Kaolin-group clay minerals can be modified to form nanotubular and mesoporous structures with interesting catalytic properties, but knowledge of the best methods for preparing these structures is still incomplete. The objective of this study was to investigate intercalation/deintercalation as a method for the delamination and rolling of kaolinite layers in relation to structural order. To prepare nanotubular material, kaolinites of different crystallinities and halloysite (all from Polish deposits) were chosen. The experimental procedure consisted of four stages: (1) preparation of a dimethyl sulfoxide precursor intercalate; (2) interlayer grafting with 1,3-butanediol; (3) hexylamine intercalation; and (4) deintercalation of amine-intercalated minerals using toluene as the solvent. Structural perturbations and changes in the morphology of the minerals were examined by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The number of rolled kaolinite layers depended heavily on the efficiency of the intercalation steps. An increase in the structural disorder and extensive delamination of the minerals subjected to chemical treatment were recorded. Kaolinite particles which exhibited tubular morphology or showed rolling effects were observed using TEM. The nanotubes formed were ∼30 nm in diameter, with their length depending on the particle sizes of the minerals.


This paper respectively studies finite-time passivity of multi-weighted coupled neural networks (MWCNNs) with and without coupling delays. First, based on those existing passivity definitions, several new concepts about finite-time passivity are presented. By exploiting these definitions of finite-time passivity and designing appropriate controllers, we investigate the passivity of MWCNNs with and without coupling delays. In addition, some sufficient conditions to guarantee finite-time synchronization of MWCNNs with constant and delayed couplings are obtained under the condition that the MWCNNs is finite-time passive. Finally, two examples are also given to verify the proposed finite-time passivity and synchronization criteria.


Phosphatidylethanolamines are a major class of phospholipids found in cellular membranes. Identification of the alterations in these phospholipids, induced by free radicals, could provide new tools for in vivo diagnosis of oxidative stress. In this study, 1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine oxidation products, induced by the hydroxyl radical, were studied using LC-MS and LC-MS/MS. Data obtained allowed the identification and separation of isomeric oxidative products with modifications in the sn-2 acyl chain, attributed to long- and short-chain products. Among long-chain products keto, keto-hydroxy, hydroxy, poly-hydroxy, peroxy and hydroxy-peroxy derivatives were identified. Product ions formed by loss of two H2O molecules vs loss of HOOH, allowed the identification of, respectively, di- (or poli-) hydroxy vs peroxy derivatives. Location of functional groups was determined by the product ions formed by cleavage of C-C bonds, in the vicinity of the oxidation positions, allowing the identification of C9, C12 and C13 as the predominant substituted positions. Short-chain products identified comprised aldehydes, hydroxy-aldehydes and carboxylic derivatives, with modified sn-2 acyl lengths of C7-C9 and C11, C12. Among the short-chain products identified, C9 products showed higher relative abundance.


Mass and power for the next generation of NASA's heterodyne spectrometers must be greatly reduced to satisfy the constraints of future small-spacecraft missions. In this paper, we present a new receiver concept for remote sensing in the solar system, with greatly reduced mass, power, and size compared to instruments implemented in current missions. This spectrometer was originally proposed for operation in the vicinity of the 557-GHz emission from the H/sub 2/O ground-state transition. With the 557-GHz mixer and associated multiplier chain still under development, we prototyped a 220-GHz version of the instrument to verify the receiver concept, and experimentally demonstrated its functionality. The 220-GHz prototype Schottky-diode receiver requires less than 4.8 W, and has a mass of less than 1.1 kg-more than a factor of ten in mass and power reduction compared to current instruments. These significant savings, achieved through minimizing the number of receiver components, do not compromise the functionality necessary, e.g., for a surface-based Mars atmospheric sounding instrument. For the 557-GHz version, we anticipate that the total mass would be about the same as that of the millimeter-wave prototype, while required power would be reduced by about 1.5 W with the use of InP MMIC amplifiers.


The design and implementation of audience-focused immersive media-rich physical environments is a familiar landscape within the commercial sphere. From theatre and theme parks to autoshows and airports, commercial interdisciplinary design and production teams have extended and solidified the new media agenda. The success of this track record is demonstrated by the increasing presence of commercial design techniques and knowledge in the creation of immersive new media within the cultural sphere, as proven by London's Natural History Museum, or the Melbourne Museum.This paper introduces the notion of digital cultural communication, a continuum through which designers can consider the place of narrative and experience and their attributes within public and commercial institutions. Digital cultural communication allows users to become co-creators of knowledge by providing tools and methods which enable the co-construction of creative artefacts. This paper uses a case study from Australia's rich cultural institution sector to illustrate the conceptual design of new media co-creative environment using an HCI-derived methodology supported by participatory action research. It is hoped that this method will demonstrate to curators of cultural experiences the cost-effective possibilities for enabling audiences to create rich narrative from user-led content.


Ever since Twombly and Iqbal introduced the doctrine of plausibility pleading, a cottage industry of legal scholars (including myself) has undertaken to detect the effects of Twombly and Iqbal on litigants and case outcomes. Results so far have been equivocal, and it has been hard to make sense of the disparate methodologies and findings. In this paper, I develop a comprehensive framework for empirically testing the effect of Twombly and Iqbal on lower courts and litigants, taking into account a wide range of confounding factors and the numerous ways in which Twombly and Iqbal may have indirectly affected litigant behavior. Using this framework, I test for effects of Twombly and Iqbal on district court and litigant behavior using two datasets — one of administrative data, one of docket and complaint data — each of which, when this project is complete, will be the largest database of its kind ever compiled. I also review existing findings. Based on preliminary analyses, which are subject to revision as additional data is gathered, I find virtually no evidence that Twombly and Iqbal, the two most important pleading cases in 50 years, have had a major effect on the behavior of lawyers and judges across all cases. Rates of dismissal with prejudice have held steady, motions to dismiss remain uncommon, and settlement and filing patterns have not changed appreciably in the wake of Twombly and Iqbal. There is, however, some evidence of changes in the drafting of pleadings and a greater effect on pro se plaintiffs.


A promising new triazine-based nitrogen-rich organosilica (TTESPT) membrane has been developed for molecular separation processes in gas (gas separation) and liquid phases (reverse osmosis (RO)). By adjusting the H2O/TTESPT molar ratio, we found a promising technique for tuning the pore network of TTESPT membranes. An increase in the H2O/TTESPT molar ratio from 60 to 240 fully hydrolyzed all the ethoxide groups in the TTESPT membrane, which reduced the size of the pores in the silica pore network. A TTESPT membrane with a high H2O/TTESPT molar ratio exhibited a high degree of selectivity for H2/SF6 (greater than 4000) at a permeation temperature of 200 °C. This membrane also demonstrated high sodium chloride (NaCl) rejection (>98.5%) with water permeability of >1 × 10−12 m3 m−2 s−1 Pa−1 under operating conditions of 1 MPa and 60 °C during a RO experiment. As the operating temperature was increased from 25 to 60 °C, the NaCl rejection was constant without displaying the characteristic flux deterioration. This showed that the membrane retained a stable hybrid network structure.


Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is in urgent need of better diagnostic and therapeutic methods due to its late diagnosis, limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Finding the right animal models to recapitulate the tumor molecular pathogenesis and tumor microenvironment (TME) complexity is critical for preclinical immunotherapeutic and non-immunotherapeutic treatment developments. In this review, we summarize and evaluate popular preclinical animal models including patient-derived xenograft models, humanized mouse models, genetically engineered mouse models, and syngeneic mouse models. Through comparisons between these models in different research settings, we hope to provide guidance in finding the most relevant preclinical models to suit various research purposes.


METAPLASIA AND EXCESS MUCOUS SECRETION IN HUMAN AIRWAY DISEASES: RFA-HL-02-011 Purpose: The intent of this solicitation is to promote research on the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the hypersecretion of mucus and mucus cell metaplasia in human airway diseases. Term/Amount: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) intends to commit approximately $3,750,000 in FY 2003 to fund approximately 10 new and/or competitive continuation grants in response to this Request For Applications (RFA). An applicant may request a project period of up to 4 years and a budget for direct costs of up to 10 modules at $25,000 per module ($250,000 direct costs) per year. Because the nature and scope of the research proposed may vary, it is anticipated that the size of each award will also vary. Although the financial plans of the NHLBI provide support for this program, awards granted pursuant to this RFA are contingent on the availability of funds and the receipt of a sufficient number of meritorious Applications. At this time, it is not known whether this RFA will be reissued. This RFA will use the National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 award mechanism. Responsibility for the planning, direction, and execution of the proposed project will be solely that of the applicant. The total project period for an Application submitted in response to this RFA may not exceed 4 years. This RFA is a one-time solicitation. Future unsolicited competing-continuation Applications will compete with all investigator-initiated Applications and be reviewed according to the customary peer review procedures. The anticipated award date is April 1, 2003. Specific Application instructions have been modified to reflect "modular grant" and "just-in-time" streamlining efforts that have been adopted by the NIH. Complete, detailed instructions and information on Modular Grant Applications are incorporated into Form PHS 398 (Rev. 5/2001). Contact: Letter of Intent, two copies of the Application, and inquiries to: Chief, Review Branch, Division of Extramural Affairs, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 7178, MSC 7924, Bethesda, MD 20892-7924; telephone: (301) 435-0270, fax: (301) 480-3541, email: email@example.com. Prospective applicants are asked to submit a Letter of Intent that includes a descriptive title of the proposed research; the name, address, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator; the identities of other key personnel and participating institutions; and the number and title of the RFA in response to which the Application may be submitted. Although a Letter of Intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent Application, the information that it contains allows NHLBI staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review. The PHS 398 research grant application instructions and forms (Rev. 5/2001) at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html must be used in applying for these grants. This version of the PHS 398 is available in an interactive, searchable format. For further assistance, contact GrantsInfo: telephone (301) 435-0714, email: email@example.com Deadlines: Letter of Intent Receipt Date: May 17, 2002. Application Receipt Date: June 14, 2002. Peer Review Date: October-November 2002. Council Review: February 6–7, 2003. Earliest Anticipated Start Date: April 1, 2003.


Leprosy is a stigmatized disease in our society. Ninety-eight disabled leprosy patients were studied in areas of Pokaran CHC and Ramdeora PHC of Jaisalmer district. About ninety-five per cent (94.6%) leprosy patients were found discarded by their life partners due to disabilities. A positive relationship was found between social stigma and deformity due to disease. IEC need to be done at community level also for changing attitude and behaviour towards leprosy patients.


The in situ production of methane was monitored in several types of tropical benthic communities. A bed of Thalassia testudinum located in Caesar Creek (Florida Keys) exhibited the highest methanogenic activity (initial rates = 1.81 to 1.86 μmol CH4/m2 per h) as compared with another seagrass (Syringodium sp., 0.15 to 0.33 μmol/m2 per h) and two coral reef environments (Hydro-Lab, 0.016 to 0.10 μmol/m2 per h; Curaçao, 0.14 to 0.47 μmol/m2 per h). The results suggest that a wide variety of benthic metabolic processes (e.g., photosynthetic oxygen production) influences methane production rates.


Children who have undergone SOT mount a lower immune response after vaccination with TIV compared to healthy controls. HD or SD TIV in pediatric SOT was given to subjects 3–17 yr and at least six months post‐transplant. Subjects were randomized 2:1 to receive either the HD (60 μg) or the SD (15 μg) TIV. Local and systemic reactions were solicited after each vaccination, and immune responses were measured before and after each vaccination. Thirty‐eight subjects were enrolled. Mean age was 11.25 yr; 68% male, 45% renal, 26% heart, 21% liver, 5% lung, and 5% intestinal. Twenty‐three subjects were given HD and 15 SD TIV. The median time since transplant receipt was 2.2 yr. No severe AEs or rejection was attributed to vaccination. The HD group reported more tenderness and local reactions, fatigue, and body ache when compared to the SD cohort, but these were considered mild and resolved within three days. Subjects in the HD group demonstrated a higher percentage of four‐fold titer rise to H3N2 compared to the SD group. HD influenza vaccine was well tolerated and may have increased immunogenicity. A phase 2 trial is needed to confirm.


The antigenic and molecular characteristics of the two immunoglobulins secreted by a single cell line of plasmacytoma SAMM 368 were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of biosynthesized proteins. Adapted to continuous in vitro cultivation, this BALB/c plasmacytoma secretes at least 98% of its heavy chains as components of fully assembled and isotypically uniform IgG2b and IgA molecules. The IgA is secreted as monomers, dimers, and multimers with chemical properties typical of BALB/c myeloma IgA including disulfide bonded J chain and noncovalently bonded light chains. The noncovalently bonded light chains are monomers rather than dimers. Free light chains are also secreted. The ability to segregate heavy chains is attributed either to chemical, enzymatic, or compartmental regulatory factors operating within these plasma cells.


This paper reports on an innovative process by which the Inuit and First Nations communities of Newfoundland and Labrador confronted and challenged the policies and procedures of the provincial research ethics system. We describe the ways in which these communities engaged with health and university research review administrators to exchange information, identify challenges with existing processes, and outline a strategy for movement forward. We highlight the innovative structure of the process, and show how that resulted in immediate and ongoing community-led reforms to the provincial research ethics boards. Key to the success of the workshop was the fact that diverse stakeholders—community members, community research review administrators, research ethics board administrators, and health board research administrators—came together in an ethical space and worked together to critically interrogate the bureaucratic structure of the government, health, and university-based ethics review processes in the province. Recommendations arising from this process led to changes in the governance of health research involving the province's Indigenous communities.


A dual-directional light-control film with a high-sag and high-asymmetric-shape long gapless hexagonal microlens array fabricated by an ultra-violent (UV) imprinting process is presented. Such a lens array is designed by ray-tracing simulation and fabricated by a micro-replication process including gray-scale lithography, electroplating process and UV curing. The shape of the designed lens array is similar to that of a near half-cylindrical lens array with a periodical ripple. The measurement results of a prototype show that the incident lights using a collimated LED with the FWHM of dispersion angle, 12°, are diversified differently in short and long axes. The numerical and experimental results show that the FWHMs of the view angle for angular brightness in long and short axis directions through the long hexagonal lens are about 34.3° and 18.1° and 31° and 13°, respectively. Compared with the simulation result, the errors in long and short axes are about 5% and 16%, respectively. Obviously, the asymmetric gapless microlens array can realize the aim of the controlled asymmetric angular brightness. Such a light-control film can be used as a power saving screen compared with convention diffusing film for the application of a rear projection display.


The problem of data cleaning, which consists of emoving inconsistencies and errors from original data sets, is well known in the area of decision support systems and data warehouses. However, for non-conventional applications, such as the migration of largely unstructured data into structured one, or the integration of heterogeneous scientific data sets in inter-discipl- inary fields (e.g., in environmental science), existing ETL (Extraction Transformation Loading) and data cleaning tools for writing data cleaning programs are insufficient. The main challenge with them is the design of a data flow graph that effectively generates clean data, and can perform efficiently on large sets of input data. The difficulty with them comes from (i) a lack of clear separation between the logical specification of data transformations and their physical implementation and (ii) the lack of explanation of cleaning results and user interaction facilities to tune a data cleaning program. This paper addresses these two problems and presents a language, an execution model and algorithms that enable users to express data cleaning specifications declaratively and perform the cleaning efficiently. We use as an example a set of bibliographic references used to construct the Citeseer Web site. The underlying data integration problem is to derive structured and clean textual records so that meaningful queries can be performed. Experimental results report on the assessement of the proposed framework for data cleaning.


We evaluated gonadal function in 63 patients with testicular cancer both within 1 month of unilateral orchiectomy before further treatment (pretreatment) and 3 years after treatment discontinuation (post-treatment). Sixteen patients underwent orchiectomy alone (group 1), nine patients underwent infradiaphragmatic radiotherapy (group 2) and 28 patients received four cycles (group 3) and 10 patients received six cycles (group 4) of cisplatin-based chemotherapy (cisplatin, vinblastine and bleomycin-PVB, or cisplatin, etoposide and bleomycin-PEB). Pretreatment semen analyses showed reduced sperm cell density, motility and impaired morphology of spermatozoa in all four groups (p > 0.05). At the same time elevated estradiol and decreased serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels in 28.5% of subjects were correlated with high serum beta human chorionic gonadotropin concentrations. Semen analyses revealed the lowest values for all parameters after infradiaphragmatic radiotherapy. Sperm cell count, motility and morphology were significantly better in patients treated with orchiectomy alone or with a conventional dose of chemotherapy than in the groups that received radiotherapy or high doses of chemotherapy (p < 0.05). We also observed a correlation between serum FSH values and sperm cell density for both pretreatment and post-treatment in every group of patients (p < 0.05). Persistent subclinical Leydig cell dysfunction in groups treated with radiotherapy or high doses of chemotherapy was expressed by increased basal luteinizing hormone levels (78% of patients in group 2 vs 60% of patients in group 4) (p < 0.05) and by normal testosterone serum values (89% of patients in group 2 vs 80% of patients in group 4). Spermatogenesis and Leydig cell function are, therefore, persistently impaired in the majority of testicular cancer patients treated with radiotherapy or with more intensive chemotherapy.


The use of rotor-synchronized Hahn-echo pulse train (RS-HEPT) 1H decoupling, in a MAS (Magic Angle Spinning) 15N spin-echo NMR experiment allows the use of longer the spin-echo durations compared to the case when conventional decoupling is applied, hence enabling the accurate determination of very small J couplings down to a few Hz. Here, a thorough numerical analysis of the 15N spin-echo under RS-HEPT decoupling is performed with the purpose of characterizing the factors that still limit its efficiency. The obtained results are promising with respect to further improving the accuracy in the measured J couplings.


The protein-bound sulfhydryl (SH) groups of the mitochondrial membrane were determined with Ellman's reagent in energized and non-energized configurational states of mitochondria and submitochondrial particles. When beef heart mitochondria were energized by respiration, there was a decrease in titratable protein-bound SH groups which varied according to substrate: NADH-linked substrates induced a decrease of about 10 nmol per mg of protein,succinate about 7, and ascorbate-tetramethyl-p-phenylene-diamine about 3. Similar changes occurred in phosphorylating submitochondrial particles. A decrease in SH titer was also observed in non-energized conditions, induced by hypotonic treatment and by some reagents inhibiting electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation and inducing orthodox configuration. These changes in protein-bound SH groups might be useful in analyzing the conformational states of mitochondrial membranes.


Problem statement for a renewable power system test site located at Nazarbayev University is formulated with consideration of a presence of uncertain disturbances from consumer grid side. Proposed controller is based on the method of additional equilibria. For adjusting of parameters of controller and control plant the genetic algorithm is proposed. Results of MATLAB simulation of designed control system are presented.


The Environmental Sciences Section (ESS) established a quarterly monitoring program of the Four Mile Creek seepline down gradient from the F- and H-Area seepage basins. The program surveys and tracks changes in tritium, specific conductivity, and pH for the seepline water. Measurements from the fifth quarterly survey (June 1993) showed lower tritium and conductivity measurements and higher pH values (pH 5--6) than measurements from previous studies. The results of the quarterly surveys suggest that infiltration of rainfall may be diluting and flushing the contaminants from the groundwater system. More measurements are needed to confirm these trends.


Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecumL. Leguminosae) is widely used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Antihyperglycaemic effect of the two different doses (200 and 400 mg/kg) of the fenugreek extract was evaluated in this study. Blood glucose, liver profile, renal profile and total lipid levels were determined in alloxan induced diabetic rats after oral administration of a fenugreek extract. A comparable hypoglycemic effect was evidenced from the data obtained after 7 and 21 days of oral administration of the extract. The extract lowered the total cholesterol and serum triglycerides. Histopathological analysis of pancreas showed normal acini, and normal cellular in the islets of langerhans in the pancreas of normal control and Extensive damage to islets of langerhans and reduced dimensions of islets in alloxan induced diabetes. Restoration of islets of langerhans seen in diabetic rats treated with fenugreek extract. The results of this study clearly shows the hypoglycaemic activity of the extract


Companies are frequently using in-house developed scripts, macros and applications to support and automate the development of products and product variants. These items are often of different types creating a design platform with a multitude of dependencies. Such environments are often difficult to overview and maintain. In the current paper, an aerospace company with a design platform that has proven challenging to maintain has been studied. A method and limited software implementation have been tested and evaluated by interviewing four professionals at the company. The implementation provides a high granularity, which has been found to be necessary to give a quick platform overview and to facilitate maintenance and expansion of the design platform.


IoT data analytics has many potential applications in the retail industry. However, relations among ambient conditions at stores as measured by IoT devices and sales performance are not well understood. This paper explores sensory and sales data provided by a large retail chain to quantify the impact of air quality, temperature, humidity and lighting on customer behaviour. It has been determined that the air quality and humidity have a significant impact and temperature appears to have a non-linear effect on customer behaviour. The data analysis findings are used to configure an IoT data analytics platform. The platform is used to monitor the ambient conditions in retail stores, to evaluate a need for improving the conditions as well as to enact improvement by passing them over to a building management system.


We report a case of severe ocular injury and impaired vision after self-administration of alum. A 56-year-old female administered an alum substance in the left eye and experienced severe corneal thinning, a scar, and decreased vision. The active compounds in the alum substance were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. When topically administered, alum may cause severe ocular injury. Public awareness, early recognition of the injuries, and timely intervention may prevent permanent ocular damage.


Myocardial fibrosis after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is one of the main causes of myocardial remodeling and heart function abnormalities. Bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) has been reported to play essential roles in anti-fibrosis. In this study, we demonstrated the role of exogenous BMP-7 on myocardial fibrosis and heart function recovery after AMI. A rat model of AMI was established via ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). Twenty rats were grouped into sham group which underwent chest open operation, but did not receive LAD ligation. Another 40 rats underwent LAD ligation were randomly grouped into saline-treated group (n = 20) and BMP-7-treated group (n = 20) which received saline treatment or exogenous BMP-7 treatment for 14 days, respectively. Two weeks after LAD ligation, the survival rate of BMP-7-treated AMI group was significantly improved compared to the saline group. Moreover, the cardiac function was preserved as shown by echocardiography examination, and the infarcted size was limited upon BMP-7 treatment. In addition, we investigated the role of TGF-β1 signaling pathway in BMP-7-mediated cardioprotective effects by analyzing the expression levels of TGF-β1, Smad 2 and Smad 3 in the infarct zone, border zone, and non-infarct zone. Western blot and quantitative PCR results suggested that BMP-7 attenuated myocardial fibrosis through counteracting TGF-β1 signaling pathway, thereby exerting cardioprotective effects. In conclusion, our data provide a potential therapeutic direction for preserving cardiac function and improving prognosis of AMI patients.


SUMMARY In Finland in April 2010, a 3-month old baby was diagnosed with type A infant botulism. He excreted botulinum neurotoxin and/or Clostridium botulinum in his faeces until November 2010. Five months of excretion was after clinical recovery and discharge from hospital. C. botulinum isolates recovered from the household dust in the patient's home were genetically identical to those found in the infant's stool samples. Long-term faecal excretion of C. botulinum may pose a possible health risk for the parents and others in close contact with the infant.


Background The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been dramatically increasing worldwide. The aims of this study were to examine associations of GDM with pregnancy outcomes in Chinese urban women and to evaluate the interaction between GDM and other major risk factors for the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Methods A retrospective analysis included 8844 women who delivered live singletons at ≥28 weeks of gestation between June 2012 and March 2013 among Chinese urban women. Structured questionnaires were used to collect information on demographic characteristics, lifestyle behavior, medical history, and pregnancy outcomes. The diagnosis of GDM was made between 24 and 28 gestational weeks according to the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups criteria. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association of GDM with pregnancy outcomes and to examine the interaction between GDM and other major risk factors including maternal age, prepregnancy body mass index, and gestational weight gain for the risk of pregnancy outcomes. Results 13.9% of women were diagnosed with GDM. We found that GDM was associated with higher risk of cesarean delivery (odds ratio (OR) = 1.69, 95% CI (confidence interval): 1.48-1.92), preterm birth (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.07-1.64), macrosomia (OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.34-2.13), and large for gestational age (LGA, OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.18-1.73) after adjustment for potential confounders. We also observed the interaction between GDM and maternal age for the risk of cesarean delivery (P for interaction = 0.025), and the OR of GDM for cesarean delivery was 1.71 (95% CI: 1.49-1.97) among women aged less than 35 years. Conclusions GDM was associated with an increased risk of cesarean delivery, preterm birth, macrosomia, and LGA in Chinese urban women, and there was an interaction between GDM and maternal age for the risk of cesarean delivery.


The Cenozoic marked a period of dramatic ecological opportunity in Earth history due to the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs as well as to long-term physiographic changes that created new biogeographic theaters and new habitats. Snakes underwent massive ecological diversification during this period, repeatedly evolving novel dietary adaptations and prey preferences. The evolutionary tempo and mode of these trophic ecological changes remain virtually unknown, especially compared with co-radiating lineages of birds and mammals that are simultaneously predators and prey of snakes. Here, we assemble a dataset on snake diets (34,060 observations on the diets of 882 species) to investigate the history and dynamics of the multidimensional trophic niche during the global radiation of snakes. Our results show that per-lineage dietary niche breadths remained remarkably constant even as snakes diversified to occupy disparate outposts of dietary ecospace. Rapid increases in dietary diversity and complexity occurred in the early Cenozoic, and the overall rate of ecospace expansion has slowed through time, suggesting a potential response to ecological opportunity in the wake of the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. Explosive bursts of trophic innovation followed colonization of the Nearctic and Neotropical realms by a group of snakes that today comprises a majority of living snake diversity. Our results indicate that repeated transformational shifts in dietary ecology are important drivers of adaptive radiation in snakes and provide a framework for analyzing and visualizing the evolution of complex ecological phenotypes on phylogenetic trees.


Asia's new economic and political strength — particularly China's — and its increasing economic ties with Europe are giving the Mediterranean region an opportunity to once again be the place in the world where "things happen." This opportunity is amplified by rapid economic growth in Africa, the countries' of which, in the past decade, have exploited the discovery of new oil and gas fields and developed such sectors as mining, fishing, and agriculture. Now Africa is a key supplier to China and a growing market for Chinese and European goods. However, this new Mediterranean centrality should not be taken for granted. New economic links, trade, and investments must be built, because the Mediterranean Sea is not the only way to link Europe and Asia. Mediterranean ports face tough competition from Northern European ports, and this could become even tougher with a potential permanent opening of a new sea route through the Arctic. Today this route is opened for a few weeks per year, but if expected climate changes continue, this route could become profitable. Another source of competition that could arise is from the new railways that are connecting and expected to connect China and Europe. Today the number of rail routes is still small, but that could increase in the near future thanks to new railway tracks and new agreements among the countries crossed by the railway networks. These routes will be a competitive threat to the economies of the Mediterranean region, especially for the transport of


Exploitation of mobile peer networking in providing data and multimedia services has to-date been limited for a number of reasons, these include difficulties in addressing different ubiquitous radio access networks, cost per bandwidth, as well as increased TCP congestion due to reduced radio resources. A new mobile peer networking algorithm involving adaptive window techniques based on Linear-Quadratic-Gaussian (LQG) control is proposed. Results show that the proposed technique presents a remarkable network performance improvement over standard algorithms.


In real-life practice, in the light of the new concepts presented in this Special Interest Symposium, the management of retinal vein occlusion cases will involve: - The classification of venous occlusion, - The neovascular risk, - The presence of macroaneurysms - The general prognosis and treatment. Clinical cases concerning different types of venous occlusion will be presented to identify the cardinal signs for classification and treatment. In particular, we will present a case of central vein occlusion with peri venular whitening, a case with increased neovascular risk, a case with the cardinal signs for classification etc… At the end of the presentation, the audience will be able to recognize these cardinal features and the elements of the new classification.


Background: Desmoplastic melanoma (DMM) is an uncommon melanoma variant with a distinct morphology, including a prominent spindle cell component with fibrosis, as well as a distinct immunohistochemical profile. Histologically, the spindle cell component of DMM can be confused with sclerotic/desmoplastic nevi, nonpigmented blue nevi, scar, and neural tumors. The histological distinction between sclerotic/desmoplastic/blue nevi and DMM using standard light microscopic techniques can be exceedingly subtle. Therefore, we investigated whether immunohistochemical staining for Melan-A and Ki-67 expression can be used to discriminate these lesions, distinguishing between epithelioid and spindle cell compartments of the lesions. Design: Fifty cases of DMM and 13 cases of sclerotic/desmoplastic/blue nevi were identified. Standard immunohistochemical techniques were used with antibodies towards HMB-45, Melan-A (A103), and Ki-67; 43 of 50 DMM cases were available for staining with Melan-A, 42 of 50 for HMB-45, and 31 of 50 cases were stained with Ki-67. All 13 nevi were stained for Melan-A and 8 for Ki-67. Immunoreactivity to Ki-67 antibody was scored as 0 to 5%, 6 to 10%, 11 to 30%, or greater than 30% positive tumor cells. Results: Only 3 of 43 and 3 of 42 of spindle cell compartments of DMMs were positive for Melan-A and HMB-45, respectively. Focal staining of epithelioid cells in the junctional component or superficial dermis was observed in 33% (14/43). In contrast, 100% of the 13 nevi were strongly positive for Melan-A (P < 0.001). Seventeen melanomas (55%) were 0 to 5% positive for Ki-67, five (16%) fell into the 6 to 10% category, three (10%) were between 11 and 30%, and six (19%) were at least focally greater than 30% positive. All 8 nevi (100%) had less than 5% positive cells for Ki-67 (P = 0.02), with only 2 cases having more than 2% positive cells. Conclusion: The sclerotic/desmoplastic and hypopigmented blue nevi were uniformly positive for Melan-A, while the vast majority of DMM were negative in their spindle cell compartments. Melan-A is very useful in distinguishing between DMM and sclerotic nevi. Ki-67 appears to be an inconsistent marker for DMM. However, a high labeling index (over 5%) may be used as a clue in diagnosing DMM.


The Ugandan government recently committed to development of a local refinery benefiting from recently discovered oil and gas reserves and increasing local demand for energy supply. The project includes a refinery in Hoima district and a 205 kilometre pipeline to a distribution terminal at Buloba, near Kampala city. This study outlines a GIS-based methodology for determining an optimal pipeline route that incorporates Multi Criteria Evaluation and Least Cost Path Analysis. The methodology allowed for an objective evaluation of different cost surfaces for weighting the constraints that determine the optimal route location. Four criteria (Environmental, Construction, Security and Hybrid) were evaluated, used to determine the optimal route and compared with the proposed costing and length specifications targets issued by the Ugandan government. All optimal route alternatives were within 12 kilometres of the target specification. The construction criteria optimal route (205.26 km) formed a baseline route for comparison with other optimal routes.


The effect of hydrocortisone and DOCA on the cAMP content in the hypothalamus, hippocampus and striate body of the rat brain was investigated. Single (determined after 1 and 24 hours) and repeated (7 days) hydrocortison administration in a dose of 5 mg/100 g body weight was accompanied by an increase in the cAMP concentration in the brain structures under study. Single administration of DOCA in a dose of 0.5 mg/100 g body weight did not produce any changes in the cAMP level in the structures of the rat brain limbic system; however, the dose of 2.5 mg raised the cAMP level. Prolonged administration of the hormone in the above doses dod not change the cAMP level in the brain structures. Only the hippocampus showed a 210% increase in the cAMP level during DOCA administration in a dose of 0.5 mg.


ABSTRACT The annual patterns of precipitation in the dry deciduous forest of Madagascar are characterized by a dry season when the majority of trees lose their leaves and a wet season with full foliage development. Such variation allows the examination in shifts in the vertical distribution of birds and to their response to changing environmental conditions. Patterns of birds in the dry deciduous forest of Kirindy CNFEREF, central western Madagascar, were analyzed related to the vertical variation of vegetation structure and microclimate during 2 study periods: the dry (24 Aug to 16 Sep 2017) and wet seasons (25 Jan to 17 Feb 2018). Six line transects in forest habitat of 1,000 m each were used to survey birds, and each was associated with linear sampling to quantify vegetation structure. Data loggers were employed to record temperature and relative humidity across the vertical strata. During the dry season, associated with the microclimate aridity and reduction in vegetation cover in the upper strata, the number of species and individual birds found on the ground increased. During the wet season, fewer birds occurred on the ground, and abundance and species richness increased in the canopy. These results show the sensitivity of birds with regard to environmental fluctuations. However, regardless of the season, birds frequented mainly the mid-story, which had the highest abundance of species as compared to upper and lower vertical strata.


*These authors contributed equally to this work Background: SPRR3, also known as esophagin, has been shown to be involved in the initiation and progression of numerous types of tumor. However, the biological function of SPRR3 that contributes to non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) growth and migration is largely unknown. Methods: The expression of SPRR3 and its association with EZH2 and miR-876-3p in NSCLC cells were determined by real-time PCR. Protein levels were measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot. Cell functions were studied by CCK-8, transwell assay, flow cytometry and dual-luciferase reporter assay. The effect of SPRR3 on tumor growth in vivo was evaluated in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. Results: SPRR3 was up-regulated in most NSCLC cell lines and clinical tissues. Also, the correlation between SPRR3 expression and clinical features was significant. Functional studies confirmed that SPRR3 modulates cell proliferation, invasion and cell apoptosis in NSCLC via regulating EZH2, which is a well-known oncogene in NSCLC. Furthermore, SPRR3 was found to be a direct target of miR-876-3p that also plays a suppressor role in NSCLC. Conclusion: These findings indicated that miR-876-3p/SPRR3/EZH2 signaling cascade exerts important roles in the regulation of NSCLC, suggesting that this pathway can serve as a potential therapeutic target in NSCLC.


We analyze a sequential decision model, where in every period a new agent seeks to determine the payoff of some actions. Every agent receives a possibly uninformative signal about the payoffs, and she observes previous choices. Some actions have a saturation effect; i.e., their payoffs become zero if used repeatedly too often albeit the original payoff is recovered later. We show that in every equilibrium and for almost every equilibrium play path, an action will trigger a cyclical herd behavior. We also show that the length of the transition phase between two consecutive herd behavior is at most the time needed to recover from the saturation effect. We thus give an alternative explanation to Kirman (1993) for the cyclicity of herd behavior, based on the negative externality generated by the repeated use of the same action.


Retinal disease treatment by stem cell-based replacement relies on stem cell differentiation into retinal cells. We previously demonstrated that human periodontal ligament-derived stem cells can be directed into retinal lineage upon induction. Here, we report the transdifferentiation potential of human adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) into retinal lineage and its enhancement by Notch signaling modulation. Human ASCs, isolated from abdominal fat, expressed mesenchymal but not hematopoietic stem cell markers, and they can differentiate into adipocytes, chondrocytes, and osteoblasts in vitro. Upon noggin/Dkk-1/IGF-1 induction, the treated ASCs showed elevated expression of retinal progenitor, retinal ganglion, and photoreceptor cell markers as well as the glutamate-evoked calcium response, which was not observed in the noninduced cells. Compared to the regular induction treatment, Notch signaling activation by JAG1 enhanced the expression of retinal progenitor and precursor markers without affecting the glutamate-evoked calcium response. In contrast, Notch signaling inhibition by DAPT showed more retinal ganglion cells, but delayed the response to glutamate stimulation. In summary, our results revealed that human ASCs possess a retinal transdifferentiation potential upon noggin/Dkk-1/IGF-1 induction, which can further be enhanced by Notch signaling activation.


In the big data environment, through the analysis and induction of massive data, mining out potential models and studying the market operation rules, can help enterprises adjust strategies, reduce risks and improve efficiency. However, with the wide application of new technology, the sensitive information of users may be disclosed while mining rules. In the big data environment, the amount of data related to users is large. If the privacy information in these data is leaked, it will cause great harm to users. In order to avoid the disclosure of sensitive information in the process of users accessing services in the big data environment, our research will propose new method to protect the privacy data of users in big data environment. Our research design a new approach based on private matching protocol using block chain technology to protect private data in big data environment.


This thesis focuses on the design, fabrication, and evaluation of a new method for testing the adhesion strength of lead-free solders, named the Isotraction Bump Pull method (IBP). In order to develop a direct solder joint-strength testing method that did not require customization for different solder types, bump sizes, specific equipment, or trial-and-error, a combination of two widely used and accepted standards was created. First, solder bumps were made from three types of lead free solder were generated on untreated copper PCB substrates using an in-house fabricated solder bump-on-demand generator, Following this, the newly developed method made use of a polymer epoxy to encapsulate the solder bumps that could then be tested under tension using a high precision universal vertical load machine. The tests produced repeatable and predictable results for each of the three alloys tested that were in agreement with the relative behavior of the same alloys using other testing methods in the literature. The median peak stress at failure for the three solders tested were 2020.52 psi, 940.57 psi, and 2781.0 psi, and were within one standard deviation of the of all data collected for each solder. The assumptions in this work that brittle fracture occurred through the Intermetallic Compound layer (IMC) were validated with the use of Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry and high magnification of the fractured surface of both newly exposed sides of the test specimens. Following this, an examination of the process to apply the results from the tensile tests into standard material science equations for the fracture of the systems


A methodology is presented to determine the source term for leaks and ruptures of pressurized vessels. The generic methodology is applied to a 9975 Primary Containment Vessel (PCV) which losses containment due to a hypothesized fire accident. The release due to a vessel rupture is approximately two orders of magnitude greater than the release due to a leak.


Colchicine is an anti‐inflammatory agent used primarily in treatment of gout and familial Mediterranean fever. Toxicity is uncommon, and depends on dose, hepatic or renal impairment, co‐administration with P‐glycoprotein or CYP3A4 inhibitors and route of administration. In patients taking p‐glycoprotein inhibitors, maximum recommended dose is 0·3 mg per day. In renal or hepatic impairment, recommendation is to avoid concomitant administration of p‐glycoprotein inhibitors and colchicine.


This paper reports a case of tuberculosis relapse and chronic obstructive lung disease treated with rifampicin and isoniazid. The subsequent introduction of slow-release theophylline therapy revealed a delay in the theophylline elimination kinetics resulting in a toxic plasma level. Interference with hepatic microsomal enzymes is considered to occur.


In this paper, we propose a new approach for multiresolution fusion, i.e., obtaining a high spatial and spectral resolution multispectral (MS) image using the available low spatial resolution MS and the high spatial resolution Panchromatic (Pan) image. Our approach is based on the idea of compressive sensing (CS) and graph cuts. Assuming that both the MS and Pan images have the same sparseness, a close approximation to the MS image is obtained from the Pan image using the theory of compressive sensing and l1 minimization. We then use regularization framework to obtain fused image. The low resolution (LR) MS image is modeled as degraded and noisy version of fused image in which degradation matrix entires estimated using the close approximation are used. The regularization is carried out by using truncated quadratic smoothness prior which takes care of preservation of the discontinuities in the fused image. A suitable energy function is then formed consisting of data fitting term and prior term. Minimization of the energy function is carried out using a computationally efficient graph cuts optimization to obtain final fused image. Advantage of our approach is that the Pan and MS images need not be registered. This is because, we are not directly using the Pan digital numbers to derive the fused image. The effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated by conducting experiments on real satellite images. Subjective and quantitative comparison of the proposed method with the state-of-the-art approaches indicates efficacy of our approach.


Abstract. We present two techniques to improve as-built miniature lenses that are defined with high-order aspheric surfaces without losing optical quality and without significantly modifying the layout of the lens. We note that miniature lenses are often defined with more aspheric coefficients than needed. This redundancy can lead to poor as-built lenses. The first technique consists of gradually reducing the number of high-order aspheric coefficients while reoptimizing the lens and maintaining the performance. The second technique consists of desensitizing the lens through a multi-configuration process where different configurations are defined and optimized at the same time. These are the nominal configuration and several perturbed configurations that include lens decenter and tilt. Both techniques are shown to work for improving as-built lenses as we show in two examples from the lens literature.


Reproductive fish behavior is affected by male-female interactions that stimulate physiological responses such as hormonal release and gonad development. During male-female interactions, visual and chemical communication can modulate fish reproduction. The aim of the present study was to test the effect of visual and chemical male-female interaction on the gonad development and reproductive behavior of the cichlid fish Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.). Fifty-six pairs were studied after being maintained for 5 days under one of the four conditions (N = 14 for each condition): 1) visual contact (V); 2) chemical contact (Ch); 3) chemical and visual contact (Ch+V); 4) no sensory contact (Iso) - males and females isolated. We compared the reproductive behavior (nesting, courtship and spawning) and gonadosomatic index (GSI) of pairs of fish under all four conditions. Visual communication enhanced the frequency of courtship in males (mean +/- SEM; V: 24.79 +/- 3.30, Ch+V: 20.74 +/- 3.09, Ch: 0.1 +/- 0.07, Iso: 4.68 +/- 1.26 events/30 min; P < 0.05, two-way ANOVA with LSD post hoc test), induced spawning in females (3 spawning in V and also 3 in Ch+V condition), and increased GSI in males (mean +/- SEM; V: 1.39 +/- 0.08, Ch+V: 1.21 +/- 0.08, Ch: 1.04 +/- 0.07, Iso: 0.82 +/- 0.07%; P < 0.05, two-way ANOVA with LSD post hoc test). Chemical communication did not affect the reproductive behavior of pairs nor did it enhance the effects of visual contact. Therefore, male-female visual communication is an effective cue, which stimulates reproduction among pairs of Nile tilapia.


PurposeThis paper aims to test the effect of sustainability-driven reputation on purchase intention and willingness to pay a price premium along with the mediating roles of consumer trust and perceived risk.Design/methodology/approachA structural equation model was used on survey data collected from 660 participants to test the model and corresponding hypotheses.FindingsThe results show that sustainability has a positive effect on reputation, which in turn, while enhancing trust, decreases consumers' perceived risk. Further, trust is positively related to purchase intention and price premium, while perceived risk is negatively related to them. Finally, mediation analyses show the mediating roles of both trust and perceived risk between sustainability reputation and consumer behaviour.Originality/valueThis paper makes three major contributions: First, it takes all three dimensions of sustainability into account simultaneously in an empirical study in contrast with the disposition in the academic literature to address each dimension separately. Second, it explores the impact of reputation obtained primarily through sustainability on consumer behaviour. Third, it sheds light on the inner mechanism of the relational outcomes by testing the mediating effect of trust and perceived risk.


A key barrier to wide-scale integration of functional nanowires in devices and systems is the difficulty in forming reproducible and efficient contacts to them. Unlike the research-based approach of sequentially connecting electrodes to individual nanowires for device physics studies, a massively parallel and manufacturable interfacing technique is crucial for reproducible fabrication of dense and low-cost nano-device arrays. We developed a novel epitaxial interfacing technique for integrating semiconductor nanowires in devices that resulted in highly reproducible and linear ohmic contacts and contributed to exceptionally low noise. We fabricated two electrically isolated and opposing vertical Si surfaces using optical lithography along with wet and dry etching and grew lateral nanowires from one surface and epitaxially connected them to the other, forming mechanically robust and electrically continuous "nano-bridges". Both group IV and III-V nanowires were bridged between Si electrodes. Based on our current-voltage measurements and a constructed model, we calculated the specific contact resistance to be in the range of 4×10 -6 Ohm-cm 2 for bridged Si nanowires. This value is more than 2 orders of magnitudes lower than that of research based approach of evaporating metals on semiconductor nanowires for contact formation. Individual electrical access to nano-devices without recourse to nanoprobes or tedious and expensive serial interfacing procedures has been achieved for the first time. This unique approach of massively parallel "in situ" epitaxial connections open new opportunities for integration of nanowires for designing novel nano-scale electronic and photonic devices with a major improvement in the cost/performance ratio.


To test the effectiveness of different bioregulators in enhancing bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) yield and fruit quality, the commercial bioregulators CCC, NAA, GA 3 ,and Biozyme® were sprayed on plants at flower initiation, followed by two additional applications at 30-day intervals. Biozyme produced a significant increase in total yield but 40% of the fruit were not marketable. Treatment with NAA produced the highest yield of marketable fruit. Treatments did not affect fruit firmness compared to the control. Gibberellic acid increased fruit ascorbic acid and citric acid concentrations and Biozyme, GA 3 , and CCC increased fruit soluble solids content. Biozyme treatment increased fruit fructose, sucrose, carotenoid, and lycopene concentration. Treatments had no effect on fruit calcium concentration or pH. Chemical names used: chlormequat chloride (CCC); naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), gibberellic acid (GA 3 ); GA 3 + IAA (indole-3-acetic acid) + zeatine + micronutrients (Biozyme®).


Weather data and breeding records for a Holstein herd of 1300 cows in Hawaii were evaluated to determine effects of climate on reproductive performance. The dairy is in a coastal climate near latitude 21 degrees N. Average maximum temperature, relative humidity, and resulting temperature-humidity index for the warmest month of the year were 31 C, 44%, and 79. Average minimum temperature and attending values for the same period were 20 C, 96%, and 68. From late April to November, conception rates were correlated negatively with the average temperature-humidity index of each day of the estrous cycle beginning 11 days prior to breeding. Slopes of regression lines differed, suggesting varying sensitivity of conception rate to heat stress on different days of the cycle. The temperature-humidity index of the 2nd day prior to breeding was most closely correlated with conception rate. Conception rates declined from 66% to 35% as the index increased from 68 to 78. Only the temperature-humdity index of the 2nd day prior to breeding had a significant partial correlation coefficient when the index of the 2nd and 1st day prior to breeding, the day of breeding, and the day following breeding were each evaluated with the index of the others held constant.


This study sought to explore the medicinal properties of extracts obtained from C. edulis seeds. The seeds were obtained from farms in the Upper East Region of Ghana, dried and milled into coarse powder. Petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and methanol were used to extract the bioactive compounds present in the seeds by the cold maceration method. Antioxidant properties of the extracts were evaluated using the Phosphomolybdenum and DPPH free radical scavenging assays. The Folin-Ciocalteu assay was used to estimate the total phenol content and carrageenan-induced paw oedema model in chicks employed for the anti-inflammatory effects. The results showed that methanol extract had the highest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities while the petroleum ether extract showed the least activity. The anti-inflammatory activity of the methanol extract (31.3% oedema inhibition at 300 mg/kg body weight) was however lower than diclofenac (54.04% oedema inhibition at 100 mg/kg body weight), the reference drug. Compounds such as tannins, alkaloids, and carotenoids detected during phytochemical screening may be responsible for the activities observed.


An 85-year-old, immunocompetent man was referred to the authors due to the presence of an enlarging, pigmented mass of the conjunctiva concerning for a conjunctival melanoma. Wide excision of the mass revealed a pigmented or "dematiaceous" fungus. He was treated with topical natamycin, and the lesion healed well without any evidence of recurrence. Dematiaceous fungi should be considered in the differential for pigmented conjunctival lesions.


Despite outcome research demonstrating that a rupture–repair process in the therapeutic relationship can be beneficial, there is a lack of qualitative research on ruptures and how they are repaired. This study explored parallel accounts of therapeutic ruptures produced by clients and therapists during long-term psychodynamic therapy. Interviews were conducted with four client–therapist dyads and were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Themes found included: clients' experience of the danger of emotional experience (Negative emotions as dangerous); accounts of the discovery during therapy being a difficult and gradual experience (Therapeutic discovery; gradual and hard work; to and fro); the experience of the hurdles within the therapeutic relationship (The struggle; not knowing; control and power); then followed by a connection (The positive connection; emotional sensitivity; shining a light). The results are discussed in relation to a number of core concepts in psychodynamic therapy.


ABSTRACT Mixed effects regression models are widely used by language researchers. However, these regressions are implemented with an algorithm which may not converge on a solution. While convergence issues in linear mixed effects models can often be addressed with careful experiment design and model building, logistic mixed effects models introduce the possibility of separation or quasi-separation, which can cause problems for model estimation that result in convergence errors or in unreasonable model estimates. These problems cannot be solved by experiment or model design. In this paper, we discuss (quasi-)separation with the language researcher in mind, explaining what it is, how it causes problems for model estimation, and why it can be expected in linguistic datasets. Using real-linguistic datasets, we then show how Bayesian models can be used to overcome convergence issues introduced by quasi-separation, whereas frequentist approaches fail. On the basis of these demonstrations, we advocate for the adoption of Bayesian models as a practical solution to dealing with convergence issues when modeling binary linguistic data.


Every Universities/Colleges want their more students are able to pass their exams. That is why they are looking for effective policies and programs. This study helps them to make new policies for the betterment of the students and change inefficient old policies if any in their Universities/Colleges. This investigation's purpose is to evaluate the consequences of gender, level, group and system on students' academic performance by taking students in Amrit Campus. After analyzing through chi-square and logistic regression, it is found that except gender other three variables have significant impact on performance. The performance of biological group students is better than physical group students. Likewise, bachelor level students have performed well as compared to master level. Additionally, semester students pass at a higher rate than those enrolled in the yearly system. Among various combinations of bachelor level, EBC (Environment, Botany, and Chemistry) and among Master level Zoology students are more serious about their exam.


Several factors of gas pressure, electrode velocity to the target, temperature, relative humidity, etc., can be measured based on our new experiment and research system. Analysis and discussion was conducted with our newly invented measurement system on low repeatability in discharge parameters measurement, which is affected strongly by velocity of electrode to the target and gas pressure variation. The range of electrostatic discharge generator displace is 10cm-40cm. Electrode velocity moving to the target of Δν=14cm/s result in peak current change of ΔI≈0.5A. Gas pressure variation of Δp=0.06 atm create current peak value variation of ΔI≈0.5A, shown drastic change of discharge current peak value and discharge waveform. Initial validation was given on strong impact of electrode velocity to the target and air pressure on discharge parameters. A brief analysis was provided for possible effect mechanism of electrode velocity and air pressure on discharge parameters in short gap electrostatic discharge.


Software industry increasingly faces today the challenge of creating complex custom-made Industrial Process Measurement and Control System (IPMCS) applications within time and budget, while high competition forces prices down. A lot of proprietary solutions address the engineering process, and evolving standards exploit the function block construct as the main building block for the development of IPMCSs. However existing approaches are procedural-like and they do not exploit the maximum benefits introduced by the object technology. In the context of this paper, new technologies in Software Engineering that assist in improving the efficiency of software development process are considered. An Object-oriented framework is defined, to improve the engineering process of IPMCSs in terms of reliability, development time and degree of automation. This framework embodies an abstract design capable to provide solutions for the family of distributed IPMCSs. It will attempt to increase reusability in both architecture and functionality by addressing issues such as interoperability and integrated development of distributed IPMCSs.


Over the past decade, Romania's political, economic and social life where subordinated to one major objective: the transition from the pre-1990 centrally planned economic system to a market economy in the context of EU enlargement. The effective conduct of business is an issue of general relevance and interest, corporate governance as we are defining it aims to address the very specific problems that result from the separation of ownership and control. We will focus on large companies as they are more frequently confronted with corporate governance problems, more exactly on joint stock companies that are forms of networks specially designed to deal with the issues of separation between ownership and control. The companies listed on the stock exchange are the most representative illustrations of the corporate governance issue. In the first part of our research, after a short presentation of OECD principles of Corporate Governance and disclosure and transparency principle, we present the legal framework of corporate governance in Romania. In the second part we point the improvements related to disclosure and transparency principle made by regulatory institutes and in the third part we analyze the evolution of disclosure: mandatory, voluntary to Stock Exchange, toward shareholders, and by internet, finalizing with conclusions about disclosure and transparency of Romanian listed companies.


Systemic Lupus Erythromatous (SLE) is an auto immune disease characterized by multi-organ
affection, Guillain–Barre syndrome (GBS) is considered as an unusual and one of the least
neuropsychiatric syndromes in SLE, this case report aiming to report a rare association of GBS
as an initial presentation for an SLE in a female patient. A middle age female was presented
with palpitation, shortness of breath and body weakness, she was admitted for four days and
diagnosed with atypical GBS. She received Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) for three days but
no improvement was been noticed. The patient complained of dry cough, shortness of breath,
palpitations and generalized weakness in association with back pain and paraesthesia of the fingers.
General examination and lab workup were done and revealed a presence of SLE in relation to GBS.
IVIG was then commenced 0.4 g/kg body/weight/day with Hydroxychloroquine 200mg tabs BID,
Prednisolone 40mg, calcicare and Mycophenolatemofetil. Significant improvement was noted after
receiving the above-mentioned medications and over a period of three months all her symptoms
and complains were subside.


Reservation Meeting Room System is a system that is used to reserve meeting rooms in real time in all offices of PT. Visionet Data Internasional, so that this system is easy for employees to use, there is no duplication of reservations for meeting rooms between employees, and can be used through employees' mobile devices. PT Visionet Data Internasional is a company engaged in the field of IT Consultants consisting of many departments that focus on the development and maintenance of software and hardware, with many departments using meeting rooms very intensely, obtained information systems used to book meeting rooms are inaccurate, not real time, complicated, and frequent duplication of orders. Therefore the system that will be created by the author is a renovation and update of the previous system that already exists at PT. Visionet Data Internasional. It is expected that with this system, it can minimize errors that occur in the previous system. This system is also expected to make it easier for all employees to book a meeting room at PT Visionet Data Internasional.


The research conducted by the author is to determine the effect of deferred tax on capital intensity, capital intensity, and firm size on tax aggressiveness. The sample used in this study is BEI BUMN20 (top twenty constituents) contained in the BEI BUMN20 Fact Sheet Index as of December 2022 during 2019-2022. The technique used is descriptive statistical analysis, classical assumption test, multiple linear regression test, and a test of the coefficient of determination. The test results show that the level of the deferred tax burden can have a positive but not significant effect on tax aggressiveness. Capital intensity has a significant effect on tax aggressiveness then company size has a positive but not significant effect on the tax aggressiveness variable. This variable depends on tax aggressiveness. The coefficient of determination obtained is 13.5%, which can be interpreted if the independent effect on the variable is 13.5%.


BACKGROUND
The wild-type herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) has strong infectivity and cytolytic effect on almost all types of mammalian cells. Genetic engineering can now restrict this cytolysis to only malignant cells. G207 is an oncolytic HSV-1 vector developed based on this strategy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
We used G207 as the backbone and integrated the exogenous endostatin-angiostatin fusion protein gene to generate a new vector, AE618.

RESULTS
Marked expressions of fusion protein in A549 and H460 lung cancer cells and culture medium were found 24 hours after treatment with AE618. In comparison with the G207 treatment group, the secreted protein from H460 cells treated with AE618 significantly inhibited the growth of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). AE618 also significantly inhibited the growth of xenografted tumors in vivo.

CONCLUSION
We propose that AE618 has the potential to be a novel anticancer agent with both oncolytic and anti-angiogenesis effects.


Statistics show that the sale of goods on credit is widespread among firms even when they are capital constrained and thus face relatively high costs in providing trade credit. This study provides an explanation for this by arguing that customers that possess strong market power are able to increase their customer surplus by demanding to purchase the goods on credit. This gain in customer surplus increases with the degree of asymmetric information between buyer and seller with respect to product quality. Therefore, firms that are perceived as risky are especially subject to the market power of the customer and have to sell their goods on credit. Using detailed firm-level data from a large number of firms in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, this paper finds evidence consistent with this hypothesis. We find a strong positive correlation between customer market power and trade credit provision. Furthermore, this relationship is especially strong when the supplier is more risky and in countries with limited financial sector development or weak legal system.


As consequence of the 3d printing extraordinary rising along the last years, product development fields are facing new challenges. In addition, it is notory that low cost additive manufacturing, as such fused filament fabrication (FFF), result in objects with anisotropic mechanical behaviour. Nevertheless, there is still lacking studies that highlight a proper specification of those mechanical proprieties. For that reason, the main goal of this work is to present a mechanical characterization of anisotropic behaviour of FFF objects as a function of infill strategy using a finite element method. In this work, the main effect of building parameters were investigated in addition the identification of generalized elasticity and failure mode formulations. By the end, the general reccomendation for objects building was sketched in order to support new strength based developments.


Automatic surveillance systems are an important emerging application of object detection algorithms in video. The nature of such systems implies several requirements on the used algorithms. Also, searching for less usual objects (in contrast to frontal human faces, car masks, etc.) is required, such as detection of bicycles. It appears that detection of such objects cannot be solved by just applying a standard statistical or other general detector, but by constructing a specialized detector composed of several standard image processing and object-detection techniques combined together ad hoc. A detector of bicycles in video data from standard low-resolution CCTV surveillance system is presented in this contribution. Bicycle detection approach covered by this paper aims to cope with highly-noisy low-resolution data, to use simple image-processing methods and to work in real time. Although the method itself does not constitute a generally usable object detector, it covers several interesting aspects which can be re-used in tasks similar to the given one. Low-level features extracted from the video used for wheel-candidate classification are described in detail. The system is applied and evaluated on real data and the results are discussed.


The change in government in 1991 brought about radical economic reform, from state control to an economy led by private sector development. The reforms included decentralisation, privatisation and liberalisation of the financial sector. Liberalisation initially led to the proliferation of financial institutions in the financial sector. However, it also led to a number of bank failures, resulting in the closure of nine commercial banks since 1995. Access to financial services by the majority of Zambian's was further constrained by the closure of unprofitable rural branches by commercial banks, the raising of minimum account balances and the introduction of bank charges, as well as the closure of a number of Government owned financial institutions specifically set up to address the needs of low income households and the rural poor. These developments have resulted in a financial system that focuses on meeting the needs of the corporate sector and working class elite. This paper traces how the Government's liberalisation policy for the financial sector has resulted in decreased access to financial services by low income households and the rural poor.


Abstract. Satellites have documented variability in sea ice areal extent for decades, but there are significant challenges in obtaining analogous measurements for sea ice thickness data in the Antarctic, primarily due to difficulties in estimating snow cover on sea ice. Sea ice thickness (SIT) can be estimated from snow freeboard measurements, such as those from airborne/satellite lidar, by assuming some snow depth distribution or empirically fitting with limited data from drilled transects from various field studies. Current estimates for large-scale Antarctic SIT have errors as high as ∼50 %, and simple statistical models of small-scale mean thickness have similarly high errors. Averaging measurements over hundreds of meters can improve the model fits to existing data, though these results do not necessarily generalize to other floes. At present, we do not have algorithms that accurately estimate SIT at high resolutions. We use a convolutional neural network with laser altimetry profiles of sea ice surfaces at 0.2 m resolution to show that it is possible to estimate SIT at 20 m resolution with better accuracy and generalization than current methods (mean relative errors ∼15 %). Moreover, the neural network does not require specification of snow depth or density, which increases its potential applications to other lidar datasets. The learned features appear to correspond to basic morphological features, and these features appear to be common to other floes with the same climatology. This suggests that there is a relationship between the surface morphology and the ice thickness. The model has a mean relative error of 20 % when applied to a new floe from the region and season. This method may be extended to lower-resolution, larger-footprint data such as such as Operation IceBridge, and it suggests a possible avenue to reduce errors in satellite estimates of Antarctic SIT from ICESat-2 over current methods, especially at smaller scales.


ABSTRACT Taurine bulls are highly susceptible to heat stress, leading to increased oxidative stress (OS) and impaired sperm viability. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) supplementation can be an alternative to improve semen quality, which also results in more sperm susceptibility to lipid peroxidation. Moreover, this deleterious effect can be exacerbated in animals affected by heat stress. Vitamin E is a key antioxidant that counteracts lipid peroxidation of sperm membrane caused by OS. Thus, combining PUFAs with vitamin E may improve sperm quality. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of interaction between PUFAs and vitamin E on sperm quality in Bos taurus bulls under testicular heat stress. Sixteen taurine bulls under testicular heat stress were randomly assigned in four groups: Control, Vitamin E, PUFA, and PUFA + Vitamin E. All groups lasted for 60 days. Samples were cryopreserved/thawed and analyzed for motility variables (CASA), membrane and acrosome integrity, mitochondrial activity, susceptibility to oxidative stress, DNA integrity, and sperm-binding capacity. Results showed that vitamin E had a beneficial effect on some sperm characteristics, whereas PUFA supplementation had an adverse effect when the two treatments were evaluated separately. Finally, the association between PUFAs and vitamin E did not improve sperm quality.


Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF) has emerged as a potent threat to Web 2.0 applications. Because of the stateless nature of the HTTP protocol, a malicious website can force the user's browser to send unauthorized requests to a trusted site. This demo provides hands on exposure of the various ways in which some popular web applications are exploited using CSRF, in addition to demonstrating techniques by which CSRF signatures can be detected and attacks effectively resisted even before initiation. The user needs only to install a simple extension to get notified about potential CSRF vulnerabilities. Because validating the Referer Header is a common CSRF prevention method, a novel solution to the Referer Privacy issue will also be demonstrated.


action of the eyelids or dilution and removal of the bacterial inoculum by tears, were responsible for the benign course of superficial prolapse. Bacteria in excess of those producing an invariable panophthalmitis on deeper inoculation could be introduced without effect into the surface of the prolapse while the latter was covered with a valve-like flap of conjunctiva. Although the position of the surface prolapse implies its close proximity to the vascular choroid, there was no histological evidence that phagocytosis of the inoculated bacteria played any significant part.


Lichens are symbiotic organisms that produce various unique chemicals that can be used for pharmaceutical purposes. With the aim of screening new anti-cancer agents that inhibit cancer cell motility, we tested the inhibitory activity of seven lichen species collected from the Romanian Carpathian Mountains against migration and invasion of human lung cancer cells and further investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying their anti-metastatic activity. Among them, Alectoria samentosa, Flavocetraria nivalis, Alectoria ochroleuca, and Usnea florida showed significant inhibitory activity against motility of human lung cancer cells. HPLC results showed that usnic acid is the main compound in these lichens, and (+)-usnic acid showed similar inhibitory activity that crude extract have. Mechanistically, β-catenin-mediated TOPFLASH activity and KITENIN-mediated AP-1 activity were decreased by (+)-usnic acid treatment in a dose-dependent manner. The quantitative real-time PCR data showed that (+)-usnic acid decreased the mRNA level of CD44, Cyclin D1 and c-myc, which are the downstream target genes of both β-catenin/LEF and c-jun/AP-1. Also, Rac1 and RhoA activities were decreased by treatment with (+)-usnic acid. Interestingly, higher inhibitory activity for cell invasion was observed when cells were treated with (+)-usnic acid and cetuximab. These results implied that (+)-usnic acid might have potential activity in inhibition of cancer cell metastasis, and (+)-usnic acid could be used for anti-cancer therapy with a distinct mechanisms of action.


The brief sojourn of St Hilarion to a setting not far from Epidaurus in
 Dalmatia in circa 365 CE was depicted by St Jerome in Vita Sancti
 Hilarionis, portraying the two notable miracles of the famous Palestinian
 anchorite - the slaying of the dragon Boas ravaging the area and the rescue
 of the city from the giant waves that threatened to devastate it. Both
 miracles have been interwoven into the later narratives of both medieval
 writers and the Renaissance chroniclers of Dubrovnik, especially Thomas the
 Archdeacon (of Split), Anonymous, Nicolo Ragnina and Serafino Razzi. The
 paper discourses these historians? interpretations (along with the accounts
 of later Dubrovnik chroniclers) of the glorious miracles of St Hilarion. In
 the Dubrovnik chronicles, the miracle of the dragon is correlated with the
 legend of the Theban king Cadmus, who was transformed into a serpent upon
 his arrival in the area, or with Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine whose
 most famous sanctuary was the homonymous town in the Peloponnese and whose
 symbol was a serpent or snake on a rod. In accordance with the local legend,
 the mentioned chroniclers unambiguously correlated the liberation of the
 city from beast with the ending of paganism and the baptising of the
 Dubrovnik populace. Furthermore, the paper discusses the elements related to
 the cult of St Hilarion in Dubrovnik and its vicinity, drawing attention to
 the lore preserved in oral tradition.


The new ACM Code of Ethics is a much-needed update, but introduced changes to a central principle that have not been discussed widely enough. This commentary aims to contribute to an improvement of the ethical standards we want computing professionals to aspire to by analyzing how changes introduced to Principle 1.2, Avoid Harm, affect the Code as a whole.
The analysis shows that the principle is now internally inconsistent in structure and externally inconsistent with Principle 2.3. It condones intentional harm too broadly and does not oblige those responsible to seek external justification. The existing Principle 2.3 clearly suggests that Principle 1.2 is unethical.
As a consequence, the change introduced to Principle 1.2 in the new Code of Ethics nullifies the good intention of the code; counteracts the many good changes introduced in all three drafts; and places the ACM in a dangerous moral position.
This short paper explains why and recommends concrete actions.


The interactions between the outflow of a tropical cyclone (TC) and its background flow are explored using a hierarchy of models of varying complexity. Previous studies have established that, for a select class of TCs that undergo rapid intensification in moderate values of vertical wind shear, the upper-level outflow of the TC can block and reroute the environmental winds, thus reducing the shear and permitting the TC to align and subsequently to intensify. We identify in satellite imagery and reanalysis datasets the presence of tilt nutations and evidence of upwind blocking by the divergent wind field, which are critical components of atypical rapid intensification. We then demonstrate how an analytical expression and a shallow water model can be used to explain some of the structure of upper-level outflow. The analytical expression shows that the dynamic high inside the outflow front is a superposition of two pressure anomalies caused by the outflow's deceleration by the environment and by the environment's deceleration by the outflow. The shallow water model illustrates that the blocking is almost entirely dependent upon the divergent component of the wind. Then, using a divergent kinetic energy budget analysis, we demonstrate that, in a full-physics TC, upper-level divergent flow generation occurs in two phases: pressure driven and then momentum driven. The change happens when the tilt precession reaches left of shear. When this change occurs, the outflow blocking extends upshear. We discuss these results with regard to prior severe weather studies.


Background : violence against women by their partners is a devastating event, generating tension, anguish and a threat to life. Objective: to assess the level of satisfaction with the Multidisciplinary Health Consultation among women victims of violence and to evaluate changes at the cognitive and affective level. Methods: an intervention study including all women victims of intimate partner violence treated at the Multidisciplinary Health Consultation in the municipality of Cienfuegos was conducted from 2009 to 2010. The variables analyzed were: age, time living in abusive relationships, occupation, type of aggression, type of relationship, changes in the cognitive and affective sphere, classification of the injury and satisfaction with the care received. Results: group aged 25 to 39 years predominated, as well as housewives; 86% were cohabiting couples, 30% reported the abuse after 10 years or more, 40% five years later and the rest waited a year; 7% suffered serious injuries; care provided by police instructors was rated as fair: 57%, poor: 30%, good: 13%. Forensic experts' services were described as good: 46%, fair and poor: 26%. Care provided by the psychologist was rated as good: 100 %. Changes at the cognitive level were considered good: 80%, fair: 20%. All patients (100%) improved their affective state. Conclusions: in the management of violence against women by their partners, proper organization of resources, integration of other specialists and form of care have a positive impact on women survivors of abuse and quality of care.


A variety of diseases is associated with dysregulation of kinase signaling pathways and kinase inhibitors are hence being considered as potent drugs for the treatment of cancer and inherited diseases such as polycystic kidney disease. Although kinase inhibitors are considered as quite specific drugs that are molecularly targeted, side effects significantly limit their therapeutic applications. Moreover, their specific action also infers that the efficacy of kinase inhibitors is limited by drug resistance. In this thesis, we have explored the development of drug delivery systems such as small molecule-drug conjugates (SMDCs) and polymeric micelles for kinase inhibitors, which eventually can be used to overcome these problems. An SMDC typically is composed of a targeting ligand, a drug payload and a spacer which infers a cleavable linkage with the drug (see Figure 3, Chapter 1). SMDCs have attracted tremendous interest in the pharmaceutical field because they have several advantageous features. Firstly, the small size (as can be deduced from their low molecular weight) of SMDCs enables them to accumulate and penetrate in solid tumors very efficiently. Secondly, the synthesis strategy of SMDCs is versatile and controllable. Polymeric micelles are colloidal nanoparticles with a diameter size around 10 - 200 nm and have a core-shell structure that is formed by self-assembling of amphiphilic block copolymers in aqueous media. The hydrophilic block of the copolymers forms the shell of polymeric micelles to ensure their colloidal stability while the hydrophobic block forms the core of polymeric micelles. Hydrophobic drugs can be loaded in the core by physical entrapment or -preferably, in view of stable drug retention- by chemical crosslinking to the core. The physicochemical properties of polymeric micelles can be controlled by adjusting the components of polymers and drugs. The relatively small size of polymeric micelles -although much larger than SMDCs- enables them to passively accumulate and subsequently penetrate into tumours via the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. The loaded drug can subsequently be released in the tumor microenvironment. In addition to passive targeting, the surface of polymeric micelles can be decorated with targeting ligands which can facilitate active receptor mediated uptake by cancer cells. This thesis is focused on the development of novel SMDCs and polymeric micelles exploiting platinum coordination chemistry for conjugation of the drug to the delivery system. As discussed below, we have explored and optimized the reaction conditions to form drug conjugates and drug loaded micelles primarily with the kinase inhibitor dactolisib, which is a potent inhibitor of signaling pathways involved in cancer and polycystic kidney disease. In conclusion, small molecule-drug conjugates and polymeric micelles exploiting platinum coordination chemistry described in this thesis can target deliver kinase inhibitors to the diseased cells and, potentially, exert cellular kinase inhibitory effect. The promising results from this thesis encourage the further application of these novel drug delivery systems for preclinical and clinical studies.


ABSTRACT This paper provides a report of a research effort to transform architectural and scenographic surfaces into sound sources and use them in artistic creation. Structure-borne sound drivers are employed to induce sound into the solid surfaces, making them vibrate and emit sound. The sound waves can be perceived both via the aural (airborne diffusion) as well as the tactile (structure-borne diffusion) senses. The paper describes the main challenges encountered in the use of structure-borne sound technology, as well as the current results in overcoming them. Two completed artistic projects are presented in order to illustrate the creative possibilities enabled by the research.


CMOS operational amplifiers (op amps) are used in RF circuit blocks as low noise or power amplifiers. One of the critical issues in the performance and operation of these op amps is its threshold voltage (Vth) mismatch between adjacent MOSFET devices. Different Vth values between the op amps' input MOSFETs of the differential stage causes it to deviate in its output specification, which include among others, the AC and DC gain, bandwidth, and most notably, the offset voltage. First order analysis of offset voltage approximation is performed with 30% Vth variation, and the obtained result is verified through a BSIM3 MOSFET model, with parametric sweep SPICE simulation of a 2-stage large gain and bandwidth op amp. The study is found to be crucial in order to develop a technique that could detect Vth variation of transistors, and compensate op amps output specifications accordingly


Modern society is driven by the use of cognitive artifacts: physical instruments or styles of reasoning that amplify our ability to think. The artifacts range from writing systems to computers. In everyday life, a person demonstrates intelligence by showing skill in using these artifacts. Intelligence tests and their surrogates force examinees to exhibit some of these skills but not others. This is why test scores correlate substantially but not perfectly with a variety of measures of socioeconomic success. The same thing is true at the international level. Nations can be evaluated by the extent to which their citizens score well on cognitive tests, including both avowed intelligence tests and a variety of tests of academic achievement. The resulting scores are substantially correlated with various indices of national wealth, health, environmental quality, and schooling and with a vaguer variable, social commitment to innovation. These environmental variables are suggested as causes of the differences in general cognitive skills between national populations. It is conceivable that differences in gene pools also contribute to international and, within nations, group differences in cognitive skills, but at present it is impossible to evaluate the extent of genetic influences.


Mass spectrometry with data-independent acquisition (DIA) has emerged as a promising method to greatly improve the comprehensiveness and reproducibility of targeted and discovery proteomics, in theory systematically measuring all peptide precursors within a biological sample. Despite the technical maturity of DIA, the analytical challenges involved in discriminating between peptides with similar sequences in convoluted spectra have limited its applicability in important cases, such as the detection of single-nucleotide polymorphisms and alternative site localizations in phosphoproteomics data. We have developed Specter, an open-source software tool that uses linear algebra to deconvolute DIA mixture spectra directly in terms of a spectral library, circumventing the problems associated with typical fragment correlation-based approaches. We validate the sensitivity of Specter and its performance relative to other methods by means of several complex datasets, and show that Specter is able to successfully analyze cases involving highly similar peptides that are typically challenging for DIA analysis methods.


Surgical treatment of pilonidal cyst carries a wide spectrum of procedures and a considerable risk of complications, recurrence and cosmetic sequelae. We present our experience with the rotational flap plasty(limberg-plasty) as a treatment modality for pilonidal disease. From June 2006 till May 2013 we treated at our hospital 100patients with pilonidal disease. 9 out of them were treated with open technique (excision and secondary healing). The remaining 91 were treated by excision and primary closure according to the Limberg technique. 20 chronic cases without acute abscess formation.the rest with acute abscess = treated with primary limberg plasty. Septo-coll sponge applied.drain inserted for 48 hours. Antibiotics given for 7 days. Patients were discharged after 2 days and came for follow up every 4 days. stitches removed after 14 days. The post operative follow up was uneventful. Pain scale less than 2. Patients could manage their normal life from day 2 on and go to normal work after 2 -3 weeks. Limberg flap should be considered as the gold standard for the treatment of pilonidal disease both chronic and acute.


This work allowed us to consider the Elimination of methylene blue as material plant shoots of corn-based adsorbent. We have characterized our material adsorbing by adsorption infrared from transformed of Fourier (FTIR) spectroscopy and microscopy analysis electronic scanning (SEM).In order to optimize the operating conditions of the adsorption process, various studies on the kinetics, capacity, weight, pH solutions and original on the corn stalks and concentration was conducted. Experimental isotherms of adsorption equilibrium results were validated accurately by models of Langmuir and Freundlich.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the analgesic effect between multimodal and patient-controlled intravenous analgesia(PCIA) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA) in the perioperative period of knee joint replacement.

METHODS
From June 2015 to June 2016, 40 RA patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty were randomly divided into two groups. There were 20 patients in PCIA group, including 3 males and 17 females, with an average age of(59.6±2.3) years old, who received controlled instillation of sufentanil analgesia controlled by an intravenous analgesia pump. There were 20 patients in multiple model analgesia group, including 2 males and 18 females, with an average age of(56.3±1.3) years old, who were treated with continuous femoral nerve block, local injection of knee joint and combined buprenorphine patches. The VAS score and the incidence of adverse reactions and HSS score were compared between the two groups after operation. The advantages and disadvantages of the two modes of analgesia were evaluated.

RESULTS
On the 6 th and 24 th hours after surgery, the VAS scores of the multimodal analgesia group were significantly lower than those of the PCIA group(P<0.01). On the 48 th hour after surgery, the VAS scores was significantly lower in the multimodal analgesia group than those in PCIA group(P<0.000 1), both in the state of motion and at rest. On the 1 st week after surgery, the HSS score of the multimodal analgesia group was significantly higher than that in the PCIA group(P<0.000 1). The pain score and the degree of activity in HSS score of the multimodal analgesia group were better than those in PCIA group (P<0.05). The functional score of multimodal analgesia group was significantly better than that of PCIA group(P<0.01). But there was no significant difference in muscle strength scores between two groups.

CONCLUSIONS
Multimodal analgesia is an ideal analgesic plan for total knee arthroplasty TKA patients with RA in perioperative period, which has good effects and little adverse reaction.


A dual-band direct-conversion WLAN transceiver baseband compliant with the IEEE 802.11a/b/g standards is described. Several critical techniques for receiver DC offset compensation and transmitter carrier leakage rejection calibration are presented that enable the direct-conversion architecture to meet all WLAN specifications. The receiver baseband VGA provides 62 dB gain range with steps of 2 dB and a DC offset cancellation circuit is introduced to remove the offset from layout and self-mixing. The calibration loop achieves constant high-pass pole when gain changes; and a fast response time by programming the pole to 1 MHz during preamble and to 30 kHz during receiving data. The transmitter baseband employs an auto-calibration loop with on-chip AD and DA to suppress the carrier leakage, and AD can be powered down after calibration to save power consumption. The chip consumes 17.52 mA for RX baseband VGA and DCOC, and 8.3 mA for TX carrier leakage calibration (5.88 mA after calibration) from 2.85 V supply. Implemented in a 0.35 m SiGe technology, they occupy 0.68 mm 2 and 0.18 mm 2 die size respectively.