ion methods An approach that has proven significant in analyzing complicated systems is to collapse large systems into smaller ones, by abstracting away some of the details. The use of abstraction makes it possible to ignore inessential system behavior and use nondeterministic models for the system's dynamics; this enables reasoning about the global system behavior. Central to this approach is the notion of simulation relations, by which the abstracted system is said to be a simulation of the original system if it can reproduce all of its behaviors. Various abstraction techniques, all of whose soundness is based on the theory of abstract interpretation [39], have been found useful for verifying discrete state systems. Some representative examples of abstraction techniques for finite-state systems include the cone of influence reduction, data abstraction, and predicate abstraction methods. The cone of influence reduction [36, 37] attempts to decrease the size of the system under consideration by focusing on the variables of the system that appear in the specification. Data abstraction [42] involves mapping the actual data values in the system to a small set of abstract data values, thereby reducing the number of different cases to consider in verification. Finally, in predicate abstraction [57] states are grouped according to the collection of the fixed, finite set of predicates they satisfy, and then a small quotient automaton is automatically constructed of a possibly-infinite state system. The extension of such methodologies to infinite-state systems often relies on the concept of bisimulation, which is a finite-state Quotient Transition System that is equivalent to the original system for the purposes of verification. In other words, the whole state space is partitioned into classes of states that are equivalent for the problem at hand. To find a bisimulation, a finite partition of the state space is constructed and subsequently refined until its equivalence with the original system is established. However, this procedure is guaranteed to terminate only for very limited classes of hybrid systems, for which reachability problems are proven decidable [61, 96]. Approximate quotient transition systems have been introduced to allow the analysis and verification of more general systems [35]. Even though the worst-case complexity of such approaches is typically disappointing, it may be possible to identify classes of practical systems which are amenable to algorithmic analysis. Other successful techniques for analyzing hybrid systems are not based on constructing a finite quotient transition system, but rather rely on the propagation of constraints that encode conservative approximations of reachable sets. These constraints are usually linear or quadratic, resulting in polyhedral [3, 41, 60, 63] or ellipsoidal [14, 69] reachable sets. In general, such techniques only provide semi-decidable procedures for reachability. In other words, if the given set of states is reachable, then the algorithm will terminate with the right answer; otherwise, it might fail to terminate. These procedures are semi-decidable, not because the underlying reachability problem is necessarily undecidable, but because of the way they try to solve the problem. Hence, it is possible that the analysis methods may fail to terminate, even though the reachability problem itself is decidable. Compositional reasoning In compositional reasoning, one decomposes the overall problem of verification of a complex system into a sequence of smaller problems, aiming at the analysis of the properties of sub-components of the system. The properties of the system as a whole are then inferred through a composition of these "local" properties. For example, hierarchical or modular decompositions are attractive from a conceptual point of view, and provide the means for simplifying the control synthesis problem for very complex systems. As a matter of fact, systems based on such decomposition have been developed, and in general perform satisfactorily, even though guarantees on their behavior are not available. Correspondingly, a hierarchical or modular approach in the verification process is attractive, since it allows the


Squamates are well-known models for studying to examine locomotor and feeding behaviors in tetrapods, but studies that integrate both behavioral activities remain scarce. Anolis lizards are a classical lineage to study the evolutionary relationships between locomotor behavior and complex structural features of the habitat. Here, we analyzed prey-capture behavior in one representative arboreal predator, Anolis carolinensis, to demonstrate the functional links between locomotor strategies and the kinematics of feeding. A. carolinensis uses two strategies to catch living insects on perches: Head-Up Capture and Jump Capture. In both cases, lizards use lingual prehension to capture the prey and the kinematic patterns of the trophic apparatus are not significantly influenced by the selected strategies. Therefore, to capture one prey type, movements of the trophic structures are highly fixed and A. carolinensis modulates the locomotor pattern to exploit the environment. Predation behavior in A. carolinensis integrates two different behavioral patterns: locomotor plasticity of prey-approach and biomechanical stereotypy of tongue prehension to successfully capture the prey.


Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage is known to be a devastating clinical condition with myriad etiologies. The immediate post-transplant period is plagued by immunosuppression, surgical complications, and nosocomial sources of infection. Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage in this setting is usually attributed to infection. In this case report, an unusual cause of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage due to anti-thymocyte globulin used as an induction agent is described, and an approach to DAH in the immediate post-transplant setting is discussed.


Understanding the behaviors of Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches ( Gromphadorhina portentosa) under varying temperatures will allow us to understand the biology of these roaches and how their metabolism and energy depends on temperature. The information collected in trials can open new possibilities of education about other Giant Cockroach species and invertebrates alike. Through five minute trials, Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches were observed both visually and through electronic collection of temperature and oxygen levels. The cockroaches were observed at temperatures of 14 ℃, room temperature, and temperatures of 30℃. Collected data showed that at higher temperatures, more oxygen was used but the roaches were more dormant and at lower temperatures, less oxygen was used and the cockroaches were also dormant.


Constraint specifications for access control organize a set of constraints to control human-computer interaction for users to perform their duties securely and efficiently. Constraint specifications are imperative for the access control and security management of large and complex multi-user interactive applications. Existing specifications of Role-based Access Control are incomplete and complicated. This paper proposes a framework of well-defined constraint specifications for developers to build application-level access control based on users' roles. They ensure that each role is configured with consistent privileges, each actor is authorized to proper roles and then each actor can activate and play his authorized roles without interest conflicts. These formal specifications are consistent and inferable, complete and simplified, abundant and scalable for diversified multi-user applications.


This group dealt with the role of codes through developing a draft of a code that could be used as a framework of common values in an "Alliance of Dental Organizations." Such an alliance might be an umbrella organization of all groups interested in promoting oral health care by advancing ethical discussion. A set of potential core values, based on traditional ethical principles, is presented.


Conducting polymer materials based on Polypyrrole (PPy) and Polypyrrole/ Multiwall carbon nanotube (PPy/MWNT) nanocomposite were synthesis by using chemical reaction process. PPy/MWNT composites were prepared with different concentrations of MWNT ranging from 0% to 20%. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that no crystalline peak appeared for PPy, because of its amorphous feature. The X-ray data of the composites showed spectra similar to those observed from the pure PPy matrix, indicating that PPy has completely covered the MWNT. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra of PPy and PPy/MWNT composites demonstrated nearly identical numbers and positions of IR absorption bands because of the matrix layer of polypyrrole has absorbed most of the IR spectra. Results from field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that the diameter of MWNTs has increased and confirmed the presence of carbon nanotubes inside the composite. The transport properties has been studied by measuring Hall mobility (μH) and Hall coefficient (RH) of polypyrrole and PPy/MWNT nanotubes samples with different MWNT concentration using van der Pauw technique. The μH decreased as below for samples with 0%, 4%, 8%, 12%, 16% and 20% MWNT content from 100 to 300K respectively: 40.987 to 16.231cm2/V.s, 20.291 to 14.329cm2/V.s, 17.992 to 2.891cm2/V.s, and 8.228 to 0.926cm2/V.s, 6.329 to 0.541cm2/V.s and 3.688 to 0.081cm2/V.s. The RH reduced for samples with 0%, 4%, 8%, 12%, 16% and 20% MWNT content from 100 to 300K respectively as below: 2163.944 to 68.989cm3/C, 12.797 to 0.303cm3/C, 8.099 to 0.254cm3/C, 1.432 to 0.042cm3/C, 0.956 to 0.023cm3/C and 0.463 to 0.003cm3/C. The magnetic field dependency of RH revealed that it was inversely proportional with the applied magnetic field. The RH reduced with applied magnetic field (1 to 10KG) from 86.59 to 6.863cm3/C, 21.105 to 2.707cm3/C, 7.5592 to 1.337cm3/C, 0.025 to 0.002cm3/C and 0.019 to 0.002cm3/C for the samples with 0%, 4%, 8%, 12%, 16% and 20% MWNT content respectively. The μH decrement with magnetic field (1 to 10KG) was as below: 188.118 to 15.162cm2/V.s, 62.673 to 8.048cm2/V.s, 79.112 to 14.114, 53.471 to 3.380, 0.535 to 0.051, and 0.492 to 0.054 for the samples with 0%, 4%, 8%, 12%, 16% and 20% MWNT content respectively. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) results showed that the Peak-to-peak linewidth (>H") value decreased in the order PPy-MWNT-20wt% (37.606mT) > PPy-MWNT-16wt% (49.328mT) > PPy/MWNT-12wt% (95.970) > PPy/MWNT-8wt% (120.879mT) > PPy/MWNT-4wt % (139.926mT) > pure PPy (150.831mT) at room temperature. The measurement revealed that the spin concentration (Ns) of the PPy/MWNT with the various MWNT content was larger than that of the pure PPy (2.07×106, 3.42×106, 12.7×106, 30.7×106, 33.8×106 and 41.96×106 spin g-1 for 0%, 4%, 8%, 16% and 20% MWNT content). Thermal stability (decomposition temperature was 116.04, 120.69, 126.03, 128.86, 141.18 and 170.96oC for samples with 0wt%, 4wt%, 8wt%, 12wt%, 16wt% and 20wt% MWNT content) and also thermal diffusivity (0.103, 0.118, 0.141, 0.186, 0.224 and 0.265mm2/S for samples with 0wt%, 4wt%, 8wt%, 12wt%, 16wt% and 20wt% MWNT content respectively) of the composite increased with the decrease of the feeding mass ratio of pyrrole to MWNTs.


A series of new analogues of 15-deoxyspergualin (DSG), an immunosuppressive agent currently commercialized in Japan, was synthesized and tested in a graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) model in mice. Using the general concept of bioisosteric replacement, variations of the hydroxyglycine central "C" region were made in order to determine its optimum structure in terms of in vivo immunosuppressive activity. By this way, the malonic derivative 13a was discovered as the first example of a new series of potent immunosuppressive agents encompassing a retro-amide bond linked to the hexyl-guanidino moiety. Structure-activity relationships of this series were studied by synthesizing compounds 13g-i and 13k-s. Variation of the "right-amide" of 13a led to the urea 19a and the carbamates 23 and 27a which proved to be equally active as DSG in our GVHD model. Finally 27a was found to be the most potent derivative, being slightly more active than DSG in a heart allotransplantation model in rats. Due to the absence of chiral center in its structure and to its improved chemical stability compared to DSG, 27a was selected as a candidate for clinical evaluation.


Background: We tested the hypothesis that genetically reduced activity of glutathione S -transferases (GST) T1 and M1 were associated with increased risk for asthma.

Methods: We genotyped participants in the Copenhagen City Heart Study (n=10,335) for the exact number of GSTT1 and GSTM1 gene copies and recorded asthma outcomes. We also performed a meta-analysis of 37 studies comprising 5954 asthma cases and 14513 controls to assess the risk for asthma in GSTT1*0/0 homozygotes.

Results: The odds ratio for asthma was stepwise increased with decreasing number of GSTT1 gene copies (P=0.03): GSTT1*0/0 homozygotes and *1/0 heterozygotes had adjusted odds ratios for asthma of 1.27 (95%CI: 1.03-1.56) and 1.07 (0.92-1.25), respectively, compared with *1/1 homozygotes. When the asthma definition was restricted to participants who only had allergic asthma or took asthma medication, GSTT1*0/0 versus *1/1 homozygotes had adjusted odds ratios of 1.34 (1.01-1.79) for allergic asthma and of 1.20 (0.88-1.64) for asthma medication. When the asthma definition included any of the three different asthma definitions, GSTT1*0/0 homozygotes had an adjusted odds ratio for any asthma of 1.24 (1.02-1.51) compared with *1/1 homozygotes. In meta-analysis, random effects odds ratio for asthma was increased at 1.35 (1.14-1.59) in GSTT1*0/0 homozygotes versus individuals with *1/0 or *1/1 genotypes. None of the risk estimates for GSTM1 genotypes differed from 1.0 for any of the four different definitions of asthma (P=0.17-0.95).

Conclusion: The results suggest that individuals with genetic GSTT1 deficiency have increased risk for asthma, while asthma risk is unaffected by GSTM1 deficiency.


Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease caused due to the improper secretion of insulin which leads to hyperglycaemia. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), 371 million people are affected by diabetes worldwide, while 7 million people are suffering from this disease in Pakistan. Pyrazolobenzothiazine 5,5-dioxide derivatives have anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant activity and have the potential to treat diabetes and other diseases. This study was designed to perform in-silico and in-vitro analysis of pyrazolobenzothiazine 5,5-dioxide derivatives against α- glucosidase for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. For this purpose, pyrazolobenzothiazine 5,5-dioxide derivatives were synthesized in the laboratory. Molecular docking analysis of pyrazolobenzothiazine 5,5-dioxide derivatives against α- glucosidase was achieved through Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) and ranked them based on binding affinity. Compounds with strong binding interaction were selected for invitro anti-diabetic analysis by enzyme inhibition assay against α- glucosidase using p-nitrophenyl-α--D-glucopyranoside (PNPG) as a substrate. Furthermore, the dose-response analysis was performed via Microdilution method. Compounds having strong bonding interactions with the active site and high scores were selected for in-vitro analysis. Compounds 1a, 1f, 1 g, 1 h showed strong bonding interaction with the active site of α- glucosidase and have docking score − 11.303, −10.189, −10.360, −10.160 respectively. Compound 1e, 1f, 1 g and 1 h showed IC50 at the concentration of 4.7 μM, 8.8 μM, 12.2 μM and 11.2 μM respectively in ezyme inhibition assay. The outcome of this study proved helpful to determine new antidiabetic agents to minimize diabetes complication.


The dreadful disease of mesothelioma, caused by exposure to asbestos, has a number of features that pose almost intractable problems for tort law and liability insurance, notably the time lag of some 35 years between exposure and injury, and the accepted current impossibility of science proving exactly which exposure has given rise to the disease. The Supreme Court has addressed tort and insurance issues on no fewer than six occasions, most recently in Zurich Insurance PLC UK Branch v International Energy Group Ltd (IEG), a case in which a specially convened seven-judge panel split 4:3 on the correct analysis of the insurance position. This paper analyses the reasoning and its implications. As will be seen, IEG is unlikely to be the end of the story. Most of the cases have involved exposure of employees to asbestos, and discussion is directed primarily to that context. A brief outline of the authorities will suffice to set the background to IEG.


One important question in the field of workplace spirituality concerns the relationship of this construct with employee work attitudes. Thus, to examine direct and indirect impact of spirituality at work on organizational citizenship behavior of employees of Shiraz University with emphasis on organizational commitment, four hypotheses were suggested. SEM, partial least square method employing Smart PLS software was used to analyze data collected from 155 employees in order to examine structural and measurement models and verify the hypotheses. The results showed that the proposed theoretical model can predict the employees' behavior consequences, since the statistical test confirmed the significant direct relationships between the variables in the model were significant. The findings revealed that spirituality at work has a significant effect on employees' helping behaviors, voice behaviors and the organizational commitment. Therefore, making the managers aware of this valuable factor and its proper use in advancing the organizational goals could have a significant impact on improving the organization's performance.


With the emerging worldwide interest in adopting and studying traditional systems of medication and exploiting their potential based on different health care systems, the evaluation of the rich heritage of traditional medicine is essential. From the innumerable plants being researched since time immemorial, Cressa cretica is an important one. To evaluate the diagnostic Pharmacognostical characters of Cressa cretica along with their physico-chemical parameters, fluorosence analysis and TLC profile. The Pharmacognostical characters were determined in terms of macroscopy, microscopy, powder microscopy, leaf constant, fluorescence analysis and preliminary phytochemical analysis. The findings of macroscopy revealed that leaves ovate or elliptic-to scale like, flowers solitary, axillary, sessile or on short peduncles, fruits capsular, ovoid, unilocular, Seed one seeded, glabrous and smooth & stem first erect and then become decumbent with horizontal Roots. Transverse section of stem depicted the single celled epidermis, hypodermises, cortex, parenchymatous cells, lignified xylem. Transverse section of root septate hairs, epidermis, arenchyma, starch grains, Cortex, spherical vesicles. Transverse section of leaf palisade cells, trichomes, paracytic and anomocytic stomata. Preliminary phytochemical screening exhibited the presence of various phytochemical groups like Alkaloids, Carbohydrate, Flavonoids, Fixed Oils & Fats, Glycosides, Steroids, Tannins & phenolic compound. Further the leaf constant, powder microscopy, fluorescence characterstics & TLC profile indicating results from this investigation. Various Pharmacognostical and physico-chemical parameters have pivotal roles in identification, authentication and establishment of quality parameters of the species.


COVID19 is a disease first reported in Wuhan, China, as viral pneumonia on 31 December 2019. The disease has since spread worldwide, leading to an ongoing pandemic. This disease is caused by a new coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2). Covid-19 is transmitted when people breathe in air contaminated by droplets and tiny airborne particles containing the virus. Airborne, surface, and fecal-oral transmission are the other three uncommon transmission types. Nurses play a vital role in health care and are often unsung heroes in emergency responses and health care systems. Nursing includes preventing deceases, promoting health, and the care of diseased, disabled, or dying persons. Nurses are at the forefront of the Covid19 battle; they risk their lives and their physical and mental health. This quantitative exploratory study thoroughly examined three significant challenges in nurses' lives during the pandemic: psychological, psychical, and social challenges. The study was conducted in twenty hospitals in Ernakulam district, Kerala. This study is descriptive and survey-based. Primary data was collected through a questionnaire. The Secondary data was collected from journals, books, magazines, internet, articles, etc. A questionnaire was sent to the nurses through Google Forms, and they filled those forms and sent them back. The study revealed that nurses faced psychosocial challenges during the Covid 19 pandemic. It is concluded that the social challenges, family challenges, and work challenges of nurses during the covid19 pandemic are highly correlated to each other.


BACKGROUND Intravenous pyogenic granuloma is the intravasal counterpart of cutaneous pyogenic granuloma. This rare, benign lesion appears clinically as a subcutaneous nodule usually located in the upper extremity or neck in middle-aged people. It is hard to make an exact diagnosis on clinical basis, and there is a risk of recurrence because of undertreatment. OBJECTIVE To report a case of an intravenous pyogenic granuloma located in the hand and to describe the clinical and histopathologic features of this rare vascular tumor. METHODS An operation was performed on a 58-year-old female who presented with a small, painless mass in the right palm, and the pathologic examination revealed an intravenous pyogenic granuloma. CONCLUSION This rare lesion should be differentiated from a regular pyogenic granuloma and should be excised with the vein segment to avoid recurrence.


With this work we want to achieve awareness and environmental conservation achieved minor impact and environmentally sustainable activities within the central campus, which includes the participation of all members of the community of San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca, ceasing to be an administrative initiative or academic proposal but a comprehensive project. Developing a Sustainable Campus prototype, based on the implementation of a Social and Environmental Management System, embodied in an environmental landscape architectural proposal. Intifying as the main comparative advantages of developing and implementing environmental management systems partner, And so, we can develop the new proposal for a new paradigm of Sustainable Campus, from awareness and conservation of the natural environment hroughout the evaluation based on a short questionnaire given to visitors who can assess the effectiveness of the intervention (educational and environmental process), especially since of attitudes, values, indicators and behavior data.


The last primary school teaching undergraduate curriculum was implemented in the 2018–2019 academic year in Turkey. This study evaluated the renewed 2018 primary school teaching undergraduate curriculum by comparing it with the 2006 primary school teaching undergraduate curriculum implemented until 2018. Document analysis technique, one of the qualitative research techniques, was used. The following results were obtained in the research: The courses in the 2018 curriculum were classified into three major groups as Content Knowledge, General Knowledge, and Pedagogical Knowledge, as is in the 2006 curriculum. The most extensive change in the 2018 curriculum is in elective courses, which cover 25% of the courses in the curriculum. The Council of Higher Education in Turkey increased the percentage of elective courses, on which it had been working for a long time, to adapt to the Bologna Process and succeeded with the 2018 program. A crucial change in the 2018 program is the decrease in course hours. The total course hours, 178 hours in the 2006 curriculum, were reduced to 150 hours in the 2018 curriculum. Besides, it is seen that the hours, terms, content, and names of some courses were changed in the 2018 curriculum. Just as new courses were added to the 2018 curriculum for the first time, so some courses in the 2006 curriculum were removed from the 2018 curriculum. Based on the research results, some suggestions were offered. Based on the results of the research, it has been suggested that the 2018 primary school teaching undergraduate curriculum be revised in line with the opinions of all faculty in this department.


We describe a case with macular hole (MH) associated with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease. A 71-year-old Japanese woman presented with visual loss and headaches. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.02 in the right eye (RE) and 0.1 in the left eye (LE). The patient was diagnosed with VKH based on circumferential choroidal detachments, multiple serous retinal detachments, and optic disc hyperemia. The multiple serous retinal detachments improved with high-dose corticosteroid therapy and gradual tapering. The BCVA was recovered to 1.2/0.7 in the RE/LE. Six weeks after the initial administration of steroid, vitreomacular traction was found by optical coherence tomography in the LE, which progressed to stage 4 MH with the BCVA of 0.2 in the LE. Twenty-three weeks after the initial treatment, vitrectomy was performed with the standard surgical procedures, including inner limiting membrane peeling around the fovea and air tamponade. The MH was closed successfully and the BCVA was 0.4 in the LE 5 weeks after the vitrectomy. This is the first report of a case with MH secondary to the acute uveitic stage of VKH. Successful closure of MH was achieved with the standard surgical intervention for an idiopathic MH. To conclude, at the early stage of VKH, there is a possibility of MH formation due to the rapid progress of vitreous traction following the inflammation, and the surgical procedure could be effective to resolve this secondary disorder.


This paper discusses the use of non-freshwater, including brackish groundwater and oily production water, in road construction. Non-freshwater was obtained from four major oil production fields in Oman. First, chemical analyses were carried out on nine non-freshwater types, including tap water, obtained from the four sites. These water types were then used with well-graded sand (WGS), high-plasticity silt (HPS), and a road base material to evaluate water effect on material properties. Atterberg limits, compaction, California Bearing Ratio (CBR), swell percentage, swell pressure, and direct shear tests were performed. Results show that there is a slight decrease in the liquid limit when non-freshwater is used. Non-freshwater resulted in a slight decrease in optimum moisture content and a slight increase in maximum dry density in WGS, whereas with HPS it caused slight decreases in optimum moisture content and maximum dry density values. There was an increase in CBR when non-freshwater was used with WGS and HPS soils. However, the use of production water caused a decrease in CBR values for WGS. For the road base material, the use of non-freshwater generally caused a decrease in CBR. The swell pressure tends to increase when non-freshwater is used with HPS. For the road base material, there is a decrease in cohesion and an increase in friction angle when non-freshwater is used in lieu of tap water. Promising laboratory results indicate the potential use of brackish and oily water types in road construction.


Robert Maynard Hutchins, president of the University of Chicago from 1929 to 1951, was arguably the dominant academic personality of the prewar years. Clark Kerr called him "the last of the giants," meaning the last major university president who attempted to reshape an institution.1 Today, he is still invoked for his vision of a liberal education. According to Hannah Gray, his present successor at the university, Hutchins "deplored what he saw as the triumph of scientism and pedantry and vocationalism over a genuine learning that looked toward the unity of knowledge and the forms of intellectual inquiry vested in the great questions of life and human destiny."2 The afterglow of his personal magnetism and insistent idealism make Hutchins an enduring presence in higher education. Being the center of attention, which was Hutchins's ineluctable fate during his lifetime, now appears to be his destiny in history as well. The volumes published by the University of Chicago Press on the occasion of the school's centennial have centered not on William Rainey Harper and the launching of his audacious enterprise on the Midway but rather on the Hutchins era. William H. McNeill, an undergraduate at Chicago in the 1930s and a historian there since 1947, has written a combined memoir and historical account of these years. His title, Hutchins' University, connotes far more concord and singleness of purpose than in fact prevailed at the University of Chicago. The biography of


Poultry is a major reservoir of Campylobacter jejuni, which is currently the leading cause of acute bacterial diarrhoea in western countries. This results in substantial accumulated economic loss due clinical costs and lost working hours. In developed countries reinforcement of hygienic practices and consumer education have so far been inadequate to significantly decrease numbers of human cases of campylobacteriosis. The control of poultry associated infection in humans may also depend upon the control of Campylobacter colonization in broiler flocks. However, sources of C. jejuni and the transmission routes through which broilers become colonized are not clearly defined. A better understanding of C. jejuni epidemiology is urgently needed. This review summarizes current theories on the epidemiology of C. jejuni broiler colonization.


Brassica napus and Brassica rapa are grown across six continents for purposes including oilseed, biofuel, vegetables and livestock fodder. Hybridisation between the two can downgrade seed quality reducing grower returns. We assess the similarity of flower visitor assemblages of both species to determine the applicability of pollinator management strategies to both. Insect taxa were collected using window traps placed within ten peak-flowering fields, five each of B. napus and B. rapa (one cultivar/species) located in South Canterbury, New Zealand. Both crops contained similar flower visitor assemblages with 25 of 29 taxa in common. Of the 1549 insects counted, Apis mellifera was most abundant (~40% of individuals in both crops). Bombus terrrestris and the flies Delia platura, and Oxysarcodexia varia were also common. Crop location more likely influenced assemblage composition than crop species. Strategies to boost the role of bee and non-bee pollinators have potential benefits for both crops; however, a broader understanding of pollinator movement between crops is required to optimise seed purity and crop spacing.


Aim: The paper explores the concepts and methods of evaluation in nursing education. Rationale: Evaluation of nursing education is a topic received much attention by the scientific community recently. The introduction and the background information of the paper highlight the theoretical endorsement of evaluation, the necessity of evaluation in education and the strenuous effort to find workable methodological approaches for evaluation in education. Method: Literature is reviewed from nursing, education and evaluation disciplines. Benchmarking texts on evaluation and education formed the skeleton of the paper. Systematic review search included scientific databases EBSCO, CINHAL+ and PubMed. Findings: Different evaluation concepts, methods and activities on educational evaluation are explored. Issues of methodological appropriateness in educational evaluation that communicated among scientists and received both appraisal and criticism have been traced and discussed. In particular, quantitative-qualitative debate formed the basis of significant arguments and influenced the evolution of new evaluation strategies that encompasses synthesis and triangulation. Conclusion: Methodological challenges in evaluation appear to lead equally in frustration and enlightenment and have benefits for the further advancement of evaluation science.


This syllabus can be reviewed quite succinctly: Anyone wishing to use Dr. Wiener's nomenclature for the rhesus blood factors needs the present text as well as any others he can lay his hands upon. The book is well written, well illustrated, well printed, and worth the price if it dispels but one facet of the reader's confusion. This reviewer does not wish to be a party in the argument over the use of the Wiener nomenclature versus that of Fisher. Such an amateur's view could only compound existing confusion to the further detriment of proper scientific thought. But when you have the opportunity to read this text, glance at pages 44 and 45 before you start. Heed the warning they give! The 37 different but related symbols used one or more times in these 73 lines of type are only part of the entire Rh-Hr story.


Bamboo is used as a construction material from earlier days of construction. It was used as reinforcement in rural area and as formwork also. Concrete is a brittle material so it cannot be used as a single material in construction due to its low tensile strength. In this study we tried to find out the properties of bamboos from the past studies. and from the past study we can find out the better way to improve strengths of bamboo as a reinforcement in concrete structures.


Many source and transport factors control P loss from agricultural landscapes; however, little information is available on how these factors are linked at a watershed scale. Thus, we investigated mechanisms controlling P release from soil and stream sediments in relation to storm and baseflow P concentrations at four flumes and in the channel of an agricultural watershed. Baseflow dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) concentrations were greater at the watershed outflow (Flume 1; 0.042 mg L(-1)) than uppermost flume (Flume 4; 0.028 mg L(-1)). Conversely, DRP concentrations were greater at Flume 4 (0.304 mg L(-1)) than Flume 1 (0.128 mg L(-1)) during stormflow. Similar trends in total phosphorus (TP) concentration were also observed. During stormflow, stream P concentrations are controlled by overland flow-generated erosion from areas of the watershed coincident with high soil P. In-channel decreases in P concentration during stormflow were attributed to sediment deposition, resorption of P, and dilution. The increase in baseflow P concentrations downstream was controlled by channel sediments. Phosphorus sorption maximum of Flume 4 sediment (532 mg kg(-1)) was greater than at the outlet Flume 1 (227 mg kg(-1)). Indeed, the decrease in P desorption between Flumes 1 and 4 sediment (0.046 to 0.025 mg L(-1)) was similar to the difference in baseflow DRP between Flumes 1 and 4 (0.042 to 0.028 mg L(-1)). This study shows that erosion, soil P concentration, and channel sediment P sorption properties influence streamflow DRP and TP. A better understanding of the spatial and temporal distribution of these processes and their connectivity over the landscape will aid targeting remedial practices.


Proteases are essential for regulating a wide range of physiological and pathological processes. The imbalance of protease activation and inhibition will result in a number of major diseases including cancers, atherosclerosis, and neurodegenerative diseases. Although fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based protease probes, a small molecular dye and other methods are powerful, they still have drawbacks or limitations for providing significant information about the dynamics and pattern of endogenous protease activation and inhibition in a single living cell or in vivo. Currently protease sensors capable of quantitatively measuring specific protease activity in real time and monitoring activation and inhibition of enzymatic activity in various cellular compartments are highly desired. In this dissertation, we report a novel strategy to create protease sensors by grafting an enzymatic cleavage linker into a sensitive location for changing chromophore properties of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) following protease cleavage, which can be used to determine protease activity and track protease activation and inhibition with a ratiometric measurement mode in living cells. Our designed protease sensors exhibit large relative ratiometric optical signal change in both absorbance and fluorescence, and fast response to proteases. Meanwhile, these protease sensors exhibiting high enzymatic selectivity and kinetic responses are comparable or better than current small peptide probes and FRET-based protease probes. Additionally, our protease sensors can be utilized for real-time monitoring of cellular enzymogen activation and effects of inhibitors in living cells. This novel strategy opens a new avenue for developing specific protease sensors to investigate enzymatic activity in real time, to probe disease mechanisms corresponding to proteases in vitro and in vivo, and to screen protease inhibitors with therapeutic effects. Strong fluorescence was still retained in the cleaved EGFP-based protease sensors, which stimulated us to identify the EGFP fragment with fluorescence properties for further understanding chromophore formation mechanisms and investigating protein-protein interactions through fluorescence complementation of split EGFP fragments. Through fusing EF-hand motifs from calbindin D9k to split EGFP fragments, a novel molecular probe was developed to simultaneously track the calcium change or calcium signaling pathways and calcium-dependent protein-protein interaction in living cells in real time. INDEX WORDS: Protease sensor, Ratiometeric measurement, EGFP, Calcium-dependent, Protein-protein interactions, Fluorescence complementation DESIGN GENETIC FLUORESCENT PROBES TO DETECT PROTEASE ACTIVITY AND CALCIUM-DEPENDENT PROTEIN-PROTEIN INTERACTIONS IN LIVING CELLS


The aim of this study is to solve a problem of denoising and artifact removal from in vivo multispectral photoacoustic imaging when the level of noise is not known a priori. The study analyzes Wiener filtering in Fourier domain when a family of anisotropic shape filters is considered. The unknown noise and signal power spectral densities are estimated using spectral information of images and the autoregressive of the power 1 ( AR(1)) model. Edge preservation is achieved by detecting image edges in the original and the denoised image and superimposing a weighted contribution of the two edge images to the resulting denoised image. The method is tested on multispectral photoacoustic images from simulations, a tissue-mimicking phantom, as well as in vivo imaging of the mouse, with its performance compared against that of the standard Wiener filtering in Fourier domain. The results reveal better denoising and fine details preservation capabilities of the proposed method when compared to that of the standard Wiener filtering in Fourier domain, suggesting that this could be a useful denoising technique for other multispectral photoacoustic studies.


In the modern day, there is a serious spectrum crunch in the legacy radio frequency (RF) band, for which visible light communication (VLC) can be a promising option. VLC is a short-range wireless communication variant which uses the visible light spectrum. In this paper, we are using a VLC-based architecture for providing scalable communications to Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices where a multi-element hemispherical bulb is used that can transmit data streams from multiple light emitting diode (LED) boards. The essence of this architecture is that it uses a Line-of-Sight (LoS) alignment protocol that handles the handoff issue created by the movement of receivers inside a room. We start by proposing an optimization problem aiming to minimize the total consumed energy emitted by each LED taking into consideration the LEDs' power budget, users' perceived quality-of-service, LED-user associations, and illumination uniformity constraints. Then, because of the non-convexity of the problem, we propose to solve it in two stages: (1) We design an efficient algorithm for LED-user association for fixed LED powers, and (2) using the LED-user association, we find an approximate solution based on Taylor series to optimize the LEDs' power. We devise a heuristic solution based on this approach. Finally, we illustrate the performance of our method via simulations.


The relativistic Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (SZ) effect offers a method, independent of X-ray, for measuring the temperature of the intracluster medium (ICM) in the hottest systems. Here, using N-body/hydrodynamic simulations of three galaxy clusters, we compare the two quantities for a non-radiative ICM, and for one that is subject both to radiative cooling and to strong energy feedback from galaxies. Our study has yielded two interesting results. First, in all cases, the SZ temperature is hotter than the X-ray temperature and is within 10 per cent of the virial temperature of the cluster. Secondly, the mean SZ temperature is less affected by cooling and feedback than the X-ray temperature. Both these results can be explained by the SZ temperature being less sensitive to the distribution of cool gas associated with cluster substructure. A comparison of the SZ and X-ray temperatures (measured for a sample of hot clusters) would therefore yield interesting constraints on the thermodynamic structure of the intracluster gas.


ABSTRACT Seven strains of flagellated marine cocci have been subjected to taxonomic analysis. It is suggested that they be included in the genus Planococcus Migula, 1894. A revised description of the genus Planococcus is proposed. The strain Planococcus citreus CCM 316 (Micrococcus aquivivus ATCC 14404) is proposed as the neotype culture.


PriA helicase is the major DNA replication restart initiator in Escherichia coli and acts to reload the replicative helicase DnaB back onto the chromosome at repaired replication forks and D-loops formed by recombination. We have discovered that PriA-catalysed unwinding of branched DNA substrates is stimulated specifically by contact with the single-strand DNA binding protein of E.coli, SSB. This stimulation requires binding of SSB to the initial DNA substrate and is effected via a physical interaction between PriA and the C-terminus of SSB. Stimulation of PriA by the SSB C-terminus may act to ensure that efficient PriA-catalysed reloading of DnaB occurs only onto the lagging strand template of repaired forks and D-loops. Correlation between the DNA repair and recombination defects of strains harbouring an SSB C-terminal mutation with inhibition of this SSB-PriA interaction in vitro suggests that SSB plays a critical role in facilitating PriA-directed replication restart. Taken together with previous data, these findings indicate that protein-protein interactions involving SSB may coordinate replication fork reloading from start to finish.


Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurobiological condition that appears during an individual's childhood and may follow her/him for life. Even though it is not a new disorder, ADHD treatment is limited to the use of drugs and behavioral therapy, even for children. The objective of this research was to investigate the technological possibilities of mobile devices and web-based information systems, as well as other computer technologies, to support the ADHD treatment phase. Results show the potential of these approaches as alternatives for long-term treatment, as well as the difficulties and limitations that persist today. Besides, the research also highlighted that the use of computer technology could provide persistent long-term


Lipoma is one of the most common benign soft-tissue tumors, and it may be single or multiple. These tumors are composed of mature fat cells. Most lipomas become apparent in the fourth and sixth decades. A 39-year-old Caucasian woman, without clinical precedents of interest, was referred with a mass located in her right first-toe she had had for seven months. She had never experienced pain over the lump, but this lesion had been rapidly increasing for the last two months. A physical examination showed an erythematous-violaceous mammillated mass of 7 cm in diameter, poorly-defined borders, and soft consistency. This mass was located on the inner side of the metatarsophalangeal joint of her right first-toe (Fig. 1). An x-ray and a magnetic resonance of her right foot showed soft-tissue mass and revealed no osseous invasion (Figs. 2 and 3). A biopsy of the lesion was performed, and histological examination of hematoxylin-eosin stain showed matured adipocytes, without atypia or mitosis. Based on these findings, lipoma diagnosis was established, and complete resection was decided. Although common locations of lipomas are the upper back and neck, chest, abdomen, upper thigh, upper arm, and shoulder, some reports of lipomas in the foot exist; however, only a few cases of toe lipoma have been reported in the literature. Most lipomas are small subcutaneous lesions that grow slowly but, if not resected, they result in disfigurement of the region. If they occur in the foot, they may infiltrate between the deeper tendons and muscles, particularly if they are in a plantar location. Lipomas may recur locally, but after excision the recurrence rate is <5% of all tumors. Malignant changes are extremely rare. Radiographs will reveal if the 1343 Figure 1 Erythematous-violaceous mammillated mass located on the inner side of the metatarsophalangeal joint


Chestnut oak Quercus prinus L. litter in the southern Appalachian Mountains of the United States decomposes slowly during winter and more rapidly in other seasons. This pattern differed from other studies of litter decomposition in more northern environments where decomposition rates were relatively constant throughout the year or more rapid beneath a winter snow cover. The pattern observed can be approximated by using monthly actual evapotranspiration estimates as a correction factor for the decomposition constant, k, in the commonly-used negative exponential decomposition model. Mean microarthropod densities increased from a seasonally weighted estimate of 18.2 ind. g" litter during the first year of decomposition to 73.6 ind. g" litter during the second year. In spite of this increase, no difference in the rate of weight loss of the litter was observed between the first and second year of the study.


The intention of this review is to assess the impact of anthropogenic activities on the biodiversity of Lake Abijata. The lake was established as a National Park, together with Lakes Shalla and Chitu, to conserve water birds. It has high pH and electrical conductivity and is hypersaline. It presents an inhospitable limnochemical environment that limits biodiversity, although there are organisms adapted to these hostile conditions. The biodiversity of the lake is threatened by anthropogenic activities. Deforestation, expansion of agriculture, livestock, soda ash extraction and upstream irrigation led to a drop in water level and surface area, a change in physico-chemical and biological conditions, and a general deterioration in ecosystem condition. The phytoplankton community structure has switched from populations of Arthrospira fusiformis to non-Arthrospira fusiformis, zooplankton communities have moved towards small-bodied rotifers, such as Brachionus, Filinia and Lecane spp., the fishery has totally collapsed and birds, such as lesser flamingoes (Phoeniconaias minor Geoffroy) and great white pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus), have migrated to nearby lakes. These ecological changes over the past years point to the need for a new conservation and management plan to restore the ecosystem's health. A few recommendations are given for lake management as mechanisms to protect the ecosystem.


The autism spectrum disorder tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is caused by mutations in the Tsc1 or Tsc2 genes, whose protein products form a heterodimeric complex that negatively regulates mammalian target of rapamycin-dependent protein translation. Although several forms of synaptic plasticity, including metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR)-dependent long-term depression (LTD), depend on protein translation at the time of induction, it is unknown whether these forms of plasticity require signaling through the Tsc1/2 complex. To examine this possibility, we postnatally deleted Tsc1 in vivo in a subset of hippocampal CA1 neurons using viral delivery of Cre recombinase in mice. We found that hippocampal mGluR-LTD was abolished by loss of Tsc1, whereas a protein synthesis-independent form of NMDA receptor-dependent LTD was preserved. Additionally, AMPA and NMDA receptor-mediated EPSCs and miniature spontaneous EPSC frequency were enhanced in Tsc1 KO neurons. These changes in synaptic function occurred in the absence of alterations in spine density, morphology, or presynaptic release probability. Our findings indicate that signaling through Tsc1/2 is required for the expression of specific forms of hippocampal synaptic plasticity as well as the maintenance of normal excitatory synaptic strength. Furthermore, these data suggest that perturbations of synaptic signaling may contribute to the pathogenesis of TSC.


Abstract While it is well known from numerous epidemiologic investigations that social determinants (socioeconomic, environmental, and psychosocial factors exposed to over the life-course) can dramatically impact cardiovascular health, the molecular mechanisms by which social determinants lead to poor cardiometabolic outcomes are not well understood. This review comprehensively summarizes a variety of current topics surrounding the biological effects of adverse social determinants (i.e., the biology of adversity), linking translational and laboratory studies with epidemiologic findings. With a strong focus on the biological effects of chronic stress, we highlight an array of studies on molecular and immunological signaling in the context of social determinants of health (SDoH). The main topics covered include biomarkers of sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis activation, and the role of inflammation in the biology of adversity focusing on glucocorticoid resistance and key inflammatory cytokines linked to psychosocial and environmental stressors (PSES). We then further discuss the effect of SDoH on immune cell distribution and characterization by subset, receptor expression, and function. Lastly, we describe epigenetic regulation of the chronic stress response and effects of SDoH on telomere length and aging. Ultimately, we highlight critical knowledge gaps for future research as we strive to develop more targeted interventions that account for SDoH to improve cardiometabolic health for at-risk, vulnerable populations.


Immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis (AL) is the most common form of systemic amyloidosis in which a plasma-cell dyscrasia results in the overproduction of amyloidogenic immunoglobulin light chains (LC). Although LC organize in extracellular deposits in different target organs, approximately 75% of patients manifest heart involvement at presentation, with a median survival of only 6 months if chemotherapy fails to stop LC production. Although an active role of radical oxygen species (ROS) has already been envisaged, the actual mechanisms behind their generation remain elusive.
In this study, it was observed that amyloidogenic LC purified from patients with cardiac involvement intrinsically generated high levels of ROS and, when administered to C. elegans resulted in ROS production. These species can directly target the pharyngeal cells, causing remarkable damage particularly at the mitochondrial level, similar to that observed in amyloid-affected hearts from AL patients. Tetracycline counteracted all these ROS-mediated effects and, when added to standard chemotherapy, they reduced early deaths in patients with cardiac AL. To limit and repair the stress-induced damage, different intracellular signalling events are activated. In particular, the nuclear translocation of the FOXO/DAF-16 transcription factor triggers the transcription of stress-responsive genes, including heat-shock protein (hsp)-16.2 and manganese superoxide dismutase (sod)-3, and controlling stress resistance and survival.
All these effects were entirely dependent on the presence of metal ions, particularly copper. Metal chelators or metal-binding compounds, particularly the new drug PBT2, block ROS production and interrupt the vicious cycle of oxidative stress. In C. elegans, low doses of PBT2 in combination with tetracycline result in a synergistic beneficial effect, highlighting the potential application of this pharmacological strategy for AL patients. These findings indicate that metal-induced oxidative stress, already reported to be linked with some neurological disorders, is also a key element in cardiac AL amyloidosis.


An efficient 1064-nm Nd:YVO4 laser in-band pumped by a wavelength-locked laser diode (LD) at 913.9 nm was demonstrated. The maximum continuous wave (CW) output power of 23.4 W at 1064 nm was realized with the incident pump power of 40 W, corresponding to a total optical-to-optical efficiency of 58.5%. This is to the best of our knowledge the highest total optical-to-optical efficiency and output power of Nd:YVO4 laser in-band pumped by a 913.9-nm laser diode. The Q-switched operation of this laser was also investigated. Through a contrast experiment of pumping at 808 nm, the experimental results showed that an Nd:YVO4 laser in-band pumped by a wavelength-locked LD at 913.9 nm had excellent pulse stability and beam quality for high repetition rate Q-switching operation.


. The article deals with the issues related to the assessment of the technical condition of structural elements, taking into account the stages of engineering research, design and installation. The importance of the topic under consideration is due to a large number of accidents at civil and industrial facilities that occur before the exhaustion of the bearing capacity. The analysis of the object (the metal frame of industrial buildings) is carried out on the basis of project documentation, data obtained by a full-scale survey, visual and instrumental control, numerical methods of research. The qualitative and quantitative parameters of the capital construction object necessary for assessing the technical condition are presented. They include design schemes of frame structures, materials, their characteristics, defects and parameters. The study shows the importance of comprehensive assessment of capital construction facilities in terms of constructive safety. Iden-tification of errors at each stage of construction allows to prevent emergencies that lead to the destruction of the load-bearing system and to develop measures to establish the possibility (impossibility) of repair or recon-struction.


There is some debate in the psychometric literature about item parameter estimation in multistage designs. It is occasionally argued that the conditional maximum likelihood (CML) method is superior to the marginal maximum likelihood method (MML) because no assumptions have to be made about the trait distribution. However, CML estimation in its original formulation leads to biased item parameter estimates. Zwitser and Maris (2015, Psychometrika) proposed a modified conditional maximum likelihood estimation method for multistage designs that provides practically unbiased item parameter estimates. In this article, the differences between different estimation approaches for multistage designs were investigated in a simulation study. Four different estimation conditions (CML, CML estimation with the consideration of the respective MST design, MML with the assumption of a normal distribution, and MML with log-linear smoothing) were examined using a simulation study, considering different multistage designs, number of items, sample size, and trait distributions. The results showed that in the case of the substantial violation of the normal distribution, the CML method seemed to be preferable to MML estimation employing a misspecified normal trait distribution, especially if the number of items and sample size increased. However, MML estimation using log-linear smoothing lea to results that were very similar to the CML method with the consideration of the respective MST design.


The effects of prostaglandin E2(PGE2) in vivo and in vitro on cementless fixation of porous coated implant were studied. The results revealed that high levels of PGE2 in the local tissue benefit bone ingrowth in the early stage of implantation. Co-Cr-Mo alloy itself hampers the growth of osteoblasts and decreases the local secretion of PGE2. In the early stage of arthroplasty, the use of PGE2 inhibitors should be forbidden, and proper loading stimulation is preferable. High level PGE2 of local tissue in the later stage indicates bone resorption.


Reports on safety issues relating to the Internet of Things (IoT). Users, developers, managers, and other stakeholders are concerned that the heterogeneity and complexity of this technology, essentially composed of systems of systems, may open the door to security breaches on an unprecedented scale. There is, however, another important system property, which is not very often brought up as an imminent concern, but is equally important. This is device safety, the violation of which may cause severe harm to the environment in which the device operates.


The Sierra Leone Economic Update (SLEU) reports on and analyzes recent economic developments and policies within medium-term, regional, and global contexts and analyzes the implications of these developments and policies for the outlook of the economy. Macroeconomic imbalance worsened in 2017 due to high levels of fiscal deficit and rising debts, inflationary pressure, a fragile banking system, and current account pressures. Stabilizing the macroeconomy is precondition for inclusive growth and poverty reduction. Key macroeconomic and sectoral reforms will need to be implemented to reduce the imbalances and to avert downside risks to economic growth. The special topic of this update report is an urban sector review of Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, with a focus on the city's potential contribution to inclusive national economic growth. It has been demonstrated that cities are the places where significant economic development happens. The importance of Freetown to Sierra Leone's economy is clear, with the city creating 30 percent of the country's GDP despite having only 15 percent of its population. Rapid urbanization is now Sierra Leone's biggest growth narrative for the 21st century. Freetown has the potential to power economic transformation for Sierra Leone by bringing together large numbers of workers and entrepreneurs, and by serving as a hub for large-scale production in services, agro-processing and retail trade to complement and add value to existing production.


BackgroundRecent data, albeit based on operations often performed more than 15 years ago, suggest that survival benefits of coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) generally are lost within 10 years after operation. A reliable noninvasive method for periodic assessment of ischemia severity after operation might permit optimal timing of additional therapy to minimize loss of benefits. Methods and ResultsTo determine the impact of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) during exercise on prognosis in patients who have undergone CABG, results of rest and exercise radionuclide cineangiography were correlated with mortality, major nonsurgical cardiac events, and cardiac event-free or surgery-free survival in 192 patients who underwent index radionuclide study 21 month (average, 26 months) after CABG. Average follow-up after study was 8.7 years among event-free patients. Initial events during follow-up included 31 deaths, 19 nonfatal myocardial infarctions, and 33 late repeat CABG or angioplasties (PTCA). Stepwise Cox regression analysis identified change (A) in LVEF with exercise as the strongest independent predictor of cardiac death, major nonsurgical cardiac events, and cardiac event-free or surgery-free survival (P<.0001, all outcomes). Change in heart rate with exercise, completeness of revascularization, and New York Heart Association functional class for angina provided additional independent information. With each 10% decrement in ALVEF, the hazard of cardiac death increased more than twofold, and the hazard of major nonsurgical cardiac events considered alone or in combination with repeat CABG or PICA increased >1.5 times. ConclusionsThus, assessment of ALVEF is prognostically useful after CABG. Assessment of this variable may help determine the need for repeat CABG. The utility of this approach now should be confirmed by longitudinal prognostic study.


Abstract The aim of any reintroduction program is to create a viable population that is self-sustaining in the long term. Thus, in the short term, it is important to evaluate the acclimation of reintroduced individuals in order to assess the potential success of the project. In this study, we radio-tracked 30 European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis) reintroduced in the Estagnol Nature Reserve (southern France) in 2008 and 2009. We analyzed each individual's dispersal over the site, its home range, and its pattern of displacement for 2 yrs after its release. About 80% of the released animals were still detected on the site 8 mo after the release operation. Home-range size was highly variable among individuals but was typical of what is known for the species. Home ranges were, however, larger in the first year after release than in the following year, probably because individuals explored the site immediately after release. The released individuals exhibited a typical displacement pattern over the first year, with a larger displacement during spring and summer that was earlier for males (April–May) than for females (June–September). All of these results strongly indicate the success of the acclimation phase of the reintroduction operation. To evaluate the success of reintroduction programs of long-lived species, we recommend, in addition to a long-term demographic study, a fine-scale study of space-use modalities, which allows the assessment of the acclimation phase of the individuals at the new site in the short term. In this way, a rapid reevaluation of the project can be made if failure at this stage is identified, allowing appropriate management actions to be taken at the site.


Electrical properties of an inverted heterojunction interface in GaAs/n-AlGaAs heterostructures selectively doped with Si were investigated. It was found that the effect of mobility reduction normally observed in such structures can be overcome by suppressing Si doping in the AlGaAs layer and increasing the spacer layer thickness. The results indicate a strong contribution, based on a diffused profile of doped Si impurities in the GaAs channel and AlGaAs spacer, resulting from surface segregation. Large enhancement of two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) mobility at low temperature was achieved in an inverted heterostructure at a low Si doping concentration (Nd=3×1017 cm-3) and spacer thickness exceeding 100 A. The highest mobility value obtained was 5×104 cm2/V·s at 77 K, with an interface carrier density Ns of around 1.7×1011 cm-2.


This paper proposes a new scheduling algorithm for input-queued ATM switches, called the iterative quasi-oldest-cell-first (i-QOCF) algorithm. In i-QOCF, each input port and each output port maintains its own list. The length of the list can be N,2/spl times/N,...,B/spl times/N, where B is the size of the buffer that queues cells destined for an output port. The list maintained by an input port contains the identifiers of those output ports to which that input port will send a cell. The list maintained by an output port contains the identifiers of input ports which have a cell destined for that output port. We show the performance of i-QOCF and results in which we compare i-QOCF with i-OCF in terms of cell delay time. We find that an input-queued ATM switch with i-QOCF and virtual output queue (VOQ) can achieve 100% throughput for independent arrival processes. The 3-QOCF is enough to achieve convergence during one cell time. If we use a 3-QOCF in which the list length is 3/spl times/N, then its cell delay time performance is almost the same as that of a 4-OCF.


The recent financial crisis has shattered all standard approaches to banking regulation. Regulators now recognize that banking regulation cannot be simply based on individual financial institutions' risks. Instead, systemic risk and macroprudential regulation have come to the forefront of the new regulatory paradigm. Yet our knowledge of these two core aspects of regulation is still limited and fragmented. This book offers a framework for understanding the reasons for the regulatory shift from a microprudential to a macroprudential approach to financial regulation. It defines systemic risk and macroprudential policy, cutting through the generalized confusion as to their meaning; contrasts macroprudential to microprudential approaches; discusses the interaction of macroprudential policy with macroeconomic policy (monetary policy in particular); and describes macroprudential tools and experiences with macroprudential regulation around the world. The book also considers the remaining challenges for establishing effective macroprudential policy and broader issues in regulatory reform. These include the optimal size and structure of the financial system, the multiplicity of regulatory bodies in the United States, the supervision of cross-border financial institutions, and the need for international cooperation on macroprudential policies.


Let T(t) be an analytic semigroup with generator A on some Banach space. Le Merdy in [12] showed the validity of the so-called Weiss conjecture : C ∈ L(D(A), Y ) is an admissible observation operator if and only if {‖C(λI − A)−1‖ Reλ ≥ α for some α > 0} is a bounded set, is equivalent to the finite-time admissibility of the fractional power (−A)1/2 for A. The proof was essentially based on the H∞-functional calculus. Here, we give a new (and a much short) proof of this result and does not make any recourse to the H∞functional calculus. Next we show that the analyticity assumption of T(t) cannot be omitted. Finally we give a new proof for the Weiss Conjecture for analytic and normal semigroups on Hilbert spaces.


As part of the New Perspectives Series, New Perspectives on Microsoft Office Accounting 2009 includes everything students need to learn about MS Office Accounting 2009. Now deeply integrated, this software lets users work seamlessly between multiple Office applications, eliminating the need to retype data and reducing the risk of error. This text follows the signature New Perspectives approach to engaging students through case-based, problem-solving learning. A perfect complement to a full semester Accounting or Business course, New Perspectives on Microsoft Office Accounting helps students retain concepts and skills with features such as Case Problems, which reinforce information with critical-thinking activities and hands-on tasks.


We consider the scenario of electroweak baryogenesis mediated by cosmological defects in a model of extra dimension. We consider the domain wall on the brane in higher-dimensional theories. The electroweak breaking scale is suppressed and the sphaleron interaction is activated in the false vacuum.


Human lung tissue converts hydrocortisone to cortisone by the action of the enzyme 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11 beta-HSD). Since cortisone is inactive as an antiinflammatory steroid, the action of this enzyme may regulate the local antiinflammatory effects of glucocorticoids in the lung. Minced human lung tissue (100 mg in 500 microliters medium) metabolized approximately 50% of added [3H]hydrocortisone within 2 h in most lung specimens. Metabolism was linear during this period and was found to occur over a broad range of concentrations of hydrocortisone (1 to 1,000 nM). Metabolism of hydrocortisone was not observed in minced pulmonary blood vessels or airways (2 to 3 mm), and pleura (containing some adherent parenchyma) had less activity than parenchyma. Cultured human tracheal epithelial cells metabolized hydrocortisone, while umbilical vein endothelial cells did not. Since glycyrrhizin, glycyrrhetinic acid, and carbenoxolone have antiinflammatory properties and have recently been shown to interfere with steroid metabolism in renal tissues, their effects on 11 beta-HSD in human lung tissue have been tested. Conversion of hydrocortisone to cortisone by lung tissue was inhibited by glycyrrhetinic acid (IC50, approximately 2.5 x 10(-8) M) and carbenoxolone (1.5 x 10(-7) M), but not glycyrrhizin (greater than 10(-5) M). It is proposed that inhibition of the metabolism of hydrocortisone by 11 beta-HSD may partially explain the known antiinflammatory actions of orally administered glycyrrhetinic acid and carbenoxolone and that intrapulmonary administration of these compounds may produce antiinflammatory effects targeted to the lung.


This study focuses on the relationship between exogenous factors (that cannot be directly impacted by the actions of an economic agent) and combined heat and power (CHP) plant efficiency. As a measure of fuel utilization efficiency this paper proposes to use the Сoefficient of Fuel Utilization (CFU), which is the Russian equivalent of the Primary Energy Factor indicator. Climate conditions and fuel type were used as the exogenous factors in this article. Climate conditions were measured via climate zone proxies. The cause-effect relationships were analyzed using a linear regression model. The findings of the study showcase that the plants, which use natural gas as their primary fuel, show higher fuel utilization efficiency compared to coil plants. Climate conditions were also proven to be a statistically significant factor with plants situated in the third climate zone (mostly regions of the Central and North-Western federal districts) showing the highest average CFU of about 71%. The research shows that the exogenous factors account for close to 20% of CHP plant fuel utilization efficiency in Russia. The authors conclude that climate conditions and fuel type should be taken into account when constructing various energy efficiency models applicable to the Russian context.


The complete strong-field-matrices for d2,8(C3v*) ions are constructed within an O(h)- point-group representation. Based on the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of these matrices, a complete-configuration-mixing EPR theory is established for Ni2+ ions in CsMgX (X = Cl, Br,I) kind crystals, and accordingly, a uniform calculation is performed for the optical absorption spectrum, the zero-field-splitting and Zeeman splitting of the ground state, the EPR parameters D and g and the EPR conditions (B,h-nu) of Ni2+ impurity ions in a CsMgCl3 crystal. The results are in very good agreement with the experimental, thus a uniform theoretical interpretation is achieved for the optical and magnetic properties of Ni2+:CsMgCl3 for the first time.


ABSTRACT Students' argumentation skills are considered a central tool to contribute to scientific controversies in the science classroom. Scientific controversies of social relevance (socioscientific issues; SSI) are subject to multiple viewpoints that are often rooted in diverse disciplines. However, the relationship between issue familiarity and students' multidisciplinary argumentation is still a matter under discussion. This study: (1) explores whether the selection of a particular issue (animal testing) enables students' engagement in multidisciplinary argumentation without additional issue familiarisation, i.e., using only their existing knowledge; and (2) clarifies the relationship between increased issue familiarity and students' multidisciplinary argumentation. One hundred and sixty three ninth and tenth graders participated in this study, of whom one hundred and six took part in a teaching unit to familiarise themselves with the issue of animal testing. The study's results demonstrate that animal testing constitutes an effective issue to engage students with the complexity of SSI without requiring more than basic familiarity prior to engagement. The results further demonstrate that increased issue familiarity can enhance the overall diversity of discipline-related arguments amongst students; however, not all disciplines were enhanced equally. The findings suggest that more instructional guidance seems to be needed to assist students in broadening their arguments.


The presence of Matthew effects was tested in students of varying reading, spelling, and vocabulary skills. A cross-sequential design was implemented, following 587 Grade 2 through 4 students across five measurement points (waves) over 2 years. Students were administered standardized assessments of reading, spelling, and vocabulary. Results indicated that the hypothesized fan-spread pattern for Matthew effects was not evident. Low and high ability groups were formed based on 25th and 75th percentile cutoffs on initial measures of spelling, reading accuracy and fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Multilevel modeling suggested that low and high ability groups had significantly different starting points (intercepts) and their pattern of growth on passage comprehension did not indicate that the gap would increase over time. Instead, some analyses, especially of the youngest cohorts, showed significant convergence. However, there was no evidence of eventually closing the gap. Thus, although the poor students may not be getting poorer, they do not get sufficiently richer either.


The potential benefits of safe, effective and cost effective Ebola vaccines and massive population-based immunization and treatment can be easily demonstrated by the unprecedented Ebola outbreak consequences that raged West Africa and intimidation the international public health security. Effective community-based health programming and contextual understanding have shown to be of tremendous benefits of global poliomyelitis immunization initiative. Africa fertility rate is among the highest in the world and projected growth over next 40 years, from 1.1 billion to 2.4 billion by 2050. It has become clear that the lack of effective Ebola immunization programs and management logistics in both vulnerable populations and international travellers was complicated by weak health planning and epidemics preparedness. Moreover, poor prognosis and late local, regional and international response led to preventable toll of over 27,609 cases and 11,261 deaths been recorded in West Africa recently. As Ebola still represents a common threat in Africa and threatening the global community; this article reports a cumulative survival rate varying between 37- 66% in West Africa with the highest in Sierra Leone of 67% in contrast to 26% in DR Congo with the highest cumulative frequencies of seven of Ebola resurgence episodes from 1977-2014, and Uganda five episodes from 2000-2012. But what exactly triggers to those Ebola patients fortunate enough to survive is still to be elucidated. West Africa has recorded a cumulative fatality rate ranging from 34- 63 %. Understanding the benefits of Ebola immunization should be of importance and could provide inklings into Ebola's weakness in such dearth of local medical and healthcare delivery, intense global travel and food insecurity systems. Hence, development and effective deployment of massive population-based Ebola immunization program and travel medicine policy on prevention and control measures should be a major priority post-Ebola emergency response directed to curb and to eradicate the threatening Ebola outbreaks. In addition, development of evidence-based innovative community-based primary healthcare services, functioning delivery mechanisms, other public health interventions surveillance and recovery packages. Hence, support in improving safety and healthy living in achieving the national / regional growth, sustainable development goals and global health security.


Sport, and particularly soccer, is becoming increasingly professionalised and thus commercialised. Soccer has managed to uphold notable economic growth globally. As affirmation of this growth, both the South African and sport industry experienced tremendous attention and interest during the period 2000 to 2012. Thus, the need for soccer to become formalised, coupled with the increased need for professional management and the implementation of business principles has created an appetite for proper planning and coordination. As a result, strategic planning is becoming indispensable to sport organisations. Organisations that use strategic planning are regarded as being relatively productive, profitable and making better use resources. Large amounts of money are often invested in soccer clubs which renders them prone to huge financial risks if due strategic planning processes and governance structures and processes are not in place. Against this background, this study explored the strategic planning processes of South African Football Association soccer clubs which are at the grassroots level, as these processes inform strategic decision making and growth prospects. A qualitative data collection process in the form of semi-structured interviews was used. A total of 13 club managers (from 12 soccer clubs-two were from one club) participated in the study. Atlas.ti software was used to deductively analyse the data. The findings suggest that the soccer clubs struggle to separate strategic issues from other operational and technical matters, and that soccer clubs generally have low levels of knowledge on strategic planning processes and tools. Recommendations are made to SAFA, government and the private sector to assist grassroots soccer clubs with funding, management training programmes and partnership initiatives. Some of the pressing recommendations are that soccer clubs need to receive education and training in the areas of business management, particularly in the area of strategic management and governance. This can be further accompanied by business coaching and mentoring programmes to ensure that the soccer clubs can be run as professional establishments.
Key words: Strategic planning, strategy, governance, South African Football Association ( SAFA); soccer clubs; strategic analysis tools; strategic planning processes


This study investigated the effects of different rates of phosphorus application on vertical transference of P. An aquatic brown paddy soil was filled in organic glass columns using for the leaching experiments. The results indicated that significant vertical transference was found using change of Olsen-P and CaCl2-P. The transference distance was no more than 10cm when P application rate between 200 and 800 kg P ha-1, and was more than 10cm as P application rate above 800 kg P ha-1. We obtained the threshold value of Olsen-P was 53.7 mg kg-1 by split-line model, and calculated that the threshold value of P fertilizer application rate was 382.1 kg P ha-1 by relationship of soil Olsen-P concentration and P application rate. The soil P transference increased, if P application rate was above 382.1 kg P ha-1. It would be helpful for controlling the P fertilizer amount by field to decrease P loss.


1 Shek KL, Dietz HP. Intrapartum risk factors for levator trauma. BJOG 2010;117:1485–92. 2 Andrews V, Thakar R, Sultan AH, Jones PW. Are mediolateral episiotomies actually mediolateral? BJOG 2005;112:1156–8. 3 Eogan M, Daly L, O'Connell PR, O'Herlihy C. Does the angle of episiotomy affect the incidence of anal sphincter injury? BJOG 2005;113:190–4. 4 DeLancey JOL. Episiotomy: what's the angle? Int J Obstet Gynecol 2008;103:3–4.


Find information sources for use in history assignments or to learn more about a history topic. Resources for students studying U.S. history.


Abstract The paper presents the results of studies on the effect of transistor DC operating conditions on GaN power amplifiers' (PAs) power efficiency and linearity improved by digital predistortion (DPD). The single-ended 10 W (ISM2.45 GHz) and 150 W (3.4/3.6 GHz) GaN HEMT PAs excited by wideband LTE20 E-TM1.1 signal were tested. To check the applicability of the small-signal approach for designing of LTE signals' PAs, the 150 W PA using transistor model extracted from S-parameters measured at the properly selected operating points was designed. The conventional DPD based on the indirect learning architecture and the memory polynomial model of PA non-linearity was implemented. The results of the research show that in case of class A and B PAs operating up to several dozen watts, an additional improvement in adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) of the order of a few dB only by an increase in the quiescent drain current of PA transistor can be achieved. However, a noticeable ACLR improvement with a coincident increase in power-added efficiency (PAE) can be obtained by choosing the compromise DC operating point and using DPD. In the case of high-PAs, the linearity and efficiency are strongly dependent on the load of a transistor, thus the role of DPD is significantly increased.


Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the underlying theoretical assumptions and implications of current micro-level performance management and evaluation (PME) practices, specifically within health-care organizations. PME encompasses all activities that are designed and conducted to align employee outputs with organizational goals. Design/methodology/approach - PME, in the context of healthcare, is analyzed through the lens of critical theory. Specifically, Habermas' theory of communicative action is used to highlight some of the questions that arise in looking critically at PME. To provide a richer definition of key theoretical concepts, the authors conducted a preliminary, exploratory hermeneutic semantic analysis of the key words "performance" and "management" and of the term "performance management". Findings - Analysis reveals that existing micro-level PME systems in health-care organizations have the potential to create a workforce that is compliant, dependent, technically oriented and passive, and to support health-care systems in which inequalities and power imbalances are perpetually reinforced. Practical implications - At a time when the health-care system is under increasing pressure to provide high-quality, affordable services with fewer resources, it may be wise to investigate new sector-specific ways of evaluating and managing performance. Originality/value - In this paper, written for health-care leaders and health human resource specialists, the theoretical assumptions and implications of current PME practices within health-care organizations are explored. It is hoped that readers will be inspired to support innovative PME practices within their organizations that encourage peak performance among health-care professionals.


We propose that the dynamic Casimir effect is a mechanism that converts the energy of neutron starquakes into γ-rays. This mechanism efficiently produces photons from electromagnetic Casimir energy released by the rapid motion of a dielectric medium into a vacuum. Estimates based on the cut-off energy of the gamma-ray bursts and the volume involved in a starquake indicate that the total gamma-ray energy emission is consonant with observational requirements.


This research report constitutes the Dutch contribution to the international research project 'Industrial relations in the transportation industry: a European observatory', funded by the Italian employers' association Federetti. This research project was aimed at exploring current practices in industrial relations in the transport sector, with special emphasis on the aviation sector, air traffic management and the road transport sector. Federetti, an Italian employers' association active in the transport sector, commissioned this research project as it believed that benchmarking in industrial relations may represent an added value for its member firms. The project was co-ordinated by two Italian professors, Tiziano Treu and Marco Biagi. Cooperation of Aaron Johnston (student assistant) and Jelle Visser (scientific director of AIAS) is gratefully acknowledged. We express our gratitude to the persons in aviation and road haulage who have been so kind to share some of their scarce time allowing us to interview them by telephone or in direct conversations.


High-speed cell switched networks and new computer peripherals supporting various media types suggest novel applications. In particular, these technologies enable the class of long-lived distributed multimedia applications with strict real-time requirements. Until now, a dedicated circuit was required to meet these requirements, as today's packet switched network and end-point technologies (e.g., workstation operating systems) cannot support this application class.
This thesis argues that a proper software architecture coupled with cell switched networks can approximate the behavior of a dedicated circuit. The use of software to control multiplexing offers the additional benefit of programmable service customization. This thesis proposes one architecture, and demonstrates its success experimentally.
My approach negotiates requirements and guarantees between the application and the network, including the operating system (OS), in a call set-up period prior to use of the network by the application. I establish customized virtual circuits and allocate resources appropriate to the application requirements and OS/network capabilities. These customizations can be renegotiated dynamically. To facilitate this resource management process I have developed a new paradigm, called 'QoS Brokerage', to support Quality of Service. This paradigm requires new services and protocols across all layers of the protocol stack, as well as rearchitecting the application/network interface.
I used an application-driven approach to define requirements for the experimental evaluation of our architecture and the brokerage process. This forced an examination of requirement representations and an investigation of the differences between application and network models for QoS, control flows, and guarantee provision in networks. The architecture addresses the important issues of locating essential functions and decision-making points in such a system. The architecture also provides services such as tuning, translation, admission and QoS negotiation/renegotiation, which support the required functionalities. The transmission protocol stack is implemented as a set of generic services, embedded in our Real-Time Application Protocol (RTAP) and Real-Time Network Protocol (RTNP), which are tuned by the deal the QoS Broker achieved.
As a driving application I used a master/slave telerobotics application for which I implemented the communication system Omega with functionalities, services, and protocols as outlined above using a dedicated 155 Mbps ATM LAN. This application employs media with diverse requirements and provides a good platform for testing how closely one can approximate a dedicated circuit and controller with workstation hosts and cell-switching. The results show that my software architecture can support this complex control system. It is the first such system to accomplish this goal for telerobotics over ATM. As a consequence of the implementation, I have identified the key barriers to extending these techniques to a larger domain.


In this paper, a novel approach to modeling and diagnosing the cardiovascular system is introduced. A model exhibits a subset of the dynamics of the cardiovascular behavior of an individual by using a recurrent artificial neural network. Potentially, a model will be incorporated into a cardiovascular diagnostic system. This approach is unique in that each cardiovascular model is developed from physiological measurements of an individual. Any differences between the modeled variables and the variables of an individual at a given time are used for diagnosis. This approach also exploits sensor fusion to optimize the utilization of biomedical sensors. The advantage of sensor fusion has been demonstrated in applications including control and diagnostics of mechanical and chemical processes.


This experiment investigated the accuracy with which the location of a probe tip relative to the tympanic membrane can be estimated by means of standing waves. The ear canal length of each ear of six adult subjects was measured with a probe tube using a tactile method. A 6-kHz warble tone was then generated, and the position of the standing wave notch in the ear canal was determined using a probe microphone by noting the place where the sound pressure level was at a minimum. The distance of the notch from the tympanic membrane was then calculated. The mean distance of the notch from the tympanic membrane was found to be 14.1 mm. It was concluded that this technique is reliable and suitable for clinical use when it is important that the probe tube be placed within a known distance of the eardrum for accurate measurement of real-ear aided gain.


There 9s no doubt that populations in the United States and elsewhere in the developed world are growing older, threatening to overwhelm government-supported benefits programs. But demographers differ sharply on just how big the challenge will be. They cite major uncertainties about how fast the over-65 age group will grow, as well as about whether increased life-spans will be accompanied by prolonged health or simply more years of disability and decline. There are also uncertainties about whether families will be able to take up the slack and support their elderly members if government pension and health benefit programs have to be scaled back. More information about many aspects of aging can be accessed at the following Web sites:http://www.psc.lsa.umich.edu/aging/others.html;http://www.dml.georgetown.edu/places/ger.html) and http://www.nih.gov/nia.


A stack in the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) consists of bipolar plates, a membrane electrode assembly, a gas diffusion layer, a collector and end plates. High current density is usually obtainable partially from uniform temperature distribution in the fuel cell. A size optimization method considering the thermal expansion effect of stacked plates was developed on the basis of finite element analyses. The thermal stresses in end, bipolar, and cooling plates were calculated based on temperature distribution obtained from thermal analyses. Finally, the optimization method was applied and optimum thicknesses of the three plates were calculated considering both fastening bolt tension and thermal expansion of each unit cell (72 cells, 5kW). The optimum design considering both thermal and mechanical loads increases the thickness of an end plate by 0.64-0.83% the case considering only mechanical load. The effect can be enlarged if the number of stack increases as in an automotive application to 200-300 stacks.


Pavlovian‐to‐instrumental transfer (PIT) tasks examine the influence of Pavlovian stimuli on ongoing instrumental behaviour. Previous studies reported associations between a strong PIT effect, high‐risk drinking and alcohol use disorder. This study investigated whether susceptibility to interference between Pavlovian and instrumental control is linked to risky alcohol use in a community sample of 18‐year‐old male adults. Participants (N = 191) were instructed to 'collect good shells' and 'leave bad shells' during the presentation of appetitive (monetary reward), aversive (monetary loss) or neutral Pavlovian stimuli. We compared instrumental error rates (ER) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain responses between the congruent and incongruent conditions, as well as among high‐risk and low‐risk drinking groups. On average, individuals showed a substantial PIT effect, that is, increased ER when Pavlovian cues and instrumental stimuli were in conflict compared with congruent trials. Neural PIT correlates were found in the ventral striatum and the dorsomedial and lateral prefrontal cortices (lPFC). Importantly, high‐risk drinking was associated with a stronger behavioural PIT effect, a decreased lPFC response and an increased neural response in the ventral striatum on the trend level. Moreover, high‐risk drinkers showed weaker connectivity from the ventral striatum to the lPFC during incongruent trials. Our study links interference during PIT to drinking behaviour in healthy, young adults. High‐risk drinkers showed higher susceptibility to Pavlovian cues, especially when they conflicted with instrumental behaviour, indicating lower interference control abilities. Increased activity in the ventral striatum (bottom‐up), decreased lPFC response (top‐down), and their altered interplay may contribute to poor interference control in the high‐risk drinkers.


Cerebral hematoma grows rapidly in 6-24 hours and misprediction of the growth can be fatal if it is not operated by a brain surgeon. There are two types of cerebral hematomas: one that grows rapidly and the other that does not grow rapidly. We are developing the technique of artificial intelligence to determine whether the CT image includes the cerebral hematoma which leads to the rapid growth. This problem has various difficulties: the few positive cases in this classification problem of cerebral hematoma and the targeted hematoma has deformable object. Other difficulties include the imbalance classification, the covariate shift, the small data, and the spurious correlation problems. It is difficult with the plain CNN classification such as VGG. This paper proposes the joint learning of semantic segmentation and classification and evaluate the performance of this.


Formation factors have been determined in the past for northwestern, central and southwestern Louisiana. In order to be more accurate in determining the salt and total dissolved solid content of groundwater in southeastern Louisiana, apparent formation factors have been empirically determined for 10 Baton Rouge sub-aquifers of the Southern Hills Aquifer System. Formation factors were determined using the maximum and average (across the length of the screened interval) 64-inch long-normal resistivity am-plitude from water wells where both an electrical log and concurrent groundwater chemistry was available. The wells' electric logs and groundwater sample chemistry (e.g., specific electrical conductance, and chloride and total dissolved solids concentra-tions) were obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey and Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development files. The result of the analysis indicates that formation factors generally increase with depth. The 400-, 600- and 800-foot sands exhibit average dimensionless formation factors ranging between 1.7 and 2.7, the 1000-, 1200- and 1500-foot sands between 2.8 and 3.1; and the 1700-, 2000-, 2400- and 2800-foot sands between 3.0 and 3.2. Plots correlat-ing chloride and total dissolved solids concentration with resistivity for all sands indicate relatively good curved relationships between these parameters, with the exception of chloride concentration and resistivity for the 800- (too few data points), 1700- and 2400-foot sands. In the case of the 1700- and 2400-foot sands, there is a negative relationship (e.g., chloride concentration decreases with decreasing resistivity) which indicates that electrical resistivity may not be an accurate tool in estimating chloride concentration in these two sands.


In the philosophical-pedagogical analysis of the undertaken issues, some theoretical and methodological conceptualizations have been applied that refer to Paweł Boski's theory of the cultural identity based on values and practices in bi-or multicultural socialization and Harold J. Noah's model of the comparison of academic education. Th e assumption was also made that the research into the quality of life of Polish and Ukrainian university students enables one to learn the way(s) in which students understand themselves, the others and the world – the way(s) anchored in their own experience and culture. Th e undertaken studies also address the important problem of forming students' identity in the stage of the so called emerging adulthood. It occurs in the countries where a knowledge-based economy dominates and where the intensive changes both decrease the young's motivation to engage in adult roles and make the young postpone them.


During the three decades since Albania overthrew the communist dictatorial system and began its democratic changes, the existence of a line of thought in Albanian society has been noted, which tends to explain the behaviour of Albanian politicians during the transition period based on the assumption of a "communist mentality" carried by them. This line of thought has often been dominant and has been reflected in the Albanian media and public space as a form of "main" explanation to show many of the failures that Albanian democracy has faced during these 30 years, the authoritarian behaviour of political elites, the "state capture" by political parties, the crisis of state institutions, etc. Applying the concept of "communist mentality" in the Albanian media and public space and explaining through it (almost) any kind of negative phenomenon, problem, or behaviour that contradicts the idea of democracy or prevents it from developing, is very problematic, therefore it has served as an impetus in undertaking this study. In this paper, a critical approach will be offered to this discourse that has often dominated the Albanian media and public space, questioning whether is this "communist mentality" the determining factor for the behaviour of Albanian politicians and the failures of Albanian democracy or there are other factors that may explain these phenomena.