ABSTRACT In general, women report greater job satisfaction than men. The existing literature cannot fully explain the nature of this difference, as the gap tends to persist even when controlling for job characteristics. In this paper, we study job satisfaction using recent data for 28 EU countries. Women, on average, are more satisfied than men and the gap remains even when we account for a wide range of personal, job and family characteristics. However, the gap disappears when we include job preferences, as women place greater importance on work-life balance and the intrinsic desirability of the work.


In the present study, captopril coated tablets with hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), Opadry®, polyvinylpirrolidone (PVP), Eudragit® and shellac were produced. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TG) were used to evaluate the thermal properties of the drug and the formulations. On the basis of DSC results, captopril was found to be compatible with lactose, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium croscarmellose, Aerosil® and talc. Some possibility of interaction between drug-excipient was observed with magnesium stearate. However, additional techniques to confirm the results obtained are needed. There was no influence of mechanical treatment (tableting and coating) on drug crystallinity, in compliance with the DSC results. Thermogravimetry was used to determine the thermal parameters for the captopril drug and its tablets. The kinetic parameters were determined via Ozawa model. The captopril drug and tablet presented the same thermal stability. The tablets coated with HPMC presented the highest thermal stability.


Welfare state reform has been a focus of domestic policy making in many European countries in recent years. Representing almost a third of the EU population and two distinctive models of European welfare states, this book compares development in British and German social policy over the past 25 years. During this time four periods of conservative governments were followed by centre-left administrations in both countries. Moreover, the respective economic and social positions of the two countries have been reversed. Adverse socio-economic developments have contributed to the waning of the erstwhile appeal of Germany as a role model of welfare capitalism. By contrast, the UK is seen by some as being on its way to gaining such a position. These trends provide an analytically intriguing background for a systematic contextualised comparison of reform processes in the two welfare states. Concentrating on three core domains of social policy, the book argues that unemployment support and public pension programmes have been subjected to retrenchment, as well as to restructuring. By contrast, family policies have been extended in both countries. However, patterns of retrenchment and restructuring differ across countries and programmes. In order to explain similarities and variations, the book emphasizes the relevance of three sets of factors: shifts in party policy preferences and power relations, three institutional variables, and contingent factors impinging on policy direction and profiles. Within pension policy, the relevance of different institutional characteristics and the respective balance between private and public forms of retirement suggest that the concept of 'path dependence' is particularly instructive. By contrast, differences in programme structures and their role within national political economies prove to be most relevant for the understanding of changes in unemployment support policy. Less institutionally embedded and expanding, the trajectories of family policies have to be seen in the context of dynamic party policy preferences.


The approach to the radiological and clinical evaluation of adrenal masses in the oncologic and non-oncologic patient is discussed. In addition, the value of unenhanced and enhanced CT densitometry with emphasis on the washout features to distinguish between lipid-rich and lipid-poor adenomas and malignant lesions is detailed. The roles of magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography in distinguishing benign from malignant adrenal masses will also be discussed.


Early environmental conditions have been suggested to influence subsequent locomotor performance in a range of species, but most measurements have been of initial (baseline) performance. By manipulating early growth trajectories in green swordtail fish, we show that males that underwent compensatory growth as juveniles had a similar baseline swimming endurance when mature adults to ad libitum fed controls. However, they had a reduced capacity to increase endurance with training, which is more likely to relate to Darwinian fitness. Compensatory growth may thus result in important locomotor costs later in life.


Airway pressure release ventilation was introduced to clinical practice about two decades ago as an alternative mode for mechanical ventilation; however, it had not gained popularity until recently as an effective safe alternative for difficult-to-oxygenate patients with acute lung injury/ acute respiratory distress syndrome This review will cover the definition and mechanism of airway pressure release ventilation, its advantages, indications, and guidance.


The first permanent Catholic institution in Kiev was – from the 1380s – a Dominican monastery with a wooden church of St Nicholas. It was founded on the initiative of the missionary organization of the order (Societas Fratrum Peregrinantium propter Christum inter gentes, SFP) with the support of a small community of the faithful, mostly Polish and Genoese merchants, Lithuanian officials and soldiers, as well as the Armenians of that confession. Until 1456, it belonged to the Ruthenian Vicariate of the SFP, but the monks – as in other monasteries of this Vicariate – were recruited almost entirely from the environment of the Polish Dominicans. The stability of the monastery was guaranteed by the subsidy of Włodzimierz Olgierdowicz, the prince of Kiev district, half-brother and vassal of the Polish king Władysław II Jagiełło. That subsidy was given after he had assumed the throne in February 1386. The endowment included nearby landed estates and lucrative income from the grain trade in Kiev. The privilege of Grand Duke Alexander Jagiellończyk from 1495 increased the share of Dominicans in the income from trade in Kiev. From 1456, after the liquidation of the SFP, the monastery belonged to the Ruthenian contrata in the Polish province of the order. In the 15th century, it had neither novitiate nor conventual studies. The religious priests conducted missions among the local Orthodox Ruthenians and provided pastoral care for Catholic immigrants, mainly Poles and Armenians. The Catholic bishops, permanently or at least frequently residing in Kiev, appeared at the same time, for the Dominican monastery was their only support. Until 1430, they were appointed exclusively from the circle of the Polish Dominicans. The last time when a Polish Dominican (Michał of Lviv) sat on the bishop's throne in Kiev was in the years 1486-1494. In 1412, the diocese of Kiev was incorporated into the ecclesiastical province of Lviv. This diocese formally encompassed the entire area of Kiev and Czernichów. In 1411, King Władysław II Jagiełło founded a separate cathedral (in a wooden building) on the Castle Hill in Kiev, near the seat of Lithuanian governors, and from 1471, Kiev voivodes. He also granted the diocese a sparsely populated land, bringing meagre income. Throughout the 15th century, the Kiev cathedral also served as a local parish. The clergy working there were few in number. From 1430, from the royal gifts, the bishop's dignity was given to the Polish clergy from both ecclesiastical provinces, Gniezno and Lviv. Only in the years 1473-1474 a bishop was a Lithuanian priest from the diocese of Vilnius, Wojciech Narbut, who came from a noble family. Under the jurisdiction of bishop Klemens of Widawa (1451-1473), two city parishes were established, in Żytomierz and Cudnów. The first one existed until 1492, while the latter did not survive the Tatar invasion in 1482. During this invasion, the chapel in the Kiev castle, founded by voivode Marcin Gasztołd in 1471, also burned down.


Introduction. Botulinum toxin is produced by the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The sporulation form of the C. botulinum is widely found in the environment (in soil) and may develop in inappropriately stored food. The symptoms of poisoning occur 18-36 hours after consumption of contaminated food. Aim. The aim of this study is to present the benefits of using botulinum toxin in the treatment of spasticity of the upper and lower limbs in both adults and children. Material and methods. A literature review of the following databases was carried out: PubMed, UpToDate. Results. Botulinum toxin interferes with neural transmission by blocking the release of acetylcholine and causes muscle paralysis. The typical symptoms are diplopia, xerostomia, enteroparesis, speaking and swallowing disorders, as well as paralysis of respiratory muscles which leads to death. However, botulinum toxin is also a very potent medication. The biggest application is found in the field of neurology, inter alia, in the treatment of spasticity. Conclusion. The study provides current evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of botulinum toxin injection for spasticity of the upper and lower limbs. Botulinum toxin injections are applicable in the treatment of many neurological disorders and the list of indications will certainly become wider.


The economic and political issues which affect the composition, performance, and recording of new orchestral music (or, more precisely, which prevent these activities) operate as much in Canada as in any other western country. Even if works for orchestra do appear, they are more noticeable for their rarity than for their abundance. So it is surprising even to most people in Canada to learn that one Canadian composer has written 21 works for orchestra in the past 26 years, including eight symphonies. Like his other works, these symphonies contain a wide variety of music of impressive technical and formal control and substantial expressive power and depth.


Learning and teaching are always affected by institutional contexts and their policies, ranging from the classroom policies that teachers establish or enact—tacitly or explicitly, to the larger rings of policy set by schools, organizations, districts, states, and/or country. How is policy enacted on a local level? How does such policy affect the needs and realities of students and teachers? How does listening to teacher concerns contribute to valid critiques of policy? This article addresses those questions as they pertain to the US education policy known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). It is told through the perspectives and experiences of six English language teachers in three public schools in one urban school district in the Northeastern United States. Although teachers' concerns are often dismissed as anecdotal, they can offer valuable insights into the weaknesses of policiesand/or programs. In the often, dichotomous worlds of policy and practice, this story highlights the critical need to attend to both.


This paper presents a summary of the Masked Face Recognition Competitions (MFR) held within the 2021 International Joint Conference on Biometrics (IJCB 2021). The competition attracted a total of 10 participating teams with valid submissions. The affiliations of these teams are diverse and associated with academia and industry in nine different countries. These teams successfully submitted 18 valid solutions. The competition is designed to motivate solutions aiming at enhancing the face recognition accuracy of masked faces. Moreover, the competition considered the deployability of the proposed solutions by taking the compactness of the face recognition models into account. A private dataset representing a collaborative, multisession, real masked, capture scenario is used to evaluate the submitted solutions. In comparison to one of the topperforming academic face recognition solutions, 10 out of the 18 submitted solutions did score higher masked face verification accuracy.


From an analysis of the long cadence light curves of M and K dwarfs obtained by the K2 observations, 3589 flares on 548 M dwarfs and 1647 flares on 343 K dwarfs have been identified. We compared the M and K dwarfs' flares with the G dwarfs' flares reported by Shibayama et al. The later type stars' flare occurrence frequencies are higher than those of the earlier type stars, but the earlier type stars produce more powerful flares than those of the later type stars. For the stars of all spectral types, the flare activities, including the flare energy, peak amplitude, and percentage of magnetic activity, increase with faster rotation of stars. The longer the flare duration is, the more energy the flare releases, but an upper limit exists. The saturation energy of M, K, and G dwarfs are derived to be about 1 × 1035 erg, 4 × 1035 erg and 1 × 1036 erg, respectively, in the present study. We estimated the power-law indices of the flare frequency distributions of three spectral type stars. They are 1.82 ± 0.02 (M dwarfs) and 1.86 ± 0.02 (K dwarfs) in comparison to the 2.01 ± 0.03 for the G dwarfs found by Shibayama et al. For stars with Prot ≤ 10 days, they are 1.78 ± 0.02 (M dwarfs), 1.82 ± 0.03 (K dwarfs), and 2.09 ± 0.04 (G dwarfs). The power-law indices of flare frequency distributions of the fast-rotating M- and K-type stars are nearly the same. This indicates that the flare or magnetic mechanisms of different types of low-mass stars may be similar in some sense.


Temperature data were collected during three 28-d periods. Cold-season one-side-occupied (CSOO), warm-season two-sides-occupied (WSTO), and cold-season two-sides-occupied (CSTO) were used to determine day and night freestall barn temperature differences between north-side and south-side, east-end and west-end, and inside to outside of a naturally ventilated, curtain sided, noninsulated barn. Five sensors measured temperature every 15 min for 28-d periods beginning November 30, 2000, July 9, 2001, and December 23, 2001. Stocking densities were 90 to 100% for CSOO south-side and 0% for CSOO north-side; 92 to 108% for WSTO south-side and 46 to 74% for WSTO north-side; and 102 to 116% for CSTO south-side and 64 to 86% for CSTO north-side. Mean day temperatures (MDT) and mean night temperatures (MNT) were different for all within barn comparisons. Inside and outside MDT were different for cold-season periods. MDT differences between inside and outside were CSTO (6.27 degrees F) > CSOO (5.64 degrees F) > WSTO (-0.03 degrees F). MNT differences between inside and outside were CSTO (7.14 degrees F) > CSOO (5.76 degrees F) > WSTO (1.32 degrees F). Absence of animals on one side of the barn during cold seasons decreased the average temperature difference between inside and outside approximately 1 degree F (day 0.63 degrees F, night 1.38 degrees F). South-side MDT and MNT were higher than the north-side for CSOO. MDT differences between north-side and south-side were CSOO (-2.71 degrees F) > CSTO (-1.22 degrees F) > WSTO (-0.36 degrees F). MNT differences between north-side and south-side were CSOO (-2.46 degrees F) > CSTO (-1.06 degrees F) > WSTO (-0.49 degrees F). The average temperature difference for the unoccupied side during cold seasons was almost 1.5 degrees F lower throughout the day than the fully stocked side (day 1.49 degrees F, night 1.40 degrees F). Stocking density was thought to be the major cause of differences between north-side and south-side. East-end and west-end mean temperatures were not different across seasons, therefore, future barn-temperature research with barns of similar characteristics may require only one sensor per side.


The Department of Energy (DOE) established the Mixed Waste Characterization, Treatment, and Disposal Focus Area (MWFA) to develop technologies required to meet the Department`s commitments for treatment of mixed low-level and transuranic wastes. Waste treatment includes all necessary steps from generation through disposal. Systems engineering was employed to reduce programmatic risk, that is, risk of failure to meet technical commitments within cost and schedule. Customer needs (technology deficiencies) are identified from Site Treatment Plans, Consent Orders, ten year plans, Site Technical Coordinating Groups, Stakeholders, and Site Visits. The Technical Baseline, a prioritized list of technology deficiencies, forms the basis for determining which technology development activities will be supported by the MWFA. Technology Development Requirements Documents are prepared for each technology selected for development. After technologies have been successfully developed and demonstrated, they are documented in a Technology Performance Report. The Technology Performance Reports are available to any of the customers or potential users of the technology, thus closing the loop between problem identification and product development. This systematic approach to technology development and its effectiveness after 3 years is discussed in this paper.


Global economic growth has a strong bearing on the pace of activity in the euro area and in France. The IMF provides an assessment of the global economy in its World Economic Outlook report, which is published twice yearly. In between these publications, however, a variety of more volatile factors can affect the international economy. It is therefore important for central banks to monitor ongoing fluctuations in global growth by looking at macroeconomic and financial indicators released at different frequencies. This process, known as nowcasting, is a recent concept which differs from standard economic forecasting.


For years the hospital industry has been embroiled in controversies involving pricing, charity care, and collection practices. Unfortunately, Medicare regulations and policies governing hospital charge-setting and collection practices have not helped bring much clarity to the situation, nor has related CMS and OIG guidance. Coordinated effort by hospitals and regulatory bodies can help clarify unclear government regulation of charity care, pricing, and collections and end potentially destructive controversies that sap valuable time, energy, and resources from efforts addressing much graver long-term threats to hospital viability.


Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a rare but potentially severe complication of heparin therapy that is strongly associated with venous and arterial thrombosis (HIT and thrombosis syndrome, HITTS), which requires urgent detection and treatment with a nonheparin anticoagulant. Argatroban, a synthetic direct thrombin inhibitor, is indicated for the treatment and prophylaxis of thrombosis in patients with HIT, including those undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Argatroban has a relatively short elimination half-life of approximately 45 minutes, which is predominantly performed via hepatic metabolism. It is derived from L-arginine that selectively and reversibly inhibits thrombin, both clot-bound and free, at the catalytic site. Argatroban anticoagulation has been systematically studied in patients with HIT and HITTS and proved to be a safe and effective agent for this indication. The current review presents the pharmacology of argatroban, data regarding monitoring of the agent, and an overview of the results of the major clinical trials assessing argatroban anticoagulation in HIT patients. Additionally, data from recent clinical trials with argatroban use in more special indications such as in percutaneous coronary intervention, liver dysfunction, renal replacement therapy, and intensive care medicine, are reviewed. The approved initial dosage of argatroban for adults with HIT or HITTS is 2 μg/kg/minute for patients with normal hepatic function and 0.5 μg/kg/minute for patients with hepatic dysfunction. There is evidence that a reduced initial dose may also be advisable for patients with heart failure, multiple organ dysfunction, severe anasarca, or after cardiac surgery. Given this information, argatroban can be effectively used in treating HIT with monitoring of activated partial thromboplastin time.


Tissue rings with incorporated microscaffolds have been engineered as promising building blocks for constructing biological tubes from the bottom up. However, the microscaffolds available for incorporation are very limited at present. In this paper we provide an efficient strategy to first incorporate microfluidic spun Ca-alginate microfibres encapsulating magnetic nanoparticles into self-assembled fibroblast micro-rings. Based on the surface modification, microfibres with a size of ∼40 μm allowed fibroblasts to spread and proliferate along the long axis. The optimal cell seeding density was obtained by evaluating the degree of coverage of fibroblasts on microfibres after 3 days of culture. Then we designed a magnetically guided culture apparatus with multiple annular micro-wells to facilitate cell-driven assembly of microfibres. A manipulation strategy dependent on surface tension was used to pattern microfibres along the micro-wells prior to cell seeding, and magnetic attraction further kept the patterned microfibres from being deposited in the micro-wells during cultivation. Within 3 days of culture, microfibre-incorporated tissue micro-rings were formed in the micro-wells. Quantitative analysis of the formation process revealed liquid-like aggregating behaviours, and incorporated microfibres showed the potential to promote the directed organization of cells in tissue micro-rings. Furthermore, magnetically driven manipulation was used robotically to assemble the micro-rings on a micropillar inserted into the centre of the culture apparatus. After 5 days of culture to allow cell fusion, a biological tubular microstructure was achieved. Microfluidic spinning can generate fibres with a variety of shapes, geometries, and compositions; therefore, our proposed method greatly enriches the variety of microscaffolds available for incorporation into tissue rings to engineer complex artificial organs for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.


Moufang sets were introduced by Jacques Tits in order to understand isotropic linear algebraic groups of relative rank one, but the notion is more general. We describe a new class of Moufang sets, arising from so‐called mixed groups of type F4 in characteristic 2, obtained as the fixed point set under a suitable involution.


One of the latest branches of scientific research in which aircraft have been employed is that of polar survey and exploration. It is well known how much time can be saved, and how much labour avoided by using aircraft for surveying large areas of difficult country. There is probably no part of the world more difficult of access than the regions surrounding the two Poles, and there is certainly no part of the earth where exploration and survey is harder to carry out.


The present study examines the planning and interviewing practices of police recruits engaging in investigative interviews with witnesses. The study analyses how the content of plans and interviews prepared by 23 police recruits changes on four occasions during their training at the Western Australia Police Academy, and whether there is a relationship between the content of plans and interviews. On each occasion, undergraduate students acted as witnesses, watching a short film depicting a mock crime before being interviewed by one of the recruits. To facilitate analysis, the items in plans and the questions and statements in interviews were coded according to what aspect of the PEACE model of interviewing they related (e.g. Engage and explain, Account, clarification and challenge [Account] or Closure). The findings show that recruits emphasise the Account stage in their plans and interviews while neglecting the Engage and explain and Closure stages of the model. Further, findings show an association between the content of plans and interviews, particularly with regard to the Engage and explain stage of the model. Encouragingly, recruits were found to increase the proportion of items relating to the Closure stage in plans and interviews following training. Implications of the findings are discussed with particular regard to their application in training recruits.


Analysis of delay line waveforms by graphical techniques based on Bergeron diagrams can be a useful tool, especially in the more complicated nonlinear circuits. The analysis described is limited to transient waveforms in lossless lines. The transients can be of any shape in linear circuits (although simple steps and ramps are best), but are limited to ideal steps in nonlinear circuits. This tutorial explains the basis of the graphical method and gives examples of analyses with practical results. There is also a comment on when a connection should be regarded as a transmission line rather than a lumped circuit. >


The recent Landscape Plan of Tuscany Region pays particular attention towards the floodplain woods, for their conservation concern, landscape, and historical importance. The floodplain forest vegetation is defined as the natural and semi-natural wood vegetation located close to the rivers and submerged only during exceptional flooding. We gathered 180 both published and unpublished relevés coming from Tuscany and carried out in floodplain woods, where Alnus glutinosa, Fraxinus angustifolia subsp. oxycarpa, Quercus robur, Ulmus minor, Carpinus betulus, Populus nigra, P. alba and Salix alba were dominant, alone or in consociation with each other. On this dataset we performed a multivariate analysis, and the resulting groups were characterized by several points of view: floristic, ecological, chorological, by mean of diagnostic species, with the use of EIV. Moreover, their distribution in Tuscany was better defined. According to our results, six associations were found to be present in Tuscany. Thereby, one new association and three new subassociations were proposed. The syntaxonomic arrangement above the association level was discussed, with particular attention to the Italian Fraxinus angustifolia subsp. oxycarpa-rich communities. Finally, a comparison with the Annex I habitat types (sensu Directive 92/43/EEC) was carried out.


Introduction: Vesicovaginal fistulae (VVF) and rectovaginal fistulae (RVF) are major public health concerns especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Our hypothesis was that prolonged obstructed labour, teenage marriages, inadequate emergency obstetric care and poverty are responsible for a high prevalence of VVF and RVF in South Sudan.Objective: The objective of the study is to determine the risk factors for vesicovaginal and rectovaginal fistulae in women treated at Juba Teaching Hospital in South Sudan.Method: Data were obtained from the files of all the 40 women who were operated on for VVF and RVF in Juba Teaching Hospital (JTH) during the 2020 and 2021 fistula campaigns; three women were interviewed.Results: Thirty-six women had VVF, two had RVF and two had both. The main cause was obstructed labour. Spontaneous vaginal delivery accounted for 22 cases, Caesarean Section for 13 while five had a forceps delivery. Four women were aged under 18 years; the age of marriage was below 18 years for 22 women and between 18-25 years for 18 women. Of these 40 women 21 were para 1 & 2,14 were para 3 to 5 and five were para 6 and above; 17 had delivered at home and 23 in hospital; 18 had been attended by midwives / doctor and 22 by Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) in the villages; 22 were in labour for more than three days. Thirty-two deliveries had resulted in stillbirths. Most women had not been to school, and all were classified as 'poor'. Almost all (38) had not attended an ante-natal clinic (ANC) duringthe pregnancy in which they developed fistula. Ten women were operated on more than three times, 10 twice and 20 once. Nine women were divorced after developing fistula and 13 were abandoned. The psychosocial consequences included childlessness, stigmatization, depression, divorce, and abandonment.Conclusion: The main risk factor for developing obstetric fistula was prolonged obstructed labour. Secondary risk factors were delivering at home, lack of obstetric care facilities, deliveries attended by unskilled health workers and TBAs, poor ANC attendance during pregnancy, cultural factors that encourage early marriage, low socioeconomic status, and lack of education.


Background: The general pattern of breathing after breathing assist technique (BAT) and pursed-lip breathing (PLB) has never been reported. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the pattern of breathing after BAT and PLB using a portable sleep recorder (PSR: SAS2100 by NIHON KOHDEN). Methods: Five patients with pulmonary disease (2 females and 3 males, mean ± SD age 81.8 ± 1.8) participated in this research. BAT assists during expiration. Participants performed BAT for 10 min and training PLB for 10 min, 5 times a week for 8 to 56 days. We evaluated the breathing pattern by PSR, respiratory rate(RR), 6-minute distance (6MD), and oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) before and after these programs. Case A: Vital Capacity (VC) 0.94L (%VC 44.8%), Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV 1.0 ) 0.52L (%FEV 1.0 37.4%). Case B: VC 2.34L (%VC 80.1%), FEV 1.0 0.65L (%FEV 1.0 37.4%). Case C: VC 1.73L (%VC 60.1%), FEV 1.0 0.57L (%FEV 1.0 34.3%). Case D: VC 2.17L (%VC 75.9%), FEV 1.0 0.58L (%FEV 1.0 35.6%). Case E: VC 1.37L (%VC 61.6%), FEV 1.0 0.96L (%FEV 1.0 73.2%). Results: The average height of waveforms of the breathing pattern increased about 3 times. 6MD in 2cases and SpO 2 in 3cases increased in this study; however, the 3 other cases of 6MD and 2 other cases of SpO 2 remained unchanged. Additionally, RR decreased in 4 cases. Since the start of the program, changes in the breathing pattern from mouth to nose breathing were observed in a case. Conclusions: This study revealed that BAT and PLB resulted in a decrease of RR and a change in the breathing pattern; furthermore, after this program, changes from mouth to nose breathing were observed.


Abstract The paper serves as the first contribution towards the development of the theory of efficiency: a unifying framework for the currently disjoint theories of information, complexity, communication and computation. Realizing the defining nature of the brute force approach in the fundamental concepts in all of the above mentioned fields, the paper suggests using efficiency or improvement over the brute force algorithm as a common unifying factor necessary for the creation of a unified theory of information manipulation. By defining such diverse terms as randomness, knowledge, intelligence and computability in terms of a common denominator we are able to bring together contributions from Shannon, Levin, Kolmogorov, Solomonoff, Chaitin, Yao and many others under a common umbrella of the efficiency theory.


Background: Food-based dietary guidelines are designed to support populations to adopt a healthy diet. University students studying nutrition related courses are typically en-route to professional roles that involve advocating a healthy diet. Aim: The present study compared the dietary intake of university students enrolled in a foundation nutrition course against the Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADGs) and Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs), and explored students' experiences of following a 3-day self-determined diet plan adhering to the ADGs/NRVs. Methods: Students (n = 115) initially collected, and subsequently analysed a 3-day prospective diet record to determine food group/nutrient intake. Individuals then modified their diet to comply with recommendations (ADGs/NRVs) and attempted to implement the diet plan. Challenges associated with meeting the ADGs/NRVs were described in an online survey form. Results: Baseline food group and nutrient intakes deviated from the guidelines, with 'lean meats & alternatives' the only group consumed in recommended quantities. Students demonstrated the capacity to plan a modified personal diet adhering to the ADGs food group recommendations. However, when following this, several key challenges to dietary adherence were identified. Challenges were categorised as personal/behavioural factors (e.g. the quantity/type of food) and societal factors (e.g. time, cost, social factors). Conclusion: Overall, this study highlights challenges influencing adherence to dietary guidelines in a sample of undergraduate university students. Understanding these factors may help tailor advice to facilitate improved dietary patterns in this population group.


Abstract. Assessing the intracity spatial distribution and temporal variability in air
quality can be facilitated by a dense network of monitoring stations.
However, the cost of implementing such a network can be prohibitive if
traditional high-quality, expensive monitoring systems are used. To this end,
the Real-time Affordable Multi-Pollutant (RAMP) monitor has been developed,
which can measure up to five gases including the criteria pollutant gases
carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone
(O3), along with temperature and relative humidity. This study
compares various algorithms to calibrate the RAMP measurements including
linear and quadratic regression, clustering, neural networks, Gaussian
processes, and hybrid random forest–linear regression
models. Using data collected by almost 70 RAMP monitors over periods ranging
up to 18 months, we recommend the use of limited quadratic regression
calibration models for CO, neural network models for NO, and hybrid models
for NO2 and O3 for any low-cost monitor using
electrochemical sensors similar to those of the RAMP. Furthermore,
generalized calibration models may be used instead of individual models with
only a small reduction in overall performance. Generalized models also
transfer better when the RAMP is deployed to other locations. For long-term
deployments, it is recommended that model performance be re-evaluated and new
models developed periodically, due to the noticeable change in performance
over periods of a year or more. This makes generalized calibration models
even more useful since only a subset of deployed monitors are needed to build
these new models. These results will help guide future efforts in the
calibration and use of low-cost sensor systems worldwide.


The study was conducted to estimate the economic losses arising due to sheep pox and to analyse the factors influencing such losses at farm level. The data relating to the two-year period 2000-01 and 2001-02 were collected from the sample of 108 sheep farms randomly selected from 6 blocks in Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu. Average annual loss due to sheep pox was found to be Rs. 2908.17, Rs. 4662.18 and Rs. 5599.06 in small, medium and large farms, respectively. The loss due to mortality of affected animals ranged from 40 to 60 per cent of total loss in different farm size categories with the highest per cent seen in small farms. The per cent loss in market value is next only to the mortality loss with 26 to 37 per cent share in total loss. The overall per animal economic loss due to sheep pox in ram, ewe and lamb was Rs.1048.81, Rs. 744.26 and Rs. 200.22 respectively. The loss due to the reduction in market value formed the greater proportion in survived rams with 64.71 per cent. A regression model was fitted using the possible predisposing factors to explain the variations in the sheep pox disease losses. The coefficient of multiple determination (R 2 ) in the model fitted was high (0.908), implying that the model was a good fit. The estimated regression coefficients of the variables, viz., number of days of illness, number of adults affected and flock size were found to be significant. The severe economic losses estimated to be arising out of sheep pox indicate that this disease remains a serious economic problem telling upon the profitability of sheep farming. Realizing the enormous losses caused by the disease, the sheep farmers should be made to focus more attention towards this disease through creation of adequate awareness


Background To date, whilst there have been many published studies exploring the links between masculinity and HIV, not much work has been done to explore how an HIV-positive diagnosis impacts men's sense of masculinity and contextualizing the masculinities as fluid and changing. Objective To explore how human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) impacts the lives of men and their constructions of masculinity through interviews with 18 men living with HIV. Design Qualitative study involving conveniently and purposively selected black South African adult men who lived with HIV. In-depth interviews were conducted with 18 men who resided in Johannesburg and Mthatha, South Africa. Results Our analysis suggests that the performance of risky masculinity may influence the acquisition of HIV. Yet, it also reveals that HIV can have a significant effect on men and their masculinities. Men's constructions of harmful notions of hegemonic masculinity pre-HIV diagnosis negatively affected their help-seeking behavior and coping and adjustment to living with HIV, post-diagnosis. The dominant discourse that men are strong and healthy visibly presented challenges for men when faced with an HIV-positive status. They interpreted HIV diagnosis as a loss, a sign of failure as a man, and evidence of an inability to retain control. Being sick undermined their ability to perform roles expected of them, and this led to feelings of powerlessness, worthlessness, and distress. Conclusions Interventions with men living with HIV need to provide safe spaces for men to critically explore gender and constructions of social identities and the pressures these place on men and implications for their health. With this approach, harmful constructions of masculinities may be challenged and mitigated, and this process may render men amenable to change.


Pseudoephedrine is frequently used as a decongestant. Because of concern about the safety of pseudoephedrine in hypertensive patients, a clinical trial was conducted to determine whether blood pressure control was actually affected by this drug in a selected group of patients with hypertension. Twenty-nine patients with controlled, uncomplicated hypertension, who received drug therapy and ranged in age from 25 to 50 years, were randomized to a treatment or a control group. Subjects took either 60 mg of pseudoephedrine or placebo capsules four times a day for 3 days. From 0800 hours until 2200 hours each day, the subjects obtained hourly blood pressure measurements using a portable sphygmomanometer. An analysis of variance with repeated measures was calculated to determine group differences for systolic and diastolic readings. No statistically or clinically significant differences were found. Therapeutic doses of pseudoephedrine did not adversely affect control of hypertension in these selected patients.


The "furry fandom" is a broad term that generally refers to a subculture in which members have shown a deep invested interest in anthropomorphic or zoomorphic creatures and artwork. A "furry" is referred to as an individual who cultivates a "fursona," which is a unique character that is personified through an anthropomorphic or zoomorphic creature exhibiting both human and animal characteristics.These "fursonas" are typically exemplified through cartoon avatars and other forms of artwork and costuming. Current research centered on the furry fandom is quite limited and primarily focuses on psychological frameworks regarding identity formation. For the purposes of this study, I utilized a broader understanding of identity cultivation, management, and concealment within a stigmatized subgroup, by incorporating sociological constructs based around identity performance and anthropological conceptions of masking. This study encompasses qualitative responses from ten self-identified "furries." The information gained from these participants helps to support and substantiate previous research findings, while also broadening the scope of identity formation within a peculiar subgroup.


Abstract In the 21st century, the use of machine energy in the industrial world has increased significantly every year. In 2000 the use of electric energy in the world around 13,000 Kwh and in 2015 has reached 22,000 Kwh. In Indonesia energy use by the industrial sector is also quite large, one of them is the textile industry sector. PT. Buana Intan Gemilang is a textile company that produces prayer mats and curtains with a wide sales area. PT. Buana Intan Gemilang has problem in making pattern card by using punching machine, energy use in punching machine is quite big because production process on punching machine using manual process. So it requires an improvement on the use of energy and production time of making pattern card. Green manufacturing is a method that can be used to solve problems associated with waste in the punching machine. The application of green manufacturing method is done in three stages; Identify your color, prepare your brush, paint it green, keep it green. After applying the green manufacturing method on PT. Buana Intan Gemilang energy usage of punching machine was reduced from 33116 Kwh to 8366 Kwh in producing one type of pattern card. Production time also increased in producing one type of pattern from 332 seconds to 83 seconds. Keywords: Green Manufacturing, Automation, Energy consumption, Production time, Punching machine


The J = 1 → 0 transition of HCO+ at 89 GHz has been mapped across the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) with 70′′ spatial resolution (1.68 km s−1 velocity resolution) using the Arizona Radio Observatory 12 m telescope. This work is the first large-scale mapping project of a dense gas tracer (n(H2) ∼ 105 cm−3) in old planetary nebulae. Observations of over 200 positions encompassing the classical optical image were conducted with a 3σ noise level of ∼20 mK. HCO+ was detected at most positions, often exhibiting multiple velocity components indicative of complex kinematic structures in dense gas. The HCO+ spectra suggest that the Helix is composed of a bipolar, barrel-like structure with redand blue-shifted halves, symmetric with respect to the central star and oriented ∼10◦ east from the line of sight. A second bipolar, higher velocity outflow exists as well, situated along the direction of the Helix "plumes." The column density of HCO+ across the Helix is Ntot ∼ 1.5 × 1010–5.0 × 1011 cm−2, with an average value Nave ∼ 1 × 1011 cm−2, corresponding to an abundance, relative to H2, of f ∼ 1.4 × 10−8. This value is similar to that observed in young PN, and contradicts chemical models, which predict that the abundance of HCO+ decreases with nebular age. This study indicates that polyatomic molecules readily survive the ultraviolet field of the central white dwarf, and can be useful in tracing nebular morphology in the very late stages of stellar evolution.


We comment on the work of L. G. Hanson, J. Zhang and P. Lambropoulos (Europhys. Lett. 30 (2) pp. 81–86 (1995)). An error in their discussion of the long-time photoelectron spectrum is corrected.


Background/Aim: Renal vasodilation in response to L-arginine has been reported to be diminished in hypertensive (HT) subjects. If this diminished renal vasodilator response indicates disturbance of the renal NO pathway, a diminished renal vasoconstrictor response to NO synthase inhibition may be present in HT subjects as well. The present study was conducted to compare the effects of L-arginine and NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) on renal and systemic hemodynamics between HT and normotensive (NT) subjects. Methods: The responses of renal and systemic vascular resistances (RVR and SVR) and plasma noradrenaline and renin (NOR and PRA) to systemic NO stimulation and inhibition were studied in patients with grade 1 essential HT and age- and sex-matched NT subjects. On separate occasions, after baseline values were obtained, 40-min randomly administered intravenous infusions of L-arginine (12.5 mg·kg–1·min–1) or L-NAME (0.0125 mg·kg–1·min–1) were given. Results: Baseline values of RVR (129 ± 21 and 162 ± 10 resistance units) and SVR (15.1 ± 4.3 and 21.6 ± 5.1 resistance units) were higher (p < 0.01) in HT than in NT subjects, whereas the baseline values of NOR and PRA were similar. Infusion of L-arginine caused similar decrements in SVR (29 ± 10 and 31 ± 11%), but the decrease in RVR was smaller (22 ± 8 and 35 ± 12%, respectively; p < 0.05) in HT than in NT subjects. In response to L-NAME, the increments in RVR (66 ± 10 and 61 ± 25%) and SVR (36 ± 21 and 34 ± 18%) were similar in HT and NT subjects. In both groups, infusion of L-arginine was associated with similar increments, whereas infusion of L-NAME was associated with similar decrements in NOR and PRA. Conclusions: This study confirms the smaller renal vasodilator response to L-arginine in HT than in NT subjects. Whether this is caused by a disturbance of the renal NO pathway remains doubtful considering the observed similar L-NAME-induced increments in RVR and SVR in the two groups of subjects


We consider the bipartite entanglement entropy of ground states of extended quantum systems with a large degeneracy. Often, as when there is a spontaneously broken global Lie group symmetry, basis elements of the lowest-energy space form a natural geometrical structure. For instance, the spins of a spin-1/2 representation, pointing in various directions, form a sphere. We show that for subsystems with a large number m of local degrees of freedom, the entanglement entropy diverges as d/2 logm, where d is the fractal dimension of the subset of basis elements with nonzero coefficients. We interpret this result by seeing d as the (not necessarily integer) number of zero-energy Goldstone bosons describing the ground state. We suggest that this result holds quite generally for largely degenerate ground states, with potential applications to spin glasses and quenched disorder.


Fig trees (Ficus spp.) and their pollinating wasps (Hymenoptera; Agaonindae) are a unique system to study mutualism. Female fig wasps deposit eggs and develop their progeny in galled female flowers inside the figs, while fig wasps pollinate females flower inside the same figs. A study investigating fig tree species composition and pollinating wasps was conducted at Universitas Syiah Kuala campus, Banda Aceh. We recorded all fig tree species found in the area from Dec 2020 until June 2021. Ten semi-ripe fig fruits on each fig tree were sampled and brought to the laboratory to examine the wasps inside. We recorded 112 individuals fig trees that belonged to 11 species; most of them were monoecious species. The most abundant species was Ficus altissima, followed by F. Benjamina, and F. macrocarpa, while the least was F.racemosa and F. carica. A number of 20.7± 6.5 (Mean ± SE) female pollinator Eupristina koningsbergeri was counted in a single fig of F. benjamina compared to 350.4±45.4 (Mean ± SE) Ceratosolen fusciceps female wasps in fig of F.racemosa. This study has provided an example of obligate mutualism between different species in the local area, which has been observed since a long time ago.


Although spinal cord monitoring is recommended during scoliosis surgery, a review from Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center stated that they were only able to obtain reproducible tracings in 53% of cerebral palsy patients. To ascertain that monitoring is both feasible and reliable in these patients, we reviewed the records of 34 consecutive patients with cerebral palsy who had scoliosis surgery at our institution. Spinal cord function was monitored by recording peripheral nerve, cervical/brainstem, and cortical somatosensory evoked potentials to posterior tibial nerve stimulation. Reproducible tracings were achieved in 31 of the 34 patients. Significant intraoperative changes were recorded in 12 of the 31 monitored patients, usually related to and requiring some modifications of the instrumentation. We conclude that with careful technique, spinal cord monitoring using cervical/brainstem somatosensory evoked potentials can be reliably achieved in most patients with cerebral palsy undergoing scoliosis surgery.


Abstract The use of killed cover crop mulch for weed suppression, soil erosion prevention and many other soil and crop benefits has been demonstrated in organic no-till or zero-till farming systems in eastern US regions and in Canada. Implements have been developed to make this system possible by terminating cover crops mechanically with little, if any, soil disturbance. Ongoing research in the US northern Great Plains is being conducted to identify cover crop species and termination methods for use in organic zero-till (OZ) systems that are adapted to the crop rotations and climate of this semi-arid region. Current termination strategies must be improved so that cover crop species are killed consistently and early enough in the growing season so that subsequent cash crops can be grown and harvested successfully. Delaying termination until advanced growth stages improves killing efficacy of cover crops and may provide weed-suppressive mulch for the remainder of the growing season, allowing no-till spring seeding of cash crops during the next growing season. Excessive water use by cover crops, inability of legume cover crops to supply adequate amounts of N for subsequent cash crops and failure of cover crops to suppress perennial weeds are additional obstacles that must be overcome before the use of killed cover crop mulch can be promoted as a weed control alternative to tillage in the US northern Great Plains. Use of vegetative mulch produced by killed cover crops will not be a panacea for the weed control challenges faced by organic growers, but rather one tool along with crop rotation, novel grazing strategies, the judicious use of high-residue cultivation equipment, such as the blade plow, and the use of approved herbicides with systemic activity in some instances, to provide organic farmers with new opportunities to incorporate OZ practices into their cropping systems. Emerging crop rotation designs for organic no-till systems may provide for more efficient use of nutrient and water resources, opportunities for livestock grazing before, during or after cash crop phases and improved integrated weed management strategies on organic farms.


Background Anticipatory planning including advance care planning has become one of the megatrends in health care. As in many countries, terminology and understanding of anticipatory planning varies significantly. Aim For a common understanding of anticipation and guidance in clinical practice, we aimed to develop a national framework for anticipation in health care in Switzerland. Method we undertook a national consensus project with representatives from all cultural regions in Switzerland. After review of the literature and existing guidelines and/or recommendations we performed a three Delphi process including additional national expert review. Results We propose a three level model of anticipatory planning in health care. Level one aims to initiate general anticipatory planning including discussion on individual values, preferences and expectations; experts from various professional background (e.g. pastoral care, social care, psychology) may offer support on this level. Level two focuses on disease specific anticipatory care planning; expertise in regard of potential complication of specific diagnosis/disease trajectory is necessary to provide assistance while planning. Level three finally is dedicated to advance care planning (ACP) for clinical situations without capacity for judgement; guidance by professionals with a background in intensive and emergency care may be needed. Conclusions a national consensus process on definitions of various levels for a participatory approach in anticipatory planning helps to create a solid basis for common understanding of anticipation in health care, to highlight professional roles and expertise for counselling on each level, and to prevent low quality in written documentation.


Abstract Altica's location in the Patlachique Range, 10 km away from the Otumba obsidian source, suggests its potential role in the distribution of Otumba obsidian. Altica may have been an important Formative middleman and processing site for obsidian exchange within the Basin of Mexico. To the south, Coapexco's position along a natural, restricted inlet to the Basin of Mexico may have enabled it to function as a node for pooling and distributing material into the Basin. This paper combines geochemical sourcing and technological data drawn from several Early and Middle Formative obsidian assemblages to reconstruct the movement of obsidian in this period to identify obsidian sources and consumption sites. In doing so, the paper assesses the role that intermediary sites like Altica and Coapexco could have played in the processing and distribution of obsidian into more distant consumption sites.


Purpose: Quantifying the repeatability of imaging biomarkers is critical for assessing therapeutic response. While therapeutic efficacy has been traditionally quantified by SUV metrics, imaging texture features have shown potential for use as quantitative biomarkers. In this study we evaluated the repeatability of quantitative 18F-NaF PET-derived SUV metrics and texture features in bone lesions from patients in a multicenter study. Methods: Twenty-nine metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer patients received whole-body test-retest NaF PET/CT scans from one of three harmonized imaging centers. Bone lesions of volume greater than 1.5 cm3 were identified and automatically segmented using a SUV>15 threshold. From each lesion, 55 NaF PET-derived texture features (including first-order, co-occurrence, grey-level run-length, neighbor gray-level, and neighbor gray-tone difference matrix) were extracted. The test-retest repeatability of each SUV metric and texture feature was assessed with Bland-Altman analysis. Results: A total of 315 bone lesions were evaluated. Of the traditional SUV metrics, the repeatability coefficient (RC) was 12.6 SUV for SUVmax, 2.5 SUV for SUVmean, and 4.3 cm3 for volume. Their respective intralesion coefficients of variation (COVs) were 12%, 17%, and 6%. Of the texture features, COV was lowest for entropy (0.03%) and highest for kurtosis (105%). Lesion intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was lowest for maximum correlation coefficient (ICC=0.848), and highest for entropy (ICC=0.985). Across imaging centers, repeatability of texture features and SUV varied. For example, across imaging centers, COV for SUVmax ranged between 11–23%. Conclusion: Many NaF PET-derived SUV metrics and texture features for bone lesions demonstrated high repeatability, such as SUVmax, entropy, and volume. Several imaging texture features demonstrated poor repeatability, such as SUVtotal and SUVstd. These results can be used to establish response criteria for NaF PET-based treatment response assessment. Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF)


Available studies reveal alarming rates of substance and medication abuse among older adults. Professionals addressing the substance and medication abuse problems of seniors have argued for a move to medication monitoring in the home. At present, however, there has been only scattered evidence to support the contention that adequate medication monitoring actually occurs. The present study reports two surveys of all home care agencies in the state of Michigan. The first study reports the medication monitoring practices of home care staff. The second study examines possible medication monitoring interventions that might be implemented in home care agencies. Those medication monitoring interventions with the highest likelihood of successful implementation among home care staff are discussed.


Islam is the most complete religion, which presents a complete way for living and has the flexibility to respond new technologies. In Islam, laws of biomedical ethics are linked to ethical teachings of Holy Quran and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The Holy Quran is one of the reference books describing the importance of plants used for different aliments in various Surahs. The holey Quran is a unique literature for social and life science research. The holey Quran (most important Islamic reference) has collection of medicinal plants that it's characterizes is somewhat unclear in modern medicine, but valuable evidences can be obtained from Islamic texts and traditional or folk medicine. Results were systematically arranged by alphabetic order of botanical names followed by English name, Arabic name, family, part used, medicinal uses, Characteristics Surah and Ayah in Quran and references cited from Holly Quran, Ahadith and Islamic books. Aim of present study is review on medicinal plants in holey Quran. Results showed that 19 medicinal plants have been identified in the Quran.


Background Mapping biomedical data to functional knowledge is an essential task in bioinformatics and can be achieved by querying identifiers, e.g. gene sets, in pathway knowledgebases. However, the isoform and post-translational modification states of proteins are lost when converting input and pathways into gene-centric lists. Findings Based on the Reactome knowledgebase, we built a network of protein-protein interactions accounting for the documented isoform and modification statuses of proteins. We then implemented a command line application called PathwayMatcher (github.com/PathwayAnalysisPlatform/PathwayMatcher) to query this network. PathwayMatcher supports multiple types of omics data as input, and outputs the possibly affected biochemical reactions, subnetworks, and pathways. Conclusions PathwayMatcher enables refining the network-representation of pathways by including isoform and post-translational modifications. The specificity of pathway analyses is hence adapted to different levels of granularity and it becomes possible to distinguish interactions between different forms of the same protein.


From 12.03.06 to 17.03.06, the Dagstuhl Seminar 06111 Complexity of Boolean Functions was held in the International Conference and Research Center (IBFI), Schloss Dagstuhl. During the seminar, several participants presented their current research, and ongoing work and open problems were discussed. Abstracts of the presentations given during the seminar as well as abstracts of seminar results and ideas are put together in this paper. The rst section describes the seminar topics and goals in general. Links to extended abstracts or full papers are provided, if available.


One and the same property simultaneously serves four distinguishable purposes: It supplies companies with a broad field of profit-generating business opportunities, provides space for its users, generates income as an asset, and shapes our environment. In a globalized, and increasingly regulated and complex world, more and more specialists are needed to ensure that real estate fulfills each of these purposes. Those specialists, including urban planners and architects, civil engineers, business economists, sociologists and lawyers, are experts in their disciplines, which they studied in respective Bachelor's and Master's programs. Yet, as it is this one piece of property that is supposed to fulfill all of the named purposes, there also need to be people or companies that develop an appropriate holistic concept, mediate between conflicting objectives, communicate the vision, coordinate the specialists, and ensure cooperation for overall success.This paper seeks to identify the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to address real estate issues in a holistic and systemic way. The ultimate goal is to develop a new type of Master's program curriculum that effectively provides the market with real estate managers and leaders who are able to professionally and sustainably deal with the complexity of today's real estate issues.Using a mixed-methods approach, three groups of stakeholders are asked about their expectations/requirements of competences necessary to work in interface-related jobs. This includes employers in real estate sectors with many interfaces (e.g. project development, asset management, or CREM) as well as professors and students of the built environment. Based on these explorations, a curriculum concept is developed that is member-checked by those stakeholders in a second round.Finding: In interface-related jobs, very broad knowledge and an understanding of the respective relationships are the base for effective and efficient action. Even more important are professional skills and abilities such as analytical and problem solving competency, creative thinking, communication, change and social competencies. To acquire or deepen those competencies during a two-year Master's program, the student body needs to be heterogeneous, covering fields of real estated backgrounds. The didactical concept should be based on problem-based and project-oriented learning. To master those issues, entering requirements for the program need to be restrictive.


With hospital-onset Clostridium difficile Infection (CDI) still a common occurrence in the U.S., this paper examines the relationship between unit-wide CDI susceptibility and inpatient mobility and creates a predictive measure of CDI called "Contagion Centrality". A mobility network was constructed using two years of patient electronic health record (EHR) data within a 739-bed hospital (Jan. 2013 - Dec. 2014; n=72,636 admissions). Network centrality measures were calculated for each hospital unit (node) providing clinical context for each in terms of patient transfers between units (edges). Daily unit-wide CDI susceptibility scores were calculated using logistic regression and compared to network centrality measures to determine the relationship between unit CDI susceptibility and patient mobility. Closeness centrality was a statistically significant measure associated with unit susceptibility (p-value < 0.05), highlighting the importance of incoming patient mobility in CDI prevention at the unit-level. Contagion Centrality (CC) was calculated using incoming inpatient transfer rates, unit-wide susceptibility of CDI, and current hospital CDI infections. This measure is statistically significant (p-value <0.05) with our outcome of hospital-onset CDI cases, and captures the additional opportunities for transmission associated with inpatient transfers. We have used this analysis to create an easily interpretable and informative clinical tool showing this relationship and risk of hospital-onset CDI in real-time. Quantifying and visualizing the combination of inpatient transfers, unit-wide risk, and current infections help identify hospital units at risk of developing a CDI outbreak, and thus provide clinicians and infection prevention staff with advanced warning and specific location data to concentrate prevention efforts.


KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) Holdings (Malaysia) Bhd ("KFCH") commands a dominant position in Malaysia's dynamically expanding retail food industry. Since the first Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet opened its doors to a receptive Malaysian public in 1973, the Group has developed its operations in both breadth and depth and has evolved into a fully integrated food operator. Its operations, comprising 2 major internationally renowned fast-food chains, local chicken retail chain, integrated poultry operations and ancillary operations, are uniquely structured to enhance its range of business activities, efficiencies and profitability. Being Malaysia's only integrated food operator, KFCH is involved in a highly profitable and fast growing food and food processing business. This includes a feedmill, breeder farms, hatchery, contract broilers farms, poultry processing plants, further processing plants, sauce manufacturing, bakery, commissary and industrial and institutional catering. KFCH was incorporated in Malaysia under the Companies Act, 1965 on 22 December 1980 as a private limited company under the name of Poon Guan Holdings Sdn Bhd. The Company adopted its present name on 11 July 1986 and was converted to a public company on 13 March 1987. The Company was listed on the Main Board (Consumer Product) of the KLSE on 11 November 1988.


Background and Aim: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the main problems of intubated patients in the intensive care unit. the antibacterial endotracheal tube ara capable of reducing VAP via stopping bacterial colonization and biofilm formation. Therefore, in this study, the effects of silver-coated endotracheal tube on the incidence of VAP were investigated.
Materials and Methods: In a single-blind clinical trial study, 108 patients in need of intubation were selected and divided into two intervention groups (antibacterial endotracheal tube) and control (standard non-coated endotracheal tube). Demographic information, secretion volume and shape, leukocytosis, decreased oxygen saturation, fever were recorded for all patients and compared in the two intervention groups.
Results: The mean age (±SEM) in the intervention and control groups was 42.93 (±1.42) and 47.86 (±2.08) years, respectively. Furthermore, the incidence of VAP in the intervention and control groups was 5 (±1.8) and 8.5 (±2.1) days, respectively. Patients receiving a antibacterial endotracheal tube had a significantly reduction in the volume of secretions (P = 0.0027), incidence of purulent secretions (P = 0.04), fever (P = 0.019), leukocytosis (P = 0.0006), culture positive (P = 0.0001), and the onset of VAP symptoms (P = 0.001). The incidence of VAP in the intervention and control groups was 18% and 26%, respectively, and the antibacterial endotracheal tube significantly reduced the incidence of VAP (P = 0.0003).
Conclusion: Silver-coated endotracheal tube?? has a more effective role in improving the prognosis of intubated patients admitted to the ICU when comparing with standard non-coated endotracheal tube.


This paper examines a study of perceptual-cognitive development among black children from three cultures. The study investigates patterns of perceptual and cognitive functioning as a transaction among developmental, genetic, environmental, cultural, and child-rearing variables. The samples consisted of four and eight year olds from three distinct groups: (1) white and black middle socio-economic status (SES) children from the US; (2) lower and middle SES children from St. Kitts in the Caribbean; and (3) middle SES children from Nigeria. The research paradigm permits a cross-cultural comparison of three samples of middle-class, urban, English-speaking, black children in relation to six areas of perceptual-cognitive development, four anthropometric, and three physiological measures. Because of the inclusion of a white sample, the interactions of SES, race, culture, nutritional status, proximity to the equator, and physical growth and development can be correlated with the performance of black children on perceptual-cognitive tasks. Results of data analyzed thus far are reported and implications are discussed.


D-Glucosamine is reported for the first time as a green ligand for copper catalyzed coupling of aryl halides and sodium sulfinates, which provides a simple and extremely efficient new route to unsymmetrical diaryl sulfones. The catalytic reaction proceeded in DMSO–H2O at 100 °C and gave a variety of aryl sulfones in high yields. The high water solubility of the ligand enables easy catalyst removal. The scope of the method was validated by a single step synthesis of marketed drug zolimidine, a drug used for peptic ulcers, in 65% yield.


Sequence analysis of the
RNA polymerase B subunit encoding gene (rpoB) has been proposed as a useful
tool for bacterial identification. This method has been implemented to differentiate
five well-defined Proteus species: P. mirabilis, P. hauseri, P. penneri, P. vulgaris, and P.
myxofaciens. In this study, we evaluated the usefulness of rpoB sequencing for intraspecies discrimination
of P. mirabilis. The
sequence of rpoB 909 bp region was analyzed in 15 newly isolated strains
and 5 of 8 years old isolates from different clinical sources. Three respective
groups were obtained. The first group included 13 of the new strains showing
similarity with Proteus mirabilis (ATCC 29906) strain. The second group including 3 of the old strains differs from
the first group with a divergence of 0.22%. Group 3 contains only a single new strain
33. The sequence of this strain shows differences in the rpoB 909 bp region analyzed from the members
of group 1 and the second group by 1.65% and 1.87% divergence respectively. According
to our results, genetic differences could be detected within the P. mirabilis species. Therefore much
more effort should be made to re-evaluate rpoB method and validate its usefulness
as a molecular diagnostic method.


A 3-year-old, neutered Rottweiler dog was brought to a veterinary clinic with recurrent epistaxis and lethargy. A profound thrombocytopenia was identified, suggesting immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (IMTP). Immunosuppressive therapy (prednisone and mycophenolate mofetil) was initiated. Within 3 wk of commencing treatment, platelet counts and clinical signs improved.


Occipital cortices of different sighted people contain analogous maps of visual information (e.g. foveal vs. peripheral). In congenital blindness, "visual" cortices respond to nonvisual stimuli. Do visual cortices of different blind people represent common informational maps? We leverage naturalistic stimuli and inter-subject pattern similarity analysis to address this question. Blindfolded sighted (n = 22) and congenitally blind (n = 22) participants listened to 6 sound clips (5-7 min each): 3 auditory excerpts from movies; a naturalistic spoken narrative; and matched degraded auditory stimuli (Backwards Speech, scrambled sentences), during functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. We compared the spatial activity patterns evoked by each unique 10-s segment of the different auditory excerpts across blind and sighted people. Segments of meaningful naturalistic stimuli produced distinctive activity patterns in frontotemporal networks that were shared across blind and across sighted individuals. In the blind group only, segment-specific, cross-subject patterns emerged in visual cortex, but only for meaningful naturalistic stimuli and not Backwards Speech. Spatial patterns of activity within visual cortices are sensitive to time-varying information in meaningful naturalistic auditory stimuli in a broadly similar manner across blind individuals.


In this paper we study the singular perturbation of boundary value problems with perturbations both in the operater and in the interval ends. So as to prove the existence and uniqueness of solution of perturbed problem, to establish the asymptotic expression involving three parameters. Thus, the iterative equation of finding the asymptotic solution is derived and the estimation of the remainder term is given out. We extend results of [1]—[5].


♦ Objectives: We compared the clinical characteristics and outcomes of "silent" peritonitis (meaning episodes without fever and abdominal pain) and "non-silent" peritonitis in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). ♦ Methods: Our cohort study collected data about all peritonitis episodes occurring between January 2008 and April 2010. Disease severity score, demographics, and biochemistry and nutrition data were recorded at baseline. Effluent cell counts were examined at regular intervals, and the organisms cultured were examined. Treatment failure was defined as peritonitis-associated death or transfer to hemodialysis. ♦ Results: Of 248 episodes of peritonitis occurring in 161 PD patients, 20.9% led to treatment failure. Of the 248 episodes, 51 (20.6%) were not accompanied by fever and abdominal pain. Patients with these silent peritonitis episodes tended to be older (p = 0.003). The baseline values for body mass index, triglycerides, and daily energy intake were significantly lower before silent peritonitis episodes than before non-silent episodes (p = 0.01, 0.003, and 0.001 respectively). Although silent peritonitis episodes were more often culture-negative and less often caused by gram-negative organisms, and although they presented with low effluent white cell counts on days 1 and 3, the risk for treatment failure in those episodes was not lower (adjusted odds ratio: 1.33; 95% confidence interval: 0.75 to 2.36; p = 0.33). ♦ Conclusions: Silent peritonitis is not a rare phenomenon, especially in older patients on PD. Although these episodes were more often culture-negative, silent presentation was not associated with a better outcome.


The actual knowledge of the structure and future evolution of our universe is based on the use of cosmological models, which can be tested through the so-called 'probes', namely astrophysical phenomena, objects or structures with peculiar properties that can help to discriminate among different cosmological models. Among all the existing probes, of particular importance are the Supernovae Ia (SNe Ia) and the Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs): the former are considered among the best standard candles so far discovered but suffer from the fact that can be observed until redshift $z=2.26$, while the latter are promising standardizable candles which have been observed up to $z=9.4$, surpassing even the farthest quasar known to date, which is at $z=7.64$. The standard candles can be used to test the cosmological models and to give the expected values of cosmological parameters, in particular the Hubble constant value. The Hubble constant is affected by the so-called \say{Hubble constant tension}, a discrepancy in more than 4 $\sigma$ between its value measured with local probes and its value measured through the cosmological probes. The increase in the number of observed SNe Ia, as well as the future standardization of GRBs through their correlations, will surely be of help in alleviating the Hubble constant tension and in explaining the structure of the universe at higher redshifts. A promising class of GRBs for future standardization is represented by the GRBs associated with Supernovae Ib/c, since these present features similar to the SNe Ia class and obey a tight correlation between their luminosity at the end of the plateau emission in X-rays and the time at the end of the plateau in the rest-frame.


Eight calves were fed from the fourth to the twentieth week of age a milk powder diet containing 40 mg lead acetate per kg dry substance. This is twice the lead concentration legally permitted. In average, each animal has daily taken up 0.834 mg lead per kg body weight. Eight calves were used as controls. The animals gained the usual fattening weights and did not show clinical symptoms. Beginning with week 14, increased levels of blood urea were encountered in the animals which received lead in their diet. Morphologically, severe renal lesions were found in these calves. The kidneys were increased in weight, pale and of firm consistency. Histologically, fibrosis and periglomerular interstitial non-purulent nephritis were found. Light- and electronmicroscopically, numerous intranuclear inclusion-bodies typical for lead poisoning were demonstrated in epithelial cells of proximal tubules. The results show, that daily uptake of less than 1 mg lead per kg body weight must be considered as a toxic dose for calves, and not 5-7 mg as stated in literature.


Some popular culture now suggests that women's attempts to find a suitable marriage partner are being frustrated. This economist argues that it may well be because women are becoming better educated and men aren't keeping pace. Will well-educated women start "marrying down"?


Abstract. This work was carried out in the summer of 2020 to take an advantage of the spent mushroom compost SMC for the potato cropping and improving soil fertility towards reducing the excessive use of chemical fertilizers, which are commonly used in the traditional methods of growing potatoes, and considered as a source of contamination of the groundwater and streams and raise the cost of production. This experiment was designed by the application of SMC in the cultivation of potato crop var. Spunta, in the bedding medium, at increasing gradual rates (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%, v/v), to be compared with soil and organic manure mixed with chemical fertilizers as an ideal treatment. The effect of the above-mentioned levels of SMC on soil fertility was very clear, where the results did not show any negative impact on soil properties in spite of its high recorded salinity (EC1/1 = 9.53 dS.m -1) and tended to retain soil fertility through increasing its contents of organic matter OM and nutrients before and after potato crop cultivation. The lowest level of compost 25% SMC, increased the concentration of OM in the soil to 18.4% compared with 4.5% in the control, and raised N concentration in the soil from 0.3% in the control to 1.8% in the treatment 100% SMC before planting. The cumulative effect of OM in the soil after harvest has risen from 3.3% in the control to 12.6% in the treatment 25% SMC, and N content from 0.15% for the control to 1.05 % for treatment 100% SMC. But the cumulative effect for available P in the soil was not positive because of lime effect and consumption in the growth and production process. Also, K did not show a clear cumulative effect because of the richness of the soil before and after planting and its high ability for loss in the organic soil by leeching.


In this study, we investigated the effects of grape seed extract (GSE) on the expression of osteopontin (OPN) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in a rat model of spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury (SC-IRI). Fifty male rats were divided into 5 groups: control (CON); control + GSE (CON + GSE) (received GSE for 28 days); sham operated (Sham); IRI; and IRI + GSE. SC-IRI was induced by clamping the aorta just above the bifurcation for 45 min, and then the clamp was released for 48 h for reperfusion. IRI + GSE group received GSE for 28 days before SC-IRI. Sensory, motor, and placing/stepping reflex assessment was performed. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were measured in spinal cord homogenate. Immunohistochemical examination of the spinal cord for OPN and COX-2 were carried out. SC-IRI resulted in significant increase in plasma nitrite/nitrate level and spinal cord homogenate levels of TBARs and PGE2, and OPN and COX-2 expression with significant decrease in TAC. GSE improves the sensory and motor functions through decreasing OPN and COX-2 expression with reduction of oxidative stress parameters. We conclude a neuroprotective effect of GSE in SC-IRI through downregulating COX-2 and OPN expression plus its antioxidants effects.


The Best Wavelet Function Identification (BestWaveID) System was developed to identify and to select the wavelet function that is optimum to denoise a given ECG signal. Currently the wavelet function identification and selection process are highly rely on human expertise and knowledge of wavelet function in the field of biomedical signal denoising, others rely on trial and error basis which is time consuming. The BestWaveID system require only two inputs to perform the wavelet function evaluation, identification and selection, there are the sample of the ECG signal to be denoise and the expected noise level to be contaminated in the ECG signal. The BestWaveID system perform an iterative denoising on the given ECG signal using every single wavelet function and possible decomposition to evaluate their denoise performance on the given ECG signal in term of signal to noise ratio. The wavelet function that gives the highest signal to noise ratio with the highest occurrence is the optimum denoise wavelet function for the given ECG signal.


The degree of non-compliance with a methadone programme is such that a zero is often recorded as the response variable. Such outcome variables cannot be transformed to normality in order to investigate a regression relationship between the response variable and various risk or treatment variables. The presence of a random effect as well in this regression causes added difficulty in the analysis. We show here that use of threshold models can provide a satisfactory solution to both these problems.


On occasions where the inductance of high voltage coils must be raised by utilizing ferromagnetic cores, it has been found that partial cores comprised of symmetrical arrangements of ferrite bars are more efficient in terms of inductance gain per weight of material than either full-flux path cores or solid-slug type cores. Proper placement of the core material, however, is essential to achieving maximum inductance gain. This paper will describe a series of experiments that were conducted to determine the optimum arrangement of distributed bar-type partial cores. Data from the various experiments will be presented.


The bioactive compounds were screened by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method. Twenty one bioactive phytochemical compounds were identified in the methanolic extract of Mentha viridis using GC-MS method. The identification of phytochemical compounds is based on the peak area, retention time, molecular weight and molecular formula. GC-MS analysis of M. viridis revealed the existence of the 3,6-Octadecadiynoic acid, methyl ester, 2,5-Dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone, 4H-pyran-4-one, 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl, benzofuran, R-Limonene, 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol, 2-hydroxy-5-methylbenaldehyde, tetra-acetyl-d-xylonic nitrile, Ficusin, Phen-1,4-diol, 2,3-dimethyl-5-trifluoromethyl, n-Hexadecanoic acid, 7-Methyl-Z-tetradecen-1-ol acetate, Ethyl 9,12,15-octadecatrienoate, Methyl 19-methyl-eicosanoate, Ethyl iso-allocholate, and Tocopherol. Five new bioactive chemical compounds 3-(N,N-Dimethyllayrylammonio), 1b,4a-eboxy-2H-cyclopenta [3,4]cyclopropal[8,9] cycloundec, 5H-Cyclopropa[3,4]benz [1,2-e]azulene-5-one, 2,2,4-Trimethyl-3-(3,8), 12,16-tetramethyl-hepta deca, and 4H-Cyclopropa[5,6]benz [1,2:7,8] azulene[5,6-b] oxiren-4-one are described and may in future be suitable sources for phytotherapy purposes. Mentha viridis contain chemical constitutions which may be useful for various herbal formulation exhibiting cardiac tonic, analgesic, antiasthamatic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties.

 Key words: Bioactive compounds, chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, Mentha viridis.


A new eigenmode algorithm, based on the method of lines, is presented for full-wave analysis of real three-dimensional (3-D) MMIC elements. Finite conductor thickness, finite substrate, dielectric or ohmic losses are rigorously modeled. The analytical calculation In the direction of propagation enables the analysis of structures with very short or long interconnections between the single discontinuities. To demonstrate the generality of the proposed algorithm several completely different structures were analyzed. Examinations of the convergence were performed. Scattering parameters of filters and planar transmission line interconnects like air bridges, via holes and bead transitions were investigated. The calculated results agree very well with computed and measured results published in literature.


One of the methods for early detection of ice deposits on high voltage overhead power transmission lines is the reflectometry method, which has been developed in the Kazan State Power Engineering University for more than 15 years. The method, technology and equipment of reflectometry sensing of overhead power transmission lines are described in this paper. The results of comparing experimental data of ice detecting by reflectometry method and by method of weight sensors are reported. Is shown that reflectometry method can reliably monitor in real time the dynamics of icing on wires, allows clearly identifying the starting time of ice melting, which is necessary to prevent wire breakage on power lines and it allows monitor ice melting process.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association between Dizziness Handicap Inventory-Screening version (DHI-S) score and spatiotemporal gait parameters using SoleSound, a newly developed, inexpensive, portable footwear-based gait analysis system.

STUDY DESIGN
Cross-sectional.

PATIENTS
One hundred eighteen patients recruited from otology clinic.

INTERVENTION(S)
Subjects completed the DHI-S survey and four uninterrupted walking laps wearing SoleSound instrumented footwear on a hard, flat surface for 100 m.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)
For each subject, mean and coefficient of variation (CV) of stride length, cadence, walking speed, foot-ground clearance, double-support time, swing period, and stance-to-swing were computed by considering 40 strides of steady-state walking within each lap. Linear regression models were employed to study correlations between these variables and DHI-S scores after adjusting for age, sex, and race/ethnicity.

RESULTS
Patients with higher DHI-S score took shorter steps and less steps per minute (-0.017 m and -1.1 steps/min per every four-point increase in DHI-S score, p < 0.05) than patients with a lower DHI-S score, with slower walking speed (-0.025 m/s per every four-point increase in DHI-S score, p < 0.01). Additionally, patients with higher DHI-S scores showed larger variability in all analyzed temporal parameters (+0.1% for CV of cadence, +0.5% for CV of double support period, +0.2% for CV of swing period, and +0.4% for CV of stance-to-swing, per every four-point increase in DHI-S score, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION
SoleSound was effective in measuring a wide range of gait parameters. Patients' self-perception of vestibular handicap, as assessed with DHI-S, is associated with deterioration in measurable gait parameters independent of age.


The study of pre-Hispanic flutes from southern Andes (south coastal and highland Perú, highland Bolivia and Argentina, northern to central Chile) shows a special acoustic feature similar to the one used by present day ritual flute orchestras of central Chile. The continuity between both instruments has been established, although present day performances include much Spanish influence (Catholic images, the Bible texts, among others). The similarity between this flute use and another one, the siku of Aymara and Quichua highland communities is revisited, showing both as part of a shared tradition of pre-Hispanic origin. The most complex aspect of this tradition is a kind of polyphonic structure that emerges when many similar flute orchestras gather in a ritual Fiesta at certain dates of the year. The social structure of this polyphonic event shows an special relation between individuals, with social consequences that can be associated with Andean society. The relation between this social structure, present-day musical experiments using it, and the possibility to use it as a tool for understanding our societies is revisited.


The pharmacokinetic fundaments of the glycoside therapy with strophanthin, digoxin and digitoxin are described and compared with the traditional clinically oriented parameters total body stores, decay ratio and so on. Newly introduced is the parameter medium remaining duration in the circulation. A critical analysis of the hitherto cited values of the total body stores and the decay ratio established from the clinical effect shows that on the basis of pharmacokinetic calculations the corresponding values for digoxin and digotoxin need a great correction. The fully active quantity for digoxin lies between 0.5 and 0.8 mg and the subsiding share is 50%. The values for digitoxin lie at 0.9 mg and 9%. Furthermore the causes of the interindividual variability of the maintenance dose are discussed. According to the already existing international experiences an essential improvement of the therapy is possible, when the pharmacokinetically established effective constants are taken into consideration. Examinations of the inter- and intraindividual differences in the kinetics of the glycosides and the development of digoxin preparations with a high (i.e. constant) bioavailability may contribute to a further decrease of the frequency of toxic side-effects in future.


Multimodal medical image fusion (MMIF) is the process of merging different modalities of medical images into a single output image (fused image) with a significant quantity of information to improve clinical applicability. It enables a better diagnosis and makes the diagnostic process easier. In medical image fusion (MIF), an intuitionistic fuzzy set (IFS) plays a role in enhancing the quality of the image, which is useful for medical diagnosis. In this article, a new approach to intuitionistic fuzzy set-based MMIF has been proposed. Initially, the input medical images are fuzzified and then create intuitionistic fuzzy images (IFIs). Intuitionistic fuzzy entropy plays a major role in calculating the optimal value for three degrees, namely, membership, non-membership, and hesitation. After that, the IFIs are decomposed into small blocks and then perform the fusion rule. Finally, the enhanced fused image can be obtained by the defuzzification process. The proposed method is tested on various medical image datasets in terms of subjective and objective analysis. The proposed algorithm provides a better-quality fused image and is superior to other existing methods such as PCA, DWTPCA, contourlet transform (CONT), DWT with fuzzy logic, Sugeno's intuitionistic fuzzy set, Chaira's intuitionistic fuzzy set, and PC-NSCT. The assessment of the fused image is evaluated with various performance metrics such as average pixel intensity (API), standard deviation (SD), average gradient (AG), spatial frequency (SF), modified spatial frequency (MSF), cross-correlation (CC), mutual information (MI), and fusion symmetry (FS).


The dynamics of inclusion and exclusion for people with disabilities and the places in which they live are being challenged in Australia with the transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme. This paper reports on the experiences of a place-based and participatory action research project in regional Tasmania which sought to co-create citizenship opportunities with co-researchers living with disability. We report on our experience of negotiating this ambitious and emergent project through the uncertain and shifting terrain of the contemporary neoliberal policy and service context. We highlight the rich gains as well as the significant relational, contextual and procedural challenges of operationalising and staying true to bottom up and strengths-based community development principles. Key learnings relate to risks of creating liminal spaces for community action, about power and authority, and about the skills, resources and labour needed to unearth and mobilise individual and community strengths. We argue that there remains a significant tension between the aspirations of collective action and contemporary services and policy structures that reproduce liminality, silent positioning and place denial. This research challenges traditional disability centric notions of inclusion and place and has implications for the NDIS, for policies at risk of reproducing disabling dynamics, for service innovation and collaboration and for all social workers and others working to develop more inclusive communities.


Fiber-wireless (FiWi) access networks, which are a combination of fiber networks and wireless networks, have the advantages of both networks, such as high bandwidth, high security, low cost, and flexible access. However, with the increasing need for bandwidth and types of service from users, FiWi networks are still relatively incapable and ossified. To alleviate bandwidth tension and facilitate new service deployment, we attempt to apply network virtualization in FiWi networks, in which the network's control plane and data plane are separated from each other. Based on a previously proposed hierarchical model and service model for FiWi network virtualization, the process of service implementation is described. The performances of the FiWi access networks applying network virtualization are analyzed in detail, including bandwidth for links, throughput for nodes, and multipath flow transmission. Simulation results show that the FiWi network with virtualization is superior to that without.


A treatment target for progressive left ventricular (LV) remodeling prevention following myocardial infarction (MI) is to affect structural changes directly within the MI region. One approach is through targeted injection of biocomposite materials, such as calcium hydroxyapatite microspheres (CHAM), into the MI region. In this study, the effects of CHAM injections upon key cell types responsible for the MI remodeling process, the macrophage and fibroblast, were examined. MI was induced in adult pigs before randomization to CHAM injections (20 targeted 0.1-ml injections within MI region) or saline. At 7 or 21 days post-MI (n = 6/time point per group), cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed, followed by macrophage and fibroblast isolation. Isolated macrophage profiles for monocyte chemotactic macrophage inflammatory protein-1 as measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction increased at 7 days post-MI in the CHAM group compared with MI only (16.3 ± 6.6 versus 1.7 ± 0.6 cycle times values, P < 0.05), and were similar by 21 days post-MI. Temporal changes in fibroblast function and smooth muscle actin (SMA) expression relative to referent control (n = 5) occurred with MI. CHAM induced increases in fibroblast proliferation, migration, and SMA expression—indicative of fibroblast transformation. By 21 days, CHAM reduced LV dilation (diastolic volume: 75 ± 2 versus 97 ± 4 ml) and increased function (ejection fraction: 48 ± 2% versus 38 ± 2%) compared with MI only (both P < 0.05). This study identified that effects on macrophage and fibroblast differentiation occurred with injection of biocomposite material within the MI, which translated into reduced adverse LV remodeling. These unique findings demonstrate that biomaterial injections impart biologic effects upon the MI remodeling process over any biophysical effects.


We used stereologic methods to determine the surface density and surface-to-volume ratio of mitochondrial inner membranes and cristae in pulmonary granular pneumocytes of the mouse, rat, rabbit, and dog. We also measured mitochondrial length and width and calculated their volume. The surface density of the cristae and inner membrane and the mitochondrial volume have a direct linear correlation with the oxygen consumption of lung slices of the different species. We found an indirect linear correlation between the surface-to-volume ratio of the mitochondrial inner membrane and cristae and the lung's oxygen consumption in the different species.


The diffuse nature of the lesions in neurodegenerative parkinsonian syndromes explains the inefficacy of symptomatic treatments and the potential interest of neuroprotector treatments that could slow down or even prevent neuron degeneration in structures involved in the degenerative processes. As these syndromes share preferential degeneration of the substantia nigra with Parkinson's disease it is logical to hypothesize that the same mechanisms of neuron death are involved. The responsibility of an exotoxin, with a mechanism of action that would be similar to that of MPTP and/or rotenone, appears to be implicated only in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP): this is suggested by the "guadeloupean parkinsonean" syndrome. There is no evidence demonstrating an exotoxin in corticobasal degeneration (CBD), which might play an anecdotal role in rare cases of multiple system atrophy (MSA). There are rare cases of PSP, sometimes with autopsy proof, generally with autosomal dominant inheritance, but in the much larger number of sporadic cases there is an undeniable genetic susceptibility linked with certain polymorphisms of the tau protein gene. Genetic susceptibility plays a much less pronounced role in CBD. There is no argument however in favor of a genetic factor in MSA. A few arguments suggest that oxidative stress is involved in PSP and MSA, or even CBD, but no evidence of a primary effect. Perturbed mitochondrial metabolism is possible in PSP. Undeniable proof of the effect of inflammation, excitotoxicity, and apoptosis remains to be presented. We now have several compounds which could affect different phases of neurodegeneration. Identifying the precise cause of neuronal death is needed to properly choose the most effective therapeutic approach (single drug or multiple drug regimens). Therapeutic assessment should be conducted in patients with certain diagnosis. This apparently evident prerequisite does not however appear to be easy to satisfy as has been demonstrated by anatomoclinical series in PSP and MSA, and even more so in CBD. Use of international criteria does not alleviate the difficulty. Satisfactory criteria of efficacy remain to be identified. Assuming that such trials would be conclusive, there remains the question of how to implement neuroprotection in routine practice. The difficulties encountered are well known: late intervention after development of the disease in sporadic cases, ethical issues concerning preclinical screening in familial forms of the disease or in patients exposed to an exotoxin.


Relationship of plasma activities of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1(PAI-1) with age, sex, body weight, smoking, blood lipids were studied in 131 healthy subjects. The results demonstrated that plasma PAI-1 activity increased with age and body weight. PAI-1/t-PA ratio was higher in smoking than in non-smoking subjects. With multivariate analyses, plasma PAI-1 activity was positively correlated with age, body weight index(BMI) in males, and positively correlated with low-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL) in females, and negatively correlated with plasma tPA activity. Plasma triglyceride, high-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol did not show a correlation to PAI-1 or tPA activity. It is indicated that age, BMI, blood lipids may contribute to moderate fibrinolytic activities and that smoking may affect fibrinolytic function.