In this paper, we propose scalable methods for maximizing a regularized submodular function $f = g - \ell$ expressed as the difference between a monotone submodular function $g$ and a modular function $\ell$. Indeed, submodularity is inherently related to the notions of diversity, coverage, and representativeness. In particular, finding the mode of many popular probabilistic models of diversity, such as determinantal point processes, submodular probabilistic models, and strongly log-concave distributions, involves maximization of (regularized) submodular functions. Since a regularized function $f$ can potentially take on negative values, the classic theory of submodular maximization, which heavily relies on the non-negativity assumption of submodular functions, may not be applicable. To circumvent this challenge, we develop the first one-pass streaming algorithm for maximizing a regularized submodular function subject to a $k$-cardinality constraint. It returns a solution $S$ with the guarantee that $f(S)\geq(\phi^{-2}-\epsilon) \cdot g(OPT)-\ell (OPT)$, where $\phi$ is the golden ratio. Furthermore, we develop the first distributed algorithm that returns a solution $S$ with the guarantee that $\mathbb{E}[f(S)] \geq (1-\epsilon) [(1-e^{-1}) \cdot g(OPT)-\ell(OPT)]$ in $O(1/ \epsilon)$ rounds of MapReduce computation, without keeping multiple copies of the entire dataset in each round (as it is usually done). We should highlight that our result, even for the unregularized case where the modular term $\ell$ is zero, improves the memory and communication complexity of the existing work by a factor of $O(1/ \epsilon)$ while arguably provides a simpler distributed algorithm and a unifying analysis. We also empirically study the performance of our scalable methods on a set of real-life applications, including finding the mode of distributions, data summarization, and product recommendation.


We created a rabbit model of retinoblastoma and confirmed the tumor clinically and histopathologically. Seventeen New Zealand rabbits were immunosuppressed with cyclosporin A at doses of 10–15 mg/kg. At day 3, the animals received a 30 μl subretinal injection of 1 × 106 cultured WERI retinoblastoma cells. Digital fundus images were captured before euthanasia, and the eyes were submitted for histopathology. Retinoblastoma cells grew in all the inoculated eyes and established a tumor under the retina and/or in the vitreous. New blood vessels in the tumor were observed starting at week 5. Cuffs of viable tumor cells surrounded the blood vessels with regions of necrosis present at 70–80 μm from nutrient vessels. Occasional tumor seeds in the vitreous histologically exhibited central necrosis. This rabbit model demonstrated similar fundus appearance and pathologic features to human retinoblastoma and may be used as a model to test various routes of drug delivery for retinoblastoma.


Multistate modelling is becoming increasingly popular due to the availability of richer longitudinal health data. When the times at which the events characterising disease progression are known, the modelling of the multistate process is greatly simplified as it can be broken down in a number of traditional survival models. We propose to flexibly model them through the existing general link-based additive framework implemented in the R package GJRM. The associated transition probabilities can then be obtained through a simulation-based approach implemented in the R package mstate, which is appealing due to its generality. The integration between the two is seamless and efficient since we model a transformation of the survival function, rather than the hazard function, as is commonly found. This is achieved through the use of shape constrained P-splines which elegantly embed the monotonicity required for the survival functions within the construction of the survival functions themselves. The proposed framework allows for the inclusion of virtually any type of covariate effects, including time-dependent ones, while imposing no restriction on the multistate process assumed. We exemplify the usage of this framework through a case study on breast cancer patients.


This Paper is the continuation of the works concerning the heat pipe integration within lithium batteries as thermal control device. The previous work showed the high performance and ability of nickel/F11 grooved heat pipe to limit battery's temperature and reduce the internal thermal gradient when it operates in Zero G environment. In the present paper we analyze the performance of this concept during reentry phase of the spacecraft when it is subject to high acceleration. Theoretical study of heat pipe under body forces is performed and results are presented. An experimental assembly has been set up in laboratory to simulate an acceleration field by centrifugal concept. These studies show that heat pipe can be use to cool lithium batteries in the different phases of spacecraft flight and extension to other dissipating payload is tinkable. 5 refs.


Abstract The temporal lobe is implicated in higher cognitive processes and is one of the regions that underwent substantial reorganization during primate evolution. Its functions are instantiated, in part, by the complex layout of its structural connections. Here, we identified low-dimensional representations of structural connectivity variations in human temporal cortex and explored their microstructural underpinnings and associations to macroscale function. We identified three eigenmodes which described gradients in structural connectivity. These gradients reflected inter-regional variations in cortical microstructure derived from quantitative magnetic resonance imaging and postmortem histology. Gradient-informed models accurately predicted macroscale measures of temporal lobe function. Furthermore, the identified gradients aligned closely with established measures of functional reconfiguration and areal expansion between macaques and humans, highlighting their potential role in shaping temporal lobe function throughout primate evolution. Findings were replicated in several datasets. Our results provide robust evidence for three axes of structural connectivity in human temporal cortex with consistent microstructural underpinnings and contributions to large-scale brain network function.


The aim of this study was to investigate the antihypertensive effect of the methanol extract of the leaf of Napoleona imperialis (p. beauv) in adrenaline induced hypertensive rats (AlHR) and compared with those of Propanolol in a cross over design. Napoleona imperialis leaf extract and the commercial drug (Propanolol) were administered orally and through intraperitoneal (I.P) route respectively for one week. Effect of the extract on different biochemical parameters such as blood glucose, serum triglycerides, serum cholesterol, serum creatine phosphokinase, lactate dehydrogenase, pulse rate and body weight were measured utilizing standard methods. Napoleona imperialis leaf extract at the doses of 26mg/130±17g and 52mg/130±17g of body weight were given orally every morning during treatment to show the effect of dose concentration. Propanolol at a dose of 0.084mg/130±17g of body weight was injected into rats according to its pharmacokinetic parameters. The extract administered rats had significantly lowered serum lactate dehydrogenase, creatine phosphokinase and pulse rate compared to the non-extract administered AlHR group (P<0.05). Blood glucose, serum triglycerides and serum cholesterol were not lowered and significantly different (P<0.05) when compared with the control. These results suggest that oral administration of methanol extract of Napoleona imperialis may be useful for prevention and treatment of hypertension.


In an experimental murine model of unilateral ureteral obstruction, Togao et al demonstrated that diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging can depict and enable monitoring of abnormal changes in the progression of renal fibrosis; because these microstructural changes are complex and multifactorial, future studies focused on their specificity should be performed before they are applied in clinical trials.


In the recent decades, communicative language teaching approach has been the leading trend of education, resulting in the increasingly important role of oral skills. While prepared presentations received much attention, impromptu speaking activity seems to be ignored in the field of research. In an attempt to explore the current situation of this learning activity applied for second-year students majoring in English-International Business, University of Languages and International Studies, Hanoi, this paper is aimed at investigating the common difficulties facing students when giving an impromptu speech and the causes of these problems as well as the suggested solutions. To reach the aforementioned aims and objectives, survey questionnaires and interviews were employed in the study. Participants of the study were 3 teachers and 58 students of English-International Business program. The findings showed that there are 5 major difficulties facing students in giving impromptu speeches. The content-related and skill-related reasons, along with some solutions for these difficulties were also revealed. In addition, the study offered several pedagogical suggestions for the implementation of impromptu speaking activity.


Neurotechnologies for treating pain rely on electrical stimulation of the central or peripheral nervous system to disrupt or block pain signaling and have been commercialized to treat a variety of pain conditions. While their adoption is accelerating, neurotechnologies are still frequently viewed as a last resort, after many other treatment options have been explored. We review the pain conditions commonly treated with electrical stimulation, as well as the specific neurotechnologies used for treating those conditions. We identify barriers to adoption, including a limited understanding of mechanisms of action, inconsistent efficacy across patients, and challenges related to selectivity of stimulation and off-target side effects. We describe design improvements that have recently been implemented, as well as some cutting-edge technologies that may address the limitations of existing neurotechnologies. Addressing these challenges will accelerate adoption and change neurotechnologies from last-line to first-line treatments for people living with chronic pain. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering, Volume 25 is June 2023. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.


Abstract Measurements of wind speed, ocean surface temperature, fluxes and flux gradients of sensible and latent heat have been made in the trade wind regime 200 km from land by means of an instrumented aircraft. Values of the bulk transfer coefficients for latent and sensible heat are found to be CEN = 1.18 × 10−3 and CHN = 1.43 × 10−1, respectively. This leads to a ratio CEN/CHN = 0.82, which statistically is significantly less than unity. This is less consistent with recent values, determined in AMTEX expeditions, than with earlier measurements reported in the literature.


We study a family of graphs related to the $n$-cube. The middle cube graph of parameter k is the subgraph of $Q_{2k-1}$ induced by the set of vertices whose binary representation has either $k-1$ or $k$ number of ones. The middle cube graphs can be obtained from the well-known odd graphs by doubling their vertex set. Here we study some of the properties of the middle cube graphs in the light of the theory of distance-regular graphs. In particular, we completely determine their spectra (eigenvalues and their multiplicities, and associated eigenvectors).


ANTARES is currently the largest undersea neutrino telescope, located in the Mediterranean Sea and taking data since 2007. It consists of a 3D array of photo sensors, instrumenting about 10Mt of seawater to detect Cherenkov light induced by secondary particles from neutrino interactions. The event reconstruction and background discrimination is challenging and machine-learning techniques are explored to improve the performance. In this contribution, two case studies using deep convolutional neural networks are presented. In the first one, this approach is used to improve the direction reconstruction of low-energy single-line events, for which the reconstruction of the azimuth angle of the incoming neutrino is particularly difficult. We observe a promising improvement in resolution over classical reconstruction techniques and expect to at least double our sensitivity in the low-energy range, important for dark matter searches. The second study employs deep learning to reconstruct the visible energy of neutrino interactions of all flavors and for the multi-line setup of the full detector.


A simple system for measuring the peer to peer radio frequency time of flight between two identical sensor motes for distance measurement is presented. This scheme uses a 2.4 GHz radio, simple real time processing, and offline range extraction. Methods for reducing error from clock offset and multipath propagation are presented and implemented on prototype hardware. Measurement results are presented including measurements taken in a coal mine. Typical ranging accuracies are between 1 mRMS and 3 mRMS


CONTEXT
Publicly available information concerning laboratory staffing benchmarks is scarce. One of the few publications on this topic summarized the findings of a Q-Probes study performed in 2004. This publication reports a similar survey with data collected in 2010.

OBJECTIVE
To assess the relationship between staffing levels in specified laboratory sections and test volumes in these sections and quantify management span of control.

DESIGN
The study defined 4 laboratory sections: anatomic pathology (including cytology), chemistry/hematology/immunology, microbiology, and transfusion medicine. It divided staff into 3 categories: management, nonmanagement (operational or bench staff), and doctoral (MD, PhD) supervisory staff. People in these categories were tabulated as full-time equivalents and exclusions specified. Tests were counted in uniform formats, specified for each laboratory section, according to Medicare rules for the bundling and unbundling of tests.

RESULTS
Ninety-eight participating institutions provided data that showed significant associations between test volumes and staffing for all 4 sections. There was wide variation in productivity based on volume. There was no relationship between testing volume per laboratory section and management span of control. Higher productivity in chemistry/hematology/immunology was associated with a higher fraction of tests coming from nonacute care patients. In both the 2004 and 2010 studies, productivity was inseparably linked to test volume.

CONCLUSIONS
Higher test volume was associated with higher productivity ratios in chemistry/hematology/immunology and transfusion medicine sections. The impact of various testing services on productivity is section-specific.


A demonstration is made of a programmable vision chip, containing an array of photosensors collocated with a processing circuitry and memory, implementing a Dynamic Neural Field (DNF) over a simple saliency map. The system detects and tracks moving objects with strong contrasts. The computation of the DNF's dynamics is performed entirely on the vision chip. The system solely outputs relevant information that has been processed on the array: the activity of the DNF and/or address-events corresponding to the coordinates of its bumps of activity.


While it is generally believed that hepatic clearance of lipopolysaccharide involves Kupffer cells, the mechanism involved has not been fully elucidated. This study assesses this phenomenon in terms of in vitro uptake and post‐uptake modification experiments with an 125I‐labeled Salmonella minnesota lipopolysaccharide. 125I‐Lipopolysaccharide was added to Kupffer cells in suspension cultures under a variety of conditions. In vitro uptake of 125I‐Lipopolysaccharide was not saturable up to concentrations of 33.33 μg per ml. Kinetics experiments performed at 16.67 μg per ml demonstrated that Kupffer cells were unsaturable after 60 min of incubation. The kinetics of uptake could be inhibited, however, by incubation in the presence of a 10‐fold excess of unlabeled lipopolysaccharide, indicating that a component of the uptake process may be limited. Energy dependence in this process was demonstrated by incubation in the presence of 1 mM 2‐deoxyglucose which inhibited 125I‐lipopolysaccharide uptake by approximately 30%. Pretreatment with 7.5 × 10−5 M colchicine had no effect on kinetics, implying no role for the cell cytoskeleton in lipopolysaccharide uptake. These results are inconsistent with a receptor‐mediated process as previously suggested. Modification of internalized label has been demonstrated by changes in buoyant density in CsCl isopyknic density gradients following overnight incubation with Kupffer cells. These results indicate that Kupffer cells clear bacterial endotoxin in vitro and post‐uptake degradation occurs within 20 hr of incubation.


We propose a form for dark haloes that embodies the fundamental aspect of Milgrom's modified dynamics (MOND): the discrepancy between the visible mass and the Newtonian dynamical mass appears below a critical acceleration. This is a halo having a density distribution, at least to several tens of kpc, of the form Sigma(0)/r, where Sigma(0), is a constant of surface density which does not vary from galaxy to galaxy. To avoid rising rotation curves, such a density distribution must obviously steepen beyond some radius, and we have chosen the Hernquist model in which the density falls as 1/r(4) beyond a characteristic scale. We show that, assuming that the visible (baryonic) matter is some constant fraction of the dark matter, spiral galaxies with such haloes exhibit a Tully-Fisher law of the observed form. In a sample of 10 spiral galaxies with well-determined extended rotation curves this halo, combined with the observable matter, can successfully model the observed curves. Moreover, in the seven most luminous galaxies, the best-fitting models have about the same value of Sigma(0) and are effectively one-parameter fits as in MOND (mass-to-light of the visible disc). The one-parameter description, however, does break down for the three dwarf galaxies in the sample with the lowest internal accelerations.


The dopamine D2 receptor gene is a candidate gene for schizophrenia because the potency of certain neuroleptics correlates with their affinity for this receptor. Case-control studies in 291 schizophrenics, 78 patients with affective disorders, and 579 controls on an association of a molecular variant of S311C of the dopamine D2 receptor with psychiatric disorders were conducted. The frequency of individuals with S311C was significantly higher in schizophrenics with the absence of negative symptoms (17.1%, P < 0.00001), but similar in schizophrenics with the presence of negative symptoms (5.7%, P = 0.46) when compared with the controls (4.1%). The frequency of S311C was significantly higher in familial schizophrenics from one local area but not in those from other areas. It was significant that S311C was frequently present in patients with mood-incongruent psychotic affective disorders (33.3%, P < 0.0001), but not in those with other affective disorders. These data suggest that S311C might be one of the genetic factors for symptomatic dimensions of delusions and hallucinations and might be involved in underlying clinical heterogeneity in schizophrenia and affective disorders.


Gangliosides, a kind of acid glycosphingolipid containing sialic acid, plays a very important physiological role in biomembrane as one of the important components of neurocyte membrane. They were extracted from bovine brain by the Folch method and purified by silica gel and DEAE-Sephadex A-25 column chromatograph. Their molecular functional groups and microstructures of polymeric aggregates were studied by infrared spectrum (IR), ultraviolet spectrum (UV) and atomic force microscope (AFM). The experimental results indicate that: 55.2 mg of Gls from 100 g of wet bovine brain had a certain purity, 62.84%. And their UV absorption spectra appeared at 195 nm, near to the results reported by other peoples. Compared with the IR spectra of sialic acid, the experimental results showed that the structures of the products had the units of sialic acid. In order to investigate the aggregate structures of ganglioside. AFM technique was applied in water, and the results showed that gangliosides can form spherical or ellipsoidal structures in water. It was determined that the size of polymeric aggregates of gangliosides varies between 55 and 380 nm, the average size is (148.9+/-66.7) nm; the height is between 1.0 and 5.0 nm, and the average height is (3.25+/-1.01) nm. The experimental results provide a theoretical and experimental basis for investigating biological activity and the exploitation and utilization of neural drugs.


We have developed an atom interferometer to observe two-atom interference of a momentum entangled state. The setup is similar to one used recently in our laboratory to observe the Hong Ou Mandel (HOM) effect for atoms [1], but instead of using two input and two output modes on a beam splitter, we use four input and four output modes. A diagram is shown below. The configuration is essentially that proposed in Ref. [2]. We observe correlations consistent with the presence of an entangled state. An improved setup will allow a test Bell's inequalities for mechanical degrees of freedom of massive particles.
[1] R. Lopes, et al., Nature 520, 66 (2015).
[2] M. Horne, A. Shimony, and A. Zeilinger, Phys. Rev. Lett. 62, 2495 (1989).


ABSTRACT Experimental results presented here demonstrate that the poliovirus empty capsid binds with saturable character to poliovirus-susceptible cells, binds preferentially to susceptible cells, and competes with mature virus for binding sites on cells. Hence, induced changes in the structure and/or stability of the particle by RNA encapsidation and virus maturation are not necessary for recognition by receptor. In mature virus, heat-induced rearrangements mimic those induced by receptor at physiological temperatures in several important respects, namely, expulsion of VP4 and externalization of the VP1 N-terminal arm. It is shown here that in the empty capsid the VP1 N-terminal arm is externalized but the VP4 portion of VP0 is not. Thus, these two hallmark rearrangements associated with cell entry can be uncoupled.


Introduction: The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) [l] on the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft ranged to clouds over the course of nearly two Mars years [2] using an active laser ranging system. While ranging to the surface, the instrument was also able to measure the product of the surface reflectivity with the two-way atmospheric transmission at 1064 nm. Furthermore, the reflectivity has now been mapped over seasonal cycles using the passive radiometric capabilitj. built into MOLA [3]. Combining these measurements, the column opacity may be inferred. MOLA uniquely provides these measurements both night and day. This study examines the pronounced nighttime opacity of the aphelion season tropical water ice clouds, and the indiscernibly low opacity of the southern polar winter clouds. The water ice clouds (Figure 1) do not themselves trigger the altimeter but have measured opacities z z 1.5 and are temporally and spatially correlated with temperature anomalies predicted by a Mars Global Circulation Model (MGCM) that incorporates cloud radiative effects [4]. The south polar GO2 ice clouds trigger the altimeter with a very high backscatter cross-section over a thickness of 3-9 m and are vertically dispersed over several km, but their total column opacities lie well below the MOLA measurement limit of z = 0.7. These clouds correspond to regions of supercooled atmosphere that may form either very large specularly reflecting particles [2] or very compact, dense concentrations (>5x106 m-3) of 100-p particles [5]. Detailed modeling of cloud opacity addresses these enigmatic clouds.


UVLS (Under Voltage Load Shedding) with Cascade Method and Sensor to Protect Generator from Over Excitation is the modification of UVR (Under Voltage Relay) by using generator sensor to execute Load Shedding in Real Time Condition through Power Line Carrier (PLC) with Cascade Method. Load Shedding starts from low load condition until high load condition in order to reach balance between supply of Reactive Power from Generation and demand of Reactive Power in the system. The UVLS has been implemented in Pekanbaru Subsystem since 2008. Goal of the UVLS is to prevent Over Excitation of Koto Panjang Hydro Power Plant (PLTA Koto Panjang) because it must compensate low voltage and keep the Pekanbaru Subsystem at once. Another benefit of this UVLS is to maintain deviation between Reactive Power Consumption and total Supply of Reactive Power to be balance. UVLS with Cascade Method and Sensor need to be implemented if the Subsystem has dependence on dominant Generation, Radial Transmission Network, and constraints of reactive power supply. According to these facts, UVLS with Cascade Method and Sensor is the best solution to solve the problem. It is suitable to be implemented in Pekanbaru Subsystem.


The methods of synthesis of imidazopyrimidines with a bridgehead nitrogen atom, namely imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidines, imidazo[1,2-c]pyrimidines, and their benzo-analogues, are examined, particular attention being devoted to methods of synthesis of preparative value. Certain theoretical problems associated with the formation of these heterocyclic condensed systems are discussed. The bibliography includes 157 references.


Abstract We inquire whether an empirical weather forecasting scheme can profitably incorporate a possible nonlinear relationship between observed predictands and predictors. We analyze a set of twice–daily hemispheric 500 mb height fields into truncated series of spherical harmonies. From each act of spherical-harmonic coefficients, we predict the coefficients 24 h in advance by integrating the barotropic vorticity equation in spherical-harmonic form. We then establish linear regression equations for predicting the same coefficients, using as predictors the coefficients which represent the observed height fields, and, in some instances, the numerically predicted height fields. We find that the empirical schemes which incorporate nonlinearity by using the numerically predicted fields perform considerably better than those which do not.


: Nowadays, the understanding and generation of cognitive processes of natural language are becoming easier and better understood to perform machine translation. In this paper, we develop a system of machine translation to translate from English to Arabic, which runs on PC compatibles with English/Arabic interface. The system task was to analyze the natural language of English and Arabic to get accurate translation based on reordering per sentence at least one time. It based on identifying the Part Of Speech (POS) for each word in sentence from English dictionary, which used for reordering purpose. English dictionary also used to translate single word based on finding word meaning relative to categories (POS). The transfer of English words order in sentence from English structure to Arabic structure based on synchronize words between English and Arabic that based on matching between both language rules grammar. The meaning of words in sentences get from Bi-lingual dictionary that used to translate single word consists of only word meaning relative to categories (POS). This system applies on abstracts from European Psychiatry Journal domain that includes twenty (20) abstracts containing ninety five (95) sentences. The result obtained shows that the reordering rules is 81.9% accuracy on a translation from English Language to Arabic using abstracts from the European Journal of Psychiatry.


ERP 4220 Introduction to Enterprise Decision Dashboard Prototyping (LEC 3.0) Study design and implementation principles for enterprise decision dashboards utilizing data warehouse and databases to support visual analytics. SAP HANA & BW, Business Objects Dashboards, IBM Watson Analytics, SAS Visual Analytics, or similar tools are used for practical assignments. Prerequisite: A grade of "C" or better in IS&T 1750.


Autoantibodies that reacted with cell bodies and axon terminals of gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons were present in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid in a patient with stiff‐man syndrome with type I diabetes. Immunoblot experiments using this patient's serum and cerebrospinal fluid did not corroborate an earlier observation that these autoantibodies are directed against the GABAergic cytosolic enzyme, L‐glutamic acid decarboxylase. While L‐glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibodies may be associated with this syndrome, they do not appear to be easily demonstrated.


While the electronic tagging of asylum-seekers is often considered a humane alternative to detention, it is actually a tactic of Theresa May's 'hostile environment' that deeply constricts an individual's physical, psychological, and social freedom. This study focuses on the experiences of asylum-seekers who have been electronically tagged— their struggles and their methods of resistance. The electronic tag administers a mandatory curfew on asylum-seekers, administered by a 'crimmigration apparatus' that is made up of the Home Office and its (in)security contractors. The apparatus neglects asylum-seekers and their cases through bureaucratic loopholes, lack of accountability, enforced paranoia, and dehumanization. Within the community, asylum-seekers are unable to work, volunteer, or participate in civil society because of the tag. Yet despite the psychological trauma and physical restrictions, electronically tagged asylum-seekers fight against this socio-political oppression through everyday and extraordinary acts. As the Home Office continues to expand the detention estate and issue new contracts to corporations, asylum-seekers are increasingly endangered by the propensity of further surveillance, privatized abuse, and restricted civil liberties.


Five hundred and ten industry workers and 100 administrative employees from the plant "Napredăk"--Plovdiv were studied consuming the same quantity of calories (from 2500 to 3500). The working processes of the workers are mechanized in 70 per cent. The production is based on the conveyor system. Reduced physical activity is established but intensified psychic strain. Reduced physical activity is also established in the administrative employees and high mental loading. All men and women, aged 25-75 were examined for ischemic heart disease (IHD). IHD was found in 30.59 per cent among the industry workers (31.14 among men and 29.38 among women). IHD in 48 per cent (41.9 among men and 34.37 per cent among the women) was found in the administrative employees. The role of certain risk factors for IHD was studied. Arterial hypertension proved to be one of those risk factors with statistical significance, as well as obesity, hyperlipidemia (over 800 mg%), hypercholesteremia (over 250 mg%). Arterial hypertension was confirmed in 12.3 per cent of industry workers and in 19 per cent the administrative employees. More important and statistically significant factors for it are: obesity, hyperlipidemia, hypercholesteremia and neuropsychic strain.


Extended quark distribution functions are presented obtained by fitting a large amount of experimental data of the l-A DIS process on the basis of an improved nuclear density model. The experimental data of l-A DIS processes with A ≥ 3 in the region 0.0010 ≤ x ≥ 0.9500 are quite satisfactorily described by using the extended formulae. Our knowledge of the influence of nuclear matter on the quark distributions is deepened.


Chronic exposure of humans to toxic levels of fluoride in drinking water resulted in significant increase in blood GSH content with significant increase in the activities of erythrocyte glutathione metabolising enzymes viz., gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (E.C. 126.96.36.199), gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (E.C. 126.96.36.199), GST (E.C. 18.104.22.168), GSH-Px (E.C. 18.104.22.168) and GR (E.C. 126.96.36.199). The data suggested a form of adaptation on the part of the erythrocytes to counteract the oxidative stress in red blood cells of fluorotic patients.


'Last offices' is the term traditionally used in nursing to describe the final acts of care for a deceased person or someone who is about to die. The chief nursing officer for Ireland has published guidance on nurses' responsibilities before, at the time of and immediately after the person's death.


Nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide is prepared by hard anodization of aluminum under potentiostatic conditions using 0.3 M H2C2O4. Under unstirred electrolyte condition, spontaneous current oscillations are observed. The amplitude and period of these current oscillations are observed to increase with anodization time. As a consequence of the oscillatory behavior, the resulting anodic alumina exhibits modulated pore structures, in which the diameter contrast and the length of pore modulation increase with the amplitude and the period of current oscillations, respectively, and the current peak profile determines the internal geometry of oxide nanopores. The mechanism responsible for the oscillatory behavior is suggested to be a diffusion‐controlled anodic oxidation of aluminum.


Australia's agrifood sector has gone through an unprecedented era of change over
the last 20 years. At the federal level, both Labour and Liberal (conservative)
governments have pursued a neo-liberal agenda that has removed many of the
props that previously supported the critically important export agricultural sector.
Price supports, subsidies, market quotas, marketing boards and other traditional
support mechanisms which provided much stability to the Australian rural sector
have, in recent years, gradually been dismantled by governments oriented
towards market mechanisms and a 'level playing field' at home and overseas. At
the same time, rural communities have experienced significant decline as both the
public and private sectors reduce the level of services. Further pressure on rural
communities is experienced as a consequence of the growing demands from
environmentalists and government agencies for the adoption of more sustainable
agricultural practices. These demands find an echo in the demand from retailers
'and consumers for quality assurance programmes which guarantee the safety of
food products. On top of all this are the impacts resulting from processes of
globalization, which are exposing rural communities and local producers in most
agricultural sectors to competition from producers half-a-world away and are
leading to further decline in farm numbers and a loss of community effectiveness.
Farm families with their dynamic, gendered divisions of labour are positioned


Background— Western-style fast food contributes to a dietary pattern portending poor cardiometabolic health in the United States. With globalization, this way of eating is becoming more common in developing and recently developed populations. Methods and Results— We examined the association of Western-style fast food intake with risk of incident type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease mortality in Chinese Singaporeans. This analysis included men and women 45 to 74 years of age who enrolled in the Singapore Chinese Health Study from 1993 to 1998. For CHD mortality, 52 584 participants were included and 1397 deaths were identified through December 31, 2009, via registry linkage. For type 2 diabetes mellitus, 43 176 participants were included and 2252 cases were identified during the follow-up interview (1999–2004) and validated. Hazard ratios for incident type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease mortality were estimated with thorough adjustment for demographic, lifestyle, and dietary factors. Chinese Singaporeans with relatively frequent intake of Western-style fast food items (≥2 times per week) had an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (hazard ratio, 1.27; 95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.54) and dying of coronary heart disease (hazard ratio, 1.56; 95% confidence interval, 1.18–2.06) relative to their peers with little or no reported intake. These associations were not materially altered by adjustments for overall dietary pattern, energy intake, and body mass index. Conclusions— Western-style fast food intake is associated with increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus and of coronary heart disease mortality in an Eastern population. These findings suggest the need for further attention to global dietary acculturation in the context of ongoing epidemiological and nutrition transitions.


Abstract Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN), a kidney disease that occurs in rural villages in Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, and Serbia, is thought to be linked to an environmental toxin. The authors review literature on proposed environmental exposure agents, report the results of field sampling and analysis studies to evaluate potentials for exposure to proposed agents, and propose criteria for future testing. They used these criteria to evaluate the evidence for suggested hypotheses, concluding that several proposed agents can be eliminated or considered unlikely based on apparent inconsistencies between clinical or epidemiologic evidence related to BEN and toxicologic or exposure evidence related to the agents. Mycotoxins and aristolochic acid are the primary targets of current toxicologic investigations, and while the evidence on exposures for both is potentially consistent, it is insufficient.


OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to evaluate the associations between psychological factors and the presence of deleterious oral habits in children and adolescents.

STUDY DESIGN
147 students aged 8 to 14-years-old were divided in two groups concerning the presence and absence of DOH Habit group (HG) and Habit free group (HFG). Participants were asked about the presence of DOH using the domain III (Oral Habits) of the Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening (NOT-S). Symptoms of anxiety and depression were evaluated using the Brazilian Portuguese versions of the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS) and the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), respectively. Saliva was collected 30 min after waking and at night to determine the diurnal decline in salivary cortisol (DDSC). Data were analyzed using the Chi-squared, Mann-Whitney, Spearman's correlation and logistic regression.

RESULTS
The prevalence of DOH was higher in females than males (65.1 vs 34.9; p < 0.05). The most frequent DOH was nail biting (58.7%). HG presented more depressive symptoms than HFG (p < 0.05). There was positive correlation between salivary cortisol levels and age (p < 0.01). Logistic regression analysis found association between symptoms of anxiety and the presence of DOH (OR = 2.35; p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, children and adolescents with DOH presented more symptoms of depression than their counterparts. Moreover, they were more likely to report symptoms of anxiety.


Improving the quality of education becomes an integral part of efforts to improve human quality of both aspects of ability, personality, and responsibility. Also follow developments in the computer world has reached a remarkable development. Almost all fields of work in the world has been controlled by the computer. Just as with the education of the learning process does not want to miss The author would like to bring this kind of learning-based Macromedia Flash Pro 8 to facilitate the delivery of course material up even through the computer. Computing power as a means of developing mathematics made possible intraktif multimedia systems, so users can no longer be active or passive reactive. This multimedia-based learning is used to attract interest in learning the subject up even through an animation and drawing up in order to assist teachers in delivering the materials.


famine, become permanent features of black Africa. Maybe, but Wellington's remark when accosted as 'Mr Jones, I believe', haunts my mind: I doubt whether things were that bad after the Europeans arrived, or that different before. The third theme concerns the profitability of the slave trade, and its contribution to economic development; the last three papers discuss this, concluding that it seems more likely that conditions generating sustained economic growth permitted a profitable slave trade, rather than that (as Eric Williams argued) such trade permitted such growth.


In commodity-based industries, accurate sales forecast is very important for effective inventory management and decision-making. Univariate and multivariate time series forecasting methods have been widely used to predict commodity sales. The purpose of this study is to make a comprehensive comparative analysis of these two methods under the background of commodity sales forecast. Firstly, the concept of time series prediction and its significance in the field of commodity sales are introduced. It emphasizes the challenges related to sales forecast, including demand fluctuation, seasonality and external factors affecting sales model. The forecasting methods of univariate time series, such as ARIMA, are discussed in detail, focusing on their ability to capture the time correlation in a single sales variable. In contrast, the multivariate time series prediction method considers the relationship between multiple variables. Vector autoregressive and multivariate extension of ARIMA. These techniques combine the interaction of various factors, including external influences, to improve the accuracy of prediction. In order to make a comprehensive comparative analysis, a data set including historical sales data of specific commodities is used. Both univariate and multivariate models are suitable for forecasting future sales, and their performance indicators are evaluated by MASE. The results show that although univariate models are easier to implement and explain, they often fail to capture the complex interdependence between different factors that affect sales. On the other hand, the multivariate model shows excellent prediction accuracy by integrating related variables and their dynamic relationships. However, they need more additional data and more complex modeling techniques. Finally, the research gives the practical significance and suggestions of choosing an appropriate forecasting method based on the characteristics of commodity sales data and the specific business environment. It emphasizes the importance of considering the accuracy and interpretability of the prediction model in practical application.


Much of the present consumer concern with American health care starts with the discrepancy most people experience between the office visit to a doctor and the focus of most medical research and its results. Medical progress has affected public health and the acutely ill or disabled, but has had comparatively minor impact on the average doctor-patient encounter outside the hospital, university medical center, or other specialized setting. In 1970, 72% of the population consulted a physician at least once, but only 10.3% reported one or more hospital episodes; American Hospital Association statistics showed community hospitals averaging 4.6 outpatient visit every one inpatient admission.<R>1</R>


An experiment to search for intermediate mass magnetic monopoles (105-1012 GeV/c2) and for strangelets or nuclearites in the cosmic radiation is exposed at Chacaltaya Laboratory (5230 m a.s.l.) and at Koksil, Himalaya, (4275 m a.s.l.). With the large area of nuclear track detectors (440 m2 at Chacaltaya and 100 m2 at Koksil) and the long time exposure will reach a sensitivity to the flux of SQM about 10?15 cm?2 s?1 sr?1 sr. The results of the analysis, in terms of search for SQM, of large array of detectors at Chacaltaya and exposed for more than 3.5 y are here reported.


The last few decades have seen an increasing amount of philosophical, psychological, and educational research and theory promoting the virtue and value of gratitude. Such works elaborate various reasons for gratitude and argue for it in various cases, including unintuitive situations such as cases of harm. This essay challenges broad contemporary promotions of gratitude by considering gratitude in difficult, realistically complex moral circumstances, exploring gratitude in contemporary American author Toni Morrison's novels, particularly The Bluest Eye (1970) and Sula (1973). It then explores the alternative form of moral education that reading such fiction can provide in relation to relevant philosophical and educational views, reflecting particularly on Martha Nussbaum and Morrison's own perspectives regarding the possibilities and limitations of learning from fiction.


Five oxygenated carbon-centered free radical reactions with nitrogen dioxide (NO2) have been studied in direct time-resolved measurements. Experiments were conducted in a temperature-controlled flow tube reactor coupled to a 193 nm exciplex laser photolysis and a resonance gas lamp photoionization mass spectrometer. Reactions were investigated under pseudofirst-order conditions, with the NO2 concentrations of the experiments in great excess over the initial radical concentrations ([R]0 << [NO2]). The study consists of the three isomeric C2H5O radicals (CH3CHOH, CH2CH2OH, and CH3OCH2), and the CH2OH and CH3CO radical reactions with NO2 and, hence, includes the three smallest hydroxyalkyl radical species (CH2OH, CH2CH2OH, and CH3CHOH). The obtained rate coefficients are high with the temperature-dependent rate coefficients given by a formula k(T) = k300K × (T/300 K)(-n) as (in units of cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1)): k(CH2OH + NO2) = (8.95 ± 2.70) × 10(-11) × (T/300 K)(-0.54±0.27) (T = 298-363 K), k(CH2CH2OH + NO2) = (5.99 ± 1.80) × 10(-11) × (T/300 K)(-1.49±0.45)(T = 241-363 K), k(CH3CHOH + NO2) = (7.48 ± 2.24) × 10(-11) × (T/300 K)(-1.36±0.41) (T = 266-363 K), k(CH3OCH2 + NO2) = (7.85 ± 2.36) × 10(-11) × (T/300 K)(-0.93±0.28) (T = 243-363 K), and k(CH3CO + NO2) = (2.87 ± 0.57) × 10(-11) × (T/300 K)(-2.45±0.49) (T = 241-363 K), where the uncertainties refer to the estimated overall uncertainties of the values obtained. The determined rate coefficients show negative temperature dependence with no apparent bath gas pressure dependence under the current experimental conditions (241-363 K and about 1-3 Torr helium). This behavior is typical for a radical-radical addition mechanism with no potential energy barrier above the energy of the separated reactants in the entrance channel of the reaction. Unfortunately the absence of detected product signals prevented gaining deeper insight into the reaction mechanism.


Aim: Patient presentation skill is a core clinical skill in externship clinical education. This study is conducted to investigate the effects of externship clinical course on medical students' history taking and patient presentation. Methods: This pre-/post-quasi-experimental study is conducted on all 3rd year medical students (62 externs). The students' performance is assessed through a researcher-made checklist. The McNemar's test is used to compare the pre- and post-test item frequencies. Results: The findings reveal that most of the medical students addressed the chief complaint and present illness of patient in their patient history presentation. Frequencies of correct performance are below 70% in the posttest. None of the externs tried to perform physical examination. The McNemar's test results revealed that in the eleven items and subitems, the student performance improved significantly. Conclusion: Educational activity in externship courses could improve some items in medical student patient presentation performance; while medical students had moderate competency in the patient presentation. The findings here correspond to the finding in previous studies.


This paper examines the determinants of capital structure of agro-listed firms in Nigeria, using data generated from the financial statements of twenty eight (28) agro-allied firms, which have been listed in the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) from 2005 to 2010. The major tool for data analysis was Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), which was used to analyze the identified firm-specific variables that affect short and long term debt ratios. All measured capital structure were scaled by the book value of total assets. In terms of short term debt ratio, large firms were perceived to have enough tangible assets at their disposal to pledge as collateral and access debt capital. Highly tangible firms also use more short-term debts, as high tangible asset reduced the magnitude of debt loss incurred by debt providers if the firms default. Growing listed firms used more short term debts, presumably due to their huge capital requirement for financing new short term investment opportunities and the need to meet current liabilities and other overhead expenses. Growing firms are presumed to lack both tangible assets and cheap long term credit sources of information and as such depends mostly on short term debts. The result further shows agro-listed firms with high taxes use more short term debts in their finances. Highly profitable firms do not depend on short-term debts, as they are perceived to be liquid enough to finance their short term investment through retained earnings at the expense of taking short term debts. In terms of long term debt ratio, highly profitable firms use less long term debts, implying that they have enough internally generated funds for their financing needs at the expense of borrowing. Large sized firms depend on long term debt for their finances because of high tangible assets at their disposal as collaterals. Firm age was positively related to long term debt ratio. The estimated growth coefficient was positively and significant, implying that growing firms use more long term debts. Finally, asset structure was found to be positively related to long-term debt ratio. Firms with high tangible assets are perceived to use more long term debts. It is recommended among others that appropriate protectionist policy be put in place for agro-based listed firms seeking short-term financing. Keywords : capital structure, listed Agrofirms, finance, Nigeria


Patient diagnosis and treatment involves factors that occur at different times. In order to identify as early as possible those factors associated with excessive length of stay in a hospital, time staging was added to induced decision trees. Time-staged induced decision trees uncovered useful patterns in data from the earliest time period, which represents a patient's medical history, even though linear regression did not identify any significant variables in this data. Introduction Induced decision trees have been successfully applied to problems in medical diagnosis, both in identifying an illness (Kononenko et al. 1984; Mingers 1989) and in determining the most cost-effective diagnostic tests (Nunez 1991). Induction operates on a set of cases with known outcomes, along with their associated symptoms or diagnostic tests. Induction methods, such as induced decision trees and linear regression identify those attributes most significant in predicting the outcome. For induced decision trees, also called rule induction, the output takes the form of a decision tree. The most significant attribute is located at the root of the tree; succeeding attributes further discriminate between the outcomes. The sequence of attribute values in the decision tree can easily be converted to the rules of an expert system. The explanatory power of these rules is one of the strong points of induced decision trees. Another strength is their ability, if constructed in stages, to show data attributes in the order in which they occur (Murphy and Benaroch 1997). Alternate modes of predicting outcomes include neural networks. Although neural networks lack explanatory power, they are the most accurate predictors, in most studies. Modeling data in time stages is a useful approach for studying the diagnosis and treatment of diseases as they progress. The application discussed in this paper is identifying critical factors for patients undergoing knee replacement surgery. The tertiary care hospital that provided the data was implementing critical pathways, standard clinical steps in treating a disease. Their goal is reducing costs and improving quality. The data collected on a hospitalized patient is available in different time frames. The medical history is available before admission. Other data, such as the results of tests, and, in the case of knee replacement, the distance walked become available at varying points during the hospital stay. The goal of this research is early identification of factors that affect length of stay in order to implement interventions that address the problems. The resulting induced decision trees present data in its natural order of availability. The trees uncover several factors contributing to excessive length of stay. Experimental Method Data was collected on 29 attributes for 119 patients who had knee replacement surgery. The conventional rule induction algorithm was modified so that it used data in its order of availability. The modified attribute selection step forced any statistically significant attributes from the first time period to enter the tree before attributes from the next time period. Later time groups entered, one by one, when no attributes from the prior groups were significant. Results Analysis with linear regression identified only one significant attribute, the distance walked on the fourth day; however, the induced decision trees revealed useful patterns in data from the earliest time period. The trees can uncover those early attributes that act in conjunction to influence length of stay. For example, the tree in Figure 1 contributes several rules; one is: if patients do not use a cane prior to admission and have a body mass (pounds/inches-squared) less than .05, they have an 80% chance of leaving in 8 days. 45 patients with this profile were discharged in 8 days or less; 11 stayed longer. (A body mass of .05 corresponds to a person 5'6" weighing 218 pounds.) Another rule in the tree is that if patients are able to walk more than 5 feet on day 3 but cannot walk on day 4, they will stay more than 8 days in the hospital. This rule agrees with comments that appear ed in patient records. When patients did well on their first walk in physical therapy, but not their second, their condition had deteriorated. They felt dizzy, weak, or in pain.


Free radicals, especially the hydroxyl radical (OH.), are known to be toxic for several ocular structures including the cornea, lens, iris and retina through the initiation of lipid peroxidation of cell membranes. The oxidative damage to the iris epithelial-cell membranes, induced by the injection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) at different concentrations into the anterior chamber of the rabbit eye, was studied by means of the measurement of lipid peroxidation products. Thiobarbituric acid reactive (TBAR) products were significantly increased compared with normal control iris after the intracameral injection of H2O2 at concentrations of 0.1 (p < 0.02), 10 and 100 mM (p < 0.001). Viscoelastic substances, widely used in anterior ocular surgery, sodium hyaluronate (Healon) and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, show a protective effect against rabbit iris lipid peroxidation. A statistically significant (p < 0.001) inhibition of the release of TBAR products occurred in both experimental groups that received an injection of these substances prior to a H2O2 injection. This is the first report of lipid peroxidation of the iris and the 'antioxidant'-protective effect of viscoelastic substances. This new technical approach could be used as a test of efficacy of the protective effect of viscoelastic substances.


We combine new and published satellite observations and the results of a coupled ice‐ocean model to provide the first estimate of changes in the quantity of ice floating in the global oceans and the consequent sea level contribution. Rapid losses of Arctic sea ice and small Antarctic ice shelves are partially offset by thickening of Antarctic sea ice and large Antarctic ice shelves. Altogether, 746 ± 127 km3 yr−1 of floating ice was lost between 1994 and 2004, a value that exceeds considerably the reduction in grounded ice over the same period. Although the losses are equivalent to a small (49 ± 8 μm yr−1) rise in mean sea level, there may be large regional variations in the degree of ocean freshening and mixing. Ice shelves at the Antarctic Peninsula and in the Amundsen Sea, for example, have lost 481 ± 38 km3 yr−1.


In the present study, the relationship between systemic exposure of simvastatin (SV) hydroxy acid (SV-acid), an active form of SV, and its alveolar regeneration rates was investigated using emphysema model mice created by postnatal treatment of dexamethasone. In a model with young animals, the mice were treated with SV for 10 d from postnatal day 42. Similar alveolar regeneration with a % mean linear intercept (Lm) recovery of 60 to 70% by histochemical observation was observed in mice after intraperitoneal administration at dose in the range of 4-100 µg/mouse. The % Lm recovery after oral administration of 20 µg/mouse was comparable with that after intraperitoneal administration at a dose of 4 µg/mouse, when their exposure of SV-acid was almost similar in both treated groups. Regardless of the route of administration, the recovery can depend on the exposure level of SV-acid, and to the maximum was about 60-70%. On the other hand, in a model with adult animals, the mice were intraperitoneally administrated SV at a dose of 4 µg/mouse for 10 d from postnatal day 152. Compared to young animals, less % Lm recovery was observed in adult mice even their systemic exposures of SV-acid were similar.


Human leucocyte antigens (HLA) typing has been a challenge due to extreme polymorphism of the HLA genes and limitations of the current technologies and protocols used for their characterization. Recently, next‐generation sequencing techniques have been shown to be a well‐suited technology for the complete characterization of the HLA genes. However, a comprehensive assessment of the different platforms for HLA typing, describing the limitations and advantages of each of them, has not been presented. We have compared the Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine (PGM) and Illumina MiSeq, currently the two most frequently used platforms for diagnostic applications, for a number of metrics including total output, quality score per position across the reads and error rates after alignment which can all affect the accuracy of HLA genotyping. For this purpose, we have used one homozygous and three heterozygous well‐characterized samples, at HLA‐A, HLA‐B, HLA‐C, HLA‐DRB1 and HLA‐DQB1. The total output of bases produced by the MiSeq was higher, and they have higher quality scores and a lower overall error rate than the PGM. The MiSeq also has a higher fidelity when sequencing through homopolymer regions up to 9 bp in length. The need to set phase between distant polymorphic sites was more readily achieved with MiSeq using paired‐end sequencing of fragments that are longer than those obtained with PGM. Additionally, we have assessed the workflows of the different platforms for complexity of sample preparation, sequencer operation and turnaround time. The effects of data quality and quantity can impact the genotyping results; having an adequate amount of good quality data to analyse will be imperative for confident HLA genotyping. The overall turnaround time can be very comparable between the two platforms; however, the complexity of sample preparation is higher with PGM, while the actual sequencing time is longer with MiSeq.


ABSTRACT Outsourcing production enables fabless companies to focus on their main business and yet still stay competitive in the supply chain. However, as the actual production process of a Contract Manufacturer (CM) is encapsulated, a Fabless Manufacturer (FM) frequently struggles with higher inventory levels than its actual needs in response to outsourcing production risks. This study proposes Virtual Production Control Services (VPCS) for a company to identify the production risks of its CM and come up with corresponding solutions for improving demand fulfillment. By mining the updated work-in-process data from the CM, the VPCS can identify the potential production risks in a timely manner by estimating production progress based on an optimal planning model. In addition, production risks can be mitigated after applying a novel risk-control scheme such that demands can be fulfilled with reduced inventory levels. An FM case study indicates that VPCS is a promising method to improve the outsourcing efficiency of a company in the IC supply chain.


Mahakam Block has been in operation for nearly half a century with cumulative production of approximately 20 trillion cubic feet of gas and 1.5 billion barrels of oil. Mature field challenges have become more evident as portrayed by declining production, more complex surface constraints, more challenging profitability of new projects and decreasing resources of new wells, which are also exacerbated by external factors such as volatility of oil and gas prices. Despite the aforementioned challenges and complexity in terms of operating numerous fields with different characteristics, Mahakam is currently still one of the biggest producing blocks in Indonesia. The success of sustaining production and prolonging the life of Mahakam is the result of continuous innovations, improvements and optimizations on various aspects over the years.
 Subsurface innovative ideas by restudying and redefining geological concepts has led Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM) to drill step-out wells in Handil, Tunu, South Mahakam and Sisi Nubi fields that deliver positive results and open new opportunities. In the non-subsurface aspect, Indonesia's first Plan of Development that combines higher and lower value projects across fields called OPLL (Optimasi Pengembangan Lapangan-Lapangan) was initiated in order to develop fields with marginal value and to achieve economy of scale. Moreover, Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) optimization through evolution of platform design, well architecture and sand control method is crucial for exploitation of targets with lower resources over time. PHM has also launched CLEOPATRA (Cost Effectiveness and Lean Operations in Mature Asset), later renamed to LOCOMOTIVE-8 (Low Operations Cost of Mahakam to Achieve Effectiveness and Efficiencies), to achieve Operating Expenditure (OPEX) efficiency through various initiatives driven by each entity. Due to cost of money, budget accuracy is as important as expenditures reduction meaning that more detailed and deterministic budget estimation is necessary. In addition to optimizing cost structure, PHM strives to carry out gas commercialization efforts to improve revenue streams.
 In this rapidly changing era, especially for Mahakam, paradigm shift becomes highly critical. Changes in the structure and size of organization is essential to adjust with business dynamics. Adaptive organization structure is performed through digitalization and competency improvement to reduce repetitive tasks and increase productivity per capita. Cooperation between neighboring companies brings mutual benefit by sharing rig, transportation means, and pipeline network systems. Mutual benefit opportunity is also available between the company and Indonesian government by amendment of fiscal terms with the aim to enable the execution of sub-economic projects. Ultimately, one effort alone may be insignificant, but the combination of all of the efforts will be the key to the continuation of Mahakam story.


The authors present a new sequential decoding algorithm based on dynamic searching strategy to improve decoding efficiency. The searching strategy is to exploit both 'sorting' and 'path recording' techniques. By means of sorting, it is possible to identify the correct path in a very fast way and then, by path recording, the bit sequence can be recovered without degrading decoding performance. The authors also develop a conditional resetting scheme to overcome the buffer overflow problem encountered in conventional sequential decoding algorithms. Simulation results show that, for a given code, the decoding efficiency remains the same as that obtained from maximum likelihood function by appropriately selecting sorting length and decoding depth. In addition, this algorithm can easily be mapped onto an area-efficient VLSI architecture to implement long constraint length convolutional decoders for high-speed digital communications.


In case of analyzing PAHs (EPA 16 compounds) in oil-contaminated soils, the lump of peaks may occur because of the aliphatic and polar compounds in oil. This phenomenon is due to the lower accuracy of the analysis. To solve this problem, evaluation of application of silicagel-alumina multi-layer fraction was performed using standard substances and oil-contaminated soils. As a result of application of silicagel-alumina multi-layer fraction cleanup method using standard substances, recovery rates of surrogate standards (5 compounds including Naphthalene-d8) were 83~100% and those of target standards were 75~129%. These were to meet the target values (60~130%) in this study. When used 4% water-silicagel column analyze PAHs in oil-contaminated soils, Some problems were generated for quantitative analysis of PAHs; concentration of PAHs was underestimated due to an upward baseline of internal standard (recovery rate: less than 60%) and overestimated by the lump of peaks which were not purified (the biggest recovery rate: more than 400%). On the other hand, in case of silicagel-alumina multi-layer fraction cleanup method, recovery rate of surrogate standards were 61~101.6%. Therefore this cleanup method was considered a valid method to improve accuracy of analysis of PAHs in oil-contaminated soils.


Background: Infants are at increased risk of hospitalization for influenza. Although vaccinating women during pregnancy has been shown to reduce the incidence of influenza infection among newborns, population-based data are limited. Methods: A population-based cohort of 31,028 mothers and singleton infants were included in the analysis. Hospitalizations with a principal diagnosis or additional diagnoses consistent with severe respiratory illness occurring during the 2012 and 2013 southern hemisphere influenza seasons were identified using a state-wide hospital discharge database. Newborns were defined as "maternally vaccinated" if the mother received influenza vaccine ≥14 days before delivery. Cox regression models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios for hospitalization. Results: A total of 3169 infants were maternally vaccinated and 27,859 were unvaccinated; 732 hospitalizations were identified, 528 (69%) of which were for bronchiolitis. There were 21.9 hospitalizations per 100,000 person days among maternally vaccinated infants and 30.2 hospitalizations per 100,000 person days among unvaccinated infants. Maternally vaccinated infants were 25% less likely to be hospitalized for an acute respiratory illness during influenza season compared with unvaccinated infants (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.75, 95% confidence interval: 0.56–0.99, P = 0.04). Vaccinations administered in the third trimester were associated with a 33% reduction in the risk of newborn hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.67, 95% confidence interval: 0.47–0.95, P = 0.03). No such reduction was identified for vaccinations administered earlier in pregnancy. Conclusions: Maternal influenza vaccination was associated with a reduction in the incidence of hospital admission for acute respiratory illness among infants <6 months of age. These data suggest that vaccination during third trimester may provide optimal benefit to the newborn.


I am grateful to Stuart Peterfreund for his perceptive remarks on my article. I agree that theological debates over the Eucharist were often of crucial significance to Rabelais's contemporaries. As I have pointed out, serious scholarly work has established a horizon of expectation that removes Rabelais from suspicions of anachronistic libertinism and rationalism and places him squarely, though not exclusively, within Erasmian culture. I mentioned Gerard Defaux's Pantagruel et les sophistes, Edwin Duval's The Design of Rabelais's Pantagruel, Michael A. Screech's L'evangelisme de Rabelais, and Florence M. Weinberg's The Wine and the Will: Rabelais's Bacchic Christianity, and I could have listed several other critical works that give a prominent role to militant evangelical thinking in the fashioning of Rabelais's ideas. This influence is undoubtedly present in Rabelais's later works, especially the Quart livre, but is less certain in the single episode of Pantagruel on which I concentrated—Panurge's and Pantagruel's amatory adventures with a Parisian lady. Pantagruel, Rabelais's first book, was written and published before the famous Affair of the Placards (17-18 Oct. 1534), when violent attacks against the Mass were posted all over France, even on the door of the royal chamber, leading the previously sympathetic king to see the Reformation as a dangerous political movement. Some of Rabelais's later textual revisions may be attributed to his reaction to the affair, but it is not always easy to trace direct connections between Rabelais's early fiction and specific political events or theological issues. Regarding the wider issue of symbolic representation, I agree that the Renaissance concept of exemplarity must somehow be related to contemporary epistemological issues. Yet I have no solid evidence that Rabelais's works may have called into question the dogma of the eucharistic real presence. As several recent studies have shown, the Renaissance drive toward contingency, originality, and individuality was not a move out of the theological worldview but a phenomenon that remained deeply grounded within the scholastic, especially the nominalist, tradition. Theological paradigms can and do illuminate the way Renaissance writers conceived of their fictional worlds. The danger, however, is that theology may be used as a master text with extraordinary claims over other disciplines. Theology should be chosen as a key modus interpretandi not with the assumption that it is closer to metaphysical truth but because, as Ullrich Langer observes {Divine and Poetic Freedom in the Renaissance: Nominalist Theology and Literature in France and Italy, Princeton: Princeton UP, 1990), it offers the most elaborate intellectual discourse available in the Renaissance.


An investigation on different types of faults namely: open-circuit (OC), short-circuit (SC), high impedance fault (HIF) and the fault caused by direct lightning strike (LS) on the transmission line has been done using Alternative Transient Program/ Electromagnetic Transient Program (ATP/EMTP) and MATLAB Toolbox. The characteristic of the faults in terms of their corresponding frequency spectrum, the polarity of incidentand reflected-wave from fault point, and the neighboring and/or remote end busbar signals has been studied and verified for the possibility to differentiate the type of fault occurred. For this purpose, the fault point on the wave has been created at the moment when the voltage signal reaches its peak and also when it is close to zero. Both, Wavelet Transform (WT) and Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) methods have been implemented in the study to extract and analyze the information associated with transient signal generated by the fault simulated at both, sending and receiving end busbars. Model of the network used in this study is taken from [1]. Key-words: WT, FFT, fault characteristic, polarities, ATP/EMTP, and spectrum analysis


Pseudoaneurysm of the hepatic artery is a rare complication of blunt abdominal trauma. We report a case of post-traumatic pseudoaneurysm diagnosed several months after the initial traumatism in a 18-year-old man who presented recurrent abdominal pain. This pseudoaneurysm was successfully treated by association of both classical endovascular treatment and transhepatic percutaneous embolization.


Current guidelines advocate intravenous thrombolysis for patients with ischemic stroke <4.5 hours from onset without additional imaging beyond noncontrast computed tomography (CT) of the brain.1 Rapid administration of intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (IV-tPA) will reduce disability. Treatment of patients within 3 hours has an odds ratio of 1.53 (95% confidence interval, 1.26–1.86) for a favorable outcome (modified Rankin scale [mRS], 0–2) at 3 months.2 However, this represents an absolute increase of 9% compared with placebo and is available to a minority of patients with ischemic stroke because of the rigid time constraints.3 Modern stroke imaging grants unprecedented access to the pathophysiology in individual patients with stroke. Time remains of key importance with respect to patient outcomes. However, it is now possible to not only routinely visualize the causative occlusion, but also estimate the ischemic core, the penumbral tissue at risk if reperfusion does not occur, and the state of the collateral blood supply. The current focus of Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS) intervention should be to achieve reperfusion of the penumbra. Recent trials point to potential avenues to improve patient access by imaging-based patient selection and the importance of rapid and complete reperfusion of the penumbra.

Three parenchymal vascular states exist in varying proportions in each AIS patient. These are the ischemic core, the penumbra, and a region of benign oligemia.4,5 Separating the penumbra from the ischemic core is of critical importance in guiding stroke therapy. So too is separating the penumbra from the region of benign oligemia. By definition, the penumbra is the region of tissue that is at risk of being recruited into the ischemic core. Thus, the penumbra is the principal target for reperfusion and, therefore, should dictate patient selection. Given the progressive nature of ischemic stroke, establishing the continued existence of …


BACKGROUND
Vitamin D status is associated with length of stay (LOS) and discharge destination in critically ill patients. To further understand this relationship, we investigated whether admission 25-hydroxyvitaminD (25OHD) levels are associated with discharge functional status in the intensive care unit (ICU).

METHODS
In this retrospective study, data from 2 surgical ICUs at a large teaching hospital were analyzed. 25OHD levels were measured within 24 hours of ICU admission and Functional Status Score for the ICU (FSS-ICU) was calculated within 24 hours of ICU discharge for all patients. To investigate the association of vitamin D status with FSS-ICU, we constructed linear and logistic regression models, controlling for body mass index, Nutrition Risk in the Critically Ill score, ICU LOS, and cumulative protein or caloric deficit during ICU admission.

RESULTS
Mean 25OHD level and FSS-ICU was 19 (SD 8) ng/mL and 17 (SD 4), respectively, in the analytic cohort (n = 300). Each unit increase in 25OHD level was associated with a 0.2 increment in FSS-ICU (β = .20; 95% CI 0.14-0.25). Patients with 25OHD levels <20 ng/mL had >3-fold risk of low FSS-ICU (<17) compared with patients with 25OHD >20 ng/mL (OR 3.45; 95% CI 1.96-6.08).

CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that vitamin D status at admission is associated with discharge FSS-ICU in critically ill surgical patients. Future studies are needed to validate our results, to build upon our findings, and to determine whether optimizing 25OHD levels can improve functional status and other important clinical outcomes in ICU patients.


The major histocompatibility class I (MHC-I) genes are highly polymorphic and the proteins that they encode play a crucial role in both the innate and the adaptive immune response. A MHC-I molecule consists of three parts, one polymorphic heavy chain, one invariant light chain, β2-microglobulin and a peptide of usually between 8-11 amino acids in length. The maturation and quality control of MHC-I takes place in the endoplasmic reticulum and involves several different proteins including the MHC-I dedicated protein tapasin. In this thesis we have studied different parameters important for MHC-I formation and stability in humans and birds. We have used various approaches including in silico prediction methods, biochemical assays and cellular assays to elucidate the MHC-I maturation. We show that the functional relationships between MHC-I molecules in passerine birds of different species are based on the MHC-I characteristics such as peptide-binding specificity rather than species characteristics. In addition, passerine MHC-I molecules similar to human MHC-I molecules, have a complex dissociation. This suggests that just as in humans, passerine MHC-I molecules go through different maturation stages that most likely include interaction with quality control proteins such as tapasin. The cell surface expression of stable MHC-I molecules is crucial for the function of the adaptive immune response and for this reason MHC-I and its related proteins are often a target for viral and tumour evasion strategies. In human cells we show that tapasin promotes the formation of stable cell surface expressed MHC-I molecules and that the dependency on tapasin for a stable cell surface expression varies between different allomorphs (allele specific protein products). The dysregulation of tapasin results in alterations in the peptide repertoire that is presented by MHC-I at the cell surface and most often this induces a decreased stability of the expressed molecules. We here show that by adding certain peptides exogenously to cells deficient in tapasin we were able to increase MHC-I cell surface stability significantly suggesting that exogenous modulations of tapasin deficient cells might be a possible approach in immunotherapy. The formation of aberrant conformations of HLA-B*27:05 has been suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis and here we showed that tapasin has a preventive effect on the formation and presentation of aberrant conformations of HLA-B*27:05 at the cell surface. In conclusion we show that the complex kinetics of MHC-I maturation and stability is a trait shared between birds and humans and we suggest that by studying MHC-I in other species than human we can gain valuable insight into the complex world of MHC-I. (Less)


Severe sepsis and septic shock affect more than 700,000 people annually and represent approximately $17 billion annually in health care costs. Mortality in patients with 3 or more failed organs is up to 70%. Early identification and prevention of severe sepsis and septic shock are key factors in impacting mortality rates. Health care providers must be knowledgeable in early identification and aggressive management. This case presentation outlines the components of care identified in the literature in the early and ongoing management of patients with severe sepsis and septic shock.


We present an unusual and rare complication caused by gastric band erosion into the stomach after band placement 15 years ago. The complication was only picked up after the band had subsequently migrated from the stomach at the site of erosion, to the distal ileum causing acute small bowel obstruction and focal perforation requiring emergency laparotomy. Abdominal pain in patients with gastric band should always be treated as serious until proven otherwise.


Purpose: The aim of the study is to analyse the possibility of modifying procedural law in the context of the legislative measures taken in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic on the example of the Polish administrative judiciary system.Design/Methodology/Approach: The study employs the dogmatic-legal method, analysing the provisions of the ECHR and examples of the regulation of administrative court proceedings in Poland. The interpretation of the provisions is carried out taking into account the jurisprudence of the courts, in particular the jurisprudence of the ECtHR.Findings: The study shows that no regulation taking away the right to have the case heard in public is compliant with the ECHR. Public hearing is in fact a crucial aspect of the right to a fair trial. However, in order to mitigate the effects of a pandemic, states may introduce such solutions which – within the limits of art. 6 sec. 1 ECHR – modify the law.Academic contribution to the field: The study suggests theoretical and general solutions to the problem that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic: whether and how certain aspects of the right to a fair trial can be limited without violating its essence. The issue is analysed from the perspective of the administrative judiciary and legal solutions adopted in Poland, but the conclusions may also apply to the regulations of other European countries and even to the civil or criminal judiciary.Practical Implications: The paper presents the requirements provided in art. 6 sec. 1 ECHR in the context of restrictions of public hearing implemented to counteract the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. It may be a basis for further studies of the problem or for assessing the solutions adopted in the member states of the Council of Europe.Originality/Value: Publications concerning modifications to procedural law in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic are not numerous in scientific literature. Due to the lack of analyses, the paper will contribute to the development of literature.


Specific mechanical properties of composites make t hem particularly attractive. Dynamic loads are of prime interest for their applications. Laminated st ructures' impact modelling implies prior material dynamic characterisation. This study suggests an an lysis of split Hopkinson bar compression testing o T300/914 carbon/epoxy composite material. First, the effect of fibre orientation and stratifi cation on compression dynamic behaviour is studied. Results show a high non-linearity for +/-45° lamin ates testing. This non-linearity is not observed wh en the laminates are reinforced with 0° and 90° plies. Analytical modelling is in agreement with the experimental results. Secondly, experiments are per formed on pre-cracked specimens to show the influence of cracking on dynamic behaviour.


AIM
Casein phosphopeptide stabilised amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) has been shown to remineralise enamel subsurface lesions. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a paste containing 10% CPP-ACP (Toothmousse; GC) on enamel surface microhardness in vitro.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Thirty enamel blocks (3x2 mm) were prepared for the study group from the buccal surface of extracted teeth. The microhardness of the enamel surface was determined for the specimens initially before artificial demineralisation. After demineralization the specimens were incubated in 10% CPP-ACP for 5 min. Artificial saliva was used as a remineralising solution for the control group.

RESULTS
The mean baseline surface microhardness analyses of enamel blocks were 318.61±25.75 and 262.49±26.82. The data show that after demineralisation the mean microhardness decline in the experimental groups (247.05± 38.31 and 186.92± 63.77). The results showed that 10% CPP-ACP (281.79±26.32) was comparable to the control (252.27± 31.05) for remineralisation of enamel subsurface lesions in vitro. The highest surface microhardness recovery (%SMHR) was found for control, but the differences of % SMHR between 10% CPP-ACP and control was not statistically significant (p=0.805).

CONCLUSION
From the results it can be concluded that CPP-ACP may have positive effects on enamel remineralisation.


PURPOSE
To determine the efficacy and tolerance of single-agent docetaxel and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Thirty-three chemotherapy-naive patients (median age, 65 years) with histologically confirmed pancreatic cancer were treated, after appropriate premedication, with docetaxel (100 mg/m(2)) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (150 microg/m(2)/d subcutaneously days 2 through 10) every 3 weeks. World Health Organization performance status was 0 to 1 in 28 patients (85%) and 2 in 5 patients (15%). Twenty-nine patients had stage III and IV disease.

RESULTS
One complete response (3%) and one partial response (3%) were observed for an overall response rate of 6% (95% confidence interval, 2.1% to 14.2%). Nineteen patients (58%) had stable disease and 12 (36%) had progressive disease. The duration of the two objective responses was 10 and 28 weeks, and the median time to tumor progression was 20 weeks. The median overall survival was 36 weeks. The actuarial 1-year survival was 36.4%. The performance status improved in seven of 21 assessable patients (24%) and pain improved in 14 of 21 (67%) assessable patients; five patients (29%) experienced weight gain during treatment. Disease-related asthenia, anorexia, vomiting, and diarrhea improved in 29%, 15%, 67%, and 47% of the assessable patients, respectively. Serum concentrations of CA 19-9 were decreased by more than 50% in seven patients (35%). Grade 3 and 4 neutropenia occurred in four patients (12%) and eight patients (24%), respectively, with two episodes of febrile neutropenia. There were no treatment-related deaths. Grade 3/4 asthenia occurred in three patients.

CONCLUSION
Although docetaxel has a marginal objective activity in pancreatic cancer, it seems to have an important effect on tumor growth control, conferring a clinical benefit.


Si(111) surfaces misoriented by 4 degrees towards (112) have been studied by scanning tunnelling microscopy. Topographs of surfaces, produced by annealing, followed by rapid quenching, reveal a temperature-dependent transition from a structure consisting of wide irregular terraces separated by small irregular clusters of double steps to a single highly ordered phase of narrow, evenly spaced terraces separated by single monatomic steps. The quenched-in phases are stable at room temperature.


Background: In the construction industry, there is an increased awareness of the importance of soft skills. However, no empirical studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of pedagogical strategies in higher education to improve the soft skills of future construction managers. Aim: The main aim of the research was to explore how undergraduate students of the construction sciences construe the identities of construction workers and whether their views have been changed through their retelling of and reflecting on the career stories of these workers. It was anticipated that the results would give an indication of whether the students' 'soft skills' can be improved through curricular interventions. Setting: The research was situated in a module on academic and professional literacy for students of Construction Economics at a large residential university in Gauteng. The module serves as an adjunct to a core module in Building Science. Methods: Theoretically, the article is underpinned by Critical Multicultural Education, and methodologically, it is based on theories of narratives and storytelling. The primary instruments of data gathering were students' narrative reconstructions of the career stories of construction workers that were gathered through personal interviews. The student narratives were analysed using the qualitative data analysis program AtlasTi. Results: Four themes emerged from the analysis of the narratives – personal characteristics, sponsors/enablers, challenges and agency – while the analysis of students' critical reflections on their narratives pointed towards an understanding that career success is determined by diligence and work ethics, rather than circumstances. Conclusion: An important change that occurred in students' perceptions about construction workers is a realisation that successful workers are driven by an internal locus of control and are not derailed by adverse circumstances. The changed attitudes go beyond tolerance and reduced stereotyping. It is recommended that in order to deliver well-rounded graduates to the construction industry, multiple opportunities should be created in the curricula for modules focused on the acquisition of 'hard' as well as 'soft' skills.


Among the many benefits InGaP brought to the GaAs-based heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) over the last few years, nothing is more profound than the drastic improvement it provided in the long-term reliability. Today, it is relatively common to obtain activation energies higher than 1.5eV with InGaP HBTs operating under bias and temperature conditions suitable for modern telecommunication applications. This significant improvement in reliability coupled with excellent fabrication control afforded by selective etching has made InGaP HBT the prime choice for large volume fabrication of cellular phone power amplifiers. All new HBT fabrication facilities around the world today either have or plan to have 6-inch InGaP HBT wafers as their only choice for power amplifiers.


The present investigation deals with a system for coffee bean drying on a fluidised bed. A prototype was used in which coffee beans were dried using several drying temperatures. The results showed 6 to 8 hour drying periods. The coffee beans presented uniform final humidity content and the product presented good sensory characteristics. Complementing the foregoing and considering this process' degree of uncertainty, fuzzy logic systems were used for establishing some possible preliminary control strategies for drying coffee beans on a fluidised bed related to establishing the point of fluidisation, controlling surface air speed and using air temperature greater than 50°C at the start of the process.


Phenolic compounds have been enlisted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the European Union (EU) as pollutants of priority concern. The biphenyl degradation pathway plays an essential role in prokaryote polychlorinated biphenyls degradation. Our understanding of prokaryotic pathways and their evolution has dramatically increased in recent years with the advancements in prokaryotic genome sequencing and analysis tools. In this work, we applied bioinformatics tools to study the evolution of the biphenyl degradation pathway focusing on the phylogeny and initiation of four representative species (Burkholderia xenovorans LB400, Polaromonas naphthalenivorans CJ2, Pseudomonas putida F1 and Rhodococcus jostii RHA1). These species contained partial or full concatenated genes from bph gene cluster (i.e. bphRbphA1A2A3A4BCKHJID). The aim was to establish this pathway's origin and development mode in the prokaryotic world. Genomic screening revealed that many bacterial species possess genes for the biphenyl degradation pathway. However, the micro-synteny conservation analysis indicated that massive gene recruitment events might have occurred during the evolution of the biphenyl degradation pathway. Combining with the phylogenetic positions, this work points to the evolutionary process of acquiring the biphenyl degradation pathway by different fragments through horizontal gene transfer in these bacterial groups. This study reports the first-ever evidence of the birth of this pathway in the represented species.


In the professional literature the term ?consortium? covers a great diversity of cooperative situations and experiences according to the different contexts and times in which it was developed. In this entry the term ?consortium? will accordingly be discussed with its meaning restricted to structured cooperative activities aimed at acquiring and administering electronic information resources in European countries. More exactly, this definition here includes consortium initiatives in which the main program is focused on activities related to the purchasing of electronic licenses (academic journals, databases, etc.) and handling access to, and archiving of, the collections acquired. Recently library consortium initiatives have shown increasing attention to new issues of major interest for future developments: among these, long-term preservation of electronic resources (including noncommercial publications and institutional repositories), digitalization programs, acquisition of backfiles, etc. Regarding types of libraries, it should be kept in mind that the development of consortia for electronic resource sharing has so far spread chiefly among university libraries, and research and higher education communities. There are also some cases of direct, active involvement of national libraries. One can, however, note almost everywhere the growing involvement of public libraries in consortial activities. This entry focuses on the territory that forms the European Union (currently 27 countries) and some countries which, while not officially a part of this organization, are found within its geopolitical area. The countries of the former Soviet Union have not been included in this study


Abstract This study describes the reproductive biology of Prunus mahaleb, a rosaceous treelet, in a southeastern Spanish population. The species is gynodioecious with 55.4% of the plants being male-fertile and 44.6% presenting non-functional, shrunken anthers with no pollen, and behaving as functional females. Individual trees produced the same flower morph in four consecutive study years. Fruit set in bagged inflorescences was absent in male-sterile trees and was very reduced in male-fertiles. Open-pollinated flowers of male-fertiles showed greater fruit set (x= 29.1%) than male-steriles (x = 25.3%). Average fruit set in three experimental treatments (control, selfed, and crossed) were 29.05%, 41.9% and 38.6%, respectively, for male-fertile trees; those for male-steriles were 25.3%, 0% and 39.2%, respectively. Seeds from male-sterile plants were heavier (71.33 mg) than those of male-fertile plants (66.05 mg) but did not differ in germination ability. Male-fertile and male-sterile trees differ significantly in average nectar concentration (73.5% and 55.9%, respectively) and nectar volume secreted/flower and day (0.142 μl and 0.171 μl, respectively). A total of 41 species of insect flower visitors were recorded. Calliphorid and tachinid flies (41.97% of total visits), and andrenid bees (30.30%), were the most frequent visitors. The diversity of insect visitors was greater in male-fertile trees. Bees and flies accounted for 50.5% and 49.5%, respectively of total visits to male-fertile trees. Flies were far more frequent than bees at male-sterile flowers (76.9% and 23.1%, respectively). Male-sterile trees received higher average visitation (47 insects/census) than male-fertile trees (32 insects/census). Individual trees showed a relative constancy of the fecundity rankings between years. Fruit production was significantly higher in male-sterile trees, with a four-year average of 6558 fruits, in contrast with male-fertile trees which yielded 4670 fruits. This 1.77-fold difference in favour of male-sterile trees over male-fertiles was not compensated by the greater fruit set of the latter. This is attributable to the lower outcrossing rate of male-fertiles, estimated as 52.68% from seed mass data. In addition, greater seed mass of female progeny, and higher visitation rate by insects might explain the maintenance of this polymorphism. These results have far-reaching implications for the demography and seed-dispersal ecology of this endozoochorus species.


We investigate the complex dynamics between social service entrepreneurs and social sector managers through the lens of network metaphor, utilizing our data on social service entrepreneurs' experiences of cooperation with municipalities. We examine what kinds of dependencies exist in the entrepreneur–municipality relationships and what kind of consequences these dependencies have on social service businesses run by entrepreneurs. Basing on the social service entrepreneurs experience, our findings suggest that while the cooperation with the municipality represents a prerequisite for success, their business represent only one alternative for the renewal of social service structures from the point of view of municipalities. In addition, the existence of legally enforced supervisory duties incorporates a considerable amount of power that influences areas of the entrepreneur–municipality relationships and interaction other than just those defined by the supervisory and regulatory rights.


Emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola, Hendra, SARS, West Nile, Hepatitis E and avian influenza have led to a renewed recognition of how diseases in human beings, wildlife and livestock are interlinked. The changing prevalence and spread of such infections are largely determined by human activities and changes in environment and climate—where the latter are often also caused by human activities. Since the beginning of the 21st century, these insights have been brought together under the heading of OneHealth—a concept that calls for interdisciplinary collaboration between various sciences as well as professional practices to promote and protect the health of human and non-human animals and the natural environment (American Veterinary Medical Association, 2008). Just as insights from public health have led to a broadened focus for health policy and medical care, from treating individual patients to protecting and promoting population health, OneHealth calls for an even broader perspective, including a concern for the environment and animals, and for social-cultural factors that affect human, animal and environmental health (Rock et al., 2009; Zinsstag et al., 2011). OneHealth not only covers collaborative work to understand and control zoonotic diseases, but also other ways in which interactions between animals, plants and humans may positively or negatively impact on each other's health. Thus, studies in veterinary medicine and environmental sciences may lead to new insights in human medicine, and vice versa. Acknowledgment of the links between environmental, animal and social health is of course not a novel insight (Evans and Leighton, 2014). Hippocrates already pointed to the importance of a clean environment as a requirement for good health; the early public health movements emphasized hygienic living conditions including good-quality housing, sewage systems and clean air and water; and the founders of modern medicine such as William Osler and Rudolf Virchow promoted …