The reduviid predator, Rhynocoris fuscipes (Fabricius) (Heteroptera: Reduviidae) is a potential predator inhibiting diverse agroecosystems and preying upon about 50 minor as well as major insect pests. The prey approaching behaviour of R. fuscipes (Fabricius) to the hexane extracts of insect pests viz., Helicoverpa armigera Hubner, Spodoptera litura (Fabricius), Achaea janata Linnaeus, Dysdercus cingulatus Fabricius and Mylabris indica Thunberg was assessed in Y-shaped olfactometer in terms of Excess Proportion Index (EPI). Ether in hexane fraction extracts of S. litura stimulated higher rostral protruding activity (6.53 +/- 1.56 min) than that of H. armigera (4.61 +/- 1.29 min) followed by A. janata (3.17 +/- 1.11) and D. cingulatus (2.95 +/- 1.12 min). The lowest response was observed to the hexane extract of M. indica (1.30 +/- 0.63 min).The order of excitement in behavioral response of R. fuscipes to the tested body extract of five insect pests was ranked as follows: S. litura > H. armigera > A. janata > D. cingulatus > M. indica. Thus the present study clearly reveals the host preference of R. fuscipes to the taxonomically diverse insect pests.


The concept of a super value node is developed to extend the theory of influence diagrams to allow dynamic programming to be performed within this graphical modeling framework. The operations necessary to exploit the presence of these nodes and efficiently analyze the models are developed. The key result is that by representing value function separability in the structure of the graph of the influence diagram, formulation is simplified and operations on the model can take advantage of the separability. From the decision analysis perspective, this allows simple exploitation of separability in the value function of a decision problem. This allows algorithms to be designed to solve influence diagrams that automatically recognize the opportunity for applying dynamic programming. From the decision processes perspective, influence diagrams with super value nodes allow efficient formulation and solution of nonstandard decision process structures. They also allow the exploitation of conditional independence between state variables. >


A 63-year-old female, who had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) 3 years previously, was admitted due to progressive pancytopenia, lymphadenopathy, fever, and weight loss. The physical and laboratory findings fulfilled all of the American Rheumatism Association (ARA) revised criteria for RA. Her bone marrow aspirate revealed a decreased nuclear cell count (1.8 x 10(4) microliters) and megakarocyte count (0/microliter), and macrophages phagocytizing blood cells (4%), indicating the presence of hemophagocytic syndrome. The serological tests for several viruses revealed no obvious viral etiology. However, a slight Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation could not be excluded. Administration of 40 mg prednisolone daily improved her abnormal hematological findings and immunological laboratory parameters. This is a case of RA accompanied by hemophagocytic syndrome, which has not been reported previously as a complication of RA.


It is important to understand and efficiently predict the performance of large codes executing on massively parallel machines. However, these very large machines are scarce, expensive, and generally unavailable to large segments of the research community. It is therefore important to implement performance analysis tools for such machines on platforms that are readily available to the research community at large. To meet this need, we have ported LAPSE, a parallel direct-execution simulator, from the Intel Paragon to an ordinary cluster of workstations. The goal of this research is to provide researchers the opportunity to study codes designed for execution on a massively parallel machine while physically executing on a workstation cluster. However, we encountered significant performance problems when moving to a workstation cluster, due primarily to high communication and context switching costs. To reduce these costs, we implemented the virtual processors of the simulated system using light-weight threads rather than heavy-weight Unix processes. In this paper, we discuss the issues involved in moving from a process-based to a thread-based simulator, and demonstrate up to a four fold increase in performance by doing so.


A major component of the adaptive immune response to infection is the generation of protective and long-lasting humoral immunity. Traditional approaches to understanding the host's humoral immune response are unable to provide an integrated understanding of the antibody repertoire generated in response to infection. By studying multiple antigenic responses in parallel, we can learn more about the breadth and dynamics of the antibody response to infection. Measurement of antibody production following vaccination is also a gauge for efficacy, as generation of antibodies can protect from future infections and limit disease. Protein microarrays are well suited to identify, quantify and compare individual antigenic responses following exposure to infectious agents. This technology can be applied to the development of improved serodiagnostic tests, discovery of subunit vaccine antigen candidates, epidemiologic research and vaccine development, as well as providing novel insights into infectious disease and the immune system. In this review, we will discuss the use of protein microarrays as a powerful tool to define the humoral immune response to bacteria and viruses.


The main objective of this research is to explore the results of the use of videos as an educational tool which helps increasing students' motivation in any discipline. The study is based on several streaming videos created as a support material for learning and used by 12 lecturers with 487 students in three different degrees of engineering (Mechanical, Industrial and Management, and Aeronautical) at the School of Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering of Terrassa (ETSEIAT). The paper describes the different areas and ways in which this innovative learning tool has been used and emphasizes the skills developed in each application. Finally, it presents the results of the impact of the use of videos upon students' motivation.


The stomach contents of 1922 Alestes baremose Joannis and 1184 Hydrocynus forskali Cuvier caught in Lake Albert, East Africa were examined. The fish were caught in gill nets in three main different types of habitat; in lagoons, inshore in the main body of the lake and offshore. Zooplankton, ephemeropteran imagines and higher plant species constituted almost the whole diet of A, baremose, although the relative importance of these three items varied with habitat. In the lagoons and inshore Hydrocynus forskali was mainly piscivorous, but offshore where the largest specimens occur it was feeding mainly on Caridina nilotica. The role of Hydrocynus species as predators in Lake Albert is discussed and it is shown that in this lake predation intensity bythis genus must be considered entirely in terms of H.forskali.


Abstract: State foster care systems are forcing many foster children to take high dosages of dangerous, mind-altering psychotropic medications. State actors have little medical background for each child and have limited time to diagnose disorders, thereby creating potential constitutional and human rights violations. States are only supposed to administer psychotropic medication to a child when necessary and in the child's best interest. Many children in foster care, however, are heavily medicated despite the difficulties of proving necessity. Those difficulties are due to a combination of diagnosis practice, the foster child's background, and the poor condition of state foster care systems. In light of these limitations and the potential for using medication solely to curb bad behavior, such high prescription rates are unjustified. Many states lack in-depth tracking and oversight measures and fail to recognize this problem, thereby allowing abuse to continue and potentially preventing foster children from seeking justice.INTRODUCTIONBetween February and March 2009, seven-year-old Gabriel Myers had multiple therapists, foster home placements, and after-school programs. 1 He lost many of the privileges he typically had at his original home and faced changes in the visitation arrangements he had with his biological mother.2 During this time, Gabriel acted out on numerous occasions and had other behavioral problems; as a result, doctors put him on multiple psychotropic medications covered by Medicaid.3 He took Lexapro, an antidepressant, and Vyvanse, a medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).4 Then, a doctor-having been warned by the FDA for over-prescribing to children-prescribed Gabriel Symbyax, a medication not recommended for use in children.5 Symbyax, a powerful anti-depressant, contains an FDA-required black label warning in its packaging because of its potential to cause suicidal thoughts in teenagers and children.6 Medicaid paid for Gabriel's Symbyax prescription, despite not qualifying for reimbursement.7 By April 2009, the Florida Department of Children & Families had Gabriel on multiple psychotropic medications, even though his medical records lacked the necessary parental consent form.8On April 16, 2009, less than one month after receiving the Symbyax prescription, Gabriel stayed home sick from school while his caretaker's adult son-Miguel Gould, an unlicensed caregiver-watched over him.9 During lunch, Gabriel dumped his soup into the trash and then, as Miguel sent him to his room, claimed he wanted to kill himself. 10 In his room, Gabriel threw his toys and told Miguel that he was going to commit suicide.11 Gabriel locked himself in the bathroom and Miguel spent "five or ten minutes" opening the door.12 By the time Miguel gained entry, Gabriel was unresponsive and, when first responders arrived, it was too late.13 Gabriel had hung himself using the bathroom's extendable shower cord, taking his own life less than three months after his seventh birthday.14Psychotropic medications are "drugs that affect the psychic function, behavior and experience of a person using them."15 Generally, psychotropic medications are divided into six classes: stimulants, antidepressants, depressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and anxyiolitics (antianxiety).16 These medications, however, carry significant side effects.17 Their risks range from constipation, restlessness, and fatigue, to more serious complications such as impaired motor skills, convulsions, liver damage, and suicidal thoughts.18 Some can even cause tardive dyskenisia-a neurological disorder producing "involuntary and grotesque movements of the face, mouth, tongue, jaw and extremities and which is irreversible in its most severe form"-chronic irreversible neurological impairments, and death.19There are few studies analyzing the potential long-term effects of psychotropic medications on children or their mental development. …


The figure of Ulysses haunts the pages of Dante's Commedia, embodying a tension between past and present, and the potential and dangers inherent in any attempt at transformation. In this chapter I focus on four creative pieces by young South African students for whom Dante's Ulysses becomes a rich and suggestive symbol. Despite their overt differences in approach, I argue that these pieces are all connected by a creative response to Dante, translating and conversing with his Ulysses from their personal and political perspectives. They are notable for their paradoxical approach to Dante's hero, as they attempt to fashion new identities, to break free of the destructive influence of South Africa's past, and to develop a more authentic, moral language.


The new concept of agricultural water supply potential, which is mean annual turnover rate times unit storage capacity, was introduced for agricultural reservoirs. We investigated characteristics of mean annual turnover rate and unit storage capacity for agricultural reservoirs with storage capacity of over 1 million m 3 . The curve of agricultural water supply potential represents change in mean annul turnover rate according to change in unit storage capacity. The mean annual turnover rate and unit storage capacity in the reservoirs with high minimum storage ratio are significantly higher than those in the reservoirs with low minimum storage ratio. Most of unstable water supply reservoirs showed low mean annual turnover rate or low unit storage capacity, indicating that mean annual turnover rate may be an index of stability degree for agricultural water use. The reservoirs with mean annual turnover rate of over 2 and unit storage capacity of over 0.8 m may be estimated as the stable water supply zone for 10 frequency dry year. The reservoirs with high agricultural water supply potential can belong to the wide range of stable water supply zone. The results suggest that relation between mean annual turnover rate and unit storage capacity may be used in evaluating stability degree for agricultural water supply in the reservoirs.


BACKGROUND
Intensive oral care can reduce the incidence of pneumonia in elderly nursing home patients, but the mechanism is unknown.

OBJECTIVE
To explore the effects of intensive oral care on impaired cough reflex sensitivity, which is a known risk factor of aspiration pneumonia.

METHODS
Cough reflex sensitivity to citric acid was measured in elderly nursing home patients, who were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 30) and the control group (n = 29). The patients in the intervention group had their teeth and gingiva cleaned by caregivers after every meal for 1 month. The patients in the control group performed their own oral care during the same period. Serum substance P (SP) concentration, cognitive function, and activities of daily living (ADL) were also assessed.

RESULTS
In the intervention group, cough reflex sensitivity at 30 days showed significantly higher sensitivity than baseline (p < 0.01). At 30 days, the cough reflex sensitivities in the intervention group were significantly higher than that of the control group (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the odds ratio of improvement of cough reflex sensitivity was 5.3 (95% confidence interval, 1.7 to 16.0; p < 0.005) for the intervention group. One month of intensive oral care did not have a significant effect on serum SP concentration, cognitive function, and ADL.

CONCLUSION
Intensive oral care may reduce the incidence of pneumonia by improving cough reflex sensitivity in elderly nursing home patients.


Paving block (concrete brick) is a composition of building materials made from a mixture of Portland cement or other hydraulic adhesive. The making of paving blocks is done by a process of molding, soaking, physical testing including compressive strength, density, porosity, and absorption, and characterization including XRF and XRD. The paving blocks are made without the addition of basalt stone and rice husk ash and with the addition of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% with a test life of 7 days, 14 days and 28 days. The materials used are cement, sand, basalt stone, rice husk ash and water. Paving blocks without the addition of basalt stone and rice husk ash have the highest compressive strength at the test age of 28 days of 9.9 MPa and absorption of 15.06%, whereas with the addition of basalt stone and rice husk ash the highest compressive strength is at a concentration of 5% at age 28day test of 12.25 MPa and the absorption value of 7.12%. The results of XRF characterization showed that the more concentrations of basalt stone and rice husk ash, the CaO contained in the paving blocks increased while the SiO2 decreased. The results of XRD characterization showed that the phases formed were ternesite, microline maximum and yeelimite.


The issues raised by the Nuremberg trials are dealt with in this book. These include: was it a necessary response to the crimes of the Third Reich?; how were Germany and the Germans capable of such extraordinary evil?; was the trial just, given the claims that the defendants were simply serving their country, doing as they had been told to do?; and if not just, was it nonetheless necessary as a warning to prevent future crimes against humanity? The author's approach to these and other questions of justice is made through examination of each of the defendants in the trial. His conclusion is: "In a world of mixed human affairs where a rough justice is done that is better than lynching or being shot out of hand, Nuremberg may be defended as a political event if not as a court". Some sentences may have seemed too severe, but none was harsher than the punishments meted out to innocent people by the regimes these men served. "In a certain sense", says Davidson, "the trial succeeded in doing what judicial proceedings are supposed to do: it convinced even the guilty that the verdict against them was just".


This article explores the gendered construction of disgust, and analyzes how it plays out in Peter Vack's 2017 directorial-debut Assholes. Based on feminist and queer scholarship on abjection, disgust, and the social construction of bodies and sexualities, this article aims to delve into how Assholes frames the relationship between disgust and masculinity, as it shifts how gendered bodily boundaries are played onscreen. The movie's un-shaming of women's bodily functions and fluids directly impacts its representation of disgust and masculinity; it destabilizes the discourses that have framed normative—white, heterosexual, and able-bodied—masculinity as non-disgusting; and it establishes that normative male bodies can, too, become abject.


BACKGROUND
Pro-inflammatory cytokine gene polymorphisms are potential candidates for susceptibility for both type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and chronic periodontitis (CHP). This study explored the association of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 β) +3954, interleukin-6 (IL-6) -597/-174 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) -308 single nucleotide polymorphisms in CHP with and without type 2 DM in Malayalam speaking subjects of Dravidian ethnicity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
This case control study consisted of 51 chronic periodontitis with type 2 diabetes mellitus (CHPDM) and 51 CHP patients as cases and 51 healthy subjects as controls. Polymorphisms were identified by polymerase chain reaction amplification followed by restriction enzyme digestion and gel electrophoresis.

RESULTS
IL-1 β (+3954) TT genotype and T allele were significantly associated with CHPDM group when compared with CHP (P = 0.001), whereas CC genotype and allele C was higher in CHP subjects (P = 0.001). For IL-6 (-597) frequency of genotype GA/AA (P = 0.04) and allele A (P = 0.01) was lower in CHPDM group, and for TNF-α -308 the frequency of genotype GA (P = 0.01) and allele A (P = 0.01) was higher in CHP subjects when compared with controls.

CONCLUSIONS
In Malayalam speaking Dravidian population, IL-6 (-597) genotype GA/AA and allele A appears to be protective for CHP with type 2 DM. Allele C of IL-1 β +3954 and allele A of TNF-α -308 appears to be risk factors for CHP individuals.


KRAS mutations are detected in tumors of various organs, and they are also markers of resistance for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies against the EGFR. Thus, the accurate and rapid detection of KRAS mutations is crucial, not only for screening, but also for the prediction of the efficacy of molecular-targeted therapy. The aim of the present study was to establish a novel automated detection system for KRAS mutations. One hundred and thirty-six lung adenocarcinoma patients were genotyped for KRAS mutations with both the conventional direct sequence (DS) method and with the newly developed quenching probe (QP) method that obtains data automatically within 60 min. The detection limit of the QP method using a control plasmid containing the KRAS mutation was 50 copies, and 10% mutant plasmid was detected in the mixture of wild-type and mutants. The results obtained by the QP and DS methods were identical in all but two of the 136 cases. The two differentially identified samples, which consisted of substantially fewer lung cancer cells, were positive according to the QP method but negative as determined by DS for KRAS mutations. These findings characterize the QP method as an accurate and rapid detection system for KRAS mutations.


A diastereoselective synthesis of a highly functionalized decalin fragment 61 of the insect antifeedant azadirachtin 1 is described. An intramolecular Diels–Alder reaction of triene 15 and subsequent intramolecular aldol reaction were employed to assemble the basic carbon skeleton. A high degree of stereocontrol in the cycloaddition step was achieved by using a dimethyl(phenyl)silyl group to effect endo-selectivity. The silyl group enabled further diastereoselective elaboration and later stereospecific introduction of C(3) hydroxy functionality through oxidation with peracid. Both enantiomers of the intermediate alcohol 40 were obtained by optical resolution. The C(9)–C(10) tetrahydrofuran hemiketal moiety was introduced using a novel 6→5 ring-contraction protocol with initial formation of the δ-lactone 49 by an intramolecular Michael addition. Subsequent α-hydroxylation and methanolysis furnished the tetrahydrofuran hemiketal 50, which was converted in two steps into the fully protected enantiopure target molecule 61. Single-crystal X-ray analyses of compounds 18, 50, and (+)-53 have been carried out and the absolute configuration of compound (+)-53 determined


Summary To understand the function of genetic regulatory networks in the development of cellular systems, we must not only realise the individual network entities, but also the manner by which they interact. Multi-valued networks are a promising qualitative approach for modelling such genetic regulatory networks, however, at present they have limited formal analysis techniques and tools. We present a flexible formal framework for modelling and analysing multi-valued genetic regulatory networks using high-level Petri nets and logic minimization techniques. We demonstrate our approach with a detailed case study in which part of the genetic regulatory network responsible for the carbon starvation stress response in Escherichia coli is modelled and analysed. We then compare and contrast this multivalued model to a corresponding Boolean model and consider their formal relationship.


We revise a known attack on the PIN verification framework, based on a weakness of the underlying security API. We specify this flawed API in an imperative language with cryptographic primitives and we show why its type-based verification fails in the type system of Myers, Sabelfeld and Zdancewic. We propose an improved API, extend the type system with cryptographic primitives for assuring integrity, and show our new API to be type-checkable. (for presentation only)


ABSTRACT A system for high-level expression of heparinase I, heparinase II, heparinase III, chondroitinase AC, and chondroitinase B in Flavobacterium heparinum is described. hepA, along with its regulatory region, as well as hepB, hepC, cslA, and cslB, cloned downstream of the hepA regulatory region, was integrated in the chromosome to yield stable transconjugant strains. The level of heparinase I and II expression from the transconjugant strains was approximately fivefold higher, while heparinase III expression was 10-fold higher than in wild-type F. heparinum grown in heparin-only medium. The chondroitinase AC and B transconjugant strains, grown in heparin-only medium, yielded 20- and 13-fold increases, respectively, in chondroitinase AC and B expression, compared to wild-type F. heparinum grown in chondroitin sulfate A-only medium. The hepA upstream region was also studied using cslA as a reporter gene, and the transcriptional start site was determined to be 26 bp upstream of the start codon in the chondroitinase AC transconjugant strain. The transcriptional start sites were determined for hepA in both the wild-type F. heparinum and heparinase I transconjugant strains and were shown to be the same as in the chondroitinase AC transconjugant strain. The five GAG lyases were purified from these transconjugant strains and shown to be identical to their wild-type counterparts.


There is some evidence that both distance from transmission lines and measured or calculated magnetic fields are associated with childhood leukemia. Because distance is a key component when calculating the magnetic field generated by power lines, distance from lines and calculated fields based on lines tend to be highly correlated. Socioeconomic status (SES) and dwelling type are also associated with magnetic field exposure. We used exposure data from two large studies of childhood leukemia and other cancers, in the US and the UK, to describe a relationship between distance and magnetic fields across the population within 100 meters (m) of power lines as a whole and evaluate potential modifiers such as SES and type of dwelling. There were 387 subjects living within 100 m of an overhead power line. There was no significant difference in mean calculated fields or distance to 200+ kV lines within 100 m by study. Within the range where the power-line field is expected to be significant compared to other sources, which we take as 100 m, distance to high-voltage lines predicted magnetic field (MF) variation in both studies better than other functions of distance tested in both linear and logistic regression. There were no differences between high and low SES or dwelling types (single-family home versus other). In conclusion, we found that calculated fields do appear to diminish linearly with increasing distance from overhead power lines, up to 100 m, particularly those 200+ kV and above. These results are stronger in the UK study. Within 100 m, distance to high-voltage lines continues to be highly correlated with calculated MFs and each can be a proxy for the other.


The "use" of corpora and concordancers in translation teaching has grown increasingly attractive since the mid1990s' with an abundant literature advocating their use and promoting their benefits in the translation classroom. In translator training, efforts are being made to incorporate the use of corpora and concordancers in masters' programmes and to offer specific modules on corpora for translation as the use of translation memory (TM) systems within Computer-Aided Translation (CAT) courses still dominates. In the translation profession, while TM systems are part of the everyday working environment, the same cannot be said of corpora and concordancers even though the most recent surveys show that professional translators would like to learn more about the potential of corpora for translation. Overall, the "usefulness" of corpora and corpus technology at the different stages of the translation process remains poorly documented in translation but a growing number of empirical studies has started to show concern as it has now become of paramount importance to assess the extent to which corpora are of added value for translation quality in both professional and academic environments


PURPOSE
Assess the surgical complications of primary tumor resection in stage IV colon cancer patients previously treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

METHODS
Between July 2001 and September 2010, 67 consecutive patients received preoperative chemotherapy. Clinical and surgical complications were obtained from the medical records. This study was retrospective in design.

RESULTS
All patients were affected with liver metastasis, and 29.8% had metastasis in additional organs. Three different schemes of preoperative chemotherapy were employed, based on FOLFIRI, XELOXIRI or XELOX plus cetuximab. Eighteen patients (26.8%) reported some side effects to the chemotherapy, without contraindicating any intervention. All patients underwent colon surgery and within those, eight patients (11.9%), underwent liver surgery simultaneously. Median hospital admission was 8 [3-29] days. The perioperative complication rate was 16.2%, when the estimated physiological and operative severity score for the enumeration of mortality and morbidity (POSSUM) was 58.3%. There was not perioperative mortality, despite the mortality prediction for Portsmouth-POSSUM (P-POSSUM) being 5.07%. No differences were observed between the chemotherapy regimen (P=0.72) or the kind of the surgery-simple or combined (P=0.58).

CONCLUSIONS
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy as a systemic treatment for stage IV colon cancer does not indicate surgery contraindication nor increases postoperative morbimortality by a significant amount.


Abstract Lab-on-a-chip based portable blood analysis systems would allow point-of-care measurements, e.g. in an ambulance, or in remote areas with no fast access to medical care. Such a systemwould provide much faster information about the health of a patient. Here,we present a system that is based on absorption spectroscopy and uses an organic laser, which is tunable in the visible range. The feasibility of the system is shown with a table-top setup using laboratory equipment. Measurements of human albumin show linear behaviour in a range from 2.5 g/L to 60 g/L. In a consecutive setup the system is implemented on a microfluidic chip and is capable of measuring simultaneously transmitted and side scattered intensities, even with ambient light present. Air-suspended grating couplers on polymers are shown as the first element of a lab-on-a-chip implementation.


Nuclear modification factor $R_{AA}$ for large $p_T$ single hadron is studied in a next-to-leading order (NLO) perturbative QCD (pQCD) parton model with medium-modified fragmentation functions (mFFs) due to jet quenching in high-energy heavy-ion collisions. The energy loss of the hard partons in the QGP is incorporated in the mFFs which utilize two most important parameters to characterize the transport properties of the hard parton jets: the jet transport parameter $\hat q_{0}$ and the mean free path $\lambda_{0}$, both at the initial time $\tau_0$. A phenomenological study of the experimental data for $R_{AA}(p_{T})$ is performed to constrain the two parameters with simultaneous $\chi^2/{\rm d.o.f}$ fits to RHIC as well as LHC data. We obtain for energetic quarks $\hat q_{0}\approx 1.1 \pm 0.2$ GeV$^2$/fm and $\lambda_{0}\approx 0.4 \pm 0.03$ fm in central $Au+Au$ collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200$ GeV, while $\hat q_{0}\approx 1.7 \pm 0.3$ GeV$^2$/fm, and $\lambda_{0}\approx 0.5 \pm 0.05$ fm in central $Pb+Pb$ collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=2.76$ TeV. Numerical analysis shows that the best fit happens between single scattering limit and multiple scattering limit for the energetic jets propagating through the bulk medium. Based on the best constraints for $\lambda_{0}$ and $\tau_0$, the estimated value for the mean-squared transverse momentum broadening is moderate which implies that the hard jets go through the medium with small reflection.


BACKGROUND
The reagent red blood cells used to screen and identify antibodies have to include K+ cells in all batch productions. The data of K/k phenotypes among differing Thai blood donor populations remains unknown; hence, mass screening for uncommon K+ donors by serological test has some limitations. Implementing K/k genotyping may be useful to predict uncommon K+ donors to overcome this challenge. This study aimed to establish an in-house K/k genotyping technique and to report KEL*01 and KEL*02 allele frequencies among three Thai blood donor populations to increase the selection of K+ donors in rare blood group databases.

METHODS
A total of 2,239 DNA samples obtained from 1,512 central, 427 southern, and 300 northern Thai blood donors were included. The KEL*01 and KEL*02 genotyping using PCR with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) was developed and validated. All samples were genotyped using developed PCR-SSP. Moreover, the possibility of finding group O and predicted K+ phenotypes among Thai blood donor populations was calculated.

RESULTS
The DNA controls were validated using two sets of primer combinations and the results of KEL*01 and KEL*02 genotyping were in agreement. The KEL*01 allele frequencies were 0.0007, 0.0047, and 0.0000, and KEL*02 allele frequencies were 0.9993, 0.9953, and 1.0000 among central, southern, and northern Thai donors, respectively. In addition, mass screening among 3,795 and 566 donors in central and southern Thai populations was required to find at least one group O and predicted K+ phenotypes.

CONCLUSIONS
The in-house PCR-SSP for KEL*01 and KEL*02 genotyping provided reproducible and accurate results with cost effectiveness. Our results confirmed the low KEL*01 allele frequencies among Thais. PCR-SSP could be used as an alternative technique to simply increase the number of uncommon predicted K+ phenotypes for reagent red blood cell recruitments.


To remove signal-dependent noise of a digital camera, we present a denoising approach via nonlinear image-decomposition. In the approach, at the first decomposition stage, multiplicative image-decomposition is performed, and a noisy image is represented as a product of its two components so that its structural component corresponding to a cartoon image approximation may not be corrupted by the noise and its texture component may collect almost all the noise. At the successive denoising stage, the structural component is used instead of the unknown true signal value, to adapt the soft-thresholding-type denoising manipulation of the texture component to the signal dependency of the noise. At the final image-synthesis stage, one combines the separated structure component with the denoised texture component to reproduce a denoised image. The approach selectively removes the signal-dependent noise without not only blurring sharp edges but also destroying visually important textures.


The focus of this study is to investigate early childhood students' discourses of play-based curriculum. In this paper we focus on how students made implicit and explicit links to the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF). Twenty-six early childhood students had volunteered their de-identified play and pedagogy assignments. We analysed their assignments and selected quotes that focused on their role as educators and related to the VEYLDF. We theorized the concept of conceptual reciprocity as students' understanding of their role in being sensitive and reciprocal with children and families. Our findings indicated that early childhood pre-service students shared a common language as they transitioned to professional practice. This concept links strongly to students and VEYLDF perspectives of pedagogical educators being effective and affectively relating to children. The study shows how pre-service students understand discourses that are in line with the VEYLDF and the National Quality (NQ) reform agenda where professionals must know how to communicate and interact with other cultures and show responsive engagement with children, families and wider society.


The cultures that in their divergent multiplicity were once effectively segregated in space and time, find themselves in close proximity, dialogue and potential competition and conflict in both literal and virtual space as a direct consequence of globalization. Coupled as globalization is with the technologies of the information age, it has dramatically and fundamentally transformed our cultural and cross-cultural modes of communication and exchange, and along with it our cultural experience of space and time. These transformations are not formal and aesthetic per se, but more profoundly cultural and ideological. As such, they are measurably changing all cultures involved in unforeseeable directions. These changes, along with a multi-cultural context to architectural practice in a global economy require a shift of emphasis in architectural pedagogy to better prepare the next generation of architects to meet the unique demands of a plurality of cultures in a state of flux and change.


Learning to program is notoriously dicult. A substantial minority of students fails in every introductory programming course in every UK university. Despite heroic academic eort, the proportion has increased rather than decreased over the years. Despite a great deal of research into teaching methods and student responses, we have no idea of the cause. It has long been suspected that some people have a natural aptitude for programming, but until now there has been no psychological test which could detect it. Programming ability is not known to be correlated with age, with sex, or with educational attainment; nor has it been found to be correlated with any of the aptitudes measured in conventional 'intelligence' or 'problem-solving-ability' tests. We have found a test for programming aptitude, of which we give details. We can predict success or failure even before students have had any contact with any programming language with very high accuracy, and by testing with the same instrument after a few weeks of exposure, with extreme accuracy. We present experimental evidence to support our claim. We point out that programming teaching is useless for those who are bound to fail and pointless for those who are certain to succeed.


Thresholds for changes in the amplitude of one or both components that compose two-tone complexes have been measured as a function of frequency separation. Thresholds have been measured while keeping the overall level fixed, or while using the within-trial roving level paradigm. Changes in the spectral shape of two-tone complexes were generally perceived better than changes in the overall level. Thresholds for the former changes are lowest at frequency separations near one semitone. Thresholds for the latter hardly depend on frequency separation. Two models have been applied to the data. For narrowbandwidth signals (smaller than~ ST, the EWAIF model [Feth, Pere. & Psychoph., lQ., 375-378 (1974) ] can account for the obtained data. For (partially) resolved signals. a two-channel model [ Durlach, Braida and Ito. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 80, 63-72 (1986) ] is able to model the data. The values of certain model parameters show that the auditory system does not always process the changes optimally, in the sense that amplitude changes in one component contribute more in the detection process than those in the other component. This is especially true for large frequency separations. The values of some other model parameters are more difficult to interpret, but suggest that central noise is involved.


We used flow cytometry and treatment in vivo with a monoclonal antibody (mAb), TA-2, to the alpha 4 integrin to investigate the role of alpha 4 beta 1, CD49d/CD29 (VLA-4) in antigen-induced lung inflammation in Brown Norway (BN) rats. Ovalbumin (OVA) inhalation induced an accumulation of eosinophils and lymphocytes in the lungs and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of sensitized BN rats at 24 h after challenge. Phenotypic analyses demonstrated that the percentages of T cells expressing detectable alpha 4 and CD25 in the bronchial lumen after antigen challenge were dramatically increased compared with blood and lymph node T cells. The mean channel fluorescence values of alpha 4 expression were also increased on BAL T cells compared with blood or lymph node T cells. Treatment of OVA-sensitized rats in vivo with total cumulative doses of 0.75 to 6 mg/kg TA-2 mAb intraperitoneally produced dose-related increases in circulating TA-2 and a peripheral blood lymphocytosis, basophilia, and eosinophilia. Flow cytometric analysis of the peripheral blood T cells after in vivo TA-2 mAb administration showed decreases in detectable alpha 4 when these cells were examined ex vivo. Treatment with TA-2, but not an isotype-matched control mouse immunoglobulin G1 mAb, markedly inhibited the OVA-induced recruitment of lymphocytes and eosinophils into the airway lumen. Very few CD3+CD49d+ cells migrated into BAL fluid following anti-alpha 4 mAb treatment in vivo. Treatment with TA-2 also significantly attenuated OVA-induced inflammatory histopathology. We conclude that VLA-4 is a critically important adhesion molecule involved in antigen-specific lung inflammation in sensitized BN rats.


PURPOSE
The aim of the study was to investigate the empathy level and caring behaviors perceptions of nursing students.

METHOD
This cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted with 276 nursing students.

RESULTS
The mean Empathic Tendency Scale score was 62.71 ± 5.10 (min. 20 to max. 100), indicating a low level of empathy. The mean of the Caring Assessment Questionnaire was 5.42 ± 0.80 (min. 1 to max. 7), showing a good perception of caring behaviors. There was a positive, low, and significant relationship between empathy and caring behaviors (r = 0.286, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION
This study revealed that nursing students have low-level empathy and high-level caring behaviors.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS
Throughout the educational process, the students' caring competencies, which include empathy and caring behaviors, developed. It is suggested that humanistic and value-oriented pedagogical approaches be incorporated into nursing curricula.


Pollinosis, a pollen-related disease, is caused by airborne allergenic pollens from certain plants. The prevalence of pollinosis has happened in recent decades. In order to prevent pollinosis, it is of great importance to do the research on airborne allergenic pollen. The advances in airborne allergenic pollen are briefly reviewed in this article pertaining to five aspects of the topic. Firstly, the concept of airborne allergenic pollen was introduced. Secondly, the characters and influential factors of airborne allergenic pollen were summarized. Airborne allergenic pollen has territorial and seasonal characters. There are some influential factors such as the type and quantity of allergenic pollen, ecological factors and contrived factors. Thirdly, the paper elaborated the improvements of pollen collectors. Several primary pollen collectors were described and compared here. For example, Burkard spore trap is based upon the same principle as the Hirst device, but the former allows uninterrupted sampling through seven days. Fourthly, the advances in airborne allergenic pollen were concluded from four different research fields. Some researchers investigated airborne allergenic pollen and several types of airborne allergenic pollen were identified. It is also very important for researchers to study pollen of different allergenic plants, to extract the substances out of them that cause pollinosis and to produce allergenic medicaments in diagnostic and medical senses. Other studies revealed the correlation between allergenic pollen and air pollution. One of these studies showed that the pollutants seem to make the surface of the exine more fragile, so triggering a mucosal reaction, making them more exposed to pollen allergens. At the same time, people took several precautionary measures, e.g. pollen forecast, to prevent the prevalence of pollinosis. There are many different remedies about pollinosis, among which there is a so-called immunotherapy. Fifthly, some problems about the study on airborne allergenic pollen and related resolutions were brought forward in the paper. Although there are many problems of study on airborne allergic pollen unsolved, the prospects of study on airborne allergic pollen is very brilliant.


We present a simulation-and-regression method for solving dynamic portfolio optimization problems in the presence of general transaction costs, liquidity costs and market impact. This method extends the classical least squares Monte Carlo algorithm to incorporate switching costs, corresponding to transaction costs and transient liquidity costs, as well as multiple endogenous state variables, namely the portfolio value and the asset prices subject to permanent market impact. To handle endogenous state variables, we adapt a control randomization approach to portfolio optimization problems and further improve the numerical accuracy of this technique for the case of discrete controls. We validate our modified numerical method by solving a realistic cash-and-stock portfolio with a power-law liquidity model. We identify the certainty equivalent losses associated with ignoring liquidity effects, and illustrate how our dynamic optimization method protects the investor's capital under illiquid market conditions. Lastly, we analyze, under different liquidity conditions, the sensitivities of certainty equivalent returns and optimal allocations with respect to trading volume, stock price volatility, initial investment amount, risk aversion level and investment horizon.


ceramics have been irradiated in a scanning electron microscope. The resultant changes in the cationic stoichiometry and oxygen content of the samples were investigated by cathodoluminescence (CL), secondary electron emission (SEE) and EDX microanalysis. Tl depletion and Ba enrichment are observed in the irradiated areas. CL spectroscopy shows that irradiation causes the increase of a 540 nm emission band attributed to complex centres involving oxygen vacancies. Other features of the CL spectra strongly suggest the presence of radiation induced new phases. The SEE yield, , has been found to depend on the oxygen content of the samples. This dependence can be explained on the basis of two charge carrier subsystems and their mutual interaction. Measurements of allow us to detect an oxygen deficient region, sometimes extending up to a distance of about , that surrounds the irradiated material.


Recently, we have succeeded in developing stable and long-term operation of an extended-gate field effect transistor-type glucose sensor using a silk-fibroin film for the immobilization membrane of glucose oxidase. In this paper, we report the fabrication process and characterization of the fibroin film. High-purity silk fibroin powder was used as the solute material in water. The advantage of this material is high solubility in water, non-toxicity to human body, and capability of stable immobilization of enzyme molecules. The fibroin film was formed on a glass substrate using a spin coating method followed by an insolubilation treatment in 80 wt% ethanol aqueous solution. It was revealed that the bond strength between the film and the substrate was dramatically improved by applying a silane coupling treatment to the substrate. The obtained film showed  -sheet structure and contained dense nanopores on the


The Methamphetamine Treatment Project offers the opportunity to examine the history of abuse and violence in a sample of 1016 methamphetamine users participating in a multisite study between 1999-2001. Reporting of abuse and violence was extensive, with 80% of women reporting abuse or violence from a partner. Men were more likely to report experiencing violence from friends and others. A high percentage of study participants reported a variety of threatening or coercive experiences with their partners. Past and current interpersonal violence is a characteristic of the lifestyles of the majority entering treatment for methamphetamine dependence.


When one is faced with the question of the relationship between globalization and the creation of transnational alliances of identity politics of sexuality, it seems that the title of this panel may be re-read as a suggestion to re-read John D'Emilio in the age of globalization. It was D'Emilio, who in his 1983 article "Capitalism and Gay Identity"1 linked the rise of gay identity to the rise of capitalism. D'Emilio argued that it was the emergence of capitalism that made gay identity possible: Capitalism required a system of labor based on wages, rather than on the self-sufficient household. Thus, the expansion of wage labor effected a profound transformation in the structure of the family. Wages gave people relative autonomy, away from their families, which was the necessary material condition for the making of lesbianism and gayness. Only when individuals began to make their living through wage labor was it possible for homosexual desire to coalesce into a personal identity. It was thus capitalism that created conditions that allowed some men and women to organize a personal life around their attraction to their own sex, and made possible the formation of urban communities of lesbians and gay men, and of a politics based on sexual identity. In this panel, the different speakers touched upon globalization, the current form of capitalism, and upon the ways in which this version of capitalism effected gay identity and gay identity politics.


Abstract  Introduction: The purpose of this study was an investigation of the effectiveness of mother's behavioral training on emotional and behavioral problems of bereaved preschool children.  Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial, sampling method was purposeful, so mothers with children 4 to 6 years who were referred to Imam Zaman Social Work Association in Isfahan in the year of 2010-2011, and they were asked to answer the strengths and difficulties questionnaire, SCL-90-R and demographic questionnaire, 18 mothers with the higher scores of emotional and behavioral problems in their children were selected by random sampling. They were then randomly allocated in to two groups each contains 9 mothers as control and experimental groups. The experimental group received the training in the 8 sessions (90 minutes) in the Social Work Association, while the control group was in waiting list control. The two groups complete the post and follow up (3 month fallow-up) measure. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis of covariance and SPSS15 software.  Results: Results showed the significant effect of mother's group training on reduction of emotional and behavioral problems of bereaved preschool children (P<0.01). Results also showed significant difference two groups in the all subscales of emotional and behavioral problems (emotional problems in post test, conduct, ADHD, peer problems) except subscale emotional problem in follow up.  Conclusion: It seems that mothers� training is effective in reducing the emotional and behavioral problems of bereaved preschool children.


S This paper revolves around the core principles of story-creation as defined by First Peoples in Australia. It focusses on the many dimensions of this distinctive narrative approach in Alexis Wright's magnum opus, Carpentaria (2005). Indigenous Australian notions of time, place and story-making are crucial to the argument. Finally, the paper interrogates the links between the poetic and story-telling oeuvre of the famous Indigenous Australian leader and poet of the 1960s and 1970s – Oodgeroo – and the masterful novelistic approach to story-telling exemplified by Carpentaria .


The rice root-knot nematode Meloidogyne graminicola normally infects rice, wheat and several other graminaceous plants. Meloidogyne incognita is a serious pest of dicotyledonous crops, although it can infect and reproduce on some cereals. This paper demonstrates and compares host recognition, development and reproduction of these two species of root-knot nematodes on rice and tomato plants. Attraction bioassays in pluronic gel clearly showed that M. incognita preferred tomato roots to rice or mustard roots, whilst M. graminicola was more attracted towards rice compared with tomato or mustard roots. Based on the attraction data from this study, it can be hypothesised that either: i ) the blend of attractants and repellents are different in good and poor hosts; or ii ) relatively long-range attractants, together with shorter-range repellents, might affect nematode movement patterns. Some host specific attractants might also be involved. Meloidogyne incognita was able to invade and develop to adult female but did not produce eggs in rice roots. By contrast, M. graminicola developed and reproduced faster on both rice and tomato plants compared with M. incognita. Nevertheless, second-stage juveniles of both these root-knot nematodes showed a similar pattern of distribution inside the roots, preferring to accumulate at the root tips of rice or in the vascular cylinder and cortical region of tomato.


Receiver structures that have been proposed for the WCDMA downlink comprise chip level channel equalizers to restore code orthogonality and symbol level Linear Minimum Mean Square Error (LMMSE) receivers that furthermore exploit subspace structure in the signal due to unused codes. In this paper we focus on receivers for high-speed downlink communications. The combined transmission system, comprising spreading and channel filtering, is time-varying at chip rate in WCDMA systems, which makes LMMSE receivers necessarily highly time-varying. We consider the case of multicode high-rate communications (HSDPA) where interchip and intercode interference dominate. We discuss optimization issues appearing in the advantageous combination of chip-level and iterative symbol-level equalization. Furthermore, iterative symbol-level operations allow for a continuous operation between linear and nonlinear receivers.


Extra-genital lesions of lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (LS) may occur anywhere on the body. The lesions are polygonal, bluish-white papules that coalesce to become atrophic plaques (2). Prominent, evenly spaced follicular plugs in the atrophic plaques corresponding to obliterated follicular ostia are characteristically seen in the early stages of LS (2). With time, the plugs disappear and leave a smooth, porcelain-white plaque. Dragon fruit is an exotic cactus that is found in Asia, Mexico, and parts of South America (1). The inside pulp of each cut piece of fruit is filled will small seeds that look similar to the follicular plugs of the early stages of LS. The similarities with living beings of dermatological lesions are the basis of many terms such as lupus, herpes etc.


A series of studies was performed in unanesthetized dogs to ascertain whether, in addition to cholinergic pathways, other neurotransmitter systems were involved in the GH-releasing effect of the potent enkephalin analog [D-Ala2, MePhe4, Met(o)5-ol]enkephalin (DAMME). DAMME at a dose of 8 microgram/kg iv elicited a striking rise in plasma canine GH (cGH), with peak levels at 30 min. Blockade of histaminergic H1 receptors by diphenhydramine (30 mg,iv, 15 min before) or clemastine (1 mg orally three times for 2 days and 2 mg orally 60 min before) completely suppressed the cGH release induced by DAMME without significantly altering baseline cGH levels. A slight reduction of the effect of DAMME was also induced by the histamine H2 receptor antagonist cimetidine (300 mg, iv, 15 min before). Pretreatment with the alpha-adrenergic inhibitor phentolamine (0.4 mg/min for 45 min) did not alter the neuroendocrine effect of DAMME, despite the occurrence of a rise in blood glucose (peak levels, 185 +/- 47 mg/dl). The administration of propranolol, a blocker of beta-receptors, did not potentiate the cGH release induced by a threshold dose of DAMME (4 microgram/kg, iv). An iv bolus injection of glucose (1 g/kg), which induced peak glucose levels of 296 +/- 29 mg/dl, completely suppressed the cGH release induced by DAMME or propranolol plus DAMME. These results indicate that histaminergic H1 receptors play an important role in the cGH release induced by DAMME, whereas this action occurs independently from adrenergic mediation. Based on these and previous findings, a neuromodulator role in GH-releasing mechanisms is suggested for opioid peptides.


We derive asymptotic formulas for the solution of the derivative nonlinear Schrödinger equation on the half-line under the assumption that the initial and boundary values lie in the Schwartz class. The formulas clearly show the effect of the boundary on the solution. The approach is based on a nonlinear steepest descent analysis of an associated Riemann–Hilbert problem.


The exumbrellar surfaces of six pelagic cnidarians from three classes were ultra-structurally compared to reveal their structural diversity in relation to their gelatinous, transparent bodies. We examined two hydrozoans (Diphyes chamissonis and Colobonema sericeum), a cubozoan (Chironex yamaguchii), and three scyphozoans (Atolla vanhöffeni, Aurelia coerulea, and Mastigias papua). The exumbrellar surfaces of the mesoglea in D. chamissonis, Ch. yamaguchii, Au. coerulea, and M. papua were covered with a simple epidermis; the shapes of the epidermal cells were remarkably different among the species. The epidermal cells of Ch. yamaguchii and M. papua possessed an array of microvilli on the apical side. The array possibly reduced light reflectance and provided some other surface properties, as seen for the cuticular nipple array in tunicates, considering the length, width, and pitch of the microvilli. The reduction of light reflectance on the array of microvilli was supported by the simulation with rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA). Microvilli were sparse and did not form an array in metephyrae of Au. coerulea. The mesoglea matrix beneath the basal side of the epidermis was loose in all of the species. The exumbrellar side of the mesoglea was exposed only in the mesopelagic species, At. vanhöffeni and Co. sericeum, and electron-dense layer(s) covered the surface of the mesoglea. It is uncertain whether the exumbrellar epidermis is absent in these species or the epidermal cells are completely exfoliated during the sampling and handling processes. In the latter case, the electron-dense layer(s) on the mesoglea surface might originally underlie the epidermis.


OBJECTIVES
to associate pleasure and suffering indicators with aspects related to nursing work in hospitals.

METHODS
This is a cross-sectional quantitative study conducted with 152 nurses from a university hospital in the city of João Pessoa, Paraíba State, Brazil. Data were collected through interviews, using a tool to obtain sociodemographic data, work characteristics and the Pleasure and Suffering Indicators at Work Scale.

RESULTS
pleasure living and its domains were rated as satisfactory, while suffering factors and their domains were critically assessed. Statistically significant associations were observed among pleasure and suffering indicators, and some characteristics of nurses' work.

CONCLUSIONS
it was evidenced that nurses had critical levels of suffering at work associated with their work practice characteristics.


Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a ubiquitous phenomenon in the affairs of firms, the general public, and governments all over the world in this new millennium. This paper examines corporate social investment (CSI) practices of several selected banks in Ghana to ascertain whether CSR activities lead to corporate clients? choice of, and sustainable relationships with banks. Using a qualitative survey approach, purposive sampling was employed to select five banks and five corporate firms listed in the Ghana Club 100 database. Semi-structured interviews were granted to senior relationship managers and corporate affairs managers of the banks and the corporate firms, respectively. Data analysis and interpretation was done using the interactive model of qualitative data analysis. Most banks investigated appreciated the relevance of CSR and were actively involved in such programmes. They approach CSR with a more altruistic, philanthropic posture. CSR activities of banks in Ghana positively impact their corporate clients' patronage.


In this paper, we study the trending behaviour of COVID-19 data at country level, and draw attention to some existing econometric tools which are potentially helpful to understand the trend better in future studies. In our empirical study, we find that European countries overall flatten the curves more effectively compared to the other regions, while Asia & Oceania also achieve some success, but the situations are not as optimistic as in Europe. Africa and America are still facing serious challenges in terms of managing the spread of the virus and reducing the death rate. In Africa, the rate of the spread of the virus is slower and the death rate is also lower than those of the other regions. By comparing the performances of different countries, our results on the performance of different countries in managing the speed of the virus agree with Gu et al. (2020). For example, both studies agree that countries such as USA, UK and Italy perform relatively poorly; on the other hand, Australia, China, Japan, Korea, and Singapore perform relatively better.


Tetrodotoxin (TTX; a voltage-sensitive sodium channel blocker) was microinjected bilaterally into the insular (IC), frontal (FC), or parietal (PC) cortex or the ventral caudate nucleus of rats either before or after they were trained in an inhibitory avoidance task. When administered either before or after training, injections of TTX into the IC impaired performance on a 48-hr retention test. Injections of TTX into the PC also impaired retention when administered before training. One week later, rats with cannulae in the IC, FC, and PC received microinjections of TTX either before or after training in a water maze (Morris) spatial learning task and retention was tested 24 hr later. TTX impaired retention when administered to the IC either before or after training. These findings indicate that a functionally intact IC during and after training in these tasks appears to be essential for the storage of long-term memory.


One of the main goals of education policy is to enhance educational outcomes. If resources are used inefficiently, they will fail to maximise those outcomes. Data Envelopment Analysis was used to calculate technical efficiency of public spending on education for EU-28 using the latest higher education statistics available. Focusing on European higher education, conceptual and methodological issues related to the measurement and analysis of efficiency were discussed. The most efficient countries are identified and also countries for which real efficiency improvements are possible. A novel set of variables is used to highlight more appropriately the distinctiveness of the higher education sector and the relationship between input and outputs. The advantage of using Data Envelopment Analysis is that it identifies the best performing decision, making units and not the averages. This type of information about the efficiency of public spending on education is of importance to many parties. It can be used to promote 'yardstick' competition in the areas of education where the lack of market mechanisms is apparent, guide policy proposals, and to enhance the monitoring of education.
Key words: efficiency in education, higher education, public spending, data envelopment analysis, European Union.


Abstract Stem cells have a unique ability to self-renew and differentiate into diverse cell types. Currently, stem cells from various sources are being explored as a promising new treatment for a variety of human diseases. A diverse set of functional and phenotypical markers are used in the characterization of specific therapeutic stem cell populations. The glycans on the stem cell surface respond rapidly to alterations in cellular state and signaling and are therefore ideal for identifying even minor changes in cell populations. Many stem cell markers are based on cell surface glycan epitopes including the widely used markers SSEA-3, SSEA-4, Tra 1-60, and Tra 1-81. We have now discovered by mRNA analysis that a novel glycosyltranferase, epidermal growth factor (EGF) domain-specific O-linked GlcNAc transferase (EOGT), is highly expressed in stem cells. EOGT is responsible for adding O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) to folded EGF domains on extracellular proteins, such as those on the Notch receptors. We were able to show by immunological assays that human umbilical cord blood–derived mesenchymal stromal cells display O-GlcNAc, the product of EOGT, and that O-GlcNAc is further elongated with galactose to form O-linked N-acetyllactosamine. We suggest that these novel glycans are involved in the fine tuning of Notch receptor signaling pathways in stem cells.


Star-Nosed Mole, Giraffe-Necked Weevil, Babirusa, and Yeti Crab have a cozy writers' group going, and they're confident that such unusual animals as themselves can surely make up a fabulously interesting story. They are none too pleased, then, when Bunny wants to join. What could be more pedestrian than a bunny, too often featured in books involving "cuddling and mommies and kittens and bedtime"? As their own plot gets stuck, however, and Bunny has an idea for very un-cute weaponized carrots, they begin to warm to their new compatriot. There's an embedded mini-lesson on story crafting, and the writers' group ticks off the requirements for their own roiling tale: relatable characters, inciting incident, rising action, climax. Applying the checklist to Falatko's own effort, however, yields somewhat disappointing results, with a tepid inciting incident, rambling rather than rising action, and a climax that kids will see coming from a mile away. O'Malley's The Princess and the Motorcycle Dude (BCCB 5/05) is a wittier demonstration of tandem writing, and Scieszka's Battle Bunny (BCCB 12/13) carries the day for running insipid picture books to ground. However, younger children beginning to regard their old "baby books" with disdain will find considerable amusement in the contrast between the dusty pastel, precisely drafted protagonists and their gaudy, explosive literary creation, and they'll realize that group writing might actually be a lot of fun. EB


Chickens at selected points in the slaughter process and after slaughter on the dressing line in poultry plants were sampled and analyzed for Salmonella. These chickens came from the northeast part of Poland. The examinations were carried out in quarters I, II, III, and IV of 1999. All the birds were determined to be healthy by a veterinary inspection. Swab samples were taken from the cloaca after stunning and from the skin surface and body cavity of the whole bird after evisceration, after rinsing at the final rinse station but before chilling in the spin-chiller, and after cooling in the continuous cooling plant at the end of the production day. In 1999, 400 whole chickens were examined. The percentage of these 400 chickens from which Salmonella spp. were isolated was relatively high (23.75%; Salmonella-positive results were observed in 95 cases). Salmonella spp. were found after stunning in 6% of the chickens (6 of 100 samples), after evisceration in 24% (24 of 100), before cooling in 52% (52 of 100), and after cooling in 13% (13 of 100). These results show that Salmonella spp. were found more often at some processing points than at others. The lowest Salmonella spp. contamination rate (6%) for slaughter birds was found after stunning, and the highest contamination rate was found before chilling (52%). The serological types of Salmonella spp. isolated from whole chickens were Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Saintpaul, Salmonella Agona, and Salmonella Infantis. The results of these investigations indicate that Salmonella Enteritidis is the dominant serological type in infections of slaughter chickens, as it is in many countries.


We study the process by which developing country multinationals (DMNCs) upgrade their technological capabilities to international levels. The case study of the Chinese telecommunication equipment manufacturer Huawei supports three conclusions. First, despite some views that DMNCs are technological laggards, we show that DMNCs can reach levels of technological sophistication of advanced economies in a compressed manner. Second, the way DMNCs improve their technological capabilities is by raising the mode of technology upgrading, moving across reengineering, replacing, refining, and recreating capabilities to reach the technological frontier. Third, managers at DMNCs raise the mode of technological upgrading by the continuous stretching of the skills and knowledge of engineers. These ideas extend the study of dynamism in capability life cycles and the creation of dynamic capabilities generated from studying 'Western' firms operating in countries with sophisticated innovation systems by explaining the develo...


Abstract : A generic computer code based on the iterative boundary integral equation method (I-BIEM) is developed for simulating a variety of electrochemical problems. In this work we have extended the reach of the method by developing a generalized program capable of solving a wide range of electrodeposition problems. The new code accommodates quite easily multi-variable problems including those with curved boundaries, and non-linear boundary conditions. Such problems include anomalous codeposition of alloys, incorporating the effects of convective and diffusive mass transport; time variant effects such as would be observed in extended growth calculations and pulse plating; microstructural modeling with reference to nonisotropic boundary conditions and crystallographic effects. Some interesting results of real-life simulations are presented. The code is an excellent method for solving problems with huge coefficient matrices. The scheme avoids the use of large computer storage spaces and a direct inversion of the matrices is also not required. The result is a considerable improvement over existing boundary integral equation schemes in terms of computer running time and accuracy for problems especially those with complex shapes and boundary conditions.


Given quantities $\Delta_1,\Delta_2,\dots\geqslant 0$, a fundamental problem in Diophantine approximation is to understand which irrational numbers $x$ have infinitely many reduced rational approximations $a/q$ such that $|x-a/q|<\Delta_q$. Depending on the choice of $\Delta_q$ and of $x$, this question may be very hard. However, Duffin and Schaeffer conjectured in 1941 that if we assume a"metric"point of view, the question is governed by a simple zero--one law: writing $\varphi$ for Euler's totient function, we either have $\sum_{q=1}^\infty \varphi(q)\Delta_q=\infty$ and then almost all irrational numbers (in the Lebesgue sense) are approximable, or $\sum_{q=1}^\infty\varphi(q)\Delta_q<\infty$ and almost no irrationals are approximable. We present the history of the Duffin--Schaeffer conjecture and the main ideas behind the recent work of Koukoulopoulos--Maynard that settled it.


Preclinical studies have suggested that purified populations of CD1c (BDCA-1+) blood-derived dendritic cells (BDC) loaded with tumor-specific peptides may be a feasible option for prostate cancer immunotherapy. We performed an open-label dose-finding Phase I study to evaluate the safe use of CD1c+ BDC in patients with advanced metastatic hormone refractory prostate cancer. HLA-A*0201-positive patients with advanced metastatic prostate cancer were recruited and consented. The vaccine was manufactured by pulsing autologous CD1c+ BDC, prepared by magnetic bead immunoselection from apheresed peripheral blood mononuclear cells, with a cocktail of HLA-A*0201-restricted peptides (prostate-specific antigen, prostate acid phosphatase, prostate specific membrane antigen, and control influenza peptide) and keyhole limpet hemocyanin. The vaccine was administered intradermally or intravenously and peripheral blood was taken at predetermined intervals for clinical and immunologic monitoring. The vaccine was manufactured with a median purity of 82% CD1c+ BDC and administered successfully to 12 patients. Each patient received between 1 and 5×106 fresh CD1c+ BDC on day 0, followed by cryopreserved product in the same dose on days 28 and 56. The vaccine was well tolerated in all patients, with the most frequent adverse events being grade 1–2 fever, pain, or injection-site reactions. Vaccination with CD1c+ BDC is therefore feasible, safe, and well tolerated in patients with advanced-stage metastatic prostate cancer.


Self-disclosure in human–chatbot relationship (HCR) formation has attracted substantial interest. According to social penetration theory, self-disclosure varies in breadth and depth and is influenced by perceived rewards and costs. While previous research has addressed self-disclosure in the context of chatbots, little is known about users' qualitative understanding of such self-disclosure and how self-disclosure develops in HCR. To close this gap, we conducted a 12-week qualitative longitudinal study (n = 28) with biweekly questionnaire-based check-ins. Our results show that while HCRs display substantial conversational breadth, with topics spanning from emotional issues to everyday activities, this may be reduced as the HCR matures. Our results also motivate a nuanced understanding of conversational depth, where even conversations about daily activities or play and fantasy can be experienced as personal or intimate. Finally, our analysis demonstrates that conversational depth can develop in at least four ways, influenced by perceived rewards and costs. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.


During the past 50 yr, we have witnessed a revolution in the science of plant breeding, genetics, and cytology, and its impact on human lives (e.g., the Green Revolution). Because of increased productivity, breeding objectives evolved from predominantly improving yield to include greater quality and value-added traits. The discovery of the chemical nature of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), coupled with Mendelian genetics led to the refinement of quantitative genetics, the robust use of molecular markers, and transgenic crop plants. Cytogenetics elucidated the physical structure of chromosomes, aided trait and molecular mapping, and greatly enhanced the exploitation of genetic variation from wild relatives, as have transgenes and mutations. The fundamental process of selection has been improved by a better understanding of gene action, when to select, and better methods to select plants and analyze their relationship to the environments in which they grow. Single-seed descent plant breeding methods were popularized and evolved to doubled haploid breeding. Plant breeding, genetics, and cytology remain impact sciences that will continue to improve lives as part of the Evergreen Revolution.


Abstract Online learning can potentially meet increasingly diverse students' needs in higher education, including disabled students. However, institutions have historically struggled in providing accessible and inclusive online learning. Higher education online learning leaders, those who manage instructional designers, are in a unique position to help institutions strategize and create accessible and inclusive online courses. In this qualitative study, we interviewed nine higher education online learning leaders to understand leaders' perceptions about how institutions provide accessible and inclusive online learning. Results demonstrated that despite varying conceptualizations of accessibility and inclusivity, online learning leaders perceive an insufficient but growing emphasis in higher education. Overall, participants described instructional designers as the most knowledgeable and skilled in this area. Participants described a lack of agency for instructional design teams and a need to advocate for buy-in from senior leadership. They also described strategies (e.g., faculty development, quality standards, and accessibility checkers) to support faculty.


An adaptive enhancement algorithm of signal disturbed by the impulse noise and the white Gaussian noise is proposed in this report. If the strong dependence between a signal enhancement and a needed-parameter estimation exists in an algorithm, it is difficult to reduce a large bias occurring in the first estimation. To weaken their relationship, the introduction of a total least squares (TLS) algorithm that estimates the model parameters directly from the disturbed signals is considered. However, the TLS estimation accuracy is dramatically deteriorated by the impulse noise, even if the TLS estimation accuracy is held to the non-Gaussian noise in some degree. Hence, we ensure the robustness of the algorithm by replacing a high amplitude signal with an estimated value based on a likelihood ratio test. Using these signals, we develop, an algorithm based on the TLS and the EM algorithm for enhancing the disturbed signal. We also show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm through computer simulations.


Cytosine (Cyt) can be converted to 5-methylcytosine (5-MeCyt) in CpG sequences of DNA. Conventional bisulfite sequencing can discriminate Cyt from 5-MeCyt, however inappropriate conversion of 5-MeCyt to thymine and a failure to convert Cyt to uracil always occur when Cyt and 5-MeCyt are treated with bisulfite, which would lead to erroneous estimates of DNA methylation densities. Here, the direct hydrolytic deamination of cis (paths A-C) and trans (paths A'-C') 5-MeCytN3(+)-SO3(-) isomers with bisulfite have been explored at the MP2/6-311++G(3df,3pd)//B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level. The activation free energies (ΔG(s-a≠)) of the cis and trans 5-MeCytN3(+)-SO3(-) isomers' paths exhibit no obvious differences, implying both isomers may make an equal contribution to the hydrolytic deamination of 5-MeCyt under bisulfite conditions. It is greatly expected that these results could aid experimental scientists to explore new methods to avoid the formation of the deaminated reactants (5-MeCytN3(+)-SO3(-)). Meanwhile, the HSO3(-)-induced direct hydrolytic deamination of cis and trans 5-MeCytN3(+)-SO3(-) isomers is represented by paths A and A', respectively, and has been further explored in the presence of two water molecules. It was found that the contribution of two water molecules renders the HSO3(-)-induced direct hydrolytic deamination of cis and trans 5-MeCytN3(+)-SO3(-) isomers by paths A and A' favourable. In addition, the ΔG(s-a≠) values (85.74-85.34 kJ mol(-1)) of the rate-limiting steps of the two water-mediated paths A and A' are very close to that of the theoretical value for CytN3(+)-SO3(-) (88.18 kJ mol(-1)), implying that the free barrier gap between Cyt and 5-MeCyt is very small under bisulfite conditions. This further suggests that bisulfite sequencing technology may be easily influenced by the external environment.


Existing works on disentangled representation learning usually lie on a common assumption: all factors in disentangled representations should be independent. This assumption is about the inner property of disentangled representations, while ignoring their relation with external data. To tackle this problem, we propose another assumption to establish an important relation between data and its disentangled representations via mutual information: the mutual information between each factor of disentangled representations and data should be invariant to other factors. We formulate this assumption into mathematical equations, and theoretically bridge it with independence and conditional independence of factors. Meanwhile, we show that conditional independence is satisfied in encoders of VAEs due to factorized noise in reparameterization. To highlight the importance of our proposed assumption, we show in experiments that violating the assumption leads to dramatic decline of disentanglement. Based on this assumption, we further propose to split the deeper layers in encoder to ensure parameters in these layers are not shared for different factors. The proposed encoder, called Split Encoder, can be applied into models that penalize total correlation, and shows significant improvement in unsupervised learning of disentangled representations and reconstructions.


Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronically relapsing inflammatory skin disease, associated with basophil infiltration into skin lesions and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)-induced inflammation. Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), including microbicidal peptide human neutrophil α-defensins (HNP) and dermcidin, can exert immunomodulating activity in innate immunity and skin inflammation. We investigated the plasma concentration of HNP and dermcidin, the expression of bacterial toll-like receptor (TLR) and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptors of basophils and plasma concentration and ex vivo induction of AD-related inflammatory cytokines and chemokines using ELISA and flow cytometry, in AD patients and control subjects. Plasma concentrations of HNP, dermcidin and AD-related Th2 chemokines CCL17, CCL22 and CCL27 were significantly elevated in AD patients compared with controls (all p < 0.05). Plasma concentrations of CCL27 and CCL22 were found to correlate positively with SCORing atopic dermatitis (SCORAD), objective SCORAD, % area affected, lichenification and disease intensity, and CCL27 also correlated positively with pruritus in AD patients (all p < 0.05). Protein expressions of NOD2 but not TLR2 of basophils were significantly down-regulated in AD patients compared with controls (p = 0.001). Correspondingly, there were lower ex vivo % inductions of allergic inflammatory tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6 and CXCL8 from peripheral blood mononuclear cells upon NOD2 ligand S. aureus derived muramyl dipeptide stimulation in AD patients comparing with controls. The aberrant activation of bacterial PRRs of basophils and anti-bacterial innate immune response should be related with the allergic inflammation of AD.


The debate over the concepts of human security, state security and individual sovereignty and their interrelationships has attracted renewed attention. This heightened interest is due to the realisation that human security and state security concerns need to be addressed within the theoretical construct of individual sovereignty. On this basis, this paper argues that a comprehensive understanding of the human security and state sovereignty discourse as perceived and redefined in contemporary debates can only make sense within the framework of individual sovereignty. The paper makes a case for a balanced approach where the state will be committed to undertaking both traditional and redefined roles on sovereignty and human security issues with support from non-state actors, including regional and international organisations.


The acute effect of a single injection of streptozotocin (75 mg/kg) on the secretory ameloblasts of rat incisor was found to be reversible after 4 h. This effect was manifested ultrastructurally by an accumulation of secretion granules within the Golgi apparatus and a diminished accumulation of secretion granules within Tomes' process, thus suggesting a temporary inhibition of secretion. The long term effect of streptozotocin was characterized mainly by large accumulations of secretion granules within the Golgi apparatus, the presence of many lysosomal structures, an abnormal redistribution of secretion granules, and the presence of large amounts of electron-dense material within the intercellular spaces. Because the electron-dense material resembled the enamel matrix, this, and the above changes, suggested that there was a pronounced inhibition in the movement of secretion granules into Tomes' process, as well as an ectopic secretion of the enamel matrix protein.


Gas production flowlines are presenting flow assurance challenges in hydrate management resulting from low ambient seawater temperatures in an increasing number of deepwater developments. During operation the equilibrium hydrate temperature of the produced fluid may be above the minimum seabed temperature, and hence there is a risk of hydrate blockage in the subsea system should the hydrate inhibition system fail. The continuous injection of MEG, with little or no insulation of the subsea system, is a common hydrate mitigation strategy for a gas production system. If insufficient inhibitor is injected there is a risk of hydrates forming and potential blockage of the pipeline in parts of the field. The industry-preferred approach for hydrate blockage remediation is Dual Sided Depressurisation (DSD). The objective is to depressurise the flowline to below hydrate onset conditions, allowing hydrate dissociation and safely disposing of the gas inventory. This is typically performed by one of two methods; installation of a dual flowline system for facility based depressurisation (with CAPEX implications); or a Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) can be connected to an appropriate point upstream of the blockage to allow simultaneous depressurisation at the MODU and the facility (with OPEX implications). It is recognised that either method incurs significant costs. Typically the cost and time uncertainties of bringing in a MODU to solve these production stoppages is unattractive. Consequently subsea gas developments have often incurred the increased CAPEX of providing dual flowlines to permit DSD from the facility. An optimisation of the MODU-based intervention method is the subject of this paper. The feasibility of using a "lightweight" intervention vessel (for example an Offshore Support Vessel) in place of the MODU to depressurise the flowline is discussed. This paper discusses hydrate remediation difficulties and case studies; presents emerging hydrate remediation methods and briefly introduces vessel requirements. In discussing this optimisation, this paper also presents an introduction to hydrate remediation theory, some practical challenges, case studies and vessel requirements. The study concluded: • Significant CAPEX reductions may be achieved by adopting the outlined strategy; namely avoiding dual flowline infrastructure, and ensuring a reduced response time and day rate for any hydrate remediation operations to be performed. • For this strategy to be adopted cost effectively, pre-engineering, along with suitable contractual arrangements, are required to make the necessary equipment and personnel resources readily available should a hydrate blockage occur. For assets in remote locations, e.g. Australia, making the resources available is a significant challenge. • Flowline system access for depressurisation may be achieved by two methods; via the subsea Christmas tree or via suitably located fluid injection/vent access point(s).Copyright © 2011 by ASME


I n this paper, we made an attempt to study the algebraic nature of an anti multi fuzzy subhemiring of a hemiring.


Abstract Wastewater containing human sewage is often discharged with little or no treatment into the Antarctic marine environment. Faecal sterols (primarily coprostanol) in sediments have been used for assessment of human sewage contamination in this environment, but in situ production and indigenous faunal inputs can confound such determinations. Using gas chromatography with mass spectral detection profiles of both C27 and C29 sterols, potential sources of faecal sterols were examined in nearshore marine sediments, encompassing sites proximal and distal to the wastewater outfall at Davis Station. Faeces from indigenous seals and penguins were also examined. Faeces from several indigenous species contained significant quantities of coprostanol but not 24-ethylcoprostanol, which is present in human faeces. In situ coprostanol and 24-ethylcoprostanol production was identified by co-production of their respective epi-isomers at sites remote from the wastewater source and in high total organic matter sediments. A C29 sterols-based polyphasic likelihood assessment matrix for human sewage contamination is presented, which distinguishes human from local fauna faecal inputs and in situ production in the Antarctic environment. Sewage contamination was detected up to 1.5 km from Davis Station.


Social survey data are utilized in this article to determine the extent to which public school teachers are likely to experience role conflict and fail to respond promptly, if at all, in assisting with the evacuation of school children in a radiological emergency. Nearly one-third of the teachers surveyed indicated that, under the conditions outlined in a nuclear reactor accident scenario, they would not assist in an emergency evacuation effort, owing largely to a strong sense of obligation to family in crisis situations and concern for personal safety. The behavioral intentions of the teachers are consistent with actual behavior during the Three Mile Island accident where emergency personnel with close family ties failed to report for duty at local hospitals. Implications for radiological emergency preparedness and response planning are discussed.


Abstract We describe a rare anatomical variant of the thenar branch of the median nerve during open release of the carpal tunnel. The thenar branch originated from the ulnar side of the median nerve and traversed supraligamentously close to the top of the transverse ligament. A high resolution clinical photograph shows the relation between the anatomical structures when the thenar variant is present in the carpal tunnel. This is one of the dangers faced by surgeons when doing open or endoscopic release of the carpal tunnel.


A laser-shadow technique of high time resolution was applied to study the erosion of high-current Cu vacuum arcs in situ. Cathodic processes lead to emission of high-velocity droplets shortly before and after current-zero. Increasing movements of the anodic melt produce large droplets several milliseconds after the arc. The many particles generated are responsible for the slow decay of vapor measured by laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). Densities greater than 1012 cm-3 were obtained near current-zero for the diffuse mode. Because of the optical thickness of the vapor to resonance radiation, radiative transfer had to be considered.


OBJECTIVE
Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy is associated with perinatal health problems and postpartum psychopathology. Prenatal IPV is also detrimental to a mother's perceptions of her unborn child, which may impact early parenting skills and contribute to negative effects on infant development. This study explored factors associated with parenting confidence among IPV-exposed pregnant women.

METHOD
Participants included 137 women who experienced IPV during pregnancy (Mage = 27.3 years; 66.9% African American/Black). Hierarchical linear regression modeling was used to examine factors that may be related to parenting confidence, with number of children and number of pregnancy complications entered in Model 1, adverse childhood experiences and IPV severity added in Model 2, and depressive symptoms and resilience added in Model 3.

RESULTS
All models were significant, with the final model accounting for 23.2% of the variance in parenting confidence, F(6, 130) = 6.53, p < .001, R² = .23. In this model, having other children (β = .18, p = .023), fewer pregnancy complications (β = -.19, p = .019), and higher resilience (β = .33, p < .001) were associated with higher parenting confidence.

CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that intervention strategies that promote resilience and address pregnant women's health concerns may facilitate greater parenting confidence among IPV-exposed pregnant women. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).


To the Editor: —One of the things we practitioners sometimes neglect is the reporting of failures. InThe Journal, Oct. 2, 1926, Dr. Richard L. Sutton, with proper scientific reserve, reported the treatment of six consecutive cases of warts with intramuscular injections of sulpharsphenamine. As a result of this communication, I venture to guess that not less than a hundred physicians, perhaps several hundred, injected sulpharsphenamine into patients with warts. Supposing that 99 per cent get negative results, what happens? Each of them gives up the method as a failure and does not say anything more about it, and the treatment remains on record as an undisputed success. Possibly 1 per cent who meet with success will communicate with Dr. Sutton, so that by and by he will have quite an impressive series of cases, comparable with the mercurochrome successes published in a recent number ofThe Journal. To practice


A multi layered elastic analysis program, IDYSPAP, was developed. The objective of this study was to develop the IDYSPAP program on Graphic User Interface environment for field engineers using Visual Basic, which was considered span of multi-wheels and maximum 4 axles using superposition of linear elastic theorem. It is suggested that this study considers algorithm with dynamic properties of asphalt layer on various temperature and non-linear properties of subbase and subgrade on stress non-linearity for asphalt pavement structure. This Program was modified to divide asphalt layer automatically according to layer division concept. The developed program was verified with initial measuring data in test road sections of KEC (Korea Expressway Co.) using laboratory test results.


Given the lack of head‐to‐head studies of systemic therapies in moderate‐to‐severe atopic dermatitis (AD), network meta‐analyses (NMAs) can provide comparative efficacy and safety data to inform clinical decision‐making. In this NMA, eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published before 24 October 2019 were identified by a systematic literature review. Short‐term (12–16 weeks) efficacy (Investigator's Global Assessment [IGA] and Eczema Area and Severity Index [EASI] responses), patient‐reported outcomes (PROs) and safety data from each trial were abstracted and analysed separately for monotherapy and combination therapy (systemic plus topical anti‐inflammatory therapy). RCTs were analysed in fixed‐effects and random‐effects Bayesian NMA models. Overall, 19 phase 2 and phase 3 RCTs of abrocitinib, baricitinib, dupilumab, lebrikizumab, nemolizumab, tralokinumab and upadacitinib were included. In monotherapy RCTs, upadacitinib 30 mg once daily (QD) had the numerically highest efficacy (83.6% achieved ≥50% improvement in EASI [EASI‐50 response]), followed by abrocitinib 200 mg QD (74.6%), upadacitinib 15 mg QD (70.5%), dupilumab 300 mg every 2 weeks (Q2W) (63.4%) and abrocitinib 100 mg QD (56.7%). Similar trends in EASI‐75 and EASI‐90 response were observed. In combination therapy RCTs, abrocitinib 200 mg QD had the highest EASI‐50 (86.6%), followed by dupilumab 300 mg Q2W (82.4%) and abrocitinib 100 mg QD (79.7%). Similar findings were observed for IGA response and PROs. In monotherapy and combination therapy RCTs, the probability of treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs) was higher among all active treatments than with placebo (except for dupilumab 300 mg Q2W [odds ratio (OR), 0.96; 95% credible interval (CrI), 0.45–2.18] and abrocitinib 100 mg QD [OR, 0.95; 95% CrI, 0.35–2.66] in combination therapy RCTs), although active treatments did not significantly differ from one another. Abrocitinib, dupilumab and upadacitinib were consistently the most effective systemic therapies in adult and adolescent patients with AD, with no significant TEAE differences in short‐term RCTs.


Hardware/Software co-design is not a new idea, since designers have been used to mixing programmable and specific hardware components for algorithms implementation. However, with the growing complexity of systems, a computer-aided co-design methodology becomes essential. This paper presents an application of the avionics domain: the ARINC communication protocol interface system. The co-design approach is based on the POLIS framework, coupled with the Esterel specification language.


This study aims to how to understand teaching models. And to find out what are the main models of teaching. Teaching models in a sense are seen as more prominent and relevant to the guidance of the world education needs of the world today. Modification, especially to some teaching methods, compilation do it fully in the framework of developing or adjusting to the needs. As prospective teachers and professional teachers are also expected to make adjustments as necessary to the model if it is necessary to match the teaching-learning context which may be different from what is compiling in this section. Learning design is practice the formulation of communication and media technology media to help effectively transfer knowledge between teachers and students. Learning design is also a design of the learning process based on the needs and learning objectives and delivery system so that it becomes a reference in its implementation to create effective and efficient learning by minimizing the difficulty of students in understanding learning. On the personal development of students by paying more attention to the realm of sense, especially in emotional. the help of the personal model family is more emphasized on the formation and organization of the reality of environmental life and unique life. Hopefully, using this learning model the process of teaching and learning can help students develop their own productive relationships with their environment. Students as students can also realize themselves himself as a "person" with sufficient skills to interact with outsiders so as to produce a pattern of conducive interpersonal relationships.


With the development of 3D sensing technology in recent years, making it possible to obtain high quality color image as well as its depth information, the combination of both can improve the accuracy of image classification. Traditional methods are mostly based on well-designed features separately for color image or depth image, which does not consider relation-features between color and depth information. A 3D object classification approach based on multi convolutional neural networks is presented in this paper. Our approach consists of three parts: (1) Two resizing methods for keeping image aspect ratio were proposed, which can keep the aspect ratio information of the original image, besides, data was augmented by applying both methods. (2) Different from traditional methods, CNN (Convolutional Neural Network) was used to extract features from both color image and depth image. (3) Consider on the relation-features about color and depth, we designed a multi CNN which focuses on relation-features and trained it successful, that is, we could extract relation-features using this network. Comparing with current approaches, our experiment results show better performance on 3D object classification.