Jakob Arnoldi: Actor Network Theory: A-modern
(Sociological?) Theory

This article is a critical analysis of Bruno Latour's actor network theory. It outlines two main conceptual moves in Latour's work. The first is the move from an "irreductionist" sociology of science to a critique
of the so-called "Modern Constitution". The second is a move from a double dialectic between knowledge and on
the one hand the objectively given world, on the other the subjectively given world, to a notion of hybridization. The article outlines a range of positive aspects of the theory. It highlights the many possibilities for empirical research which actor network theory provides. And it argues that
the theory is a valuable tool for research in areas such as risk, technology, and environment. However, the article remains critical of several aspects of Latour's theory. First of all, it argues that the theory is unnecessarily polemic. Secondly, and much more importantly, it argues that Latour's theory is haunted by a lack of reflexivity as it remains trapped inside the conceptual framework, the Modern Constitution, which the theory is attacking.
The article argues that Latour retains a dialectical form of reasoning and that the critique of the poles nature and culture is based on the very distinction between these poles.


This study examines the feasibility of using the emission material of ZnGa2O4 phosphor in field emission display (FED). ZnGa2O4 is a low-voltage cathodoluminescent phosphor having a spinel structure. ZnGa2O4 phosphor obtained from the first fired process has low luminance intensity and low efficiency. Treating the secondary fired process can markedly enhance the crystallization and cathodoluminescent properties of ZnGa2O4 phosphor. Among these improvements include a decrease in the values of full width at half maximum (FWHM) of X-ray diffraction (XRD), along with an obvious increase in the luminance intensity and efficiency of ZnGa2O4 phosphor. The maximum luminance intensity and efficiency of ZnGa2O4 phosphor obtained by the secondary fired treatment processes are 2050 cd/m2 and 0.198 lm/W, respectively. In addition, the CIE chromaticity coordinate of the ZnGa2O4 phosphor is X=0.1696, Y=0.1608. Moreover, the emission color is blue.


In this paper, we prove a fixed point theorem for a class of maps on S-metric spaces. As applications, we get the fixed point theorems in [1] and [2]. Also, examples are given to analyze the results.


Methane (CH4) produced in wetland soil generally is thought to be released to the atmosphere primarily via diffusion, ebullition and transport through aerenchyma of herbaceous plants adapted to waterlogged soils. The role of trees as a conduit for CH4 export from soil to the atmosphere has received limited attention despite laboratory studies of saplings demonstrating that wetland trees have a significant capacity to transport soil-produced CH4 to the atmosphere. In order to investigate the role of trees in transporting soil-produced CH4 to the atmosphere and assess its ecosystem contributions, tree-mediated CH4 flux was measured in situ from a temperate forested wetland (Flitwick Moor, UK) dominated by Alnus glutinosa and Betula pubescens and from a tropical forested wetland (Borneo, Indonesia). Mesocosm experiments complemented in situ data, in which CH4 emissions were measured from Alnus glutinosa saplings subjected to two water-table treatments. In both the in situ and mesocosm studies, CH4 emissions from trees were compared to CH4 emissions from the soil surfaces. Both temperate and tropical tree species released significant quantities of CH4 from stem surfaces throughout the observation period. In Alnus glutinosa, CH4 emissions from leaf surfaces were not detected and stem surfaces were the principle point of CH4 egress. Stem-CU4 emissions from both Alnus glutinosa and Betula pubescens were less sensitive to small changes in water-table variations when compared to CH4 emissions from soil surfaces, however, the quantity, temporal variability and CH4 transport mechanisms differed between the two tree species. Stem-CH4 emissions were controlled by a number of factors including tree physiology, abiotic factors and gas transport mechanisms. Wetland trees contributed significantly to ecosystem CH4 flux (6-87%), with tropical trees dominating ecosystem level CH4 fluxes. The results demonstrate that exclusion of tree-mediated CH4 emissions from flux measurement campaigns conducted in forested wetlands can significantly underestimate ecosystem-wide CH4 flux.


A novel TEM horn antenna is proposed by unite its typical structure and the linearly tapered slot antenna structure. The simulation reveals that the proposed antenna performs best in the port matching and has the similar gain with the typical TEM horn antenna, which are much remarkable than those of the linearly tapered slot antenna. Significantly, the proposed antenna can be fabricated based the PCB (printed circuit board) technology which is lower in cost and easier in implement than the typical TEM horn antenna used to be made with complete metal structure.


We examined the field dependence-independence of Spanish athletes, 293 men and women (aged 18 to 23 years) active in individual and team sports, and nonathletes. Subjects were tested on the Group Embedded Figures Test. Analysis indicated that men active in team sports were more field-dependent than those non-involved in sports, and that team-sport women exhibited a higher field-dependence than individual-sport athletes or nonathletes of both sexes. Our data reflect a significant interaction between type of sport and sex.


Abstract In this case series, we aimed to determine the outcome of prenatally diagnosed fetal cardiac rhabdomyoma. This case series is a retrospective evaluation of seven cases of fetal cardiac rhabdomyoma determined during pregnancy. Only one of these cases has been associated with tuberous sclerosis (TS). Two of the cases had just a single tumor, whereas the others were found to have multiple tumors. Termination was performed to one fetus due to hydrops fetalis. The presence of risk factors of TS in a family and multifocal or large tumors, appears to be the most important factors affecting neonatal outcomes.


abstract:Given a finite collection of $C^1$ vector fields on a $C^2$ manifold which span the tangent space at every point, we consider the question of when there is locally a coordinate system in which these vector fields are $\scr{C}^{s+1}$ for $s\in (1,\infty]$, where $\scr{C}^s$ denotes the Zygmund space of order $s$. We give necessary and sufficient, coordinate-free conditions for the existence of such a coordinate system. Moreover, we present a quantitative study of these coordinate charts. This is the second part in a three part series of papers. The first part, joint with Stovall, addressed the same question, though the results were not sharp, and showed how such coordinate charts can be viewed as scaling maps in sub-Riemannian geometry. When viewed in this light, these results can be seen as strengthening and generalizing previous works on the quantitative theory of sub-Riemannian geometry, initiated by Nagel, Stein, and Wainger, and furthered by Tao and Wright, the author, and others. In the third part, we prove similar results concerning real analyticity.


Autism diagnosis requires validated diagnostic tools employed by mental health professionals with expertise in autism spectrum disorders. This conventionally requires lengthy information processing and technical understanding of each of the areas evaluated in the tools. Classifying the impact of these areas and proposing a system that can aid experts in the diagnosis is a complex task. This paper presents the methodology used to find the most significant items from the ADOSG tool to detect Autism Spectrum Disorders through Feed-forward Artificial Neural Networks with back-propagation training. The number of cases for the network training data was determined by using the Taguchi method with Orthogonal Arrays reducing the sample size from 531,441 to only 27. The trained network provides an accuracy of 100% with 11 dierent cases used only for validation, which provides a specificity and sensitivity of 1. The network was used to classify the 12 items from the ADOS-G tool algorithm into three levels of impact for Autism diagnosis: High, Medium and Low. It was found that the items "Showing", "Shared enjoyment in Interaction" and "Frequency of vocalization directed to others", are the areas of highest impact for Autism diagnosis. The methodology here presented can be replicated to dierent Autism diagnosis tests to classify their impact areas as well.


Abstract:Blanchot's readings of Lautréamont are among the most important writings on this challenging author, and they are also crucial for the development of his own thinking, but they have never been discussed in depth. This essay surveys the whole range of Blanchot's writings on Lautréamont and shows how they constitute the first considered attempt within his thinking to examine the notions of the fantastic and the image in relation to the experience of metaphor. This survey not only enables a renewed understanding of the significance of Lautréamont's writings but also reveals how Blanchot transforms the Hegelian thinking of experience by way of its passage through literature.


The World Wide Web is a natural medium for sharing the results of your work with others. However, I created functions in Mathematica, a technical computing language with extensive numerical, graphic and symbolic capabilities. These functions, until now, were available only to other Mathematica users. Compounding the problem was my target audience: a narrow selection of people around the world with an interest in cycling, few of whom would have a Mathematica license. While investigating alternatives with Wolfram Research, I was referred to the developer of one of their new products, MathScript. It solved my problem. By performing the CGI process and running programs written in Mathematica, MathScript provides an interface between Mathematica and a Web browser, and thus worldwide access to Mathematica.


This study was designed to ascertain the long-term safety and efficacy profile of the somatostatin analogue octreotide as treatment of refractory acromegaly. Eight patients (aged 21-62 years) with persistent growth hormone (GH) elevation (duration 1-15 years) despite previous therapy were studied. Octreotide was given subcutaneously in increasing doses for the first year to a maximum of 500 micrograms three times daily. The dose then was reduced to 200 micrograms three times daily for the next 3 years. At annual assessments, 24-h GH profiles, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and a side-effect profile including gall-bladder ultrasound were studied. Oral glucose tolerance tests (75 g) were performed basally and after 6 months and 3 years of therapy. Haemoglobin A1 (HbA1) was also assessed. Side effects were recorded. Mean GH (+/- SEM) was 36.0 +/- 9 mU/l basally and was reduced significantly at all subsequent assessments on therapy (4-year mean, 9.4 +/- 2.1 mU/l). The IGF-I level also remained suppressed and was normalized in four of eight patients who remained on octreotide. Fasting plasma glucose and HbA1 were not changed by therapy but 2-h glucose was elevated after 6 months and 3 years (basal mean, 7.6 mmol/l (5.3-9.0 mmol/l); 3-year mean, 10.7 mmol/l (8.4-15.7 mmol/l); p < 0.05). Five patients developed gallstones and in three these had disappeared following 1 year of bile salt dissolution therapy. Octreotide continues to suppress serum GH and IGF-I long term without attenuation of effect. Gallstone formation is a major side effect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


The statistics of the alignment of axisymmetric microscopic particles in fully developed turbulent flow is studied numerically and theoretically. Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of turbulent flows demonstrate that rod-like particles are more strongly aligned with the vorticity vector than with the principal strain axis. To elucidate this property, we compare the evolution obtained in a turbulent flow with a simpler model, where the velocity gradient of the flow is replaced by a fluctuating random matrix, whose temporal correlations reproduce the properties observed in DNS. In contrast with the DNS results, this model exhibits a strong alignment of the rods with the direction of the fastest stretching of the symmetric part of the random matrix. We argue that the correlation between the rod axis and the vorticity vector arises from similarities between the equations of motion governing these quantities.


Introduction -
Until recently, Florence Nightingale's
portrait featured on the British 10-
pound note. This year, marking the
centenary anniversary of her death at
90 years of age on the 13 August 1910,
Miss Nightingale's name has now been
etched on 2-pound coins. However, lest
we think the standard-bearer of modern
nursing is losing currency, commemorative
events held that year in the UK and
elsewhere confirm that the 'Lady with
the Lamp', as dubbed by the poet
Longfellow, remains highly valued. In
fact, praise has been heaped on this
national treasure in the form of an
imaginative £1.4 million redevelopment
of the Florence Nightingale Museum.
The Museum takes pride of place on the
grounds of St Thomas's hospital in
London's vibrant South Bank where
Nightingale established her first Nightingale
Training School for Nurses. In
this audacious tribute, supported by the
Wellcome Trust, Guys and St Thomas'
Charity and Garfield Weston Foundation,
the Victorian nursing pioneer is
celebrated as a sanitary reformer, statistician,
administrator, researcher and
educationalist. The Museum exhibits a
vast collection of 'Nightingalia' organised
under three pillars: her early childhood;
her activities in the Crimean war;
and finally her contribution to international
health reform. The net effect of
this careful assembly of Florence's singular
life story leaves the public in no
doubt as to why her appeal as 'The
Queen of Nurses' or 'Soldier's Friend'
has endured well into the 21st century.
But does this enduring appeal for all
things Nightingale extend to modern
day clinical nursing? What did Florence
Nightingale actually ever do for clinical nurses?


The article considers the instrumental support of macroeconomic accounting in Ukraine. The concept of macroeconomic accounting or national accounting and its main components are specified. The methods of instrumental support of the accounting process of macroeconomic operations are investigated and their meaningful analysis is carried out. Also, the processes of formation and development of the system of national accounts in Ukraine are considered and the importance of focusing on existing problems and shortcomings in compiling national accounts that need to be addressed, as well as outlining ways to overcome them. The article proposes the application of the methodology of integrated economic information from the level of initial accounting to the macroeconomic level of accounting. In the system of national accounts, which is widely used by industrialized countries, the economy is considered as a whole, without a fundamental difference between material production and services. Reflecting the main economic relationships, the system provides an overall assessment of the proportions and performance of the national economy of material, from a financial standpoint for all institutional units at all levels of the economic mechanism. In our country, the widespread introduction of the SNA into the economic sphere of the economic mechanism is hampered by the limited number of specialists who have this complex subject, both theoretically and practically. Information support and statistical description of the most significant ratios and results of economic activity his section will highlight the basic principles of SNA in Ukraine to describe and analyze the economic process at the macro level, propose new measures to improve national accounting based on existing problems of its information support in matters of preparation and use of budgets of international organizations. The principles of application of various tools of accounting of economic information at the analysis of macroeconomic indicators are specified and the basic principles of application of SNA in Ukraine for the description and the analysis of economic process at a macro level are covered.


The uniform F-nilpotence theorem by Quillen gives a comparison map between the Borel equivariant cohomology of a space and a limit involving only the Borel equivariant cohomology groups of the same space with the action restricted to the elementary abelian subgroups. The theorem states that the elements in the kernel are nilpotent, and that every element in the codomain has a power that is in the image. By work of Mathew-Naumann-Noel, for a fixed group and an arbitrary space, there is a uniform bound on the nilpotence degree of the elements in the kernel, and on the power necessary to raise an element in the codomain by to get an element in the image. Using their methods, we give explicit upper bounds for finite groups with 2-Sylow of order less than or equal to 16. In particular, we show that the elements in the kernel have in that case nilpotence degree less than or equal to 4, and every element in the codomain raised to the power 8 is in the image. We do this by bounding from above the exponent, as defined by Mathew-Naumann-Noel, of Borel equivariant singular Z/2-cohomology for the 2-groups of order less than or equal to 16. We also bound the exponent from below by computing a homotopy limit spectral sequence for all these groups.


The following notes are intended to give a complete record of chemical work to the present date on the rocks of the English Lake District, that name being employed in an extended sense to include the Lake District proper, together with the Lower Palaeozoic inliers of Edenside, Sedbergh, and Ingleton, which belong to the same natural district. This compilation should have accompanied the Petrographical Notes prepared for the Keswick excursion; and published in the last number of these Proceedings (Vol. XIV., pp. 487–496), but it was not completed in time to be included there. Most of the items have appeared in an article published in "The Naturalist" for 1899, but I have now added a number of supplementary references to bring the list down to date, and have rearranged the whole to correspond with the notes already published in these Proceedings.

I give first a summary of the literature of the subject. Then follows the list of analyses, partial analyses, and silica determinations, the silica percentage being quoted in each case as the readiest means of identification. To each record is appended the name of the analyst and, in parenthesis, the reference to the original publication. In the case of a number of silica determinations made by students of Owens College and the Yorkshire College, under the superintendence of Dr. A. Harden and Dr. J. B. Cohen respectively, these latter names are cited as the authorities.


Data summarization is an important concept in the field of data mining for finding a compressed representation of a dataset. In any spatial network activity summarization(SNAS) , we are given a spatial network and a group of activities (e.g. , perambulator fatality reports, crime reports ) and the goal is to find the K-shortest route that summarize the activities. SNAS is essential for application where observation take place along linear paths such as roadways, train tracks, etc. SNAS is computationally challenging because of the large amount of K-subsets of shortest path in a spatial network. Nearest neighbour (NN) query is one of the most significant operations in spatial databases and their application field domains, for example location-based services and advanced traveller information systems. This addresses the problem of finding the in-route nearest neighbour (IRNN) for a query entities tuple which consists of a given path with a destination and a present location o it. The IRNN is a facility instance via which the alternative route from the original route on the way to the destination is smallest. Keywords— Spatial network, nearest neighbour query, hot spots, hot routes, activity summarization ______________________________________________________________________________ Chanchla Tripathi et al, International Journal of Computer Science and Mobile Computing, Vol.5 Issue.7, July2016, pg. 100-105 © 2016, IJCSMC All Rights Reserved 101


I report the results of a series of dynamic light scattering studies of molten aluminophosphate liquids, [Al(PO3)3]x[NaPO3]100-x, obtained by photon correlation spectroscopy. The study covers a range of compositions designed to manipulate the network connectivity of the glass-forming liquid in order to investigate how the change in the chemical structure of covalent network affects its dynamics. The dynamic structure factor was measured to provide quantitative information about the liquid's dynamics through the non-ergodic level, stretching exponent, and fragility. The fragility was shown to decrease with increased network connectivity and the result is identical to both ultraphosphates and chalcogenides. I argue that this pattern fits with predictions of the rigidity theory and may be linked to a common dependence on the entropy of the liquid as a function of the network connectivity described by a two-state bond model.


We have previously described the affinity of a pig sperm surface protein, P68, to mammalian zonae pellucidae (ZP). In this report, we identified P68 as arylsulfatase A (AS-A) based on the presence of P68 tryptic peptide sequences in the pig testis AS-A cDNA sequence. Our objective was to demonstrate the presence of AS-A on the sperm surface and to elucidate its role in ZP binding. Immunogold electron microscopy revealed the presence of AS-A on the sperm surface. Furthermore, live pig sperm and the extract of peripheral sperm plasma membrane proteins exhibited AS-A's desulfation activity. Significantly, the role of pig sperm surface AS-A in ZP binding was demonstrated by dose-dependent decreases of sperm-ZP binding upon sperm pretreatment with anti-AS-A IgG/Fab, and by the binding of Alexa-430-conjugated sperm surface AS-A to homologous ZP. ZP pretreatment with anti-pig-ZP3 antibody abolished AS-A binding, suggesting that ZP3, recognized as the pig sperm receptor, was AS-A's binding ligand. This was further confirmed by the ability of exogenous ZP3 to competitively inhibit AS-A-ZP binding. Similarly, purified ZP3alpha, a major sperm receptor component of ZP3, exhibited great inhibitory effect on AS-A-ZP binding. All of these results designated a new function of AS-A in gamete interaction.


Using Y. Andre's result on differential equations satisfied by E-functions, we derive an improved version of the Siegel-Shidlovskii theorem. It gives a complete characterisation of algebraic relations over the algebraic numbers between values of E-functions at any nonzero algebraic point.


This paper aims to examine how parents use the argument from authority and its effectiveness to persuade their children to accept rules and prescriptions during mealtimes. Using the model of a critical discussion integrated with the Argumentum Model of Topics as analytical approach, a corpus of 31 arguments from authority advanced by parents were analyzed. The results of this study show that parents always refer to an adult as source of authority. This is mostly themselves (self-oriented argument), and, less frequently, a third party (other-oriented argument) such as a grandparent or a child's teacher. In light of these results, it is reasonable to assume that for the parents the reference to themselves is a more effective argument than the reference to a third party. However, in the corpus the children are more prone to accept their parents' argumentation when the authority is another adult and not one of their parents.


In Turkey, salt lakes and lacustrine evaporite deposits are an important source of industrial minerals such as: borates, soda ash, sodium sulphates and salt (sodium chloride). In the Anatolian Pla- teau salt lakes differ in the chemical composition of body waters and evaporation conditions as well as tertiary lacustrine evaporitic deposits with its specio c and often unique mineralogical composition. The review of conditions of evaporation and precipitation in salt lakes and lacustrine evaporite deposits geology and method of exploitation were the goals of the scientio c expedition of Polish Salt Mining As- sociation (PSMA) in Turkey which took place from 7th to 14th September 2011. The route lead through Anatolian Plateau to the salt lakes: Salda and Tuz, to the Kirka borates deposit and Cayirhan sodium sulphates deposit. During the expedition were visited also other places: Pamukkale - with hot springs and travertine precipitation, the marble deposits in the Iscehisar - Afyon region known since ancient times and Cappadocia vulcanic plateau with famous forms of weathering and erosion.


The single excitation subspace (SES) method for universal quantum simulation is investigated for a number of diatomic molecular collision complexes. Assuming a system of $n$ tunably-coupled, and fully-connected superconducting qubits, computations are performed in the $n$-dimensional SES which maps directly to an $n$-channel collision problem within a diabatic molecular wave function representation. Here we outline the approach on a classical computer to solve the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation in an $n$-dimensional molecular basis - the so-called semiclassical molecular-orbital close-coupling (SCMOCC) method - and extend the treatment beyond the straight-line, constant-velocity approximation which is restricted to large kinetic energies ($\gtrsim 0.1$ keV/u). We explore various multichannel potential averaging schemes and an Ehrenfest symmetrization approach to allow for the application of the SCMOCC method to much lower collision energies (approaching 1 eV/u). In addition, a computational efficiency study for various propagators is performed to speed-up the calculations on classical computers. These computations are repeated for the simulation of the SES approach assuming typical parameters for realistic pretheshold superconducting quantum computing hardware. The feasibility of applying future SES processors to the quantum dynamics of large molecular collision systems is briefly discussed.


The electronic coordination configuration of metal active sites and the reaction mechanism were investigated by constructing homo-diatomic Fe sites for visible-light-assisted heterogeneous peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. A novel Fe2N6 catalyst was synthesized by selecting uniform pyridinic-N of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) as anchoring sites. The results demonstrated that homo-diatomic Fe sites modulated the d-band center and electron delocalization and thus enhanced the PMS activation kinetics (3.58 times vs single-atom Fe catalyst) with kobs of 0.111 min-1 owing to the synergistic effect between adjacent Fe atoms. New Fe-Fe coordination significantly decreased the contribution of the antibonding state in the Fe-O bond due to the coupling of the Fe-3d orbitals, which facilitated the O-O bond cleavage of the Fe2-HOO-SO3 complex with a reduced thermodynamic energy barrier of only -0.29 eV. This work provided comprehensive mechanistic insights into developing homo-diatomic catalysts governed by the coordination configuration and radical pathway for efficient heterogeneous PMS catalysis.


Abstract Background Previous studies find that both schizophrenia and mood disorder risk alleles contribute to adult depression and anxiety. Emotional problems (depression or anxiety) begin in childhood and show strong continuities into adult life; this suggests that symptoms are the manifestation of the same underlying liability across different ages. However, other findings suggest that there are developmental differences in the etiology of emotional problems at different ages. To our knowledge, no study has prospectively examined the impact of psychiatric risk alleles on emotional problems at different ages in the same individuals. Methods Data were analyzed using regression-based analyses in a prospective, population-based UK cohort (the National Child Development Study). Schizophrenia and major depressive disorder (MDD) polygenic risk scores (PRS) were derived from published Psychiatric Genomics Consortium genome-wide association studies. Emotional problems were assessed prospectively at six time points from age 7 to 42 years. Results Schizophrenia PRS were associated with emotional problems from childhood [age 7, OR 1.09 (1.03–1.15), p = 0.003] to mid-life [age 42, OR 1.10 (1.05–1.17), p < 0.001], while MDD PRS were associated with emotional problems only in adulthood [age 42, OR 1.06 (1.00–1.11), p = 0.034; age 7, OR 1.03 (0.98–1.09), p = 0.228]. Conclusions Our prospective investigation suggests that early (childhood) emotional problems in the general population share genetic risk with schizophrenia, while later (adult) emotional problems also share genetic risk with MDD. The results suggest that the genetic architecture of depression/anxiety is not static across development.


ESD testing results of aluminum and copper interconnect wires and vias for advanced semiconductor technologies demonstrate that interconnects will be a limiting failure mechanism in the future for ESD robustness of semiconductor chips. Comparison of copper and aluminum interconnect and via ESD robustness and failure mechanisms will be shown. Results demonstrate an improvement in the ESD robustness of a Cu-based interconnect system, compared to AI-based interconnects, with an improvement in the critical current, in the human body and machine model time regimes.


Sea surface wind is a key parameter in the studies of many oceanic applications, i.e. meteorological forecasting, oil slick observation, ship detection, wind turbine installation recently, etc. Among available wind sources, i.e. in situ measurement, numeric weather models, etc., the retrieval of wind fields from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data is selected in this study, since it may give winds at high spatial resolutions. For this approach, wind directions are first retrieved from SAR images by the Local Gradient method. They are then used in the Geophysical Model Functions (GMFs) to estimate wind speed. The GMFs are used to describe the dependency of radar scattering from sea surface on surface wind speed and the geometry of observations. Therefore, by knowing radar scattering and geometric parameters, it is possible to invert GMFs to estimate wind speed. There are two principal approaches to model GMFs: based on empirical (EP) descriptions (so called EP GMFs), and based on electromagnetic (EM) calculations (so called EM GMFs). For an overview, wind speeds are estimated using both EP and EM models. They are then compared with in situ measurements to evaluate. Based on the comparisons, the advantages and inconveniences of the GMFs are analyzed.


In this work we are concerned with the design of efficient mechanisms while eliciting limited information from the agents. First, we study the performance of sampling approximations in facility location games. Our key result is to show that for any $\epsilon>0$, a sample of size $c(\epsilon) = \Theta(1/\epsilon^2)$ yields in expectation a $1 + \epsilon$ approximation with respect to the optimal social cost of the generalized median mechanism on the metric space $(\mathbb{R}^d, \| \cdot \|_1)$, while the number of agents $n \to \infty$. Moreover, we study a series of exemplar environments from auction theory through a communication complexity framework, measuring the expected number of bits elicited from the agents; we posit that any valuation can be expressed with $k$ bits, and we mainly assume that $k$ is independent of the number of agents $n$. In this context, we show that Vickrey's rule can be implemented with an expected communication of $1 + \epsilon$ bits from an average bidder, for any $\epsilon>0$, asymptotically matching the trivial lower bound. As a corollary, we provide a compelling method to increment the price in an English auction. We also leverage our single-item format with an efficient encoding scheme to prove that the same communication bound can be recovered in the domain of additive valuations through simultaneous ascending auctions, assuming that the number of items is a constant. Finally, we propose an ascending-type multi-unit auction under unit demand bidders; our mechanism announces at every round two separate prices and is based on a sampling algorithm that performs approximate selection with limited communication, leading again to asymptotically optimal communication. Our results do not require any prior knowledge on the agents' valuations, and mainly follow from natural sampling techniques.


This paper offers general support for what Valerie Plumwood's paper is trying to achieve by supporting the rejection of each of her four "false laws of logic": exportation, illegitimate replacement, commutation (aka. permutation) and disjunctive syllogism. We start by considering her general characterizations of entailment, beginning with her stated definition of entailment as the converse of deducibility. However, this applies to a wide range of relevant logics and so is not able to be used as a criterion for deciding what laws to include in a logic. In this context, we examine the two key differences between deduction from premises to conclusion and entailment from antecedent to consequent. We also consider her use of sufficiency as a general characterizing feature. We then discuss Plumwood's syntactic criteria used to reject the first three of her false laws of logic and add the Relevance Condition in this context. We next consider semantic characterizing criteria for a logic. After making a case against using truth, we introduce Brady's logic MC of meaning containment. We then examine the content semantics for MC and use it to reject all of Plumwood's false laws of logic together with some others. We follow with the related Depth Relevance Condition, which is a syntactic cri- terion satisfied by MC. This clearly rejects the first three of these laws and many others, but not the fourth law. We conclude by giving our overall support for her general enterprise.


Due to increased social awareness of allergens and population hyper-sensitization, the reported incidence of allergic reactions to food allergens has increased over the past two decades. Cow's milk proteins (CMPs) are among the most common food allergens. The aim of this study was to use proteomics techniques to investigate cow's milk allergens in both full-term human colostrum and in preterm newborns' mothers - where both groups showed no prior allergen detection – in order to understand whether cow's milk allergens could be a cause of sensitization established through lactation. The most relevant finding was the detection of the intact bovine alpha-S1-casein in both term and preterm colostrum. Using techniques detailed in this paper and which allowed for direct protein identification, β-lactoglobulin was not detected in any of the colostrum samples. According to our results, bovine alpha 1 casein is considered a major cow's milk allergen, is readily secreted in human milk, and so could be considered a possible cause of sensitization in exclusively breastfed infants.


The application of airborne power ultrasounds to enhance freeze drying processes has become a promising, green and efficient technology. It has been proved that this technology accelerates drying kinetics obtaining a good quality final product. The effectiveness of this process comes from the generation of a high-intensity ultrasonic field by an airborne power ultrasonic transducer (APUT) with an extensive radiator. A stepped circular plate, vibrating flexurally with seven nodal circles, has been used for this purpose. Its use allows a good impedance matching with the gas media because of the high surface of the radiator; and a coherent ultrasonic field due to the steps applied in the surface of the radiator and the high vibration amplitude of this surface.The aim of this work is to present the integration of this ultrasonic system within the dehydration chamber for lyophilization at atmospheric pressure of food samples, and to show the efficiency of this novel technology in freeze drying of apple slices.The application of airborne power ultrasounds to enhance freeze drying processes has become a promising, green and efficient technology. It has been proved that this technology accelerates drying kinetics obtaining a good quality final product. The effectiveness of this process comes from the generation of a high-intensity ultrasonic field by an airborne power ultrasonic transducer (APUT) with an extensive radiator. A stepped circular plate, vibrating flexurally with seven nodal circles, has been used for this purpose. Its use allows a good impedance matching with the gas media because of the high surface of the radiator; and a coherent ultrasonic field due to the steps applied in the surface of the radiator and the high vibration amplitude of this surface.The aim of this work is to present the integration of this ultrasonic system within the dehydration chamber for lyophilization at atmospheric pressure of food samples, and to show the efficiency of this novel technology in freeze drying of apple slices.


Coral snakes, the New-World members of the Elapidae family, belong to the genera Micrurus, Leptomicrurus and Micruroides. There are over 50 species of these snakes inhabiting Northern, Central and South America. The clinically important coral snakes in the United States are Micrurus fulvius fulvius (Eastern coral), Micrurus fulvius tenere (Texas coral), and Micruroides euryxanthus (Arizona or Sonora coral).


: Objective: Determination of the difference and correlation between capillary and venous glucose monitoring by glucometer in comparison to venous glucose analysis by standard laboratory. Methods: The study was conducted on a non-probability convenient sample of 20 consenting patients visiting the emergency department of Nishtar Medical University, Multan. Their blood glucose levels were synchronously analyzed using a bedside On Call Plus glucometer on capillary and venous derived samples. The venous sample was also sent for comparative testing to the central hospital laboratory using Beckman Coulter AU680 Clinical Chemistry Analyzer. Student's t-test and Pearson's correlation analysis was done to determine the difference and correlation of results. Results: The mean age of 20 subjects was 47±5.7. The mean laboratory glucose, mean capillary blood glucometer glucose, and mean venous derived blood glucometer glucose was 127.47, 138.01 and 143.96 mg/dl, respectively. A statistically significant difference (10.45 mg/dl, p=0.001) between the mean values for the laboratory and capillary glucose samples was noted. The difference between the mean values for the laboratory and venous glucometer samples was also found statistically significant (16.39mg/dl, p=0.001). There was a 5.94 mg/dl (p=0.05) difference between the capillary and venous derived glucometer tested samples as well. Thus difference was observed between the glucometer and the laboratory blood glucose results. Conclusion: There is a significant yet small variation in the blood glucose results analyzed by laboratory and glucometer. The difference between capillary and venous glucometer measurement may be clinically small and irrelevant, but caution must be exercised in accepting the results as equivalent or using either as substitutes for the standard laboratory blood glucose results.


We present a first step towards developing a cognitive model of decision making using Dynamically Structured Holographic Memory (DSHM). DSHM is a class of memory models used to model human performance in game play, memory tasks, and language learning. The ability to detect and predict patterns is an integral part of memory models and an important part of decision making. However, decision making also requires the ability to evaluate states as more or less desirous in order to motivate the decisions. We apply a DSHM model to the decision-making task of Walsh and Anderson (2011). By initializing memory to a state of optimism and by making the model sensitive to dependencies between non-consecutive events, we find that the model is able to learn the task at a rate similar to humans.


In our previous work we have shown that as the NA of a lithographic projection system increases some of the simulation assumptions that are traditionally made - such as the so-called Hopkins assumption, i.e. the assumption that diffraction at the mask is independent of the angle of incidence of the illuminating light waves - break down, at least in some cases. Reliable simulation results will then only be obtained if this Hopkins assumption is eliminated, i.e. when the diffraction effect is reevaluated for each incident direction. The differences in the results between two such simulations, one using the Hopkins approach, the other with this assumption removed, have been demonstrated to be very significant in some case, but today there is no clear understanding when the removal of the Hopkins assumption is essential: a systematic study is not available. As simulations without the Hopkins approximation are significantly more time consuming than simulations done under the Hopkins assumption, a better understanding of which model can or must be used under which circumstances, would be of significant practical importance. The aim of this paper is to provide such a more systematic study for the case of 6% attenuated PSM with line/space structures targeting at a 45 nm resist linewidth for a variety of pitches, for a NA = 1.2 water immersion system. Standard lithographic metrics such as process windows will be used to compare the two simulation approaches. All this work will be done taking the mask topography and optical material parameters into account. As the polarization state of the mask-illumination will also greatly affect the imaging quality at hyper-NA, we will compare the results for different polarization states and illumination modes.


We introduce an information-driven scene classification system that combines different types of knowledge derived from a domain ontology and a statistical model in order to analyze scenes based on recognized objects. The domain ontology structures and formalizes which kind of scene classes exist and which object classes occur in them. Based on this structure, an empirical analysis of annotations from the LabelMe image database results in a statistical domain description. Both forms of knowledge are utilized for determining which object class detector to apply to the current scene according to the principle of maximum information gain. All evidence is combined in a belief-based framework that explicitly takes into account the uncertainty inherent to the statistical model and the object detection process as well as the ignorance associated with the coarse granularity of ontological constraints. Finally, we present preliminary classification performance results for scenes from the LabelMe database.


Melanopsin (gene symbol: Opn4) is the G protein-coupled photopigment that confers photosensitivity upon intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). ipRGCs are the third class of retinal photoreceptor in mammals, complementing the two previously identified classes, the rods and cones. This novel class, however, differs from rods and cones in many significant ways. First, ipRGCs are more similar morphologically to other retinal ganglion cell classes than to other retinal photoreceptors, i.e., rods and cones. Instead of having photopigment concentrated in a specialized light-absorbing cellular domain such as the outer segment, ipRGCs have photopigment distributed throughout the plasma membrane of the cell. Second, the phototransduction cascade of ipRGCs more closely resembles that of the rhabdomeric photoreceptors that are typically found in the invertebrates rather than that of ciliary photoreceptors typical of vertebrate visual systems. Accordingly, like the rhabdomeric photoreceptors of invertebrates, ipRGCs depolarize in response to illumination while rods and cones hyperpolarize. Third, in addition to their inherent light sensitivity, ipRGCs also function as a conduit for information that originates in the rods and cones and is conveyed to the brain for the purposes of generating non-visual light responses. WIREs Membr Transp Signal 2012, 1:228–237. doi: 10.1002/wmts.29

For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.


Purpose: MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small noncoding RNAs thought to be involved in physiologic and developmental processes by negatively regulating the expression of target genes. Little is known about the role of miRNAs in normal and cancer cells. It is possible that deregulation of miRNA may contribute to the oncogenesis of some cancers. We studied the expression level of the miRNA processing enzyme (DICER1, DGCR8, and RNASEN) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Experimental Design: The expression levels of DICER1, DGCR8, and RNASEN mRNA in 73 ESCC tissues were compared with that in corresponding normal esophageal epithelium by Taqman real-time reverse-transcription PCR. We also examined RNASEN protein expression in 27 cell lines. The role of RNASEN in cell proliferation in ESCC cells was assessed by small interfering RNA. Paraffin sections of ESCC patients were immunohistochemically investigated. Results: We found that RNASEN expression levels were enhanced in a fraction of esophageal cancers. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the prognostic effect of RNASEN (P = 0.0036) seems to be independent of disease stage (P = 0.0060). Knockdown of RNASEN in esophageal cancer cell lines resulted in a 46% to 85% reduction in cell number. In an immunohistochemical study, the intensity of RNASEN expression was often increased in the tumor compared with that in normal epithelium. Conclusions: The relationship between the RNASEN expression and the prognosis of the ESCC patients warrants a further study on the role of miRNA and tumor progression.


Mutational analysis guides therapeutic decision making in patients with advanced‐stage gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). We evaluated three targeted next‐generation sequencing (NGS) assays, consecutively used over 4 years in our laboratory for mutational analysis of 162 primary GISTs: Agilent GIST MASTR, Illumina TruSight 26 and an in‐house developed 96 gene panels. In addition, we investigated the feasibility of a more comprehensive approach by adding targeted RNA sequencing (Archer FusionPlex, 11 genes) in an attempt to reduce the number of Wild Type GISTs. We found KIT or PDGFRA mutations in 149 out of 162 GISTs (92.0%). Challenging KIT exon 11 alterations were initially missed by different assays in seven GISTs and typically represented deletions at the KIT intron 10‐exon 11 boundary or large insertions/deletions (>24 base pairs). Comprehensive analysis led to the additional identification of driver alterations in 8/162 GISTs (4.9%): apart from BRAF and SDHA mutations (one case each), we found five GISTs harboring somatic neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) alterations (3.1%) and one case with an in‐frame TRIM4‐BRAF fusion not reported in GIST before. Eventually, no driver alteration was found in two out of 162 GISTs (1.2%) and three samples (1.9%) failed analysis. Our study shows that a comprehensive targeted NGS approach is feasible for routine mutational analysis of GIST, thereby substantially reducing the number of Wild Type GISTs, and highlights the need to optimize assays for challenging KIT exon 11 alterations.


A recent focus in the study of cross-linguistic influence is the role of transfer during third language acquisition. How do the learner's first and second languages influence the acquisition of a third language? Current research suggests that the multilingual dynamic differs from L1 effects during second language acquisition. This literature review will examine L2 transfer during third language acquisition within the general context of cross-linguistic influence. An overview of the study of language transfer will be presented, followed by a discussion of the variables that operate and interact when two or more languages come into contact. The variables are categorized as learner-based or language-based, and each is discussed in the contexts of L2 and L3 acquisition. A particular area of focus will be hybrid lexical forms and the unintentional intrusion of L2 items during L3 production.


Geopolymer concrete is becoming a viable alternative to Ordinary Portland Cement concrete because of its excellent physical, economic and environmental properties. This is due to the large global production of fly ash, which can be used as the main ingredient in geopolymers. It is cheap and readily available, in comparison to the massive amount of energy that is used to produce Ordinary Portland Cement. The aim of this research is to analyse the physical properties of low-calcium (Class F) fly ash-based geopolymer concrete while it is elevated to high temperatures, and how it will behave with varying types of coarse aggregate. While studies have been conducted on the hot strength of the geopolymer binder without aggregates, limited research has been submitted on the properties of geopolymer concrete at elevated temperatures. This project analysed the compressive strength and elastic modulus of GPC at varying temperatures and also looked at the residual strength after the samples were allowed to cool. The experimental results showed varying strength losses and gains with increased temperatures and found that stiffness decreases with increasing temperature. It was also found that samples made with artificial aggregates initially produced weaker geopolymer concrete but performed better in terms of relative strength loss at higher temperatures.


Ethernet is widely used in Local Area Networks (LANs) due to its simplicity and cost effectiveness. Today, a great deal of effort is being devoted to extending Ethernet capabilities in order to elevate it from a LAN technology to a ubiquitous networking technology, suitable for deployment in Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) and even in core, Wide Area Networks (WANs). Current standardized Ethernet networks are based on a spanning tree topology, using the Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) or Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP). The spanning tree architecture is useful for avoiding forwarding loops, but may lead to low link utilization and long failure recovery time. In this paper we propose to shift from tree to Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) topologies and offer a new bridged Ethernet architecture called Orient. Orient is based on assigning an orientation state to each port in the network in order to prevent loops. Thus, the Orient architecture enables a full utilization of all network links and ports, while maintaining simplicity of implementation and compliance with the standardized spanning tree protocols.


Abstract The history of agricultural terraces remains poorly understood due to problems in dating their construction and use. This has hampered broader research on their significance, limiting knowledge of past agricultural practices and the long-term investment choices of rural communities. The authors apply OSL profiling and dating to the sediments associated with agricultural terraces across the Mediterranean region to date their construction and use. Results from five widely dispersed case studies reveal that although many terraces were used in the first millennium AD, the most intensive episodes of terrace-building occurred during the later Middle Ages (c. AD 1100–1600). This innovative approach provides the first large-scale evidence for both the longevity and medieval intensification of Mediterranean terraces.


A many body Hamiltonian involving the mean field for a projected spherical single particle basis, the pairing interactions for alike nucleons, a repulsive dipole-dipole proton-neutron interaction in the particle-hole (ph ) channel and an attractive dipole-pairing interaction is treated by a gauge restored and fully renormalized proton-neutron quasiparticle random phase approximation formalism. Application to the 2νββ decay rate show a good agreement with the corresponding data. The Ikeda sum rule is obeyed.


The purpose of these studies was to examine how the type of propulsion system impacted the willingness to fly in a hypothetical scenario. Using a sample of 624 participants from the USA across two studies, it was found, in general, that participants were most willing to fly using traditional jet fuel or a biofuel followed by battery/electric and then solar-powered aircraft. There were no significant differences based on participant gender, any significant interactions nor any significant mediators between the type of propulsion and the willingness to fly. Still, familiarity with sustainability, willingness to pay for sustainability, and environmental commitment were found to be significant moderators. In cases where participants had high levels of the three moderating variables, they were significantly more willing to fly using sustainable propulsion systems than compared to low levels of the moderating variables. The study concludes with a discussion of these findings and the practical applications of this research.


This sequential mediation analysis study examined how the baseline effort-reward imbalance (ERI) would predict reward motivation 1 year later in 435 college students. We found that negative/disorganized schizotypal traits and anticipatory pleasure experience together mediate the prediction of ERI for reward motivation.


A 37-year-old man was admitted with facial edema and right arm swelling. Venography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed massive organizing thrombi in the superior vena cava and bilateral internal jugular as well as subclavian veins, and showed no mass lesions occluding the veins in the mediastinum. Angioscopy demonstrated a white thrombus at the entrance of the right subclavian vein. All results of blood coagulation tests were normal. The patient was diagnosed as having superior vena cava syndrome caused by idiopathic venous thrombosis. Anti-coagulant therapy with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator injection and continuous urokinase and heparin infusion into the thrombi through a catheter were not effective in lysing the thrombi. Collateral circulation gradually developed and his symptoms decreased. We decided to follow this patient on warfarin medication because of the difficulty in removing the thrombi surgically.


We introduce an equationally definable counterpart of the notion of combinatory model. The new notion, called an algebraic combinatory model, is weaker than that of a lambda algebra but is strong enough to interpret lambda calculus. The class of algebraic combinatory models admits finite axiomatisation with seven closed equations, and it can be characterised as the retracts of combinatory models. Lambda algebras are then characterised as algebraic combinatory models which are stable, and there is a canonical construction of a lambda algebra from an algebraic combinatory model. This passage to a lambda algebra also manifests itself in our construction of a cartesian closed category with a reflexive object from an algebraic combinatory model. The resulting axiomatisation of lambda algebras with the seven equations and stability corresponds to that of Selinger [J. Funct. Programming, 12(6), 549–566, 2002], which would clarify the origin and the role of each axiom in his axiomatisation.


This study was designed to examine the professional life stressors among teaching faculty at tertiary level. The major objectives of the study were the identification of professional life stressors among teachers at tertiary level, finding the differences between life stressors of male and female teachers at tertiary level, and suggesting them some plausible ways to cope with stressors in their daily routine. The current study was descriptive in nature. The population of the study comprised all the teachers teaching at the department of social sciences in 13 public sector universities of Islamabad. Cluster sampling technique was used to draw 200 representatives from the population of four universities. The study concluded that both lifestyle stressors and professional stressors were meaningful for the faculty teaching in the universities of Islamabad. However, professional stress was higher than lifestyle stress among teachers. Career development was the major stressor for teachers teaching at tertiary level. Organizational climate and organizational discipline were also perceived as major sources of stress for teachers at tertiary level. Female teachers of tertiary level had higher levels of stress as compared to male teachers. Relationships at work were least stressful for the faculty teaching in the universities of Islamabad. Based upon the findings of the study, it is recommended that facilities such as equal opportunities of training, quality training and counseling may be provided to teachers by their institutions for their career development and organizations may improve their communication and overall management.


Charles V, Gervais Chretien and the Scientific Manuscriptsof Maitre Gervais' College.Considered as an institution mainly devoted to astrology and medicine by Simon de Phares and some historians who believed that he was reliable, the college founded in 1371 by Charles V's first physician, Gervais Chretien, was actually primarily dedicated to theological students. It was not before 1377 that were created there two bursaries for scholares regis, specialised in « licit mathematical sciences », and two medical fellowships. Yet the influence of the activity of these fellows seems to ave been rather moderate and – as far as we can learn from the material still extant, notably from manuscripts that belonged to Maitre Gervais' College and to some of his members – this institution was devoted much more to theological studies than to medicine and quadrivium.


Abstract: The upper canopy of some rain forests in New Caledonia is dominated by single species. These monodominants are commonly secondary species, their dominance not persisting without disturbance. We tested whether dominance is associated with efficient uptake and use of nutrients (N, P and K), comparing between seedlings of monodominants (Nothofagus spp., Arillastrum gummiferum and Cerberiopsis candelabra) and 14 subordinates, grown in a nursery house. We also tested whether this trend applies more broadly to shade-intolerant trees that regenerate episodically (ER species) versus shade-tolerant trees that regenerate continuously (CR species). In the sun treatment, monodominants had higher photosynthetic nutrient-use efficiency and productivity for N and K, and uptake efficiency for N, P and K, than subordinates; ER species had higher photosynthetic nutrient-use efficiency for N, P and K, and uptake efficiency for N and P, than CR species. Uptake efficiency and productivity per nutrient mass were uncorrelated across species, yet Nothofagus spp., A. gummiferum and C. candelabra combined high levels of both traits for N, and Nothofagus spp. and A. gummiferum combined moderate to high levels for P, in sun-grown seedlings. This trait combination may contribute substantially to competitiveness and post-disturbance dominance on these nutrient-poor soils.


In aqueous solution, bis(nucleoside) complexes formed by the reaction of cis-[Pt(NH3)2(H2O)2]2+ with an excess of either adenosine (ado) or a mixture of adenosine and guanosine (guo) undergo a slow N7--> N1 linkage isomerisation in the adenine moiety. The isomerisation probably involves the breaking and reformation of Pt-nucleoside bonds, thus favouring the more stable N1 binding mode of the adenine base. Dynamic processes due to the presence of adenosine in the platinum coordination sphere are slow on the NMR time scale. The N7 binding mode of PtII in cis-[Pt(NH3)2(ado-N7)2](ClO4)2. 3.5H2O was confirmed by X-ray crystal structure analysis. In both of the crystallographically independent cations, the PtII coordination sphere is almost ideally square planar, with typical Pt-N bond lengths and angles. The most significant difference between the two cations lies in the sugar conformation of the coordinated nucleosides. In one cation, both have an anti (-ap) conformation, whilst in the other cation one has an anti (-ap) conformation and the other a syn (+sc) conformation stabilised by a relatively strong H-bond. Substitution of the nucleoside(s) by thiourea follows an associative mechanism with only a negligible contribution by the solvent path. For symmetric complexes, the order of lability of different binding modes is ado-N1 <guo-N7 < ado-N7 for substitution of the first nucleoside, whereas for the second nucleoside it is guo-N7 < ado-N1 < ado-N7. For asymmetric complexes, the concomitant cleavage of different PtII-nucleoside bonds can be explained by two parallel reaction pathways. The change in the PtII coordination sphere affects the lability of the coordinating nucleosides in a different manner. The ado-N1 binding mode renders all binding modes less labile, whereas the ado-N7 mode has the opposite effect, and the guo-N7 mode increases the lability of the ado-N1 mode but decreases that of the ado-N7 mode. The mixed-ligand complex with (ado-N7)(guo-N7) mode is far more susceptible to attack by thiourea than the symmetric (guo-N7)2 species. These two species can be considered as models for the two most abundant Cisplatin-DNA adducts.


Dear Sir, We were interested to read 'Laparoscopic enucleation of a mesenteric cyst; a video vignette' by Badic et al. [1]. In our unit we have performed an open procedure to excise completely a mesenteric cyst that was attached to the transverse mesocolon. This was a malignant mucinous cystadenoma, with histology revealing intraepithelial neoplasia rather than frank invasion. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, colonoscopy, transvaginal ultrasound scan and staging CT scan did not demonstrate a primary site for the cyst, although immunohistochemistry favoured an ovarian origin. A CT scan at 4 years has shown no evidence of local recurrence or metastatic spread. We have had excellent support from our locoregional peritoneal malignancy service but without definite guidelines it is difficult to know how to follow such patients. In the patient reported by Badic et al., the cyst was dissected laparoscopically and aspirated intraperitoneally. Although laparoscopic dissection may be technically feasible there is a risk of rupture. Aspiration of the cyst in the peritoneal cavity also has the potential for spillage of the cyst contents. Zappa and Sugarbaker state that this may lead to seeding and the development of subsequent pseudomyxoma peritonei [2]. Although the likelihood of these cysts being malignant is small, the diagnosis is only made following excision and has severe consequences for the patient. Have the authors considered spillage as a potential source for recurrence in future cases?


It is shown that physically significant time-dependent transition rates (TDTRs) for dielectric relaxation should be defined to refer to the decay of the system's response function, rather than that of its relaxation function. An examination of the stretched-exponential function in the time domain and of the Havriliak-Negami function in the frequency domain, to which experimental results are often fitted, shows that for most times the TDTRs must be proportional to the inverse of the time. This result is discussed in terms of the difference between global and local TDTRs.


Quintessence models have been widely examined in the context of scalar-Gauss-Bonnet gravity, a subclass of Horndeski's theory, and were proposed as viable candidates for Dark Energy. However, the relatively recent observational constraints on the speed of gravitational waves $c_{\textrm{GW}}$ have resulted in many of those models being ruled out because they predict $c_{\textrm{GW}} \neq c$ generally. While these were formulated in the metric formalism of gravity, it was found later that some Horndeski models could be rescued in the Palatini formalism, where the connection is independent of the metric and the underlying geometry no longer corresponds to the pseudo-Riemannian one. Motivated by this and the relation between scalar-Gauss-Bonnet gravity and Horndeski's theory, we put forward a new quintessence model with the scalar-Gauss-Bonnet action but in Weyl geometry. We find the fixed points of the dynamical system under some assumptions and determine their stability via linear analysis. Although the past evolution of the Universe as we know it is correctly reproduced, the constraints on $c_{\textrm{GW}}$ are shown to be grossly violated for the coupling function under consideration. The case of $c_{\textrm{GW}} = c$ is regarded also, but no evolution consistent with other cosmological observations is obtained.


Climate change driven by greenhouse gas emissions is substantially altering water availability while increasing water demand. Shifts in domestic energy policy and production, while needed to confront the challenge of climate change, may further stress the nation's water resources. These changes and new demands will be most severe in regions that are already experiencing water stresses and conflicts. This article examines the extent of the changes in water supply and demand by assessing how water conflicts will be addressed in the four overarching water use categories: water for population security, water for ecological security, water for energy security, and water for food security. The analysis suggests that water governance institutions and policies need to be retooled to better accommodate the necessary reallocation of water that will serve the nation's water security needs.


The use of noninvasive alternatives to tracheostomy for ventilatory support have been described in the patient management of various neuromuscular disorders. The use of these techniques for patients with traumatic high level quadriplegia, however, is hampered by the resort to tracheostomy in the acute hospital setting. Twenty traumatic high level quadriplegic patients on intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) via tracheostomy with little or no ability for unassisted breathing were converted to noninvasive ventilatory support methods and had their tracheostomy sites closed. Four additional patients were ventilated by noninvasive methods without tracheostomy. These methods included the use of body ventilators and the noninvasive intermittent positive airway pressure alternatives of IPPV via the mouth, nose, or custom acrylic strapless oral-nasal interface (SONI). Overnight end-tidal pCO2 studies and monitoring of oxyhemoglobin saturation (SaO2) were used to adjust ventilator volumes and to document effective ventilation during sleep. No significant complications have resulted from the use of these methods over a period of 45 patient-years. Elimination of the tracheostomy permitted significant free time by glossopharyngeal breathing for four patients, two of whom had no measurable vital capacity. We conclude that noninvasive ventilatory support alternatives can be effective and deserve further study in this patient population.


This study presents results from the numerical analysis of the performance of the Horizontal Axis Tidal Turbine under the influence of current from various directions. The sliding mesh in ANSYS Fluent is used to simulate the rotating turbine. The realizable K-ε model is used to model the turbulence. The ANSYS model is verified against experimental data by comparing the power coefficient for various velocities of tidal current coming from zero-degree direction. After that, the effects of tidal current directions are investigated by considering nine approaching angles. It is found that the maximum Power Coefficient occurs when the direction of incoming flow is parallel to the rotational axis of the turbine, regardless of incoming flow velocity. Thrust coefficient, on the other hand, found to reach the maximum when deflection of incoming flow is 15°. In an actual marine environment, it is difficult to ensure that the incoming flow of water will always be parallel to the rotating axis of the turbine. Therefore, to ensure efficient energy capturing, it is suggested that the flow directions should be kept within 15° from the rotational axis of the turbine, especially for low incoming velocity.


An optical encryption scheme based on a ghost imaging system with disordered speckles is proposed to obtain a higher security with a small key. In the scheme, Alice produces the random speckle patterns and obtains the detection results with the help of a computational ghost imaging (CGI) system. Then Alice permutes the order of the random speckle patterns and shares the permutation sequence as a secure key to the authorized users. With the secure key, Bob could recover the object with the principle of the CGI system, whereas, the unauthorized users could not obtain any information of the object. The numerical simulations and experimental results show that the proposed scheme is feasible with a small key, simultaneously, it has a higher security. When the eavesdropping ratio (ER) is less than 40%, the eavesdropper cannot acquire any useful information. Meanwhile, the authorized users could recover completely with the secure key.


It is well recognized that cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling within neurons plays a key role in the foundation of long-term memories. Memory storage is the process that demands the movement of signals, neural plasticity, and the molecules which can transfer the signals from the sensory neuron to the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and later into the temporal region of the brain. The discovery of cAMP in 1958 as the second messenger also had a role in memory formation and other neural aspects. Further, in 1998 the scientists found that cAMP does not just activate protein kinase A (PKA) but also exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (Epac) which has an active role to play in hyperalgesia, memory, and signaling. The cAMP has three targets, hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide modulated (HCN) channels, protein kinase A (PKA), and exchange protein activated by cAMP (Epac). Different research has exposed that both PKA and HCN channels are significant for long-term memory creation. Epac is a cAMP-dependent guanine nucleotide exchange factor for the small G proteins including Rap1. However, slight information is there about the role of Epac in this process. The effects of cAMP are predominantly imparted by activating protein kinase A (PKA) and the more newly discovered exchange proteins are directly activated by cAMP 1 and 2 (EPAC1 and EPAC2). This review provides an insight regarding the function and role of both of these secondary messengers in memory and nerve signaling.


The article deals with the policy of financing the studies in Lithuanian higher education during the last two decades. After regaining the independence in 1990, Lithuania inherited the Soviet model of financing of higher education where all higher educational institutions were state-owned and all studies were-state funded. However, quite soon the first full fee-paying students and the so-called "commercial groups" appeared in state higher education institutions as a result of the newly gained institutional autonomy. Eventually, non-state higher education institutions were established, and the number of full fee-paying students had been radically increasing until in 2000 the Law on Higher Education introduced a new model of funding – a fixed study fee of 1000 litas, which only partially covered the study costs. Thus, three categories of students emerged – state-funded, full fee-paying, and a fixed study fee paying students. In 2009, the Law on Studies and Research introduced a new model – the formula funding, which was popularly called "the student basket". The entrants entitled to state funding after successfully passing the national matura exams were allowed to carry the state money "basket" to the university for the study program of their choice. The article notes that the intention of the reformers was to introduce market regulation instead of state regulation in this field in order to increase competition among higher education institutions and thus to ensure the quality of studies. Still another aim was to re-distribute students between the university and the non-university sectors in favour of the non-university sector. However, the aim was only partially achieved. The statistics presented in the article show that both in the university and the non-university sectors the entrants prefered to choose popular programs of universities in big cities, mainly in the fields of humanities and social sciences. As a result, regional universities and colleges as well as study programs related to science and technologies lost substantial numbers of students. These losses were partially compensated by enrolling larger numbers of full-fee-paying students.


Eleven patients with periodontitis, ten patients with juvenile periodontitis and ten control subjects were studied to compare systemic and local immunologic responses and various other blood parameters. A more intensified immunologic response was seen in juvenile periodontitis as compared to periodontitis or controls as evidenced by: (1) greater number of plasma cells and lymphocytes in biopsy specimens of involved gingiva stained by Harris hematoxylin and eosin; (2) significant decrease in serum C4 levels and slightly elevated serum IgG levels as determined by radial immunodiffusion; (3) marked increase of positive fluorescing cells in biopsy specimens stained with antihuman immunoglobulin conjugate and an increase in complement deposition in the same tissues as determined by immunofluorescence. No significant differences among the two groups of patients and control subjects were observed with respect to complete blood counts, coagulation studies, or blood glucose levels. These findings suggest that the immunologic responses in periodontitis and juvenile periodontitis are qualitatively similar, but that the intensity of the response is greater in juvenile periodontitis.


The effectiveness of systemic chemotherapy is dramatically limited by both intrinsic and acquired drug resistance. Several new technologies have been developed over the last decade to more rapidly identify underlying genetic alterations that impart a drug-resistant phenotype. Techniques such as cDNA-based subtraction technologies, SAGE analysis, and most recently cDNA array and high-density micro-array technologies have rapidly expanded our ability to detect changes in RNA transcription in drug-resistant tumors. These technologies are currently being applied to generate a large number of new hypotheses regarding the regulatory molecules underlying the drug-resistance phenotype. These techniques suggest that there is a large number of transcriptional changes which occur in the drug-resistance phenotype and future work will need to focus on dissecting which of these transcriptional changes are central to the drug resistance phenotype, both in vitro, and more importantly within clinical neoplasia. Copyright 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.


Fire industry has been an important role in from the fire and disaster to protect life and property of citizens. In recent years the national fire industry in Japan and the United States Fire industrialized countries with respect to the fire industry in quality and technology challenges facing the competition, and fire Industry for China and other poor countries and vulnerable to the price competition in the fire industry's difficulties with this study is necessary. The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics of the fire industry, the development is aimed to provide direction. The proposed development direction for the future industrial development of the fire, setting goals, fostering the promotion of industrial development direction, running through the fire in the actual application will be available.


A central benefit of manufacturers' sales reps is their ability to provide sellers with information about prospective buyers. Yet sales reps often selectively under-report this information, which is viewed as a major problem by sellers and academics alike. We feel this is only part of the story. Beyond their economic roles of passing along information, sales reps also manage social tensions between sellers and buyers that can threaten exchange. We show selective under-reporting can be beneficial to facilitate exchanges that would be impossible with fully truthful reports. We develop a game-theoretic model in a cheap-talk setting that adds the sales reps' social role, and show when and which piece(s) of information sales reps will under-report to induce buyers and sellers to agree to a deal. We show this makes all three parties better off, generating a Pareto-improving "Selective Under-reporting" equilibrium. Our work suggests that half-truths aren't always half-bad and can serve as an essential social lubricant for exchange. This broadens our understanding of the complexity of sales reps' work and sales managers' toolkit for managing under-reporting, and suggests new understandings of third parties' roles in a world increasingly focused on information and big data.


The leadthrough of monitoring researches is offered for determination of complex estimation of social protected of workers of railway transport. The tasks and stages of this procedure are examined.


Since the arrival of the computer at home during the '80s, the importance of the digital world in our daily lives has hugely increased. First centralized on a unique computer, the digital world spread over several devices that surround us: smartphones, tablets, cameras, music players, etc. However, despite the increasing number of devices around our digital lives, the way we interact with them has barely evolved. Digital devices are not aware of their surrounding environment, and they often use interfaces and mechanisms which are computer-oriented. The next step in the evolution of our digital life will be centered on a better integration of the digital world with the ecosystem of devices that surrounds it. In this work, we illustrate this upcoming evolution through the development and evaluation of original interfaces dedicated to the control of digital media. Based on our research, we organize these interfaces in three areas of improvement: unification, automation and familiarity. This thesis is divided in four main chapters. The first chapter presents the evolution of our digital world over the last 30 years. The next three chapters are centered on the three areas of improvement that we defined: unification, automation and familiarity. Unification corresponds to the fusion of digital worlds as a unique and coherent whole that devices should interact with. Automation consists in using information obtained from the user and her environment in order to simplify or automate the interaction with the digital world. Finally, familiarity allows benefiting of users' past experiences in order to create friendly and intuitive interfaces.


A ray-tracing technique to predict the propagation channel parameters in indoor scenarios is presented. An analysis of the physical radio channel propagation inside a van full of buckets is presented. The propagation model is a deterministic technique, based on 3D ray launching. The results show the dependence of the scenario in the performance of the system, revealing that the consideration of the topology of the wireless system prior to deployment leads to an optimal final configuration.


Camellias are potentially appreciated as cut branches due to their deep and bright green foliage with a high number of flower buds. The present research investigated the role of ethylene in postharvest flower and leaf abscission of seven cultivars of Camellia japonica and evaluated the effect of inhibitors of ethylene action on their vase life. Cut flowering branches were shipped from private companies, mimicking a long and short supply chain. Plant materials were treated with commercial Chrysal, gaseous 1-MCP, and 1-MCP included in β-cyclodextrin-based nanosponges and compared to cut branches exposed to exogenous ethylene (1±0.2 μl l-1) for 24 h and control in tap water. Visual checks for symptoms of variation in senescence, flower opening stage, flower abscission, leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD) and gloss, in addition to ethylene production levels were monitored daily. Cut branches placed in tap water lost ornamental value after ca. 5.5 days of vase life and reached complete senescence after about 10 days in all the studied cultivars, regardless of supply chain, with the exception of 'Il Tramonto' with 10 and 20 days, respectively. Exogenous ethylene application reduced camellia cut branch longevity in 'Debbie' and 'R.H. Wheeler', while the other cultivars lasted as long as the control. Anti-ethylene treatments prolonged the vase life only in 'Korun Koku' and 'Il Tramonto'.


Symmetric teleparallel gravity (STG) offers an interesting third geometric interpretation of gravitation besides its formulation in terms of a spacetime metric and Levi-Civita connection or its teleparallel formulation. It describes gravity through a connection which is not metric compatible, however is torsion and curvature free. We investigate the propagation velocity of the gravitational waves around Minkowski spacetime and their potential polarizations in a general class of STG theories, the so-called "newer general relativity" class. It is defined in terms of the most general Lagrangian that is quadratic in the nonmetricity tensor, does not contain its derivatives and is determined by five free parameters. In our work we employ the principal symbol method and the Newman-Penrose formalism, to find that all waves propagate with the speed of light, i.e., on the Minkowski spacetime light cone, and to classify the theories according to the number of polarizations of the waves depending on the choice of the parameters in the Lagrangian. In particular it turns out that there exist more theories than just the reformulation of general relativity which allow only for two polarization modes. We also present a visualization of the parameter space of the theory to better understand the structure of the model.


Generally, a coolant of the nuclear power plant is manufactured by electrolyzing the sea water near the plant for making the sodium hypochlorite(NaOCl), which is used for sterilizing the bacteria and the shellfishes sticking to the drains or the pumps at the outlet of the cooling system due to 8-10?C warmer temperature than the inlet sea water. During manufacturing the sodium hypochlorite, the hydrogen with the high purity is also produced at the anode side of the electrolyzer. This paper describes a novel power plant system combined with the polymer electrolyte membrane(PEM) fuel cell, the wasted hydrogen from the sea water electrolyzer and the wasted heat of the nuclear power plant. The present status over the exhausted hydrogen at twenty nuclear power plants in Korea was investigated in this study, from which an available power generation is estimated. Furthermore, the economic feasibility of the PEM fuel cell power plant is also evaluated by a current regulations over the power production and exchange using a renewable energy shown in Korea Power Exchange(KRX).


A rapid development of nanotechnology opens up a way for the fabrication of solid surfaces containing unique adsorption properties. In this article, we present the concept of a chiral nanostructured surface as a potential environment for the separation of chiral molecules. In particular, we focus on the effect of size and shape of the adsorbing molecules on the effectiveness of their separation on a surface with a special distribution of active sites. The Monte Carlo simulation method was used to study enantiospecific adsorption of model chiral molecules that differ in molecular footprint and adsorption energy. It was demonstrated that manipulating the footprint offers many possibilities for tuning the preference of the surface for adsorption of a selected enantiomer. One interesting finding was that subtle differences in the interaction pattern of the molecule with the chiral surface can lead to a reversal of enantioselectivity. The results of this work highlight the role of extended surface chirality in enantiospecific adsorption of enantiomers. They also suggest that the proposed mechanism of chiral selection can be a realistic alternative to those inherent in conventional enantioselective adsorbents.


Background

Previous studies revealed that Myricetin and derivative M10, Myricetin-3-O-β-d-lactose sodium salt, prevented chronic ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice. We investigated whether the inhibitory effects of Myricetin and M10 on UC were associated to the modification of intestinal microbiota. Samples of intestinal microbiota were collected from the ileocecum of UC mice which demonstrated response to the treatment of Myricetin and M10. Gut microbiota was analyzed by 16S rDNA sequencing assay.

Results

UC model mice demonstrated the increases of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria as compared to healthy control mice. Oral M10 and Myricetin normalized the composition of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. At genus level, the effect of M10 and Myricetin on ulcerative colitis was strongly associated to the increase of probiotics, such as Akkermansia, and the inhibition of pathogenic microorganisms, such as Ruminococcus and Parabacteroides. Myricetin's derivative M10 significantly increased both biosynthesis and degradation activities, resulting to strong improvements of the metabolism of sulfur, pyruvate, steroid biosynthesis and unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in gut microenvironment.

Conclusions

Natural product Myricetin and its derivative M10 could modify the modification of gut microbiota in UC mice. Combined with pharmacologic effects of Myricetin and M10 in these UC mice, we conclued that the effects of Myricetin and M10 on UC were associated to the modification of intestinal microbiota in the environment of chronic ulcerative colitis.


A comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of 45 herpesviruses was performed based on whole-genome sequences. We used 4 methods, namely the alignment of conserved gene sequences (excluding 5 herpesviruses), compositional vector tree (CVTree) method, local homology analysis, and gene content analysis. The obtained results showed good consistency between the phylogenetic trees prepared by these methods and likewise, the obtained classification of the herpesviruses was consistent with their current taxonomic designation. The herpesviruses with the ambiguous classification or not assigned in the family or with the newly published genomes were also phylogenetically classified.


Tripod hole film cooling designs can provide improved cooling with reduced coolant usage. It is essential to determine the impact of strong cooling near hole locations due to increased thermal gradients around the hole region. In this paper, efforts have been made to predict the same using a numerical analysis. Local temperature distribution on the blade surface causes different rates of expansion, resulting in a differential strain, furthering the impact of the numerical study and creating a need to understand the thermo-mechanical behavior of blade design. The thermal stresses that are generated near the film cooling holes are compared for different cooling hole shapes and eventually weigh the thermal advantage of a tripod hole over the cylindrical standard design. Standard k-e was used to validate the CFD results, ensuring by a fine mesh of 5 million tetrahedrons. Validation includes comparison of the experimental results, with a numerical one where similar blade material and working temperatures are used. Upon validation, CFD was run again at engine temperature conditions with Haynes230 alloy as the blade material. Surface temperature contour enabled structural analysis using a finite element approach. Equivalent stresses (Von-Mises stresses) on the blade emerging from the analysis provided more information about stress dependency on blowing ratio.Copyright © 2013 by ASME


In this paper, time-frequency analysis using wavelet packet transform and advanced-MDSA (Multiple Dimensional Spectral Analysis) which based on wavelet packet transform is applied fur fault source identification and diagnosis of early detection of fault non-stationary sound/vibration signals. This method is analyzing the signal in the plane of instantaneous time and instantaneous frequency. The results of ordinary coherence function, which obtained by wavelet packet analysis, showed the possibility of early fault detection by analysis at the instantaneous time. So, by checking the coherence function trend, it is possible to detect which signal contains the major fault signal and to know how much the system is damaged. Finally, It is impossible to monitor the system is damaged or undamaged by using conventional method, because crest factor is almost constant under the range of magnitude of fault signal as its approach to normal signal. However instantaneous coherence function showed that a little change of fault signal is possible to monitor the system condition. And it is possible to predict the maintenance time by condition based maintenance for any stationary or non-stationary signals.


Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common brain tumor with significant morbidity and mortality. Autophagy plays a vital role in GBM development and progression. We aimed to establish an autophagy-related multigene expression signature for individualized prognosis prediction in patients with GBM. Differentially expressed autophagy-related genes (DE-ATGs) in GBM and normal samples were screened using TCGA. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed on DE-ATGs to identify the optimal prognosis-related genes. Consequently, NRG1 (HR=1.142, P=0.008), ITGA3 (HR=1.149, P=0.043), and MAP1LC3A (HR=1.308, P=0.014) were selected to establish the prognostic risk score model and validated in the CGGA validation cohort. GSEA revealed that these genes were mainly enriched in cancer- and autophagy-related KEGG pathways. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that patients with high risk scores had significantly poorer overall survival (OS, log-rank P= 6.955×10-5). The autophagy signature was identified as an independent prognostic factor. Finally, a prognostic nomogram including the autophagy signature, age, pharmacotherapy, radiotherapy, and IDH mutation status was constructed, and TCGA/CGGA-based calibration plots indicated its excellent predictive performance. The autophagy-related three-gene risk score model could be a prognostic biomarker and suggest therapeutic targets for GBM. The prognostic nomogram could assist individualized survival prediction and improve treatment strategies.


Objective Photovoltaic retinal prostheses theoretically offer the possibility of standalone high-resolution electrical stimulation of the retina. However, in artificial vision, achieving locally selective epiretinal stimulation is particularly challenging, on the grounds of axonal activation and electrical cell coupling. Approach Here we show that electrical and photovoltaic stimulation of dystrophic retinal circuits with capacitive-like pulses leads to a greater efficiency for indirect network-mediated activation of retinal ganglion cells. In addition, a biophysical model of the inner retina stimulation is proposed to investigate the waveform and duration commitments in the genesis of indirect activity of retinal ganglion cells. Main results Both in-vitro and in-silico approaches suggest that the application of long voltage pulses or gradual voltage changes are more effective to sustainably activate the inner excitatory and inhibitory layers of the retina, thus leading to a reproducible indirect response. The involvement of the inhibitory feedback from amacrine cells in the forming of indirect patterns represents a novel biological tool to locally cluster the response of the retinal ganglion cells. Significance These results demonstrate that recruiting inner retina cells with epiretinal stimulation enables not only to bypass axonal stimulation but also to obtain a more focal activation thanks to the natural lateral inhibition. In this perspective, the use of capacitive-like waveforms generated by photovoltaic prostheses may allow improving the neural response resolution while standing high-frequency stimulation.


The application of an effective work discipline leadership style in managing human resources in a company's performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of leadership style on employee performance and the effect of work discipline on employee performance at CV.Pilar Perkasa Mandiri in Brebes Regency. The instrument of this study used a questionnaire. Samples were taken as many as 30 respondents from CV.Pilar Perkasa Mandiri Sejahtera, Brebes Regency. Data analysis and processing using SPSS. The results of this study indicate that leadership style has no effect on employee performance, while work discipline has an effect on employee performance


Abstract We present the state and the development of forests on non-forest land in the area of the Czech Republic (CZ) and Slovakia (SK). The forests have a different origin, and are currently outside the interest of forest management, nor the whole forestry related legislation is applicable to them. The national forest inventory (NFI) was performed in CZ in the years 2001–2004 and 2011–2014, while in SK in the years 2005–2006 and 2015–2016. The NFI sampling was applied to all forests, i.e. to those growing on both forest and non-forest land. According to the NFI data, the current proportion of forests on non-forest land was not negligible, since in CZ it reached almost 10%, and in SK even more, 13%. While in CZ they were more evenly spatially distributed, in SK they occurred mainly in the central and eastern parts. Broadleaved tree species accounted for approximately two thirds of their growing stock. Their tree species composition was more diverse than the one on forest land. Carbon stock in tree (aboveground and belowground) biomass of forests on non-forest land was 28.5 ±1.6 million tons in CZ and 20.3 ±2.9 million tons in SK, which represented 7.7 ±0.4% and 7.7 ±1.1% of the total tree biomass in CZ and SK, respectively. Hence, it is important to take the forests on non-forest land into account, to see their current state positively, to include them to other forests and to try to maximise the use of their functions by society.


We present in this paper a new method to detect the temperature distribution of a sintering bed by measuring the thickness of the sintered bed. This method is based on the fact that the sintered ore contains magnetite with its magnetic property and that the heat pattern depends on the thickness of the sintered bed. By getting a fluxgate magnetometer installed over the sintering bed and measuring the magnetic field deviation produced by the sintering bed, we can detect the thickness of the sintered bed and hence its temperature distribution directly and continuously, and improve the productivity and quality of the sintering process. For this application we have developed a new magnetometer, which has two cores wire-wound differentially to cancel the background magnetic field and made of Mo-Permalloy sheet.


Aim of the study: Results of total hip replacement in consideration of quality of life and their correlation to clinical radiologic findings were examined. Material and methods: 46 of 61 patients with aseptic loosing and total hip replacement were examined in average 4,3 years after surgery with the Harris Hip Score, Merle d'Aubigne Score, Postel Score, WOMAC-Score and SF-36 Health Survey Score. The study of radiographs was completed by the Scores of Brooker, Lee and Gruen. Allograft were used in 38 (83,6%) cases. Results: The result of the Merle d'Aubigne Score and Postel Score in average account for 11,5 points. Harris Hip Score obtains 62,7 points. The comparison form patient and control group with the SF-36-Score shows unpropitious results particularly for physical functioning, roll limitation because of physical health problems and roll limitation because of physical emotional problems. The outcome for general mental health and vitality show better results for the patients as for the control. Evaluation of the physical and psychical scale applies to impairments of daily life depending on the disease. Patients with hip arthroplasty shows in comparison to patients with cancer or cardiac infarction worst results for the physical category, whereas the best results for the psychical category. Radiographs of 33 patients were completely evaluated. In eight cases (24,2%) there were loosening lines in femur shaft area. In 18 cases (54,55%) there were loosening lines in the area of the acetabular cup, in three cases (9%) a migration Conclusion: After a total hip replacement the physical functions are limited. Primary hip arthroplasty for young patients should be indicated reserved in consideration of above mentioned results, even if psychological results surprised.


Abstract A study was made of 26 adolescents, aged from 13 to 18 years, with different types of severe congenital heart disease, assessing their somatic condition and its impact on mental health and psychosocial functioning. Physical capacity was reduced, more pronounced in girls than in boys, along with an increased rate of psychiatric problems. Associations were found between physical capacity and psychosocial functioning, and between psychosocial functioning and chronic family difficulties. On the other hand, half the patients studied achieved fair function, both physically and with regard to their mental health. The degree of reduced physical capacity is an important etiological factor for impaired mental health in patients with congenital heart disease. This knowledge should be taken into account when dealing with this group of patients. A good social network seems to be a protective factor. It will probably be rewarding to give patients and their families not only an optimal medical follow-up, but also psychological, practical and financial support to improve or create such a network.