Deep neural networks have been successfully deployed in various domains of artificial intelligence, including computer vision and natural language processing. We observe that the current standard procedure for training DNNs discards all the learned information in the past epochs except the current learned weights. An interesting question is: is this discarded information indeed useless? We argue that the discarded information can benefit the subsequent training. In this paper, we propose learning with retrospection (LWR) which makes use of the learned information in the past epochs to guide the subsequent training. LWR is a simple yet effective training framework to improve accuracies, calibration, and robustness of DNNs without introducing any additional network parameters or inference cost, but only with a negligible training overhead. Extensive experiments on several benchmark datasets demonstrate the superiority of LWR for training DNNs.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of hematopoietic growth factors (HGF) on the proliferation of non-hematopoietic cells such as fibroblasts and epithelial cells of normal and tumoral origin.

METHODS
The lymphoid factor IL-2 and the myeloid HGF assayed were IL-3, G-CSF, GM-CSF and M-CSF. The cellular proliferation was determined by measuring the amount of crystal violet dye incorporation by cells through spectrophotometry.

RESULTS
All myeloid HGF tested stimulated the proliferation of cell lines 5637, CaLo and L-929. These results suggest that the stromal cells can be induced to proliferate by myeloid growth factors hinting to a bilateral interaction between these two types of cells as it is known that stromal cells in turn secrete HGF. We also observed that for the mouse fibroblastic and epithelial cells, IL-2 was unable to induce proliferation in normal cells but had a strong effect on transformed cells. Finally we discuss our observation that tumour cells responded to IL-2 as a possible mechanism for an immune escape by these cells through IL-2 depletion.


The objective of this research was to study the outcomes of teaching method based on Science, Technology, Society, and Environment (STSE) in enhancing the nature of science understanding, emphasizing the empirical evidence among 23 pre-service general science teachers at one of Rajabhat Universities in the upper northern region, Thailand. The samples were selected using the purposive random sampling technique from a population of bachelor education program students who enrolled in the second semester in the academic year of 2016. The research instruments consisted of questionnaires and ten learning management plans based on the concept of Science, Technology, Society, and Environment (STSE) emphasizing on empirical evidence covering ten environmental issues in the upper northern region. Such learning managements have steps for students to utilize empirical evidence to create the nature of science understanding. Mean and standard deviation were applied to data analysis, then the results were presented descriptively. The research found that the pre-service teachers had a better understanding of the nature of science after studying with the statistical significance and were satisfied with the implementation of the teaching method. © 2019 Science Education Study Program FMIPA UNNES Semarang


Percolation theory is a powerful framework for studying strongly disordered systems. However, almost all the interesting physics of percolation happens in a very small range in parameter space, and often it may seem difficult to justify why a physical system should happen to be near this special point, the percolation threshold. In this paper we review some aspects of percolation theory from a different viewpoint than the usual one. In this formulation, it becomes natural why the percolation threshold plays an important role in many physical systems.


HE JINDYWOROBAK POETRY MOVEMENT, FOUNDED BY REX INGAMELLS IN 1938, emerged in the context of a literary-cultural milieu split between those concerned with developing a uniquely 'indigenous' Australian tradition on the one hand, and those primarily concerned with defending and maintaining continuity with Australia's European inheritance on the other. While the Jindyworobaks have typically been associated with the former tradition, this essay argues that they in fact sought to chart a new path that rejected both the straightforward traditions of anti-colonial nationalism and the 'alien' influence of imported European culture; that they rejected both extremes and sought instead to achieve a synthesis of the two. With this aim in mind, they turned towards Aboriginal Australians, as bearers of the spirit of the place, in an attempt to appropriate an imagined environmental essence and to thereby construct the conditions for an unmediated encounter between the settler and the land.


Purpose: The sentinel lymph node is defined as the first draining node from a primary tumor and reflects the histologic feature of the remainder of the lymphatic basin status. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of lymphoscintigraphy and intraoperative radioguided gamma probe for identification and removal of sentinel lymph node in breast cancer. Materials and Methods: Lymphoscintigraphy was performed preoperatively in 15 patients with biopsy proven primary breast cancer. Tc-99m antimony sulfide colloid was injected intradermally at four points around the tumor. Imaging acquisition included dynamic imaging, followed by early and late static images at 2 hours. The sentinel lymph node criteria on lymphoscintigraphy is the first node of the highest uptake in early and late static images. We tagged the node emitting the highest activity both in vivo and ex vivo. Histologic study for sentinel and axillary lymph node investigation was done by Hematoxylin-Eosin staining. Results: On lymphoscintigraphy, three of 15 patients had clear lymphatic vessels in dynamic images, and 11 of 15 patients showed sentinel lymph node in early static image and three in late static 2 hours image. Mean detection time of sentinel lymph node on lymphoscintigraphy was 33.5±48.4 minutes. The sentinel lymph node localization and removal by lymphoscintigraphy and intraoperative gamma probe were successful in 14 of 15 patients (detection rate: 93.3%). On lymphoscintigraphy, 14 of 15 patients showed 2.47±2.00 sentinel lymph nodes. On intraoperative gamma probe, 2.36±1.96 sentinel lymph nodes were detected. In 7 patients with positive results of sentinel lymph node metastasis, 5 patients showed positive results of axillary lymph node (sensitivity: 72%) but two did not. In 7 patients with negative results of sentinel lymph node metastasis, all axillary nodes were free of disease (specificity: 100%). Conclusion: Sentinel lymph node biopsy with lymphoscintigraphy and intraoperative gamma probe is a reliable method to predict axillary lymph node metastasis in breast cancer, and unnecessary axillary lymph node dissection can be avoided.


In this paper we formulate multi-target tracking (MTT) as a rank-1 tensor approximation problem and propose an ℓ1 norm tensor power iteration solution. In particular, a high order tensor is constructed based on trajectories in the time window, with each tensor element as the affinity of the corresponding trajectory candidate. The local assignment variables are the ℓ1 normalized vectors, which are used to approximate the rank-1 tensor. Our approach provides a flexible and effective formulation where both pairwise and high-order association energies can be used expediently. We also show the close relation between our formulation and the multi-dimensional assignment (MDA) model. To solve the optimization in the rank-1 tensor approximation, we propose an algorithm that iteratively powers the intermediate solution followed by an ℓ1 normalization. Aside from effectively capturing high-order motion information, the proposed solver runs efficiently with proved convergence. The experimental validations are conducted on two challenging datasets and our method demonstrates promising performances on both.


We consider the inventory replenishment problem and the vehicle routing problem simultaneously in the vending machine operation. This problem is known as the inventory routing problem. We design a memory cell in the clonal selection algorithm. The memory cell store the best solution of previous solved problem and use an initial solution for next problem. In general, the other clonal selection algorithm used memory cell for reserving the best solution in current problem. Experiments are performed for testing efficiency of the memory cell in demand uncertainty. Experiment result shows that the solution quality of our algorithm is similar to general clonal selection algorithm and the calculations time is reduced by 20% when the demand uncertainty is less than 30%.


Using a combination of critical point theory of ordinary differential equations and numerical simulation for the three-dimensional unsteady Navier–Stokes equations, we study possible flow structures of the vortical flow, especially the unsteady vortex breakdown in the interaction between a normal shock wave and a longitudinal vortex. The topological structure contains two parts. One is the sectional streamline pattern in the cross-section perpendicular to the vortex axis. The other is the sectional streamline pattern in the symmetrical plane. In the cross-section perpendicular to the vortex axis, the sectional streamlines have spiral or centre patterns depending on a function λ (x, t) = 1/ρ(∂ρ/∂t+∂ρu/∂x), where x is the coordinate corresponding to the vortex axis. If λ > 0, the sectional streamlines spiral inwards in the near region of the centre. If λ < 0, the sectional streamlines spiral outwards in the same region. If λ = 0, the sectional streamlines form a nonlinear centre. If λ changes its sign along the vortex axis, one or more limit cycles appear in the sectional streamlines in the cross-section perpendicular to the vortex axis. Numerical simulation for two typical cases of shock induced vortex breakdown (Erlebacher, Hussaini & Shu, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 337, 1997, p. 129) is performed. The onset and time evolution of the vortex breakdown are studied. It is found that there are more limit cycles for the sectional streamlines in the cross-section perpendicular to the vortex axis. In addition, we find that there are quadru-helix structures in the tail of the vortex breakdown.


Hospital is a service industry. Its efficiency depends on various service performance indicators. Hospital success depends on their patient satisfaction towards hospitals' doctor staff, nursing staff, non paramedical staff and service facilities available in the hospitals. The main objective is to study the satisfaction of patients towards miscellaneous services provided by hospitals. Primary data have been collected from 225 patients of Government Hospitals, Private Hospitals and Trust Hospitals from Ahmedabad, Bhuj and Rajkot city of Gujarat State through developed schedule. Descriptive analysis method was used for data analysis. Government Hospital patients were dissatisfied with infrastructure facilities compared to Pvt. Hospitals and Trust Hospitals. Charges of Government Hospitals were very low compared to Pvt. Hospitals and Trust Hospitals. Government should allocate more funds for infrastructure facilities in Government Hospitals in Gujarat.


In order to reduce the heat loss of diesel combustion, it is important to clarify the effect of in-cylinder flow on heat transfer to the chamber wall.The experiments were conducted using the rapid compression machine (RCM) equipped with heat flux sensors fixed on chamber wall to measure local instantaneous wall temperature to investigate the effect of swirl flow on the local heat transfer in diesel flame.Injection angle of single hole nozzle and swirl were controlled to investigate the correlation of spray flame and in-cylinder flow characteristics on heat transfer to the chamber wall.The results show that, the local heat transfer at the impinging point was suppressed because of decreasing local flame temperature with reverse swirl. On the other hand, local heat transfer was increased by forward swirl with local flame temperature rises. The exponent of Reynolds number in the empirical equation of Nusselt number was decreased by the reverse swirl than without swirl. Meanwhile, the exponent of Reynolds number was increased by the forward swirl than without swirl.


A land-sea composite state is a state based on land, close to the continental margin, with a long coastline and a certain degree of influence. In the development of sea-land complex countries, there are respective situations and strategic dilemmas in sea rights. Sea rights are closely linked to national destiny, and after years of development, experience and lessons are both present. France is a representative land and sea composite state. Its thought on sea rights has profound historical value and has made unique contributions to the development of global sea rights theory. Therefore, this paper takes the development of France's sea power as a blueprint and studies the development of France's sea power on land and sea composite countries, discusses the rise and fall of France's sea power, and provides reference for China's sea power strategy research.


The present work is focused on the optimization of process parameters in cylindrical surface grinding of AISI 1050 steel with grooved wheels. Response surface methodology (RSM) and genetic algorithm (GA) techniques were merged to optimize the input variable parameters of grinding. The revolution speed of workpiece, depth of cut and number of grooves on the wheel were changed to explore their experimental effects on the surface roughness of machined bars. The mathematical models were established between the input parameters and response by using RSM. Then, the developed RSM model was used as objective functions on GA to optimize the process parameters.


Abstract Topic and aims Canine atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory and pruritic skin disease and in most cases associated with IgE antibodies against environmental allergens. To date, the only causative therapeutic option is allergen immunotherapy (AIT). Offending allergens for AIT can be identified by intradermal testing (IDT) or serum allergen-specific IgE testing. The aim of the study was to evaluate positive IDT results considering the atopic dogs' clinical history. Material and methods An IDT was performed on 48 atopic dogs and their owners completed a detailed questionnaire about the seasonal course of their pruritus. Results of IDT were correlated with the seasonal occurrence of pruritus. Results The most common positive IDT reactions were observed to mite allergens (33.3–62.5 %). Prevalence of positive reactions to individual tree, grass and weed pollen ranged between 8.3 % and 25 %. Moulds and epithelial allergens produced positive reactions in only 0–6.3 %. A correlation between positive IDT reactions and course of pruritus could neither be found for perennial nor for seasonal allergens. Conclusion The evaluation of IDT reactions may not be an optimal method for identification of clinically relevant allergens in canine AD. Clinical relevance The results of this study emphasise the importance of considering clinical history in addition to allergy test results in the formulation of an allergen extract for desensitisation.


The article discusses the impasses and alternatives to political representation, taking as starting point the controversy about the concept of power, which occurred in the sixties and seventies in the Anglo-Saxon political science and involved, notably, Robert Dahl, Bachrach & Baratz, and Steven Lukes. According to Lukes, the understanding of power must consider three dimensions: (1) the aptness to take decisions or to veto them; (2) the control over the agenda, that is, the determination of the questions that will be object of decisions; and (3) the aptness to nullify social conflict, by preventing individuals and social groups from taking consciousness of their true interests. Despite its problems, this formula is useful to think political representation. Predominant theories take only the most evident face of political representation into account: the choice of decision-makers. But a representative democracy closer to the ideal of popular sovereignty would have to include a second dimension  the formation of agenda, what is strongly influenced by mass media. Hence, it is necessary to understand mass media as also a sphere of political representation. And recognition of the third dimension implies the need of generating spaces where subaltern groups can autonomously formulate their interests, that is, a developed and plural civil society.


Supaglutide (Supa) is a novel once-weekly, human-derived long-acting GLP-1 analogue developed for patients with type 2 diabetes. In this study, we investigated the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK) , pharmacodynamics (PD) and potential immunogenicity of single-dose subcutaneous injections of Supa in healthy subjects. In this double-blind, single dose-escalation, 14-week trial, 48 healthy subjects were randomized to subcutaneous Supa treatment (ranging from 0.375 to 9 mg) or placebo arms for 2 weeks. PK profile and safety parameters were assessed. PD parameters (glucose and insulin concentrations) were measured following an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) (Day 3) . The half-life of Supa was approximately 120 h with a median Tmax ranging from 48 to 72 h (Table 1) . Supa treatment significantly reduced body weight compared to placebo in a dose-dependent and time-dependent fashion. OGTT results showed that Supa at all doses investigated significantly decreased glucose levels during the test, suggesting increased glucose tolerance. Supa was safe and well-tolerated in healthy subjects with some increase in mild to moderate gastrointestinal symptoms with escalating doses. No subjects developed anti-Supa antibodies. The safety, PK and PD profiles supported Supa as a long-acting injectable medication for glycemic control and weight loss, as an alternative GLP-1 therapy.

 A. Ma: None. J. Li: None. G. J. Prud'homme: None. D. Zhu: n/a. Q. Wang: None. Y. Zhou: None. Y. Lou: None. Y. Liao: None. A. Shao: None. Z. Wang: None. Y. Jiang: None. Q. Cui: None. Y. Zhao: None.

 Ministry of Science and Technology (No. 2011ZX09102, No. 2017ZX09303001) , Shanghai Science and Technology Department (No. 2017ZX09303001)


When the retinal image changes, some neurons in primary visual cortex (V1) increase their rate of spiking, while other decrease their rate of spiking. How the brain decodes changes in visual stimuli from this set of neuronal responses remains largely unknown. We trained mice to respond to increases or decreases of visual contrast by releasing a lever. We used optogenetic approaches to increase or decrease V1 neuron responses evoked by contrast changes. The ability of mice to detect increases and decreases in visual contrast were both enhanced by increasing V1 spiking, whereas detection was always impaired by suppressing V1 spiking, even when the change was a decrease in contrast. The results suggest a strong asymmetry in the readout of signals from V1 insomuch as decrements in neuronal spiking contribute markedly less to perceptual reports.


The stages of reforming the railway transport in developed countries are studied. The experience of operation in new conditions and prospects of development of transport branch are analyzed.


It has been reported that tamoxifen is a substrate of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and microsomal cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A, and kaempferol is an inhibitor of P-gp and CYP3A. Hence, it could be expected that kaempferol would affect the pharmacokinetics of tamoxifen. Thus, tamoxifen was administered orally (10 mg/kg) without or with oral kaempferol (2.5 and 10 mg/kg). In the presence of kaempferol, the total area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to time infinity (AUC) of tamoxifen was significantly greater, C(max) was significantly higher and F was considerably greater than those without kaempferol. The enhanced bioavailability of oral tamoxifen by oral kaempferol could have been due to an inhibition of CYP3A and P-gp by kaempferol. The presence of kaempferol did not alter the pharmacokinetic parameters of a metabolite of tamoxifen, 4-hydroxytamoxifen. This could have been because the contribution of CYP3A to the formation of 4-hydroxytamoxifen is not considerable in rats.


Since the prognosis of localized amyloidosis remains unclear, we conducted a survey to define the characteristics and the course of this disease. The charts of 35 patients with either laryngeal (14 patients), tracheobronchial (10 patients), colonic (1 patient), or lower urinary tract amyloidosis (10 patients) were analyzed. The average age at diagnosis was 52.7 ± 12 years (range 33–73 years). The amyloid protein type was specified to be amyloid light chain (AL) in 15 cases. All patients had undergone additional biopsies (accessory salivary glands, rectal, fat pad and bone marrow aspirates) to rule out a systemic disease. Symptomatic treatments included endoscopic excision and laser therapy. Colchicine and chemotherapy with prednisone and melphalan were prescribed with limited success. During a mean follow-up period of 6.1 ± 5.3 years no patient developed a systemic form of amyloidosis. Six deaths were reported, one related to the disease because of a fatal airway hemorrhage. We suggest that immunolabeling studies should be more routinely performed. There was no risk of developing a systemic disease from local amyloid deposits in our survey. However, local evolution can be life-threatening. Such patients should be referred to specialist centers for further evaluation. Management requires close follow-up to exclude recurrence and to determine the appropriate symptomatic treatment.


Muscle signal is widely utilized in recognition of hand gesture, prosthetics and rehabilitation. Some study is available to recognize the hand gesture via EMG for some sign languages. Sign language performed generally with hand movement is developed for deaf. According to our research, any study is not available for numbers of between 0 and 9 in Turkish sign language. In this paper, surface electrodes put on fore arm were used to record EMG signals in order to determine these numbers. Features were extracted using root mean square, variance, waveform length, Fourier transform coefficients and proposed standard deviation of crosscorrelation coefficients after preprocessing. It caused that performance of linear discriminant analysis increased highly.


The effect of physical training depends on the intensity at which exercise is performed. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may not tolerate high exercise intensities during training due to breathlessness. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the cardiorespiratory load of exercise training, during pulmonary rehabilitation, in patients with severe COPD. We also studied the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation on maximum exercise performance. Thirteen patients with stable COPD (FEV1 (S.D.) 1.0 (0.3) L) performed an incremental cycle exercise test at baseline and after a 10 week in-patient pulmonary rehabilitation programme. Exercise training consisted of dynamic and isometric strength training exercises, and training of specific daily life activities. Training sessions were held 5 days per week for 10 weeks. Heart rate (HR) and dyspnoea ratings (Borg scale) were measured during one session in the second or third week of training, and were compared with values obtained during incremental cycle exercise at baseline. The ventilatory load during the training was estimated by using the relationship between HR and minute ventilation (VE) during incremental cycle exercise at baseline. The duration of a training session was 80 (7) min, including periods of rest. The HR during various exercises of the training programme varied between 94 (17) and 103 (14)% of peak HR during incremental cycle exercise. Borg scores during the training varied between 2.0 and 5.7, and were lower than the Borg score at peak exercise (6.5 (2.0)). HR was more than 90% of peak HR during 36 (33) min of the whole training session, which corresponded with a VE of 81 (11)% of peak VE during incremental cycle exercise. Training significantly increased maximum work load (Wmax) from 62 (25) to 73 (21) W (P < 0.05), without any change in peak HR, VE and VO2. In patients with severe COPD, the training intensity in terms of cardio-respiratory load was high in relation to individual maximum values. Pulmonary rehabilitation, including exercise training, improved maximum exercise performance.


This research examines the mediating effect of capital expenditure on the relationship between regional revenues (PAD), general allocation fund (DAU), specific allocation fund (DAK), and tax sharing fund/non tax sharing (DBH) on the economic growth. Secondary data were collected from 10 regencies in Bengkulu Province for the period of 2009 to 2015. This research used panel data analysis. The results showed that capital expenditure did not mediate the relationship between regional generated revenues, general allocation fund, specific allocation fund, and tax sharing fund/non tax sharing to economic growth. Meanwhile, general allocation fund have positif effect on economic growth. Regional generated revenues and specific allocation fund have negative effect on economic growth, regional revenues and specific allocation fund also have positive effect on capital expenditure. Implication for stakeholders and further research are discussed. Keywords: Capital Expenditure, Economic Growth, General Allocation Fund, Regional Generated Revenues, , Specific Allocation Fund, Tax Sharing Fund /Non Tax Sharing


Immunofluorescence assays for marine ammonium- and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria were used to assess the diversity of nitrifying bacteria isolated from marine environments. The antisera show relatively broad specificity, in that each reacts with several strains of the same physiological type as the strain to which the antiserum was prepared. The antisera do not, however, react with any strains of differing physiological type. Seventy percent of the 30 unidentified ammonium-oxidizing isolates tested reacted with one or both of the antisera produced to marine ammonium-oxidizing strains, and 8 of the 9 unidentified nitrite-oxidizing strains tested reacted with 1 or more of the 3 nitrite oxidizer antisera used. Ammonium- and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria were enumerated in samples taken in a depth profile (to 750 m) in the Southern California Bight by immunofluorescence assays for two ammonium oxidizers and two nitrite oxidizers. Average abundances of the two types of nitrifiers were 3.5 � 105 and 2.8 � 105 cells liter−1, respectively. Nitrifiers constitute 0.1 to 0.8% of the total bacterial population in these samples.


Sensory-guided behavior requires reliable encoding of information (from stimuli to neural responses) and flexible decoding (from neural responses to behavior). In typical decision tasks, a small subset of cells within a large population encode task-relevant stimulus information and need to be identified by later processing stages for relevant information to be transmitted. A statistically optimal decoder (e.g., maximum likelihood) can utilize task-relevant cells for any given task configuration, but relies on complete knowledge of the relationship between the task and the stimulus-response and noise properties of the encoding population. The brain could learn an optimal decoder for a task through supervised learning (i.e., regression), but this typically requires many training trials, and thus lacks the flexibility of humans or animals, that can rapidly adjust to changes in task parameters or structure. Here, we propose a novel decoding solution based on functionally targeted stochastic modulation. Population recordings during different discrimination tasks have revealed that a substantial portion of trial-to-trial variability in cell responses can be explained by stochastic modulatory signals that are shared, and that seem to preferentially target task-informative neurons (Rabinowitz et al., 2015). The variability introduced by these modulators corrupts the encoded stimulus signal, but we propose that it also serves as a label for the informative neurons, allowing the decoder to solve the identification problem. We show in simulations of a modulated Poisson spiking model that a linear decoder with readout weights proportional to the estimated neuron-specific strength of modulation achieves performance close to an optimal decoder.


During the last decade, the world economy has experienced a worsening in financial stability, food prices, income inequality and environmental conditions. Seven development strategies are evaluated to determine which could help solve 'quadruple crisis'. These strategies are assessed using a common methodology which first documents the economic, social, environmental and food security policies adopted, and then assesses their outcomes using 11 performance indicators. The strategies are then ranked on the basis of their overall success score. While all strategies produced some positive results, the East Asian Miracle and the new Latin American development approach generated the greatest number of favourable outcomes.


A novel approach for the estimation of baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) is introduced based on time–frequency analysis of the transfer function (TF). The TF method (TF-BRS) is a well-established non-invasive technique which assumes stationarity. This condition is difficult to meet, especially in cardiac patients. In this study, the classical TF was replaced with a wavelet transfer function (WTF) and the classical coherence was replaced with wavelet transform coherence (WTC), adding the time domain as an additional degree of freedom with dynamic error estimation. Error analysis and comparison between WTF-BRS and TF-BRS were performed using simulated signals with known transfer function and added noise. Similar comparisons were performed for ECG and blood pressure signals, in the supine position, of 19 normal subjects, 44 patients with a history of previous myocardial infarction (MI) and 45 patients with chronic heart failure. This yielded an excellent linear association (R > 0.94, p < 0.001) for time-averaged WTF-BRS, validating the new method as consistent with a known method. The additional advantage of dynamic analysis of coherence and TF estimates was illustrated in two physiological examples of supine rest and change of posture showing the evolution of BRS synchronized with its error estimations and sympathovagal balance.


Correct analysis of creep and shrinkage effects on stress and deflection is very important for normal use and safety of steel-concrete composite beams. Based on the age-adjusted effective modulus method, this paper presents a simplified finite element model to analyze the creep and shrinkage of steel-concrete composite beams with partial interaction. Effects of the slip of shear connectors on stiffness and strength can be considered in the model. The shear connector element stiffness matrix considering slip is derived in this paper. Newton-Raphson solution procedure is used to calculate the nonlinear effects of slip between concrete slab and cracking of the concrete slab on stiffness and strength of composite beam. The deflection, stress and slip of a continuous composite beam under short-term and long-term load are computed using the proposed finite element model. The numerical results are compared with the experimental results and existing values based on other numerical method, and found to be in good agreement. This proves that the model is appropriate convenient in analysis of steel-concrete composite beams.


In this paper, we demonstrate that by simple laser induction, commercial polyimide films can be readily transformed into porous graphene for the fabrication of flexible, solid-state supercapacitors. Two different solid-state electrolyte supercapacitors are described, namely vertically stacked graphene supercapacitors and in-plane graphene microsupercapacitors, each with enhanced electrochemical performance, cyclability, and flexibility. Devices with a solid-state polymeric electrolyte exhibit areal capacitance of >9 mF/cm2 at a current density of 0.02 mA/cm2, more than twice that of conventional aqueous electrolytes. Moreover, laser induction on both sides of polyimide sheets enables the fabrication of vertically stacked supercapacitors to multiply its electrochemical performance while preserving device flexibility.


. A new classification of Dicranaceae is proposed based on comparison of non-coding chloroplast DNA trnLuAA intron and trnLuAA 3 'exon -trnF GAA intergenic spacer sequences of 38 species of Dicranaceae, one species of Aongstroemiaceae, and two species of each Grimmiaceae, Pottiaceae and Orthotrichaceae included for comparison. In a phylogenetic tree constructed according to the maximum parsimony principle, the subfamilies Dicranoideae and Campylopodioideae form monophyletic groups, whereas the Rhabdoweisioideae and Dicranelloideae appear as polyphyletic. The subfamily Paraleucobryoideae is rejected as the genera belong to Dicranoideae (Paraleuco bryum) or Campylopodioideae (Brothera, Campylopodiella). The species of Grimmiaceae, Pottiaceae and Orthotrichaceae form well supported clades, but their relationship to the subfamilies of Di cranaceae cannot be resolved. A close relationship of Aongstroemia, Dichodontium and Dicranel!a palustris is indicated. Campylopodium is transferred from Campylopodioideae to Dicranelloideae, and Dicranoweisia from Dicranoideae to Rhabdoweisioideae.


A family study was undertaken to investigate genetic involvement in renal dysplasia, which is defined as abnormal metanephric differentiation. Probands were ascertained through the retrospective examination of necropsy records and the reevaluation of available material, which included microscopic examinations of the kidneys, gross descriptions of organs, and gross photographs. We obtained family histories and performed physical examinations and renal ultrasonography on parents and sibs of the 21 probands. In only one family a sibling with renal dysplasia was discovered; both the proband and the previous stillborn sib had renal dysplasia in association with posterior urethral values. Renal dysplasia could have resulted from urinary tract obstruction secondary to the urethral valves, with inheritance of the valves as the primary abnormality. However, we cannot exclude primary inheritance of the renal abnormality, perhaps with multifactorial determination with a threshold. The empiric recurrence risk of 2.1%, calculated from this family study, was statistically not significantly different from zero. We can assume, therefore, that the multicystic and aplastic types of renal dysplasia, which predominated in this study, are sporadic or rarely familial, but certain other types of renal dysplasia, identified in the literature as familial, probably carry a higher recurrence risk.


The process of reconciliation is necessarily centered on the victim. But Jürgen Moltmann rightly states that, "Oppression always has two sides. " Insofar as one can envision the tasks of liberation and reconciliation to be at least parallel, a premise that this paper acknowledges, then liberation too must be forward thinking. To redeem the past, Moltmann argued that we must not only seek the liberation of the oppressed, but also the liberation of the oppressor. The preferential option for the victim is indeed necessary, but so too is the transformation of the oppressor. While this application of liberation on the side of the oppressor is not always warmly received by liberation thinkers, Jon Sobrino also stated the need for a continued openness to the oppressor as essential to reconciliation and the liberation spirituality. This paper will draw on theological, literary, and historical sources as well as current events to explore the status of this sometimes controversial question of the liberation of the oppressor and its place within the goal of reconciliation.


In the curriculum for the environmental studies it is written among the general objectives that pupils during the environmental studies lessons develop a cognitive field that includes developing processes, abilities, and procedures, and also, in connection with it integrated (synonym complex) thinking. Integrated thinking enables us to comprehend things, phenomena, and actions as interconnected elements of the whole. This thinking is not based on linear sequences, but on a network of connections, interlacing and interdependence of parts which form the whole. Similarly, the systemic thinking could be described which also enables connecting the elements into the whole, helps to understand cause-and-effect connections in our life. The development of integrated systemic thinking in pupils enables could be developed by various learning approaches which stress the integrated development of a child.
In the master's thesis, we evaluated a model of cross-curricular integration of the environmental studies and arts from the perspective of the development of thinking in pupils. Cross-curricular integration was based on the topic of a "factory". We valued the appropriateness of the methods of the creative movement and puppets as well as seeing the performance and educational work at the City Museum of Ljubljana in the development of integrated systemic thinking in pupils. In the research, we included the pupils of the first grade of purposely selected elementary school, who became acquainted with the selected topic on factories in Ljubljana by seeing the exhibition and educational work in the museum by using the method of creative movement and a puppet during the lessons. We gained and analyzed the drawings and the results of adaptations of the pictures on the topic of a "factory" of the pupils, included in the exhibition (before the beginning of the discussion of the topic, after seeing the exhibition in the City Museum of Ljubljana, and after the concluded discussion of the topic). We also performed an interview with the pupils. We checked and analyzed the learning preparations of the performed lessons and the planned activity in the City Museum of Ljubljana. The research was qualitative and quantitative. Descriptive and causal-non-experimental methods were used. The results of the research showed that the used methods were efficient and appropriate for the pupils of the first grade of the elementary school and that the methods enable the development of higher forms of thinking. On the basis of the selected data, we namely ascertained that the pupils made progress in the development of the systemic and integrated thinking as well. The overview is of assistance to teachers in planning the performance of lessons in the first grade of the elementary school, especially the teachers who include the method of creative movement and the use of dolls in lessons on several occasions.


Excessive application of phosphorus fertilizer leads to high soil available phosphorus content but low phosphorus use efficiency in the main production areas of spring rape in eastern Qinghai. Understanding the effects of phosphorous application rates on the growth, phosphorus absorption, soil phosphorus balance in the field of spring rape could improve nutrient management of spring rape, and benefit for the sustainable development of agriculture in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. A field experiment was carried out in Huzhu County of Qinghai Province from 2017 to 2018. We mea-sured seed yield, phosphorus uptake and oil content of spring rape under five phosphorous fertilizer rates (0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 kg P2O5·hm-2). In 2017, the seed yield and oil production of spring rape with the rate of 60 kg·hm-2 were significantly higher than that of no phosphorus fertilizer treatment. In contrast, seed yield and oil production did not increase when the phosphorus rate exceeded 60 kg·hm-2 in 2017. Phosphorus rate did not affect seed yield, phosphorus accumulation, and oil production of spring rape in 2018. The phosphorus use efficiency was low in both years, with a mean value of 6.7%. Phosphorus fertilizer application caused phosphorus surplus in soils, which was low when the application rate was less than 60 kg·hm-2. Our results suggest that the rate of 60 kg·hm-2 is suitable for spring rape production in the eastern Qinghai Province.


Using Constraint Logic Programming and a data model approach, we provide an agent with a flexible way to plan and direct its actions and to manipulate and represent its knowledge. We use techniques from the KRAFT project to provide the agent with a sophisticated reasoning and deliberation process. We explore the declarative use of constraints within a BDI Agent framework to represent knowledge as complex quantified constraints and apply these techniques to a courier scenario where cooperating agents communicate, delegate and exchange desires and information using Generalised Partial Global Planning mechanisms to solve a given set of tasks.


It is very important for regeneration of a population to maintain its stability and development.Based on the field investigation,the regeneration of Quercus phillyraeoides population in different places was discussed.The results are showed as fo11ows:(1)The pattern of population in most areas was shown with an inverted pyramid form,which means that there were difficulties for the population to regenerate;but in the climax community of Quercus phillyraeoides,the population regeneration could continue because of the number of young trees in a short period of time;(2)The spatial pattern of Quercus phillyraeoides seedling indicated that it was of an aggregated distribution in the canopy gaps or forest edge while even distribution existed under the crown of a tree,which means that there was a close relation to seedling growth and light.(3)The experiment of seed germination revealed that it was good for the seed to germinate through the way of sand storage for 1-2 months,and the rodent damage and moth attack was the key reason to restrict the rate of germination.(4)The seed dispersal of Quercus phillyraeoides was not only the gravity but also the rodent,and the latter had more influence on it in the forest communities.There was a trade-off relationship between the rodent and seed dispersal.To improve the natural regeneration of Quercus phillyraeoides,it was an effective measure to keep the canopy gaps in its forest.


Video games are popular leisure and social activities; however, they often present accessibility issues for the community of gamers who are blind. While gaming technology has evolved, people who are blind still have limited access to commercially available accessible video games. Current accessible games tend to focus on auditory information to play, and none are available in virtual reality (VR). Accessible, fast-paced games have the development challenge of providing players useful information in time to make split-second decisions. We developed Racing in the Dark, a fast-paced, accessible VR racing game for the Oculus Quest, exploring commercial VR interfaces to provide this critical information. By leveraging the Quest's built-in haptic, tracking, auditory, and voice systems, we provide players with a non-visual car racing experience. This work aims to offer insight into the process of developing accessible VR games for gamers who are blind through the implementation of Racing in the Dark.


Technological advancements in biology and microscopy have empowered a transition from bioimaging as an observational method to a quantitative one. However, as biologists are adopting quantitative bioimaging and these experiments become more complex, researchers need additional expertise to carry out this work in a rigorous and reproducible manner. This Essay provides a navigational guide for experimental biologists to aid understanding of quantitative bioimaging from sample preparation through to image acquisition, image analysis, and data interpretation. We discuss the interconnectedness of these steps, and for each, we provide general recommendations, key questions to consider, and links to high-quality open-access resources for further learning. This synthesis of information will empower biologists to plan and execute rigorous quantitative bioimaging experiments efficiently.


In a recent survey of residential and day schools for the deaf in the United States, it was found that approximately 50% of both residential and day schools enjoy the services of a social worker. In addition, it was found that among schools which employ social workers, residential schools are more likely than day schools to employ full-time social workers. On the other hand, day schools are more likely than residential schools to employ social workers with an advanced degree. It was also found that the functions of social workers differ very little in the two educational settings. Concerning the future occupational prospects of social workers in day and residential schools, it was discovered that only a small proportion of schools which do not currently utilize the services of a social worker plan to employ one in the near future. Moreover, among those schools which are considering the possibility of hiring a social worker, residential schools are much more likely than day schools to consider utilizing the services of a deaf social worker.


The Peterson olefination for alkylidenecycloproparene synthesis from a 1,1-disilylcycloproparene has been refined into five distinct protocols that have provided 43 new aryl- (5 and 6) and diaryl- (7 and 8), and aryl(phenyl)- (9 and 10) methylidene derivatives. The permanent dipole moments of these and other previously reported compounds have been measured and the direction of the dipole, to or from the cycloproparenyl moiety, established for each compound. The 13C NMR spectra are fully assigned and linear correlations of carbon chemical shift with the Hammett sigmap+ constants for each atom within the cycloproparene moiety are provided for the 8-11 compounds that comprise each substitution pattern present in 5-10.


A modified T210R general aviation aircraft incorporating natural laminar flow (NLF) technology has been subjected to flight tests in order to evaluate its stability and control characteristics. Attention is given to this aircraft's ability to meet certification requirements with significant NLF, as well as with the boundary-layer transition fixed near the leading edge. It is established that the large regions of NLF achieved yielded a significant cruise performance enhancement; loss of laminar flow did not result in significant changes in the stability and control characteristics of the aircraft. FAR Part 23 certification requirements were met.


Several biochemical parameters, including that of polyamine content, accompanying the growth of the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans were studied. At all stages of growth under autotrophic conditions, the organisms were found to be rich in spermidine and lacking in spermine, as is typical of procaryotic organisms. The cells were quite low in putrescine, and no unusual polyamine was observed to be present as a major component. Conjugated polyamines were not detected in the cultures. At maximal culture density, the levels of spermidine, DNA, RNA, protein, and chlorophyll were also maximal. Shortly after the inception of the stationary phase, the spermidine content of the cells was the first parameter observed to decrease in cultures which were shortly to become yellow. Spermidine lost from the cells was not recovered in the medium in a free or conjugated form. This indication of degradation of spermidine was studied by the addition of polyamines to growing cultures. Exogenous spermidine and spermine were found to be metabolized rapidly by the organisms, of which diaminopropane was one product. Putrescine was found to be markedly toxic, whereas spermidine, some other triamines, and spermine were much less toxic.


Visual Servoing for hand-eye configuration having been presented so far seems to be vulnerable for tracking ability since it may lose a moving target. Our proposal to solve this problem is that the controller for visual servoing of the hand and the eye-vergence should be separated independently based on decoupling the motions each other. Base on this prerequisite the eye-vergence system to track target object by camera to be in view sight can have higher trackability than conventional visual servoing with fixed cameras. We have confirmed this superiority of eye-vergence system through frequency response visual servoing experiment with full 3-D pose tracking.


Question: How do two shrubs with contrasting lifehistory characteristics influence abundance of dominant plant taxa, species richness and aboveground biomass of grasses and forbs, litter accumulation, nitrogen pools and mineralization rates? How are these shrubs ‐ and thus their effects on populations, communities and ecosystems ‐ distributed spatially across the landscape? Location: Coastal hind-dune system, Bodega Head, northern California. Methods: In each of 4 years, we compared vegetation, leaf litter and soil nitrogen under canopies of two native shrubs ‐ Ericameria ericoides and the nitrogen-fixing Lupinus chamissonis ‐ with those in adjacent open dunes. Results: At the population level, density and cover of the native forb Claytonia perfoliata and the exotic grass Bromus diandrus were higher under shrubs than in shrub-free areas, whereas they were lower under shrubs for the exotic grass Vulpia bromoides. In contrast, cover of three native moss species was highest under Ericameria and equally low under Lupinus and shrub-free areas. At community level, species richness and aboveground biomass of herbaceous dicots was lower beneath shrubs, whereas no pattern emerged for grasses. At ecosystem level, areas beneath shrubs accumulated more leaf litter and had larger pools of soil ammonium and nitrate. Rates of nitrate mineralization were higher under Lupinus, followed by Ericameria and then open dune. At landscape level, the two shrubs ‐ and their distinctive vegetation and soils ‐ frequently had uniform spatial distributions, and the distance separating neighbouring shrubs increased as their combined sizes increased. Conclusions: Collectively, these data suggest that both shrubs serve as ecosystem engineers in this coastal dune, having influences at multiple levels of biological organization. Our data also suggest that intraspecific competition influenced the spatial distributions of these shrubs and thus altered the distributionoftheir effects throughout the landscape.


Possible comorbidity and the risk of aspiration mean that swallowing rehabilitation in tracheostomy tube patients with dysphagia demands, by comparison with the approach to other patients with deglutition disorders, a well-considered therapy plan. However, the literature provides poor guidance for the role of the speech pathologist and otolaryngologist in the early start of oral feeding and decannulation timing. This paper presents our view of the decision-making procedure in this specific field. Early instrumental evaluation with FEES performed by the otolaryngologist and speech pathologist is a reliable and non-invasive tool that allows for the easy detection of swallowing problems and for the initiation of, and support for, swallowing rehabilitation. We hope to convince clinicians and therapists to consider FEES before starting oral feeding. This interdisciplinary approach may allow us to provide good-quality care and safe outcomes for these patients.


The instant invention is directed to the preparation of a slurry catalyst composition. The slurry catalyst composition is prepared in a series of steps, involving mixing a Group VIB metal oxide and aqueous ammonia to form an aqueous mixture and sulfiding the mixture to form a slurry. The slurry is then promoted with a Group VIII metal. Subsequent steps involve mixing the slurry with a hydrocarbon oil, and combining the resulting mixture with hydrogen gas (under conditions which maintain the water in a liquid phase) to produce the active slurry catalyst.


Autism spectrum disorder is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder with strong genetic basis. To identify common genetic variations conferring the risk of ASD, we performed a two‐stage genome‐wide association study using ASD family and healthy control samples obtained from East Asian populations. A total of 166 ASD families (n = 500) and 642 healthy controls from the Japanese population were used as the discovery cohort. Approximately 900,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped using Affymetrix Genome‐Wide Human SNP array 6.0 chips. In the replication stage, 205 Japanese ASD cases and 184 healthy controls, as well as 418 Chinese Han trios (n = 1,254), were genotyped by TaqMan platform. Case–control analysis, family based association test, and transmission/disequilibrium test (TDT) were then conducted to test the association. In the discovery stage, significant associations were suggested for 14 loci, including 5 known ASD candidate genes: GPC6, JARID2, YTHDC2, CNTN4, and CSMD1. In addition, significant associations were identified for several novel genes with intriguing functions, such as JPH3, PTPRD, CUX1, and RIT2. After a meta‐analysis combining the Japanese replication samples, the strongest signal was found at rs16976358 (P = 6.04 × 10−7), which is located near the RIT2 gene. In summary, our results provide independent support to known ASD candidate genes and highlight a number of novel genes warranted to be further investigated in a larger sample set in an effort to improve our understanding of the genetic basis of ASD. Autism Res 2016, 9: 340–349. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


In this study, we have developed the manufacturing technology for high strength gray cast irons by using the spent permanent magnet scraps. The cast specimen inoculated by using a spent magnet scraps showed the excellent tensile strength up to 306MPa. This tensile strength value is 50MPa higher than that of the specimen cast without inoculation, and is similar to that of the specimen inoculated by using the expensive misch-metal. These superior mechanical properties are attributed to complex sulfides created during solidification that promote the formation and growth of Type-A graphite. It is therefore concluded that spent magnets scrap can provide an efficient and cost-effective inoculation agent for the fabrication of high-performance gray cast iron.


Designing a new pulse-shaping filter that satisfies the Nyquist condition to mitigate inter-symbol interference and achieve better stopband attenuation is a new step towards the development of next-generation mobile communication systems. In this study, the authors propose a novel Nyquist filter based on the convolution of a rectangular and a truncated sinc pulses. Introducing two-time parameters in the filter function provides more degrees of freedom and high flexibility to shape different Nyquist pulses. Four Nyquist pulse shapes are introduced, examined in terms of time and frequency characteristics, and compared with those of the two most popular pulses in the literature: root-raised cosine (RRC) and PHYDYAS. The results demonstrate an improvement in the eye pattern, impulse response, and spectrum behaviours. The error rates are evaluated over a noisy channel, and the new pulses offered better performance than PHYDYAS and RRC. The intrinsic interference was examined by determining the autocorrelation and cross-correlation coefficients of the prototype filters in the frequency-time grid. The results for the proposed filters portray good interference confinement either in time or frequency axis. The reduction in the out-of-band emission makes the proposed filter an efficient candidate for future filter bank multicarrier scheme.


Conclusions. Endoscopic intranasal dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) has the following advantages over external surgery: pain and hemorrhage are minimal; postoperative facial swelling and scarring are absent; and symptoms resolve rapidly after surgery. Furthermore, as no significant differences in postoperative results were apparent between external and endoscopic intranasal DCR, and because no facial skin incision is required, the clinical usefulness of endoscopic intranasal DCR is high. Objectives. In the treatment of nasolacrimal duct obstruction or chronic dacryocystitis in which epiphora or ocular discharge are chief complaints, endoscopic intranasal DCR is a safe, easy, minimally invasive, and reliable approach. In the present study, we describe the surgical procedures, techniques, and results of endoscopic intranasal DCR, and investigate its clinical usefulness. Subjects and methods. The subjects were 21 patients with nasolacrimal duct obstruction who underwent a total of 24 endoscopic intranasal DCR procedures. Etiologies of the obstruction were, respectively, cryptogenic (62.5%), secondary to partial maxillectomy (16.7%), complication of sinus surgery (12.5%), and due to underlying disease – Wegener's granulomatosis (4.2%) or nasal T-cell lymphoma (4.2%). To assess the clinical usefulness of this procedure, postoperative courses were assessed by reviewing medical records and conducting telephone interviews. In addition, to assess the therapeutic effects, postoperative results were statistically compared to those of external DCR. Results. Closure of the surgical opening was seen in two cases (8.3%). In both cases, after the closed region was opened using an endoscopic procedure, symptoms resolved. Finally, lacrimal passage obstruction was not observed by lacrimal irrigation in any patient. None of the patients in the present study experienced major complications during or after surgery, and since their symptoms improved, the degree of satisfaction was high. When compared to external DCR, endoscopic intranasal DCR showed no statistically significant difference in postoperative results, thus confirming that similar therapeutic effects could be obtained for the two procedures.


To discover how women constructed their own mythology of the West, Kolodny examines the evidence of three generations of women's writing about the frontier. She finds that, although the American frontiersman imagined the wilderness as virgin land, an unspoiled Eve to be taken, the pioneer woman at his side dreamed more modestly of a garden to be cultivated. Both intellectual and cultural history, this volume continues Kolodny's study of frontier mythology begun in The Lay of the Land .


Similarity-based access to image databases assumes one or more similarity models. Although this assumption affects the retrieval precision of a system considerably, it is rarely described explicitly. Furthermore, because the similarity model is typically hard-coded into the system, it is very difficult if not impossible to use such a system for applications that do not fit the same similarity model. In this work, we develop a framework for designing similaritybased image access systems that are driven by human perception, and hence can be tailored for multiple, diverse applications. The driving components of the approach are Principal Components-based feature selection, perception modeling via psychophysical experiments and Genetic Algorithm-driven distance function optimization. While our framework is general and flexible, we demonstrate the application in a particular image access scenario: Shapebased retrieval of skin lesion images. The experimental results show that, by incorporating human perception of similarity into the system, retrieval performance may be significantly improved.


Lophostoma brasiliense Peters, 1867 has a wide distribution in the Neotropical region, with records extending from southern Mexico to central Paraguay and Brazil. In Colombia the distribution of this species seems to be discontinuous, due to a scarcity of records, which also makes it difficult to know about its threats and conservation status. Here, we report three new localities from Amazonia, Andean and Orinoquia regions. We updated the distribution and performed ecological niche modelling that suggest a wider presence of this species on the Caribbean and the Orinoquia region. Finally, we added some ecological notes about this species.


For some years now, the Intelligence Community has been using XML "tagging" of documents in an effort to make the documents more usable for data discovery, sharing, and other processing. In implementing a system (METS) which automates the identification of relevant data in documents, we noted several limitations of that XML tagging approach, and therefore chose to also provide an OWL ontology-based representation of that data. Here, we discuss the goals of METS, those XML limitations, and the OWL approach, showing how the latter should support better analysis. (As we discuss, clients have thus far not made use of the OWL results, so the benefits are still hypothetical.) We also discuss issues we encountered in developing the ontologies, outline the design and use of the operational METS for processing message feeds and other documents, and conclude with future plans which include greater ontology coordination and sharing, and assisting with the incorporation of tools for benefiting from the semantic information provided by the OWL.


Background; Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a relatively common inflammatory mucocutaneous disorder that frequently involves the oral mucosa. The exact etiology is uncertain, but the immunological system is believed to play a significant role in it. It has a protracted clinical course despite various available treatment modalities. The age of onset is usually between 3 rd and 6 th decade of life and it is commonly seen in Asian population. The prevalence of OLP is 1-2% in the general population and it is predominantly seen in females. Objective: To compare the efficacy  of Aloe Vera Mouthwash With Triamcinolone Acetonide 0.1% on Oral Lichen Planus. Material and methods: Patients (n=86) with symptomatic oral lichen planus coming in outpatient department of General Medicine department were included in this study. After determining eligibility and obtaining consent, to guarantee blinding, the patients were randomly divided to an AV mouthwash group and a TA group by draws methods. The patients in the AV group were asked to rinse the mouth with 2 tablespoons of AV mouthwash for 2 minutes, 4 times a day and expectorate. The patients in the TA group were instructed to apply a thin layer of triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% paste on the oral lesions, 4 times daily. The treatment period for both groups were 3 months. Patients were evaluated on days 8, 16 and after completing the course of treatment (visit 1–3). Efficacy was observed after 2 months (last follow up). The data was entered and analyzed using computer program SPSS-18. Results; Of these 86 study cases, 33 (38.4%) were male patients while 53 (61.6%) were female patients. Mean age of our study cases was noted to be 40.90 ± 3.66 years (with minimum age was 32 years while maximum age was noted to be 45 years). Reticular pattern of OLP was noted in 47 (54.7%) and plaque in 39 (45.3%) our study cases. Most of the patients had multiple site involvement such as buccal mucosa was involved in 70 (81.4%), tongue involvement in 29 (33.7%) of our study cases. Thirty eight (44.2%) belonged to rural areas while 48 (55.8%) from urban areas. Mean disease duration was noted to be 11.14 ± 4.15 months (with minimum disease duration was 5 months while maximum disease duration was 18 months). Efficacy was noted in 49 (57%) of our study cases while efficacy was noted in 31 (72.1%) patients in group A while in 18 (27.9%) in group B (p=0.009). Conclusion; Our study results support the use of aloe vera mouthwash for the treatment of oral lichen planus instead of Triamceonolone acetonide (0.1%). Aloe Vera mouthwash is safe, effective and reliable substitute of Triamceonolone acetonide (0.1%) which can be applied to all types of oral lichen planus (OLP) presentations and any site affected in oral cavity. This provides cost effective, efficient and safe mode of treatment as it does not involve any side effect which is helpful for the suffering patients. Keywords; Oral lichen planu, Aloe vera, Triamcenolone acetonide.


Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a multi-system autoimmune disease with significant morbidity and healthcare burden. It is an inflammatory condition and has been associated with lymphomas, with or without the presence of immunosuppressive therapy. However, the association of rheumatoid arthritis with other malignancies has been inconsistent. We used the data from a population-based National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for epidemiological study to evaluate the association between RA and the incidence of cancer. Using the data collected between 2011 and 2014, we were able to determine the incidence of cancer in 11,262 patients. Incidence of cancer was increased in patients with RA with an odds ratio of 1.632 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.239-2.151; p=0.0005). Breast cancer (CA) and prostate CA were the most common types of cancer (each diagnosed in 16.22% individuals) and lung CA and lymphomas found in 1.35% of individuals. It is also important to be aware of increased risk and adequately screen patients for malignancies during the course of treatment and follow up of rheumatoid arthritis. Further large prospective studies are required to determine the association of the RA or its treatment and the risk of malignancies.


Cystine tellurite blood agar (CTBA) medium is a selective medium for Corynebacterium diphtheriae culture. The presence of tellurite is a selectivity of this medium to inhibit the others bacteria. Others medium were used as a selective medium for the culture of Corynebacterium diphtheriae were tinsdale and Hoyle medium, but was recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) were CTBA and hoyle medium. However, information about the selectivity of medium was recommended by WHO is still limited. The aims of study to determine the selectivity of medium against a number of others species bacteria on CTBA. A number of 24 isolates contains of different species Corynebacterium spp and others species were regrown, then all isolates were cultured in CTBA medium, incubated for 24 – 48 haours at 37°C. The growthing of colony in CTBA were observed. The results showed that 7 isolates for Corynebacterium species can grow well on medium CTBA, 5 isolates from different species showed growth in CTBA medium including Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Enterobacter sakazakii , Klebsiella pneumoniae and Candida albicans . Meanwhile the rest 12 isolates showed no growthing on CTBA medium. Therefore it can be concluded that the selectivity of the CTBA medium has limited capabilities.


In most mammals, conspecific chemosensory communication relies on semiochemical release within complex bodily secretions and subsequent stimulus detection by the vomeronasal organ (VNO). Urine, a rich source of ethologically relevant chemosignals, conveys detailed information about sex, social hierarchy, health and reproductive state, which becomes accessible to a conspecific via vomeronasal sampling. So far, however, numerous aspects of social chemosignaling along the vomeronasal pathway remain unclear. Moreover, since virtually all research on vomeronasal physiology is based on secretions derived from inbred laboratory mice, it remains uncertain whether such stimuli provide a true representation of potentially more relevant cues found in the wild. Here, we combine a robust low-noise VNO activity assay with comparative molecular profiling of sex- and strain-specific mouse urine samples from two inbred laboratory strains as well as from wild mice. With comprehensive molecular portraits of these secretions, VNO activity analysis now enables us to (i) assess whether and, if so, how much sex-/ strain-selective "raw" chemical information in urine is accessible via vomeronasal sampling; (ii) identify which chemicals exhibit sufficient discriminatory power to signal an animal's sex, strain, or both; (iii) determine the extent to which wild mouse secretions are unique; and (iv) analyze whether vomeronasal response profiles differ between strains. We report both sex- and, in particular, strain-selective VNO representations of chemical information. Within the urinary 'secretome', both volatile compounds and proteins exhibit sufficient discriminative power to provide sex- and strain-specific molecular fingerprints. While total protein amount is substantially enriched in male urine, females secrete a larger variety at overall comparatively low concentrations. Surprisingly, the molecular spectrum of wild mouse urine does not dramatically exceed that of inbred strains. Finally, vomeronasal response profiles differ between C57BL/6 and BALB/c animals, with particularly disparate representations of female semiochemicals.


OBJECTIVE
Arterial hypertension (HTN) causes left ventricular (LV) dysfunction even if ejection function (EF) remains preserved. The objective of this study was to assess whether complex LAFI (left atrium functional index) had additional value in definition and grading of diastolic dysfunction and compare with indices of atrial deformation - longitudinal strain.

DESIGN AND METHOD
Peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) was evaluated in 82 patients with systemic HTN and preserved EF (> = 55%) divided in 41 with diastolic dysfunction but no hypertrophy (HTNdd), and 41 with no diastolic dysfunction or hypertrophy (eHTN). Results were compared with those from 22 age- and gender-matched healthy controls.

RESULTS
Indexed LA area and LA volume were within the normal range and not different between the two groups and controls. eHTN group had reduced global PALS (33.23 ± 2.3 %, p < 0.01) and four-and two-chamber average PALS (36.12 ± 1.8 %, p < 0.01 for both). Similar abnormalities were seen in HTNdd but to a worse degree (P < 0.001 for both 28.19 ± 2.3). LV EF was not different between the eHTN and HTNdd groups compared to controls. LV E/e' ratio was the strongest predictor of reduced global PALS in both eHTN and HTNdd groups. LAFI was reduced significantly in pts with HTH and LV diastolic dysfunction (p < 0.05) and related to the degree of dysfunction (p < 0.01, r = 0.46). The best cut off for LAFI was below 0.35 cm/m2. In pts with restrictive pattern of mitral flow, LAFI was below 0.15 cm/m2. Longitudinal strain was significantly decreased in pts with severe LVH.

CONCLUSIONS
Asymptomatic HTN patients with preserved LVEF have compromised LA strain despite normal cavity size, consistent with preclinical LA myocardial dysfunction. LAFI and PALS are very sensitive parameters for assessing of LA function and potent predictors for estimate the LV diastolic dysfunction in hypertensive patients.


Examination of the eye histopathologically has long been recognized as a difficult procedure, due mainly to the fact that it is composed of several mixed hard and soft tissue layers which tend to separate during cutting. Furthermore, since a section of the entire globe is desirable this results in a large sized block which due to its hardness does not always permit even sections to be cut unless the embedding medium is an excellent one. An ideal embedding medium therefore is one that (a) does not crumble under the impact of knife on sclera and lens, (b) preserves the cytologic detail of the retina and other tissues, (c) permits a large block of tissue to be cut evenly and completely, (d) permits reasonably thin sections to be cut, and (e) gives a completed section in a reasonable time. While paraffin embedding will occasionally satisfy most of these criteria it usually


A number of air traffic management decision support tools (DST) are being developed to help air traffic managers and controllers improve capacity, efficiency, and safety in the National Airspace System. Although DST functionality may vary widely, trajectory prediction algorithms can be found at the core of most DST. A methodology is presented for the automated statistical analysis of trajectory prediction accuracy as a function of phase of flight (level-flight, climb, descent) and look-ahead time. The methodology is focused on improving trajectory prediction algorithm performance for DST applications such as conflict detection and arrival metering. The methodology has been implemented in software and tested with air traffic data. Aggregate trajectory prediction accuracy statistics are computed and displayed in histogram format based on 2,774 large commercial jet flights from five different days of Fort Worth Center air traffic data. The results show that trajectory prediction anomalies can be detected by examining error distributions for large numbers of trajectory predictions. The ability of the trajectory analysis methodology to detect the effects of subsequent changes to the trajectory prediction algorithm and to aircraft performance model parameters was also demonstrated.


Sustainability of a pathway for world development is currently appraised on the basis of CO2 emissions presumed by the pathway. Numerous scenarios of emissions growth presume that it cannot grow infinitely: there are certain limits that may not or must not be exceeded. The purpose of my work is to develop a model for analyzing the limits to CO2 emissions growth and to consider how they may change in the future. Applying the theory of pulsing logistic growth, I assume that CO2 emissions grow in agreement with the logistic equation where carrying capacity, K (or limit to growth) is a function of time, K(t). In the classic theory of pulsing logistic growth K (t) is supposed to be a stepwise function. In contrast, I suppose that it should be a continuous function and derive it from observations. In order to find changing limits to growth (that is, K(t)), I solve inverse Cauchy problem. Results allow us to detect two pulses of logistic growth. The first pulse culminated in 1930s. The second pulse recently entered the culmination phase. Unexpected acceleration of emissions growth observed in 2000-2004 may indicate to the start of the third pulse, which carrying capacity is even higher. Obviously, constructing a scenario of emissions growth one should pay attention to the fact that limits to their growth does not remain constant. They were and would be changing because of technological advances. Software, developed in course of this study, open wide opportunity for using the theory of pulsing growth in evaluating scenarios of CO2 emissions growth.


We study the relation between optical duobinary modulation and spectral efficiency in wavelength-division-multiplexed systems. We show that in spite of the fact that duobinary modulation reduces the optical bandwidth of near-rectangular signals, it offers no advantages over binary modulation in terms of the average high-frequency spectral content. This is true as long as the same basic pulse shapes are used in both cases. An improvement in the spectral efficiency can only be achieved by using narrow-band pulses in the duobinary case. This is enabled by the fact that the duobinary code is more robust to narrow-band filtering.


Exercise has been shown to improve cardiac function in COPD, but little is known about mechanisms involved.

Aim:

Study the effects of exercise on the cardiovascular system in a mouse model of COPD.

Methods:

42 female A/JOlaHsd mice were randomized to exposure to either cigarette smoke (CS) or air (FA) for 6 h/day, 5 d/w for 14 weeks. The mice were then kept sedentary (Sed) or put through treadmill interval training (IT) for 4 weeks. Echocardiography was performed and the mice were then killed and the lungs were histomorphometrically analyzed. Airspace enlargement was assessed by mean linear intercept (MLI) and sections stained with antibodies to smooth muscle actin/vonWillenbrand were used to quantify degree of pulmonary artery remodeling.

Results:

View this table:

CS exposure led to significant airspace enlargement (P=.026). IT led to increased VO2peak (p<0.001). TAPSE was decreased by CS exposure (p=0.008), and attenuated by interval training (p<0.001). Pulmonary vessel muscularization was reduced by IT (p=0.04). There were no significant effects on left ventricle.

Conclusions:

In this COPD model we found that smoke exposure led to significant reduction in right ventricular function, and this reduction was attenuated by treadmill running. A reduction of pulmonary vessel muscularization due to exercise training may contribute to this improvement in right ventricular function.


The first synthesis of kottamide E, a marine natural product containing a 5,6-dibromoindole linked via a ( Z )-enamide to an unusual 1,2-dithiolane-containing amino acid, is reported.


Abstract A significant change in consumer viewing habits has taken place globally with the introduction and growth of over-the-top television services (OTT TV). In the absence of scientific evidence on television consumer behavior viewership changes, this paper's objective was to ascertain the television viewing patterns, given the rise of OTT TV services in South Africa. The study adopted a quantitative research approach using a convenience sampling method. Online survey questionnaires were distributed on reputable social media networks and collected 391 responses. The study results suggest changes to TV consumption, in that more TV consumers are binge-watching and streaming content online. Furthermore, more than five hours a day are spent online consuming TV content, especially by male respondents. The sharing of OTT TV logon credentials with family and friends is prevalent across all demographic groups. The fundamental aspect of this paper is that it illuminates the rivalry between the Pay-Tv operators and OTT TV service providers while aiding the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to regulate the market.


Clinical alarms of medical devices in intensive care units considered a health technology hazard and one of the most essential methods that warn the critical care nurses for immediate or potential threats facing critically ill patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of implementing clinical alarm interventional program on nurses' knowledge, practice, and patient outcomes at intensive care unit. A quasi-experimental research design was utilized in this study. The study was conducted at post-anesthetic, and emergency intensive care unit Tanta University and Emergency Hospital. All critical care nurses working in the unit (40) and provide direct care with for ventilated patients were included in the study. Also, a convenience sample of 40 adults, mechanically ventilated patients divided into 2 groups 20 patients in each. Four tools were used for data collection Tool I: A Structured Knowledge Questionnaire (pre-& posttest). Tool II: Clinical Alarm Management Observational Checklist. Tool III: Nurses Perceptions of Alarm Fatigue pre and post Intervention Program. Tool (IV): ''Patients assessment tool. The main results of this study revealed there were statistically significant differences between nurses' knowledge and practice categories indicating good knowledge and satisfactory practice after the intervention program, compared with poor knowledge and unsatisfactory practice level pre-intervention program where = (0.00). All nurses (100.0 %) agreed that they feel anxious due to clinical alarms compared to 50.0% of nurses who agreed on post-education. it was observed that 60% of patients in study group their weaning outcome were succeeded from the first attempt compared to 35% in control group. It was recommended that In-service training program should be conducted for nurses regarding alarm management and increase nurses' awareness of the presence of alarm fatigue.


The in vivo binding properties of cerebral mu and delta opioid receptors were investigated in mice after the intrastriatal injection of [3H][D-Ala2, MePhe4, Gly-ol5]enkephalin (DAGO) or [3H][D-Thr2,Leu5]enkephalyl-Thr (DTLET). Both peptides exhibited similar diffusion kinetics in the brain and 30-40% of [3H]DAGO or [3H]DTLET was shown to be present in the tissue 15 min after injection when maximal binding was observed. The specific binding of both agonists, defined as the fraction of the radioactivity bound to brain membranes which was displaced by 10 nmol of cold ligand, was reversible, saturable and displayed a pharmacological profile similar to that found in in vitro experiments. At doses producing a similar analgesic effect in the hot-plate test in mice, DTLET occupied 64% of delta sites and DAGO 15% of mu sites. However, because of the residual cross-reactivity of DTLET for mu sites, it appeared that both ligands occupied a similar number of mu receptors at their ED50 values, thus supporting a preferential involvement of mu opioid binding sites in the supraspinal pain control. [Met5]enkephalin inhibited the in vivo binding of both agonists only when the peptide was protected from degradation by the co-administration of a mixed inhibitor of enkephalin degrading enzymes RB38A (N[3(R)(hydroxyaminocarbonyl)-2-benzyl-1-oxopropyl]- L-phenylalanine). Unlike thiorphan, 5 nmol RB38A alone was able to inhibit [3H]DAGO binding by 60%. This result is the first direct demonstration of the existence of an in vivo tonic control of mu opioid receptor occupation by endogenous opioid peptides.


Reprint requests to Prof. Dr. W. Kaim. E-mail: email@example.com Z. Naturforsch. 55 b, 235-237 (2000); received December 17, 1999 Osmium Compounds, Vibrational Spectra Reaction of OsCf, with pentamethylcyclopentadiene in ethanol in air yields the ionic osmium(IV) compound [Cp*20sCl]2[0 sCl6] which has been identified structurally and by vi brational spectroscopy. Under comparable conditions the RuCb homologue yields the ruthenium(III) compound [Cp'RuCbh, illustrating the more facile oxidation of the 5d element to the tetravalent state.


The protein content of rabbit embryos during the first 7 days of development in vivo was determined. The protein content of intact embryos, embryonic cells (intact embryos without mucin coats for developmental stages up to 96 h post-coitum and free of blastocyst coverings for later stages) and blastocyst coverings were determined by the Pierce Micro BCA assay. The mean protein content of intact one-cell or two-cell embryos was 0.16 micrograms and increased at the four- to six-cell stage with no further increase until the late morula/early blastocyst stages (days 3 to 4). There was a 53-fold increase in protein from the early to late blastocyst stages. The protein content of embryonic cells was stable at a mean value of 0.16 micrograms until the late morula stage (day 3) and then increased to a mean of 6.85 micrograms on day 6 and 50.38 micrograms on day 7. The increase in protein content of intact embryos up to about 72 h appeared to be due solely to an increase in the protein content of the mucin coat. The protein content of the blastocyst coverings increased from a mean of 2 micrograms on day 5 to a mean of 35 micrograms on day 7. For blastocyst stages, the total protein content of intact blastocysts and of embryonic cells was correlated with the surface area of the embryos (r2 = 0.895 and 0.873, respectively) and, thus, an increase in blastocyst size is a true index of blastocyst development.


Utterance verification represents an important technology in the design of user-friendly speech recognition systems. It involves the recognition of keyword strings and the rejection of nonkeyword strings. This paper describes a hidden Markov model-based (HMM-based) utterance verification system using the framework of statistical hypothesis testing. The two major issues on how to design keyword and string scoring criteria are addressed. For keyword verification, different alternative hypotheses are proposed based on the scores of antikeyword models and a general acoustic filler model. For string verification, different measures are proposed with the objective of detecting nonvocabulary word strings and possibly erroneous strings (so-called putative errors). This paper also motivates the need for discriminative hypothesis testing in verification. One such approach based on minimum classification error training is investigated in detail. When the proposed verification technique was integrated into a state-of-the-art connected digit recognition system, the string error rate for valid digit strings was found to decrease by 57% when setting the rejection rate to 5%. Furthermore, the system was able to correctly reject over 99.9% of nonvocabulary word strings.


Abstract 1403 Background: Telomerase is an enzyme complex that maintains telomeric DNA, the TTAGGG repeats localized to chromosome ends. Defects in telomerase result in abnormally short telomeres leading to early cell senescence, chemosensitivity, and susceptibility to genomic instability. Constitutional telomerase mutations are associated with a spectrum of disorders including familial pulmonary fibrosis and liver disease, aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, and dyskeratosis congenita, which confers a 90% lifetime risk for bone marrow failure, a 200-fold risk for AML, and a 2500-fold risk for MDS. These disorders have a variable clinical phenotype, but short age-adjusted telomeres are a universal finding. Our goal is to investigate the role of constitutional telomerase variants in pediatric AML and treatment-related toxicities. We hypothesize that both known and novel deleterious constitutional telomerase variants will occur more frequently in AML cases with delays in bone marrow recovery after chemotherapy compared with cases without such delays. In addition, we expect that the frequency of pulmonary and hepatic toxicities in the delayed recovery population will exceed frequencies observed in the expected recovery population. Exposure to intensive chemotherapy in AML patients with underlying defects in telomere maintenance may accelerate telomere shortening, resulting in a second manifestation of a telomere biology disorder phenotype. Methods: Subjects were enrolled in a Children9s Oncology Group therapeutic trial, AAML0531, open to children aged one month to thirty years with de novo AML and without history of a bone marrow failure syndrome. Time to absolute neutrophil count (ANC) recovery was used as a proxy for the degree of myelosuppression after each chemotherapy cycle. The two study groups were: (A) subjects with delayed recovery, defined as at least two cycles with time to ANC recovery greater than or equal to one standard deviation (SD) above the mean for that course (n=53), and (B) subjects with expected recovery, or no cycles with time to ANC recovery greater than one SD above the mean (n=62). In each group, sequencing of the exons and flanking intronic regions of four telomerase-related genes, TERT, DKC1, TERC, and TINF2 , was performed and novel variants functionally characterized by telomerase activity and processivity. The results were compared with published data found in the Exome Variant Server, NHLBI Exome Sequencing Project (ESP), and the two groups compared using a Pearson9s chi squared test. Results: Sequencing of telomerase-related genes in both cases and controls revealed a total of 15 variants, the majority of which resulted in a missense change in TERT . Ten variants occurred in subjects with delayed recovery (18.9%) and five in subjects with expected recovery (8%). This difference, inclusive of all variants regardless of functional impact, was not significant (p=0.11). However, when variants with a minor allele frequency of 2% or greater (ESP), and those associated with a telomerase activity of more than 80% were excluded, 8 variants remained in the delayed cohort and 2 variants in the expected cohort, a difference that was statistically significant (p=0.03). Four novel variants were noted in the delayed group, vs. one in the expected group (p= 0.13), all of which were predicted to be deleterious by computational algorithms. Of note, one of the variants in the delayed group resulted in a TERT frame shift and deletion associated with a functionally null protein, previously described in familial pulmonary fibrosis (Armanios et al, NEJM , 2007). Functional impact of novel variants by measurement of telomerase activity and processivity, as well as comparisons of number of reported Grade 3 or 4 pulmonary and hepatic toxicities in each group, is pending. Conclusion: Deleterious telomerase variants may be susceptibility loci in pediatric AML. Considering rare variants with reduced telomerase activity or novel variants predicted to have functional impact, we observed a higher frequency of variants in telomerase-related genes in AML patients with marked delays in bone marrow recovery following chemotherapy. In addition, a surprising number of novel variants were noted, given that variation in these genes is relatively uncommon. Our results suggest that further investigation of the disease phenotypes associated with these variants is warranted. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


The authors present two cases of pigmented villonodular synovitis of the knee. After a discussion of the aspecificity of clinical findings and difficulties in diagnosis based on radiographic evaluation, they conclude that diagnosis may be possible preoperatively by MRI, and that arthroscopic surgery allows for suitable treatment of localized forms of the disease.


CdS grown by chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique is very simple, robust, economical method and has potential large scale applications in solar cells, photovoltaic, photodetectors, sensors and optoelectronic devices. Here we report channel lengths (CLs) specific broadspectral photoresponse properties of commonly grown robust CdS films by CBD. The broadspectral dependent current flow has been observed in all CLs and the rise and decay times have been measured in milliseconds for visible wavelengths (400-700nm). The rise time curves showed linear dependency when measured for CLs 300, 500 and 700nm and non-linearity was observed for CLs 7μm, 45μm and 350μm. We have noticed that decrease in channel lengths down to nanometers (300 nm) increases the response time. Three steps decay time has been noticed for all CLs. The shorter channels (nm) showed two trends in decay time, small increase for wavelengths 550nm. Finally, CLs specific broadspectral photosensitivity has been investigated which indicates the device geometry and fabrication method play an important role for defining the CdS based photodetectors or simulating the characteristics of a photodetector.


A 65-year-old woman, a case of cranio-vertebral junction anomaly, presented with a sudden onset of quadriparesis, dysphagia, and breathing difficulty and required emergency surgery. She underwent image-guided endoscopic transnasal odontoidectomy followed by occipito-cervical decompression and stabilization. She recovered well, with immediate improvement of respiratory function. Burning paresthesias disappeared and the upper limbs function normalized.


The study investigated the level of job performance and self-efficacy of public secondary school teachers in Osun State. It also examined self-efficacy as a predictor of teachers' job performance with a view to enhancing job productivity. The study adopted survey design. The population consisted of public secondary school teachers in Osun State. Fifteen public secondary schools were purposively selected from three randomly selected Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state out of which 574 teachers and Heads of Departments (H.O.Ds) were selected. The teachers were selected randomly, while all the HODs participated in the study. Two research instruments were used for data collection. These are "Teachers Efficacy Scale" (TES) and "Job Performance Scale" (JPS). The TES elicited information on teachers' ability to influence students' learning, ability to enlist parental support, persistence and resilience. The JPS contained items that measured teachers' job performance. The  instruments were subjected to test-retest reliability with coefficients of 0.88 for TES and 0.81 for JPS. Data were analyzed using percentages, correlation and linear regression analysis. The results showed that 95% of the teachers were rated low on job performance while 90.4% were rated low on self - efficacy. The study further revealed that there were significant correlations between job performance and self-efficacy (r = .849 p if they have high self-efficacy.


BY DR. VIRENDRA I. PATEL An aortic dissection is a tear in the lining of the aorta that creates two blood flow channels. One channel, called the true lumen, feeds blood to most of the important branches of the aorta and is surrounded by the normal aortic lining. The second channel, called the false lumen, may only feed a few (if any) important branches. Aortic dissection is a very complicated condition. Untreated, an aortic dissection can lead to death. A dissection that involves the ascending aorta almost always requires emergency open-heart surgery to repair the vessel and prevent death. ONLY ENDOVASCULAR TREATMENTS for distal dissections occurring beyond the left subclavian artery (feeds the left arm) are described here.


Driven quantum nonlinear oscillators, while essential for quantum technologies, are generally prone to complex chaotic dynamics that fall beyond the reach of perturbative analysis. By focusing on subharmonic bifurcations of a harmonically driven oscillator, we provide a recipe for the choice of the oscillator's parameters that ensures a regular dynamical behavior independently of the driving strength. We show that this suppression of chaotic phenomena is compatible with a strong quantum nonlinear effect reflected by the confinement rate in the degenerate manifold spanned by stable subharmonic orbits.


[Objective] Recent acupuncture trials with sham control groups have failed to show significant beneficial effects of real acupuncture. As a result, the specific effects of acupuncture were discounted and assumed to be placebo and/or expectation effects. However, the sham acupuncture methods used in these studies appeared to be physiologically active. Thus the influence of the different types of sham interventions on the results were re-analysed by subgroup meta-analysis. [Methods] Clinical acupuncture trials using sham interventions were selected from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. The outcome measures for the real and sham acupuncture groups from each study were collected. For subgroup analysis, sham interventions were classified into 5 types: Type A, needling to non-acupuncture points; Type B, superficial needling; Type C, non-penetration; Type D, electro-acupuncture to non-acupuncture points; Type E, electro-acupuncture without current. Cochrane Review Manager 5.3 software was used for analysis. Standardized mean difference and risk ratio were used to analyse continuous and dichotomous data, respectively. A random model was applied to all analyses. The heterogeneity of analysed studies was indicated as I 2 , and the overall effect of pooled data was shown as Z (P value). Forest and funnel plots were made for each subgroup analysis based on the different types of sham acupuncture and pain or non-pain diseases. [Results] A total of 116 studies were selected from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (from 1974 to 2013). The overall effects of real acupuncture were significantly more beneficial than the sham acupuncture groups in both meta-analyses of continuous and dichotomous data sets. The standardized mean difference and 95% confidence intervals were -0.34 [-0.44, -0.23] (Z=6.03, P<0.00001) and for risk ratio were 0.80 [0.73, 0.87] (Z=5.23, P<0.00001). Subgroup analysis based on sham acupuncture (Types A to E) and outcomes (pain or non-pain) demonstrated that half of the data sets were statistically significant although they were not related to the type of sham acupuncture and disease. The heterogeneity of the data sets was relatively high. [Conclusion] Results from meta-analysis of the pooled data indicated highly significant differences between real and sham acupuncture groups; however, we should interpret these results with caution, as heterogeneity of the trials was relatively high. Despite large variations, effect sizes of non-penetrating sham acupuncture did not generally exceed those of penetrating sham acupuncture. These results suggest that non-penetrating sham acupuncture, similar to Japanese acupuncture procedures, may produce some physiological activity.


The aim of this study is to compare efficacies of four different types of techniques including balanced force (roane), crown down pressureless, step-back and conventional techniques in vitro. Mesial canal of 35 mandibular teeth possessing 20- 40 degrees of curvature angle were separated into 5 groups in a manner each group including 14 canals. Horizontal cross-sections were obtained from the polyester embedded species 2 , 5 and 8 millimetres above the apex. Dentin removal was evaluated with regards to central ratio, rounding ratio, wall thickness and post-preparational canal shape. According to our findings most dentin removal was obtained by conventional technique and least dentin removal was observed in step-back tecnique utilizing Ni-Ti K type file. Central ratio was greatest in crown down presureless technique utilizing rotating Ni-Ti K type file and step-back technique utilizing Ni-Ti K type file while least in conventional technique. Most rounded canal shape was obtained by crown down technique and most irregular canal shape was observed in conventional technique. Least wall thinning was achieved utilizing Ni-Ti K type file in both crown down presureless techniques and step back techniques. Most wall thinning was obtained by conventional technique and step-back technique.


This paper investigates analytically the electric field distribution of graded spherical core-shell metamaterials, whose permittivity is given by the graded Drude model. Under the illumination of a uniform incident optical field, the obtained results show that the electrical field distribution in the shell region is controllable and the electric field peak's position inside the spherical shell can be confined in a desired position by varying the frequency of the optical field as well as the parameters of the graded dielectric profiles. It has also offered an intuitive explanation for controlling the local electric field by graded metamaterials.