. Methods Mice bearing GD2 expressing B78 melanoma tumors were treated with neoadjuvant radiation, IT-IC, or combined RT + IT-IC. Surgical resection was performed following neoadjuvant immunotherapy. Immune infiltrate was assessed in the resection specimens. Mice were rechallenged with either B78 contralateral flank tumors or pulmonary seeding of non-GD2 expressing B16 melanoma metastasis induced experimentally. Rejection of rechallenge in mice treated with the various treatment regimens was considered evidence of immunologic memory. Results Neoadjuvant IT-IC and surgical resection resulted in increased CD8 T cell infiltration, a higher CD8:regulatory T cell ratio, and immunologic memory against contralateral flank rechallenge. The timing of resection did not significantly impact the development of memory, which was present as early as the day of surgery. There was less local wound toxicity with neoadjuvant IT-IC compared with neoadjuvant RT +IT IC. Neoadjuvant IT-IC and resection resulted in the rejection of B16 lung metastasis in a CD4 T cell dependent manner. Conclusions Neoadjuvant IT-IC generates immunologic memory capable of preventing distant metastasis despite limited efficacy against large primary melanoma tumors. By combining neoadjuvant tumor vaccination and surgery, the toxicity of local RT was avoided. These preclinical data support further investigation regarding the use of neoadjuvant IT-IC in patients with melanoma at high risk for occult distant disease.


To prevent their recognition as DNA breaks, the ends of linear chromosomes are organized into telomeres, which are made of proteins bound to telomere-specific, double-stranded repeats and to single-stranded DNA extensions, the G-tails. The mammalian heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoparticule A1 and A2 proteins can bind with high affinity to such G-tails. Moreover, previous work established that in certain mouse cells a severe reduction in the level of A1 is associated with shortened telomeric repeat tracts, and restoring A1 expression increases telomere length. Here, we document that the expression of A1/A2 proteins is elevated in a variety of human cancers, whereas A1/A2 expression is lower or absent in normal tissues. To determine whether the status of A1/A2 proteins could be improved from cancer markers to cancer targets, we used small interfering RNA-mediated RNA interference to elicit a reduction in A1/A2 proteins in a variety of human cell lines. We show that this treatment provoked specific and rapid cell death by apoptosis in cell lines derived from cervical, colon, breast, ovarian, and brain cancers. Cancer cell lines that lack p53 or express a defective p53 protein were equally sensitive to a small interfering RNA-mediated decrease in A1/A2 expression. The reduction in A1/A2 levels in HeLa cells was associated with a change in the distribution of the lengths of G-tails, an event not observed when apoptosis was induced with staurosporine. Remarkably, comparable decreases in the expression of A1/A2 in several mortal human fibroblastic and epithelial cell lines did not promote cell death. Thus, manipulating the level and activity of A1/A2 proteins may constitute a potent and specific approach in the treatment of human cancers of various origins.


Development of the accurate models for hourly energy use in commercial buildings has important ramifications for (i) retrofit savings analysis, (ii) diagnostics, (iii) on-line control and (iv) acquiring physical insights into the operating patterns of the buildings. Electric and thermal energy uses in commercial buildings, being strongly periodic, are eminently suitable for Fourier series analysis. Earlier studies assumed trigonometric polynomials with the hour of the day as the primary variable and one week as the period. This model, though suitable on the whole, was poor during certain weekday periods and during weekends. This paper presents a generalized Fourier series approach which, while ensuring a wider range of applicability, also yields superior regression fits partly because of the care taken to separate days of the year during which commercial buildings are operated differently and partly because of the rational functional form of regression model proposed. The validity of the approach is verified with year-long data of twenty-two monitored buildings.


The non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) contamination in carcasses and feces of 811 bovines in nine beef abattoirs from Argentina was analyzed during a period of 17 months. The feces of 181 (22.3%) bovines were positive for non-O157 STEC, while 73 (9.0%) of the carcasses showed non-O157 STEC contamination. Non-O157 STEC strains isolated from feces (227) and carcasses (80) were characterized. The main serotypes identified were O178:H19, O8:H19, O130:H11, and O113:H21, all of which have produced sporadic cases of hemolytic-uremic syndrome in Argentina and worldwide. Twenty-two (7.2%) strains carried a fully virulent stx/eae/ehxA genotype. Among them, strains of serotypes O103:[H2], O145:NM, and O111:NM represented 4.8% of the isolates. Xba I pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern analysis showed 234 different patterns, with 76 strains grouped in 30 clusters. Nine of the clusters grouped strains isolated from feces and from carcasses of the same or different bovines in a lot, while three clusters were comprised of strains distributed in more than one abattoir. Patterns AREXSX01.0157, AREXBX01.0015, and AREXPX01.0013 were identified as 100% compatible with the patterns of one strain isolated from a hemolytic-uremic syndrome case and two strains previously isolated from beef medallions, included in the Argentine PulseNet Database. In this survey, 4.8% (39 of 811) of the bovine carcasses appeared to be contaminated with nonO157 STEC strains potentially capable of producing sporadic human disease, and a lower proportion (0.25%) with strains able to produce outbreaks of severe disease.


Kanban systems constitute a widely used pull control for inventory management in production systems. As a result of an increasingly volatile and individualized customer demand, Kanban systems have to be reconfigured dynamically to achieve minimal inventory levels while maintaining a stable production. This paper investigates the application of an incremental online learning platform called XELOPRO to optimize inventory levels using the current state of the production system, while including contextual information, e.g., time-related information. As the platform uses an incremental support vector machine to update its models during runtime without the need to store and reevaluate large amounts of historical data, it constitutes a suitable tool for a decentralized inventory management. Results show a good performance with drastic decreases in inventory levels compared to static configurations and a higher reliability compared to a dynamic application of standard Kanban rules.


The toxic subunit of a plant ricin has been conjugate by a disulfide bond to a polyclonal rabbit antibody specific for the L-chain of human IgG. Both the antibody and ricin A-chain retained their original biological activity after conjugation. This conjugate proved to be a potent cytotoxin for surface Ig positive Burkitt lymphoma EB-3 cells, growing in vitro and produced 50% inhibition of protein synthesis at level of 1.4 x 10(-9) M. When tested for cytotoxic action on target cells, the composite conjugate molecule was at least 100 times more effective than antibodies alone, ricin A-chain alone or a conjugate ricin A-chain--normal rabbit IgG.


The effective strategies to neutralize the New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM-1) activity offer unique opportunities to combination therapy because NDM-1 inactivates all classes of carbapenem antibiotics, which are widely regarded as the last resort of drugs for treating serious bacterial infections. Here we describe the efficient construction of a series of trans-1,3,4-trisubstituted pyrrolidines via boric acid-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of N-benzylazomethine ylide with methyl ferulate for the biological evaluation of their cytotoxicity and synergistic activity in combination with meropenem towards NDM-1 positive carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). The cell-based screens generated one promising hit, namely compound 10e, which exhibited low cytotoxicity (IC50 > 128 μM), moderate NDM-1 enzyme inhibition (IC50 = 51 μM), and potent synergistic activity against a panel of clinically isolated NDM-1 positive CRE with fractional inhibitory concentration indexes ranging from 0.01 to 0.25. Structure–activity relationship studies revealed that the zinc-chelating moiety of 2-(bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)-amino)acetyl group of compound 10e plays a pivotal role for potent activity. Regarding the inhibition mechanism, a series of biochemical assays revealed that compound 10e may inactivate NDM-1 activity by displacing both zinc ions from the active site of the enzyme. Altogether, our studies indicate that compound 10e represents an important pyrrolidine-type scaffold targeting NDM-1, providing a promising starting point to be further developed as carbapenem antibiotic adjuvants.


Traditional routing protocols deployed to provide communication among mobile nodes in wireless ad hoc networks (MANET) assume a trust and collaborating environment inside the network. However, this assumption is not always true and a hostile or unprotected environment can seriously affect the protocol and network performance. In this work two kinds of approaches are applied to a well-known routing protocol called SAODV in order to improve its performance and to offer more resilience to attack from malicious nodes authenticated by the network. A preventive approach based on a cryptographic mechanism and a reactive approach to detect the anomalous and malicious behavior of nodes are considered. An extension of SAODV to offer Intrusion Detection mechanism (IDM) and trust-based mechanism (TBM) to promote the collaboration of the cooperating node and penalize the selfish nodes are proposed. Simulation results were performed in order to show the effectiveness of our proposal in comparison with AODV and SAODV.


Complex cells in striate cortex of macaque showed a rapid pattern-specific adaptation. Adaptation made cells more sensitive to orientation change near the adapting orientation. It reduced correlations among the responses of populations of cells, thereby increasing the information transmitted by each action potential. These changes were brought about by brief exposures to stationary patterns, on the time scale of a single fixation. Thus, if successive fixations expose neurons' receptive fields to images with similar but not identical structure, adaptation will remove correlations and improve discriminability.


STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis BACKGROUND: The gait characteristics of transtibial amputees (TTs) have been described many times. In general, the literature reported nearly consistent results for the kinematic and kinetic parameters of the prosthetic side. However, the literature revealed inconsistent findings on kinetic parameters for determining the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis, such as the peak knee adduction moment, knee flexion moment and vertical ground reaction forces. OBJECTIVES: The objective of our study was to describe the sagittal kinetic and kinematic gait characteristics of the ankle and residual knee joint of the prosthetic limb and the knee loading parameters of the sound side of unilateral TTs. This specific consideration may contribute to resolving the controversy of these parameters in the literature. METHODS: We analysed our database containing gait analyses from 53 unilateral TTs and compared data to a control group (CG), also taken from our database. The sagittal kinetic and kinematic gait characteristics of the ankle and residual knee joint of the prosthetic limb, and selected knee loading parameters of the sound side (the peak knee adduction moment, knee flexion moment and vertical ground reaction forces) were evaluated. Beside these parameters we reported typical spatiotemporal gait parameters as gait velocity, step length, step length asymmetry, stance phase duration and asymmetry of stance phase duration. RESULTS: The TTs walked slower and more asymmetrically than the CG. The kinematic pattern of the prosthetic ankle differed from that found in the CG. The largest difference was observed for the range of motion of the plantarflexion at push-off, which was significantly reduced for the prosthetic foot. The residual knee joint was generally affected with respect to decreased moments and reduced knee flexion during stance phase. The peaks of the vertical ground reaction forces and knee adduction moments showed no differences between the sound side of amputees and the CG. The peak knee flexion moment at midstance was significantly reduced for the sound side of amputees in comparison with the CG. CONCLUSION: The biomechanical data measured for the prosthetic side in a cohort of 53 unilateral TT amputees conformed with the literature. The parameters determining the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis investigated in our retrospective analysis were not increased on the sound side in comparison with non-amputees. We deem it reasonable to assume that an appropriate prosthesis will reduce the likelihood of overloading the knee on the sound side during normal walking.


Upper bound plastic limit analyses (PLA) can provide a useful framework for estimating the load capacity of suction caisson anchors in purely cohesive soils. Since arbitrary assumptions regarding the soil stress state are not required in the PLA formulation, it may be used with greater consistency compared to other simplified approaches such as limit equilibrium methods. While PLA methods do not attempt to include all of the complexities of anchor behavior, they can provide a relatively simple framework for visualizing anchor kinematics leading to an understanding of the relative importance of various parameters on suction anchor load capacity. The most rigorous PLA formulations involve postulating a three-dimensional anchor-soil failure mechanism and deriving expressions for internal energy dissipation throughout the mechanism. This approach can involve extensive numerical integrations and a relatively complex scheme for optimizing the failure mechanism to obtain a least upper bound collapse load. Considerable simplification is possible if the problem is formulated in terms of ultimate unit resistances (lateral, axial, and their interaction) that can be exerted by the soil on the caisson. In this case the caisson failure mechanism can be characterized in terms of one or two optimization variables. Simple expressions for the ultimate unit resistances acting on the caisson can be obtained from several sources including rigorous PLA solutions, finite element techniques, or experimental measurements. General expressions are possible by limiting consideration to common, idealized strength profiles such as uniform or constant gradient. Such simplified formulations are particularly valuable for providing an analysis tool accessible to practicing engineers. Suction caisson anchors can be subjected to a variety of load orientations including nearly vertical uplift forces imposed by the vertical tendons of tension leg platforms, horizontal loads imposed by catenary mooring systems, and inclined loads imposed by taut moorings. Recently, PLA methods have been applied to the analysis of suction caissons subjected to this range of loading conditions. This paper reviews the formulation of these analyses and summarizes the most significant findings.


The tutorial presents an overview of the techniques currently used for mobile localization. First, a brief overview of the location based services and the localization systems and techniques, currently in use, is provided. Then, the focus will be on the localization techniques based on the TOA (time of arrival) and AOA (angle of arrival). In particular, we will discuss the main issues of NLOS (non-line of sight) and hearing problems. The final part of the tutorial is dedicated to a brief presentation of the algorithms and techniques than can be considered for the estimation and tracking of the mobile position.


Trauma patients have concentrated in trauma centers where they receive systematic treatment. The number of severe trauma patients has increased annually since the establishment of trauma centers in Korea in 2013. Injury appearance increased with the proportion of compound injuries instead of single injuries (81.1% versus 18.9%) and the emergency room mortality and post-admission mortality are 4.7% and 13.2% respectively (1). The trauma system in Korea has greatly developed for many years with the close cooperation between the government and trauma centers. Trauma doctors' knowledge about trauma and management procedures has also been greatly developed at the same time. Also recently the procedures performed in trauma resuscitation rooms have gradually changed to endovascular procedures. In particular, resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is more popular than in the past in order to treat patients with traumatic hemorrhage. Therefore, some trauma centers require patients to obtain the femoral artery and venous route simultaneously on arrival, before vascular collapse occurs, and implement REBOA immediately when REBOA is needed. Some authors also carefully suggest that on the primary survey basis of advanced trauma life support (ATLS), ABCDE (airway, breathing, circulation, disability, environment, and exposure) should be added to provide early vascular guarantee for endovascular procedure and resuscitation, so as to produce the concept of AABCDE (airway and early vascular access, breathing, circulation, disability, environment, and exposure) (2). Another problem as important as securing blood vessels is securing difficult airways. Video laryngoscope's popularity does not damage the glottis for patients with difficult airway, does not force tracheal intubation, reduces complications, and saves time (3). However, it seems that not all doctors working in emergency rooms and intensive care units are doing these procedures freely and/or have the correct anatomical blood vessel and trachea knowledge (4). It is believed that this is due to the lack of a systematic education and undefined operation methods in various clinical departments. The rapid acquisition of airway and blood vessels is directly related to the life safety of patients, especially in the field of trauma, which can be overcome by repeated and systematic management education. Therefore, this TIP (Trauma Image and Procedure) systematically collates and publishes the common central venous and arterial blood vessel accesses and difficult airway


OBJECTIVE
When the pH of the oral cavity drops below 5.5, the hydroxyapatite crystalline lattice is damaged and the tooth surface becomes rough. Consequently, specular reflection is decreased and results, clinically, in a loss of tooth luster. The aim of this study was to develop a digital image capture and processing algorithm to quantify enamel luster.

METHODOLOGY
Extracted human teeth (n = 25) containing no restorations and with no clinical evidence of caries were used in this study. The teeth were sectioned longitudinally in a mesial-to-distal orientation to provide experimental and control groups. The experimental group was treated with six consecutive 60-minute exposures to an acidic soft drink, separated by tap water rinses; the control group was similarly treated with just the tap water. Standardized photographs were made before and after application of the treatment or control conditions. Images were converted to eight-bit monochrome digital format. The clinical crown was identified using a standard digital masking technique. Luster in the crown was quantified by determining pixels with luminescence values that were 65% above background.

RESULTS
Overall, there was an average 53.6% change in luster in the experimental group, and a nominal 2.10% change in luster in the control group. Analysis of variance revealed a significant loss in luster as measured by this algorithm in the experimental group (p < 0.001), while no significant change in luster was found in the control group. The method reliably identified luster with a repeatability coefficient of 0.992.

CONCLUSION
Our digital processing algorithm consistently quantified loss of enamel luster associated with exposure to an acidic beverage. This digit photographic technique may be valuable for evaluating changes in the esthetic chacteristics of teeth when they are exposed to a variety of adverse environments.


Many research articles have studied the conflicts and stress experienced by parents and mothers of special needs children with different disability such as autism, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, down syndrome and others. Unfortunately, there are lack of study focusing the experiences of Malaysian fathers of special needs children. This study aimed to examine the stress level using Parental Stress Scale (PSS) and quality of life (QOL) using WHOQOL-BREF, a short version of QOL and to study correlation between stress and quality of life. Two hundred and fifty-six (n=256) samples included fathers of special needs children (n=128) and fathers of typical children (n=128) were recruited into this cross-sectional study from centers or schools in Klang Valley. A set of questionnaire containing 3 sections were distributed via hard copies and online survey. Section 1 comprised father's demographic data and child' demographic data and Section 2 was a questionnaire Parental Stress Scale (PSS) to assess stress of fathers and Section 3 was WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire to examine the quality of life of fathers. The demographic data, PSS score and WHOQOL score was analysed using descriptive analysis. Meanwhile, Pearson r was used to identify the correlation between stress and quality of life of fathers of special needs children. The findings of the study showcased that fathers of special needs children have higher mean stress level (M=44.50) and lower quality of life (M=14.16) and where else, fathers of typical children has lower stress level (M=39.70) and higher quality of life (M=15.41). The Person r correlation test indicated moderate negative correlation between stress and quality of life (QOL) of fathers of special needs children, r= .328, p<0.01, two-tailed, n=128. Higher parental stress indicated lower level of sensitivity and poorer quality of parental-child relationship.


Employing a false alarm recognition procedure with learning of highly associated word pairs, an experiment was conducted to examine the hypothesis of an age-related deficit in the distinctiveness of encoding. The evolution of the false alarm rate and of the C decision criteria was observed across three age groups, young adults, older adults, and older-older adults. The results show 1) no age differences on C decision criteria, indicating that the increase in FA with age is not related to a subject compensation strategy but is probably due to a failure in memory strength, and 2) that older respondents produced significantly more false alarms to distractors related to target items than the young respondents did but that they did not differ in their false alarm rate for unrelated distractors. This finding is interpreted as supporting the hypothesis of a failure with age to encode target items in a sufficiently elaborate or distinctive fashion. For the older-older respondents the data showed an increase in all false alarms indexes, suggesting that the encoding deficit gets worse in late adulthood.


The size effects on magnetic properties of FePt nanoparticles were investigated through ESR experiment in X-band at room temperature. For particle size (D) of ≥ 2.6 nm, the absorption spectra were the Gaussian type, whereas for D = 2.0 nm, it was reproduced with the summation of the Gaussian and Lorentzian types. It has been well known that a face-centered-tetragonal (fct) structure becomes unstable for D of below 2-4 nm. Two kinds of magnetic components for FePt nanoparticles with D = 2.0 nm, observed in the ESR spectrum at room temperature, are considered to be attributed to the coexistence of the particles with fct structure and those with face-centered cubic structures.


Objective
To estimate the rate of HIV and syphilis coinfection among pregnant women living in Porto Alegre, Brazil, as well as the association of coinfection with vertical HIV transmission and socioeconomic variables.

Method
This analytical retrospective cross-sectional study employed data from the regular epidemiological surveillance system for the period from 2010 to 2013. Data were obtained regarding pregnant women with HIV and exposed children, syphilis in pregnancy, and congenital syphilis.

Results
The study population included 1 500 HIV-positive women with deliveries from 2010 to 2013. Of these, 155 (10.3%) were also infected with syphilis, corresponding to an HIV and syphilis coinfection rate of 10.2% (± 1.5%). The coinfected group had lower education levels, higher prevalence of black women, and greater HIV exposure related to drug use by the woman or a partner. Coinfected women had more delayed HIV diagnosis (for example, during childbirth) and greater prevalence of lacking prenatal care (44%). Crude analysis showed an association between vertical HIV transmission and HIV and syphilis co-infection (PR = 2.1; 95%CI: 1.21-3.74; P = 0.01) that persisted in the adjusted analysis.

Conclusion
A profile of increased vulnerability was identified among pregnant women with HIV and syphilis coinfection. A positive impact of the treatment to reduce congenital syphilis and eliminate vertical transmission of HIV depends on enhanced access to qualified health care.


The purpose of this research is to produce a sensor chip that measures a stress tensor in an arbitrary point in an elastic body such as an artificial skin for a robot. The sensor consists of a cube-shaped rigid body and sub-sensors that measure normal stress on each corner of the cube. We explain the theory to decompose shear stress and non-uniform normal stress. Also, we fabricate a prototype sensor. The theory is examined by the prototype. The experimental results show that the sensor can measure the normal stress and the shear stress at once. Also, the results suggest that the sensor can measure the gradient of contact surface.


ADAMTS (a disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin motifs) proteinases degrade proteoglycans and thereby have the potential to alter tissue architecture and regulate cellular function. Recent studies about the roles of these enzymes have produced new perspectives for the molecular mechanisms behind regenerative biology with clinical potential to generate therapeutic targets to resolve tissue injury. ADAMTS enzymes play an important role in the turnover of extracellular matrix proteins in various tissues and their dysregulation has been implicated in disease-related processes such as inflammation and fibrosis. Increasing evidence indicates that they may be of key significance in the physiological and pathological central nervous system. In this review, we summarize what is currently known about the roles of ADAMTS proteins in tissue repair and regeneration as well as in the pathogenesis of other important biological processes and diseases including arthritis, atherosclerosis, and cancer.


The period of the menopausal transition from 40–45 years to menopause – is the crucial period of a woman's life, in which, against the background of increasing estrogen deficiency, in addition to the appearance of vasomotor, psychological, and urogenital symptoms, complications and exacerbations of accumulated extagenital diseases occur. The loss of the natural balance of sex hormones leads to hyperplastic processes in hormone-dependent tissues, which leads to cancer risks. In solving this problem, menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) can play a crucial role, but this will become possible if, when choosing drugs for MHT, preference will be given to the safest dosage forms that provide the whole spectrum of compensatory reactions, including the prevention of dramatic situations of this age.


Authors' motivations for citing documents are addressed through a literature review and an empirical study. Replicating an investigation in psychology, the works of two highly-cited authors in the discipline of communication were identified, and all of the authors who cited them during the period 1995–1997 were surveyed. The instrument posed 32 questions about why a certain document was cited, plus questions about the citer's relationship to the cited author and document. Most findings were similar to the psychology study, including a tendency to cite "concept markers" representing a genre of work. Authors in communication were more likely to have an interpersonal connection to cited authors, and to cite literature reviews—their most common reason for citation. Three types of judgments about cited works were found to best predict citation: (1) that the work was novel, well-known, and a concept-marker; (2) that citing it might promote the authority of one's own work; and (3) that the work deserved criticism. Suggestions are made for further research, especially regarding the anomalous role of creativity in cited works.


Aims. We derive constraints on energy release, transport and conversion processes in solar flares based on a detailed characterization of the physical parameters of both the thermal plasma and the accelerated nonthermal electrons based on X-ray observations. In particular, we address the questions of whether the energy required to heat the thermal plasma can be supplied by nonthermal particles, and how the energetics derived from X-rays compare to the total bolometric radiated energy. Methods. Time series of spectral fits and images for 24 flares ranging from GOES class C3.4 to X17.2 were obtained using RHESSI hard X-ray observations. This has been supplemented by GOES soft X-ray fluxes. In our companion Paper I, we have used this data set to obtain the basic physical parameters for the thermal plasma (using the isothermal approximation) and the injected energetic electrons (assuming the thick-target model). Here, we used this data set to derive the flare energetics, including thermal energy, radiative and conductive energy loss, gravitational and flow energy of the plasma, and kinetic energy of the injected electrons. We studied how the thermal energies compare to the energy in nonthermal electrons, and how the various energetics and energy partition depend on flare importance. Results. All flare energetics show a good to excellent correlation with the peak GOES flux. The gravitational energy of the evaporated plasma and the kinetic energy of plasma flows can be neglected in the discussion of flare energetics. The radiative energy losses are comparable to the maximum thermal energy, while the conductive losses are considerably higher than the maximum thermal energy, especially in weaker flares. The total heating requirement of the hot plasma amounts to ≈50% of the total bolometric energy loss, with the conductive losses as a major contribution. The nonthermal energy input by energetic electrons is not sufficient to account for the total heating requirements of the hot plasma or for the bolometric losses, in particular in weak flares. Conclusions. Our results support the standard model of solar flares, with the following modifications. (1) Heating the hot thermal plasma and supplying the bolometric radiated energy requires an additional non-beam heating mechanism. (2) Strong conductive losses are a necessary additional energy transport process that transfers the energy released in the corona to the lower (and denser) atmospheric layers, where the bulk of the released energy is efficiently radiated away at longer wavelengths (EUV, UV, and white light) by cooler material.


Objectives: To understand key factors influencing Chilean health care providers' perceived comfort performing oral rapid HIV testing. Design: One hundred and fifty health care providers completed a self-administered questionnaire that included a five-item scale measuring self-perceived comfort in conducting HIV pretest counseling, oral rapid testing, finger-prick testing, and delivering test results. Results: Most participants (60%) envisioned good overall comfort performing oral rapid HIV testing (mean score of 16.21; range 0-20), including doing at least four of the five steps. They perceived least comfort delivering HIV-positive test results during posttest counseling. HIV stigmatizing attitudes reduced self-perceived comfort. Conclusions: Providing training to counter HIV stigmatization while increasing comfort in performing oral rapid testing would help facilitate its successful implementation.


This article draws on recent research from the Pre‐Degree Summative Assessment in Art Design and Media Study, conducted at Institute of Education, which found that pre‐degree art and design qualifications at levels 3 and 4 vary greatly in their appropriateness as a preparation for degree level study in art subjects. Central to the article are findings concerning external assessment processes and assessor selection and training. The research was commissioned by the awarding body of University of the Arts London in response to the then imminent Department for Education () directives for additional external assessment in all level 3 and 4 vocational pre‐degree programmes. Our research revealed the negative consequences of assessment becoming a bureaucratic process of measuring what is most easily measurable. In such instances it can become a task that is devoid of 'expert' knowledge and opinion. As the research demonstrates, the consequences for art education are serious. The title is appropriated from Bourdieu's [Bourdieu, P., 1993] sociological examination 'But who created the "creators"?' which casts a critical eye on the broader social landscape in which art and artists are produced and imbricated into the wider cultural order. To ask, who assesses the assessors? Is, of course, to ask a different kind of question, but never‐the‐less it is one which deserves to be opened out to scrutiny beyond the specificity of individual qualifications. This article's contribution argues for a more sustainable and radically transparent assessment regime in which professional expertise can be shared across the 's secondary, further and higher education continuum.


Efficiency of electrocoagulation and nanofiltration in removing color from synthetic wastewater were investigated. Three representative dye molecules were selected for the synthetic dye wastewater:Azo dye (Orange-G dye), a synthetic dye (Erythrosine) and a Vat dye (Vat yellow). Iron electrode was use as a sacrificial anode in the study. The influence of electrolysis time, operating current density, initial pH, initial dye concentration and temperature on process performances was investigated. Experiments were conducted to find the desired conditions for removal of particular concentration of the dyes. The results showed that 99.958% of Orange-G, 99.854% Of Erythrosine, 85.956% Vat yellow was decolorized for initial dye concentration of 100 mg/l with the current density of 1559 A/m2, electrolysis time of 25 minute and initial pH of 10. The electrochemical technique showed satisfactory color removal efficiency and reliable performance in treating the dye types. Electrode mass loss and energy consumed were also calculated.


In this article, we focus on the outcomes of the Spanish labour market from a comparative perspective respect to other countries of the European Union. A descriptive analysis presents the main consequences of the latest crisis. We use these elements to understand the two biggest problems of the Spanish labour market (the huge waves of employment and unemployment, and the high unemployment rate in the long-term), jointly with the concerns on wage and income inequality for the next future. A final section concludes discussing about the design of structural reforms and changes in the Welfare State.


ABSTRACT Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are of concern in North America due to their devastating impacts on ecosystems and economies. The Great Lakes region is particularly vulnerable to AIS introduction and establishment with at least 184 nonindigenous species reported in this region from a large number of taxa including viruses, bacteria, diatoms, protozoa, arthropods, mollusks, fish, and plants. Representative species from these groups were explored, describing the features of their natural history and current efforts in prevention and control. Specifically, five AIS that are expected to spread to novel areas in the region are discussed: viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus and heterosporis (pathogens affecting fish), starry stonewort (an alga), zebra mussels (a bivalve), and carps (fishes). Novel strategies for AIS control include next-generation sequencing technologies, gene editing, mathematical modeling, risk assessment, microbiome studies for biological control, and human-dimension studies to address tensions related to AIS management. Currently, AIS research is evolving to adapt to known technologies and develop novel technologies to understand and prevent AIS spread. It was found that AIS control in this region requires a multidisciplinary approach focusing on the life history of the species (e.g., pheromones), adaptive management of anthropogenic structures (e.g., bubble curtains), and the integration of human dimensions to develop efficient management plans that integrate local citizens and management agencies.


Optical transmittance spectra of CdS thin films were recorded from UV-Visible spectrophotometer in the range 380-900 nm. The films were prepared by chemical spray pyrolysis by spraying an aqueous solution of cadmium chloride (CdCl2) and thiourea [(NH2)2CS] with de-ionized water. UV-Visible spectrophotometer used to recording the transmittance spectra in the range of 380900 nm. The transmittance decreased with the increasing of CdS film thickness, while the reflectance increases. The energy gap decreased with the increasing of film thickness, while Urbach energy increased. Dispersion parameters such as; Ed, Eo, ε∞, n(0), So, λo, M-1, and M-3 are studied.


The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of VEGF and Cysteamine during in vitro maturation (IVM) of bovine oocytes on GSH content and developmental competence. For this purpose, experiments were designed to evaluate the effect of 0, 100, 300, and 500 ng/mL VEGF in IVM medium on: GSH content in oocytes and cumulus cells (Exp. 1) and subsequent embryo development (Exp. 2). Also, influence of adding 500 ng/mL VEGF and 100 μM Cysteamine to IVM medium on GSH content in oocytes and cumulus cells (Exp. 3) and oocyte developmental capacity (Exp. 4) were evaluated. Oocytes were matured in: a) Control; b) VEGF 0–3 h; c) Cysteamine 4–24 h; d) VEGF 0–3 h + Cysteamine 4–24 h; and e) VEGF + Cysteamine 24 h. The results showed that: i) VEGF did not alter GSH content in oocytes and cumulus cells; (ii) supplementation of 300 and 500 ng/mL VEGF increased blastocyst yield; (iii) the presence of VEGF + Cysteamine simultaneously during 24 h improved GSH content but not embryo development; and (iv) the presence of VEGF during the first 3 h + Cysteamine from 4 to 24 h increased GSH concentrations and subsequent embryo development. In conclusion, the addition of VEGF and Cysteamine in two sequential steps to maturation medium result in an improvement of cytoplasmic maturation, with a positive impact on oocyte developmental capacity by increasing the efficiency of in vitro blastocyst production. However, the effect was detrimental when both VEGF and Cysteamine were present during 24 of IVM.


article i nfo New parameters that could be used as tumor markers for lung cancer would be valuable. Our aim was to analyze the fatty acid profiles of total lipids from erythrocytes and platelets from patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma to reveal the fatty acids that could be used as NSCLC biomarkers. In our study, 50, 15 and 15 patients with advanced NSCLC, COPD and asthma and 50 healthy subjects were enrolled. Fatty acid profiles were investigated using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry followed by ROC (receiver operating characteristics) curves analysis to gain information about biomarkers. Sialic acid (SA) and cytokeratins were measured by the thiobarbituric acid and immunoradiometric methods respectively. Useful fatty acid markers were as follows: erythrocytes, 22:0 and linoleic acid (LA, 18:2n6); platelets, 16:0, 18:0, and LA. At the cutoff value to obtain maximum accuracy, the best biomarker was platelet LA, with higher diagnostic yields than the commonly used markers SA or cytokeratins (100%, 76%, 75% and 86% sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and accuracy, respectively). These findings suggest that platelet LA might be used as a biomarker of NSCLC in relation to different aspects of the disease process that now needs to be explored.


Since the regulation of the vascular permeability in the CNS is dependent partly on the enzymes associated with the wall of brain capillaries, the histochemical demonstration of these enzymes may furnish further data on the function of the blood brain barrier (BBB), a new methodological approach, using brain smears was developed for the histochemical demonstration of several enzymes participating in the function of the BBB. The method presented renders possible also the subsequent demonstration of monoamines and the activity of different enzymes in the same tissue preparation. The usefulness of this simple technique in the study of brain capillary functions is discussed.


This study started with necessity of historical spatial planning skills in U-city planning. Though U-city technology and information are very important, U-city development should be considered on the base of various experience of spatial planning. This study explored spatial planning indexes change in the recent newtown plans. In particular, safety and security were intensively analyzed. In addition, many theories on safe urban space, ubiquitous technology, traditional defensible space, and CPTED (Crime Prevention through Environmental Design) are compared. The findings are as follows. First, each planning is not integrated and there is lack of network among each planning. Specifically, from the crime prevention perspective, there is only mechanical monitoring such as CCTV without architectural approach. Even though CCTV is social needs, it is necessary to adopt it with architectural environment in order to improve the synergy effect of spatial planning and non-spatial planning.


This paper examines the nature and intensity of constituency (district-level) campaigning at the 2010 General Election in Britain and its subsequent impact on electoral outcomes. Data are derived from questionnaire surveys sent to constituency agents immediately after the election. The paper considers the extent to which campaigns have continued to modernise through the incorporation of e-campaigning and the degree to which party supporters are involved in campaigns alongside party members. It then examines the variation in campaign intensity relative to seat marginality and whether or not party campaigns yielded electoral payoffs. It shows that e-campaigning was not a significant component of parties' overall campaign efforts and that party supporters provide an important source of volunteer labour alongside party members. Finally, it suggests that the overall outcome of the election was in part a function of the surprisingly effective campaigning by the Labour Party.


This paper studies the multidimensional screening problem of a prot-maximizing monopolist who designs and sells goods with multiple indivisible attributes. The buyer's utility is linear in the probabilities of obtaining the attributes. The values of the attributes are buyer's private information. The paper solves the seller's problem for an arbitrary number of attributes when there are two types of buyers. When there is a continuum of buyer types, the paper shows that generically the seller wants to sell goods with some of the attributes partly damaged, stochastic, or leased on restrictive terms. In particular, the often-studied simple bundling strategies are shown to be generically suboptimal. This last result is qualied in the case of two buyer types. In this case, the maximum seller's loss from the restriction to simple bundling is 12.5%.


The difficulty of saying anything new in relation to cancer research is so well-known that it will not be necessary for me to apologise for an absence of originality. I propose to describe the work done in my department during the last few years. A careful consideration of the main lines of cancer research open to the biochemist revealed only a few isolated instances which appeared at all capable of yielding good results, and it was finally decided that work should be done on the following lines: (1) an attempt to prove, or disprove, the protective ferment theory of Abderhalden, with the possible application of his reaction to the diagnosis of malignant disease; (2) a study of the effect of x-rays and radium on patients suffering from malignant disease; (3) metabolic studies on isolated slices of malignant tissues by the methods evolved by Professor Otto Warburg in Dahlem, Germany; (4) an investigation into the recently described anterior pituitary-like substances found in the urine of patients suffering from malignant disease. Let us consider each of these headings in turn:


In orthopedic surgery, bone infection (osteomyelitis) is one of the most challenging issues encountered in the last few decades and the local drug delivery is the key strategy to overcome this issue. Drug loaded bioactive hydroxyapatite based nanocomposite bone substitutes are widely studied materials for local drug delivery application. In the present work, a cylindrical shaped gentamicin sulfate (GS) loaded phosphate glass/hydroxyapatite (PG/HA) nanocomposite has been developed. The physico-chemical characterization and in vitro bioactivity and biocompatibility of the synthesized PG/HA nanocomposite were studied. Dissolution studies demonstrated that the PG/HA nanocomposite has better degradation than pristine PG and HA. The drug loaded PG/HA nanocomposite exhibited higher antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). Also the nanocomposite displayed good apatite forming ability in simulated body fluid (SBF), a sustained drug release profile and excellent cytocompatibility with MG63 cells. The developed PG/HA nanocomposite can be a promising carrier for drug delivery in treating osteomyelitis.


Attempts to curb illegal activity by enforcing regulations gets complicated when agents react to the new regulatory regime in unanticipated ways to circumvent enforcement. We present a research strategy that uncovers such reactions, and permits program evaluation net of such adaptive behaviors. Our interventions were designed to reduce over-fishing of the critically endangered Pacific hake by either (a) monitoring and penalizing vendors that sell illegal fish or (b) discouraging consumers from purchasing using an information campaign. Vendors attempt to circumvent the ban through hidden sales and other means, which we track using mystery shoppers. Instituting random monitoring visits are much more effective in reducing true hake availability by limiting such cheating, compared to visits that occur on a predictable schedule. Monitoring at higher frequency (designed to limit temporal displacement of illegal sales) backfires, because targeted agents learn faster, and cheat more effectively. Sophisticated policy design is therefore crucial for determining the sustained, longer-term effects of enforcement. Data collected from fishermen, vendors, and consumers allow us to document the upstream, downstream, spillover, and equilibrium effects of enforcement on the entire supply chain. The consumer information campaign generates two-thirds of the gains compared to random monitoring, but is simpler for the government to implement and almost as cost-effective.


We investigate the quasiperiodic crystal (LaS)1.196(VS2) by angle and time resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The dispersion of electronic states is in qualitative agreement with band structure calculated for the VS2 slab without the incommensurate distortion. Nonetheless, the spectra display a temperature dependent pseudogap instead of quasiparticles crossing. The sudden photoexcitation at 50 K induces a partial filling of the electronic pseudogap within less than 80 fs. The electronic energy flows into the lattice modes on a comparable timescale. We attribute this surprisingly short timescale to a very strong electron-phonon coupling to the incommensurate distortion. This result sheds light on the electronic localization arising in aperiodic structures and quasicrystals.


Kenyan firms rely on technology to overcome obstacles associated with excessive regulations, poor infrastructure and widespread corruption. This study shows that reliance on technologies such as email, website and the internet for communication purposes has significant positive impacts on productivity mainly for firms with one or more female owners. Using a sample of enterprises in representative industries, the exogenous component of technology use is isolated by using information on the regional presence of mission, private and government schools from colonial Kenya as well as a geographical indicator measuring rainfall shocks. These instruments pass a series of robustness checks on relevance and they satisfy the exclusion restriction. Results indicate that for firms with female owners, a 10 percent increase in technology use results in a 1.69 percentage point increase in value-added per worker. For male-owned firms, a positive effect is evident but significantly more muted.


Resistance to thyroid hormones (RTH) is an inherited syndrome characterised by reduced target tissue responsiveness to these hormones. In the recent years, it has become clear that RTH is probably much more common than is generally recognised, and is often misdiagnosed and inaccurately treated. Subjects suffering from RTH have raised serum thyroid hormone levels and raised or inappropriately normal thyrotropin levels. Two major forms of a clinical presentation of this disorder are asymptomatic or slightly symptomatic subjects with generalised resistance and patients with thyrotoxic features suggesting predominant pituitary resistance. Surprisingly, these various clinical situations are determined by the same genetic defect. In this paper, aetiology, symptoms, clinical classification, diagnosis and treatment of RTH are reviewed with putting special emphasis on the results of recently published studies.


We provide a concise overview of time series analysis in the time and frequency domains, with lots of references for further reading. JEL codes: C22


One learns two main lessons from studying the great quantity of banking efficiency literature. These lessons regard the heterogeneity in results and the absence of a comprehensive review aimed at understanding the reasons for this variability. Surprisingly, although this issue is well-known, it has not been systematically analyzed before. In order to fill this gap, we perform a Meta-Regression-Analysis (MRA) by examining 1,661 efficiency scores retrieved from 120 papers published over the period 2000-2014. The meta-regression is estimated by using the Random Effects Multilevel Model (REML), because it controls for within-study and between-study heterogeneity. The analysis yields four main results. Firstly, parametric methods yield lower levels of banking efficiency than nonparametric studies. This holds true even after controlling for the approach used in selecting the inputs and outputs of the frontier. Secondly, we show that banking efficiency is highest when using the value added approach, followed by estimates from studies based on the intermediation method, whereas those based on the hybrid approach are the lowest. Thirdly, efficiency scores also depend on the quality of studies and on the number of observations and variables used in the primary papers. As far as the effects of sample size, dimension and quality of papers are concerned, there are significant differences in sign and magnitude between parametric and nonparametric studies. Finally, cost efficiency is found to be higher than profit and production efficiency. Interestingly, MRA results are robust to the potential outliers in efficiency and sample size distributions


Since 1986 and especially during the early 90s, environmental protection has become a constitutional principle in Vietnam as regulated by Articles 17 and 29 of the 1992 Constitution. The first Law on Environmental Protection, passed by the National Assembly on December 27, 1993 created a foundation for environmental legislation becoming an important field in Vietnam's legal system. In the following, Vietnam enacted its very first Law on Water Resources (No. 08/1998/QH10) in January 1999 aiming to provide a foundational framework for managing the water sector in Vietnam. In recent years, the legislative framework on water resources management has further developed. Important water-related regulations on the guidance and implementation of the Law on Water Resources have been issued and often amended to meet the requirements of the country's development, and its international integration. To date, Vietnam's legislation on the water sector consists of a complex system of legal documents issued by different state agencies. Though legislation of water sector management in Vietnam has greatly improved during the last decade, it has obviously not yet come to full fruition. Hence, the paper intends to provide an overview of achievements as well as problems and conflicting issues within Vietnam's current water sector management legislation.


The sphere of justice has also been affected by the global trend of universal digitalization. In view of a threat facing the world in the form of the new coronavirus infection COVID-19, as well as restrictions on access to court buildings in 2020, the initiative to amend the procedural legislation is relevant and timely. These amendments concern equalizing the legal status of written documents and electronic documents, about the methods of notifying the persons involved in the case, about the use of systems that allow the court and the parties to participate in proceedings remotely, while observing all procedural norms. The article attempts to study the trends in the development of civil procedural legislation, guided by the draft law, which was submitted for discussion by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on October 19, 2020.
Purpose: to analyze trends in the development of civil procedural legislation in the modern world.
Methods: the author uses empirical methods of comparison, description, interpretation and theoretical methods of formal and dialectical logic. Special scientific methods are used: legal-dogmatic and the method of interpreting legal norms.
Results: the analysis of the draft law reveals some positive and some controversial points that are subject to clarification and more detailed disclosure if it were adopted. The position of researchers studying the issues of informatization of justice is reflected, the prospects for the development of the judiciary in the field of further digitalization are indicated.


This article offers a close textual analysis of the Strassburger Eulenspiegelbuch, paying particular attention to the narrative motif of departures. As an outsider-figure par excellence Eulenspiegel is always travelling, always forced to leave one place and move on to the next. It will be shown here how certain very specific narrative techniques are developed in this text to describe these numerous moments of departure in ways which are both comically effective and thematically resonant.


Allergic diseases are a major public health problem in the modern societies. Pollens dispersed through wind are one of the major aeroallergens. When they are released to atmosphere in sufficient amount, they can cause the development of diseases such as asthma, rhinitis, rhinoconjunctivitis etc. in allergically hypersensitive individuals. The spreading of pollens are influenced by their amount in the air, their structures, geographic areas and the climate. Therefore, the types of pollens that hypersensitive individuals who live in different regions are exposed to may differ and different allergic reactions may occur in affected individuals. The high amount of allergens in pollens enhance the sensitivity to pollens. Thus the research in region-specific plant species allergenic effects is very important. Pollens of linden ( Tilia cordata ), Anatolian oak ( Quercus ithaburensis ) and birch ( Betula alba ) are important allergen sources in Gaziantep province. Pollen allergens are water soluble, stable proteins or glycoproteins of molecular weight between 5-80 kD. A single pollen type usually contains several different allergens. Pollens from linden ( T. cordata ), Anatolian oak ( Q. ithaburensis ) and birch ( B. alba ) were collected during pollination period and their extracts were prepared. For identification of pollens morphology slides were prepared according to Wodehouse's method and images were taken under light microscope. Total concentrations of potential allergen proteins were determined from prepared pollen extracts using the BCA method. In this study, we aimed to prepare extracts of pollens from linden, Anatolian oak and birch widely grown in wooded areas of Gaziantep University for the study of allergens and their use for diagnosing allergic diseases.


Background: COVID-19 has become the largest medical challenge worldwide, affecting the physical and mental well-being of physicians. The aim of this study was to explore the well-being of physicians during the second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in a Belgian tertiary hospital, with special attention to anaesthesiologists. They were confronted with overcrowded intensive care units, were mentally challenged during several months by an overwhelming workload.

Methods: All physicians of the Antwerp University Hospital (UZA) were invited to participate through an online anonymous questionnaire to objectively evaluate their well-being during the second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in Belgium. Mental well-being was evaluated by the validated Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) summing 14 equally weighted questions (scoring range 1 to 5) about mental well-being. Demographic data such as age, gender, function, COVID exposure was collected.

Results: Ninety physicians, 42 residents and 48 staff members, completed the questionnaire with an average WEMWBS of 50.6±8.0. Participating residents were deployed more on COVID-19 departments compared to participating staff members (p=0.02) and reported a higher workload (p=0.001). Residents scored significantly lower on the WEMBWS compared to staff members (48.1±8.2 vs. 52.8±7.3, p=0.01). Also, 15 female anaesthesiologists scored significantly lower in the WEMWBS compared to their 12 male colleagues (p=0.03).

Conclusion: During the second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in Belgium, residents reported a significantly higher workload due to COVID-19 and reported a significantly lower well-being compared to staff members.


The article contains an outline of the 2017 ACC Expert Consensus Decision Pathway for Periprocedural Management of Anticoagulation in Patients With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation. This document considers in detail problems of necessity and safety of temporary interrupting of anticoagulation for the period of procedure, main principles of interruption and restarting anticoagulant therapy after procedure, indications to the transitional (bridging) therapy in the periprocedural period, as well as possible strategies of periprocedural management of patients in dependence of risk of bleeding and thromboembolic complications. This Expert Consensus Decision Pathway refer to the periprocedural use of both oral (vitamin K antagonists, new oral anticoagulants) and parenteral (unfractionated and low-molecular-weight heparins) anticoagulants.


An important concern in sheet stamping is the risk of obtaining brittle final products that can be affected by fracture. Monte Carlo simulations presented herein show that this is governed by two main factors, namely static and dynamic friction coefficients. Whereas the latter correlates in a non-linear manner with minimum and maximum end thickness, the relationship of these design parameters to the former exhibits a bifurcation that is typical of highly non-linear phenomena, in which there is a sensitivity to small perturbations of the input values (chaos). In order to estimate the reliability of the process (i.e., the probability of obtaining brittle products due to low minimum and maximum thicknesses) with a reduced number of Monte Carlo runs, it is proposed to assimilate the problem to a pattern recognition task, due to the existence of two classes, namely robust and brittle. Among many pattern recognition algorithms that are useful to this end, use is made of support vector machines, as this incorporates the powerful tool of class margins that allow a drastic reduction of the number of simulations.


Pet food is a $23 billion industry that continues to grow. Owners continue to humanize their pets and their dietary needs, thus the pet food industry tends to mirror human dietary trends. Currently, pet food is trending towards higher levels of protein, thus lower levels of starch. Decreasing starch, one of the main structure forming ingredients in extruded foods, creates issues in terms of lower rates of expansion and decreased kibble durability. Consumers tend to dislike ingredients that do not serve a dual nutritional purpose; therefore gelatin may be a plausible binding ingredient for high protein pet foods. Gelatin is a pure protein derived from collagen and is sold as a dry, odorless, tasteless powder. High-bloom gelatins find numerous uses in the human food as a stabilizer, foaming agent, and capsule base among other uses. Low-bloom gelatin may find a value-adding opportunity as a nutritional binder in the pet food market. Four extrusion experiments were performed to test this hypothesis. Experiment 1 compared gelatin at 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% inclusion and 15% gelatin at 3 different extruder screw speeds. Results showed a decrease in expansion but an increase in hardness and pellet durability index (PDI); however there may have been inadequate preconditioning. It was unclear whether the decrease in expansion or presence of gelatin improved product durability. Experiment 2 analyzed two levels of gelatin, 0% and 10%, under two extruder screw speeds, 300 rpm and 500 rpm, and two hydration ratios, 17% and 28%. In this experiment, there were no differences in density, expansion, hardness, or PDI. This indicated that preconditioning was more ideal and may indicate gelatin does not decrease product expansion. Experiment 3 analyzed two levels of gelatin, 0% and 10%, at two target densities, low and high. Results indicated that gelatin created a more expanded product when processed under similar conditions as a control formula. Experiment 4 analyzed different strengths of gelatin to determine if the low-bloom gelatin experiments were repeatable with more conventional strength gelatins. Treatments were a control with no gelatin, and a 100 bloom, 175 bloom, and 250 bloom gelatin. Results showed increased gelatin strength increased product expansion, likely through a foaming effect. However, durability declined with midand high-bloom gelatins; thus, low-bloom gelatin may be the most promising to improve product characteristics and preserve durability. Two additional experiments were performed in order to explore gelatin bloom strength in injection molded treat processing. A lab-scale experiment was performed to optimize an initial formula. Tensile strength, strain at break, Young's Modulus, puncture force, and peaks were measured. It was determined that equal parts gelatin, gluten, and glycerin were most ideal for further testing purposes. Determination of gelatin bloom strength effects with three bloom strength gelatins were used to produce beadlets on a pilot-scale twin-screw extruded and production model injection molding system. Differences were noted between treatments; wherein high bloom gelatin created a softer, more stretchy treat and low bloom gelatin created a tougher, more rubbery treat. Low-bloom gelatin may find use as a nutritional binder in high protein pet foods and may be an alternative to high-bloom gelatin in injection molded dental treats.


Playing for early childhood is an activity or activity that has significance for the growth of the child, because playing directly gives influence to the child's growth and development. The learning approach to early childhood education in kindergarten as well as in family planning, TPA and SPS is more oriented towards learning approach through play. Edutaiment as a learning process designed by combining the educational content and entertainment in harmony, so that learning activities take place with fun. Fun, interesting, creative, and innovative learning is a concept of edutainment learning, as the basic concept of edutainment is an effort to make learning happen in a conducive, comfortable and fun atmosphere.


ABSTRACT In this article, we study a novel approach for the estimation of quantiles when facing potential right censoring of the responses. Contrary to the existing literature on the subject, the adopted strategy of this article is to tackle censoring at the very level of the loss function usually employed for the computation of quantiles, the so-called "check" function. For interpretation purposes, a simple comparison with the latter reveals how censoring is accounted for in the newly proposed loss function. Subsequently, when considering the inclusion of covariates for conditional quantile estimation, by defining a new general loss function the proposed methodology opens the gate to numerous parametric, semiparametric, and nonparametric modeling techniques. To illustrate this statement, we consider the well-studied linear regression under the usual assumption of conditional independence between the true response and the censoring variable. For practical minimization of the studied loss function, we also provide a simple algorithmic procedure shown to yield satisfactory results for the proposed estimator with respect to the existing literature in an extensive simulation study. From a more theoretical prospect, consistency and asymptotic normality of the estimator for linear regression are obtained using several recent results on nonsmooth semiparametric estimation equations with an infinite-dimensional nuisance parameter, while numerical examples illustrate the adequateness of a simple bootstrap procedure for inferential purposes. Lastly, an application to a real dataset is used to further illustrate the validity and finite sample performance of the proposed estimator. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.


Multiple species of Fusarium can infect wheat and barley plants at various stages of development. Fusarium head blight (FHB) refers to the infection of spikes and developing kernels by these pathogens, and crown rot (FCR) infers to infection of the root, crown, and basal stem by Fusarium pathogens. Interestingly, most of the host genes conferring resistance to these two diseases are different in both wheat and barley, and plants' susceptibility to these two diseases are oppositely affected by both plant height and reduced water availability. Available results do not support the hypothesis that reduced height genes have different effects on biotrophic and necrotrophic diseases. Rather, differences in temperature and humidity in microenvironments surrounding the infected tissues and the difference in the physical barriers originating from the difference in cell density seem to be important factors affecting the development of these two diseases. The fact that genes conferring resistance to Type I and Type II of FHB are different indicates that it could be feasible to identify and exploit genes showing resistance at the three distinct stages of FCR infection for breeding varieties with further enhanced resistance. The strong association between FCR severity and drought stress suggests that it should be possible to exploit some of the genes underlying drought tolerance in improving resistance to FCR.


This research proposes reliability analysis in order to find the probability that a machine will work properly, the failure rates of a machine, and the factors related to the failure rates. The data were collected from 8 types of machines in an autoparts manufacturing factory. They consist of the times measured from the first day of the study until the machine produces defective product, workers and production steps. The study duration is 90 days. The results show that the probability that the machine type 4 will work properly more than days is 0.40, machine type 5 more than 68 days is 0.32, machine type 6 more than 72 days is 0.31, machine type 8 more than 85 days is 0.26, machine type 9 more than 109 days is 0.80, machine type 10 at more than 52 days is 0.38, machine type 11 more than 71 days is 0.32, and the probability that the machine type 12 will work properly more than 85 days is 0.26. The failure rate of the machine type 4 at day 51 is 6.61, machine type 5 at day 68 is 1.61, machine type 6 at day 72 is 0.77, machine type 8 at day 85 is 1.26, machine type 9 at day 109 is 1.31, machine type 10 at day 52 is 0.92, machine type 11 at day 71 is 1.24, and the failure rate of the machine type 12 at day 85 is 2.15. The factors influencing on the failure rates are worker group 2 and production step 3 at the significance of 0.05.


THE symptomsassociatedwith the occurrenceof cholecystitis are many and varied. Many writers hold that lesions of the gall bladder are accompaniedby hypo-acidity of the gastric secretionand othersmaintain that the condition is one of hyperacidity. Gatewood writing in 1923 credited Hohlweg with being the first to consider the questionof achlorhydria following the loss of gall bladderfunction. Hohlweg basedhis views on the results of experimentshe carried out on animals. He found that after the operation of cholecystectomy there was an interference with the normal action of the sphincterof Oddi. This permittedan abnormalflow of hill' into the duodenumand led to the neutralizationof the contents. Rost found that in animals whose gall bladdershad been removed, there was a diminution of liver and pancreatic secretionand that the bile was dischargedirregularly into the duodenum. It has beenheld that the abnormal conditions of the gastric secretion associated with diseaseor removal 'of the gall bladder are the result of an interferencewith the control exercisedby a hormoneoriginating normally in the wall of the gall bladder, On accountof the alleged perststenceof change in gastric secretion after cholecystectomy some observers have advised against the performanceof the operation. Gatewood discussedthis aspectof the question and reportedthe resultsof the analysisof gastriccontents of seven patientsboth before and after cholecystectomy. In three the acidity was normal before and after operation. One patient had achlorhydriabefore operationand nine months later, the fifth had a normal acidity followed by achylia, the sixth had achlorhydriafollowed by normality and the seventh had hyper-acidity followed by achylia for three years. Gatewoodfound achlorhydriapresentin 45% of 192 patients with gall bladder diseaseand he also concluded that achlorhydria did not follow cholecystectomyfrequently セ ョ ッ オ ァ ィ to jnstify the abandonmentof the operationin the presenceof a definite pathological condition.


The mode of coffee processing, either the wet or dry method, determines the characteristic flavour and establishes the differences in quality of the final green coffee produced. The present study focused mainly on identifying the differential gene expression in green coffee seeds of Brazilian arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.) among samples prepared under three different post-harvest treatments (natural, washed and semi washed method) and grown in two different locations. Expression levels of 16 genes of interest were measured. These genes are involved in various cellular, metabolic and biochemical activities influencing levels of certain compounds, such as lipids, carbohydrates, caffeine and chlorogenic acid, associated with quality characteristics of the beverage. Microarray experiments were designed with cDNA probe sequences. Microarray data was analyzed to identify the differences in gene expression between two altitudes and between two variables: location and post-harvest treatment. Cluster analysis was carried out with samples showing similar patterns, which are characteristic to the group. With this approach, it was possible to identify the important genes in C. arabica seeds that have differential (increased or decreased) expression levels. It was also seen that between the location and treatments, location profoundly impacts the levels of gene expression in samples.


Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, once regarded as an organism of low virulence, has evolved as a significant opportunistic pathogen causing severe human infections in both hospital and community settings, especially amongst highly debilitated patients. Globally, S. maltophilia ranks third amongst the four most common pathogenic non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli (NFGNBs), others being Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii and Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc). The worth of accurate identification of S. maltophilia comes to the forefront as it needs to be differentiated from other NFGNBs such as Acinetobacter, P. aeruginosa and Bcc due to its inherently contrasting antibiotic susceptibility pattern. Consequently, its correct identification is essential as no single drug is amply effective against all NFGNBs, which hinders initiation of appropriate empirical treatment resulting in increased morbidity and mortality.


Thermodynamics is a central topic of chemistry as it holds a crucial role in understanding chemical processes. Due to its complexity, level of abstraction and amount of "mathematics", chemical thermodynamics is one of the most challenging subjects resulting in a huge number of inappropriate conceptions. To determine whether a chemical reaction is spontaneous in a particular direction, students need to apply a huge amount of chemical knowledge when completing a complex, multi-step thinking process. In a Design-Based Research project, we developed "unmathematical" instructional material that aims at supporting students in accomplishing this demanding task. By providing a step-by-step instruction and incorporating scaffolding measures, students are guided through four successive tasks. The material was implemented in more than ten upper secondary chemistry classes and four teacher education courses and was proved to be proper for independent work, supporting students in connecting thermodynamics to basic chemical knowledge. Working on the material enables students to overcome barriers in the field of chemical thermodynamics and to successfully complete tasks in the area of thermodynamics and physical chemistry. Teachers can easily adapt the material to specific contents, levels, and teaching requirements. Further, the supportive material can be applied to offer differentiated and individualised learning paths.


Consideration of the nonlinear variation of the sheet carrier concentration of the two-dimensional electron gas (2-DEG) with Fermi potential in the quasi-triangular potential quantum well of the HEMT (high electron mobility transistor) structure has led to a bias-dependent effective offset distance of the 2-DEG from the heterointerface. The inclusion of the variable 2-DEG offset distance allows model characterization of the charge-control mechanism in a more consistent manner, and with greater accuracy, than the conventional linear charge-control model does. On the basis of the nonlinear charge-control formulation, the authors developed an accurate analytical drain current-voltage characteristics model for HEMT devices. This model is valid over a very wide range of operation, extending from the near-subthreshold regime to the high parasitic MESFET conduction regime to the high parasitic MESFET conduction regime. This model also includes the broadening effect of the 2-DEG quantum well in the pinchoff regime, providing a more accurate description of the current saturation mechanism. The authors demonstrate the effectiveness and accuracy of this model by comparing measured and modeled DC characteristics of normally-on as well as normally-off HEMT devices. Furthermore, the simple analytical expressions make the model very suitable for computer-aided design applications in the analysis and design of high-frequency microwave and high-speed digital HEMT devices and integrated circuits. >


SUMMARY The involvement of metal in oxidation and coupled phosphorylation by cell-free preparations of Mycobacterium phlei was examined. The oxidation of succinate was inhibited by metal-chelating agents, but with /3-hydroxy-butyrate, chelating agents exhibited an uncoupling effect. The site of inhibition was found to be between the flavoprotein and the cytochrome b regions of the electron transport chain. The inhibitory action of o-phenanthroline was reversed by ferrous ions but not by other divalent metal ions. Ferrous ions restored both oxidation and phosphorylation with succinate and could effectively counteract the uncoupling action of o-phenanthroline on the oxidation of p-hydroxybutyrate. These results suggest that nonheme iron may be involved in the electron transport pathway of M. phlei.


Power systems are characterized by non-linearity and uncertainty. A neural network predictive fuzzy control is proposed for load frequency control. Recurrent neural network is employed to forecast controller and system's future output, based on the current Area Control Error (ACE) and the predicted change-of-ACE. The Control Performance Standard (CPS) criterion is introduced into the fuzzy controller design, thus improves the dynamic quality of system. Simulations on a two-area power system that takes into account load disturbance demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodologies.


This paper describes a palladium-catalyzed oxime assisted intramolecular dioxygenation of alkenes by using 1 atm of air as the sole oxidant under extremely mild conditions, which demonstrated the feasibility of incorporating atmospheric oxygen into synthetically useful products under 1 atm of air at room temperature.


Within the existing GSM standard, several measurements are available that can be used for estimating the position of a cellular phone. First, the timing advance (TA) gives an estimate for the distance to the serving base station. Second, the signal strengths (RXLEV) of neighbouring base stations can also be interpreted as distance information. Both TA and RXLEV are subject to measurement errors caused for example by shadowing, reflections, and fast fading. Thus, a nonlinear set-theoretic estimation technique based on pseudo ellipsoids is applied. The uncertainty regions in the original space defined by the measurements are transformed into a hyperspace of higher dimension and described by pseudo ellipsoids. An approximation of the set intersection of the pseudo ellipsoids can be calculated recursively by a linear set-theoretic filter. The resulting pseudo ellipsoid is transformed back into the original space, and the position estimate is calculated as center of gravity of the resulting uncertainty region. The algorithm is evaluated based on the data of an extensive field trial in a rural area. Compared to pure cell ID, the accuracy is significantly increased by using TA and RXLEV, reducing the mean error by half.


This study examines corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Nigeria in the light of legal regulations,
case laws and governmental policies. It will examine the existing role that the Nigerian law plays for the
sustenance of the practise of CSR among its companies. A review of the literature on CSR reveals a
dearth of knowledge on CSR policies and practices in Nigerian organisations. The study identifies how
Nigeria views CSR, the growing importance of the CSR and the sources of CSR in Nigeria. The study also
examines the range and scope CSR provided for by the laws and the emerging patterns of CSR in
organisations operating in Nigeria. Lastly the article explores what are the forces driving or constraining
or helping to shape the forms of CSR practices and policies. The findings reveal that there is diversity in
terms of how CSR is understood and experienced in Nigeria. In addition, the study shows that
environmental institutions affect how CSR is appreciated and utilised. The article suggests some policy
implications in the form of support for CSR policies in this context.


Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated lymphomas continue to be a challenge in the management of HIV seropositive patients. The advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy for the treatment of patients infected with HIV has decreased the incidence of opportunistic infections dramatically, however, lymphoma rates have shown variable results in epidemiologic studies. Burkitt lymphoma is an uncommon and aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma commonly identified in children. We report the case of an HIV seropositive adult male with the diagnosis of Burkitt lymphoma and review its relationship with HIV along with possible treatment options.


We report a simple sol–gel method for the preparation of multilayered hybrid thin films composed of nanostructured SrTiO3 (STO) and BaTiO3 (BTO) layers. A nanoporous thin film of STO is prepared by the spin-coating method on Si/SiO2/Ti/Pt substrate. When the BTO is processed, the BTO is crystallized between STO crystal pores. A significant strain field is induced on the interface between the STO and BTO surfaces. The concave shape of the nanopores could enable the realization of a highly strained interfacial heterostructure composed of STO/BTO. Compared to nanostructured STO, BTO, and bilayer STO/BTO films, multilayered STO/BTO films show the highest dielectric constant and a high Curie temperature (Tc) at around 280 °C, which is suitable for electric capacitor applications.


Magnetic wellbore positioning depends on an accurate representation of the Earth's magnetic field,where the borehole azimuth is inferred by comparing the magnetic field measured-whiledrilling (MWD) with a geomagnetic reference model. Therefore, model accuracy improvements reduce the position uncertainties. An improved high-resolution model describing the core, crustal and external components of the magnetic field is presented, and it is validated with anindependent set of measurements. Additionally, we benchmark it against other high-resolution geomagnetic models. The crustal part of the improved high-definition model is based on NOAA/NCEI's latest magnetic survey compilation "EMAG2v3" which includes over 50 millionnew observations in several parts of the world, including the Gulf of Mexico and Antarctica, and does not rely on any prior information from sea-floor geology, unlike earlier versions. The core field part of the model covers years 1900 through 2020 andis inferred from polar-orbiting satellite data as well as ground magnetic observatory data. The external field part is modelled to degree and order 1 for years 2000 through 2020. The new model has internal coefficients to spherical harmonic degree and order 790, resolving magnetic anomalies to approximately 51 km wavelength at the equator. In order to quantitatively assess its accuracy, the model was compared with independent shipborne, airborne and ground magnetic measurements. We find that the newmodel has comparable or smaller errors than the other models benchmarkedagainst it over the regions of comparisons. Additionally, we compare theimproved model against magnetic datacollected from MWD; the residual error lies well within the accepted industry error model, which may lead tofuture error model improvements.


Space-time trellis codes (STTCs) have been shown to efficiently use the transmit diversity to improve the error performance. In the existing STTCs, the transmit power is equally distributed across all the transmit antennas. However, this power allocation strategy is not optimum with regards to the error performance. We propose a new scheme, referred to as the space-time trellis codes with dynamic transmit power allocation (STTCs/DTPA), when partial channel state information (CSI) is available at the transmitter side. It is demonstrated that this scheme can achieve a full diversity order and have much better performance than general STTC schemes in error probability.


The relationship between consumer, food and health become one of important issues because of increasingly demand on healthier food. Based on functional properties of fructosyltransferases (FOS), the consumer demands have been increasing in order to response on that. In Malaysia, it is reported that the number of diabetic patients is increasing daily and it is one of the fatal diseases. A significant driving force in the "functional food" market place is the quest by consumers to optimize their health through food. The enzyme source synthesis production can be divided into two classes which are from microorganism and plant. Where by plant, the production is restricted from any sources .In view of that, production of crude enzyme from micro fungi is studied in order to obtain high yield of FOS. This study is carried out using sucrose as a substrate in the fermentation process to produce crude enzyme from micro fungi, namely Candida krusei. In this study, an investigation on pH and temperature of enzyme was analysing ranging from 3.0-8.0 and 25-55 o C, respectively. The crude enzyme was analysed using UV-Vis U-1800 Spectrophotometer at wavelength of 540 nm. The protein concentration was determined using UV-Vis U-1800 Spectrophotometer at wavelength of 750 nm. By using an extracellular enzyme which is fructosyltansferase (FTase) from selected micro fungi, the food-grade FOS can be produced commercially from sucrose. As result indicates that the highest pH and temperature for activity of FTase from Candida krusei is pH5.5 and temperature 55 o C. The highest enzyme activity (148.501 IU/mL) was figured out at pH 5.5, 55 o C and the specific activity was observes as 10.638 IU/mg. As a conclusion, this research was done to produce other alternative way of producing crude FTase using selected microfungi that are less harmfull to use in a production of FOS in food health industries.


Counselors must help clients differentiate between healthy eating and disordered eating. Thus, this review of the literature examines when healthy eating becomes dangerous, and in some cases, life threatening by comparing a condition known as orthorexia to identified mental health disorders. Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is defined as, "a pathological obsession with proper nutrition that is characterized by a restrictive diet, ritualized patterns of eating, and rigid avoidance of foods believed to be unhealthy or impure" (Koven & Abry, 2015, p.385). Orthorexia is not included in the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as a disorder. Even so, characteristics of orthorexia could potentially fit into two different diagnostic categories: eating disorders or obsessive-compulsive disorders. The similarities and differences between anorexia nervosa (AN), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and orthorexia are discussed in this review and the importance of being educated about orthorexia is also included.


A Thesis
submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the
Requirements for the Award of the Degree
of Master of Arts in African Literature
Department of English
Ahmadu Bello university
Zaria, Nigeria


This article uses human capital theory to analyse employer motivations for recruiting skilled migrants on temporary sponsored visas, a group receiving limited attention within human resource management (HRM) scholarship despite being an increasingly important part of the workforce in many organisations and countries. We address this gap through a survey analysis of 1602 employer respondents who sponsored temporary skilled visa holders in Australia. The findings indicate that cost-effectiveness as a motivator for recruitment decisions can be achieved not only through HRM strategies to maximise worker productivity, as human capital theories emphasise, but also by identifying groups of workers perceived as harder working than other groups. The findings also draw attention to the role of government policy in this identification process, specifically visa regulations constraining the mobility of temporary sponsored skilled migrants, which allows employers to utilise these workers' human capital effectively. JEL Classification: J61, M12, M51, O15


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In the last decade, the elderly population has grown worldwide, both in developed and developing countries. Together with the aging process, the prevalence of chronic diseases and consequently the presence of pain are common and may have a strong impact on the quality of life of the elderly. The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of life of elderly patients with and without chronic pain and to compare the quality of life with the number of chronic pathologies, pain intensity and age range METHODS: A quantitative, descriptive cross-sectional study carried out in a city in the West of the state of Santa Catarina with a sample of 385 senior people living in the urban area. The instruments of analysis were: the Mental State Mini Exam; the general data questionnaire adapted from Morais, Rodrigues e Gerhardt; The WHOQOL-OLD questionnaire, and a visual numerical scale. For the intergroup comparison, the Mann-Whitney test was used, and Pearson's correlation was used in the correlations. RESULTS: It was observed the predominance of pain of moderate intensity. Old people with chronic pain have a lower quality of life index than the group without pain regardless the gender, and those who have chronic pain and age above 71 years have a lower quality of life index. CONCLUSION: The presence of chronic pain, number of diseases, pain intensity, female gender and age group above 71 years negatively influenced the quality of life of the elderly studied.


As the number of networked computers grows, intrusion detection becomes an essential component in keeping networks secure. Various approaches for intrusion detection are currently being in use with each one has its own merits and demerits. This paper presents the work to test and improve the performance of an intrusion detection system based on C-fuzzy decision tree, a new class of decision tree. The tree grows gradually by using fuzzy C-means clustering (FCM) algorithm to split the patterns in a selected node with the maximum heterogeneity into C corresponding children nodes. We investigated the usefulness of C-fuzzy decision tree for developing IDS with a data partition based on horizontal fragmentation. Emphirical results indicate the usefulness of our approach in developing the efficient IDS. This paper also used a modified fuzzy C-means algorithm with controllable membership ratio through an extended distance measure to include an additional higher order term. Effect of different membership ratio on the developed decision tree with each fragment is tested to select the best membership ratio. The results obtained have shown that our improved version performs better resulting in an effective intrusion detection system.


It is shown that all the universal properties of glasses can be explained in the framework of the Soft Potential Model (SPM). At low temperatures (below a few kelvin) this model is equivalent to the well-known model of two-level systems of Anderson, Halperin, Varma and Phillips, which explains quite well the universal low-temperature properties of glasses. The SPM predicts that in addition to two-level systems there are soft harmonic oscillators in glasses which are responsible for their universal behavior, especially at higher temperatures. Both the two-level systems and harmonic oscillators are described by anharmonic soft atomic potentials by the uniform way. They interact with phonons (or electric field) by means of bilinear terms with the same coupling constant for both types of low-energy excitations. The elastic interaction between soft atomic potentials leads to a density of the low-energy excitations, which does not depend on the concentration of defects in the glass structure.


Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a common global health problem. Prevention of this disease is an important task, and functional food supplements are considered an effective method. We found potent pancreatic α-amylase inhibition in Astilbe thunbergii root extract (AT) and confirmed that AT treatment in a T2DM rat model reduces post-starch administration blood glucose levels. Activity-guided isolation revealed procyanidin (AT-P) as the α-amylase inhibitory component with IC50 = 1.7 μg/mL against porcine pancreatic α-amylase. Structure analysis of AT-P revealed it is a B-type procyanidin comprised of four types of flavan-3-ols, some with a galloyl group, and catechin attached as the terminal unit. The abundant AT-P content and its comparable α-amylase inhibition to acarbose, the anti-diabetic medicine, suggest that AT is a promising food supplement for diabetes prevention. Astilbe thunbergii extract showed anti-diabetic effect against type-2 diabetes mellitus rat model. Procyanidin was isolated as an active compound with potent α-amylase inhibition.


Outpatient child psychiatrists appear to be treating a broadening array of complex, highly comorbid, and difficult-to-treat youths. In this study, designed to evaluate the current demographic and diagnostic profile of outpatient child psychiatric patients 1,292 outpatient records from 8 treatment settings were reviewed. Patient age, race, gender, and diagnoses were recorded and analyzed. Externalizing disorders (ADHD and/or behavior disorders) were diagnosed most frequently, followed by internalizing (depressive and anxiety) disorders. Comorbidity was evident in nearly half of all patients, regardless of age. Substance abuse was infrequently reported as a comorbid condition. Externalizing and internalizing pathology frequently co-occurred. Findings reinforce the need for clinician vigilance and thorough assessment of outpatient children and adolescents.


Task scheduling is a vital and challenging task in distributed computing specially in grid computing. The computational grid focuses on large-scale resource sharing. Because of heterogeneous resources in widely distributed autonomous domains, which makes task scheduling even more challenging. In this paper, a hybrid and general resource algorithm for computational grid, MMOD is presented. MMOD, a general resource scheduling algorithm for computational grid is proposed for task scheduling with time-cost minimization and with maximum resource utilization. The experiments show the performance improvement for applications and better resource utilization by this algorithm, raises the user satisfaction and minimizes time as well as cost.


We study the time-dependent conductance of electron glasses excited by electromagnetic radiation at microwave and infrared frequencies. In either case, the conductance G is enhanced during exposure, but its time dependence after the radiation is turned off is qualitatively different depending on the frequency. For comparison, results of excitation produced by a gate voltage and temperature changes are also shown. The glassy nature of the system allows us to demonstrate that the microwave-enhanced conductance is not due to heating. These findings are discussed in terms of an energy E_{c} that characterizes the equilibrium charge distribution of the electron glass.