We study generalizations of the quasiconformal homeomorphisms (the so-called homeomorphisms with bounded (p, q)-distortion) that induce bounded composition operators on the Sobolev spaces with the first weak derivatives. If a homeomorphism between domains of the Euclidean space ℝ n has bounded (p, q)-distortion and q > n − 1 then its inverse mapping has bounded (q/(q − n + 1), p/(p − n + 1))-distortion. In this article, we study in detail the analytical properties of these homeomorphisms in the limit case q = n − 1. The study of these classes is important because of applications of mappings with bounded (p, q)-distortion to the Sobolev type embedding theorems and nonlinear elasticity problems.


Choosing parents and segregating populations are fundamental steps for the success in plant breeding. For the common bean crop, the development of genotypes that combine favorable agronomic traits and seed quality may increase the chances of adopting new cultivars. This study aimed to select promising parents and segregating populations to develop slow seed-coat darkening lines, together with high grain yield, lodging tolerance and short seed cooking time after storage, as well as to investigate the relationship between seed-coat darkening and seed cooking time after storage. Twenty segregating populations (F 3 , F 4 and F 5 generations) and their parents were evaluated. The sum of ranks index for combined traits was used in the selection of superior populations. Genetic and phenotypic correlations between seed-coat darkening and cooking time after storage were estimated. Among the parents, the BRSMG Madreperola cultivar was the most promising to generate lines with slow seed-coat darkening. The superior populations were BRSMG Madreperola x IPR Saracura, BRSMG Madreperola x BRS Sublime, BRSMG Madreperola x BRS Estilo and BRSMG Madreperola x BRS Notavel. A linear relationship was not found between seed-coat darkening and seed cooking time after storage, indicating that the first trait is not an adequate indicator to infer about seed cooking time.


Introduction: the article describes the most common variants of paraarticular tissue pathology (PTP) - enthesitis of the upper and lower extremities, back. The issues of enthesitis etiology, pathogenesis, clinic presentation, diagnosis, differential diagnosis are considered. The historical background, technique and mechanism of action of perifocal syringe injections are presented.Objective of the study: evaluate the clinical efficacy of perifocal syringe injection of Alflutop in patients with enthesitis of the upper and lower extremities and back.Materials and methods of the study:76 patients with shoulder joint enthesitis (30 patients), epicondylitis (10), back pain (14), trochanteritis (13), anseritis of the knee joints (9) received treatment with perifocal injections of Alflutop as a course of 5 injections with an interval of 1 injection every 2 -3 days. We evaluated general well-being, local pain at rest, during palpation and movement, range of motion. The diagnosis was established clinically, and using the results of x-ray examination, ultrasound, MRI.The results of treatment: significant outcomes in patients, which included improved well-being, reduced pain, increased range of motion. 69 of 76 patients demonstrated significant improvement and improvement - the effectiveness of therapy was 90.8% with high tolerability of the drug.


Janine Mossuz-Lavau Until as late as the 1980s the laws of the state and norms of society in France combined to regulate sexual behaviour and restrict aspects of sexuality in several ways. The greater sexual freedom today is a result of several struggles over a long period. While left-wing parties have generally supported movements andlegislation for greater sexual freedom, there are several other factors which have contributed to the change.


A 57-year-old woman presented with a 4-years history of progressive weakness, distal muscular atrophy and myotonia in left hand (Figure 1). Her electromyography had a myotonic pattern. Patient was first diagnosed as paraneoplasic limbic encephalitis based on her brain MRI (Figure 2). Diagnosis was genetically confirmed for myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). DM1 or Steinert's disease is an autosomal-dominant disorder characterized by muscle weakness and unusual features, compared with other dystrophies, including myotonia, anticipation, and multiple organ involvement. Anterior temporal lobe subcortical white matter lesions are described in DM1, but not in DM2 patients. Limbic encephalitis and CADASIL are the most important imaging differential diagnosis.


Islam sees economic development as the growth of human maturity, where the material progress that is currently inevitable and that must be supported by the strength of spiritual maturity so that prosperity is achieved. Benefit can be achieved when what emerges from a process is benefit and blessing. However, not everything that is beneficial can provide a blessing. The impact of the allocation of BDI KOTAKU funds on the economic development of Pasar Lama Kelurahan, Banjarmasin Tengah in 2017 was well utilized by the allocation of its use and could improve the economy and welfare of the citizens. However, when viewed from the perspective of Islamic economics, this is not enough even optimal in terms of funding because it is still not optimal use of existing and owned resources, it still depends on external sources / foreign debt which incidentally is interest-based so that there is an impact on funding dependency and make the nation's next generation dependent to the West, bearing the burden of debt and interest on its loans. This is what is called in the Islamic Economy with a useful concept but not a blessing / does not give blessing because of the interest / ribawi system. Thus the economic approach to the development of Sharia is needed to focus on development instruments that are compatible with religion / sharia and culture / local wisdom (local wisdom) so that existing resources can be utilized properly and benefits can be realized.


Abstract This paper puts forward suggestions on how to deal with typical problems found in international comparisons of governance, illustrated by the case of sick leave statistics. We analysed sick leave data and meta-data of employees in the public administration of six European countries and regions. The purpose of the analysis is to learn about the challenges of and potential solutions for international comparisons of performance. The study demonstrates that problems of reliability and validity can be reduced, provided that sufficient data and meta-data are available. These results suggest that although "perfect comparisons" are difficult to achieve, work can be done to make measurement "good enough".


Introduction : Imaging data play an increasing role in phenotyping and phenotype-genotype correlations of COPD with regard to an airway- or emphysema-type and additional subphenotypes. Within the COSYCONET cohort an image bank has been installed collecting all available chest CTs from the participants regardless of time of acquisition.

Methods : After pseudonymisation CT data underwent qualitative analysis: lobar-based assessment of presence or absence of abnormalities related to large or small airways and estimation of extent of emphysema. Quantitatively, emphysema was assessed by mean lung density, low attenuation area percent and 15 percentile; airways were assessed with regard to wall thickness and wall area percent.

Results : 412 CT data sets from 24 centers were collected until 12/2013. 86 % of the scans were less than 4 years old. The clinical indication was emphysema/COPD in 67 % of patients, nodule or lung cancer in 15 % and only 8 % for infiltrates. 40 % of scans were contrast-enhanced, which carries inherent difficulties for the quantitative analysis of emphysema. 55 % of the scans had a slice thickness of 3 mm or less, which is deemed adequate. Airway type is more frequent in lower GOLD stages, whereas emphysema extent gradually increases with GOLD stage.

Conclusions : The retrospective collection of CTs reflects the clinical reality in imaging COPD. It represents an important repository for phenotyping. Due to the shortcomings, a prospective study comparing MRI and CT for phenotyping COPD was initiated in a subcohort of COSYCONET in December 2013.

Supported by Competence Network Asthma/COPD, funded by FM of Education and Research, FKZ 01GI0884.


An advanced surface movement guidance system (A-SMGCS) is needed to enhance safety and capacity of airport surface operations particularly under low visibility conditions. Standards are under surveillance systems development for applications by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) all weather operations panel for A-SMGCS, the airport surface navigation surveillance subgroup of RTCA Special Committee 159, and RTCA SC-186 for automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B). In support of these activities, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) developed an integrated A-SMGCS called the Low Visibility Landing and Surface Operations (LVLASO) system. This system was installed at Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport (ATL). A surface surveillance system performance evaluation of airport surface detection equipment (ASDE-3) radar, 1090 MHz ADS-B and Mode S multilateration was conducted. Research on multilateration optimization for the A-SMGCS application was performed.


With the exception of amiodarone (class III), which lengthens the action potential, all agents available for the treatment of tachyarrhythmias produce negative inotropic effects. The antiarrhythmic action of class I antiarrhythmic drugs is due to an impaired Na channel recovery and a prolongation of the refractory period. The same mechanism results in the negative inotropic effects of these agents. A decrease in the intracellular Na concentration, and hence in the intracellular Ca concentration via the Na/Ca exchange system produces a decrease in force of contraction. The negative inotropic effect of class I antiarrhythmic drugs is particularly pronounced in those agents (e.g., quinidine) which interact with Na channels for a relatively long period of time. The negative inotropic effects of beta-adrenoceptor blocking agents (class II) and of calcium-channel inhibitors (class IV) is mainly due to an inhibition of the slow Ca inward current, as are the antiarrhythmic effects of these agents. In conclusion, the negative inotropic effects of antiarrhythmic agents are due to different mechanisms. Thus, the cardiodepressive effects of these drugs may be increased in an additive manner when these agents are combined to increase their antiarrhythmic effectiveness.


Droplet microfluidics is a booming sub-field of microfluidics that adds the benefits of confinement, including signal accumulation and isolation, to cell analysis. However, controlling the number of cells per droplet has been limited to using Poisson (random) encapsulation for the highest throughputs. The Poisson probability of a droplet containing one and only one cell is limited to 36.8%, and the probability of pairing two distinct cell types in a droplet is limited to 13.5%. Combining droplet microfluidics with inertial microfluidics, we present a device which efficiently co-encapsulates cell pairs in droplets at rates on the order of 6 kHz. We demonstrate particle co-encapsulation where 64% of droplets contained the correct one-to-one pairing, representing a nearly fivefold improvement to Poisson co-encapsulation. We also apply the device to encapsulate two separate strains of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. C. reinhardtii is a single-cell microalgae with applications as a model organism, recombinant protein source, and potential source of multiple biofuels. After inducing gametogenesis by nitrogen starvation and thermally inducing flagella loss, we co-encapsulate separate mating-type plus (mt+) and mating-type minus (mt−) C. reinhardtii cells in droplets. Here, 29% of droplets contained one and only one cell of each mating type, over a twofold improvement to the Poisson co-encapsulation probability of 13%. Approximately one hour following deflagellation, gametes regained flagellar motility and mating ability within the droplets. The mated zygotes were stored in emulsion form without nutrient replenishment. After 17 days, both zygospores and, remarkably, some unmated gametes remained viable. When the emulsion was broken and plated on full-nutrient agar, zygospore germination, tetrad hatching, and then mitosis followed. In addition to algae, the device has the potential for confined interaction studies for a variety of cell types.


The objective of this work was to determine anatomical characteristics, and dimensions of fibers, vessels and parenchyma and ray cells of Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poir wood. Fibers wall fraction, the percentage of fibers, vessels and ray and parenchyma cells, as well as density and charcoal production and properties were determined. The wood of Mimosa teniflora presents predominantly solitary, geminated and multiple porous in radial groups; porous distributed in uniform diffuse porosity; axial parenchyma paratracheal vasicentric, confluent vasicentric, aliform and confluent aliform; multiseriate, biseiat rays and, less frequently, uniseriate ones; very short fibers with thick walls. Charcoal yield was 39.68% with a 0.51g/cm3 density, 71.79% carbon content and 6886cal/g calorific value.


This study focuses on assessing labour productivity in quarry companies. It evaluates socio-economic characteristics of quarry workers, assesses socio-economic hindrances to better labour productivity of quarry workers and also determines the level of productivity of the quarry workers. It evaluates level of labour productivity and also the various factors that can affect labour productivity. It also evaluates the major factors on which labour productivity solely dependent. The work made use of 50 quarry company workers from three (3) quarry companies as case studies all in Oyo state, Nigeria. A well structured questionnaire was administered and the data obtained was analyzed with Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). From the result of the data analysed, it was realize that the number of unskilled labour (p = 0.000) and tonnage of granite produced (p = 0.000) per month were noted to determine the labour productivity at 5% significant level. However, hours of work per day, number of skilled labour, number of unskilled labour, and tonnage of granite produced were found to have a combined significant effect at 5% on the labour productivity (F = 142.648, p = 0.000). It was also evaluated that the time productivity is 42.80, level of labour productivity of skilled labour is 1623.70, level of labour productivity of unskilled labour is 346.89 and total labour productivity is 284.66. From the data analysis, it can be concluded that the major factors that affect labour productivity are: terms of payment, issue with supervisor, personal health and inadequate safety measure. Number of unskilled labour and tonnage of granite produced per month were noted to determine the labour productivity. However, hours of work per day, number of skilled labour, number of unskilled labour, and tonnage of granite produced were found to have a combined significant effect on the labour productivity.


This article contains a review of the main developments reported during 2007 in either publications or presentations on patients with ST-segment elevation or non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndromes in the areas of pathophysiology, secondary prevention, prognosis and treatment. In addition, the latest clinical practice guidelines are discussed.


Plasmonic nanostructures confine light to sub-wavelength scales, resulting in drastically enhanced light-matter interactions. Recent interest has focused on controlled symmetry breaking to create higher-order multipole plasmonic modes that store electromagnetic energy more efficiently than dipole modes. Here we demonstrate that four-beam holographic lithography enables fabrication of large-area plasmonic crystals with near-field coupled plasmons as well as deliberately broken symmetry to sustain multipole modes and Fano-resonances. Compared with the spectrally broad dipole modes we demonstrate an order of magnitude improved Q-factors (Q = 21) when the quadrupole mode is activated. We further demonstrate continuous tuning of the Fano-resonances using the polarization state of the incident light beam. The demonstrated technique opens possibilities to extend the rich physics of multipole plasmonic modes to wafer-scale applications that demand low-cost and high-throughput.


ABSTRACT Shale gas fracturing flowback fluid contains various degradation difficulty organic compounds after hydraulic fracturing. A hybrid treatment method was developed for treating flowback and produced water (FPW) using pre-treatment (NaClO) followed by the expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) and moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR). Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed to detect organic composition in the FPW, the pre-treated FPW, EGSB and MBBR effluent. FPW had high chemical oxygen demand (COD) (3278 mg/L) and the majority of organic compounds in the FPW composed of alkanes and heteroatomic compounds with polymers and polarity. 20% COD removal was achieved after adding 5 g/L of NaClO in FPW (pH = 7, stirring for 20 mins) as pre-treatment and > C30 alkanes in FPW were decomposed a lot in the pre-treatment process. The pre-treated FPW was diluted (volumetric ratio of 20%/50%) with synthetic wastewater/pure water. In the final stage of operation, Cl− and COD concentration of influent to EGSB-MBBR system was around 7000 ± 100 mg/L and 3000 mg/L. EGSB-MBBR system achieved 93.84% COD removal rate, in which EGSB dominated COD removal (>80%). According to the GC-MS results, EGSB had an increase of C11-C30 compounds and a decrease of less C1-C10 content due to the consumption of  > C30 compounds and low molecular weight (LWM) compounds. Meanwhile, aerobic microorganisms in MBBR metabolized LWM organics which contributed a lot to the COD removal (25.06∼68. 22%). The results indicated that the pre-treatment and biological EGSB-MBBR system could be an efficient option used for FPW treating. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


We present a system for covert automated deception detection using information available in a video. We study the importance of different modalities like vision, audio and text for this task. On the vision side, our system uses classifiers trained on low level video features which predict human micro-expressions. We show that predictions of high-level micro-expressions can be used as features for deception prediction. Surprisingly, IDT (Improved Dense Trajectory) features which have been widely used for action recognition, are also very good at predicting deception in videos. We fuse the score of classifiers trained on IDT features and high-level micro-expressions to improve performance. MFCC (Mel-frequency Cepstral Coefficients) features from the audio domain also provide a significant boost in performance, while information from transcripts is not very beneficial for our system. Using various classifiers, our automated system obtains an AUC of 0.877 (10-fold cross-validation) when evaluated on subjects which were not part of the training set. Even though state-of-the-art methods use human annotations of micro-expressions for deception detection, our fully automated approach outperforms them by 5%. When combined with human annotations of micro-expressions, our AUC improves to 0.922. We also present results of a user-study to analyze how well do average humans perform on this task, what modalities they use for deception detection and how they perform if only one modality is accessible.


This book provides a unique, authoritative and detailed examination of the physiological and clinical consequences of human exposure to high G forces. Pilots of military fast jets, civilian aerobatic pilots and astronauts during the launch and re-entry phases of spaceflight are frequently and repetitively exposed to high G forces, for which the human body is not fundamentally designed. The book examines not only the nature of the high G environment, but the physiological effects of exposure to high G on the various systems of the human body. In particular, the susceptibility of the human cardiovascular system to high G is considered in detail, since G-Induced Loss of Consciousness (G-LOC) is a serious hazard for high G pilots. Additionally, the factors that influence tolerance to G and the emerging scientific evidence of physiological adaptation to high G are examined, as are the various countermeasures and techniques that have been developed over the years to protect pilots from the potentially adverse consequences of high G flight, such as the G-suit and positive pressure breathing. The accumulated knowledge of human exposure to high G is drawn together within High G Flight, resulting in a definitive volume on the physiological effects of high G and their countermeasures.


This paper is concerned with the development of Fourier transform spectroscopy from its beginnings in Michelson's visibility technique through the present day application using modern digital computers. Methods used in maximizing the efficiency of the computation, as well as the interferometer, are discussed. Means of finding the Fourier transform other than by digital computer are mentioned, and currently available commercial instruments are named.


Obtaining tibio-femoral (TF) contact forces, ligament deformations and loads during daily life motor tasks would be useful to better understand the aetiopathogenesis of knee joint diseases or the effects of ligament reconstruction and knee arthroplasty. However, methods to obtain this information are either too simplified or too computationally demanding to be used for clinical application. A multibody dynamic model of the lower limb reproducing knee joint contact surfaces and ligaments was developed on the basis of magnetic resonance imaging. Several clinically relevant conditions were simulated, including resistance to hyperextension, varus–valgus stability, anterior–posterior drawer, loaded squat movement. Quadriceps force, ligament deformations and loads, and TF contact forces were computed. During anterior drawer test the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) was maximally loaded when the knee was extended (392 N) while the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) was much more stressed during posterior drawer when the knee was flexed (319 N). The simulated loaded squat revealed that the anterior fibres of ACL become inactive after 60° of flexion in conjunction with PCL anterior bundle activation, while most components of the collateral ligaments exhibit limited length changes. Maximum quadriceps and TF forces achieved 3.2 and 4.2 body weight, respectively. The possibility to easily manage model parameters and the low computational cost of each simulation represent key points of the present project. The obtained results are consistent with in vivo measurements, suggesting that the model can be used to simulate complex and clinically relevant exercises.


A total of 10Staphylococcusaureusisolates were recovered from 117 milk samples which were obtained from 93 dairy cows indifferent farms suffered from clinical mastitis, these isolates were phenotypically characterized and identified based on colony morphology andbiochemical tests. In addition, antibiotic susceptibility pattern of these strains was investigated and a trial to investigate the mechanism of the isolated bacterium to antibiotic resistance by PCR detection of class 1 integron. The milk samples were examined bacteriologically: Thirty-three out of 117 samples (28.2%) were positive for staphylococcus. Ten out of 33 samples (30.3%) were coagulase positive staphylococcus. The S. aureus isolates were highly sensitive to Cephalothin (DF30), Ampicillin/sulbactam (SAM), Methicillin(DP5µg), Amoxicillin-Clavulanic acid (AMC30) and Trimethoprime-Sulphamethaxole (SXT25µg), Susceptibility rates of S. aureus to these antibiotics were: 90, 80, 80, 70 and70%, respectively. Higher resistance was observed to Streptomycin (S10µg), Kanamycine (K30µg), Tetracycline (Te30µg), Erythromycin (E15µg), Cefotasime (CTX30µg), Cefoperazone (CFP75µg), Ampicillin (AMP10µg), Gentamycine (GN10µg), Amoxicillin (AX25µg) and Ciprofloxacin(CIP5µg), Susceptibility rates of S. aureus to these antibiotics were: 30, 30, 30, 30, 40, 40, 40, 40,40 and 50%, respectively. The molecular detection of S. aureus specific sequence gene(Sa), genes encoding clumping factor A (clfA), gene encoding S. aureus protein A (spa)and the class 1 integron using Polymerase Chain Reaction were carried out. A total of 10 Staphylococcus aureus isolates were negative for the presence of class 1 integron but yielded an amplicon size of about107 bp in case of S. aureus specific sequence gene (Sa), an amplicon size of about 638bp in case ofclfA gene. Amplification of the(spa) gene encoding S. aureus protein A was detected in 9 strains out of 10 (90%)and yielded an amplicon size of about 226bp. The data in this study provided an overview on the incidence of staphylococcus aureus in clinical mastitis and the distribution of virulence determinants and antibiotic resistance of these S. aureus strains.


The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has been designed to support a wide variety of high energy density science (HEDS) experiments, including the demonstration of inertial fusion ignition and burn. To meet this goal, its 192-beam frequency-converted neodymium-glass laser must deliver up to 1.8-MJ total energy at 351 nm, with peak power of 500 TW and precisely-controlled temporal pulse shapes spanning two orders of magnitude. Over the past two years, a series of detailed measurements have been performed on one beamline of the NIF laser at 1omega(1053 nm), 2omega(526.5 nm), and 3omega(351 nm). Results of these experiments lend confidence to the expectation that NIF will meet its laser performance design criteria and that it will be able to simultaneously deliver the temporal pulse shaping, focal spot conditioning, peak power, shot-to-shot reproducibility, and power balance required for indirect-drive fusion ignition campaigns. The NIF final optics system has also been demonstrated to be capable of operating at 2omega energies of up to 17.9 kJ/beamline-3.4 MJ for a similarly configured 192-beam NIF. We discuss the status of NIF commissioning, and the nature and results of these measurement campaigns.


This article describes the development and validation of the UCLA Multidimensional Condom Attitudes Scale (MCAS). The relationships between the MCAS and gender, sexual experience, intentions to use a condom, and past condom use were assessed. The MCAS has five distinct factors: (a) Reliability and Effectiveness of condoms, (b) the sexual Pleasure associated with condom use, (c) the stigma attached to persons who use condoms (Identity Stigma), (d) the Embarrassment About Negotiation and Use of condoms, and (e) the Embarrassment About the Purchase of condoms. The results strongly suggest that condom attitudes are multidimensional and thus cannot meaningfully be summed to a single global score. Results further indicate that men and women hold very different attitudes toward condoms. Implications of scale multidimensionality and directions for future research are discussed.


Radium (Ra) is a radioactive element commonly found within soils, sediments, and natural waters. Elevated Ra activities arising through natural and anthropogenic processes pose a threat to groundwater resources and human health, and Ra isotope ratios are used to decipher groundwater movement, estimate submarine discharge flux, and fingerprint contamination associated with hydraulic fracturing operations. Although adsorption to metal (hydr)oxides and certain clay minerals is well established as a dominant mechanism controlling Ra transport and retention, the extent of Ra sorption to other minerals and under variable environmental conditions (e.g., pH and salinity) is limited. Accordingly, we present results of sorption studies and surface complexation modeling (SCM) of Ra to ferrihydrite, goethite, montmorillonite, and pyrite, for a range of pH values and common background cations. Ra sorption to all substrates is observed under geochemical conditions considered, but varies according to mineral, solution pH and specific competing cations. Literature derived SCMs for Ra sorption were fitted to match either sorption impacts due to pH or different background cations, but were not able to predict the impacts of different geochemical conditions. Despite this, the use of SCMs provided a more mechanistic understanding of Ra sorption as compared to commonly used distribution coefficients.


The species of woody and grassy vegetation grow on the seashore sands and wastes. These plants are adapted for less favorable existence conditions, some of them growing in littoral habitats of excessive moisture and salinity, the others tolerate infertile and dry sand. The aim of this study has been to analyze the dispersion of vegetation in different relief elements of the coastal protective dunes, to search for relation between woody and grassy plant species, and to foresee the tendencies of further seashore landscape development. It has been established that in the locations of an intensive flow of visitors a net of trodden paths is formed where the plants cover is disappearing very fast as there are suitable conditions for the spring and autumn winds to erode the coastal protective dune of the seashore of the Curonian spit. In a couple of years a trodden path turns into sand drifting corridors of 2 – 3 m. wide, and the trodden and lain places by holiday makers extend to 4 – 5 m. wide pits and hollows. After interconnection of these formations they shape different size deflations. The drifting sand carried by the prevailing western direction winds swamp the plains beyond coastal dunes and the outskirts of the forest and sandy meadows. The statistical analysis of the plant projection cover shows that during the last 27 years (from 1982) the conditions for vegetation survival on the Curonian spit seashore sand dunes are gradually deteriorating.


Introduction: Obesity is a medical case in which extra body fat has stored to the extent that it may have a harmful effect on health. People are generally measured obese when their body mass index (BMI), ameasurement obtained by dividing aperson's weight by the square of the person's height, is over 30 kg/m2, with the range 25–30 kg/m2 defined as overweight. Some East Asian countries use lower values. Aim of the work: Find out the prevalence of overweight and obesity among female students in Sohag University, and identify important risk factors. Patients and Methods: Cross sectional study, included a sample of female students aged 17-25 in the selected faculties in Sohag University, the study was carried out in Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Nursery and Faculty of Education in Sohag University, the questionnaire was divided into five parts, the demography, dietary habits, physical activity, perceptions of body weight and beliefs of obesity and the record of self-reported and actual anthropometric body measurements. Results: Overweight and obesity were prevalent among the our study subjects as the prevelance was 38.5%, lack of physical activity, soft drink consumpton and marital status were significantly associated with obesity, our students preferred dairy products and fatty foods over vegetables and fruits. In addition, their "lack of time" was the most frequently mentioned barrier to eating a healthy diet and engaging in regular exercise. Life style modification is important to improve healthy habits earlier in life. Conclusion: Overweight and obesity were prevalent among the our study subjects as the prevelance was 38.5%.


Due to the growing demand for traffic communication, the requirement for reconfigurable antennas for future generation of satellites is growing steadily. This article presents designs examples of reconfigurable satellite contour beam reflector antennas via multi-objective evolutionary optimization. One configuration is composed of shaped reflector illuminated by a single feed horn. To explore the concept, we consider the case of a satellite that can be placed in three orbital positions to provide different coverage: Europe, North America and South America. A second example considers a single shaped reflector illuminated by two feed horns to simultaneously provide dual coverage with frequency reuse.


A comparison of muscle activity strict, kipping pull-ups The kipping pull-up (KPU) and butterfly pull-up (BPU) are variations of the strict pull-up (SPU) where an athlete uses hollow and arched body positions to gain momentum, before accelerating vertically. Understanding the muscle activity of each of these exercises will help coaches better utilise them within a strength and conditioning programme. The aim of this study was to compare upper and lower body muscle activation between the SPU, KPU and BPU during the concentric and eccentric phases of each exercise. 11 participants had surface electromyography data collected from three upper and three lower body muscles while completing each pull-up variation. Peak EMG data from each phase for each muscle from the SPU were used to normalise peak KPU and BPU EMG data. A repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc testing was used to identify significant differences between each variation. The results show significantly reduced muscle activation in the bicep brachii during the concentric (p < 0.05; d = 1.1) and eccentric (p < 0.05; d = 1.1) phases of the BPU, when compared to the SPU. Activation of the latissimus dorsi was significantly lower during the concentric phase of the KPU (p < 0.02; d = 1.2) and eccentric phase (p < 0.01; d = 1.4) of the BPU in comparison to the SPU. Furthermore, significantly greater muscle activation was shown in the rectus femoris, gluteus maximus and rectus abdominus in both the KPU and BPU, when compared to the SPU. However, results differed within the concentric and eccentric phases. These findings show that both styles of kipping increase lower body muscle activation and decrease upper body activation in comparison to the SPU. Further, due to the different style of kip, the KPU and BPU display different muscle activations during both the concentric and eccentric phases.


Introduction The approved analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs ibuprofen and indometacin block the small GTPase RhoA, a key enzyme that impedes axonal sprouting after axonal damage. Inhibition of the Rho pathway in a central nervous system-effective manner requires higher dosages compared with orthodox cyclooxygenase-blocking effects. Preclinical studies on spinal cord injury (SCI) imply improved motor recovery after ibuprofen/indometacin-mediated Rho inhibition. This has been reassessed by a meta-analysis of the underlying experimental evidence, which indicates an overall effect size of 20.2% regarding motor outcome achieved after ibuprofen/indometacin treatment compared with vehicle controls. In addition, ibuprofen/indometacin may also limit sickness behaviour, non-neurogenic systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), neuropathic pain and heterotopic ossifications after SCI. Consequently, 'small molecule'-mediated Rho inhibition after acute SCI warrants clinical investigation. Methods and analysis Protocol of an investigator-initiated clinical open-label pilot trial on high-dose ibuprofen treatment after acute traumatic, motor-complete SCI. A sample of n=12 patients will be enrolled in two cohorts treated with 2400 mg/day ibuprofen for 4 or 12 weeks, respectively. The primary safety end point is an occurrence of serious adverse events, primarily gastroduodenal bleedings. Secondary end points are pharmacokinetics, feasibility and preliminary effects on neurological recovery, neuropathic pain and heterotopic ossifications. The primary safety analysis is based on the incidence of severe gastrointestinal bleedings. Additional analyses will be mainly descriptive and casuistic. Ethics and dissemination The clinical trial protocol was approved by the responsible German state Ethics Board, and the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices. The study complies with the Declaration of Helsinki, the principles of Good Clinical Practice and all further applicable regulations. This safety and pharmacokinetics trial informs the planning of a subsequent randomised controlled trial. Regardless of the result of the primary and secondary outcome assessments, the clinical trial will be reported as a publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Trial registration number NCT02096913; Pre-results.


Biotechnological applications of protein complexes require detailed information about their structure and composition, which can be challenging to obtain for proteins from natural sources. Prominent examples are the ring‐shaped phycoerythrin (PE) and phycocyanin (PC) complexes isolated from the light‐harvesting antennae of red algae and cyanobacteria. Despite their widespread use as fluorescent probes in biotechnology and medicine, the structures and interactions of their noncrystallizable central subunits are largely unknown. Here, we employ ion mobility mass spectrometry to reveal varying stabilities of the PC and PE complexes and identify their closest architectural homologues among all protein assemblies in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Our results suggest that the central subunits of PC and PE complexes, although absent from the crystal structures, may be crucial for their stability, and thus of unexpected importance for their biotechnological applications.


To generate innovative solutions for marine sustainability challenges, scientists, policymakers, and funders are increasingly calling for interdisciplinary research that transcends disciplinary boundaries. However, challenges associated with doing interdisciplinary research persist and undermine progress toward tackling the complex challenges faced by marine social-ecological systems. One barrier for engaging in effective interdisciplinary research is a lack of understanding about the institutional capacities that support interdisciplinary knowledge production. Based on in-depth qualitative interviews with members of the Centre for Marine Socioecology in Australia, we identify five principles that underpin effective interdisciplinary research organizations. The principles are: (1) support female leadership; (2) forge partnerships outside of academia; (3) develop impact-based performance metrics; (4) focus on long-term funding; and (5) cultivate a visible brand. Going forward, these principles could be used to inform organizational design that transforms institutional barriers into enablers of innovative interdisciplinary research for more sustainable, desirable, and equitable futures.


While there has been increasing concern with respect to the sustainable development of "the Belt and Road" region, the majority of studies have focused on economic and environmental dimensions. This paper focuses on the temporal cultural trade network between the 66 countries of this region between 1990 and 2016. A social network analysis method was used to analyze the cultural trade network and its temporal evolution, where results detected key nodes and cultural corridors. Furthermore, the conceptual point-line-polygon model, which summarizes the expansion of such cultural nodes and corridors between 1990 and 2016, reveals the rapid development of cultural exchanges within the region. Here, the varied roles of large and small-sized countries were found to be dominated by China, Russia, and India. While the cultural trade network has promoted the integration of cultural diversity into the global market, to achieve global cultural sustainability more active trading relations with small-sized countries should be encouraged.


Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects approximately 170 million people worldwide and is a major cause of life-threatening liver diseases such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Acute HCV infection often progresses to chronic persistent infection, although some patients recover spontaneously. The divergent outcomes of acute HCV infection are known to be determined by differences in virus-specific T-cell responses among patients. Of the two major T-cell subsets, CD8+ T-cells are known to be the key effector cells that control viral infections via cytolytic activity and cytokine secretion. Herein, we review various aspects of HCV-specific CD8+ T-cell responses in acute HCV infection. In particular, we focus on timing of CD8+ T-cell responses, relationship between CD8+ T-cell responses and outcomes of acute HCV infection, receptor expression on CD8+ T-cells, breadth of CD8+ T-cell responses, and viral mutations.


Abstract Over the past two decades the rise of information technologies (IT) has enabled businesses to communicate, coordinate, and cooperate in unprecedented ways. However, this did not come without a price. Today, IT infrastructure accounts for a substantial fraction of the national energy consumption in most advanced countries. Subsequently, research turned to finding ways of making IT more sustainable and lessening the environmental impact of IT infrastructure. In our previous work we developed LINFIX, an innovative method for handling the scheduling problem in data centers, which substantially reduced the total energy consumption compared to commonly used practices. Due to the computational complexity of the scheduling problem, we were, however, unable to estimate the cost reduction of LINFIX compared to what is theoretically possible. In this work we employ a genetic algorithm to provide a benchmark to better assess the quality of the LINFIX solutions. While the genetic algorithm frequently finds better solutions, the additional average cost reduction when compared to LINFIX is less than 0.1 percent. Taking the computational speed into account, this confirms our hypothesis that LINFIX provides very energy efficient scheduling plans in short time. Keywords: Green IT, Sustainability, Genetic Algorithm, Data Center Scheduling.


China needs to develop nuclear energy much more actively from the point of supporting economic sustainable increase and environmental protection. Significant efforts have been made on the research of some key component applied materials and the manufacturing technology of the Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) in the recent decade in China. Alloy 690 is a nickel based corrosion resistant material and has been extensively applied as the steam generator (SG) tubing in the PWRs. In order to prolong the SG service life to more than 60 years, this tubing material's basic characters and manufacturing foundation need to be clarified and established step by step. The fundamental research of the minor and trace elements effects on microstructure, property and the development of manufacturing homogenized industrial scale Alloy 690 are reviewed in this paper.
From the study of the Alloy 690 isothermal solidification behavior, sulfur (S) was found to lower the solidus temperature significantly. This element largely enriched in final solidified residual liquids and significantly induced main elements' micro-segregation. Accompanied by the co-segregation of Cr and Ti, chromium sulfides or titanium sulfides were formed, which was proved to be rather detrimental to alloy hot ductility. Its content, therefore, needs to be controlled as low as possible in industrial production. Nitrogen (N) has a diplex function. It refines the grain size and increases alloy strength without decreasing ductility, but more TiN particles will be precipitated when more N is added to this alloy, so N content should be controlled within a reasonable range. A high purity industrial scale alloy melting process has been successfully developed by taking vacuum induction melting (VIM) and electro-slag re-melting (ESR) double routes.
In order to fully understand the ESR ingot's crystal structure and the structure evolution after hot forging, an ESR ingot with 510mm diameter has been dissected both from transverse and longitudinal directions. It could be found that at three typical re-melting stages, the ingot possesses different crystal macro-structures. Further micro-structure analysis shows nitrides solidified in the inter-dendrite, carbides only precipitated at the grain boundary. The structure evolution has been carefully studied using the samples taken from different sections of the dissected ESR ingot and hot-forged at different temperatures. There were some kinds of fine-grain bands structure which was observed in the hot forged parts, and the fine grain boundaries were beset by some of chromium-carbide. Such fine-grain bands would be inherited to the hot extruding or cold rolling tubes if they could not be eliminated after hot forging of the big ESR ingot. By optimizing the ingot hot deforming process, the forging billets of 210 diameters with more stable and uniformed structure were obtained.


The West Bank and the Settlements, again? Readers may have had enough of this subject. But these are exceptional times. The adoption by the Security Council of Resolution 2334 on December 23, 2016, the unprecedented speech by Secretary Kerry delivered shortly thereafter, and the immediate rejection of both by Prime Minister Netanyahu, combined with the approach of the fiftieth anniversary of the Six-Day War in June 2017 and the continued march toward an inexorable demographic change in the West Bank, not to mention the nomination as U.S. Ambassador to Israel of a person reportedly supporting an active settlement policy and annexation: the confluence of these events demands our renewed attention. And while these developments undoubtedly have powerful political dimensions, they also call upon those of us who care about international law to speak up in support of its requirements and application.


Adaptive Navigation (AN) has, in the past, been successfully accomplished by using mobile multi-robot systems (MMS) in highly structured formations known as clusters. Such multi-robot adaptive navigation (MAN) allows for real-time reaction to sensor readings and navigation to a goal location not known a priori. This thesis successfully reproduces MAN cluster techniques via swarm control techniques, a less computationally expensive but less formalized control technique for MMS, which achieves robot control through a combination of primitive robot behaviors. While powerful for large numbers of robots, swarm robotics often relies on "emergent" swarm behaviors resulting from robot-level behaviors, rather than top-down specification of swarm behaviors. For adaptive navigation purposes, it was desired to be able to specify swarm-level behavior from a top down perspective rather than experimenting with emergent behaviors. To this end, a simulation environment was developed to allow rapid development and vetting of swarm behaviors while easily interfacing with an existing testbed for validation on hardware. An initial suite of robot primitive and composite behaviors was developed and vetted using this simulator, and the behaviors were validated using the existing testbed in Santa Clara University's Robotics System Laboratory (RSL). Of particular importance were the adaptive navigation primitives of extrema finding and contour finding and following. These AN primitives were tested over a variety of experimental parameters, yielding design guidelines for top-down specification of swarm robotic adaptive navigation. These design guidelines are presented, and their usefulness is demonstrated for a Contour Finding and Following application using the RSL's testbed. Finally, possible future work to expand the capability of swarm-based adaptive navigation techniques is discussed.


This article provides an overview of the place translation holds in Eavan Boland's career, taking in her experience as a reader of translations as well as a translator, showing how the first fed into the second and how her own practice evolved using examples from her whole career. It then focuses on her bilingual anthology of German poets After Every War to demonstrate that her work as a translator stemmed from the same ethical and poetic concerns as her work as a poet, retrieving marginal voices and creating an alternative tradition around female experiences. The Classical myth of Ceres and Persephone, which Boland revisited and rewrote many times, shows how her translation practice lastingly influenced her poetics and poetry.


Eosinophils are a numerically dominant cell population within the schistosome granuloma. These granuloma eosinophils can produce a variety of cytokines, including IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, and IFN-gamma. Therefore, eosinophils may play a key role in the determination of the unique cytokine microenvironment within the granuloma milieu. These studies investigated the potential role of eosinophils in the regulation of granuloma immunopathology. We have characterized spleen- and granuloma-derived eosinophils based on cellular activation and cytokine production during the development of murine schistosomiasis. Based on the criteria of hypodensity and CD69 expression, granuloma eosinophils were highly activated and very homogeneous at 7 and 11 wk postinfection. Splenic eosinophils were also activated at 7 wk postinfection, but were much more heterogeneous than their granuloma counterparts. By 11 wk postinfection, few hypodense splenic eosinophils were observed. Eosinophils represented the majority of cytokine-producing cells in the granuloma and were a dominant source of IL-4. Eosinophils also produced IL-2, IL-5, and IFN-gamma, using the criteria of mRNA in situ hybridization and intracellular cytokine staining by FACS. Granuloma eosinophil activation and cytokine production were greatest at the time of maximum granuloma formation, i.e., 10-12 wk after initial cercarial exposure. Therefore, locally activated eosinophils, not Th2 lymphocytes, produce the majority of Th2 cytokines in the granuloma milieu and may be important determinators of immunopathology in schistosomiasis.


FSH, LH and prolactin (PRL) levels were assessed by ELISA in 50 cases with secondary amenorrhea and 52 age and sex-matched healthy controls from eastern Nepal. Cases were diagnosed by differential diagnosis, and data were analyzed using standard statistical tools. Early stage (3-6 months) and long standing (> 6 months) secondary amenorrhea had no effect (p > 0.05) in hormonal parameters studied. Pulse, SBP, DBP, weight, height, age of menarche, cycle interval and duration of flows were homogenous (p > 0.05) in patients and controls. Median age of menarche, median cycle interval and median duration of flows in healthy subjects were 14 years, 30 and 4 days respectively. FSH in cases (15.38 +/- 7.24 mU/ml) was significantly elevated (p < 0.01) as compared to controls (9.38 +/- 6.34 mU/ml). LH in cases (35.44 +/- 24.35 mU/ml, median 36.5 mU/ml) was significantly (p < 0.01) elevated by almost 5 times of its mean value and 9 times of its median value as compared to that of controls (7.58 +/- 6.604 mU/ml, median 4.2 mU/ml). LH/ FSH ratio in cases (2.44 +/- 1.73, median 2.00) was significantly higher (p < 0.01) as compared to controls (0.82 +/- 0.42, median 0.76). FSH e"12 mU/ml, LH e"10 mU/ml and LH/FSH ratio e"1 cut offs were significantly associated (p = 0.000 in each) with the cases as revealed by chi-square analysis, and LH/FSH ratio e"1 (Sensitivity = 84.0%, specificity = 77.0%) was found to be a stronger marker of secondary amenorrhea. As the elevation of LH was more pronounced than that of FSH, this study hints towards possible LH receptor mutation, which is generally found in premature ovarian failure (POF). Diagnosis of cases in this region may need a new cut off level for POF, as the elevation of FSH itself was not as pronounced as reported by other workers.


As a practising health visitor, Lindis Percy believes her involvement in non-violent direct action against military weapons, and against nuclear warfare in particular, is integral to both her personal and professional philosophies. Here she describes her involvement in the Greenham Common and Menwith Hill protests, and subsequent court victories.


Fentanyl and its analogs are eliminated slowly by patients having abdominal aortic surgery. This is principally due to larger volumes of distribution, compared to the pharmacokinetics determined in other surgical patients. Midazolam, like these opioids, is a lipophilic organic base, suggesting that it may also have a larger volume of distribution in patients undergoing abdominal aortic reconstruction. The pharmacokinetics of intravenous midazolam, 0.25 mg/kg, were determined in patients undergoing elective infrarenal abdominal aortic surgery. The mean (+/- SD) age of the patients was 66.7 +/- 9.2 yr, and their mean weight was 74.3 +/- 12.7 kg. Blood samples were drawn at increasing intervals for 24 h after administration of midazolam, and serum midazolam concentrations were measured by gas-liquid chromatography. A 3 compartment model best described the concentration versus time data. Simulations of the times required for 20%, 50%, and 80% decreases in midazolam concentrations after stopping an infusion that maintains a constant plasma midazolam concentration were performed, comparing pharmacokinetic variables from this study with previously published values. Metabolic clearance was 361 +/- 97 mL/min. Rapid intercompartmental clearance was 2197 +/- 997 mL/min and slow intercompartmental clearance, 481 +/- 225 mL/min. The volume of the central compartment (Vc) and the volume of distribution at steady state (Vdss) were 5.8 +/- 5.3 L and 118.2 +/- 70.4 L, respectively. The elimination half-life was 6.3 +/- 3.6 h, 1.5- to 3-fold longer than has been previously reported in patients undergoing surgery. Compared to previously published studies of other groups of patients, metabolic clearance of midazolam was slower in patients undergoing abdominal aortic surgery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Since the 1970s, serial verb constructions (SVCs) have been discussed widely in African, Oceanic and many other languages throughout the world. This article gives an overview of the most important generalizations about SVCs that have been proposed and that do seem to hold if a sufficiently restrictive definition of the concept is adopted. The main problem with the earlier comparative literature is that the notion of an SVC has not been delimited clearly, and/or has been formulated in much too wide terms. As a result, some linguists have despaired of finding a coherent cross-linguistic concept of SVC. For example, one scholar asked 'Are there any universal defining properties of serial verb constructions? Probably not . . .'. These problems can be seen as a result of the confusion between comparative concepts and natural kinds: Serial verb constructions have (most often implicitly) been regarded as natural kinds (universal categories), so that phenomena in additional languages were regarded as SVCs even when they had somewhat different properties. This procedure inevitably leads to a fuzzy and very broad understanding of the concept, with a prototype (or 'canonical') structure that does not allow falsifiable claims. Here I propose a narrow definition of SVC and formulate 10 universals that are apparently true of all serial verb constructions in this narrow sense. The claim that these are universally true of (narrowly defined) serial verb constructions is based on a thorough reading of the comparative and theoretical literature, not on a systematic sample of language- the latter would not have been practical, because SVCs are rarely described in sufficient detail in descriptive grammars. No attempt is made at explaining these generalizations in the present article, but I claim that we finally have a good idea of what it is that needs to be explained in a general way.


With the joint cases Larentia + Minerva and Marenave Schifffahrt the CJEU once again delivered a judgment in a landmark case on VAT and holding companies. The author questions whether this will be the last case on holding companies or that we can expect more cases in the future, because some issues still remain unsolved.


The integration of native polymers with electronic elements to form green electronics will be the subject of intense scientific research. In this work, conductive cellulose composite films have been prepared by in situ polymerization of aniline monomers in the cellulose scaffolds. The effects of reaction time, different dopants and the concentration of aniline monomer on the structure and properties of the composite films have been investigated. With the optimized reaction protocols, the structurally defined polyaniline (PANI)/cellulose composite films with PANI content of only about 24.6% exhibited electrical conductivity as high as 0.06 S cm−1, which could be compared with that of pure PANI. The PANI/cellulose films integrated the merits of cellulose and conductive polyaniline. The composite films with electrical conductivity performance were foldable and could be used as flexible electrode materials for supercapacitors. The specific capacitance of the films was about 120–160 F g−1 at current densities ranging from 0.1 to 0.5 A g−1 in the supercapacitor, and it maintained at least 81% after 1000 cycles at a current density of 0.5 A g−1. The straightforward fabrication of the cellulose-based conductive films represented not only a novel scientific approach for supercapacitor-based energy storage materials, but also an emerging area of research aimed at identifying compounds of natural origin and establishing economically efficient routes for the production of environmentally safe (biodegradable) and/or biocompatible devices.


Generative models for open domain question answering have proven to be competitive, without resorting to external knowledge. While promising, this approach requires to use models with billions of parameters, which are expensive to train and query. In this paper, we investigate how much these models can benefit from retrieving text passages, potentially containing evidence. We obtain state-of-the-art results on the Natural Questions and TriviaQA open benchmarks. Interestingly, we observe that the performance of this method significantly improves when increasing the number of retrieved passages. This is evidence that sequence-to-sequence models offers a flexible framework to efficiently aggregate and combine evidence from multiple passages.


Abstract
 Global warming has become one of the biggest problems faced in the 21st century. The various problems that will arise from the effects of global warming will certainly threaten life on Earth. These impacts appear to be related and can lead to other negative impacts. These problems are certainly difficult to overcome or prevent. However, if the problem will really occur, life on Earth is nearing its end. Mitigating the effects of global warming and adapting to prepare for the impacts caused are the best choices that can be done.


Current-voltage, or i–V, curves are used in combustion to characterise the ionic structure of flames. The objective of this paper is to develop a detailed modelling framework for the quantitative prediction of the i–V curves in methane/air flames. Ion and electron transport coefficients were described using methods appropriate for charged species interactions. An ionic reaction mechanism involving cations, anions and free electrons was used, together with up-to-date rate coefficients and thermodynamic data. Because of the important role of neutral species in the ion production process, its prediction by the detailed AramcoMech 1.4 mechanism was optimised by using available experimental measurements. Model predictions were evaluated by comparing to i–V curves measured in atmospheric-pressure, premixed, burner-stabilised flames. A detailed evaluation of the reliability of ion kinetic and transport parameters adopted was performed. The model provides good quantitative agreement with experimental data for various conditions.


The following chapter describes the presentation, impact, and treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in a pediatric population. Similarities and differences in the assessment and treatment of childhood-onset OCD and adult-onset OCD are noted. Children with OCD may struggle with additional mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and ADHD. The authors discuss the importance of addressing comorbid mental health conditions and clarify factors that may be involved in differential diag -nosis. Additionally, the impact of the family environment and parent-child interactions on children with OCD is reviewed. It is common for pediatric and adult individuals with OCD to involve close family members in OCD-related behaviors in some capac- ity. Accommodation refers to family members' modification of their own behavior in order to assist in their child's OCD-related rituals. Addressing family accommodation in treatment can substantially impact treatment outcomes in children with OCD. Finally, evidence-based treatment modalities for pediatric obsessive compulsive disorder are explored including cognitive behavior therapy and psychiatric medication.


We characterize the elements of generalized Gelfand Shilov spaces in terms of the coefficients of their Fourier-Hermite expansion. The technique we use can be applied both in quasianalytic and nonquasianalytic case. The characterizations imply the kernel theorems for the dual spaces. The cases when the test space is quasianalytic are important in quantum field theory with a fundamental length, see for example papers of E.Bruning and S.Nagamachi,where it was conjectured that the properties of the space of Fourier hyper functions, which is isomorphic with S^1_1 are well adapted for the use in the theory.


Purpose of review Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation has rapidly evolved during the past decade: although the treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation via a transcatheter approach has been consistently successful, persistent and long-standing atrial fibrillation still represents a major clinical challenge with less favorable outcomes to date. Because novel, minimally invasive surgical approaches have been developed for atrial fibrillation ablation, the aim of the present review is to analyze the current evidence surrounding the integration of surgical and transcatheter strategies in a hybrid fashion for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. Recent findings Long-standing persistent, atrial fibrillation requires further understanding. Wide antral circumferential ablation of the pulmonary veins represents the cornerstone of any ablation therapy. Additional linear lesions and/or targeting complex fractionated atrial electrograms may also be considered. One of the limitations is achieving a transmural lesion. The combined endocardial and epicardial approach may represent a superior approach. Summary Hybrid ablation of atrial fibrillation represents a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of complex scenarios, such as long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation. A specialized team including dedicated surgeons and cardiologists appears to be crucial in order to achieve durable and satisfactory outcomes following hybrid ablation of atrial fibrillation.


The problem of managing the physical and special training of troops of various arms in defense reform was considered in the article. Determine the status of development of physical and special abilities of military guards 21-30 years. The study involved 48 non-commissioned officers, warrant officers and officers who carry out official duties under the contract. It is developed a differentiated assessment of physical and specially trained employees of the State Border Service the first age group


The present study concerns convective flows in the empty volume above the plant canopy in a confined greenhouse. The purpose of this paper is to numerically investigate the effect of the number of spans on the convective heat transfer in closed greenhouses. The initial greenhouse CFD model cavity is validated against experimental results found in the literature. Thermal convection is induced by heating the bottom of the cavity. The numerical model is then modified to represent two-l greenhouse cavities with different numbers of spans. The computational fluid dynamic (CFD) software is then used to analyze mainly the natural convective heat transfer, velocity and temperature distributions for the single span greenhouse, as well as multi-span greenhouses (containing two and three spans). The greenhouse CFD model floor is heated, and the walls are adiabatic, corresponding to Rayleigh-Bénard convection. A mesh sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine a suitable size for the mesh. Results show that adding additional spans to the initial single-span cavity has a pronounced effect on the Nusselt-number distribution on the floor of the cavity. The temperature and velocity distributions were also significantly influenced. The four-span cavity showed three convective cells instead of four as for the lowest Rayleigh number.


A new method, called the injection type IPOS, which consists of anodization of a n-type layer by injection of holes from a p-type substrate and oxidation, is reported. Formation of porous silicon film, anode potential-current characteristics and problems in application to integrated circuit were investigated. As a result, characteristics in anodization and oxidation peculiar to the injection type IPOS scheme were found. Satisfactory results about the isolation characteristic make it clear that this scheme can be applied to isolation in integrated circuit.


Heat-shock stress causes inactivation and aggregation of various cellular proteins which become further insoluble. Previous studies have shown that the interferon-induced p68 kinase activity was greatly reduced in extracts of heat-shocked HeLa cells, and that the loss of activity was due to a decreased solubility of the enzyme. Here we show that the p68 kinase which is normally evenly distributed in the cytoplasm, aggregates as a thick ring around the nucleus in heat-shocked cells. The 70-kDa constitutive heat-shock proteins are major insolubilized proteins during stress and we find them to colocalize with the p68 kinase after stress. Treatments of cells with drugs which disrupt the cytoskeleton, such as colcemid and cytochalasin E, do not hinder the enzyme insolubilization during heat-shock. On the contrary, heat-protectors such as glycerol and deuterium oxide (D2O) keep the p68 kinase under a soluble and active form during heat-shock stress. Similarly, an attenuation of the insolubilization of this enzyme is observed in cells rendered thermo-tolerant by a previous heat-shock, suggesting that heat-shock proteins may also contribute to the protection. During the recovery period at normal temperature after heat-shock, resolubilization occurs and most of the enzyme is again recovered under an active soluble form.


Reproductive steroid profiles in female (n=13) and male (n=5) red wolves (Canis rufus) were characterized in fecal samples collected during the breeding season (December—May) and over a 1 year period, respectively. Blood samples from females (n=12) also were collected during the periovulatory period for luteinizing hormone (LH) and steroid analysis. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of fecal extracts determined that estradiol and estrone constituted the major and minor forms, respectively, of fecal estrogen metabolites. Although native progesterone was present, pregnane metabolites predominated as the major forms of fecal progestins. HPLC analysis of fecal extracts from males revealed no native testosterone, but rather the predominance of more polar androgen metabolites. Based on hormone profiles and/or pup production, females were classified as pregnant (n=3), ovulatory-nonpregnant (n=9), or acyclic (n=3). Longitudinal monitoring of females indicated no pregnancy-specific differences in concentrations of either fecal progestagen or estrogen metabolites compared to ovulatory-nonpregnant individuals; however, baseline progestagen concentrations were consistently elevated in acyclic females. There was good correspondence between serum and fecal steroid concentration during the periovulatory period. A rise in serum estrogens preceded the ovulatory LH surge which was then followed by a significant progesterone rise during the luteal phase. In males, changes in fecal androgen metabolite concentrations coincided with photoperiod fluctuations, increasing in late autumn and reaching peak concentrations during mid- to late winter just before the start of the breeding season. Collectively, these results serve as a database of ovarian and testicular endocrine events in this species, which can be utilized in population management and application of assisted reproductive technologies. Zoo Biol 21:321–335, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.


Over the past few decades, the act of engaging people in achieving sustainable cities has focused upon changing environmental values, predominantly through social networks and, increasingly, social practices. Despite increasingly higher levels of environmental awareness within the community, and reasonably consistent levels of community involvement in voluntary activities, there has been little improvement in the environmental condition of our urban fabric. A number of factors are responsible; environmental values generally do not generate the values that determine people's pro-environmental behaviour or their positive environmental impact; environmental characteristics typically investigated by the social sciences are not those that have the most significant impact on the environment; and, only about 1% of the general community are involved in volunteer environmental programs. It now appears that personality traits, which are more influential in daily decisions than values, have a greater impact upon people's behaviour. Yet very few approaches to engaging people in achieving sustainable cities have focused on personality traits. Likewise, despite concerted efforts to increase engagement in improving sustainability, primarily in the public domain, the place where most people are most engaged with the environment is in their private domestic garden hidden behind the front fence. This paper reports on a preliminary model to be used in four Geelong neighbourhoods to assess activities people undertake in their garden, which of these are most important, the extent of involvement in activities in their garden that have significant positive environmental impacts and whether the sorts of activities undertaken are associated with particular personality traits.


The method for measuring the rate constants of the VV' exchange between CO and O2 molecules is developed. The method is based on a comparison of the measured and numerically calculated small-signal-gain (SSG) dynamics in the active medium of a pulsed electron-beam-controlled cryogenic CO laser. The SSG dynamics was measured in CO—He—O2 mixtures with the fixed CO:He = 1:4 ratio by varying the oxygen content from 0 to 4%. The SSG dynamics was measured by probing the active medium of the pulsed CO laser by a beam from a tunable cw CO laser. The mathematical model of the CO laser takes into account the influence of oxygen on energy exchange processes. The parameters of the analytic approximation for constants of the near-resonance VV' exchange CO(v)+O2(u=0) → CO(v-1)+O2(u=1) are determined by the developed method for quantum vibrational numbers v = 18—24. In particular, the rate constant for v = 20 is (3.1±0.5)×10-12 cm3 s-1 at the gas temperature of 150 K. The extrapolation of the obtained analytic expression for rate constants in gases at room temperature gives the reasonable agreement with the measurements performed earlier for v = 12 and 13.


A four‐ to fivefold overexpression of the gene for the Alzheimer β/A4 amyloid precursor protein (APP) in individuals with Down's Syndrome (DS) appears to be responsible for the fifty year earlier onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology in DS compared to the normal population. It is therefore likely that a deregulated overexpression of the APP gene is a risk factor for the β/A4 amyloid formation. To test this hypothesis and to get a better understanding of how APP expression is regulated, we studied the 5′ control region of the human APP gene, alternative splicing of the 19 APP exons, and APP biogenesis, metabolism and function. The analysis of the APP promoter revealed its similarity with those of housekeeping genes by the presence of a GC‐rich region around the transcription start site and the lack of a TATA box. Gene transfer experiments showed this GC‐rich region to contain overlapping binding sites for different transcription factors whose binding is mutually excluded. An imbalance between these factors may cause APP overexpression and predispose to AD pathology. Another putative risk factor for AD is regulation of splicing of exon 7 in APP mRNA's which changes in brain during aging. This is relevant for APP processing since exon 7 codes for a Kunitz protease inhibitory domain. Investigation of further splicing adjacent to the β/A4 exons 16 and 17 which might also interfere with APP processing led to the identification of the leukocyte‐derived (L‐APP) splice forms which lack exon 15. In brain this splicing occurs in activated astrocytes and microglia. The localization of APP at synaptic sites in brain suggests that APP regulation and expression are critical determinants of a potential and early impairment of central synapses. This may be the case during pathological evolution of AD and DS when β/A4 derived from synaptic APP is converted to β/A4 amyloid by radical generation.


OBJECTIVE
To describe long-term results of locking plate used for the treatment of non-osteoporotic fresh three- and four-part proximal humeral fractures with at least 2 years follow-up.

METHODS
The functional outcomes and the complications of non-osteoporotic three- and four-part fresh proximal humeral fractures treated with locking plate were assessed retrospectively. The active range of motion, the Constant score, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder score, the visual analogue score (VAS) were employed to evaluate the postoperative shoulder function, and the radiographic images were taken to evaluate the neck-shaft angle of the proximal humeral and postoperative implant-related complications.

RESULTS
From January 2007 to October 2014, 107 consecutive fresh three- and four-part non-osteoporotic fresh proximal humeral fractures were treated with a locking plate in our department. Among them, 67 patients completed at least 2 years follow-up. The average follow-up time was (43.9±23.3) months (range: 24-108 months). The mean Constant score was 87.1±11.7 (range: 51-100), the mean UCLA score was 30.5±3.9 (range: 18-35), the mean VAS score was 1±2 (range: 0-7). The mean active forward flexion was 159.0°±19.3° (range: 80°-180°), the mean external rotation was 36.8°±19.5°(0°-80°) and the mean internal rotation was T11 level (T2-LS level). There were 11 patients who suffered from complications. Screw perforations were observed in 5 (7.5%) patients, avascular necrosis of the humeral head was observed in 9 (13.4%) patients and traumatic osteoarthritis was observed in 5 (7.5%) patients. Six patients showed two or more complications. There was no significant difference in outcomes when comparing the patients with three- part fractures (31 patients) with those with four-part fractures (36 patients). The rates of complications and avascular necrosis were significantly higher in the four-part fracture group than in the three-part fracture group.

CONCLUSION
The locking plate is an effective method in treating three- and four-part non-osteoporotic fresh proximal humeral fractures. Strict surgical indication and precise surgical skill are the key points for successful treating non-osteoporotic fresh proximal humeral fractures. There is a higher rate of complications and avascular necrosis of the humeral head in the four-part fractures than in the three-part fractures.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to assess the clinical outcomes of laparoscopic treatment of borderline ovarian tumor (BOT).

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Retrospective analysis of 54 patients treated using a laparoscopic approach for a BOT between January 1984 and January 2002.

RESULTS
A conservative management was initially performed in 45 patients (83%). Twenty-six patients underwent a reassessment surgery and 7 (27%) of them were upstaged following this procedure. Seven (13%) patients recurred in a remaining ovary following conservative surgery (5 patients) or on the peritoneum (2 patients). Three port-site localizations were observed. None of the patients treated with conservative management had recurrent disease under the form of ovarian carcinoma. Nine spontaneous pregnancies were observed in 6 patients from a group of 19 patients desiring pregnancy. All patients are today alive and disease-free.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
Our study suggests that laparoscopic treatment could be safely performed in young patients with early stage BOT. Such procedure should be further evaluated in patients with BOT and peritoneal implants.


The aims of this paper are gaining additive knowledge about using steel tubes as reinforcement for hollow-core concrete slabs. For this purpose, this paper presents an investigation of how one-way concrete slabs would behave after embedding steel tubes within the cross section. Five concrete slabs were cast, these specimens differ from one another in the horizontal distance (spacing) between the two steel tubes placed within its cross section, steel tubes positioned in the center of the shorter lane of the specimen (width) which is 400 mm, the steel tubes spaced from each other with 4 different configurations, they were 0, 100, 200 and 300 mm. The ratio of the clear spacing between the two tubes and to the total width of the specimen is indicated (s/b) equal to (0, 0.25, 0.5 and 0.75). In addition to one solid slab cast and tested as a reference for the testing results. All five concrete slabs were loaded up to failure by submitting load at one point at the center of the slab. Only one variable was deemed to be considered and checked on this study which is the (s/b) ratio defined earlier. The results exhibit that, using steel tubes as reinforcement increase the first crack load by 12.75% compared to the reference slab, as well as increasing the ultimate load capacity by 59.02% compared to the reference slab. As for the mid-span deflection, the specimens with steel tubes embedded decreased the deflection values up to 47.37 %. Keywords— One-way concrete slab, steel tubes, embedded, concrete ultimate capacity, deflection, hollow core concrete slab.


submitted for the Special SCITECH session on AVT Uncertainty Quantification The application of uncertainty analysis, including probabilistic and non-probabilistic approaches, to the prediction of the dynamic pressure at which flutter occurs is considered for the S4T Semi-Span Super-Sonic Transport wind-tunnel model. A SVD based reduced order modelling approach, along with the Polynomial Chaos Expansion and Fuzzy Analysis methods for uncertainty quantification, are described and used to explore the effects that variations in the structural mass, resembling variations in the fuel load, have on the linear flutter analyses for a range of subsonic and supersonic speeds. All the approaches are able to efficiently quantify the effects of structural uncertainty on the aeroelastic behavior.


Recent mobilisation of soil organic matter (SOM) in permafrost of the northern high latitudes is thought to have a significant impact on the carbon balance in the atmosphere. However, the environmental processes which influence SOM accumulation and remobilisation still need to be investigated more accurately.

This study investigates the quantity and quality of SOM on Herschel Island in the western Canadian Arctic in relation to various landscape characteristics. To reach this goal, soil moisture, total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents, stable carbon isotopes (∂¹³C) and TOC/TN ratios (C/N) were determined on 128 samples from twelve sediment cores reaching up to 250 cm depth. Drilling locations were chosen based on morphology, vegetation and soil properties and supported by satellite imagery and air photos.

Seasonal thaw depths (active layer depths) correlate with ground disturbance and vegetation cover and lie between 20 and 100 cm. Well-preserved SOM is accumulated in the active layer and subjacent ice-rich permafrost of wet polygonal tundra. Uplands, hummocky tussock tundra and alluvial fans cover more than 50 % of the island and show heterogeneous SOM storage characteristics with considerable TOC contents being limited to the active layer. Disturbed areas with slope gradients greater than 6° show strong SOM degradation with low TOC contents throughout the active layer and permafrost strata. Linear regression and principal component analysis (PCA) shows that a decreasing SOM content is driven by increasing ground disturbance and reduced vegetation cover. Improved drainage decreases the preservation of SOM in the active layer. Future deepening of the active layer because of increasing temperatures and ground disturbance will remobilise SOM stored in ice-rich permafrost. This might increase carbon dioxide and methane emissions from permafrost landscapes.


ABSTRACT We estimate annualized values of access to home tap water in three cities in El Salvador, and marginal 'barrios' in four Guatemalan cities, using a hedonic price method for studying changes in capitalized home values from obtaining a water connection. A tap water connection is found to add from 10 per cent to 52 per cent to sales values of homes in our sample. The estimated mean values of gaining tap water access represent 1–5 per cent of real household income, differing by city and with generally higher values in El Salvador. On average this gain eliminates between 1 per cent and 3 per cent of the initial difference in real incomes between the groups of connected and unconnected households. We also find large differences in the value of a tap connection depending on the main source of non-tap water, with lowest values when the source is a private well in El Salvador.


Abstract A 2-yr study was conducted to evaluate the effect of ethephon (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid) on efficacy of pheromone traps in monitoring fall and spring populations of adult boll weevils. The experimental procedure consisted of a grandlure pheromone strip placed in a boll weevil trap together with a 7.5-ml aqueous solution of ethephon at 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 ppm concentrations. Treatments also included traps with nothing, ethephon alone at each of the four concentrations, and grandlure alone. Traps were monitored twice a week, and ethephon solutions were replenished during each trap inspection. Trap catch was significantly affected by year, season, and treatments. Overall, significantly higher numbers of boll weevils were captured in 1996–1997 compared with 1997–1998. Average numbers of boll weevils captured in fall season were approximately six times higher than the numbers captured in the spring season. Ethephon alone did not elicit a significant attraction to fall or spring populations at any concentration evaluated. However, the combination of ethephon and grandlure pheromone showed a distinct synergistic effect, enhancing the efficacy of pheromone-baited traps in monitoring fall migration of boll weevil populations. Ethephon at 1 and 10 ppm combined with grandlure were most attractive to fall-migrating weevils, capturing 20–35% more weevils than the grandlure alone. The combination of ethephon at 10 ppm and grandlure also had a significant effect on weevil attractancy for spring populations, but the results were not consistent between years. Data from this study clearly suggest that the addition of ethephon to grandlure can significantly improve trap attractancy and will aid in boll weevil monitoring and eradication strategies that aim at attacking the weevils during the fall, with some potential of improved attractancy in monitoring spring populations.


Abstract:Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is one of the most important mantras of global business today. Companies nowadays, if we believe them, are a paragon of virtue in global and local communities. International governmental and nongovernmental organizations and civil-society organizations outperform one another in promoting CSR guidelines for companies and promoting conscious capitalism. For critics, however, CSR is a tool used cleverly by corporations to keep from making meaningful concessions to labor, stave off state intervention or regulation, and spin irresponsible actions. This article analyzes CSR practices in South Africa, emphasizing the mining sector and relevant legislation. It argues that CSR performance in South Africa has been nothing short of missed opportunities and unfulfilled promises.


Isatin is a endogenous compound and it has a wide variety of pharmacological activities. In the present investigation a different isatin derivatives such as Isatin-3-[N2-(2-benzalaminothiazol-4-yl)]hydrazones were taken (IA-IJ) and their anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activity was evaluated in animal models with a doses of 10 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg as a test doses using indomethacin (10 mg/kg) as a standard. Antiinflammatory activity by carrageenan induced rat paw edema model in which mean increase in paw volume and % inhibition of paw volume was measured with plethysmometer at different time intervals. Antipyretic activity was evaluated by Brewer's yeast induced pyresis model and measured reduction of rectal temperature. Eddy's hot plate method was employed for analgesic activity. All the compounds were screened, among the screened compounds ID, IF, IH and IJ showed anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activity with (p<0.001) dose dependent effect when compared with the control group.


This paper studies the radio capacity improvement provided by an HSPA+ key feature: dual-cell, combined with MIMO. The proposed method combines drive test measurements, link-level simulations, and a queuing theory-based statistical capacity model, thereby providing a reliable estimate of the network radio capacity. Simulation results show that dual cell combined with MIMO and non-linear receivers using Successive Interference Cancellation (SIC) significantly increases network radio capacity. Those results confirm that HSPA networks evolutions are promising.


At Lawrence Radiation Laboratory small computers are used on-line with high-energy physics experiments. When the experimenter desires to estimate the relative value of the experimental data, the necessary analysis can only be performed on a large computer. Hence, the need arose for a fast two-way Data Link between one or more small computers and a large computer. The lack of interrupt facilities in the available large computer and the necessity of using twisted-pair telephone lines both posed unusual design problems. The main components of the Data Link are interfaces for the two computers, a buffering and error-correcting system, and a transceiver system using 4-mile-long telephone lines. A unique demand and response system both maintains synchronization and supports a highly accurate errorcorrection system. Control words communicate word count, transfer direction, etc., between the computer programs. Special high-reliability pulse-train signals transmit critical information, such as "error" and "end of record" between the interfaces. The data-link system provides a reliable and satisfactory solution in its present context to the problem of interfacing small data-gathering computers to a large computer for the analysis of a comparatively small quantity of data at infrequent intervals. Should this type of service become more popular in the future, the link can be readily modified to accept changes in the 6600 operating system (such as using a dedicated peripheral processors for all link data) or interfacing to a time-sharing computer devoted to link data handling.


Biodiversity initiatives have traditionally operated within a 'science-first' model of environmental decision-making. The model assumes a hierarchical relationship in which scientific knowledge is elevated above other knowledge systems. Consequently, other types of knowledge held by the public, such as traditional or lay knowledges, are undervalued and under-represented in biodiversity projects. Drawing upon two case studies of biodiversity initiatives in Canada, this paper looks at the role that constructivist conceptions of education play in the integration of alternative knowledge systems in environmental decision-making. In so doing, it argues that the conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing goals outlined by the Convention on Biological Diversity (signed in 1992 under the auspices of the United Nations Environmental Programme) demand new models of governance which embrace the adaptive management qualities of learning organisations.


Introduction: Abdominal computed tomography (CT) is one of the imaging modalities for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis (AA). Today, CT scans can be interpreted via remote access called tele-radiology, besides conventional methods. The objective of this study was to evaluate the CT interpreted via tele-radiology for diagnosing AA. Methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 679 patients, who were interpreted via tele-radiology of CT due to suspicion of AA, were evaluated. Age, gender, CT findings, pathology results and intra-operative diagnosis of those with normal CT results were analysed. A sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive values (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) of CT in the diagnosis of AA were calculated. Results: 520 patients who were operated with pre-diagnosed AA were found. Of those, 441 patients (84.8%) were diagnosed with AA according to CT reports, out of which 368 (83.4%) were positive (true-positive) and 73 (16.6%) were negative (false-positive) in terms of pathology results. In the remaining operated 79 patients with normal CT results, 58 (73.4%) were positive for AA and 21 (26.6%) (negative laparotomy) were negative for AA in terms of pathological examination. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV and NPV of CT in the diagnosis of AA were determined as 81.2%, 67.7%, 76.7%, 83.4% and 64.2%, respectively. Conclusion: The sensitivity and PPV rates were found similar in both conventional and tele-radiological methods. However, specificity, accuracy and NPV rates were determined lower than in literature. Additionally, the negative laparotomy rate was higher than the conventional method.


Magnetic Imaging of Micrometer and Nanometer-size Magnetic Structures and Their Flux-Pinning Effects on Superconducting Thin Films. (May 2009) Ali Esad Özmetin, B.S., Bogazici University; M.S., Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Donald G. Naugle In this work the interactions between neighboring superconducting thin film and ferromagnetic structures, i.e. superconductor-ferromagnet hybrid systems, were studied. A type-II superconducting thin film (Pb82Bi12), was deposited in close proximity to various ferromagnetic structures. These magnetic structures include: (i) alternating iron-brass shims of 275μm period, (ii) an array of 4μm wide Co stripes with smaller period (9μm), (iii) a square array of 50nm diameter, high aspect ratio (5-7) Ni rods with 250nm period. Measurements of critical transport current (IC), resistance (RH(T )) and second critical field (HC2) are reported. A variety of novel effects (enhancement of (IC) and (HC2), matching field effect, field compensation effect, and large hysteresis) are also reported. Using measurements on thin superconducting films atop a Co stripe array with a 9μm period, a superconductor-ferromagnet hybrid device (a mechanical superconducting persistent switch) is proposed. In addition, scanning Hall probe microscopy (SHPM) and other imaging techniques were used to characterize the magnetic properties of the systems mentioned. The SHPM was also used to acquire B-H and M-H curves. An additional sharp magnetic needle and electromagnetic coil assembly intended for micromanipulation of small magnetic particles and individual cells was also characterized.


The issue of controlling contact forces generated when the fingers of a dextrous device first close on an object is addressed. The use of active fingertips is proposed to enhance the system performance and avoid contact instability problems resulting from noncollocated sensors and actuators. A first step towards exploring this issue is the study of an idealized controllable fingertip making contact with an object. The authors provide analytical and simulation studies to identify ideal fingertip characteristics to achieve a desired performance for a simple contact problem. An investigation of the performance of more realistic fingers with limited controllability follows. Preliminary experimental results for a prototype semi-active fingertip that uses an electrorheological fluid to achieve active damping control are provided. A brief summary of future experimental plans to implement such active fingertips in simple manipulation tasks is presented.<<ETX>>


A population of Bacillus subtilis can be fractionated into at least two components on the basis of their buoyant densities on a Renografin gradient. In competent cultures, most, and perhaps all, of the competent bacteria appear in the lighter fraction which composes 2 to 10% of the bulk population. These "lighter" bacteria are the only bacteria capable of incorporating transforming deoxyribonucleic acid.


Backgrounds: Recently, the association between sarcopenia and various musculoskeletal disorders, such as lumbar spine stenosis and fibromyalgia, has been highlighted. However, the relationship between sarcopenia and rotator cuff tendon diseases has rarely been investigated. This study aimed to evaluate whether sarcopenia was associated with shoulder pain and to determine whether rotator cuff tendons differed in echotexture between the sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic populations. Methods: The thickness and echogenicity ratio of the tendon vs. the overlying muscle (ERTM) or subcutaneous tissue (ERTT) were measured using high-resolution ultrasonography in 56 sarcopenic patients and 56 sex- and age- matched controls. The association between ultrasound measurements of the rotator cuff tendon complex and sarcopenia was investigated using the generalized estimating equation (GEE). Results: The sarcopenic group had an increased prevalence of shoulder pain. Based on the GEE analysis, sarcopenia was significantly associated with an increase in supraspinatus tendon thickness (β coefficient = 0.447, p < 0.001) and a decrease in the ERTM for the biceps long head and rotator cuff tendons. A negative trend of association was observed between sarcopenia and ERTT in the supraspinatus tendons (β coefficient = −0.097, p = 0.070). Nevertheless, sarcopenia was not associated with an increased risk of rotator cuff tendon tears. Conclusions: Patients with sarcopenia have a higher risk of shoulder pain. A consistent tendinopathic change develops in the supraspinatus tendons in sarcopenic patients. However, sarcopenia is less likely to be associated with serious rotator cuff pathology, such as tendon tears. Prospective cohort studies are warranted to explore the causal relationship between sarcopenia and shoulder disorders.