MurNAc-L-amidase is one of a family of peptidoglycan hydrolases which catalyses the breakdown of bacterial peptidoglycan. Analogues of the peptidoglycan fragment MurNAc-L-Ala-γ-D-Glu containing S-thiolactic acid in place of L-alanine were synthesised as thioester substrates for this enzyme. Triphenylmethanethiol was used to develop a stereoselective synthesis of S-thiolactic acid, which was elaborated synthetically into MurNAc-dipeptide analogues. MurNAc-S-thioacetyl-N-propylamide 13 and MurNAc-S-thiolactyl-2R-alaninamide 16 were found not to be substrates for recombinant MurNAc-L-Ala amidases CwlA from Bacillus subtilis and Ply21 from bacteriophage TP21, however, turnover of tripeptide thioester S-propionylthiolactyl-γ-D-Glu-L-Lys-OMe 21 was observed using amidase Ply21. Therefore, recognition of the amino acid at position 3 of the pentapeptide sidechain appears to be important for enzymatic turnover.


Spatio-temporal modeling as a canonical task of multivariate time series forecasting has been a significant research topic in AI community. To address the underlying heterogeneity and non-stationarity implied in the graph streams, in this study, we propose Spatio-Temporal Meta-Graph Learning as a novel Graph Structure Learning mechanism on spatio-temporal data. Specifically, we implement this idea into Meta-Graph Convolutional Recurrent Network (MegaCRN) by plugging the Meta-Graph Learner powered by a Meta-Node Bank into GCRN encoder-decoder. We conduct a comprehensive evaluation on two benchmark datasets (METR-LA and PEMS-BAY) and a large-scale spatio-temporal dataset that contains a variaty of non-stationary phenomena. Our model outperformed the state-of-the-arts to a large degree on all three datasets (over 27% MAE and 34% RMSE). Besides, through a series of qualitative evaluations, we demonstrate that our model can explicitly disentangle locations and time slots with different patterns and be robustly adaptive to different anomalous situations. Codes and datasets are available at https://github.com/deepkashiwa20/MegaCRN.


This study aimed to investigate the relative effectiveness of consciousness-raising tasks and structure-based production tasks in comparison with the traditional teaching in learning comparative and superlative forms, following a task-based approach to teaching English grammar. To this end, from among 82 female elementary-level high school students having taken a Solutions Placement Test (2010), 72 students being homogeneous regarding their language proficiency were assigned to one control group experiencing traditional grammar learning and two experimental groups that were instructed using consciousness-raising tasks and structurebased production tasks. The study was a quasi-experimental one following a pre-test post-test control group design. All groups took a multiple-choice researcher-made pre-test measuring their knowledge of comparative and superlative forms at the outset, and after six weeks, the three groups took part in the corresponding post-test. At last, the results of ANCOVA indicated that consciousness-raising task group had the best grammar performance, but no significant differences were found between the participants in structure-based production tasks and traditional teaching. Therefore, it is recommended that other EFL teachers consider consciousness-raising tasks as an option in teaching comparative and superlative forms in their high school classes.


Constructs a working model of pastoral care on the foundation of the reality of suffering. Explicates how suffering wounds the person both psychologically and spiritually and how doubting God can be a constructive phase leading to the reclaiming of trust in God.


In the present work, the wet-chemical precipitation technique is employed to prepare Zinc/Magnesium doped hydroxyapatite (HAP). In doped HAP, the X-ray diffraction peak shifts to a higher angle because of the contraction of the lattice parameters along a - axis. The Raman peaks at 519, 440, 1464 cm-1 indicate the presence of Mg, Zn and CO32- in doped HAP respectively. The Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) measures the grain size of pure, 5% Zn and 5% Mg doped HAP, as 275, 510, and 251 nm respectively. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) confirmed the morphological change in HAP. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) identifies the presence of Mg2+ and Zn2+ in doped HAP. The dopant elevates the hardness and dielectric constant, so the strength and the bone growth of HAP increases. All the doped samples show excellent antibacterial, antifungal and antibiofilm activities than the pure HAP.


Four cases of pleuropericardial cyst (three symptomatic, one in an unusual location) were treated by videothoracoscopy. Complete resection of the cyst was possible in all cases. The postoperative course was uneventful and patients were discharged on the 4th or 5th day. Pleuropericardial cysts account for 5 to 10% of all mediastinal tumors. Clinical latency and a benign course are characteristic features. In most cases, computed tomography (CT) confirms the diagnosis. When the cyst is symptomatic or the diagnosis is in doubt (atypical location, high density on CT scans), videothoracoscopy offers an alternative to transpleural puncture with evacuation or excision via thoracotomy.


Comparison of published reports on physiological effects of exposure to ozone (O3) suggests that Canadians are more reactive than southern Californians. Responses of subjects and experimental methods were compared in a cooperative investigation of this apparent difference in reactivity. Four Canadians and four Californians were exposed to 0.37 ppm O3 in purified air at 21 degrees C and 50% relative humidity for 2 hours with intermittent light exercise. Exposures to purified air alone served as controls. Responses of subjects were similar to those observed previously: Canadians on the average showed greater clinical and physiological reactivity to exposure than did Californians, who were no more than minimally reactive. Canadians also showed larger increases in erythrocyte fragility following exposure. No methodological differences sufficient to explain different results of previous studies were found. Although other possible explanations have not been ruled out entirely, adaptation of southern Californians to chronic ambient O3 exposure is a rational hypothesis to explain these results.


Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) methods with monoclonal antibodies specific for N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) isoenzymes A and B in human urine are presented. The proportion of NAG B obtained with the EIA methods was similar to that found with ion-exchange chromatography. In fresh human control urines, NAG B was found to be approximately 20% of the total NAG activity. A significant correlation was obtained between total NAG activity in human urine assayed with a conventional enzyme substrate method and the total NAG activity obtained as the sum of NAG A and NAG B analyzed with the EIA methods. Total NAG activity with the latter (EIA) methods showed about 30% higher values than found by the enzyme substrate method, which probably was due to inhibitors of NAG activity present in urine did not interfere with the EIA methods. The content of NAG A and NAG B in renal cortex was determined with the EIA methods. NAG B accounted for about 20% of the total NAG activity, which was similar to that found in fresh human urines.


The most frequent sleep problems are sleep-related breathing disorders, insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, and circadian rhythm disorder. In 2004, we treated 468 sleep disorder patients, at the Sleep Disorder Center, Shiga University of Medical Science Hospital. Forty-nine percent of the subjects were diagnosed as having sleep related breathing disorders, 22% as insomnia, 10% as rhythm disorders and 5% as having excessive daytime sleepiness. Insomnia is a common sleep-wake-related complaint, and sleeping pills are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in clinical practice. However, insomnia is a symptom that can be caused by various disorder's, many of which require specific therapies. One specific cause of insomnia in older adults is restless legs syndrome. This condition, characterized by an urge to move the legs, which is usually accompanied by sensations of discomfort and aggravations of symptoms by rest. Daytime sleepiness is a common complaint. Snoring, the use of hypnotic agents, sleep difficulties, irregular sleep-wake schedule and sleep deprivation are related to daytime sleepiness. Circadian rhythm sleep disorders have intrinsic and extrinsic subtypes: delayed sleep phase syndrome, advanced sleep phase syndrome and non-24-h sleep-wake syndrome. The underlying problem of circadian rhythm sleep disorders is that the patient cannot sleep when sleep is desired. Waking episodes may occur at inappropriate times; therefore, the patient may complain of insomnia or excessive sleepiness.


Since Topographical Key Register has become an open data the amount of users increased enormously. The highest grow was in the private users group. The increasing number of users and their growing demand for high actuality of the topographic data sets motivates the Dutch Kadaster to innovate and improve the Topographical Key Register (BRT). One of the initiatives was to provide a voluntary geographical information project aiming at providing a user-friendly feedback system adjusted to all kinds of user groups. The feedback system is a compulsory element of the Topographical Key Register in the Netherlands. The Dutch Kadaster is obliged to deliver a feedback system and the key-users are obliged to use it. The aim of the feedback system is to improve the quality and stimulate the usage of the data. The results of the pilot shows that the user-friendly and open to everyone feedback system contributes enormously to improve the quality of the topographic dataset.


We propose and demonstrate, for the first time, to our knowledge, a 40-Gb/s nonreturn-to-zero wavelength converter with 3R regeneration based on an electroabsorption modulator and semiconductor optical amplifier polarization-discriminating delay interferometer. The results show that the root mean square timing jitter and optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) of the regenerated signal are kept to 0.68 ps and higher than 40 dB/0.1 nm, respectively. In addition, the measured receiver sensitivity (BER=10/sup -9/) is improved from -19 to -25.2 dBm at the input OSNR of 26 dB/0.1 nm.


Climatic changes result from variables in planetary orbits which modulate solar energy emission and change seasonal and latitudinal distribution of heat received by the Earth. Small insolation changes are multiplied by the albedo effect of the winter snow fields of the Northern Hemisphere, by ocean-atmosphere feedbacks, and, probably, by the stratospheric ozone layer. The role of volcanic explosions and other aperiodic phenomena is secondary. The immediate climate response to insolation trends permits astronomic dating of Pleistocene events. A new glacial insolation regime, expected to last 8000 years, began just recently. Mean global temperatures may eventually drop about 1oC in the next hundred years. A refinement of the Milankovitch theory in terms of the lunar orbit and more data on solar periodicities are needed for reliable long range predictions.


The purpose of this report is to record the disappearance of tetany, hypocalcemia, and refractory anemia after resection of a blind loop of small intestine showing the pathological features of regional ileitis. REPORT OF A CASE M. G., a 34-year-old Italian woman living in the Philippines, was first seen on June 9, 1950, complaining of tetany and severe anemia of two years' duration. The patient had had frequent attacks of generalized abdominal pain and vomiting since childhood. In 1941 acute intestinal obstruction developed, necessitating resection of approximately 2 ft. (61 cm.) of distal ileum involved with regional enteritis. A fistula developed postoperatively, and a lateral ileotransverse colostomy without colon resection was done eight months later, followed by resection of multiple fistulas. Fourteen abdominal operations were done by a series of surgeons—Philippine, German, Japanese, and finally American army surgeons—before, during, and after the Japanese invasion. In addition, the patient was treated


Methods for studying the stability over time of regression relationships are considered. Recursive residuals, defined to be uncorrelated with zero means and constant variance, are introduced and tests based on the cusum and cusum of squares of recursive residuals are developed. Further techniques based on moving regressions, in which the regression model is fitted from a segment of data which is moved along the series, and on regression models whose coefficients are polynomials in time are studied. The Quandt log-likelihood ratio statistic is considered. Emphasis is placed on the use of graphical methods. The techniques proposed have been embodied in a comprehensive computer program, TIMVAR. Use of the techniques is illustrated by applying them to three sets of data.


Two of the greatest challenges facing the 21st century involve providing sustainable supplies of clean water and energy, two highly interrelated resources, at affordable costs. Membrane technology is expected to continue to dominate the water purifica- tion technologies owing to its energy efficiency. However, there is a need for improved membranes that have higher flux, are more selective, are less prone to various types of fouling, and are more resistant to the chemical environment, especially chlorine, of these processes. This article summarizes the nature of the global water problem and reviews the state of the art of membrane technology. Existing deficiencies of current membranes and the opportunities to resolve them with innovative polymer chemistry and physics are identified. Extensive background is provided to help the reader understand the fundamental issues involved. V C 2010 Wiley Periodi- cals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 1685-1718, 2010


The roles of food handlers were very important in preventing food contamination during its preparation and maintaining the cleanliness of food premises. Food handlers knowledge, attitude and practice in food safety is a key public health concern, because a large number of people take their meals outside the home and are potentially exposed to food borne illnesses. This cross sectional study aimed to explored the pattern of socio-demographic distribution, to assess the level of knowledge, attitude and practice of food safety; and the KAP relationship with the level of premise cleanliness in the food courts at Putrajaya. This study was conducted in two stages from May 2013 to July 2013. In the first stage, 274 food handlers were involved in this study via a self-administered questionnaire to assess their food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices. In the second stage, the cleanliness level of 64 food stall premises was determined through observation using recent inspection score done by the Health Authorized Officer from the Putrajaya Health Department. All completed questionnaires were validated manually and data analysis carried out by computer using SPSS version 20.0 software package. Distribution of food handlers socio-demographic profile was Malaysian (62.0%), male (70.4%), working experienced in food industry (82.0%) and attended food handler training (85.0%). The mean age was 28.7 years and 85.4% having income not less than RM 1,500 monthly. 78.5% of the food handlers had as primary/secondary school education. In respect to their participation in food sanitation trainings, 15.0% of all respondents had not attended any training. The findings reveal that food handlers' knowledge, attitudes and practices were high with a mean percentage score more than 79.0%. However, the level of food safety practices (41.6%) among food handlers in Putrajaya needs to be improved to avoid negative views and to maintain the image of Putrajaya as Malaysia Administration Centre. The majority of the food courts in Putrajaya had consistently moderate level of cleanliness (63.5%) with the mean of 83.03%. Only 27.4% of the food courts were in the level of clean situation (>89% of premise cleanliness score) and 9.1% were not in the clean condition (<70% of premise cleanliness score). The findings of this study may help the health authorities in planning health intervention programs for food handlers to improve their KAP towards food
 safety and personal hygiene. Furthermore, this will in turn reduce the morbidity and mortality rate caused by food-borne diseases in the future.


The fall events have become a common health problem among elderly people. The accidental falls are a serious issue. If it is unnoticed, then it becomes fatal. The concept of automatic fall detection technique is monitoring the daily activities of a person when they encounter a fall and then send an alert to the particular person's caretaker in order to get an immediate assistance. A survey was done on several techniques used for automatic detection of fall events. The techniques widely used are categorized as follows: (1) acoustic and ambience sensor based, (2) wearable sensor based, and (3) computer vision based. The advantages and disadvantages of these techniques are analyzed critically in this article.


Effects of a magnetic held collimation on ion behavior in the downstream region of an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma device are clarified experimentally using a directional ion energy analyzer. The drift energy and its spread of the ion beam observed in the downstream region decrease and the beam temperature increases with the collimating magnetic flux density. Then, the ion temperature measured perpendicular to the axis of the plasma stream slightly decreases. The ion beam is found to be almost parallel to the magnetic field lines, that is, the beam tends to be collimated. >


This paper outlines the results from experiments performed to gain further information about the structure and properties of cleaved silicon surfaces, using vacuum cleavage luminescence detection methods. The experiments involved detecting the luminescence produced by cleaving thin silicon plates within a high vacuum, by a process of converting the luminescence to an amplified electrical signal.


A commercially available, porcine-origin rotavirus vaccine was evaluated for efficacy against postweaning diarrhea due to rotavirus infection in pigs. Weight gains were compared at 5 intervals after weaning. Visual scoring was used to evaluate fecal consistency. Rectal swab specimens were cultured for hemolytic E coli and evaluated for rotaviral antigen by use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Milk from dams and sera from pigs and dams were evaluated for rotavirus-neutralizing antibodies by use of a plaque-reduction test. Significant differences between vaccinates and controls were not found in the determinants evaluated. Selected rotavirus-positive fecal and rectal swab specimens were examined for double-stranded (ds) RNA by use of direct electropherotyping, and the results were compared with the dsRNA pattern of rotavirus propagated from the vaccine. Only electropherotypes typical of field strain virus were found in the fecal and rectal swab specimens evaluated. Sera from guinea pigs and from a gnotobiotic pig immunized against the field strain rotavirus neutralized Ohio State University strain rotavirus (homologous to the vaccine rotavirus strain), but did not neutralize the Gottfried strain of rotavirus. This indicated that, although the dsRNA electropherotypes of the field and vaccine strains of the virus were different, the serotypes were similar, if not identical.


This thesis presents a Time Management Unit (TMU) that provides assistance to the scheduler and the interrupt handling of a real-time operation system. The unit provides functionality for monitoring task execution time and a mechanism for signalling when a task depletes its resources. This applies to both regular tasks and the handling of sporadic events. By putting the TMU inside a processor core, it has a more predictable impact on the overhead related to task switching. The implemented TMU is tested as a stand-alone unit with a hardware testbench, and then integrated into the OpenRISC 1000 based OR1200 processor as special purpose registers. The behaviour of OR1200 is verified through hardware simulation, using compiled software as input. The Or1ksim instruction-set simulator is modified to include the TMU functionality, which provides a reference point for the behaviour of the altered processor. The real-time operating system FreeRTOS is adapted to utilize the functionality of the TMU. Its behaviour is verified through simulation on Or1ksim, simulated hardware and execution on a Cyclone V FPGA. Analysis of runtime statistics shows that the module is working as expected through all phases of verification, and that it can increase determinism, reliability and user control. Tests have shown that the TMU is able to recover a faulting task from spin-locks and aid in fail-soft operations for software faults. By placing the TMU inside the processor core, a fixed overhead of 131 cycles is achieved during a context switch when no caches are used.


This paper contains a brief review of the cases, published earlier, of aneurysms of the sinuses of Valsalva, and a case is reported in which the diagnosis was made before rupture of the aneurysm by means of thoracic aortography. No reports are to be found in the literature of the diagnosis of unruptured aortic sinus aneurysms and of the associated clinical findings. Roentgenograms, aortograms and catheterization findings are included.


In this paper, a reduced complexity Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) decoder is designed and implemented on FPGA using a modified 2-bit Min-Sum algorithm. Simulation results reveal that the proposed decoder has improvement of 1.5 dB Eb/No at 10-5 bit error rate (BER) and requires fewer decoding iterations compared to original 2-bit Min-Sum algorithm. With a comparable BER performance to that of 3- bit Min-Sum algorithm, the decoder implemented using modified 2-bit Min-Sum algorithm saves about 18% of FPGA slices and can achieve an average throughput of 10.2 Gbps at 4 dB Eb/No.


In view of the complexity of Back Analysis of rock-fill material parameter, this paper uses genetic algorithm optimization BP neural network weights and threshold, simulated finite element calculation of rockfill dam by genetic neural network, combined with the theory of particle swarm optimization algorithm, and has realized inverse analysis of particle swarm optimization and genetic neural network. The results showed that: the simulation result coincides well with the experimental result, and inversion results could meet the computing requirements. This method can be widely used to solve various complicated engineering problems that target functions can't be expressed by apparent functions of decisive variables.


Crystallography Reviews publishes English language reviews on topics in crystallography and crystal growth, covering all theoretical and applied aspects of biological, chemical, industrial, mineralogical and physical crystallography. The intended readership is the crystallographic community at large, as well as scientists working in related fields of interest. It is hoped that the articles will be accessible to all these, and not just to specialists in each topic. DR FRANK ALLEN Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre, Cambridge, UK Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


It is widely acknowledged that one of the deciding new challenges for robotics is applicability within unstructured, human-centered environments such as peoples homes. So far, however, this vision remains distant and autonomous systems that can socially interact with humans are rare. In order to realize them, interdisciplinary collaboration is required, so that robots are not only technically sound but also human-adequate. In this contribution, we investigate one of the main factors for building robust and useful systems: How well researchers are supported by sound software engineering methods in their interdisciplinary projects. We have surveyed researchers from Human-Robot-Interaction (HRI), and present results that show ubiquitous collaboration and significant use of general-purpose methods. Testing, simulation and benchmarking are not widely used, however, and we present some observations on why this may be and possible steps to improve the situation. Lastly, we present preliminary experience gained with the evidence-based research approach in software engineering for robotics.


Helicobacter sp. MIT 01-6451 has been detected in SPF mice kept in Japan. To characterize strain MIT 01-6451, its infection route during fetal and neonatal life and effects on pregnancy were investigated using immunocompetent and immunodeficient mouse strains (BALB/c, C57BL/6, and SCID). MIT 01-6451 was detected in the uterus, vagina, and mammary glands of 50% of infected SCID mice, whereas these tissues were all negative in immunocompetent mice. No fetal infections with MIT 01-6451 were detected at 16–18 days after pregnancy in any mouse strain. In newborn mice, MIT 01-6451 was detected in intestinal tissue of C57BL/6 and SCID mice at 9–11 days after birth, but not in BALB/c mice. The IgA and IgG titers to MIT 01-6451 in sera of C57BL/6 female mice were significantly lower than those of BALB/c mice. Although no significant differences in the number of newborns per litter were observed between MIT 01-6451-infected and MIT 01-6451-free dams, the birth rate was lower in infected SCID mice than in control SCID mice. The present results indicated that MIT 01-6451 infects newborn mice after birth rather than by vertical transmission to the fetus via the placenta and that MIT 01-6451 infection shows opportunistically negative effects on the birth rate. In addition, the maternal immune response may affect infection of newborn mice with MIT 01-6451 through breast milk.


Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. Negotiations in the World Trade Organization (WTO) proceed simultaneously, not sequentially, and all Members must accept all the results. I show that the so-called Single Undertaking is both a negotiation technique and a constitutive metaphor. It does not cause an outcome to negotiations, whether in a round or the daily life of the WTO, but it shapes the possibility of an outcome. The methodological innovation of the article is the use of counterfactual analysis to assess whether the Single Undertaking can be relaxed using concepts suggested by the various critiques. I consider rounds of negotiations, the consensus principle, diffuse reciprocity, critical mass decision making, the WTO acquis and special and differential treatment for developing countries. One aspect of integrative bargaining strategies, issue linkage, is also considered. The Single Undertaking emerged in the interaction structured by the regime, and the same process could lead to it being eliminated, but that is unlikely. Oxford University Press 2009, all rights reserved, Oxford University Press.


The exchange of knowledge was a powerful method to strengthen international relations in the 1950s and early 1960s. It came during a tense time: the start of the Cold War and the divide over socialist ideology. In the socialist world, exchange became a gateway for states to interact and engage with de-colonizing nations, and therefore, to advance the socialist cause. This thesis explores the relationship between East Berlin and North Vietnam from 1953 to 1968. It follows the knowledge exchange programs between the two states as a front line for the tensions of the socialist world. This thesis further approaches exchange through the lens of national identity and the intra-struggles of the international socialist movement. It challenges the meaning of "exchange of knowledge" to include all areas of technological and scientific development, including the field of state security and intelligence. It also makes use of extensive research from the Foundation Archives of Parties and Mass Organizations of the GDR in the Federal Archives of Germany and the Records of the State Security Service of the former GDR.


In north India the number of paediatric cases with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is on the rise. Most drug combinations used for treatment of AIDS incorporate nevirapine, resistance to which develops very fast if given singly or because of unplanned interruptions. This paper investigates presence of mutations at codon 103 and codon 215 of the HIV pol gene causing resistance to nevirapine and zidovudine (AZT) respectively in 25 children with AIDS. Mutations T215Y and K103N were detected by a nested cum amplification refractory mutation system polymerase chain reaction (ARMS PCR) and the results were confirmed by direct sequencing in five randomly selected cases. Nineteen patients had received nevirapine containing regimen and six were drug naive. Mutation K103N was observed in 56% (14/25) of the children while mutation T215Y was found in none. Two of the six drug naïve children also showed K103N mutation. Thus, Indian children drug naïve or treated with nevirapine containing regimens show a high rate of mutation conferring resistance to nevirapine which calls for a judicious use of nevirapine both in antenatal and postnatal setting.


Achieving lead-free bulk ceramics with high energy storage densities has been a long-term goal pursued by researchers. Using a core–shell structural strategy, we achieved high comprehensive energy storage properties in relaxor ferroelectric firstname.lastname@example.com (BT@KNN) nano-ceramics (194 nm) with rhombohedral and tetragonal nanodomains. The breakdown field strength (211 kV cm−1) was effectively enhanced by ultrafine-grains. Maximum polarization (21.3 μC cm−2) was increased and remanent polarization (3.3 μC cm−2) was reduced by the nanodomain. As a result, the polarization difference reached 18.0 μC cm−2, thus achieving a large energy storage density of 2.24 J cm−3 and a recoverable energy storage density of 1.90 J cm−3 with a high energy storage efficiency of 84.8%. The ceramics exhibit excellent dielectric properties and temperature stability over a wide temperature range (−60–130 °C). This work may provide a theoretical basis for the realization of next generation BT-based lead-free energy storage ceramics in the future.


This article challenges the conventional narrative picturing the Supreme Court during the Progressive Era as an aggressive champion of the rights of property owners in the face of reform legislation. In fact, the Supreme Court largely accommodated the Progressive agenda, and in the process diminished the constitutional protection afforded property rights. The essay surveys the Court's treatment of laws dealing with tenement reform, land use regulation, rent control, impairment of contracts, eminent domain and railroad regulation in the first two decades of the twentieth century. Progressives urged an expansive reading of the police power that trumped constitutional principles designed to safeguard individual property rights, and the Supreme Court proved broadly receptive to such arguments. It regularly upheld legislation restricting the rights of property owners, and in so doing paved the way for the subsequent emergence of New Deal jurisprudence. The myth of a Supreme Court frustrating the Progressive program is sharply at variance with the historical record, and rests upon a handful of atypical decisions. Indeed, the article suggests that scholars should explore why the Court did so little to vindicate the constitutional guarantees of property.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between insufficient sleep and poor attention in Korean adolescents, adjusting for potential confounding factors of depressed mood and habitual snoring.

DESIGN
School-based cross-sectional study.

SETTING
Eight high schools in 3 cities in the Republic of Korea.

PARTICIPANTS
A sample of 2638 urban high school students (42.2% male and 57.8% female; mean [SD] age, 17.3 [0.6] years [age range, 14-19 years]) completed questionnaires and computerized attention tasks during the school term.

EXPOSURE
Weekend catch-up sleep.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Self-reported sleep schedules and habits, including sleep duration, bedtime, wake-up time, depressed mood, and habitual snoring. Also measured were numbers of omission and commission errors on computerized attention tasks.

RESULTS
The mean (SD) sleep duration on weekdays was 5 hours 42 minutes (1 hour 0 minutes) per day and on weekends was 8 hours 24 minutes (1 hour 36 minutes) per day. The mean (SD) weekend catch-up sleep was 2 hours 42 minutes (1 hour 42 minutes) per day. After adjusting for age, sex, depressed mood (Beck Depression Inventory score, ≥10), habitual snoring, and weekday sleep duration, increased weekend catch-up sleep was significantly associated with more omission and commission errors on sustained attention tasks (P < .001 and P = .03, respectively) and on divided attention tasks (P = .01 and P = .04, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS
Increased weekend catch-up sleep as an indicator of insufficient weekday sleep is associated with poor performance on objective attention tasks. Assessment of catch-up sleep and sleep duration may be useful for physicians to evaluate sleep insufficiency and its adverse effects on attention in adolescents.


This paper proposes a new steganographic method based on Roberts operator edge detector in digital images with the aim to increase the size of secret messages that can be embedded and hidden in images. An algorithm is developed to execute the task with two constraints: i) fixed dimensions size of the image and ii) no visual distortion of the resulted image. The proposed methodology embeds data of the built-in secret message into the image's boundary pixels obtained using the Roberts operator. To do this, edge detector threshold selection strategy is proposed to achieve the optimal threshold value by creating a reference images with different numbers of boundary pixels. Finding this optimal threshold value is very important since it decreases the image's visual distortion. The results of the conducted experiments to test the developed algorithm show excellent results in hiding secret messages in the low-order bits of the selected pixel codes of the reference image boundaries. Keywords— Steganography; Digital image; Roberts operator; Container; Embedded message; Threshold processing.


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impacts of job resources, as manifested by selective staffing, training (TR), and career opportunities, on job insecurity and the influence of job insecurity on hope, job satisfaction, and creative performance. By investigating these relationships, the present study also aims to provide the managers the ways by which they can foster job resources, reduce job insecurity, and activate hope and job outcomes of their salespeople.

Design/methodology/approach

Data came from hotel salespeople in Iran. Structural equation modeling was used to test the aforesaid relationships.

Findings

The empirical data lend support to the overwhelming majority of the relationships. Specifically, job insecurity and hope act as mediators of the impacts of job resources on job satisfaction. Job satisfaction mediates the impacts of job insecurity and hope on creative performance. Contrary to what has been hypothesized, job insecurity positively influences salespeople's hope. Such salespeople in turn exhibit higher job satisfaction. In addition, job resources do not significantly influence hope via job insecurity.

Practical implications

Management should invest in job resources to reduce job insecurity. Management should also try to hire individuals high on hope since hope is treated as a malleable variable and can be developed via TR interventions. Workshops can be organized to enable junior salespeople to learn senior salespeople's practices regarding the solutions to new customer requests and problems.

Originality/value

Job insecurity is an endemic problem in many industries and there is a lack of empirical research about the intermediate linkage between job insecurity and employees' job outcomes. There is also a need for more research to ascertain the factors influencing job insecurity.


SYNOPSIS Lagos State began the twenty-first century as a boomtown crippled by crime, traffic, blight, and corruption. A regional economic hub and burgeoning state of 13.4 million people, the megalopolis had a global reputation for government dysfunction. Two successively elected governors, Bola Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola, worked in tandem to set the state on a new course. Beginning in 1999, their administrations overhauled city governance, raised new revenues, improved security and sanitation, reduced traffic, expanded infrastructure and transit, and attracted global investment. By following through on their promises to constituents and forging a new civic contract between Lagos and its taxpayers, Tinubu and Fashola laid the foundations of a functional, livable, and sustainable metropolis.


Purpose of review Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) and chylomicron remnants were previously proposed as the most atherogenic lipoproteins for the causal lipoproteins of atherosclerosis. However, there are still controversies on these hypothesizes. Therefore, we have proposed a new hypothesis based on our recent findings of remnant lipoproteins (RLPs) in postprandial plasma. Recent findings Plasma RLP-C and RLP-TG increased significantly after fat load. More than 80% of the increased triglycerides after fat load consisted of the triglycerides in RLP, which contained greater amount of apoB100 than apoB48 particles as mostly very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) remnants. The majority of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) in plasma was found in RLP as RLP-LPL complex, which is released into circulation after hydrolysis. LPL activity and concentration in plasma did not increase after food intake associated with the insufficient hydrolysis of chylomicrons and VLDL and resulted in the significant increase of RLP-TG. Plasma LPL was inversely correlated with RLP particle size and number. Summary VLDL remnants have been shown as the major atherogenic lipoproteins in postprandial plasma associated with LPL activity as the targets for prevention of atherosclerosis. We also proposed a new definition of RLPs, 'LPL bound TG-rich lipoproteins' based on the findings of RLP-LPL complex.


A new BiCMOS Foldled Source-Coupled Logic (Bi-FSCL) circuit is proposed. This is an improved version of CMOS Folded Source-Coupled Logic (C- FSCL)(6). An Emitter Follower (EF) is implemented at the output of C-FSCL to obtain the Bi-FSCL gate. It has been shown that by using this EF, the output of the Bi- FSCL is faster than C-FSCL and capable of driving higher load(higher fan-out) at low supply voltage. Thorough current steering and charge storage analysis was performed for the folded source-coupled logic techniques. This paper focuses on simulated results based on a 2-pm n-well BiCMOS process. The simulations were carried out using BSIM parameters at a supply voltage of 3.3V. Implementation of "/AND gate is also presented.


Bamboo has good ecological and cultural values. This paper aims at the re-designing of bamboo products, and talks about their developmental, creative, technological competitive features, which make company fully develop the value of bamboo at a possible low cost. At last, the paper draws to a conclusion that the research would be a trigger for the development of bamboo industry.


Data deduplication is one of the most important Data compression techniques used for to removing the duplicate copies of repeating data and it is widely used in the cloud storage for the purpose of reduce the storage space and save bandwidth. To keep the confidentiality of sensitive data while supporting the deduplication, to encrypt the data before outsourcing convergent encryption technique has been proposed .To better protect data security, this project makes the first attempt to formally address the problem of authorized data deduplication .Different from the traditional deduplication system, differential benefits of the user are further considered the duplicate check besides the data itself. Hybrid cloud architecture contains several new deduplication constructions supporting authorized duplicate check. The proposed security models contain the demonstration of security analysis scheme. As a proof of concept, contains the implementation framework of proposed authorized duplicate check scheme and conduct testbed experiments using these prototype. In proposed system contain authorized duplicate check scheme incurs minimal overhead compared to normal operations. General Terms Convergent Encryption, Baseline Algorithm, Dekey Algorithm.


Abstract In patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), effector and memory CD4 + and CD8 + T cells are expanded. We investigated whether these CLL specific T-cell expansions also occur in monoclonal B lymphocytosis (MBL), the pre-leukemic state of CLL, which is currently distinguished from CLL by an arbitrarily chosen cut-off value of CD19 of 5.0 × 109/L. Whereas an increase in effector and memory CD4 + and CD8 + T cells was found in CLL, these expansions could not be found in MBL. Although a significant correlation was found between absolute B cell count (CD19) and T cell numbers, correlation coefficients were rather low. Therefore, we analyzed whether an optimal threshold for CD19 number could be defined which best related to an expansion of T cells. The B-cell threshold that best predicted expansion of CD3 +, CD4 + and CD8 + T cells, respectively, was 10 × 109/L. Our study indicates that a higher cut-off value than the current 5.0 × 109/L relates better to the biological impact of CLL.


BACKROUND
Interactions among invertebrate predators could affect a pest suppression. The hemipteran species Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur) and Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Miridae) are natural enemies of several pests in agroecosystems and coexist in tomato crops in Mediterranean countries. By using the multiplicative risk model (MRM) and the substitutive model, the multiple predator effects (MPEs) on prey suppression were calculated when two individuals of the predators foraged at the same densities on South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), eggs.

RESULTS
Egg consumption increased with increasing egg density and the two predators exhibited a type III functional response. Predation rates were strongly affected by prey density. Using the MRM, we found risk reduction at intraspecific treatments at high prey density. Applying the substitutive model, we detect risk enhancement at interspecific treatments at high egg density.

CONCLUSIONS
At low prey densities, most of the interactions were independent, whereas at high densities most interactions were not independent and resulted in prey risk reduction, indicating antagonism between the individuals involved. We also showed that N. tenuis is a more competitive predator species for T. absoluta eggs than M. pygmaeus; however, combination of the two predator species will lead to better pest suppression at high T. absoluta population densities. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.


Absolute values for the energies, natural halfwidths and excitation cross sections for the Kr I resonances and absolute partial widths for the spectator Auger, participator Auger and Auger shake decays of the Kr I and the Kr I resonances into Kr II states have been collected and critically discussed or have been extracted from already published relative literature data. By means of photon-induced fluorescence spectroscopy a cascade population of the Kr II state following the excitation of the Kr I autoionizing resonances was observed and quantified. It is ascribed to a cascade process involving a correlative radiative transition of the type within Kr II. The probability of this process is explained within a very simple final-state configuration interaction calculation.


Continuous Time Markov Decision Processes (CTMDPs) are used to describe optimization problems in many applications including system maintenance and control. Often one is interested in a control strategy or policy to optimize the gain of a system over a finite interval which is denoted as finite horizon. The computation of an ε-optimal policy, i.e., a policy that reaches the optimal gain up to some small ε, is often hindered by state space explosion which means that state spaces of realistic models can be very large or even infinite. The paper presents new algorithms to compute approximately optimal policies for CTMDPs with large or infinite state spaces. The new approach allows one to compute bounds on the achievable gain and a policy to reach the lower bound using a variant of uniformization on a finite subset of the state space. It is also shown how the approach can be applied to models with unbounded rewards or transition rates for which uniformization cannot be applied per se.


Context: In addition to the symptoms of hyperarousal and avoidance that characterise a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), veterans with chronic PTSD also experience high rates of co-morbid anxiety disorders, such as panic, and social phobia. However, it has been observed that current CBT-based treatment modalities, which frequently include exposure tasks and the processing of traumatic memories, may not adequately address the complex and diverse range of anxiety symptoms experienced by veterans. Objectives: The primary goal of the study was to evaluate the benefits of a ten-week outpatient Anxiety Management Program on measures of anxiety, and core PTSD symptoms, in a sample of veterans with chronic PTSD. A secondary goal of the study was to explore the effect of program participation on levels of co-morbid depression and alcohol use. Key messages: In a sample of 20 veterans with chronic PTSD, a comparison of preand end-program measures revealed a significant reduction in core PTSD symptoms, depression, alcohol use, and state and trait anxiety. The major outcomes were a significant reduction in total PTSD symptoms, as measured by the PCL (pre-program M 66.25, end-program M 57.90: p 0.001), and trait anxiety (pre-program M 60.74, end-program M 52.75: pB0.001). Conclusion: Despite the small sample size, and absence of available longer term follow-up measures, it is suggested that an intervention strategy targeted towards the management of anxiety may result in specific short-term benefits for veterans with chronic PTSD.


the following substances in the plasma was determined: Calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium (K and Na also intracellular), proteins, alkali reserve, chlorides (also intracellular) proteins, alkali reserve, chlorides (also intracellular) and non-organic phosphorus. The blood sugar and total fat in the serum was also investigated. It was found that the Ca content was always higher in the umbilical vein than in the umbilical artery, whereas the K and Na content was evidently the same in arterial and venous blood. The protein figures were somewhat higher in the arterial blood than in the venous blood of the umbilical cord. A "chloride-shift" was observed in the case of C1. The alkali reserve was remarkably low in the mother, whereas the figures for umbilical cord blood were somewhat higher, although definitely lower than the normal in the new-born. The sugar content of the blood of the umbilical vein was always higher than of the umbilical artery (in some cases the figures were the same), and there was a positive correlation with the figures for the mother. The total fat was sometimes higher in the artery, sometimes in the vein. The means were of the same size, and there was a positive correlation with the mother's blood.


This paper focuses on the trade-offs that lie at the intersection of methodological requirements for causal effect studies and policies that affect how and to what extent schools engage in such studies. More specifically, current federal funding priorities encourage large-scale randomized studies of interventions in authentic settings. At the same time, policies that require schools to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) on state achievement tests make it risky for them to participate in trials of unproven interventions. Researchers attempting to balance rigorous study designs with the pressures felt by school districts must thoughtfully balance validity threats that are introduced in the negotiations with those districts. In this article, we draw on our experience conducting several randomized trials to discuss how these factors can be balanced. Specifically, we discuss necessary trade-offs in causal effects studies related to statistical power, measurement sensitivity, research ethics, minimizing bias, and addressing the interests of all stakeholders. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 50: 1127–1141, 2013


Raymarching is a technique for rendering implicit surfaces using signed distance fields. It has been known and used since the 1980s for rendering fractals and CSG (constructive solid geometry) surfaces, but has rarely been used for commercial rendering applications such as film and 3D games. Raymarching was first used for photorealistic rendering in the mid 2000s by demoscene developers and hobbyist graphics programmers, receiving little to no attention from the academic community and professional graphics engineers. In the present work, we explain why the use of Simple and Fast Multimedia Library (SFML) by nearly all existing approaches leads to a number of inefficiencies, and hence set out to develop a CUDA oriented approach instead. We next show that the usual data handling pipeline leads to further unnecessary data flow overheads and therefore propose a novel pipeline structure that eliminates much of redundancy in the manner in which data are processed and passed. We proceed to introduce a series of data structures which were designed with the specific aim of exploiting the pipeline's strengths in terms of efficiency while achieving a high degree of photorealism, as well as the accompanying models and optimizations that ultimately result in an engine which is capable of photorealistic and real-time rendering on complex scenes and arbitrary objects. Lastly, the effectiveness of our framework is demonstrated in a series of experiments which compare our engine both in terms of visual fidelity and computational efficiency with the leading commercial and open source solutions, namely Unreal Engine and Blender.


The electronic band structure, structural and bonding, and some linear and nonlinear optical properties are calculated for a new ternary nitride compound ZnGeN2 using firstprinciples methods. Good agreement is obtained with crystallographic data and with absorption data on the band gap. The prospects for use as nonlinear optical material are discussed.


Background: Ginseng, officially known as Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, has been traditionally used as a medicinal herb, especially in Asia. Ginseng is propagated from seeds, and seed germination difficulty makes it challenging to grow the species naturally in farms. P. ginseng seeds typically exhibit morphophysiological dormancy. Therefore, they require both morphological and physiological dormancy releases before germination. Although some studies have proposed methods of increasing seed germination rates, the underlying mechanisms of the seed dormancy release process remain unclear. In the present study, we investigated metabolic alterations during dehiscence in P. ginseng with the aim of unraveling their potential roles in dormancy release. We compared ginseng seed metabolome before and after dehiscing, in addition to the compositions of ginsenosides and phytosterols in the two periods and the presence of associated enzymes.Results: Sugar, amino acid, and squalene concentrations were altered significantly after dehiscing. Phytosterols associated with the stigmasterol biosynthesis pathway increased after seed dehiscence, while ginsenosides and brassinosteroids were not altered significantly. In addition, squalene epoxidase, cycloartenol synthase, and 24-methylenesterol C-methyltransferase were activated after seed dehiscence.Conclusions: After seed dehiscence, the stigmasterol biosynthesis pathway was activated. Overall, our findings suggest that morphological activities that facilitate ginseng seed growth are the primary phenomena occurring during the dehiscence process. The findings of the present study enhance our understanding of P. ginseng germination processes and could promote further research on its germination and cultivation in farms.


A simple gene transfer method based on Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of adventitious multiplication of Juneberry (Amelanchier laevis L.) basal shoots is described. Evidence is presented for successful integration and expression of a transformed gene in greenhouse-grown transgenic plants. This method can transform wody perennials that are difficult to regenerate from leaf disks, protoplasts, or other tissue culture regimens


ABSTRACT Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis is driven by a complex network of proinflammatory cytokines, among which interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays a key role in inducing and perpetuating chronic inflammation. Targeting the IL-6 pathway has shown to be an invaluable treatment strategy, as demonstrated by the results accrued in the last decade with the first IL-6 inhibitor, tocilizumab. More recently, a second monoclonal antibody blocking IL-6, sarilumab, has enriched our armamentarium by proving outstanding efficacy in RA treatment. Areas covered After exploring the IL-6 pathway under physiological conditions and in the RA pathogenesis, in this review we discuss the pharmacologic properties of sarilumab and the clinical trials that constitute the sarilumab development program and have enabled its licensed application. Expert opinion Results from clinical trials confirmed the efficacy and safety of sarilumab for the treatment of RA, similar to its precursor tocilizumab. Blocking IL-6 pathway results in comprehensive control of the disease, from both physician's and patient's perspective, and of RA comorbidities and extra-articular manifestations, which are largely IL-6 driven. Finally, the proven efficacy of sarilumab as monotherapy arises the drug as a required therapeutic alternative considering the large proportion of patients intolerant or inadequate to receive conventional synthetic disease-modifying drugs (csDMARDs).


Gas seeping to the seafloor through structures such as pockmarks may contribute significantly to the enrichment of atmospheric greenhouse gases and global warming. Gas seeps in the Gulf of Lions, Western Mediterranean, are cyclical, and pockmark "life" is governed both by sediment accumulation on the continental margin and Quaternary climate changes. Three‐dimensional seismic data, correlated to multi‐proxy analysis of a deep borehole, have shown that these pockmarks are associated with oblique chimneys. The prograding chimney geometry demonstrates the syn‐sedimentary and long‐lasting functioning of the gas seeps. Gas chimneys have reworked chronologically constrained stratigraphic units and have functioned episodically, with maximum activity around sea level lowstands. Therefore, we argue that one of the main driving mechanisms responsible for their formation is the variation in hydrostatic pressure driven by relative sea level changes.


Drosophila melanogaster is one of the popular model organisms in DNA replication studies. Since the 1960s, DNA replication of polytene chromosomes has been extensively studied by cytological methods. In the recent two decades, the progress in our understanding of DNA replication was associated with new techniques. Use of fluorescent dyes increased the resolution of cytological methods significantly. High-throughput methods allowed analysis of DNA replication on a genome scale, as well as its correlation with chromatin structure and gene activi ty. Precise mapping of the cytological structures of polytene chromosomes to the genome assembly allowed comparison of replication between polytene chromosomes and chromosomes of diploid cells. New features of replication characteristic for D. melanogaster were described for both diploid and polytene chromosomes. Comparison of genomic replication profiles revealed a significant similarity between Drosophila and other well-studi ed eukaryotic species, such as human. Early replication is often confined to intensely transcribed gene-dense regions characterized by multiple replication initiation sites. Features of DNA replication in Drosophila might be explained by a compact genome. The organization of replication in polytene chromosomes has much in common with the organization of replication in chromosomes in diploid cells. The most important feature of replication in polytene chromosomes is its low rate and the dependence of S-phase duration on many factors: external and internal, local and global. The speed of replication forks in D. melanogaster polytene chromosomes is affected by SUUR and Rif1 proteins. It is not known yet how universal the mechanisms associated with these factors are, but their study is very promising.


One effective approach for equipping artificial agents with sensorimotor skills is to use self-exploration. To do this efficiently is critical, as time and data collection are costly. In this study, we propose an exploration mechanism that blends action, object, and action outcome representations into a latent space, where local regions are formed to host forward model (FM) learning. The agent uses intrinsic motivation to select the FM with the highest learning progress (LP) to adopt at a given exploration step. This parallels how infants learn, as high LP indicates that the learning problem is neither too easy nor too difficult in the selected region. The proposed approach is validated with a simulated robot in a tabletop environment. The simulation scene comprises a robot and various objects, where the robot interacts with one of them each time using a set of parameterized actions and learns the outcomes of these interactions. With the proposed approach, the robot organizes its curriculum of learning as in existing intrinsic motivation approaches and outperforms them in learning speed. Moreover, the learning regime demonstrates features that partially match infant development; in particular, the proposed system learns to predict the outcomes of different skills in a staged manner.


The classification of individual things marks the depth of one's recognition on the general character of things. The method for the classification of dermatosis reflects the developmental level of dermatology from one aspect. Since modern time, there appeared a condition of the coexistence of multiple knowledge of medical systems, including traditional Chinese, western, amalgamation of traditional Chinese and western, and integration of Chinese and western. In the external medical system in TCM, skin diseases were always categorized under external medicine without detailed descriptions on any concrete specific skin disease, instead, only the morphological injury of skin were classified. The works of amalgamation of traditional Chinese and western medicine roughly classified dermatosis basically on the basis of the characteristics of morphological damage of skin, thus lifted out of the infancy of TCM dermatology; while in the works of integrating Chinese and western medicine, the disease terminology of western medicine and its method of classification were directly applied, and the traditional Chinese disease titles and classification methods were discarded. Thus, the descriptions under each disease with western medical terms eventually established a model for the diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases based on the integration of differentiating disease names by western medicine and differentiating syndromes by TCM, hence opening a new approach of developing TCM dermatology by modern scientific methods, a major feature of Chinese dermatology.


1. The principal aim of this study was to investigate the effect of renal impairment on the pharmacokinetics of nicardipine following intravenous and oral dosing. 2. The plasma clearance of nicardipine was significantly lower at 6.5 ml min-1 kg-1 in patients with impaired renal function, compared with a mean value of 10.4 in patients with normal renal function and with 12.5 ml min-1 kg-1 in patients on regular haemodialysis treatment. 3. In comparison to the patients with normal renal function, there were significant increases in AUC and Cmax in the patients with renal impairment. These increases were particularly marked during chronic dosing - AUC was increased by 163%, Cmax by 127% and apparent oral bioavailability by 90%. There were no such increases in the dialysis group whose values were similar to those for normal renal function. 4. There were no significant differences in volume of distribution or protein binding, nor in the measured indices of hepatic function to account for the reduction in drug clearance in the patients with renal impairment. 5. The results of this study indicate that renal impairment may have a significant and potentially important impact on the disposition of a drug which, under normal circumstances, is highly extracted by the liver. Accumulation of a metabolic 'inhibitor' substance is a possible explanation.


Under analysis were results of the treatment of 53 patients with severe ischemic states of lower extremities by the method of transcatheteral intraarterial infusions of drugs. Duration of the treatment was from 7 to 50 days. The composition of the mixtures was chosen individually. The method is found to be sufficiently effective when no radical intervention on the vessels is possible.


Examination of stomach contents of the brown trout is a sensitive method to evaluate the animals occurring in a lake and its surroundings. Yearly test fishing from Lake Sandvatn at the Hardangervidda Mountain plateau in August has shown regular occurrence of Bibio pomonae in the brown trout stomachs every third year since 2001. The stomach fullness and selectivity for other food items is influenced by the local weather conditions, but in calm and sunny weather, mass aggregation of B. pomonae are reflected by high stomach fullness and the brown trout predate B. pomonae selectively. The stomach fullness with B. pomonae may give a significant measure of the mass aggregation phenomena in such periods. On the Hardangervidda Mountain plateau mass aggregation have been observed regularly every third year since 2001. Mass aggregations elsewhere on the southern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula seem to follow the same pattern, but with a one-year delay in the northern part. Our results substantiate that mass aggregations of B. pomonae seem to be an irregular phenomenon in the previous century. In 2016 mass aggregation of B. pomonae was observed in the southern part of the Norwegian mountain range with its maximum abundance in the lower alpine zone. The abundance seems to have extended its maximum from the subalpine zone into the lower alpine zone. Mass aggregations were observed 1678 m a.s.l., 318 m higher up than previously recorded. In 2016  B. pomonae was also recorded earlier than ever before. Climate change may be a driver of the regular mass aggregations, the apparently increase in strength, the elevation of the abundance maximum, the new extreme altitude swarming, and the early hatchings seen after 2000.


To the Editor of the Mathematical Gazette. DEAR SIR,—Certainly it is true that teachers of mechanics are divided in their choice of the most appropriate system of units to use in introducing the subject. But is it not also true that there is a danger of this being decided for us by the compilers of our examination syllabuses 1 Moreover, they not only influence teaching directly, but also decide the emphasis of our elementary textbooks. What justification is there for continuing to examine pupils in mechanics at the Ordinary level of the G.C.E., either as a separate subject or as part of a paper in " Additional Mathematics "? Few teachers are allowed more than 60 periods in which to teach the subject before the examination is taken. In that time they may either try to introduce the ideas of mechanics (and I regard such a course as being of great educational value to a pupil who is not intending to specialise in science or mathematics); or they may prepare for the examination. I t is surely impossible adequately to do both. If a teacher makes the attempt, however, he is virtually compelled to adopt the gravitational system of units, whatever his own preference. No boy at that age can be expected to master two different sets of equations ; and at present the examiners have decreed that, although they may ask him to define a poundal or to distinguish weight from mass, he shall give his answers in lb.wt and in ft.lb. So long as the examination continues, we shall be expected to enter our pupils for it. Is there not then a case for having two alternative syllabuses, one on the lines of the existing syllabus, the other based on the use of absolute units and involving a more fundamental treatment of dynamics ? Yours faithfully, D. A. QTTADLING.


Toxoplasmosis is a rare but often fatal complication that occurs after patients undergo allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant. At our institution, toxoplasmosis was diagnosed in 8 of 301 patients who received stem cell transplants. Disseminated toxoplasmosis with a rapid fatal course was observed in 2 patients. Six patients had cerebral toxoplasmosis diagnosed on the basis of neurological signs and observation of the patients' mental confusion, seizures, and typical lesions (which were assessed by computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or both). Seroconversion of antitoxoplasma immunoglobulin and a discovery of toxoplasma deoxyribonucleic acid in the cerebrospinal fluid (confirmed by use of polymerase chain reaction) were documented in all patients. Treatment consisted of clindamycin therapy (for 2 patients) and of pyrimethamine-clindamycin therapy, sulfadiazine therapy, or both (for 5 patients). Patients showed improvement after therapy, as assessed by clinical and radiological means. Three of 8 patients survive-1 without any residual neurological symptoms and 2 with minimal neurological symptoms.


The demand forecasting technique which is modeled by artificial intelligence approaches using artificial neural networks. The consumer product causers the difficulty in forecasting the future demand and the accuracy of the forecast In performance of the artificial neural network an advantage in a constantly changing business environment and demand forecasting an organization in order to make right decisions regarding manufacturing and inventory management. The learning algorithm of the prediction is also imposed to better prediction of time series in future. The prediction performance of recurrent neural networks a simulated time series data and a practical sales data have been used. This is because of influence of several factors on demand function in retail trading system. It was also observed that as forecasting period becomes smaller, the ANN approach provides more accuracy in forecast.


The effects of the ionophore, RO 2-2985 (X537A, RO) were studied on isolated coronary, renal and femoral arteries in two types of experiments: (1) the effect of RO as a modulator of various contractile effects of KCl and phenylephrine (PE), and (2) the effect of RO itself as a contractile agonist. The effect of the ionophore A23187 was observed in similar experiments to help determine the nature of the RO response. In the first type of experiment, RO was found to have a differential effect upon the arteries contracted with KCl. The coronary arteries relaxed upon addition of the ionophore, whereas, the femoral and renal arteries did not. A23187 had only a transient effect on KCl-contracted coronary arteries. RO relaxed femoral and renal arteries contracted with PE, and A23187 had only a transient effect. RO attenuated ED50 values and maximum tension developments to both KCl and PE, and A23187 had no effect on these parameters. In the second type of experiment, RO (only at 10-5 M) was found to contract femoral and coronary arteries, but had no effect on renal arteries. Experiments with alpha-blocking agents and calculations using association constants of RO for catecholamines suggest that RO is not acting via catecholamine chelation. The dissimilarity between the effects of RO and A23187 suggest that RO may not be working through a specific effect on Ca++. These differential responses to RO suggest variations in intervessel regulation of PE- AND KCl-induced contradictions and can explain, in part, the in vivo effects of RO on regional blood flow.


The book may be located within a broad interdisciplinary trend of research into social, economic, and cultural aspects of food. One of its poles is marked by economized, neo-Marxist analyses of industrial and alternative networks of food production (e.g., Goodman, DuPuis, and Goodman 2014). The other trend, definitely closer to the author of the reviewed book, analyzes food from the perspective of anthropology and studies of culture (e.g., Ashley et al. 2004; Belasco 2007). The analyses from this circle treat food as a cultural phenomenon, an artifact which may be used to decode crucial phenomena, or processes occurring in a society. This is distinctive of anthropology of food which perceives food as a cultural construct (e.g., Couninhan and van Esterik 2013). Tracing food, we may get insight into the universe of religious rituals, control, and individual identity (Douglas 2013), look at class divisions (Bourdieu 2013), the development of ethnic identity, the history of entire continents (Mintz 2013). In an engaged variety—these studies focus on the issues of citizenship (Bilewicz and Śpiewak 2015), social justice, sexuality, gender, and race (e.g., Alkon and Agyeman 2011).


The history of music, and especially that of jazz and the
popular music styles it spawned, was from the start a story of blends and creations out of these blends. Music thus constantly provides a demonstration
that the ideologies positing non-Europeans as inferior and segregation policies never had any foundation. From the mid-19th century, Afro-American
music styles, first as a borrowing form of Blackface Minstrel songs, then under
the name of jazz, took part in these creative mixes. Jazz helped to conceive
and symbolically express an identitarian complex at the same time asserting
that blacks are human beings like any other and that they have a specific contribution to make to human culture. South African endeavors to appropriate
jazz and its local stylistic evolutions thus became closely tied into the political
events that marked South African in the 20th century and the successive ideological reformulations of the fight against racism.


Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are uncommon tumors of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that arise from primitive mesenchymal cells. Usually, GIST presents as chronic gastrointestinal symptoms or obscure gastrointestinal bleed. Not many cases have been reported in the literature with acute symptoms in the setting of recent aspirin use. We report a case of 70-year-old male otherwise healthy who presented to the hospital with the complaint of black tarry stool for the past two days after taking one tablet of aspirin once a day for two days. The patient underwent upper endoscopy which showed a moderate size polypoid mass in the gastric fundus. Initially, standard endoscopic biopsy was negative for malignancy, due to high suspicion for GIST, later the patient underwent upper endoscopic ultrasound with fine-needle aspiration which confirmed low-grade GIST.


[EMBARGOED UNTIL 6/1/2023] Utilizing teens as camp counselors for overnight camping is common within Missouri 4-H. It is also an experience that is often described as providing teens an opportunity to develop leadership skills. The purpose of this multi-case study was to describe and uncover the processes and structures that support teen leadership development experiences provided by Missouri 4-H through the camp counselor experience, as perceived by the program directors and participants; to describe how program directors utilized camp counselors training and implementation at camp to develop teen leadership. Through extensive participant interviews, photo elicitation, and document analysis, four themes emerged. Data were analyzed utilizing three frameworks: Hart's Ladder of Participation (Hart, 1992), Leadership Identity Development (LID) model (Komives et al., 2005, 2006, and 2009), and Western's (2019) four discourses of leadership. An overarching understanding developed from this study. While good things are happening at camp, and that counselors look forward to coming back each year, the philosophical intent of program directors to provide an environment to support leadership development is not present in the structure and processes. Findings suggest the following: (a) there is conflation between relationship development and leadership development, (b) the primary role of counselors is to manage camper behavior, (c) tradition is highly prioritized, (d) and evidence that leadership development is supported through the counselor experience is lacking.


Pyrolyzates similar to natural crude oils were generated from organic-rich shales by hydrous pyrolysis. With this type of pyrolysis it is possible to make more sophisticated correlations between crude oils and their source rocks, evaluate the hydrocarbon potential of a source rock, and elucidate the variables involved in the natural oil-generating process.


A driven opto-RF oscillator, consisting of a dual-frequency laser (DFL) submitted to frequency-shifted feedback, is experimentally and numerically studied in a chaotic regime. Precise control of the reinjection strength and detuning permits isolation of a parameter region of bounded-phase chaos, where the opto-RF oscillator is frequency-locked to the master oscillator, in spite of chaotic phase and intensity oscillations. Robust experimental evidence of this synchronization regime is found, and phase noise spectra allow us to compare phase-locking and bounded-phase chaos regimes. In particular, it is found that the long-term phase stability of the master oscillator is well transferred to the opto-RF oscillator, even in the chaotic regime.


Background and objective To compare the analgesic efficacy and side-effects of remifentanil intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IVPCA) with walking epidural analgesia (EDA) during labour. Methods Thirty-nine parturient patients of mixed parity, with normal singleton pregnancies, were randomised to receive either remifentanil IVPCA (RA group) or EDA (EA group). The epidural solution contained ropivacaine 1 mg ml−1 and fentanyl 2 &mgr;g ml−1, and the initial dose was 10 ml h−1. Starting bolus of remifentanil was 0.15 &mgr;g kg−1, with subsequent steps of 0.15 &mgr;g kg−1. Lock-out time was 2 min, bolus infusion speed 2 ml min−1 (100 &mgr;g min−1) and there was no background infusion. Visual analogue scale was used for pain assessment. Maternal heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, sedation, nausea/vomiting, itching, satisfaction and fetal/neonatal outcome were recorded. Results Thirty-seven parturient patients were analysed. Both treatments provided good analgesia, but with higher pain scores in the RA group. Pain reduction at the end of first and during second stage and maximum pain reduction were similar (RA/EA group): 27/26 (P = 0.920), 31/29 (P = 0.909) and 61/59 (P = 0.855), respectively. Maternal satisfaction was similar. Two parturients receiving remifentanil (6%) converted to epidural, one because of inadequate analgesia. Remifentanil produced more maternal sedation, desaturation (SaO2 < 92%) and need for supplemental oxygen. Neonatal outcome was reassuring. Highest mean total dose of remifentanil was 0.70 &mgr;g kg−1 (range 0.30–1.05). Conclusion Remifentanil IVPCA and epidural provided effective analgesia, with high maternal satisfaction scores and reassuring neonatal outcome. Remifentanil produced more maternal sedation and oxygen desaturation. Close monitoring is, therefore, mandatory.


Abstract There is little need to argue for the importance of human rights (HRs) in our world. If one looks at the role they play today, it is hard to deny that their impact has increased beyond anything the drafters of the 1948 Universal Declaration could have hoped or imagined. However, even though human rights today have a far greater impact on politics than in the past, the philosophical reflection that surrounds them has had a less fortunate history. It is doubtful whether we are today in a better position than we were in 1948 to answer any of the philosophical questions surrounding them, including, and perhaps most crucially, the question about their foundation. Why are human rights standards—of whatever sort—that we should adopt, or even just take seriously? The first two parts of this paper summarize my recent work on the above question (Caranti, 2017) and the third takes it a step further. I will 1) show why the main orientations in the contemporary philosophy of human rights all fail to yield a satisfactory foundation, 2) sketch an alternative foundation that exploits Kant's account of human dignity in a rather critical way; and 3) address one major objection my approach is bound to attract (and in a certain form has already attracted). Since my foundation suggests that we have dignity (and as a consequence human rights) because we are autonomous, that is, capable of moral behavior, some scholars have argued that I am bound to the counterintuitive conclusion that people with a temporary or permanent lack of rational capacity, which would cause a condition of "impaired autonomy," are not entitled to the protection of human rights. While this objection does nothing but reformulate in the language of human rights an old, classical objection to Kant's ethics, replying to it requires mobilizing new intellectual resources.


The purpose of this study was to compare a new form of warm-up with the traditional warm-up routine in baseball bat swing. Three different warm-up conditions (i.e., the standard bat warm-up (CO), the overweighted arm warm-up (OA), and the overweighted bat warm-up (OB)) were tested. Twenty subjects who had competitive baseball experience in high school or college participated in this study. Results indicated that during warm-up swings the bat speed of the CO (31.95 ± 1.50 m/s) was significantly faster than that of the OA (31.35 ± 1.82 m/s) and the OB (25.55 ± 1.43 m/s). However, the OA warm-up increased bat speed (0.659 ± 2.79%) more than the CO (0.049 ± 2.54%) and OB (−0.203 ± 3.83%) warm-ups. However, these differences were not statistically significant due to large variation across subjects. This study also found a significant drop of the bat speed at the first trial (−0.499 ± 3.21% and −1.07 ± 3.21% for the OA and OB warm-ups, respectively) immediately following loaded warm-ups. It was concluded that the overweighted arm warm-up might be better than the traditional warmup routine (i.e., the overweighted bat) but a short break (e.g., 3-min) is recommended to maximize the performance.


This paper presents an efficient simulation algorithm-Scattering matrix method for investigation of the coated finite two-dimensional electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structures. The method is derived to be capable to simulate the band properties of the coated cylinder photonic crystal with wave discontinuities. Numbers of photonic crystals with waveguide discontinuities are examined. The transmission characteristics of the EBG embedded with metal, dielectric, and various coated cylinders are analyzed. The results show that the tuned bandgap properties are able to provide an additional possibility to develop a novel device.


Our review of recently published climatic proxy sequences shows that the most dramatic climate tranistion of the mid Holocene (~8500–~3500 cal. yr BP) occurred at the middle- to late-Holocene transition at ~4000 cal. yr BP. In northern China, an abrupt climatic shift at ~4000 cal. yr BP was recorded in the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, in the western part of the Chinese Loess Plateau and in the vast Inner Mongolian Plateau. In southern China, the ~4000 cal. yr BP event was also abrupt, but it is expressed as one of several quasi-cyclic events in most of the records. We propose that the cumulative effects of insolation-dictated declining trend in tropical SST and the geologically documented increasing trend of ENSO activity were the first-order causes of the cooling and the associated drying during the past 6000 years. Superimposed on the first-order causes were the second-order causes, i.e. the additive effects of the 'Bond Event 3'-associated lower insolation and the increasingly drying-resulted negative feedback of 'air–land interactions'. The second-order causes made ~4000 cal. yr BP the tipping point when the resultant drying had destroyed many Chinese Neolithic cultures. Our review of published archaeological literature shows that six of the seven well-documented Chinese Neolithic cultures collapsed at ~4000 cal. yr BP with the exception of the Henan Longshan Culture that evolved to the more advanced Erlitou Culture. The indicators of the cultural collapse include (1) the number of archaeological sites was significantly reduced, (2) the quality of the archaeological artifacts of the succeeding culture is lower than that of the preceding culture, (3) more sophisticated architectures disappeared, and (4) agricultural cultures were replaced by pastoralism or by agro-pastoralism in northern China.


Abstract Vancomycin was administered IV to healthy adult female dogs at a dosage of 15 mg/kg of body weight every 12 hours for 10 days. Pharmacokinetic values were determined after the first and last doses. The disposition of vancomycin was not altered by multiple dosing, and little accumulation attributable to multiple dosing was observed. Serum vancomycin concentration after the first and last dose were described, using a 2-compartment open model with first-order elimination. The distribution and elimination half-lives after the single dose were 15.4 +/- 2.7 minutes and 137 +/- 21.8 minutes (geometric mean +/- pseudo-SD), respectively; whereas the distribution and elimination half-lives after the last dose were 11.3 +/- 2.61 minutes and 104 +/- 11.2 minutes, respectively. The mean (+/- SD) area-derived volume of distribution was 396 +/- 156 ml/kg and 382 +/- 160 ml/kg after the first and last dose, respectively. Serum vancomycin clearance was 2.13 +/- 0.35 ml/min/kg and 2.49 +/- 0.79 ml/min/kg after the first and last dose, respectively, and 25 to 49% of the total dose of vancomycin was recovered in the urine in the first 24 hours after the single dose administered IV. Mean serum vancomycin concentration reached 101.8 +/- 30.6 micrograms/ml and 99.7 +/- 28.0 micrograms/ml at 5 minutes after a single dose and the last of the multiple doses, respectively, and decreased to 0.94 +/- 0.58 microgram/ml and 1.51 +/- 1.44 micrograms/ml, respectively, at 12 hours after administration. The side effects that accompany vancomycin treatment in human beings were not observed in the dogs; all remained healthy through the end of the experiment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Understanding the representational power of Restricted Boltzmann Machines (RBMs) with multiple layers is an ill-understood problem and is an area of active research. Motivated from the approach of \emph{Inherent Structure formalism} (Stillinger & Weber, 1982), extensively used in analysing Spin Glasses, we propose a novel measure called \emph{Inherent Structure Capacity} (ISC), which characterizes the representation capacity of a fixed architecture RBM by the expected number of modes of distributions emanating from the RBM with parameters drawn from a prior distribution. Though ISC is intractable, we show that for a single layer RBM architecture ISC approaches a finite constant as number of hidden units are increased and to further improve the ISC, one needs to add a second layer. Furthermore, we introduce \emph{Lean} RBMs, which are multi-layer RBMs where each layer can have at-most $O(n)$ units with the number of visible units being n. We show that for every single layer RBM with $\Omega(n^{2+r}), r \ge 0$, hidden units there exists a two-layered \emph{lean} RBM with $\Theta(n^2)$ parameters with the same ISC, establishing that 2 layer RBMs can achieve the same representational power as single-layer RBMs but using far fewer number of parameters. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first result which quantitatively establishes the need for layering.


In this paper, we present an algorithm of the Laplace homotopy analysis method (LHAM) to obtain approximate solutions for linear and nonlinear oscillator fractional differential equations. The proposed algorithm presents a procedure of constructing the set of base functions and gives the high-order deformation equation in a simple form. The method provides the solution in the form of a rapidly convergent series. Numerical examples are used to illustrate the preciseness and effectiveness of the proposed method.


Based on a construction of the first author, we present a general bijection between certain decorated plane trees and certain orientations of planar maps with no counterclockwise circuit. Many natural classes of maps (e.g. Eulerian maps, simple triangulations,...) are in bijection with a subset of these orientations, and our construction restricts in a simple way on the subset. This gives a general bijective strategy for classes of maps. As a non-trivial application of our method we give the first bijective proofs for counting (rooted) simple triangulations and quadrangulations with a boundary of arbitrary size, recovering enumeration results found by Brown using Tutte's recursive method.


Abstract The genus Phlegmariurus Holubis recognised more widely than originally proposed and is circumscribed to include both Neotropic and Palaeotropic epiphytic and terrestrial species of Huperzioid Lycopodiaceae that have isotomous shoots, lack bulbils in their sporophyllous shoots and have spores with convex lateral margins and foveolate-fossulate sculpture restricted to their distal surfaces. New combinations with Phlegmariurus are proposed for 81 species and existing combinations identified for 33 species originating from the Palaeotropics. This installs a generic circumscription that is consistent between the Neotropics and Palaeotropics. A lectotype is designated for the type species of the genus, Phlegmariurus phlegmaria (L.) T.Sen & U.Sen


Abstract Both silica and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induce a rapid degradation of IκBα, an intracellular inhibitor of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB transcription factor. In this report, we demonstrate that MG132, a relatively specific proteasome inhibitor, is capable of suppressing LPS-induced IκBα degradation and NF-κB activation in mouse macrophage line RAW 264.7 cells, but is unable to influence the same induction produced by silica. In contrast, the lysosome inhibitor chloroquine has little effect on IκBα degradation induced by either silica or LPS. In fact, chloroquine enhances the signal-induced nuclear expression of NF-κB p50/p65 heterodimer by inhibiting the resynthesis of IκBα. With the use of transient transfection of a plasmid that expresses calpastatin, a natural inhibitor for calpain, the silica-induced degradation of IκBα and NF-κB activation was attenuated. In contrast, no inhibition of LPS-induced IκBα degradation and NF-κB activation was observed by the overexpression of calpastatin. This suggests that calpain contributes to silica-induced IκBα degradation and NF-κB activation but not to LPS-induced IκBα degradation and NF-κB activation.


Based on this unfavourable condition the Trimurti of K.H. Ahmad Sahal, K.H. Zainuddin Fananie, and K. H. Imam Zarkasyi strived their best to change this situation bj founding Pondok Modern Gontor (PMG) and stress-ing the important of Arabic and English languages. Almost without anything or with very limited preparation th y began founding tarbiyatul atfal, preschool. Almost all o f its students were local children. However, theirjihad, working and studying hard after the founders and material and moral supports of its sympathiser done step by step, PMG has been growing slower, and later faster, especially after returning of K.H. Imam Zarkasyi finished his study in many different places such as Sala and Sumatera Barat, or Sumbar. A s the condition of PMG getting better and better, many students from many different places are coming to study at PGM which already focused on teaching students at the level junior and senior high schools, and then finally university.


The objective of this work is to estimate 3D human pose from a single RGB image. Extracting image representations which incorporate both spatial relation of body parts and their relative depth plays an essential role in accurate3D pose reconstruction. In this paper, for the first time, we show that camera viewpoint in combination to 2D joint locations significantly improves 3D pose accuracy without the explicit use of perspective geometry mathematical models. To this end, we train a deep Convolutional Neural Net-work (CNN) to learn categorical camera viewpoint. To make the network robust against clothing and body shape of the subject in the image, we utilized 3D computer rendering to synthesize additional training images. We test our framework on the largest 3D pose estimation bench-mark, Human3.6m, and achieve up to 20% error reduction on standing-pose activities compared to the state-of-the-art approaches that do not use body part segmentation.


Phlox paniculata 'John Fanick', a superior selection for Texas landscapes having attractive and long-lasting dense terminal clusters of flowers in shades of red, pink, and white with a dark red eye, has potential as a specialty cut flower crop. The key components affecting quality and post harvest display life of cut flower heads are flower abscission, opening of additional flowers in vase, and maintenance and development of color in flowers during vase life. Addition of gibberellic acid (GA) or prohexadione-Ca (PROHEX) to the holding solution induced abscission of open flowers and inhibited development of flower pigmentation in newly opened flowers. In controls the petal color of flowers turned bluish, but addition of sucrose (SUC) restored the normal pink-white color. In SUC+GA, the flower size increased considerably and the corolla tube elongated, but the flowers exhibited a distinctive light pink color. In SUC+PROHEX, however, the flowers became very large, but the petals remained light bluish or white. In SUC+PROHEX+GA, most of the flowers did not develop color and exhibited perfect white color, although they attained large size and exhibited extended display life. These results point out that the post harvest quality, display life and longevity of cut phlox flowers can be regulated by management of plant growth regulators and sucrose in the vase solution.


This is a preliminary report on the first half of a study designed to assess the ability of two different spacer devices to improve the results of aerosol steroid treatment in chronic asthmatic patients given budesonide in low and high dosages. The spacers significantly reduced oropharyngeal candidiasis but did not affect dysphonia - possibly because the incidence of the latter was so low throughout the study. The spacers augmented the airway response to budesonide in these patients without materially increasing systemic absorption of the drug (assessed indirectly in terms of the change in blood eosinophil counts). Pretreatment with inhaled terbutaline did not significantly affect the performance of the spacers, either in terms of the airways responses or the amount of budesonide systemically absorbed. When used properly, these spacers can improve the cost effectiveness of aerosol steroid treatment. Since only adults were studied, it is not known whether these findings apply equally well to children with asthma.


Paper analyses road transport indicators and citizen's attitudes as well as willingness to pay a car tax in Lithuania. Increasing motorization rate and relatively old car fleet contribute to the increasing carbon emissions in road transport sector, despite some improvement in renewables consumption. As one of the possible policy measures to change car fleet and gain budget revenues a car tax could be applied. Respondents express some willingness to pay a car tax, however willingness to pay is much lower to compare to the intended tax. Factors like incomes and age were the predictors of willingness to pay. Ones with higher incomes were ready to pay bigger car tax. In addition, environmental awareness rising could be and good step before introducing such taxes, as well as more detail analysis of the best taxation approach is needed.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.74.2.21498


When robots leave industrial settings, they have to be designed allowing intuitive communication with the humans they interact with. The current paper focuses on collaboration in kinesthetic tasks. Herein, we investigate decision situations. This way, the need of communication between partners can be addressed. The current paper introduces for the first time an experimental paradigm which allows studying the effect of decision making in haptic collaboration. Because reciprocal haptic feedback is challenging to provide, we analyze its efficiency in human-human collaboration to understand when it is worth to invest in this additional modality. A one degree of tracking experiment with two human partners revealed that the additional physical effort accompanying reciprocal haptic feedback is directly transformed into higher performance (compared to a control condition without reciprocal haptic feedback). Thus, the presented results motivate further research on the nature of the haptic negotiation between human partners to achieve the same performance benefits in kinesthetic collaboration with robotic partners.


BACKGROUND
Gingival fibromatosis (GF) is characterized by fibrotic enlargement of the gingiva that can be inherited as an isolated trait (named hereditary gingival fibromatosis) or as a component of a syndrome. This article reports one kindred affected by a syndrome characterized by GF associated with dental abnormalities (DA) including generalized thin hypoplastic amelogenesis imperfecta (AI).

METHODS
To characterize the pattern of inheritance and the clinical features, 70 family members were examined. Hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemistry, and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) were performed to identify the alterations on gingiva, teeth, and dental follicles.

RESULTS
Examination of the family pedigree demonstrated multiple consanguineous first-cousin marriages and an autosomal recessive trait of inheritance. Four members demonstrated mild GF in association with DA, including generalized thin hypoplastic AI, intrapulpal calcifications, delay of tooth eruption, and pericoronal radiolucencies involving unerupted teeth. One of those four patients also had mental retardation (MR). MR as an isolated feature was observed in six members, whereas isolated GF was found in one individual. A combination of gingivectomy and gingivoplasty followed by regular dental procedures were performed in these patients. Histologic examination of the gingival enlargement revealed a dense connective tissue containing myofibroblasts, islands of odontogenic epithelium, and calcified psammomatous deposits, which resembled cementicle-like structures by SEM. Pericoronal lesions also showed calcified psammomatous deposits in association with islands of odontogenic epithelium. Enamel ultrastructure analysis revealed normal surface alternating with irregular and porous areas.

CONCLUSION
To the best of our knowledge, these cases represent a new syndrome within the spectrum of those including GF.


Ensuring sustainable development of the industrial complex is one of the most important scientific and practical problems. The basis for the sustainable development of the enterprise is the effective use and development of the balanced resources potential. In modern conditions the acceleration of innovation processes, the development of specialization and cooperation of enterprises, reinforcement of global economic relations change the value of individual resources. Intangible assets, such as knowledge, information and relations with business partners, become a leading factor in the development of the industrial enterprise. Establishing and maintaining a network within the business enterprise partnerships provide additional assets of resource support for sustainable development. Companies pay in the process of forming relationships with partners a particular attention to the establishment of close cooperation with consumers. The involvement of consumers in the value creation process makes it possible to completely consider their needs, to reduce the risks of unsuccessful offer, to open the possibility of their involvement and to use their resources for the enterprise activity , which is essential for its sustainable development. The article presents the main directions of development of business networks, shows typical examples of networks in different countries and areas.


In this paper we show that the Paris Metro Pricing of Odlyzko (1997) can be solution of a maximization problem of the social welfare when the aversion of the consumers to the congestion is her/his private information. The solution obtained is rather robust insofar as there is no systematic divergence between the optimal function of congestion and that of first rank (in complete information) and where the solution appears not very sensitive to the weighting used (represented by the opportunity cost of the public funds). Thus a private monopolist would implement a scheme giving results in term of congestion rates by types of users rather close to that which would choose a benevolent regulator.