Abstract Objectives There is need to generate epidemiological data regarding paediatric endocrine disorders (PEDs) in sub-Saharan Africa, since little attention has been given endocrine disorders in children in this sub-region over the years. The aim of the study was to determine the sociodemographic characteristics of children with endocrine disorders in our paediatric endocrinology clinic, as well as the pattern of presentation of these disorders. Methods This study included paediatric patients who presented to the endocrine clinic over an 11-year period. Data of patients seen during the study period were retrieved from the case notes and were analyzed using SPSS version 23. Results A total of 188 patients were seen over the study period, with an almost equal male:female ratio. Five of the patients (2.7%) could not be classified into any gender because of genital ambiguity. The age of the patients at diagnosis ranged from 0 to 18 years of age with a median age of 9.03 (9.94) years. All the 14 subdivisions of paediatric endocrine disorders were documented among the patients, with thyroid disorders ranking highest among the PEDs seen. Type 1 diabetes mellitus, obesity and pubertal disorders were the most prevalent PEDs (in descending order), after thyroid disorders. Congenital hypothyroidism accounted for 14.3% of patients with thyroid disorders. Conclusions Thyroid disorders, type 1 diabetes mellitus and obesity rank highest among the PEDs in our locality. There is the need to create awareness among healthcare workers and the general public regarding these disorders, in order to improve appropriate and timely presentation of patients to the clinic.


Wilms tumour is a common malignant renal tumour in children, responsible for 7% of all paediatric cancers. Prognosis and treatment depend upon the stage and histology of the tumour. Other prognostic factors such as age at diagnosis, tumour volume, histological response to therapy and genetic anomalies are being evaluated. The aim of the paper is to assess the prognostic factors in patients treated with Wilms tumour at the Paediatric Clinic from Targu-Mures, Romania. Imagistic, laboratory and histological data were assessed in 9 patients with Wilms tumour. The 9 patients aged 8 months- 10 years had Wilms tumour stage I (n=3), stage II (n=2) and stage III (n=4). Histology was performed in 8 cases after 4–6 weeks of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and in one patient after first-line surgery. Tumor-spill occurred during first-line surgery. Except one patient, only 0–4 lymph nodes were removed during surgery. High-risk blastemal type histology appeared in 2 patients, intermediate-risk histology in 7 patients. Tumour reduction after neoadjuvant chemotherapy was higher in intermedier risk-group. Chemosensitivity of the tumour correlated better with histological risk-group than stage, tumor-volume or serum lactat-dehydrogenase (LDH) levels. Accidental prenatal exposition to anticonceptionals appeared in one 8-month-old infant. One patient with focal anaplasia histology died of progressive disease and metastases. Conclusions: Building up teams with oncological surgeons, pathologists, radiologists, paediatric oncologists, and radiotherapists may offer a better care for Wilms tumour patients.


Objective: To determine the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical presentation of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in a Turkish population. Methods: A face-to-face, population-based epidemiologic survey was conducted. Multistep, stratified, cluster, and systematic samplings were used. A total of 3,234 adults were interviewed. Results: Of the 3,234 participants, 103 (3.19%) experienced RLS. This prevalence rate is lower than those of other epidemiologic studies conducted among European and North American populations. RLS was found to be more common among women, cigarette smokers, and individuals residing in high altitudes. The self-reported mental and general health status of patients was worse than in the control subjects. The prevalence of RLS did not differ by age or body mass index. Conclusion: The discrepancy in RLS prevalence studies (including the authors') suggests that prevalence varies among different races, thus supporting a genetic predisposition.


Summary

The efficiency of solid–liquid extraction (SLE) and pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) for the recovery of antioxidant and polyphenols from the Irish macroalgae, Fucus serratus, Laminaria digitata, Gracilaria gracilis and Codium fragile, was assessed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays and the Folin–Ciocalteu total phenol content (TPC) assay. Fucus serratus had TPC and antioxidant activities thirty times higher than the other species. Solid–liquid extraction cold water (CWSLE) had the highest TPC (81.17 μg GAE mg−1 sample) derived from F. serratus, compared with the TPC of 61.12 μg GAE mg−1 sample for the corresponding PLE extract. For both SLE and PLE extracts, low TPC levels were observed in L. digitata, G. gracilis and C. fragile. The majority of SLE extracts possessed higher FRAP and DPPH activities compared with their PLE counterparts. This study indicates that the high temperatures and pressures in PLE did not enhance the antioxidant activities relative to conventional SLE extraction.


Multiples are usually considered as noise in seismic images due to their interferences with primary reflections. In recent years, new imaging methods have been developed which consider multiples as secondary sources to improve the subsurface image. In the present study, we considered the advantages related to incorporating multiple reflections into imaging process, and presented a workflow for understanding the contribution coming from the different reflection events: primaries, surface-related and internal multiples. The workflow consist of two main parts: velocity model building, and imaging with Reverse Time Migration (RTM) and Full Wavefield Migration (FWM). The workflow was tested on the synthetic and field datasets. Before actual imaging, the combination of first arrival traveltime tomography and full waveform inversion were used to obtain high-resolution velocity models. RTM imaging with primaries provides a good illuminated subsurface image with a broader frequency spectrum for the specific target interval. In the depth interval with the complex geological settings, primary images are distorted due to imperfect multiple separations. When imaging with surface-related multiples, the added value is observable at the shallow depths. However, the deeper part of surface-related multiple poorly illuminated comparing with the primary image. The added value coming from the internal multiples are clearly defined when implementing FWM on the synthetic data, in the depth interval with the notable velocity decrease FWM provides a more enhanced image. Application of FWM with 2D assumptions on the actual 3D data cannot provide a comparable image with RTM.


Indications: Relief ofheadache, migraine, muscular aches and pains, toothache, rheumatic pain, period pain, fever; pain and discomfort of colds and flu. Contra-indications: Severe hepatic disease, uraemia, bleeding disorders, erosive gastritis, peptic ulcer, aspirin hypersensitivity, concurrent anticoagulant use. Warnings: Use withgastric irritants (eg: NSAIDs) may increase riskofgastric ulceration. Because of itsantiplatelet effects, it may beadvisable to withdraw aspirin priorto surgery. Consult a doctor before giving thismedicine to children or teenagers withchicken pox, influenza orfever. Precautions: Excessive doses; concurrent alcohol intake; prolonged administration may lead to iron deficiency anaemia. Pregnancy. Lactation. Notrecommended forchildren except under medical supervision. Adverse Reactions: Minor gastrointestinal bleeding and increased bleeding times have been reported, especially onhigh dose continuous therapy. Less commonly tinnitus, vertigo, temporary deafness, metabolic acidosis, allergic dermatological reactions, major gastrointestinal bleeding, renal andhepatic toxicity, especially at high doses. Hypersensitivity, especially in asthmatics. Reye's Syndrome see Warnings. SOLCODE ONLY: The most common side effects ofcodeine areconstipation, nausea and vomiting, dizziness and drowsiness. Interactions: Food, alcohol, anticoagulants, probenecid and other uricosuric agents, sulphonylureas, protein bound drugs, caffeine, urinary alkalinisers, spironolactone. SOLCODE ONLY: Ammonium chloride, barbiturates. Overdosage: Aspirin poisoning isanacute medical emergency requiring hospital treatment. See MIMS Annual.


The DNA sequence upstream of the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (gap) of various strains of bifidobacteria is used in a number of vector systems for homologous and heterologous expression in this group of bacteria. To date none of the bifidobacterial gap promoters (Pgap) have been verified experimentally. Here, we probe a range of putative bifidobacterial promoters hypothesized to show high constitutive transcriptional activity using a β-glucuronidase reporter system. In silico analysis revealed a predicted bacterial promoter upstream of the gap gene of Bifidobacterium bifidum S17. The corresponding DNA sequences was cloned into the promoter probe vector pMDY23 and yielded highest reporter activities among the promoter sequences tested confirming previous studies. Using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5′-RACE), we identified the transcription start site (TSS) of Pgap of B. bifidum S17. The experimentally determined TSS and the associated -10 and -35 regions do not match with the promoter predicted in silico. Moreover, a potential ribosome-binding site (RBS) was identified upstream of the ATG start codon of the gap gene, which is complementary to the 3′-end of the 16S rRNA with only 1 mismatch suggesting efficient initiation of translation. Alignment of the Pgap sequences of a number of representative bifidobacteria showed a high level of conservation and the presence of -35 and -10 regions, which are similar but not identical to the consensus promoter sequences of house-keeping genes of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. Collectively, these results confirm the suitability of Pgap for high level, constitutive expression in bifidobacteria.


Growing concerns for the incidence of incurable diseases and high costs of health care have attracted consumers to functional foods in the world. These foods are characterized with health improvement, lower risk of disease incidence and less health hazards. The present work examined consumers' attitude and willingness to pay for dietary sugar in Rasht city, Iran. The studied sample included 125 citizens of Rasht in spring and summer of 2016 whose size was determined by Mitchell and Carson approach. Results of contingent valuation method on the basis of one-and-one-half-bound choice model revealed that the descriptive variable of bid had negative, statistically significant impact on the acceptance of bid by participants. In addition, the descriptive variables of respondent's age, educational level, family size, monthly income of the family, record of diabetes in family, healthy purchase attitude, and attitude towards the benefits of dietary sugar had positive, significant influence on bid acceptance. Participants expressed their willingness to pay 35.59% extra for dietary sugar as compared to conventional sugar.


Traditional electronic and communication devices operate by processing binary information encoded as bits. Such digital devices have led to the most advanced technologies that we encounter in our everyday lives and they influence virtually every aspect of our society. Nonetheless, there exists a much richer way to encode and process information. By encoding information in quantum mechanical states as qubits, phenomena such as coherence and entanglement can be harnessed to execute tasks that are intractable to digital devices. Under this paradigm, it should be possible to realize quantum computers, quantum communication networks and quantum sensors that outperform their classical counterparts.
The electronic spin states of color-center defects in the semiconductor silicon carbide have recently emerged as promising qubit candidates. They have long-lived quantum coherence up to room temperature, they can be controlled with mature magnetic resonance techniques, and they have a built-in optical interface operating near the telecommunication bands. In this thesis I will present two of our contributions to this field. The first is the electric-field control of electron spin qubits. This development lays foundation for quantum electronics that operate via electrical gating, much like traditional electronics. The second is the universal control and entanglement of electron and nuclear spin qubits in an ensemble under ambient conditions. This development lays foundation for quantum devices that have a built-in redundancy and can operate in real-world conditions. Both developments represent important steps towards practical quantum devices in an electronic grade material.


Background Arthritis includes osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and other arthritis-related disorders. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the most widely used drugs for the treatment of arthritis. However, there remains a concern that some currently used NSAIDs may increase the risk of cardiorenal adverse events in patients with arthritis. Although it has been established that some NSAIDs are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular and renal events, their safety varies widely. To provide insight into drug use, this study systematically assessed and compared the incidence of cardiovascular and renal events in different NSAIDs by using Bayesian meta-analysis. Methods The PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on NSAIDs. Databases were searched from the inception to April 25, 2022. Two investigators independently screened articles according to the Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcomes, Study design (PICOS) principle, extracted data, and assessed the quality of articles using Cochrane Risk of Bias assessing tools. R software (version 4.1.3) was used for network meta-analysis (NMA). Results The analysis ultimately included 20 articles with a total of 144,957 patients and 13 interventions. The risk of bias in the included articles was generally moderate. Ibuprofen was associated with the highest incidence of hypertension outcomes [comparing with placebo OR (95% CI): 3.24 (1.71, 5.82)], rofecoxib with the highest incidence of renal events [comparing with placebo OR (95% CI): 4.46 (1.49, 14.73)], ibuprofen with the highest incidence of cardiovascular events [comparing with placebo OR (95% CI): 2.39 (0.82, 8.06), and naproxen with the highest incidence of edema [comparing with placebo OR (95% CI): 2.31 (1.16, 4.47)]. Conclusions The NMA results showed that amtolmetin guacil was relatively safer, but it needs further investigation. Rofecoxib was associated with a higher incidence of cardiorenal adverse events, ibuprofen with a higher incidence of cardiovascular events and hypertension, and naproxen with a higher incidence of renal events and edema. Clinicians should weigh the efficacy of NSAIDs against renal and cardiovascular toxicity when prescribing NSAIDs for the treatment of arthritis.


The article discusses the role of advanced training in the context of changes in state policy in the educational area. In this study you can find basic approaches to the development of a model for advanced training for teachers. We show the prospects for applying personalized approach which contemplates the realization of individual plan of professional development for teacher's personality. An individual plan of professional development for teacher's personality gives an opportunity to build an individual educational way (trajectory) (to plan the timing and forms of advanced trainings, periods, etc.). We also show a modernization model of advanced trainings for teachers. The author comes to the conclusion that personalized approach to the developing a model of advanced training for educators will ensure the development of their personal and professional skills (professional readiness, pedagogical competence, professional identity, willingness to teach, teaching communication, professional self-development, ambition for advanced training).


Abstract. Life span bias potentially alters species abundance in death assemblages through the overrepresentation of short-lived organisms compared with their long-lived counterparts. Although previous work found that life span bias did not contribute significantly to live–dead discordance in bivalve assemblages, life span bias better explained discordance in two groups: longer-lived bivalve species and species with known life spans. More studies using local, rather than global, species-wide life spans and mortality rates would help to determine the prevalence of life span bias, especially for long-lived species with known life spans. Here, we conducted a field study at two sites in North Carolina to assess potential life span bias between Mercenaria mercenaria and Chione elevata, two long-lived bivalve species that can be aged directly. We compared the ability of directly measured local life spans with that of regional and global life spans to predict live–dead discordance between these two species. The shorter-lived species (C. elevata) was overrepresented in the death assemblage compared with its live abundance, and local life span data largely predicted the amount of live–dead discordance; local life spans predicted 43% to 88% of discordance. Furthermore, the global maximum life span for M. mercenaria resulted in substantial overpredictions of discordance (1.4 to 1.6 times the observed live–dead discordance). The results of this study suggest that life span bias should be considered as a factor affecting proportional abundances of species in death assemblages and that using life span estimates appropriate to the study locality improves predictions of discordance based on life span compared with using global life span estimates


An experiment to assess the influence of changes in restraint harness configuration, fore-aft headrest position, and upper extremity bracing technique on human response to impact was conducted using the AFAMRL Vertical Deceleration Tower. A total of 201 tests was performed with volunteer subjects in 11 test conditions to evaluate 3 restraint harnesses, 3 arm bracing conditions, and 4 seat adjustment configurations. The test fixture, restraint harness, and subject were instrumented to obtain pertinent objective data during each experiment. Measured parameters included acceleration of the impact carriage and test seat, velocity of the carriage, loads reacted at the seat, loads measured at the restraint harness attachment points, triaxial translational accelerations at the head and chest of the subject, and body segment displacements. The mean peak carriage acceleration for the 161 experimental level tests was 10.5 G (S.D. = 0.18) and the mean carriage velocity change was 7.89 m/s (S.D. = 0.05). Resultant head and chest accelerations were increased in a proposed, modified F/FB-111 restraint system compared to the operational F/FB-111 restraint system. These findings contributed to the decision not to implement the proposed modification. Also, the arms crossed bracing position for F/FB-111 ejectees preparing for landing impact of the crew module was associated with higher seat loads than the arms extended position. With the arms extended and braced on the anterior thighs or knees, loads are transmitted through the extremities to the footrest thereby reducing loading of the vertebral column. Operational use of the arms extended position prior to anticipated vertical impact accelerations may be helpful in reducing the vertebral fracture rate associated with these mechanical force environments.


Background
Research suggests that marriage is protective against substance use. However, few studies have examined whether this protective effect differs for sexual minorities, a population at increased risk for substance use. Using data from four waves of the cross-sectional U.S. National Alcohol Survey (NAS; 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015), we investigated whether the protective effects of marriage varied by sexual identity.

Methods
Sex-stratified logistic regression models were used to examine independent and interactive effects of current marital status (being married vs. not) and sexual minority status (lesbian/gay/bisexual vs. heterosexual) on high-intensity drinking, alcohol use disorder, and marijuana use in the past year.

Results
Among both women and men, sexual minority status was generally associated with higher odds of these outcomes and marriage was consistently associated with lower odds. Differential effects of marriage by sexual identity with respect to marijuana use were found only among men; marriage was significantly associated with decreased odds of marijuana use among heterosexual men but increased odds among sexual minority men.

Conclusions
Marriage may be less consistently protective against hazardous drinking and marijuana use among sexual minorities than heterosexuals. Findings underscore the importance of both quantitative and qualitative studies designed to better understand disparities in substance use across both sexual identity and relationship statuses.


Topological volume skeletons represent level-set graphs of 3D scalar fields, and have recently become crucial to visualizing the global isosurface transitions in the volume. However, it is still a time-consuming task to extract them, especially when input volumes are large-scale data and/or prone to small-amplitude noise. The paper presents an efficient method for accelerating the computation of such skeletons using adaptive tetrahedralization. The tetrahedralization is a top-down approach to linear interpolation of the scalar fields in that it selects tetrahedra to be subdivided adaptively using several criteria. As the criteria, the method employs a topological criterion as well as a geometric one in order to pursue all the topological isosurface transitions that may contribute to the global skeleton of the volume. The tetrahedralization also allows us to avoid unnecessary tracking of minor degenerate features that hide the global skeleton. Experimental results are included to demonstrate that the present method smoothes out the original scalar fields effectively without missing any significant topological features.


The interpretive accuracy of the standard MMPI and three abbreviated forms was assessed and compared with a sample of psychiatric inpatients. Psychiatric teams evaluated the accuracy of the interpretation of one abbreviated form and the standard form for their patients. Only the MMPI-168 obtained comparable ratings to the standard form.


Riverine populations that dwell in flooded forests (varzea) require suitable solutions for sanitation. An experimental project was started in 1998, using double-vault toilets in seasonally flooded houses in the Brazilian Amazon. The objective was to improve the health of inhabitants using adequate sanitation technology and health education. The focus of the present study was the assessment of that intervention. We compiled information from reports, local assessments, and interviews with users. In 2012, 14 years after the beginning of the project, 44% of the double-vault toilets were still in use. The main benefits noticed were awareness of the importance of toilets for reducing outdoor human waste and providing comfort, privacy, and safety for families. The sanitation project succeeded in reducing open defecation and raised the interest and demand for toilets. However, there is still a need for improving the construction of toilets and to better adapt them to flooded environments. We also include suggestions for improving the toilets and their use in flooded areas.


Use of Triton X-114 allowed us to develop a new method to separate hydrophilic oligosaccharidic material from hydrophobic oligosaccharide pyrophosphodolichols (oligosaccharide-PP-Dol). Taking advantage of this procedure we characterize, in yeast microsomal membranes, an enzymic activity that hydrolyses oligosaccharide-PP-Dol into oligosaccharidic material. H.p.l.c. analysis together with alkaline-phosphatase- and endo-N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase-susceptibility demonstrate that the oligosaccharidic released material is mainly composed of oligomannosides containing a chitobiose phosphate at the reducing end. The enzymic activity requires bivalent cations and is inhibited by pyrophosphate, NAD+ and bacitracin. As other, commercially available, pyrophosphatases have no action on lipid intermediates, the described pyrophosphatase activity appears to be the specific enzyme for oligosaccharide-PP-Dol. This enzymic splitting of the pyrophosphate bond might be the primary event in the catabolism of lipid intermediates.


We study supersolutions of a backward stochastic differential equation, the control processes of which are constrained to be continuous semimartingales of the form d Z = Δ d t + Γ d W . The generator may depend on the decomposition ( Δ,Γ ) and is assumed to be positive, jointly convex and lower semicontinuous, and to satisfy a superquadratic growth condition in Δ and Γ . We prove the existence of a supersolution that is minimal at time zero and derive stability properties of the non-linear operator that maps terminal conditions to the time zero value of this minimal supersolution such as monotone convergence, Fatou's lemma and L 1 -lower semicontinuity. Furthermore, we provide duality results within the present framework and thereby give conditions for the existence of solutions under constraints.


When Canadian businessmen doff their parkas for bermuda shorts, can you tell them apart from other transnational investors stalking the Caribbean and Latin America? Is there a distinctive style of Canadian capitalism? Is it even worth - while to think in terms of national capitalist styles in an era of international capitalism?These are among the most important of the questions raised by three books on Canadian business in Latin America and the Caribbean. Their publication marks a long - overdue awakening of interest in the Canadian - Latin American connection. Collectively they demonstrate that this connection was a surprisingly central aspect of Canadian history, occupying, from 1896 - 1914, the "Who's Who" of the Canadian business establishment. Together, the books suggest different answers to the larger questions about Canadian capitalism while illustrating the strengths and weaknesses of three genres of Canadian business history. Although Duncan McDowall's book is titled The Light, it is the least illuminating of the books under discussion. His book recounts the first half - century of the collection of utility companies which consolidated into the Brazilian Traction, Light and Power Company in 1912 and which survive today, much transformed, in Brascan. "The Light," as the company was commonly called, was, in the words of two cub reporters in 1947, "a sort of Brazilian version of Bell Telephone, Ontario Hydro and the Toronto Transportation Commission rolled into one" (4). At that time "the Light" was Canada's largest utility company, the largest private company in all of South America, and the largest private employer in Brazil with 50,000 employees (4).After studying Canada's largest overseas investment prior to the 1960s, McDowall argues the case for a distinctive style of Canadian capitalism which he calls "healthy imperialism." McDowall endorses the views of "one of Brazil's most renowned journalists," who wrote that Rio de Janiero and Sao Paulo "were but miserable colonial towns infested with yellow fever and malaria, when the Canadians came in. They brought not only a business, but a mission" (4). The analogy of missionaries bringing the light to "a dark continent" is the underlying theme of his book. He does remind us, however, that despite "its mission," the company "never lost sight of the fact that it had come to Brazil in search of business profits" (7). True, "the rewards of risking capital were 'gratifying,"' but "the costs were immense." The financial management alone "placed a heavy burden" on the Canadian missionaries of the Light (103).Canadian healthy imperialism meant that "the light was ... more than an enormous utility monopoly; it was also an economic partnership that bonded the needs of the developing Brazilian economy with the capital and the technical expertise of Europe and North America" (5,7). As a healthy imperialist the company "provided Brazilian entrepreneurs ... with a model of modem management." Another of the Light's most "beneficial activities" was the "familiarization of large numbers of unskilled local workers with the knowledge and discipline needed....'' (83 - 4). According to McDowall, Canadian imperialism is one that transfers technology and managerial expertise to its host, closes the economic gap between continents, and "provides the nuts and bolts of economic growth in developing nations" (7 - 8). Moreover, "Brazilians were never locked in hydroelectric dependency" (8), [despite the fact that in 1920 the Light alone produced more than half of Brazil's electricity, and foreign companies altogether, more than 80 percent].(f.1) Canadians, he would seem to say, should adjust their halos to a slightly more jaunty angle and wish that all multinationals behaved like the Light.Its size and prominence might have made the Light an ideal study of Canadian capitalism abroad, but the book fails to transcend its genre, commissioned business history. …


Shortline industry plays a prominent role in the North American Freight Rail System (mainly United States and Canada), providing a customized freight rail service to the shippers, i.e. the first/last mile rail access for those low dense/light demand markets, outside the Class I's business model (highly loaded corridors), as well as competition enhancers, through the connection of shippers facilities with more than one Class I railroad. The Short Line's Rail industry role and its inherent freight rail business model have been strengthened in the years that followed the so called Staggers Act (1980), in the U.S., in which freight rail carriers have focused their efforts on the high density rail markets. Meanwhile, the Shortlines, also known as Class II and Class III freight rail companies, have lead the way in the light density branch lines, providing a customized freight rail service to those shippers located outside the boundary limits of the rail trunk corridors. The importance of Shortline for the U.S. freight rail industry is illustrated by the 603 U.S. shortlines currently operating on 76,000 km (47,500 miles), providing service for one in five (20%) cars moving each year, which accounts for 29% of freight rail production in the country. Furthermore, the recent launch of the controversial Class I Precision Schedule Railroading (PSR) concept, and its inherent asset maximization (mainly associated with disruptive service features — essentially lane and yards closures), has strengthened the strategic importance of Shortlines in the U.S. freight rail scenario, which ultimately requires an improved Class I – Shortline relationship, to guarantee/maintain a connection between shippers (farmers, manufacturers and other industries), and the customers market.
 Brazil, a continental country located in South America, has a sprawled and low density rail network (28,218 km – 17,636.25 mi). Besides sprawled/low density, the Brazilian rail network is not uniformly demanded, with just 40% of the network with used (demanded) capacities higher than 50%, basically associated with iron ore and agricultural commodities transport (which accounts for almost 80% of the country's whole freight rail production), while almost 60% of the network remain with very light use (available capacity higher than 80%). This picture shows a great opportunity for the introduction of the Shortline Rail Concept in the Brazilian Freight Rail System, focused on smaller rail operators to provide a customized and accessible freight rail service for shippers located in the influence area of the rail network.
 To reach this target, Brazil has basically two alternative pathways: i) a structural approach, associated with a complete network restructuration (in a similar way the U.S. Class I railroads have marketed unproductive branches to short line operators) and ii) a regulatory approach, in which the current concession format would be maintained, with the imposition of rail stretches production targets to current rail concessionaires (incumbents), which ultimately could be encouraged to set operational partnerships with the so called Independent Rail Operators (IRO), to comply with those production rail targets. This work is supposed to present an overview, in a review format, of the North American Shortline Freight Rail experience, highlighting its operational regime/requirements, the business model, the tax incentives and the Shortline's role in the class I PSR scenario. This analysis is, then, followed by an assessment of the perspectives and the inherent pathways for a Shortline Freight Rail Model implementation in Brazil.


I argue that nonresident aliens, in places that are clearly not U.S. territory, should benefit from constitutional rights. This is a matter of mutuality of obligation. The U.S. claims the authority to hold all people accountable for respecting certain laws, such as the law of war as defined in the Military Commissions Act. Accordingly, it must accord them basic legal rights in return. At the same time, I argue, contra Benjamin Wittes, that this would not lead to absurdly opening the courthouse doors, nor does it require abandoning principle to keep the flood of litigation reasonably contained. Not all harms inflicted by the U.S. government can give rise to a lawsuit, and that the distinction between those who should have a right to sue and those who should not can be drawn in a principled way.


A brief account of the clinical and histological features of keloids, their differentiation from hypertrophic scars, their etiopathogenesis, and the various methods for their treatment is followed by an assessment of the possibilities offered by cryotherapy and its advantages and drawbacks. Reference is made by way of illustration to 4 patients chosen from a series of more than 100 on the basis of the importance of their clinical pictures. The conclusion is drawn that cryotherapy with nitrogen protoxide is both useful and practical in the management of carefully selected cases and deserves fuller understanding and more widespread employment than it enjoys at present.


Background Ultrasound-guided (US-guided) peripheral intravenous (PIV) insertion is a skill used by specially trained nurses for patients with difficult vascular access. It can result in potential complications such as occlusive thrombus, phlebitis, infiltration, and pain. Complications can be prevented or minimized with clinical training to achieve competency. Current research shows that the most effective approach to US-guided PIV training consists of a comprehensive structured educational program that includes didactic, hands-on training and skills application. Objectives This study aimed to develop and implement a US-guided PIV education program for critical care nurses. Methods Structured education was developed using a step-wise method. Critical care nurse practitioners in the intensive care unit (ICU) developed training materials including hands-on training, ultrasound reference material, and supervised skills application. Afterward, US-guided PIV–trained critical care nurses were enabled to train other nurses in the ICU. Results The total number of US-guided PIV–trained registered nurses in the ICU increased from 5.8% to 26% of staff, but represents only 20% of those trained at current staffing levels. The percentage of US-guided PIV–trained nightshift/weekend staff increased from 3.9% to 24%, but represents 14% at current staffing levels. One hundred five US-guided PIVs showed a 97% success rate of US-guided PIV placement during an 11-month timeframe, similar to success rates published in the literature that ranged from 86% to 100%. There was 1.9% complication rate for occlusive thrombus, which is below published rates ranging up to 10%. Discussion Critical care nurse practitioners in the ICU collaborated with vascular nursing and hospital clinical education to successfully develop and implement a US-guided PIV training program to meet patient needs within a growing community facility. The results of the training program yielded similar success and complication rates as those reported in the literature. Ongoing training is essential for program sustainability. Conclusions Critical care nurse practitioners training registered nurses in US-guided PIV placement is an effective approach to training. Critical care nurses trained in US-guided PIV insertion can safely and effectively train other critical care nurses in US-guided PIV insertion.


With complex structures, comparison of independently derived sets of experimental modal parameters is an excellent way to increase confidence in the results. This paper presents modal identification results using the Eigensystem Realization Algorithm (ERA) on frequency response functions from the modal test of the Space Station Resource Node. The Resource Node is the first U.S.-built structure for the International Space Station. The modal test was conducted by the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in January 1997 for the Boeing Company, who designed and built the Node. The ERA-calculated parameters are compared with independent results obtained by the MSFC test team using commercial software. There was excellent correlation of mode shapes between the two sets of results for the first 21 vibration modes of the structure up to 35 Hz. From 35 to 50 Hz, about 60 percent of 25 additional modes had excellent correlation. Natural frequencies and damping factors of most modes agreed within 0.1 Hz and 0.2 percent, respectively.


We have developed a liquid-crystal-based multimode optical demultiplexer (DEMUX) with additional functionalities such as switching and power equalization. Demultiplexing 16-channel 100-GHz-spaced signals into a 62.5-/spl mu/m multimode-fiber array is demonstrated. The central wavelength of each channel is designed according to the International Telecommunication Union grid. Adjacent channel crosstalk is less than -30 dB. The average 1and 3-dB passbands of the DEMUX are 12.5 and 22.5 GHz, respectively. A maximum extinction ratio of 16.2 dB is achieved. Different channels can be switched with rise and fall times of /spl sim/10 and /spl sim/70 ms, respectively. The outputs of the channels are equalized to -65 dBm. The variation between different channels reduced from /spl sim/10 dB to less than 0.5 dB.


Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) is a putative virulence factor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that inhibits monocyte functions, and this may involve antagonism of cell signaling pathways. The effects of LAM on protein tyrosine phosphorylation in cells of the human monocytic cell line THP-1 were examined. LAM promoted tyrosine dephosphorylation of multiple cell proteins and attenuated phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase. To examine whether these effects of LAM could be related to activation of a phosphatase, fractions from LAM-treated cells were analyzed for dephosphorylation of para-nitrophenol phosphate. The data show that LAM induced increased phosphatase activity associated with the membrane fraction. The Src homology 2 containing tyrosine phosphatase 1 (SHP-1) is important for signal termination and was examined as a potential target of LAM. Exposure of cells to LAM brought about (i) an increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of SHP-1, and (ii) translocation of the phosphatase to the membrane. Phosphatase assay of SHP-1 immunoprecipitated from LAM-treated cells, using phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinase as substrate, indicated that LAM promoted increased activity of SHP-1 in vivo. LAM also activated SHP-1 directly in vitro. Exposure of cells to LAM also attenuated the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-12, and major histocompatibility class II molecules. These results suggest that one mechanism by which LAM deactivates monocytes involves activation of SHP-1.


Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are prominent in the tumor microenvironment and they fuel tumor angiogenesis, tumor growth, and metastasis. CAFs are identified by smooth muscle actin and type collagen 1 expression, they promote intratumoral desmoplasia and fibrosis, and they are derived from multiple cellular precursors including tumor endothelial cells (TECs) through a TGFβ-regulated process termed endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT). Recently, we uncovered two distinct TEC populations: TGFβ-responders that undergo rapid EndMT accompanied by CAF marker up-regulation in response to TGFβ and TGFβ non-responders that are comparatively resistant to TGFβ-induced EndMT. From a biochemical screen, we found that 5-Azacytidine, a small-molecule inhibitor of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), converts TGFβ non-responders into responders suggesting that TGFβ responsiveness is dictated by epigenetic mechanisms. siRNA silencing of Dnmt1 is sufficient to promote TGFb-induced EndMT in non-responders, whereas Dnmt3a or Dnmt3b are not involved. Chronic (> 7 days) TGFβ stimulation also suppresses Dnmt1 expression and drives the conversion of non-responders into responders indicating that TGFβ may un-silence CAF-specific genes in TECs in part by antagonizing DNMT1 expression/activity. Our findings shed light on the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate TGFβ- and EndMT-mediated conversion of TECs into CAFs. Targeting these mechanisms could inhibit tumor growth and spread. Citation Format: Lin Xiao, Andrew C. Dudley. DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt1) is a key regulator of TGFβ-mediated endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Function of Tumor Microenvironment in Cancer Progression; 2016 Jan 7–10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(15 Suppl):Abstract nr C42.


Wind generation resources in Nebraska will play an increasingly important role in the environmental and energy security solutions for the state and the nation. In this context, the Nebraska Power Association conducted a state-wide wind integration study.


Abstract : During the three year grant period, efforts were focused on the relative contribution of cardiac (in addition to peripheral vascular) mechanisms to the frequency response characteristics of integrated cardiovascular regulation during time-dependent acceleration stress. To this end, our chronically instrumented animal preparation was enhanced to include cardiac denervation. In these animals, ultrasonic dimension crystals were also added for measuring left ventricular major and minor axis, wall thickness and calculated volume. This is in addition to instrumentation for measuring aortic flow, left and right ventricular and aortic arch pressures, cardiac output, peripheral resistance, stroke volume, max dp/dt and heart rate. The animal preparation was further refined to include A/V nodal ablation to permit manipulation of heart rate (30 to 300 b/min) via a microprocessor controlled, opened or closed loop system. Closed loop control can be achieved between heart rate and a measured variable or combinations of variables such as arterial pressure, acceleration etc. A separate study was also conducted to investigate the differences between cardiovascular responses to + and - Gy acceleration vectors as well as combinations of Gy and Gz loadings. This study was initiated because of a lack of information concerning cardiovascular responses to Gy loadings and various G blends anticipated from the ACM's of AFTI type aircraft. A summary of major results is presented.


Abstract:Before the Second Vatican Council, the efficacy of dialogue between Catholics and non-Catholics was often disputable. Nevertheless, the practical reality of American religious pluralism necessitated Catholic engagement with non-Catholics around pressing social issues. This reality was especially evident in the Civil Rights Movement, during which pro-equality Catholics considered how to politically effectuate the legal recognition of racial equality. Through a case study of former Boston College Law School Dean William J. Kenealy, this article proposes that pro-equality Catholics turned to the Natural Law as a foundation for interreligious social advocacy during the Civil Rights Movement. After exploring Kenealy's formative intellectual influences, this article identifies the philosophical and historical features of the Natural Law that made it appear particularly ripe for promoting interreligious consensus around racial equality. In concluding, this article suggests that the resonances between Kenealy's work and the National Catholic Welfare Conference's 1958 pastoral letter on racial equality reflect the Natural Law's prominent role in American Catholic thinking about civil rights at mid-century.


Erbium-doped aqueous polymer solutions were prepared using polyvinylpyrrolidone as a host polymer, potassium persulfate as a thermal cross-linking agent, erbium (III) trifluoromethane sulfonate as an erbium source, ethylene glycol as an antifoaming agent and DISPERBYK-180 as a dispersing agent with various weight ratios. The cross-linked, patterned and Er3+-doped polymer films were fabricated using the solutions by a lift-off process for application to planar optical amplifiers. The polymer films fabricated in this study showed excellent transmission of more than 90% over the visible and NIR regions, a high thermal decomposition temperature of about 380°C and high Er3+ concentration up to 20 wt.% based on a polymer matrix without aggregation, making this material sufficient for planar optical amplifiers.


Geologic data, especially conodont paleotemperatures, imply that southeastern Canada and New England have been elevated at least 4 km relative to the central Appalachian region. Apatite fission-track ages suggest that the uplift and consequent erosion occurred in Cretaceous–early Tertiary time, consistent with the formation of a broad swell as North America moved northwestward over the Great Meteor hotspot.


Over the past thousands of years, diabetes has deprived people all over the world of their lives. Until 1922, mankind remained powerless. However, change came, with Frederick Banting (1891-1941), the discoverer of insulin. This breakthrough discovery was made not by a great scientist, but by a hard-working and persistent doctor. Perhaps Banting's conscientiousness and integrity stemmed from where he grew up? A small farm in the provinces certainly influenced his further development. A development that was not obvious, because as a child little Freddie had learning difficulties. Determination led him to medicine. It must not have been without surprise to Professor MacLeod (1876-1935) when, in his office at the University of Ontario, he heard from the 30-year-old doctor that he had an idea on how to save lives from an incurable disease. The opportunity Banting was given, he used effectively. Together with the help of his student Charles Best (1899-1978), he isolated insulin. The dissemination of insulin in Poland was very quickly taken up by Kazimierz Funk (1884-1967), the discoverer of thiamine and creator of the term 'vitamin'. As head of the Department of Biochemistry at the National Institute of Hygiene (PZH), he began producing insulin from bovine pancreases in 1924. He carried out this initiative using his private funds, equipping the laboratory with the appropriate equipment. Banting's remarkable feat was rewarded in 1923. Nobel Prize, which he shared with MacLeod. The fact that the actual co-discoverer of insulin, Charles Best, was not included in the award outraged Banting to such an extent that he decided not to accept the prize. After much persuasion, he changed his mind, but shared the financial reward with his faithful assistant. The discoverer's determination and behaviour in the face of success provides an invaluable lesson for today's doctors and scientists. By following the principles Banting espoused, we can honour his memory.


Electrical, charge transport and optical properties of DNA:PEDOT-PSS thin films were investigated. Sample conductivity at room temperature was about (1–5) × 10−10 Ω−1 cm−1, IV curves being linear and symmetrical down to Liquid Nitrogen (LN) temperature. The thermal activation energy of the dark conduction near the room temperature was about 0.033 eV independently on the applied bias. The small effect of carrier trapping was evidenced by the Thermally Stimulated Current method, proving the fast recombination of light-generated carriers. Though, by constant light excitation a "bistable" photoconduction below the room temperature was identified. I.e., upon excitation by light from the spectral region ∼500–800 nm a notable increase of the photocurrent could be observed below 140–160 K by cooling the samples. Meanwhile by heating the photosensitivity remained increased up to 230–240 K. Most probably such phenomenon could be attributed to the light-induced morphology changes of the samples.


Vasomotor reactions produced by electrical stimulation of the sympathetic tract were studied in anesthetized rats by intravital microscopy of the skeletal muscle (extensor hallucis proprius). Experiments were made in normal and elevated blood pressure. The stimulation itself did not change BP but led to an appreciable decrease in the initial diameter of the arterioles (28.6 +/- 1.4 m). The constriction amounted to 21%. The lumen decreased by 38.9%. Injection of felypressin (Sandoz) in a dose of 6 to 8 IU/100 g produced the pressor reaction. The 27.4% rise of BP during primary phase of the pressor response inhibited the development of the neurogenic vasoconstriction which was 11.5% for arteriolar diameter and 20.4% for lumen. The data suggest that inhibition of the neurogenic vasoconstriction is caused by an increase in arteriolar pressure. Consequently the elevation of intralumen pressure is considered as a protective mechanism of the drop of the tissue blood flow because of the sympathetic vasoconstriction.


One promising method for coding 3D geometry is based on the structure processing of a 3-D model on triangle lattice planes, while maintaining connectivity. In the structuring process, each vertex may be assigned to several nodes on the triangular lattice planes. One of the nodes to which a vertex is assigned is selected as a representative node and the others are called expanded nodes. Only geometry data of the vertices at the representative nodes are required for reconstructing the 3D model. In this paper we apply a lifting wavelet transform with the permuting and modifying process for an expanded node at even locations and the neighboring representative node to reduce the correlations among the separated coordinate values in the lower frequency band. Experimental results show the proposed scheme gives better coding performance compared to the usual schemes.


Xiphinerna barense sp. n. is described from Italy. It is a bisexual, amphidelphic, peg-tailed species found in the rhizosphere of olive trees and blackberry bushes. X. barense differs from X. diversicaudaturn (Micoletzky, 1923) Thorne, 1939 and from X. vuittenezi Luc, Lima, Weischer et Flegg, 1964 in the length of the body which is intermediate between the two; from the former species by its shorter tail and in not having a pseudo-Z organ differentiation and from the latter species by its more pronounced and pointed tail peg and its high ratio of males. It differs from X. israeliae Luc, Brown et Cohn, 1982 by its more robust body, lower c' value and rounded tail.


Tourism accounts for around one tenth of global GDP. We analyze the impact of entertainment media in drawing tourists to filming locations (media multiplier) and, in turn, the effect of tourism on local economic development (tourism multiplier). To assess the media multiplier, we employ a triple-difference empirical strategy exploiting the staggered international release across the EU of "Inspector Montalbano", a TV series set in four municipalities of Sicily, a region of Italy. We find that the series release led to a fourfold increase in the number of tourists and boosted tourist expenditure by a factor of 2.5. Furthermore, we provide evidence of positive spillovers in nearby municipalities. To estimate the tourism multiplier, we exploit the interaction between the filming locations and the time-varying share of countries in which the series was aired, to instrument total tourist expenditure at the municipality-time level. Our results show that a 10% increase in total tourist expenditure translates into an increase in municipal income of 4.7%. The paper suggests that both entertainment media and tourism can be powerful tools to boost economic development


In ALS, the identification of abnormal proteins in biological fluids might be useful for the understanding of the ethiopathogenesis of the disease. Furthermore, it can provide biomarkers useful for diagnosis, to monitor disease progression and to study the effect of drugs. Plasma is a suitable fluid for screening such targets since blood collection is a relatively simple procedure. In this study, proteomic techniques consisting of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) have been used for the analysis of plasma from a group of Portuguese familial ALS (FALS) patients not carrying SOD1 mutations, age-matched healthy controls, sporadic ALS patients and controls with other muscular disorders. Most relevant was the finding in the FALS patients of an isoform of vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) at pI 5.2, identified as GC2 by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization-TOF MS. GC2 was absent from the healthy controls. Concomitantly, decrease of more acidic isoforms of DBP was observed for the FALS patients. The results suggested that the GC2 polymorphism of DBP could constitute a risk factor for ALS.


Abstract The authors aim to identify if primary sonographers and secondary reviewers, both radiologists and sonographers, are likely to assign the same Ultrasound Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (US LI-RADS) scores for liver surveillance ultrasounds. Institutional review board approval was obtained. Sonographers were familiarized with US LI-RADS via radiologist-led lectures. Three sonographers prospectively scored 170 screening examinations using US LI-RADS recommendations. Scans were retrospectively rescored by a fourth sonographer and a radiologist, both of whom were blinded to the original scores. Results were analyzed with weighted and nonweighted Cohen kappa statistical analysis methods. There was near-perfect agreement between primary and secondary sonographers and primary sonographer and radiologist (kappa of 0.87 and 0.92, respectively) for US LI-RADS category (cat) scores. However, only substantial and moderate agreements were noted for visualization (vis) scores between primary and secondary sonographers and primary sonographer and radiologist (weighted kappa of 0.73 and 0.48, respectively). There was vis score disagreement between the primary sonographer and radiologist in 60 (35.3%) cases. In 35 (20%) cases, the radiologist assigned a lower/more conservative vis score. There was vis score disagreement between the primary and secondary reviewing sonographers in 30 (17.6%) cases. In 12 (7%) cases, the secondary sonographer assigned a more conservative vis score. Although a good degree of concordance was noted between the groups, radiologists will need to generate their own US LI-RADS scoring to accurately reflect their impression and appropriately steer management.


By using the pseudo-potential plane-wave method of first principles based on the density function theory, the geometrical, electronic structures and optical properties of FeSi1.875M0.125 (M = B, N, Al, P) were calculated and analyzed. The calculated structural parameters depend strongly on the kinds of dopants and sites. The total energy calculations for substitution of dopants at the SiI and the SiII sites revealed that Al and P prefer the SiI sites, whereas B and N prefer the SiII sites. The calculations predict that B- and Al-doped β-FeSi2 show p-type conduction, while N- and P-doped show n-type. Optical property calculations show that N-doping has little influence on the complex dielectric function of β-FeSi2; B-, N-, Al- and P-doping can enhance the electronic transition, refractive index, and reflection effect in the low-energy range, and weaken the reflection effect at the max peak of reflectivity. These results can offer theoretical guidance for the design and application of optoelectronic material β-FeSi2.


The course of a patient who had nonsecretory multiple myeloma was characterized by extraosseous plasmacytomas that were initially limited to pleural lesions with effusion and subcutaneous masses. Subsequently, we noted the development of obstructive jaundice caused by a mass at the head of the pancreas, which was diagnosed by abdominal ultrasound and responded to radiation therapy, and bilateral pulmonary nodules, which were visualized by fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Forceps biopsy of an endobronchial lesion showed plasmacytoma similar in histologic features to her original osseous lesions. The pulmonary nodules responded to cyclophosphamide and prednisone. During her course, she had three forms of intrathoracic myeloma: rib lesions extending into pulmonary tissue, pleural disease, and multiple endobronchial masses. The biliary and pulmonary manifestations of plasmacytomas are rarely seen. Diagnosis by noninvasive procedures and rapid response to conservative therapy were important in this patient's care.


Objective Previous studies reported gender differences for facial emotion recognition in healthy people, with women performing better than men. Few studies that examined gender differences for facial emotion recognition in schizophrenia brought out inconsistent findings. The aim of this study is to investigate gender differences for facial emotion identification and discrimination abilities in patients with schizophrenia. Methods 35 female and 35 male patients with schizophrenia, along with 35 female and 35 male healthy controls were included in the study. All the subjects were evaluated with Facial Emotion Identification Test (FEIT), Facial Emotion Discrimination Test (FEDT), and Benton Facial Recognition Test (BFRT). Patients' psychopathological symptoms were rated by means of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Results Male patients performed significantly worse than female patients on FEIT total, and negative scores. Male controls performed significantly worse than female controls on FEIT total and negative scores. On all tasks, female patients performed comparable with controls. Male patients performed significantly worse than controls on FEIT, and FEDT. Conclusion Women with schizophrenia outperformed men for facial emotion recognition ability in a pattern that is similar with the healthy controls. It could be claimed that male patients with schizophrenia need special consideration for emotion perception deficits.


Postoperative thromboembolic risk depends on both the patient's predisposing factors and on the surgical procedure. Patients with an objective history of venous thromboembolism who require orthopedic surgery are considered to be at very high postoperative risk. However, no specific prophylactic guidelines have been established for this group. Surgeons and patients have to choose between deciding against surgery or accepting a very high possibility of thromboembolic complications. We believe that this group of patients should be treated with an intensive prophylactic protocol combining physical (impulsion foot pump), pharmacological treatment (low molecular weight heparin [LMWH] administered at therapeutic doses from the third postoperative day) and eventually mechanical methods (removable vena caval filter). This intensive prophylactic protocol has been employed in our hospital since 2003, when we initiated an observational, prospective study in 20 patients with a history of venous thromboembolism (VTE) undergoing major pelvic or lower limb orthopedic surgery. Eighteen patients received postoperative physical prophylaxis and 1 month of therapeutic doses of LMWH. Two patients also received mechanical prophylaxis with a removable vena caval filter. Systematic venography and pulmonary scintigraphy performed 1 month after surgery allowed the diagnosis and treatment of one asymptomatic deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and one asymptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE). Moreover, a massive thrombi retained by the removable vena caval filter was detected in another patient. There were no bleeding events leading to reoperation or deaths. Systematic application of our intensive prophylactic protocol for patients with a history of VTE was safe and effective in preventing thromboembolic recurrence after major orthopedic surgery.


The subthalamic nucleus regulates motor and neurocognitive functions. Because of its small size and close proximity to other small subcortical structures, it has been a challenge to localize and visualize it using MRI. Here, we sought to define the optimal MRI scan method and visualization plane for locating the subthalamic nucleus on MRI images and to further delineate the geometric dimensions of the subthalamic nucleus and their correlation with age, laterality, and sex. Healthy volunteers received axial, sagittal, and coronal T2_3D_DRIVE CLEAR, coronal T1-WI, coronal T2FLAIR, coronal T2*, and coronal SWI sequence. The coronal T2-3D-DRIVE CLEAR images were compared with the Schaltenbrand–Wahren Atlas for Stereotaxy of the Human Brain for localizing the subthalamic nucleus. The best visualization plane with the largest sectional area and the most distinct outline was obtained and region of interest was delineated manually on the basis of the contours of the bilateral subthalamic nuclei in T2-WI images. T2-3D-DRIVE CLEAR in the coronal view showed optimal visualization of the subthalamic nucleus and indicated that the subthalamic nucleus showed three morphological types: the double convex lens type (172, 64%), the ram's horn type (62, 23%), and the willow leaf type (34, 13%). There were no statistically significant differences because of laterality, sex, and age in the sectional area, and maximal long and short diameter of the subthalamic nucleus. On the basis of our results, the current study has shown that T2-3D-DRIVE CLEAR in the coronal view provides optimal visualization of the subthalamic nucleus, which shows three distinct morphological types on MRI images, and there is no statistically significant difference in the geometric dimensions of the subthalamic nucleus because of laterality, sex, and age in normal individuals.


In earlier work [J. Chem. Phys. 144, 064102 (2016)], we introduced a time-dependent formulation of the second-order N-electron valence perturbation theory (t-NEVPT2) which (i) had a lower computational scaling than the usual internally-contracted perturbation formulation, and (ii) yielded the fully uncontracted NEVPT2 energy. Here, we present a combination of t-NEVPT2 with a matrix product state (MPS) reference wavefunction (t-MPS-NEVPT2) that allows to compute uncontracted dynamic correlation energies for large active spaces and basis sets, using the time-dependent density matrix renormalization group (td-DMRG) algorithm. In addition, we report a low-scaling MPS-based implementation of strongly-contracted NEVPT2 (sc-MPS-NEVPT2) that avoids computation of the four-particle reduced density matrix. We use these new methods to compute the dissociation energy of the chromium dimer and to study the low-lying excited states in all-trans polyenes (C_4H_6 to C_(24)H_(26)), incorporating dynamic correlation for reference wavefunctions with up to 24 active electrons and orbitals.


Endurance and security are two serious challenges for non-volatile memories such as flash memories. Write-Efficient Memory (WEM) is an important rewriting code model to solve the endurance problem. Aiming at jointly solving the endurance and the security issues in non-volatile memories, this work focuses on rewriting code with a security constraint. To that end, a novel coding model, secure WEM, is proposed here. We explore its rewriting-rate-equivocation region and its secrecy rewriting capacity in this paper.


Abstract. The internal morphology of the productide brachiopod Anidanthus ussuricus from the Middle Permian of the Takakurayama area, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, shows an evident pattern of brachial ridges that are identified as a four-lobed ptycholophe of the feeding organ or lophophore. Because a ptycholophe has not previously been identified in productidines, we describe this structure to provide further insight into the morphology of the productide lophophore. A comparison of the lophophores between the productides and the extant thecideoids suggested that during the growth of productides, the disposition of a multilobed ptycholophe requires the development of elevated platform-like ridges or the enlargement of the dorsal valve, both of which provide greater area for the attachment of the lophophore. In contrast, the simple ptycholophe of Anidanthus is located on a faint relief of brachial ridges, which agrees with what has been observed for the thecideoid ptycholophe. Because the productide shell form plays a role in the generation of passive feeding flows, it is expected that the productide feeding system, which supplies the energetic demands of the organism, would develop in response to the interaction between the lophophore and the overall shell form of productides.


Microplastic (MP) pollution is seriously threatening the environmental health of the world, which has accelerated the development of new identification and characterization methods. Digital holography (DH) is one of the emerging tools to detect MPs in a high-throughput flow. Here, we review advances in MP screening by DH. We examine the problem from both the hardware and software viewpoints. Automatic analysis based on smart DH processing is reported by highlighting the role played by artificial intelligence for classification and regression tasks. In this framework, the continuous development and availability in recent years of field-portable holographic flow cytometers for water monitoring also is discussed.


As critical computer systems continue to grow in complexity, the task of showing that they execute correctly becomes more difficult. For this reason, research in software engineering has turned to formal methods, i.e., rigorous approaches to demonstrating the correctness of software systems. Unfortunately, the formal methods currently used in the design of concurrent systems do not provide any mechanisms for specifying and reasoning about the mapping of software to hardware. As a result, architectural constraints, even though they play an important role in the design process, are left out of the formal framework. We show how to state architectural constraints in a formal notation, how to prove that programs are allocated correctly to the underlying architecture, and how to factor architectural considerations into a program derivation process which uses a mixture of specification and program refinements. The approach is illustrated by the derivation of two related programs that solve the same problem but are designed to work on distinct architectures. >


We present an in-depth analysis of the sources of variance in state-of-the-art unbiased volumetric transmittance estimators, and propose several new methods for improving their efficiency. These combine to produce a single estimator that is universally optimal relative to prior work, with up to several orders of magnitude lower variance at the same cost, and has zero variance for any ray with non-varying extinction. We first reduce the variance of truncated power-series estimators using a novel efficient application of U-statistics. We then greatly reduce the average expansion order of the power series and redistribute density evaluations to filter the optical depth estimates with an equidistant sampling comb. Combined with the use of an online control variate built from a sampled mean density estimate, the resulting estimator effectively performs ray marching most of the time while using rarely-sampled higher-order terms to correct the bias.


Since D. Kahneman y A. Tversky came up in the 70s with the Prospect Theory describing the use of heuristic rules for taking decisions, these have been studied exhaustively in psychology and economics, although, less generously in the consumer behavior perspective. This research provides empirical evidence of low consumer involvement in complex decisions and the use of heuristic rules and decision practice, challenging the general accepted Marketing model assuming a high level of involvement and information process by consumers in these types of decisions. The conclusions drawn were obtained from an empirical research performed on Spanish Individual Pension Plans from a sample of 767 individuals of different socio-demographic backgrounds.


Information concerning the application of proton beams in radiotherapy of ocular tumours is provided using conventional website technology by a number of treatment facilities around the world. We hypothesized, however, that many of the key concepts would be better conveyed by an interactive computer model utilizing virtual reality technology. We describe the implementation, using Virtual Reality Modelling Language (VRML), of such a model, the Proton Therapy Concepts Demonstrator (PTCD). The World-Wide-Web-accessible PTCD is intended to provide information useful both to trainee and to qualified clinical staff and also to patients. A model was created of the radiotherapy room that was linked to an interactive model depicting a simple explanation of the process of proton eye radiotherapy. This model also allows the user to explore specific elements of the treatment planning and delivery process, such as beam collimation and range modulation. A further level of detail has been provided by a dynamic model demonstrating how a specific modulated dose distribution is achieved as the time integration of discrete modulated Bragg peaks. We believe this VR-based model has the potential of enabling users to gain more rapid insight into the proton therapy process. Its development as an educational tool is continuing, following feedback collected from clinical staff and patients.


This study aims to explore consumers' preferences on different types of shampoo products among women aged 20s and 30s from Beijing and Shanghai. 100 women who have scalp troubles were selected as respondents. By conducting HUT blind test, we compared the consumers' feedbacks on 3 scalp care shampoo products but with 3 different formulations, i.e., 2 products with silicone-free formula and 1 product containing silicone oil. We adopted quantitative methodology through the whole analysis, and evaluation results of different groups were obtained by PCA analysis. The results of the study are recapped as follows: (1) Although there is no obvious difference in consumers' preference among different ages, there are obvious differences in different regions. (2) Beijing consumers are satisfied with the sensory efficacy of the 3 products while Shanghai consumers are less satisfied with any of them. It is speculated that Shanghai consumers have a higher expectation for scalp care products; (3) Products containing silicone oil shows higher usage satisfaction when compared with silicone- free formula. It is better to emphasize long-term efficacy for silicone-free formula when planning GTM strategy, so that it could guide consumers to achieve their post-purchase rationalization. (4) Although the tested products all have scalp care function, consumers are more concerned about the effects on the health status of the hair than the scalp care effects.


Little is known about cooperation between nations engaged in a regional economic association. This study investigates cooperation and closure between Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies engaged in negotiating five bilateral free trade agreements (FTA), including the Australia-Singapore FTA 2003, United States-Singapore FTA 2003, Chile-United States FTA 2003, Australia-United States FTA 2004, and Korea-Australia FTA 2014. This study found that a number of factors bring about or interfere with cooperation at the closure stage. Negotiation closure occurs within FTAs when discussions shift from trade diplomats focused on technical matters to senior national leaders focused on political decisions. Creditable deadline, party stability and instability, and linkage dynamics were also found to support or interfere with cooperation at the closure stage in FTA negotiations. Often FTA negotiations are concluded on the sidelines of meetings sponsored by international organizations including APEC Leaders' Summit and Ministerial meetings.


Purpose: The goal of this research is to examine the connection between the degree of identification, the performance of the team (both subjective and objective) and the willingness of fans to pay for team-related products.

Design: An index measuring identification was constructed for soccer fans in Israel on the basis of a designated questionnaire. In addition, each fan's perception of the team's performance was estimated and each fan stated his willingness to pay for goods and services connected to the team.

Findings: The results indicate that both the degree of identification and the perceived performance of the team affect the consumption behavior of the fans in the case of all the consumption goods and services. The findings show that the degree of identification weakens the relationship between the team's subjective performance (in the previous season) and the predicted amount of money that the fans will spend in the coming season. Finally, the findings indicate that the team's objective performance (during the past season) has an effect on the predicted amount of money that fans will spend in the coming season.

Originality: The research considers the components of a sports fan's consumer, where each component is treated separately, and estimates the changes in the monetary expenditure by the fans, based on the performance of their team from the perspective of a full season rather than a single game. Furthermore, a team's performance was measured both subjectively (the fan's perception) and objectively (the team's ranking).


In this paper, we designed multidimensional filter banks by direct optimization in the frequency domain. The desired properties of a filter bank (such as zero aliasing, perfect reconstruction) are formulated as an objective function of the filter coefficients. The design procedures minimize the objective function by iterative quadratic programming with linear constraints. Our design examples show that the method is flexible towards frequency support configurations, smoothness constraints, and can be used to design multidimensional perfect reconstruction filter banks having up to eight channels.


Background It is unclear whether offering online data collection to study participants affects compliance or produces bias. Objective To compare response rates, baseline characteristics, test-retest reliability, and outcomes between cigarette smokers who chose to complete a survey by mail versus those who chose to complete it online. Methods We surveyed cigarette smokers who intended to stop smoking within the next 30 days to determine barriers to calling a smoking quit line. Participants were offered the choice of completing a paper version of the survey sent through the mail or an online version at a password-protected website. Participants were called 2 months later to determine if they had made a quit attempt and/or called a smoking quit line since the baseline survey. We compared characteristics and outcomes among those who chose postal versus online completion. We measured test-retest reliability of the baseline survey by resurveying a semirandom sample of participants within 10 days of the original survey. Results Of 697 eligible respondents to newspaper ads in 12 US cities, 438 (63%) chose to receive a mailed paper survey and 259 (37%) chose an Internet survey. Survey return rates were the same for the 2 modes (92% versus 92%, P = .82). Online respondents were younger (mean of 46 versus 51 years old for postal, P < .001), more likely to be white (76% versus 62%, P < .001), less likely to be African American (18% versus 30%, P < .001), more highly educated (34% college graduate versus 23%, P < .001), more likely to intend to stop smoking in the next 30 days (47% definitely versus 30%, P < .001), and more likely to have heard of a smoking quit line (51% versus 40%, P = .008). Participants did not differ on gender (54% female for online versus 55% for postal, P = .72) or cigarettes smoked per day (mean of 19 versus 21, P = .30). Online respondents had slightly fewer missing items on the 79-item survey (mean of 1.7% missing versus 2.3%, P = .02). Loss to follow-up at 2 months was similar (16% for online and 15% for postal, P = .74). There was no significant difference between online and postal respondents in having called a smoking quit line during the 2-month follow-up period (20% versus 24%, P = .22) or in having made a quit attempt (76% versus 79%, P = .41). Conclusions Cigarette smokers who chose to complete a survey using the Internet differed in several ways from those who chose mailed surveys. However, more importantly, online and postal responses produced similar outcomes.


We have made a wideband measurement of the real part of the dielectric constant of flame retardant #4 epoxy (FR4), a common high-frequency printed-circuit-board insulator. We designed a novel test circuit, an electrically long parallel-coupled microstrip resonator, which was etched on a 0.014-in FR4 substrate, manufactured by NELCO, Melville, NY. We used a computer model of the resonator to extract the dielectric constant at the frequencies of zeroes in its measured transmission response. By adjusting the model's dielectric constant, we tuned the frequency of each zero to match the measured frequency, yielding the dielectric constant at that frequency. To validate our method and results, we present a simple, but original proof that the frequencies of zeroes in the resonator's transmission response are insensitive to input and output mismatches. Additionally, we compare the measured and predicted response of a two-stub filter designed with our measured data. The fabricated filter's measured return loss and insertion loss from 3 to 12 GHz are within 1% of the predictions of Agilent Technology's Momentum.


Studies to identify the association between individuals' attachment patterns and their marital attitudes are insufficient and necessitate more empirical study. The current study aimed to investigate the impact of attachment styles on attitudes toward marriage and the mediating role of emotional intimacy among 182 participants at a southeastern university in the United States. Differences in perceptions of the degree of emotional intimacy among securely, avoidantly, and anxiously/ambivalently attached participants were explored to analyze the mediation effect of emotional intimacy between attachment styles and marital attitudes. The research findings revealed that secure, anxious/ambivalent, and avoidant individuals tended to have different attitudes toward marriage. Their marital attitudes were mediated by the emotional intimacy levels associated with their attachment styles. Implications for educators, researchers, and practitioners are discussed.


Current cellular systems already suffer from signaling that uses the air interface resource. For example, in GSM systems, half of the available resources is dedicated for common and dedicated signaling. For future generations, systems should propose more services with QoS requirements. This must increase the quantity of control information on the radio interface. We use a mobile agents based framework that was proposed in a previous work for POP3 application and we introduce an optimization of the HTTP protocol for the air interface. The radio signaling and the adaptive degradation are also studied.


This paper presents a novel method of detection and classification an Arrhythmia based on ECG chart using image processing techniques and neural network as classifier tool .The method consist of three major stage firstly preprocessing to prepare the ECG chart image, secondly features extraction stage represent by freeman chain code and first order features which are arranged in vector consist of 14 input each one hold one feature value, finally stage this vector of features entered to BPNN classifier to classify an Arrhythmia type. The system applied on dataset consists of 90 ECG chart images. Two different ratios of training/testing groups which are (30% to 70%,50% to 50%) are applied to the classifiers. The higher system's accuracy in first ratios was100% for training group and 90.5% for testing group while higher system's accuracy in second ratio was 100% for training group and 97.8% for testing group with time 31.6 second. The system achieved using Matlab.


CML is effectively treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). However, the efficacy of these drugs is confined to the chronic phase of the disease and development of resistance to TKIs remains a pressing issue. The anti-inflammatory COX2 inhibitor celecoxib has been utilized as anti-tumour drug due to its anti-proliferative activity. However, its effects in hematological malignancies, in particular CML, have not been investigated yet. Thus, we tested biological effects and mechanisms of action of celecoxib in Philadelphia-positive (Ph+) CML and ALL cells. We show here that celecoxib suppresses the growth of Ph+ cell lines by increasing G1-phase and apoptotic cells and reducing S- and G2-phase cells. These effects were independent of COX2 inhibition but required the rapid activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and the consequent inhibition mTORC1 and 2. Treatment with celecoxib also restored GSK3β function and led to down-regulation of β-catenin activity through transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms, two effects likely to contribute to Ph+ cell growth suppression by celecoxib. Celecoxib inhibited colony formation of TKI-resistant Ph+ cell lines including those with the T315I BCR-ABL mutation and acted synergistically with imatinib in suppressing colony formation of TKI-sensitive Ph+ cell lines. Finally, it suppressed colony formation of CD34+ cells from CML patients, while sparing most CD34+ progenitors from healthy donors, and induced apoptosis of primary Ph+ ALL cells. Together, these findings indicate that celecoxib may serve as a COX2-independent lead compound to simultaneously target the mTOR and β-catenin pathways, key players in the resistance of CML stem cells to TKIs.


The article presents classification and epidemiology of acute renal injury in newborns and children. According to the international multicentre epidemiological studies, the development of acute renal injury is the main and independent risk factor of newborn mortality. Pediatric nephrology has discussed the evolution of the epidemiology of acute renal injury from primary kidney disease to the secondary one due to another systemic disease or its treatment in children.


As more and more photovoltaic (PV) panels have been installed into power networks, PV systems need to be accurately modeled for power system analysis. The detailed model formed by power electronic devices is very inefficient in computation, so it is not suitable for large-scale and long period network level simulation. In the literature, photovoltaic system is simplified by a controlled current source to increase simulation speed. In this paper, a simplified model of the PV system is proposed based on a controlled voltage source, which provides an accurate model with more system signals available than the controlled current source model, so it leaves more opportunities for control development.


ABSTRACT HIV-1 RNase H breaks down the intermediate RNA-DNA hybrids during reverse transcription, requiring two divalent metal ions for activity. Pyrimidinol carboxylic acid and N-hydroxy quinazolinedione inhibitors were designed to coordinate the two metal ions in the active site of RNase H. High-resolution (1.4 Å to 2.1 Å) crystal structures were determined with the isolated RNase H domain and reverse transcriptase (RT), which permit accurate assessment of the metal and water environment at the active site. The geometry of the metal coordination suggests that the inhibitors mimic a substrate state prior to phosphodiester catalysis. Surface plasmon resonance studies confirm metal-dependent binding to RNase H and demonstrate that the inhibitors do not bind at the polymerase active site of RT. Additional evaluation of the RNase H site reveals an open protein surface with few additional interactions to optimize active-site inhibitors.


This article examines the factors that effect the efficiency of the CO2-laser powder cladding process. By theoretical calculation and experimental work it has been possible to identify how much of the original laser energy contributes to the cladding process and how much is lost to the surrounding environment by reflection, radiation, convection, etc. Every aspect of energy redistribution has been analyzed and quantified and this has led to a deeper understanding of the process. The article concludes with a number of suggestions for improving the efficiency of blown powder laser cladding.


Hepatic myelolipoma incarcerated in a peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia was diagnosed in an 11-year-old, desexed female Persian cat. The cat was initially referred for investigation of tachypnoea and dyspnoea. Peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia is a common incidental finding in cats and is usually asymptomatic. Myelolipoma is an extremely rare benign tumour, composed of extramedullary haematopoietic cells and adipose tissue. Myelolipomas are hypothesised to result from metaplastic alteration, rather than a neoplastic process, although this theory cannot be substantiated. The present case is only the fourth report of such an unusual occurrence in cats and displays significant differences to previous reports. Hepatic entrapment and burgeoning of the mass within the pericardial sac resulted in cardiac tamponade and overt signs of right-sided cardiac failure. Surgical intervention was successful and despite concerns regarding the cat's clinical presentation and the gross appearance of the lesion(s), a good long-term outcome is anticipated.


In this article, the rise of China and India is analyzed over a long period under the Hirschman approach of economic development. His categories of passions and interest, of linkages effects, of private happiness and public action, of imbalances, and especially of non-linearity of development appear very fruitful for understanding the trajectory of "Chindia" since the 1950s. They can therefore be used to analyze the pending issue of the African takeoff and to highlight in particular the coming structural changes as a result of a demographic and political transition already seen in China and India. Nevertheless, the main teaching of Hirschman remains valid: the development processes are far too complex to be forecast and require a lot of modesty in any prospective.


Purpose of review Infective endocarditis continues to pose major challenges in diagnosis and management despite advances in understanding the epidemiology, microbiology, and pathology of the disease. The purpose of this article is to provide a review of diagnosis, microbiology, and treatment of infective endocarditis, particularly as they are influenced by case definitions. Recent findings Case definitions have a critical effect on the interpretation of trends in infective endocarditis, and recent studies have proposed more specific criteria. Studies have also addressed the appropriate use of echocardiography to assist in the diagnosis and management of infective endocarditis. Staphylococcus aureus has become an increasingly common cause of infective endocarditis, and the microbiology of nosocomial infective endocarditis is changing. Newer techniques are being used to aid in the identification of causal agents in blood culture–negative infective endocarditis. Antimicrobial guidelines for the treatment of infective endocarditis are readily available, including a proposal to avoid premature discharge of patients on outpatient antibiotic therapy. Additional studies have been conducted on combination antibiotic therapy, duration of treatment, dosing of aminoglycosides, alternative agents for gram-positive organisms, aspirin therapy, and surgical interventions. Summary Recent trends in diagnosis, microbiology, and treatment of infective endocarditis are described, and case definitions play a critical role in their interpretation.


Gaze-based interfaces are especially useful for people with disabilities involving the upper limbs or hands. Typically, users select from a number of options (e.g. letters or commands) displayed on a screen by gazing at the desired option. However, in some applications, e.g. gaze-based driving, it may be dangerous to direct gaze away from the environment towards a separate display. In addition, a purely gaze based interface can present a high cognitive load to users, as gaze is not normally used for selection and/or control, but rather for other purposes, such as information gathering. To address these issues, this paper presents a cost-effective multi-modal system for gaze based driving which combines appearance-based gaze estimates derived from webcam images with push button inputs that trigger command execution. This system uses an intuitive "direct interface", where users determine the direction of motion by gazing in the corresponding direction in the environment. We have implemented the system for both wheelchair control and robotic teleoperation. The use of our system should provide substantial benefits for patients with severe motor disabilities, such as ALS, by providing them with a more natural and affordable method of wheelchair control. We compare the performance of our system to the more conventional and common "indirect" system where gaze is used to select commands from a separate display, showing that our system enables faster and more efficient navigation.


Over the past decade, a multitude of digital platforms engaging with Indigenous collections of ancestral belongings have been developed for the public in an effort to reconsider and reconceptualize notions of access and Indigenous ownership in virtual space. An initiative in partnership with the Onsite Gallery, the Virtual Platform for Indigenous Art (VPIA) is a newly developed resource that originates from Dr. Gerald McMaster's Entangled Gaze Project at the Wapatah Centre for Indigenous Visual Knowledge, OCAD University in Toronto, Canada. VPIA is a strategic digital platform that brings together a specific dataset of Indigenous artworks and cultural belongings that portray European and Asian newcomers to Turtle Island, drawn from global museum collections. The platform's innovative approach to collections is grounded in a dual record format, where visitors are invited to create a Community-Member profile and contribute knowledge and information to artwork pages that consist of a permanent institutional record and an evolving community-generated VPIA record. The VPIA is intended to bridge communities and institutions to facilitate digital contributions of novel ideas about the Turtle Island contact zone and the implications of the colonial period, from early contact through to the twentieth century.


Introduced in the 1990s in the context of the algebraic approach to graph rewriting, gs-monoidal categories are symmetric monoidal categories where each object is equipped with the structure of a commutative comonoid. They arise for example as Kleisli categories of commutative monads on cartesian categories, and as such they provide a general framework for effectful computation. Recently proposed in the context of categorical probability, Markov categories are gs-monoidal categories where the monoidal unit is also terminal, and they arise for example as Kleisli categories of commutative affine monads, where affine means that the monad preserves the monoidal unit. The aim of this paper is to study a new condition on the gs-monoidal structure, resulting in the concept of weakly Markov categories, which is intermediate between gs-monoidal categories and Markov ones. In a weakly Markov category, the morphisms to the monoidal unit are not necessarily unique, but form a group. As we show, these categories exhibit a rich theory of conditional independence for morphisms, generalising the known theory for Markov categories. We also introduce the corresponding notion for commutative monads, which we call weakly affine, and for which we give two equivalent characterisations. The paper argues that these monads are relevant to the study of categorical probability. A case at hand is the monad of finite non-zero measures, which is weakly affine but not affine. Such structures allow to investigate probability without normalisation within an elegant categorical framework.


Outlining an original, discourse-based model for translation quality assessment that goes beyond conventional microtextual error analysis, Malcolm Williams explores the potential of transferring reasoning and argument as the prime criterion of translation quality. Assessment through error analysis is inevitably based on an error count - an unsatisfactory means of establishing, and justifying, differences in quality that forces the evaluator to focus on subsentence elements rather than the key messages of the source text. Williams counters that a judgment of translation quality should be based primarily on the success with which the translator has rendered the reasoning, or argument structure. Six aspects for assessment are proposed: argument macrostructure, propositional functions, conjunctives, types of arguments, figures of speech, and narrative strategy. Williams illustrates the approach using three different types of examples: letters, statistical reports, and argumentative articles for publication. "Translation Quality Assessment" offers translators a new set of flexible and modular standards.


Composite conductive fibers based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)–polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSS) blended with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) were prepared via a conventional wet-spinning process. The influences of the PEDOT–PSS content on the electrical conductivity, thermal stability, and mechanical properties of the composite fibers were investigated. The fibers with 1.83 wt % PEDOT–PSS showed a conductivity of 5.0 S/cm. The breaking strength of the fibers was in the range 0.36–0.60 cN/dtex. The thermal stability of the PEDOT–PSS/PAN composite fibers was similar to but slightly lower than that of the pure PAN. The X-ray diffraction results revealed that both the pure PAN and PEDOT–PSS/PAN composite fibers were amorphous in phase, and the crystallization of the latter was lower than that of the former. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013


Background Care conferences are team meetings held for every patient receiving health care in hospital or other care facility. It involves the patient, carers and family and it facilitates sharing information and working together to meet the person's needs. Successful communication is an important component of the process which results in appropriate decisions being made in relation to available care resources. Integrating early palliative care with cancer treatment improves quality of life and survival. Effective communication among physicians, patients and their loved ones is crucial to end-of-life, hospice and palliative care discussions. The palliative care team in our hospital has been actively involved in the care conferences organised by various specialities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of the specialist palliative care team in care conferences held in a tertiary referral hospital Method A retrospective case note analysis was completed on patients who had care conferences conducted while they were inpatients in the hospital over a period of 6 months. Results The team were involved in advanced care planning of fourteen patients during this period. The median age was 44; the youngest patient was of 6 months of age. Our team was involved in discussion around goals of care and discharge planning. The median duration from admission to care conference was 17 days while the duration to discharge was 3.5 days. The outcome of meeting varied from agreeing for best supportive care, decisions about not attempting resuscitation, early shift out from intensive care unit and facilitating discharge home with involvement of home care team. Conclusion Specialist Palliative care team has an important role in initiating and leading care conferences to enable better communication between specialities, provide quality care to patients and families and prevent futile medical treatment at end of life.


Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) is one of the major waste streams in the EU by mass, accounting for 374 million tons in 2016 (excluding excavated soil), and is made up of a variety of components. Many of them can include dangerous materials and pose specific concerns to the environment and human occupants if not separated at source, but they also have a high resource value and great potential for recycling and reuse if extracted through a more controlled deconstruction process. Current deconstruction methods are ine ff ective in terms of being minimally invasive (air and noise pollution, destruction from tremors of explo-sions or abrupt demolition using explosives), safe or e ffi cient. Furthermore, conventional methodologies fail to integrate modern technology (robots, remote sensing, and so on) in a systematic manner. This research work explores the short-comings and strengths of previous approaches and provides conceptual approaches for robot-assisted deconstruction using the example of concrete walls.