The thrust sheets of the Northern Calcareous Alps were emplaced during Late Cretaceous thrust‐dominated transpression expressed by thrust sheets segmented by closely spaced tear faults. Thrust sheet‐top sediments were deposited during thrusting and associated fold growth and were controlled by active folding and tearing. We observe two types of angular unconformities: (1) Angular unconformities above folds between tear faults conform with the model of progressive unconformities. Across these unconformities dip decreases upsection. (2) Here, we define progressive unconformities that are related to tear faults and are controlled by both folding and tearing. Across these unconformities both strike and dip change. In growth strata overlying folds dissected by high‐angle faults, such unconformities are expected to be common. We used analogue modelling to define the geometry of the tear faults and related unconformities. Within the syn‐tectonic sediments, a steep, upward flattening thrust within a broader, roughly tulip‐shaped drag zone develops. The thrust roots in the tear fault in pre‐tectonic deposits and is curved upward toward the downthrown block. Vertical offset on the thrust is related to differential vertical uplift caused by, for example, growth of folds with different wavelength and amplitude on either side of the tear fault. Formation of progressive unconformities is governed by the relationship between the rates of deposition and vertical growth of a structure. Fault‐related progressive unconformities are additionally controlled by the growth of the vertical step across the tear fault. When the rates of vertical growth of two neighbouring folds separated by a tear fault are similar, the rate of growth across the tear fault is small; if the first differ, the latter is high. Episodic tear fault activity may create several angular unconformities attached to a tear fault or allow the generation of angular unconformities near tear faults in sedimentary systems that have a rate of deposition too high to generate classical progressive unconformities between the tear faults.


Within the well-studied Palearctic entomofauna, it is often assumed that the discovery of new species is limited to resolving cryptic species complexes within dark taxa. Herein, we describe a highly distinctive species of Aphanogmus Thomson, 1858 (Hymenoptera: Ceraphronidae) from Germany and provide a COI barcoding sequence for the new species. We present a 3D reconstruction of the holotype based on micro-CT to serve as a cybertype. The females of Aphanogmus kretschmanni Moser sp. nov. are diagnosed by two rows of prominent spines on the ventral edge of the 7th metasomal sternite, a character set that has not previously been found in Hymenoptera. We analyse the functional morphology of the ovipositor mechanism and discuss hypotheses regarding the functional implications of the unique modification of the 7th metasomal sternite. Possible host associations are reviewed and the taxonomic placement of the new species is discussed.


Atrial fibrillation with a rapid ventricular rate often adds to the impaired haemodynamic status of patients with depressed left ventricular function.1 Intravenous amiodarone has been shown to be effective in slowing the heart rate during atrial fibrillation.2 For continuous infusion of the drug a central venous access is recommended.3 We tested the hypothesis that amiodarone, given as a single bolus through a peripheral vein access, is effective and does not cause phlebitis.

Forty patients with documented heart disease and atrial fibrillation (ventricular heart rate ⩾ 135 beat/min) were included in the study. Mean (SD) age of the patients was 72 (12) years, 22 were men, and the mean ejection fraction was 38 (12)%. Cardiogenic shock was present in eight patients, 12 had pulmonary oedema, and 20 had exacerbated congestive heart failure. Mean systolic blood pressure was 111 (28) mm Hg. The onset of the tachyarrhythmia could be documented in 18 patients within 24 hours (15 (13) hours) before amiodarone treatment; in the remaining 22 patients the duration was unknown. Depending on clinical presentation and duration of the arrhythmia, patients were pretreated with digoxin, verapamil, or β blockers. All …


The COVID-19 pandemic is known to cause pneumonia with heterogeneous symptoms such as fever, cough and dyspnoea but also inducing systemic side effects such as a coagulopathy disorders up to serious complications due to systemic and pulmonary artery thrombosis. This phenomenon is probably due to host immune response and in particular to endothelial damage. In a full COVID19 hospital in Venice Italy, we evaluated retrospectively some clinical characteristics of the patients infected by the coronavirus (SARS-Cov-19). Our preliminary observations revealed a favourable relationship between the oral anticoagulation (OAC) therapy before the admission and a positive outcome. In fact, only a very small number of patients in therapy with OAC were admitted to our semi-intensive care department, suggesting the potentially protective role of this treatment against fatal thrombotic complications.


DNA-dependent activator of interferon regulatory factors (DAIs), interferon gamma inducible protein 16 (IFI16), DEAD-box polypeptide 41 (DDX41), DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), meiotic recombination 11 homolog A (MRE11), and cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) have been identified as intracellular STING-dependent DNA sensors in recent years. Studies have shown that the DNA sensor-STING-interferon (IFN)-β pathway plays an important role in the defense against intracellular invasion of many DNA viruses. However, the intracellular recognition of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA by DNA sensors is still largely unclear. In this study, we aimed to determine whether the DNA sensor-STING pathway in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) can be activated by acute and chronic HBV infections in humans. We first evaluated the expression of these DNA sensors in PBMCs of acute and chronic HBV-infected patients by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. We next compared the expression of the upregulated DNA sensor between monocytes and nonmonocytes to find its cellular source. Finally, by in vitro stimulation, we analyzed the IFN-β response of the DNA sensor-STING pathway in PBMCs and monocytes from chronic HBV-infected patients. The results showed that IFI16, DDX41, MRE11, and the adaptor STING were upregulated in chronic HBV-infected patients, whereas only IFI16 was upregulated in acute HBV-infected patients. However, IFN-β expression was not changed in PBMCs from acute and chronic HBV-infected patients. We next found IFI16 was mainly expressed in monocytes of acute and chronic hepatitis B patients. Finally, by stimulation of monocytes with VACV ds 70mer, a ligand for IFI16, we confirmed the attenuated response of the IFI16-STING pathway. Taken together, our results suggest that HBV might be sensed by DNA sensors in PBMCs of acute and chronic HBV-infected patients, and meanwhile HBV infection attenuates the response of the DNA sensor-STING pathway in PBMCs and monocytes, which may facilitate the persistence of HBV infection.


Antithyroid drugs may be defined as chemical agents which interfere with the synthesis, release or peripheral action of the thyroid hormone. A large number of chemically unrelated compounds are covered by this definition, but it is intended to deal only with those which have a place in the practical management of hyperthyroidism. Such drugs can be divided into three categories: (I) Drugs preventing the synthesis of organic iodine from inorganic iodide. (2) Drugs inhibiting the iodide trap of the thyroid. (3) The iodide ion. Thiourea, the parent compound of most of the antithyroid drugs of the first group which are used therapeutically, was shown to be goitrogenic by Griesbach et al. (i941) and Kennedy (1942). The latter also showed that a derivative of thiourea was responsible for the goitrogenic properties of Brassica seeds. Astwood (I943) further confirmed the antithyroid activity of thiourea and its derivatives and in I944 published the first clinical report on thiourea and thiouracil in the treatment of hyperthyroidism. The toxic effects of these drugs soon diminished the initial enthusiasm for antithyroid drug therapy, but this was revived by the introduction of 4-methyl thiouracil and 6-N-propyl thiouracil, which because of their greater potency were effective in smaller doses and had fewer side effects. Both drugs had extensive clinical trials and are still widely used. Stanley and Astwood (I949) then demonstrated that I methyl 2 mercaptoimidazole (methimazole, 'Mercazole,'' Tapazole') had greater antithyroid activity than any other known compound, while Bartels and Sjogren reported a successful clinical trial of the drug in 195I. Methimazole is widely used in the United States, but in this country 2 carbethoxythio I methyl glyoxaline (carbimazole, ' Neomercazole ') synthesized by Rimington and his associates (195I), is the more popular of the imidazole derivatives. The history of drugs inhibiting the iodide trap of the thyroid began with the demonstration by Marine and his associates (1932) that acetonitrile and related compounds could produce thyroid hyperplasia and that the effect was antagonized by iodine., In I953, Wyngaarden et al., studied the antithyroid activity of various anions and concluded that the perchlorate ion was the most potent inhibitor of the iodide-trapping mechanism of the thyroid. This was followed in 1954 by successful clinical trials of potassium perchlorate in hyperthyroidism (Godley and Stanbury, I954; Morgans and Trotter, I954). Iodide is the oldest of the antithyroid drugs and was the only one available for clinical use up to 1943. Although it had been occasionally used in hyperthyroidism during the early part of the 2oth century, its use only became popular following Plummer's report of a successful clinical trial in


Argues that future computing environments will be collaboration-oriented, globally distributed and computation/information-rich. These environments will be accessed via multiple interface devices. As we move from a desktop-centric computing model to a network-centric model, new approaches in the way software and data are handled will need to be developed. In this article, we outline the requirements for enabling the technological infrastructure, describe some first steps that we have taken toward building this infrastructure, and sketch directions for future development.


The heavy metal (Pb, Zn, Cr, Cu, Cd, and Hg) concentrations in the A horizon and C horizon soils, collected around the Pb/Zn mining and smelting area of Shuikoushan in Hunan, China, were investigated, and the Pb isotopic compositions were also determined to identify the potential origin of Pb in the A horizon soil. Compared with C horizon soils, the A horizon soils exhibit elevated heavy metal concentrations, especially in the vicinity of the mining and smelting area. This reveals that the surface soil was contaminated to some degree. The contents of Pb, Zn, Cr, Cu, Cd, and Hg in soils are up to 3966.88, 2086.25, 135.31, 185.63, 56.15, and 16.434 mg/kg, respectively. The potential risks caused by different metals are in the order of Cd > Hg > Pb > Cu > Zn = Cr. Much higher potential ecological risk was observed for the central area (Shuikoushan Pb/Zn mining and smelting area) than for the surrounding area. About 34%, 33%, 11%, and 22% of the sampling sites demonstrate low, moderate, considerable, and very high potential ecological risk in the central area, while about 68%, 16%, 10%, and 6% of the sampling sites show low, moderate, considerable, and very high potential ecological risk in the surrounding area, respectively. Compared with the Pb isotopic compositions in the C horizon soils (206Pb/207Pb 1.168-1.246, 208 Pb/206 Pb 2.014-2.130), the Pb in the A horizon soils has lower 206 Pb/207Pb ratios (1.166-1.226) and higher 208Pb/206Pb ratios (2.043-2. 135). The Pb in the A horizon soils predominantly derives from two-component mixing resources. One is the parent materials of C horizon, and the other is the atmospheric deposition of the smelting flue gas dust.


The arachnofauna of the Mohos peat bog (Transylvania, Romania) was examined between May 2003 and September 2004. The material collected with various sampling methods consists of 1593 specimens belonging to 96 species of 20 families. Most specimens and species belong to the family Linyphiidae and Lycosidae. Cnephalocotes obscurus (Blackwall, 1834) represents a new record for the Romanian arachnofauna and some other rare species (e.g. Gnaphosa nigerrima L. Koch, 1877 and Notioscopus sarcinatus (O. P.-Cambridge, 1872)) are also identified. Furthermore, the occurrence of two questionable species (Scotina palliardii (L. Koch, 1881) and Zelotes clivicola (L. Koch, 1870)) is proved. The list of species collected in different habitat types of the bog and their respective indicator species are presented. Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination was performed for the comparison of spider communities. The spider community of the surrounding beech area stood out as the most individual, having only a few species in common with the other studied habitat types. In the same comparison, the Scots Pine area of the bog occupied an intermediate position between the central open area of the bog and the beech area. Based on the uniqueness of the spider communities, a more strict protection of these valuable habitats would be recommended.


Nowadays, language teaching professionals face the challenge to incorporate culture in their instructional practice. This paper helps them explore their cultural beliefs and develop skills to evaluate and create cultural materials and activities in the language classroom.


BACKGROUND
Venous thromboembolism is a prevalent condition with potentially dire consequences. Its medical treatment requires anticoagulation, which is usually achieved with either unfractionated or low molecular weight heparin (LMWH). Unfractionated heparin (UFH) is usually administered intravenously, but can be applied subcutaneously as well.

OBJECTIVES
To explore the effectiveness of subcutaneous UFH for the initial treatment of venous thromboembolism compared with other treatment modalities.

SEARCH STRATEGY
The Cochrane Peripheral Vascular Diseases Group searched their Specialised Register (last searched 14 July 2009) and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (last searched The Cochrane Library 2009, Issue 3). We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE (last searched February 2009).

SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised controlled trials, in which treatment with subcutaneous UFH was compared to control, such as subcutaneous LMWH continuous intravenous UFH in patients with acute venous thromboembolism.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed trial quality.

MAIN RESULTS
Fifteen randomised controlled trials were included with a total of 3054 participants (1475 patients in the intervention group and 1579 patients in the control group). The results for all the major outcomes were statistically non-significant. The odds ratio (OR) for recurrent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) during three months follow up were 1.68 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.92 to 3.04) and 1.18. (95% CI 0.54 to 2.56), favouring the control arm. The odds ratio for developing PE during heparin treatment also favoured the control group (OR 1.10, 95% CI 0.46 to 2.62). The ORs for major bleeding during heparin treatment and throughout three months follow up were non significant (1.07, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.79, and 0.66, 95% CI 0.33 to 1.32, respectively). Disease or treatment related deaths as well as total mortality during heparin treatment and at three months follow up did not differ between study groups.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Subcutaneous unfractionated heparin for the treatment of venous thromboembolism cannot be considered non-inferior to other treatment modalities in terms of recurrent DVT and PE at three months, but seems as safe and effective with regards to rates of major bleeding and death.


Accelerating decreases in survival are evident for northern Hemisphere salmon populations. We collated smolt survival and smolt-to-adult (marine) survival data for all regions of the Pacific coast of North America excluding California to examine the forces shaping salmon returns. A total of 3,055 years of annual survival estimates were available for Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead (O. mykiss). This dataset provides a fundamentally different perspective on west coast salmon conservation problems from the previously accepted view. We found that marine survival collapsed over the past half century by a factor of at least 4-5 fold to similar low levels (~1%) for most regions of the west coast. The size of the decline is too large to be compensated by freshwater habitat remediation or cessation of harvest, and too large-scale to be attributable to specific anthropogenic impacts such as dams in the Columbia River or salmon farming in British Columbia. Within the Columbia River, both smolt survivals during downstream migration in freshwater and adult return rates (SARs) of Snake River populations, often singled out as exemplars of poor survival, appear unexceptional and are in fact higher than estimates reported from other regions of the west coast lacking dams. Formal Columbia River rebuilding targets of 2-6% SARs may therefore be unachievable if regions with nearly pristine freshwater conditions also fail to achieve these targets. Finally, we present case studies demonstrating that the historical response to evidence that the salmon problems are primarily ocean-related was to re-emphasize freshwater actions and to stop work on ocean issues. With ocean temperatures forecast to increase far further, the failure of management to identify the drivers of salmon collapse and respond appropriately suggest that the future of most west coast salmon populations is bleak.


Particle-filled preceramic polymer injection into woven fiber preforms is currently under investigation as a means of processing dense, complex-shaped ceramic composites. The distribution of filler particles as a result of filtration during their impregnation into dense fiber preforms, has a crucial effect on the properties of the end product. In general, highly filtered particle distributions are not desirable since they lead to nonhomogeneous part microstructure and hence, mechanical properties of the composite. In order to understand how various process parameters (injection velocity, inlet particle concentration, fiber preform permeability, etc.) interact during impregnation and to ultimately control the amount of filtration, a process model is presented. A multi-dimensional, transient particle filtration formulation is coupled with isothermal, anisotropic Darcy's flow to predict filler concentration profiles during molding of complex shapes. The permeability of the preform, porosity of the flow domain, viscosity of the impregnating resin and filtration coefficient are all affected by the particle deposition and they constitute the nonlinearity in the coupled flow and filtration equations. Results for 2-D impregnation into complex preforms are presented and methods for manipulating particle distribution are discussed.


Modern agriculture and forestry are based on the use of large diesel-fuelled vehicles. The emissions from these vehicles cause substantial damage to the production area and to the surrounding environment. A useful method for analysis of the environmental load from a production chain or a process is LCA. The results from LCA analyses performed on food production show that an important part of the environmental load is caused by emissions from internal combustion engines. Very few data are available on discharge of emissions from agricultural tractors. Therefore, the data used in most LCA studies is from measurements on diesel-fuelled trucks or from large wheel loaders. There are many reasons to believe that these figures are not representative for tractors performing typical agricultural work operations. The shortage of data contributes to the possibility that LCA results describing environmental loads from modern food production may have very high error levels and high uncertainties. The report describes a study performed in order to quantify engine emissions from a medium size (70 kW) tractor when performing typical agricultural work operations. To obtain emission values specific for different driving operations, time series for the load at the engine are recorded when performing typical operations. These data are then combined with test bench emission data, in order to calculate the discharge of emissions for each of the recorded operations. The operations studied were ploughing, harrowing, stubble cultivation, sowing, loading and transporting. Emissions were calculated for two different diesel fuels and for RME. The general results are a) that the use of one single emission factor for all types of driving operations may result in very high error levels, and b) that the emission factors normally used in LCA studies can not be used for agricultural tractors. Important areas for further research are described and discussed in the last part of the report.


In this article the authors considered problems of the realization of youth policy in the Republic of Kazakhstan. There are some factors which objectively complicate the realization of youth policy in Kazakhstan: the lack of social-political ideology which could be able to play the part similar to the role of communist ideology in the USSR or liberal-democratic one in the USA, the domination of ethnic identity over the civil one; the system of values, which unites community, must not only be a subject for general consensus in the society but gather the youth together emotionally, appealing to an irrational beginning in individual and massive psychology; the problem of social growth of the youth. Mostly, the youth in Kazakhstan can be divided into two groups: socially safe and socially unsafe. In the article analysis methods and content analysis were used as well as the results of sociologic researches.


The details of inquests concerning 104 deaths due to trauma were studied in the Sheffield and Barnsley Coroner's district for the year 1986. Fifty-four of these patients did not reach hospital alive. In those patients where some form of resuscitation was attempted, the hospital notes were reviewed and the deaths occurring unexpectedly were identified using TRISS methodology. This method uses the Trauma Score, the Injury Severity Score and the patient's age to predict the probability of survival in an injured patient. It showed that some of the deaths were unexpected and the implications of these findings are discussed.


Regridding was first introduced in viscous fluid registration for preventing folding of the transformation and for maintaining the admissible deformation field in large-deformation nonrigid image registration applications. We investigated the application of regridding to leading nonrigid image registration algorithms, including elastic, fluid, diffusion, curvature, and demons algorithms, and compared the performance and accuracy in each case.
We also introduce a grid repairing mechanism based on the adaptive gridgeneration method to prevent the transformation from folding. The grid repairing method can be used in conjunction with the proposed regridding scheme to set bounds on the Jacobian determinant of the transformation. We showed that our regridding and grid repairing method can outperform the original registration algorithms, particularly in large-deformation applications. In this dissertation, we also explain how the proposed method can improve the efficiency-ability of the original registration algorithms for large-deformation applications and how the grid repairing method can be embedded in these algorithms.


Eight different serotypes of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae were isolated from 39 outbreaks of erysipelas in poultry, serotypes 1, 5, 6 and 9 being most prevalent. More than one serotype was demonstrated in five outbreaks. Only White Leghorns were affected as far as erysipelas in chickens is concerned, and 94% of the flocks were kept on sloping wire floors of the Pennsylvania system. No relationship between serotype, host predilection and virulence was observed, nor was there a seasonal distribution. The epidemiological and preventive aspects of the present findings are discussed.


When directives rather than contracts determine rights to water flows, agents will substitute away from securing water rights by contract toward securing them through political directives. Especially when they are legitimated by court rulings, such directives alter the rules that govern social interaction. While farmers are able to secure water under different institutional arrangements, alterations in those arrangements through legislation and regulation can induce changes in organizational and allocative patterns of resource usage. In particular, we explore evolution in agricultural organization in California in response legislative and regulatory changes in traditional water law. To this end, we analyze the relationship between Big Players in the California Water Game and the reorientation of a water rights regime in light of legal precedent and actions from existing regulatory bodies.


The paper first reviews the historical development of acousto-optics and its applications. Following this, a heuristic explanation of acousto-optic effects is presented, with the emphasis on the plane wave model of interaction. Finally, there is a discussion of some basic configurations of relevance to signal processing.


To avoid unnecessary maintenance costs in large IT systems resulting from poorly planned changes, it is essential to manage and control changes to the system and to verify that all items impacted by each change are updated as needed. This paper presents a method of decision support that helps guarantee that each change set (those items to be updated in the change) contains all the software or hardware components impacted by the proposed change. Today, many IT systems are managed by a Configuration Management Database (CMDB), which can be represented as a large graph in which the nodes are configuration items (CIs), such as software applications or servers, and the edges record dependencies between these items. In this paper we present a new approach to suggesting change sets based on our conjecture that each new change set is likely to be similar to instances of previous change sets. Accordingly, if the analyst determines that CI x is in a new change set, our method essentially searches for previous change sets, stored in the CMDB, that contain x, and suggests that CIs in those sets (appropriately ranked) should be considered for inclusion in the new change set. Our model uses support and confidence measures to estimate how closely nodes x and y are related, based on how often they have appeared together in past change sets. Based on these measures, we implement a prototype that suggests likely items to an analyst who is composing a change set. Based on a history of three years of a particular industrial CMDB, and several filtering techniques, the observed recall and precision values were as high as 69.8% and 88.5% respectively.


Here is a uniquely welcome gift for all who treasure the idea of an old-fashioned Christmas. Take a Victorian-inspired journey through the holiday as it was celebrated a century and more ago, beginning in the cold snows of early December and ending with the departure of guests on Christmas night. The book tells of games, gifts, decorations, superstitions, beliefs, fashions, foods, and fun, all presented in illustrated bursts of history combined with the thoughts and poetry of the Victorians themselves. A visual treat, richly peppered with vintage trade cards, greeting cards, photographs, and artwork from period magazines for a scrapbook-like kaleidoscope of colors and impressions, this is Christmas history at its best and most playful. As Charles Dickens wrote, "it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas." A value guide to the items shown makes this book a valuable resource as well, offering guidance for new and seasoned collectors alike.


The authors continue work on a previously proposed ANFIS (adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference system) architecture, with emphasis on the applications to time series prediction. They show how to model the Mackey-Glass chaotic time series with 16 fuzzy if-then rules. The performance obtained outperforms various standard statistical approaches and artificial neural network modeling methods reported in the literature. Other potential applications of ANFIS are also suggested.<<ETX>>


Massive open online courses (MOOCs) attract a large number of student registrations, but recent studies have shown that only a small fraction of these students complete their courses. Student dropouts are thus a major deterrent for the growth and success of MOOCs. We believe that understanding student engagement as a course progresses is essential for minimizing dropout rates. Formally defining student engagement in an online setting is challenging. In this paper, we leverage activity (such as posting in discussion forums, timely submission of assignments, etc.), linguistic features from forum content and structural features from forum interaction to identify two different forms of student engagement (passive and active) in MOOCs. We use probabilistic soft logic (PSL) to model student engagement by capturing domain knowledge about student interactions and performance. We test our models on MOOC data from Coursera and demonstrate that modeling engagement is helpful in predicting student performance.


Objective To determine whether minimally invasive lumbar spinal fusion results in less paraspinal muscle damage than conventional open posterior fusion. Methods The maximum intramuscular pressure (IMP) generated by a minimally invasive and standard open retractor was compared in cadavers using an ultra-miniature pressure transducer. In a second clinical study, eight patients with either minimally invasive or open posterolateral lumbar spinal fusion underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning approximately 6 months post surgery. MRI was used to estimate edema and atrophy within multifidus, with T2 mapping and diffusion-weighted imaging allowing quantification of differences between the two surgical techniques. Results IMP measured with the minimally invasive retractor was 1.4 versus 4.7 kPa with the open retractor (P<0.001). The minimally invasive retractor produced a transient maximal IMP only on initial expansion. Maximum IMP was constant throughout open retractor deployment. Striking visual differences in muscle edema were seen between open and minimally invasive groups on MRI. The mean T2 relaxation time at the level of fusion was 47 milliseconds in the minimally invasive and 90 milliseconds in the open group (P=0.013). The mean apparent diffusion coefficient was 1357×10−6 mm2/s and 1626×10−6 mm2/s (P=0.0184), respectively. Conclusions The peak IMP generated by the minimally invasive retractor was significantly less than with the open retractor. Postoperatively, less muscle edema was demonstrated after the minimally invasive lumbar spinal fusion, with lower mean T2 and apparent diffusion coefficient measurements supporting the hypothesis that less damage occurs using a minimally invasive approach.


Ti and Ni sulfides were formed on the surface of Ti-Ni alloys by isothermal annealing at various sulfur pressures, and then microstructures of the surface sulfide layers were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffractions. Morphology of sulfurized surface changed from granular shape to porous shape at the sulfur pressure of 80 kPa, which is related to the change in sulfide from NiS1.97 to NiS. Two-layered sulfide was observed in which the inner layer was mainly Ti8.2S11 , and the outer layer was a mixture of NiS1.97 and NiS. The discharge curve of the Ti and Ni sulfides cathode formed on the Ti-Ni current collector at the first cycle showed a plateau voltage of 1.6 V, and the discharge capacity was found to be about 530 mAh/g-NiS1.97.


This article proposes a novel Pareto-based multiobjective meta-heuristic algorithm named non-dominated ranking genetic algorithm (NRGA) to solve multi-facility location-allocation problem. In NRGA, a fitness value representing rank is assigned to each individual of the population. Moreover, two features ranked based roulette wheel selection including select the fronts and choose solutions from the fronts, are utilized. The proposed solving methodology is validated using several examples taken from the specialized literature. The performance of our approach shows that NRGA algorithm is able to generate true and well distributed Pareto optimal solutions. Keywords—Non-dominated ranking genetic algorithm, Pareto solutions, Multi-facility location-allocation problem.


Numerous incidents of aspen decline have been recorded in North America over the past half century, and incidents of very rapid mortality of aspen clones have been observed in Colorado since 2004. The radio frequency (RF) environment of the earth has undergone major changes in the past two centuries due to the development and use of electricity in power and communications applications, and the anthropogenic RF background continues to increase in intensity and complexity. This study suggests that the RF background may have strong adverse effects on growth rate and fall anthocyanin production in aspen, and may be an underlying factor in aspen decline.


The geometric modeling of a personalized part of the tissue built according to individual morphology is an essential requirement in anatomic prosthesis. A 3D model to fill the missing areas in the skull bone requires a set of information sometimes unavailable. The unknown information can be estimated through a set of rules referenced to a similar yet known set of parameters of the similar CT image. The proposed method is based on the Cubic Bezier Curves descriptors generated by the de Casteljou algorithm in order to generate a control polygon. This control polygon can be compared to a similar CT slice in an image database. The level of similarity is evaluated by a meta-heuristic fitness function. The research shows that it is possible to reduce the amount of points in the analysis from the original edge to an equivalent Bezier curve defined by a minimum set of descriptors. A study case shows the feasibility of method through the interoperability between the prosthesis descriptors and the CAD environment.


Introduction Morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 are higher among men, however, underlying pathways remain controversial. We aim to investigate sex-gender differences in COVID-19 in a large US-based cohort, namely COVID-19 Research Database. More specifically, the objectives are to explore the socio-economic characteristics of COVID-19 male and female patients and to examine potential sex differences in lifestyle factors and disease comorbidities among diagnosed patients. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study contrasting male vs. female patients with test-confirmed COVID-19. The study used Healthjump electronic medical records (e.g., demographics, encounters, medical history, and vitals) extracted from January 2020 to December 2021 (N = 62,310). Results Significant sociodemographic and comorbidity differences were observed between males and females (p < 0.05). For example, a significantly higher proportion of males (vs. females) were aged ≥70-year-old (17.04 vs. 15.01%) and smokers (11.04 vs. 9.24%, p < 0.0001). In addition, multiple logistic regression showed that hypertension and diabetes were significantly more frequent in males [adjusted odds ratio (ORa) = 66.19 and ORa = 22.90]. Conclusions Understanding the differences in outcomes between male and female patients will inform gender equity responsive approach to COVID-19 and enhance the effectiveness of clinical practice, health policy and interventions.


This book provides a formal analysis of the models, procedures, and measures of economic forecasting with a view to improving forecasting practice. David Hendry and Michael Clements base the analyses on assumptions pertinent to the economies to be forecast, viz. a non-constant, evolving economic system, and econometric models whose form and structure are unknown a priori. The authors find that conclusions which can be established formally for constant-parameter stationary processes and correctly-specified models often do not hold when unrealistic assumptions are relaxed. Despite the difficulty of proceeding formally when models are mis-specified in unknown ways for non-stationary processes that are subject to structural breaks, Hendry and Clements show that significant insights can be gleaned. For example, a formal taxonomy of forecasting errors can be developed, the role of causal information clarified, intercept corrections re-established as a method for achieving robustness against forms of structural change, and measures of forecast accuracy re-interpreted.


Subtype H6 avian influenza A viruses (IAVs) are enzootic and genetically diverse in both domestic poultry and wild waterfowl and may cause spillovers in both pigs and humans. Thus, it is important to understand the genetic diversity of H6 IAVs in birds and their zoonotic potential. Compared with that in domestic poultry, the genetic diversity of H6 viruses in wild birds in China has not been well-understood. In this study, five H6 viruses were isolated from wild birds in Poyang Lake, China, and genetic analyses showed that these isolates are clustered into four genotypes associated with reassortments among avian IAVs from domestic poultry and wild birds in China and those from Eurasia and North America and that these viruses exhibited distinct phenotypes in growth kinetics analyses with avian and mammalian cells lines and in mouse challenge experiments. Of interest is that two H6 isolates from the Eurasian teal replicated effectively in the mouse lung without prior adaptation, whereas the other three did not. Our study suggested that there are variations in the mammalian viral replication efficiency phenotypic among genetically diverse H6 IAVs in wild birds and that both intra- and inter-continental movements of IAVs through wild bird migration may facilitate the emergence of novel H6 IAV reassortants with the potential for replicating in mammals, including humans. Continued surveillance to monitor the diversity of H6 IAVs in wild birds is necessary to increase our understanding of the natural history of IAVs.


We developed and tested a model linking developmental experiences to leadership effectiveness and promotability through 2 mediating processes based on social cognitive and social capital theories. We hypothesized that a manager's exposure to 3 types of developmental experiences (formal development programs, developmental job challenges, and developmental supervision) would positively relate to supervisor's assessment of the manager's leadership effectiveness in the current job role and promotability within the organization through the manager's leadership self-efficacy and size and quality of the manager's mentor network. Results based on a sample of 235 retail managers showed that leadership self-efficacy and mentor network fully mediated the relationship between job challenges and promotability, whereas leadership self-efficacy also fully mediated the relationship between job challenges and leadership effectiveness. Developmental supervision was indirectly related to promotability through mentor network. In addition, a 3-way interaction analysis revealed that participation in formal development activities had a positive indirect relationship with leadership effectiveness and promotability mediated by leadership self-efficacy when a manager experienced either lower levels of job challenge and developmental supervision, or higher levels of both. Our findings contribute to leadership knowledge by examining how both formal and informal developmental experiences relate to leadership effectiveness and promotability through social processes.


In this work, by using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS), we investigate the temperature range of the SRT, and the resonant frequency and relaxation time of the THz spin waves in SmxDy1−xFeO3 single crystal. We show that the resonant frequency of the FM mode (measured at 40 K) increases linearly with the Sm dopant concentration within the range from x  =  0.5 to 0.7. The temperature- and dopant-induced changes of the magnetic anisotropy of Fe3+ ions are accessed by the resonant frequency shifts. Upon cooling, the lifetime of oscillations in the AFM mode increases exponentially and can be subtly tuned by varying the Sm dopant. These results lead to an improved understanding of dopant-tuned spin wave dynamics and magnetoanisotropy parameter in rare-earth orthoferrites.


Young people with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to have heightened levels of anxiety compared with their typically developing (non‐ASD) peers. The reasons for this are poorly understood, and there has been little research investigating the cognitive correlates of anxiety in individuals with ASD. Typically developing youth with anxiety disorders have frequently been found to show an attentional bias toward threatening information. In this study, we examined whether such a bias was also found in young people with ASD and anxiety symptoms. The protocol utilized two versions of the dot‐probe paradigm, the first with emotional faces and the second with emotional words. Participants comprised 38 boys with an ASD and 41 typically developing controls aged 10–16 years of age. Those with an ASD displayed higher levels of parent‐ and child‐rated anxiety (both P < 0.001) and depression (P < 0.001) compared with controls. However, there were no significant group differences in attentional bias scores and no significant relationship between anxiety and attentional bias in either the face or word tasks, for either group. Our findings suggest that, for young people with ASD, unlike non‐ASD individuals with an anxiety disorder, high levels of anxiety may not be associated with attentional bias to threat. This may indicate that anxiety in ASD has different cognitive correlates from anxiety in the typically developing population. Further conclusions, study limitations, and future directions are discussed. Autism Res 2013, ●●: ●●–●●. © 2013 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


This paper presents how it is effective to use many features for improving the speed and the accuracy of the visual servo systems. Some rank conditions which relate the image Jacobian and the control performance are derived. It is also proven that the accuracy is improved by increasing the number of features. Effectiveness of the redundant features is evaluated by the smallest singular value of the image Jacobian which is closely related to the accuracy with respect to the world coordinate system. Usefulness of the redundant features is verified by the real time experiments on a Dual-Arm Robot manipulator made in Samsung Electronic Co. Ltd


The work introduces design and comparison of different-brand methods for position localization of indoor mobile robots. Both the methods derive the robot relative position from a structure of the working environment based on measurements gathered by a TOF-based laser ranging system. The first presented method applies statistical description of the scene while the other one relies on a feature-based matching approach. Both the approaches provide method-specific behavior, which has been recognized in experiments with real data. The obtained results are compared and further improvements of the localization robustness via their combination are discussed.


Stocker cattle ownership is compared to contract grazing using stochastic simulation. Returns are evaluated for both cattle owners and caretakers in contract grazing agreements. For caretakers, contract grazing is significantly less risky than cattle ownership. Slightly to moderately risk-averse caretakers could be expected to prefer some type of contract grazing to direct ownership of cattle. For cattle owners, contracting reduces risk only slightly while significantly reducing expected returns.


Chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) is a major complication that occurs post-transplantation. At present, the diagnosis of chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) is based on renal biopsy. Therefore, there is an ultimate need to identify more specific and sensitive noninvasive methods for the early diagnosis of CAN. Recently, proteomic-based modalities have been developed to discover biomarkers of CAN.

 Urine samples from 75 participants were collected. Participants were divided into 3 groups: Group I: 25 patients with chronic allograft nephropathy, group II: 25transplanted patients with stable renal functions, and group III: 25 healthy control subjects matched for age and sex. Each group was divided into training set and test set. Specimens were purified with magnetic beads-based weak cation exchange chromatography and analyzed in a MALDI-TOF MS.

 A Genetic Algorithm (GA) was used to set up the classification models. Five peaks represented the proteomic profile that differentiates between the CAN patients and the control group with sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 100%, recognition capability of 100 % and cross-validation91.7 % and five peaks differentiate between the transplant patients with normal renal functions and the control groups with sensitivity of96.8 %, specificity of  95.5 %, recognition capability of 98 % and cross-validation of 100 %.

 We identified a pattern for CAN and transplant patients with normal renal functions by proteomic profiling using MALDI-TOF-MS and magnetic beads.


AIM
The distal dural ring plane (DDRP) separates the intracavernous from the supracavernous paraclinoid internal carotid artery. The purpose of this MRI protocol is to evaluate the position of this plane for the characterization of paraclinoid aneurysms.

METHOD
The protocol uses a T2 weighted sequence in two orthogonal planes (diaphragmatic and carotid planes) and two correlation lines in each plane. These lines pass through anatomo-radiological reference points correlated with the medio-lateral and antero-posterior margins of the DDRP. We use the intersection angle of these lines as the inferior radiological limit of the DDRP curve.

RESULTS
An aneurysm located above this angle is supracavernous; an aneurysm located below this angle is intracavernous; an aneurysm crossing this angle is transitional.

CONCLUSION
In difficult cases, this MRI protocol could help better characterize the exact localization of paraclinoid aneurysms on both sides of the cavernous sinus roof.


Analytical results concerning the thermophoretic velocity of a spherical particle suspended in a plasma for the extreme case of the free-molecule regime and a thin plasma sheath are presented. Several different cases are considered in this study, including non-metallic or metallic particles and non-evaporating or evaporating particles. It has been shown that the thermophoretic velocity increases with increasing temperature gradient or heat flux within the bulk plasma and decreases with increasing gas pressure, but is independent of the particle radius. The thermophoretic velocity of a metallic non-evaporating particle is only a little less than that of a non-metallic one, whereas the thermophoretic velocity of a metallic evaporating particle may be three times as great as that of a non-metallic one at high plasma temperatures.


INTRODUCTION
The incidence of malignant mesothelioma (MM) in Denmark has been rising rapidly since the 1950s. The aim of this study was to determine temporal developments of MM incidence and survival in Denmark as a whole and in the individual regions.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Data from the Danish Cancer Registry were used. Cases of MM of the pleura, peritoneum and pericardium occurring in the 1943-2009 period were included. National and regional incidence rates were calculated, age-standardised and stratified by various variables. Survival was calculated using Kaplan Meier plot.

RESULTS
The total national incidence of MM for men has been rising throughout the period and reached its maximum of 1.76 in 2008-2009. For women, the incidence rate has remained relatively steady, with a maximum of 0.5 in 1973-1977. Since the late 1980s, the Region of Northern Jutland has had the highest male incidence rate. The difference in relative risk for men in the Region of Southern Denmark and the Region of Northern Jutland was 1.53 in 2008-2009, and the relative risk of developing MM in the Region of Northern Jutland for the entire period collectively compared with Denmark as a whole was 1.38. No notable regional difference exists for women. Survival has improved for both men and women, but remains poor with a median survival of 12.5 months for men and 13.3 months for women in 2008-2009.

CONCLUSION
The national MM incidence for men continues to increase, perhaps showing a slight tendency towards deceleration in the most recent decade. A clear long-term effect of the Danish asbestos ban has not yet occurred.

FUNDING
not relevant.

TRIAL REGISTRATION
not relevant.


This study explores the complementarities between systemic functional and cognitive metaphorical approaches to multimodal discourse analysis. Their common concern with the construal of human experience and their shared theoretical foundation of viewing language and other semiotic systems as meaning-making resource make it possible to integrate them in analyzing linguistic and multimodal data. Meanwhile, as far as multimodal discourse analysis is concerned, the theoretical strengths of systemic functional visual grammar and multimodal metaphor theory are able to bridge existing gaps. on the one hand, the systemic functional framework provides a comprehensive modeling of the visual realization of metaphor; on the other hand, conceptual metaphor theory provides an epistemological status to the semiotic description of visual images. Therefore, from the results here obtained, it is possible to conclude that the integration of these two major theoretical approaches is significant to furthering our understanding of multimodal discourse.


Today the world lives in the process of globalization. Although the term globalization is widespread there is no original definition for this concept. Salvation of globalization?s world is reserve in the doctrine of Religion Islam. It is explained by Mohammed (peace upon him) the last prophet of God. I think all Islamic sciences and thought must be reviewed. In that case, Islam will able to direct to mentality, thought, science, culture, economy and social community. Thus, Islam will be aforementioned in the globel world.


The thesis has mainly two parts. The first part is the Econometric part, where we are
trying to investigate the statistical properties of two methodologies that are used in the
detection of Causality in Variance as well as in the Mean. Through several Monte
Carlo simulations, we are trying to retrieve some conclusions concerning the
empirical performance of these methodologies, using two Data Generating Processes,
the GARCH and the FIGARCH model specifications. These methodologies are based
on the estimation of the Cross Correlation Function for the squared standardised
residuals. These residuals are obtained from the estimation of the univariate GARCH.
The second part involves our empirical application. In this part we are trying to
investigate the volatility as well as the return spillover among eighteen (18) countries
of European Union (EU), based on the two methodologies, using both the GARCH
and FIGARCH models.


ABSTRACT This paper presents a simple device for wet elutriation of sediments. This device was designed to separate sand from silt and clay in a single operation. Moreover, the simple elutriator has been successfully used to remove salts from beach sands before sieving. The simple elutriator made with a glass funnel presents as main advantages its low cost, simple operation, and efficient and fast separation.


Presbycusis-related tinnitus and cognitive impairment are common in the elderly and generate a massive burden on family and society. Except for age, the study explored the gender differences in the prevalence of the three diseases. We found that women have an advantage in maintaining better cognitive and auditory functions. Recent studies suggest the complex links among the three diseases. Peripheral hearing loss can affect sound coding and neural plasticity, which will lead to cognitive impairment and tinnitus. The deficits of the central nervous system, especially central auditory structures, can, in turn, cause the presbycusis. The interaction among three diseases indicated that comprehensive assessment, intervention and treatment in consideration of hearing loss, tinnitus and cognitive impairment are important to decay aging.


ABSTRACT The lesser yellow-shouldered bat, Sturnira nana, is a member of the most diverse genus of the New World leaf-nosed bats (Phyllostomidae). This species was considered endemic to Peru until 2009 when researchers captured a series of individuals in the Cordillera del Cóndor of southeastern Ecuador and identified them as S. nana. To assess the taxonomic status of this Ecuadorian population in relation to S. nana from Peru, we analyzed cytochrome b gene sequences and craniodental measurement data. In addition, we used principal component analysis to elucidate differences in climatic niches. Our analyses suggest that populations currently identified as S. nana from Ecuador and Peru are genetically, morphologically, and ecologically divergent. Herein, we formally describe the population of small Sturnira from Ecuador as a new species.


The super-cyclonic storm "Amphan" hit Eastern India, specifically the state of West Bengal, Odisha and parts of Bangladesh in May 2020, and caused severe damage to the regions. In this study, we aim to understand the self-reported effects of this natural disaster on residents of the state of West Bengal. To that end, we conducted an online survey to understand the effects of the cyclone. In total, 201 participants (spanning five districts) from the worst-affected state of West Bengal participated in the survey. This report describes our findings from the survey, with respect to the damages caused by the cyclone, how it affected the population in various districts of West Bengal, and how prepared the authorities were in responding to the disaster. We found that the participants were most adversely affected in this disaster due to disruption of services like electricity, phone and internet (as opposed to uprooting of trees and water-logging). Furthermore, we found that receiving responses to Amphan-related queries is highly positively correlated with the favorable perception of people about preparedness of authorities. Additionally, we study the usage of online social media by the affected population in the days immediately after the disaster. Our results strongly suggest how social media platforms can help authorities to better prepare for future disasters. In summary, our study analyzes self-reported data collected from grassroots, and brings out several key insights that can help authorities deal better with disaster events in future.


A new algorithm, involving the Bloch wave operator theory, is applied to the eigenvalue problem in large vectorial spaces. Three subspaces constituting the whole Hilbert space are then defined: the space of the trial eigenvector, an intermediate space comprising the states strongly coupled to the latter and a complementary space of large size. In the two former defined spaces each of the components of the Bloch wave operator associated with the eigenvector is separately calculated by using both procedures of standard diagonalization and of iterative perturbation. The relationship between the projections of the wave operator onto these two subspaces is deduced from a recursive scheme. The resonance state of the Henon-Heiles potential with E and A symmetry illustrate the adequacy of the formulation.


Dithioesters are well-established as efficient reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agents. More recently, certain small molecule dithioesters have been reported to release the biological signaling molecule hydrogen sulfide (H2S) upon exposure to cysteine. Herein, we examine the propensity of polymers synthesized using RAFT with a dithioester chain transfer agent to release H2S via reaction of cysteine with constitutive dithioester end-groups. Homocysteine-triggered release of H2S from these materials is also observed, with evidence suggesting that the mechanism is analogous to the reaction with cysteine.


The group of primary autonomic failure (AF) syndromes comprises pure AF (PAF), in which there are no central neurological signs, and multiple system atrophy (MSA) in which AF is accompanied by the overlapping degenerative disorders, striatonigral degeneration and olivopontocerebellar atrophy. Patients with these syndromes deteriorate progressively but, based on an understanding of the precise sites of the lesions, there are several ways of alleviating their deterioration, in particular the most disabling symptom, postural hypotension. The principles can be used in the treatment of AF in other general medical disorders, such as diabetes.


UNLABELLED
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the ectopic osteogenesis of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP-2) loaded chitosan (CS)/dextran sulfate (DS) by micro-CT.

METHODS
rhBMP-2/CS/DS microspheres were prepared by the ionic crosslinking and its shape was observed under the scanning electron microscope. The release of rhBMP-2 was determined from resultant microspheres by ELISA assay. Forty-eight Sprague Dawley male rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 12), quadriceps muscle bag model was made, gelatin sponge (group A), CS/DS microspheres (group B), rhBMP-2 (group C), and CS/DS/rhBMP-2 microspheres (group D) were implanted into the bags respectively. The tissue samples with heterotopic ossification were harvested for micro-CT scanning at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks. The tissue mineral density (TMD), bone volume fraction (BVF), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), trabecular number (Tb.N), bone mineral density (BMD), and tissue mineral content (TMC) were measured.

RESULTS
The prepared rhBMP-2/CS/DS microspheres with smooth surfaces were spherical and evenly disperses without obvious agglomeration. At 2 hours, microsphere started a sudden release period in vitro; the release reached a peak at 2 days; and the release cycle lasted about 20 days. The rats survived to the end of the experiment. At each time point after operation, no radiation developed and no osteogenesis was observed by three dimensional reconstruction in groups A and B. However, radioactive strength and reconstructed bone tissue gradually increased in groups C and D, and group D had more radioautography and more bone tissues than group C. At each time point, TMD, BVF, Tb.Th, Tb.N, BMD, and TMC of groups A and B were zero. Ectopic bone formed with time, the other parameters showed an increasing trend except Tb.N in groups C and D, showing significant difference when compared with groups A and B at each time point (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between groups C and D at 4 weeks (P > 0.05); the parameters of group D were significantly higher than those of group C at 8-16 weeks (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION
rhBMP-2/CS/DS microspheres have stronger ability of ectopic bone formation than single rhBMP-2.


The border areas are regions of particular features in the developments where cultures and two countries, which configures dynamic and special conditions in education is concerned. The case of the implementation of educational policies in the Colombian Venezuelan is of particular interest given the changes that have occurred in recent decades in both countries. It proposes an analysis of the concept and policy development and renovation projects of public policy in higher education. Finally, we present the implementation of educational policies conducted at the University Simon Bolivar, sectional Cucuta and the implications for the border.


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to answer the following research questions: which are the main drivers in the choice of a restaurant for Italian consumers? Are local, organic and GMO-free foods important attributes in the choice of a restaurant?

Design/methodology/approach

In order to answer the research questions, a discrete choice experiment was applied. In particular, the authors opted for the application of a latent class model to identify any differences in the behavioural structures of the various consumers. This approach is, in fact, based on the assumption that the choices of the subjects depend on observable and unobservable heterogeneity that vary with factors not directly detectable.

Findings

People show different preferences when they choose a restaurant. Regarding the choice experiment, the analysis of the importance of the attributes for the final choice highlights how price and service quality are always considered as the most important ones. The presence of menu with local foods, organic foods and OGM-free products is never decisive for the final choice but it is a very appreciated attribute for almost 30 per cent of consumers. This group of consumers (named local oriented) show a willingness to pay (WTP) of 11 euro for local foods, eight euro for organic products and 3.5 euro for OGM-free ingredients. For the locavores, the likelihood of choosing a restaurant offering local products is three times higher than that of a restaurant not possessing this type of certification, all other conditions being equal.

Research limitations/implications

Restaurant owners can differentiate their offerings also considering the local foods and organic products. On the other hand, the restaurants can become powerful marketing channels for local producers. The consumption of organic foods can be increased given the wide WTP displayed. This could positively impact in the promotion of healthier and sustainable diet.

Practical implications

The conditions therefore exist for developing a restaurant offer consisting of a basic menu with local foods, capable of integrating in a virtuous manner with the organic farm productions, which keep an eye on sustainable development and the wholesomeness of foods. If this virtuous process takes root in the restaurant sector, it could certainly represent an important opportunity for the agricultural producers as well, especially in the tourist areas. In order for this opportunity to materially be implemented in a development process, it is, however, necessary to develop certifications and brands capable of constituting credible guarantees for the consumer, as well as strengthening the information and communication campaigns among the younger consumers.

Social implications

The development of a segment of restaurants that support local foods and organic products would have positive impacts both from the social and territorial point of view.

Originality/value

This is the first paper that considers and evaluate the impact of local foods, organic foods and GMO-free foods in the choice of a restaurant. Findings demonstrate how the probability of choosing restaurants that offer local products, compared to the other conditions, is always higher than those focussing on organic or GMO-free products. The choice probability of the restaurant with local products is three times greater than that of a restaurant without local products, all other variables being equal.


We have developed a novel writable compact disc (CD) using a Au70Sn30 alloy recording film. This has the advantages of a single-layered, simple structure suitable for conventional CD processes, high reflectivity, low toxicity and high reliability. Recording marks are formed by filling up the grooves resulting from thermal deformation and deconstruction of polycarbonate resin. Modulation amplitudes of 0.37 (3 T) and 0.87 (11 T) are obtained by this new recording method. The addition of Ti to the recording film improves its reliability by preventing Sn oxidization.


Are citizens willing to accept journalistic fact-checks of misleading claims from candidates they support and to update their attitudes about those candidates? Previous studies have reached conflicting conclusions about the effects of exposure to counter-attitudinal information. As fact-checking has become more prominent, it is therefore worth examining how respondents respond to fact-checks of politicians—a question with important implications for understanding the effects of this journalistic format on elections. We present results to two experiments conducted during the 2016 campaign that test the effects of exposure to realistic journalistic fact-checks of claims made by Donald Trump during his convention speech and a general election debate. These messages improved the accuracy of respondents' factual beliefs, even among his supporters, but had no measurable effect on attitudes toward Trump. These results suggest that journalistic fact-checks can reduce misperceptions but often have minimal effects on candidate evaluations or vote choice.


The effort by Sandia Laboratories in developing CDC6600 computer programs for Optimum Repair Level Analysis (ORLA) and Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis is described. Investigation of the three repair-level strategies referenced in AFLCM/AFSCM 800-4 (base discard of subassemblies, base repair of subassemblies, and depot repair of subassemblies) was expanded to include an additional three repair-level strategies (base discard of complete assemblies and, upon shipment of complete assemblies to the depot, depot repair of assemblies by subassembly repair, and depot repair of assemblies by subassembly discard). The expanded ORLA was used directly in an LCC model that was procedurally altered to accommodate the ORLA input data. Available from the LCC computer run was an LCC value corresponding to the strategy chosen from the ORLA. 2 figures.


Investors in the stock market need a valid and accurate model to predict the expected rate of return on their portfolios which necessitate testing many pricing models and determining which model is the most accurate. The problem is that both single-factor and multi-factor capital asset pricing models (CAPM) are not valid for predicting the expected rate of return. The purpose of this quantitative study was to test the validity of the arbitrage pricing theory (APT) in the Jordanian stock market as an alternative to the CAPM. The study was theoretically based on the arbitrage pricing theory introduced by Stephen Ross. The main focus of the research questions was on examining the relationship between stocks' rate of return calculated using the price index of Amman stock exchange (ASE) and a set of macroeconomic variables. The website of ASE, central bank of Jordan, and department of statistics were used to collect data about ASE price index and the independent macroeconomic variables of unemployment rate, gross domestic product (GDP), industrial producers' price index (IPPI), and exports for the period from 2000 to 2016. Collected data were analyzed using multiple-linear regression. Due to the detected multicollinearity between GDP and exports, GDP was excluded from the proposed model. The results revealed that among three variables tested, only IPPI had a significant negative effect on the stocks' rate of return.


We have identified the best harvesting periods, related to higher bioactive compound content and post-harvest quality, for minimally processed sweet potatoes with orange pulp and cream pulp. Quality loss in minimally processed sweet potatoes occurred due to browning in cv. Mãe de Familia and ESAM1 and to whitening in cv. Paraná. Both Mãe de Família and ESAM1 presented higher peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activities at 120 days, and cv. Paraná contained high levels of provitamin A. β-carotene was the major carotenoid (up to 99%) in orange pulp. All cultivars harvested at 150 and 180 days and minimally processed showed the best visual quality, the highest bioactive compound content, and no microbial infection. Delaying the harvest also increase the antioxidant activity in orange roots, which was associated with a high content of carotenoids and phenolic compounds, resulting in an increase in the nutritional quality of the product. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Postharvest techniques can improve the visual and phytochemical quality of vegetables and extend their shelf life. The present research provides the best harvesting periods for minimally processed cream and orange sweet potato roots with higher postharvest qualities. Delaying the harvest resulted in a product with better visual quality, higher levels of bioactive compounds, which are highly beneficial to health, for example, ß-carotene, and no microbiological contamination. Our results may contribute to improvements in the current knowledge about harvesting times for sweet potato growers who aim to produce high quality, minimally processed products with a longer shelf life.


Biomedical informatics in general and pharmacogenomics in particular require a research platform that simultaneously enables discovery while protecting research subjects' privacy and information confidentiality. The development of inexpensive DNA sequencing and analysis technologies promises unprecedented database access to very specific information about individuals. To allow analysis of this data without compromising the research subjects' privacy, we must develop methods for removing identifying information from medical and genomic data. In this paper, we build upon the idea that binned database records are more difficult to trace back to individuals. We represent symbolic and numeric data hierarchically, and bin them by generalizing the records. We measure the information loss due to binning using an information theoretic measure called mutual information. The results show that we can bin the data to different levels of precision and use the bin size to control the tradeoff between privacy and data resolution.


Since the pivotal revelation of the PIGA gene mutations responsible for glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor deficiency over 20 years ago, molecular and clinical research into the evolution of Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) has significantly advanced the current understanding of the disease, expanding upon the foundational work by numerous investigators over the previous two centuries. The discovery of multiple PIGA mutations in normal individuals using the bacterial toxin aerolysin as well as with florescent activated cell sorting (FACS) clearly demonstrated that PIGA mutations are common in normal hematopoiesis. A strong association of PNH with Aplastic Anemia (AA) and the failure of PIGA clones to expand in animal models argued for the necessity of permissive conditions, largely understood to be immune mediated bone marrow failure. While GPI anchor deficiency may lead to escape of the PNH clone from autoimmunity, recent research has added to the body of knowledge by demonstrating that the PNH clone may acquire additional mutations in other genes that promote clonal expansion in the absence of competition from normal hematopoiesis as found in AA. Sequencing studies of PIGA in PNH patients suggested that one, two, or at most three hematopoietic stem cells were sufficient to supply the necessary blood cells for survival. Furthermore, specific monoclonal antibodies combined with the fluorescently labeled inactive proaerolysin variant (FLAER) currently used to perform PNH diagnostic assays visualized the relatively frequent occurrence of both Type II and Type III PNH cells, suggesting the presence of two PIGA mutations in a significant number of patients. Using a combination of multiparameter FACS and a custom designed multiamplicon next generation sequencing (NGS) assay targeting PIGA, our results suggest that this may be an underestimate. 17 sequential patients with PNH (N=7, 3 Male, 4 Female) or AA/PNH (N=10, 5 Male, 5 Female) were enrolled in this study. A flow cytometry panel consisting of CD235a/CD59 for RBCs and FLAER/CD24/CD15/CD45 for granulocytes was used to assess PNH clone size and to sort WBCs into PNH positive and negative fractions. Mean RBC clone size was 31.6% (range 1.1-63.5%); mean WBC clone size was 53.2% (range 0.17-99.7%). Sort purity was confirmed at >98% in both fractions, DNA was extracted and subjected to analysis using an NGS assay and a stringent bioanalytic pipeline with an average depth of 18,000 reads. At least one PIGA mutation was detected in the PNH positive fraction of every patient. A total of 68 PIGA mutations were observed, consisting of 31 nonsynonymous SNVs, 16 frameshift insertion/deletions, 12 stopgains, 7 splice site, and 2 nonframeshift deletions. 13/17 (76%) had more than one mutation, and 12/17 (70%) had 3 or more mutations (range 3-14). Analysis of variant allelic frequency (VAF) indicated that multiple clones with distinct PIGA mutations greater than 5% VAF of the PNH positive fraction were found in 9/17 (53%) patients with a median VAF of 11% (range 5-86%) and 5/9 demonstrating 3 mutations >5%. Repeat identical experiments from three patients were performed on samples obtained roughly one month apart with concordant results. Overall, our results suggest that a complex clonal hierarchy with multiple dominant and/or subdominant yet expanded clones is relatively common in PNH. The clonal hierarchy in PNH patients can include up to 14 PNH clones with distinct frequencies and mutations. In addition, it is a widely held notion that PIGA mutations occur only in a hematopoietic stem cell, thus affecting all lineages, yet anomalous cases of PNH have been reported where the RBC PNH clone size is markedly higher than that of the granulocyte clone, and comparison between monocyte and granulocyte clone size is significantly different. We have identified two such cases in this cohort, with flow cytometry revealing RBC PNH clones of 18.63% and 35.61%, while granulocyte clones were 0.17% and 8.11%, and monocyte clones were 53.12% and 50.35%, respectively. Current experiments isolating and sequencing both sorted PNH positive cell fractions as well as hematopoietic precursors for PIGA and other commonly mutated genes found in hematologic malignancies are underway to confirm and elucidate the complex clonal hierarchy these results suggest. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Data classification is an important data mining role in biomedicine. This paper proposes a method to analyze colorectal carcinoma auto-fluorescence spectrogram data based on counting kNN algorithm after analyzing the characteristics of biomedicine data. Though counting kNN algorithm for classification is simple and effective, it doesn't deal with biomedicine data well. After analyzing the algorithm performance, a novel counting kNN algorithm by index tree is presented. The new method improves the efficiency by using a tree structure index with the same accuracy. Experiments show that this method outperforms the distance-based voting kNN for accuracy, and ckNN for efficiency.


This online essay replies to Professor William Stuntz's important recent article, The Political Constitution of Criminal Justice, 119 Harv. L. Rev. 780 (2006). Stuntz's central claim is that constitutional regulation of criminal procedure has worsened the very harms it was intended to address, because politicians have abandoned innovation in areas regulated by the Supreme Court (like policing) and shifted spending away from those areas to other areas where it does less good (like prisons). I argue against that conclusion, on three grounds. First, contrary to what Stuntz suggests, judicial rulings haven't significantly impeded the ability of politicians to control the police. Second, politicians haven't done a better job regulating those aspects of criminal procedure that courts have left entirely alone or have addressed, as Stuntz recommends, with default rules. Third, there are simpler explanations for the political pathologies that Stuntz identifies, including an explanation that Stuntz himself provides.


In this study, coatings were made with graphene nanopowder in two different thicknesses (0.1 and 0.5 mm) at three different concentrations (50, 100 and 150 g/kg) on polyester woven fabrics. The effects of the coating thickness and graphene concentration were examined with optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. The thermal stability properties of the samples were also evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Thermal conductivity was evaluated with two different principles: contact and radiant heat transfer, according to JIS R 2618 and EN ISO 6942, respectively. Solar measurements were performed with a Shimadzu UV-3600 Plus spectrophotometer. The graphene coating improved the thermal stability of the polyester fabrics. The solar absorbance value increased by 80% compared to reference fabrics, and reached approximately 90%. One of the important results was that the thermal conductivity coefficient increased by 87% and 262% for the two coating thicknesses, respectively.


This study was conducted in order to establish a procedure for a low-temperature postweld heat treatment (LTPWHT) to replace conventional stress relief annealing utilized as postweld heat treatment when pressure vessels are fabricated. From'the standpoint of preventing only hydrogen-induced weld cracks during fabrication before the final PWHT, the appropriate conditions of the LTPWHT for preventing the cracks in heavy-section 2 1 / 4 Cr-1Mo steel weldments were obtained by clarifying the following items: (1) the causes and characteristics of a crack, (2) the hydrogen concentration at the location of the crack initiation by applying various welding conditions, (3) the relation between the reduction of the hydrogen concentration through LTPWHT and its treating conditions. and (4) a critical hydrogen concentration below which cracking does not occur. As a result of the establishment of the LTPWHT, not only the hydrogen-induced weld crack, but also stress relief cracking can be prevented. Moreover, the deterioration of the toughness and the strength of the material caused by the repetitious stress relief annealing can be avoided, and then the condition of the final PWHT specified in pressure vessel codes can be optimized in each weld cone An additional study was completed for welds using a newly developed flux material.


We investigate the effect of Reformed Protestantism, relative to Catholicism, on preferences for leisure, and for redistribution and intervention in the economy. We use a Fuzzy Spatial Regression Discontinuity Design to exploit a historical quasi-experiment in Western Switzerland, where in the 16th century a hitherto homogeneous region was split and one part assigned to adopt Protestantism. We find that Reformed Protestantism reduces referenda voting for more leisure by 12, for redistribution by 7, and for government intervention by 6 percentage points. These preferences translate into higher per capita income as well as greater income inequality.


We reported the expression of the homeodomain‐containing transcription factor Engrailed‐2 (EN2) in prostate cancer and showed that the presence of EN2 protein in the urine was highly predictive of prostate cancer. This study aimed to determine whether patients with prostate cancer have EN2 autoantibodies, what the prevalence of these antibodies is and whether they are associated with disease stage. The spontaneous immunoglobulin (Ig)G immune response against EN2 and for comparison the tumour antigen New York Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma 1 (NY‐ESO‐1), were tested by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in three different cohorts of prostate cancer patients as well as a group of men genetically predisposed to prostate cancer. Thirty‐two of 353 (9·1%) of the SUN cohort representing all stages of prostate cancer demonstrated EN2 IgG responses, 12 of 107 patients (11·2%) in the advanced prostate cancer patients showed responses, while only four of 121 patients (3·3%) with castrate‐resistant prostate cancer showed EN2 autoantibodies. No significant responses were found in the predisposed group. Anti‐EN2 IgG responses were significantly higher in patients with prostate cancer compared to healthy control males and similarly prevalent to anti‐NY‐ESO‐1 responses. While EN2 autoantibodies are not a useful diagnostic or monitoring tool, EN2 immunogenicity provides the rationale to pursue studies using EN2 as an immunotherapeutic target.


We are living through active and exciting times for television format flows, in terms of both the rich global spectrum of programmes being created and the flourishing of television format studies as a focus of academic enquiry, necessitating correspondingly reformatted critical and theoretical approaches. It is crucial that television format researchers continue to develop new understandings and to shed light upon currently underexplored or overlooked networks of televisual exchange and enterprise. Yet, it is equally important to review more familiar areas of investigation and debate but from a renewed perspective.

Bearing these matters in mind, this chapter (re)turns to a well-worn yet enduringly complex route of cultural and commercial interaction, by examining what the author has referred to previously as UK-to-US television drama translations (Hogg, 2013). The long-standing 'special relationship' between the United Kingdom and the United States in televisual terms has already been extensively and profitably explored (e.g. Miller, 2000; Rixon, 2006; Hilmes, 2011; Weissmann, 2012). Moreover, an edited collection from Carlen Lavigne and Heather Marcovitch (2011) has made some useful inroads towards a better understanding of US versions of UK television formats specifically.

With US translations of UK television dramas becoming ever-more prominent in the global marketplace, the primary aim of this chapter is to reflect further upon critical perceptions surrounding the so-called 'Americanization' of British dramas, by relating these perceptions both to the enduring debates around global power imbalances of culture and economy, and to the more recent developments of television format research. In addition, the chapter will draw on the previous lessons of Adaptation Studies in understanding such processes of creative and cultural transformation. In addressing these aims, the chapter centres upon the production and reception of the US version of the television drama Life on Mars (ABC, 2008-2009).


Objective—Septal defects and coronary vessel anomalies are common congenital heart defects, yet their ontogeny and the underlying genetic mechanisms are not well understood. Here, we investigated the role of chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor II (COUP-TFII, NR2F2) in cardiac organogenesis. Methods and Results—We analyzed embryos deficient in COUP-TFII and observed a spectrum of cardiac defects, including atrioventricular septal defect, thin-walled myocardium, and abnormal coronary morphogenesis. We show by expression analysis that COUP-TFII is expressed in the endocardium and the epicardium but not in the myocardium of the ventricle. Using endothelial-specific COUP-TFII mutants and molecular approaches, we show that COUP-TFII deficiency resulted in endocardial cushion hypoplasia. This was attributed to the reduced growth and survival of atrioventricular cushion mesenchymal cells and defective epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) in the underlying endocardium. In addition, the endocardial EMT defect was accompanied by downregulation of Snai1, one of the master regulators of EMT, and upregulation of vascular endothelial-cadherin. Furthermore, we show that although COUP-TFII does not play a major role in the formation of epicardial cell cysts, it is critically important for the formation of epicardium. Ablation of COUP-TFII impairs epicardial EMT and coronary plexus formation. Conclusion—Our results reveal that COUP-TFII plays cell-autonomous roles in the endocardium and the epicardium for endocardial and epicardial EMT, which are required for proper valve and coronary vessel formation during heart development.


Down syndrome — the most common human congenital disease, the most common chromosomal abnormality (tri- somy of chromosome 21). In addition to the phenotypic features of multiple anomalies on the part of the cardiovascular, central nervous and immune systems, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal system, is very common in patients with Down syndrome are diseases of the respiratory tract. The article presents current data from the literature on the causes of recurrent respiratory infections, obstruction of the upper and lower respiratory tract infections, obstructive sleep apnea associated with phenotypic characteristics of children, predisposing to obstruction. The data on the consequences of such abnormalities of the respiratory tract as a tracheal bronchus. Detailed description of interstitial lung disease in Down syndrome that can develop as a primary pathological process or be the result of infectious lesions and aspiration. Computed tomography allows visualization of pulmo- nary disorders architectonic, perilobulyarnye shading, depletion of lung pattern at the level of segments and subpleural cysts, the diagnosis of which is of great importance due to the high risk of pneumothorax. We discuss the etiology of the structural changes in the lung, their relationship with pulmonary hypoplasia and congenital heart disease. It is emphasized that the as- sessment of biopsies morphologists in Down syndrome is complex, as there are multiple, overlapping lung damage. Powered by observation of the patient with Down syndrome and subpleural cysts in the lungs. Thus, patients with Down syndrome have a variety of respiratory symptoms, the possibility of these lesions should be considered in the management of patients.


In cancer chemotherapy, some molecular targeting drugs maintain their efficacy even during a non-dosing period. Nivolumab, an anti-PD-1antibody that has recently been receiving particular attention, often maintains its efficacy during a nondosing period, although it takes several weeks to take effect. The efficacy of ipilimumab, an anti-CTLA-4 antibody, lasts for more than 1year after only 4 administrations. However, how long to continue the anti-HER2 antibody trastuzumab, after HER2-positive breast cancer patients with advanced or recurrent disease show remarkable improvement in imaging examinations remains uncertain. The same is true for imatinib in the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumor and chronic myeloid leukemia. In addition, the use of bevacizumab, an anti-VEGF antibody, was reported to be associated with prolonged survival beyond progressive disease. As the use of molecular targeting drugs may provide prolonged beneficial effects, the continuation, suspension, or termination of therapy should be carefully determined to avoid any disadvantage to patients.


This paper discusses landcover classification using high density airborne LiDAR data and multispectral imagery, in which both datasets are obtained from the same airborne LiDAR system. The study area is the Duursche Waarden floodplain in the Netherlands. The airborne LiDAR dataset was acquired by the FLI-MAP 400 system during the leaf-off season with point density between 50 and 100 points per m2 . The LiDAR data was used to generate several statistical features from the height and intensity data and so-called multispectral images from the spectral data. The methodology is divided into three main parts; 1) data pre-processing and derivation of several features from airborne LiDAR data for landcover classification, 2) landcover classification, and 3) evaluation of results. In the first part, the ground points are extracted from the LiDAR data to generate the DTM of the study area. The elevation value of each laser return is then normalized to the DTM by subtracting the DTM from the elevation value. After that, all the components of the dataset (height, Intensity, Red, Green, and Blue) are converted to a raster form at the same spatial resolution. In this step, several features are created for height, intensity, Red, Green, and Blue. The landcover classification process is divided into two major parts which deal with the Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) classifiers. Each classifier is used on three different datasets: 1) FLI-MAP 400-generated multispectral images, 2) LiDAR-derived features, and 3) a combination of the multispectral images and the LiDARderived features. The results show that the SVM method produces better classification results than the ML method. In addition, the landcover classification based on the combination of LiDAR-derived features and multispectral images produces better results than classification based on either dataset only. By employing all the input features, good classification accuracy can be achieved even with a relatively low polynomial order of SVM. Generally, both classification methods agree that the LiDAR-derived features require the multispectral images to improve the classification results, especially for grassland, tilled land, and paved road. The landcover classification using only the LiDAR-derived data tends to produce lower overall classification accuracy than the classification based on just the multispectral images.


Ancient commentators have always paid considerable attention to the rhetorical aspects of the speeches composed by Virgil in the Aeneid. They are fictitious dialogues but modelled, at least partially, on the public debates of the late Republic and Virgil's own times. The Council of the Gods (Aen. 10.1-117) is perhaps the passage in which the use of rhetoric is most evident. The trialogue between Jupiter, Venus and Juno can also be examined in the context of the doctrine of (im)politeness. Each protagonist uses specific strategies to interact with the others. Late antiquity exegesis also analyses in some notes the attitude of the speakers, highlighting polite or impolite behaviours. The aim of the article is twofold: on the one hand, it follows the development of the trialogue according to modern doctrines of (im)politeness to have an 'ethic' analysis of the debate. On the other hand, it will examine the commentators' notes, both those explaining the rhetorical strategies and those highlighting the attitude of the speakers, in order to assess 'emic' perceptions of (im)politeness.


In active networks, programs can be injected to network elements (routers/switches). This allows programmers to enhance existing protocols or deploy new protocols. AMTree protocol is an active network based protocol that makes sending packets to receivers, after source migration, an efficient process. In AMTree protocol, after source migration, handoff latency computed from the time of reconnecting to a new base station until finding nearest core to the mobile source. In this paper the authors present two new algorithms to minimize the handoff latency in AMTree protocol. They show that handoff latency is much lower than that of AMTree handoff algorithm if the mobile source connects to a base station which is subscribed to the multicast group.


The genotoxicity of an organophosphate insecticide, monocrotophos, was evaluated upon chronic exposure in a chick in vivo test system employing micronucleus bioassay. In this study the animals were treated once daily for 30 days. The induced frequency of micronuclei in the erythrocytes of both bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) were significantly higher than the respective control values. Weekly recording of the body weight of treated and control groups did not reveal any significant effect of the chemical on the general growth rate. The present results revealed the genotoxic potential of monocrotophos and also substantiate our earlier suggestion regarding the suitability of the chick in vivo test system to screen environmental abuses for mutagenicity.


We propose an RF sensor array for lung disease detection. The size of the sensor array is 4cm*89.4cm. The sensor consists of 38 electrodes and 37 ports. The first two electrodes are optimized to operate at 60 MHz and act as a signal exciter. The remaining 36 electrodes receive the radiated field. The transmission coefficients Si1 at each passive port are calculated using HFSS software. An equation was designed for dielectric constant estimation using the Least Squares (LS) method. The sensor is fabricated using Inkjet printing. The experiments of the fabricated sensor were conducted on an average adult human chest elliptical model.


Congenital abnormalities or acquired trauma to the auricle can result in a need for ear reconstruction and negatively impact a person's quality of life. Autografting, alloplastic implants, and prostheses are available to treat these issues, but each requires multiple surgical stages and has limitations and complications. Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting promises to allow the creation of living, patient-specific ear substitutes that could reduce operative morbidity. In this review, we evaluate the current state of 3D bioprinting methods through a systematic search and review of 27 studies, aiming to examine this emerging technology within the context of existing reconstructive options. The included studies were all non-randomized experimental studies, except for a single pilot clinical trial. Most of these studies involved both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrating the potential of 3D bioprinting to create functional and anatomically accurate engineered cartilaginous frameworks for surgical implantation. Various ways of optimizing printing were identified, from choosing the most suitable material and cell type for the construct to addressing scaffold deformation and shrinkage issues. 3D printing has the potential to revolutionize reconstructive ear surgery by creating functional and aesthetically pleasing auricles. While more research into printing parameters, bioinks, cell types, and materials could optimize results, the next step is to conduct long-term in vivo clinical trials in humans.


Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of age and sex on nPWV and ndI in the ascending aorta of healthy humans. Background: Local pulse wave velocity (nPWV) and wave intensity (ndI) in the human ascending aorta have not been studied adequately, because of the need for invasive pressure measurements. However, a recently developed technique made the noninvasive determination of nPWV and ndI possible using measurements of flow velocity and arterial diameter. Methods: Diameter and flow velocity were measured at the level of the ascending aorta in 144 healthy participants (aged 20–77 years, 66 men), using MRI. nPWV, ndI parameters; forward (FCW); backward (BCW) compression waves, forward decompression wave (FDW), local aortic distensibility (nDs) and reflection index (nRI) were calculated. Results: nPWV increased significantly with age from 4.7 ± 0.3 m/s for those 20–30 years to 6.4 ± 0.2 m/s for those 70–80 years (P < 0.001) and did not differ between sexes. nDs decreased with age (5.3 ± 0.5 vs. 2.6 ± 0.2 10−5 1/Pa, P < 0.001) and nRI increased with age (0.17 ± 0.03 vs. 0.39 ± 0.06, P < 0.01) for those 20–30 and 70–80 years, respectively. FCW, BCW and FDW decreased significantly with age by 86.3, 71.3 and 74.2%, respectively (P < 0.001), all compared to the lowest age-band. Conclusion: In healthy humans, ageing results in stiffer ascending aorta, with increase in nPWV and decrease in nDs. A decrease in FCW and FDW indicates decline in left ventricular early and late systolic functions with age in healthy humans with no differences between sexes. nRI is more sensitive than BCW in establishing the effects of ageing on reflected waves measured in the ascending aorta.


This study forcus on the performing arts, the main purpose is to explore the relationship between performance quality of arts program, service quality offer by the cinema, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Convenient sampling method was used, the audiences of performing arts program in Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall were interviewed. The 3,200 questionares were distributed and 743 effective samples were collected. The effective respond rate was 23.22%. Regression analysis and path analysis were used to test the hypotheseis. The major findings were as follow: (1) Performance quality and service quality each has a positive influence on customer satisfaction. (2) The combination of performance quality and service quality has a positive effect on customer satisfaction. (3) Customer satisfaction has a positive impact on customer loyalty. (4) Performance quality and service quality each has a positive influence on customer loyalty. (5) Customer satisfaction play a partial moderate role between performance quality, service quality and customer loyalty.


A detailed signature for individual substorms is sought in the interplanetary medium. Hourly values of interplanetary field and plasma parameters are correlated with hourly averages of the AE index. An interplanetary variable involving the southward component of the interplanetary field in the solar magnetospheric coordinate system is shown to be singularly important for the generation of substorms. The parameter best correlated with AE (0.8 correlation coefficient) is the integral or summation of Bz south over time for the hour preceding the AE hourly average. The magnitude of this integral appears to be linearly related to the hourly average of AE. The linearity suggests that the southward interplanetary field represents a continuing dynamic mechanism for the production of substorms rather than just being a trigger for the release of energy that has been stored in the magnetospheric tail. Furthermore, the additional energy that the southward component of the interplanetary field apparently puts into the tail is not accumulated for longer than about 1 hour before it appears as a substorm. A linear fit to AE that uses interplanetary parameters is obtained for two time intervals of data.