Czech indefinite pronouns like nekdo 'someone' (unlike indefinite nouns like penize 'money') cannot be pronounced in their base (postverbal) position unless they are interpreted as narrowly focused. Broad focus (focus on the whole verb phrase) is only facilitated with indefinite pronouns in a derived (preverbal) position. The analysis in this paper makes use of the fact that Czech indefinite pronouns are morphologically related to wh-words. It is argued that wh-words in Czech denote lambda-operators, which are viewed as functions from truth values to predicates. It follows that wh-words (and indefinite pronouns) must be interpreted in the sister-node of an expression denoting a truth value and therefore can never be interpreted in their base position. Finally, it is suggested how the analysis could be used to account for the behavior of the indefinite pronoun kdokoliv 'anyone', which is (under certain conditions) interpreted as a free choice item in a narrow focus (postverbal) position and as a negative polarity item in a broad focus (preverbal) position.


The precise transportation of fluorescent probes to the designated location in living cells is still a challenge. Here, we present a new addition to nanopipettes as a powerful tool to deliver fluorescent molecules to a given place in a single cell by electroosmotic flow, indicating favorable potential for further application in single-cell imaging.


abdomen, Comparison of fine needle aspiration cytology and needle core biopsy in the diagnosis of radiologically detected abdominal lesions, 93 accreditation, Clinical pathology accreditation: standards for the medical laboratory, 729 acinic cell breast carcinoma, Primary acinic cell carcinoma of the breast, 545 acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, Oesophagobronchial fistula caused by varicella zoster virus in a patient with AIDS: a unique case, 397 acromegaly, Skin tags and the atherogenic lipid profile, 639 actin specific antibodies, Re: Whither smooth muscle antibodies in the third millennium?, 558 acute erythroleukaemia, Acute erythremic myelosis (true erythroleukaemia): a variant of AML FAB-M6, 800 acute hyperlipidaemia, A case of membranous glomerulonephritis presenting as pulmonary embolism and acute hyperlipidaemia, 538 acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia of the L3 subtype in adults in the Northern health region of England 1983–99, 591 acute phase response, Lipoprotein (a) does not participate in the early acute phase response to training or extreme physical activity and is unlikely to enhance any associated immediate cardiovascular risk, 280 adenocarcinoma in situ, Distribution of cervical glandular intraepithelial neoplasia: are hysterectomy specimens sampled appropriately?, 629 adenocarcinoma, Immunohistochemistry in the distinction between malignant mesothelioma and pulmonary adenocarcinoma: a critical evaluation of new antibodies, 662 Metastatic rectal adenocarcinoma to the liver associated with focal nodular hyperplasia, 967 adults, Sudden unexplained death in adults caused by intracranial pathology, 44 adventitia, Lack of CD34 positive stromal cells within angiomyomas (vascular leiomyomas), 395 aetiology, HPV infections and oesophageal cancer, 721 Two case reports of pituitary adenoma associated with Toxoplasma gondii infection, 965 AIDS, Vaccination to prevent varicella and shingles, 399 albuminuria, Accuracy of the urinary albumin to creatinine ratio as a predictor of albuminuria in adults with sickle cell disease, 973 alcohol, Increase in alcohol related deaths: is hepatitis C a factor?, 704 ALK+ lymphoma, Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) protein expressing lymphoma after liver transplantation: case report and literature review, 868 alloimmune thrombocytopenia, Neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia in the Irish population: a discrepancy between observed and expected cases, 289 amyloid, Primary amyloid tumour of the breast: a case report, 634 amyloidosis, Rare presentation of intestinal amyloidosis with acute intestinal pseudo-obstruction and perforation, 800 Rare presentation of intestinal amyloidosis with acute intestinal pseudo-obstruction and perforation, 876 ancient Egypt, Seqenenre Taa II, the violent death of a pharaoh, 232 androgen receptor, Androgen receptor expression in ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: relation to oestrogen and progesterone receptors, 14 androgen receptors, Androgen receptor expression in ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: relation to oestrogen and progesterone receptors, 879 Androgen receptor expression in ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: relation to oestrogen and progesterone receptors, 879 angiogenesis, Angiogenesis, thrombospondin, and ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast, 569 Cyclo-oxygenase 2 expression is associated with angiogenesis and lymph node metastasis in human breast cancer, 429 Proliferation, apoptosis, and intratumoral vascularity in multiple myeloma: correlation with the clinical stage and cytological grade, 530 Thrombospondin 1 protein expression relates to good prognostic indices in ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast, 921 angiomyoma, Lack of CD34 positive stromal cells within angiomyomas (vascular leiomyomas), 395 angio-oedema, Sensitivity to Quorn mycoprotein (Fusarium venenatum) in a mould allergic patient, 876 Spontaneous regression of acquired C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency associated with splenic marginal zone lymphoma presenting with recurrent angio-oedema, 789 angiotropic lymphoma, Angiotropic lymphoma occurring in a lacrimal sac oncocytoma, 787 antibiotic induced diarrhoea, Evidence for antibiotic induced Clostridium perfringens diarrhoea, 240 antibiotic, A survey of vaccine coverage and antibiotic prophylaxis in splenectomised patients in Scotland, 472 antibody deficiency, Survey of infection in patients receiving antibody replacement treatment for immune deficiency, 577 anti-D immunoglobulin, Anti-D immunoglobulin treatment for thrombocytopenia associated with primary antibody deficiency, 64 antigen retrieval, Androgen receptor expression in ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: relation to oestrogen and progesterone receptors, 14 antimicrobial peptides, Expression of antimicrobial neutrophil defensins in epithelial cells of active inflammatory bowel disease mucosa, 298 antineutrophil cytoplasm antibodies, Immunofluorescent patterns produced by antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) vary depending on neutrophil substrate and conjugate, 680 antinuclear antibodies, Re: Whither smooth muscle antibodies in the third millennium?, 558 antitrypsin, Effect of β propiolactone viral inactivation on α1 antitrypsin values, 659 AP2, Age related expression of Werner's syndrome protein in selected tissues and coexpression of transcription factors, 195 APC gene, A case of myoepithelial carcinoma displaying biallelic inactivation of the tumour suppressor gene APC in a patient with familial adenomatous polyposis, 230 API20C, Comparison of API20C with molecular identification of Candida spp isolated from bloodstream infections, 774 apoptosis, Apoptosis in myocardial ischaemia and infarction, 801 Bcl-2 expression and frequency of apoptosis correlate with morphogenesis of colorectal neoplasia, 212 Differential expression of cell cycle and apoptosis related proteins in colorectal mucosa, primary colon tumours, and liver metastases, 206 Proliferation, apoptosis, and intratumoral vascularity in multiple myeloma: correlation with the clinical stage and cytological grade, 530 The detection of apoptosis in a human in vitro skin explant assay for graft versus host reactions, 127 The Fas–FasL system and colorectal tumours: letter, 559 The Fas–FasL system and colorectal tumours: reply, 559 appropriateness, Is clinical practice variability the major reason for differences in pathology requesting patterns in general practice?, 312 artefactual hypoglycaemia, Paradoxical severe decrease in serum HDL-cholesterol after treatment with a fibrate: reply by the authors, 976 arteries, Chlamydia pneumoniae in infrequently examined blood vessels, 218 arteritis, Takayasu arteritis: a review, 481 asymptomatic infections, Prevalence of antibodies to Chlamydia pneumoniae in an Israeli population without clinical evidence of respiratory infection, 355 atherogenic lipid profile, Skin tags and the atherogenic lipid profile: letter, 639 Skin tags and the atherogenic lipid profile: reply, 639 atherosclerosis, NADPH oxidase(s): new source(s) of reactive oxygen species in the vascular system?, 561 atypical leiomyoma, Atypical (bizarre) leiomyoma of the nasal cavity with prominent myxoid change, 872 audit, Analysis of the sensitivity of death certificates in 440 hospital deaths: a comparison with necropsy findings, 499 Death certification: an audit of practice entering the 21st century, 275 autofluorescence, A simple method to demonstrate duodenal gastric metaplasia, 520 autoimmune hepatitis, Detection of liver kidney microsomal type 1 antibody using molecularly based immunoassays, 906 autoimmunity, Cryoglobulins: review, 4 automated image analysis, The effect of Replens on vaginal cytology in the treatment of postmenopausal atrophy: cytomorphology versus computerised cytometry, 446 autopsy request practices, Necropsy request practices in Jamaica: a study from the University Hospital of the West Indies, 608


Aim: The treatment of the fractures to three and four fragments of the humerus still represents a challenge. The authors describe a surgical technique with a modular prosthesis that permits an anatomical reconstruction of the proximal humerus from the calcar-side, that becomes the point reference of reconstruction with the "Puzzle-Pieces" technique. Methods: From February 2000 to February 2007, 41 patients were treated with modular prosthesis. They were 8 males and 33 females aged between 56 and 79 years. In 23 cases the interested shoulder has been the right, in 18 the left. All fractures were diagnosed with X-ray and CT-scan. The type of fracture includes: 20 fractures of four fragments, 15 pluri-fragmentary fractures, and 6 fracture\dislocations. At the follow-up we evaluated 26 patients. Results: The functional results were evaluated in 26 patients by Constant score with a mean follow-up of 4 years. All the patients reviews have executed a X-Ray, while in 18 cases we also have evaluated the reconstruction of the tuberosities with CT-scan. In one case there has been had a complete resorption of the tuberosities with insufficiency of rotator cuff. The mean of forward elevation was 132° Conclusion: The plant of a humeral prosthesis for fractures is a very complex intervention. The technique, for modular prostheses it's not very codified. Moreover the results from the Literature are inconstant in particular as to function of the shoulder, not predictable and often were it accompanied by complications. The technique we described consists in the identification and reconstruction of the medial part of calcar that becomes "the thread conductor" for restoration of the height and the retrotorsion of the humeral head.


The latest release of International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF-11) was published online at the end of 2009. IGRF is a standard reference model of Earth's internal magnetic field. The reference field is typically updated every 5 years by an international team of geomagnetic field modelers working under the auspices of the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy and in collaboration with institutions collecting and disseminating magnetic field measurements from satellites and a worldwide network of ground-based observatories.

As with earlier versions of the reference field, IGRF-11 provides a global picture of the past and present geomagnetic field as well as a linear prediction of field changes over the upcoming 5 years. IGRF is widely used in navigation and heading systems, geophysical surveying, and space weather modeling and prediction.


SUMMARY A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted with paddy rice (Oryza sativa L. var. 'Nato') grown on Mountview silt loam at its initial low P level and on this soil receiving preplant unlabelled P applications (medium and high soil P levels). Labelled granular CSP (concentrated superphosphate) alone, a 2/1 mixture of CSP and DCP (dicalcium phosphate) and a 1/2 CSP-DCP mixture were evaluated. Dry-matter yields and tillering increased markedly with amount of applied P on the low P soil, and slightly on the medium P soil; there was no response on the high P soil. Response decreased with decrease in water solubility of the applied P at the low and medium soil P levels. Total uptake of P by rice showed similar trends, except that uptake increased significantly with amount of P applied at the medium soil P level. Percentages of plant P from the labelled fertilizer and uptake of fertilizer P increased in all situations with amount of applied P, decreased with decrease in water solubility of the applied P, and decreased with increase in soil P level. Uptake of soil P increased markedly with increase in soil P level. Soil labelling was much less satisfactory than fertilizer labelling for evaluating the effectiveness of P in different fertilizers. A solution of labelled CSP was applied in a second experiment at time of transplanting and 3 or 6 weeks later. On the low P soil, yields, P uptake and tillering increased with rate of applied P but decreased with later date of application. On the medium P soil, yields, tillering and uptake of P by the grain were rather similar among treatments. Uptake of P in the foliage and mature straw, however, increased with later date of application. These results indicate that late-applied P is readily absorbed by rice but is not effective for increasing yields.


Abstract. This paper presents a new framework for the seismic loss prediction of residential buildings in Ōtautahi / Christchurch, New Zealand. It employs data science techniques, geospatial tools, and machine learning (ML) trained on insurance claims data from the Earthquake Commission (EQC) collected following the 2010–2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence (CES). The seismic loss prediction obtained from the ML model is shown to outperform the output from existing risk analysis tools for New Zealand for each of the main earthquakes of the CES.
In addition to the prediction capabilities, the ML model delivered useful insights into the most important features contributing to losses during the CES. ML correctly highlighted that liquefaction significantly influenced building losses for the 22 February 2011 earthquake. The results are consistent with observations, engineering knowledge, and previous studies, confirming the potential of data science and ML in the analysis of insurance claims data and the development of seismic loss prediction models using empirical loss data.


Pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) is the primary cardiovascular complication encountered in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Cor pulmonale can range clinically from mild changes in right ventricular function to frank right heart failure. The prevalence of PAH increases as COPD worsens, and the development of PAH and cor pulmonale appears to affect survival of patients with COPD. Potential causes proposed to explain the development of PAH in COPD include gas exchange abnormalities, destruction of the pulmonary vascular bed, alterations in respiratory mechanics, changes in intrinsic pulmonary vessel tone, and increased blood viscosity. Standard clinical evaluation, including history, physical examination, spirometry, electrocardiography, and chest radiography, is generally inadequate in identifying right ventricular dysfunction. Noninvasive techniques, such as echocardiography, radionuclide ventriculography, and magnetic resonance imaging, have largely replaced invasive pulmonary artery catheterization in the initial assessment of cor pulmonale. The goals of therapy consist of attenuation of PAH, enhancement of right ventricular function, alleviation of clinical symptoms, and improvement in survival. The agents that have been most extensively evaluated for these purposes include oxygen, vasodilators, theophylline, and inotropic medications.


The Rejection of Continental Drift Theory and Method in American Earth Science. Naomi Oreskes. Oxford University Press, New York, 1999. 432 pp. $55, £49.50. ISBN 0-19-511732-8. Paper, $29.95, £21.50. ISBN 0-19-511733-6. Oreskes examines the history of geological theory and method in the United States to explain why American geologists were so slow to accept the idea of mobile continents. She concludes that drift was rejected not for want of a causal mechanism, but because it seemed to conflict with the accepted standards of practice.


This article considers the roles of data protection authorities (DPAs), or as they are sometimes called 'privacy enforcement agencies' (PEAs), and the associations they form. The article is based on data from the 2017 Global Tables of Data Privacy Laws and Bills at http://ssrn.com/abstract=2992986.
The DPA Hall of Shame is reserved for countries which, having undertaken in their data privacy legislation to appoint a data protection authority, fail to do so. There are three important escapees in 2015-16, but at least five countries remain there after quite some years. Twelve data privacy Acts don't provide for a specialised data protection authority at all, but leave data privacy enforcement up to other State institutions.
The remaining 100 countries from the 120 with data privacy laws, all have functioning data protection authorities (DPAs). This article analyses the networks and associations of various types, of which these DPAs are members, and their expansion since 2015. The article analyses such networks as being of three types.
First is policy-oriented networks, of which there are many regional examples (but a few regions without them), including a new African association. In addition, the ICDPPC (International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners), the longest established DPA organisation, now has as members approximately 90% of national DPAs globally that are eligible to have joined.
There are also enforcement networks, of which GPEN, the Global Privacy Enforcement Network, is the largest with members from 47 countries. There is also an APEC enforcement network, and one which is a sub-network of ICDPPC.
The third category is networks under some international agreements, of which the largest such grouping is the Consultative Committee of Council of Europe Convention 108, and the most significant is the EU's Article 29 Working Party.
There are seven DPAs that are not part of any of these networks, and Canada is the most prolific 'joiner'. The article concludes with some observations about the accountability of DPAs and ways in which it can be measured.


Abstract In this research, we have developed an approach by incorporating quantum dots (QDs) with red emission into mesoporous silica microspheres through a non-chemical process and obtained luminescent microspheres (LMS). Owing to the lattice structure of LMS, QDs were effectively protected from intrinsic aggregation in matrix and surface deterioration by encapsulant, oxygen and moisture. The LMS composite has therefore maintained large extent luminescent properties of QDs, espe-cially for the high quantum efficiency. Moreover, the fabricated white light emitting diode (WLED) utilizing LMS and YAG:Ce yellow phosphor has demonstrated excellent light performance with color coordinates around (x = 0.33, y = 0.33), correlated color temperature between 5100 and 5500 K and color rendering index of Ra = 90, R9 = 95. The luminous efficiency of the WLED has reached up to a new record of 142.5 lm/W at 20 mA. LMS provide a promising way to practically apply QDs in lightings and displays with high efficiency as well as high stability.


This guide provides information on how to access University of Washington School of Law J.D., LL.M. and Ph.D. student papers


High‐resolution measurements of Sr/Ca and 18O/16O in mid‐Holocene and modern Porites corals were used to derive a history of freshwater fluxes to the Australian Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Interannual variations in dry‐season seawater 18O/16O evident in the coral record for the late 20th century, but not 6200 years ago, correlate with variations in groundwater recharge of coastal aquifers. The results suggest that a delay in groundwater recharge following the post‐glacial sea‐level rise, and recent deforestation for agriculture, may have lead to higher land‐sea hydraulic gradients and greater groundwater discharge to the GBR today. Oxygen‐isotope mass balance calculations show that ∼3% in‐mixing of CO2‐enriched groundwater could raise the partial pressure of CO2 in coastal seawater by ∼90 μatm following strong summer monsoons. Consequently, modern nearshore corals in the GBR may now be subjected to lower aragonite saturation states, which could reduce coral calcification and contribute to recent reef degradation.


Breast cancer (BC) screening has been developed to detect earlier stage tumors associated with better prognosis. The aim of study was to evaluate the impact of BC screening on therapeutic management of patients with first operable BC, and on costs, patients' needs, and working life. OPTISOINS01 was a multicenter, prospective observational study which aimed to identify the main care pathway of early BC. Among patients aged from 50 to 74 years-old, 2 groups were defined: the "Clinical signs" group and the "Screening" group (national organized screening and individual screening). We compared between these 2 groups: locoregional and systemic treatments, direct medical and non-medical costs from a National Health Insurance perspective, patients' needs assessed by the validated SCNS-BR8 "breast cancer" module of the SCNS-SF34 supportive care needs survey and the duration of sick leave. The "Clinical signs" group included 89 patients, while the"Screening" group included 290 patients. More axillary lymph node dissections and radical breast surgery were performed in the "Clinical signs". The rate of adjuvant chemotherapy was dramatically higher in the "Clinical signs" group. The median direct medical costs of the "Screening" group were €11,860 (€3,643-€41,030) per year and per patient, much lower than in the "Clinical signs" group (€14,940; €5,317-€41,070). Finally, needs specifically assessed by the SCNS-BR8 questionnaire were significantly higher for the postoperative and post-adjuvant periods in the "Clinical signs" group. This study highlighted the benefit of BC screening in terms of reduced therapies and positive impact on work and social life.


Learning about foreign culture is becoming increasingly more important in the learning of a foreign language. Learners, apart from learning grammar, the phrasal structure and the vocabulary of the target language, have to learn how to communicate with the native speakers of a particular language. They have to achieve an intercultural understanding while still preserving their own culture. Different teaching methods take this into account; traditional methods (Grammar-Translation approach), Audio-Oral and Structured-Global Visual-Audio approach (SGVA), the Communicative approach, the Socio-cultural approach and the Intercultural approach. This article aims to show the different teaching methods that language teachers can adapt or be aware of when they teach foreign culture in the classroom. Key Words: Foreign Culture; Intercultural; Learning Foreign Culture;  Teaching Methods


Kinesin-1 plays a major role in anterograde transport of intracellular cargo along microtubules. Currently, there is an ongoing debate of whether α-tubulin K40 acetylation directly enhances the velocity of kinesin-1 and its affinity to the microtubule track. We compared motor motility on microtubules reconstituted from acetylated and deacetylated tubulin. For both, single- and multi-motor in vitro motility assays, we demonstrate that tubulin acetylation alone does not affect kinesin-1 velocity and run length.


The phenomenon of giant band gap 'bowing' recently observed in several III–V dilute nitride alloys is promising for increasing the flexibility in choice of semiconductor band gaps available for specified lattice constants. However, the poor electrical transport properties that these materials exhibit seriously limit their usefulness. It is proposed that these materials behave as heavily nitrogen-doped semiconductors rather than dilute nitride alloys and that the abnormal or irregular alloy behavior is associated with impurity band formation that manifests itself in the giant bowing and poor transport properties. The potential for regularizing the alloy behavior using isoelectronic co-doping is discussed. c © 2001 Academic Press


Wonder may be an important emotion, but the term 'wonder' is remarkably ambiguous. For centuries, in psychological discourse, it has been defined as a variety of things. In an attempt to be more focused, and given the growing scientific interest in magic, this article describes a particular kind of wonder: the response to a magic trick. It first provides a historical perspective by considering continuity and change over time in this experience, and argues that, in certain respects, this particular kind of wonder has changed. It then describes in detail the experience of magic, considers the extent to which it might be considered acquired rather than innate, and how it relates to other emotions, such as surprise. In the process, it discusses the role of belief, and offers some suggestions for future research. It concludes by noting the importance of context and meaning in shaping the nature of the experience, and argues for the value of both experimental and historical research in the attempt to understand such experiences.


Objective: To explore the way in which standardized measurement tools are used in day-to-day clinical practice. Design: Non-participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Setting: Hospital-based adult neurorehabilition unit. Participants: The multidisciplinary team delivering rehabilitation in the unit. Results: The multidisciplinary team used the measurement tools internally to establish the presence and severity of patients' impairments and activity limitations; predict recovery and discharge destination; inform treatment planning and monitor progress. They were used externally to demonstrate service effectiveness; communicate with patients, families and external agencies; enable other providers to plan continuing care and resource needs, and inform audit and service development. Conclusion: When used in everyday clinical practice by a multidisciplinary neurorehabilitation team, standardized measures were used to support and inform, rather than replace, clinical decision-making.


The power conversion efficiency of photovoltaic devices based on semiconductor perovskites has reached ∼20% after just several years of research efforts. With concomitant discoveries of other promising applications in lasers, light-emitting diodes, and photodetectors, it is natural to anticipate what further excitement these exotic perovskites could bring about. Here we report on the observation of single photon emission from single CsPbBr3 perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) synthesized from a facile colloidal approach. Compared with traditional metal-chalcogenide NCs, these CsPbBr3 NCs exhibit nearly 2 orders of magnitude increase in their absorption cross sections at similar emission colors. Moreover, the radiative lifetime of CsPbBr3 NCs is greatly shortened at both room and cryogenic temperatures to favor an extremely fast output of single photons. The above superior optical properties have paved the way toward quantum-light applications of perovskite NCs in various quantum information processing schemes.


In comparison to other materials, in metals and metallic systems self‐healing of cracks and crack‐initiating defects is difficult to achieve due to the fact the solute atoms that act as healing agents are relatively small and generally have a relatively low mobility at the prevailing operating temperatures. In this review, the scientifically most interesting and industrially most promising approaches to self‐healing metals are presented and discussed. The various approaches are separated in autonomous healing methods based on an intrinsic (solid‐state diffusion) mechanism and assisted healing methods that need an external intervention. Some promising routes are identified while in other cases the approach has too many intrinsic limitations. Recently, a number of computational studies using molecular dynamics and finite element modeling have been performed to analyze the self‐healing potential of metal systems as a function of the imposed conditions and to guide the further development of this family of self‐healing materials.


Purpose To retrospectively assess the clinical utility in ureteroscopy (URS) planning of cumulative stone diameter (CSD), which does not account for stone width or depth, as a predictor of URS outcome and compare it with stone volume. Materials and Methods Patients with renal stones treated at a single institute by flexible URS were retrospectively evaluated. To assess the clinical utility of CSD, relationships between stone-free (SF) status and stone burden (CSD and volume) were analyzed using the area under the receiver operating characteristics (AUROC) curve. To identify stone number impact on CSD, the AUROC of CSD divided by stone number was evaluated. Correlation coefficients of CSD and stone volume were also calculated for groups by stone number. Results In cases with CSD <20.0 mm, CSD and stone volume revealed equal ability to predict SF status. In cases with CSD ≥20.0 mm, stone volume showed higher predictive ability. The ROC curves for cases with ≥4 stones showed that CSD was less predictive of SF status than stone volume. The correlation coefficients of CSD and stone volume by stone number were 0.922 for 1 stone, 0.900 for 2–3 stones, and 0.661 for ≥4 stones. Conclusions In cases with CSD ≥20.0 mm or ≥4 stones, we should evaluate stone volume for a more predictive stone burden, and pretreatment non-contrast CT seems sufficient. In cases with CSD <20.0 mm or 1–3 stones, CSD was as valid a predictor of preoperative stone burden as stone volume, so preoperative kidney-ureter-bladder (KUB) films may be sufficient.


Internet of Thing becomes a advanced technology in transforming many areas of modern age including power system. Electricity is also a backbone of the country's economy and it is important to get the reliable supply at all time. Using IoT technology, the switching time and restoration of the system can be reduced and consequently the reliability can be improved. In this paper, how to concern the IoT technology in power system is described. Moreover, the reliability improvement by IoT technology is also conducted with the reliability indices analysis. According to the results, the amount of energy not supply, ENS and system average interruption duration is reduced by the IoT technology. The reliability test system of RBTS bus 2 is used as the test system.


This work addresses the issue of the lateral control of an outdoor robotic airship while following a predefined path using visual servoing techniques. The vision-based control application is based on an interaction matrix related to line features extracted from an on-board camera as feedback signals. An output LQR controller for the visual servo control is designed using the lateral dynamic model of the airship. The proposed approach is validated using a realistic simulator of the AS-800 unmanned airship.


When programming language designs are presented, the examples are almost exclusively of correct programs. Most attention of programming language designers is indeed on the beauty and elegance of correct programs. For incorrect programs, great design attention is paid to catching errors early—such as fancy static type systems—so that many incorrect programs are never run. Due to the success of these efforts, many programs are either correct or inadmissible, conserving on the need for programmer attention. As a result, most of the attention working programmers spend looking at code is spent debugging incorrect running code. Often this is code written by others and only partially understood. What properties should such code have? How can programming language design encourage incorrect programs to have those properties that facilitate debugging? Distributed programs introduce additional difficult bugs of a different character. How should distributed language design facilitate the debugging of distributed programs? We explain how these considerations have affected four distributed language designs (E [1], AmbientTalk [5], Joe-E/Waterken [4], Dr. SES [2]) and one distributed debugging tool (Causeway [3]).


The fractional calculus has a very large diversification as it relates to applications from physical interpretations to experimental facts to modeling of new problems in the natural sciences. Within the framework of a recently published article, we obtained the fractional derivative of the variable concentration x (z), the effective mass of the electron dependent on the position m (z) and the potential energy V (z), produced by the confinement of the electron in a semiconductor of type AlxGa1-xAs, with which we can intuit a possible geometric and physical interpretation. As a consequence, it is proposed the existence of three physical and geometric conservative quantities approximate character, associated with each of these parameters of the semiconductor, which add to the many physical magnitudes that already exist in the literature within the context of fractional variation rates. Likewise, we find that the fractional derivatives of these magnitudes, apart from having a common critical point, manifest self-similar behavior, which could characterize them as a type of fractal associated with the type of semiconductor structures under study.


A method is described for the photoaffinity labeling of human and rabbit serum sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) in ammonium sulphate precipitates utilizing 3H-delta 6-testosterone as affinity label. The precipitation step diminished albumin contamination and at the same time concentrated the binding globulin. Photolysis was conveniently carried out with an electronic flash. Unbound and non-covalently bound steroids were adsorbed by prolonged dextran-coated charcoal treatment. Sephadex G-200 gel filtration column chromatography showed a single peak of covalently bound radioactivity with the elution volume of SHBG. With some modifications, the method was applied to the affinity labeling of the prostate androgen receptor utilizing 3H-methyltrienolone (R 1881) as affinity label. The receptor was also precipitated from prostate cytosol with ammonium sulphate. After labeling, photolysis and heating at 50 degrees C, non covalently bound 3H-R 1881 was removed by dextran coated charcoal treatment. Sephadex G-25 microcolumn chromatography after heating showed a peak of radioactivity eluting with macromolecules if photolysis had been carried out, while it disappeared in the absence of previous photolysis. However, the photolabeled receptor had a sedimentation coefficient different from the non-irradiated receptor, suggesting that photolysis induced a change in the configuration of the complex.


As a new target protein for Alzheimer's disease (AD), the triggering receptor expressed on myeloid Cells 2 (TREM2) was expressed on the surface of microglia, which was shown to regulate neuroinflammation, be associated with a variety of neuropathologic, and regarded as a potential indicator for monitoring AD. In this study, a novel recognition system based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) for the TREM2 target spot was established coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS), in order to screen the active ingredients targeting TREM2 from Datura metel seeds. The results showed that four lignan-amides were discovered as candidate compounds by SPR biosensor-UPLC/MS recognition analysis. According to the guidance of the active ingredients discovered by the system, the lignin-amides from Datura metel seeds (LDS) were preliminarily identified as containing 27 lignan-amides, which were enriched compositions by the HP-20 of Datura metel seeds. Meanwhile, the anti-inflammatory activity of LDS was evaluated in BV2 microglia induced by LPS. Our experimental results demonstrated that LDS could reduce NO release in LPS-treated BV2 microglia cells and significantly reduce the expression of the proteins of inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), microtubule-associated protein tau (Tau), and ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (IBA-1). Accordingly, LDS might increase the expression of TREM2/DNAX-activating protein of 12 kDa (DAP12) and suppress the Toll-like receptor SX4 (TLR4) pathway and Recombinant NLR Family, Pyrin Domain Containing Protein 3 (NLRP3)/cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1 (Caspase-1) inflammasome expression by LDS in LPS-induced BV2 microglial cells. Then, the inhibitory release of inflammatory factors Interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), Interleukin 6 (IL-6), and Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) inflammatory cytokines were detected to inhibit neuroinflammatory responses. The present results propose that LDS has potential as an anti-neuroinflammatory agent against microglia-mediated neuroinflammatory disorders.


To clarify the mechanism of hyperinsulinism of hepatic cirrhosis, plasma insulin and C-peptide levels before and after oral glucose loads were measured in 34 patients with cirrhosis, 15 patients with chronic hepatitis, and 25 normal subjects. While plasma immunoreactive insulin (IRI) levels during oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT) were significantly increased in cirrhotics, plasma immunoreactive C-peptide (CPR) levels were elevated slightly. The C-peptide to insulin ratio throughout OGTT was significantly smaller in cirrhotics than in normal subjects (P less than 0.01). A decreased hepatic insulin degradation rate has been suggested to one of the main causes of hyperinsulinism in hepatic cirrhosis. The ratio of the difference between basal and 30-min CPR values and basal and 30-min OGTT blood glucose values [delta CPR: delta BS(30)'] as well as the delta IRI: delta BS(30') ratio was significantly decreased in cirrhotics (P less than 0.01). These results indicate that insulin secretion in response to a glycemic stimulus is reduced in cirrhotics. Both the ratios of the sums of six IRS and CPR values of OGTT (sigma CPR: sigma IRI) and delta CPR: delta BS(30') and sigma CPR: sigma BS(30') were found in inverse relationship with indocyanine green retention rate in cirrhotics.


Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) causes sensory and motor deficits as well as neuropathic pain, which seriously impacts patient quality of life (Jiang et al., 2017). Morphological and molecular changes in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (DRG), such as neuronal cell death, nerve fiber degeneration, and glial activation, are strongly associated with PNI-induced pathological syndromes, such as sensitization and abnormal responses to peripheral stimuli and dysregulation of spinal cord circuitry (Calvo and Bennett, 2012; Duraikannu et al., 2019; Zhang et al., 2021). To date, most therapeutic strategies for functional recovery after PNI target the peripheral nerve directly, while only a few treatments target PNI-induced pathological changes in the spinal cord, such as preventing apoptosis-induced neuronal death and inhibiting glial responses. This in part explains why despite continual improvements in therapeutic strategies of PNI over the last few decades, clinical outcomes after PNI remain unsatisfactory, such as suffering from chronic pain. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new therapeutic strategies. Considering the anatomical location of the cell bodies of the peripheral nerve in the spinal cord and DRG and the functional integration between the peripheral and central nervous system, therapeutic approaches targeting PNI-induced spinal cord lesions may benefit post-PNI outcomes. Recently, an in vivo study of the treatment of PNIinduced spinal cord pathological changes through peripheral administration of neural crest stem cells (NCSCs) (2 × 10 in a nerve conduit) achieved favorable outcomes after PNI, such as neuropathic pain relief and locomotor function improvements (Zhang et al., 2021). This preclinical study provides insight into the therapeutic potential of a new approach to PNI by targeting PNI-induced spinal cord lesions through peripheral administration of NCSCs, instead of intrathecal injection or transplantation to the injured dorsal root, which holds the potential to translate into clinical practice in the future.


Diagnostic error research has mostly focused on methods to detect, characterise and analyse lapses in the diagnostic process by using incident reports, malpractice claims, autopsies and electronic trigger tools. The associated literature shows how frequently important diagnostic errors occur1 and examines cognitive2 and system-based3 causes of these errors. Relatively absent from this portfolio of research have been large-scale approaches for measuring institutional diagnostic performance, either for benchmarking purposes or for driving improvement efforts.

In this issue of BMJQS , Liberman and Newman-Toker introduce Symptom–Disease Pair Analysis of Diagnostic Error (SPADE) as a new approach to identify diagnostic errors by analysing large patient data  sets (tens of thousands of patient encounters housed in electronic medical records or administrative databases).4 The SPADE methodology starts with a symptom that is misdiagnosed at an appreciable rate such as chest pain or dizziness. It then looks for instances within the data set where a patient with that symptom has two coded encounters in a short time frame. Misdiagnosis-related harm is inferred when there is a prespecified change in diagnosis over time . An example is a patient with acute dizziness (the symptom) who is discharged with a diagnosis of positional vertigo at an initial emergency department (ED) encounter and 1 week later returns to the ED and is diagnosed with an acute stroke (the disease).

The Symptom–Disease Pair at the core of the SPADE methodology refers to the presenting symptom (eg, dizziness) and the correct, but initially overlooked, diagnosis (eg, stroke). The validity of any symptom–diagnosis pair as a marker of diagnostic error is established using two approaches. A 'look forward' approach begins by identifying all patients who presented with dizziness and were discharged with a diagnosis of benign positional vertigo. It then looks at how often these patients present again within …


Study Design: Balombo area (Angola) f from each other to avoid the possibility of active flights of the mosquitoes and "contamination" of treated or control villages. Methodology: Classical Cross Sectional Surveys (CSS) were symptomless children <15 years. During data analysis this sample was stratified into the 3 conventional age groups: <5 years (often considered as "at risk group"); 2-9 years (often used for classical endemicity index) and <15 years already used in other vector control studies. The 3 classical parasitological indicators: plasmodial prevalence, parasite load, gametocyte prevalence were compared between these 3 age-groups to select the most relevant for further analysis and evaluation of the efficacy of vector control implemented. Blood thick films prepared in the field were colored and microscopically examined at the Malaria Control Program's laboratory of the medical department of the Angolan oil company Sonamet (Lobito). Results: 4625 thick drops were made during the 38 regularly carried out field surveys. Plasmodium falciparum was the predominant species with few mixed P. falciparum + P. malariae infection and a single P. malariae one. The overall Plasmodic index was 42.7%, gametocyte index was 4.4% and high parasite load (> 10.000 par./ml) were noticed in children, even very young, without clinical symptoms. Classical seasonal variations of plasmodic index and some variations according to age group were observed. Gametocytic indices showed relatively stable levels with age group. Conclusion: Statistical analysis showed that "under 15 years" age group could be a relevant indicator to evaluate the efficacy of a vector control programme and it increases the sample size allowing to perceive even small variations induced by vector control. Variability of parasitological index according to age groups, villages, season, confirmed the importance of regularly surveys to know precisely the situation before the implementation of control operations for reliable further evaluation. Missing such base line data induced the failure of a former vector control project in Angola.


Background: Some patients affected by COVID-19 present a life-threatening hyperinflammatory state known as cytokine storm syndrome (CSS) associated with a high mortality rate. Our hypothesis is that a eucaloric ketogenic diet (EKD) may be a safe and efficacious treatment option to reduce CSS and consequently to reduce the need for CPAP, ICU admission and COVID-19 mortality.Aim of the study: The primary objective is to explore the effect of an EKD on mortality, admission to the ICU and the need for NIV in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in comparison to a eucaloric standard diet (ESD). The secondary objectives are to collect data about the safety and feasibility of an EKD during hospitalization and to evaluate the effect of the diet on biological and inflammatory parameters, particularly interleukin-6 (IL-6).Patients and methods: The study is a retrospective explorative analysis of 34 patients fed with an EKD during hospitalization for COVID-19 in comparison to 68 patients fed an ESD selected and matched using propensity score one-to-two to avoid the confounding effect of interfering variables.Results: A trend of reduced 30-day mortality (HR 0.416, 95% CI 0.122 – 1.413, P = 0.160) and a trend regarding the need for ICU admission (HR 0.357, 95% CI 0.045 – 2.847, P = 0.331) were observed in subjects treated with the EKD compared to patients fed with the standard diet. No significantly different risks in the need for CPAP (HR 0.968, CI 0.289 – 3.242, P = 0.958 for EKD) or the composite endpoint (HR 0.674, CI 0.233 – 1.949, P = 0.446 for EKD) were detectable between the two groups of dietary patterns.Furthermore, IL-6 concentrations between t 0 and t 7 (seven days after the beginning of the diet) in the ketogenic nutrition group showed a median difference of -26.0 ȵg/mL and a mean difference of -164 ȵg/mL (data from 23 of the 34 pairs) compared to controls, with a trend toward significance (P = 0.062). EKD was safe and no adverse events were observed in patients fed an EKD.Discussion and conclusions: These preliminary data on the clinical results for mortality, need for ICU admission and the effect on the IL-6 concentration during EKD feeding, collected in a retrospective way during the most aggressive period of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggest a favorable role of this dietary treatment in COVID-19 clinical management. The EKD was safe and well accepted by patients during hospitalization and seems to be an interesting tool in controlling COVID-19 CSS. The results of the prospective controlled randomized trial, currently underway with a large number of subjects, are necessary to confirm these preliminary data.


To reduce the torque pulsation of BLDC motors caused by conventional 120° commutation conduction control, this paper proposes an adaptive wide angle control scheme with adjustable modulation waveform to achieve wide speed control range with efficiency optimization. The proposed adaptive soft commutation PWM modulation scheme is based on an adjustable modulation waveform with wide angle conduction period (more than 120° but less than 180°) and control the phase current with quasi-sinusoidal waveform to minimize the pulsation torque due to commutation. By using the adaptive PWM modulation scheme, the RMS value of phase current is lower than conventional 120° conduction mode under the same testing condition. Compared with the traditional control method, torque ripple of the BLDC motor can be reduced significantly by using the proposed control method. Simulation and experimental verification have been given to illustrate the performance of the proposed PWM strategy.


The 4-5-mo hibernation season of golden-mantled ground squirrels consists of extended torpor bouts interspersed with brief, periodic intervals of normothermic arousal. Plasma levels of testosterone (T), luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and degree of scrotal pigmentation were measured in torpid and aroused male ground squirrels throughout a season of hibernation and in active animals after the termination of torpor. T was basal in torpid animals; beginning 3 weeks before torpor ended, T was elevated in normothermic males during the first half of periodic arousals but returned to basal levels before animals reentered torpor. After the last (terminal) arousal from torpor, T levels were moderately elevated for 4 wk and maximal for the next 6 wk before they returned to basal values. LH patterns were similar to those of T; however, levels of T and LH were positively correlated only in aroused or posthibernation males. FSH levels remained constant and low during most of the heterothermic season but increased in several torpid males within 3 days of terminal arousal. FSH levels peaked 2 wk after the end of heterothermy. Scrotal pigmentation developed over the first 4 wk after terminal arousal. Maturation of reproductive function occurs during the 4 wk after termination of heterothermy, but elevated levels of T during arousals and variable levels of FSH in the last days of torpor suggest that activation or increased sensitivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is important in the termination of heterothermy in ground squirrels.


Potassium availability to the plant is influenced by internal soil properties and other external properties. Quantity intensity characteristics are one of the satisfactory measures of potassium dynamics and its availability. So quantity intensity characteristics of potassium were studied to quantify the potassium availability in three different cropping systems viz., paddy-paddy, banana and paddy-pulse based. Three soil profiles were studied in each cropping system and soil samples were collected horizon wise for laboratory analysis. Q/I parameters were estimated by the method adopted by Beckett (1964a). Analysis of variance was performed to compare the impact of cropping system and pedons on different chemical and nutrient properties of soils. Significantly high organic carbon (0.47%), and available nitrogen (271.10 kg/ha), medium available phosphorus (17.00 kg/ha) and available potassium (230.50 kg/ha) recorded in paddy-pulse cropping system compared with other cropping system. Banana based cropping system recorded significantly higher clay (41.2%), soil reaction (8.24) and potassium fixing capacity (84.32%). The results of Quantity-Intensity (Q/I) dynamics studies shows that paddy-pulse based cropping system recorded high labile K KL (0.49 c mol (p+)/kg) and Potential buffering capacity PBCK (45.67 c mol (p+)/kg) whereas paddy-paddy cropping system recorded PBCK of 16.81 c mol (p+)/kg which needs frequent potassium fertilization. The results showed that most of the soil properties including K dynamics were greater extent influenced by changes in cropping systems which consecutively affects the potassium availability.

 Key words: Quantity intensity (Q/I) characteristics, cropping systems, soil properties, K dynamics.


This review starts with a short discussion of what is meant by a pure dye and a brief description of how dyes are produced. A listing of the types of impurities encountered in dyes is made, followed by technical investigations and assessments of dyes and their impurities including methods for separating, identifying and assaying dye components. In the second part of the review, descriptions are given of the standardized staining method approach using standard staining methods for assessing stains, and practical responses to stain impurity including commercial quality control, third-party quality control and standardization of reagents, protocols and documentation. Finally, reference is made to the current state of affairs in the dye field.


Study Design. Radiographic measurement study. Objective. To develop a standardized cervical injury nomenclature system to facilitate description, communication, and classification among health care providers. The reliability and reproducibility of this system was then examined. Summary of Background Data. Description of subaxial cervical injuries is critical for treatment decision making and comparing scientific reports of outcomes. Despite a number of available classification systems, surgeons, and researchers continue to use descriptive nomenclature, such as "burst" and "teardrop" fractures, to describe injuries. However, there is considerable inconsistency with use of such terms in the literature. Methods. Eleven distinct injury types and associated definitions were established for the subaxial cervical spine and subsequently refined by members of the Spine Trauma Study Group. A series of 18 cases of patients with a broad spectrum of subaxial cervical spine injuries was prepared and distributed to surgeon raters. Each rater was provided with the full nomenclature document and asked to select primary and secondary injury types for each case. After receipt of the raters' first round of classifications, the cases were resorted and returned to the raters for a second round of review. Interrater and intrarater reliabilities were calculated as percent agreement and Cohen kappa (&kgr;) values. Intrarater reliability was assessed by comparing a given rater's diagnosis from the first and second rounds. Results. Nineteen surgeons completed the first and second rounds of the study. Overall, the system demonstrated 56.4% interrater agreement and 72.8% intrarater agreement. Overall, interrater &kgr; values demonstrated moderate agreement while intrarater &kgr; values showed substantial agreement. Analyzed by injury types, only four (burst fractures, lateral mass fractures, flexion teardrop fractures, and anterior distraction injuries) demonstrated greater than 50% interrater agreement. Conclusion. This study demonstrated that, even in ideal circumstances, there is only moderate agreement among raters regarding cervical injury nomenclature. It is hoped that more familiarity with the proposed system will increase reproducibility in the future. Additional research is required to establish the clinical utility of this novel nomenclature schema.


When asked to remember the features of an object, do we retain single point-estimates in memory, or do we retain richer representations, such as probability distributions over feature space? Continuous color report tasks, which require participants to report the exact color of a remembered object, yield a wide distribution of errors. However, it is unclear whether this distribution of errors reflects random errors in point estimates (which would form a distribution when aggregated across trials), or if it reflects the fact that individual memories are probabilistic in nature. To distinguish between these possibilities, we developed a novel paradigm: Participants were shown a set of colorful circles and, after a brief memory delay, asked about the color of a randomly tested item. Rather than reporting a single color, participants placed 10 bets in the color space (each bet comprised 1/18 of the space). Bets could be stacked or moved to a new portion of color space. Points were awarded equal to the number of bets containing the correct color. We discouraged stacking bets by diminishing the value of higher stack levels. We found that participants have considerably richer representations than simple point estimates. The dispersion of bets was correlated with first response accuracy (the less accurate their first response, the more widely they distributed their bets), indicating that participants' internal confidence was guiding bet placement. Furthermore the distribution of bets on a trial was similar in shape to the probability distributions observed across trials, suggesting that an uncertainty distribution may be coded within individual memory representations. Finally, we found that memory performance improved, relative to the first response, when averaging across multiple bets. This performance benefit increased monotonically with each additional bet. Overall, the betting task revealed that memories are more than noisy point estimates, but are surprisingly rich and probabilistic. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.


In a study of cognitively impaired nursing home residents, excess disability was found in the specific mealtime task of drinking liquids and among those eating a puréed diet. Nursing home staff tended to rely on spoonfeeding, a process in which the resident is a passive recipient of care rather than an active participant in it, as an intervention among residents who were partially able to feed themselves. Feeding techniques other than spoonfeeding--including verbal and nonverbal prompts, and physical guiding--can support residents' participation in feeding even when independence is no longer possible.


Present methods for collection of duodenal bile may be difficult to perform and may involve the use of sedation and roentgenograms. The string test (Entero-Test Pediatric, HDC Corporation, Mountain View, CA) has replaced the need for intestinal intubation for diagnosis of giardiasis and bacterial overgrowth. The present study investigated the use of the string test for collection of duodenal bile. Fifteen children were administered string tests. No complications were encountered. The distal end of the string had yellow pigmented fluid that contained bilirubin conjugates in quantity and quality compatible with duodenal bile. The study demonstrates that the string test is a useful procedure for collection of duodenal bile samples in infants and children.


As models for the physical properties of the corona above solar active regions grow more sophisticated, we will require better means for testing them. In this paper we discuss and apply such a test to a magnetic field model for an active region. This test is based on the expectation that the temperatures at different points on a given magnetic field line should be well correlated because of the rapid transport of heat along field lines in the corona. We use radio observations of an active region to measure the temperatures on field lines as they cross two isogauss surfaces (at 430 and 750 G) in the corona. The field lines and isogauss surfaces are derived from a coronal magnetic field model obtained via a nonlinear force-free field extrapolation of a photospheric vector magnetogram; for comparison, we also investigate a potential-field extrapolation of the same magnetogram. In a region in which strongly sheared fields are present, the nonlinear force-free field model does indeed show a good correlation between the temperatures in the two surfaces at points on the same field line, while the potential-field model does not. This diagnostic acts both as a test of the magnetic field model as well as of the interpretation of the radio data, and we show how this test can also aid in understanding the radio data.


The magnetic properties of ferromagnetic bilayers Co90Fe10/Ni81Fe19, Ni81Fe19/Co90Fe10 and monolayer Ni81Fe19 thin films with individual layer thicknesses of 2 nm and 5 nm were grown on thermally oxidized Si substrate have been investigated by a ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) technique at room temperature. The FMR spectra were recorded for both parallel geometry, where the applied DC magnetic field in the surface of the films and perpendicular geometry with the magnetic field perpendicular to surface. The FMR resonance field were analyzed and fitted theoretically by using the dispersion relation with the Bloch–Bloembergen damping term. Computer programs have been written to extract the theoretical magnetization (M ), resonance field values (H r) and spin–spin relaxation time (T 2) fit parameters. Experimental and theoretical analyses showed that the order of bilayers with respect to the substrate creates remarkable effects on the magnetization properties due to changing continuity of structure on the substrate. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


Despite substantial evidence of the detrimental effects of ruminative self-focus, paradoxically (as noted and reviewed by Watkins, 2004) there are clear suggestions that under some circumstances self-focused attention can actually promote well-being and confer benefits. We sought to replicate the findings of Watkins (2004) that adopting an abstract/analytical mode of processing following a negative event results in increased spontaneous intrusions of the event; that is, results in poor emotional processing. In the current study 57 low (BDI-II ≤ 7) and 59 high (BDI-II ≥ 12) dysphoric undergraduate participants viewed a four minute emotion-eliciting video, were randomly assigned to an analytical, experiential, or distraction processing condition, then monitored the frequency of video-related intrusions. Results indicated the effectiveness of the video in inducing moderately distressing intrusions, and suggest that the hypothesised effects of ruminative self-focus on intrusion severity may be dependent upon the self-referential nature of the material to be processed. Results did support previous findings (Williams & Moulds, 2007) that intrusion-related distress is not merely a function of intrusion frequency. Directions for future investigations of the cognitive processes that are important in the maintenance of depressive disorders are discussed.


Measurement of natural gas flow with an orifice meter is a well-established methodology; however, orifice measurement accuracy is of concern when flow rates are low and the differential pressure (DP) across the orifice is at the extreme low end of common DP transmitter ranges. This research evaluated the performance of multiple types of transmitters in 10-inch and 4-inch orifice meter runs at differential pressures approaching 1 inch of water column (1� H2O), simulating low flow transmission meter stations and depleted production well stations. The results were analyzed to characterize and better understand the uncertainties and measurement errors associated with orifice meters operating with small bore diameters and low DPs. Transmitters tested included typical DP transmitters with stated accuracies of 0.1% of full scale, DP transmitters with stated accuracies as a percent of reading; and high-frequency-response DP transmitters. Data acquisition methods, transmitter technologies, and various calibrated measurement spans were studied for their potential to improve orifice meter accuracy at low DP conditions.

This is an un-blinded report.


The evolutionary conserved Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein and SCAR homologue (WASH) complex is one of the crucial multi-protein complexes that facilitate endosomal recycling of transmembrane proteins. In humans, defects in the components of the WASH complex have been associated with inherited developmental and neurological disorders. A recent in vitro study suggested that the WASH complex is also involved in the metabolism of low-density lipoproteins (LDL). Here we show that, in mice, hepatic ablation of the WASH component Washc1 increases plasma concentrations of cholesterol in both LDL and high-density lipoproteins (HDL), without affecting hepatic cholesterol content or hepatic very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) synthesis. Elevated plasma LDL cholesterol was related to reduced hepatic surface levels of the LDL receptor (LDLR) and the LDLR related protein (LRP1). Hepatic WASH ablation also reduced the surface levels of scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-B1) and, concomitantly, selective uptake of HDL-cholesterol into the liver. Our data also suggest that WASH-mediated LDLR recycling depends on the endosomal sorting complexes retriever and retromer, however, these two protein complexes are not required for the endosomal trafficking of SR-B1. Altogether, these findings identify the WASH complex as a regulator of LDL as well as HDL metabolism, and provide evidence for endosomal trafficking of SR-B1 in hepatocytes. Here, we also reveal novel molecular insights into the specific role of the endosomal sorting machinery in cholesterol metabolism.


Event management is a focal point in building and maintaining high quality information infrastructures. We have witnessed the shift of the paradigm of event management in practice from root cause analysis (RCA) to action-oriented analysis (AOA). IBM has developed a pioneer event management methodology (EMD) based on the AOA paradigm and applied it to more than two hundred production sites with success. Foreseeably, more and more event management professionals will apply AOA in different incarnations in building proactive management facilities. By that, building correct and effective Event Relationship Networks (ERNs) becomes the dominating activity in AOA service design process. Currently, the quality of ERNs and the cost of building them largely depend on the knowledge of domain experts. We believe that we can utilize historical event logs in shortening the ERNs design process and perfecting the quality of ERNs. In this paper, we describe in detail how to apply this data-driven approach in ERN validation, completion and construction.


2D finite element model for analysis of transport of accidentally released pollutants in the flow was developed by SUPG method, and the mass balance of this model was checked though two example problems: line source and point source problem in the straight channel and unidirectional 2D flow field, respectively. All the test cases were simulated with both SUPG and conventional Galerkin method to compare the accuraccy of the numerical mass balance. Test results show that the model with SUPG can adequately conserve the released mass though simulation than the model using Galerkin method, so the developed model verified to be appropriate to solve this accidental mass release problem.


The acuity state of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) can quickly change from stable to unstable, sometimes leading to life-threatening conditions. Early detection of deteriorating conditions can result in providing more timely interventions and improved survival rates. Current approaches rely on manual daily assessments. Some data-driven approaches have been developed, that use mortality as a proxy of acuity in the ICU. However, these methods do not integrate acuity states to determine the stability of a patient or the need for life-sustaining therapies. In this study, we propose APRICOT (Acuity Prediction in Intensive Care Unit), a Transformer-based neural network to predict acuity state in real-time in ICU patients. We develop and extensively validate externally, temporally, and prospectively the APRICOT model on three large datasets: University of Florida Health (UFH), eICU Collaborative Research Database (eICU), and Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-IV. The performance of APRICOT shows comparable results to state-of-the-art mortality prediction models (external AUROC 0.93-0.93, temporal AUROC 0.96-0.98, and prospective AUROC 0.98) as well as acuity prediction models (external AUROC 0.80-0.81, temporal AUROC 0.77-0.78, and prospective AUROC 0.87). Furthermore, APRICOT can make predictions for the need for life-sustaining therapies, showing comparable results to state-of-the-art ventilation prediction models (external AUROC 0.80-0.81, temporal AUROC 0.87-0.88, and prospective AUROC 0.85), and vasopressor prediction models (external AUROC 0.82-0.83, temporal AUROC 0.73-0.75, prospective AUROC 0.87). This tool allows for real-time acuity monitoring of a patient and can provide helpful information to clinicians to make timely interventions. Furthermore, the model can suggest life-sustaining therapies that the patient might need in the next hours in the ICU.


Vegetation cover and land management are the main limiting factors of soil erosion, and quantitative evaluation on the effect of different vegetation on soil erosion is essential to land use and soil conservation planning. The vegetation cover and management factor (C) in the universal soil loss equation (USLE) is an index to evaluate this effect, which has been studied deeply and used widely. However, the C factor study is insufficient in China. In order to strengthen the research of C factor, this paper reviewed the developing progress of C factor, and compared the methods of estimating C value in different USLE versions. The relative studies in China were also summarized from the aspects of vegetation canopy coverage, soil surface cover, and root density. Three problems in C factor study were pointed out. The authors suggested that cropland C factor research should be furthered, and its methodology should be unified in China to represent reliable C values for soil loss prediction and conservation planning.


The existing IPC/JEDEC of moisture/reflow sensitivity classification determines the time of accelerated equivalent soak by the equivalency of moisture concentration at the critical interface with the standard sensitivity test. This paper proposes a new methodology of accelerated moisture sensitivity test based on the equivalency of both local moisture concentration and overall moisture distribution for stacked-die molded matrix array package (MMAP). The new methodology can ensure the same failure rate of cracking/delamination by the equivalency of local vapor pressure, interfacial adhesion as well as the thermo- and hygro-stresses. Finite element analysis (FEA) is applied for moisture diffusion and vapor pressure analysis under the conditions of 30degC/60%RH and 60degC/60%RH, respectively. At 70 hours at 60degC/60%RH, both the local moisture concentration at critical interface and overall moisture distribution of package become identical with that at 216 at 30degC/60%RH, indicating that 70 hours is the equivalent soak time compared to the standard MSL-3 for this type of MMAP packages. Such an equivalency of the new accelerated test conditions is proven by moisture/reflow experiments under various soak times at 30degC/60%RH and 60degC/60%RH. Damage response assessed from inspection for internal cracking/delamination indicates that the accelerated test procedures are well correlated and considered indistinguishable in terms of failure rate.


Countries in which people believe that "most people can be trusted" and where citizens belong to a larger number of different voluntary associations are more individualistic, emphasizing the importance of independence and freedom to choose one's own goals. The present study examines the relationship between social capital and individualism/collectivism using a measure that distinguishes between familism and institutional collectivism. Familism correlated negatively with social capital, whereas institutional collectivism practices exhibited positive associations with social capital, especially with trust and participation in voluntary organizations such as church or religious organizations and labor unions. It is concluded that in societies where trust is limited to the nuclear family or kinship alone, people have lower levels of social capital. Social capital increases as the radius of trust widens to encompass a larger number of people and social networks among whom norms of generalized reciprocity are operative.


Surface modification of magnetic nanoparticles with poly-L-lysine, proline, and tryptophan was used to design potential theranostic agents for the application in cancer diagnosis and radionuclide-hyperthermia therapy. Characterization of bare and functionalized magnetic nanoparticles was performed in detail. The transparency of the examined magnetic nanoparticles was measured in the non-alternating magnetic field for a complete and better understanding of hyperthermia. For the first time amino acid-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles were labeled with theranostic radionuclides 131I and 177Lu. The specific absorption rate (SAR) procured for poly-L-lysine functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (SAR values of 99.7 W/g at H0 = 15.9 kA/m and resonant frequency of 252 kHz) demonstrated their possible application in magnetic hyperthermia. Poly-L-lysine functionalized magnetic nanoparticles labeled with 177Lu showed the highest radiochemical purity (>99.00%) and in vitro stability in saline and serum (>98.00% up to 96 h). The in vivo analysis performed after their intravenous administration in healthy Wistar rats presented good in vivo stability for several days. Encouraging results as well as magnetic and radiochemical properties of 177Lu-PLL-MNPs (80 °C) justify their further testing toward the potential use as theranostic agents for diagnostic and combined radionuclide-hyperthermia therapeutic applications.


We report a case of bilateral complete dislocation of lenses into the vitreous cavities due to elder abuse in a patient with senile dementia. According to the patient's son, bilateral complete lens dislocation occurred after he hit his father in the head with socks in order to control his violent behavior. Although the patient was taken to our ophthalmological ward for a planned vitrectomy, restlessness and inability to remain in his room during the night led to his leaving the hospital. The patient has not returned but did receive a vitrectomy at another clinic. While the number of patients with senile dementia has dramatically increased, no specific remedy is currently available. When treating medical concerns of seniors with unknown backgrounds, elder abuse needs to be considered as a potential cause of such injuries.


The conventional processing route of TNM (Ti-Nb-Mo) alloys combines casting and Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) followed by forging and multiple heat treatments to establish optimum properties. This is a time-consuming and costly process. In this study we present an advanced alternative TNM alloy processing route combining HIP and heat treatments into a single process, which we refer to as IHT (integrated HIP heat treatment), applied to a modified TNM alloy with 1.5B. A Quintus HIP lab unit with a quenching module was used, achieving fast and controlled cooling, which differs from the slow cooling rates of conventional HIP units. A Ti-42.5Al-3.5Nb-1Mo-1.5B (at.%) was subjected to an integrated two HIP steps at 200 MPa, one at 1250 °C for 3 h and another at 1260 °C for 1 h, both under a protective Ar atmosphere and followed by cooling at 30 K/min down to room temperature. The results were compared against the Ti-43.5Al-3.5Nb-1Mo-0.8B (at.%) thermomechanically processed in a conventional way. Applying IHT processing to the 1.5B alloy does indeed achieve good creep strength, and the secondary creep rate of the IHT processed materials is similar to that of conventionally forged TNM alloys. Thus, the proposed advanced IHT processing route could manufacture more cost-effective TiAl components.


The present study was undertaken to contribute to the characterization of the degree of variability in baseline damage in white blood cells from control population, and to investigate how this variability is associated with external and internal factors. Altogether 170 healthy volunteers, randomly selected from the general population of the Republic of Croatia, participated in the study. Two sensitive tests: the alkaline comet assay and the chromosome aberration test were applied to study the background levels of DNA damage in their white blood cells. The results point to inter-individual differences, indicating different genome sensitivity. As revealed by both assays, the background levels of DNA damage were mostly influenced by smoking habit as well as medical exposure (especially to diagnostic X-rays). Sex and age of subjects did not significantly influence the values of DNA damage recorded in the white blood cells. Although higher levels of DNA damage were recorded in blood samples collected during winter and autumn, they were mostly influenced by medicinal exposure and smoking habit. Statistical evaluation of the data confirmed that a positive correlation exists between DNA migration and the number of long-tailed nuclei found with the comet assay and the total number of chromosome aberrations. The data obtained can serve as control values in forthcoming biomonitoring studies.


The role of the interlayer Fermi surface in driving oscillatory exchange coupling of ferromagnetic layers has been critically tested in a series of MBE-grown coherent epitaxial sandwiches prepared on single-crystal substrates. The wedge-shaped Cu (or Cu-based) interlayers have been modified in a number of different ways, achieving orientational, compositional and structural alteration of the Cu Fermi surface. Observed phenomena include multiperiodic coupling oscillations in both the ferromagnetically and antiferromagnetically coupled regions of (lOO) -oriented Co/Cu/Co samples, extended oscillatory periods across CuNi alloy interlayers, and extremely short-period oscillations in a bcc (100) Fe/Cu/Fe system. These phenomena are straightforwardly explained in terms of calculated Fermi surface variations.


Author(s): Weisman, Adam | Advisor(s): Shea, Kennith J | Abstract: Nanomaterials are finding widespread use in biomedical applications. In particular, the ability of nanoparticles to penetrate into every corner of physiological systems suggests that they have applications in therapeutic strategies or as diagnostic tools. However, the potential benefits are not without risk. Interactions of nanoparticles with biological systems can have unintended or even lethal consequences. Therefore, understanding the interaction between these materials and biological media, from a physiochemical point of view, is important in the development of materials that are effective and safe. Furthermore, the ability to chemically engineer nanomaterials that may recognize, bind, and release particular biomacromolecules is of benefit for a variety of in vitro biotechnology applications. This dissertation aims to elucidate the important physiochemical attributes of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm) based polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) that contribute to the interactions between NIPAm NPs and biomacromolecules such as proteins or peptides. A substantial collection of literature exists concerning the interactions between biological molecules and synthetic materials. These publications cover both fundamental evaluations of the interaction as well as practical biological applications. The first chapter of this dissertation is a brief review of the current literature concerning the interactions between synthetic materials and proteins and how this information applies to NIPAm NPs. A number of applications using these materials is also highlighted. In the second chapter, NIPAm NPs containing aromatic co-monomers are evaluated as synthetic affinity reagents for biological molecules. The ability of the NPs to bind and sequester a cytolytic peptide released by virulent strains of antibiotic resistant bacteria was evaluated in vitro with a quartz crystal microbalance, and in cell based assays. The aromatic components were shown to be significant contributors to the NP-peptide interaction and modification of the aromatic interaction was used to alter the affinity and capacity of the material to the target peptide. The third chapter provides a detailed study on the effects of monomer hydrophobicity, functional group proximity, and the NPs structure to the NIPAm NP-protein interaction. An important conclusion from this evaluation is that both the monomer distribution and NP structure are significant contributors to the NP-protein interaction, thus in the final chapter, the structure and co-monomer distribution within NIPAm NPs are evaluated using small angle neutron scattering (SANS).


Subject area

Sustainable development; business, government, and society.

Study level/applicability

The case is designed to be taught to students at MBA and MA level.

Case overview

In February 2009, Justin Smith, manager of the good business journey at Woolworths, a leading South African department store, was a worried man. Woolworths had launched its five-year sustainability strategy just under two years before. After undertaking an impact assessment, Smith was concerned that the original targets – which covered transformation, social development, the environment and climate change – had been set without a clear understanding of exactly what it would take to achieve them. Woolworths had recently identified ten key risk areas that impacted on the achievement of its original goals. If the sustainability goals were not reached, Woolworths could lose credibility among its shareholders, staff, and consumers. What did Woolworths need to do to ensure that it achieved its sustainability goals? And had the company been too ambitious in the targets it had set initially, he wondered?

Expected learning outcomes

To examine the differences, if any, between sustainable development in South Africa and other developing nations and sustainable development in developed nations; to impart an understanding of sustainability in its broadest sense; to investigate the challenges in implementing sustainability strategies in business; to look at ways of measuring the success of sustainability strategies; and to explore whether and how sustainability strategies should differ across industry sectors and across companies.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes.


The Study was aimed to identify the students reading interests in different School levels, and the effects of School level, sex, and grade on students interests. To achieve this, a questionnaire was developed by the researcher and filled by 745 students in grade four through high school.
The results of the study revealed:
(1) There is a significant difference in students interests attribute to grade and school level.
(2) There is a significant difference in students interests in middle school attribute to sex, while there were no significant differences between boys and girls in elementary and high school level.
(3) Students show interest in reading about Prophets life, Islamic war, Islamic world problems, adventures, hobbies, and stories about brave people


This paper provides an empirical test of the scapegoat theory of exchange rates (Bacchetta and van Wincoop 2004, 2011), as an attempt to evaluate its potential for explaining the poor empirical performance of traditional exchange rate models. This theory suggests that market participants may at times attach significantly more weight to individual economic fundamentals to rationalize the pricing of currencies, which are partly driven by unobservable shocks. Using novel survey data which directly measure foreign exchange scapegoats for 12 currencies and a decade of proprietary data on order flow, we find empirical evidence that strongly supports the empirical implications of the scapegoat theory of exchange rates, with the resulting models explaining a large fraction of the variation and directional changes in exchange rates. The findings have implications for exchange rate modelling, suggesting that a more accurate understanding of exchange rates requires taking into account the role of scapegoat factors and their time-varying nature.


OBJECTIVE
To study medium-term follow-up in children with pulmonary stenosis (PS) with percutaneous balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty (PBVP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Medium-term follow-up results of 106 consecutive PBVP procedures in 100 patients of the same health center are presented. The mean age of the patients was 61.3 +/- 5.1 months, 31 of them with severe PS.

RESULTS
After PBVP, and once infundibular contraction ceased, the procedure was defined as successful in 85 children. PBVP was repeated in five patients, achieving satisfactory results in 3. Eight patients suffered from re-stenoses and surgery was performed in 7 of them. The other 12 patients in which PBVP failed underwent surgery. Follow-up of these 88 patients showed a cessation in clinical symptomatology at a mean of 10 +/- 0.7 months. Five-year actuarial probability of achieving a normal EKG axis was 61.7 +/- 9.1%. However, neither ECG nor chest radiology were useful in the diagnosis of high residual gradients. Pulmonary regurgitation was observed in 92% of the children, mild in all of them. The residual transpulmonary gradient obtained immediately after PBVP was the only variable that affected long-term results.

CONCLUSIONS
Our results confirm the medium-term success of PBVP in the treatment of PS. The five year actuarial probability of restenosis is 12.4%. Mild pulmonary regurgitation is observed in more than 90% of patients.


Paranoid schizophrenia with long-term course is a challenge for the clinical and therapeutic research, particularly because chronic course is difficult to identify due to the high rate of mortality in this category of patients. The therapeutic stability on an antipsychotic molecule (haloperidol) is indeed an exception, since the current trend in the case of unfavorable course is based on therapeutic versatility and polypharmacy. Haloperidol is the first-generation antipsychotic that is referred in the therapeutic guidelines as the "golden standard" regarding its efficacy on positive symptoms. The research in fundamental and molecular psychopharmacology has shown the aggressivity of this molecule on the secondary and tertiary signaling chains, including mitochondrial alterations. On male patients with paranoid schizophrenia (positive symptoms) and a chronic course of more than 35 years who received exclusively haloperidol, our study demonstrated an negative outcome with the loss of social functioning, persistence of positive symptoms, chronic extrapyramidal symptoms and mild cognitive impairment. The neuroimaging evaluations have shown atrophy in the temporal poles, posterior ventriculomegaly, cerebellar atrophy and calcification on choroid plexus and pineal gland. The difference between the histological changes induced by haloperidol on animal model and the ones on the patients in our study is located in the frontal cortex, thus suggesting the presence of two neurobiological models of schizophrenia in men: fronto-striatal and temporal-limbic-striatal. The persistence of extrapyramidal symptoms during the treatment with haloperidol may be considered as a clinical marker of the risk for negative outcome and a potential indication for the therapeutic switch.


International refugee law has been structured so that claimants must fit themselves into narrowly defined categories: the Canadian Immigration Act requires that refugee claimants establish a well-founded fear of persecution based on one of the enumerated grounds, namely race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. As sexual orientation is not enumerated, many lesbian and gay asylum seekers have attempted to establish their claim on the basis of "membership in a particular social group." The 1993 Supreme Court decision in Canada (A.G.) v. Ward has clarified that sexual orientation is a ground upon which a refugee claimant may claim membership in a particular social group because it is an innate or unchangeable characteristic. The decision in Ward, while a positive development, inappropriately classifies sexual orientation as an immutable personal characteristic. It suggests that lesbians and gay men are deserving of international protection only because they cannot change the personal attribute for which they are persecuted. Instead, refugee status should be granted because lesbians and gay men have a common social identity which is ascribed an inferior social and political status by their persecutors.


Pancreatic cancer is the 4th most common cause of cancer deaths in this country. Close to 50,000 deaths occur every year. This is due to the fact that most patients are not diagnosed until presentation at a stage IV. In a recent study, it is estimated that more than 10 years go by between the first genetic mutation and the formation of invasive cancer. More mutations occur in metastatic lesions after an additional 6 years. Both SNAIL and TWIST have gained more attention as biomarkers because that contribute to E-cadherin dysregulation that allows the tumor cells to invade. In this study we evaluated 17 cases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma using twist-1 antibody to evaluate tumor cell expression in these cases. All paraffin blocks were retrieved from the IU pathology department files via an IRB approved protocol. The unstained slides were stained with primary antibody Twist-1 using the DAKO Flex system. Control sections were treated with an isotype control using the same concentration as primary antibody to verify the staining specificity. The Aperio whole slide system was used to image the slides. Computer-assisted morphometric analysis of digital images was carried out using the Aperio Image scope software using the positive pixel algorithm. The algorithm was used to quantify the Twist-1 positivity of normal pancreas, and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. This algorithm is the only FDA approved algorithm for human clinical trials. The immunostaining of Twist-1 was found only in the ductal epithelial carcinoma cells in the pancreas. There was no staining in the stroma in any of the normal pancreas and ductal pancreatic carcinoma cases. We analyzed 5 normal pancreata, and 12 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. The data from the image analysis was 3.38% expression in normal pancreata and 11.44% expression in the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. In summary, the image analysis data demonstrates the overexpression of Twist-1 in stage IV pancreatic adenocarcinomas compared to the normal pancreas. This suggests that this marker may be a predictor of tumor invasiveness and metastasis. Citation Format: Max Jacobsen, George Sandusky, Kavita Shah. Use of whole slide digital image analysis for determination of expression of Twist-1 in normal panceata and stage IV pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4940.


PURPOSE
Analyze the peripheral vitreo-retinal interface with widefield optical coherence tomography (WF-OCT).

METHODS
Retrospective chart analysis and WF-OCT in 120 consecutive cases of rhegmatogenous pathology.

RESULTS
There were 166 lesions in 120 eyes, including 106 horseshoe tears, 22 operculated (OH), 30 non-operculated (NOH) holes, 6 giant tears, and 2 peripheral lamellar defects followed for 6.1±1.2 months. Posterior vitreous detachment was present in all eyes (101/101, 100%) with tears and OHs, but only in 5/19 eyes (26.3%) with NOHs (p<0.001). Axial vitreous traction was evident at the anterior edge of horseshoe tears (106/106, 100%), but not the posterior border (18/106, 17%, p<0.001). OHs located posterior to the vitreous base were free from vitreous traction, displaying a morphology similar to macular hole. NOHs were farther anterior with signs of tangential traction in 23/30 (76.7%) cases. Peripheral vitreoschisis was more often associated with NOHs (25/30, 83.3%), than horseshoe tears (17/106, 16%; p<0.001). Horseshoe tears and NOHs were more often associated with retinal detachment (58/106 (54.7%) and 15/30 (50%), respectively) than OHs (5/22, 22.7%), p=0.023.

CONCLUSIONS
Peripheral vitreo-retinal interactions are similar to vitreo-maculopathies, with axial and vitreoschisis-related tangential traction playing different roles in different rhegmatogenous pathologies. Peripheral OCT improves understanding of pathophysiology and risks of retinal detachment.


AIM
To document the psychomotor development and general health of former very low birthweight infants born between 1980 and 1986 from birth up to school age. We wished to evaluate the quality of neonatal intensive care in Central Switzerland over this time period and test the reliability of a patient-oriented follow-up programme. If successful, the latter could perhaps serve as a model for a national follow-up programme in Switzerland.

METHODS
Information regarding three different developmental periods was collected. The medical records of the perinatal period were used to abstract details of labour and delivery and the neonatal period. The records of the infant follow-up programme were used to describe psychomotor development between 0 and 24 months of age. The current health status and school performance were evaluated using a questionnaire sent to parents and teachers.

RESULTS
Of 139 infants born with a birthweight of < or = 1500 g, 102 were discharged home (mortality rate 26.6%). One third was not screened for hearing deficits or retinopathy of prematurity. Eighty-two were seen in the infant follow-up programme between 0 and 24 months of age. Seventy-seven percent of these infants were judged to be normal and discharged from the infant follow-up programme; 1/5 of these infants had had transient motor problems treated by physical therapy. Twenty-three percent of the infants seen in infant follow-up had persistent but mainly minor motor handicaps, and only two infants (2%) had multiple handicaps. At school age, data from 99 of the 102 surviving infants was collected. Ninety-six percent attended regular school, but almost half of them had significant school problems and required professional help. These problems correlated poorly with the results of examinations during early childhood (positive predictive value 67%).

CONCLUSIONS
These long-term results of a population of preterm infants born in Central Switzerland in the 1980s are encouraging. To ensure completeness of early ophthalmological and audiological examinations of all former small preterm infants, neonatal follow-up programmes should adhere to uniform guidelines.


A new embedding method in tendon suture was designed for interembedding of tendon ends to obtain interlock and strengthen antitension strength. Experiments showed that the embedding method might result in greater antitension strength than the conventional end-to-end method (Bunnell's method) or weaving method. Statistically, difference was significant. Dynamic studies on tendon healing showed that a prominent reaction of surrounding tissues occurred in 3 to 5 days after operation. In this period the antitension strength is likely to decrease and be broken with a rate of 28.1% in Bunnell's method, 5.25% in weaving method and 0% in embedding method. Clinically, the embedding method has been used in 125 cases of tendon-broken repair in which a 87.8% of good and excellent effect was resulted.


Viscosity is the most important physical property for lubricating oils. The measurement of viscosity resists on the velocity limit measurement of falling-ball, corrected principal identified effects (edge or wall effects, inertial effects, and end effects). In this research falling-sphere technique is used to measure the viscosity of Total quartz 20W50 motor oil by monitoring the terminal velocity at which a sphere falls under gravity in a cylindrical tube containing the test fluid. The experiments, the sphere is monitored using video system and the position coordinate and time are measured. The principal difficulties with this system are the measurement of the velocity of the ball. The result of the experiment agree with the theoretical values and reported value by Total oil company, even-though, there are uncertainties in measurement of falling velocity, corrected terminal velocity, density of sphere, and fluid and radius.


We investigate the e¤ect of height on earnings, occupational choices and a subjective measure of well-being among Indonesian men. We explore the extent to which height captures the e¤ects of human capital endowments set before entry on the labor market. Cognitive skills, co-determined with stature early in life, do not explain much of the height earnings premium directly. Yet, human capital more broadly, including cognition, educational attainment and other factors related to parental investments and background characteristics, explains around half of the height premium and does so through occupational sorting. Indeed, taller workers tend to have more education, and educated workers tend to work in more lucrative occupations that require brain and social skills, not brawn. The unexplained share of the height earnings premium re‡ects other labor market advantages of taller workers, including psycho-social dimensions. We also …nd a height premium in happiness, half of which simply accounts for the educational and earnings advantages


This paper presents a new model for estimating optical flow based on the motion of planar regions plus local deformations. The approach exploits brightness information to organize and constrain the interpretation of the motion by using segmented regions of piecewise smooth brightness to hypothesize planar regions in the scene. Parametric flow models are estimated in these regions in a two step process which first computes a coarse fit and then estimates the appropriate parametrization of the motion of the region. The initial fit is refined using a generalization of the standard area-based regression approaches. Since the assumption of planarity is likely to be violated, we allow local deformations from the planar assumption in the same spirit as physically-based approaches which model shape using coarse parametric models plus local deformations. This parametric plus deformation model exploits the strong constraints of parametric approaches while retaining the adaptive nature of regularization approaches. Experimental results on a variety of images model produces accurate flow estimates while the incorporation of brightness segmentation boundaries.


This article is an overview of the GIPSY demand migration system (DMS). This system brings a demand driven execution engine like the one used in the GIPSY to a high level of distributiveness and interoperability of operational nodes, by mixing together advanced distributed technologies. The main demand migration system's artifacts are discussed, and their different distributions within the GIPSY are surveyed. The article concludes with a presentation of a successful GIPSY demand migration implementation, based on JINI. This paper describes only the aspects of the GIPSY demand migration, i.e. it does not deal with load balancing and efficiency aspects of the GIPSY, as these are to be tackled by other subsystems of the GIPSY.