X-Ray-based analytical methods can be applied in an absolute fashion, provided that matrix effects are calculated and that parameters related to instrumental factors are controlled (Newbury, 1986). When EPMA (Electron Probe Micro Analysis) was conceived at the end of the 60's, this potentiality was abandoned, as the instrument works in a relative fashion, by comparison with standards. At the end of the 70's and in the 80's, PIXE (Proton Induced X-Ray Emission) by contrast was applied in a way that preserved the possibility of an absolute application: the computer programs developed to interpret PIXE spectra calculate matrix effects and also integrate instrumental factors (e.g., Maxwell et al., 1989). In spite of this advantage, and also despite the fact that PIXE application extends to trace element analysis, the development of PIXE in the scientific community was sluggish, in deep contrast with the widespread applications of EPMA. In the field of Earth Sciences particularly, EPMA was recognized by the Mineralogical Society of America to have had 'a revolutionary, profound impact on mineralogy and petrology'. In the same time, PIXE applications remained mainly restricted to trace element analysis, and the potential accuracy of the method was never clearly realized. A first aim of this presentation is to show that, using a simple standardization procedure, the multi-elementary absolute capability of PIXE can be revealed. This in turn changes PIXE into a tool of quantitative mineralogy and trace element geochemistry. We then show that, by coupling PIXE to PIGE (Proton Induced Gamma Ray Emission) and RBS (Rutherford Back Scattering) spectrometries, the Nuclear Microprobe becomes a tool for quantitative mineralogy s.l. and geochemistry, i.e., an instrument to analyze all major to trace elements from Li to U in minerals and their inclusions. In the second part of the presentation, we illustrate the capability of µ-PIXE to analyze in situ individual fluid inclusions that have been carefully localized in space and time. The Hercynian French Massif Central and its sedimentary eastern margin are part of a large European Carbonic Province, which hosts numerous deep CO2 reservoirs and carbonic springs (Blavoux, Dazy, 1990). Carbonic fluids are present at all stages of the long-lived evolution of this crustal segment, from deep metamorphic fluids involved in a thrusting event at 340 M.a to mantle-derived volcanic CO2 related to Neogene volcanism. In order to characterize the main aquo-carbonic fluid reservoirs through time in this crustal segment, we present preliminary data on the trace element content of aquo-carbonic inclusions trapped in the schists at peak and retrograde metamorphic conditions, and compare them to contemporaneous granite-related fluid inclusions


Dendritic cells (DC) are now known to influence many different classes of lymphocytes (T, B, NK cells) and many types of T cell responses (Th1/Th2/Th17, regulatory T cells, peripheral T cell deletion). In rheumatoid arthritis (RA) DC have been described and their roles in RA pathogenesis have been implicated. This review summarizes the data obtained so far concerning the functional characterization of several DC subsets in human RA. Moreover, the effect of TNF-alpha blockade on DC phenotype and function is also discussed. As most of the studies on DC in experimental arthritis have been conducted using (immunomodulated/tolerogenic) DC as tools to ameliorate experimental arthritis, we give some examples of how these cells may induce tolerance in vivo. Although a lot of work has been performed so far, the specific and functional roles of DC subsets in human RA and in CIA remain to be established. Achieving a detailed understanding of specific DC functions in RA holds potential for modulating DC for immunotherapy by down-regulating the autoimmune response.


The aim of this paper is to examine the role of sympathy in Kant's moral theory, in order to determine whether there is any essential change from the Groundwork to works of the 1790's (Doctrine of Virtue and the Anthropology).1 The point of departure is the distinction between motive (the objective
ground) and incentive (the subjective ground) of an action. I attempt to identify what constitutes a moral motive and a moral incentive in the philanthropist example of the Groundwork, and argue that the only moral incentive is the respect for moral law. The mere presence of sympathy, however, will not make an action morally unworthy, as long as this feeling is not what drives the agent to perform benevolent actions. The second part of the paper provides an account of sympathy in the Doctrine of Virtue. In the later works, Kant
accepts that sympathy can be the incentive for moral action that is performed with the motive of duty, as long as it is useful to the accomplishment of the duty of humanity. I show that the duty of humanity plays the role of an intermediate principle that enables us to decide the right action in a particular case. Moreover, it works as a procedure to encourage good sympathetic feelings, which promote others' happiness, and to discourage feelings that lead to nothing but a shared state of pain. The third part of this essay asks whether Kant's moral account of sympathy is a coherent one, or whether there is an important turning point in the texts of the late 1790's.


Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and its consequences are the most frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in operated patients, in whom the risk factors for its onset are accumulated. In general surgery, its occurrence was confirmed in 10-40% of operated patients with no prophylaxis, while after major orthopaedic procedures, the rate was up to 60% of patients. Prophylaxis is a fundamental element of the whole strategy of all active measures in prevention of thromboembolic complications. The authors present current methodology of TEN prophylaxis, including a long-term administration, which is accepted by most countries and expert societies, across all branches of surgery.


Future military transport aircraft will require a new approach with respect to the avionics suite to fulfill an ever-changing variety of missions. The most demanding phases of these mission are typically the low level flight segments, including tactical terrain following/avoidance,payload drop and/or board autonomous landing at forward operating strips without ground-based infrastructure. As a consequence, individual components and systems must become more integrated to offer a higher degree of reliability, integrity, flexibility and autonomy over existing systems while reducing crew workload. The integration of digital terrain data not only introduces synthetic vision into the cockpit, but also enhances navigation and guidance capabilities. At DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG Military Aircraft Division (Dasa-M), an integrated navigation, flight guidance and synthetic vision system, based on digital terrain data, has been developed to fulfill the requirements of the Future Transport Aircraft (FTA). The fusion of three independent navigation sensors provides a more reliable and precise solution to both the 4D-flight guidance and the display components, which is comprised of a Head-up and a Head-down Display with synthetic vision. This paper will present the system, its integration into the DLR's VFW 614 Advanced Technology Testing Aircraft System (ATTAS) and the results of the flight-test campaign.


Multifocal fibrosclerosis is a very rare fibroproliferative syndrome involving multiple organ systems. In our report we present the case of multifocal sclerosing thyroiditis characterized by multiple fibroelastic foci similar to breast "radial scar", which can be misdiagnosed as multifocal papillary carcinoma. The diagnosis of multifocal sclerosing thyroiditis, in according with Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) textbook on thyroid tumors, was made only after histological and himmunohistochemical examination. We consider the multifocal sclerosing thyroiditis as the first stage of multifocal IgG4-related sclerosing disease for the presence of IgG4 within fibrosclerotic tissue of thyroid. Total body CT-scan and plamatic IgG4 levels must be investigated in order to exclude or confirm the presence of systemic disease.


Several studies have indicated a possible link between genome size and earliness in maize. In this study, an original maize population, South African photo-period insensitive maize composite II (C0) and several selected generations were analyzed for days to flowering, plant height, ear height, and yield. The selection criterion was earliness. Over six cycles of selection a 14-day decrease in days to flowering was obtained with no significant reduction in grain yield. In the initial population (C0) and the most advanced selection (C6) 101 plants were analyzed for nuclear DNA content. A significant decrease in the mean nuclear DNA content of the C0 population (102 AU) was observed with respect to the C0 population (105 AU). This reduction was the result of a decrease in frequency of plants in the C6 population with large genome sizes. Therefore it was concluded that selection for earliness resulted in selection against plants with large genome sizes. Hence, the nucleotype of a maize plant can be modified by selection such as early flowering time.


The study of a laminar natural convection in a square enclosure with conjugate boundary condition is done numerically. The top wall and right side wall of the enclosure are considered to have some finite thickness. The problem is solved using finite volume method and the multi-block method is used for meshing the domain. Various cases are considered by varying the parameters like characteristics Reynolds number, conductivity ratio and the wall thickness to analyse their effect on the heat transfer and flow characteristics. Reynolds number is taken equal to 10e3, 5 * 10e3 and 10e4 to constrain the flow as laminar in enclosure. The result shows some significant dependence on Reynolds number in the flow and temperature field inside the domain. An effect of insulation near the top wall is also studied and compared with the case of without insulation by varying the same parameters. It is to be noted that the average temperature inside the enclosure is reduced considerably due to the insulation.


Abstract One of the principal Quaternary deposits in Central Southern England are extensive spreads of sandy fine to coarse, mainly flint gravels: those at the higher elevations being referred to as "Plateau" Gravels to distinguish them from the "Valley" Gravels. The most widely accepted view of the origin of the Plateau Gravels is that they represent fluvial terraces deposited under periglacial conditions. Although they have provided excellent conditions for foundations, their actual in-situ density and shear strength characteristics were virtually unknown. To remedy this deficiency, a series of in-situ density tests using the sand replacement technique and direct shear tests using 300 mm square samples have been carried out. Samples of sandy gravel from Highcliffe were compacted by hand tamping to minimise particle breakdown and tested in a saturated condition with a dry density approximately 97% of the in-situ value. The results show a curved failure envelope which in the usual form of power law notation gives a best fit result of:- τ = 1.475 σn ′ 0-955 Over the range of normal Stresses from 80 to 370 kPa used in the tests, this corresponds to secant φ′ values from 51°. to 48°. Tests carried out on dry samples gave φ′ values up to 4° higher. Tests on other samples with different grain size distributions show that the shearing resistance increases with the percentage gravel (as opposed to sand) content. These results have been combined with published work on other well graded, mainly flint gravels to give a preliminary quantitative evaluation of the influence of percentage gravel content on shearing resistance.


When an infinite elastic medium with a spherical inclusion is suddenly subjected to a uniform temperature rise, stress waves occur at the interface of spherical inclusion the moment thermal impact is applied. The stress wave in an inclusion proceeds radially inward to the center of the inclusion. The wave may accumulate at the center and cause very large stress magnitudes, even though the initial thermal stress should be relatively small. This phenomenon is called the stress-focusing effect. The stress wave in an infinite medium proceeds radially to infinity. This paper analyzes, in an exact manner, the effects of these waves using the ray integrals. The results give a clear indication of the mechanism of stress-focusing effect in an inclusion embedded in the infinite elastic medium. In the special case, if the elastic compliances of the spherical inclusion tend to be zero, the problem becomes the problem of wave motion in the infinite medium with a spherical cavity.


Pseudoachondroplasia (PSACH) is an autosomal dominant skeletal dysplasia caused by mutations in cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) and characterised by short limbed dwarfism and early onset osteoarthritis. Mouse models of PSACH show variable retention of mutant COMP in the ER of chondrocytes, however, in each case a different stress pathway is activated and the underlying disease mechanisms remain largely unknown. T585M COMP mutant mice are a model of moderate PSACH and demonstrate a mild ER stress response. Although mutant COMP is not retained in significant quantities within the ER of chondrocytes, both BiP and the pro-apoptotic ER stress-related transcription factor CHOP are mildly elevated, whilst bcl-2 levels are decreased, resulting in increased and spatially dysregulated chondrocyte apoptosis. To determine whether the abnormal chondrocyte apoptosis observed in the growth plate of mutant mice is CHOP-mediated, we bred T585M COMP mutant mice with CHOP-null mice to homozygosity, and analysed the resulting phenotype. Although abnormal apoptosis was alleviated in the resting zone following CHOP deletion, the mutant growth plates were generally more disorganised. Furthermore, the bone lengths of COMP mutant CHOP null mice were significantly shorter at 9 weeks of age when compared to the COMP mutant mice, including a significant difference in the skull length. Overall, these data demonstrate that CHOP-mediated apoptosis is an early event in the pathobiology of PSACH and suggest that the lack of CHOP, in conjunction with a COMP mutation, may lead to aggravation of the skeletal phenotype via a potentially synergistic effect on endochondral ossification.


ABSTRACT When a bactericidal antibiotic is added to a growing bacterial culture, the great majority of the bacterial population is killed but a small number of metabolically quiescent bacteria called persisters survive antibiotic treatment. The mechanism of this bacterial persistence is poorly understood. In Escherichia coli, we identified a new persistence gene, phoU, whose inactivation leads to a generalized higher susceptibility than that of the parent strain to a diverse range of antibiotics, including ampicillin, norfloxacin, and gentamicin, and stresses, such as starvation, acid pH, heat, peroxide, weak acids, and energy inhibitors, especially in stationary phase. The PhoU mutant phenotype could be complemented by a functional phoU gene. Mutation in PhoU leads to a metabolically hyperactive status of the cell, as shown by an increased expression of energy production genes, flagella, and chemotaxis genes and a defect in persister formation. PhoU, whose expression is regulated by environmental changes like nutrient availability and age of culture, is a global negative regulator beyond its role in phosphate metabolism and facilitates persister formation by the suppression of many important cellular metabolic processes. A new model of persister formation based on PhoU as a persister switch is proposed. PhoU may be an ideal drug target for designing new drugs that kill persister bacteria for more effective control of bacterial infections.


ABSTRACT The goal of this beef checkoff sponsored symposium was to provide clarity regarding cattle well-being, research, the current state of the industry, and the future of cattle transportation in North America. In today's marketing programs, feeder calves might be transported as many as 6 times. Loading conditions, time in transit, weather conditions, commingling, segregation of different sexes and weight classes into separate trailer compartments, driver experience, animal nutrition, health status, and physical condition are all factors to be considered when transporting cattle. Transportation related live weight loss (shrink) is not only attributed to loss of gut fill but also tissue loss, which can exceed 60% of total BW loss. High ambient temperature and rough handling of cattle significantly increase the amount of shrink incurred by cattle. If following best management practices could result in a 1% decrease in shrink among the feeder cattle shipped at least once in the United States, the economic benefit would exceed $325 million dollars. The beef industry needs to create a cattle transporter quality assurance program that incorporates sound research data, development of robust guidelines for animal handling, education of cattle transportation employees, and implementation of an online database specifically for individuals who transport cattle.


The sensitivity in bulk silicon (Si) and in silicon-on-insulator (SOI) ion sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET) is determined according to its manufacturing process, geometry, and the selected materials. However, in SOI ISFETs the back gate biasing plays a major part in device sensitivity. It is shown that in fully depleted SOI ISFET the existing charge coupling between the front and back interfaces allows for gain optimization in terms of both gain increase and widening of the conventional gain peak. This stands in contrast with bulk Si ISFET where only a single channel exists. Here we report gain increase in ∼40% and increase in gain peak width of ∼250%.


This review systematically assesses the focus of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) on environment-related issues. A total of 40 Interim and full PRSPs from countries in Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central and East Asia are reviewed. Four major questions: are posed: (i) What issues of environmental concerns and opportunities are identified in the PRSPs?; (ii) To what extent are poverty-environment causal links analyzed?; (iii) To what extent are environmental management responses and indicators put in place as part of the poverty reduction efforts?; and (iv) To what extent has the design and documentation of the process allowed for mainstreaming the environment? The review finds:: There is considerable variation across countries in the degree of mainstreaming: from a high score of 2.2 (Mozambique) to a low of 0.3 (Sao Tome Principe). Scores indicate the approximate level of attention given to environmental matters in the PRSPs. Some variation across countries is legitimate and to be expected, but there is no reason to believe that the lower scoring countries are free from concerns of environmental health and natural resources degradation linked to poverty. Finally, it should be recalled that a PRSP is only the written expression of an underlying and still emerging process of participation and implementation. What ultimately matters are the results on the ground, which cannot be evaluated across 40 countries at this point in time.


The authors present a derivation of the formulas for the calculation of consumer credit in three different schemes. The article demonstrated the benefits of consumer credit calculation using Excel. Shows the practice of calculating the actual profitability of the bank


2. Proof of Theorem 1. Assume that h(z) has an essential singularity at a point 2* of ER. Then in an arbitrary small neighborhood of the point 2* h(z) takes every value infinitely often excepting at most two. Hence all the points of Es excepting at most two are taken by h(z). This contradicts the into-ness of h(z). Thus there is no essential singularity of h at ER. The same is true for z=oo. Hence h(z) must be a rational function of z in the ^-sphere. Next we prove that h(z) is a polynomial of z. Assume that h(z) has a pole at some point in the finite 2-plane. Then a fixed neighborhood of this point is mapped around Z=&> by h(z) and its image by h(z) contains a neighborhood of Z=oo, which contains at least a point of Es. This contradicts the into-ness of h(z) in DR. This implies that h(z) is a polynomial.


Studies investigating health and wellbeing of transgender people have typically been conducted in medical environments such as gender clinics and through sexual health centres. One of the primary concerns of transgender people is recognition of their gender status which is often difficult to achieve in ordinary medical practices. This research has its beginnings in an act of transgender activism, arising out of dissatisfaction with the capacity of the 2005 Private Lives project to capture the complexity of transgender lives. A central pivot in the concerns of the transgender communities about health services is that of recognition. Practices of medicine are implicated in many of the attempts by transgender people to achieve positive health and self- and social recognition for their preferred gender. Additionally, recognition on formal documentary records is, in many cases, dependent upon certified medical intervention.


Opioid-induced endocrinopathy (OIE) is a condition that affects more Americans than other common comorbid conditions such as heart disease and diabetes combined. It is an important and often unrecognized cause of endocrinopathy, and can result in various clinical manifestations such as sexual dysfunction, amenorrhea, osteoporosis, fatigue, decreased muscle mass, gynecomastia, anemia, low testosterone, cortisol deficiency, and depression. It is essential to increase awareness of OIE and that the adverse effects of long-term opioid therapy such as OIE are considered and not overlooked in the treatment of chronic pain, and that benefits of chronic opioid therapy, in fact, outweigh the potential risks and side effects.


Current building modeling environments lack the ability to support coordinated, incremental and systematic description of project requirements, design specifications, and the set of interactions that emerge among them, from different stakeholders, during building design. This paper discusses the prospect of a system-centric modeling framework that integrates a parametric CAD tool with a system modeling application to assess design intent based on construction-specific knowledge. The CAD tool provides strong geometric modeling capabilities, while system modeling allows the description of feature-based design specifications, aligned with construction standards and construction know-how. The ultimate goal of the proposed approach aims for the identification of conflicting interactions between design specifications, from different building material systems and stakeholders, to prevent design errors and on-site rework. The proposed framework will enable collaborative scenarios between Model Based System Engineering and BIM based on parametric, simultaneous, software integration to reduce humanto-data translation errors, improving model consistency among material systems, BIM tools, and project stakeholders.


A general synthesis route to a family of single-crystal chromate nanorods/nanobelts has been established. The effects of pH and surfactant on phase and morphology of these microcrystalline materials have been investigated. The physical properties of the as-synthesized chromate nanocrystals such as dielectric, electrochemical, UV-vis absorbance, and photoluminescent properties have also been studied. The present general synthesis of various low-dimensional chromate nanomaterials provides useful information on the possible synthesis of other microcrystalline transition metal oxysalts.


Postoperative cerebral dysfunction is usually assumed to be a consequence of anaesthesia. Temporary postoperative confusion is quite common. This review points out that the anaesthetic technique is clinically relevant for mental dysfunction only in the few hours immediately following operation. Of primary importance are the preoperative state of the patient, the drugs used in the perioperative period, the type and duration of the operation, the technique of postoperative analgesia and sedation and the postoperative clinical course of the patient. Cerebral infarction is a very severe but rather rare complication which occurs mainly after the operation. The incidence of perioperative cerebral infarction is about 1% in 65-year-old patients and increases with higher age. An asymptomatic preoperative carotid bruit is not a risk factor; therefore, invasive investigations are not warranted. The most frequent cause for cerebral insults are emboli. Intraoperative hypotensive periods are very rarely responsible for cerebral insults. Peripheral and central nervous lesions due to positioning of the patient for the operation occur not frequently and are certainly an avoidable neurologic complication. Hypoxic cerebral damages are usually the consequence of anaesthetic mismanagement. Today they are very rare, due to modern monitoring techniques.


This work is an attempt to bring together in one source basic information and techniques for optometric examination of children. Test values expected for different age groups are presented first in each section. The emphasis is on findings that differ from those of adults. Because of this, proportionaly more of the writing regards infants and young children as opposed to those above eight years of age. Following the expected findings are techniques offered in the literature that can be applied to children's testing. Because of the unreliable subjective responses, objective testing is emphasized. The review does not present all techniques in the literature, but attempts to provide basic practical data for a thorough examination of the young child. The areas considered are: visual acuity, refractive error, accommodation, oculomotor system, binocularity/fusion, color vision, visual perceptual motor, and ocular health.


In this participative and qualitative research, the aim was to get to know how Family Health Strategy users and professionals perceive health groups developed in a city in Southern Brazil. For collecting the data, Freire's itinerary was used in six culture circles with professionals/users of two teams. Twenty-four themes were investigated and unveiled in two major themes, which were analyzed based on the Ottawa Charter. The study results showed that health promotion actions developed in these groups are strongly connected to the reorientation of the health services and the development of personal skills. The leisure actions developed have shown some cross-sector relations and social participation. The method used in this research permitted approximations between professionals/ users, as well as dialogue about the situations and themes brought up. It was concluded that health promotion actions need to be expanded in these groups and that the culture circle Paulo Freire proposed is a possible tool for the construction of participatory and emancipatory health practices. DESCRIPTORS: Health promotion. Health education. Family health. Nursing.


The article describes the main provisions of the new theory of software reliability, which is not based on probability theory and the theory of non-equilibrium processes. Emerging from the operation of software systems, defects are considered as the result of the forward and reverse defect flows. Relations are developed to predict the number of identified and introduced to system defects and they are opening the possibility of modeling the reliability of software systems, taking into account the secondary defects. It is shown that the majority of existing software reliability models can be derived from the provisions of the dynamics of software systems.


The first coordinated observations of an active region using ground-based radio telescopes and the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) satellites from different heliocentric longitudes were performed to study solar radio type-I noise storms. A type-I noise storm was observed between 100 and 300 MHz during a period from 2010 February 6 to 7. During this period the two STEREO satellites were located approximately 65° (ahead) and −70° (behind) from the Sun–Earth line, which is well suited to observe the earthward propagating coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The radio flux of the type-I noise storm was enhanced after the preceding CME and began to decrease before the subsequent CME. This time variation of the type-I noise storm was directly related to the change of the particle acceleration processes around its source region. Potential-field source–surface extrapolation from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Michelson Doppler Imager (SOHO/MDI) magnetograms suggested that there was a multipolar magnetic system around the active region from which the CMEs occurred around the magnetic neutral line of the system. From our observational results, we suggest that the type-I noise storm was activated at a side-lobe reconnection region that was formed after eruption of the preceding CME. This magnetic structure was deformed by a loop expansion that led to the subsequent CME, which then suppressed the radio burst emission.


When manufacturing fiber-reinforced composites, it is possible to improve the quality of fiber steel fire and reduce the number of cracks in the finished product if it is possible to quickly identify the defects of the fiber tow. Therefore, in this study, we developed a method to identify the condition of carbon fiber tow using eddy current test (ECT), which is used to improve the quality of composite materials. Using the eddy current detection sensor, we checked the impedance results according to the condition of the CF tow. We found that the materials of the workbench used in the experiment greatly affected the ECT results, so it is necessary to use a material with a non-conductive and smooth surface. We evaluated the impedance results of the carbon fiber at 2 mm intervals using the ECT sensor and summarized the impedance results according to the fiber width direction, presenting the condition of the section as a constant of variation (CV). If the condition of the carbon fiber tow was unstable, the deviation of the CV per section was large. In particular, the deviation of the CV per section was more than 0.15 when the arrangement of the fibers was changed, foreign substances were formed on the surface of the fibers, and damage occurred in the direction of the fiber width of more than 4 mm, so it was easy to evaluate the quality on CF tow.


Background: Human β-defensins are predominantly expressed in the male reproductive system, but their functions remain unknown. Results: Recombinant human DEFB114 rescues human sperm motility and d-GalN-sensitized mice under LPS challenges through its LPS-neutralizing activity. Conclusion: Recombinant DEFB114 peptides have therapeutic potential for LPS-induced inflammatory diseases. Significance: This work contributes to unveiling novel functions of human β-defensins that are crucial for addressing their physiological and pathological mechanisms. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an important pathological factor involved in serious inflammatory diseases and male reproductive impairments. Emerging evidence demonstrates that antimicrobial peptides possess protective activity in response to LPS-induced inflammation. However, the LPS-binding and/or immunosuppressive activity of β-defensins (DEFBs) has been underestimated. In the present work, we characterized a novel human defensin, DEFB114, which was expressed predominantly in the epididymis and gingival cells at the RNA level. Homogenous recombinant DEFB114 peptides were prepared and characterized using mass spectrometry. DEFB114 protein exhibited a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity with salt sensitivity against typical pathogenic microbes (i.e. Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans). Interestingly, DEFB114 demonstrated novel LPS-binding activity in vitro and inhibited TNF-α release in RAW264.7 cultures through the inhibition of MAPK p42/44 when challenged with LPS. Moreover, DEFB114 could also rescue the LPS-induced reduction of human sperm motility in vitro and protect d-galactosamine-sensitized C57BL/6 mice from LPS-induced lethality in vivo. The protective activity of DEFB114 on RAW264.7, human sperm, and the d-galactosamine-sensitized mice was disulfide bond-dependent because alkylated DEFB114 lost its activity. The low cytotoxicity of the DEFB114 peptide toward human erythrocytes is indicative of its potential therapeutic use in the treatment of LPS-induced inflammation, LPS contamination, and potentially septic shock.


Wild edible plants (WEP) are an important component from the perspective of tribal diet. There are various traditional practices and beliefs in relation to the use of wild edibles among various tribal communities in Maharashtra. In this study, the WEP found in Jawhar block of Palghar district and detailed information on the local usage for medicine or food purpose has been documented. With this, the traditional methods of preparation, collection and storage of these edible wild plants has also been documented. The present paper presents a total of 162 species of WEP, out of which almost 74% are consumed as food, 14% possess medicinal significance while 12% of the species exhibit both dietary and medicinal significance. This type of study could contribute in recording the traditional heritage of food culture and generate awareness about the importance of wild edible species. Documentation of these wild plant species can help in commercialization and domestication of the wild varieties and their entry into urban marketplaces to generate higher revenue for the farmers. Wild edibles could prove to be a remedy to food scarcity, a source of nutritional security and improve the economy in tribal areas.


Botrytis tulipae is one of the major diseases of tulip. The pathogen is a necrotroph and infection normally results in host cell death, resulting in serious damage to plant tissues and culminating in rotten plants. Several defense strategies are required to counter attack this aggressive invader. Two different methods were used to proof if tulip wax layer had an influence on Botrytis resistance. Wet inoculation method (standard method) with removal of wax layer and dry inoculation method with no removal of wax layer were applied in cultivars Christmas Marvel, Leen van der Mark and Ile de France. The wet inoculation showed that Christmas Marvel was susceptible, Leen van der Mark was partial resistant and Ile de France was resistant. However, when dry method was applied in the same cultivars the level of resistance changed, leading to an increase of the level of resistance in Christmas Marvel, a decrease in Ile de France and equal levels in Leen van der Mark compared to the wet method. These results suggest that wet and dry inoculation altered the level of resistance, meaning that differences in the epicuticular wax layer provides an extra defense strategy against the pathogen in Christmas Marvel, enhanced infection in Ile de France and it had no effect in Leen van der Mark. Moreover, differences in the amount of wax layer in several species of the genus Tulipa are present. In general T. fosteriana is more susceptible to B. tulipae than T. gesneriana. The results showed that T. fosteriana had less wax layer than T. gesneriana. However, there was no complete correlation between amount of wax layer and resistance in all tested cultivars


This research investigates the ability of locating a moving object using the Doppler shifts of a carrier frequency signal sent or re ected by the object and observed by several fixed or moving sensors spatially distributed in the 2-D or 3-D space. The idea was previously studied and several solutions are proposed based on exhaustive grid search or numerical polynomial optimization. We shall formulate the problem as a constrained optimization and propose two efficient solutions. The first is by using linear optimization method to reach a closed-form solution and the second is through semi-definite relaxation technique to achieve a noise resilient estimate. The solutions are derived first for the single-time measurement and then developed to multipletime observations collected during a short time interval in which the object motion is linear. Several scenarios are considered including 2-D and 3-D localization geometry, the sensors are fixed or moving along nonlinear trajectory with random speed, the presence of errors in the carrier frequency and the sensor positions, and the noncooperative object scenario where the frequency of the carrier signal is completely not known. Analysis validates the algebraic closed-form solution in reaching the Cramer- Rao Lower Bound accuracy under Gaussian noise within the small error region. The simulations show good performance for the proposed algorithms and support the theoretical analysis.


Efforts in research are focused on the bioactivity, application methods, cost-effectiveness and sustainable use of botanical pesticides against insect pests. The insecticidal and repellent properties of Tagetes minuta L (Mexican marigold) and Tephrosia vogelii Hook (Fish poison bean) collected from KARI, Kitale botanical garden were evaluated for their efficacy and repellence against red spider mite ( Tetranychus urticae Koch) and black bean aphids (Aphis fabae Scopoli) in the laboratory. Mortality potential of the plant was determined by spraying the crude extracts on the pests reared earlier in the screen house. Tagetes minuta crude extracts at concentrations of 50 g/L, 100 g/L, 150 g/L soaked for 24 hours and also 150 g/L soaked 48 hours in distilled water, Tephrosia vogelii crude leaf extract of 10 g/L, 30 g/L and 60 g/L soaked 12 hours and also 60 g/L soaked 48 hours in distilled water, were used to investigate treatment efficacy on mortality of the adult insects. Treatment using T.minuta at concentration 150 g/L soaked for 48 hours caused the highest mortality in aphids with R 2= 0.9908  and slightly lower mortality in mites with R 2= 0.9505. T. vogelii at concentration 60 g/L soaked 48 hours in water caused high mortality in the two pests with  R 2= 0.9826 in aphids and R 2= 0.9767 in mites at the end of 24 hour exposure to the herb. Repellency tests were performed using filter- paper circles and extracts of T.minuta and T. vogelii were applied around the periphery of the filter papers. Percentage repellency (PR) was determined for each extract. T.minuta at concentration 150 g/L soaked 48 hours had the strongest PR on mites at 55% followed by that soaked 24 hours PR at 12%. T. vogelii at 60 g/L soaked 48 hours had a moderate repellent effect on mites at PR 17% while same concentration after 12 hours of soaking had PR of 8% on mites. However aphids were not repelled by any of the extracts used. The two botanicals are promising insecticides which can be used by subsistence farmers as alternatives to synthetic pesticides.


While much has been learned about the socialization of physical education teachers through occupational socialization theory, less is known about the socialization of adapted physical educators. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences leading individuals to enrol in a graduate-level adapted physical education teacher education programme in the United States. Participants included 17 first semester preservice adapted physical education teachers (5 males, 12 females). Data were collected through two individual interviews with each participant and autobiographical essay writing. Results revealed similarities and differences in the recruitment of adapted physical educators and physical education generalists. Specific themes included: (a) individuals with disabilities were the most powerful socializing agents; (b) both positive and negative experiences in sport and physical education facilitated recruitment; (c) an incomplete apprenticeship of observation framed recruitment; and (d) participants had different background experiences and espoused diverse career goals. Results are discussed with implications focusing on the socialization of both physical educators and adapted physical education specialists.


Title of Dissertation: EXTRACELLULAR RNA IS TRANSPORTED FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT IN C. ELEGANS Julia Ann Marré, Doctor of Philosophy, 2017 Dissertation directed by: Assistant Professor, Antony M. Jose, Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics Experiences during the lifetime of an animal have been proposed to have consequences for subsequent generations. Although it is unclear how such intergenerational transfer of information occurs, RNAs found extracellularly in animals are candidate molecules that can transfer gene-specific regulatory information from one generation to the next because they can enter cells and regulate gene expression. In support of this idea, when double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is introduced into some animals, the dsRNA can silence genes of matching sequence and the silencing can persist in progeny. Such persistent gene silencing is thought to result from sequence-specific interaction of the RNA within parents to generate chromatin modifications, DNA methylation, and/or secondary RNAs, which are then inherited by progeny. Here, we show that dsRNA can be directly transferred between generations in the worm C. elegans. Inter-generational transfer of dsRNA occurs even in animals that lack any DNA of matching sequence and dsRNA that reaches progeny can spread between cells to cause gene silencing. Surprisingly, extracellular dsRNA can also reach progeny without entry into the cytosol, presumably within intracellular vesicles. Fluorescently labeled dsRNA is imported from the extracellular space into oocytes along with vitellogenin and accumulates in punctate structures within embryos. Subsequent entry into the cytosol of early embryos causes gene silencing in progeny. These results demonstrate the transport of extracellular RNA from one generation to the next to regulate gene expression in an animal and thus suggest a new mechanism for the transmission of experience-dependent effects between generations. EXTRACELLULAR RNA IS TRANSPORTED FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT IN C. ELEGANS


An eigenstructure-based performance index is proposed in this paper to measure the dynamic performance of the system as well as control efforts. Calculation of this index is based on eigenstructure of the closed loop system and the design parameters; it does not rely on control structures. Therefore, this index can be applied for solving structurally constrained control problems. A tuning scheme based on this index is proposed for coordinating power system stabilizers (PSSs) and supplementary damping controllers (SDCs) for flexible AC transmission systems (FACTS) devices to damp inter-area oscillations of systems and to optimize their control efforts under multiple operating conditions. Both PSSs and SDCs utilize control structures as a low order single-input-single-output phase lead-lag compensator. Wide-area signals are employed to upgrade their effectiveness in damping inter-area oscillations. Time delays caused by usage of wide-area signals are also considered in the tuning scheme. Results of simulation on a four-machine two-area system and the New England and New York interconnected system show that the proposed index is effective in measuring dynamic performance of the system and the coordinatedly tuned PSSs and SDCs based on this index can robustly damp inter-area oscillations of systems with optimized control efforts.


This study evaluated child Holocaust survivors with an emphasis on potential protective factors facilitating participants' adaptation to post-Holocaust life. We examined Antonovsky's (1979, 1987) salutogenic paradigm, testing the mediating and moderating effect of participants' sense of coherence (SOC) on the association between early childhood deprivation due to Holocaust persecution and posttraumatic stress later in life. The nonclinical sample, composed of 203 child Holocaust survivors born between 1935 and 1944 completed questionnaires on Holocaust survival exposure, inventories on current health, posttraumatic stress, and SOC. The results indicated that SOC moderates the association between traumatic experiences during the war and posttraumatic stress, and SOC acts as a protective factor, buffering the impact of traumatic Holocaust experiences on child survivors in old age. Survivors with a less coherent perspective on the meaning of their life showed greater vulnerability for posttraumatic complaints. The moderating role of the SOC may suggest promising avenues of therapeutic interventions for child Holocaust survivors and other adults with early childhood trauma.


The higher transmission rates currently supported by Ethernet lead to the possibility of expanding Ethernet beyond the local area network scope, bringing it into the core of large scale networks, of which a metropolitan area network (MAN) is a significant example. However, originally Ethernet was not devised to scale in such environments: its design does not contemplate essential requirements of larger and more complex networks, such as the need for resilience, scalability, or even integrated control features. Furthermore, its spanning-tree based forwarding results in slow convergence and weak resource efficiency. Specifically focusing on Ethernet's forwarding behaviour, this survey covers solutions that enhance the Ethernet's path computation, allowing it to scale in larger, more complex environments. General notions concerning the application of Ethernet in Metro areas are also provided, as a specific example of Ethernet's application in large scale networks.


Intervention with compounds of natural origin with little or no known toxicity is considered an effective means to prevent cancer development. We describe here a microsomal activation system in combination with 32P-postlabeling adduct assay to identify efficacious phytochemicals against the potent lung and breast carcinogen, dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DBP). Briefly, salmon testes (st)-DNA was incubated with test agents (150 µM), DBP (10 µM), β-naphthoflavone-induced rat liver microsomes, co-factors in Tris. HCl (50 mM, pH 7.4). After incubation for 60 min at 37°C, the reaction was terminated. Analysis of the purified DNA by 32P-postlabeling showed essentially the same spectra of multiple adducts in all samples. However, quantitative differences were observed. Of nine phytochemicals tested, several compounds almost completely abolished the DNA adduct formation, some showed modest inhibition, while others were ineffective: resveratrol (95% reduction), delphinidin (94%), tanshinone I, (84%) tanshinone IIA (78%), diindolylmethane (73%), indole-3-carbinol (49%) and cyanidin (46%) and withaferin A (33%); cucurbitacin B showed insignificant reduction. All adducts were found to be equally inhibited, suggesting that activity of both CYP1A1 and 1B1, the major cytochromes P450s involved in the metabolism of DBP, were similarly affected. Oltipraz included as positive control, as expected, showed over 80-90% inhibition. To determine if the adduct inhibition occurred due to scavenging of electrophilic metabolites of DBP, st-DNA was incubated with the most effective test agents in the presence of anti-dibenzo[a,l]pyrene diolepoxide (anti-DBPDE). Analysis of the resultant adducts showed that only delphinidin, cyanidin and resveratrol showed modest inhibition (30-45%); other compounds were ineffective. Ellagic acid, which is known to scavenge the DBP electrophilic metabolite, almost completely abolished the adduct formation. Together, our data suggest that resveratrol, delphinidin, tanshinones and diindolylmethane are potent inhibitors of microsomal DBP-DNA adduct formation. While, the adduct inhibition for delphinidin and resveratrol may occur, in part, due to scavenging of the electrophilic metabolite of DBP, both these agents, tanshinones and diindolylmethane may also elicit their activity by inhibiting the cytochromes P450 activity. In summary, resveratrol, delphinidin, tanshinones and diindolylmethane, all of which are consumed either in fruits and vegetables or via folklore medicine (tanshinones) may be useful in the prevention of DBP-mediated lung and mammary tumorigenesis (Supported from the USPHS grants CA-118114, ES-011564 and Agnes Brown Duggan Endowment). Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5667.


As traditional pensions, or defined benefit (DB) plans, are replaced by defined contribution plans (DC), workers in New York City and in the nation have less retirement security. Coverage rates for employer plans are falling. Most DC retirement accounts are in the form of 401(k)-type plans - voluntary, individual, self-directed financial accounts that enjoy tax-favored status under federal, state, and city tax rules. Because contributions and investment earnings accumulate tax-free under these plans, the increasing use of DC retirement accounts represents a significant loss of tax revenue for federal, state, and local government budgets. At the federal level, public data reveal that these tax breaks will cost taxpayers a staggering $540.6 billion from 2012 – 2016. Because most state and local tax codes allow the same deductions as federal tax law, cash-strapped state and local government budgets suffer a substantial revenue loss from these tax expenditures. Surprisingly, states and municipal tax authorities – including New York - do not publish tax expenditures for 401(k) plans, making it difficult to determine the exact amount of their considerable fiscal impact. We estimate the cost of New York City and State tax expenditures for all individual retirement savings plans, including 401(k) plans, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), and Keogh accounts (for the self-employed), to be approximately $1.79 billion annually. The cost includes over $390 million for the city and $1.39 billion for the state. To put these numbers in perspective, $390 million is more than the $290 million the city spent on its parks. In New York State, $1.39 billion would cover approximately 90.5% of proposed funding cuts to school aid or 93% of the cuts to both Medicaid and funding for human services in the 2011-2012 fiscal year. Unfortunately, these tax expenditures fall far short of fulfilling the intended goal of increasing retirement security for most working families. Because this subsidy is in the form of a tax deduction rather than a credit, these expenditures are highly regressive. Taxpayers in the highest tax brackets, who are likely to save without government incentives, receive the largest tax break. Taxpayers with the lowest incomes receive relatively miniscule assistance. In New York City, low-income earners receive an estimated $16 per year, while those in the top brackets receive 28 times more, or over $448 per year. Rearranging these tax subsidies from a tax deduction to a flat tax credit would provide workers with annual accumulations (indexed for inflation) to supplement Social Security and provide an adequate standard of living in retirement In New York City, this switch would provide each worker with $110 to invest in a retirement account at no extra cost. Switching to a state credit would give each worker an extra $158, and a new federal credit would provide $600. These accumulations could then be invested in a "Guaranteed Retirement Account," a vehicle that allows workers and employers to contribute to a safely and efficiently administered pension account. This change would be revenue neutral for the city, while increasing retirement security for workers at small- and medium-sized businesses without imposing additional cost on their employers.


The 1,10-phenanthroline-chelated CoII atom in the polymeric title compound, {[Co(C7H4O6S)(C12H8N2)(H2O)2]·1.5H2O}n, is connected to the sulfonate O atom of one 4-hydroxy-3-sulfonatobenzoate dianion and to the carboxylate O atom of another dianion. It is also coordinated by two water molecules in a trans-CoN2O4 octahedral environment. The dianion links adjacent metal atoms into a chain running along [110]. The chains are linked by O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional network.


Summary
The last 30 years have seen many changes in the understanding of the pathogenesis and treatment of equine corneal stromal abscesses (SAs). Stromal abscesses were previously considered an eye problem related to corneal bacterial infection, equine recurrent uveitis, corneal microtrauma and corneal foreign bodies in horses. They were more commonly diagnosed in horses living in subtropical climatic areas of the world. Therapeutic recommendations to treat equine SAs were historically nearly always a medical approach directed at bacteria and the often associated severe iridocyclitis. Today the pathogenesis of most equine SAs appears to be more often related to fungal inoculation of the anterior corneal stroma followed by posterior migration of the fungi deeper into the corneal stroma. There is also now an increased incidence of diagnosis of corneal SAs in horses living in more temperate climates. Medical and surgical treatments are now directed towards elimination of fungal and bacterial infections, reduction and replacement of diseased corneal stroma, and suppression of iridocyclitis. If the abscess and anterior uveitis do not respond satisfactorily to medical therapy, full thickness or split thickness lamellar keratectomy to remove the fungal hyphae and diseased stroma, followed by transplantation of healthy corneal allografts has a high rate of success in speeding healing and preserving sight. This paradigm shift in the ability to diagnose and institute therapy for corneal SAs in horses has evolved over the last 30 years, and is the focus of this paper.


Abstract There is a vast amount of studies on the origins of revolutions and armed conflict. However, there is no empirical analysis of the political outcome of revolutionary conflicts. A second branch of research focuses on waves of democratization. This paper fills the gap and links the two fields by examining the importance of revolutions as an explanatory factor for changes in systems of governance. Using a data set covering 135 countries from 1960–2011, global changes in the level of democracy are examined. The revolutionary conflicts examined in the panel had a positive influence on a countrys democratic path. In addition the effect of selected variables on the development of the system of governance is analyzed in more detail.


Robust voice recognition (RVR) is essential for a robot to communicate with people. One of the main problems with RVR for robots is that robots inevitably real environment noises. The noise is captured with strong power by the microphones, because the noise sources are closed to the microphones. The signal-to-noise ratio of input voice becomes quite low. However, it is possible to estimate the noise by using information on the robot's own motions and postures, because a type of motion/gesture produces almost the same pattern of noise every time it is performed. In this paper, we describe an RVR system which can robustly recognize voice by adults and children in noisy environments. We evaluate the RVR system in a communication robot placed in a real noisy environment. Voice is captured using a wireless microphone. The final hypothesis is selected based on posterior probability. We then select the 떠sk in the motion task library In the motion control, we also integrate the obstacle avoidance control using ultrasonic sensors. Those are powerful for detecting obstacle with simple calculated algorithm.


A frequency-reconfigurable spirograph planar monopole antenna (SPMA) operating in the ultrahigh frequency (UHF) band using RF p-i-n diodes is presented, including experimental verification. The radiating element is compact (0.53λ at 3.1 GHz) such that it can be used as an array element. It has three measured frequency bands with VSWR <;2: case 1, 2.17-3.36 GHz (43.0% impedance bandwidth); case 2, 1.21-2.50 GHz (69.5%); and case 3, 1.07-2.92 GHz (92.7%). Cases 1 and 2 provide contiguous coverage, and case 3 covers almost the entire range of cases 1 and 2. Thus, this antenna provides continuous coverage for 1.07-3.36 GHz (103.4%). This antenna has acceptable omnidirectional radiation patterns with relatively low cross polarization.


The fact that many students get reluctant to practice speaking English has become a dilemma in ESL/EFL teaching, since teachers and students realize that speaking is a language skill that does need practice. There must be serious reasons why they are reluctant to do this practice.

The purpose of this study was to find out the obstacles that hinder the students from practicing speaking English, conducted at Batam Polytechnic, particularly the students of the second semester. More specifically, this study explored the following questions: (1) What are the students' obstacles in practicing speaking English from the students' point of view? (2) What are the students' obstacles in practicing speaking English from the lecturers' point of view? and (3) What are the possible solutions to those obstacles?

This study employed a qualitative descriptive research in which the data were collected by questionnaires and interviews. The researcher distributed the questionnaire to the students to find out why they got reluctant to practice speaking English, and finally did interviews with the English lecturers to validate the data gained from questionnaires.

The study found three categories of students' obstacles in practicing speaking English: a) the obstacles related to the students themselves – lacking of English ability and the inability to manage emotion; b) the obstacles related to the lecturers – the lecturers' giving limited time for students to practice and their fully English teaching; and c) obstacles related to the environment – the limited English input and the lack of partner to practice speaking English.

Based on the research findings, it was then recommended for the lecturer 1) to encourage and to give the students more time to practice speaking English; 2) to teach them more on vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation, for communicative purposes; 3) not to laugh at students' mistakes or let other students laugh at them; and 4) to consider about reducing the number of the students in English classes. Besides, further study was recommended in order to do wider researches that involve more than one campus or school.


The Stackelberg game model, where a leader commits to a strategy and the follower best responds, has found widespread application, particularly to security problems. In the security setting, the goal is for the leader to compute an optimal strategy to commit to, in order to protect some asset. In many of these applications, the parameters of the follower utility model are not known with certainty. Distributionally-robust optimization addresses this issue by allowing a distribution over possible model parameters, where this distribution comes from a set of possible distributions. The goal is to maximize the expected utility with respect to the worst-case distribution. We initiate the study of distributionally-robust models for computing the optimal strategy to commit to. We consider the case of normal-form games with uncertainty about the follower utility model. Our main theoretical result is to show that a distributionally-robust Stackelberg equilibrium always exists across a wide array of uncertainty models. For the case of a finite set of possible follower utility functions we present two algorithms to compute a distributionally-robust strong Stackelberg equilibrium (DRSSE) using mathematical programs. Next, in the general case where there is an infinite number of possible follower utility functions and the uncertainty is represented by a Wasserstein ball around a finitely-supported nominal distribution, we give an incremental mixed-integer-programming-based algorithm for computing the optimal distributionally-robust strategy. Experiments substantiate the tractability of our algorithm on a classical Stackelberg game, showing that our approach scales to medium-sized games.


Background and Purpose Coordinated endothelial control of cardiovascular function is proposed to occur by endothelial cell communication via gap junctions and connexins. To study intercellular communication, the pharmacological agents carbenoxolone (CBX) and 18β glycyrrhetinic acid (18βGA) are used widely as connexin inhibitors and gap junction blockers. Experimental Approach We investigated the effects of CBX and 18βGA on IP3-evoked intercellular Ca2+ waves in the endothelium of intact mesenteric resistance arteries. Key Results Acetylcholine (ACh)-evoked IP3-mediated Ca2+ release and propagated waves were inhibited by CBX (100µM) and 18βGA (40µM). Unexpectedly, the Ca2+ signals were inhibited uniformly in all cells, suggesting that CBX and 18βGA reduced Ca2+ release. Localised photolysis of caged IP3 (cIP3) was used to provide precise spatiotemporal control of site of cell activation. Local cIP3 photolysis generated reproducible Ca2+ increases and Ca2+ waves that propagated across cells distant to the photolysis site. CBX and 18βGA each blocked Ca2+ waves in a time dependent manner by inhibiting the initiating IP3-evoked Ca2+ release event rather than block of gap junctions. This effect was reversed on drug washout, and was unaffected by small or intermediate K+-channel blockers. Furthermore, CBX and 18βGA each rapidly and reversibly collapsed the mitochondrial membrane potential. Conclusion and Implications CBX and 18βGA inhibit IP3-mediated Ca2+ release and depolarise the mitochondrial membrane potential. These results suggest that CBX and 18βGA block cell-cell communication by acting at sites that are unrelated to gap junctions.


The wastewater stream generated from fertilizer industries generally contains high concentrations of ammonium and phosphate ions. This stream offers an opportunity for the electrodialytic process to treat and recover these concentrated nutrients before releasing them to the environment. Therefore, this study aims at evaluating the performance of a continuous-flow electrodialysis reactor for ionic recovery of ammonium and phosphate. The results show that the pH and phosphate mass loading affected the overall performance of the reactor. Magnesium was added to the recovered ammonium and phosphate with the lowest concentration of impurity ions. The molar ratio of magnesium:ammonium:phosphate at 2.5:13:1 produced 57.3% of struvite (by mass) and 42.7% of other precipitate products, i.e., most likely fluorapatite and MgF2.


Bowenoid papulosis (BP) corresponds to an in situ squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) located in the anogenital region. It is related to HPV, and presents with gray-brown elevated papules or plaques. A biopsy is needed to confirm the diagnosis; however, dermoscopy may be useful to differentiate this disease from other conditions, such as genital warts, seborrheic keratosis and lichen planus. In this paper we describe the dermoscopic findings in two patients with this disease.


The study aims at exploring the constructive role that organizations can play in enabling their employees move from work-family conflict (WFC) to a more integrated work–life solution.,Being socially and culturally contextual by nature, a qualitative methodology that involved in-depth interviews with the respondents was chosen for the study. This facilitated the respondents to discuss in detail their WFC experiences and the expectations that they hold from their organizations.,The findings of the study suggested the importance of effective two-way communication between employees and top management, structural and cultural support from the organization and the importance of redesigning and restructuring jobs in an attempt to reduce work-role overload.,Organizations can foster initiatives that can lead to a healthier work–life balance of the employees, which can further result in a more creative, committed, satisfied and diverse workforce for them.,A better work environment that facilitates smoother balance between work and non-work responsibilities can lead to better physical and psychological health of the employees and reduced instances of discord in work and family domains.,Most studies on WFC have focused on the adverse impact of WFC; the present study adopts a solution-oriented approach to finding ways in which resourceful entities such as big organizations can take steps in alleviating WFC experiences of their employees.


Abstract Ventilator-associated pneumonia is a life threatening device related infection in intensive care units. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is considered a common contagious pathogen causing pneumonia and sepsis. To assess the prevalence of S aureus in comparison to other pathogens, and their antibacterial sensitivity profile in ventilator-associated pneumonia. Data regarding ventilator-associated pneumonia of adults admitted to the intensive care unit, at the Jordan University of Science and Technology Hospital, between 2012 and 2018 were extracted from the computerized system. Microorganisms and their susceptibility profiles were identified according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. There were 547 isolates, of which 35 (6.4%) were Gram positive, 59% were methicillin resistant. Gram-negative isolates were present in 507 (92.6%) isolates, of which 82% were multidrug resistant, and 1% were Candida species. Gram-negative bacterial infections were significantly associated with ventilation usage. S aureus was not the predominant pathogen.


In this paper, we use SOS (sum of squares) programming approaches to analyze the stability and robustness properties of the controlled pitch axis (6 state system) of a nonlinear model of an aircraft. The controller is a LTI dynamic inversion based control law designed for the short period dynamics of the aircraft. The closed loop system is tested for its robustness to uncertainty in the location of center of gravity along the body x-axis. Results in the form of stability regions about a trim point are computed and verified using simulations.


We remove an unnecessary restriction in the definition of latticeface polytopes and show that with the new definition, the Ehrhart polynomial of a lattice-face polytope still has the property that each coefficient is the normalized volume of a projection of the original polytope. Furthermore, we show that the new family of lattice-face polytopes contains all possible combinatorial types of rational polytopes.


Recent clinical research has suggested a link between specific human papillomavirus types and the development of cancers of the genital tract and anus; however, supportive epidemiologic data are not well developed. In both the US and the UK, condylomata acuminata is the most commonly diagnosed viral sexually transmitted disease. The highest incidence is among females 20-24 years of age. The results of 6 studies to examine the prevalence of human papillomavirus suggest a rate of 1-13%, with a positive association to the prevalence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in that population. It is estimated that genital human papillomavirus infection has a 10% prevalence among men and women in the US 15-49 years of age: 1% have condylomata, 2% have lesions visible only by magnification with the colposcope or hand lens, and 7% have clinically inapparent infections. Human papillomavirus types 6 and 11 tend to cause condylomata and low-grade epithelial cell atypia, while types 16, 18, and 31 have been found in higher-grade intraepithelial neoplasia and invasive cervical cancers. Current evidence suggests a long latency between acquisition of genital papillomavirus infection and the development of cervical malignancy, with cervical cancer generally not developing until the 5th decade and beyond. From an epidemiologic point of view, the current research literature lacks evidence of careful selection and definition of study populations, consistent quality control of clinical and laboratory methods, and thorough statistical analyses. To make it more possible to compare the results of different studies, more attention to epidemiologic factors is needed.


A recently proposed navigation methodology for aerial platforms based on the vehicle dynamic model (VDM) has shown promising results in terms of navigation autonomy. Its practical realization requires that control inputs are related to the same absolute time frame as inertial measurement unit (IMU) data and all other observations when available (e.g., global navigation satellite system (GNSS) position, barometric altitude, etc.). This study analyzes the (non-) tolerances of possible delays in control-input command with respect to navigation performance on a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Multiple simulations using two emulated trajectories based on real flights reveal the vital importance of correct time-tagging of servo data while that of motor data turned out to be tolerable to a considerably large extent.


A two-stage periodically poled lithium niobate parametric amplifier is used to boost the idler wave energy by almost a factor of three near the degenerate wavelength of the second stage. For nondegenerate values, the idler wave energy is boosted by a factor of two. Our experimental results validate a numerical model that includes arbitrary beam profiles, beam walkoff, pump depletion, and optical elements between crystals. Experimental performance of the whole system was found to be much more stable over a wide range of temperatures due to noncollinear phase-matching conditions in the second stage.


This book looks forward to the impact of rising fuel prices on low-income earners and their access to employment. Access to employment and public transport are both interrelated as access to efficient and effective public transport facilitates access to employment more so in the event of high private transport costs. This book attempts to unravel the complex relations between geographical distribution of low socio-economic groups, accessibility and their ability to actively participate in the regional economy. Although this research was conducted in Auckland, it is applicable to any other city that lacks the vital transportation links connecting people to places of work, especially those on low incomes. This work would be helpful for anyone working on developing transport policy, social development policy, community development projects, state housing projects and anyone else who has an interest in the pressing issue of rising fuel prices and its impacts.


Description The photo features the geodesic sphere at Epcot, Disney World in Orlando, FL. Inside the dome, there was an iconic ride called "Spaceship Earth", which has since been shut down for refurbishment. This photo was taken November 2019, approximately 6 months before it was shut down. Much like how the ride emphasized the progress that human civilization has made in the last several hundred years and hopes to make in years to come, the current pandemic has shown us how far we have come in the medicine and other STEM fields. We hope only to do better and be better for everyone on our little Spaceship Earth.


Twenty-six lambda phage clones with homology to coding sequences of the small subunit (SSU) of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase have been isolated from an EMBL3 lambda phage bank of Petunia (Mitchell) DNA. Restriction mapping of the phage inserts shows that the clones were obtained from five nonoverlapping regions of petunia DNA that carry seven SSU genes. Comparison of the HindIII genomic fragments of petunia DNA with the HindIII restriction fragments of the isolated phage indicates that petunia nuclear DNA encodes eight SSU genes, seven of which are present in the phage clones. Two incomplete genes, which contain only the 3' end of an SSU gene, were also found in the phage clones. We demonstrate that the eight SSU genes of petunia can be divided into three gene families based on homology to three petunia cDNA clones. Two gene families contain single SSU genes and the third contains six genes, four of which are closely linked within petunia nuclear DNA.


Objective The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of using 3-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound (3D-TVUS) to diagnose the extent of invasive cervical cancer. Methods Using 3D-TVUS, we prospectively examined 24 patients diagnosed with locally advanced invasive cervical cancer before primary surgery. Parametrial, vaginal, bladder, and rectal invasion, alongside cancer staging, was evaluated in the orthogonal planes. We compared the preoperative clinical, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasonography findings with the histological results from surgery. Results With respect to cancer staging, accuracy was 62.5% with clinical examination, 40.9% with MRI, and 66.7% with TVUS. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated both low specificity (64.3%) and accuracy (68.2%) for nodal involvement. For the detection of parametrial invasion: sensitivity was 25% with clinical exanimation, 75% with MRI, and 75% with TVUS; specificity was 55.6% with MRI and 90% with TVUS; accuracy was 59% with MRI and 87.5% with TVUS. Although there was no case with bladder or rectal invasion, TVUS and MRI showed high specificity for the assessment of these. Clinical examination was useful for the detection of vaginal involvement. Conclusions Preoperative 3D-TVUS may prove to be an excellent method for the evaluation of locally advanced cervical cancer. Transvaginal ultrasound also has advantages over MRI for the assessment of tumor volume and Doppler velocimetry and is a low-cost alternative. However, TVUS cannot identify nodal or distant metastasis.


Research results are given for stabilized (NbT&Sn strand with titanium artificial doped filaments. This work has been performed with the aim to improve the critical current density of the bronze processed strands designed for ITER. Strands with diameters in range 0.4 mm to 1.7 mm with composite filaments containing one or four cores made of Nb-Ti alloy as sources of doping element have been investigated. Critical current densities for some strands were investigated in the range of magnetic fields 8 - 22 T. It was shown that the strand containing 12684 filaments with 4 cores of Nb-Ti alloy in each filament had the best .su'perconducting properties. J, (non Cu) of this type of the strand with diameter of 0.81 mm was equal to 750 A/mm2 at 12 T and had hysteresis losses - 100 mJ/cm3 (k 3 T). This value was 1.3 times larger than the J, value of the strand, which contained 1 core of Nb-Ti alloy. The maximum J, (non Cu) attained for the strand 0.5 mm in dia with 12684 filaments was equal to 900 A/mm* at 12 T. Hysteresis losses for this strand were also less than 100 mJ/cm3 (f3T). It was shown that the developed strand with four cores of Nb-Ti alloy met both ITER Specifications HP-I and HP-I1 simultaneously. Also it is a perspective material for high field applications.


Administration of either 2,5-dichloro-3-(glutathion-S-yl)-1, 4-benzoquinone (DC-[GSyl]BQ) or 2,5,6-trichloro-3-(glutathion-S-yl)-1,4-benzoquinone (TC-[GSyl]BQ) to male Sprague-Dawley rats caused dose-dependent (50-200 mumol/kg; iv) renal proximal tubular necrosis, as evidenced by elevations in blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and in the urinary excretion of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT) and glucose. Renal proximal tubular necrosis was also confirmed by histological examination of kidney slices prepared from DC-(GSyl)BQ- and TC-(GSyl)BQ-treated animals. Administration of the corresponding hydroquinone conjugates (DC-[GSyl]HQ and TC-[GSyl]HQ), prepared by reducing the quinones with a threefold molar excess of ascorbic acid, resulted in a substantial increase in nephrotoxicity. Moreover, in contrast to other glutathione (GSH)-conjugated hydroquinones, the nephrotoxicity of both DC-(GSyl)HQ and TC-(GSyl)HQ was potentiated when rats were pretreated with AT-125, an irreversible inhibitor of gamma-GT. Neither the quinone-GSH nor the hydroquinone-GSH conjugates caused any effect on liver histology or serum glutamate-pyruvate transaminase levels. The results suggest that coadministration of ascorbic acid with DC-(GSyl)BQ or TC-(GSyl)BQ decreases their interactions with extrarenal nucleophiles, including plasma proteins, and thus increases the concentration of the conjugates delivered to the kidney, and hence toxicity. Furthermore the ability of AT-125 to potentiate the nephrotoxicity of DC-(GSyl)HQ and TC-(GSyl)HQ suggests that metabolism of these conjugates by gamma-GT constitutes a detoxication reaction.


Due to inherent time delays in the control system of Hybrid Active Power Filter with Injection Circuit (IHAPF) and the load harmonic currents changes rapidly and dramatically. In order to eliminate these harmonic currents, an IHAPF to be used must be able to respond quickly following variable of the harmonic currents. So, this paper proposes a PID-fuzzy control method with time-delay compensation for IHAPF. It is composed of PID-fuzzy controller and π-Smith predictor. The purpose of the fuzzy adjustor is to on-line update parameters of the PID controller, while π-Smith predictor is designed to time delay compensation and make a 180 degree delay between output current of IHAPF and load harmonic current. Compared to other IHAPF control methods, the proposed control method shows the advantages of shorter response time and higher precision. It is implemented in IHAPF model in laboratory. Simulation and experimental results demonstrated the feasibility and validity of the proposed control method.


In this paper we address the problem of object recognition from 2D views. A new approach is proposed which combines the recognition systems based on attribute relational graph matching (ARG) and the multimodal neighbourhood signature (MNS) method. In the new system we use the MNS method as a pre-matching stage to prune the number of model candidates. The ARG method then identifies the best model among the candidates through a relaxation labelling process. The results of experiments show a considerable gain in the ARG matching speed. Interestingly, as a result of the reduction in the entropy of labelling by a virtue model pruning, the recognition rate for extreme object views also improves.


Quantifying synchrony in species population fluctuations and determining its driving factors can inform multiple aspects of ecological and epidemiological research and policy decisions. We examined seasonal mosquito and arbovirus surveillance data collected in Connecticut, United States from 2001 to 2020 to quantify spatial relationships in 19 mosquito species and 7 arboviruses timeseries accounting for environmental factors such as climate and land cover characteristics. We determined that mosquito collections, on average, were significantly correlated up to 10 km though highly variable among the examined species. Few arboviruses displayed any synchrony and significant maximum correlated distances never exceeded 5 km. After accounting for distance, mixed effects models showed that mosquito or arbovirus identity explained more variance in synchrony estimates than climate or land cover factors. Correlated mosquito collections up to 10–20 km suggest that mosquito control operations for nuisance and disease vectors alike must expand treatment zones to regional scales for operations to have population-level impacts. Species identity matters as well, and some mosquito species will require much larger treatment zones than others. The much shorter correlated detection distances for arboviruses reinforce the notion that focal-level processes drive vector-borne pathogen transmission dynamics and risk of spillover into human populations


There is a growing risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) having an adverse effect on the healthcare system, which results in higher healthcare costs, failed treatments and a higher death rate. A quick diagnostic test that can spot infections resistant to antibiotics is essential for antimicrobial stewardship so physicians and other healthcare professionals can begin treatment as soon as possible. Since the development of antibiotics in the last two decades, traditional, standard antimicrobial treatments have failed to treat healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). These results have led to the development of a variety of cutting-edge alternative methods to combat multidrug-resistant pathogens in healthcare settings. Here, we provide an overview of AMR as well as the technologies being developed to prevent, diagnose, and control healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). As a result of better cleaning and hygiene practices, resistance to bacteria can be reduced, and new, quick, and accurate instruments for diagnosing HAIs must be developed. In addition, we need to explore new therapeutic approaches to combat diseases caused by resistant bacteria. In conclusion, current infection control technologies will be crucial to managing multidrug-resistant infections effectively. As a result of vaccination, antibiotic usage will decrease and new resistance mechanisms will not develop.


Relocation disputes arise between separated parents when one of them proposes to move to a different geographic location with their child and the other parent objects to the plan. Whether the proposed move is within the United Kingdom or international, the consequence of either allowing or refusing a relocation application is usually of the greatest importance to the parents and children involved. Relocation: A Practical Guide offers practitioners and parents a comprehensive handbook on the law and practice which is needed to successfully handle any relocation dispute, whether it ends up in court or not. Written in an accessible style by a team of experienced specialists, Relocation: A Practical Guide explains the entire process of dealing with a relocation case. After a detailed discussion of both international and internal relocation law (including case examples and key summaries), the book moves step by step through the entire process of a case, from first discussions to final hearings and appeals. Essential relocation cases and relevant Practice Directions are also contained in the appendices, making this an indispensable guide for anyone working in this complex and fast-changing area of law and practice.


The aim of the current review was to assess whether parent-performed infant massage (PPIM) could effectively improve the mental state of parents during the postpartum period. Several international electronic databases were thoroughly searched for relevant articles. Included studies observed the influence of PPIM on the mental state of parents of healthy full-term infants within 18 months postpartum or medically stable preterm infants during hospitalization after birth. Nine studies were included, which observed one or more aspects of parental mental state, including depression, anxiety, parental stress, or general mood state. Characteristics of participants, massage protocols, and outcome measures were heterogenous; hence, results regarding the influence of PPIM on parental mental state were inconsistent. Upon further investigation, 10-minute, home-based PPIM for at least 4 weeks is advisable for maternal depression within 5 months postpartum. Moreover, PPIM in a neonatal intensive care unit is advisable for improving the general mood of mothers of preterm infants. Additional methodologically rigorous studies are needed to provide stronger evidence. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, xx(x), xx-xx.].


Background Advanced-stage serous ovarian carcinoma results in the majority of deaths from ovarian carcinoma. The histone chaperone, Holliday junction-recognizing protein (HJURP), binds with centromere protein-A (CENP-A) and its expression has been shown to be a prognostic biomarker in some cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of HJURP expression in advanced-stage serous ovarian carcinoma. Material/Methods Ninety-eight patients with advanced-stage serous ovarian carcinoma, who had tumor tissue samples available, were studied. Expression levels of HJURP were detected using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and were correlated with HJURP expression and patient clinicopathological factors. Fisher's correlation coefficient, Kaplan-Meier survival curves, the log-rank test, and Cox's regression proportional hazards model were performed to analyze the significance of factors affecting survival rate and independent prognostic factors. Results Increased expression levels of HJURP in advanced-stage serous ovarian carcinoma were found in 33.67% (33/98) of cases; low expression levels of HJURP were found in 66.33% (65/98) of cases. High expression levels of HJURP were significantly associated with lymph node metastases (P=0.018), and lower overall survival (P=0.002). HJURP expression was identified as an independent prognostic biomarker for patients with advanced serous ovarian cancer in this study group of 98 patients (P=0.013). Conclusions Increased expression of HJURP was identified as an independent negative prognostic biomarker for patients with advanced serous ovarian cancer in this study. Further studies are required to determine whether HJURP expression in serous ovarian carcinoma may have a role in guiding clinical management by stratifying patients according to risk.


: GATA transcription factor is crucial for plant growth and development, physiological metabolism, and environmental response, which has been reported in many plants. Although the identification of maize GATA genes has been reported previously, the number of maize GATA genes was incomplete, and the expression patterns of maize GATA genes were not analyzed. Therefore, in this study, the GATA gene family of maize ( Zea mays L.) was systematically analyzed. Forty-one GATA family genes were identified in the maize and were divided into four groups. The gene structure of each subgroup was basically consistent with that of the motif. The maize GATA genes were distributed on 10 chromosomes, including 3 and 17 pairs of tandem and segmental duplication genes, respectively. Fourteen types of cis -acting elements were identified in the promoter sequences of maize GATA family genes, involving four categories: light response, stress, hormone, and growth and development. The tissue-specific expression analysis of maize GATA family genes revealed that 4 GATA genes were highly expressed in almost all the maize tissues, and 11 GATA genes were not expressed in almost all tissues. The other maize GATA family genes showed a tissue-specific expression pattern. The results of RNA-seq reanalysis of publicly available transcriptome sequencing big data revealed that the gene ZmGATA37 was significantly down-regulated in response to abiotic stresses including high temperature, low temperature, drought, waterlogging, and salt, and significantly up-regulated in response to biotic stresses including smut disease, Maize Iranian mosaic virus infection, beet armyworm and aphid infestations. This indicated that the ZmGATA37 gene plays an important role in maize growth and development. Our findings offer new insight into the potential role of GATA transcription factors in abiotic and biotic stresses and provide a theoretical groundwork for the molecular mechanisms underlying maize adaptation to such stress.


Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) has been used to characterize inductively coupled CF4 plasmas in a GEC reference cell in situ. In examining these FTIR spectra, several assumptions and approximations of FTIR analysis are addressed. This includes the density dependence of cross-sections, non-linear effects in the addition of overlapping bands and the effect of spatial variations in density and temperature. This analysis demonstrates that temperatures extracted from FTIR spectra may provide a poor estimate of the true neutral plasma temperature. The FTIR spectra are dominated by unreacted CF4, accounting for 40-60% of the gas products. The amount of CF4 consumption is found to have a marked dependence on power, and is nearly independent of pressure in the range of 10-50 mTorr. Small amounts of C2F6 are observed at low power. Also observed are etching products from the quartz window - SiF4, COF2 and CO - which occur in approximately equal ratios and together account for 17-19% of the gas at 300 W and 6-9% of the gas at 100 W. The concentrations of these species are nearly independent of pressure. CFx radicals are below the detection limit of this apparatus (~1013 cm-3).


Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are highly distributed networks consisting of a large number of tiny, low-cost, light-weight wireless nodes deployed to monitor an environment or a system. Each node in a WSN consists of three subsystems: the sensor subsystem which senses the environment, the processing subsystem which performs local computations on the sensed data, and the communication subsystem which is responsible for message exchange with neighboring sensor nodes. While an individual sensor node has limited sensing region, processing power, and energy, networking a large number of sensor nodes give rise to a robust, reliable, and accurate sensor network covering a wide region. Thus, routing in WSNs is a very important issue. This paper presents a query-based routing protocol for a WSN that provides different levels of Quality of Service (QoS): energy-efficiency, reliability, low latency and fault-tolerance-under different application scenarios. The algorithm has low computational complexity but can dynamically guarantee different QoS support depending on the requirement of the applications. The novelty of the proposed algorithm is its ability to provide multiple QoS support without reconfiguration and redeployment of the sensor nodes. The algorithm is implemented in network simulator ns-2 and its performance has been evaluated. The results show that the algorithm is more efficient than some of the currently existing routing algorithms for WSNs.


Codeine is frequently used for postoperative analgesia in children. Intramuscular injections are not ideal and the rectal route may be preferable. We compared rectal and intramuscular codeine administered following neurosurgery. 20 children (over 3 months) undergoing elective neurosurgical procedures, were randomized to receive either rectal or intramuscular codeine phospate (1 mg·kg−1) at the end of the procedure. Serum levels of codeine and morphine were assayed at intervals following administration (0, 30, 60, 120, 240 min). Fentanyl was the intraoperative analgesic and postoperative rescue analgesia was paracetamol, diclofenac and intramuscular codeine. The Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Scale was used to assess analgesia. Peak codeine levels in both groups were observed at 30 min and morphine levels were consistently low. The plasma codeine levels were significantly greater at 30 and 60 min following intramuscular injection, and were associated with slightly better analgesia scores, but did not reach statistical significance. However, the peak plasma level occurred at similar times in both groups. Codeine is absorbed as rapidly via the rectal route compared with the intramuscular route but the peak levels are lower.


Many reactive control systems consist of classes of interacting objects where the objects belonging to a class exhibit similar behaviors. Such interacting process classes appear in telecommunication, transportation and avionics domains. In this paper, we propose a modeling and simulation technique for interacting process classes. Our modeling style uses standard notations to capture behavior. In particular, the control flow of a process class is captured by a labeled transition system, unit interactions between process objects are described by Message Sequence Charts and the structural relations are captured via class diagrams. The key feature of our approach is that our execution semantics leads to a symbolic simulation technique. Our simulation strategy is both time and memory efficient and we demonstrate this on well-studied non-trivial examples of reactive systems.


The following paragraphs explain TEA district type classifications. Major Urban  (11 districts). A district is classified as major urban if: (a) it is located in a county with a population of at least 960,000; (b) its enrollment is the largest in the county or at least 70 percent of the largest district en


Objective: To determine the value of patient characteristics, laboratory parameters, and imaging procedures in the assessment of the severity and prognosis of diabetic foot infections (DFIs). Material and Methods: Demographic and clinical characteristics of 71 patients with DFI were evaluated retrospectively. Patient characteristics and clinical data including diabetes status and wound related information, laboratory and radiologic findings, and outcomes were recorded. Results: In patients between 35 and 60 years old, the frequency of recurrent diabetic foot infec - tions were four and half-times higher than in those over 60 years (OR 4.55, 95% CI 1.50-13.83, p= 0.007). The white blood cell count was significantly higher in severe infections (p<0.05). Gram neg - ative microorganisms were predominantly isolated from the wound cultures of patients aged be - tween 35 and 65 years (p= 0.04). Pathological findings in Doppler Ultrasonography (dUSG) was correlated with smoking (p= 0.004). There was no significant association between the severity of the wound and pathological findings in dUSG. However, presence of a pathological finding in dUSG was correlated with amputation (p=0.001). Moreover, the probability of poor outcome was four-fold higher in patients with a pathology in dUSG in the logistic regression analysis (OR 4.32, 95% CI, 1.24-14.97, p= 0.025). Conclusion: In the management of empirical therapy, gram negative mi - croorganisms should be considered, especially in patients of 35-65 years of age. Pathological find - ings in dUSG were found to be related to poor outcome such as amputation. Therefore, all patients with diabetic foot should be screened with dUSG to identify those at risk for amputation. a


Direct measurement of variability in the peripheral circulation was performed by means of photoplethysmography, which provides assessment of blood volume in tissue and systolic blood volume increase. Both parameters showed oscillations at a relatively low frequency, about 0.02 Hz, and a relatively high frequency, about 0.3 Hz, which is related to respiration. These frequencies are similar to those found in measurements of heart rate variability--which is also obtained by measuring the photoplethysmographic period variability--but the powers of the different frequencies are different. The low frequency oscillation, which is attributed to the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, is more pronounced in the measurements of tissue blood volume and of systolic blood volume increase than in the measurement of heart rate.


In this paper, a time-varying matching technique is proposed for electrically small antennas in pulse-based systems. The matching performance of the proposed design is not limited by the gain-bandwidth restriction, and hence can be used for high Q antennas. Simulation results show that the overall antenna efficiency can be significantly improved (e.g. from 1% to 40%) with the time-varying matching network by reducing the reflection loss.


Curriculum-based measurement of oral reading (CBM-R) progress monitoring data is used to measure student response to instruction. Federal legislation permits educators to use CBM-R progress monitoring data as a basis for determining the presence of specific learning disabilities. However, decision making frameworks originally developed for CBM-R progress monitoring data were not intended for such high stakes assessments. Numerous documented issues with trend line estimation undermine the validity of using slope estimates to infer progress. One proposed recommendation is to use confidence interval overlap as a means of judging reliable growth. This project explored the degree to which confidence interval overlap was related to true growth magnitude using simulation methodology. True and observed CBM-R scores were generated across 7 durations of data collection (range 6-18 weeks), 3 levels of dataset quality or residual variance (5, 10, and 15 words read correct per minute) and 2 types of data collection schedules. Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted to explore interactions between overlap status, progress monitoring scenarios, and true growth magnitude. A small but statistically significant interaction was observed between overlap status, duration, and dataset quality, b = -0.004, t(20992) =-7.96, p < .001. In general, confidence interval overlap does not appear to meaningfully account for variance in true growth across many progress monitoring conditions. Implications for research and practice are discussed. Limitations and directions for future research are addressed. (PsycINFO Database Record


To conduct a review of current mobile orthodontic apps available on Apple and Google Play stores in order to understand the integration of mobile app technology in orthodontic needs. The mobile orthodontic apps were searched on respective app stores of Apple and Google Play on two devices namely Apple iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Smartphone up to 11/01/2018. English language apps directly related to orthodontics were included whereas general, dental, non-health, individual orthodontic practice, conference apps and non-English apps were excluded. Forty-nine apps met our review criteria. Nine apps on Apple, 22 apps on Google play stores and 18 apps in both stores. The apps are divided into clinician, clinician/patient and practise centred apps. The review highlights the need for developing educative tools that support the use of orthodontic apps which might have an impact on patient's health, compliance, financial and regulatory barriers. Professional groups, universities or developers in medical fields with access to updated information can create apps suiting the wider requirements of orthodontic care and management. The apps reviewed are effective and provide information and support to the patient yet lack certain features of interaction and fail to highlight the importance of orthodontic treatment.