Evidence suggests a relationship between polyphenol intake and health benefits. Polyphenol intake among a large US cohort with diverse dietary practices ranging from meatless to omnivorous diets has not been previously evaluated. The primary aim of this study was to compare polyphenol intakes of several vegetarian and non-vegetarian dietary patterns and to assess phenolic intake by food source. To characterise dietary intake, a FFQ was administered to 77 441 participants of the Adventist Health Study-2. Dietary patterns were defined based on the absence of animal food consumption as vegan, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, semi-vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Polyphenol intakes were calculated based on chromatography-derived polyphenol content data of foods from Phenol-Explorer, US Department of Agriculture databases and relevant literature. Results revealed a mean unadjusted total polyphenol intake of 801 (sd 356) mg/d, and the main foods contributing to polyphenol intakes were coffee, fruits and fruit juices. Total polyphenol intake differed significantly between dietary patterns, with phenolic acids from coffee contributing the greatest variation. The dominant classes and sources of dietary polyphenols differed between vegetarian and non-vegetarian diets. Flavonoid intake was the highest among pesco-vegetarians, and phenolic acid intake was the highest among non-vegetarians. In addition, coffee consumers appeared to have a different dietary profile than non-coffee consumers, including greatly reduced contribution of fruits, vegetables and legumes to total phenolic intake. Coffee drinkers were more likely to be non-vegetarians, which explained several of these observations. Further evaluating these differences may be important in identifying relationships between plant-based diets and health outcomes.


To understand the question of whether divergence of eukaryotic genes by gene duplications and domain shufflings proceeded gradually or intermittently during evolution, we have cloned and sequenced Giardia lamblia cDNAs encoding kinesins and kinesin-related proteins and have obtained 13 kinesin-related cDNAs, some of which are likely homologs of vertebrate kinesins involved in vesicle transfer to ER, Golgi, and plasma membrane. A phylogenetic tree of the kinesin family revealed that most gene duplications that gave rise to different kinesin subfamilies with distinct functions have been completed before the earliest divergence of extant eukaryotes. This suggests that the complex endomembrane system has arisen very early in eukaryotic evolution, and the diminutive ER and Golgi apparatus recognized in the giardial cells, together with the absence of mitochondria, might be characters acquired secondarily during the evolution of parasitism. To understand the divergence pattern of the kinesin family in the lineage leading to vertebrates, seven more Unc104-related cDNAs have been cloned from sponge, amphioxus, hagfish, and lamprey. The divergence pattern of the animal Unc104/KIF1 subfamily is characterized by two active periods in gene duplication interrupted by a considerably long period of silence, instead of proceeding gradually: animals underwent extensive gene duplications before the parazoan-eumetazoan split. In the early evolution of vertebrates around the cyclostome-gnathostome split, further gene duplications occurred, by which a variety of genes with similar structures over the entire regions were generated. This pattern of divergence is similar to those of animal genes involved in cell-cell communication and developmental control.


A novel pathway of invasion of the legume Sesbania rostrata by Azorhizobium caulinodans is described that involves colonization of the root xylem, possibly following entry into the natural fissures created during emergence of lateral roots. Azorhizobia were detected microscopically, and their presence confirmed by the expression of a lacZ reporter gene. We have shown that rhizobial Nod factors are not required for either xylem colonization or for crack–entry of lateral roots. We discuss the extent to which this discovery of xylem colonization by azorhizobia is likely to improve our understanding of both symbiosis and of pathogenicity in plant–bacterial interactions.


Prison is one of the main and important agencies which involves in the criminal justice process. Offenders who are sentenced to imprisonment are sent to this institution for rehabilitation. The main objective of the prison institution is to rehabilitate prisoners thereby helping them to understand what was wrong with their behaviors and helping them to become productive citizens in the future after releasing from prison. In order to achieve this task, the prison system should take necessary steps to conduct an effective rehabilitation process during the imprisonment period. The study was based on to study the impact of the prisoners population on the prison rehabilitation process in Sri Lanka.. The objective of the research was to identify basic rehabilitation problems caused by the prisoners population. The research was conducted in Mahara prison in the Gampaha District of the western province. The study sample included 50 prisoners out of 1500 prisoners of Mahara prison. The sample was selected using systematic sampling which is one of the probability sampling methods used. And also prison officers were selected under the same sample. The data obtained from the research have been extensively analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The finding reveals that the physical and human resources in prisons are limited compared to the increasing number of prisoners, referrals from prisoners to vocational sectors have decreased, and 66% of prisoners have health problems. Meanwhile, there are sexually transmitted diseases and rashes. Furthermore, remanded prisoners have increased due to delays in cases. To increase the effectiveness of the rehabilitation process, the prisoner population must be controlled, for that, it is important to have an interconnection between the court and prison


The Choice of Yahweh as Refuge makes a unique and creative contribution to an emerging direction in Psalms study: the shape and shaping of the Psalter. Building especially on the work of Gerald Wilson, James Mays, Klaus Seybold and Gerald Sheppard, Creach provides an abundance of helpful data and advances the discussion significantly with his judicious interpretation of the root hsh ('to seek refuge') and related Hebrew roots. He shows that the arrangement of Psalms 2-89 reflects an editorial interest in which ideas expressed by the hsh field are a foil for complaints of being 'cast off' by Yahweh and that ideas expressed by the hsh field are also among the primary motifs in Psalms 90-106.


Selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde with molecular oxygen over an alumina-supported palladium catalyst was performed with high rate at about 95% selectivity in supercritical carbon dioxide. The experiments in a continuous flow fixed-bed reactor showed that the pressure has a strong influence on the reaction rate. A marked increase of the rate (turnover frequency) from 900 h(-1) to 1800 h(-1) was observed when increasing the pressure from 140 to 150 bar. Video monitoring of the bulk fluid phase behavior and the simultaneous investigation by transmission and attenuated total reflection (ATR) infrared spectroscopy at two positions of the view cell showed that the sharp increase in activity is correlated to a transition from a biphasic to a monophasic reaction mixture. In the single phase region, both oxygen and benzyl alcohol are dissolved in the supercritical CO2 phase, which leads to a reduction of the mass transport resistances (both in the external fluid film and in the catalyst pores) and thus to the high reaction rate measured in the catalytic experiments. The phase transition could be effectively and easily monitored by transmission and ATR-IR spectroscopy despite the small concentration of the dense liquid like phase. Deposition of the Pd/Al2O3 catalyst on the ATR-crystal at the bottom of the view cell allowed to gain insight into the chemical changes and mass transfer processes occurring in the solid/liquid interface region during reaction. Analyzing the shift of the upsilon2 bending mode of CO2 gave information on the fluid composition in and outside the catalyst pores. Moreover, the catalytic reaction could be investigated in situ in this spectroscopic batch reactor cell by monitoring simultaneously the reaction progress, the phase behaviour and the catalytic interface.


A continuous nested sequence of similar triangles converging to the Brocard point of a given triangle is investigated. All these triangles have the same Brocard point. For polygons, the Brocard point need not exist, but there is always a limit object for an analogously defined nested sequence of inner polygons. This limit object is a Brocard point if and only if the inner polygons are all similar to the original polygon. The similarity of two distinct inner polygons already suffices. In that case, all the inner polygons have the same Brocard point.


Despite the potential of the fisheries resources, the sector has not been given its deserved position in Nigerian National Economy but investment in aquaculture production has been declining in Yobe State. This study was undertaken to assess the profitability of some fish farms and investigate the factors influencing fish farming in Yobe State, Nigeria. The factors influencing fish farming are: poaching, unstable and defective government policy, inadequate/ non-updated environmental audit reports and not adopting modern methods of aquaculture negate the development and profitability of this sector in the State. An average production cost of N550/kg, sales N650/kg, profit margin N100/kg of catfish. The gross turn-over ratio is 0.8 while the net income realized per capital invested is 0.2. The aquaculture practice in Yobe state is still profitable. Recommendations to increase the production and improve the profit margin and sustainability of the sector were made.


In a screen for calcium-regulated gene expression during growth and development of Dictyostelium discoideum we have identified an asparaginyl tRNA synthetase (ddAsnRS) gene, the second tRNA synthetase gene identified in this organism. The ddAsnRS gene shows many unique features. One, it is repressed by lowering cellular calcium, making it the first known calcium-regulated tRNA synthetase. Two, despite the calcium-dependence, its expression is unaltered during the cell cycle, making this the first D. discoideum gene to show a calcium-dependent but cell cycle phase-independent expression. Finally, the N-terminal domain of the predicted ddAsnRS protein shows higher sequence similarity to Glutaminyl tRNA synthetases than to other Asn tRNA synthetases. These unique features of the AsnRS from this primitive eukaryote not only point to a novel mechanism regulating the components of translation machinery and gene expression by calcium, but also hint at a link between the evolution of GlnRS and AsnRS in eukaryotes.


Industrial complex problems involving large contact zones may lead to prohibitive time of computations (non-linear and non-smooth behavior). Unfortunately, classic incremental solvers (e.g. Newton-Raphson) for contact problems could defeat the deployment of model reduction techniques well known for their efficiency to reduce time of computing. We propose to tackle the contact problem with the non-linear iterative LATIN (Large Time Increment) solver [1]. Then, a non-incremental time-space approach is adopted to solve the problem allowing the use of time- space model reduction technique. From a posteriori analyses using SVD (Singular Value Decomposition) of contact problems solutions, we exemplify the multiscale content of time-space reduced basis. Each of this basis vectors depicts a particular scale of the solution of the problem emphasizing the scale separability of contact problems. Moreover, depending on the complexity of the problem, its solution can be compressed into a small number of vectors as in [2,3,4]. We propose to take advantage of these scale separability by making analogies with multigrid solvers and namely the non-linear FAS (Full Approximation Scheme) multigrid solver [5]. Particular iterative solvers (called smoothers: PCG, GS ...) are able to damp rapidly the high-frequency components of the error through iterations whereas low-frequency components are slowly captured. Thus, coarser grids are used in order to correct low-frequency components. Similarly, we propose to consider as coarse grids a representation of iterated solutions over the first modes of the reduced basis (containing large scale information). The smoother is the non-linear LATIN solver and the overall strategy consists in a combination between the FAS multigrid solver and the LATIN method. Such a method increases convergence rate (in comparison to the LATIN method) and provides a well-suited approach for the parametric study framework [6]. [1] Boucard, P. A., Champaney, L. (2003). A suitable computational strategy for the parametric analysis of problems with multiple contact. IJNME, 57(9), 1259-1281.[2] Kerfriden P, Gosselet P, Adhikari S, Bordas S. Bridging proper orthogonal decomposition methods and augmented Newton-Krylov algorithms: An adaptive model order reduction for highly nonlinear mechanical problems. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering 2011; 200:850 – 866. [3] Chinesta, F., Leygue, A., Bordeu, F., et al. (2013). PGD-based computational vademecum for efficient design, optimization and control. ACME, 20(1), 31-59.[4] Vitse, M., Neron, D., Boucard, P. A. (2014). Virtual charts of solutions for parametrized nonlinear equations. Computational Mechanics, 1-11. [5] Giacoma, A., Dureisseix, D., Gravouil, A., Rochette, M. (2014). A multiscale large time increment/FAS algorithm with time space model reduction for frictional contact problems. IJNME, 97(3), 207-230.[6] Giacoma, A., Dureisseix, D., Gravouil, A., Rochette, M. (2015). Toward an optimal a priori reduced basis strategy for frictional contact problems with LATIN solver. CMAME


Among the Iron-Based Superconductors, the 1144 family attracted significant attention due to the intriguing intrinsic properties exhibited by single crystals, such as high critical fields and critical currents. Polycrystalline compounds, however, are influenced by the non-ideal nature of the material. In this work, we report the superconducting properties at high magnetic fields up to 17 T of Ca/K-1144 bulk polycrystalline compounds obtained via a mechanochemically assisted synthesis route. The material exhibits a significant robustness of intrinsic features such as the superconducting transition onset, varying from approximately 35 K in the absence of the field to approximately 33 K at 17 T. Broadening phenomena of both resistive and magnetic transitions testifies however the presence of granularity issues, most likely due to extrinsic factors such as oxidation, porosity and random orientation of the crystallites.


An optical control of many working optoelectronic systems (real-time sensors, optical modulators, light amplifiers, or phase retarders) giving efficient optical gain or remote signal modulation is currently included as scientifically and industrially interesting. In here, an oxazolone derivative as the multifunctional organic system is given in this contribution. The molecule possesses a stilbene group and an oxazolone heteroatomic ring, which implies effective refractive index manipulation and multimode lasing action, respectively. The light modulation is repeatable and stable, also in the hundreds of Hz regime. On the other hand, the amplified optical signal can be easily generated by an external optical pumping source. Thus, signal control is fully available, as is read-in and read-out of the information in real time. Furthermore, this third-order, nonlinear, optical phenomenon using a third harmonic generation technique was also observed. We discovered that only by changing the energy and time regime of the supplied optical signal is the optical or nonlinear optical response observed. Two heteroenergetic molecular states (trans (E) and cis (Z)) can efficiently operate in modern multifunctional optoelectronic systems, which can provide and generate an optical signal. Such functionalities are commonly used in all-optical photonic switchers and logic gates and can be utilized in optical-core networks and computers.


This study describes two cases of spontaneously arrested congenital hydrocephalus whose educational progress appears normal. They were found on examination to have a reduced performance IQ, but a normal verbal IQ. They showed a significant impairment in immediate free recall, which was specific to the secondary memory component. It is concluded that congenital hydrocephalus may produce an organic disorder which manifests itself in later life as an impairment of verbal memory.


An investigation has been made on an unsteady Couette flow of a viscous incompressible fluid through a porous me- dium in a rotating system. The solution of the governing equations has been obtained by the use of Laplace transform technique. It is found that the primary velocity decreases and the magnitude of the secondary velocity increases with an increase in rotation parameter. The fluid velocity components are decelerated by an increase of Reynolds number. An increase in porosity parameter leads to increase the primary velocity and the magnitude of the secondary velocity. It is also found that the solution for small time converges more rapidly than the general solution. The asymptotic behavior of the solution is analyzed for small as well as large values of rotation parameter and Reynolds number. It is observed that a thin boundary layer is formed near the moving plate of the channel and the thicknesses of the boundary layer increases with an increase in porosity parameter.


Purpose This study aimed at describing the experience of academic staff and students with distance education, during the COVID-19 pandemic, at a college of pharmacy in Saudi Arabia. Methods This study used a mixed-method approach. The first phase implemented a survey that targeted both academic staff and students to evaluate their experiences with distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, a focus group discussion was conducted to explore, in-depth, their experience. The survey consisted of five domains as follows: readiness for the shift to distance education during the full and partial lockdown, perception towards distance education, barriers against distance education, and the acquisitions due to distance education. A five-point Likert scale was used to assess participants' responses to the different domains (mean score ± standard deviation). Results Seventy-eight percent of the academic staff and 65% of the students responded to the survey. Participants' views were positive for readiness for the shift to distance education during the full lockdown (3.89±0.42 for academic staff and 3.82±0.50 for students) with almost similar evaluation for the readiness during the blended learning period (3.91±0.44 for staff and 3.83±0.59 for students). The findings showed a generally positive perception towards distance education (3.59± 0.67 for academic staff and 3.47±0.64 for students). The acquisitions due to distance education were also positive (3.95±0.72 for academic staff and 3.78±0.77 for students). Nonetheless, some barriers that affected distance education were raised with an overall neutral view from both academic staff (3.31±0.72) and students (3.31±0.64), with different responses for the individual items. Qualitative findings from the focus group discussions explored the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges, with emphasis on the areas for improvement. Conclusion Although the shift for distance education was out of a sudden, participants showed overall positive views about their experience with distance education and highlighted areas for improvement.


This book is inspired by teaching on a postgraduate module, the
Sustainable Urban Development Project (BPLN0059), within the MSc
Sustainable Urbanism programme at the Bartlett School of Planning,
University College London. Teaching is delivered by six academic tutors
led by Dr Catalina Turcu across two master programmes, MSc Sustainable
Urbanism and MSc Transport and City Planning, and runs over eleven
weeks during the winter term (January to March). Half-way through the
project work, the students undertake one-week fieldtrip to the country and
location of the project site.
The module's teaching philosophy rests on the Capstone teaching and
learning approach. That means that students work or 'collaborate' directly
with a 'client' (i.e. a municipality or city in this case) while on an academic
assignment. Students have to deal with complex urban challenges in the
development of a large-scale site and propose 15-20 year long Strategic
Sustainable Urban Plans (SSUPs) for the site.
This book draws on a selection of student work from the 2016-17 and
2017-18 cohorts and looks at a site in the municipality of Nacka in the
Stockholm Region, Nacka City (or Vastra Sicklaon in Swedish). The
book is developed over four parts: introduction, site analysis, theoretical
underpinnings of student work and, finally, an overview of four student
projects.


The optical response of crystals is most commonly attributed to electric dipole interactions between light and matter. Although metamaterials support "artificial" magnetic resonances supported by mesoscale structuring, there are no naturally occurring materials known to exhibit a nonzero optical-frequency magnetic polarizability. Here, we experimentally demonstrate and quantify a naturally occurring nonzero magnetic polarizability in a layered semiconductor system: two-dimensional (Ruddlesden-Popper phase) hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites. These results demonstrate the only known material with an optical-frequency permeability that differs appreciably from vacuum, informing future efforts to find, synthesize, or exploit atomic-scale optical magnetism for novel optical phenomena such as negative index of refraction and electromagnetic cloaking.


The atherosclerosis is a pathologic phenomena which is caracterized by the stiffnes and enlargement of the arterial walls due to the deposit of lipid carbohidrates, blood products and calcium into the subendothelial space. The risk factors of arterial diseases makes their impact in all arteries of the human body. It is clear to day that the composition of the plaque, is the major determinant for its risk of rupture and for its logic consequence: thrombosis. Following plaque rupture, lipidic core and its high content of factors, gives a powerful substrate for the activation of the coagulation cascade. It has been significant advances in the comprehension of the mechanism involved in the development of this disease and there is a large number of evidences that the composition of the plaque is a major determinant factor in the beginning and in the severity of the acute coronary syndrome. In consequence, the capacity to identify the above mentioned composition, monitoring its progression, are valuable information for the development of acute coronary syndrome. The conventional angiocoronariography fails to predict acute episodes, in such a way that it has lost the value as a gold standard for the detection of this syndrome and this failing promotes researchers to develop new methods, invasive and non-invasive to recognize the higly risk atherosclerotic plaque and the sick areas for ideal and rapid interventions.


The re-victimization experienced by sexual assault (SA) survivors who engage with the mental health system post-assault is often wrapped in silence. They are stories that we never hear. Working from anti-colonial, anti-psychiatry and mad studies lenses, this master's research paper centres three narratives from SA survivors who have experienced the "second victimization" (Sabina & Ho, 2014) from the mental health system. The SA survivors are all living in Ontario, Canada and their stories highlight a deep-rooted flawed system built on colonial practices which have been curated to abuse power relations. This research exposes the silenced trauma and abuse endured at the hands of medical 'professionals' as well as a lack of understanding and empathy for the SA community.


The aim of this study is to ascertain the factor which makes observers find out autonomy in locomotion of object from autonomic movement that living organism have. For this purpose, we focus on three biotic features; "unidirectional locomotion from asymmetric of architecture", "variance between the object estimated from locomotion appear on the surface and the object of internal motion" and "homeostasis as base of local motion". We implemented these three biotic features to an autonomous distributed robot consisting of several identical modules. In particular, each modules of the robot behave in order to resolve the strain of oneself. We investigated the effect of delay time to resolve the strain and resolving speed on the locomotion of the robot. This experimental result shows that the robot shows unidirectional locomotion and wide variety of behaviors under specific resolving speed conditions. In a contrasting situation we also investigated the locomotion of the robot whose each module periodically moves independently of strain. Therefore, the robot showed long distance unidirectional locomotion, but did not show wide variety of behavior. These results indicate that wide variety of behaviors of the robot are generated from "homeostasis as base of local motion", "delay time to resolve the strain" and "resolving speed". Additionally, as specific resolving speed conditions, the robot which had biotic features showed wide variety of behaviors even the robot was given same parameter. It means that "living organism" and "material" is not conflicting concept. The life is found from inside the relationship among materials.


A tactile display device is effective in the virtual reality and remote control systems. In the present paper, a matrix-type tactile display device is mounted on a computer mouse so that a human subject can feel virtual textures and defects by manipulating the mouse and keeping his finger on the tactile display. In order to establish a design method for the tactile display device, the arthors developed a matrix-type experimental tactile display device having a 4×6 array of stimulus pins using bimorph piezoelectric actuators. In the tactile display device, 1.2, 1.9, 2.5 mm were utilized as the distances between adjacent stimulus pins. Using this tactile display device mounted on a mouse, we performed a series of psychophysical experiments with five male subjects in their twenties. It is found that distance between adjacent stimulus pins should be equal to the human two point threshold (1∼2 mm) and that the present display device can display virtual figures which are more than double area of the mouse cursor.


The objectives of this study were 1) to propose a profit function for Italian Chianina beef cattle; 2) to derive economic values for some biological variables in beef cows, specifically, production expressed as the number of calves born alive per year (NACY), age at the insemination that resulted in the birth of the first calf (FI), and length of productive life (LPL); and 3) to investigate the relationship between the phenotypic profit function and type traits as early predictors of profitability in the Chianina beef cattle population. The average profit was 196 Euros/(cow.yr) for the length of productive life (LPL) and was obtained as the difference between the average income of 1,375 Euros/(cow.yr) for LPL and costs of 1,178 Euros/(cow.yr) of LPL. The mean LPL was equal to 5.97 yr, so the average total phenotypic profit per cow on a lifetime basis was 1,175 Euros. A normative approach was used to derive the economic weights for the biological variables. The most important trait was the number of calves born alive (+4.03.cow(-1).yr(-1) and +24.06 Euros/cow). An increase of 1 d in LPL was associated with an increase of +0.19 Euros/(cow.yr) and +1.65 Euros/cow on a lifetime basis. Increasing FI by 1 d decreased profit by 0.42 Euros/(cow.yr) and 2.51 Euros/cow. Phenotypic profit per cow had a heritability of 0.29. Heritabilities for eight muscularity traits ranged from 0.16 to 0.23, and for the seven body size traits between 0.21 and 0.30. The conformation trait final score can be used as an early predictor of profitability. The sale price of the animal and differences in the revenue and costs of offspring due to muscularity should be included in a future profit function.


Objective
To investigate the relationship between human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection and peripheral blood CD14 +CD16 + monocytes in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease (CHD), and to elucidate the mechanism of pathogenesis in CHD by analyzing the correlation between infection, inflammation, and CHD, to provide a basis for the prevention, evaluation, and treatment of the disease.

Methods
In total, 192 patients with CHD were divided into three groups: latent CHD, angina pectoris, and myocardial infarction. HCMV-IgM and -IgG antibodies were assessed using ELISA; CD14 +CD16 + monocytes were counted using a five-type automated hematology analyzer; mononuclear cells were assessed using fluorescence-activated cell sorting; and an automatic biochemical analyzer was used to measure the levels of triglyceride, cholesterol, high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterols, lipoprotein, hs-CRp and Hcy.

Results
The positive rates of HCMV-IgM and -IgG were significantly higher in the CHD groups than in the control group. HCMV infection affects lipid metabolism to promote immune and inflammatory responses.

Conclusion
HCMV infection has a specific correlation with the occurrence and development of CHD. The expression of CD14 +CD16 + mononuclear cells in the CHD group was increased accordingly and correlated with acute HCMV infection. Thus, HCMV antibody as well as peripheral blood CD14 +CD16 + mononuclear cells can be used to monitor the occurrence and development of CHD.


This research analyzes the contagion effects of the US financial markets on Indonesian fi-nancial markets during the 2008 global financial crisis. It specifically investigates whether the slump in the US stock prices directly produced a slump in Indonesian stock prices, or indirectly through the slump in regional stock prices. It also examines whether the slump spilled over into rupiah exchange rate. Using Vector Autoregression and Vector Error Correction Model, the paper finds direct contagion effect of the US financial crisis into Indonesian stock markets. It also finds both direct and indirect contagion effect of the US financial crisis into foreign exchange market. Keywords: Contagion, stock price, exchange rate, financial crisis JEL classification numbers: G12, G15


The paper tries to find an intermediary zone between metaphysics - especially that of Whitehead- and sociology or social history of science. It offers a sketchy but robust vocabulary to define the spatio-temporal envelop of phenomena, without having to take decisions on their existence or non-existence. The notion of network is then given a more precise metaphysics by pursuing how a phenomenon is then extended, through standardization and reformatting, into the classical status of existing or non-existing objetcs.


Purpose/Objective: This study examined the clinical utility of a single item for anxiety from the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI) in determining the need for mental health referral for veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Research Method/Design: Three hundred eighty veterans referred for TBI evaluation were administered the NSI and a common anxiety screening measure (Beck Anxiety Inventory; BAI). Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were conducted to determine ideal BAI total cutoff scores for a single item of the NSI pertaining to anxiety (i.e., "anxious or tense"). Results Using multiclass ROC curve analyses, NSI scores of 3 and 4 for the sample were comparable to scores of 11 and 22 on the BAI, respectively. Post hoc ROC curve analyses were then conducted on the sample after removal of potentially invalid NSI protocols (i.e., Validity-10 scores greater than 22), and NSI scores 3 and 4 corresponded with scores of 11 and 20, respectively. Conclusion/Implications A minimum score of 3 (severe) on the NSI item was deemed sufficient to indicate the need for further mental health referral without warranting additional screening for anxiety. Further analyses also revealed that removal of positive Validity-10 protocols did not significantly change ROC curve findings, suggesting that the particular NSI item for anxiety can still be used for clinical purposes despite an otherwise invalid protocol. Implications for treatment and recommendations pertaining to when additional screening might be required are discussed.


Most forecasting methods are based on equally spaced data. In the case of missing observations the methods have to be modified. We have considered three smoothing methods: namely, simple exponential smoothing; double exponential smoothing; and Holt's method. We present a new, unified approach to handle missing data within the smoothing methods. This approach is compared with previously suggested modifications. The comparison is done on 12 real, non-seasonal time series, and shows that the smoothing methods, properly modified, usually perform well if the time series have a moderate number of missing observations.


Hospitals today can all too easily fall into a performance improvement trap if they do not adequately consider how best to approach efforts to improve performance. To ensure that such efforts will be effective, hospital leaders should first understand the reasons why an organization can stumble into this trap. Reasons that improvement initiatives can fall short include the absence of coherent strategy, an inability to distinguish between action and results, and a disjointed use of performance improvement tools in isolation rather than as part of a coordinated effort.


We demonstrate an intelligent personal assistant agent that has been developed to aid a busy knowledge worker in managing time commitments and performing tasks. The PExA agent draws on a diverse set of AI technologies that are linked within the SPARK BDI agent framework. We focus on our agent's ability to provide assistance within the context of current user activities, based on its recognition of user workflows and their progress, and on its context-sensitive proactive suggestions. We have instrumented a common suite of desktop applications so that, endowed with a sophisticated workflow tracker, PExA has the ability to pervasively monitor the user's desktop activities. PExA follows and responds to the user's progress on shared tasks, and is highly user-centric in its support for user needs and its adaptivity to user working style and preferences.


Applications of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging in cardiovascular diagnosis. The role of magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of cardiovascular system is still evolving. Nevertheless, this technique is of great promise for cardiac patient management in the near future. Magnetic resonance imaging provides a high contrast between the blood pool and myocardial function that has been shown to be effective for the evaluation of a wide variety of anatomic abnormalities as well as to assess cardiac contractile function or myocardial perfusion. Moreover, magnetic resonance spectroscopy has provided a new research tool for the evaluation of myocardial metabolism. Such performances indicate the potential of magnetic resonance techniques to establish the link between myocardial function and metabolism. In this presentation we will review the current status of magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis and evaluation of a wide variety of cardiovascular diseases and discuss its future potential.


Adaptive optics is used in astronomy to obtain high resolution images, close to diffraction limited, of stars and galaxies with ground telescopes, otherwise blurred by atmospheric turbulence. The measurements of one or more wavefront sensor are used to flatten distorted wavefronts with one or more deformable mirror in a feedback loop. In this brief, we shall report our experience on the problem of building an accurate (dynamical) model of the actuation (deformable mirror) and sensing (wavefront sensor) of adaptive optics system. This will be done adapting state-of-the-art system identification and model reduction techniques to the problem at hand. Our results are based on real data collected under various operating conditions from a demonstrator developed at the European Southern Observatory (ESO), which is now operating in the Paranal Observatory (Chile).


A simple dynamic model based on boundary layer theory shows that dynamic topography is unlikely to vary significantly in response to short term (≤20 Myr) variations in the mean tectonic velocity. Tectonic velocities essentially mirror variations in mantle viscosity, but are not indicative of substantial modification of dynamic topography, which primarily reflects mass anomalies in the mantle. This implies that relative sea level is unlikely to be affected by "tectonic pulses" and also that observed tilting of cratonic margins cannot result from a pulse of increased tectonic velocities. Thus, relative sea level is primarily controlled by the seafloor age distribution, although long term (≥100 Myrs) changes in tectonic velocity will produce dynamic topography that reinforces sea level changes associated with changing ridge volume.


INTRODUCTION
The aim of the study was to explore the analgesic mechanism of effects of intrathecally administered interferon a (IFN-a) on chronic constriction injury (CCI) model rats.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
24 rats were divided into 6 groups, with 4 rats in each group, including the negative control group (Group N, no operation or treatment), the sham operation group (Group S, only the left sciatic nerve of the rats was exposed without ligation, 0.9% NaCl was intrathecally administered), and four experimental groups (CCI model was established first and then different drugs were intrathecally administered respectively), including 0.9% NaCl (Group C), IFN-a (Group CI), morphine (Group CM), and IFN-a combined with morphine (Group CIM). The mRNA levels of G proteins in both the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (DRG), as well as the content of amino acid and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 6 (CXCL-6) in the cerebrospinal fluid were measured and analysed in each group.

RESULTS
Intrathecal administration of IFN-a increased the mechanical pain threshold in CCI rats (33.32 ±1.36 vs. 21.08 ±1.59, p < 0.001), achieving the effect comparable to that of morphine (33.32 ±1.36 vs. 32.44 ±3.18, p > 0.05), increased the mRNA expression level of Gi protein (0.62 ±0.04 vs. 0.49 ±0.05, p = 0.006), and decreased the mRNA expression level of Gs protein in the spinal cord (1.80 ±0.16 vs. 2.06 ±0.15, p = 0.035) and DRG (2.11 ±0.10 vs. 2.79 ±0.13, p < 0.001). The intrathecal administration of both IFN-a and morphine can reduce the glutamate content in the cerebrospinal fluid (261.55 ±38.12 vs. 347.70 ±40.69, p = 0.012), but without any statistically significant difference in the content of CXCL-6 across all groups ( p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Intrathecal injection of IFN-a improved the mechanical pain threshold in CCI rats, so we inferred that intrathecal administration of IFN-a had analgesic effects on neuropathic pain, possibly related to the activation of G-proteincoupled µ receptors in the spinal cord and the inhibition of glutamate release.


ntroduction: Subcutaneous targeted stimulation (TS) involves lacing a neurostimulating implant subcutaneously at the epicentre f the painful area (target) rather than stimulating the peripheral erves supplying it. It was first reported in 2003 and the first ermanent implant case series followed in 20061. It is effective in reating chronic painful conditions of non-dermatomal distribution esulting in reduction of pain for varying duration. We are presentng an evaluation of our experience with permanent TS in the reatment of various chronic pain conditions.


PURPOSE
Lamellar macular holes (LMHs) can been subdivided into tractional and degenerative subtypes. This cross-sectional cohort study compared structural and functional characteristics in these subtypes hypothesizing that tractional LMH has a higher prevalence of vitreopapillary adhesion and tangential traction (macular pucker), whereas degenerative LMH has more ellipsoid zone disruption and worse vision, measured three different ways.

METHODS
Tractional LMH (n = 22) and degenerative LMH (n = 15) were distinguished by optical coherence tomography criteria. Separate spectral domain optical coherence tomography scanning of the macula and optic disk was performed. Visual acuity, contrast sensitivity function (Weber Index, %W), and the degree of visual distortions (3-dimensional threshold Amsler grid; % volume lost [%VL]) were quantified.

RESULTS
Vitreopapillary adhesion was present in 14/22 (64%) tractional, but in only 3/15 (20%) degenerative LMH (P = 0.006). Macular pucker was present in 19/22 (86%) tractional, but in only 8/15 (53%) degenerative LMH (P = 0.011). Ellipsoid zone disruption was present in 13/15 (87%) degenerative, but in only 2/22 (9%) tractional LMH (P = 0.0001). Visual acuity was better in tractional than degenerative LMH (P = 0.006), as was contrast sensitivity function (tractional = 3.44 ± 1.07 %W, degenerative = 4.66 ± 1.73 %W; P = 0.015). Visual distortions were less in tractional (0.33 ± 0.61 %VL) than in degenerative (0.85 ± 0.68 %VL) LMH (P = 0.014).

CONCLUSION
Structure and visual function differ significantly in subtypes of LMH. Tractional LMH has 3-fold higher prevalence of vitreopapillary adhesion and 2-fold higher prevalence of macular pucker. Degenerative LMH has 9-fold more ellipsoid zone disruption, worse visual acuity and contrast sensitivity function, and 3-fold more distortions. Thus, outer retinal integrity seems more closely correlated with vision than anterior structural abnormalities in LMH.


Over forty states and territories had buildings of their own at the Fair.  These included all the northeastern states except Delaware. Representative of the states hosted formal receptions as part of that state's day during the Fair.
A visitor walking by the Maine state building saw a hunting lodge constructed from logs from the state's pineries and chimneys built of native rocks.
Connecticut's building was a reproduction of a New England colonial mansion. Inside visitors saw an exhibit of colonial furniture.  It included a 1765 Chippendale desk and the chair used by George Washington at the First Continental Congress.
The Massachusetts state building combined the colonial mansion style with many features of historic interest, including a reproduction of the Bullfinch designed front of the Massachusetts State Capitol.
Other northeastern states offered strong attractions.  The New Jersey state building was a reproduction of the Ford House where George Washington stayed during the Revolutionary War, the Virginia state building was a reproduction of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, and the Pennsylvania state building boasted a large square dome with spacious porches.


Sudden cardiac death is one of the leading causes of death in patients with congenital heart disease, especially in patients with repaired cyanotic and left heart obstructive lesions. While the overall annual incidence of sudden cardiac death is relatively low, estimated at 0.09% per year, this nonetheless represents a many-fold increase over that of comparable age-matched control populations. The most frequent cause of sudden cardiac death is believed to be arrhythmic, usually ventricular arrhythmia. Most studies investigating risk factors for ventricular arrhythmia and/or sudden cardiac death have focused on patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot and patients with Mustard/Senning repair for complete transposition of the great arteries. Despite a multitude of risk factors, their predictive value for the occurrence of sudden cardiac death is relatively low. Current experience with implantable cardioverter defibrillators in this patient population is limited to observational studies and the selection of patients for prophylactic implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation is impeded both by the absence of randomized trials and weak predictors. Catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia has emerged as a promising therapy for abolishing or reducing the burden of arrhythmia but experience is still limited and the impact on long-term outcome uncertain. Future studies will have to focus on improving risk stratification of patients with congenital heart disease.


The Indonesian government has adopted the concept of electronic-based government to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of governance. One important aspect of electronic-based governance is the digitization of archives, which will help improve the accessibility, security, and readability of government documents. However, the implementation of archive digitization in Indonesia is still constrained by several factors, such as lack of understanding of technology and lack of support from government management. The purpose of this study is to analyze, review and find out whether the Presidential Regulation of the Republic of Indonesia number 95 of 2018 concerning the Electronic-Based Government System (SPBE) has been effectively implemented by all Institutions, Ministries and Regional Governments. The next objective is to analyze, review and find out whether the implementation of archive digitization policies in all ministries, institutions and local governments is effective and significant in governance. The research method used is a qualitative approach through observation, literature study and observation of the phenomenon of digital archives in all levels of central and regional governments. Analysis and discussion in this study were carried out on the Variables of Digitization of archives and variables of Effectiveness of Archival Administration. The results obtained in this study that the digitization of archives in all institutions, ministries and local governments contributes significantly to the administration of government. The conclusion from the results of this study is that Presidential Regulation number 95 of 2018 concerning Electronic-Based Government Systems has not been optimally implemented. Digitization of archives is a strategy to save budget, human resources and workspace and digitization of archives contributes significantly to the administration of government.


Optimal sampling is to estimate the parameters of interest as accurately as possible under the constraint of budget and time. This study attempts to determine an optimal sampling technique for medicinal plant biodiversity assessment using six techniques in Tekai Tembeling Forest Reserve (TTFR), Jerantut, Pahang. Four one-hectare plots were established within the forest area between 340 a.s.l – 520 a.s.l. Each plot divided into quadrate sized 10x10m. Analysis of six techniques quadrate selection were applied for each plot and the number of medicinal species collected, the diversity indices and the evenness indices were compared to the 100% inventory. Results showed that the highest number of species for six quadrate selection technique possessed by row technique (224), while 100% inventory recorded 236 species. The 75% random quadrate selection technique showed the highest diversity index estimated by Shannon (H'), 6.75 where the diversity index higher than 100% inventory. While, for evenness, Camargo index showed the 50% random technique quadrate selection technique possessed the highest value (0.4) which is higher than 100% inventory. The best technique suggested in this study was row quadrate selection technique which capture 224 medicinal species with H'= 6.596 and evenness index 0.366. MD, MSD and MSPD also computed from the data to evaluate which is the best technique. As a conclusion, row quadrate selection technique was the recommended technique as an alternative to the 100% inventory.


Background Objectives We assessed the presence of alveolitis by means of BAL and its correlations with HRCT findings in the diagnosis of systemic sclerosis (SSc)-related interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD). Methods 43 nonsmoking patients (pts) with SSc, with a mean age of 54.62 ± 2.08 years (range 23–74), underwent to: bronchoscopy with BAL according to the 1990 American Thoracic Society guidelines;1 lung HRCT, graded according to a scoring system proposed by Warrick et al.;2 and SSc-related antibodies testing. Results Patients with alveolitis (A) and those without alveolitis (NA), divided according to BAL results, were comparable as to mean age and duration of disease, to the prevalence of diffuse or limited subset of disease, to mean values of skin score and to the results of examinations with respiratory function tests, diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide, and inhaled 99mTc-DTPA for the measure of alveolar clearance rate performed as part of the whole clinical assessment. BAL showed the presence of alveolitis in 18/43 pts (41.8%) with cell profiles so distributed: lymphocytic (L) in 5/18 pts (27.7%); eosinophilic (E) in 1/18 (5.5%); pure neutrophilic (N) in 5/18 (27.7%) and a mixed pattern (3 N+L, 3 N+E, 1 N+L+E) in 7/18 (38.8%). Both "total HRCT" score (14.3 ± 1.2 vs 9.2 ± 1.2; p = 0.01) and "severity of disease" score (8.8 ± 0.8 vs 6.0 ± 0.8; p = 0.02) yelded significantly higher values in A pts compared with NA pts. Among HRCT abnormalities, only "honeycombing" (HC) was significantly more frequent in A pts (p = 0.033); while the presence of "ground glass" (GG), "irregular pleural margins", "septal/subpleural lines" and "subpleural cysts" showed no differences between A and NA pts. Anti Scl-70 positivity was more prevalent in A pts (p = 0.015) and, whether or not alveolitis was present, it correlated with higher "total HRCT" scores (p = 0.039). Conclusion Seemingly, GG cannot be unambiguously considered as the radiographic sign of alveolitis, since the latter is more prevalent in patients with HC which so, far from being the equivalent of a purely fibrotic outcome, could represent pathologic lung tissue that still retains some ongoing and potentially treatable inflammatory activity. Moreover, we confirm the role of anti Scl-70 as a negative prognostic marker associated with SSc-ILD. References Am Rev Respir Dis. 1990;142:481 J Rheumatol. 1991;18:1520


In the long run, the fatigue in aircrews performing frequent, long-range flights is linked to factors connected to the aircraft, such as noise, temperature, cabin pressure, atmosphere quality, and flight characteristics. These are the factors inherent to the aircraft which we have investigated during six long-range flights without time zone changes in DC-8 and DC-10 aircraft of the U.T.A. Cie. The results show that none of the pollutants researched reach doses considered hazardous by FAR 25 or by French legislation. This fact is due to the effective ventilation in the cabins. In flight, thermal comfort is limited by a too-low hygrometry RH = 12%. Even in a modern aircraft, the noise level remains high, but acoustical energy is spread over the less detrimental frequencies.


The efficacy of combination of salmeterol (50 μg) and fluticasone propionate (500 μg) in a single inhaler (discus) compared with placebo were evaluated in patients with moderate to very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In 12 weeks, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, paralled-group study in 62 adults (mean age 67 years, mean Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1) 43% predicted normal), patients received inhalation twice daily of either salmeterol/fluticasone propionate or placebo. Daily bronchodilator use, exacerbations, quality of life using St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), change of FEV1, Modified Medical Research Council for Dyspnoea (MMRC), Six Minute Walking Distance (6MWD), adverse event were recorded. Fifty seven patients completed the 3-month treatment period: 29 patients received combination salmeterol/fluticasone propionate and 28 patients received placebo. Combination of salmeterol/fluticasone propionate in a single inhaler (discus) reduced the mean number of severe exacerbations per patient within 12 weeks by 28.57% versus placebo. Forced Expiratory Volume in one second increased by 5.36% versus placebo and improved MMRC scale, 6MWD, SGRQ in therapy group versus placebo. These results suggest a role for combination of salmeterol/fluticasone propionate in the long-term management of moderate to very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Keywords: COPD, salmeterol/fluticasone propionate, quality of life


Purpose To investigate the changes of VEGF、FGF-2 and ER mRNA and protein levels in mice retinae of normal retinal vascular development and retinopathy, in order to elucidate risk factors and pathogenesis of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP). Methods Four hundred and seventy-four 7-day-old(P7) C57BL/6J mice, half female and half male, were assigned to four groups according to hyperoxia and gender. Total RNA was extracted from 2 mice 4 retinae for one sample. VEGF, FGF-2 and ER mRNA expressions were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). Their protein levels were determined by immunohistochemistry(IHC). The groups were: female mice in group 1(n=126) and male mice in group 2(n=126) were exposed to 75% O2 for 5 days and returned to room air for another 5 days. Investigation was done everyday since exposure to hyperoxia until P17 for RT-PCR and P21 for IHC. Female mice in group 3(n=111) and male mice in group 4(n=111) were exposed to room air. RT-PCR was done everyday during P7-P17, IHC was done everyday during P7-P21. Results (1)The level of VEGF mRNA increased since P7, peaked at P9, and declined since P11 to a low level and maintained to P17 in normoxic groups. In hyperoxic groups, it declined since P8 and remained declining during oxygen exposure; while it rose slowly since mice were brought back to room air and rose rapidly since P15 which was significant compared to the controls, indicating a close relationship with changes of O2 concentration. The level of FGF-2 mRNA maintained low in normoxia; while in hyperoxic groups it had no changes during exposure to hyperoxia and rose since 3 days after back to room air and maintained to P21. The level of ER mRNA increased since P7, peaked at P9, declined since P11 and maintained to P17 in nomoxic group. In hyperoxic groups, it had no changes during the hyperoxic period and rose since 5 days after back to room air and maintained to P21. Changes of protein levels of these three factors were later than those of mRNA levels, but had the same trend. (2)Gender and hyperoxia didn′t independently affect the expressions of VEGF, FGF-2 and ER mRNA(P0.05). However, the age was the independent factor which could affect their mRNA expressions(P0.05). While hyperoxia and age were integrated, these factors′ mRNA expressions could be obviously affected(P0.000 1). Conclusions Our study suggested that hyperoxia followed by hypoxia was very important in the pathogenesis of ROP. VEGF, FGF-2, and ER played important roles on the development of normal retina vascularization and the pathogenesis of ROP. VEGF could be adjusted straightly by O2 concertration which might be the key factor in the pathogenesis of ROP.


We present distinctive signatures of flipped F-Theory models with TeV-scale vector-like particles, a \sqrt{s} = 7 TeV 1 fb^{-1} test at LHC of a class of models well-motivated from string theory. The characteristic feature is a light stop and gluino, both sparticles lighter than all other squarks. This unique aspect of the supersymmetry spectrum generates an ultra-high multiplicity of hadronic jets. We find the optimal signal to background ratio is realized for 9 or more jets. Exclusion of the essential cuts presented here could leave the ultra-high jet signal severely attenuated and concealed.


A study was conducted to determine the effect of de-oiled palm kernel cake based fertilizer formulations on the yield of sole maize and cassava crops. Two de-oiled palm kernel cake based fertilizer formulations A and B were compounded from different proportions of de-oiled palm kernel cake, urea, muriate of potash and single super phosphate. Two separate  experiments were performed. Experiment one tested the effect of the  fertilizer formulations on maize yield parameters. The treatments were 300 and 400 kg/ha rates of the fertilizer formulations A and B and conventional NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer (C) and a control (zero fertilizer). Experiment two  tested the effect of the formulations on cassava yield parameters. The  treatments were as in experiment one except that the conventional NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer was used in the place of NPK 20:10:10. The  experiments showed that the de-oiled palm kernel cake based fertilizer formulations improved soil physical and chemical properties. Grain yield in maize and tuber yield in cassava were increased significantly by the  application of the fertilizer formulations. The 300 kg/ha rate of formulation A was found to produce the highest grain yield in maize, while 400 kg/ha rate of formulation B gave the highest tuber yield in cassava. The two  de-oiled palm kernel cake based fertilizer formulations induced better  yield performances in both crops than the conventional fertilizers.  Nutritional values of the two crops were raised by the application of the fertilizer formulations. Key words : De-oiled seed cake, palm kernel, fertilizer.


Introduction: Date bunch fading disorder has been one of the most important problems, which caused economic damage to date plantation area of Iran. It has been first reported on Mozafti cultivar in Kahnuj area, Kerman province. It has often been observed on soft and mid ripening cultivars such as Mozafti, Mordaseng and Kalote. Furthermore, it usually appears on Mozafti cultivar when fruits change from Khalal to Rutab stage. The most important symptoms of this disorder are sudden wilting of fruits and necrotic strips on the upper surface of the main bunch stalk. Incidence and development of these symptoms increase by high temperature, low relative humidity, and hot and dry wind. Several research studies have been carried out on this disorder so far, but the only research about the effect of nutrition on disorder was performed by Rosta (2003). The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of calcium and potassium spray on date bunch fading and some traits of date fruit in Rigan region, Kerman province.
Materials and Methods: The experiment was conducted based on randomized complete block designs with three replicates in Rigan located in east south of Kerman province, Iran, in 2012. Treatments were: T1: control, T2: spray of calcium nitrate at the concentration of 5 ppm, T3: spray of potassium sulfate at the concentration of 5 ppm, and T4: combined spray of calcium nitrate and potassium sulfate at the concentration of 5 ppm. Treatments were applied at Kimri, Hobabok and Khalal stages. Sampling was performed from 3 date palms (3 bunches from each date palm were selected randomly) at the second date harvest. Totally, the traits of 200 fruits were measured in each date palm. The traits measured in the present study were: fruit length, fruit diameter, fruit weight, stone weight, stone diameter, and bunch fading percentage.
Results and Discussions: According to the data of variance analysis, treatments had a significant effect on wet fruit weight, fruit length, fruit diameter, stone weight, stone diameter, and bunch fading percentage at 1℅ level. The highest wet fruit weight, fruit length, fruit diameter, stone weight, and stone diameter were attained in the treatment containing combined application of calcium nitrate and potassium sulfate. Furthermore, the lowest amounts of these traits were obtained in control. The lowest and highest percentage of date bunch fading belonged to the combined treatment of calcium nitrate and potassium sulfate, and control, respectively. In general, application of calcium nitrate and potassium sulfate with each other improved fruit traits and reduced bunch fading percentage. Calcium mobility in the plant takes place mainly in the xylem, together with water. Therefore, calcium uptake is directly related to plant transpiration rate. Conditions of high humidity, cold and low transpiration rates may result in calcium deficiency. Salinity might also cause calcium deficiency because it decreases water uptake by the plant. Since calcium mobility in plants is limited, calcium deficiency appears in younger leaves and in fruits, because they have a very low transpiration rate. Therefore, it is necessary to have a constant supply of calcium for continued growth. Calcium deficiency is usually caused by low calcium availability or water stress which results in low transpiration rates. Calcium is an essential plant nutrient with many roles including participation in metabolic processes of other nutrients uptake, promotion of proper plant cell elongation, and improvement of cell wall structure – calcium is an essential part of plant cell wall. It forms calcium pectate compounds which give stability to cell walls and bind cells together. It also helps protecting the plant against heat stress - calcium improves stomata function and participates in induction of heat shock proteins. In addition, it helps protecting the plant against diseases - numerous fungi and bacteria secret enzymes which impair plant cell wall. Stronger cell walls, induced by calcium, can avoid the invasion of diseases. Considering the important roles of calcium, calcium spray increased thetraits of date fruit and decreased bunch fading percentage. As an important element in photosynthesis, , potassium regulates the opening and closing of stomata, and therefore regulates CO2 uptake. Potassium plays a major role in the regulation of water in plants (osmo-regulation). Both uptake of water through plant roots and its loss through the stomata are affected by potassium. Moreover, protein and starch synthesis in plants requires potassium, so that the enzymes responsible for starch synthesis are activated by potassium. Potassium has also an important role in the activation of many growth related enzymes in plants. Results of the analysis of the studied soil showed that available potassium content in soil was less than plant requirement. So spraying of potassium sulfate could result in the improvement of date fruit traits and reduction of bunch fading disorder. Finally, combined spray of calcium and potassium caused a significant reduction in date bunch fading percentage.
Conclusion: The results of the present study indicated that spray of calcium and potassium solely improved fruit traits and bunch fading disorder, but maximum values of fruit yield components and minimum bunch fading percentage obtained from foliar spray of calcium and potassium together.


Suplatast tosilate can inhibit IL-4 production and suppress IgE synthesis in vitro. However, the theory that the agent causes changes in production of IL-4 and IgE in vivo has little experimental support. Immunotherapy could decrease the specific IgE response, but such a favourable effect is only possible with prolonged therapy after an initial increase in specific IgE. The use of suplatast tosilate together with immunotherapy may blunt the initial rise in specific IgE and decrease serum levels of specific IgE more quickly. Eighty-three adult patients with perennial allergic rhinitis due to Dermatophagoides farinae (D. farinae) were treated for 6 months with one of 3 treatments. Seventeen patients were treated with oral administration of 300 mg/day suplatast tosilate alone. Forty-six patients were treated with immunotherapy using standardized D. farinae alone. Twenty patients were treated with immunotherapy together with concurrent oral administration of 300 mg/day suplatast tosilate. Serum samples were collected 3 times from each patient, at enrollment, at 3 months and at 6 months after enrollment. Oral administration of suplatast tosilate for 3 and 6 months significantly decreased serum levels of IL-4 and specific IgE, and the rate of decrease in specific IgE correlated significantly with the rate of decrease in IL-4. The rates of decrease in IL-4 and specific IgE at 3 and 6 months were significantly greater in the patients treated with suplatast tosilate and immunotherapy than in those treated with immunotherapy alone. In conclusion, suplatast tosilate is able significantly to decrease serum levels of IL-4 and specific IgE, and the use of the drug together with immunotherapy can blunt the initial increase in specific IgE during the first 6 months of immunotherapy.


Most industrial embedded systems requirements are specified in natural language, hence they can sometimes be ambiguous and error-prone. Moreover, employing an early-stage model-based incremental system development using multiple levels of abstraction, for instance via architectural languages such as EAST-ADL, calls for different granularity requirements specifications described with abstraction-specific concepts that reflect the respective abstraction level effectively. In this paper, we propose a toolchain for structured requirements specification in the ReSA language, which scales to multiple EAST-ADL levels of abstraction. Furthermore, we introduce a consistency function that is seamlessly integrated into the specification toolchain, for the automatic analysis of requirements logical consistency prior to their temporal logic formalization for full formal verification. The consistency check subsumes two parts: (i) transforming ReSA requirements specification into boolean expressions, and (ii) checking the consistency of the resulting boolean expressions by solving the satisfiability of their conjunction with the Z3 SMT solver. For validation, we apply the ReSA toolchain on an industrial vehicle speed control system, namely the Adjustable Speed Limiter.


We present Runge-Kutta methods of high accuracy for stochastic differential equations with constant diffusion coefficients. We analyze L/sub 2/ convergence of these methods and present convergence proofs. For scalar equations a second-order method is derived, and for systems a method of order one-and-one-half is derived. We further consider a variance reduction technique based on Hermite expansions for evaluating expectations of functions of sample solutions. Numerical examples in two dimensions are presented.


This note traces the history of the U.S. textile industry and the reasons for its flight to the South in the 1950s. Written to accompany the Malden Mills series of cases (UVA-E-0125, UVA-E-0126, UVA-E-0127, and UVA-E-0128, concerning a company that did not migrate to the South), the note discusses the circumstances surrounding this anomaly.


In the increasingly competitive intensive-software system market, it is essential for companies to have consistency and comprehensive understanding of development process, continuous progress, and ever-changing user needs of their application domain. Nowadays, user feedback is considered as the crux of the requirements engineering process. However, the diversity in data in terms of source, velocity and volume demand to exploit powerful and adaptive analysis techniques aimed at extracting information for supporting software and requirements engineering decisions as well. For instance, automated elicitation of the requirements has been investigated in conjunction with multi-criteria, which may take into account the different perspective of stakeholders. Whereas other factors like similar applications with the presence of user feedback and different decision makers perspective are slightly investigated. In this paper, a conceptual framework that can be useful for automated requirements elicitation is introduced. It combines three key elements as one unit: explicit user feedback, different stakeholder's perspective, and similar applications. As a next step to polish our work, we have carefully planned to validate the proposed framework. Furthermore, a tool-support will be designed to automate the conceptual framework. The ultimate goal of this framework aims to help software companies to identify the optimal requirements and features of application in a particular domain, hence reducing human efforts, improving the quality of the product, increasing user satisfaction, improving sustainability in the market and reducing the development lifecycle.


This paper employs an Input-Orientated Data Envelopment Analysis approach to the efficiency-based evaluation of the performance of Chinese stock commercial banks before the entry into WTO. First, we choose ten nationwide stock commercial banks in 2001 as samples, define deposit as input and output respectively, and calculate the technical efficiency of banks as index to evaluate their performance. Then, we decompose the technical efficiency into pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency, and set the return scale to banks. At the same time, we rank the banks in the sequence of technical efficiency, differentiating the banks with best performance from those with relatively poor performance, and analyze the origin of their poor performance. Finally, we discuss the differences with the performance of banks caused by different definitions of deposit and accordingly give a reasonable account.


Animal contextual fear conditioning (CFC) models are the most-studied forms used to explore the neural substances of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In addition to the well-recognized hippocampal–amygdalar system, the retrosplenial cortex (RSC) is getting more and more attention due to substantial involvement in CFC, but with a poor understanding of the specific roles of its two major constituents—dysgranular (RSCd) and granular (RSCg). The current study sought to identify their roles and underlying brain network mechanisms during the encoding processing of the rat CFC model. Rats with pharmacologically inactivated RSCd, RSCg, and corresponding controls underwent contextual fear conditioning. [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) scanning was performed for each animal. The 5-h and 24-h retrieval were followed to test the formation of contextual memory. Graph theoretic tools were used to identify the brain metabolic network involved in encoding phase, and changes of nodal (brain region) properties linked, respectively, to disturbed RSCd and RSCg were analyzed. Impaired retrieval occurred in disturbed RSCd animals, not in RSCg ones. The RSC, hippocampus (Hip), amygdala (Amy), piriform cortex (Pir), and visual cortex (VC) are hub nodes of the brain-wide network for contextual fear memory encoding in rats. Nodal degree and efficiency of hippocampus and its connectivity with amygdala, Pir, and VC were decreased in rats with disturbed RSCd, while not in those with suppressed RSCg. The RSC plays its role in contextual fear memory encoding mainly relying on its RSCd part, whose condition would influence the activity of the hippocampal–amygdalar system.


The behavior of water molecules in refrigerated cooked rice was examined by measuring spin-spin relaxation time T2 using a pulse NMR spectrometer. T2 decay curve was analyzed using two-component and non-linear regression analysis and the presence of three kinds of water components with different T2 were revealed. In the case of fresh cooked rice, the observed T2 and the relative population were 0.9 ms (short T2) and 13%, 26 ms (intermediate T2) and 76%, and 200 ms (long T2) and 11%, respectively. The short T2 component was ascribed to the water molecules hydrated directly on the starch molecules. Intermediate T2 component was dominant and ascribed to the water molecules accommodated in the starch matrix inside the rice grain. The mobility of water molecules was suppressed remarkably during the storage at 0°C while it was almost independent of the refrigerated storage below −18°C. The long T2 component was ascribed to those grains accommodated in the surface luster film that was formed in the initial stage of the cooking process and composed of low molecular weight polysaccharides. The relaxation property observed by NMR was well consistent with the physicochemical properties.


An exploratory study of the cosmology of moduli in string theory. Moduli are argued to be natural inflaton fields and lead to a robust inflationary cosmology in which inflation takes place at the top of domain walls. The amplitude of microwave background fluctuations constrains the dynamics responsible for inflation to take place at a higher scale than supersymmetry breaking. Models explaining this difference in scales and also preventing the dilaton from running to infinity are proposed. The problem of dilaton domination of the energy density of the universe is not resolved.


ABSTRACT Subperiosteal orbital haematoma (SOH) is an uncommon condition that involves bleeding within the potential space between the periosteum and orbital bone. This typically occurs within the superior orbit. If the SOH is large enough it can compress orbital structures and be sight threatening. Therefore, it is important for the clinician to recognize the potential causes for this phenomenon which will help guide the diagnosis. Herein we describe a unique case of unilateral SOH in a 47-year-old male following otherwise uncomplicated general anaesthesia. This occurred 6 weeks after a motorbike accident in which there was no facial/ocular injury. This case report identifies for the first time the potential for a late-onset SOH in the setting of a stressor event. It also highlights the potential for this condition to occur following general anaesthesia in a supine patient having a non-cardiac procedure, previously recognized as a potential stressor.


Computational biology is on the verge of a paradigm shift in its research practice - from a data-based (computational) paradigm to an information-based (cognitive) paradigm. As in the other research fields, this transition is impeded by lack of a right understanding about what is actually hidden behind the term "information". The paper is intended to clarify this issue and introduces two new notions of "physical information" and "semantic information", which together constitute the term "information". Some implications of this introduction are considered.


Nanostructured CeO2–ZrO2 mixed oxides have attracted great interest in the past 10 years, in particular as redox or oxygen storage promoters in the three-way catalysts. However, it has now became clear that both the chemistry of the simple oxides and the complex metal–CeO2-based oxide interactions can play a critical role in developing novel and highly active materials for a number of processes, ranging from catalysts for H2 production from fuels up to ceramic materials and solid state conductors for fuel cells. Despite the apparent simplicity of these systems, extreme variability of their chemical and textural properties has been observed. An attempt is made here to rationalise the various factors and the inter-connections to the structure, the texture, and the effects of the nanometre scale, which all contribute to the properties of these materials.


Parasitic nematodes are globally important and place a heavy disease burden on infected humans, crops and livestock, while commonly administered anthelmintics used for treatment are being rendered ineffective by increasing levels of resistance. Although the modes of action and resistance mechanisms caused by detoxification and target site insensitivity for these compounds is well documented, the mechanisms for uptake, which can also cause resistance, are still poorly defined. It has recently been shown in the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans that the avermectins or macrocyclic lactones such as ivermectin and moxidectin gain entry though the sensory cilia of the amphid neurons. This study interrogated the molecular mechanisms involved in the uptake of avermectins using a combination of forward genetics and targeted resistance screening approaches along with visualising a BODIPY labelled ivermectin analog and confirmed the importance of intraflagellar transport in this process. This approach also identified the protein trafficking pathways used by the downstream effectors and the components of the ciliary basal body that are required for effector entry into these non-motile structures. Mutations in many of the genes under investigation also resulted in resistance to the unrelated anthelmintic drugs albendazole and levamisole, giving insights into the potential mechanisms of multidrug resistance observed in field isolates of the parasitic nematodes that are a scourge of ruminant livestock. In total 50 novel C. elegans anthelmintic survival associated genes were identified in this study, three of which (daf-6, rab-35 and inx-19) are associated with broad spectrum cross resistance. When combined with previously known resistance genes, there are now 53 resistance associated genes which are directly involved in amphid, cilia and IFT function. Author Summary Nematodes represent significant pathogens of man and domestic animals and control relies heavily on limited classes of Anthelminitic drugs. Single and multi-drug resistance is a growing problem however mechanisms of anthelmintic drug resistance and drug uptake by nematodes remain to be clearly elucidated. In Caenorhabditis elegans there has been an association between amphid and dye filling defects with resistance to avermectins however the effector and causal mechanisms remain elusive. This study uses a combination of fluorescently labelled anthelmintics and anthelmintic resistance screens to probe the uptake mechanisms for these drugs. The role of the sensory amphids in the uptake of avermectins was confirmed. The avermectins enter the distal segment of the cilia using an effector which is delivered by the UNC-119 and UNC-33/UNC-44 transport systems to the base of the cilia, followed by distal appendage dependent entry and transport along the cilia by the intraflagellar transport pathway. Of the genes investigated, three (daf-6, rab-35 and inx-19) were linked to cross resistance against all the anthelmintics tested (Ivermectin, Moxidectin, Albendazole and Levamisole). This study gives further insight into how important classes of anthelmintics enter nematodes and highlights the potential for this process to give rise to anthelmintic resistance.


Objective: To study the role of Indomethacin in patients with Idiopathic Polyhydramnios who were symptomatic. Methods: A prospective study was conducted in Prathima Institute of Medical Sciences, Karimnagar from September 2017 to May 2019. Eighteen patients with Idiopathic Polyhydramnios who presented with respiratory embarrassment, premature opening of os or presence of uterine activity were given Indomethacin orally at a dose of 25mg 6th hourly. The significance of changes in AFI was tested by paired t test. Results : There was significant improvement in the symptoms in all the eighteen patients. The mean age of the patients in our study was 26.4±5.5 years. The majority 14(77.7%) of women were multigravida. Mean gestational age at presentation was 30.78±1.56 weeks. Mean AFI at presentation was 31.56±3.68 cm. Indomethacin was given orally at a dose of 25mg, every 6th hourly for a mean duration of 22.5±6.38 days. Mean AFI at the end of treatment was 20.28±5.64 cm. Pregnancy was prolonged by an average of 5.5±1.89 weeks. The difference in AFI at the end of treatment was statistically significant (p<0.05). Oligohydramnios was seen in one patient. Mean gestational age at delivery was 36.28±1.41 weeks. 17(94.4%) of them had good neonatal outcome. There was one neonatal death at< 7 days of birth. Conclusion: Indomethacin significantly decreases amniotic fluid volume in patients with Idiopathic Polyhydramnios and relieves symptoms but close surveillance is necessary.


The aim of this study was to examine illness presentation and understand how psychiatric patients make meaning of the causes of their mental illnesses. Six Jamaican psychiatric patients were interviewed using the McGill Illness Narrative Interview Schedule. Of the 6, 3 representative case studies were chosen. The hermeneutic phenomenological approach and the common sense model were used in the formulation of patients' explanatory models. Results indicate that psychiatric patients actively conceptualized the causes and resultant treatment of their mental illnesses. Patients' satisfaction and compliance with treatment were dependent on the extent to which practitioners' conceptualization matched their own, as well as practitioners' acknowledgement of patients' concerns about causation, prognosis, and treatment.


We present a typology of mind-matter correlations embedded in a dual-aspect monist framework as proposed by Pauli and Jung. They conjectured a picture in which the mental and the material arise as two complementary aspects of one underlying psychophysically neutral reality to which they cannot be reduced and to which direct empirical access is impossible. This picture suggests structural, persistent, reproducible mind-matter correlations by splitting the underlying reality into aspects. In addition, it suggests induced, occasional, evasive mind-matter correlations above and below, respectively, those stable baseline correlations. Two significant roles for the concept of meaning in this framework are elucidated. Finally, it is shown that the obtained typology is in perfect agreement with an empirically based classification of the phenomenology of mind-matter correlations as observed in exceptional human experiences.


Microgravity prominently affected cardiovascular health, which was the gravity-dependent physical factor. Deep space exploration had been increasing in frequency, but heart function was susceptible to conspicuous damage and cardiac mass declined in weightlessness. Understanding of the etiology of cardiac atrophy exposed to microgravity currently remains limited. The 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of casein kinase-2 interacting protein-1 (Ckip-1) was a pivotal mediator in pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling. However, the role of Ckip-1 3′-UTR in the heart during microgravity was unknown. We analyzed Ckip-1 mRNA 3′-UTR and coding sequence (CDS) expression levels in ground-based analogs such as mice hindlimb unloading (HU) and rhesus monkey head-down bed rest model. Ckip-1 3′-UTR had transcribed levels in the opposite change trend with cognate CDS expression in the hearts. We then subjected wild-type (WT) mice and cardiac-specific Ckip-1 3′-UTR-overexpressing mice to hindlimb unloading for 28 days. Our results uncovered that Ckip-1 3′-UTR remarkably attenuated cardiac dysfunction and mass loss in simulated microgravity environments. Mechanistically, Ckip-1 3′-UTR inhibited lipid accumulation and elevated fatty acid oxidation-related gene expression in the hearts through targeting calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase 2 (CaMKK2) and activation of the AMPK-PPARα-CPT1b signaling pathway. These findings demonstrated Ckip-1 3′-UTR was an important regulator in atrophic heart growth after simulated microgravity.


When you are invited to offer a conference like this, can not stop having a series of questions and considerations about the very fact of speaking to an audience informed and educated about the issues that the title might suggest exposure and how without falling into the usual cliches, without repeating the views and opinions set forth, if not obvious. I propose, then, establish, as a starting point, two things: the first is a promise: I will not talk about internet, a recurrent theme in his classes and activities. The second is a kind of contract between you and me: check out the obviousness of some views and question it, see it from behind, because that is where we might find the seams, some of the patches, if not outright nudity. I wonder if this is not precisely one of the first tasks of teaching in the University: to force what seems obvious to justify its obviousness, which is not easy.We can start messing things up a bit, looking like a very smooth and made some surrealist poets to cut one by one the words of poems and writings, throw them into the air and read with amazement the order they fall to form a new verse, Perhaps more interesting and evocative than the first. Is not this somewhat random operation of new blends the fundamental operation of so many new discoveries and innovative ideas in the fields of science, culture, arts? Some of you know the thought of Pascal says: "Do not say that I am not proposing something new: the order in which the material presented is different."


Building concentric tubes is one of biggest practical challenges in the construction of freeze-pipes of selective artificial ground freezing (S-AGF) applications for underground mines. In this study, the influence of tubes eccentricity on phase-front expansion (i.e., expansion of the frozen body) and energy consumption of S-AGF systems is analyzed. A 1+1D semi-conjugate model that solves two-phase transient energy conservation equation is derived based on the enthalpy method. The 1+1D model is firstly validated against experimental data and then verified with a fully-conjugate model from our previous work. After that, the 1+1D model is extended to a field-scale of typical underground mines to examine the effect of freeze-pipe eccentricity. The results show that concentric freeze-pipes form the desired frozen ground volume 15% faster than eccentric freeze-pipes. Also, the geometrical profile of the phase-transition-front of the frozen ground is found to be significantly influenced by the freeze-pipe eccentricity. Furthermore, in the passive zone, where S-AGF coolants are isolated from the ground to reduce energy consumption, freeze pipe eccentricity can increase the coolant heat gain by 20%. This percentage can increase up to 200 % if radiation heat transfer is minimized.


In 1957 Sykes and Matza introduced Neutralization Theory as a response to the prevailing criminological wisdom that offenders engage in crime because they adhere to an oppositional subcultural rule set that values law breaking and violence. Sykes and Matza rejected this perspective arguing that, despite their involvement with offending, delinquents maintain a strong bond to conventional society and want to perceive themselves as "good." To resolve their contemplated law breaking with this desired self-identity, they employ neutralization techniques designed to assuage anticipated guilt. Subsequent research indicates that the original formulation of the theory is limited to explaining the behavior of conventionally attached individuals and fails to address the decision-making processes of nonconventionally oriented individuals such as criminally embedded street offenders. The current paper argues that, for a core group of such offenders, guilt is not an issue at all because their crimes are not only considered acceptable, but attractive and desirable. In-depth, semistructured interviews conducted with 191 active, noninstitutionalized "hardcore" street offenders indicate they discount guilt not through neutralizations but by attaching normative definitions to their crimes (as either mundane, inevitable, or enjoyable) that preclude them from eliciting guilt in the first place. In addition, these interviews detail the manner in which such outlooks develop among hardcore offenders and how they are maintained in a manner that supports further offending.


Abstract African American gospel music seems without obvious parallel as a musical and social phenomenon of the twentieth century. It is a powerful musical and 'spiritual' expression that is to a larger extent defined by the musical style, vocal techniques and performance practices of one of its central figures: the gospel singer. Although these originally African American gospel vocal techniques and practices have now also significantly influenced the development of contemporary popular music and the broader gospel vocal style, the specific terminology used to describe them lacks precise definition, and also highlights the failure of conventional notation in successfully capturing or representing them. This article seeks then to firstly define and annotate some of the key descriptive terms commonly applied to African American gospel singing techniques in order that greater consistency and clarity can be achieved in relation to their usage within contemporary popular music research. Secondly, it will also introduce an analytical notational system, accompanied by a series of annotated musical transcriptions, that forms the basis of the author's taxonomy of musical gesture for African American gospel music, and which may provide a framework for comparative analytical research within the field of gospel-inspired contemporary popular music.


Helium-neon (He-Ne) laser irradiation is a highly efficient mutation breeding technology and is widely applied to various fields of biological science. Using Bacillus subtilis YTB4 with high yield of multienzyme complex as original strain, mutation breeding was carried out by He-Ne laser irradiation in this study. Based on the study of the strains' survival rate and positive mutation frequency, the appropriate irradiation dose was determined. The mutant YTB4A was selected through see-through circle way and enzyme activity determination. Compared with the original strain the activities of cellulase, protease and amylase increased by 265.14, 35.42 and 172.78%, respectively. In addition, the hereditary stability test showed that the activities of multienzyme complex were stable and that there was no reverse mutation after 25 generations. Keywords: Bacillus subtilis , multienzyme complex, He-Ne laser, mutation, hereditary stability


Segmental zoster paresis of the left upper limb in a pediatric patient.Segmental zoster paresis is a rare complication of herpes zoster characterized by focal, asymmetrical motor weakness in the myotome that corresponds to the dermatome of the rash. Segmental zoster paresis typically develops within 2-3 wks of cutaneous zoster and predominantly affects the middle-aged and elderly populations. Motor complications rarely develop in children and young adults, but when they do develop, involvement is usually confined to cranial and truncal muscles, with sparing of the limb musculature. A 10-yr-old boy with Fanconi's anemia developed left upper limb weakness because of involvement of C5 motor roots as a complication of herpes zoster. Recognizing motor zoster as a cause of acute motor weakness in a pediatric patient is important in avoiding unnecessary interventions and optimizing treatment.


The concomitant use of aspirin and an ADP receptor (P2Y12) blocker, also known as dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), has been extensively investigated as a primary and secondary prevention strategy in an effort to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. In this manuscript the authors review the current guideline recommendations for DAPT and discuss the scientific data that supports these recommendations. Reported are also the scientific knowledge gaps and how future studies are likely to delineate these issues. Incremental knowledge is not likely to be an alternative to individualized care provided by the astute clinician to his patient. In consideration for prescribing DAPT (drug, dosage and duration) the clinician will have to weigh the potential benefits (reduction in death from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and nonfatal stroke) and risks (severe or life-threatening bleeding) for each and every patient.


Abstract:EP0, an early protein gene of pseudorabies virus (PRV), plays important roles in viral replication and possibly in PRV latency. In order to select an siRNA that specifically inhibits the expression of EP0, three siRNA templates, EP04, EP08 and EP12, were designed and synthesized according to the EP0 sequence of PRV Ea strain and the siRNA design guidance of Ambion, and then cloned into the siRNA expression vector pSilencer 4.1-CMV neo containing a CMV promoter. This resulted in three recombinant plasmids p4.1-EP04, p4.1-EP08 and p4.1-EP12. Another recombinant plasmid pEP0-EGFP was also constructed by an in-frame fusing the EP0 coding sequence to the 5'-end of the EGFP gene in the expression vector pEGFP-N3. The p4.1-EP04, p4.1-EP08, p4.1-EP12 and a negative control p4.1-NK were separately co-transfected into IBRS-2 cells. Fluorescence microscopic observation, flow cytometric and RT-PCR analysis revealed that all the three siRNA could inhibit EP0 expression in the model as well as in PRV replication, with EP08 being the most efficient one, followed by EP12 and EP04. Our data are important to further study the function of EP0 in PRV replication and latency.


Abstract In this paper we consider uncertainty principles for solutions of certain partial differential equations on $H$ -type groups. We first prove that, on $H$ -type groups, the heat kernel is an average of Gaussians in the central variable, so that it does not satisfy a certain reformulation of Hardy's uncertainty principle. We then prove the analogue of Hardy's uncertainty principle for solutions of the Schrödinger equation with potential on $H$ -type groups. This extends the free case considered by Ben Saïd et al. ['Uniqueness of solutions to Schrödinger equations on H-type groups', J. Aust. Math. Soc. (3) 95 (2013), 297–314] and by Ludwig and Müller ['Uniqueness of solutions to Schrödinger equations on 2-step nilpotent Lie groups', Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 142 (2014), 2101–2118].


This document is written with the intention to describe in detail a method and means by which a computer program can reason about the world and in so doing, increase its analogue to a living system. As the literature is rife and it is apparent we, as scientists and engineers, have not found the solution, this document will attempt the solution by grounding its intellectual arguments within tenets of human cognition in Western philosophy. The result will be a characteristic description of a method to describe an artificial system analogous to that performed for a human. The approach was the substance of my Master's thesis, explored more deeply during the course of my postdoc research. It focuses primarily on context awareness and choice set within a boundary of available epistemology, which serves to describe it. Expanded upon, such a description strives to discover agreement with Kant's critique of reason to understand how it could be applied to define the architecture of its design. The intention has never been to mimic human or biological systems, rather, to understand the profoundly fundamental rules, when leveraged correctly, results in an artificial consciousness as noumenon while in keeping with the perception of it as phenomenon.


A 50-year-old man presented with an acute type A aortic dissection with an aberrant right subclavian artery. Emergent total arch replacement with an elephant trunk was performed. Intraoperatively, the origin of the aberrant right subclavian artery could not be resected because it was located too far from the distal arch. After two weeks, the patient became aware of dysphagia. Postoperative computed tomography showed the esophagus was compressed anteriorly by the aneurismal origin of this aberrant vessel (Kommerell diverticulum) with a patent false lumen. Additional replacement of the descending aorta via left thoracotomy was performed immediately to exclude a Kommerell diverticulum.


Serbia, the largest country of the Western Balkans, faces a historical choice concerning its future political orientation. Although this choice has been on the agenda since the late 1990s, it will remain unresolved for some time to come. The country's transformation has been moving forward. However, short of integration in western institutions, first of all in the European Union, the process is incomplete and other major players in the international system, first of all Russia but to some extent also China, attempt to influence Belgrade in a direction favorable to their interest. Rational choices in regard to economic integration, trade and investment, and the effects of consolidating democracy should drive Serbia in the direction of the West. However, as demonstrated by some cases, there are factors other than rational choice. Emotional association with Russia, orthodox Christianity, the Russian backing of Serbia in the dispute of the latter with Kosovo, as well as Moscow's sophisticated influence playing on the West's step-by-step advancement and hesitation help Russia better establish itself in Serbia. That results in an inconclusive situation that requires attention to avoid the continuation of hesitancy and uncertainty in the long run. China potentially offers an alternative, primarily as a trade partner and investor. However, its interests in Serbia's future orientation may be different from Moscow's as its investments may offer higher returns if Belgrade becomes a member of the European Union sooner rather than later.


This paper explores the relationship between Neural Language Model (NLM) perplexity and sentence readability. Start-ing from the evidence that NLMs implicitly acquire sophisticated linguistic knowledge from a huge amount of training data, our goal is to investigate whether perplexity is affected by linguistic features used to automatically assess sentence readability and if there is a correlation between the two metrics. Our findings suggest that this correlation is actually quite weak and the two metrics are affected by different linguistic phenomena. 1


This paper presents a low-power reference voltage buffer with fast load transient response that can be used to drive capacitive loads. The circuit is based on an improved replica-biasing source follower structure that combines the high precision of the closed loop and the high bandwidth of the open loop, and it meets the requirements of high precision, fast load transient response for a sigma-delta modulator. The proposed circuit is implemented in 0.18 μm CMOS technology provided by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC). The reference voltage buffer is combined with a sigma-delta modulator. The result shows that when the load capacitor is 10 pF, the settle time is 134 ns, the quiescent current is 81.5 μA, and the chip area is 117 μm × 220μm.