Background: We hypothesized that hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) attenuates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) via TLR9 – type I interferon (IFN-I) pathway inhibition. Methods: The left coronary artery of wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 and congenic TLR9−/− mice was occluded for 40 minutes, with or without 60 minutes of reperfusion (40'/0' or 40'/60'). Either ODN-2088 or HCQ (TLR9 inhibitors), or ODN-1826 (TLR9 agonist) was administered to determine effect on infarct size (IS). After 40'/0', cardiac perfusate (CP) was collected from harvested hearts and administered to either intact WT mice after 20 minutes of ischemia or isolated splenocytes. Type-I interferon (IFNα and IFNβ) levels were measured in plasma and splenocyte culture supernatant, and levels of damage associated molecular patterns HMGB1 and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) were measured in CP. Results: After 40'/60', WT mice treated with HCQ or ODN-2088 had significantly reduced IS. TLR9−/− mice and HCQ-treated WT mice undergoing 40'/0' and 40'/60' similarly attenuated IS, with significantly lower IFN-Is in CP after 40'/0' and in plasma after 40'/60'. IS was significantly increased in 40'/0' CP-treated and ODN-1826-treated 20'/60' WT mice. CP-treated WT splenocytes produced significantly higher IFN-I in culture supernatant, which was significantly reduced with HCQ. Conclusions: The TLR9–IFN-I-mediated inflammatory response contributes significantly to both ischemic and post-ischemic myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. HMGB1 and cfDNA released from ischemic myocardium activated the intra-myocardial TLR9 – IFN-I inflammatory pathway during ischemia and the extra-myocardial TLR9 – IFN-I inflammatory pathway during reperfusion. Hydroxychloroquine reduces production of IFN-I and attenuates myocardial IRI, likely by inhibiting the TLR9–IFN-I pathway.


Hunting-park is a conservation area with the unique attraction of periodically hunting in terms of wildlife management. Lingga Isaq Hunting-Park (LIHP) is one of 13 hunting parks in Indonesia. However, the utilization of LIHP as a hunting park is still facing obstacles; two of which are conflicts of interest among authorities and no data of the animals, especially mammals – the most hunted creatures in the park. Therefore, a study was conducted to identify the mammalian abundance and distribution. This data would be usefull as essential decision-making for hunting-tourist attractions in LIHP. This study used the transect method, with 12 transect strips evenly distributed in those four function areas; three per each. We found 11 species of mammalian that belonging to 8 families. The protected forest had the highest biodiversity value (H'=1.50), while other use areas had the lowest biodiversity value (H'=1.16). Macaca fascicularis had the highest abundance (23 individu), while Sus scrofa was the most evenly distributed mammal in the whole landscape. Protected forests and other utilization areas have the highest habitat similarity, identified as having intense anthropogenic activities. The protected forest also has habitat similarity with hunting-park as both areas are legally protected. Nevertheless, there are only Cervus unicolor, Muntiacus muntjak, and Sus scrofa that are highly recommended for hunting tourism attractions.


The purpose of this research is to produce a table tennis refereeing pocket book that specifically discusses table tennis game rules, the functions and duties of the umpire and violations committed by players and coaches in table tennis games based on flipbooks as a guide and guide for the umpire in leading a match. The method used in this study is the ADDIE development model. The sample at the implementation stage consisted of 10 referees who did not have a license and 30 people consisting of referees, players and coaches, including 3 national referees and several national players and coaches. The data collection techniques are interviews, validation and questionnaires. Quantitative descriptive analysis techniques are used to process data in the form of numbers (scores) obtained through questionnaires. The results of the research at the implementation stage were carried out on a small-scale trial of 3.39 and a large-scale trial of 3.51 with a very feasible category. Flipbook-based table tennis refereeing pocket books are included in the very appropriate category, this is based on the assessment of 3 material experts with an average value of 3.73 and 1 media expert with a value of 3.41. Therefore the table tennis refereeing pocket book is very appropriate to use, practical and interesting as a guide for referees in increasing knowledge of table tennis game rules.


The phylogenetic status of the speciose euteleostean assemblage, the Acanthomorpha, is investigated. For the purposes of cladistic analysis attention is centred upon an examination of euteleostean buccal ligament systems, the occipital and ethmoid regions of the neurocranium, and the posttemporal/neurocranial association.

In this study four derived morphological features are identified which support the monophyly of the Acanthomorpha, and the previously 'problematical' genus Polymixia is determined to be the sistergroup of all the remaining acanthomorphs. The phylogenetic integrity of the sistergroup of the entire Acanthomorpha, the Myctophiformes (sensu Rosen, 1973), is attested by the presence of four derived features, and the monophyly of its major subdivisions (the Myctophidae and Neoscopelidae) is resolved.

Additional problems of euteleostean systematics and systematic methodology are discussed.


The West Edison oil field is on the east side of the southern San Joaquin Valley about 9 miles southeast of Bakersfield. Oil occurs in the non-marine Chanac formation (Pliocene-Miocene), marine Santa Margarita sand (upper Miocene), marine Nozu sand (middle Miocene), and Olcese(?) sand (lower Miocene). The total thickness of strata overlying basement varies from 4,000 to 6,500 feet, and average depth of wells is about 4,000 feet. The field lies on a general regional homocline dipping southwest, and oil accumulation is largely a result of faulting but partly of lensing sands. The field was discovered in 1935 and has had five periods of activity as a result of discovery of new zones and new fault blocks. There are now 1,300 acres productive from 180 wells. Total production i more than 8,000,000 barrels, or 6,200 barrels per acre, and 1951 showed the highest annual production in the field's history, 1,400,000 barrels. Current production is 4,200 barrels per day, or an average of 23 barrels per day per well.


The enactment of Law No. 11 of 2008 on Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE Law) creates a new emerging field of study of law in cyberspace. The presence of such latest breakthrough brings a change in the impact of law in terms of criminalization of dangerous acts in cyberspace. Evidence is one of the variables in the evidentiary system, and thus the development in the scope of civil law with the known and used electronic evidence in society, especially in the field of commerce and banking, may affect the evidentiary system. Internet impact on society is now making cultural changes around the globe and thus peope are currently no longer limited by the country's territorial boundaries (borderless). The presence of internet with all the facilities and programs that go with it, such as e-mail, video chat, video conferencing, and websites has made global communication feasible as it is borderless. In the legal dispute taking place before the judge, each party competing legal claims are raised, debated and resolved. Judges may refer to expert statements to consider and assure the validity of the electronic evidence. Once the expert has declared that the evidence is valid, the judge can recognize that the evidence can be legally accounted for.


This is the first record in Ethiopia documenting a zebra-donkey hybrid (Zedonk) produced under natural mating. The male hybrid was foaled from a female zebra sired by male donkey in Madadunun village (about 35 km Northeast of Nagelle Borana town), Southern Ethiopia. Contrary to the earlier held opinion that equine hybrids are sterile; two offsprings were observed to have been foaled from the hybrid. The F1 generation (zendonk) was much larger in size and tougher than its parents, providing more diverse services than local donkeys. This account shows that equine hybrids may give birth to fertile hybrids, and that the genetics of such cases are not yet fully understood. Keywords : Zebra-Donkey; Hybrid; Borana; Ethiopia Animal Production Research Advances Vol. 2 (3) 2006: pp. 148-154


In this paper, the dynamic response of an axially moving viscoelastic beam with simple supports is calculated analytically based on Timoshenko theory. The beam material property is separated to shear and bulk effects. It is assumed that the beam is incompressible in bulk and viscoelastic in shear, which obeys the standard linear model with the material time derivative. The axial speed is characterized by a simple harmonic variation about a constant mean speed. The method of multiple scales with the solvability condition is applied to dimensionless form of  governing equations in modal analysis and principal parametric resonance. By a parametric study, the effects of velocity, geometry and viscoelastic parameters are investigated on the response.


Stroke is the leading cause of death in Portugal, accounting for about 20% of total mortality, despite a 25% decline in death rates from cerebrovascular diseases between 1980 and 1989. Epidemiological observations demonstrating that the high rates of cerebrovascular disease are accompanied by high levels of blood pressure have raised considerable interest concerning the primary prevention of hypertension. Excess salt consumption is considered to have an important role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Since salt is widely consumed by the Portuguese population, priority has been given to salt reduction for the primary prevention of hypertension. Community-based programs have demonstrated that it is possible to improve lifestyles, for instance by reducing high salt intake. Integrated and multifactorial interventions have promoted health and better treatment of hypertension as well as better control of concomitant risk factors. As a consequence of the population aging, there is a high probability of an increase in stroke occurrence. The present and future number of stroke survivors, requiring both acute and long-term care, will increase the social and economic burden. It is important to raise the awareness of politicians and the public so that both the prevention and management of patients with stroke will be given high priority.


Privacy is fetching a progressively more imperative issue in several data-mining applications dealing with sensitive data especially in health care, security, financial, behavioral etc., Most of the existing techniques are managing a Secure Two-Party Computation model, where two parties, each having a private database, want to cooperatively conduct data-mining operations on the union of their data. The problem we are pinning down for Privacy Preserving Data Mining(PPDM), is how a data owner can release a version of its confidential data with guarantees that the original sensitive information cannot be re-identified while the analytic properties of the data are preserved. In this paper we work to investigate the leeway of using multiplicative random projection sparse matrices for privacy preserving data in datasets which gets incremented asynchronously over time from various sources. The data stream is asynchronous. This work proposes the use of random projections with a sparse matrix to maintain a sketch of a collection of high-dimensional data-streams that are updated asynchronously. This sketch allows us to estimate L2 (Euclidean) distances and dot products with high accuracy. We have also proposed a conceptual architecture for implementing the privacy preservation techniques especially the Sparse Random Projection Matrix technique in incremental data to improve the level of privacy protection. We have tested to see that the perturbed data still preserves certain statistical characteristics of the data as the original unperturbed data. At this juncture we have proposed a generic projection based sketch for incremental data stream which can be used not only for this application but also can be used for any other applications, which supports incremental data bases. We have traced the origin of PPDM, the definition of privacy preservation in data mining, and the implications of benchmark privacy doctrine in information detection and advocate a few policies for PPDM based on these privacy principles. These are vital for the development and deployment of methodological solutions. This will let vendors and developers to construct unyielding information reuse and integration (IRI) in PPDM. We pursue to capitalize on the reuse of PPDM information by crafting easy, affluent, and reusable knowledge depictions and accordingly investigates tactics for amalgamate this knowledge into heritage systems and make advances in the upcoming of PPDM.


This paper looks at curriculum in a contemporary context marked by an alarming want of hospitality. It does so by engaging inquiry into the renewed interest in the cosmopolitan tradition in education, as directed at questions concerning: the burden of history, the reality of inequity, the experience of exile, and the need for forgiveness. Autobiographically and existentially inspired, it grounds itself in the views and vagrancies of city life—symbolically, in the imaginary as well, highlighting the curricular import of intercultural encounter and radical openness to the other, in advancing and inventing difference and cultivating solidarity 'differently'. Beginning with a general framework and rationale for such explorations of cosmopolitanism—its understandings of culture, identity, society and citizenship, largely as built upon the poststructuralist readings of Jacques Derrida, among others, this work further takes up of this discourse through related resonant scholarship in education to consider conceptions of curriculum built upon cosmopolitan insights. Borrowing from Derrida's plea for the 'city of refuge' and 'cities of refuge', it seeks to consider a structure, or dwelling place, for entertaining the possibilities visited upon us in conceptualizing the 'curriculum of refuge' for children via education in a cosmopolitan way.


Abstract Discernment counseling is designed to help couples considering divorce arrive at a greater sense of clarity and confidence in their decision making about the future of their marriage. Possible outcomes include making no change to the marriage, divorcing, or attempting reconciliation through couples therapy. To date, no research has been done on whether or not discernment counseling helps couples who decide to divorce with their post‐divorce family life (i.e., coparenting). We surveyed 11 people (from male–female couples) and conducted in‐depth interviews with eight who had undergone discernment counseling and subsequently divorced to see what impact discernment counseling had on their post‐divorce coparenting relationship. We analyzed the data from a phenomenological perspective. Respondents described their discernment counseling experience as helpful for achieving clarity and honesty in the divorce decision‐making process, they shared their appreciation for the structure of the intervention, and indicated that it led to a greater coparental cooperation post‐divorce.


Background: The most important risk factors for iron deficiency (ID) and ID anemia (IDA) are poor iron intake, low bioavailability of iron, chronic loss from the body, and some specific periods of life when the iron requirement is so much like growth during childhood and pregnancy. Objective: In this study, the effect of IDA on physical growth was investigated in children through finding out associations between different growth parameters and IDA. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we measured growth parameters in fifty children with IDA before and for 6 months' postiron therapy in comparison with fifty age- and sex-matched normal controls. Annualized growth velocity and body mass index (BMI) were calculated from measured growth parameters. Red blood cell indices and serum ferritin were measured. After a 6 months' period (October 1, 2018–March 1, 2019) from starting treatment of the anemic group, growth parameters and the hematological assessment were measured again. Results: Mean age and standard deviation for cases were 19.1 ± 12.7 months while that of controls were 19.2 ± 12.4 months, and there was no significant difference regarding age distribution P > 0.05. Before the treatment, children with IDA were significantly shorter in comparison to age- and sex-matched controls. The BMI of anemic group increased significantly P < 0.05. Weight, length, and occipitofrontal circumference were also significantly increased after iron therapy P < 0.0001. After receiving therapy, serum ferritin was significantly correlated with growth velocity and BMI for the anemic group: (r = 0.853 P < 0.0001) and (r = 0.460 P < 0.001), respectively. After treatment, the anemic group had a growth velocity 5.2 ± 1.8 which was faster than that of nonanemic one 3.4 ± 1.8, P < 0.0001. Conclusion: This study documented a positive effect of IDA on physical growth in children, especially during the first 2 years of life during which growth is fast.


Although costly polysomnography (PSG) is not routinely performed with people with insomnia, it may be more necessary with recruited older adults with insomnia because this population may pose a greater risk of veiled sleep disorders compared with younger age groups and with referred samples. The present PSG screening of a recruited sample of older adults with insomnia found a 29%-43% rate of undiagnosed sleep apnea (SA), depending on whether an apnea-hypopnea index of 15 or 5 was used, after interviews had already screened out obvious cases of SA. Also, PSGs revealed a 4% rate of occult periodic limb movements. A discriminant analysis identified overweight men reporting dry mouth at highest risk for occult SA, with an apnea-versus-insomnia classification success rate of 78%. Using PSG evaluations in research on insomnia in recruited older adults is requisite to preclude substantial representation of occult SA.


Power transmission belt (10) has a load sharing code incorporated therein (22), wherein the code comprises a plurality of yarns (2), first corresponding to the first twist multiplier and a first twist direction has one of the twist, and a second twist corresponding to a second twist multiplier of the first twist direction opposite to the direction, the ratio of the first twist multiplier to said second twist multiplier is approximately and greater than 1.5. Belt, a belt body portion, a multi-V-ribbed belt comprising a sheave contact portion, and a load sharing code incorporated in the belt body portion, the load distribution code comprises a plurality of twist yarns, the first twist multiplier first and Yarm twisting corresponding to, according to a second twist multiplier, and a second of the (code) twisting the first twist direction opposite said first twist multiplier is at least 1.5: greater than the second twist multiplier as indicated by 1 ratio.


Abstract This paper uses longitudinal data from Current Population Surveys conducted between 2004 and 2006 to estimate the net impact of Hurricane Katrina-related evacuation on various indicators of well-being. While evacuees who have returned to the affected region show evidence of returning to normalcy in terms of labor supply and earnings, those who persisted in other locations exhibit large and persistent gaps, even relative to the poor outcomes of individuals destined to become evacuees observed prior to Katrina. Evacuee outcomes are not demonstrably better in destination communities with lower initial unemployment or higher growth rates. The impact of evacuation on total income was blunted to some extent by government transfer payments and by self-employment activities. Overall, there is little evidence to support the notion that poor underemployed residents of the New Orleans area were disadvantaged by their location in a relatively depressed region.


In recent years important economic losses have resulted from what is described as "dandruff" in vicuña fiber. With the goal of analyzing the possible cause/s was conducted an histopathological analysis of 75 skin biopsies (33 affected/42 unaffected), microbiological analysis of 85 skin/fiber scrapings (44 affected/41 unaffected), and microelement analysis (zinc, selenium, copper, molybdenum) of 70 serum samples (41 affected/ 29 unaffected), collected from three wild populations in the communities of Huaytará, Ayaví and Santa Rosa de Tambo, Huancavelica, Peru, as well as from the captive herd held jointly by these communities. The affected vicuñas were clinically normal and the presence of "dandruff" was generally detected after shearing. In these fleeces, white scales scattered or accumulated and firmly adhered to the fibers were found, especially on the flanks and backs of the animals, but also widely dispersed throughout the fleece. Histopathological analysis of the skin biopsies revealed that both affected and unaffected animals had moderate to severe dermatosis (hyperkeratosis – orthokeratosis), with moderate to severe atrophy of the inner root sheath of the follicle, but without evidence of inflammation. Microbiological analysis determined the presence of fungus species in 63.3% (28/44) of the affected and 41.5% (17/41) of unaffected animals, including Ulocladium spp., Penicillum spp., Hialofomicetos, Geotrichum candidum and Aspergilus flavus. Microelement analysis revealed 10 fold selenium concentration as compared to normal values, especially in the captive population (affected: 3.23 ± 1.31 μg/ mL; unaffected: 3.56 ± 2.27 μg/mL) possibly due to overgrazing of pastures with presence of Astragalus spp., a common seleniferous plant in the region. All animals showed cooper deficiency. Also, all animals from Santa Rosa de Tambo and affected animals from Huaytará were zinc deficient.


Purpose: To investigate the expression of mucin and inflammatory factors in the conjunctival epithelium of subjects with dry eye and determine a correlation between clinical laboratory tests and subjective symptoms. Methods: The ocular surface disease index questionnaire, corneal fluorescein staining, tear film breakup time, and Schirmer I tests were administered in 66 subjects. According to questionnaire scores, the subjects were divided into mild, moderate, and severe symptom groups. Then, the subjects were divided based on the clinical tests into negative and positive groups. Impression cytology specimens from all patients were immunolabeled with antibodies directed against human mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and the staining density was measured. Results: MUC5AC was lower in the severe symptom group compared with the mild and moderate symptom groups (P < 0.001, respectively). IL-6 was higher in the severe symptom group compared with the mild and moderate symptom groups (P < 0.001, respectively), and also in the moderate symptom group compared with the mild symptom group (P < 0.001). A decrease of MUC5AC was found in the positive group compared with the negative group (P < 0.001). IL-6 was higher in the positive group compared with the negative group (P = 0.029). MUC5AC was negatively correlated with the ocular surface disease index scores (r = −0.697, P < 0.001), whereas IL-6 positively correlated the scores (r = 0.895, P < 0.001). There were weak correlations for MUC5AC and IL-6 with tear film breakup time (r = 0.158 and r = −0.195, respectively; P = 0.038 and P = 0.041, respectively), and no correlations with other clinical tests. Conclusions: Dry eye disease is associated with decreased levels of mucin and an overexpression of IL-6, which correlate to the symptomatic severity of disease.


The progress in development and dissemination of drought tolerant lines has been slow as compared to the increasing drought prevalence in the rice growing regions. Significant amount of work has been done in the past on drought resistance traits in rice crop, still the benefit of improved drought tolerant rice cultivars reaching the farmer's field is not very high and ways to expedite the development of drought tolerant and productive rice cultivars needs to be addressed. In this article, an assessment of easily practicable approach of managed stress screening and prospect of direct selection for yield under drought stress is discussed. Also the large effect yield QTLs identified for grain yield under drought stress field conditions is being reviewed for successful introgression into elite genetic background for developing drought tolerant cultivars with improved yield for the drought prone target environment.


We present an automatic camera placement method for generating image-based models from scenes with known geometry. Our method first approximately determines the set of surfaces visible from a given viewing area and then selects a small set of appropriate camera positions to sample the scene from. We define a quality measure for a surface as seen, or covered, from the given viewing area. Along with each camera position, we store the set of surfaces which are best covered by this camera. Next, one reference view is generated from each reference view that do not belong to the selected set of polygons are masked out. The image-based model generated by our method, covers every visible surface only once, associating it with a camera position from which it is covered with quality that exceeds a user-specified quality threshold. The result is a compact non-redundant image-based model with controlled quality. The problem of covering every visible surface with a minimum number of cameras (guards) can be regarded as an extension to the well-known Art Gallery Problem. However, since the 3D polygonal model is textured, the camera-polygon visibility relation is not binary; instead, it has a weight-the quality of the polygon's coverage.


A cyst located in the cerebellar vermis and causing obstructive hydrocephalus is described. The wall of the cyst was lined with ciliated and non-ciliated cuboidal epithelial cells which were completely invested by a basement membrane.


The Universal Immunization Programme is possibly the longest and one of the biggest public health intervention measures undertaken in India. To improve immunization coverage in the country various initiatives have been undertaken since the inception of the programme in 1985; key inputs being strengthening and expanding the cold chain system, establishing a network of outreach immunization sites, alternate vaccine delivery model, capacity building of health functionaries and medical officers and intensified polio control measures. Introduction of new and underutilized vaccines, drafting of the national vaccine policy, tracking of beneficiaries through the Maternal and Child Tracking system are some of the recent developments. However in spite of more than 25 years since inception the programme is still adversely impacted by challenges across key thematic areas of programme management, cold chain and vaccine management, recording and reporting and injection safety. To further strengthen and improve service delivery 2012-13 has been declared as the "Year of Intensification of Routine Immunization" with the objective of improving immunization coverage rates across poor performing districts and states so as to attain Global Immunization Vision and Strategy goals of 90% coverage at national and more than 80% coverage at district level. Key activities planned during the year include sustained advocacy at all levels, improved communication and social mobilization, robust and regular program reviews, comprehensive microplanning, strengthening cold chain and vaccine logistics system, special catch up rounds through immunization weeks, piloting the teeka express, improved surveillance systems, strengthened partnerships and operational research activities. The current review pertains to the existing scenario of Universal Immunization Program in the country with impetus on the existing challenges, progress achieved till date as a result of various measures and initiatives undertaken and activities lined up as a part of year of intensification of Routine Immunization.


The subject of this paper consist in theoretical study on the labor market. In view to acomplish the mentioned scientific endeavour this original approach is focused on identifying and understanding the mechansim that determine or facilitate the labor market facts. For this purpose is laid together a set of conceptual definitions, thus describing the labor market content and sphere. The labor market's organizing and working, seen as a complex system, a conglomerate of markets, cause trends, processes and evolutions within the labor market spheres and these facts are insufficiently explained even today.


The aim of the study was to isolate and identify fungal pathogens associated with dermatophytoses among diabetic patients and identify the spectrum of yeasts colonizing diabetic foot ulcers at Kenya National Hospital. A total of 164 samples from 61 individuals with mean age 59.5 + 10.1 ranging between 38 and 90 years were obtained. Out of 164 samples analysed, the five most occurring moulds were Biopolaris hawaiiensis (5.5%), Trichophyton schoenleinii (3.7%), Aspergillus niger (3.0%), Trichophyton rubrum (3.0%), Fusarium oxysporum (3.0%). Ocurrence of rest of the moulds was less than 3.0%. Penicilium marneffei (0.6 %) was exceptional due to its dimorphic nature at different temperatures and also its rare occurrence. Among the dermatophytes, the most commonly occurring mould was Trichophyton schoenleinii (3.7%) while among the non dermatophytes Biopolaris hawaiiensis (5.5%) was the most common. Among the pathogenic yeasts 8 species were identified. The most occurring yeasts were Candida parapsilosis (6.1%), C. famata (3.0%). Ocurrence of the rest of the yeasts was less than 3.0%. patients with callus formation showed the highest occurrence of fungi (78.6%), compared to 65.2% in those with neuropathy, 53.3% in patients with structural deformity /char cot's joint, 41.2% in those with poor circulation, 40.0% in ischemia, 36.1% in poor glycemic control, 33.3% in amputation, and 25.0% in corns and callus patients.Morbidity is high in people with diabetes microorganisms responsible for the non-healing ulcers inflict devitalized tissue. Mycotic diseases of the feet among patient with diabetesHave hitherto been underestimated interms of diagnostic therapeutic and preventive needs. The study underscores the need for comprehensive mycological evaluation of non-healing diabetic foot and prudent antifungal treatment based on the laboratory results rather than depending on broad spectrum antibiotics for cure.The results of this study will be of useful to health care providers in the management of diabetic foot ulcers infected with fungal pathogens. The recommendations of this study if implemented could reduce the length of hospital stay and the financial burden for both the patient and the government.


Background TAQRDis is an instrument to measure the therapeutic alliance in rheumatic patients developed and validated in our department. Despite TAQDRDis performs well, we found some limitations that may be overcome Rasch analysis. Objectives To validate TAQRDis in patients with RA or gout using Rasch analysis. Methods The questionnaire was administered to two cohorts of patients, one with gout (GRESGO) and another with RA (RECAR) to collect sociodemographic, clinical, and therapeutic data. Instrument description: TAQRDis includes 21 questions (9 for therapeutic adherence and 12 for patient-physician's relationship) with 34 items. The correlation betweem TAQRDis and other adherence questionnaires (MASRI, HAQ-DI, and EuroQoL 5D) was satisfactory. Estimation of Cronbach's α and major component analysis was performed. For Rasch analysis we estimated separation and reliability rates, fit statistics separation person-item and dimensionality statistics components analysis, infit and outfit rates and Wright map). We used Stata v11 and WinSteps v3.73 software. Results 238 patients with gout (age 47.6±13 years, 95% males, education 9.2±4.2 years, socioeconomical level index 8.44±2.11) and 50 with RA (94% female, age 45±14 years, education 8.6±3 years, socioeconomic level index 14.0±1) were included. Cronbach's α value was 0.75. eighty percent of the variance accounted for 6 of the 34 items. We found an item separation index of 6.26 for gout and 2.19 four RA, and a person separation index of 0.17 for gout and 1.79 for RA. Item reliability was 0.98 for gout and 0.83 for RA. Mean-data adjustment-ranges comparing the observed vs. the expected pattern were 0.93 for gout and 0.97 for RA for infit (weighted item and person behavior), and 1.05 for gout and 0.94 for RA for outfit (sensitive to outliers). Uni-dimensional analysis showed an explained total variance of 148% in patients with gout and 62% with RA; unexplained variance was 2.5% and 6.5% for gout and RA. In the alliance tested for both groups, 88% of items showed loads between 0.5 and -0.5 (optimal), whereas the extent of difficulty lied between 3.98 and -4.5 logit for gout and 3.63 and -2.08 for RA. Conclusions According to the ideal model out forward by Rasch, TAQRDis has good discrimination and adjustment in measuring the therapeutic alliance. Patients with RA were more consistent in their responses. The use of Rasch analysis is recommended to validate outcome measures from the patient's perspective. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.3344


There has been growing interest in the use of market-like instruments to achieve cost effective environmental outcomes, and a range of new tools are being explored. While competitive processes such as BushTender have been successfully designed to establish conservation contracts on private land, it is much more difficult to design competitive tenders that also require cooperation between landholders. This paper reports on a series of experimental workshops held with landholders in central-western Queensland to design an auction process that would protect biodiversity in a vegetation corridor. The research focused on options to develop a corridor where landholders need to cooperate on location options within a competitive bidding process.


Spatially resolved cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra of GaN films grown on freestanding GaN seeds via fluid transport by the ammonothermal method were correlated with the microstructure and growth polarity. The spectral line shape of local CL was nearly position independent for a 4-μm-thick N-polar film exhibiting featureless morphology. The spectra exclusively exhibited a broad near-band-edge (NBE) free carrier recombination emission with Burstein-Moss shift. Conversely, CL spectra at 100K of a 5-μm-thick Ga-polar film having (101¯1) and (101¯2) facets with ridges originating from central pits exhibited a NBE peak at 3.444eV and emission bands at 3.27, 2.92, and 2.22eV, all of which showed rich intensity contrasts in the CL mapping images. The NBE peak intensity was remarkably enhanced at crests of the ridges, where the density of threading dislocations (TDs) having edge components was greatly reduced by the dislocation bending. The results encourage one to grow low TD density GaN wafers by slicing thick ...


This article explores the applicability of the Theory of Planned Behavior in understanding female perpetrated adolescent dating violence. The Theory of Planned Behavior is intended to predict behavioral intention by examining the actor's perceptions of consequences and rewards associated with the behavior, social acceptability of the behavior, and behavioral control. Previous research on adult populations has found that the planned behavior model is correlated with violent behavior among males (Tolman, Edleson, & Fendrich, 1996), but not females (Kernsmith, 2005). The current study found that the model partially explained the violent behavior of girls, but only perceptions of social norms were significant.


Gelotophobia (the fear of being laughed at) was studied in a sample of N = 1,322 Danish adolescents aged 11 to 16. When using a measure of coping humour in three different respects (using humour (1) to overcome uncertainty and stress, (2) in relation to aggression and sexuality, and (3) to get cheered up) , it was indicated that the fear of being laughed at existed independently from the use of humour as a coping strategy. It is suggested that interventions targeting the positive use of laughter and humour may have a potential for increasing the well-being of adolescents with high levels of the fear of being laughed at. In single item ratings higher levels of gelotophobia were associated with greater self-ascribed loneliness, lower perceived attractiveness, lower self-acceptance, and rather negative life expectancies. Findings are discussed in the light of current literature and with respect to potential implications for the school life of adolescents.


ABSTRACT Purpose To assess macular ganglion cell layer (GCL) thickness in patients treated with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) for exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Materials and Methods This was a two-year retrospective institutional case series where records of patients treated with anti-VEGF injections for unilateral AMD were reviewed for BCVA, intraocular pressure, and spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Macular GCL thickness was evaluated with automated retinal segmentation based on ETDRS grid rings. Retinal layer segmentation was carefully assessed and manually corrected for any misalignment. Results 48 eyes of 24 patients with unilateral exudative AMD were included. The mean number of anti-VEGF injections was 10.4 ± 3.2. Fellow eyes were classified as AREDS category one and two. There was significant thinning of the 3-mm macular GCL in treated compared with fellow eyes at one and two years (P = .03 and P = .04, respectively). GCL thickness compared to baseline showed a significant decrease at one and two years in treated (P = .01 and <0.0001) and at two years in untreated fellow eyes (P = .02). Conclusions There is a decrease of macular GCL thickness in eyes with exudative AMD treated with anti-VEGF intravitreal injections in comparison with fellow eyes. There is longitudinal thinning of the GCL from baseline in eyes with both treated exudative and non-treated early AMD.


The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of financial statement comparability as a qualitative feature of financial reporting on cash holdings and the mediating role of disclosure quality and financing constraints in firms listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE).,Using panel data from 110 TSE-listed firms from 2011 to 2017 in Iran, this study uses the regression analysis to examine the research hypotheses. The first hypothesis examines the relationship between financial statements comparability and cash holdings and two other hypotheses examine the mediating role of financing constraints and disclosure quality in this relationship.,Based on pecking-order theory and institutional context of Iranian firms, the results show that financial reporting comparability has a significant negative impact on corporate cash holdings. The results also show that disclosure quality and financing constraints have no mediating role in the relationship between accounting comparability and cash holdings. The robustness tests with alternative measures of accounting comparability and cash holdings support the findings of this study.,The limitations of this study are as follows: limited number of TSE companies that have necessary data to conduct research; and using the disclosure quality scores provided by TSE organization.,The findings suggest that creditors should consider the financial status and also the quality of financial reporting of companies, before granting credit to them. It is also recommended that regulators in the capital market publish the ratings of companies in terms of financial statement comparability alongside the disclosure ratings and a continuous regulatory oversight on companies.,To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first empirical research on the effect of accounting comparability on the level of cash holdings that examines the mediating role of financing constraints in the context of Iran market as an emerging economy. Moreover, this is the first empirical research that studies the effect of disclosure quality on this relationship.


Deformation of floes in flowing suspensions was studied in a flow loop system. A fibre suspension jet from a model headbox was further accelerated by a secondary contraction with a width reduction of 50%. The fibre suspension flocculation was studied using an optical detection method. For the suspension of bleached softwood kraft Pulp at a fibre concentration of 5 g/l, fibre floes were followed manually along the secondary contraction. About 115 of the floes were stretched to breakage in the contraction. The floes were stretched in MD whereas they were even more compressed in CD, so that the total floe area in the MD-CD plane decreased, indicating an increase of fibre concentration in the individual floes. This was confirmed by an increase of gray value of the floes in the light transmission images. Fibre floe orientation in MD increased when passing along the contraction. The manual evaluation confirmed the validity of the power spectrum analysis results. Increasing fibre concentration gave larger fibre floes. The floe area reduction in MD-CD plane during contraction passage increased when increasing fibre concentration, which might be due to an increase of mechanical forces in CD generated by the contracting walls, since less free water existed between the fibre floes at a higher fibre concentration. Increased absolute flow velocity had an insignificant effect on the fibre floes within the investigated range.


The minima on the temperature dependence of T1 for protein protons were observed in dried SA at temperature about -100 degrees C and also about 0 degree C in SA and RNAase solutions in D2O. The minima of the temperature dependence were ascribed to motions of methyl groups of proteins, in the first case, and to oscillation of the polypeptide chain in the second case, both at characteristic frequencies of 10(8) s-1 in the minimum points.


The focus of this study was place attachment in students' residences. The aim was to examine the levels, dimensions and predictors of place attachment in urban and semi-urban halls of residence. A stratified sample of 203 respondents completed a questionnaire and the results confirmed that students were attached to their residences and became so in a very short time. A multi-dimensional conception of place attachment was also supported because a factor analysis yielded five dimensions of place attachment. Place attachment was found to vary with different levels of the residence (t=4.187, df=201, p<0.000) and between the urban and semi-urban halls (U =3886.5, Z= -2.625, p<0.009). The predictors of place attachment were level of study, age, intensity of use and the type of hall (whether urban or semi-urban). Place attachment was not influenced by the decoration behavior, but rather, it was a predictor of decoration behavior. In conclusion, a contextual and multi-dimensional view of place attachment was supported and the implications for planning and further research were highlighted.


Wearable sensor technology continues to advance and provide significant opportunities for improving personalized healthcare. In recent years, advances in flexible electronics, smart materials, and low-power computing and networking have reduced barriers to technology accessibility, integration, and cost, unleashing the potential for ubiquitous monitoring. This paper discusses recent advances in wearable sensors and systems that monitor movement, physiology, and environment, with a focus on applications for Parkinson's disease, stroke, and head and neck injuries.


Background In complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (CRPS1) vascular changes occur from the initial, inflammatory event onto the trophic signs during chronicity of the disease, resulting in blood flow disturbances and marked temperature changes. Pharmacotherapeutic treatment is generally inadequate. Aim To determine whether local application of the nitric oxide donor isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) could cause vasodilation and thereby improve tissue blood distribution in the affected extremity. Methods In a pilot study, 5 female patients with CRPS1 in one hand were treated with ISDN ointment 4 times daily during 10 weeks. As a primary objective videothermography was used to monitor changes in blood distribution in both the involved and contralateral extremities. Results Patients treated with ISDN showed an increase of 4°C to 6°C in mean skin temperature of the cold CRPS1 hands, reaching values similar to that of the contralateral extremities within 2 to 4 weeks time, suggesting normalization of blood distribution. This was confirmed by an improvement in skin color. In 3 patients the Visual Analog Scale pain declined, whereas in the other 2 patients the Visual Analog Scale pain was unchanged over time. Conclusions In this pilot study, topical application of ISDN seems to be beneficial to improve symptoms for patients with cold type CRPS1, but further study is needed.


Ion concentration polarization (ICP) accomplishes preconcentration for bioanalysis by localized depletion of electrolyte ions, thereby generating a gradient in electric field strength that facilitates electrokinetic focusing of charged analytes by their electromigration against opposing fluid flow. Such ICP focusing has been shown to accomplish up to a million-fold enrichment of nucleic acids and proteins in single-stage preconcentrators. However, the rate at which the sample volume is swept is limited, requiring several hours to achieve these high enrichment factors. This limitation is caused by two factors. First, an ion depleted zone (IDZ) formed at a planar membrane or electrode may not extend across the full channel cross section under the flow rate employed for focusing, thereby allowing the analyte to "leak" past the IDZ. Second, within the IDZ, large fluid vortices lead to mixing, which decreases the efficiency of analyte enrichment and worsens with increased channel dimensions. Here, we address these challenges with faradaic ICP (fICP) at a three-dimensional (3D) electrode comprising metallic microbeads. This 3D-electrode distributes the IDZ, and therefore, the electric field gradient utilized for counter-flow focusing across the full height of the fluidic channel, and its large area, microstructured surface supports smaller vortices. An additional bed of insulating microbeads restricts flow patterns and supplies a large area for surface conduction of ions through the IDZ. Finally, the resistance of this secondary bed enhances focusing by locally strengthening sequestering forces. This easy-to-build platform lays a foundation for the integration of enrichment with user-defined packed bed and electrode materials.


To describe respiratory mechanical impedance data, many investigators have proposed electromechanical models and then fit them to data using formal parameter estimation techniques. This approach has resulted in confusion as to how to interpret the resulting estimated values, and hence as to which model is most appropriate. A key cause of this confusion is that most studies rely on the quality of fit between the model and the data as the only measure of model validity rather than performing adequate statistical analysis of the parameter estimates themselves. This paper describes several statistical measures that should be applied to parameter estimates obtained from forced oscillation data. Specifically, we describe standard errors of the parameter estimates, confidence intervals for each parameter estimate, and the joint confidence region for the parameters. Much emphasis is placed on the joint confidence region which, unlike the interval, allows for simultaneous variations in parameters. The measures are applied to an often used six-element model for respiratory impedance data of dogs from 4 to 64 Hz. This application indicated that even when fitting data over this frequency range, parameter estimates are not well defined and the parameter estimated with least accuracy is airway resistance.


Functional dependence (FDEP) exists in many real‐world systems, where the failure of one component (trigger) causes other components (dependent components) within the same system to become isolated (inaccessible or unusable). The FDEP behavior complicates the system reliability analysis because it can cause competing failure effects in the time domain. Existing works have assumed noncascading FDEP, where each system component can be a trigger or a dependent component, but not both. However, in practical systems with hierarchical configurations, cascading FDEP takes place where a system component can play a dual role as both a trigger and a dependent component simultaneously. Such a component causes correlations among different FDEP groups, further complicating the system reliability analysis. Moreover, the existing works mostly assume that any failure propagation originating from a system component instantaneously takes effect, which is often not true in practical scenarios. In this work, we propose a new combinatorial method for the reliability analysis of competing systems subject to cascading FDEP and random failure propagation time. The method is hierarchical and flexible without limitations on the type of time‐to‐failure distributions for system components. A detailed case study is performed on a sensor system used in smart home applications to illustrate the proposed methodology.


This study reviews ethical issues encountered in the literature about the use of pharmacogenomics in personalized medicine. Data gathered from Medline, Scopus, and Scielo were grouped as issues belonging to the application of the four bioethical principles. Autonomy: informed consent with vulnerable populations, consent for biobanks, changes in the physician-patient relationship, safeguarding confidentiality; non-malifecence: risks of stigmatization and discrimination, risks in clinical trials; beneficence: risk/benefit assessment in favor of benefit; and justice: pharmacogenetic tests and public health interests, equity concerns. Issues discussed were: reasons in favor and against returning research results from genomic and pharmacogenetic testing, enhancing the participation of vulnerable populations, and the reconsideration of respect for autonomy from a viewpoint too individualistic to a communal perspective since personal reality is constructed in relation to many significant others.


Scalar couplings between covalently bound nuclear spins are a ubiquitous feature in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments, imparting valuable information to NMR spectra regarding molecular structure and conformation. Such couplings arise due to a second-order hyperfine interaction, and, in principle, the same mechanism should lead to scalar couplings between nuclear spins in unbound van der Waals complexes. Here, we report the first observation of scalar couplings between nuclei in van der Waals molecules. Our measurements are performed in a solution of hyperpolarized ${\rm ^{129}Xe}$ and pentane, using superconducting quantum interference devices to detect NMR in 10 mG fields, and are in good agreement with calculations based on density functional theory. van der Waals forces play an important role in many physical phenomena, and hence the techniques presented here may provide a new method for probing such interactions.


Analysis of EST and cDNA collections from a number of metazoan species has identified genes encoding long polyadenylated transcripts that do not contain ORFs of lengths typical for protein-encoding mRNAs. Noncoding functions of such polyadenylated transcripts have been elucidated in only a few examples. The corresponding genes neither contain hallmark sequence motifs nor appear to have been conserved across phyla. Thus, it is impossible to systematically identify new members of this class of gene by using sequence homology and traditional gene-finding algorithms that depend on protein-coding potential. Consequently, even their approximate number has not been established for any metazoan genome. We curated polyadenylated transcripts with limited protein-coding capacity from intergenic regions of the Drosophila melanogaster genome. We used RT-PCR assays, hybridization to RNA blots and whole-mount embryos, and computational analyses to characterize candidate transcripts. We verify the structures and expression of 17 distinct, likely non-protein-coding polyadenylated transcripts. We show that the expression of many of these transcripts is conserved in other Drosophila species, indicating that they have important biological functions.


Ubiquity is proud to publish this inspirational interview, which starts with a discussion of the creation of the computer science department at Georgia State University, and concludes with the heroic efforts an impoverished student from Tsinghua University in China overcame many obstacles to rise to a significant position at Georgia. The interviewee is Yi Pan, Chair and Professor of Georgia State University's computer science department, who provided us with these inspirational reflections on computer science, academic success, and true success. The interview was conducted by Ubiquity editor-in-chief John Gehl.


2,3-Butanediol dehydrogenase (Bdh) plays important roles in reduction of acetoin to 2,3-butanediol, an important platform chemical with many industrial applications. Here, a TcBdh cDNA (1348 bp, GenBank accession JF896462) encoding a putative Bdh was cloned from Taiwanofungus camphorata. The deduced amino acid sequence is similar to the Bdhs from other species. A 3-D structural model of TcBdh has been constructed based on the known structure of Pseudomonas putida formaldehyde dehydrogenase (PpFdh, PDB code 1KOL). To characterize the TcBdh protein, the coding region was subcloned into an expression vector pYEX-S1 and transformed into Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The recombinant His6-tagged TcBdh was expressed and purified by Ni2+-nitrilotriacetic acid Sepharose. The purified enzyme showed a single band of 49 kDa on 12% sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The Michaelis constant (KM) value of the recombinant enzyme for acetoin was 8.5 mM. The enzyme's optical pH was 6. The thermal inactivation of the enzyme showed a half-life of 5.3 min at 45 °C.


In this paper, we propose a cooperative model combined the multi-task reverse sparse representation model (MTRSR) and the AdaBoost classifier, which were used to cope with the disturbing of target gradient information caused by motion blur or target serious occlusion, and a descriptive dictionary were used to estimate the weights of each candidates. First, we use the MTRSR model to get the blur kernel which were used to get the blur target template set, meanwhile the confidence of the candidates is also obtained by the reconstruction error. Then we use the HOG features of the target templates to get the descriptive dictionary to calculate the weights of the candidates, and a AdaBoost classifier is used to calculate the confidences of all candidates. Finally, the best target is retrieved by the sum of production of weight value and the two confidences. The experimental data show that the proposed algorithm can fully cope with the target's information change which were caused by motion blur and target occlusion in the complex scene, and our algorithm can further improve the accuracy and robustness in visual tracking.


ABSTRACT Location-based social networking data provide an important new dimension in understanding travel choice behaviour, providing high levels of location and time accuracy over long time frames in conjunction with explicit friendship network information. Such data allow examination of location choice dynamics and social networking aspects explicitly. This paper presents an exploration of social network based dynamics of choice set generation in the context of activity and travel choice behaviour, especially destination choice. Using data from an online location-based social network, the paper explores the spatiality of destinations and social network influence on travellers' destination choice in the Chicago metropolitan area. The results show that social relationships play a role in travellers' destination choices and that distance plays a strong role in social networks as in location choice. Connectivity through social network structure is examined jointly with individuals' spatial activity engagement; the number of virtual friends is found to significantly influence actual physical travel behaviour. Finally, caveats in using social networking data for behaviour analysis and planning are discussed.


Before the pandemic, the South African economy remained stuck in low gear, with anemic growth, stagnant private investment, and a shrinking tradable sector. Subdued growth has raised unemployment, poverty, and inequality, hindering inclusion efforts. The pandemic has worsened economic and social vulnerabilities. Economic recovery and social inclusion hinge critically on structural reforms to boost competiveness and growth. Product markets represent a cornerstone of the reform strategy. Firms have used their market power to drive up prices and limit competition. Important state-owned monopolies provide low-quality services, while representing a fiscal drag. Existing regulations inhibit the entry of both domestic and foreign firms. Addressing product markets constraints could boost per capita growth by 1 percentage point—adding about 2½ percentage points to headline growth—and foster greater inclusion.


This data set provides 30-meter gridded estimates of aboveground biomass (AGB), canopy height, and canopy coverage for the state of Maryland in 2011. Leaf-off LiDAR data were combined with high-resolution leaf-on agricultural imagery to select 848 field sampling sites for biomass measurements. The field-based estimates were related to LiDAR height and volume metrics through random forests regression models across three physiographic regions of Maryland.


Micropigmentation and microblading is a popular technique now a days which is used as a semi permanent method for camoflaging various dermatological indications. This article will elaborate upon various indications of micropigmenation. Micropigmentation is used in variety of dermatological conditions like semi permanent make up and vitiligo (stable forms). In this technique, a thorough knowledge of the indication and colour theory is crucial to achieve near to natural output. Micropigmentation or medical tattooing is a novel and easy to learn technique to camouflage various dermatological conditions like stable vitiligo, alopecia (androgenetic alopecia or stable alopecia areata) as well as for semi permanent make up.


Describes a system that utilizes event-set sequencing for knowledge discovery within a database of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients. The authors use the development of their temporal pattern discovery system (TEMPADIS) to help understand the overall process of knowledge discovery in a medical database environment. Results are presented for a database of HIV patients. The authors discuss the overall process of knowledge discovery including data cleaning and preprocessing, data reduction and projection, and matching goals to a particular data mining method.


Some simulators were designed for wireless sensor networks. The main goal of these simulators is to provide a framework to closely model and simulate various sensor networks scenarios. Two important factors for accurate evaluation are simulator and method of simulation. In this paper, we don't want to produce a new simulator for sensor networks. We will show how to use current simulators for getting accurate results. On the other hand, we will talk about the role of evaluation methods in simulation results and show current evaluation method; analysis of routing protocols based on results of finite states of network, isn't an exact evaluation for using in a special application for sensor networks. Then we offer a method for accurate and practical evaluation of routing protocols in sensor networks. We name it special evaluation method and compare it with traditional evaluation method. Then, we show that our offer method has more accurate results than traditional evaluation method. Finally, we find reasons of result difference between two methods.


As a software project evolves, so does its build system. Significant effort is necessary to maintain the build system to cope with this evolution, in part because changes to source code often require parallel changes in the build system. Our tool, Formiga, is a build maintenance and dependency discovery tool for the Ant build system. Formiga's primary uses are to automate build changes as the source code is updated, to identify the build dependencies within a software project, and to assist with build refactoring. Formiga is implemented as an IDE plugin, which allows it to recognize when project resources are updated and automatically update the build system accordingly. A controlled experiment was conducted to assess Formiga's ability to assist developers with build maintenance. Subjects responded to scenarios in which various forms of build maintenance and/or knowledge about deliverables and their contents were requested. Subjects completed eleven different build maintenance tasks in both an experimental condition using Formiga and a control condition using only conventional IDE services. The study used a balanced design relative to both task order and use of Formiga. This design also ensured that order balancing was not confounded with the subjects' level of Ant expertise. Formiga was shown to significantly reduce the time required to perform build maintenance while increasing the correctness with which it can be performed for both novice and experienced developers.


Fragments of zooids of the compound ascidian, Polyandrocarpa misakiensis, have the capacity for morphallactic regeneration. In untreated fragments of zooids, the sizes of regenerated organs were in proportion to the total sizes of the fragments. If two anterior fragments were fused together at their cut surfaces, double-zooid monsters were produced, each regenerating the posterior part at the fusion area. Monsters, resulting from the fusion of two anterior fragments of different sizes, regenerated two digestive loops that were similar in size.


Polymer-coated silica nanoparticles (PSiNP) have been proposed for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) owing to their improved properties such as stability, emulsion formation, low retention, etc. over bare nanoparticles. Even though most studies report EOR potential of nanoparticles compared to plain water flood, the underlying oil recovery mechanisms of nanoparticles are not well understood. This experimental work investigates the efficiency of PSiNP for oil recovery on micro-scale via comparing waterflooding to nanofluid flooding with minimizing the variations in pore architecture and initial oil connectivity on the trapping efficiency.
 This research unleashes the potential application of four types of PSiNPs for EOR in water-wet Berea sandstone reservoirs and microfluidic chips. The PSiNPs were mixed with synthetic seawater at 0.1 wt % concentration. The oil recoveries were compared with waterflooding obtained on the same core. For this purpose, the following experiments were performed: First, four waterfloods were carried out until there was no oil production on four cores. Then, the cores were cleaned and dried. Afterwards, each core was injected with nanofluid in secondary recovery mode. To compare the four types of PSiNPs, microfluidic experiments were performed under the same experimental conditions such as pore-structure and initial oil connectivity. Measurements of interfacial tension and contact angle, and analysis of differential pressure across the cores and pore-scale images were performed to reveal possible recovery mechanisms of PSiNPs.
 The nanofluids had higher ultimate oil recoveries than plain waterflood. The PSiNPs with small particle sizes had the highest reduction in IFT and the best capability to disconnect and minimize the size of the residual oil clusters within the pore spaces. Our hypothesis is that the adsorption of PSiNPs on the grain surfaces played a considerable role in the oil displacement efficiency. On the other hand, the ability of PSiNPs to cause pore-blockage and log-jamming attributed to the large NP size and adsorption on surfaces was strongly related to the displacement efficiency. Performing screening experiments of different nanofluids on cores with similar petrophysical properties could produce misleading results. Microfluidic experiments have advantages over the core-flooding experiments. Since the microchip has different properties compared to natural rocks; the results did not correlate with core-scale experiments. However, it was a significant tool, in this work, to indicate the generation of emulsions and the rate of clusterization, which cannot be seen from conventional core-scale experiments.
 The knowledge gained from this experimental work helps to improve the screening methodology for the use of recovery agents such as nanoparticles for EOR applications.


Background: TGN167 is a potent (Ki = 7-22nM), reversible, low molecular weight, and highly selective synthetic direct thrombin inhibitor. The aim of study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and safety of TGN167. TGN167 tablets were administered via the oral route to 20 healthy male subjects as single doses in a randomised double blind placebo controlled study, upward titration of up to four dosage levels.

Methods: The group consisted of 20 healthy male volunteers, 18 of whom received active compound and two of whom received placebo in each arm of the study. Within the group receiving active compound, 9 were randomised to receive an enteric coated presentation and nine to receive a non-enteric coated presentation. Orally administered doses were: 75mg (one tablet), 150mg (two tablets), 300mg (four tablets) and 600 mg (eight tablets). The interval between each dose of TGN167 was one week minimum. The allocation of the placebo was such that each volunteer would only receive placebo once during the course of the study. Plasma concentration of TGN167 was evaluated through a validated LC-MS/MS method. Pharmacodynamic activity was assessed through measurement of the thrombin clotting time (TT) and activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT).

Results: Variability of each PK parameter was systematically lower for non-enteric than enteric. The non-enteric coated formulation exhibited lower inter-subject variability. Both Cmax and AUC increased in a dose proportional way. Oral administration of TGN167 induced a dose-related increase in the TT, reaching a peak within 2 to 3h after administration, with maximum mean values being approximately 2.5 to 7 fold higher than at pre-dose. A fall in TT to 1.5 fold baseline values occurred within 4 and 8 hours after administration (for the non-enteric and enteric formulations respectively). All TT had returned to baseline 10 and 12 hours after administration (for non-enteric and enteric formulations respectively). Of note, in the highest dose group (600mg), TT value was uncoagulable at one or 2 time points (1, 2, 3 h after oral administration) in 7 subjects/15. The effect of TGN167 on aPTT was less marked and of a shorter duration. The maximum mean values were 2 fold baseline, observed 2 h after oral administration of the non-enteric formulation, and 4 to 6 h after oral administration of the enteric coated formulation. Thereafter, mean values declined to pre-dose values by approximately 8 to 10h after administration (non-enteric) and 8 to 12h post administration (enteric coated). The high TT/aPTT index offered by TGN167 is clearly displayed in the 7 subjects in whom the TT was raised to 180 seconds (assay saturation) and whose aPTT remained below 2 fold baseline. No clinically significant findings were detected in any safety assessments. There were no adverse clinical events of either a general or cardiovascular nature (including liver function tests and ECG changes) during the study period of 24 hours for any dose of TGN167.

Conclusion: The above results indicate that TGN 167 has the desired properties of an oral antithrombotic drug, including a stable pharmacokinetic profile with marked potentiation of TT and minimal effects on aPTT.


That the modern city should be a purified space of human habitation, a humanist citadel, constructed for, and by humanity alone, was an implicit assumption in urban studies until recently. We might say that urban studies has always been part of this humanist fantasy since it is hard to find a time when non-human elements and actants were not important to the life chances of cities everywhere. Not surprisingly, in 1970 Ray Pahl paid little attention to the non-human world but since then the politics of the ecologically minded and technical city has been populated by more and more instances of our dealings with what Latour calls the 'extended democracy' of other species and things. This paper extends this understanding by showing how many natural forces, species, technologies and materialities became entangled in the social, cultural and political life of contemporary cities. Using illustrations from Asian, European, American and Australasian cities, it shows how environmental and technical forces (such as fire, engineering, theory and flood) become incorporated into the life, subjectivities and structures of modern cities; how animals have become important companions to urbanites whose social bonds have fragmented; how animals and objects have been used to signify contested spaces; how they, together with other material objects and forces, enter into dialectical 'more-than-human' politics, how they form and embody the values and interests of particular city groups and how they become the focus and voice of otherwise difficult political, moral and ethical values. It shows, in other words, how they have disturbed the politics of the city creating new, more-than-human political interests and movements around their 'residency', lines of flight and alliances with humans.


Post-radiotherapy treatment depends on how the skin within the treatment field has reacted during radiotherapy for cancer. Skin reactions can range from mild dull erythema and tightening of the skin to severe moist desquamation, which may result in wounds that can be painful and sloughy. It is estimated that approximately 87% of patients will experience a moderate-to-severe skin reaction. This article discusses an evaluation of the use of a polymeric membrane dressing (PolyMem®, Aspen Medical) in 23 patients with skin reactions following radiotherapy. A purpose-designed evaluation form was completed over a period of 4 weeks or until healed. Patients were asked to complete both qualitative descriptions and numerical scores of pain for symptoms and procedural pain. Skin healing, pain and sleep patterns were all evaluated, with additional qualitative input on the patient experience. Successful symptom management regarding pain, exudate control and patient comfort was documented in both clinical observations and patient diaries.


This work calculates the chemical bonds in lithium
metal and beryllium metal using the orbital exchange method, a
method that recognizes that the two electrons of a bonding pair cannot be
completely distinguished when their orbitals overlap to bond. Since in metals there is no preferred
bond direction, the symmetry axes of the lattice are chosen as the bonding
axes. The
calculations sum the primary, secondary and many tertiary bonds along these
axes. The bond
length and bond energy results are in agreement with the observed values with
bond energies accurate to 0.2 eV or better and bond lengths to 0.02Å.  The bond lengths are found at the point where
the total bond overlap equals 1.0.  These results are compared with the orbital exchange calculations of bonding in diamond, a
nonconductor, and graphite, a semiconductor. An uncomplicated explanation for the
difference in electrical properties emerges.
The conductor, lithium metal, has a 2s bonding orbital which bonds
equally in both directions along all axes providing for the continuous flow of
electrons. The nonconductor, diamond,
has a directional s p hybrid type bonding orbital which bonds in one direction
along a single axis, preventing the flow of electrons from atom to atom.


This paper presents a model for analyzing the performance of transmission strategies in a multihop packet radio network where each station has adjustable transmission radius. A larger transmission radius will increase the probability of finding a receiver in the desired direction and contribute bigger progress if the transmission is successful, but it also has a higher probability of collision with other transmissions. The converse is true for shorter transmission range. We illustrate our model by comparing three transmission strategies. Our results show that the network can achieve better performance by suitably controlling the transmission range. One of the transmission strategies, namely transmitting to the nearest forward neighbor by using adjustable transmission power, has desirable features in a high terminal density environment.


purpose: This literature review is to evaluate current research articles pertinent to physical therapy treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Osteoarthritis of the knee is an increasingly common diagnosis, with a prognosis that can lead to loss in an individual's functional abilities. Literature on the subject of OA and its physical therapy treatment is vast and current, however, obtaining and analyzing it can be time consuming and costly to a Physical Therapist. The primary aim of this paper is to review current trends for treatment of OA of the knee, and to compare each intervention for effectiveness. This article provides a systematic categorization as well as recommendations for physical therapists based on current (1996 or sooner) literature. Methods: Twenty-two articles were located using various online databases, critically analyzed, and categorized using Sackett's levels of evidence. Recommendations for the treatment of OA of the knee by a physical therapist were then made. Results: Two grade A recommendations, 5 grade B recommendation, and 2 grade C recommendations were made from the categorization of the articles. This article also contains recommendations outside the scope of a therapist's practice, which a physical therapist could consider when treating a patient with knee osteoarthritis. Further research recommendations are also provided.


In this article, I present a non-trivial but inconsistent set theory based on unrestricted comprehension. The theory is provably non-trivial and strong enough for most of the applications of regular mathematics. This is realized by distinguishing between strong and weak set membership and allowing for the derivation of strong membership from weak membership whenever this is not problematic (it does not lead to paradoxes). This idea of applying rules whenever unproblematic is formalized by means of an adaptive logic.


We study radiative energy transfer between a donor-acceptor pair across a hyperbolic metamaterial slab. We show that similar to a perfect lens a hyperbolic lens allows for giant energy transfer rates. For a realistic realization of a hyperbolic multilayer metamaterial we find an enhancement of up to three orders of magnitude with respect to the transfer rates across a plasmonic silver film of the same size especially for frequencies which coincide with the epsilon-near zero and the epsilonnear pole frequencies. Furthermore, we compare exact results based on the S-matrix method with results obtained from effective medium theory. Our finding of very large dipole-dipole interaction at distances of the order of a wavelength has important consequences for producing radiative heat transfer, quantum entanglement etc.


Foreign exploration for natural enemies of pink hibiscus mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus , was conducted in Australia from 2000 to 2002. In Queensland, the predaceous beetle Cryptolaemus montrouzieri , the predaceous drosophilid fly, Cacoxenus perspicax and the encrytid parasitoid Gyranusoidea indica were recovered. In Western Australia and the Northern Territory a predatory noctuid , Mataeomera sp., an aphelinid parasitoid Coccophagus sp., and a probable encyrtid hyperparasitoid, Coccidoctonus sp. were reared from M. hirsutus on a native Hibiscus species. A field study was conducted from February 2000 to March 2002 in Sher- wood, Queensland to document the seasonal phenology of M. hirsutus in its native habitat on its preferred host, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis . Populations of the mealybug stayed at or below detectable levels for most of the study with minor population peaks in the summer months.


Background Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is the most standard reperfusion strategy for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), but the no-reflow phenomenon is still common and is associated with adverse outcomes. Little is known about the consequences of different strategies of deploying stents on outcomes in STEMI patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether prolonged inflation would decrease the no-reflow phenomenon in PPCI compared with the conventional rapid inflation/deflation strategy. Methods This was a prospective, single-center, blinded, randomized controlled trial. Patients were randomized 1:1 to a prolonged deployment strategy group or a conventional deployment strategy group. A subset of patients was included in a cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) examination assessment. The primary outcomes were the number of patients with Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow grade 3, the incidence of intraoperative no-reflow/slow flow, the corrected TIMI frame count, the myocardial blush grade, and the number of patients with ST-segment resolution>50%. The secondary outcome was major cardiovascular adverse events at one month and one year following the index PPCI. Results TIMI flow grade 3 was found in 96.7% of the prolonged deployment strategy group and 63.3% of the conventional deployment group (P=0.005). The prolonged inflation strategy and inflation/deflation strategy group respectively showed the following rates: 0% vs 30% no-reflow or slow flow (P=0.002); 90% vs 66.7% ST-segment resolution ≥50% (P=0.028); 35.6±14.5 frames vs 49.18±25.2 frames on corrected TIMI frame count (P=0.014); and 60% vs 20% myocardial blush grade 3 (P=0.001). The major cardiovascular adverse event rate was 3.3% in both groups at one month and 3.3% for the prolonged inflation strategy group vs 6.7% for the rapid inflation/deflation strategy group at one year (P=1.0). In the CMR subset of cases, the presence of microvascular obstruction (MVO) was detected in 6.7% of patients in the prolonged inflation strategy group and in 50% of patients in the rapid inflation/deflation strategy group (P=0.023). Conclusions In the patients with STEMI who underwent PPCI, the effect of the prolonged inflation strategy could decease the no-reflow phenomenon and improve myocardial microcirculation perfusion, but there were no benefits for the 30-day or one-year clinical outcomes. (ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT03199014.Registered June 23, 2017,http://https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03199014?term=NCT03199014&cntry=CN&draw=2&rank=1)


The physical characteristics of beams of negative pions relevant to radiotherapy cannot be characterized by a single parameter such as the absorbed dose. In a therapeutic situation, such beams contain many types of particles (contaminants and secondaries) distributed over a wide range in energy. One of the problems confronting radiation physicists is to establish that set of physical parameters which is sufficient to uniquely define biological response. An overall program addressing this problem is presently being pursued at Los Alamos.


Considering the increased presence of immigrants and refugees in schools, particularly public schools, educational systems emerge as a field of research, policy and practice to understand the different discourses regarding contemporary mobilities. In this piece of work, our concern was to understand on which extension global education policies and debates, even being incipient on this matter, interact, reinforce or contradict the different practices, representations and sayings that make mobilities and their subjects an object of regulation and knowledge. We seek to observe the mobilized discourses, in order to fundamentally understand how they are articulated to the paradigm of global migration "as a problem" to overcome, instead of a constitutive characteristic of the world. As methodological strategy, we analyzed a recent set of documents guiding educational policies that deals with migration and asylum, written by different United Nations agencies. From this set, we highlight two central aspects for reflection: in a broader way the treatment given to individual and collective subjects of mobilities, and as a second axis we focused on the way the "figure of the victim" is built and reinforced, as well as its implications, tensions and ambiguities.


The following paper represents a case report describing procedures and techniques that have been successfully performed clinically over a period of 52 months. The intent of these procedures is to replace nonrestorable roots in fresh extraction sites with immediate fixture placement and provisional prosthesis placement at the time of fixture placement.


Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor among women of reproductive age and is also the most costly according to European reports. In this context, the aim of the present review is to identify factors that make breast cancer in premenopausal women an epidemiological challenge in developing countries. Epidemiological aspects of breast cancer, including risk factors, early detection methods, and treatment, are addressed. Breast cancer in premenopausal women should be included in the political and strategic agendas in developing countries to direct the necessary resources for prevention, detection, and control.


Electrosurgery is used in the operating room on a daily basis as a means to cut tissue and maintain hemostasis. The principle of this technology lies in the transfer of electricity from an electrosurgical unit to the operating site on a patient's body and modifying the waveform of that electricity to achieve the desired surgical effect. Bipolar cautery uses two electrodes, an active and a return, both at the surgical site to perform electrosurgery. Bipolar cautery can be very useful in helping surgeons to operate; however, current designs are not well suited to a 2.1 mm working channel in endoscopic procedures due to their rigid structure, limited range of motion, and bulky design. This paper describes a novel approach to designing a minimally- invasive bipolar cautery tool suitable for flexible neuroendoscopy. The system features 1.9 mm diameter bipolar tips which resemble grasping forceps, making it easier for surgeons to hold tissue while performing electrosurgery. The electrode wires also function as the actuating cables used to open and close the tips, which require 2.10 mm to open the tips to 30.9 °. The results show that the tool can safely cauterize a porcine brain specimen at various settings on the electrosurgical unit, and increasing the setting increases the area of tissue affected by the electricity. Repeatability was demonstrated and exhaustion was reached after the tool was opened and closed 73 times. Future work will involve improving the current design to increase the number of cycles the tool can survive before losing function.


SUMMARY: After growth in a medium containing 2% (w/v) galactose, a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed greater oxidative activity, an essentially unchanged anaerobic fermentation rate and an increase in total growth, compared with yeast grown in the same medium but containing instead 2% (w/v) glucose as major carbon source. The galactose-grown yeast possessed a generally higher level of oxidative metabolism, with enhanced Q
air
O2 values (up to 500%) with glucose and other oxidizable substrates, a higher cytochrome content and a greatly increased cytochrome oxidase activity. These differences were associated with an inhibitory effect of glucose on the formation of cxidative enzymes when this sugar was present in the growth medium at concentration greater than 0·05% (w/v). Changes in the composition of the basal growth medium greatly altered the magnitude of the differences between the glucose-grown and galactose-grown organisms and the differences were not apparent with certain growth media. Possible interpretations of these findings are discussed.


In the decades immediately following the Civil War, the United States expanded rapidly. As the nation grew, so too did federal law, moving into areas of citizensOCO lives previously regulated by local custom and state and territorial statutes.In Mormons and Cowboys, Moonshiners and Klansmen, Cresswell uses then moves beyond a case-study approach to illuminate larger questions including the evolution of the American criminal justice system, the relationship of the South and the West to the rest of the nation, the workings of the 19th-century American bureaucracy, and conflict of the local, state, and federal governments. Out of the efforts of early federal marshals came the modern federal justice system, with its firm policy guidelines, its Federal Bureau of Investigation, and its broader powers over the country as a whole."


Currently, nanotechnology and nanomaterials are considered as the most popular and outstanding
research subjects in scientific fields ranging from environmental studies to drug analysis. Carbon nanomaterials such as
carbon nanotubes, graphene, carbon nanofibers etc. and non-carbon nanomaterials such as quantum dots, metal
nanoparticles, nanorods etc. are widely used in electrochemical drug analysis for sensor development. Main aim of drug
analysis with sensors is developing fast, easy to use and sensitive methods. Electroanalytical techniques such as
voltammetry, potentiometry, amperometry etc. which measure electrical parameters such as current or potential in an
electrochemical cell are considered economical, highly sensitive and versatile techniques.

 Most recent researches and studies about electrochemical analysis of drugs with carbon-based nanomaterials were
analyzed. Books and review articles about this topic were reviewed.

 The most significant carbon-based nanomaterials and electroanalytical techniques were explained in detail. In
addition to this; recent applications of electrochemical techniques with carbon nanomaterials in drug analysis was expressed
comprehensively. Recent researches about electrochemical applications of carbon-based nanomaterials in drug sensing were
given in a table.

Nanotechnology provides opportunities to create functional materials, devices and systems using
nanomaterials with advantageous features such as high surface area, improved electrode kinetics and higher catalytic
activity. Electrochemistry is widely used in drug analysis for pharmaceutical and medical purposes. Carbon nanomaterials
based electrochemical sensors are one of the most preferred methods for drug analysis with high sensitivity, low cost and
rapid detection.


Climate change poses a serious threat to human food security through erratic rainfall patterns, increasing or decreasing temperature, decreasing crop yields and contributing to increased food insecurity. This study investigates whether men or women are more affected by climate induced household food security in rural kebeles of Dire Dawa Administration. The study also examines access and control over productive resources and the factors contributing to the differential effects of climate change on men and women household heads. A systematic random sampling procedure was employed to include 150 men and women household heads from four rural kebeles of the Administration. Standardized precipitation index and Gender disparity index on five agriculture domains such as participation in production, asset ownership and access to resource, income control, leadership and time use were used to measure the effects of rainfall intensity and productivity achievement to household food security respectively. Moreover, T-test and gender vulnerability analysis were also used to analyze the data. The results indicate that rainfall scarcity had occurred for nineteen years from the total of thirty years studied. Moreover, the mean empowerment index of women is below the threshold with differing gender division of labor in agriculture and low-calorie intake per day and more vulnerable due to effects of climate change. The findings of this study indicate the importance of enhancing institutional support to realize gender equality and minimize cultural, social, economic and institutional barriers that contribute to the differential effects of climate change on household food security.
Keywords: Climate change, Food insecurity, Food security, Gender, Standardized precipitation index


Foundation: acute myocardial infarction with elevation of the ST segment demands a great challenge from health systems. It is vital to rely on clinical practical guidelines. In attaining its degree of adherence may influence clinical and demographic variables. Objetive: to measure the degree of adhesion to Clinical Practical Guidelines in discharged patients with a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction and ST segment elevation and related to demographic and clinical variables. Method: descriptive study which evaluated the adhesion to clinical practice guidelines in 294 patients by using an instrument of evaluation. The degree of adhesion was related with demographic variables (age and sex) and clinical (selected co-morbidities and state of the patient on discharge). Results: in 76,5 % of the patients the degree of adhesion was adequate. Adequate grading increased accordingly to age (71,3 %, 77,2 % y 82,0 % in patients younger than 60, de 60 a 74 y de 75 and more respectively) and was higher in women (84,1 %). Regarding co-morbidities, the highest percentage of adequate adhesion corresponded to hypertension (77,2 %) and the lowest (69,0 %) to chronic renal disease. Conclusion: a high percentage of ¨graded adequate¨ in adhesion to clinical and practical guidelines was found in patients with acute myocardial infarction and ST segment elevation in the period of study, either in the total of patients so as in any age, sex, co-morbidities selected, discharged alive and deceased groups.


Piping and hydraulic fracturing (heave) are phenomena which can threaten the stability of flood defences. These phenomena can arise when, in the case of large-scale hydraulic head, particles of soil in layers of earth which are susceptible to erosion are transported underneath the flood defence by the seepage flow, as a consequence of which erosion channels are created under the flood defence (piping), or mutual effective stress is lost in the soil (heave) in the upward seepage flow behind the hydraulic structure or cut-off wall. Within the scope of designing new flood defences or reinforcing or monitoring existing ones, safeguards against the occurrence of these phenomena must be verified. Various calculation rules are available to verify such safeguards, varying from simple empirical rules for the first (reinforcement) design for a flood defence or safety monitoring of an existing flood defence, to advanced calculation models to design or test more precisely. The recommended approach and calculation rules in these publications are not state-of-the-art, bearing in mind the developments in this field in the past few years. New developments are recorded in research reports which are often insufficiently accessible for day-to-day design and test practice. All in all, the knowledge available for practical application is fragmented.


The present invention provides a method for providing route update messages paging access terminals. The method may include providing at least one route update message based upon at least one travel pattern associated with an access terminal. The method may also include providing at least one page based on at least one previously received route update message and information indicative of at least one travel pattern.


The problem of allocating network resources to the users of a cellular network with multiple antennas in a fair way is investigated. We propose a packet scheduler called MIMO packet-by-packet generalized processor sharing (MPGPS). The scheduler can provide fair access to the channels for users and is work conserving. It also compensates lagging users and decreases the average delay of users. Comparisons with a couple of scheduling algorithms considering traffic characteristics and the mobility of users demonstrate the superior performance of our scheduler.


What is the role of specific items in carrier phrases in promoting or demoting an advantage in understanding words that contain advanced tokens of change-in-progress sounds? Labov and Ash (1997) and Plichta (2004) note such an advantage for local speakers, but they do not provide evidence about individual features.  In Labov and Ash (1997), carrier phrases contain other tokens of Northern Cities Shift (NCS) and Southern Yowel Shift (SYS) vowels. For the NCS test, had and sandals occur along with the test item socks; for the SVS test, I and knew occur along with the test item guy. In the NCS test, therefore, another vowel of the shift occurs (re), but not the same vowel as that of the test word socks. In the SVS test, however, I occurs, the same vowel as in the test item (guy). Additionally, the potential misunderstanding is a real word in the NCS test (socks) but not in the SVS test (gah). Finally, the NCS test gives a semantic/pragmatic clue to the identity of the word; the SVS test does not.


Large-scale computing systems such as data centers are facing increasing pressure to cap their carbon footprint. Integrating emerging clean energy solutions into computer system design therefore gains great significance in the green computing era. While some pioneering work on tracking variable power budget show promising energy efficiency, they are not suitable for data centers due to lack of performance guarantee when renewable generation is low and fluctuant. In addition, our characterization of wind power behavior reveals that data centers designed to track the intermittent renewable power incur up to 4X performance loss due to inefficient and redundant load matching activities. As a result, mitigating operational overhead while still maintaining desired energy utilization becomes the most significant challenge in managing server clusters on intermittent renewable energy generation. In this paper we take a first step in digging into the operational overhead of renewable energy powered data center. We propose iSwitch, a lightweight server power management that follows renewable power variation characteristics, leverages existing system infrastructures, and applies supply/load cooperative scheme to mitigate the performance overhead. Comparing with state-of-the-art renewable energy driven system design, iSwitch could mitigate average network traffic by 75%, peak network traffic by 95%, and reduce 80% job waiting time while still maintaining 96% renewable energy utilization. We expect that our work can help computer architects make informed decisions on sustainable and high-performance system design.