Natural language processing (NLP) is becoming an important means for automatic recognition of human traits and states, such as intoxication, presence of psychiatric disorders, presence of airway disorders and states of stress. Such applications have the potential to be an important pillar for online help lines, and may gradually be introduced into eHealth modules. However, NLP is language specific and for languages such as Dutch, NLP models are scarce. As a result, recent Dutch NLP models have a low capture of long range semantic dependencies over sentences. To overcome this, here we present belabBERT, a new Dutch language model extending the RoBERTa architecture. belabBERT is trained on a large Dutch corpus (+32 GB) of web crawled texts. We applied belabBERT to the classification of psychiatric illnesses. First, we evaluated the strength of text-based classification using belabBERT, and compared the results to the existing RobBERT model. Then, we compared the performance of belabBERT to audio classification for psychiatric disorders. Finally, a brief exploration was performed, extending the framework to a hybrid text- and audio-based classification. Our results show that belabBERT outperformed the current best text classification network for Dutch, RobBERT. belabBERT also outperformed classification based on audio alone.


Static random access memory (SRAM) circuits optimized for minimum energy consumption typically operate in the subthreshold regime with ultra-low power-supply-voltages. Both the read and the write propagation delays of a subthreshold memory circuit are significantly reduced with an increase in the die temperature. The excessive timing slack observed in the clock period of constant-frequency subthreshold memory circuits at elevated temperatures provides new opportunities to lower the active mode energy consumption. Temperature-adaptive dynamic supply voltage tuning technique is proposed in this paper to reduce the high temperature energy consumption of ultra-low-voltage subthreshold SRAM arrays. Results with a 64-bit times 64-bit memory array in the TSMC 180 nm CMOS technology indicate that the energy consumption can be lowered by up to 32.8% by dynamically scaling the supply voltage at elevated temperatures.


ABSTRACT: It is widely held that the experience machine is the basis of a serious objection to hedonistic theories of welfare. It is also widely held that desire satisfactionist theories of welfare can readily avoid problems stemming from the experience machine. But in this paper, we argue that if the experience machine poses a serious problem for hedonism, it also poses a serious problem for desire satisfactionism. We raise two objections to desire satisfactionism, each of which relies on the experience machine. The first is very much like the well-known experience machine objection to hedonism. The second asks whether someone who accepts desire satisfactionism should want to form a desire to plug into the experience machine.


In 1998 Professor Ian Kennedy commenced an investigationwhichwas the largest at that time into heart surgeryat theBristolRoyal Infirmary. This investigation was brought about by concerns raised byparents and someof themedical team, andafter a long investigation theKennedy report concluded that out-of-date surgical skill levels, poor communication, lack of leadership and team work and a culture within the NHS that did not prioritise sick and vulnerable children contributed to the unnecessary deaths of possibly up to 30 patients. However, he considered no member of the team at that time had been wilful in their mismanagement of patients. Kennedy published an extensive report which encompassed recommendations not only for children's cardiac care but also for the National Health Service in the UK as a whole. These recommendations included new minimum standards for care which should be benchmarked: that children's heart surgery and interventional cardiac catheterisation should be conducted in fewer larger units and that care should be conducted by nurses and doctors trained to look after them in surroundings built for children. There should be audit of surgical data both freely available to the parents and the public and that surgery for unusual or rare conditions should be limited to a smaller number of units. One of the recommendations was nationally followed and there was the creation of the Central Cardiac Audit Database (or CCAD) onwhich all results of the units in the UK are published and available over the internet. Then over the period of 2 years and reported in 2003 a further review was performed chaired by Mr Monro, Cardiac Surgeon, and the Department of Health and this also recommended the reduction in the number of units so that the caseload per surgeon and physician could be increased. This would ensure that surgeonswere able to gain


An image encryption algorithm based on a four-dimensional chaotic system is presented in this paper, in view of the existing problems in the image encryption. Firstly, the characteristics of the chaotic system are analyzed. This system has more parameters and is more complex than the low-dimensional chaotic systems. The chaotic sequences are improved to be suitable for image encryption. Secondly, a generation method of the binary sequence is reported in accordance with the requirement of the encryption algorithm. Through theoretical and statistical analysis, we can see the binary sequence generated by the chaotic system meets the requirement of the pseudo-random sequence and has the high security. Finally, a mixed airspace encryption algorithm is presented. The chaotic sequences are used to the image encryption. The algorithm has very good effect because of increasing the key space and resisting the exhaustive attacks and statistical attacks.


This paper presents same new approaches to model the flow and heat transfer processes in the channels in twin-screw extruders. The nnumerical algorithm based on the finite element method is developed. The fields of the pressure, temperature and velocity in the screw channel are obtained


The domain reversal characteristics of near-stoichiometric LiNbO3 ([Li]/[Li+Nb] = 0.496) single crystals, which are grown by the Czochralski method with K2O flux, are investigated. The switch field for 180° ferroelectric domain reversal in the near-stoichiometric LiNbO3 crystal is 8.0 ± 0.5 kV/mm, which is only one third of the switching field required for the congruent LiNbO3 crystals. We have successfully achieved 180° domain reversal in near-stoichiometric LiNbO3 samples of 1.0 mm thickness.


Purpose: This study was to investigate the dosimetric benefit of a novel intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) technique for irradiating the left breast and regional lymph node (RLN). Methods: The breast and RLN (internal mammary node and periclavicular node) and normal tissue were contoured for 16 consecutive left-sided breast cancer patients previously treated with RT after lumpectomy. Nine equi-spaced fields IMRT (9 -field IMRT), tangential multi-beam IMRT (tangential-IMRT) and IMRT with fixed-jaw technique (FJT-IMRT) were developed and compared with three-dimensional conformal RT (3DCRT). Prescribed dose was 50 Gy in 25 fractions. Dose distributions and dose volume histograms were used to evaluate plans. Results: All IMRTs achieved similar target coverage and substantially reduced heart V30 and V20 compared to the 3DCRT. The average heart mean dose had different changes, which were 9.0Gy for 9-field IMRT, 5.7Gy for tangential-IMRT and 4.2Gy for FJT-IMRT. For the contralateral lung and breast, the 9-field IMRT has the highest mean dose; and the FJT-IMRT and tangential-IMRT had similar lower value. For the thyroid, both 9-field IMRT and FJT-IMRT had similar V30 (20% and 22%) and were significantly lower than that of 3DCRT (34%) and tangential-IMRT (46%). Moreover, the thyroid mean dose of FJT-IMRT is the lowest. For cervical esophagus and humeral head, the FJT-IMRT also had the best sparing. Conclusion: All 9-field IMRT, tangential-IMRT and FJT-IMRT had superiority for targets coverage and substantially reduced the heart volume of high dose irradiation. The FJT-IMRT showed advantages of avoiding the contralateral breast and lung irradiation and decreasing the thyroid, humeral head and cervical esophagus radiation dose at the expense of a slight monitor units (MUs) increasing.


We have identified a genetic polymorphism in which one allele results in elevated RBC lithium ion ratios and also contributes to vulnerability to some forms of affective disorders. Interindividual variability in the lithium ion ratio (the ratio of the RBC to the plasma lithium ion concentration) is determined by variability in a lithium ion ratio (the ratio of the RBC to the plasma lithium ion concentration) is determined by variability in a lithium-sodium ion counterflow mechanism. Segregation analyses were conducted on lithium ion ratios in vitro in members of 120 normal families and on both the lithium ion ratio and the history of affective disorder in first-degree relatives of 31 bipolar patients. These analyses provided evidence for an autosomal major gene locus that influences the lithium ion ratio both in members of normal families and in relatives of bipolar patients. The allele at the major locus resulting in elevated lithium ion ratios was associated with an increased likelihood of psychiatric hospitalization among relatives of bipolar patients.


A number of experiments are described in which entrance and exit surface laser-induced damage on sapphire samples are studied. Damage thresholds are measured as a function of beam size and divergence at the surfaces. Temporal evolution of surface plasmas is studied using a streaking camera, and spatial differentiation of surface plasmas is accomplished by allowing the light to strike the surfaces away from normal incidence. It is found that the entrance surface has two plasma components, an air plasma that is directed along the light beam and an "explosion" plasma that is directed normal to the surface. The exit surface has only the explosion plasma. It is concluded that surface plasmas are a result rather than a cause of surface damage.


In this paper, a new lifetime class with decreasing failure
rate is introduced by compounding truncated binomial distribution with
any proper continuous lifetime distribution. The properties of
the proposed class are discussed, including a formal proof of its probability
density function, distribution function and explicit algebraic formulae for its
reliability and failure rate functions. A simple EM-type algorithm for
iteratively computing maximum likelihood estimates is presented. The Fisher
information matrix is derived in order to obtain the asymptotic covariance
matrix. This new class of distributions generalizes several distributions which
have been introduced and studied in the literature.


Coastal ecosystems worldwide are under pressure from human-induced nutrient inputs, fishing activities, mariculture, construction work, and climate change. Integrated management instruments handling one or more of these problems in combination with socioeconomic issues are therefore necessary to secure a sustainable use of resources. In the Limfjord, a temperate eutrophic estuary in Denmark, nutrient load reductions are necessary to fulfill EU regulations such as the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The expected outcome of these load reductions is an improved water quality, but also reduced production of the abundant stock of filter-feeding blue mussels, Mytilus edulis. This is expected to have significant economic consequences for the million-euro mussel fishing industry taking place in the Limfjord today. We developed a bioeconomic model that can be used to explore the consequences of load reductions for mussel fishery as practiced today, as well as potential management options, to obtain an economically and ecologically sustainable mussel fishery. Model simulations clearly demonstrate a substantial decrease in mussel production after the nutrient load reductions necessary to obtain the targets in the WFD. With today's practice, the mussel fishery in the Limfjord will not be profitable in a future, less eutrophic estuary. However, model simulations also revealed that mussel fishery can be profitable after implementation of the WFD with a reduction in the total fishing quota, fewer fishing vessels, and a higher fishing quota per vessel.


Abstract Despite 20 years of research into various aspects of the 'market orientation' (MO) construct, doubt remains regarding the existence, nature and significancy of the relationship between MO and firm performance. To obtain more evidence some authors suggest including innovation in MO models. Debate continues to examine whether organizational strategy is an antecedent or a consequence of MO, whilst some argue that strategy moderates the MO–performance relationship. Furthermore, there are sectors of industry and geographies where the phenomenon has received very little investigation, even of an exploratory nature. This study aims to explore the MO–performance relationship and to value the effect of innovation in MO–performance models in a sector where MO was virtually unknown: the Spanish real estate industry. The magnitude of shifts taking place in this sector enhances its potential as a showcase for processes of anticipation and adaptation to the environment. This article also aims to shed some light on the question of whether strategy potentially moderates the MO– performance link. The principal implications of our findings are discussed.


Adapted waveform analysis uses a library of orthonormal bases and an efficiency functional to match a basis to a given signal or family of signals. It permits efficient compression of a variety of signals, such as sound and images. The predefined libraries of modulated waveforms include orthogonal wavelet-packets and localized trigonometric functions, and have reasonably well-controlled time-frequency localization properties. The idea is to build out of the library functions an orthonormal basis relative to which the given signal or collection of signals has the lowest information cost. The method relies heavily on the remarkable orthogonality properties of the new libraries: all expansions in a given library conserve energy and are thus comparable. Several cost functionals are useful; one of the most attractive is Shannon entropy, which has a geometric interpretation in this context. >


This study reports distribution of porcine rotavirus and e~istence of genomic diversity among isolates of porcine rotavirus in central region of India. RNA electrophoresis (RNA-PAGE) results revealed presence of porcine rotavirus with a typical migration pattern of 4: 2: 3: 2, indicative of group Arotavirus. All the porcine rotavirus isolates obtained during the study from different areas showed the saIne type of long electropherotypic migration pattern based on the relative migration of 10th and 11th genome segments. Incidence of PRY in swine population was 25.71% (9/35). The results of age-wise incidence showed that piglets were more commonly infected during early period of life with the highest incidence between 4 and 8 weeks of age (50%), whereas it reduced with age, as piglets above 3 months of age showed incidence of only 7.69%. The results of present study clearly indicate circulation of single strain of porcine rotavirus in this region of the country which can be targeted to make a suitable vaccine. However more data with detailed studies are required on this infection in pigs from central India as well as other parts of the country.


Emerging evidence from a number of laboratories indicates that humans have the ability to identify fatty acids in the oral cavity, presumably via fatty acid receptors housed on taste cells. Previous research has shown that an individual's oral sensitivity to fatty acid, specifically oleic acid (C18:1) is associated with body mass index (BMI), dietary fat consumption, and the ability to identify fat in foods. We have developed a reliable and reproducible method to assess oral chemoreception of fatty acids, using a milk and C18:1 emulsion, together with an ascending forced choice triangle procedure. In parallel, a food matrix has been developed to assess an individual's ability to perceive fat, in addition to a simple method to assess fatty food liking. As an added measure tongue photography is used to assess papillae density, with higher density often being associated with increased taste sensitivity.


A new control center for energy generation, transmission, and distribution (both gas and electric) at Iowa-Illinois Gas and Electric Company improves operator control of the systems and eliminates most manual record-keeping. The system uses two Xerox Sigma 5 computers, each with an effective memory of 96,000 words and back-up stored memory of 12 million bytes. Using analog and digital inputs supplied by Westinghouse REDAC remote processors, the system permits automatic response to many system changes, displays information to permit operator action, and effectively cuts response time even when operator intervention is necessary. On-line graphic and alphanumeric displays provide overviews of the total system or detailed studies of system segments, as necessary. All energy management accounting systems, including off-line analysis, record-keeping, and reporting functions, are performed automatically.


We use numerical simulations with hydrodynamics to demonstrate that a class of cold fronts in galaxy clusters can be attributed to oscillations of the dark matter distribution. The oscillations are initiated by the off-axis passage of a low-mass substructure. From the simulations, we derive three observable morphological features indicative of oscillations: (1) the existence of compressed isophotes, (2) the regions of compression must be alternate (opposite and staggered) and lie on an axis passing through the center of the cluster, and (3) the gradient of each compression region must pass through the center of the cluster. Four of six clusters reported in the literature have cold front morphologies consistent with the presence of oscillations. The clusters with oscillations are A496, A1795, A2142, and RX J1720.1+2638. Galaxy clusters A2256 and A3667 are not consistent, so the cold fronts are interpreted as group remnants. The oscillations may be able to provide sufficient energy to solve the cooling flow problem and, importantly, provide it over an extended duration.


This article examines a statute that may embody another limit on the power of federal courts, 8 U.S.C. Section 1252(f)(1). Ultimately, resolution of the effect of this provision will implicate the ongoing scholarly debate over the constitutionality and propriety of congressional restriction of federal court review. Congress enacted this provision as a part of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA), an act that implemented sweeping changes that substantially restrict federal court review of administrative immigration decisions. Section 1252(f)(1) appears, at least at first glance, to prohibit courts from issuing class-wide injunctive relief in immigration cases. Such a restriction would be significant because federal courts have used Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23 to issue class-wide injunctions to stop unconstitutional immigration practices and policies of the federal government. The Supreme Court has not yet directly interpreted this section. Taking a closer look at the text of this provision in the context of relevant Supreme Court precedent, this article suggests that the provision may not impose a broad bar against the use of class-wide injunctive relief in the immigration context and that interpreting the provision to impose such a broad bar may create a serious constitutional problem.


The volume of decapod crustacean production in aquaculture has steadily increased in recent years. At the same time, studies focused on the intensification of technological processes have gained special popularity. One of such area of focus is the use of recirculating aquaculture system. In this work an analysis of the main factors inhibiting the process of intensification of the cultivation of decapod crustaceans in the recirculating aquaculture system was carried out as exemplified by Australian crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus. The main factors are cannibalism and the suppression of small crayfishes by large individuals. In the experiments, the influence of group and individual housing, length frequency and tank size on growth and survival rate was studied. All individuals used in the experiment were obtained from one female. The duration of the experiments was six months. A positive correlation of cannibalism with the stocking density was revealed. The formation of one-two dominant individuals suppressing the growth of the remaining individuals of the group was observed in small-sized tanks. In individual housing the grows rate of small crayfishes was higher than that of large ones. Experiments with different-sized juveniles showed that the size separation allows to obtain faster and more evenly growing groups, but it does not solve the problem of cannibalism. Considering the results, it is recommended to provide size classification two times in the first three months and decrease the stocking density. Cannibalism can be excluded only with the individual housing.


THE VISION OF THE PAST. By Teilhard de Chardin. Collins, 1966. 285 pp. 30S. This is a collection of twenty-one essays, several of them previously unpublished, ranging in date from 1921 to 1955. All are on the themes of evolution, the emergence of Man, and Man's place in Nature. Some are no more than brief contributions to conference discussions, but a few are more substantial. In all of them, Teilhard's emphasis on the decisive importance of Man for the history and destiny of the earth is admirable; but his own interest in human origins leads him to undervalue the significance, both biological and theological, of the myriad paths of evolutionary change that did not lead to Man. An unpublished essay on "Hominization" (1923) is perhaps the most interesting in this collection, because it gives a relatively clear and readable outline of Teilhard's understanding of biological and social evolution, before it became obscured by the growth of his own private vocabulary and by his thinly veiled disdain for the more mundane vision of "mere scientists". Sedgwick Museum, Cambridge. M. J. s. RUDWICK


Abstract: Bankruptcy prediction and credit scoring are the two important problems facing financial decision support. The multilayer perceptron (MLP) network has shown its applicability to these problems and its performance is usually superior to those of other traditional statistical models. Support vector machines (SVMs) are the core machine learning techniques and have been used to compare with MLP as the benchmark. However, the performance of SVMs is not fully understood in the literature because an insufficient number of data sets is considered and different kernel functions are used to train the SVMs. In this paper, four public data sets are used. In particular, three different sizes of training and testing data in each of the four data sets are considered (i.e. 3:7, 1:1 and 7:3) in order to examine and fully understand the performance of SVMs. For SVM model construction, the linear, radial basis function and polynomial kernel functions are used to construct the SVMs. Using MLP as the benchmark, the SVM classifier only performs better in one of the four data sets. On the other hand, the prediction results of the MLP and SVM classifiers are not significantly different for the three different sizes of training and testing data.


The immunogenicity of the influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) molecule may be increased by substitutions of amino acids in the HA sequence. The substitution of specific HA residues, such as asparagine at position 223 of H5 HA, increase the sensitivity of the hemagglutinin inhibition (HI) assay by altering receptor specificity and/or antibody-antigen binding. HA molecules containing such substitutions will be useful in the development of diagnostic reference viruses and improved influenza vaccines.


Archaeological topography identification from high-resolution DEMs (Digital Elevation Models) is a current method that is used with high success in archaeological prospecting of wide areas. I present a methodology through which burial mounds (tumuli) from LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) DEMS can be identified. This methodology uses geomorphometric and statistical methods to identify with high accuracy burial mound candidates. Peaks, defined as local elevation maxima are found as a first step. In the second step, local convexity watershed segments and their seeds are compared with positions of local peaks and the peaks that correspond or have in vicinity local convexity segments seeds are selected. The local convexity segments that correspond to these selected peaks are further fed to a Random Forest algorithm together with shape descriptors and descriptive statistics of geomorphometric variables in order to build a model for the classification. Multiple approaches to tune and select the proper training dataset, settings, and variables were tested. The validation of the model was performed on the full dataset where the training was performed and on an external dataset in order to test the usability of the method for other areas in a similar geomorphological and archaeological setting. The validation was performed against manually mapped, and field checked burial mounds from two neighbor study areas of 100 km2 each. The results show that by training the Random Forest on a dataset composed of between 75% and 100% of the segments corresponding to burial mounds and ten times more non-burial mounds segments selected using Latin hypercube sampling, 93% of the burial mound segments from the external dataset are identified. There are 42 false positive cases that need to be checked, and there are two burial mound segments missed. The method shows great promise to be used for burial mound detection on wider areas by delineating a certain number of tumuli mounds for model training.


This paper addresses the spectrum utilization due to cognitive radio (CR) access in terms of the secondary users' network capacity in Nakagami fading channels. A new mathematical model is developed for the secondary network capacity when both accessing and sensing channels undergo Nakagami-m fading with none-integer fading parameters. Exact and approximate analytical expressions for the capacity are derived. Some simplified special cases are also investigated such as the integer-fading parameter. The numerical evaluation of channel capacity is presented for different channel sensing and accessing methods under different fading scenarios. The effects of detection and accessing channels' parameters on the capacity are also explored. It is found that a good sensing system with high secondary user signal-to-noise ratio, accessing the licensed band maximizes the spectrum utilization. To maximize the spectrum utilization a proper sensing scheme is required given that an acceptable QoS of primary users is maintained.


Background: In total knee arthroplasty (TKA) recipients, losses in quadriceps' strength in the immediate postoperative period are related to physical function and mobility. Therefore, this period should be a target of rehabilitation to prevent strength losses in the short-term. This case report describes the early post-operative changes in muscle and physical function associated with a Tai Chi inspired rehabilitation program. Case Description: A 62 year-old woman presented with bilateral OA and underwent unilateral TKA surgery in her most symptomatic knee. The subject participated in one pre-operative study visit, and a 6-week, Tai Chi inspired rehabilitation program from 4 to 10 wks post-operatively. Outcome measures, evaluated at 4 wks, 10 wks, and 6 months post-operatively, included maximum voluntary isometric contraction, lower extremity power, quadriceps force control, 6-minute walk test, timed up-and-go test, stair climbing test, gait speed, SF-36 Total Health Status Survey, and the lower extremity functional scale. Outcomes: In the surgical leg, the subject improved in all muscle and physical function measures from the pre-operative to 6-month post-operative study visit. Self-report outcome measures also improved from pre- to postoperative study visits, with the exception of the mental component summary of the SF-36 at 6 months. Discussion: The subject exhibited clinically relevant improvements in muscle and physical function in the surgical leg, suggesting that the Tai Chi inspired rehabilitation program may be an effective and safe addition to range of motion, stretching and gait exercises in the early post-operative period. These results support further exploration of this rehabilitation approach in future trials.


We theoretically investigate the quantum defect between pump and signal photons in ytterbium-doped fiber lasers and amplifiers, and find that this can be as low as 0.6%. We find that the lowest quantum defects can be achieved with a low area ratio between the pump and signal waveguide of a double-clad fiber, and with high-brightness pumping in the core being an ultimate approach. The change in achievable quantum defect is small over a relatively large range of pump wavelengths, but it is still necessary to optimize the wavelengths and match the fiber length to reach the smallest quantum defect.


For Organizational Ecologythe adventof anew populationismarked bya range ofindefinitions,as the parametersofan organizational form. Thepurpose of this studyis bothto identifythe key featuresof theorganizational formof selective collection cooperatives, astheir establishment. The methodologyadoptedisexploratory research.The result of theanalysis showedthepresence ofvarious forms ofselective collection cooperatives, definedby theresource niches, which definethe formal structure(blueprint) of the organization. Identified also thenon-uniformitybetween thepolitical legitimacyandsocial legitimacydrivingforthe no establishmentof this neworganizational form.


The high medical and socio-economic importance of stroke is a well-known fact. As stroke is still second cause of death and disability in the world, in spite of the clear improvement of treatment modalities, additional treatment strategies for this condition remain challenging [1]. Neuroprotection as an add-on therapy in stroke is a promising idea, and the number of studies investigating possible neuroprotective agents or methods is rising [2]. Due to variety of the neuronal death mechanisms following the disruption of the blood supply, the possible therapeutic approaches should vary as well. Most important mechanisms of brain tissue damage are neuronal excitotoxicity, periinfarct depolarizations, local and distant inflammation, cellular apoptosis, and oxidative stress [2–5]. Furthermore, it is proven that free radical oxygen species (ROS) as well as calcium play an important role in increasing the inflammatory response by raising the levels of inflammatory cytokines and endothelial cell-adhesion molecules [2,3,6,7]. Development of cerebral edema, a reaction to brain tissue damage, should not be forgotten as an additional factor influencing the final extension of neuronal cell loss as well [8]. Recanalization strategies opened a new era in stroke treatment. However, as a well-known fact in clinical settings, even complete recanalization in due time does not guarantee reperfusion. Futile recanalization is a disappointing clinical condition leading to extensive brain tissue damage despite opened blood vessels. Furthermore, a complication known as reperfusion injury clearly affects the outcome in some patients [9]. Neuroprotection might be a possible treatment modality that can influence the damage to distant brain tissue in stroke. As certain types of reperfusion injury include neuroinflammation and brain edema, agents that can affect those mechanism could be of clinical benefit as well. Combining recanalization techniques with neuroprotection remains an attractive idea. Over 1000 neuroprotective agents and methods have been tested in preclinical studies, showing promising results [2,10]. Unfortunately, more than 200 studies involving clinical trials did not provide the same results so far, and only a few have showed some clinical success [2,4,10]. Despite this, neuroprotective agents and nonpharmacological neuroprotective strategies (like hypothermia or transcranial direct-current stimulation) should be encouraged as a comprehensive approach to stroke treatment. Ongoing and future research focusing especially on the "add-on" approach of neuroprotection after recanalization treatment modalities may add some new insights and prove the efficacy of neuroprotection in stroke. The goals of neuroprotective agents in current studies are to reduce infarct volume and to reduce the rate of haemorrhagic transformation in ishemic stroke. An interesting approach is also to affect stroke risk, like the changing of plaque characteristics in carotid artery disease. Improving the functional outcome in stroke survivors using add-on therapy with preclinicaly proven neuroprotective potential is a final goal of all ongoing trials. In order to support this approach, the aim of this special issue of the Journal of Integrative Neuroscience is to reflect some of the newest results in the scientific field of neuroprotection in stroke.


Biomedical support is aimed at provision of the athletes' training at various stages of the training and competition process. Withholding of access to this process due to health problems resulting from hepatitis virus infection is a demanding task. The study was aimed to assess the detection rate of the hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus and TT virus infection markers in highly trained athletes. A total of 384 blood serum samples were collected from 240 males and 144 females aged 14–49 (athletes engaged in playing sports, precision sports, technical sports, etc.) within the framework of the multicenter open-label cross-sectional clinical trial. All athletes answered a questionnaire, which included demographic information, characteristics of sports, information about the infection risk factors, information about the fact of past acute viral hepatitis and vaccination. Markers of infection with hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus and TTV were identified in blood serum by enzyme immunoassay. HbsAg was detected in two surveyed athletes. Anti-HBcore (surrogate marker of latent HBV infection) was detected in 7% of samples (27/384); 1% of athletes (4/384) had a positive hepatitis C virus total antibody test (anti-HCV). Аnti-HCV in combination with anti-HBcore was detected in one female athlete (14 years of age, tennis player). DNA of TTV, TTMDV and TTMV was detected in blood serum samples of 89.1%, 83.1% and 85.4% of athletes, respectively. High detection rate of the hepatitis virus markers was observed.


An effecient method is developed for numerical investigation of gas flow electric-discharge and electroionisation CO lasers. The model includes a set of vibrational kinetic equations, the equation for the electron energy distribution function, and radiative gas-dynamics equations. The proposed method is based on the splitting of the system of equations into several subsystems corresponding to different physical processes (splitting method). Populations of vibrational levels, the gains, the emission line intensities, the output power, and the efficiency of CO lasers are calculated and compared with the experimental data.


Abstract Exploration activity in Australia has increased steadily since the mid-1970s following the downturn seen at the beginning of the decade. Almost four million square kilometres are now held under permit, and competition is strong for the available acreage. Seismic activity has reflected this upturn in interest, with 63,000 kilometres of data acquired in 1980 and almost as much again in 1981. It is intended that the number of seismic crews operating in Australia, both on and offshore, will be substantially increased by the end of 1981, allowing further enlargement of the industry's seismic data acquisition capabilities. Drilling has increased similarly since the mid-1970s following the unsuccessful activities of the previous few years. Approximately 140 wells are to be completed in 1981, and with the arrival of several new rigs in the country it is anticipated that the number of wells drilled in the coming years will steadily increase. Up until the present, virtually all exploration wells have been drilled in areas of known hydrocarbon occurrence, such as the Cooper, Surat and Gippsland Basins. Few wells have been truly wildcat despite the fact that many of Australia's sedimentary basins have not yet been explored by modern methods. The scope for exploration in new areas is extremely wide, and the chances of an economically significant discovery must therefore be quite high. Expenditure on exploration has increased at an even greater rate than activity, and this trend if expected to continue in the coming years. This overall increase in industry activity points to a very optimistic future for both oil exploration in Australia and for the country's self-sufficiency in energy.


The study of the interaction of the solar wind with magnetized and unmagnetized planets forms a central topic of space research. Focussing on planetary magnetosheaths, we review some major developments in this field. Magnetosheath structures depend crucially on the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field, the solar wind Alfven Mach number, the shape of the obstacle (axisymmetric/non-axisymmetric, etc.), the boundary conditions at the magnetopause (low/high magnetic shear), and the degree of thermal anisotropy of the plasma. We illustrate the cases of Earth, Jupiter and Venus. The terrestrial magnetosphere is axisymmetric and has been probed in-situ by many spacecraft. Jupiter's magnetosphere is highly non-axisymmetric. Furthermore, we study magnetohydrodynamic effects in the Venus magnetosheath.


Micropropagation technique is applied to produce large number of plants. Juvenile explants and culture medium are two crucial factors that influence the success.The aims of this study were to determine culture medium that was effective to induce shoot and to produce plantlests from embryo culture of Pinus merkusii. Screening of five cytokines and five basal medium were carried aut. Then, explants wee cultured on the best cytokine and basal medium for plant regeneration. The results showed that BAP was the best cytokine type; LP and GD medium were the best medium compositions for shoots induction. GD medium supplemented by high consentration BAP showed the best medium for shoots induction. Solid GD medium containing 0,25uM BAO was effective for multiple shoots. Liquid GD medium without plant hormone was the best composition for shoots elongation. Half strength of GD medium without plan hormone gave the best result for rooting.


The importance of low-frequency acquisition is widely recognized as it contributes to illumination of deeper targets and estimation of quantitative properties by the use of full waveform inversion. We introduce an approach of low-frequency acquisition using half-cycle pseudorandom sweeps. The waveform is characterized by continuous half-cycle sine curves with constant frequency (carrier frequency), which polarity changes randomly. Auto-correlation of the half-cycle pseudorandom sweep is close to side-lobe free delta-function, which makes it possible to obtain broad-band seismic data. We performed a field test for a crosshole seismic survey using piezoelectric source with various carrier frequencies. Each pseudorandom sweep has the same number of "half-cycles", and therefore, the total sweep time is shorter with increasing carrier frequency. The field results demonstrated that low frequency component is not dependent on the carrier frequency, although high frequency component increases with it. Thus, half-cycle pseudorandom with higher carrier frequency can provide broadband seismic data with shorter acquisition time, which is related to flat frequency property of the piezoelectric source. This approach should provide low-frequency data acquisition from piezoelectric or other high-frequency instruments and may be a significant contribution to low-frequency data acquisition.


In the machine tool industry, direct-drive linear motor technology is of increasing interest as a means to achieve high acceleration, and to increase reliability. This paper discusses the analysis, design and operating characteristics of a novel ironless tubular linear motor that incorporates a magnet array with a magnetization pattern inspired by the Halbash array used in synchrotron light sources. The advantages of such a motor are that it is free of cogging, has efficient cooling, and has low inductance. The authors derive magnetic field solutions, force relations and commutation laws for the motor. Test results such as thrust measurements and step response are also given to confirm the analysis.


This paper presents a switching PD-based sliding mode control (PD-SMC) method for the 6-degree-of-freedom (DOF) hovering motion of the underwater robot with tilting thrusters. Four thrusters of robot can be tilted simultaneously in the horizontal and vertical directions, and the 6-DOF motion is achieved by switching between two thruster configurations. Therefore, the tilting speed of thruster becomes the most essential parameter to determine the stability of hovering motion. Even though the previous PD control ensures stable hovering motion within a certain ranges of tilting speed, a PD-SMC is suggested in this paper by combining PD control with sliding mode control in order to achieve acceptable hovering performance even at the much lower tilting speeds. Also, the sign function in the sliding mode control is replaced by a sigmoid function to reduce undesired chattering. Simulations show that while PD control is effective only for tilting duration of 600 ms, the PD-based sliding mode control can guarantee the stable hovering motion of underwater robot even for the tilting duration of up to 1500 ms. Extensive experimental results confirm the hovering performance of the proposed PD-SMC method is much superior to that of PD method for much larger tilting durations.


This study, conducted in a field setting, examines the pattern of budget and cultural controls across Korean firms and Korean joint ventures with U.S. and European firms in South Korea—a nation with a dominant Confucian philosophy divergent from the modern capitalist philosophy that dominates Anglo‐American approaches to control. The empirical results provide support for the hypothesis that differences exist in the pattern of controls between U.S. and European joint ventures. While European joint ventures exhibited stronger forms of budget control, U.S. joint ventures exhibited a stronger form of cultural controls. Cultural controls were evidenced by lower levels of power distance exhibited by the presence of younger, higher educated Korean managers who have been in a joint venture for a longer period of time. Interview data was used to further examine aspects of control. The education and experience of Korean managers and (self‐) selection were found to facilitate the adoption of foreign parent controls. Accordingly, this paper provides a contribution to theory development on the transfer of parent company management control practices to joint ventures in a specific Asian nation context.


PIP: This article discusses increasing population density as a proximate measure of overpopulation or population pressure, especially as it occurs in an agrarian society. The paper examines 1) population distribution in 2 Igbo states in southeastern Nigeria, relating to soil types, cultivable land, and per capita acreage under cultivation, and 2) measures adopted by individuals in these areas. Aside from Legos, Nigeria's highest population densities are in Imo state (644.3 persons/square mile) and Anambra state (477.8 persons/square mile). The absence of drought and high soil fertility may contribute to high population density, although overfarming has now occurred in some areas. 3 settlement pattern stages, colonization, consolidation, and distintegration, explain the population density variation within the 2 states. Although it is useful to examine population density in terms of soil types, cultivable land availability and land use, very little of this information is available for these states. The evidence suggests that high density areas have very little cultivable land. Some general observations on the pattern of population distribution and settlement include 1) Igbo community migration tendencies, 2) land use potentials, 3) encroachment by growing communities on farmland and the need for nonfarm earning sources, and 4) decreasing land fallowing periods. Trade, migrant labor, and land rental have become alternatives to farming in densely populated areas. Population in the Igbo region strains the land resources, but leaders argue that rapid population growth could stimulate socioeconomic development, and generate interest in new food production methods. This theory supposes that agricultural production methods can be easily changed and that virgin land is still available. Instead, in response to population pressure, young people move from the land to towns and cities, increasing urban unemployment and slum dwelling. The older people, women, and children left behind in rural villages cannot produce enough food on the available land. The author calls for a deliberate government effort to plan population control strategies.


BACKGROUND
The AMES (age, distant metastasis, tumor extent, and size), AGES (age, tumor size, histologic grade, tumor extent, distant metastasis), and MACIS (distant metastasis, age, completeness of primary tumor resection, local invasion, and tumor size) prognostic systems for well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma (WDTC) are well known. The development of disease recurrence is associated with a poor outcome; however, the prognostic importance of multiple treatment failures has not been clearly reported.

OBJECTIVES
To identify patient, tumor, and treatment factors that may be associated with the development of multiple recurrences in WDTC.

DESIGN AND SETTING
All patients treated for residual or recurrent WDTC were retrospectively identified from the thyroid cancer database at the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario (1963-2000). Data on relevant patient, tumor, and treatment factors were collected.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Patient, tumor, and treatment factors predicting the development of multiple treatment failures, disease-specific survival, and overall survival.

RESULTS
A total of 574 patients (115 male, 459 female; median age, 42 years [range, 9-92 years]) were identified, whose final histopathologic diagnosis was papillary carcinoma in 468, follicular carcinoma in 76, and mixed in 30 cases. TNM staging was as follows: 409 (71%) stage I, 66 (12%) stage II, 68 (12%) stage III, and 31 (5%) stage IV. Initial management included total thyroidectomy for 217 patients (38%), subtotal thyroidectomy for 357 (62%), and adjuvant iodine 131 therapy for 492 (86%). Seventy-three patients (13%) developed recurrent WDTC (21 male, 52 female; median age, 44 years [range, 18-84 years]). Patients were divided into 3 groups: group 1 (no recurrence, n = 501), group 2 (1 recurrence only, n = 42), and group 3 (multiple recurrences, n = 31). Group 2 data were as follows: site of recurrence (locoregional, 25; distant, 7; unspecified, 10) and treatment (surgery, 12; iodine 131, 42) and for group 3: site of first recurrence (locoregional, 16; distant, 11; unspecified, 4) and treatment (surgery, 14, iodine 131, 22; palliation, 1). Actuarial disease-specific survival at 20 years was 100%, 94%, and 60%, respectively, for the 3 groups (median follow-up, 7 years; range, 1-34 years). Male sex, advanced stage, extrathyroidal spread, and primary treatment with total thyroidectomy were predictive factors for multiple recurrences on multivariate regression (all P<.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Male sex, advanced initial stage, and presence of extrathyroidal spread within the primary tumor are the most significant independent predictors of developing multiple recurrences in patients with WDTC. These patients have a poor prognosis with a significant reduction in tumor-free survival.


Item recommendation is the task of predicting a personalized ranking on a set of items (e.g. websites, movies, products). In this paper, we investigate the most common scenario with implicit feedback (e.g. clicks, purchases). There are many methods for item recommendation from implicit feedback like matrix factorization (MF) or adaptive k-nearest-neighbor (kNN). Even though these methods are designed for the item prediction task of personalized ranking, none of them is directly optimized for ranking. In this paper we present a generic optimization criterion BPR-Opt for personalized ranking that is the maximum posterior estimator derived from a Bayesian analysis of the problem. We also provide a generic learning algorithm for optimizing models with respect to BPR-Opt. The learning method is based on stochastic gradient descent with bootstrap sampling. We show how to apply our method to two state-of-the-art recommender models: matrix factorization and adaptive kNN. Our experiments indicate that for the task of personalized ranking our optimization method outperforms the standard learning techniques for MF and kNN. The results show the importance of optimizing models for the right criterion.


The monitoring of wetland extent is a global imperative, considering loss of ecosystem services and conservation value. To date, the understanding of the variation in the extent of lacustrine (inundated) wetlands has been limited, based on intermittently available, coarse-scale imagery. The aim of this study was to assess the capabilities of the freely available Sentinel-2 sensor in monitoring inundated wetlands. In particular, to demonstrate the ability to determine the maximum extent of inundation for reporting on the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 15.1 (i.e., halting biodiversity loss), the functional diversity and the hydrological regime of depressions were explored in the Mpumalanga Lake District (MLD) of South Africa. Using the monthly inundation data derived from Sentinel-2 images between January 2016 and May 2018, the results showed that the maximum extent of open water can be successfully reported for SDG 6.6. Lacustrine wetlands constituted about 47 of the 416 (but 66% of the total areal extent of) depressions in the MLD, while others were predominantly palustrine (vegetated). The functional diversity varied from predominantly (61% of the extent of) inundated depressions to seasonally (3%) inundated depressions. The Sentinel-2 sensor was able to detect intra- and inter-annual variation of the extent of inundation, making it suitable to monitor these wetlands for global and climate change impacts.


The time course of ventilatory adaptation to medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and potential mediators of this response in plasma and lumbar CSF were determined in five healthy adult males. A significant decrease in arterial PCO2 (PACO2) at rest and exercise was noted within 48 h of drug administration with the maximum effect reached within 7 days and amounting to a 5-Torr decrement in PACO2. Blood and lumbar cerebrospinal fluid pH because significantly alkaline to control as soon as the ventilatory resporse was noted and remained alkaline during the treatment period. The ventilatory and dP/dt max response to exogenous CO2 was unchanged but their response to moderate exercise was increased after MPA. MPA-rlated materials were detected in both the plasma and CSF as soon as the ventilatory response was noted. The increase in CSF MPA-related materials approximated the unbound fraction determined in plasma. We conclude that [H+] in plasma and CSF is a function rather than a cause of ventilator acclimatization to MPA. MPA-related materials are capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier and could potentially exert their ventilatory stimulant effect by some central mechanism.


The practice of offering refurbished products has become increasingly prevalent, yet limited research has studied the potential consequences of this emerging product strategy on the market performance of the corresponding brand‐new products. This study addresses this gap by examining the impact of refurbished products in markets characterized by network effects and standards competition, while considering the developmental stage of the technology standard employed by the products. Introducing refurbished products, primarily remanufactured from returned items, can pose challenges such as sales cannibalization and negative perceptions of product quality. We propose that introducing refurbished products can also generate positive effects, because the availability of refurbished products can be perceived as an indication of sizable prior sales of the brand‐new counterparts, alleviating consumers' concerns regarding an insufficient user base and limited availability of complementary products. Our empirical and experimental studies consistently demonstrate that the availability of refurbished products adversely affects the market value and purchase intention of the corresponding brand‐new products employing established technology standards. In contrast, the introduction of refurbished products does not have such a detrimental effect on products utilizing unestablished standards. Moreover, for a specific group of consumers, this green product strategy increases their purchase intention of brand‐new products. The managerial implications of the findings are discussed.


Digital transformation is currently impacting not only health care but also education curricula for medicine and life sciences. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the deployment of digital technologies such as the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence in diverse fields of biomedicine. Genomics and related fields of inquiry such as pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine have been making important progress over the past decades. However, the genomics knowledge of health care professionals and other stakeholders in society is not commensurate with the current state of progress in these scientific fields. The rise of digital health offers unprecedented opportunities both for health care professionals and the general public to expand their genomics literacy and education. This expert review offers an analysis of the bottlenecks that affect and issues that need to be addressed to catalyze genomics and personalized medicine education in the digital era. In addition, we summarize and critically discuss the various educational and awareness opportunities that presently exist to catalyze the delivery of genomics knowledge in ways closely attuned to the emerging field of digital health.


The results of an extensive investigation of the optical response of thirteen common optical materials to 2.5-MeV electron irradiation is reported. Radiation-induced absorption and absolute radioluminescence yields were measured in the wavelength range 0.14 to 0.9 micrometers for dose rates between 0.05 to 0.00005 rad/sec at doses from 0.0023 to 0.00000045 rads. Sapphire, fused and crystalline quartz and ten Schott optical glasses were investigated. Determinations were made of (a) the absolute radioluminescence yield, (b) the dose rate dependence yield (c) the spectral and temporal distribution of the radioluminescence and induced absorption, (d) the growth curve of the induced absorption versus total dose, (e) the dose-rate dependence of the absorption, and (f) the bleaching of the absorption after irradiation. In addition, where available, samples from different melts were investigated to determine the variation in the above effects with manufacturing variation. (GRA)


The most prominent international responses to climate change focus on mitigation (reducing the accumulation of greenhouse gases) rather than adaptation (reducing the vulnerability of societies and ecosystems). However, with some degree of climate change now recognised as inevitable, adaptation is gaining importance in the policy arena. Moreover, it is one of the four building blocks of the 2-year Bali Action Plan-ongoing negotiations towards an international framework to replace the Kyoto Protocol in 2012. This report presents the case for adaptation for forests (reducing the impacts of climate change on forests and their ecosystem services) and forests for adaptation (using forests to help local people and society in general to adapt to inevitable changes). Linking adaptation and tropical forests are a new frontier: adaptation is a new arena for tropical foresters, and tropical forests are a new arena for adaptation specialists. Tropical forest management now needs to be adapted in a way that will smooth the transition through climate change. The goal may be to maintain important ecosystems or species-where adaptation measures will aim at resisting the effects of climate change. Alternatively, the goal may be to maintain the ecosystem services provided by the forest-where adaptation measures will aim at helping the forest to 'evolve' so that it does the same job in the new climate. The huge diversity of tropical forests and local situations means that a vast array of adaptation measures is required, from which the most appropriate ones can be selected for each situation. Moreover, because the extent of future climate change is unknown, more than one measure is advisable in each case and implementation must be flexible to the changing situation. Policies in the forest, climate change and other sectors need to address these issues and be integrated with each other-such a cross-sectoral approach is essential if the benefits derived in one area are not to be lost or counteracted in another. To date, tropical forests have been given a minor role in adaptation strategies, even in most of the National Adaptation Programmes of Action. Moreover, the institutions involved in policy development and implementation themselves need to change, to be in a position to enforce the new policies, and to become flexible and able to learn in the context of dynamic human and environmental systems. And all this needs to be done at all levels from the local community to the national government and the international community- again the emphasis is on integration, without which actions at different scales risk cancelling each other out. The report looks at the two aspects in turn-adaptation for tropical forests, and tropical forests for adaptation-and includes an appendix on climate scenarios, concepts, and international policies and funds. (Resume d'auteur)


At a time of unprecedented growth in trade fueled in part by a wave of trade liberalization, there has been a strong counter-current in terms of growth in non-tariff measures (NTMs) that tend to restrict trade. This short note takes up two questions: Why have NTMs proliferated and what are the policy consequences of this proliferation? It identifies three major factors contributing to the proliferation: selective protectionism in the face of mounting import pressures due to tariff liberalization, which creates concerns as it represents the replacement of efficient (tariff) protection with inefficient forms; growing concerns in areas such as health and the environment which (legitimately) collide with trade interests and thus raise important trade-offs; and large and prolonged exchange rate disequilibria which make the welfare effects of NTMs indeterminate. The paper also explores the implications for adjustment of trade imbalances and domestic competition of NTM proliferation, given their tendency to dampen price elasticities. Given the very different implications of NTMs, depending on the nature of the motivating factor, and their potentially pervasive effects, the paper argues for improved understanding of NTMs.


This paper is about an application that tries to help people in their relations with their local government. Id EST: in many bureaucratic processes, citizens are required to provide copies of paper documents such as diplomas, birth certificates… Obviously, this kind of documents cannot be provided online. Using this application, users are able to provide the required documents on the internet and the administration can check document reliability to a level of security similar to that offered by an "in person" delivery


OBJECTIVES
We report on a pilot project that used a telephone-based interactive voice response system accessed by cellular phones at diverse sites, to interview homeless persons on their need for alcohol and other drug treatment.

METHODS
Using this technique we surveyed 207 homeless adults at eight shelters in Cleveland, Ohio.

RESULTS
The cellular approach was comparable to human-administered interviews in reliability and validity and yielded higher self-reported levels of drug use.

CONCLUSIONS
Cellular telephones and interactive voice response interviewing systems can be useful tools in assessing for the health-service needs of difficult-to-reach populations.


An increasing number of consumer-oriented head-mounted displays (HMD) for augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) are capable of finger and hand tracking. We report on the accuracy of off-the-shelf VR and AR HMDs when used for touch-based tasks such as pointing or drawing. Specifically, we report on the finger tracking accuracy of the VR head-mounted displays Oculus Quest, Vive Pro and the Leap Motion controller, when attached to a VR HMD, as well as the finger tracking accuracy of the AR head-mounted displays Microsoft HoloLens 2 and Magic Leap. We present the results of two experiments in which we compare the accuracy for absolute and relative pointing tasks using both human participants and a robot. The results suggest that HTC Vive has a lower spatial accuracy than the Oculus Quest and Leap Motion and that the Microsoft HoloLens 2 provides higher spatial accuracy than Magic Leap One. These findings can serve as decision support for researchers and practitioners in choosing which systems to use in the future.


Plasma calcium ion concentration (cCa2+) in samples from 50 healthy volunteers was measured at four temperatures (21, 26, 31 and 37 degrees C) using a calcium electrode based on a neutral carrier ligand. A small negative correlation was found between temperature and cCa2+, the coefficient being -0.0017 mmol . l-1 . degrees C-1 (P less than 0.001). The significance of this in clinical, physiological and instrumentation fields is discussed. The effect on measured cCa2+ of overnight storage at 4 degrees C was slight, but did increase the variance of the results. It is suggested that the most accurate results of cCa2+ will be obtained from fresh samples measured at body temperature.


Abstract:
 Morphological and molecular data obtained from Hawaiian sea hares identified as Aplysia dactylomela (Rang) and Aplysia pulmonica (Gould) revealed that they belong to the same species. A review of the literature shows that the name A. pulmonica has been used inconsistently, but the specimens we examined match the original description of the species. Two other closely related species, Aplysia kurodai (Baba) and Aplysia oculifera (Adams & Reeve), are distinct. In addition, Caribbean specimens of A. dactylomela are genetically and morphologically distinct from Indo-Pacific A. dactylomela. Because the name A. dactylomela was introduced for Atlantic specimens, it is here proposed that the name Aplysia argus (Rüppell & Leuckart) should be used for Indo-Pacific sea hares previously identified as A. dactylomela.


The emergence of wearable electronics has demanded advances in efficient flexible/wearable energy devices. Photovoltaic wires (PVWs) have unique 3D light-harvesting capabilities and available electrode materials that are attractive for this purpose. Developing low-cost and efficient Pt-free fibrous counter electrodes (CEs) for PVWs is essential. Herein, ultralow-cost nanocarbon, with considerable electrochemical activity, was deposited onto arbitrary fibers, including TiO2 semiconductor, metal wires, and polymeric carbon fibers, using a facile dip-coating method. These fibers were then used as efficient catalytic fibrous CEs in PVWs. The influence of nanocarbon loading and charge transfer resistance on electrocatalytic activity were investigated in nanocarbon-penetrated Ti/TiO2 nanotube array CEs and dummy cells based on SS wire/nanocarbon CEs. Due to the balanced influences of conductive substrate and nanocarbon electrocatalytic film, PVWs assembled from SS wire/nanocarbon CE and an all-carbon carbon fiber/nanocarbon CE achieved efficiencies of 6.09% and 5.10% under AM1.5G illumination (100 mW cm ), respectively. Furthermore, a double-sided illuminated PVW had an apparent efficiency of 10.8%. This work demonstrates innovative cost-efficient photovoltaic wires that may help boost lowcost, bifacial and highly flexible/wearable photovoltaics toward practical applications.


The World Health Organization has recommended herbal medicine for treatment and control of recurrent cystitis. This study was conducted to determine effect of eshnan on the prevention of recurrent cystitis. The present triple‐blind clinical trial was conducted on 126 women (63 women per group) with recurrent cystitis. The participants were assigned to the intervention and control groups. Three 500‐mg eshnan or placebo tablets were taken orally with a glass full of water by the participants half an hour after each meal for 2 months. The study subjects were clinically and paraclinically evaluated by the end of the second, fourth, and sixth months after the intervention and every time they showed clinical symptoms of cystitis. The present findings showed that the incidence rate of cystitis and symptoms of cystitis was significantly lower in the eshnan group compared with the placebo group 2, 4, and 6 months after the intervention (p < .05). The incidence of recurrent was also significantly lower in the intervention group compared with the control group (p < .001). No side effects were observed in the intervention and control groups. The consumption of eshnan can improve the symptoms of cystitis and prevent the incidence of recurrent cystitis in women of reproductive age.


"In general, a careful history is worth more than a bat tery of laboratory tests if one is to avoid the serious mistake of making an erroneous diagnosis of epilepsy."


Machine Learning (ML) has been one of the applications of approximate circuits. These circuits, part of approximate computing, can be implemented using either probabilistic pruning or inexact logic minimization. Since low power consumption and smaller silicon area are the critical parameters in portable devices, approximate circuits have been the current topic for discussion. This paper presents a 4:2 compressors with inexact logic minimization by flipping some of the output bits considering efficiency/accuracy into account. The proposed 4:2 compressor has been utilized in an 8 8 Dadda multiplier and average power, area and propagation delay of the architectures have been computed. All the simulations have been performed using spectre simulator of Cadence Design Systems in 45nm technology node. To find the difference between the exact and approximate proposed circuits, error analysis has been performed using MATLAB. The application idea of this paper is to employ Python TensorFlow in Google Co Laboratory© to Upload, download the approximate 4:2 compressor which has been implemented in Cadence Virtuoso.


This study investigates the bilingual competence of adult simultaneous Spanish-English bilinguals living in the U.S. whose perceived weaker language is Spanish, and who are typically considered cases of language loss or incomplete acquisition. Potential Spanish language loss was assessed with respect to the grammar of monolingual Spanish speakers and with respect to the bilinguals' own competence in English, their perceived stronger language. The bilinguals took proficiency tests in Spanish and English. Four experiments tested the bilinguals' lexicosemantic and syntactic competence in Spanish and English. Experiments 1 and 2 used a Grammaticality Judgment Task in English and in Spanish to test syntactic and semantic aspects of unaccusative and unergative verbs, while Experiments 3 and 4 used an on-line visual probe recognition task to test semantic and syntactic aspects of these verbs in English and Spanish during sentence processing. Results of the linguistic and psycholinguistic measures show that despite self-perceptions and performance in the proficiency tests, the Spanish-English bilinguals were quite balanced in the two languages, and displayed robust knowledge of the syntactic effects of unaccusativity in English and Spanish. Variation from monolingual speakers was noticeable with the semantic classification of some verbs along the unaccusativity continuum (Sorace, 2000) as revealed in the Spanish tasks.


BackgroundWilms tumor (WT) is the most common renal tumor in the pediatric population. Nevertheless, teratoid Wilms tumor (TWT) is a rare category of WT characterized by different tissue types, and fewer than 40 cases have been reported in the literature to date. Methods A total of 67 WT patients admitted in our hospital from 2010 to 2020, including 5 patients with TWT, were enrolled in this study. The clinical features, preoperative and postoperative chemotherapeutic regimens, intraoperative findings, histopathological information, as well as prognoses of the WT patients were evaluated. ResultsTWT cases were matched to classical WT cases at 1:3 for the comparison of various variables. 7.46% (5/67) of WT patients were diagnosed with TWT. the tumor volume was dramatically larger for patients with TWT than for those with classical WT (203.30 ± 109.89 cm3 vs. 104.30 ± 66.97 cm3). However, the tumor weight of the two groups was similar (471.00 ± 80.65 vs. 432.67 ± 109.25). ConclusionsOur data with the first reported Chinese children with TWT, preliminarily demonstrated that chemotherapy combined with surgery might be the appropriate treatment option for patients with WT, and prognoses of these patients differed sharply due to various stages. The density of TWT might be lower than that of classical WT. Future studies with more basic research to understand the biologic nature and theranostic markers of teratoid WT, may help us optimize the patient-tailored therapy of this rare type of WT.


The probability density function (PDF) of turbulent transport has been investigated in the plasma edge region of tokamak (JET) and stellarator (TJ-II) fusion devices. PDFs can be re-scaled using a functional form, PDF(ΓE×B) = L−1g(ΓE×B/L), where L is directly related with the level of fluctuations in the turbulent flux. This kind of re-scaling holds at different timescales in which the functional form of the PDF changes. The empirical similarity in the PDF of turbulent transport in the edge region in both the JET tokamak and the TJ-II stellarator supports the view that turbulent transport displays universality in fusion plasmas. These results emphasize the importance of the statistical description of transport processes in fusion plasmas as an alternative approach to the traditional way to characterize transport based on the computation of effective transport coefficients (i.e. diffusion coefficients) and on average quantities (i.e. average correlation lengths).


Abstract We present a sufficient condition for the $kG$-Scott module with vertex $P$ to remain indecomposable under the Brauer construction for any subgroup $Q$ of $P$ as $k[Q\,C_G(Q)]$-module, where $k$ is a field of characteristic $2$, and $P$ is a semidihedral $2$-subgroup of a finite group $G$. This generalizes results for the cases where $P$ is abelian or dihedral. The Brauer indecomposability is defined by R. Kessar, N. Kunugi and N. Mitsuhashi. The motivation of this paper is the fact that the Brauer indecomposability of a $p$-permutation bimodule (where $p$ is a prime) is one of the key steps in order to obtain a splendid stable equivalence of Morita type by making use of the gluing method due to Broué, Rickard, Linckelmann and Rouquier, that then can possibly be lifted to a splendid derived (splendid Morita) equivalence.


Given the differential impacts of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic groups, it is unclear how racial/ethnic status and frailty combine to influence pandemic-related healthcare disruptions. This study aimed to test the double jeopardy hypothesis: racial/ethnic minority older adults suffer a double disadvantage in access to health care during the pandemic due to the interactive effects of frailty and race. This study uses the linked National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and COVID-19 public use data files. A multivariate logistic regression model was performed. Overall, approximately two out of five (41%) older adults reported postponing care due to the pandemic. The likelihood of putting off care increased slightly by frailty status. We found no significant difference between Whites and non-Whites in putting off care. However, the simple comparison masked significant variation across frailty status. Robust non-White older people were less likely to put off care than robust Whites (robust non-Whites: 29% vs. robust Whites: 39%); in contrast, frail non-White older people were more likely to put off care (frail non-Whites: 55% vs. frail Whites: 42%). Being frail and non-White creates double jeopardy, which has a negative impact on access to healthcare. Timely access to care is essential for frail older people, particularly non-Whites, because of their complex health conditions accentuated by health and social disparities.


Background and objectives: Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Human papilloma virus (HPV) is known to cause cervical cancer. The incidence and mortality of cervical cancer has drastically reduced due to effective vaccination against HPV in developed countries. The projected rise in cervical cancer cases in Latin American and Caribbean countries necessitates a study to evaluate awareness about HPV, cervical cancer, the HPV vaccine, and prevention among women in Antigua and Barbuda. Materials and methods: This was an observational, cross-sectional study. The participants were women aged between 18 and 65 years, residing in Antigua and Barbuda. The study was conducted over the period of February to April 2023. After taking informed consent electronically, sociodemographic and behavioral data was collected through questionnaires sent out as links and QR-codes and were analyzed by QualtricsXM. The association between the demographic groups and awareness about HPV, cervical cancer, the HPV vaccine, and prevention was analyzed by a Chi-square test. Results: In total, 467 women were included in the study. The percentage of participants aware of HPV was 91.6% (n = 412). A total of 70.7% (n = 318) and 56.7% (n = 255) women were aware that cervical cancer is caused by HPV and is sexually transmitted, respectively. Although 70.6% (n = 315) of participants were aware that the vaccine protects against HPV, only 12.8% (n = 57) were vaccinated. Of the participants, 49.7% (n = 192) were willing to get vaccinated. The percentage of participants aware of the Papanicolaou (Pap) smear procedure was 98.9% (n = 435) and 87.8% (n = 382) had a Pap smear within the last 10 years while 12.2% (n = 53) never had a Pap smear screening. The willingness to know more information about HPV and the HPV vaccine among the participants was 77% (n = 335). Conclusions: The overall awareness among women in Antigua and Barbuda about HPV, cervical cancer, the HPV vaccine, and prevention was high. We recommend a national health education program and vaccine drive to complement our findings.


Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on the 2,2′,7,7′-tetrakis(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenylamine)-9,9′-spirobifluorene (spiro-OMeTAD) hole transport layer have exhibited leading device performance. However, the instability caused by this organic function layer is a very important limiting factor to the further development of PSCs. In this work, the spiro-OMeTAD is doped with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), which is further used as the hole transport layer to improve the device stability. It is shown that the PMMA can effectively improve the moisture and oxygen resistance of spiro-OMeTAD, which leads to improved device stability by separating the perovskite layer from moisture and oxygen. The device efficiency can maintain 77% of the original value for PSCs with the PMMA-doped spiro-OMeTAD hole transport layer, under a natural air environment (RH = 40%) for more than 80 days. The results show that the moisture- and oxygen-resistant PMMA:spiro-OMeTAD hole transport layer is effective at improving the device performance.


We recently reported that Prodigiosin is a potent p53 pathway restoring small molecule that acts through p73 and by interfering with p73:mutant p53 protein interaction (Hong et al., Cancer Research, 2014). Prodigiosin is the parent member of the tripyrrole alkaloid family of natural products that shows potent anti-cancer activity against tumors with mutated p53. To improve pharmacological and medicinal properties of Prodigiosin including p73 induction and restoration of the p53 pathway in tumors with mutated p53, two new series of analogs were synthesized. We introduced carboxylic group substituents either directly on the C-ring or on the side-chain of the C-ring. Carboxylic group allowed for further derivatization of Prodigiosin. A number of new analogs have been prepared and tested for their anticancer activity. Preliminary biological activity assay showed that new compounds inhibited cancer cell proliferation from 0.1 μM to 10 μM both in p53 mutated SW480 and wild-type HCT116 colorectal cancer cell lines. Some of the newly synthesized compounds can induce p53 transcriptional reporter activity in p53 mutated SW480 colorectal cancer cells. Our ongoing experiments are focused on the signaling mechanism of apoptosis induced by the new analogs, identification of molecular targets of the compounds, and in vivo studies of Prodigiosin analogues as single agents or in combination with chemotherapy or targeted therapy. Citation Format: Xiaobing Tian, Shengliang Zhang, Wafik S. El-Deiry. Synthesis and anticancer activity of novel prodigiosin analogs. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3830.


The rapid uptake of mobile telephony, the high bandwidth network access afforded by 3G networks, and the increasingly powerful multimedia capabilities of modern mobile handsets have created a potential for new forms of creative cultural works to be conceived for, and deployed exclusively on, mobile devices and wireless infrastructures. However, commercial offerings in the area of mobile media at the time of writing, indicate a tendency to simply extend traditional media into the mobile sphere. Typical propositions include television on the mobile phone, and downloading music to the mobile. What are the forces and constraints that limit present day usage on the mobile to simply parallel what we do in the living room or on a stationary computer? Instead of replicating traditional media in a portable package, can we not look at the mobile phone and high bandwidth mobile networks as an artistic canvas on which to create entirely new forms of art? We broach this question with a focus on mobile music, and present Net_Dérive, a multi-user mobile artwork.


A female patient, 69 years old, was hospitalized because of a 2-year history of recurrent hemoptyses resulting in severe anemia. X-ray examination of the chest showed a mass lesion in the right lower lung field, which had grown over the preceding 2 years. Bronchographic, arteriographic and CT examinations excluded the possibilities of bronchiectasis, pulmonary A-V fistula or sequestration. Histological examination following right lower lobectomy revealed no evidence of neoplasms or tuberculosis, fungal and parasitic infections but showed a predominant mononuclear cell infiltration and abundant small vessels in the affected small bronchi, and peribronchiolar and adjacent alveolar regions. To our knowledge, no case with chronic bronchopneumonia accompanied by such massive hemoptyses, as seen in this case, has been reported to date.


ABSTRACT Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) associated vasculitis (AAV) compromise a rare group of necrotizing small to medium vessel vasculitides that constitute three distinct disorders: granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) (formerly known as Wegener's granulomatosis), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) (formerly known as Churg-Strauss syndrome). AAV is characterized by the usual presence of circulating autoantibodies to the neutrophil proteins leukocyte proteinase 3 (PR3-ANCA) or myeloperoxidase (MPO-ANCA). These antibodies can activate neutrophils and the complement system resulting in vessel wall inflammation and damage. The clinical presentation of AAV varies from non-severe (non-life threatening) to severe often with potentially life-threatening multi-organ involvement. Early recognition and diagnosis are crucial. In the past two decades, advances in understanding the pathophysiology of AAV have led to development of new treatments and resulted in significant improvement in general outcomes and survival rates. This narrative review will focus on GPA and MPA. We will highlight clinical manifestations, diagnosis, disease monitoring, and treatment strategies in patients with AAV.


Depth of anaesthesia monitors usually analyse cerebral function with or without other physiological signals; non‐invasive monitoring of the measured cardiorespiratory signals alone would offer a simple, practical alternative. We aimed to investigate whether such signals, analysed with novel, non‐linear dynamic methods, would distinguish between the awake and anaesthetised states. We recorded ECG, respiration, skin temperature, pulse and skin conductivity before and during general anaesthesia in 27 subjects in good cardiovascular health, randomly allocated to receive propofol or sevoflurane. Mean values, variability and dynamic interactions were determined. Respiratory rate (p = 0.0002), skin conductivity (p = 0.03) and skin temperature (p = 0.00006) changed with sevoflurane, and skin temperature (p = 0.0005) with propofol. Pulse transit time increased by 17% with sevoflurane (p = 0.02) and 11% with propofol (p = 0.007). Sevoflurane reduced the wavelet energy of heart (p = 0.0004) and respiratory (p = 0.02) rate variability at all frequencies, whereas propofol decreased only the heart rate variability below 0.021 Hz (p < 0.05). The phase coherence was reduced by both agents at frequencies below 0.145 Hz (p < 0.05), whereas the cardiorespiratory synchronisation time was increased (p < 0.05). A classification analysis based on an optimal set of discriminatory parameters distinguished with 95% success between the awake and anaesthetised states. We suggest that these results can contribute to the design of new monitors of anaesthetic depth based on cardiovascular signals alone.


BACKGROUND
Invasive fungal rhinosinusitis, a rare infection, is a life threatening disease. Delay in diagnosis may consequently lead to high morbidity and mortality.

OBJECTIVE
Encourage early detection and proper management of invasive fungal rhinosinusitis.

MATERIAL AND METHOD
Medical records, radiological, and pathological reports of five patients who were diagnosed as invasive fungal rhinosinusitis were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTS
Four in five cases of invasive fungal rhinosinusitis, confirmed by pathological study, had successful treatment. One patient had intracerebral hemorrhage that may be associated with the disease spreading. Disease extension was evaluated by CT paranasal sinus in all cases, but it usually did not have classic bony erosion.

CONCLUSION
Curing infection, correcting underlying conditions, and working up fungal infection should be carried out as early as possible, because morbidity and mortality depend on disease extension and host status.


Moth species have evolved integral membrane desaturases that exhibit a wide diversity in substrate specificity, as well as in regiospecificity and stereospecificity of the unsaturated products. We report here the cloning and expression of a single desaturase from the sex pheromone gland of the light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana, that makes E11 isomers of monounsaturated (E11-16 and E11-14) fatty acids and a diunsaturated (E9,E11-14) fatty acid. In the pheromone gland, the monoene precursor is made available by β oxidation of E11-16 acid with a subsequent two-carbon loss to E9-14 acid. A functional assay using a baculovirus expression system required addition of myristic acid and E9-14 acid precursors to demonstrate the unusual regiospecificity and stereospecificity of this desaturase. The amino acid sequence of this desaturase has ≈61% identity to that of Z11-desaturases from two other insect species, and only ≈48% identity to the metabolic Z9-desaturases in those species. A pheromone-gland Z9-desaturase gene also was found with the light brown apple moth that differed in its deduced amino acid sequence (66% identity) with the metabolic Z9-desaturase from fat body in this species.


Intercellular communication, an essential attribute of multicellularity, is required for diazotrophic growth in heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria such as Anabaena, in which the cells are connected by proteinaceous septal junctions that are structural analogs of metazoan connexons. The septal junctions allow molecular intercellular diffusion traversing the septal peptidoglycan through nanopores. ABSTRACT Multicellular heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria, such as Anabaena, grow as chains of cells forming filaments that, under diazotrophic conditions, contain two cell types: vegetative cells that perform oxygenic photosynthesis and N2-fixing heterocysts. Along the filament, the intercellular septa contain a thick peptidoglycan layer that forms septal disks. Proteinaceous septal junctions connect the cells in the filament traversing the septal disks through nanopores. The fraCDE operon encodes proteins needed to make long filaments in Anabaena. FraC and FraD, located at the intercellular septa, are involved in the formation of septal junctions. Using a superfolder-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion, we found in this study that FraE is mainly localized to the poles of the heterocysts, consistent with the requirement of FraE for constriction of the heterocyst poles to form the "heterocyst neck." A fraE insertional mutant was impaired by 22% to 38% in transfer of fluorescent calcein from vegetative cells to heterocysts. Septal disks were inspected in murein sacculi from heterocyst-enriched preparations. Unexpectedly, the diameter of the nanopores in heterocyst septa was about 1.5- to 2-fold larger than in vegetative cell septa. The number of these nanopores was 76% and 6% of the wild-type number in fraE and fraC fraD mutants, respectively. Our results show that FraE is mainly involved in heterocyst maturation, whereas FraC and FraD are needed for the formation of the large nanopores of heterocyst septa, as they are for vegetative cell nanopores. Additionally, arrays of small pores conceivably involved in polysaccharide export were observed close to the septal disks in the heterocyst murein sacculus preparations. IMPORTANCE Intercellular communication, an essential attribute of multicellularity, is required for diazotrophic growth in heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria such as Anabaena, in which the cells are connected by proteinaceous septal junctions that are structural analogs of metazoan connexons. The septal junctions allow molecular intercellular diffusion traversing the septal peptidoglycan through nanopores. In Anabaena the fraCDE operon encodes septal proteins involved in intercellular communication. FraC and FraD are components of the septal junctions along the filament, whereas here we show that FraE is mainly present at the heterocyst poles. We found that the intercellular septa in murein sacculi from heterocysts contain nanopores that are larger than those in vegetative cells, establishing a previously unknown difference between heterocyst and vegetative cell septa in Anabaena.


Bottom forms and sedimentary structures investigated through direct scuba diver observations, and an examination of bedding, grain-size distribution and trace fossils in the undisturbed-structure samples taken at Kioloa Bay and several smaller bays along the Tasman Sea coast, allowed to recognize the sedimentary model resulting from the actually prevailing hydrodynamic conditions and depths characteristic for high-energy clastic and tidal coastal zone of the Australian seashores. Moreover, an estuary modal has been distinguished at Batemans Bay. The distinguished models were compared with those of the tideless coastal zones of the southern Baltic in Poland, and of the Black Sea in Bulgaria (Kamchiya region). All the discussed models are regarded as an interpretation key for many clastic sequences of the ancient sedimentary environments.


SUMMARY In rainfed lowland rice-based systems, increasing labour scarcity due to off-farm employment is encouraging farmers to switch from transplanting to dry direct seeding (DDS). To assure stable productivity at a level comparable with or superior to transplanting, DDS management must ensure rice seedlings have access to nutrients in order to be competitive with weeds, which must also be suppressed. This paper examined farmer perceptions of DDS using a farmer survey, and used on-farm experiments to examine responses of rainfed lowland rice to integrated nutrient–weed management, based around mechanised DDS. In the survey, weeds were the biggest problem faced by farmers in using DDS (61%). In 90% of cases, farmers reported that weeds had increased under DDS, with most farmers (78%) controlling weeds by hand. All farmers said they would use DDS in the following season (100%), due to labour savings (47%), timeliness of operations, improved productivity, low investment or a combination of these (44%). In on-farm experiments, banding nutrients with the seed at sowing enhanced early dry matter of rice, while early weed dry matter was reduced. Early weed control using ducklings or hand weeding reduced weed competition and increased rice growth, with ducklings providing additional yield benefits over hand weeding. Early increases in seedling vigour of rice, and in weed suppression, carried through to greater dry matter and yield of rice at maturity. Integrated nutrient–weed management in mechanised DDS increased DDS yields, reduced DDS yield variability and contributed to sustainability of DDS rice systems.


A fundamental role of education is to equip students with sound justificatory reasoning capacities to support one's beliefs or actions and to guide rational decisions about complex problems. However, empirical research into justificatory reasoning among students is virtually non-existent and this impedes education research. This study illustrated the measurement of justificatory reasoning ability and investigated how tertiary students might use different justificatory reasoning forms (absolutism, relativism and evaluativism) depending on the reasoned domain, a controversial domain versus a moral domain. It further tested how different justificatory approaches might relate to varying willingness to engage in argumentation, as well as how they might engender beliefs with different strength of convictions. The results suggest that absolutism was preferred for moral domain, whereas relativism was preferred for controversial domain. However, those who used evaluativism were most willing to engage in discourse to defend their beliefs, and their engendered beliefs were also the strongest. Besides demonstrating how justificatory reasoning may be measured quantitively, the study provides guidance to educators on designing curriculum to develop justificatory reasoning ability. The findings also suggest that educators should not unconditionally focus on developing evaluativism in students, supposedly the highest form of justificatory reasoning.


This study examines the contentious issues relating to the exploitation of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) within the context of the expanding regime of intellectual property law (IP law). The study focuses specifically on the area of indigenous medical knowledge (IMK) within the geographical context of Zimbabwe as a country case study. The study examines the centrality of knowledge in the global economy and using international political economic theory and practice, demonstrates why it is a key site of struggles between and among nations and various stakeholders. While it considers the narrow issue of the applicability or otherwise of IP law to IKS, this study takes the approach that it is necessary to understand the socio-historical developments that account for the peripheral status of IKS in relation to the dominant western knowledge systems (WKS). A key argument of this study is that the lack of legal protection of IKS is directly connected to their marginal status in social, intellectual, cultural and economic terms arising from the dominance of the predominantly WKS. It is argued that far from being a narrow legalistic debate, the matter of the protection of IKS is a wider socio-cultural, economic and political issue that centres on the power relations between and among people, corporations and states. Through a combination of theoretical and field investigations, the study seeks to explore the factors that account for the marginalisation of IKS generally and IMK systems in particular. The "struggle thesis" demonstrates that from an historical viewpoint knowledge systems are in a state of constant interaction and struggle resulting in problems. The key to resolving the problems is to acknowledge difference and accept the legitimacy and validity of different knowledge systems and to democratise the regime of knowledge protection both nationally and globally. It proposes that solutions lie in not only reconstructing the legal architecture but also in ensuring that the social, economic and political structures are reconstructed to safeguard and nurture the IKS. The study investigates the needs and expectations of the indigenous communities including their rationale for the protection of their knowledge systems. Finally, it also contributes to the development of indigenous research methodologies.


Recording the neural activity of cells in the brain of patients with Parkinson's disease challenges long-standing assumptions about how this disease manifests at the cellular level.


Abstract Objective: The objectives of the present study were to assess the complexity and multidimensionality of rehabilitation needs of very old stroke patients aged ≥ 80 years and report how rehabilitation interventions are customized to meet the complex needs of patients at a hospital with a majority of old patients. Methods: The complex problems faced by 18 post-stroke patients (age, range: 80–92 years) were characterized in terms of the following multiple dimensions: (1) clinical features, (2) functional (motor/cognitive) impairment features, (3) psychological aspects, and (4) environmental aspects. We then evaluated the rehabilitation interventions designed to address the problems identified in these different dimensions in detail. Results: The needs of very old stroke patients were extremely complex and unique. To cope with this complexity, rehabilitation interventions were customized in a flexible manner, considering the different dimensions of the needs of these patients. Although the interventions were customized, the complex problems experienced by patients could be divided into stroke conditions on the basis of some invariant patterns in rehabilitation intervention. Conclusions: We obtained empirical data that illustrated the necessity of considering not only clinical features, but also multiple dimensions of problems faced by very old stroke patients during rehabilitation interventions.


Purpose of reviewAn appreciation of the post-ICU burden for family members, as well as the ways to prevent and minimize their symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. Recent findingsThe long-term consequences of critical illness are growing in importance as the aging population increases its demand for critical care, and as the short-term mortality after critical illness decreases. Recently, postintensive care syndrome family was proposed as a new term for this cluster of psychological complications. Critical care providers are now recognizing the need to also address the psychological needs of the relatives earlier after ICU admission. SummaryA high proportion of family members present with symptoms of anxiety (70%) and depression (35%). Acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related symptoms are also common. These symptoms are significantly more frequent when the relative is a spouse, or in bereaved family members. Few long-term data are available. However, in family members of dying patients, 1 year after the loss, up to 40% of them present with criteria for psychiatric illness such as generalized anxiety, major depressive disorders, or complicated grief. Prevention of post-ICU burden, mostly based on communication strategies, has been proposed to assist relatives.


Nifedipine, a calcium-antagonist and potent vasodilator, was tested in three patients with pheochromocytoma. In two patients who were normotensive, nifedipine prevented a rise in blood pressure but not in plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine following the iv injection of the dopamine-antagonist metoclopramide. In another patient who was hypertensive, nifedipine was as effective in lowering blood pressure as labetalol or phenoxybenzamine, and did not modify the elevated plasma and urinary catecholamines. Nifedipine appears to control hypertension in pheochromocytoma, without altering catecholamine levels, suggesting that calcium-channel blockade interferes with catecholamine vascular action but not with tumoural catecholamine release. Calcium-antagonists may be helpful in preventing the pressor complications of provocative tests used in the screening of pheochromocytoma.