Tandemly arranged and dispersed repetitive DNA sequences are important structural and functional elements that make up a significant portion of vertebrate genomes. Using high throughput, low coverage whole genome sequencing followed by bioinformatics analysis, we have identified seven major tandem repetitive DNAs and two fragments of LTR retrotransposons in the genome of the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus, 2n = 32). The repeats showed great variability in structure, genomic organization, and chromosomal distribution as revealed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). We found that centromeric and pericentromeric heterochromatin of C. niloticus is composed of previously described in Crocodylus siamensis CSI-HindIII and CSI-DraI repetitive sequence families, a satellite revealed in Crocodylus porosus, and additionally contains at least three previously unannotated tandem repeats. Both LTR sequences identified here belong to the ERV1 family of endogenous retroviruses. Each pericentromeric region was characterized by a diverse set of repeats, with the exception of chromosome pair 4, in which we found only one type of satellite. Only a few repeats showed non-centromeric signals in addition to their centromeric localization. Mapping of 18S–28S ribosomal RNA genes and telomeric sequences (TTAGGG)n did not demonstrate any co-localization of these sequences with revealed centromeric and pericentromeric heterochromatic blocks.


Objective The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of the introduction of an education program familiarizing staff with the effective and appropriate use of Laceraine application to children's lacerations requiring repair at The Prince Charles Hospital Children's Emergency Department (TPCH-CED), Brisbane. Methods A retrospective audit was performed using data obtained from the local emergency department information system (EDIS) and a paper chart audit, for all presentations to TPCH-CED during 2015 and 2020 requiring laceration repair. Results Of the 20,813 registered patients to TPCH-CED in 2015, 993 (4.8%) required laceration repair, compared with 1756 (5.6%) of the 31,059 registered in 2020 demonstrating that presentations to the CED requiring laceration repair increased, as a proportion of overall presentations, reaching statistical significance across all groups (P < 0.001). The percentage of lacerations requiring repair that had Laceraine applied (either as a single agent or in combination) was 59% in 2015 and 93% in 2020 (P < 0.001). There was a significant increase in use of Laceraine only as agent of choice. Conclusions There was a significant change in practice with greater use of topical anesthetic (Laceraine) for the management of laceration repair of children, as expected, after the focused education program on its correct use. As emergency departments continue to be overwhelmed with increasing attendances and long patient wait times, a simple small intervention, such as that described, has potential to improve flow through the children's emergency department. Future research should focus on a randomized control trial to determine the contribution of the use of a topical agent, as opposed to injectable local anesthetic and/or full procedural sedation to determine the contribution to the impact of this simple change of practice on patient flow and satisfaction.


Leishmaniases are a group of vector-borne parasitic diseases transmitted through the infected sand flies. Leishmania parasites are inoculated into the host skin along with sand fly saliva. The sand fly saliva consists of biologically active molecules with anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. Such properties help the parasite circumvent the host's immune responses. The salivary compounds support the survival and multiplication of the parasite and facilitate the disease progression. It is documented that frequent exposure to uninfected sand fly bites produces neutralizing antibodies against specific salivary proteins and further activates the cellular mechanisms to prevent the establishment of the disease. The immune responses due to sand fly saliva are highly specific and depend on the composition of the salivary molecules. Hence, thorough knowledge of these compounds in different sand fly species and information about their antigenicity are paramount to designing an effective vaccine. Herein, we review the composition of the sand fly saliva, immunomodulatory properties of some of its components, immune responses to its proteins, and potential vaccine candidates against leishmaniases.


This study aims to analyze the development of "Smart Transportation" countries, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and India. The country was chosen considering the high number of "Smart Transportation" research and the success of good transportation management. This study uses a qualitative data software analysis (QDSA) approach. The data source of this research uses 277 Scopus database articles that focus on "Smart Transportation" research. The research data search phase uses the keyword "Smart Transportation" from 2011-2022. Analysis of the research data using software tools VosViewer and NvivoPlus12 to visualize data based on cluster co-citation, and co-occurrence network. The results show that four countries have a "Smart Transportation" development strategy that focuses on planning, management, and security aspects. The planning aspect focuses on transportation planning, urban planning, and smart urban planning. Then the management aspect focuses on the management of transportation data, big data, and data management. Lastly, the transportation security aspect focuses on developing network security, management security systems, and technical security. The development of "Smart Transportation" in four countries has a different approach strategy. China is focused on developing transportation data management, big data, transportation planning, and focusing on security. The United States focuses on management and security, not on transportation development. The UK has in common with the United States which does not have a focus on developing transportation management and security, but has a focus on making transportation planning. The focus of transportation development in India has similarities with China, namely data management and transportation planning. So India does not focus on developing transportation on security. The development of Smart Transportation in countries in the world pays attention to management factors and aspects of sustainability in its development. Transportation security is an important part in the development of transportation in every country.


This research aimed to analyze the green accounting (GA) impact on financial performance (FP). The research question pertaining to this research will answer empirical investigation and analysis in the top 100 multinationals corporations. The research seeks to answer the questions: Does green accounting cost have an impact on financial performance in the top 100 multinationals corporations? Thus, secondary data and multiple regression analysis were employed in this research, such as CSR reports, sustainability reports, and financial statements. The selected corporations were 100 largest multinational corporations in the year 2018. Then, the green accounting used a proxy of the environmental cost (EC), while financial performance employed a proxy of Return on Capital Employed (ROCE). The finding of autonomous Green Accounting costs on financial performance has a negative relationship.


Structurally well defined di-, tri- and tetra-valent cluster galactosides were synthesized in a convenient way.Oligo-glutamic acids were assembled as scaffolds. The presence of amine groups in these three ligands is expected to couple with drugs or genes for delivery. The binding affinities of these cluster galactoses to liver cells were determined by in vitro binding studies. Among them, the tetravalent cluster galactose (19) showed the highest affinity to liver cell. It is therefore a promising targeting device for the specific delivery of drugs or genes to parenchymal liver cells.


The approach adopted to handle hard problems is known as metaheuristics. The problem is considered as hard if discovering the optimal solution for it may not be always possible within the stipulated time. Discovering a single solution to a problem is easy and can be accomplished extremely fast, but finding the best possible solution to the same problem is very long. Optimization algorithms are intended to bridge this gap. The research paper aims at solving the problems for finding the optimal solution for two popular metaheuristic algorithms, GWO (Grey Wolf Optimization) and FF (Firefly) algorithms. Both the metaheuristics algorithms are studied and implemented. The two technical features comprised of metaheuristic algorithms are exploration and exploitation. The optimal solution has been evaluated alongside Makespan and Utilization Rate for both GWO (Grey Wolf Optimization) and FF (Firefly) algorithms. The lower value of the Makespan and higher Utilization Rate is always desirable. Both the algorithms have been modified via using mathematical functions to enhance the readings concerning performance evaluation parameters. The GWO is been modified via developing a hybrid version comprising GWO and PSO (Particle Swarm Optimization) algorithms denoted as the Hybrid Modified GWOPSO algorithm. The Firefly algorithm too has been modified and is denoted as a Modified FF algorithm. The conducted modifications have been measured via different performance evaluation parameters. Finally, the fault tolerance factor is considered and the modified versions like Modified GWOPSO and Modified FF are hybridized to develop a new proposed algorithm Hybrid GWOFF (Hybrid Grey Wolf optimizer Firefly) algorithm and its performance have been evaluated with and without fault tolerance by using different performance parameters.


Introduction: In Sweden, about 300 children every year are born with hearing impairment (HI), and about 50 of them with severe HI. Today, these children are treated with either hearing aid (HA) or cochlear implant (CI). The goal of the CI is for the child to develop hearing and spoken language, facilitating communication with the hearing majority society and thus increasing the child's wellbeing and participation in society. Where the child is not using his or her CI, the intended spoken language development does not occur. Cochlear implantation was introduced as a treatment in the 1990s, so intensive research and development has taken place in the field. However, few studies have focused on the children's physical, emotional, and social situation or on the functioning of the CI, especially from children's own perspective. Aim: The overall aim of the thesis is to provide increased knowledge about life circumstances and condition of children and adolescents after surgery with CI. Methods: This thesis comprises four studies on children with a CI, focusing: children's own experience of using CI compared to the experience of children with HA (Study I); the children's self-reports of their mental health compared to their parents' and teachers' perspectives (Study II); the cildren's personal and social resources (Study III); and the parents' perspective of having a child with CI (Study IV). Both quantitative (studies I–III) and qualitative (Study IV) methodology has been used. Studies I–III are cross-sectional, based on questionnaires completed by four participant groups: children with CI, children with HA, parents, and teachers, whose data has been used in different ways in the three studies. Children with CI included in studies I–III were obtained from the same sample (36 children with CI). Study IV is a retrospective, qualitative study using meaning categorization to analyze individual interviews with twelve parents of children with CI. Results: In Study I, children with CI were able to function well in everyday life situations, also in comparison to children with HA. In Study II, they expressed greater concern about their mental health compared to their parents and teachers. However, they did not show more difficulties or mental ill health compared to children in general. Children with CI who had a high sense of coherence (SOC) also had good mental health. Closeness of the social network, especially in school, was seen as important for good mental health (Study III). Parents of children who use the CI full-time were determined and used clear parenting strategies whereas parents of children with limited use of the CI paid more attention to attitudes in their environment (Study IV). Conclusion: Children who were implanted with CI during the period 1994 2005 had good functioning in everyday life; better than children with HA in outdoor and group activities. They showed good personal and social resources. This, however, does not mean that difficulties do not exist. The child's own perspective on e.g. mental health problems needs to be attended to. Good parenting strategies are facilitating the child's use of the CI, why it is important to enhance parent's knowledge about disability, and it's challenges, foster positive coping strategies, and give individualized rehabilitation both to the parents and the child. LIST OF PUBLICATIONS This thesis is based on the following studies which are referred to in the text by their Roman numerals: I. Anmyr L, Olsson M, Larsson K, Freijd A. Children with hearing impairment – Living with cochlear implants or hearing aids. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology 2011; 75 844-849. II. Anmyr L, Larsson K, Olsson M, Freijd A. Strengths and difficulties in children with cochlear implants – Comparing self-reports with reports from parents and teachers. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology 2012; 76 1107-1112. III. Anmyr L, Olsson M, Freijd A, Larsson K. Sense of coherence, social networks and mental health among children with a cochlear implant.


Prospects for operating systems and languages that will make supercomputers more widely usable are examined. Requirements for supercomputer software and the problems that need to be solved are described. Migration to Unix, which is unifying the operating system environment for supercomputing, is discussed. Languages and dialects are also discussed, and nontraditional languages are considered.<<ETX>>


In support of the Motorola CRADA, the capabilities of the computational fluid dynamics code FIDAP (Fluid Dynamics International) for simulating problems involving fluid flow, heat transport, and chemical reactions have been assessed and enhanced as needed for semiconductor-processing applications (e.g. chemical vapor deposition). A novel method of treating surface chemical species that uses only pre-existing FIDAP commands is described and illustrated with test problems. A full-Jacobian treatment of the chemical reaction rate expressions during formation of the stiffness matrix has been implemented in FIDAP for both the Arrhenius-parameter and user-subroutine methods of specifying chemical reactions, where the Jacobian terms can be calculated analytically or numerically. This formulation is needed to obtain convergence when reaction rates become large compared to transport rates (stiff chemistry). Several test problems are analyzed, and in all cases this approach yields good convergence behavior, even for extremely stiff fluid-phase and surface reactions. A stiff segregated algorithm has been developed and implemented in FIDAP. Analysis of test problems indicates that this algorithm yields improved convergence behavior compared with the original segregated algorithm. This improved behavior enables segregated techniques to be applied to problems with stiff chemistry, as required for large three-dimensional multi-species problems.


The lengths of otoliths and other skeletal structures recovered from the scats of pinnipeds, such as Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), correlate with body size and can be used to estimate the length of prey consumed. Unfortunately, otoliths are often found in too few scats or are too digested to usefully estimate prey size. Alternative diagnostic bones are frequently recovered, but few bone-size to prey-size correlations exist and bones are also reduced in size by various degrees owing to digestion. To prevent underestimates in prey sizes consumed
techniques are required to account for the degree of digestion of alternative bones prior to estimating prey size. We developed a method (using defined criteria and photo-reference material) to assign the degree of digestion for key cranial structures of two prey species: walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) and Atka mackerel (Pleurogrammus monopterygius). The method grades each structure into one of three condition categories; good, fair or poor. We also conducted feeding trials with captive Steller sea lions, feeding both fish species to determine the extent of erosion of each structure and to derive condition-specific digestion correction factors to reconstruct the original sizes of the structures consumed. In general, larger structures were relatively more digested than smaller ones. Mean size reduction varied between different types of structures (3.3−26.3%), but was not influenced by the size of the prey consumed. Results from the observations and experiments were combined to be able to reconstruct the size of prey consumed by sea lions and other pinnipeds. The proposed method has four steps: 1) measure the recovered structures and grade the extent of digestion by using defined criteria and photo-reference collection; 2) exclude structures graded in poor condition; 3) multiply measurements of structures in good and fair condition by their appropriate digestion correction factors to derive their original size; and 4) calculate the size of prey from allometric regressions relating corrected structure measurements to body lengths. This technique can be readily applied to piscivore dietary studies that use hard remains of fish.


The Type A behaviour pattern is a well-documented, if controversial, risk factor for coronary heart disease. Surprisingly, relatively little work has been reported on ways of modifying this behaviour pattern. Aerobic exercise, with its demonstrated benefits for both cardiovascular reactivity and psychological 'well-being', is a promising treatment. The literature is reviewed and recommendations are made for practical applications and future research.


Inductive transfer learning is widespread in computer vision applications. However, in natural language processing (NLP) applications is still an under-explored area. The most common transfer learning method in NLP is the use of pre-trained word embeddings. The Universal Language Model Fine-Tuning (ULMFiT) is a recent approach which proposes to train a language model and transfer its knowledge to a final classifier. During the classification step, ULMFiT uses a max and average pooling layer to select the useful information of an embedding sequence. We propose to replace max and average pooling layers with a soft attention mechanism. The goal is to learn the most important information of the embedding sequence rather than assuming that they are max and average values. We evaluate the proposed approach in six datasets and achieve the best performance in all of them against literature approaches.


In this study, path-loss and shadowing measurement results for three different industrial indoor environments at 900, 1600, and 2450 MHz are presented. The results show that the one-slope model fits the measured path-loss well, and the shadow fading samples follow a zero-mean Normal distribution. Low path-loss exponent values were found from our measurements, which may suggest the presence of heavy multi-path propagation in the measured channels. A comprehensive review of reported path-loss and shadowing measurements from various industrial environments is presented and compared with our measurement results. In addition, a channel capacity model with dependence on the measured parameters is investigated, which gives an insight to the effect of the propagation channel on system performance. This may assist the service providers to evaluate the technical feasibility of industrial wireless communications.


This paper discusses a variety of conditional autoregressive (CAR) models for mapping disease rates, beyond the usual first-order intrinsic CAR model. We illustrate the utility and scope of such models for handling different types of data structures. To encourage their routine use for map production at statistical and health agencies, a simple algorithm for fitting such models is presented. This is derived from penalized quasi-likelihood (PQL) inference which uses an analogue of best-linear unbiased estimation for the regional risk ratios and restricted maximum likelihood for the variance components. We offer the practitioner here the use of the parametric bootstrap for inference. It is more reliable than standard maximum likelihood asymptotics for inference purposes since relevant hypotheses for the mapping of rates lie on the boundary of the parameter space. We illustrate the parametric bootstrap test of the practically relevant and important simplifying hypothesis that there is no spatial autocorrelation. Although the parametric bootstrap requires computational effort, it is straightforward to implement and offers a wealth of information relating to the estimators and their properties. The proposed methodology is illustrated by analysing infant mortality in the province of British Columbia in Canada.


Color is a central feature of social life, yet its value in sociological theory is ambiguous. This paper establishes an approach to a social theory of color by focusing on color perception. Using theories from materiality studies and cultural sociology, I argue that color perception is an unstable and contestable phenomenon shaped by social and material factors. My argument is empirically grounded in a case study of a blockbuster museum show called Gods in Color. The show toured 21 cities in Europe and North America from 2003 to 2015. Its centerpiece—brightly painted reconstructions of ancient Greek and Roman marble sculptures—triggered a vigorous debate about the limits of science in correcting historical optics. The case has broader implications for sociological theories of authenticity, materiality, and aesthetic knowledge.


Conformal radiotherapy has improved the technique and favored the solution of the problem of limiting cardiac and pulmonary irradiation. However new uncertainties have arisen especially with regard to treatment reproducibility. Passing from the clinical concept of CTV to the geometric concept of PTV, the anatomic identification of the different structure becomes of major importance together with the knowledge of the clinical evolution of breast cancer. The irradiation of breast lymph nodes now requires, if possible, 3D conformal processing of the treatment. Treatment parameters should be selected as to ensure adequate irradiation of target volumes while sparing healthy tissues as much as possible. In a near future, IMRT should be able to markedly improve the dose homogeneity to target with consequent lower cardiopulmonary toxicity.


This article looks at contemporary Westerners in the Indian city of Varanasi. The Westerners claim to appreciate authentic India and I argue that this authenticity refers to India's ancient, romanticised past instead of its modern present. I investigate how the Westerners encounter India and Indians and what kinds of subject positions are constructed in those encounters. The article also discusses how the authenticity becomes constructed, especially in regard to the Westerners who are studying Indian classical music in Varanasi. I argue that the Westerners 'imagine' India according their own needs and I ask how their understanding of India and Indian people relates to the 'colonial imagination'.


If, in their partner choice, males seek direct benefits (fecund females), the result will be selection for traits indicating female quality rather than for arbitrary (Fisherian) traits. However, the costs of developing and maintaining the sexually selected traits (ornaments) may reduce the resources available to the female for allocation to reproduction and hence result in lower reproductive success per brood. This hitherto unrecognized fecundity cost of sexually selected traits will constrain both the potency of sexual selection mechanisms and the degree of elaboration of sexually selected traits in females, and can also apply to males which invest in their offspring: sexual selection becomes self-limiting. The fitness implications of these costs are examined for both sexes in a variety of mating and parental care patterns. Sexual selection acting on both sexes may lead to either dimorphism or monomorphism, the latter being the case when the quality indicators chosen by both sexes coincide. Ways of evasion or reduction of these reproductive costs of allocations to sexually selected traits include using different resource components for the ornament and for reproduction, or partitioning the two allocations in time.


This paper reviews the short history, motivation, numerical and theoretical issues, and development of methods for treating a boundary as a reflective/absorptive surface for the time-domain computation of waves in general and acoustic waves in particular. It begins with the extension and implementation of the frequency-domain impedance to a time-domain impedance-equivalent boundary condition (TDIBC), and illustrates how the theoretical, numerical, and implementation issues are addressed and resolved for acoustic/aeroacoustic applications. Comments are also made on the extendibility and applicability of the concept and TDIBC to other fields and types of problems.


Suction decompression during clipping of either large or giant internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms is useful and associated with good outcomes. However, it is also associated with increased risk of ICA dissection and cerebral embolism. Given that the risk of hyponatremia is yet to be fully described, we here present cases of hyponatremia following direct clipping of ICA aneurysms with suction decompression. In addition, its etiology will also be discussed. Of 5 consecutive patients, who underwent clipping of ICA aneurysms with suction decompression between July 2016 and August 2017, 3 developed delayed symptomatic hyponatremia. Specifically, the patients' characteristics were the following: 2 females and 1 male, average age of 52.7 years (range: 41-60 years). While 2 patients presented aneurysms in their paraclinoid ICA, the aneurysm was found in the posterior communicating artery bifurcation of the remaining subject. Hyponatremia occurred on average at 7 days after surgery (range from 4 to 10 days) and all patients were treated with salt and fluid replacement, which improved their symptoms. Hyponatremia is a common complication resulting from pituitary tumor surgery, with the main cause being the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH). However, we propose that the hyponatremia observed in our cases might have developed due to SIADH caused by ischemia of the pituitary stalk. To conclude, cases of hyponatremia following the direct clipping of ICA aneurysms with suction decompression were reported. Therefore, the occurrence of delayed hyponatremia as a complication of clipping with suction decompression should be properly addressed and managed.


Forty-four children with perennial allergic rhinitis who had failed to respond to conventional therapy, including sodium cromoglycate insufflation and hyposensitization, were treated with beclomethasone aerosol given intranasally. The study was conducted in a double-blind manner, the patients being allocated active drug or placebo for a 3-week period, followed by a 1-week rest period. The treatments were then crossed over for a period of 3 weeks. After this all children were put on active drug and followed-up at monthly intervals for a period of 3 months. Results were graded as either success of failure, and success had to be an unequivocal vote for the active drug by the patient, parent, and doctor. An overall success rate of 77% was obtained and no untoward or toxic effect was noted in any child. Tetracosactrin tests in 5 children remained normal at the end of the study period. We found intranasal beclomethasone dipropionate to be the most effective drug we have used for treating perennial allergic rhinitis in children.


Hemangioma (HA) is a type of benign tumor common in infancy. The main feature of HA is the abnormal proliferation of vascular endothelial cells. To date, the pathogenesis of HA remains unclear. Fully understanding the process of HA tumorigenesis is essential for developing novel treatment for HAs. Dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs/miR) has been reported to be involved in the development of various diseases, including HA. In the present study, the expression of miR‑424 decreased in HA‑derived endothelial cells (HemECs). To elucidate the role of miR‑424 in HAs development, the present study overexpressed or inhibited miR‑424 in HemECs, revealing that miR‑424 overexpression significantly inhibited HemEC growth and promoted apoptosis, while the downregulation of miR‑424 promoted cell growth and inhibited cell apoptosis. To elucidate the underlying mechanism, bioinformatic analyses were performed, the result of which demonstrated that the 3'‑untranslated region of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR‑2) may be a target of miR‑424. The result of a dual luciferase reporter assay confirmed that the expression of VEGFR‑2 was inhibited by miR‑424. In addition, it was revealed that the hyper‑phosphorylation of protein kinase B (AKT) and extracellular signal‑regulated kinase (ERK) in HemECs, and the restoration of miR‑424 markedly inhibited the activation of AKT and ERK. In conclusion, these results indicated that miR‑424 may target VEGFR‑2 and inhibit HemECs growth, and that low expression of miR‑424 in HemECs may lead to an increase in cell growth and a decrease in cell apoptosis. Thus, it was proposed that miR‑424 may serve as a tumor suppressor in HemECs, and that VEGFR‑2 may be a potential tumor suppressive target in HemECs and for the treatment of HA.


This article analyzes the possibility of joining two distant perspectives of educational inequality: the so-called "reproduction theories" and the current of school effectiveness. The intent is to contribute elements for a debate on the agenda of the sociology of education in Latin America. Research on school effectiveness shows that in comparison with sociocultural factors, schools have less power to influence educational results; however, schools have a margin of action, as proven by the results of the author's research. Available evidence, while not totally compatible with reproduction theories, also questions the initial optimism of the movement of effective schools. Therefore, we consider it necessary to address educational inequality by using theories of intermediate scope, specifically centered on the processes of schools as organizations.


Introduction CD44 has been proposed as a prognostic marker and a stem cell marker but studies in patients with prostate cancer have yielded inconsistent results. Patients and Methods Patients submitted to radical prostatectomy between 2008 and 2013 at a university hospital were followed with biannual serum PSA tests to determine the biochemical recurrence (BR). Archived paraffin blocks with neoplastic and nonneoplastic tissue were evaluated immunohistochemically for a panCD44 and MYC. Results Sixty-nine patients completed follow-up and were included. CD44 positivity was observed in inflammatory cells (42%), nonneoplastic epithelium (39.7%), and neoplastic tissue (12.3%). In nonneoplastic tissues staining was observed in basal and luminal cells with the morphology of terminally differentiated cells. In neoplastic tissues, CD44 negativity was correlated with higher Gleason scores (Rho = −0.204; p = 0.042) and higher preoperative serum PSA levels when evaluated continuously (p = 0.029). CD44 expression was not associated with tumor stage (p = 0.668), surgical margin status (p = 0.471), or BR (p = 0.346), nor was there any association between CD44 and MYC expression in neoplastic tissue (p = 1.0). Conclusion In the bulk of cells, the minority of cancer stem cells would not be detected by immunohistochemistry using panCD44. As a prognostic marker, its expression was weakly correlated with Gleason score and preoperative PSA level, but not with surgical margin status, tumor stage, or BR.


The equations describing the motion of a gas carrying small dust particles are given and the equations satisfied by small disturbances of a steady laminar flow are derived. The effect of the dust is described by two parameters; the concentration of dust and a relaxation time τ which measures the rate at which the velocity of a dust particle adjusts to changes in the gas velocity and depends upon the size of the individual particles. It is shown that if the dust is fine enough for τ to be small compared with a characteristic time scale associated with the flow, then the addition of dust destabilizes a gas flow; whereas if the dust is coarse so that τ is relatively large, then the dust has a stabilizing action. For plane parallel flow, it is shown that the stability characteristics for a dusty gas are still determined by solutions of the Orr-Sommerfeld equation, but with the basic velocity profile replaced by a modified profile which is in general complex. A simple, although unrealistic, example is used to illustrate some features of the action of dust. It is intended to describe the solution of the modified Orr-Sommerfeld equation for plane Poiseuille flow in a later paper.


The demanding problem of lack of selectivity in semiconducting oxide gas sensors was addressed by the combination of different technologies: shape and size selective catalysts (zeolites), chromium-titanium oxide sensing material and multi-electrode sensor arrays. Sensor devices were fabricated with additional shape and size selective catalysts (zeolites) of three different types (ZSM-5, (3 and Y) either printed over the top of the sensing material or admixed with it. The shape and size selectivity of the zeolite sensors has been demonstrated in their ability to discriminate a range of volatile organic, flavour and fragrance compounds of different molecular size and shape. To promote the selective catalytic activity of the sensors the zeolites were catalytically modified (ion exchanged) by the controlled addition of chromium catalysts. The modification increased their catalytic activity in a controlled way allowing them to selectively crack longer species into smaller ones without resulting in complete combustion of the analytes. Arrays of these sensors have been used in an electronic nose with small number of sensors and a sufficiently large variance in the response for reliable and repeatable discrimination of gases. The discrimination was as good as, and in some cases better than, that achieved using much larger sensor arrays, while also allowing additional discrimination of gases on the basis of their reactivity. Investigation of different parameters such as the chromium loading of the zeolites, the thickness of the zeolite layer, and the sensor operating temperature, allowed further improvements in the discrimination between the different tested compounds. Computational simulations of the interactions of a range of volatile organic molecules with different zeolites were performed using a commercially available software to select promising zeolite catalyst materials for the construction of new sensors and to compare computational predictions with experimental results. .


Electron transport through fully depleted ferroelectric tunnel barriers sandwiched between two metal electrodes and its dependence on ferroelectric polarization direction are investigated. The model assumes a polarization direction dependent ferroelectric barrier. The transport mechanisms, including direct tunneling, Fowler-Nordheim tunneling and thermionic injection, are considered in the calculation of the electroresistance as a function of ferroelectric barrier properties, given by the properties of the ferroelectric, the barrier thickness, and the metal properties, and in turn of the polarization direction. Large electroresistance is favored in thicker films for all three transport mechanisms but on the expense of current density. However, switching between two transport mechanisms, i.e., direct tunneling and Fowler-Nordheim tunneling, by polarization switching yields a large electroresistance. Furthermore, the most versatile playground in optimizing the device performance was found to be the electrode properties, especially screening length and band offset with the ferroelectric. * Corresponding author, email@example.com


This thesis has the objective to explore different aspects of Control Theory. Control Theory is by now a very huge area of research which includes very different problems and various techniques. Inside Control Theory two types of problems can mainly be found: Optimal Control problems and Exact Control problems. We deal with both of them.In this thesis a central role is played by a specific property which some solutions of PDEs display: the Free Boundary or Dead Core. This itself is a huge field of study in Mathematics which has experienced many contributions. This property is intrinsically connected with the nonlinear character of such PDEs since the linear theory does not present this aspect. In chapter one we start by modelling a decision-making process about the policy of an industry. In this situation the owner has to decide how to regulate the production facing the consecutive emission of pollution, which we can suppose directly connected to the amount of polluting substances generated during the activity. We also assume that the pollution is discharged through a pipe in a pond of water where there is a special area which cannot be infected due to some regulation law: the penalty for any infringement of this restriction is punished with a fine proportional to the volume invaded. The point is to decide how to regulate the rate of production in order to get the best balance between the gain obtained by a high rate of production and the loss due to the fine which needs to be paid for the contamination of the protected area.Mathematically, this translates into an optimization problem via a cost functional, which represents the loss of the industry and has to be minimized. The aim is to decide whether a best solution exists. Although the theory of minimization is already well studied, we adopt a functional which depends on the measure of the positivity set of solutions of nonlinear PDEs. This type of functional is not common in the literature though it is highly useful.In chapter 2, we focus on the global null controllability and stabilization of the Porous Medium Equation (PME) in one space dimension under different boundary type conditions. This equation may be used to model different processes, from nonlinear filtration in porous media to nonlinear heat transfer.We underline the degenerate character of this equation which is what makes the problem of controllability and stabilization not easy at all. Actually, there are really few works in the literature concerningcontrollability of such type of equations. To prove the global null controllability for this equation with appropriate boundary and interior controls, we applied different techniques borrowed from the theory of nonlinear, nondegenerate PDEs and from Control Theory for finite dimensional systems (Return Method). We then pass to analyze a simple procedure to stabilize the zero state for the porous medium equation with homogeneous Neumann boundary condition through a feedback control which is constant in space. Chapter 3 does not focus on direct aspects of Control Theory but goes to study very useful tools for this field. In fact, the topic is the existence and behaviour of very weak solutions of certain semilinear elliptic and parabolic problems and of their free boundary when the data are very irregular. We first prove the well-posedness in the sense of Hadamard of very weak solutions in any dimension for multivalued problems and then show the two types of behaviours (Expansion on the boundary of the support and No-diffusion on the boundary of the support) that these solutions display when the domain is the upper half plane.


In the condition of the insufficient number of PT, the novel wearable rehabilitation devices using a soft pneumatic actuator for the elderly are actively proposed and developed. In the previous study, a wearable wrist rehabilitation device based on a flexible robot arm using three flexible pneumatic cylinders was proposed and tested. In this study, the improvement of the device is carried out so as to use it without limitation of attitude of patient's arm. The attitude control of the improved device based on the analytical model is also carried out. As a result, it is confirmed that the device can give the motion to patients with any attitude of their arm according to the desired position.


Abstract : This investigation is designed to determine the ultrastructural effects of diethylnitrosamine (DENA) and trichloroethylene (TCE) on hepatic and renal tissues of the Japanese medaka, Oryzias latipes. Another objective of the study is to ascertain whether DENA can function as an inducer of cellular transformation for TCE. One group of 60 medaka was exposed to DENA (10mg/L) for 48hrs, rinsed and maintained in fresh water. Another group of fish was exposed continuously to TCE (10mg/L) until sacrificed at one of the scheduled time points. A third group was exposed to DENA (10mg/L) for 48hrs, rinsed in fresh water and subsequently exposed continuously to TCE (10mg/L) until the time of sacrifice. A control group of medaka was maintained in fresh water. The sacrifices were conducted at 8, 16, 32, and 52 weeks subsequent to the initial exposure to DENA. All tissues have been processed according to the appropriate procedures. Tissue samples from TCE/DENA exposed animals representing week 32 have been examined by transmission electron microscopy. Liver and kidney from control medaka have been examined and photographed, but will not be described in this abstract. While the majority of parenchymal cells observed from fish exposed to TCE/DENA displayed no discernible effects of exposure, isolated hepatocytes and focal sites of cellular clusters were characterized by specific indicators of cytotoxicity. Livers from three fish were distinguished by the presence of multilocular cyst-like lesions that resemble spongiosis hepatis. Peroxisomes of hepatocytes were successfully marked by the cytochemical procedures selected for the study. Several of the examined kidneys displayed features of pronounced cytotoxicity predominately in


Background: Diaphragm eventration (DE) represents a frequent problem with consecutive major impacts on respiratory function and the quality of life of the patients. The role of diaphragmatic plication (DP) is still underestimated. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy of minimally-invasive surgical diaphragmatic plication for the management of unilateral diaphragmatic eventration, to the best of our knowledge, this is the largest series reported in the literature using a non-resectional technique. Methods: All patients with unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis admitted for diaphragmatic plication (DP) between January 2008 and December 2022 formed the cohort of this retrospective analysis. DP procedure was done to plicate the diaphragm without resection or replacement with synthetic materials. Patients were divided into two groups: Group I included patients who underwent DP through an open thoracotomy, and Group II included patients who underwent DP through video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Data from all patients were collected prospectively and subsequently analyzed retrospectively. Patients' characteristics, lung function tests, radiological findings, type of surgical procedures, complications, and postoperative follow-up were compared. The primary outcome measure was the postoperative result (deeper position of the paralyzed diaphragm) and improvement of dyspnea. The secondary outcome was lung function values over a long-term follow-up. Results: The study included a total of 134 patients who underwent diaphragmatic plication during the study period. 94 (71.7%) were males, mean age of 64 (SD ± 14.0). Group I (thoracotomy group) consisted of 46 patients (35 male). Group II (VATS-group) consisted of 88 patients (69 male). The majority of patients demonstrated impaired lung functions (n = 126). The mean length of diaphragmatic displacement was 8 cm (SD ± 113.8 cm). The mean duration of the entire procedure, including placement of the epidural catheter (EDC), was longer in group I than in group II (p = 0.016). This was also observed for the mean length of the surgical procedure itself (p = 0.031). Most patients in group I had EDC (n = 38) (p = 0.001). Patients in group I required more medication for pain control (p = 0.022). A lower position of the diaphragm was achieved in all patients (p < 0.001). The length of hospital stay was 7 (SD ± 4.5) days in group I vs. 4.5 (SD ± 3.2) days in group II (p = 0.036). Minor complications occurred in 3% (n = 4) in group I vs. 2% (n = 3) in group II. No mortality was observed in any of the groups. Postoperative follow-up of patients at 6, 12, and 24 months showed a significant increase in forced vital capacity (FVC) up to 25% (SD ± 10%–35%) (p = 0.019), in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) up to 20% (SD ± 12%–38%) in both groups (p = 0.026), also in the diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide (DLCO) up to 15% (SD ± 10%–20%) was noticed in both groups. Chronic pain symptoms were noted in 13% (n = 6) in group I vs. 2% (n = 2) in group II (p = 0.014). Except for one patient in group II, no recurrence of DE was observed. Conclusions: Diaphragm plication is an effective procedure to reduce debilitating dyspnea and improve lung function in patients suffering from diaphragm eventration. Minimally invasive diaphragmatic plication using VATS procedures is a safe and feasible procedure for the management of unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis. VATS-DP is superior to open procedure in terms of pain management and length of hospital stay, hence, accelerated recovery is more likely. Careful patient selection is crucial to achieving optimal outcomes. Prospective studies are needed to validate these results.


We present a technique for simulating time-varying mobile radio channels. This technique is specifically suited to the small relative Doppler bandwidths of wideband channels encountered in CDMA and OFDM communications. A "subsampled" ARMA innovations filter and multistage interpolation are used to achieve an accurate and computationally efficient approximation of specified or measured Doppler spectra (scattering functions). We discuss the calculation of the ARMA coefficients and the optimal design of the multistage interpolator. Simulation results demonstrate the excellent performance of the proposed channel simulator.


The SARS-CoV-2 virus remains a pressing issue with unpredictable characteristics. The pandemic has spread worldwide through human interactions. Since the nature of the disease differs everywhere and it has a stochastic effect, we therefore develop a stochastic mathematical model to investigate its temporal dynamics. Asymptomatic individuals have a major effect on the spreading dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 virus therefore, we divide the total population into susceptible, asymptomatic, symptomatic, and recovered groups. Multiple vaccinations have commenced across the globe. In this study, we assume that the vaccine confers permanent immunity. Moreover, due to the unpredictable characteristics of the disease random fluctuations are assumed in every population group. Using this model we show the existence and uniqueness of positive solutions to the proposed problem. We also discuss the disease extinction and persistence in the model to depict how contagious diseases can be eliminated from the community. We use the real data of SARS-CoV-2 virus, reported in Oman from the 1st January 2021 to 23rd May 2021 to parameterize the model. We then perform large-scale computational analysis to show the numerical simulation and verify the analytical findings.


The article is devoted to the deliberation of the processes of digitalization of the activities of the authorities in modern conditions. The purpose of this article is to open a discussion on the problems of introducing new information and telecommunication technologies and improving the efficiency of the public administration system. Based on the analysis of the experience of implementing digital technologies and platform solutions in the field of public administration, a substantial characteristic of the problems of digitalization of public administration has been given. The key issues that require attention when carrying out digitalization of public administration on the basis of SWOT-analysis in terms of identifying weak, problematic aspects of the activities of the authorities and threats arising from the modern state of the Russian society, have been defined. Highlighting the weaknesses of modern public administration, the authors drew attention to such aspects of this problem as: 1) realization of "digitalization for the purpose of digitalization"; 2) deficiency of the required legal regulatory framework; 3) inefficiency of electronic document workflow, including problems caused by imperfections of the interface of reporting interactive forms, frequent change of the composition of indicators in reporting forms, desire of higher authorities to solve the problem of input of volume primary data at the expense of lower hierarchical levels; 4) absence of data analysis infrastructure, including due to imperfections of organization of interaction between agencies and incompatibility of information resources; 5) lack of data analysts and deficiency of necessary digital competences among state and municipal employees. Considering the threats and risks to the public administration system, the authors highlighted such aspects generated by the state of Russian society as: 1) creating a system of digital bureaucracy, 2) maintaining information and digital inequality, 3) insufficient knowledge and skills of citizens in the field of digital technologies, 4) reducing the publicity of the system of state and municipal administration. In the conclusion of the article it has been emphasized that the given facts are not unambiguously negatively interpreted, but it would be inexcusable to ignore even a small amount of them. It has been proposed to conduct a large-scale study that combines self-analysis of the processes of digitalization by authorities, a sociological study based on expert and mass surveys, an Internet survey.


Since 1934, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has helped more than 41 million families to become and remain homeowners. In laying out FHA's mission in the single family mortgage marketplace, along with its historical role in meeting immediate and emerging challenges, the authors' hope that this paper serves as a useful foundation for considering FHA's future role in housing finance. To that end, this summary document is focused on the historical and ongoing role of FHA insurance in sustaining access to mortgage credit, stabilizing markets, and expanding sustainable homeownership opportunities in the single-family residential market. It is also intended that this paper will stimulate informed comment that will be incorporated in a final report to be published shortly.


There is currently a push towards higher-quality and more reproducible experimental research. The specific features of HPC and Clouds research make it a field where those questions are particularly important. In this talk, we will highlight some challenges faced in HPC and Clouds research, and describe how Grid'5000 already addresses many of them. We will also discuss some future plans and remaining open questions.


In the dynamic and competitive retail environment, retailer constantly quest to find out ways of understand the customers need and formulate strategies to transcend their rising expectations. Understanding the digital savvy consumers is becoming difficult more than ever before. Moreover, the retailers face the challenges posed by the changing retail landscape and operational complexities. However, in the disruptive era several technologies are emerging that provide smart business solution to the organizations. Among the popular digital innovation, Internet of Things (IoT) has caught the attention of several researchers and marketers. Marketers, retailers in particular, optimize the use of IoT to achieve profitability through competitive advantage. This study aims at finding answer to two fundamental research questions (i) How do retailers harness the benefits of IoT to enhance their business efficiencies and (ii) What are the challenges associated with IoT implementation. To unravel the answer to these research questions, a qualitative study was conducted where data were gathered through the informal discussions thirty-eight leading retailers of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study sheds light on the benefits of IoT application in UAE Retail industry and discusses a few challenges associated with its implementation.


The acoustical performance of asphalt pavements changes with time due to combined effects of environmental conditions and various distresses induced by repeated and heavy traffic. This study examined the changes in the acoustical performance of dense graded asphalt (DGA) pavements over time in the State of Qatar. Tire-pavement noise was measured using on board sound intensity (OBSI) method. The OBSI noise measurements were conducted on DGA pavements with different age and the results were analyzed to evaluate the effect of aging on tire-pavement noise. The results demonstrated that the tire-pavement noise increased with pavement age. The frequency analysis of three road segments showed that at early stage of pavement service life, the noise level is more affected at higher frequency due to the densification and increased air pumping mechanism. At later stage of pavement service life, the noise level is more affected at lower frequency due to the change in pavement surface conditions (e.g., cracking and raveling).


Meeting capture has been a common subject of research in the ubiquitous computing community for the past decade. However, the majority of the research has focused on technologies to support the capture but not enough on the motivation for accessing the captured record and the impact on everyday work practices based on extended authentic use of a working capture and access system. Our long-term research agenda is to build capture services for distributed workgroups that provide appropriate motivation and to further understand how access of captured meetings impacts work practices. To do this, we have developed a testbed for meeting capture as part of a larger distributed work system called TeamSpace. We will put this system into real use in a variety of settings.


After sowing, seeds are exposed to the action of soil pests and adverse environmental conditions that can reduce the expression of their physiological potential. A solution to these problems is the seed treatment with insecticides to protect the seeds and seedlings against the action of pests and to promote plant growth. The aim of the experiment was to evaluate the influence of thiamethoxam combined with storage on the physiological performance of bean seeds, IAPAR Siriri cultivar. Seeds were treated with Crusier 350 FS ® in doses of 0, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 mL 100 kg -1 of seeds, and for evaluation of treatment effect, seeds were submitted to germination and vigor tests (accelerated aging, cold test and emergence in seedbed) at 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after treatment in a completely randomized 6 x 5 factorial design with four replications. Treatment of bean seeds with thiamethoxam doses between 200 and 300 mL 100 kg -1 of seeds allows germination and vigor expression as well as storage potential under controlled conditions, decreasing the rate of germination loss over time.


INTRODUCTION
Training for dental practitioners in implant dentistry ranges from 1- or 2-day short Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses to certificate/diploma programmes run by universities. In general, the teaching of implant dentistry in Europe lacks structure and standardisation. This paper aims to: (i) identify the current trends in CPD in implant dentistry in Europe; (ii) identify potential and limitations with regards to the design and implementation of CPD activities in implant dentistry; (iii) provide recommendations on the future structure and development of CPD activities in implant dentistry.

METHODS
A search of the literature was undertaken in PubMed for manuscripts published in English after 2000 reporting on CPD in dentistry and in implant dentistry in particular. In addition, an electronic survey was conducted, investigating the attitudes towards CPD among a wide group of stakeholders in implant dentistry education.

CONCLUSIONS
There is a wide diversity of educational pathways towards achieving competences in implant dentistry through CPD. At present, there is a need for improving the CPD structures in implant dentistry, strengthening the quality assurance and encouraging standardisation and transparency of the learning outcomes. Development of a structured CPD system with clearly defined educational objectives mapped against specific levels of competence is recommended.


This paper proposes a novel adaptive algorithm to extract facial feature points automatically such as eyebrows corners, eyes corners, nostrils, nose tip, and mouth corners in frontal view faces, which is based on cumulative histogram approach by varying different threshold values. At first, the method adopts the Viola-Jones face detector to detect the location of face and also crops the face region in an image. From the concept of the human face structure, the six relevant regions such as right eyebrow, left eyebrow, right eye, left eye, nose, and mouth areas are cropped in a face image. Then the histogram of each cropped relevant region is computed and its cumulative histogram value is employed by varying different threshold values to create a new filtering image in an adaptive way. The connected component of interested area for each relevant filtering image is indicated our respective feature region. A simple linear search algorithm for eyebrows, eyes and mouth filtering images and contour algorithm for nose filtering image are applied to extract our desired corner points automatically. The method was tested on a large BioID frontal face database in different illuminations, expressions and lighting conditions and the experimental results have achieved average success rates of 95.27%.


Purpose Michigan mirrors the rest of the United States in motor vehicle deaths being the leading killer of children 1 through 14 years of age. Methods Car seat checks (CSC) are commonly held throughout the United States, but how do we know if those checks are making a difference to the safety of children. To assess if the education provided increased parents/caregivers understanding regarding child passenger safety, in January, 2009 we started administering knowledge based pre and post-tests at CSCs to all parents/caregivers receiving education. In 2009, 251 parents completed tests at a CSC. The pretest was composed of 22 questions; seven personal information and 15 questions based on general child passenger safety guidelines. Three separate unique post-tests were used indentifying the type of child restraint needed for each child; rear facing, forward facing and booster seats, each comprised of five questions. The family completed the post-test(s) that correspond with the seats checked/distributed, so one or all three tests may have been used. Results The pretest average score was 61%. The post-test average score was 83%. Showing an overall increase in knowledge of 36%. Some of the areas of greatest increase include; safest seating location in vehicles had an increase of 57%, length of time for a child to be rear facing increased by 52% and proper usage of backless booster seats increased 184%. The increase in post test score is statistically significant using a CI of 95% we obtained z-score of 5.21.


Schwann cell tumor occurring in the intestines is rare. A 68-year-old female came to our hospital because of hematemesis. Barium enema and colonoscopic examination revealed submucosal tumor in the sigmoid colon. Laboratory data showed mild anemia. No other abnormal finding was found in the blood chemistry. Tumor marker levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), CA19-9, alpha feto protein (AFP) and neuron specific enolase (NSE) were within normal limits. The exploratory laparotomy confirmed a large sigmoid colon tumor. She received sigmoid colectomy. The resected specimen was a submucosal tumor with central depression, measuring 4.7 x 3.5 x 3.0 cm in size. The cut surface of the tumor was yellowish hue with necrosis. Histological examination showed spindle-shaped tumor cells with palisading comma-shaped nuclei and the nuclear pleomorphism. Immunohistochemical examination revealed that the tumor was positive for S-100 protein staining, and negative for Actin and for H.H.F. staining. These findings showed that this tumor was of Schwann cell origin. We report here the case in detail of a schwannoma in the sigmoid colon.


Cloud Computing is the revolution in current generation IT enterprise. Cloud computing displaces database and application software to the large data centers, where the management of services and data may not be predictable, where as the conventional solutions, for IT services are under proper logical, physical and personal controls. This aspect attribute, however comprises different security challenges which have not been well understood. It concentrates on cloud data storage security which has always been an important aspect of quality of service (QOS). In this paper, we designed and simulated an adaptable and efficient scheme to guarantee the correctness of user data stored in the cloud and also with some prominent features.  Homomorphic token is used for distributed verification of erasure – coded data. By using this scheme, we can identify misbehaving servers.  In spite of past works, our scheme supports effective and secure dynamic operations on data blocks such as data insertion, deletion and modification. In contrast to traditional solutions, where the IT services are under proper physical, logical and personnel controls, cloud computing moves the application software and databases to the large data centers, where the data management and services may not be absolutely truthful.  This effective security and performance analysis describes that the proposed scheme is extremely flexible against malicious data modification, convoluted failures and server clouding attacks.


ACCEL by JST(Japan Science and Technology Agency) aims to set a path to the next phase, such as company R&D, venture start-up and other public funding, based on the outputs of the Strategic Basic Research Programs (CREST, PRESTO, ERATO, etc.) that have the potential to be world-leading but cannot be continued by companies and other organizations due to their perceived risks. The Program Manager (PM) leads research and development with the innovation requirements and goals, demonstrating Proof of Concept (POC) and promoting the appropriate rights arrangements. our porous coordination macromolecule (PCP) has an original characteristic, in addition, to have both flexibility rigidly.) which we developed in ERATO It is provided as one of the result of the ERATO study that the performance (ability for gas storage, release) as gas separation materials of this PCP is high markedly and, in ACCEL, draws a gas storage, release ability of this PCP to the maximum and puts use expansion by the downsizing of profitability and the gas separation device of the PCP production in the field of vision and space-saving perform research and development for the realization of the gas separation technology that is high efficiency by energy saving. Specifically, we promote the following research and development. We separate oxygen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, methane with high needs from air or natural gas in cheapness, energy saving, high efficiency as an industrial use and create a technique to store it and aim at industry reinforcement of our country and the contribution to saving energy.


A study of the influence of building modeling when predicting the signal attenuation due to over- rooftop multiple diffraction in urban environments is presented. A straightforward formulation expressed in terms of Uniform Theory of Diffraction (UTD) coefficients is used for the above-mentioned analysis assuming a spherical-wave incidence over the array of buildings and considering the latter modeled as series of different representations such as knife edges, double knife edges, wedges and rectangular sections. The results clearly indicate the importance of an appropriate building modeling in obtaining realistic path-loss predictions in urban environments when multiple diffraction has to be considered.


Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly used to support medical students' learning journeys, providing personalized experiences and improved outcomes. We conducted a scoping review to explore the current application and classifications of AI in medical education. Following the PRISMA-P guidelines, we searched four databases, ultimately including 22 studies. Our analysis identified four AI methods used in various medical education domains, with the majority of applications found in training labs. The use of AI in medical education has the potential to improve patient outcomes by equipping healthcare professionals with better skills and knowledge. Post-implementation refers to the outcomes of AI-based training, which showed improved practical skills among medical students. This scoping review highlights the need for further research to explore the effectiveness of AI applications in different aspects of medical education.


Youth for GNSS (YGNSS) is a team created by the Space Generation Advisory Council on GNSS and the International Committee on GNSS (ICG). Composed of students and young professionals, Youth for GNSS aims to recognize and promote the ways in which Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) can benefit society. With the future and health of our planet and its citizens a primary concern, YGNSS aims to secure and optimize how GNSS-based applications and technology will benefit society by promoting compatibility and interoperability of GNSS through a network of systems. In addition to the development and improvement of technology, applications, education, and outreach in regions where GNSS is already established, it is the goal of YGNSS to analyze and promote the importance and impact of GNSS technology in areas with less developed infrastructure, such as in developing countries and in the Arctic. In this paper, drivers of change in the Arctic are discussed based on the impact of GNSS as tools for scientific applications and for strengthening and promoting interoperability of navigation, positioning, and timing systems. Topics such as surveying, mapping, engineering and construction, aviation, maritime and space weather monitoring are discussed. Due to the high ecological sensitivity and extreme weather conditions in Arctic regions, accidents there could cause great environmental damage and also threaten human lives. Navigation integrity is therefore of particular importance in this region.


Today's diagnostic systems can generate a large amount data. Data from sources such as onboard reasoners and historical maintenance data are often stored in heterogeneous systems and cannot be collected immediately and aggregated for use. In our previous work we described a software visualization tool that allowed integration of different data sources and displayed the data with elements organized according to maintenance-oriented ontologies. This tool allows users to search quickly through available data to locate interesting relationships in the sequences of maintenance events. Additional previous work described a diagnostic maturation tool, called ModelMat, that updates causal relationships in a Timed Failure Propagation Graph based on historical diagnostic session data. In this paper, we present an update to both of these projects discussing enhancements to each as well as work in progress to create a single, integrated toolset, called Bobcat, to support ontology-guided diagnostic knowledge discovery.


The effect of Malathion was studied orally on Japanese quail males (Cotrunix Cotrunix Japonica). The Median lethal Dose LD50 of  malathion through 24 hours was found to be 163.6 mg / kg. Malathion was provided in doses of 75% 122.7 mg / kg b.wt., 50% 81.8 mg / kg b.wt., 25%40.9 mg/kg b.wt. LD50 of body weight plus cyclophosphamide 20 mg/kg b.wt as positive control and Corn oil as a negative control, The current study was carried out to detect the effects of malathion on cell cytotoxicity based on genetic cytotoxicity tests such as Micronuclei Test (MN for mature red blood cells in peripheral blood and immature blood cells in bone marrow for 18, 20 and 22 hours per treatment and Chromosomal Aberration (CA) test for immature red blood cells in bone marrow, And 24 hours for each treatment with subcutaneous injection of colchicine 0.5gm prior to 3-hour incubation. The results of the statistical analysis Suggested that a significant increase in P≤0.05of micronucleated mature red blood cells in peripheral blood and micronucleated immature blood cells in bone marrow for 18, 20 and 22 hours per treatment in the formation of micronuclei compared to negative control. The results of the study also Suggested that a significant increase in P≤ 0.05  on the induction of chromosomal Aberration  of immature red blood cells in bone marrow.

http://dx.doi.org/10.25130/tjps.23.2018.164


Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) are multi hop networks in which the mesh clients rely on static mesh routers (or directly via other mesh clients) to relay data from one point to another in a multihop fashion. WMN gained significant attention because of the numerous applications it supports, e.g., broadband home networking, community and neighborhood networks, delivering video, building automation, in entertainment and sporting venues etc. But the main challenge of these multihop networks is the susceptibility to various security threats. In this paper, we address the problem of gray hole attack in which a malicious node refuses to forward a subset of the packets it receives. We present the attack in a simple network of mesh routers in the framework of a non-cooperative Markov game between genuine and malicious mesh router. The main objective of the legitimate node (Player I) is to maximize its throughput by minimizing the loss caused by the attackers. On the other hand , the main goal of the attacker (Player II) is to minimize the throughput of the network by dropping the data packets. We investigate the nash equilibrium of the non cooperative game by allowing the nodes to select their own actions that optimizes the individual performance in terms of the packet delivery ratio.


The photoabsorption cross sections of the fullerenes C20 and C60 have been calculated using the local density and the random phase approximations. We have used a simple self-consistent spherical jellium model based on the Kohn-Sham equations to treat the delocalized electron structure of the fullerenes as well as their excitation spectra, both the discrete and continuum. The Mie-type resonances centred at 27 eV for C20 and 20 eV for C60, as well as the near-threshold prominent resonance structures have been described.


The prevalence of burnout is much higher in physicians than in other occupations. Academic physicians serve important functions, training future physicians and advancing medical research in addition to doing clinical work. However, they are particularly vulnerable to burnout for reasons including low compensation for teaching, pressure to publish despite a lack of time and declining research funds, and a redistribution of clinical workload due to restrictions on trainee work hours. Junior faculty, women, and marginalized groups are the most affected. Beyond poor physician health and worse patient outcomes, burnout is strongly associated with reduced work effort and an intent to leave the profession. Moreover, physicians are leaving the workforce in record numbers, further increasing the stress on remaining physicians. Combined with a worsening of quality of patient care, this increased rate of physician burnout threatens the viability of health care organizations. This review discusses the causes and consequences of faculty burnout, as well as interventions undertaken for its mitigation.


Interactomes are large, intricate and highly dynamic molecular networks that determine the fate of the cell. They rely on thousands of protein complexes that form the executive machinery underlying biological processes, from DNA replication to protein degradation through metabolism. Understanding the function of these macromolecular assemblies and designing new drugs that target them requires taking the step towards solving their three-dimensional structures. This is, however, not a trivial task and there is a large gap between the number of complexes identified by large-scale proteomics efforts and those for which high-resolution 3D experimental structures are available. For this reason complementary computational approaches are welcome additions to the structural biology toolbox. Being able to predict, model and understand biomolecular assemblies requires tackling the challenges of predicting large conformational changes potentially occurring upon binding, dealing with heterogeneous multi-component assemblies and predicting their binding affinity. The molecular docking community, catalyzed by CAPRI (Critical Assessment of PRedicted Interaction), is tackling those challenges.


Acute polyarthritis can occur in non‐rheumatic systemic illnesses, presenting a diagnostic dilemma. We present an extremely rare case presenting as acute polyarthritis, panniculitis and medullary fat necrosis with underlying pancreatic pathology. This case report describes a young woman presenting with panniculits, pancreatic tumour, polyarthritis and intra‐osseus fat necrosis with a fatal outcome. The medical fraternity needs to be aware of this potentially fatal albeit rare musculoskeletal complication secondary to a pancreatic pathology.


With the borders between technological, cultural, and political organization becoming increasingly fluid, there is more need than ever to rearticulate the relationship between "social," "media," and "society."


Conserving resources and saving energy has become an important issue for information and communication technology. With increasing adoption of smart phones and tablet PCs, reducing energy consumption in mobile computing is of particular significance. User expectations towards their mobile devices are rising, and functionality is increasing. Accordingly, available energy is made a scarce resource. This paper discusses how software reengineering techniques, like dynamic analysis and refactoring, can be applied to the field of energy-aware computing, to monitor, analyze, and optimize the energy profile of mobile applications and devices.


We examined 100 clinically significant isolates of Serratia marcescens for susceptibility to newer cephalosporin and cephamycin antibiotics, alone and in combination with various aminoglycosides. Moxalactam and cefotaxime were the most effective agents; all isolates were inhibited by 25 and 50 micrograms/ml, respectively. All strains were susceptible to amikacin at concentrations safely achievable in serum, whereas gentamicin, netilmicin, and tobramycin inhibited 63, 63, and 16% of the isolates, respectively. Moxalactam, cefotaxime, and amikacin were active against gentamicin-susceptible and gentamicin-resistant strains. Studies of synergy revealed that moxalactam and cefotaxime, in combination with netilmicin or amikacin, were often synergistic and infrequently antagonistic against cephalothin- and gentamicin-resistant strains. These results suggest that moxalactam and cefotaxime, alone or in combination, may be efficacious in treating infections due to multiply antibiotic-resistant S. marcescens.


We have measured energy gain spectra for single-electron capture collisions of Helike C, N and O ions with H2 at 50 eV/u. Energy gain spectra were examined with energy gain functions calculated from a classical over barrier model, and we obtained fairly good agreement between experimental and calculated results. We find that single electron capture occurs predominantly for C4+ and O6+ ions, while for N5+ ions double electron capture followed by transfer ionization is the dominant process in the formation of N3+ions.


Current development on advanced technology fuel (ATF) claddings is aiming at improved high temperature integrity of new cladding solutions that are based on the existing zirconium claddings. To assess their performance for commercial use, their thorough characterization is essential. The primary requirement for the cladding materials is the ability to tolerate loss of cooling for a significant period without failing. The tests in this work were performed on different types of coated Zr-alloys in a high temperature furnace in flowing steam conditions at 1100 °C/ 60 min, 1200 °C/ 30 min and 1300 °C / 5 min. In addition, exposures were performed in pressurized water reactor (PWR) water chemistry to confirm the material viability in normal light water reactor (LWR) operating conditions. After PWR and steam tests, the exposed specimens were studied using a Zeiss Crossbeam 540 field emission gunscanning electron microscope (FEG-SEM) equipped with a semi-quantitative energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS). Most of the tested specimens indicated detached coating layer. Varying amounts of cracking in the coatings were present. Some of the cracks extended into the base material. Based on this study, further development is needed.


The aim of this article is to assess financial statements of health insurance companies with the aim at the General health insurance company of the Czech Republic primarily. To accomplish this aim general analysis of receipts and expenditures of health insurance public system including receipts and expenditures carried out General health insurance company of the Czech Republic.


Abstract Density stratification is common throughout much of our atmosphere, oceans and inland waters. It can have a strong influence on the sinking and flotation of a wide range of particular matter, including organisms whose life cycle incorporates a water or airborne phase. Ecologically significant examples range from the dispersion of pollen, larvae and plankton, to the dispersion and deposition of sediment bound organic solids and heavy metals. While the biological effects of settling have been studied in turbulent environments, the influence of stratification has not previously been quantified. Here we develop a theory to predict the time dependent particle concentrations throughout a fluid characterised by non-uniform stratification. Factors such as dispersion, deposition and growth of particle populations have been incorporated into the model. It is shown that stratification can significantly enhance settling rates and thereby influence the survival and dispersion of colonising populations. The theory also provides simple physical explanations for commonly observed features of particle distributions, such as subsurface maxima and the onset and decay of algal blooms.


National environmental priorities, as well as international commitments to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, have led to the increased use of 'smart' energy taxation. In particular in OECD countries, States aim to encourage inter alia the use of renewable sources of energy, through a layered system of taxation. Such system targets the (perceived) less environmentally friendly forms of energy, with a higher rate of taxation. Competitiveness concerns of such a green taxation regime, would normally be offset by Border Tax Adjustment (BTA). However in the energy sector, BTA is complicated by the fact that one cannot distinguish the method of production from the final product. The paper employs this dilemma and the way it is tackled in the European Union, as a benchmark for similar taxation applied on a global scale. It lays considerable emphasis on recent case-law, which initially seemed to signal less flexibility on the Border Tax Adjustment side (Outokumpu Oy), and more flexibility on the aspect of quantitative restrictions to trade (PreussenElektra), but was subsequently overtaken by the regulatory intervention of the European legislator. That interplay between negative harmonization (case-law) and positive harmonization (regulatory intervention), is exactly where the WTO and the international environmental community, ought to follow suit.


Rationale : Healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) is a new category of pneumonia. Since patients with HCAP are at risk for infection with drug-resistant pathogens and increased mortality compared to patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), predicting their prognosis is an important issue in HCAP. Purpose : To apply prognositic scoring systems of CAP (PSI, CURB-65 and Japanese A-DROP systems) in prospectively collected patients with CAP and HCAP. Methods : Patients admitted in three educational hospitals in Japan were analyzed. Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) analyses were performed for the three scoring systems in CAP and HCAP. Further, better system was sought in HCAP. Results : 927 cases with CAP (mean age 73.2 years) and 469 cases with HCAP (81.8 years) were enrolled. Compared to HCAP, CAP showed larger values of area under the curve (AUC) in all scoring systems (CAP vs HCAP: PSI 0.77 vs 0.64, CURB-65 0.76 vs 0.65, A-DROP 0.80 vs 0.65). To develop a better scoring system for HCAP, candidate factors for predicting prognosis were extracted by univariate analysis followed by stepwise method. By logistic regression analysis, serum value of albumin (Alb) was related to the prognosis. Each of AUC in prognostic ROC analysis increased by around 0.05 when one point for low Alb (≤3.0mg/dL) was added to each scoring system. Conclusion : Existing scoring systems were not appropriate for predicting mortality in HCAP. Although incorporation of presence of low Alb value into the systems improved prediction of prognosis, more systematic reconstruction of scoring system adapted to HCAP would be needed.


Breakthroughs in biomedicine are driven by research. More often than not, research takes place outside of a healthcare setting. However access to and use of clinical data for research purposes has many challenges that must be overcome, not least of which are the lack of standardized nomenclature and the heterogeneity of healthcare IT systems. For rare conditions, this challenge is particularly acute since the scarcity of data makes scientific breakthroughs increasingly difficult. Adrenal tumours represent one rare disease area where consolidation of clinical and biological information is urgently required. This paper describes the lessons being learnt in the development and rollout of an advanced security-oriented, virtual research environment (VRE) as part of the EU funded ENS@T-CANCER project. This system is currently used by 39 major cancer research centres across Europe and provides a unique resource for adrenal cancer research, underpinning an expanding portfolio of major international clinical trials and studies.


This paper develops some objective priors for certain parameters of the bivariate normal distribution. The parameters considered are the regression coefficient, the generalized variance, and the ratio of the conditional variance of one variable given the other to the marginal variance of the other variable. The criterion used is the asymptotic matching of coverage probabilities of Bayesian credible intervals with the corresponding frequentist coverage probabilities. The paper uses various matching criteria, namely, quantile matching, matching of distribution functions, highest posterior density matching, and matching via inversion of test statistics. One particular prior is found which meets all the matching criteria individually for all the parameters of interest.


In the near future, several radio access technologies will coexist in Beyond 3G mobile networks (B3G) and they will be eventually transformed into one seamless global communication infrastructure. Selfmanaging systems (i.e. those that self-configure, self-protect, self-heal and self-optimize) are the solution to tackle the high complexity inherent to these networks. In this context, this chapter proposes a system for automated fault management in the Radio Access Network (RAN) of wireless systems. The chapter presents some basic definitions and describes how fault management is performed in current mobile communication networks. Some methods proposed for auto-diagnosis, which is the most complex task in fault management, are also discussed in this chapter. The presented systems incorporate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to identify the cause of the network malfunction.


Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) ORF57 protein (also known as mRNA transcript accumulation (Mta)) is a potent posttranscriptional regulator essential for the efficient expression of KSHV lytic genes and productive KSHV replication. ORF57 possesses numerous activities that promote the expression of viral genes, including the three major functions of enhancement of RNA stability, promotion of RNA splicing, and stimulation of protein translation. The multifunctional nature of ORF57 is driven by its ability to interact with an array of cellular cofactors. These interactions are required for the formation of ORF57-containing ribonucleoprotein complexes at specific binding sites in the target transcripts, referred as Mta-responsive elements (MREs). Understanding of the ORF57 protein conformation has led to the identification of two structurally-distinct domains within the ORF57 polypeptide: an unstructured intrinsically disordered N-terminal domain and a structured α-helix-rich C-terminal domain. The distinct structures of the domains serve as the foundation for their unique binding affinities: the N-terminal domain mediates ORF57 interactions with cellular cofactors and target RNAs, and the C-terminal domain mediates ORF57 homodimerization. In addition, each domain has been found to contribute to the stability of ORF57 protein in infected cells by counteracting caspase- and proteasome-mediated degradation pathways. Together, these new findings provide insight into the function and biological properties of ORF57 in the KSHV life cycle and pathogenesis.


The case presented here is of a 71-yr-old female patient who met the diagnostic criteria for stress-induced cardiomyopathy, which was triggered by intense emotional stress after being hit by a bicycle. The clinical picture mimicked that of an acute myocardial infarction, manifesting as precordial pain, ST-segment depression followed by deep negative T waves and prolonging of the QT interval, slight increase in cardiac enzymes and coursing with transient apical ballooning of the left ventricle and hyperkinesis of the basal walls (conferring the aspect of "apical ballooning"), although in the absence of subepicardial coronary obstruction. Ventricular function normalized after the second week of clinical evolution.


Shiism is something of a mystery in the Western world. Security and intelligence communities are often confused about how to identify the types of schools within Islam. In response to the recent German banning of Hezbollah, the international Iranian proxy, we try to identify and illustrate the expansion of Shia ideology and provide a short description of it.

Also available in Spanish at https://www.alnasir.org/que-es-el-shiismo-de-iran/


The 137Cs placental transfer to the fetuses was studied using a daily oral 137Cs administration to pregnant rats. At day 19 of gestation, the fetuses receive 0.8% of the amount administered to the female. A daily application of ferrocinum reduces the 137Cs content of the female body by 82-84% and decreases the fetal accumulation down to 0.14%.


Extrachromosomal DNAs (ecDNAs) are prevalent in human cancers and mediate high oncogene expression through elevated copy number and altered gene regulation1. Gene expression typically involves distal enhancer DNA elements that contact and activate genes on the same chromosome2,3. Here we show that ecDNA hubs, comprised of ~10-100 ecDNAs clustered in the nucleus of interphase cells, drive intermolecular enhancer input for amplified oncogene expression. Single-molecule sequencing, single-cell multiome, and 3D enhancer connectome reveal subspecies of MYC-PVT1 ecDNAs lacking enhancers that access intermolecular and ectopic enhancer-promoter interactions in ecDNA hubs. ecDNA hubs persist without transcription and are tethered by BET protein BRD4. BET inhibitor JQ1 disperses ecDNA hubs, preferentially inhibits ecDNA oncogene transcription, and kills ecDNA+ cancer cells. Two amplified oncogenes MYC and FGFR2 intermix in ecDNA hubs, engage in intermolecular enhancer-promoter interactions, and transcription is uniformly sensitive to JQ1. Thus, ecDNA hubs are nuclear bodies of many ecDNAs tethered by proteins and platforms for cooperative transcription, leveraging the power of oncogene diversification and combinatorial DNA interactions. We suggest ecDNA hubs, rather than individual ecDNAs, as units of oncogene function, cooperative evolution, and new targets for cancer therapy.


Microalgae have been pursued for several decades as a food, feed and nutraceutical source. However, deployment of scale-up technologies for successful commercialization of microalgae products is still regarded to be in a nascent stage. Though a few high-value microalgae products are commercially produced for food/nutraceutical use, these products have not seen the mainstream market yet. In the last few decades, microalgae as a next generation-feedstock for biofuels have gained a lot of momentum. Despite various advantages and claims published by several research groups, large-scale algal production still faces several challenges. This chapter provides an overview of the major technical and economic challenges in scale-up and commercialization of microalgae products. Mainly, the challenges associated with microalgae cultivation, harvesting/dewatering, downstream processing for production of fuels, food, feed and other high-value products are discussed. Recent developments on consumer acceptance and insights about microalgae application in various products are also discussed.


The path from perception to action involves the transfer of information across various reference frames. Here we applied a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) repetition suppression paradigm to determine the reference frame(s) in which the cortical activity is coded at several phases of the sensorimotor transformation for a saccade, including sensory processing, saccade planning, and saccade execution. We distinguished between retinal (eye-centered) and nonretinal (e.g., head-centered) coding frames in three key regions: the intraparietal sulcus (IPS), frontal eye field (FEF), and supplementary eye field (SEF). Subjects (n = 18) made delayed saccades to one of five possible peripheral targets, separated at intervals of 9° visual angle. Target locations were chosen pseudorandomly, based on a 2 × 2 factorial design, with factors retinal and nonretinal coordinates and levels novel and repeated. In all three regions, analysis of the blood oxygenation level dependent dynamics revealed an attenuation of the fMRI signal in trials repeating the location of the target in retinal coordinates. The amount of retinal suppression varied across the three phases of the trial, with the strongest suppression during saccade planning. The paradigm revealed only weak traces of nonretinal coding in these regions. Further analyses showed an orderly representation of the retinal target location, as expressed by a contralateral bias of activation, in the IPS and FEF, but not in the SEF. These results provide evidence that the sensorimotor processing in these centers reflects saccade generation in eye-centered coordinates, irrespective of their topographic organization.


The first mentions of enterprise information systems refer to the 1960s. These systems developed over time, becoming more complex and allowing to solve a wide range of problems. The 1990s mark the beginning of the active development of web technologies. Naturally, they found way into the development of enterprise information systems used for various purposes. The purpose of the study was to describe the main stages in the development of web technologies, from the appearance of the hypertext markup language to modern single-page web applications, as well as the impact they had on approaches to the development of enterprise information systems. The author meant to identify promising trends in web-based solutions that can be successfully used in the development of enterprise information systems. Materials and methods. The paper discusses modern web tech-no¬logies, their development from the dawn to the present day, as well as some tools recognized as obsolete, and the reasons why it is impossible to develop them further. Results. The paper gives the history of the emergence of various technologies, describes their impact on approaches to the im-plementation of enterprise systems, and a way to move from a desktop version of the system to an online one. Some predictions are made concerning the prospects of certain technological areas that have good chances to successfully develop in the future. The author assesses the growing complexity of web applica-tions, the way they merge with the server side development approaches and tools. The demand of software engineers who can develop both the server and client side of an application is rationalized.


Governance and ideology have significant influence on how problems and policies are conceptualized. This conceptualization affects the way in which political subjects are formed and how individuals regard themselves. In this paper we approach environmental policy from a post-structuralist stance. Our ambition is to demonstrate a paradoxical relationship between the current consumer oriented representation of the problem, and its abilities to effectively remedy environmental issues. We focus on the conceptualization of political subjects as consumers and its effects over individuals, the conditions for effective environmental policy and the continued dominance of New Public Management. The material consists of annual reports from swedish agency Naturvardsverket. We argue that Naturvardsverkets representation of the problem defines the consumer as the responsible actor for environmental challanges. A consumer that ultimately lacks a sense of responsibility for this collective concern. (Less)


A recent report demonstrated that, while fixating a central light, lateral intraparietal area (LIP) neurons are not modulated by the location of auditory stimuli until monkeys learn to saccade to the location of an auditory stimulus. This finding suggests that auditory spatial responses in area LIP are dependent on auditory-saccadic training. We found that, in monkeys that had not been trained to make behavioral responses to auditory stimuli, LIP neurons are modulated by auditory-stimulus location when a central light is not present in the environment. These results indicate that LIP auditory responses are not wholly dependent on behavioral training with auditory stimuli.


To evaluate temporal patterns of cause-specific mortality after long-term exposure to the alpha-particle-emitting contrast medium Thorotrast, we investigated a cohort consisting of 693 Swedish patients with neurological disorders who received Thorotrast during cerebral angiography, with follow-up ending in 1993. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated as the ratio of observed cases in the cohort to expected cases in the general population. Persons exposed to Thorotrast had significant excesses of all causes of death (SMR = 2.8; 95% CI 2.5-3.0), with similar increases noted for men and women. The largest risks were observed for deaths from hematological causes (SMR = 16.4; n = 8), cerebrovascular diseases (SMR = 10.1; n = 18), gastrointestinal disorders including liver cirrhosis (SMR = 5.2; n = 36), and tumors (SMR = 4.7; n = 187). There was a significant decrease in SMR with time since injection for cerebrovascular and circulatory diseases, indicative of the impact of underlying neurological disorders. In contrast, the SMR increased significantly with time for tumors and gastrointestinal diseases, suggestive of a detrimental effect of cumulative radiation dose. A significant dose-response relationship was found for all causes of death and malignant tumors among all age groups, and since SMR increased with time for the latter category, this is consistent with an effect of cumulative radiation exposure on cancer development. However, the findings should be treated with caution, since selection bias may have influenced some of the results.


We consider two perfectly smooth featureless surfaces at T = 0, defined only by their respective dielectric functions, separated by a finite distance, and ask the question of whether they can experience any friction when sheared parallel to their interface. We find large frictional effects comparable to everyday frictional forces provided that the materials have resistivities of the order of and that the surfaces are in close proximity. The friction depends solely on the reflection coefficients of the surfaces for electromagnetic waves and its detailed behaviour with shear velocity and separation is dictated by the dispersion of the reflectivity with frequency.