This study was performed to develop the accelerated life test method using Weibull-IPL(Invcrse Power Law) model for mechanical components. Weibull-IPL model is concerned with determining the assurance life with confidence level and the accelerated life test time. From the relation of weibull distribution factors and confidence limit. the testing times on the no number of failure acceptance criteria are determined. The mechanical components generally represent wear and fatigue characteristics as a failure mode. IPL based on the cumulative damage theory is applied effectively the mechanical components to reduce the testing time and to achieve the accelerating test conditions. As the actual application example. accelerated life test method of agricultural tractor transmission was described. Life distribution of agricultural tractor transmission was supposed to follow Weibull distribution and life test time was calculated under the conditions of average life (MTBF) 3,000 hours and 90% confidence level for one test sample. According to IPL, because test time can be shorten in case increase test load. test time could be reduced by 482 hours when we put the load 1.1 times of rated load than 0.73 times of rated load that is equiva1ent load calculated by load spectrum of the agricultural tractor. This time, acceleration coefficient was 11.7.


Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a rare cutaneous sarcoma. Limited population-based epidemiological studies on DFSP have been conducted. We aimed to estimate the incidence and disease burden of DFSP in China. We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the national databases of the Urban Basic Medical Insurance scheme. Cases were identified by ICD code and Chinese language diagnostic terms. National incidence from 2014 to 2016 was estimated by gender and age, and associated medical costs were calculated. A total of 175 patients were confirmed with DFSP from 2014 to 2016. Crude incidence varied from 0.353 per 100,000 (95% CI: 0.203–0.503) in 2014 to 0.367 per 100,000 (95% CI: 0.279–0.455) in 2016. Incidence was higher in males than in females. The first incidence peak was observed between the ages of 20 and 39 years and the highest incidence rates were in those aged over 60 years. Average medical costs of DFSP were higher than the per capita disposable income of residents. Incidence of DFSP in mainland urban China is lower than in most developed countries and has remained relatively stable from 2014 to 2016. Further research is expected to clarify the potential pathophysiological mechanisms of DFSP.


A julolidine-containing naphthylamine probe (EW1) was prepared for sensing specific metal ions. Probe EW1 afforded a broad low fluorescence at 500–600 nm in acetonitrile, but gave a relatively stronger fluorescence at 540 nm in methanol. EW1 showed a selective turn-on emission for Cr3+ in CH3CN. Upon treatment with Cr3+, a strong emission was observed at 515 nm, but other metal ions, such as K+, Ag+, Ca2+, Zn2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Cd2+, Hg2+, Fe2+, and Fe3+, failed to induce such an emission band. A clean isosbestic point appeared at 405 nm in the UV–vis titration with Cr3+. The emission intensity of EW1 was enhanced with incremental addition of Cr3+, indicating the formation of a 1:1 complex of the probe EW1 and chromium ion. However, EW1 showed a selective turn-off response with Cu2+ in CH3OH. The emission band of EW1 at 540 nm was quenched only with Cu2+ and not with other control metal ions. The absorption band of EW1 at 410 nm progressively decreased, and a new absorption at 390 nm appeared upon progressive addition of Cu2+. All spectroscopic titration experiments and ESI mass data provided evidence for the formation of a 1:1 complex between EW1 and Cu2+.


To further understand the source of the epidemic of salmonellosis in some species of birds using bird feeders in southern Ontario in the winter of 1997-1998, 124 bird feeder stations were examined for their state of hygiene and for Salmonella on 5 occasions during the winter of 1999 in a city of 100,000 people in southwestern Ontario. No Salmonella were isolated from feed contaminated with feces recovered from the feeders. Squirrel-proof feeders were significantly less contaminated with feces than were other feeder types (hopper, platform, silo), which did not differ significantly in their hygiene scores. Contamination of squirrel-proof feeders increased significantly through the course of the study, but other feeder types showed no significant change. Hygiene was poorer if feeders were maintained equally by both male and female household members, particularly as they grew older, but no age or gender effect was observed if only one person was largely responsible for maintaining the feeders. We concluded that winter bird feeder stations in a southern Ontario city were not contaminated with Salmonella but that bird feeder stations could be designed better to reduce fecal contamination of feed.


In this paper, we propose and operationalize a new method for optimizing shelf arrangements. We show that there are important dependencies between the layout of the shelf and stock-keeping unit (SKU) sales and marketing effectiveness. The importance of these dependencies is further shown by the substantive profit gains we obtain with our proposed shelf optimization approach. The basis of our model is a standard sales equation that explains sales using item-specific marketing effect parameters and intercepts. In a Hierarchical Bayes (HB) fashion, we augment this model with a second layer that relates the effect parameters to shelf and SKU descriptors. We also take into account potential endogeneity of facings. After estimating the parameters of the two-level model using Bayesian methodology, we carefully investigate the dependencies of SKU sales and SKU marketing effectiveness on the shelf layout. Next, we search for the shelf arrangement that maximizes the expected total profit using simulated annealing (SA). We appear to be able to increase profits for all the stores analyzed, and our approach appears to outperform well-known rules of thumb.


Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignancy arising from mature plasma cells in the bone marrow and usually presents with bone destruction, hypercalcemia, anemia, renal damage, and increased susceptibility to infection. The etiology of MM is unknown, with no established lifestyle, occupational, or environmental risk factors. Because MM is an uncommon disease, etiologic assessments can be difficult. It has been reported to be in association with sarcoidosis, and in a few cases, rheumatoid arthritis. Familial type of MM with an autosomal dominant heredity pattern has also been reported. The genetic loci affected in these cases are still unknown. Herein we present a family with 3 affected cases in an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. The first case was a man diagnosed to have immunoglobulin (Ig)A-type myeloma at the age of 50. The history revealed 2 more cases in the family: an uncle diagnosed to have unsecretory-type myeloma at the age of 76 and a cousin (the daughter of the affected uncle) who was diagnosed at the age of 48 years to have IgG-type myeloma and did not respond to therapy. This patient also had a history of sarcoidosis preceding the diagnosis of myeloma. All other affected family members had been treated for dental-oral infection (including chronic gingivitis) for 3 and 4 years before the diagnosis of myeloma. Karyotype analysis revealed pseudohypodiploidy and deletion of chromosome 13q in only the patient with coexisting sarcoidosis. To our knowledge, this is the first report on familial myeloma from Turkey. This family enhances the role of hereditary factors and chronic inflammation in the etiology of MM.


The recurrence of xenophobic violence in South Africa has been attributed to the proliferation of antimigrant sentiments that stems from social, political, economic and cultural misconceptions and cleavages.  The study presents the results of a survey undertaken at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) to investigate the perceptions and attitudes of DUT students on xenophobia in South Africa.  A questionnaire was designed and employed to collect data from 547 registered students of a university in Durban. The result reflects the existence of satisfactory awareness on xenophobia and low levels of anti-migrant sentiments which show that the majority of the students are not xenophobic. Traces of xenophobic perceptions and attitudes were observed in the responses of entry-level students from low-income areas, thus pointing to entry-level students and younger students as being more disposed to xenophobic tendencies. This trend echoes normative conceptions concerning xenophobia in South Africa, particularly, as a phenomenon deeply ingrained in socio-economic inadequacies. However, the positive disposition of most students towards xenophobia reaffirms the importance of educational institutions in intercepting negative ethnic/racial sentiments as well as calls for intensified integration programmes and the extension of such into the communities.


This paper analyses Singapore's multi-pronged approach in pursuing multilateral, bilateral, and regional liberalization initiatives to secure and expand its political and economic space. The paper evaluates trade policy trends pre- and post-Asian crisis. It focuses on Singapore's priority interests and concerns in the Uruguay Round and its role in moving the negotiating process. Looking ahead, the paper discusses prospects in the Doha Round and what it means for Singapore. The WTO and the Doha Round negotiations remain Singapore's top priority in international trade. The paper also discusses the underlying political and strategic rationale in Singapore's pursuit of FTAs/RTAs and examines future challenges faced by Singapore in seeking greater liberalization and open markets. It is contended that strategically such FTAs have strengthened and expanded Singapore's economic linkages globally, as well as helped to anchor the economic interests of major economies beyond the region in Southeast Asia.


The current study sought to understand the effect of parent-led applied behavior analyses (ABA), in comparison to practitioner-led applied behavior analysis, on parental stress and parental self-efficacy. To do this, we analyzed secondary data from a large behavioral health provider for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. We conducted a regression analysis to understand the relationship between parental stress and parental self-efficacy and a two-way mixed ANOVA to evaluate if differences existed between parent-led and practitioner-led ABA on parental stress and parental self-efficacy. The regression analysis included parents of 2,276 children with autism spectrum disorder and the comparison analysis of parent-led and practitioner-led applied behavior analysis included 152 children with autism spectrum disorder, with 76 participants in each group. The analysis found parental self-efficacy predicts 21% of parenting stress with a significant negative relationship. The results of the comparison between parent-led and practitioner-led ABA resulted in a significant difference in parental self-efficacy, whereby the parent-led group exhibited a significant increase in parental self-efficacy while the practitioner-led group did not. These results further support the efficacy of parent-mediated treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder and underscore the importance of significant inclusion of parents into ABA treatment.


The present investigation was carried out to study mutagenic effectiveness and efficiency of gamma rays and EMS treatments in Pigeon pea (Cajanus  cajan (L.) Millsp) Var CO-7. The relative effectiveness and efficiency of the both mutagen used was assessed from the data on biological damage in M1 generation and frequency of chlorophyll and viable mutants in M2 generation. The spectrum of chlorophyll mutants such as xantha, albino, chlorina and viridis, viable mutants like tall, dwarf, early flower, early maturity, late maturity, bushy, high yield and seed mutants were observed in both the mutagenic treatments.  Among the chlorophyll mutants xantha was found more in number. The mutagenic effectiveness and efficiency were found to be higher at 20KR of gamma irradiation and 25mM of EMS. The mutation rate of gamma rays was higher in terms of effectiveness than that of EMS. More number of chlorophyll and viable mutants was induced in gamma rays treatment when compared EMS treatment.


Understanding how animals use available habitat and how disturbance events such as fire influence habitat use is crucial to wildlife management. Relationships between home-range size of long-nosed bandicoots (Perameles nasuta) and vegetation type and fire effects on food availability and vegetation cover were explored. Home ranges and movement of P. nasuta were mapped in burnt and unburnt vegetation using radio-tracking. Compositional analysis was used to study their habitat associations. In 2004, six months after wildfire, no significant relationships were found between home-range size and vegetation type. In 2005, there was a preference for dry and wet forest over heath and disturbed areas. In both years, in ranges that contained both burnt and unburnt vegetation, there was a preference for unburnt vegetation. Home-range size was positively related to the bodyweight of individuals. Fire did not significantly alter home-range size, but did influence the way animals used their home range. Dense understorey might provide vital shelter from predators, and may be particularly important after fire. Wildfire and prescribed burning are major forms of disturbance in many natural areas and this study suggests the importance to P. nasuta of retaining unburnt patches when conducting hazard-reduction burning.


We have previously shown that the ability of rat epidermal cells to repair electron-induced DNA damage decreases as a function of age. The present investigation was performed to examine the relationship between this finding and sensitivity of epidermal cells to the cytotoxic effects of the radiation. Male CD rats at ages 2, 28, 100, 200, 420, and 728 days were injected with [3H]-thymidine [( 3H]Thd) at a dose of 2 mu Ci/g body weight. One hour later, the rats were anesthetized and the dorsal skin irradiated with various doses of 0.8 meV electrons at a dose rate of 660 rads/min. At 24 h after irradiation, radioautographs were made of a sheet of epidermis that was separated by trypsinization from the underlying dermis. Labeled cells were scored either as singlets or doublets (adjacent labeled cells). The percent labeled cells and percent labeled cells as doublets were determined. The estimated labeling index (the proportion of cells labeled by a single exposure to [3H]Thd) of the epidermal basal layer decreased as a function of age. The slope of the semilog plot of the percent labeled cells as doublets as a function of electron dose indicates that the Do value decreases with increasing age. The results show, however, that the greatest difference in sensitivity occurs between 2-day (neonatal) and 28-day (pubescent) animals and again between 420-day (adult) and 728-day (senescent) animals.


A making process of DSC(dye sensitized solar cell) was presented. In general, Photo electrodes of DSC was made by using colloid paste of nano TiO₂ and processing of Doctor-blade printing and high temperature sintering for porous structure. These methods lead to cracks on TiO₂ surface and ununiform of TiO₂ thickness. This phenomenon is one factor that makes low efficiency to cells. After TiO₂ printing on TCO glass, a physical vibration was adapted for reducing ununiform of TiO₂ thickness. And a thermal treatment at Low temperature(under 75℃) was adapted for reducing cracks on TiO₂ surface. In this paper, we have designed and manufactured an ultrasonic circuit (100W, frequency and duty variable) and a thermal equipment. Then, we have optimized forcing time, frequency and duty of ultrasonic irradiation and thermal heating for surface treatment of photo-electrode of DSC. In I-V characteristic test of DSC, ultrasonic and thermal treated DSC shows 19% improved its efficiency against monolithic DSC. And it shows stability of light-harvesting from drastically change of light irradiation test.


In this study, androgen UDP-glucuronyl transferase (UDPGT) activity was determined in microsomes of human liver, skin, and prostate. Androgen UDPGT activity was highest in the liver microsomes using 5 alpha-androstane-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol (3 alpha DIOL), androsterone (AN) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) as substrates. The Km and Vmax values and enzyme velocity at the physiological concentration of the substrates in the liver microsomes were similar for AN and 3 alpha DIOL. The values for AN were as follows: Km = 16.9 microM, Vmax = 3.77 nmol/min/mg protein, and UDPGT velocity = 0.62 pmol/min/mg protein. The values for 3 alpha DIOL were as follows: Km = 16.0 microM, Vmax = 5.61 nmol/min/mg protein, and UDPGT velocity = 0.42 pmol/min/mg protein. Androgen UDPGT activity was lower and showed less affinity for DHT (Km = 23.5 microM, Vmax = 0.84 nmol/min/mg protein, UDPGT velocity = 0.05 pmol/min/mg protein). No sex or age differences in 3 alpha DIOL-UDPGT activity were found in liver microsomes. The kinetic parameters and levels of androgen UDPGT activity in the skin and prostate samples were not determined because the levels of UDPGT activity were below the detection limit for our assay (0.003 pmol/min/mg protein). These results have important clinical implications. First, androgen UDPGT activity in the skin and prostate is much lower than the activity in the liver, suggesting that these tissues are not important sites for conjugation of androgens. Second, androgen UDPGT activity in the liver was not altered by sex or age in the 10 samples measured from men and women.


The random nature of solar energy resources is one of the obstacles to their large-scale proliferation in power systems. The most practical way to predict this renewable source of energy is to use meteorological data. However, such data are usually provided in a qualitative form that cannot be exploited using traditional quantitative methods but which can be modeled using fuzzy logic. This paper proposes type-1 and interval type-2 Takagi-Sugeno-Kang (TSK) fuzzy systems for the modeling and prediction of solar power plants. The paper considers TSK models with type-1 antecedents and crisp consequents, type-1 antecedents and consequents, and type-2 antecedents and crisp consequents. The design methodology for tuning the antecedents and consequents of each model is described. Finally, input-output data sets from a solar plant are used to obtain the three TSK models and their prediction results are compared to results from the literature. The results show that type-2 TSK models with type2 antecedents and crisp consequents provide the best performance based on the solar plant data.


3D sensors such as LiDAR, stereo cameras, and radar have been used in many applications, for instance, virtual or augmented reality, real-time immersive communications, and autonomous driving systems. The output of 3D sensors is often represented in the form of point clouds. However, the massive amount of point cloud data generated from 3D sensors poses big challenges in data storage and transmission. Therefore, effective compression schemes are needed for reducing the bandwidth of wireless networks or storage space of 3D point cloud data. Several point cloud compression (PCC) algorithms have been proposed using signal processing or neural network techniques. In this study, we investigate four state-of-the-art PCC methods using two different datasets with various configurations. The objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive understanding of various approaches in PCC. The results of this paper will be helpful in developing an adaptive 3D point cloud stream compression benchmark that is efficient and benefited from different PCC techniques.


Focusing on integrating teaching and learning grammatical structures in real actions and practices has been critical and one of the cornerstones in the Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) domain. This paper emphasizes exposing EFL learners to actual tasks and opportunities they can benefit from in their future careers, along with understanding the meanings and functions of gerunds and infinitives. The situated learning theory was used to frame the current study on EFL students taking the grammar 1 course. The number of students was 60, but the study sample was seven students, which selected randomly. Students were guided to use gerunds and infinitives to develop a cover letter for one of the agencies they selected rather than apply those rules to artificial tasks. The sampled data of the qualitative research was used to analyze students' cover letters by investigating two main concepts. First, their use of gerunds and infinitives; second, the elements of writing professional cover letters. The findings showed students' accurate usage of gerunds and infinitives in different phrases, such as opening, closing, and body paragraphs, to present their educational background and experiences. Thus, the findings showed that the cover letters that have been written by the participants were not the best, but they achieved the general guidelines of creating cover letters and applied the targeted rules. EFL teachers are recommended to enhance their students with variety of authentic tasks that integrate the use of grammatical structures and the practice of using these structurers in real tasks.


Based on great quantity of Pb Sr Nd isotopic data from various mantle and crust derived rocks and ores in Continental China, and global comparison of isotopic and element systematics, especially for the blocks in the eastern Asia, we developed the indexes and mapping methods of isotopic geochemistry for the division of geochemical provinces. The major geochemical provinces in Continental China and their geochemical steep zones, i.e. boundaries, have been established through large scale mapping of Pb isotopic vectors(the values in three dimensions space of 206 Pb/ 204 Pb, 207 Pb/ 204 Pb and 208 Pb/ 204 Pb).The generation of geochemical boundaries was tightly related to inclined combination of plates, as well as craton boundaries resulted in adjustment of lithosphere structure after plate collision. There are parallel or cross relationships between geochemical boundaries and gravity, Moho and magnet gradisnts. The division of geochemical provinces and establishment of their boundaries not only provide important basis for the paleo continent reconstruction and ascertaining plate boundaries, but also can be widely applied to exploration and evaluation of resources, establishment of environment background and pollution sources, as well as calamity forecasting. It is indicated from our study that the giant Au, Cu,Mo,Sn,Ag,Ni,Pb Zn,U,K salt,B,Mg and P deposits of about 90%, and more than 10 large concentrated mineralization districts in Continental China was controlled by the geochemical steep zones. The geochemical provinces constrained on distribution of global oil gas resources, whereas geochemical boundaries particularly controlled the sites of oil gas fields at the craton margins. There are tight relationships between strong destroying earthquakes with shallow sources and craton geochemical boundaries. The occurrence of karst caves and collapses is also closely related to the geochemical boundaries. As background values of Pb isotopes within a geochemical province is quite stable, based on the background values established by geochemical mapping, fast quantitative evaluation for Pb pollution level can be made.


Background: The ubiquity of mobile phones and increasing use of wearable fitness trackers offer a wide-ranging window into people's health and well-being. There are clear advantages in using remote monitoring technologies to gain an insight into health, particularly under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: Covid Collab is a crowdsourced study that was set up to investigate the feasibility of identifying, monitoring, and understanding the stratification of SARS-CoV-2 infection and recovery through remote monitoring technologies. Additionally, we will assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated social measures on people's behavior, physical health, and mental well-being. Methods: Participants will remotely enroll in the study through the Mass Science app to donate historic and prospective mobile phone data, fitness tracking wearable data, and regular COVID-19–related and mental health–related survey data. The data collection period will cover a continuous period (ie, both before and after any reported infections), so that comparisons to a participant's own baseline can be made. We plan to carry out analyses in several areas, which will cover symptomatology; risk factors; the machine learning–based classification of illness; and trajectories of recovery, mental well-being, and activity. Results: As of June 2021, there are over 17,000 participants—largely from the United Kingdom—and enrollment is ongoing. Conclusions: This paper introduces a crowdsourced study that will include remotely enrolled participants to record mobile health data throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The data collected may help researchers investigate a variety of areas, including COVID-19 progression; mental well-being during the pandemic; and the adherence of remote, digitally enrolled participants. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/32587 (JMIR Res Protoc 2021;10(12):e32587) doi: 10.2196/32587


Companies and organizations need to take care of their employees' creative ability. This report gives some examples of work situations that support or prevent creativity. The purpose with this report is to investigate the link between people at work and creativity. It was necessary to delimitate the area and decide which sources to be investigated and presented in the report. The main topic is on sources of creativity, but as more organizations seem to introduce efficiency thinking according to Bornfelt (2009), the interaction between efficiency and creativity is also presented. In this report theory is compared to industrial designers' opinions on creativity. The empirical data consists of a survey which includes the answer from 15 industrial designers at two industrial companies. In the analysis it appeared that the empirical data supported the theory on several points. Some conclusions that can be drawn are that challenge, trust, low influence from a client, great support and good resources in a workplace can benefit creativity. Factors that can prevent creativity are downsizing in the organization, time pressure, a great extent of top management control, poor group dynamic and high demands. For detailed explanations of these conclusions the entire chapter 7 should be read. All individuals are different and this leads to a workplace that affects a person's creativity and wellbeing in many ways. You have to design the workplace and to make it work, so that as many people as possible enjoy their work. What guidelines you could follow to get the ideal workplace are discussed in this report.


Metadiscourse is vital in academic writing, whereas abstracts are arguably considered by some authors to be the most important part of an academic paper. The aim of this paper is to study the evolution of interactional metadiscourse elements present in the abstracts of accounting research articles (RA) published in the Journal of Accounting and Management Information Systems (JAMIS) over the period 2006-2014. 130 RA abstracts were analyzed, yielding a total of 25,570 words. The research design is empirical. The research hypotheses have all been accepted. First, there is a correlation between the publication's maturity and the number of interactional instances. Second, the number of such metadiscourse elements has increased over time. Third, hedges, boosters and attitude markers are the most frequent elements of interactional metadiscourse. This suggests that once Romania underwent historical changes (such as the transition from the communism to capitalism, the integration in the European Union, the adaptation to the internationalization trend in research), Romanian accounting authors became increasingly aware of their place in the competitive scholarly community, whereby this awareness becomes tangible through the increased use of interactional metadiscourse elements.


Supply chain network design (SCND) is a complicated constrained optimization problem that plays a significant role in the business management. This article extends the SCND model to a large-scale SCND with uncertainties (LUSCND), which is more practical but also more challenging. However, it is difficult for traditional approaches to obtain the feasible solutions in the large-scale search space within the limited time. This article proposes a cooperative coevolutionary bare-bones particle swarm optimization (CCBBPSO) with function independent decomposition (FID), called CCBBPSO-FID, for a multiperiod three-echelon LUSCND problem. For the large-scale issue, binary encoding of the original model is converted to integer encoding for dimensionality reduction, and a novel FID is designed to efficiently decompose the problem. For obtaining the feasible solutions, two repair methods are designed to repair the infeasible solutions that appear frequently in the LUSCND problem. A step translation method is proposed to deal with the variables out of bounds, and a labeled reposition operator with adaptive probabilities is designed to repair the infeasible solutions that violate the constraints. Experiments are conducted on 405 instances with three different scales. The results show that CCBBPSO-FID has an evident superiority over contestant algorithms.


Ehrlichia chaffeensis is a tick-transmitted monocytic ehrlichiosis agent primarily causing the disease in people and dogs. We recently described the development and characterization of 55 random mutations in E. chaffeensis, which aided in defining the critical nature of many bacterial genes for its growth in a physiologically relevant canine infection model. In the current study, we tested 45 of the mutants for their infectivity ability to the pathogen's tick vector; Amblyomma americanum. Four mutations resulted in the pathogen's replication deficiency in the tick, similar to the vertebrate host. Mutations causing growth defects in both vertebrate and tick hosts included in genes coding for a predicted alpha/beta hydrolase, a putative dicarboxylate amino acid:cation symporter, a T4SS protein, and predicted membrane-bound proteins. Three mutations caused the bacterial defective growth only in the tick vector, which represented putative membrane proteins. Ten mutations causing no growth defect in the canine host similarly grew well in the tick vector. Mutations in 28 genes/genomic locations causing E. chaffeensis growth attenuation in the canine host were recognized as non-essential for its growth in the tick vector. The tick non-essential genes included genes coding for many metabolic pathway- and outer membrane-associated proteins. This study documents novel vector- and host-specific differences in E. chaffeensis for its functional gene requirements.


We proposed a learning algorithm for nonparametric estimation and on-line prediction for general stationary ergodic sources. We prepare histograms each of which estimates the probability as a finite distribution, and mixture them with weights to construct an estimator. The whole analysis is based on measure theory. The estimator works whether the source is discrete or continuous. If it is stationary ergodic, then the measure theoretically given Kullback-Leibler information divided by the sequence length $n$ converges to zero as $n$ goes to infinity. In particular, for continuous sources, the method does not require existence of a probability density function.


Objective To assess differences in clinical outcome of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) treatment in men and women. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting University Medical Center. Patients 1946 primary prevention ICD recipients (1528 (79%) men and 418 (21%) women). Patients with congenital heart disease were excluded for this analysis. Main outcome measures All-cause mortality, ICD therapy (antitachycardia pacing and shock) and ICD shock. Results During a median follow-up of 3.3 years (25th–75th percentile 1.4–5.4), 387 (25%) men and 76 (18%) women died. The estimated 5-year cumulative incidence for all-cause mortality was 20% (95% CI 18% to 23%) for men and 14% (95% CI 9% to 19%) for women (log rank p<0.01). After adjustment for potential confounding covariates all-cause mortality was lower in women (HR 0.65; 95% CI 0.49 to 0.84; p<0.01). The 5-year cumulative incidence for appropriate therapy in men was 24% (95% CI 21% to 28%) as compared with 20% (95% CI 14% to 26%) in women (log rank p=0.07). After adjustment, a non-significant trend remained (HR 0.82; 95% CI 0.64 to 1.06; p=0.13). Conclusions In clinical practice, 21% of primary prevention ICD recipients are women. Women have lower mortality and tend to experience less appropriate ICD therapy as compared with their male peers.


PURPOSE: The research presented here aimed at establishing a possible link between the level of integration of an immigrant population and the rate of continuity following a prescription for contraception given to women on leaving the maternity clinic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From June 1995 to November 1996, a study was conducted in Valence among 71 women who came from Turkey, sub-Saharan Africa and the Maghreb. Out of 87 women interviewed at the maternity, 71 were seen a second time. As well as taking into consideration socio-demographical factors, the study compared the degree of integration with the use of the prescribed contraceptive method six months after leaving the maternity clinic. RESULTS: The study shows that there is no significant link between the level of integration and the continued use of a contraceptive method six months after birth. The only salient fact is that women who had lived less than 10 years in France systematically used a contraceptive method (P = 0.004, relative risk: 1.44, 95% confidence interval: 1.12-1.84). DISCUSSION: Our study would tend towards the following observation: the more recently the immigrant arrived, the more receptive they were towards proposals made by the medical personnel. We consider that rather than it being the case of either total confidence in, or distrust of, medical contraception, the cultural factor remains important and must be taken into account in any approach among this kind of population. It is more a question of community health education than of medical prescription.


Abstract Besides protection, the variability of assemblages in a marine reserve can result from the geographical features of the locations. Islands present within a marine protected area (MPA) offer an extremely valuable system to test the hypotheses of large-scale spatial patterns in assemblages, particularly when patterns on the islands were contrasted with those of the mainland. In fact, besides the natural causes of variability, insular locations are generally less accessible to humans than those on the mainland, with changing levels of accessibility, on the basis of the distance from the coast. This study examined the interactive effect of protection and geographical siting at Tavolara–Punta Coda Cavallo MPA in Sardinia, Italy, on gastropod species subjected to human harvest. Rocky-shore gastropod assemblages were sampled at locations with different level combinations of protection and accessibility. Results highlighted that assemblages in the MPA have been more significantly influenced by the geographical siting of the locations rather than by protection, as the larger dissimilarities were observed between the mainland and island locations. These results can have important implications for the conservation of marine coastal assemblages, and provide important quantitative information for future estimation of the effects of protection of MPAs. Further, they indicate that the inclusion of representative assemblages within the MPA systems requires targeting rocky shores both on the mainland and on islands, thus providing important tools to improve conservation strategies.


We study the effects of interfacial polarization in and upon a self-assembled ion conductor based on a lamellar block copolymer and a lithium salt. Impedance spectroscopy combined with orientation experiments enable a quantitative analysis of ionic polarization and a direct demonstration of its aligning effect on the interfaces. The time constant of the ionic polarization is larger as expected from Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars theory and attributed to diffusion effects. The much stronger orientation effect of ionic vs dielectric polarization offers a new route to align (ion conducting) microdomains.


In this paper, the formula of material removal rate (MRR) in wafer rotation grinding process is deduced based on kinematics. The main effect on MRR of the grit size and the process parameters, including the rotational speed of the cup grinding wheel, the down feed rate of the grinding wheel spindle and the rotational speed of the chuck table, is both theoretically and experimentally investigated. The influence on MRR of the cup wheel grinding status, the geometric dimension of the cup-grinding wheel, the rigidity of the grinding machine and the coolant is also analyzed. The investigating results show that, the increase of the grit size and the down feed rate of the cup grinding wheel results in great increase of the MRR; the MRR increases as the rotational speed of the cup wheel increases whereas the MRR reduces and the ground surface becomes bad due to size effect if the rotational speed of the cup wheel is overlarge; in normal grinding, the MRR decreases as the rotational speed of the chuck table increases. The results provide a theoretical basis to improve grinding efficiency, reduce grinding cost and select the proper parameters of grinding process.


The main ideas and methods of calculations within the framework of the generating functional technique are considered in a systematical way. The nonequilibrium generating functionals are defined as functional mappings of the nonequilibrium statistical operator and so appear to be dependent on a certain set of macroscopic variables describing the nonequilibrium state of the system. The boundary conditions and the differential equation of motion for the generating functionals are considered which result in an explicit expression for the nonequilibrium generating functionals in terms of the so-called coarse-grained generating functional being the functional mapping of the quasiequilibrium statistical operator. Various types of integral equations are derived for the generating functionals which are convenient to develop the perturbation theories with respect to either small interaction or small density of particles. The master equation for the coarse-grained generating functionals is obtained and its connection with the generalized kinetic equations for a set of macrovariables is shown. The derivation of the generalized kinetic equations for some physical systems (classical and quantum systems of interacting particles, the Kondo system) is treated in detail, with due regard for the polarization effects as well as the energy and momentum exchange between the colliding particles and the surrounding media.


Gravel-filled arrester beds, also called safety-escape ramps or vehicle run-out areas, have long been a road-safety feature for safely stopping heavy road vehicles from running off the road. In the recent past, there has been consideration given to installing these features on highway access ramps to provide safe areas to stop passenger cars driving at highway speeds. The work presented in this article was performed to investigate the behaviour of standard-size passenger cars on gravel-filled arrester beds, with a particular focus on the achievable vehicle decelerations and the ability of the arrester beds to safely stop a passenger car coasting in an uncontrolled manner. The findings show that the achievable average decelerations are in the range of 0.3 g for coasting vehicles and up to 0.9 g when the vehicles are braking. The results prove that more research is required to quantify the influence of the gravel parameters on the achievable decelerations.


Barrera-Fernandez, D. (2016). Attracting visitors to ancient neighbourhoods: Creation and management of the historic city of Plymouth, UK. Groningen: InPlanning. 289 pp. Free e-book. ISBN: 978-94-91937-19-4. DOI code: 10.17418/PHD.2015.9789491937194Tourism considers as an essential tool for achieving European Union objectives and promoting European citizen's interests, increasing employment and growth, developing regions, better managing cultural and natural heritage and strengthening European identity (EU Commission, 2000). Since 1988 urban tourism constituted the most stable part of tourism potential and revenue of European countries (Hollier, 1988) and in the recent years the number of countries with decisions to develop urban and cultural tourism to enhance their economy and regenerate their historical areas has increased rapidly. In the European Union, heritage policies depend on each country and some countries such as UK (Bath), Germany (Heidelberg) and Italy (Florence) successfully attracted significant numbers of visitors to their historic sites and managed to become top heritage tourism destinations. In these cities, tourism is the dominant activity and heritage conservation has become a priority.Current book focuses on the historic city of Plymouth which is a medium size, multifunctional city with regional relevance on the south coast of Devon, the most visited region of the United Kingdom (UK) by nationals and one of the most visited by foreign tourists. According to BarreraFernandez in the number of visitors, Plymouth is in the third place among unitary authorities of the Southwest of England and in the first place among heritage and coastal cities of Devon and Cornwall. Despite other UK's port cities Plymouth was built around, and for, the Royal Navy, not maritime trade, and was once the largest naval base in Europe. The city is not a major traditional heritage or cultural destination but made an effort to change and is continuing to change in relation to the development of urban cultural tourism by offering a complementary product in its region.This book is evolved from doctoral thesis of Daniel Barrera-Fernandez and using British model (Ashworth and Tunbridge, 2000) focuses on the role and importance of heritage preservation and urban tourism in Plymouth. The book has eight sections and addresses the following aims:* First, analyse specific framework of heritage preservation and management in the UK with focus on Plymouth to find out how the heritage framework has evolved and identify the current framework in relation to legislation and the role of administrations involved;* Second, study the historic evolution of urban tourism and the current relevance of tourism-related activities;* Finally study how different stakeholders and initiatives affect the tourist use of the historic city, dividing them into four aspects: heritage and culture, tourism, urban planning and economy.After foreword and acknowledgment the book starts with the first section to introduce the rationale of the research, research questions and methodology. Second section focuses on the historic cities of Europe, urban cultural tourism, heritage values and recent trends and shifts. Third section focuses on the city of Plymouth and discusses its geographic position, its relationship with the sea, importance of the military forces in its history, its urban and local government and socioeconomic approach and finally presents the study's area. Section four focuses on the evolution of preservation and management of Plymouth during the Second World War and consequences on built heritage and discusses the current situation regarding conservation areas, statutory listed buildings and other local listing policies.Section five is about the history of the tourism industry in Plymouth where the author introduces four stages of pre-war antecedents where the city was particularly attractive because of its transoceanic connections; the war and the recovery of the activity where the war destroyed much of the tourist activity and the city made an effort to recover; the changes in the market where British holiday makers changed national destinations for international resorts and there was a need to find new tourist markets; the new management strategies where there was an increase in promotion and creating new events and attractions and visitors' profiles. …


This article explores the identification and analysis of the possible functions, or the instrumental, utilitarian, meaningful, communicative, aesthetic and symbolic, values, from which objects and artifacts are represented, interpreted and renewed, in the context of technological innovation and the prevailing consumer society. The analysis intends to take a safe distance from the strictly teleological, utilitarian, and instrumentalist approaches.


To overcome some of the disadvantages of the mandibular body ostectomy, a sliding osteotomy accomplished by parallel sectionings of the mandible in the regions of the first premolars was used for the treatment of mandibular prognathism in two cases. The osteotomy was performed by an intraoral approach without any damage to the contents of the mental foramen. The anterior segment could be moved back to any desirable position without losing optimum bony contact. An adequate blood supply to the anterior segment was maintained by a large area of periosteal attachment on the lingual side. The method is effective for correction of mandibular prognathism in which a good occlusion cannot be expected by a ramus osteotomy.


Cultural and social factors play an important role in education. Communities, parents, teachers, and peers all contribute to a child's learning and understanding of the world. In pursuit of total inclusion of students with disabilities, it is not enough for teachers and caregivers to value diversity and provide appropriate support. Parents and community members also must help children feel accepted and included in day-to-day encounters. Perhaps most important, the values of respect and inclusion should be instilled in typically developing children. Children with and without special needs should be exposed early and often to the vast diversity of abilities and experiences they will encounter in others. It is during early childhood that their characters and values are forming. In this article, the author explores ways that the Emirate of Abu Dhabi can establish a thoughtful, inclusive education system through parent and teacher education, sound public policy, and activities for young children that celebrate diversity and respect for differences.


It is unknown whether there are racial differences in the heritability of major depressive disorder (MDD) because most psychiatric genetic studies have been conducted in samples comprised largely of white non-Hispanics. To examine potential differences between African-American (AA) and European-American (EA) young adult women in (1) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) MDD prevalence, symptomatology, and risk factors, and (2) genetic and/or environmental liability to MDD, we analyzed data from a large population-representative sample of twins ascertained from birth records (n = 550 AA and n = 3226 EA female twins) aged 18–28 years at the time of MDD assessment by semi-structured psychiatric interview. AA women were more likely to have MDD risk factors; however, there were no significant differences in lifetime MDD prevalence between AA and EA women after adjusting for covariates (odds ratio = 0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.67–1.15). Most MDD risk factors identified among AA women were also associated with MDD at similar magnitudes among EA women. Although the MDD heritability point estimate was higher among AA women than EA women in a model with paths estimated separately by race (56%, 95% CI: 29–78% vs. 41%, 95% CI: 29–52%), the best fitting model was one in which additive genetic and non-shared environmental paths for AA and EA women were constrained to be equal (A = 43%, 33–53% and E = 57%, 47–67%). In spite of a marked elevation in the prevalence of environmental risk exposures related to MDD among AA women, there were no significant differences in lifetime prevalence or heritability of MDD between AA and EA young women.


Numerical modeling and optimization of advanced composite materials can require huge computational effort when considering their heterogeneous mesostructure and interactions between different material phases within the framework of multiscale modeling. Employing machine learning methods for computational homogenization enables the reduction of computational effort for the evaluation of the mesostructural behavior while retaining high accuracy. Classically, one unit cell with representative characteristics of the material is chosen for the description of the heterogeneous structure, which presents a simplification of the actual composite. This contribution presents a neural network‐based approach for computational homogenization of composite materials with the ability to consider arbitrary compositions of the mesostructure. Therefore, various statistical volume elements and their respective constitutive responses are evaluated. Thereby, the naturally occurring fluctuation within the composition of the phases can be considered. Different approaches using distinct metrics to represent the arbitrary mesostructures are investigated in terms of required computational effort and accuracy.


The GERDA experiment searches for neutrinoless double beta (0nbb) decay of Ge-76 using high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors operated in liquid argon (LAr). The aim is to
explore half-lives of the order of 10^26 yr. Therefore, GERDA relies on improved active background reduction techniques such as pulse shape discrimination (PSD) in which the time structure of the germanium signals is analyzed to discriminate signal- from background-like events. Two types of HPGe detectors are operated: semi-coaxial detectors previously used in the Heidelberg-Moscow and IGEX experiments and new Broad Energy Germanium (BEGe) detectors which feature an improved energy resolution and enhanced PSD.
In Phase I of the experiment, five enriched BEGe detectors were used for the first time in the search for 0nbb decay. A PSD based on a single parameter, the ratio of the maximum
current amplitude over the energy A/E is applied. 83% of the background events in a 232 keV region around Qbb are rejected with a high signal efficiency of (92.1 +/- 1.9) %. The achieved background index (BI) is (5.4 +4.1 -3.4) * 10^-3 counts/(keV*kg*yr). This is an improvement by a
factor of 10 compared to previous germanium based 0nbb experiments.
Phase II of the experiment includes a major upgrade: for further background rejection, the LAr cryostat is instrumented to detect argon scintillation light. Additional 25 BEGe detectors are installed. After PSD and LAr veto a BI of (0.7 +1.3 -0.5) * 10^-3 counts/(keV*kg*yr) is achieved.
This is the best BI achieved in 0nbb experiments so far.
A frequentist statistical analysis is performed on the combined data collected in GERDA Phase I and the first Phase II release. A new limit on the half-life of 0nbb decay of Ge-76 is set to T_1/2 > 5.3 * 10^25 yr at 90% C.L., with a median sensitivity of T_1/2 > 4.0 * 10^25 yr at 90%C.L.


We have recently reported the presence of uterine glandular kallikrein in the rat, its mRNA, and its increase in early gestation. This study describes its immunolocalization, by polyclonal antibodies against rat urinary kallikrein, during the estrous cycle and pregnancy, and identifies three members of the kallikrein family. During the estrous cycle, immunoreactivity, represented by an apical rim in the luminal and glandular epithelium, was greater during proestrus. On Day 5 of gestation, the reaction increased, and on Day 6 staining appeared in the apical and basal pole of some cells. On Day 7, staining was markedly increased in the glandular epithelium at the implantation site, frequently occupying the whole cytoplasm, and displaying great intensity in isolated glandular cells; the epithelium of the implantation chamber showed apical immunoreactivity, while the interimplantation zone had a few faintly stained glands. At this stage, the staining represented expression of two of the enzymes, rK1 and rK7. On Days 9 and 10, the staining disappeared, to reappear on Day 12 in the cells underlying the blood vessels of the central subplacental region. On Days 16 and 21, kallikrein staining surrounded the subendothelium of the sinusoids of the whole decidua basalis. This subplacental reaction represented expression of rK1, rK2, and rK7. This study shows important changes in the immunocytochemical expression of three uterine kallikrein-like enzymes during the reproductive cycle, associated with different hormonal milieus and with local stimulation. The localization of these enzymes is associated with areas involved in implantation, trophoblast penetration, and placental blood flow regulation.


Popular Abstract in English Antonie van Leeuwenhoek is known as the father of microbiology, because he made the first microscopic observation of bacteria in human history, published in 1683. For the naked human eyes, bacterial cells are too small to observe, and the development of microscopy techniques has since then been fundamental for examining bacterial cells. Recent advances in visualizing tools, including uses of fluorescent tags, super-resolution microscopy, and cryo-electron tomography, have even enabled us to scrutinize the inside of bacterial cells. Our understanding of bacterial cellular organization has remarkably progressed in the last 2 decades. It turned out that bacteria have a very elaborate cellular organization, and that not only the temporal, but also spatial orchestration of different cellular processes is essential for the viability of cells. Thus, the once prevailing notion of 'bacteria as bags of randomly diffusing enzymes and chemicals' was completely wrong. But, how do bacteria, lacking any membrane bound-organelles, achieve the intricate cellular organization in their cytoplasm? Bacterial cytoskeletons mediate spatial organization of proteins. Bacteria were shown to possess counterparts of major eukaryotic cytoskeleton components, such as the actin homologue MreB or the tubulin homologue FtsZ, but bacteria-specific cytoskeletal proteins with no eukaryotic counterparts have also been identified. There have been numerous studies to characterize bacterial cytoskeletons using in vivo, biochemistry or structural biology tools. However, how bacterial cytoskeletons are interacting with each other in the cytoplasm has not been well explored in bacteria. One of the aims of this thesis is to expose the biological significance of interplays between cytoskeletal proteins in our model system. This thesis concerns one type of cytoskeletal proteins, so-called coiled coil proteins that contribute to spatial organization of other proteins by acting as scaffolds, and can also provide mechanical strength to cells. We have particularly focused on bacterial intermediate filament-like proteins that display similar properties to metazoan intermediate filament (IF) proteins. IFs, actin microfilaments and microtubules constitute the three main cytoskeletal systems of metazoan cells. Used organism in this thesis is Steptomyces, a soil-dwelling mycelial bacterium belonging to the phylum Actinobacteria that is well known for production of a large variety of secondary metabolites, including antibiotics. However, my study exploited Streptomyces as a model organism in cell biology. Streptomyces has a unique mode of growth, it grows both by extending the tips of multicellular hyphae, and by forming new branches. It also exhibits a truly complex life cycle (Figure. 1), offering a genetically tractable system to learn fundamental processes such as cell polarity or regulated differentiation. Our group previously reported that a coiled coil protein called FilP (filament-forming protein) in Streptomyces, has several properties of IF proteins. For example, FilP forms filaments without any cofactors in vitro, and assembles into cytoskeletal structures in vivo that contribute to the rigidity and elasticity of Streptomyces hyphae. An important function of animal IFs, such as keratins in the skin cells, is to give mechanical strength to the cells and support their integrity in stress conditions. Studies of human IFs, however, are technically challenging because they need to be studied in differentiated animal cells. Further investigation of FilP properties in a genetically and cell-biologically tractable Streptomyces might thus be useful in understanding the basic molecular mechanisms of human IFs. The investigation of coiled coil cytoskeletons was also extended to studying the cellular responses to hyper-osmotic stress in Streptomyces. Our motivations for the study were to understand 1) what are the biological roles of coiled coil cytoskeletons during osmotic stress in Streptomyces, 2) if turgor is a driving force in Streptomyces cell elongation, as suggested for rod-shaped bacteria and shown in several eukaryotic tip-growing organisms. The first chapter (Chapter I) of the thesis gives a general background on the topics of coiled coil proteins, Streptomyces apical growth, Streptomyces coiled coil cytoskeletons, and osmotic stress responses in bacteria. In Chapter II, my own research will be presented and discussed. The main focus is to elucidate the mechanism how intrinsically non-dynamic FilP behaves dynamically in hyphae, and the biological function of FilP as a bona fide cytoskeleton. These two will be discussed in relation to interactions between FilP and DivIVA, in vitro polymerization of FilP network, and polarisome complex of Streptomyces hyphae. At the end, our new finding in Streptomyces cellular response to osmotic stress will be discussed. (Less)


Modeling and cage experiments suggest that mosquito gene drive systems will enable malaria eradication, but establishing safety and efficacy requires field-testing in isolated populations. Documenting genetic isolation is notoriously difficult for species with vast polymorphic populations like the principal African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. Using genome-wide variation, we assess Lake Victoria islands as candidate field-testing sites. One island, 30 kilometers offshore, is as differentiated from mainland samples as populations from across the continent, and we confirm isolation using adaptive variation as a powerful assay of connectivity. Collectively, our results suggest sufficient contemporary isolation of these islands to warrant consideration as field-testing locations.


We have measured lifetimes for 24 terms in P I-P V using the beam-foil technique in the vacuum UV region. The results have been compared with theoretical calculations and with other experimental values. Several significant discrepancies with earlier results have been found. We present the first experimental lifetimes for 9 terms. Most of our lifetimes can be converted directly into f-values, and we discuss these in relation to trends along isoelectronic sequences. Configuration interaction is found to be important for several transitions. We also suggest a revision of the recently-determined abundance of phosphorus in interstellar clouds, based upon our new f-value for the 1 308 ? multiplet in P II.


A brand ambassador is an effort made by a company to convey or promote its product brand through a celebrity as someone who promotes product advertisements to present the best image of a product with the aim that the advertised brand is immediately accepted by consumers and invites consumers to want to use the product. This study aims to determine the effect of Yuki Kato's brand ambassador on the purchasing decision of Senka Perfect Whip. This study uses stimulus-response theory and quantitative methods by distributing questionnaires to 400 respondents to followers of the @yukikt Instagram account. This study indicates the influence of brand ambassadors from four indicators, namely visibility, credibility, attractiveness, and strength. In addition, purchasing decisions consist of two indicators: attitude change and behavior change.


We previously reported a novel inhibitor of the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase, which is a target for novel radiosensitizing drugs. While our initial lead, compound 4, was relatively potent and nontoxic, it exhibited poor stability to oxidative metabolism and relatively poor selectivity against other kinases. The current study focused on balancing potency and selectivity with metabolic stability through structural modification to the metabolized site on the quinazoline core. We performed extensive structure-activity and structure-property relationship studies on this quinazoline ATM kinase inhibitor in order to identify structural variants with enhanced selectivity and metabolic stability. We show that, while the C-7-methoxy group is essential for potency, replacing the C-6-methoxy group considerably improves metabolic stability without affecting potency. Promising analogues 20, 27g, and 27n were selected based on in vitro pharmacology and evaluated in murine pharmacokinetic and tolerability studies. Compound 27g possessed significantly improve pharmacokinetics relative to that of 4. Compound 27g was also significantly more selective against other kinases than 4. Therefore, 27g is a good candidate for further development as a potential radiosensitizer.


Transition metal chalcogenides have emerged as unique electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) during which they usually undergo an oxidation transformation into active oxides/(oxy)hydroxides. However, the transformation is so rapid that a high exposure of as-transformed (oxy)hydroxides cannot be achieved, thereby hindering the OER efficiency of the electrocatalyst. Herein, we report a simple self-sacrificing strategy to increase this exposure. A trimetallic selenide heterostructure (FeCoMo-Se) consisting of FeSe2, CoSe2 and MoSe2 is first one-step synthesized on a carbon cloth substrate. The heterostructure possesses a thin nanosheet morphology due to the support of MoSe2 nanosheets as a structural template. Under OER conditions, FeSe2 and CoSe2 are then in situ converted to FeCo-oxyhydroxide while retaining the nanosheet morphology of the heterostructure. Interestingly, MoSe2 is self-sacrificially dissolved and hence leaves considerable space to increase the exposure of FeCo-oxyhydroxide to the electrolyte. Such an advantageous nanostructure endows the FeCoMo-Se-transformed electrocatalyst with excellent OER performance in an alkaline medium, which is much higher than the non-MoSe2-containing selenide FeCo-Se. Density functional calculations demonstrate the favorable intermediate bindings in FeCo-oxyhydroxide. This novel self-sacrificing strategy opens up new avenues in the development of high-performance OER electrocatalysts with respect to their in situ oxidation transformation.


Chronic renal allograft dysfunction (CRAD) is the most common cause of graft failure following renal transplantation. However, the underlying mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. Immunosuppressants and hyperlipidemia are associated with renal fibrosis following long-term use. The present study aimed to determine the effects of tacrolimus (FK506) and lipid metabolism disorder on CRAD. In vitro and in vivo models were used for this investigation. Cells of the mouse proximal renal tubular epithelial cell strain, NRK-52E, were cultured either with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), FK506, ox-LDL combined with FK506, or vehicle, respectively. Changes in cell morphology and changes in the levels of lectin-like ox-LDL receptor-1 (LOX-1), reactive oxygen species (ROS), hydrogen peroxide and fibrosis-associated genes were evaluated at 24, 48 and 72 h. In separate experiment, total of 60 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into four groups, which included a high-fat group, FK506 group, high-fat combined with FK506 group, and control group. After 2, 4 and 8 weeks, the serum lipid levels, the levels of ox-LDL, ROS, and the expression levels of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and connective tissue growth factor were determined. The in vitro and in vivo models revealed that lipid metabolism disorder and FK506 caused oxidative stress and a fibrogenic response. In addition, decreased levels of LOX-1 markedly reduced the levels of TGF-β1 in the in vitro model. Taken together, FK506 and dyslipidemia were found to be associated with CRAD following transplantation.


We describe an active and latent tuberculosis (TB) screening programme undertaken in Manchester, UK in response to the arrival of a cohort of refugees from Afghanistan. In total, 217 adults and 347 children were offered screening, which involved a symptom questionnaire, Mantoux test or interferon gamma release assay, blood-borne virus screening and a chest X-ray in participants over the age of 11. We found a latent TB infection (LTBI) rate of 15% in adults and 1.5% in children, which is lower than global LTBI estimates. One case of active TB was detected. Screening was undertaken in the hotels where participants were temporarily housed, leading to high participant engagement levels. Attendance rates were almost doubled compared with a previous hospital-based screening programme. Hotel-based screening for TB presented several challenges, including transfer of information and results to secondary care. Understanding these challenges and learning from the programme has helped us refine our screening protocol to optimise migrant TB screening in Manchester in the future.


Background: Sedentary behavior (SB) is associated with several chronic diseases and office workers especially are at increased risk. SB is defined by a sitting or reclined body posture with an energy expenditure of ≤1.5 metabolic equivalents. However, current objective methods to measure SB are not consistent with its definition. There is no consensus on which sensor placement and type should be used. Aim: To compare the accuracy of newly developed artificial intelligence models for 15 sensor placements in combination with four signal types (accelerometer only/plus gyroscope and/or magnetometer) to detect posture and physical in-/activity during desk-based activities. Method: Signal features for the model development were extracted from sensor raw data of 30 office workers performing 10 desk-based tasks, each lasting 5 min. Direct observation (posture) and indirect calorimetry (in-/activity) served as the reference criteria. The best classification model for each sensor was identified and compared among the sensor placements, both using Friedman and post hoc Wilcoxon tests (p ≤ .05). Results: Posture was most accurately measured with a lower body sensor, while in-/activity was most accurately measured with an upper body or waist sensor. The inclusion of additional signal types improved the posture classification for some placements, while the acceleration signal already contained the relevant signal information for the in-/activity classification. Overall, the thigh accelerometer most accurately classified desk-based SB. Conclusion: This study favors, in line with previous work, the measurement of SB with a thigh-worn accelerometer and adds the information that this sensor is also accurate in measuring physical in-/activity while sitting and standing.


Recent developments in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are pushing scenarios where application intelligence is no longer relegated to the fringes of the system (i.e., on a data sink running on a powerful node) rather it is distributed within the WSN itself.To support this scenario, we propose TeenyLIME, a tuple space model and middleware supporting applications where sensing and acting devices themselves drive the network behavior. In other words, the application core is not confined to the powerful sinks, rather it is deployed on the devices embedded within the physical world. Tuple space operations are used both for data collection as well as to effect coordination among sensing and acting devices. This paper describes the TeenyLIME model and corresponding middleware implementation.


The literature has highlighted the importance of providingparents, caregivers and teachers of people with special needs, such as people with Down Syndrome (DS), with useful information for performing adequate dental hygiene techniques; however, there is a lack of scientific resources of the kind in the Venezuelan context.  Objective : The objective of the present paper is to provide some guidelinesfor the care of dental hygiene in people with DS. Results : The guidelines presented are addressed to parents, teachers and caregivers include a protocol for the assistance of those who cannot perform the techniques by themselves (assisted hygiene) and other for those who can (supervised hygiene). On the one hand, the assisted hygiene protocol is useful for offering higher life quality to people that due to the level of motor and intellectual handicap are not able to achieve the task on their own. On the other hand, the supervised hygiene protocol is useful in both home and school because it lets a single teacher to help small groups of persons with DS during the performance of dental hygiene techniques; in this sense the teacher does not only enhance the habit formation but also verifies the quality of the product of such a task. Conclusions : With the use of any of the aforementioned protocols it is possible to help people with DS to keep an adequate dental hygiene and thus to minimize the possibilities for presenting gums diseases as well as other oral health issues.


2741 should include 4,164 patients to show a significant difference in intensive care unit mortality. Additional knowledge concerning reactivation based on CMV DNA polymerase chain reaction would reduce the number of patients needed to show an adequately powered significant outcome difference. Cook and Limaye suggested us to analyze the elevation in anti-CMV immunoglobulin G rather than comparing patients with positive to patients with negative titers. We deliberately chose not to use titers because of a lack of specificity, as stated by Cook and Trgovcich (3). We agree that identifying high-risk patients using clinical and demographic parameters will be difficult. However, we think that an additional prospective study investigating risk factors for reactivation based on CMV DNA polymerase chain reaction would be useful. Identifying patients at risk for reactivation would limit the number of patients unnecessarily exposed to the myelotoxic effects of ganciclovir. Cook and Limaye stated that an interventional study is justified as long as there is a careful safety monitoring and adequate statistical power. Previous studies in mice infected with murine CMV show that reactivation is importantly reduced when administering ganciclovir. Histologic examination showed a reduced pulmonary fibrosis (4). The study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NCT01335932) is limited to patients intubated for acute lung injury and has the surrogate markers serum interleukin-6 level and its change between baseline and 14 days postrandomization as primary end points. Prophylaxis using ganciclovir or valganciclovir vs. placebo will be compared in 160 patients. This study is limited to a selected patient population more likely to benefit and is exploratory because surrogate markers are the primary end point. We look forward to the results of this study. The authors have not disclosed any potential conflicts of interest.


For over forty years, foreign aid has been one of the key development instruments for Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, specifically, and the African region as a whole. Foreign aid is largely channeled to assist the growth of the recipient countries by supplementing savings and foreign exchange constraints of the recipient countries. However, despite the huge flow of aid to SSA countries, economic growth is still low. This makes the region underdeveloped with high poverty rates. Besides foreign aid, SSA countries also experience a substantial increase in the flows of foreign direct investment (FDI), although the share is still small compared to the flows of FDI to other developing countries as a whole. Despite having more FDI now compared to previous decades, the region still experiences low economic growth. Another important issue in this respect is that the literature reveals that foreign aid and FDI cannot promote growth if they are associated with a higher level of corruption as corruption itself discourages growth. Against this background, this study intends to a) analyze the long run relationship between foreign aid, FDI and economic growth in Sub-Saharan African countries; (b) explore the empirical nexus between foreign aid and FDI flows in SSA countries; and (c) investigate the impact of foreign aid flows on the level of corruption in SSA countries.
Two methodologies were used to achieve the stated objectives. For the first and second objectives, the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) approach was used, while for the third objective, a Quantile Regression approach was applied. The analyzed data covered the period of 1996 to 2010 for the first objective (with 41 sample countries); 1990 to 2010 for the second objective (45 countries); and 2000 to 2010 for the third objective (42 countries).
The findings reveal that while foreign aid has a negative effect on growth, the impact of FDI is positive but statistically insignificant. Aid from different bilateral donors was found to have a different impact on growth. The results further indicate that all three categories of aid (total, bilateral, and multilateral) have a direct positive effect on the flow of FDI. Moreover, the findings indicate that poor institutional quality is associated with the low inflow of FDI into SSA countries. Concerning the link between foreign aid and corruption, the results show that aid has the tendency of increasing the corruption levels of SSA countries. The results further reveal that aid from different bilateral sources has a different impact on corruption. That is, aid from some bilateral donors such as France and US reduce corruption while aid from some other bilateral donors (UK, Canada, and Germany) increases corruption.
Based on the findings, the study suggests that the allocation of aid should be targeted towards the improvement of institutional quality in order to generate the desired outcome of high economic growth. Moreover, it is highly crucial to ensure that the aid fund is allocated to the most productive sectors so that a substantial improvement could be achieved in the economic growth and welfare of SSA countries. This could be achieved if the coordination between the various donors (bilateral and multilateral) is also improved. Since current allocation of aid seem to be associated with increase of corruption, the allocation policy should be revisited to ensure that aid improve the quality of institution and governance of recipient countries in order to reduce the level of corruption. This would eventually ensure more inflows of aid and FDI in the future and will result in a noticeable impact on the economic growth of SSA countries.


Objective: To discuss the feasibility and safety of modified side overlap with fundoplication by Yamashita (mSOFY) in laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy. Methods: Using the method of descriptive case series study, the clinical data of 9 patients with upper gastric cancer who successfully performed mSOFY anastomosis from March 2022 to October 2022 in the Affiliated Huaian No.1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were retrospectively analyzed.The reconstruction steps of mSOFY anastomosis are as follows: (1) Make a small incision on the right side of the esophageal stump and in front of the anterior wall of the gastric stump; (2) The 45mm linear cutting stapler is placed into the preset anastomosis of the esophagus and the remnant stomach, and the esophagus is rotated 90° counterclockwise along the axis, so that the right wall of the esophagus is anastomosed with the remnant stomach, and the stomach wall is sutured to the left side of the esophagus; (3) The common opening of esophagus and remnant stomach was sutured with inverted suture; (4)Suture the left and lower sides of the esophagus with the remnant stomach to make the esophagus flat against the stomach wall; (5) Open the sutured common opening: due to the pressure of the false dome, the posterior wall of the lower esophageal segment was compressed into a valve-like structure. We mainly observing the postoperative reflux and nutritional improvement of the patients, and recording the intraoperative situation and postoperative complications. Results: Nine patients with upper gastric cancer who completed laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy (mSOFY anastomosis) did not have conversion to laparotomy or intraoperative / postoperative complications. The operation time was (169.4±10.4) minutes, the anastomotic reconstruction time was (51.7±7.1) minutes, the intraoperative bleeding volume was (98.9±43.4) ml, and the number of lymph nodes dissected was (27.2±6.7). The patient recovered well after operation, without any complaints related to reflux esophagitis. Postoperative gastrointestinal radiography showed that the anastomosis was smooth, without stenosis and leakage. The serum albumin [(41.6±3.4) L vs. (39.9±2.6) L], prealbumin [(211.3±38.6) mg/L vs. (205.3±36.0) mg/L], and hemoglobin levels [(126.7±13.2) g/L vs. (121.0±9.7) g/L] of patients before and one month after surgery have no statistically significant differences (all P>0.05). Conclusion: mSOFY anastomosis can be used as one of the safe and feasible reconstruction methods in laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy.


The Japanese Circulation Society have long been involved in the development of practice guidelines designed to assist physicians in the management of chronic heart failure. Importantly, as our population ages, the incidence of chronic heart failure and its mortality rate will continue to increase. Furthermore, recent advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of chronic heart failure and new developments in the therapy of this disorder have greatly expanded the information base which to make decisions. The guidelines for the evaluation and management of chronic heart failure were developed by cardiovascular specialists and were based primarily on a comprehensive review of published reports. Furthermore, these guidelines are based on the assumption that the resources necessary to provide this care readily available.


A focused gallium ion (Ga+) beam is used to fabricate micro/submicron spacing gratings on the surface of porous NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA). The crossing type of gratings with double-frequency (2500 l/mm and 5000 l/mm) using the focused ion beam (FIB) milling are successfully produced in a combination mode or superposition mode. Based on the double-frequency gratings, high-quality scanning electron microscopy (SEM) Moiré patterns are obtained to study the micro-scale deformation of porous NiTi SMA. The grating fabrication technique is discussed in detail. The experimental results verify the feasibility of fabricating high frequency grating on metal surface using FIB milling.


The present study explored the sensitivity of the force-velocity (F-V) modelling approach obtained from maximal sprints on a leg cycle ergometer to detect selective changes of the mechanical capacities of the lower body muscles associated with high-level training. Specifically, we assumed that the F-V relationship parameters, such as maximum force (F0), velocity (V0), power (PM) and slope, would differ among individuals of different high-level training backgrounds. In total, 111 elite athletes divided into four groups (Combat sports, Athletic sprints, Team sports and Physically active) performed maximal sprints on a leg cycle ergometer loaded with 7%, 9%, and 11% of body weight. The findings obtained suggest an exceptionably strong and linear F-V relationship in most of the participants (r > 0.95), while higher PM have been found in all groups of athletes compared to the Physically active group (p < 0.05). In addition, sport-specific F-V profiles have been observed in athletes that belong to distinctively different sports (i.e. higher F0 and forceoriented slope for strength-trained Combat sports and higher V0 for speed-trained Athletic sprints). To our knowledge, this is one of the rare studies that evaluate the F-V profiles with such a large sample of elite athletes obtained from commonly used task such as maximal sprints on a leg cycle ergometer. The results obtained support a high sensitivity of the F-V modelling approach to distinguish among elite athletes with different training histories.


Within the present manuscript, I outline transformational leadership as a concept, identify gaps in our current empirical understanding of the concept, clarify a host of conceptual issues, and suggest some initial ideas around how we as a field may attend to measurement problems that have hampered the advancement of research examining transformational leadership at more than a behavioural level. Specifically, I critically challenge (1) use of the term authentic transformational leadership, and (2) definitions of transformational leaders. It is hoped that in clarifying these misconceptions, the field may be able to advance more clearly in its collective use of language.


OBJECTIVE
Many studies have shown that children born small for gestational age (SGA) are at a neurodevelopmental disadvantage. We have shown that nutrient enrichment of formula fed to term SGA infants improves their growth and hypothesized that it also would improve their neurodevelopmental outcome.

DESIGN
A randomized, controlled trial of standard term-infant (n = 147) or nutrient-enriched (n = 152) formula for the first 9 months. A reference group of 175 breastfed SGA infants was also recruited.

SETTING
Subjects were recruited in 5 maternity hospitals in Cambridge, Nottingham, and Leicester, all in the United Kingdom.

PARTICIPANTS
Healthy, term infants (gestation: > or =37 weeks) with birth weight <10th centile.

OUTCOME MEASURES
Bayley mental and psychomotor scores at 18 months (primary) and developmental scores from Knobloch, Pasamanick, and Sherrard's developmental screening inventory at 9 months (secondary).

RESULTS
There was no significant intergroup difference in Bayley Mental Development Index (MDI) or Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) scores at 18 months. However, at 9 months, children fed the enriched formula had a significantly lower developmental quotient (99.5 vs 102.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] for difference: -4.6, -0.4). A significant disadvantage was seen in girls (-5.1; 95% CI: -7.8, -2.4) but not in boys (0.9; 95% CI: -2.4, 4.2). Breastfed infants had significantly higher MDI and PDI scores at 18 months than formula-fed infants. Confounding factors accounted for approximately 34% of the observed association between breastfeeding and MDI score and none of the association between breastfeeding and PDI score.

CONCLUSIONS
The previously reported enhanced linear growth in SGA children fed enriched formula was not matched by a neurodevelopmental advantage. At 9 months, girls fed the enriched formula had a significant developmental disadvantage, although this was not seen at 18 months. Later follow-up will determine any long-term effects on health or development. Meanwhile, use of enriched formula for term SGA children should not be promoted. It seems that breastfeeding may be especially beneficial for neurodevelopment in children born SGA.


Optoelectronic memristors hold the most potential for realizing next-generation neuromorphic computation; however, memristive devices that can integrate excellent resistive switching and both electrical-/light-induced bio-synaptic behaviors are still challenging to develop. In this study, an artificial optoelectronic synapse is proposed and realized using a kesterite-based memristor with Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) as the switching material and Mo/Ag as the back/top electrode. Benefiting from unique electrical features and a bi-layered structure of CZTSSe, the memristor exhibits highly stable nonvolatile resistive switching with excellent spatial uniformity, concentrated Set/Reset voltage distribution (variation <0.08/0.02 V), high On/Off ratio (>104), and long retention time (>104 s). A possible mechanism of the switching behavior in such a device is proposed. Furthermore, these memristors successfully achieve essential bio-synaptic functions under both electrical and various visible light (470-655 nm) stimulations, including electrical-induced excitatory postsynaptic current, paired pulse facilitation, long-term potentiation, long-term depression, spike-timing-dependent plasticity, as well as light-stimulated short-/long-term plasticity and learning-forgetting-relearning process. As such, the proposed neotype kesterite-based memristor demonstrates significant potential in facilitating artificial optoelectronic synapses and enabling neuromorphic computation.


An appropriate kinetic law that governs some important conditions of the reaction process for dehydrated castor monoglyceride modified alkyd resin has been developed. A kinetic experiment was conducted following a standard procedure. The classical third order conversion rate model was utilized in determining the rate parameters while the viscosity-conversion model suggested by the free-volume theory was applied for the viscosity kinetics studies. The kinetic model considered for this study adequately predicts the reaction progress even beyond the actual gelation point. The effects of the system parameters on both the predicted yields and the corresponding conversion rates were documented in a well-designed sampling space implemented by statistical screening optimization paradigm. The effects of system parameters on the reaction rates further investigated based on Arrhenius equation detect a heavy mass transfer resistance during the esterification process. A detailed analysis of the response reveals a deviation from linear first order kinetics and possible transition to second and higher order kinetics in the later stages of the esterification reaction.


While numbers of students with disabilities continue to rise in postsecondary education, little is known about the extent to which the scholarship on this student population has kept pace. A critical content analysis was conducted to review articles on students with disabilities published in top-tier journals of higher education between 1990 and 2010. Topical and methodological trends and limitations were examined, revealing that the depth and breadth of research on students with disabilities is vastly limited in mainstream journals of higher education. Recommendations are made for future research to fill gaps in methodology and topic areas.


This paper deals with information retrieval on semantically enriched web-scale document collections. It particularly focuses on web-crawled content in which mentions of entities appearing in Freebase, DBpedia and other Linked Open Data resources have been identified. A special attention is paid to indexing structures and advanced query mechanisms that have been employed into a new semantic retrieval system. Scalability features are discussed together with performance statistics and results of experimental evaluation of presented approaches. Examples given to demonstrate key features of the developed solution correspond to the cultural heritage domain in which the results of our work have been primarily applied.


In this review, we emphasize the recent progress achieved in understanding the behaviour of unstable detonations through the interaction of theoretical, asymp totic, and numerical ideas. Theoretical predictions and numerical simulations for unstable one-dimensional detonations are described in detail as an important testing ground for the more complex ideas and phenomena that occur in several space dimensions. The linear and nonlinear theories for unstable detonations are generalized to several space dimensions. A new dedicated numerical method leads to better insight into the physical phenomena of unstable detonations, such as the nature of the turbulence generated in the wake of the front. Simplified models derived through asymptotics and comparisons between theoretical and numerical predictions are stressed throughout this paper.


Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Abstract Montalvo, S, Martinez, A, Arias, S, Lozano, A, Gonzalez, MP, Dietze-Hermosa, MS, Boyea, BL, and Dorgo, S. Smartwatches and commercial heart rate monitors: a concurrent validity analysis. J Strength Cond Res 37(9): 1802–1808, 2023—The purpose of this study was to explore the concurrent validity of 2 commercial smartwatches (Apple Watch Series 6 and 7) against a clinical criterion device (12-lead electrocardiogram [ECG]) and a field criterion device (Polar H-10) during exercise. Twenty-four male collegiate football players and 20 recreationally active young adults (10 men and 10 women) were recruited and participated in a treadmill-based exercise session. The testing protocol included 3 minutes of standing still (resting), then walking at low intensity, jogging at a moderate intensity, running at a high intensity, and postexercise recovery. The intraclass correlation (ICC2,k), and Bland-Altman plot analyses showed a good validity of the Apple Watch Series 6 and Series 7 with increased error (bias) as jogging and running speed increased in the football and recreational athletes. The Apple Watch Series 6 and 7 are highly valid smartwatches at rest and different exercise intensities, with validity decreasing with increased running speed. Strength and conditioning professionals and athletes can confidently use the Apple Watch Series 6 and 7 when tracking heart rate; however, caution must be taken when running at moderate or higher speeds. The Polar H-10 can surrogate a clinical ECG for practical applications.


With growing competitiveness in the national as well as international markets, brands have increasing importance in consumer decision making process. Brands help consumers to choose products that satisfy their needs, fit their emotions and help them demonstrate their place in the society. Current financial crises proved that strong brands can do well even in bad times. Global brands ranked at the top of the most valued world ́s brands put a lot of efforts in development of the right positioning, keeping it up-to-date and consistent across all brand ́s activities. Positioning is broadly used tool of brand development but deep analyses and real cases of positioning development are rare. The objective of this paper is to analyse the existing theoretical fundamentals of positioning as well as day-today business practices and following that to formulate a positioning development model, a tool that will help marketers in brand management to create proper brand positioning and develop intended consumer brand perception.


This thesis seeks to understand how political awareness affects what information one uses to indicate their approval or disapproval of Congress and its members. More concisely, do more and less aware individuals rely on the same pieces of political information to mold their opinions of Congress? The second question of concern is what role does media consumption play in informing survey respondents about Congress. Third, I consider how survey respondents use cues like the condition of the economy and presidential job performance to help formulate their opinion of Congress Finally, by applying the Congressional approval literature to incumbent level approval, I seek to advance the theory and literature on what motivates the approval of incumbents.


Metaballs are a type of implicit surface that are used to model organic-looking shapes and fluids. Accurate rendering of three-dimensional metaballs is typically done using raycasting, which is computationally expensive and not suitable for real-time applications, therefore different approximate methods for rendering metaballs have been developed. In this thesis, the foundations of metaballs and neural networks are discussed, and a new approach to rendering metaballs using Deep Learning that is fast enough for use in real-time applications is presented. The system uses an image-to-image translation approach. For that, first the metaballs are rendered using a very simplified representation to an image. This image is then used as input to a neural network that outputs a depth, normal and base color buffer that can be combined using a deferred shading renderer to produce a final image.


The multiple timescales perturbation theory is used to investigate the case of a weakly unstable two warm stream near a marginally stable state. The water bag model equations, which are equivalent to the adiabatic macroscopic equations, are used. The perturbation theory shows that the inclusion of higher order nonlinear terms lead to periodic, but not sinusoidal, solutions for the perturbed electric field. This means that a saturation mechanism is identified.


In this thesis, Karl Popper's paradigm of openness and closure is employed in order to investigate organisational culture in German corporations with respect to three issues: (1) whether organisational culture tends to correspond to or contradict the pattern of peer-group, or concertive, control that has recently been identified in organisations; (2) to what extent organisational cultures in Germany match German national culture; and (3) how German corporations react to the dilemma of being constrained by the extremes of openness and closure. In doing so, the position of German corporations are identified in relation to the concepts of openness and closure. With regard to the first issue, the current discourse on concertive control in critical organisation studies is outlined, and fourteen German manufacturing companies are investigated employing a questionnaire. Two broad clusters of organisational cultures are identified and it is concluded that one cluster matches the pattern of concertive control, whereas the other does not. With regard to the second issue, German national culture is outlined on the basis of secondary sources. Drawing on the organisational cultures identified, it turns out that they considerably correspond to national culture. With respect to the third issue, two kinds of company-internal differentiation, interfunctional and interdimensional, are investigated as possible mechanisms of reacting to the dilemma. Interdimensional differentiation is ascertained to be the preferred strategy. The question of whether German corporations tend towards openness or closure is answered by referring to the two identified clusters of organisational culture. One cluster has considerable traits of closure, whereas the other is more open.


Platelets express Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and this has been shown to be responsible for the thrombocytopenia induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration in vivo. We studied the role of LPS in mediating platelet phagocytosis by THP-1 cells in vitro by flow cytometry. Opsonization of platelets with an IgG monoclonal (W6/32) antibody or with IgG autoantibody-positive sera from patients with autoimmune thrombocytopenia (AITP) significantly enhanced platelet phagocytosis (P < .001). In contrast, platelet phagocytosis did not occur if platelets were bound with only LPS. If, however, the LPS-bound platelets were also opsonized with either W6/32 or autoantibody-positive sera with titers greater than 4, there was a significant and synergistic increase in Fc-dependent platelet phagocytosis (P < .001, P = .003, P = .048, and P = .047). These results suggest that, in the presence of antiplatelet antibodies, bacterial products can significantly alter platelet phagocytosis, and this may have relevance to how Gram-negative infections enhance platelet destruction in some patients with AITP.


Background: To evaluate the effects of naloxone on opioid-induced side effects, the present meta-analysis was constructed. Methods: Electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, and CNKI (China National Knowledge Internet) were used for literature search. Studies on comparison of opioid-side effects between naloxone-treated group and placebo or normal saline-related group were included in the meta-analysis. Heterogeneity analysis was performed with Chi-square and I 2 test. Pooled analysis was based on fixed-effects model, if heterogeneity between the eligible studies was negligible (I 2 < 50%, P > 0.05), otherwise, random-effects model was used. Sensitivity analysis was applied to assess the robustness of the results and publication bias was evaluated by Begg and Egger test. Results: Thirteen studies including 1138 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled analysis indicated that naloxone could significantly reduce the occurrence of pruritus (RR [risk ratio] = 0.252, 95% CI [confidence interval] = 0.137–0.464), nausea (RR = 0.323, 95% CI = 0.245–0.428), and vomiting (RR = 0.338, 95% CI = 0.192–0.593) which were induced by opioids. However, naloxone did not relieve pain (standardized mean difference [SMD] = −0.052, 95% CI = −0.453 to 0.348) and somnolence (RR = 0.561, 95% CI = 0.287 to 1.097) in patients received opioid treatment. Additionally, there were no significant publication bias between the included studies (Begg test, P = 0.602; Egger test, P = 0.388). Conclusion: Addition of naloxone might act as an effective treatment for prophylaxis of opioid-induced pruritus, nausea, and vomiting in clinical practice.