Oxoguanine glycosylase 1 (OGG1) repairs the predominant reactive oxygen species (ROS)-initiated DNA lesion 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG). Human OGG1 polymorphisms resulting in reduced DNA repair associate with an increased risk for disorders like cancer and diabetes, but the role of OGG1 in brain development is unclear. Herein, we show that Ogg1 knockout mice at 2-3 months of age exhibit enhanced gene- and sex-dependent DNA damage (strand breaks) and decreased epigenetic DNA methylation marks (5-methylcytosine, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine), both of which were associated with increased cerebellar calbindin levels, reduced hippocampal postsynaptic function, altered body weight with age and disorders of brain function reflected in behavioural tests for goal-directed repetitive behaviour, anxiety and fear, object recognition and spatial memory, motor coordination and startle response. These results suggest that OGG1 plays an important role in normal brain development, possibly via both its DNA repair activity and its role as an epigenetic modifier, with OGG1 deficiencies potentially contributing to neurodevelopmental disorders.


Determining the pressure dependence of dynamic moduli in unconsolidated sediments is still an open problem in applied geophysics. This is because several petrophysical parameters affect the elastic response of the granular medium during compression. Effective medium theories based on the Hertz–Mindlin contact law estimate the effective moduli from petrophysical parameters. Among them, the Pride and Berryman model assumes that new contacts between grains are progressively created during compression. Furthermore, the gaps around rattlers are distributed following a power law with distance and the global strain can change either linearly or quadratically with the local strain. This identifies two types of strain accumulation. Quadratic strain accumulation is associated with grain rotation. We simplified this model by assuming a flat distribution of gaps around rattlers and we applied this simplified model to published ultrasonic measurements. By means of these measurements, we studied how the strain-accumulation mechanism affects the coordination number during isotropic compression. The coordination numbers were estimated by applying a DEM-based correction to the average-strain model. We observe that the majority of the experimental trends lay between the linear and the quadratic accumulation trends. Based on this result, we assume that the strain accumulation is a combination of the two mechanisms and we propose a formula to estimate the contribution of each mechanism. Furthermore, we note that, in the studied datasets, rotation affects larger grains (diameter approximately 500 μm) more than smaller grains (diameter approximately 100 μm). If further validated, this correlation could guide the determination of pressure trends for sands.


On 27 September 2007, the Mrksic Trial Chamber held that the unlawful killing of soldiers hors de combat ("out of the battle") did not entitle them to recognition as victims of crimes against humanity under Article 5 of the ICTY Statute. This article critically analyses the Court's mischaracterization of precedent, revealing both historical and contemporary support for a broader definition of "civilian population" under Article 5. Moreover, by looking at case law and statutes from Nuremberg, foreign countries, and international courts, a continuous pattern that encompasses soldiers hors de combat within the definition of "civilian population" begins to emerge. Ultimately, to validate the increasing role of international humanitarian and human rights law, international criminal law must provide greater protections for those most vulnerable, in this case, soldiers hors de combat.


To investigate the movement patterns and activity of Hydromedusa maximiliani in southeastern Brazil, sixteen adult freshwater turtles (eight males and eight females) were monitored with radio-transmitters from October 2009 to November 2010. An additional 22 turtles (11 males and 11 females) were monitored with thread-bobbins over a 3-day period. Hydromedusa maximiliani showed strong tendency to remain close to the river course. The distance moved each day varied from 0 to 179 m/day (radio-tracking) and 1.5 to 201 m/day (thread-bobbins). Males moved greater distances than females during the mating season (August to November), while females exhibited pronounced movements associated with egg-laying (December to February). Male and female movements did not differ significantly. Straight line distance measurements, usually obtained by radio-tracking, underestimate actual movement distances, since the nonlinearity of movements is not captured by radio-tracking as opposed to spool tracking, even when long distances are travelled. Results from this study are important for establishing conservation strategies for this vulnerable species.


In view of the needs of a changing world that demands the reinforcement of creative and innovative processes, engineering education becomes one of the most relevant issues for a nation pursuing its insertion and survival into knowledge society. In this respect, active learning methodologies are perceived as the most appropriate tools leading engineers to an educational environment that prepares them for the challenges faced by society. Our work is a review of the active learning methodologies frequently used by engineering colleges and their success like a sort of appropriate tools for inspiring motivation and creativity in student and teachers alike. Also, it finds that the implementation of active learning practices backed by technologies of information and communication has become in a recent source of good experiences and discoveries. The results of the implementation of some of them are presented.


Objective: To study role of HIF-1α in patients with diabetic nephropathy.
Methods: This study selected a total of 133 participants including 61 patients with type 2 diabetes but no nephropathy, 49 patients with diabetic nephropathy and 23 healthy individuals as a control at Anhui provincial hospital during January 2012 to December 2016. Nephropathy was identified according to historical estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Parameters such as Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), Urine Albumin Creatinine Ratio (UACR) were also tested and recorded. Biopsy assessment was conducted when renal function or urinary abnormalities was inconsistent with the clinical expression or the natural history of DN. Western blotting was used to test the expression of serum HIF-1α in all patients and the control.
Results: Values of FBS, BUN and UACR were all significantly higher in DN and diabetes groups compared with the healthy control. Meanwhile, values of FBG, BUN and UACR were also all significantly higher in DN patients compared with the diabetes patients with no nephropathy. eGFR in DN patients was significantly lower than other two groups. No obvious lesion was observed in the diabetes patients with no nephropathy. However in DN patients, pathological changes were obvious in tubulointerstitia. In DN patients, expression of HIF-1α was significantly higher than both diabetes patients with no nephropathy and the healthy control, P<0.05. Patients with large amount of albuminuria showed highest expression of HIF-1α compared with other groups. However, HIF-1α in normo-albuminuria and micro-albuminuria groups showed no significant difference.
Conclusion: HIF-1α was up-regulated in patients with diabetic nephropathy. This study may give clinical basis to the role of HIF-1α in development of diabetic nephropathy. However, further studies are still needed to make deeper insights to illuminate HIF-1α in DN patients.


Q fever is a worldwide zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii (Cb). From January 2018 to November 2019, plasma samples from 2,382 patients with acute fever of unknown cause at a hospital in Zhuhai city of China were tested using metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS). Of those tested, 138 patients (5.8%) were diagnosed with Q fever based on the presence of Cb genomic DNA detected by mNGS. Among these, 78 cases (56.5%) presented from Nov 2018 to Mar 2019, suggesting an outbreak of Q fever. 55 cases with detailed clinical information that occurred during the outbreak period were used for further analysis. The vast majority of plasma samples from those Cb-mNGS-positive patients were positive in a Cb-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction (n = 38) and/or indirect immunofluorescence assay (n = 26). Mobile phone tracing data was used to define the area of infection during the outbreak. This suggested the probable infection source was Cb-infected goats and cattle at the only official authorized slaughterhouse in Zhuhai city. Phylogenic analysis based on genomic sequences indicated Cb strains identified in the patients, goat and cattle were formed a single branch, most closely related to the genomic group of Cb dominated by strains isolated from goats. Our study demonstrates Q fever was epidemic in 2018–2019 in Zhuhai city, and this is the first confirmed epidemic of Q fever in a contemporary city in China.


ABSTRACT We evaluated two biomass harvest methods, (1) Whole Tree Thinning (WTT; third-row thinning), and (2) Whole Tree Thinning with Fuelchips (WTTF; third-row thinning plus remove all accessible hardwood stems >2.5 cm diameter at breast height and understory shrubs in thinned area of stand) in a 21-year-old loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantation in northwest Florida for their harvesting yields and productivities, costs, and effects on groundcover. Both WTT and WTTF produced similar quantities of roundwood (~70 Mg ha−1) and chips (8.43–13.12 Mg ha−1) without significantly added operational time (15.77–28.12 Mg h−1). On-board costs of chip production (US$6.93 to 10.60 Mg−1) and total cost of roundwood and chip production (~22.5 US$ Mg−1) of the two harvest methods also did not differ significantly. Following either WTT or WTTF, overall percent groundcover recovered within 6 months. While shrub and grass cover were similar, forb cover in WTT increased significantly following six months of harvests. Importantly, the study suggests that biomass removal is an attractive option that could be integrated with traditional silvicultural thinning methods to manage vegetation and alleviate hazardous fuel and wildfire conditions, leading to improved forest health.


This paper explored the role of periurban landscapes in forming visual qualities of urban area landscapes. Examination of a large scale view was made, which is significant for city physiognomy, that in the example of the city of Zagreb implies visual connections of central, lowland part of city and the mountain mass of Medvednica as most visually exposed spatial element. For purpose of determination and evaluation of views, field research and multi-criteria analysis was made. The work involved recognition, mapping, grading and view valorization according to given indicators of visual quality. Total length of 128 km of major pedestrian routes and junction of the City was examined and 241 views were singled out from pedestrian perspective. Research results show that panoramic views, in which Medvednica is fully perceived are mainly related to peripheral parts of city and river corridor, where periurban landscape type is predominant. Periurban landscapes represent 18,7% of recorded views, of which dominate semi-natural, agricultural and periurban mixed type. Periurban landscapes bear a large part of Zagreb's panoramic views of Medvednica as well as a third of the views that are estimated as views with outstanding visual quality.


Background Yaws is targeted for eradication by 2020 in the WHA66.12 resolution of the World Health Assembly. The objective of this study was to describe the occurrence of yaws in the Americas and to contribute to the compilation of evidence based on published data to undertake the certification of yaws eradication. Methodology A systematic review of the epidemiological situation of yaws in the Americas was performed by searching in MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS, SCOPUS, Web of Science, DARE and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Experts on the topic were consulted, and institutional WHO/PAHO library databases were reviewed. Principal findings Seventy-five full-text articles published between 1839 and 2012 met the inclusion criteria. Haiti and Jamaica were the two countries with the highest number of papers (14.7% and 12.0%, respectively). Three-quarters of the studies were conducted before 1970. Thirty-three countries reported yaws case count or prevalence data. The largest foci in the history were described in Brazil and Haiti. The most recent cases reported were recorded in eight countries: Suriname, Guyana, Colombia, Haiti, Martinique, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Brazil. Gaps in information and heterogeneity were detected in the methodologies used and outcome reporting, making cross-national and chronological comparisons difficult. Conclusions The lack of recent yaws publications may reflect, in the best-case scenario, the interruption of yaws transmission. It should be possible to reach the eradication goal in the region of the Americas, but it is necessary to collect more information. We suggest updating the epidemiological status of yaws, especially in two countries that need to assess ongoing transmission. Twenty-four countries need to demonstrate the interruption of transmission and declare its status of yaws endemicity, and sixteen countries should declare if they are yaws-free. It is necessary to formally verify the achievement of this goal in Ecuador.


ABSTRACT Background: A diphtheria outbreak occurred in Banaskantha district in the northern part of Gujarat in 2019–2020. This study was undertaken to study and generate information on the resurgence of the disease in this region and to generate information regarding the status of vaccination in this region and what strategies can be adopted to avoid re-emergence of the disease in the future. Materials and Methods: This is a hospital-based, retrospective, descriptive study done on patients of diphtheria who were admitted in Banas Medical College and Research Institute, Palanpur from September 2019 to January 2020. Throat swab was taken from all the patients and information regarding symptoms, vaccination, and demographic characteristic was collected. Treatment in the form of ADS, injection crystalline penicillin/erythromycin and other supportive treatment was given. Result: Out of 188 patients, 27 patients (14.36%) were less than 5 years of age, 118 patients (62.76%) and 38 patients (20.21%) were of age group 5–10 and 11–18 years, respectively. Total of five patients (2.66%) were of age more than 18 years. Out of 188 patients, 102 (54.25%) were males and 86 patients (45.74%) were females. All the patients (188) were found to be unvaccinated. Among 188 throat swabs that were tested, 21 samples (11.17%) were found to be culture positive for Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Antidiphtheric serum was given in 181 patients (96.27%) according to the requirement. Out of 188 patients, 155 patients (82.44%) improved with treatment and were discharged. Total of 23 patients (12.23%) were referred to higher center for tracheostomy and for management of other complications. Six patients (3.19%) left against medical advice and four patients (2.12%) expired despite all measures taken. Conclusion: Diphtheria is a disease that can easily be prevented by vaccination. Our study highlights need to increase awareness about vaccination among people of Banaskatha district and all measures should be taken to give full vaccination to children less than 5 years of age and booster vaccination should be encouraged in adolescents and adults so that future resurgence of disease can be prevented.


This research aims to identify the impact of e-service quality on repurchase intention of on- line travel agent. On-line travel agent is a travel website (e- commerce) providing various services related to tourism, such as: on-line transportation and hotel bookings and entertainment. On-line travel agency also serves as an alternative option in addition to the conventional ones. This research employed quantitative approach. The data was gathered by distributing on-line questionnaire to 96 online travel agencies users as the samples. The data was then analyzed by using simple linear regression through SPSS 23. The result shows that e-service quality is in good category while repurchase intention is in very good category. The correlational value between e-service quality and repurchase intention is in the strong category and the percentage that shows e-service quality affects significantly positive to repurchase intention of 62,1% while 37,9% as the other variables not examined in this research.


The results of examining the blood serum of 75 children aged up to 2 years suffering from infantile cerebral paralysis of various gravity, as well as the results of analogous examinations of 21 healthy children are presented. Use was made of the immunological tests of glia migration inhibition, and of complement fixation. It was shown that the results of both tests characterized the gravity of the disease. The glia migration inhibition tests (performed with the use of brain antigen) has made it possible to detect cytotoxic anticerebral antibodies in children with a mild, moderate, and grave degrees of the disease much more often than the complement fixation test. The rise of the titres of those antibodies was found to be in a certain correlation with the disease gravity and outcome. The data obtained were compared with the results of morphological examinations of the brain of serum-positive children. Prospects of using the glia migration inhibition test in combinations with clinical and morphological examinations for further studies of the pathogenesis of the infantile cerebral paralysis are discussed.


Abstract Aims: As the number of cancer patients increases in Japan, and people are living longer with cancer, the need for caregivers of cancer patients is expected to increase substantially. This study intended to reveal the humanistic and economic burden among caregivers of cancer patients, and to compare it with the burden among caregivers of patients with other conditions (other caregivers) and non-caregivers. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional analysis used data from the Japan National Health and Wellness Survey 2017. Outcome measures included the Short Form 12-item Health Survey for health-related quality of life (HRQoL), EuroQol 5-dimension scale (EQ-5D) for health states utilities, Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire for the impact of health on productivity and activity, and indirect costs. Multivariate analysis was used to compare across groups, with adjustment for potential confounding effects. Results: A total of 251 caregivers of cancer patients, 1,543 other caregivers, and 27,300 non-caregivers were identified. Caregivers of cancer patients (average 48.0 years old) tended to be younger than non-caregivers (51.5) and other caregivers (54.4) and had the highest education level (57.8% completed university education). Fewer non-caregivers had stress-related comorbidities than caregivers. Non-caregivers had significantly higher EQ-5D index scores than caregivers (average 0.81 vs. 0.73 vs. 0.74). Caregivers of cancer patients had significantly lower mental component summary scores than non-caregivers (40.18 vs. 46.70), and the difference indicated a clinically meaningful decrease in HRQoL. Caregivers of cancer patients had significantly higher presenteeism (37.31% vs. 20.43%), total work productivity impairment (38.85% vs. 21.98%), and activity impairment (40.94% vs. 25.78%) than non-caregivers. Additionally, caregivers of cancer patients had significantly higher total indirect costs (36.34% vs. 20.03% of average annual income). Conclusions: These results have implications for future healthcare planning, suggesting the importance of healthcare systems in Japan to consider the substantial burden borne by caregivers of cancer patients.


A seafarer injured while in the service of a merchant ocean vessel is accorded three causes of action against his or her employer: 1) Jones Act negligence, 2) the warranty of seaworthiness, and 3) maintenance and cure. The latter two causes of action arise under general maritime law, the first is statutory. This article deals with a defense to a seafarer's claims for Jones Act negligence and unseaworthiness. This defense, commonly known as the "Primary Duty Rule," has been restated in numerous variations since its inception. This article examines the history and evolution of the Rule and suggests a restatement of the Rule for continued application in the defense of seafarer personal injury cases.


BACKGROUND
Many healthcare professionals believe that dehydration is painful and uncomfortable for dying patients. There is increasing evidence to support the view that dehydration might aid comfort and reduce stress in the final days of terminal illness. The decision of whether or not to administer artificial hydration intravenously of subcutaneously causes much concern for healthcare professionals. The British Medical Association's 1999 guidance for decision making, Withholding and Withdrawing Life: Prolonging Medical Treatment, states that: '...the emotional and psychological burden on staff involved with withdrawing or withholding life-prolonging treatment should be recognised and adequate support mechanisms need to be available and easily accessible before, during and after decisions have been made.

CONCLUSION
Raising awareness of the effects of dehydration in terminally ill patients will lead to a better understanding among staff on the ward. It will help them to further promote the comfort of dying patients and help relatives come to terms with this distressing situation.


BACKGROUND/AIM
Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality and the infection rates vary in a wide range1397645907(high: 62.5%; low: 20%) in developing countries. We aimed to investigate the characteristics and the risk factors for mortality in patients with CLABSIs in intensive care units (ICUs) and provide the relevant data.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The electronic medical records database and file records obtained through active surveillance by an infection control committee of a hospital were screened to identify patients with CLABSIs hospitalized from January 2008 through July 2013.

RESULTS
A total of 166 CLABSI episodes in 158 patients out of 17,553 on 38,562 catheter and 94,512 hospitalization days were evaluated. The infection developed in catheterized patients at a median of 14 days (range 2-88), and the highest infection rate with 13.4% (n = 20) was the femoral region among the places where the catheter was inserted. Of the patients catheterized, 54.4% survived whereas 45.6% died. In patients having Candida infection, the mortality was significantly higher. High APACHE II scores and Candida infections were found to be significant risk factors associated with mortality.

CONCLUSION
APACHE II scores and bloodstream infection with Candida species were the most powerful predictors of mortality. In ICU practice, health-care givers must consider the emerging role of Candida for both invasiveness and mortality.


In the article "39-year-old patient with years of pain in both hands" (Dtsch Med Wochenschr 2015; 140: 1231) have called the names of the authors Klaus Muehlenberg, Claudia Metzler and Oliver Pech.


Aiming at the precocious convergence problem of particle swarm optimization algorithm, adaptive particle swarm optimization (APSO) algorithm was presented. In this algorithm, inertia weight was nonlinearly adjusted by using population diversity information. Velocity mutation operator and position crossover operator were both introduced and the global performance was clearly improved. The algorithm had been applied to reactive power optimization. The simulation results of the standard IEEE-30-bus power system had indicated that APSO was able to undertake global search with a fast convergence rate and a feature of robust computation. It was proved to be efficient and practical during the reactive power optimization


Two tidal models for the Mediterranean Sea are recently available. From these models tidal heights have been computed and used to correct the altimeter data of the first 10 ERM's of ERS-I. Comparisons of the statistics of the differences between ERS-I and OSU9I before and after the tida! correction do not present a significant improvement. In terms of the standard deviation (sd) of the aforementioned differences a small de crease is observed for most of the ERM's, but there are also cases in which the sd increases. Significant information was obtained by analyzing the power spectrum at main tidal frequencies during the stacking procedure of the altimeter data. Another test carried out in our study was the comparison of the results of the crossover analysis of the ERS-I data in the Mediterranean before and after the tidal correction. The very small decrease (at the order of several mm) of the rms of the crossover differences after the tidal correction could be inperpreted either as ineffectiveness of the model or as an indication that the tidal signal in the Mediterranean is weak enough and for this reason could be ignored in several applications.


Aim: This study was carried out to investigate the effect of different rearing conditions on the growth and fattening performance of American bronze turkeys
Materials and Methods: In the study, data from a total of 123 American bronze turkeys were analyzed. The hatchlings, whose hatching weight was measured, were reared together for the first 10 weeks, and then divided into the experimental groups. The intensive rearing system group (control group) was fed only with concentrated ad libitum. Pasture groups are semi-intensive and extensive rearing systems. The semi-intensive group was subjected to 75% restricted feeding of the concentrate that the intensive group should consume. The turkey flock in the extensive rearing system was fed 50% of the feed that the turkeys in the intensive rearing system group should consume. Pasture groups benefited from the pasture between 09:00-17:00. The growth and fattening performances of the turkeys were examined by regular weighing and measurements every two weeks as they were being reared in these growing conditions between the ages of 10-32 weeks.
Results: The 32-week live weights of turkeys were found to be 4.60-4.70 and 4.52 kg in females and 7.58-7.79 and 6.71 kg in males, in intensive, semi-intensive, and extensive systems, respectively. The effect of the rearing system was significant in males at 12-32 weeks, moreover, a difference was determined among groups in females at 14-28 weeks.
Conclusion: As a result of, American bronze turkeys can be suitable breed for pasture conditions. Based on the live weight gain and feed efficiency values of the study groups, this breed can continue to grow for longer than 32 weeks when quality pastures are provided.


A dataset of 57 breast mass mammographic images, each with 22 features computed, was used in this investigation. The extracted features relate to edge-sharpness, shape, and texture. The novelty of this paper is the adaptation and application of genetic programming (GP). To refine the pool of features available to the GP classifier, we used five feature-selection methods, including three statistical measures Student's t-test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test, and Kullback-Leibler Divergence. Both the training and test accuracies obtained were above 99.5% for training and typically above 98% for testing


ABSTRACT While most consumers today feel concerned by environmental issues, the consumption of hot beverage in disposable cups remains very important. In this study, we use influence strategies related to social norms to reduce these behaviors and get consumers to consume their hot beverage in reusable cups. 14373 orders were analyzed and demonstrate that normative messages can be effective to change consumer behavior toward a more responsible choices.


OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of pudendal nerve block with phenol on detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI).

DESIGN
Before-after trial performed by using a consecutive sample.

SETTING
Rehabilitation hospital affiliated with a medical school.

PATIENTS
Twenty-two male SCI patients (mean age, 46.3+/-11.9y; mean duration postinjury, 2.7y) with voiding dysfunction resulting from external urethral sphincter hypertonicity.

INTERVENTION
Pudendal nerve block with 5% phenol solution under the guidance of electric stimulator.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Outcomes were measured using (1) postvoid residual volume, maximal detrusor pressure, leak point pressure, bladder volume at the first uninhibited contraction, maximal bladder capacity, and urethral pressure profile; (2) rectoanal rest and squeeze pressures; and (3) quality of life measures for urination, quantified by the Quality of Life Index (QLI). Changes in bowel habit or autonomic dysreflexia were recorded.

RESULTS
The mean decrease in postvoid residual volume was 242.8mL (mean decrease, 66%) after treatment (P<.001). The mean reduction in leak point pressure and maximal detrusor pressure were 37.1cmH(2)O and 43.3cmH(2)O, respectively (P<.05). The mean QLI significantly improved from -.74+/-.38 to.42+/-.47 (P<.001). The rectoanal pressures showed no significant difference. No complaints of fecal incontinence or other complications were noted after treatment.

CONCLUSION
Pudendal nerve block performed by using 5% phenol solution was safe, easy to perform, and effective as a treatment for detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia in selected patients with SCI.


Background and Aims As revealed by several studies, a very preterm birth may affect language, executive functions, verbal short term memory and literacy. The aim of this study was to investigate these competencies in very preterms compared to full terms, thus describing how language, executive functions and verbal short-term memory observed at the end of preschool age affect literacy at school age. Methods Forty-two monolingual Italian very preterms (mean gestational age 29.7 weeks), with no history of major cerebral damage, were followed longitudinally at 6 years by investigating language (vocabulary, grammar, and phonological awareness), executive functions (syllabic and phonemic fluency) and verbal short-term memory (vowel span, non-word repetition) and again at 8 years on literacy (word and non-word reading and spelling). Two cross-sectional groups of full term children were recruited as control groups (34 and 26 children at 6 and 8 years respectively). Results Preterms showed lower abilities in language at 6 years and in literacy at 8 years, while no differences between groups regarding syllabic and phonemic fluency and short-term memory were found. Linear regression analyses revealed that in the preterm sample both language and verbal short-term memory had a predictive role on literacy with some differences in function of word versus non-word reading and writing. Conclusions These findings revealed the importance to analyse both language and short-term memory in preterms at the end of preschool age, with relevant implications for interventions to improve literacy at school age.


The paper gives results of a fundamental evaluation of an electronic air cleaner (EAC). The ozone generation rate and particle-size-dependent (0.01-10 micrometers) filtration efficiency of an in-duct residential EAC were measured. Filtration efficiencies were typically 70-90%, showing decreasing efficiency with increasing flowrate. Ozone generation rates were about 3 micrograms/s. Scans of the aerosol concentration on the downwind face of the EAC were used to locate, then eliminate, areas of aerosol sneakage. Sneakage was detected along the top and bottom of the EAC face, apparently due to incomplete aerosol charging for aerosol passing near the ends of the ionizing wires. Areas away from the top and bottom had near-zero aerosol penetration. Based on these results, the inlet to the EAC was masked to eliminate airflow through the sneakage areas. The resultant efficiency of the masked EAC was nearly 100% for particles larger than 0.1 micrometer diameter; however, the filtration efficiency for particles smaller than 0.1 micrometer was not significantly affected by masking.


A higher energy cost of walking (Cw) is sometimes observed in MS, and could contribute to fatigue. The purpose of this study was to compare Cw at three speeds in MS and controls, and determine the effects of walking speed on fatigue and perceived exertion. We hypothesized that MS would have higher Cw, fatigue and exertion during walking than controls. Ten persons with MS and 14 controls of similar age and physical activity levels were studied. Oxygen consumption (VO2) was obtained at rest and during treadmill walking at 0.6 and 1.4 m s-1, and preferred speed. Cw was calculated as net VO2:velocity. Fatigue and exertion were assessed using the visual analog fatigue and modified Borg scales, respectively. Preferred treadmill speed was not different between groups. Cw was higher in MS than controls across walking speeds (p = 0.003), with a group-by-speed interaction indicating higher Cw in MS at 0.6 m s-1 (p = 0.001), but not at preferred speed or 1.4 m s-1. MS reported greater fatigue (p = 0.001) and exertion (p = 0.004) at all speeds. Despite similar preferred speeds, and Cw at preferred and fast speeds, MS exhibited higher fatigue and exertion at all walking speeds. These results suggest that increased energy demands in MS are most notable at low speeds such as those used in everyday activities, which may contribute to fatigue over the day. 2. The MSFC in the Prospective Employment Status of Re habilitants with Multiple SclerosisDer MSFC bei der Erwerbsprognose von Rehab ilitanden mit Multipler Sklerose Leniger T., Brandes I., Heling A. [In Process] Aktuel. Neurol. 2016 43:5 (293-297) Embase


ABSTRACT Mate poaching, where an individual attempts to attract a pair-bonded individual, is a risky mating tactic. Yet, it is surprisingly common. Although many studies have investigated individual differences in mate poaching, few have examined potentially relevant ecological factors, such as mate availability. In this study, 254 unmated North American adults were primed with either perceived mate scarcity or abundance, and subsequently completed measures of fear of being single, intrasexual competitiveness, and attitudes toward mate poaching. Results from a sequential mediation model revealed that men and women primed with mate scarcity held a more positive attitude toward mate poaching relative to those primed with mate abundance, and that this link was mediated by an induced fear of being single and intrasexual competitiveness. Our results suggest that mate poaching is a facultative adaptation of human mating psychology driven by intrasexual competitiveness that is activated in response to environments of low mate availability. It highlights the need for researchers to consider ecological cues when studying individual variation in mate poaching behavior.


Sweat bees [Lasioglossum (Dialictus) figueresi] returning to their nests were not disturbed if small-scale landmarks were added near nests before bees made orientation flights. Landmarks added after orientation flights delayed bees in locating nests when they returned. Spatially displacing landmarks had no effects on bees returning to their nests. Nest entrances usually had conspicuous turrets, but these were not required for nest recognition. Turrets provided some cues concerning nest identity since searching bees preferentially contacted their own turrets over alien ones. Swabbing the inner lining of a nest tunnel with hexane significantly delayed the bee's entry into the nest, but distilled water or an equal amount of hexane applied to the outside of the nest had no effect. The delay induced by a hexane wash was reduced significantly by placing the bee's unwashed turret on the nest entrance. Adding whole-body hexane extracts from probably unrelated females to nest entrances significantly delayed bees' entering nests.

A review of mechanisms for nest recognition within Apoidea shows that to date olfactory mechanisms are more prevalent among bees (Apiformes) than wasps (Spheciformes). This pattern may be an artifact of the little information available on wasps. If substantiated, then known cases of olfactory nest recognition generally co-occur with a tendency toward social evolution within Apoidea, supporting a hypothesis proposed by Holldobler & Michener (1980).


Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) and its associated restrictions could affect ischemic times in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of the COVID-19 outbreak on ischemic times in consecutive all-comer STEMI patients. We included consecutive STEMI patients (n = 163, median age: 61 years, 27% women) who were referred to seven tertiary care hospitals across Austria for primary percutaneous coronary intervention between 24 February 2020 (calendar week 9) and 5 April 2020 (calendar week 14). The number of patients, total ischemic times and door-to-balloon times in temporal relation to COVID-19-related restrictions and infection rates were analyzed. While rates of STEMI admissions decreased (calendar week 9/10 (n = 69, 42%); calendar week 11/12 (n = 51, 31%); calendar week 13/14 (n = 43, 26%)), total ischemic times increased from 164 (interquartile range (IQR): 107–281) min (calendar week 9/10) to 237 (IQR: 141–560) min (calendar week 11/12) and to 275 (IQR: 170–590) min (calendar week 13/14) (p = 0.006). Door-to-balloon times were constant (p = 0.60). There was a significant difference in post-interventional Thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade 3 in patients treated during calendar week 9/10 (97%), 11/12 (84%) and 13/14 (81%; p = 0.02). Rates of in-hospital death and re-infarction were similar between groups (p = 0.48). Results were comparable when dichotomizing data on 10 March and 16 March 2020, when official restrictions were executed. In this cohort of all-comer STEMI patients, we observed a 1.7-fold increase in ischemic time during the outbreak of COVID-19 in Austria. Patient-related factors likely explain most of this increase. Counteractive steps are needed to prevent further cardiac collateral damage during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.


The sharp increase in equity prices over the 1990s was widely attributed to permanently higher productivity growth derived from the New Economy. This paper establishes a rational expectations model of technology innovations and equity prices, which shows that under plausible assumptions, productivity advances can only have temporary effects on the fundamentals of equity prices. Using historical data on productivity of R&D capital, patent capital and fixed capital for 11 OECD countries, empirical evidence give strong support for the model by suggesting that technological innovations indeed have only temporary effects on equity returns.


OBJECTIVES
To explore clinicopathological features of peripheral odontogenic fibromas in dogs and risk factors for their diagnosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Data of cases with a histopathological diagnosis of peripheral odontogenic fibromas were obtained from a UK-based diagnostic laboratory and retrospectively reviewed. Prevalence amongst all biopsy submissions was assessed using binomial tests and Clopper-Pearson intervals. Age at diagnosis was assessed using t-test for independent samples. Lesion location, sex, and neuter status were assessed using χ2 and post hoc binomial tests. Breed odds ratios were calculated using univariable logistic regression modelling.

RESULTS
The prevalence of peripheral odontogenic fibromas amongst all biopsy submissions was 2.8% (1001 of 35,328, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.7 to 3.0). The mean (sd) age was 8.1 (±2.7) years. The most affected quadrant was the rostral maxilla (40.1%). The ratio of maxillary to mandibular lesions was 1.3:1 (95% CI: 1.1 to 1.5), and for cases of multiple peripheral odontogenic fibromas the ratio of maxillary to mandibular lesions was 2.4:1 (95% CI: 1.1 to 5.6). Males had 1.2 times the odds of suffering of peripheral odontogenic fibromas compared to females (odds ratio [OR]: 1.2, 95% CI: 1.1 to 1.4). Neutering was associated with an increased risk of diagnosis (OR: 1.6, 95% CI: 1.3 to 1.9). Breeds with increased odds of peripheral odontogenic fibromas compared to crossbreed dogs included boxers (OR: 3.78, 95% CI: 2.80 to 5.09), border terriers (OR: 3.21, 95% CI: 2.10 to 4.91) and Basset Hounds (OR: 3.18, 95% CI: 1.58 to 6.44). Breeds with increased odds of multiple simultaneous peripheral odontogenic fibromas compared to crossbreed dogs included: Boxers (OR: 12.02, 95% CI: 7.13 to 20.24), border terriers (OR: 5.05, 95% CI: 2.32 to 11.43) and Staffordshire Bull terriers (OR: 2.42, 95% CI: 1.33 to 4.41).

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Knowledge of clinicopathological features and at-risk breeds for peripheral odontogenic fibroma development can assist clinicians with making a diagnosis. The identification of risk factors provides targets for future research investigating peripheral odontogenic fibroma pathogenesis.


The risk of developing breast cancer appears higher in women who have had benign breast disease. Since the use of oral contraceptives is very high in young women existing studies were reviewed to discover the association between oral contraceptives and benign breast disease. Overall they have shown the risk to be less than 1 for women who used the pill more than 1 year. In a large study in the Boston area the risk of benign breast disease for pill users was .4. It appears that women with no history of oral contraceptives have a greater risk of developing benign breast disease. The strength of the association and consistency of the results support the association.(Authors modified)


ABSTRACTWell logs, measured in depth, must be tied to seismograms, processed in time, using a time-depth function. Well ties are commonly computed using manual techniques, and are therefore prone to human error. Manually tying multiple wells compounds errors in single well ties, and maintaining lateral consistency between multiple well ties is difficult. We introduce an automatic approach to tying multiple wells that improves consistency among well ties. We first model synthetic seismograms for each well. We then create a synthetic image by interpolating the synthetic seismograms between the wells and along seismic image structure. We use smooth dynamic image warping to align the synthetic image to the seismic image and compute updated time-depth functions for each well. We then interpolate the updated time-depth functions between the wells, and map the time-migrated seismic image to depth.


Cathodic protection, often taught in curricular units, such as corrosion and materials science, is an important subject in the study of chemical engineering. The implementation of lab setups and experimental activities in this field, are core to promoting understanding of the underlying concepts and to developing "hands-on" skills fundamental to the success of future process engineers. This paper reports the influence of different variables on the electrical potential and current behaviors of an educational cathodic protection system operated with a single drainage point. The system comprised a steel bar cathode connected to a zinc sacrificial anode, both placed in aqueous medium. The study variables were the anode area, the cathode diameter, the NaCl electrolyte concentration and the anode placement. Each variable showed a specific influence on the attenuation curves, allowing us to conclude that: (1) increasing the sacrificial anode area, or decreasing the resistivity of the medium, promotes more electronegative potentials on the structure and higher currents; (2) increasing the cathode diameter decreases the protection capacity; (3) positioning the anode in the middle of the cathode lengthwise gives rise to a more balanced potential distribution; and (4), the attenuation curves, both for potential and current, can be successfully predicted using equations based on Morgan and Uhlig's work. High correlations were obtained between the experimental and modeling data for all the studied variables.


Organizations, particularly Catholic hospitals, schools and social service agencies, should re-examine their relationships to health and medical charities promoting unethical research such as human embryonic stem cell research and therapeutic cloning. Part 6 of the Ethical and Religious Directives provides a helpful framework for ethical analysis and action.


We redefine the cup products in Hopf cyclic cohomology. These cup products were first defined by the author and M. Khalkhali via a relatively complicated method as a generalization of Connes' cup product for cyclic cohomology of algebras. In this paper we use the generalized Eilenberg-Zilber theorem and define the cup product using a bicocyclic module naturally associated to the cocyclic modules of the coalgebras and the algebras in question. In the last part of the paper we derive some formulas for the cup products.


The sequential recommendation can predict the user's next behavior according to the user's historical interaction sequence. To better capture users' preferences, some sequential recommendation models propose time-aware attention networks to capture users' long-term and short-term intentions. However, although these models have achieved good results, they ignore the influence of users on the rating information of items. We believe that in the sequential recommendation, the user's displayed feedback (rating) on an item reflects the user's preference for the item, which directly affects the user's choice of the next item to a certain extent. In different periods of sequential recommendation, the user's rating of the item reflects the change in the user's preference. In this paper, we separately model the time interval of items in the user's interaction sequence and the ratings of the items in the interaction sequence to obtain temporal context and rating context, respectively. Finally, we exploit the self-attention mechanism to capture the impact of temporal context and rating context on users' preferences to predict items that users would click next. Experiments on three public benchmark datasets show that our proposed model (SATRAC) outperforms several state-of-the-art methods. The Hit@10 value of the SATRAC model on the three datasets (Movies-1M, Amazon-Movies, Amazon-CDs) increased by 0.73%, 2.73%, and 1.36%, and the NDCG@10 value increased by 5.90%, 3.47%, and 4.59%, respectively.


Aims To evaluate if, for orthopaedic trainees, additional cadaveric simulation training or standard training alone yields superior radiological and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing dynamic hip screw (DHS) fixation or hemiarthroplasty for hip fracture. Methods This was a preliminary, pragmatic, multicentre, parallel group randomized controlled trial in nine secondary and tertiary NHS hospitals in England. Researchers were blinded to group allocation. Overall, 40 trainees in the West Midlands were eligible: 33 agreed to take part and were randomized, five withdrew after randomization, 13 were allocated cadaveric training, and 15 were allocated standard training. The intervention was an additional two-day cadaveric simulation course. The control group received standard on-the-job training. Primary outcome was implant position on the postoperative radiograph: tip-apex distance (mm) (DHS) and leg length discrepancy (mm) (hemiarthroplasty). Secondary clinical outcomes were procedure time, length of hospital stay, acute postoperative complication rate, and 12-month mortality. Procedure-specific secondary outcomes were intraoperative radiation dose (for DHS) and postoperative blood transfusion requirement (hemiarthroplasty). Results Eight female (29%) and 20 male trainees (71%), mean age 29.4 years, performed 317 DHS operations and 243 hemiarthroplasties during ten months of follow-up. Primary analysis was a random effect model with surgeon-level fixed effects of patient condition, patient age, and surgeon experience, with a random intercept for surgeon. Under the intention-to-treat principle, for hemiarthroplasty there was better implant position in favour of cadaveric training, measured by leg length discrepancy ≤ 10 mm (odds ratio (OR) 4.08 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17 to 14.22); p = 0.027). There were significantly fewer postoperative blood transfusions required in patients undergoing hemiarthroplasty by cadaveric-trained compared to standard-trained surgeons (OR 6.00 (95% CI 1.83 to 19.69); p = 0.003). For DHS, there was no significant between-group difference in implant position as measured by tip-apex distance ≤ 25 mm (OR 6.47 (95% CI 0.97 to 43.05); p = 0.053). No between-group differences were observed for any secondary clinical outcomes. Conclusion Trainees randomized to additional cadaveric training performed hip fracture fixation with better implant positioning and fewer postoperative blood transfusions in hemiarthroplasty. This effect, which was previously unknown, may be a consequence of the intervention. Further study is required. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;4(8):602–611.


Lyapunov exponents and direction fields are used to characterize the time-scales and geometry of general linear time-varying (LTV) systems of differential equations. We bring to light new invariance properties of Lyapunov direction fields to show that they are analogous to the Schur vectors of an linear time invariant (LTI) system and reduce to the Schur vectors when computed for LTI systems. We also show that the Lyapunov direction field corresponding to the smallest Lyapunov exponent when computed for an LTI system (with real distinct eigenvalues) reduces to the eigenvector corresponding to the smallest eigenvalue and when computed for a periodic LTV system (with real distinct Floquet exponents), reduces to the Floquet direction field corresponding to the smallest Floquet exponent.


Many conversational agents (CAs) are developed to answer users' questions in a specialized domain. In everyday use of CAs, user experience may extend beyond satisfying information needs to the enjoyment of conversations with CAs, some of which represent playful interactions. By studying a field deployment of a Human Resource chatbot, we report on users' interest areas in conversational interactions to inform the development of CAs. Through the lens of statistical modeling, we also highlight rich signals in conversational interactions for inferring user satisfaction with the instrumental usage and playful interactions with the agent. These signals can be utilized to develop agents that adapt functionality and interaction styles. By contrasting these signals, we shed light on the varying functions of conversational interactions. We discuss design implications for CAs, and directions for developing adaptive agents based on users' conversational behaviors.


This article is based on the Daisy Ayris lecture given at the 2003 Congress by Sheila Allen, former Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses president. In it she explores the history and definition of mentoring. Mentors may be persons of rank, achievement and prestige, or they may be a knowledgeable colleague or teacher. They serve as a catalyst to transform as they instruct, counsel, guide and facilitate the development of others.


Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disorder with several well-known extraintestinal manifestations, such as erythema nodosum, uveitis, and arthritis. Less commonly observed are vulvar manifestations, which have primarily been discussed in case reports or small case series. These cases generally highlight patients with histopathology limited to noncaseating granulomas. As these histological findings are identified in bowel biopsies from only approximately 50% of patients with gastrointestinal Crohn's disease, there is likely an under-recognition and underdiagnosis of vulvar lesions as Crohn's disease manifestations. We describe the largest case series to date involving patients with vulvar Crohn's disease, discuss the varied clinical presentations, and describe the histopathological findings, which include noncaseating granulomas, ulcerations, lymphatic lesions, and even dysplasia and carcinoma. Our findings underscore the importance of keeping vulvar Crohn's disease on the differential diagnosis when faced with a range of vulvar symptoms and suggest that regular gynecological surveillance in patients with Crohn's disease may be of benefit.


Antioxidants have been considered essential for preventing cell damage by scavenging deleterious free radicals. The consumption of antioxidant-rich plants is associated with a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. This study evaluates the antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibition activities of aqueous extracts obtained from different parts of Diplotaxis simplex and Diplotaxis harra from Tunisia. The study also aimed to investigate the action of simulated gastrointestinal juice on antioxidant activities of both extracts. The total phenolic, flavone and flavonol, and flavanone and dihydroflavonol contents were determined by Folin–Ciocalteau, aluminum chloride and 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine colorimetric methods, respectively. The metal ion chelating activity, acetylcholinesterase inhibition capacity, and free radical scavenging potential of the extracts towards ABTS (2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), hydroxyl, superoxide and nitric oxide were also evaluated. The action of simulated gastro-intestinal fluids on the flavone and flavonol content and total antioxidant activity of the flower extracts was surveyed. Extracts from the seeds and flowers of D. simplex and D. harra displayed the highest amounts of phenols (2691.7 and 2694.5 mg Caffeic Acid Equivalent (CAE)/100 mg; 3433.4 and 2647.2 mg CAE/100 mg, respectively) and flavonols/flavones (2144.4 and 2061.1 mg Rutin Equivalent (RE)/100 g; 1922.6 and 1461.1 mg RE/100 g, respectively). The flower and seed extracts exhibited the highest rates of antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibition activities. A decrease in the flavonoid content and antioxidant activity was observed after extract exposure to simulated saliva. Antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibition activities were noted to depend on plant species and plant parts. In vitro gastrointestinal digestion is useful in assessing the bio-accessibility of compounds with biological activities from food. The simulated gastrointestinal fluids influenced the flavonoid concentration and antioxidant activity.


Received 27/11/2019; Accepted 6/1/2020 D OI: 10.21608/ejchem.2020.20211.2215 ©2020 National Information and Documentation Center (NIDOC) P study of the aerial parts of Euphorbia paralias and Euophorbia geniculata belonging to family (euophorbiaceae) grown in egypt was carried out. This study revealed the isolation of eighteen compounds: β-amyrin (1), β-sitosterol and Stigmasterol mixture (2 & 3), Cholesterol (4), Campesterol (5), (Erythradiol, Ovaol and Betulinol mixture) ( 6-8), 23-acetyl-3methyl-oleanolic acid (9) and β-Sitosterol–3-O-glucoside (10) were isolated from dichloromethane fraction of E. paralias. While the compounds 1 to 5 and 10 were isolated from E. geniculata. The ethyl acetate fraction of E. paralias l. afforded the isolation of Gallic acid (11), Ellagic acid (12), Querecetin-3-glucopyranoside (13) and Querecetin -3-arabinoside (14), kaempferol-3-(6''-(2'''-galloyl-glucopyranoside) (15). While compounds 11 to 14 in addition to Querecetin-3-rutinoside (rutin) (16), Querecetin-3-rhamnoside (17), and Querecetin (18) were isolated from E. geniculata Ortega. Compound 9 (23-acetyl-3-methyl-oleanolic acid) was isolated for the first time from the nature. Biological activities were carried out including cytotoxic and antiviral and antimicrobial activities of the dichloromethane and ethyl acetate fractions of the aerial parts of E. paralias l. and E. geniculata Ortega revealing significant antimicrobial activity of ethyl acetate fractions of E. paralias l. and E. geniculata Ortega and strong cytotoxic activity of the ethyl acetate fractions in addition to positive antiviral activity of the total extract of E. paralias l.


With the rapid developments in e-learning and educational systems, updating and redesigning a learning activity is too costly and time-consuming. Web-based educational systems must be designed in order to enable reusing and repurposing of learning activities. As the most adopted framework in e-learning systems offered by ADL, SCORM can help us to reuse previous Content Objects again for developing a new learning activity. On the other hand, Agent-based systems technology has generated lots of excitement in recent years because of its promise as a new paradigm for conceptualizing, designing, and implementing software systems. This promise is particularly attractive for creating software that operates in environments that are distributed and open, such as the Internet and we believe this could be the same for e-learning systems. The components and technologies discussed in the first and second sections constitute the building blocks for the realization of the futuristic vision of the new generation of SCORM conformant e-learning systems, which would allow intelligent access to highly specific and customized learning content by users.


Large-scale assessment programs rely on teachers to administer the tests and to interpret and communicate the results. Consequently, it is important that teachers have up-to-date knowledge about the testing programs. Education Departments' web sites are ideal tools for communicating such information to teachers. The web sites of Education Departments across North America were surveyed for information about testing programs, including their purpose(s), sample items, appropriate interpretations and uses of the results, summaries of performance trends, and tips for communicating results to parents. Sites varied widely in what information was provided and the ease with which it could be located.


BACKGROUND:A new NHS dental practice contract is being tested using a traffic light (TL) system that categorises patients as being at red (high), amber (medium) or green (low) risk of poor oral health. This is intended to increase the emphasis on preventative dentistry, including giving advice on ways patients can improve their oral health. Quantitative Light-Induced Fluorescence (QLF™) cameras (Inspektor Research Systems BV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands) also potentially offer a vivid portrayal of information on patients' oral health. METHODS:Systematic review – objective: to investigate how patients value and respond to different forms of information on health risks. Methods: electronic searches of nine databases, hand-searching of eight specialist journals and backwards and forwards citation-chasing followed by duplicate title, abstract- and paper-screening and data-extraction. Inclusion criteria limited studies to personalised information on risk given to patients as part of their health care. Randomised controlled trial (RCT) – setting: NHS dental practice. Objective: to investigate patients' preferences for and response to different forms of information about risk given at check-ups. Design: a pragmatic, multicentred, three-arm, parallel-group, patient RCT. Participants: adults with a high/medium risk of poor oral health attending NHS dental practices. Interventions: (1) information given verbally supported by a card showing the patient's TL risk category; (2) information given verbally supported by a QLF photograph of the patient's mouth. The control was verbal information only (usual care). Main outcome measures: primary outcome – median valuation for the three forms of information measured by willingness to pay (WTP). Secondary outcomes included toothbrushing frequency and duration, dietary sugar intake, smoking status, self-rated oral health, a basic periodontal examination, Plaque Percentage Index and the number of tooth surfaces affected by caries (as measured by QLF). Qualitative study – an ethnography involving observations of 368 dental appointments and interviews with patients and dental teams. RESULTS:Systematic review – the review identified 12 papers (nine of which were RCTs). Eight studies involved the use of computerised risk assessments in primary care. Intervention effects were generally modest, even with respect to modifying risk perceptions rather than altering behaviour or clinical outcomes. RCT – the trial found that 51% of patients identified verbal information as their most preferred form, 35% identified QLF as most preferred and 14% identified TL information as most preferred. The median WTP for TL was about half that for verbal information alone. Although at 6 and 12 months patients reported taking less sugar in drinks, and at 12 months patients reported longer toothbrushing, there was no difference by information group. Qualitative study – there was very little explicit risk talk. Lifestyle discussions were often cursory to avoid causing shame or embarrassment to patients. LIMITATIONS:Only 45% of patients were retained in the trial at 6 months and 31% were retained at 12 months. The trial was conducted in four dental practices, and five dental practices were involved in the qualitative work. CONCLUSIONS:Patients prefer personal, detailed verbal advice on oral health at their check-up. A new NHS dental practice contract using TL categorisation might make this less likely. FUTURE WORK:Research on how to deliver, within time constraints, effective advice to patients on preventing poor oral health. More research on 'risk work' in wider clinical settings is also needed. TRIAL REGISTRATION:Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN71242343. FUNDING:This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Services and Delivery Research programme and will be published in full in Health Services and Delivery Research; Vol. 8, No. 3. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.


A new approach will be carried out to make clear the mechanism of promotion immune system function with TCM treatment on AIDS and provide a parameter of clinical therapeutic effects. DNA was extracted with periphery blood from forty AIDS patients before and after treatment, and multiple primers PCR technique and capillary electrophoresis were used to detect T cell receptor beta repertoire diversity. Meanwhile, seven control subjects were measured repeatedly to define the threshold. Sets of typical patterns for positive and negative were shown respectively from the scanning map angle. Moreover, positive detection rates of the forty AIDS patients were calculated for different T cell receptor gene segments. To some degree, this study is suggestive of it how TCM treatment effects on AIDS. However, the reliability needs further verification.


Background: Overexpression of the epidermal growth factor receptor ERBB2 (HER2) is found in 20% of human breast cancers. Therapies targeting ERBB2 including trastuzumab and lapatinib have significantly improved the outlook for women with ERBB2+ breast cancer. However, resistance to these agents occurs frequently and remains a significant clinical problem. In the case of lapatinib resistance, the mechanism(s) of resistance remain poorly understood, since the current proposed rationale thought to limit lapatinib9s anti-tumor effects has been difficult to reconcile with clinical data. Therefore, we hypothesize that novel mechanisms of resistance could be identified by mapping genomic variations in ERBB2+ cells with acquired resistance to lapatinib. The identification of such mutations may provide insights into mechanisms of resistance and may indicate therapeutic strategies to overcome lapatinib resistance in ERBB2+ breast cancer. Material and Methods: SKBR3 breast cancer cells resistant to lapatinib were generated through serial passage by exposure of drug sensitive parental SKBR3 cells to increasing concentrations of lapatinib up to the peak plasma concentration observed in human subjects (2.6 uM (SK-lapR)). Multiple signaling pathways in lapatinib sensitive and resistant cells were interrogated by Reverse Phase Protein Array (RPPA) and western blot analysis. To identify genome wide somatic mutations, the Exome of lapatinib resistant and sensitive SKBR3 cells was sequenced utilizing next generation deep sequencing. Following exclusion of germline variants, the acquired gene mutations in lapatinib resistant SKBR3 cells were confirmed by DNA re-sequencing of PCR amplified DNA segments. Results and Discussion: Analysis of activated signaling pathways in lapatinib resistant and sensitive SKBR3 cells did not confirm any of the previously proposed mechanisms of resistance. In particular, these cells show no activation of AKT or alternative receptor tyrosine kinases such as IGF-IR, ERBB3 or c-Met. However they exhibit sustained activation of mTORC1 and ERK1/2, as well as phosphorylation of STAT3, STAT5, rpS6 and CREB. Initial sequence analysis of exome and transcriptome reveals the presence of 76 single nucleotide variants/Indels differing between sensitive and resistant cells with 34/76 validated as true mutations present in the genome of lapatinib resistant SKBR3 cells, including mutations in LATS2, MAP3K5, SMAD3 and PDGFRA. This is the first exome sequence analysis to be reported which defines a drug resistant phenotype in ERBB2+ breast cancer. Ongoing work includes investigation of mutations as drug resistance mediators and analysis of copy number variations and gene fusions/translocations to systematically search for molecular alterations, with the goal of providing a rationale for the design of new combination therapies aimed at lapatinib resistance for ERBB2+ breast cancer. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr PD01-09.


Infective endocarditis (IE), despite the diagnostic and therapeutic advances, still remains a serious disease associated with high mortality and serious complications. The present guidelines of the European Cardiology Society of 2015 recommend administration of the antibiotics indicated in empirical therapy for multiple weeks and in targeted treatment often for 6–8 weeks. This is associated with a risk of adverse effects of antibiotic therapy in the form of nephro- and/or hepatotoxicity and an increased risk of infections with Clostridioides difficile, while long-term hospitalisation is associated with high non-drug costs. The recommendations developed by the Austrian Society for Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine list dalbavancin among the new antibiotics that may find application in the treatment of IE of staphylococcal aetiology. This antibiotic is a lipoglycopeptide antibiotic alternative to vancomycin in the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus MRSA infections, especially in a situation where the minimum inhibitory concentration for vancomycin is high but below the breakpoint. Dalbavancin has very good pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, with a long duration of action of up to 14 days after administration of a single dose (1500 mg in a 30-minute infusion). This antibiotic is characterised by high clinical efficacy with good treatment tolerance and safety profile, without causing toxic effects in internal organs in comparison with vancomycin. In view of its safety, clinical efficacy and convenient dosing, dalbavancin may prove a useful therapeutic option in the treatment of IE.


This paper presents the semantic indexing of TerraSAR-X images and in situ data. Image processing together with machine learning methods, relevance feedback techniques, and human expertise are used to annotate the image content into a land use land cover catalogue. All the generated information is stored into a geo-database supporting the link between different types of information and the computation of queries and analytics. We used 11 TerraSAR-X scenes over Germany and LUCAS as in situ data. The semantic index is composed of about 73 land use land cover categories found in TerraSAR-X test dataset and 84 categories found in LUCAS dataset.


Purpose : The current study was intended to investigate the potential effect of ethosuximide on glutamate-induced cytotoxicity and oxidative stress in C6 glial cells. Material and Methods: In our study, the C6 cell line was used. To see how ethosuximide affected glutamate-induced cytotoxicity, four cell groups were created. The control group was without any treatment. Cells in the glutamate group were exposed to 10 mM glutamate for 24 h. Cells in the ethosuximide group were treated with various concentrations (5, 10, 20, and 40 μM) of ethosuximide for 24 h. Cells in the ethosuximide + glutamate group were pre-treated with various concentrations of ethosuximide for 1 h and then treated with glutamate for 24 h. The cell viability was measured using an XTT assay.Total oxidant status (TOS) and Total antioxidant status (TAS) in the cells were measured by commercial kits. Results: Ethosuximide at the concentrations of 10, 20, and 40 μM significantly increased the cell viability in C6 cells (p < 0.001). Ethosuximide at the concentration of 40 μM significantly decreased the TOS levels (p < 0.05) whereas didn't alter the TAS levels (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Ethosuximide can cause neuroprotective effect on C6 cells. Additionally, one of the potential mechanisms involved in this effect is inhibition of oxidative stress. Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's


In the summer of 1828, Franz Schubert composed his one and only piece in Hebrew: an excerpt of Psalm 92, set for four-part choir and Solo Baritone. The main sources available until now for this composition, a manuscript in the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde (A-Wgm Sammlung Witteczek-Spaun Bd. 31) and a printed version in Salomon Sulzer's compendium of Viennese synagogal music, Schir Zion (Song of Zion), date to 1834/35 and 1839/40, respectively. A newly discovered manuscript, dating from 1832, represents an early stage in the compilation of Schir Zion and contains the earliest known source of Schubert's piece. New variant readings with regard to pitch, ornamentation and text underlay suggest that Schubert's lost autograph may not be the immediate parent of the best sources known until now. With its title in Hebrew calligraphy, moreover, this manuscript was clearly intended for Jewish use; it thus challenges the authority of Schir Zion with regard to the underlay of the Hebrew text. The manuscript demonstrates a starting point in the adaptation by later editors, including Salomon Sulzer's son Joseph, of Schubert's Hebrew composition from the living, essentially oral performance tradition of an expert cantor to the formal written requirements of publication for a far-flung audience.


We provide here extended experimental data on the bump shape formed on Ni-P disk substrate under various laser and substrate surface conditions, and describe a model for the Sombrero-shape bump formation based on competition between thermocapillary and chemicapillary flows. This model rationalizes a large body of experimental data and provides insight into how one might tailor bump shapes to specific requirements. For comparison, laser bump formation on non-Ni-P substrates has also been studied.


: It is possible to fabricate highly sensitive NTCR (negative temperature coefficient of resistance) thermistor using nano crystalline CaTiO 3 synthesized by high energy ball milling. Disc shaped green pellets were prepared and effects of sintering on the disc pellets were studied as thermistor by sintering the samples at 1000 ℃ , 1100 ℃ and 1200 ℃ . The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), impedance analysis and electrical measurement. The resistivity of the prepared samples varies predictably with temperature: this makes them promising material for temperature sensor. The experimental results prove that nano crystalline CaTiO 3 ceramic is one kind of thermistor with exponential negative temperature coefficient of resistance in the temperature range of 300–500 ℃ . The samples have the advantages of rapid response, high sensitivity and capability to withstand thermal surges over the temperature range of 300–500 ℃ . Resistance–temperature characteristics are described by thermistor equation with thermistor constant around 4003 K to 10795 K and thermal coefficient of resistance α around  1%/ ℃ to  13%/ ℃ . The activation energy is in the range of 0.34–0.93 eV. The observed thermistor parameters are found to be comparable with many of the known thermistor materials. This suggests that the electrical properties can be adjusted to desirable values by controlling the temperature parameter. The influence of fabrication process of disc thermistor and electrical properties are discussed. The study shows the potential of nano crystalline CaTiO 3 to act as an NTCR material for


Climate change threatens the integrity of pollination webs by decoupling plants and flower visitors both phenologically and ecologically. We simulated a range shift of flower-visitor species along a steep east-west rainfall gradient to explore resulting patterns of extinction. The systems studied seemed to be rather robust to range shifts. This results from (a) the positive correlation between the geographic range and both the local (i.e. at each site) and the regional (i.e. pooling across sites) number of interaction partners of the plants and flower visitors of these webs, and (b) a nested assembly of interactions at the regional level. In a broader context, this study reveals itself as a useful tool for understanding the links between the interaction pattern of mutualistic webs and their response to a major threat such as climate change. [


Melanoma is an aggressive disease for which there is no effective curative treatment beyond surgical excision of the primary lesion and regional disease. Epidemiological, clinical, in vitro and in vivo studies have provided insight into the biology of the disease. This review focuses on current understanding of key molecular pathways, cellular interaction and tumor microenvironment, and the respective aberrations identified in melanoma. Common mutations and/or deregulated expressions of B-raf, N-ras, PTEN, protein kinase B (aka Akt), CDKN2A, CDK4 and MDM2 were presented. In addition to genetic abnormalities, important aspects of cellular biology including, (i) the loss of cell-cell adhesion resulting in an altered state in the relative expression of cadherins, catenins and integrins, (ii) the interaction between melanoma cells and surrounding keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and immune cells, and (iii) tumor angiogenesis and vascular mimicry, are discussed. Many ongoing clinical trials of targeted biological therapies are based on current knowledge, the outcomes are eagerly awaited.


Cloud computing allows the practice of allocating shared computational resources to a diverse set of customers in an on demand fashion. The heterogeneity of customers' requirements can be characterized by the frequency of demand, the value associated with the service and delay sensitivity. We consider the following two classes of customers: frequent users (FC) and urgent users (UR). The FC agreement is a proxy for the current business model used by typical providers; all customers are guaranteed the service for a flat, usage-based fee. Any delays are subject to penalties in FC. In the UR, service is guaranteed to be completed without any delay, but the service provider can accept/reject UR job requests with no penalties. We focus on the admissions control decision for the UR customers. Using computational experiments and simulation, we test the effectiveness of heuristic admissions control policies.


Visual culture spread throughout the community life of the joints. Its unique cause of visual culture are widely used in advertising to convey messages in various products of goods and services, so ads become an alternative to transmit the new culture to the public. Similarly, the ad "Clear Soft and Shiny Hair Model" which uses images that have meanings connected with the cultural and social reality. Ad "Clear Soft and Shiny Hair Model" is interesting to study, because in addition to using different models in magazines and billboards Chic, it represents beauty and femininity in using Indonesian women or just use the local women. Advertising research is different from previous research that uses ads with female models indo. In addition, the layout and makeup strategies Chic magazine and billboard media are very different, including the use of models. This research focuses on analyzing the visual image itself with a knife of semiotic analysis of Roland Barthes. How to analyze the composition lies in the visual image, the aspect of culture that is closely related to people's lives. Semiotics is used to discover aspects of the model denotation and connotation of a description of the culture and local wisdom related to beauty, and femininity. Signal analysis is used to describe the beauty and femininity, as well as strategies used in Chic magazine and billboard media.


BACKGROUND
Some of the questions still open to investigation are: 1) Does the clinical appearance of a tumor nodule require a prior overwhelming of a systemic host response? 2) Does a palpable growing tumor cause host immunosuppression?

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Observation of tumor growth and regression in syngeneic and allogeneic murine models under various experimental conditions. Autopsy studies of allogeneic mice with terminal progressive tumor growth.

RESULTS
In syngeneic systems, the take of a threshold tumor inoculum is not facilitated by the contralateral take and growth of a simultaneously injected ten-fold larger inoculum. In syngeneic models with a growing tumor, implantation of a threshold inoculum of the same tumor on the contralateral side is not facilitated, actually it is significantly suppressed (p > or = 0.003), compared to control mice. In early or moderately advanced stages of allogeneic tumor growth, a contralateral threshold inoculum is not facilitated, it is modestly suppressed (p = 0.04 and P = 0.05). A skin graft from the strain syngeneic to the growing tumor is rejected as rapidly in mice bearing a progressive growth as in mice without tumor or prior contact with the latter. Autopsy studies of allogeneic mice moribund from locally progressive B16 melanoma (known to metastasize early on and widely in the syngeneic host) revealed that 50% of mice had no detectable metastases, while 20% had a single pulmonary metastasis and 30% had multiple pulmonary metastases.

CONCLUSIONS
The initial appearance and growth of a tumor nodule does not involve overwhelming of a putative systemic host response. There is no systemic (general or specific) immunosuppression caused by a progressive tumor in its early or intermediate stages which apparently succeeds in growing through a local immunosuppression at its site of growth.


The objective was to explore variation by insurance status in patient-reported barriers to accessing primary care. The authors fielded a brief, anonymous, voluntary survey of nonurgent emergency department (ED) visits at a large academic medical center and conducted descriptive analysis and thematic coding of 349 open-ended survey responses. The privately insured predominantly reported primary care infrastructure barriers—wait time in clinic and for an appointment, constraints related to conventional business hours, and difficulty finding a primary care provider (because of geography or lack of new patient openings). Half of those insured by Medicaid and/or Medicare also reported these infrastructure barriers. In contrast, the uninsured predominantly reported insurance, income, and transportation barriers. Given that insured nonurgent ED users frequently report infrastructure barriers, these should be the focus of patient-level interventions to reduce nonurgent ED use and of health system-level policies to enhance the capacity of the US primary care infrastructure.


Abstract Imbroscio questions both the significance of opportunity hoarding as a driver of inequality and the feasibility of stopping or moderating the phenomenon. But research shows clearly that both neighborhoods and schools are important contributors to inequality. As for futility, his claim that efforts to address exclusionary zoning will necessarily be thwarted by the flight of the affluent is simply not supported by evidence. In a perfectly integrated U.S., all neighborhoods would be about 12% poor. There is little evidence that poverty rates at this level will trigger flight of nonpoor households. As for his contention that community investments will only fuel dispossession, attracting some higher income residents doesn't necessarily lead to wholesale resegregation. More fundamentally, Imbroscio's pairing of these claims (the insignificance of opportunity hoarding on the one hand and the futility of addressing it on the other) begs the question: If opportunity hoarding is unimportant as a driver of inequality, then why is it so difficult to stop it? Why do wealthy, white households insist on living in wealthy enclaves if neighborhood resources matter so little in sustaining their privilege? Finally, as for political infeasibility, it's hard to believe that the road to tackling exclusionary zoning is more difficult than the road to employee-owned business and worker cooperatives. And, ultimately, it's not clear why advocates can't work toward greater spatial equity while also pushing for structural reforms in the labor market.


A basic hypothesis is proposed: given that wavelet‐based analysis has been used to interpret runoff time‐series, it may be extended to evaluation of rainfall‐runoff model results. Conventional objective functions make certain assumptions about the data series to which they are applied (e.g. uncorrelated error, homoscedasticity). The difficulty that objective functions have in distinguishing between different realizations of the same model, or different models of the same system, is that they may have contributed in part to the occurrence of model equifinality. Of particular concern is the fact that the error present in a rainfall‐runoff model may be time dependent, requiring some form of time localization in both identification of error and derivation of global objective functions. We explore the use of a complex Gaussian (order 2) wavelet to describe: (1) a measured hydrograph; (2) the same hydrograph with different simulated errors introduced; and (3) model predictions of the same hydrograph based upon a modified form of TOPMODEL. The analysis of results was based upon: (a) differences in wavelet power (the wavelet power error) between the measured hydrograph and both the simulated error and modelled hydrographs; and (b) the wavelet phase. Power difference and wavelet phase were used to develop two objective functions, RMSE(power) and RMS(phase), which were shown to distinguish between simulated errors and model predictions with similar values of the commonly adopted Nash‐Sutcliffe efficiency index. These objective functions suffer because they do not retain time, frequency or time‐frequency localization. Consideration of wavelet power spectra and time‐ and frequency‐integrated power spectra shows that the impacts of different types of simulated error can be seen through retention of some localization, especially in relation to when and the scale over which error was manifest. Theoretical objections to the use of wavelet analysis for this type of application are noted, especially in relation to the dependence of findings upon the wavelet chosen. However, it is argued that the benefits of localization and the qualitatively low sensitivity of wavelet power and phase to wavelet choice are sufficient to warrant further exploration of wavelet‐based approaches to rainfall‐runoff model evaluation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Motivated by the growing convergence of diverse types of networks and the raise of new concepts such as Future Internet (FI), in this paper we present an analysis of current research on the development of security mechanisms in a tradeoff with Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms. More precisely, we pay attention to the Security and QoS problems in resource-constrained networks that are candidates to be an important part of the FI due to their proximity to the user or because of their contribution to the information society. We analyse the current state of the research on security and QoS in the integration of sensors, MANET and cellular networks, with the aim of providing a critical point of view, allowing us to assess whether it is possible that such integration of networks is both secure and efficient.


The emergence of institutional investors as shareholders has challenged, and rendered outmoded, many of the traditional assumptions about shareholders and their engagement with the corporation. There has been considerable interest in, and reassessment of, the position of institutional investors and their capacity to monitor corporate management, within the broader debate on managerial accountability and corporate regulation. Corporate theory is, however, still grappling with the implications of these changes for a revised model of corporate governance. It is unclear whether the difference between institutional investors and other shareholders is qualitative or quantitative only, and the extent to institutional investors' distinctive characteristics will affect the nature of their participation in corporate governance. The purpose of this paper is to examine changes in the role of institutional investors in corporate governance in Australia. By way of background to this issue, the paper briefly outlines the underlying flow of funds and patterns of investment in Australia and discusses important developments concerning collective investment, particularly superannuation. On the question of greater involvement by institutional investors in corporate governance, the paper examines some specific instances of investor activism and discusses the extent to which legal principles present an obstacle to increased institutional investor activity and power in Australia.


Both homo- and copolymerization of the hitherto nonpolymerizable epoxide monomer epicyanohydrin (EPICH) with ethylene oxide (EO) have been studied, employing the monomer activation technique. Tetraoctylammonium bromide or tetrabutylammonium iodide was used as initiator combined with i-Bu3Al to activate the EPICH monomer. The EPICH content was varied from 4 to 16 mol %, yielding well-defined PEG-co-PEPICH copolymers with molecular weights Mn (SEC) ranging from 3700 to 8800 g mol–1. The nitrile groups of the resulting polyethers were further reduced or hydrolyzed to introduce amino, amide, or carboxyl groups at the polyether backbone, circumventing protecting group chemistry. Successful transformation of the functional groups was proven by SEC measurements, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and FT-IR spectroscopy. These carboxyl-functional PEG copolymers are anionic polyelectrolytes consisting only of purely aliphatic polyether structures with carboxyl groups. The hydrolyzed PEPICH homopolymers represent the first polyether...


As far as a specific rule is concerned, attribute reduction is equivalent to attribute value reduction. Especially for variable precision rough set (VPRS) , any attribute value may be a value reduct, every of them must be checked. Some important information would be ignored if we still first compute attribute reduct and then compute its value reduct just as traditional Rough set theory (RST) in VPRS. This paper, through analyzing the nature of reduction, and the specific meanings of value reduction in VPRS, provide a direct value reduction algorithm.


Dramatically increased population flows since at least the 1980s, primarily through economic migration and refugee resettlement, have brought considerable ethnic and linguistic diversity to classrooms around the world. This diversity has been amplified by the rising recognition of in-country indigenous and minority languages. In such plurilingual learning environments, teachers require sophisticated language education skills. They need to be able to teach the dominant language/s across the curriculum, support plurilingual learners, and often teach foreign or additional languages. One conceptual lens through which to analyse the presence of these competencies in current teacher education policy is that of language awareness. While this term originally referred to the raising of student awareness of features and functions of language, it now incorporates knowledge about flexible languaging practices. Through a comparative analysis of the two key teacher education policy documents in Norway and New Zealand, we have investigated how the concept of teacher language awareness is incorporated in high-level policy documents pertaining to ITE in these two countries and how these converge and diverge in their treatment of language awareness. Our in-depth comparison of these important educational policies urges both jurisdictions, as well as others, to be aware of local particularities and broader patterns in meeting the needs of teachers to be plurilingually aware and equipped for 21st-century classrooms.


BACKGROUND
Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) reactivation is the most common complication for patients with primary liver cancer (PLC) after radiotherapy. How to reduce the reactivation of HBV has been a hot topic in the study of postoperative radiotherapy for liver cancer.

OBJECTIVE
To find out the inducement of HBV reactivation, a feature selection algorithm (MIC-CS) using maximum information coefficient (MIC) combined with cosine similarity (CS) was proposed to screen the risk factors that may affect HBV reactivation.

METHOD
Firstly, different factors were coded and MIC between patients was calculated to acquire the association between different factors and HBV reactivation. Secondly, a cosine similarity algorithm was constructed to calculate the similarity relationship between different factors, thus removing redundant information. Finally, combined with the weight of the two, the potential risk factors were sorted and the key factors leading to HBV reactivation were selected.

RESULTS
The results indicated that HBV baseline, external boundary, TNM, KPS score, VD, AFP, and Child-Pugh could lead to HBV reactivation after radiotherapy. The classification model was constructed for the above factors, with the highest classification accuracy of 84% and the AUC value of 0.71.

CONCLUSION
Comparing multiple feature selection methods, the results showed that the effect of the MIC-CS was significantly better than MIM, CMIM, and mRMR, so it has a very broad application prospect.


AbstractIn this thesis, the failures that occurred during the construction of the Jamuna Bridge Abutment in Bangladesh have been investigated. In particular, the influence of heterogeneity on slope stability has been studied using statistical methods, random field theory and the finite element method. The research is divided into three main parts: the statistical characterization of the Jamuna River Sand, based on an extensive in-situ and laboratory database available for the site; calibration of the laboratory data against a double-hardening elastoplastic soil model; and stochastic finite element slope stability analyses, using a Monte Carlo simulation, to analyse the slope failures accounting for heterogeneity. The sand state has been characterised in terms of state parameter, a meaningful quantity which can fully represent the mechanical behaviour of the soil. It was found that the site consists of predominantly loose to mildly dilative material and is very variable. Also, a Normal distribution was found to best represent the state parameter and a Lognormal distribution was found to best represent the tip resistance.The calibration of the constitutive model parameters was found to be challenging, as alternative approaches had to be adopted due to lack of appropriate test results available for the site. Single-variate random fields of state parameter were then linked to the constitutive model parameters based on the relationships found between them, and a parametric study of the abutment was then carried out by linking finite elements and random field theory within a Monte Carlo framework.It was found that, as the degree of anisotropy of the heterogeneity increases, the range of structural responses increases as well. For the isotropic cases, the range of responses was relatively smaller and tended to result in more localised failures. For the anisotropic cases, it was found that there are two different types of deformation mechanism. It was also found that, as the vertical scale of fluctuation becomes bigger, the range of possible structural responses increases and failure is more likely. Finally, it was found that the failed zones observed during the excavation of the West Guide Bund of the Jamuna Bridge Abutment could be closely predicted if heterogeneity was considered in the finite element analyses. In particular, it was found that, for such a natural deposit, a large degree of anisotropy (in the range of 20) could account for the deformation mechanisms observed on site.


This article aims at introducing triple shape memory polymers (SMPs) by four-dimensional (4D) printing technology and shaping adaptive structures for mechanical/bio-medical devices. The main approach is based on arranging hot–cold programming of SMPs with fused decomposition modeling technology to engineer adaptive structures with triple shape memory effect (SME). Experiments are conducted to characterize elasto-plastic and hyper-elastic thermo-mechanical material properties of SMPs in low and high temperatures at large deformation regime. The feasibility of the dual and triple SMPs with self-bending features is demonstrated experimentally. It is advantageous in situations either where it is desired to perform mechanical manipulations on the 4D printed objects for specific purposes or when they experience cold programming inevitably before activation. A phenomenological 3D constitutive model is developed for quantitative understanding of dual/triple SME of SMPs fabricated by 4D printing in the large deformation range. Governing equations of equilibrium are established for adaptive structures on the basis of the nonlinear Green–Lagrange strains. They are then solved by developing a finite element approach along with an elastic-predictor plastic-corrector return map procedure accomplished by the Newton–Raphson method. The computational tool is applied to simulate dual/triple SMP structures enabled by 4D printing and explore hot–cold programming mechanisms behind material tailoring. It is shown that the 4D printed dual/triple SMPs have great potential in mechanical/bio-medical applications such as self-bending gripers/stents and self-shrinking/tightening staples.


Abstract Design, synthesis and complexation with inorganic anions of first (1L) and second (2L) generation tripodal polyamine receptors are reported here. The C3v symmetric second-generation tripodal receptor (2L) possesses large enough cavity to encapsulate larger hydrogen sulfate dimer in a unimolecular capsular fashion [(HSO4)2⊂2]. The dimer is stabilised by (NH)+⋯O type H-bonding and electrostatic interactions between and ammonium group. Water of crystallisation form hybrid anion–water cluster [(HSO4)–(H2O) with ions located outside the cavity. The [(HSO4)–(H2O) cluster and Cl⋯Cl halogen bond play templating role in the supramolecular aggregation of unimolecular capsule [(HSO4)2⊂2]. On the other hand, first-generation receptor (1L) encapsulates only fluoride ion due to its smaller cavity size and thus form unimolecular fluoride complex [F⊂1]. Overall study shows cavity size-induced anion encapsulation. All complexes are well characterised by FT-IR, NMR, TGA, DSC and XRD experiments. Two polyammonium based tripodal receptors (1L and 2L) with varied size and length shows significant anion inclusion (of particular size and shape) through unimolecular capsular complex formation. We also recognized [(HSO4)-(H2O)]44‾ cluster which plays a crucial role in supramolecular aggregation of the unimolecular capsule of 2L.


Existing person re-identification (re-id) methods assume the provision of accurately cropped person bounding boxes with minimum background noise, mostly by manually cropping. This is significantly breached in practice when person bounding boxes must be detected automatically given a very large number of images and/or videos processed. Compared to carefully cropped manually, auto-detected bounding boxes are far less accurate with random amount of background clutter which can degrade notably person re-id matching accuracy. In this work, we develop a joint learning deep model that optimises person re-id attention selection within any auto-detected person bounding boxes by reinforcement learning of background clutter minimisation subject to re-id label pairwise constraints. Specifically, we formulate a novel unified re-id architecture called Identity DiscriminativE Attention reinforcement Learning (IDEAL) to accurately select re-id attention in auto-detected bounding boxes for optimising re-id performance. Our model can improve re-id accuracy comparable to that from exhaustive human manual cropping of bounding boxes with additional advantages from identity discriminative attention selection that specially benefits re-id tasks beyond human knowledge. Extensive comparative evaluations demonstrate the re-id advantages of the proposed IDEAL model over a wide range of state-of-the-art re-id methods on two auto-detected re-id benchmarks CUHK03 and Market-1501.