Much work in Social Network Analysis has focused on the identification of the most important actors in a social network. This has resulted in several measures of influence and authority. While most of such sociometrics (e.g., PageRank) are driven by intuitions based on an actors location in a network, asking for the "most influential" actors in itself is an ill-posed question, unless it is put in context with a specific measurable task. Constructing a predictive task of interest in a given domain provides a mechanism to quantitatively compare different measures of influence. Furthermore, when we know what type of actionable insight to gather, we need not rely on a single network centrality measure. A combination of measures is more likely to capture various aspects of the social network that are predictive and beneficial for the task. Towards this end, we propose an approach to supervised rank aggregation, driven by techniques from Social Choice Theory. We illustrate the effectiveness of this method through experiments on Twitter and citation networks.


To reduce MBR O&M costs, a new MBR process that conducts efficient simultaneous biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal (BNR) was developed. In the development of this process, various approaches were taken, including reduction of power demand, chemical consumption and sludge disposal costs. To address power demand reductions, air supply requirements for membrane cleaning were reduced. The process adopted an improved membrane that requires less air for cleaning than conventional membranes. It also introduced cyclic aeration, which alternately supplies washing air to the two series of membrane units. Adoption of biological phosphorus removal eliminated chemical costs for phosphorus removal and contributed to the reduction of sludge disposal costs. By combining these technologies, compared to conventional MBR processes, an approximately 27% reduction in O&M costs was achieved.


A total of 6636 children, aged from 6 months to 6 years and selected throughout the country using a multi-staged stratified sample design, were examined for signs of xerophthalmia. The concentrations of retinol and of beta-carotene were measured in 742 children, including those with xerophthalmia and every twentieth of the remaining children. Anthropometric measurements were made on 2909 of the children. Bitot's spots were seen in 1.0% of all children, with a higher prevalence in the pastoral (1.6%) and cropping (1.1%) agro-ecological zones than in the zones characterized by cash crops (0.4%) and 'ensete' (false banana, Ensete ventricosum) (0.0%). One case of corneal xerosis and 2 cases of corneal scar were also seen. Serum retinol levels were in the 'deficient' range (less than 0.35 mumol l-1) in 16% and 'low' (0.35-0.69 mumol l-1) in 44% of children. Serum retinol and clinical signs did not show any correlation with occupation and education of head of household, household size or anthropometric measurements. More stunting than wasting was observed, with peak prevalence of these signs of malnutrition being observed in the second year of life.


The higher education system plays a critical role in supporting the transition towards a circular economy (CE). It helps create business leaders and policymakers having appropriate skills, competences, and consciousness referring to the CE challenges. Nevertheless, few studies have specifically investigated how the higher education system is addressing the CE, how the current academic offering is integrating the CE principles, and which skills and competences are currently provided. This paper overcomes these limitations by investigating the current offering of the higher education for the CE in Italy. We analyze the academic programs, courses, and modules at different levels of 49 Italian universities and, by means of a detailed classification of the learning outcomes, provide a clear picture of the knowledge, skills, and competences offered by the CE education. We finally discuss implications of our findings concerning the development of CE education and CE jobs.


The purpose of forest scenario modelling is to evaluate multiple management options and to answer what if questions relating to a particular development path of a given forest. Forest scenario planning can reduce uncertainty in management outcomes by anticipating the future in a systematic way, thus reducing the likelihood of unexpected events. It can also improve the chance that future developments will agree with specified objectives. Numerous techniques have been proposed for generating and evaluating scenarios of forest development. Some of the techniques are limited to applications in simple forest production systems while others are suitable for any type of forest management, including individual tree selection systems. Risk is defined as the expected loss due to a particular hazard for a given area and reference period. An expected loss may be calculated as the product of the damage and its probability. Risk analysis, risk evaluation and risk management are formal procedures for quantifying, evaluating and managing risk within a given hazard domain. Applications of risk analysis in forest scenario planning are rare and greater emphasis needs to be placed on hazard prediction. The aim of this contribution is to discuss some aspects of risk analysis, including examples of specific modelling tools. In a forest planning model risk can be considered in the form of specific constraints limiting the total risk in a given time period. Expected hazards can be used to exclude certain risky alternatives and finally, risk can be calculated and used to reduce the value of an objective function coefficient.


Until the adoption of liberalization policies from the 1980's, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia have favoured a policy of food self-sufficiency based on economic planning and public control of networks. Despite all this, the external food dependency went on increasing during all the period. With liberalization of exchanges, governments stress a concept of food security based on the satisfaction of the needs of the population through local and imported products. What are the consequences of this evolution on livestock systems and on agro-pastoral societies in the steppe areas of Maghreb ?


Syntactic parsing technologies have become significantly more robust thanks to advancements in their underlying statistical and Deep Neural Network (DNN) techniques: most modern syntactic parsers can produce a syntactic parse tree for almost any sentence, including ones that may not be strictly grammatical. Despite improved robustness, such parsers still do not reflect the alternatives in parsing that are intrinsic in syntactic ambiguities. Two most notable such ambiguities are prepositional phrase (PP) attachment ambiguities and pronoun coreference ambiguities. In this paper, we discuss PatchComm, which uses commonsense knowledge to help resolve both kinds of ambiguities. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to propose the general-purpose approach of using external commonsense knowledge bases to guide syntactic parsers. We evaluated PatchComm against the state-of-the-art (SOTA) spaCy parser on a PP attachment task and against the SOTA NeuralCoref module on a coreference task. Results show that PatchComm is successful at detecting syntactic ambiguities and using commonsense knowledge to help resolve them.


For discrete-time linear time-invariant systems with constraints on inputs and states, we develop an algorithm to determine explicitly, as a function of the initial state, the solution to optimal control problems that can be formulated using a linear program. In particular, we focus our attention on a receding horizon control scheme where the performance criterion is based on a mixed 1//spl infin/-norm. We show that the optimal control profile is a piecewise linear and continuous function of the initial state. Thus, when the optimal control problem is solved at each time step according to a moving horizon scheme, the online computation of the resultant model predictive controller is reduced to a simple linear function evaluation, instead of the typical expensive linear program required up to now. The technique proposed has both theoretical and practical advantages. The proposed technique is attractive for a wide range of applications where the simplicity of the online computational complexity is a crucial requirement.


Methods of synthesis, properties, and likely applications of silicon-containing derivatives of carbamic acid — silylurethanes — are discussed for the first time. Together with monomeric compounds, oligomeric and polymeric products as well as various compositions based on them, containing silicon and urethane groups, are considered. The review includes studies which have been published up to the middle of 1975. The bibliography consists of 527 references.


The durability and function of three ankle-foot prostheses fabricated using a naturally articulated, fresh cadaveric human bone endoskeleton set in a fiber reinforced rubber shell were studied. Radiographic and force-deflection analyses before and after cyclic dorsiflexion for 5,000, 100,000, and 3 million cycles revealed no structural or functional changes. The endoskeleton foot compared favorably with the Jaipur ankle-foot prosthesis. It is concluded that formalin-fixed fresh foot bones with intact articulations obtained from cadaveric or surgically amputated limbs are suitable for use in ankle-foot prostheses because they withstand prolonged use without functional or structural deterioration.


The possibility for up-scaling the energy of sub-ps THz pulses generated by tilted pulse front excitation is demonstrated. Using 150-fs-long 500 muJ optical pump pulses at 800 nm up to 240 nJ THz pulse energy has been achieved. For a 1.2 mm2 pump spot area, the energy conversion efficiency of pump energy to THz pulse energy had a maximum of 5 x 10-4 at 300 muJ pump pulse energy. The corresponding photon conversion efficiency amounts to 10 %. For comparison, the maximum attainable THz pulse energy was limited to 3.1 nJ if a line focusing excitation geometry was utilized. This limit was reached at 32 muJ pump energy. For the latter configuration the THz energy dropped for larger pump energies. The tilted pulse front excitation allows further up-scaling of the THz pulse energy by using a larger pump spot size and still stronger pump pulses.


Eight patients (7 females and one male) ranging in age from 6 to 30 years (mean 11.2 years), with secundum-type atrial septal defect (o.s. ASD) and cleft mitral valve (CVM) were surgically corrected at the Cardiac Surgery Department of Massa Hospital (Massa-Italy) from 1974 to 1981. All patients were studied with non invasive diagnostic techniques and with cardiac catheterization and angiography. All had mitral regurgitation of variable degree. On the ECG, there were P and QRS wave abnormalities but no superior quadrant QRS axis deviation suggestive of endocardial cushion defect. At operation the cleft(s) was found in variable positions: on the anterior leaflet in 4 cases and on the posterior leaflet in four. In two cases there was a double cleft. Correction was accomplished in 5 cases with direct repair of CVM, associated with various types of anuloplasty and in 2 cases anuloplasty only was done, without suturing the cleft. The septal defect was closed by direct suture in one case and with a Dacron patch in the remaining seven. There was one early death in the first 24 hour post-operatively. The seven surviving patients have been followed for a period of time ranging between 2 and 93 months (mean 29 months). No survivor has been re-evaluated by cardiac catheterization and cineangiography. No patient shows clinical or non-invasive evidence of residual mitral regurgitation behind grade I (slight). We conclude that: 1) the CVM associated with o.s. ASD cannot be securely diagnosed preoperatively with the common diagnostic techniques, even when producing severe mitral regurgitation, except perhaps by B-mode echocardiography; 2) the CVM (part of the spectrum of endocardial cushion defect malformations) in no cases was associated with the typical ECG or angiocardiographic abnormalities; 3) the CVM associated with o.s. ASD should always be repaired because, compared to the CVM that occurs with endocardial cushion defects, its site and regurgitation characteristics are variable, and simple ASD closure may not be sufficient.


This study investigates the essential role of 'text' – defined as the 'substance' upon and through which situated conversations are formed – in the communicative (re)construction of organizational strategy in managerial meeting interaction. In line with the ethnomethodological view of practice, the analysis of managers' meeting interaction demonstrates how the participants orient to written and spoken texts as constitutive elements in the practice of strategy. What is more, the analysis shows how 'texts' are attributed agency and how they are used in a persuasive way for legitimation purposes. Theoretically, the study develops an argument that the communicative construction of strategy in situated interaction is premised on the dynamic interplay of texts as dislocal activity types and conversation as here-and-now activity. Overall, the study furthers our knowledge of the role of meetings as an important strategic practice.


Measures of the overall business environment have been around for many years, and the World Bank Group has been at the forefront, for example, with the doing business indicators. But it's a different story when it comes to the environment for private businesses in the social sectors. Indeed, the private sector's role itself is somewhat controversial, making it all the more important to develop a useful definition of effective policy and practice in this area. In 2011, the World Bank and International Finance Corporation, or IFC published a report, healthy partnerships: how governments can engage the private sector to improve health in Africa, which represents a leap forward in our understanding of government performance toward the private health sector, and how to measure and improve that performance. Part of the World Bank Group's health in Africa Initiative, the healthy partnerships report presents a framework for defining, measuring, and reforming how the public and private sectors work together. It makes the indicators not only relevant but also directly helpful to policymakers and to colleagues in the field. This smart lesson shares insight gained while preparing the report.


Objective: Pseudopheochromocytoma (severe paroxysmal hypertension) is often caused by activation of the sympathetic nervous system due to diverse etiologies (Mann SJ, Arch Int Med 159:670–74, 1999). A case is presented and the literature is reviewed. Design and method: A 43-year-old male patient was referred to our outpatient clinic because of periodically elevated systolic pressures values with peaks of 250 mmHg which had been going on for several years. In the past, he repeatedly had refused hospital emergency admission. On physical examination he presented in good clinical condition; height 202 cm; body weight 121 kgs. There were no clinical signs of secondary forms of hypertension and no retinopathy. His blood pressure values on monotherapy with an AT1-blocking was 177/108 mmHg with a regular heart rate of 86 beats per minute (bpm). On this medication 24-hr-blood pressure monitoring revealed a mean daytime pressure of 190/120 mmHg and a mean nighttime pressure of 153/99 mmHg with corresponding mean heart rates of 82 and 64 bpm, respectively. Extensive work-up for secondary hypertension did not reveal any abnormality (including Doppler investigation for renal artery stenosis, urinary catecholamines, free plasma metanephrines, aldosterone/renin ratio, renal function tests). His urinary sodium was in the high range (244 mmol/24hrs) with no proteinuria. Results: Antihypertensive management was gradually intensified to standard triple therapy. Upon psychological evaluation an antidepressant was prescribed. Thereafter, his blood pressure values were persistently in the normal range. Conclusions: This case and review of the related literature show that severe paroxysmal hypertension is not uncommon, often requiring extensive work-up and specialized therapeutic strategies. However, no generally accepted clinical management guideline has yet emerged. Based on this report a practical approach to this clinical syndrome will be presented.


It is axiomatic that user demand is driving mobile devices to higher and higher intelligence. Smartphones, PDAs and convergence devices require greater software content, constantly updated. Surely the only challenge is to think up useful, engaging applications that will slake users' thirst? Not quite. Integrating new features into a mobile phone - for example an MMS (multimedia messaging system) engine - is a difficult task that touches the whole development process - validation, integration, maintenance, as well as legal and commercial aspects. Fortunately, new approaches to mobile software development and deployment are making life easier for the developer. However, in order to provide solutions that are timely, robust and cost-effective, a plethora of technical issues needs to be addressed. The article looks at how the enterprise computing world can help inspire the design of future embedded applications for mobile phones.


The design, construction and performance of a novel optical profilometer based on the laser reading head of a compact disc player is described. The instrument is capable of self-guided scanning along arbitrary contours by utilizing the focus and radial tracking signals from the sensor head. The sensor is mounted on an x, y, motorized stage. The radial tracking signal provides the feedback for the angular position of the sensor, ensuring that the optical axis of the sensor is always perpendicular to the profile preventing the signal loss that occurs in conventional profilometers due to deflection of the light beam. The focus signal has a sensitivity in the nanometre range which makes the precision of the stages used to perform the scanning movements the dominant limiting factor for the measuring accuracy. The sensor head intermittently follows the contour, collecting datapoints at a predetermined lateral resolution. The profile is digitized in the form of x, y, and coordinates for each scanpoint. The accuracy of the instrument was verified by scanning standard measures with flat and circular cross sections. The mechanical structure of the prototype instrument was purpose built for the measurement of rigid corneal contact lenses. Various lenses have been measured and profile graphs are illustrated.


SIGNIFICANCE
Novel therapeutic strategies to treat heart failure are greatly needed. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) affects the structure and function of cardiac cells through targeted degradation of signaling and structural proteins. This review discusses both beneficial and detrimental consequences of modulating the UPS in the heart.

RECENT ADVANCES
Proteasome inhibitors were first used to test the role of the UPS in cardiac disease phenotypes, indicating therapeutic potential. In early cardiac remodeling and pathological hypertrophy with increased proteasome activities, proteasome inhibition prevented or restricted disease progression and contractile dysfunction. Conversely, enhancing proteasome activities by genetic manipulation, pharmacological intervention, or ischemic preconditioning also improved the outcome of cardiomyopathies and infarcted hearts with impaired cardiac and UPS function, which is, at least in part, caused by oxidative damage.

CRITICAL ISSUES
An understanding of the UPS status and the underlying mechanisms for its potential deregulation in cardiac disease is critical for targeted interventions. Several studies indicate that type and stage of cardiac disease influence the dynamics of UPS regulation in a nonlinear and multifactorial manner. Proteasome inhibitors targeting all proteasome complexes are associated with cardiotoxicity in humans. Furthermore, the type and dosage of proteasome inhibitor impact the pathogenesis in nonuniform ways.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Systematic analysis and targeting of individual UPS components with established and innovative tools will unravel and discriminate regulatory mechanisms that contribute to and protect against the progression of cardiac disease. Integrating this knowledge in drug design may reduce adverse effects on the heart as observed in patients treated with proteasome inhibitors against noncardiac diseases, especially cancer.


Abstract 385 The small GTPase, RhoA orchestrates actin cytoskeletal dynamics, which plays a role in platelet development and function. After platelet activation, RhoA rearranges the cytoskeleton by facilitating shape change, granule release, and clot retraction. In addition, RhoA is involved in platelet development. It does this by presumably regulating cytokinesis during megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitor cell expansion and megakaryopoiesis. RhoA also regulates thrombopoiesis by coordinating end bifurcation of the proplatelet extensions to amplify preplatelet numbers and the regulation of platelet release. Previously, most studies utilized pharmacological Rho inhibitors, such as C3 exotoxin. This could potentially obfuscate the data because of the incomplete knockdown of RhoA, the non-specific disruption of closely related Rho family members, or the long incubation times that could alter platelet biology. Therefore, we developed a transgenic mouse model that knocked out RhoA only in megakaryocytes and in platelets by using a CRE-LOX strategy to further investigate the role of RhoA in platelet biology. First, mice were generated that had loxP sites flanking the 3 rd exon of RhoA (RhoA fl/fl ). These mice were then crossed with mice expressing CRE recombinase driven by the platelet factor 4 promoter (PF4 CRE+), thus limiting CRE expression only in megakaryocytes and in platelets. The offspring, RhoA fl/fl PF4CRE + mice were phenotypically normal, and had normal complete blood counts, except for macrothrombocytopenia. Their platelet counts were 25 ±3% of that observed in their littermate controls, (RhoA fl/fl PF4CRE − ) and their platelet size was 130 ±10% of their littermate controls. The lack of RhoA only disrupted aggregation, granule release, and clot retraction when stimulated at the lowest dosage of agonists. To determine the causes of macrothrombocytopenia in RhoA fl/fl PF4CRE + mice, histological examination of the spleen showed that 26.0±13.3% of the megakaryocytes had pyknotic nuclei as compared to 1.0±0.5% of the controls. In the bone marrow, apoptosis was present in 6.8±3.3% of the RhoA null megakaryocytes, but only in 1.2 ±0.3% of the control megakaryocytes. Furthermore, flow cytometry revealed that megakaryocyte counts in the bone marrow were 51.5 ±4.2% lower than in that of the controls. To determine if lacking RhoA impairs normal megakaryocyte maturation, we measured DNA ploidy using propidium iodide and flow cytometry. In megakaryocytes derived from adult bone marrow or from cultured fetal livers (E13.5, 8 days culture), the RhoA fl/fl PF4CRE + cells had higher ploidy, a lower number of 2N cells, and an increased number of 16N cells than megakaryocytes derived from control animals. Together these data show that loss of RhoA causes deficiency of megakaryocytes probably due to increased apoptosis, and also causes aberrant maturation of the surviving megakaryocyte. To analyze whether RhoA was also required for thrombopoiesis, cultured RhoA-null megakaryocytes derived from fetal livers were infused into recipient mice. The megakaryocytes lacking RhoA more rapidly release platelets during the first 3 hours post infusion than controls. However, unlike control platelets, the Rho-null platelets were essentially gone within 24 hours. We analyzed whether the increased release of knockout platelets could be due to the up-regulation of proplatelet generation since the deletion of RhoA might impair myosin activity and impair cortical tension. However, micropipette aspiration analysis, which mimics the shear forces found in the bone marrow sinusoid capillaries, showed that the RhoA-null megakaryocytes were less compliant than the controls, primarily due to their large size. These data suggest that the higher ploidy and larger sizes of RhoA knockout megakaryocytes causes them to lodge in the pulmonary capillary bed more quickly, and to rapidly release defective macrothrombocytes. In contrast, the smaller (and thereby more compliant) wild type-cell megakaryocytes fragmented more slowly into platelets through proplatelet extension. Together, our findings demonstrate that RhoA is essential for normal megakaryocyte survival, maturation, and thrombopoiesis. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


This paper analyzes methods to minimize the power-delay product of 64-bit carry-select adders intended for high-performance and low-power applications. A first realization in 0.18-/spl mu/m partially depleted (PD) silicon-on-insulator (SOI), using complex branch-based logic (BBL) cells, results in a delay of 720 ps and a power dissipation of 96 mW at 1.5 V. The reduction of the stack height in the critical path, combined with the optimization of the global carry network with cell sharing and the selection of 8-bit pre-sums, leads to a reduction of the power-delay product by 75%. The automatic tuning of the transistor widths in 0.13-/spl mu/m PD SOI produces an energy-efficient 64-bit adder which has a delay of 326 ps and a power dissipation of 23 mW only at 1.1 V.


A self-attracting-self-avoiding walk model of polymer chain on a square lattice has been used to gain an insight into the behaviour of a polymer chain under shear flow in a slit of width L. Using exact enumeration technique, we show that at high temperature, the polymer acquires the extended state continuously increasing with shear stress. However, at low temperature the polymer exhibits two transitions: a transition from the coiled to the globule state and a transition to a stem-flower like state. For a chain of finite length, we obtained the exact monomer density distributions across the layers at different temperatures. The change in density profile with shear stress suggests that the polymer under shear flow can be used as a molecular gate with potential application as a sensor.


The case of an anterior mandibular radiolucent area, which unexpectedly yielded salivary gland tissue, is described. Salivary gland depressions in the posterior mandible are readily recognized because of their almost pathognomonic radiographic appearance. A salivary gland inclusion in the anterior mandible in the proximity of teeth may create a diagnostic dilemma where superimposed periapical pathosis is present. The clinical importance lies in the recognition and appropriate treatment of the lesion. For the anterior salivary gland inclusion, a biopsy and a microscopic examination provide the most reliable diagnosis.


Nanoflaky MnO(x) on carbon nanotubes (nf-MnO(x)@CNTs) was in situ synthesized by a facile chemical bath deposition route for low-temperature selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with NH₃. This catalyst was mainly characterized by the techniques of X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), N₂ adsorption-desorption analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), H₂ temperature-programmed reduction (H₂-TPR) and NH₃ temperature-programmed desorption (NH₃-TPD). The SEM, TEM, XRD results and N₂ adsorption-desorption analysis indicated that the CNTs were surrounded by nanoflaky MnO(x) and the obtained catalyst exhibited a large surface area as well. Compared with the MnO(x)/CNT and MnO(x)/TiO₂ catalysts prepared by an impregnation method, the nf-MnO(x)@CNTs presented better NH₃-SCR activity at low temperature and a more extensive operating temperature window. The XPS results showed that a higher atomic concentration of Mn(4+) and more chemisorbed oxygen species existed on the surface of CNTs for nf-MnO(x)@CNTs. The H₂-TPR and NH₃-TPD results demonstrated that the nf-MnO(x)@CNTs possessed stronger reducing ability, more acid sites and stronger acid strength than the other two catalysts. Based on the above mentioned favourable properties, the nf-MnO(x)@CNT catalyst has an excellent performance in the low-temperature SCR of NO to N₂ with NH₃. In addition, the nf-MnO(x)@CNT catalyst also presented favourable stability and H₂O resistance.


Synthesis of high specific activity radiotracers labeled with short-lived positron-emitting radionuclides for positron emission tomography (PET) often requires handling large initial quantities of radioactivity. High specific activities are required when preparing tracers for use in PET studies of neuroreceptors. A fully automated approach for tracer synthesis is highly desirable. This proposal involves the development of a system for the Synthesis of Tracers using Automated Radiochemistry and Robotics (STARR) for this purpose. While the long range objective of the proposed research is the development of a totally automated radiochemistry system for the production of major high specific activity {sup 11}C-radiotracers for use in PET, the specific short range objectives are the automation of {sup 11}C-methyl iodide ({sup 11}CH{sub 3}I) production via an integrated approach using both radiochemistry modular labstations and robotics, and the extension of this automated capability to the production of several radiotracers for PET (initially, {sup 11}C-methionine, 3-N-({sup 11}C-methyl)spiperone, and ({sup 11}C)-carfentanil).


A range of model experiments have been carried out in calm water and waves for an oil spill vessel model with twin tractor azimuth thrusters at different heading angles and advance coefficients in the large towing tank at the Marine Technology Centre in Trondheim, Norway. Propeller shaft bending loads have been measured using a shaft dynamometer capable of measuring all shaft side force and bending moment components as well as propeller torque and thrust. The results include the loads on the propeller shaft with and without the presence of a ship hull model at the same heading angles and advance velocities in order to study the wake influence from the ship hull on the hydrodynamic loads. Results show that the ship hull wake has a much stronger effect on the propeller loads when the propeller is azimuthed outward from the ship hull centreline than inward. Measurements from the experiments in waves are also presented for the same thruster model in a straight-line course for both the head and following sea states under different wave conditions. Larger bending loads are found in head sea conditions compared with the following sea conditions. Generally it is found that the shaft bending loads and lateral forces are quite large, which is important to consider in the mechanical design layout and for dimensioning of components.


Light from an Extinct Star: Music and Technology in the Former Soviet Union j 'ust as Columbus opened America to Europe, Leonardo has attempted to open as pects of die former Soviet Union to its readers. However, in this case, the new access is actually die transmission of a farewell, a message that reaches readers as the light of an extinct star reaches eardi. The last issue of Leonardo (Volume 27, Number 5) was devoted entirely to articles on art, science and technology from the former Soviet Union. Over years of preparation spanning the breakup of the Soviet Union, the volume of materials outgrew the limits of the special issue, and a decision was made to publish the articles on music separately in this special section. There are only four articles in this section, and they cannot provide a complete picture of the pro cesses tiiat new technologies introduced to the musical culture of the former Soviet Union. However, while the collection is incomplete, it does serve as striking evidence of a situation that has now been erased from our former country's musical landscape. It also records some of the contributions this country made to solving problems in the arts, sciences and technology. The section begins with an article on Lithuanian composer M.K. Ciurlionis, pioneer of "musical painting," who possessed a unique combination of musical and artistic talents. We believe him to be one of the predecessors—along with Scriabin and Kandinsky—of a new synthesis of music and the visual arts. Since the leading expert in Ciurlionis, Vitautas Landsbergis, entered politics and climbed to the presidency in the newly independent Lithuania, the relay-race baton in the field of research on Ciurlionis was taken over by Russian musicologist V. Fedotov, who lives in Petrozavodsk, the capi tal of the Republic of Karelia. The fact that Fedotov took over from Landsbergis illustrates one of the unquestionable achievements of the Soviet period—internationalism. The national situation in the Soviet Republics was once similar to the "melting pot" in the United States. It will be a pity if the breakup of the Union results in a loss of this achievement. S. Kreichi's article reports on experimentation in the field of electronic music. Kreichi is Czech by origin and lives in Moscow. He is educated in both technology and music. He has written extensively on Russian inventor Y. Murzin and has also developed uses for the synthesizer that Murzin invented: first as a tool for music composition, and later—with the advent of Kreichi's work at Moscow State University—as a technical aid for investigations in the field of experimental phonetics (speech syn thesizing, investigations of the language of dolphins, and so on). Both developmental directions are in decay now due to a lack of interest, and a unique instrument waits for its place in the museum of electronic music yet to be created. Ukrainian V. Ulianich is a composer who lives in Moscow and is involved in introducing the com puter into musical creativity. Experiments and investigations in computers and music began during the last years of the Soviet Union's existence. Laboratories and electronic music departments opened in conservatories in Leningrad, Kiev, Novosibirsk and Sverdlovsk. The Ail-Union Electronic Music Association was formed by composers using computers to create music. Ail-Union conferences were held many times in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. I was once again invited to take part in last year's conference, but did not attend: getting an Estonian visa turned out to be a more complicated proce dure than obtaining an American one. Musical psychology is presented in an article by lecturer L. Grigoryan, from Armenia (one of the Transcaucasian states), who was formerly a professor at the Conservatory of Yerevan (the capital of Armenia). He has been involved for many years in developing the use of color visualization as a method of musical instruction. Grigoryan sent me a short article in 1991, after which I lost every con nection with him due to the war. My letters were returned marked "no communication by mail is available." I later found him in Moscow, which was flooded by refugees from the long-suffering south ern republics, whose leaders had interpreted freedom as the possibility of shooting one's neighbor. But the refugee's life in Moscow is not so sweet either. L. Grigoryan disappeared again. It was only


Hydrocarbon distribution is related to formation pressure and temperature, with the highest concentrations of all hydrocarbons encountered near the onset of abnormal pressure regimes. A thorough understanding of the interactive relationship between lithology, pressure, temperature, and hydrocarbon distribution is essential for the efficient exploration and development of oil and gas accumulations. All information, such as lithology, pore pressure, and temperature, can be obtained from geophysical well logs. The primary purpose of this presentation is to discuss distribution and redistribution of hydrocarbons in Tertiary sandstones of southern Louisiana with respect to the depth pressure, and temperature at which these oil and gas accumulations are predominantly encountered. Also discussed are the thermodynamics of ascending fluid movement and the sourcing of these hydrocarbons. Production data from approximately 33,000 well completions and pressure/temperature data from over 20,000 wells provide the database used in this analysis. In addition, similar findings are presented for clastic overpressured reservoirs in the Baram Delta, located offshore in Sarawak Malaysia and the hydrocarbon resources being developed in the West Turkmen depression of the Soviet Union.


Objective Text messages significantly improve uptake of infant HIV testing in clinical trial contexts. Women who were excluded from a randomized trial in Kenya were followed to create a comparison between women who were enrolled and did not receive the study SMS intervention and women who were screened but not enrolled. Design Parallel-cohort randomized controlled trial analysis. Methods We compared time to infant HIV testing between women in three groups: the Trial SMS group, the Trial Control group, and the Comparison Cohort comprised of women who were screened but not enrolled. Results Of the 1,115 women screened, 388 (35%) were eligible for trial enrollment, and were randomized to receive either intervention text messages (Trial SMS; N = 195) or continue usual care (Trial Control; N = 193). Among 727 women not enrolled in the study (Comparison Cohort), we obtained infant HIV testing data from clinic records for 510 (70%). The cumulative probability of infant HIV testing was highest in the Trial SMS group (92.0%; 95% CI 87.5–95.3), followed by the Trial Control group (85.1%; 95% CI 79.5–89.8), and lowest among women in the Comparison Cohort (43.4%; 95% CI 39.2–47.8). Conclusions Both the Trial SMS group and the Trial Control group were significantly more likely to have their infants tested for HIV compared to the Comparison Cohort, providing evidence of a "clinical trial effect." This analysis suggests that SMS interventions should be implemented as an adjunct to consistent and engaged delivery of basic health services.


The Gi-coupled P2Y12 receptor plays a crucial role in platelet activation induced by ADP, and is also required for the action of a number of agonists whose receptors are couple to Gq, such as thromboxane A 2 . Stimulation of P2Y12 leads to the inhibition of adenylyl cyclase through the Gai subunit, and to the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K) and Rap1b through the bg subunit. Pharmacological inhibition of P2Y12 receptor results in the prevention of platelet aggregation induced by a number of agonists, including ADP and the the thromboxane A 2 analogue U46619. In this study, we report that P2Y12 receptor is absolutely necessary for the stimulation of protein kinase C (PKC) and for PKC-directed protein phosphorylation. By using 32 P-labeled human platelets, as well as by immunoblotting with anti-phospho(Ser) PKC substrates antibody, we analyzed the phosphorylation of pleckstrin, the main platelet substrate for PKC. As expected, we found that ADP-induced pleckstrin phosphorylation was totally suppressed by antagonists of the Gq-coupled P2Y1 receptor, but, surprisingly, we found that it was also completely prevented upon blockade of the P2Y12 receptor by AR-C69931MX or by 2-MeSAMP. Although we failed to directly detect any production of IP 3 in ADP-stimulated platelets, we observed that ADP-induced Ca 2+ release from intracellular stores was not affected by P2Y12 receptor antagonists. Moreover, AR-C69931MX or 2-MeSAMP strongly impaired pleckstrin phosphorylation induced by U46619, without affecting intracellular Ca 2+ mobilization. These results indicated that blockade of the P2Y12 receptor did not interfere with phospholipase C stimulation, and that the reduced activation of PKC is probably not the consequence of a reduced production of diacylglycerol. Experiments performed with specific cell permeable inhibitors demonstrated that, in ADP-treated platelets, neither inhibition of adenylyl cyclase nor activation of PI-3K downstream P2Y12 receptor stimulation was responsible for PKC regulation. Subthreshold concentrations of PMA were able to restore ADP- or U46619-induced pleckstrin phosphorylation in the presence of P2Y12 antagonists, but were unable to restore platelet aggregation. Moreover, direct inhibition of PKC by Ro31-8220 prevented ADP-induced pleckstrin phosphorylation, but aggregation occurred normally. These results indicate that although PKC-directed protein phosphorylation is targeted by the P2Y12 receptor, it is not responsible for the essential contribution of this receptor to platelet aggregation. By contrast, we found that inhibition of platelet diacylglycerol kinase by R59949 completely reverted the inhibitory effect of AR-C69931MX or 2-MeSAMP on ADP- and U46619-induced activation of PKC, and completely restored platelet aggregation. These results suggest that diacylglycerol kinase may be regulated downstream the Gi-coupled P2Y12 receptor, and may be an important new regulator of platelet aggregation.


New experiments have been carried out on a velocity selected beam of H(D)*(2s12/) atoms using a longitudinal Stern-Gerlach atomic interferometer. A large number of fringes of the interference pattern has been observed. The results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions. An application to a topological phaseshift of the Aharonov-Anandan type is given.


Owing to more fault types in the of two bipole lines (TBL) rather than single circuit line, and there is mutual influence between the two DC circuits on the same tower. Furthermore, being susceptible to the grounded fault loop impedance, the traditional traveling wave protection cannot satisfy the demand of reliability and sensitivity on the dc line protection of fault pole selection for two ±500kV HVDC systems on the same tower. So, the fault analysis with the phase-mode transformation (PMT) method for double-circuit transmission lines on the same tower is discussed. Considering a more practical case, the mutual influence of electromagnetic coupling between the double HVDC circuits is discussed firstly. A PMT method of TBL on the same tower is proposed to decouple the phase (or named pole) network equation and build the four fault modal (one ground-mode and three line-modes) networks. After that, the theoretic analysis is discussed on different dc line faults, especially electromagnetic decoupling of double circuits and bipolar dc lines, and propagation characteristic fault waves. The simulation model of the two ±500kV HVDC systems erected on the same tower is established by the PSCAD/EMTDC software and extensive simulations are performed to analysis fault signature of transmission lines.


The 3D structure of sunspots has been extensively studied for the last two decades. A recent advancement of the Stokes inversion technique prompts us to revisit the problem. We investigate the global depth-dependent thermal, velocity and magnetic properties of a sunspot, as well as the interconnection between various local properties. High quality Stokes profiles of a disk centered, regular sunspot acquired by the SOT/SP (Hinode) are analyzed. To obtain the depth-dependent stratification of the physical parameters, we use the spatially coupled version of the SPINOR code. The vertical temperature gradient in the lower to mid-photosphere is smallest in the umbra, it is considerably larger in the penumbra and still somewhat larger in the spot's surroundings. The azimuthally averaged field becomes more horizontal with radial distance from the center of the spot, but more vertical with height. At tau=1, the LOS velocity shows an average upflow of 300 ms-1 in the inner penumbra and an average downflow of 1300 ms-1 in the outer penumbra. The downflow continues outside the visible penumbral boundary. The sunspot shows a moderate negative twist of < 5^0 at tau=1, which increases with height. The sunspot umbra and the spines of the penumbra show considerable similarity in their physical properties albeit with some quantitative differences. The temperature shows a general anticorrelation with the field strength, with the exception of the heads of penumbral filaments, where a weak positive correlation is found. The dependence of the physical parameters on each other over the full sunspot shows a qualitative similarity to that of a standard penumbral filament and its surrounding spines. Our results suggest that the spines in the penumbra are basically the outward extension of the umbra. The spines and the penumbral filaments are together the basic elements forming a sunspot penumbra.


The obstacles to economic growth in Mongolia are modeled with a supply-side growth model calibrated to represent inefficient use of resources and intermediation. Progressive removal of inefficiencies over time by means of privatization of banks and industrial enterprises potentially leads to increased productivity and increased capital accumulation, raising economic growth and per capita output.


It is common for firms to forecast stationary demand using simple exponential smoothing due to the ease of computation and understanding of the methodology. In this paper we show that the use of this methodology can be extremely costly in the context of inventory in a two-stage supply chain when the retailer faces AR(1) demand. We show that under the myopic order-up-to level policy, a retailer using exponential smoothing may have expected inventory-related costs more than ten times higher than when compared to using the optimal forecast. We demonstrate that when the AR(1) coefficient is less than the exponential smoothing parameter, the supplier's expected inventory-related cost is less when the retailer uses optimal forecasting as opposed to exponential smoothing. We show there exists an additional set of cases where the sum of the expected inventory-related costs of the retailer and the supplier is less when the retailer uses optimal forecasting as opposed to exponential smoothing even though the supplier's expected cost is higher. In this paper, we study the impact on the naive retailer, the sophisticated supplier, and the two-stage chain as a whole of the supplier sharing its forecasting expertise with the retailer. We provide explicit formulas for the supplier's demand and the mean squared forecast errors for both players under various scenarios.


1. The foregoing article (pp. 69-77) by Dr. Chree has particular reference to an item of the Madrid meeting of the International Section of Terrestrial Magnetism and Electricity pertaining to the application of non-cyclic corrections in terrestial magnetism and atmospheric electricity which, owing to limited time, could not fully be discussed and regarding which no agreement was reached. Dr. Chree has concerned himself with the application of non-cyclic corrections for a period of about two decades, but he has had few followers in the method adopted by him. It should be recalled that he has chiefly dealt with the discussion of the so-called quiet days (limited to 5 per month in the case of terrestrial magnetism, and to 10, in atmospheric electricity).

2. The mean values of results from the selected quiet days are frequently termed "normal" values, though, as a matter of fact investigations have repeatedly shown that the quiet clays are as subject to a special kind of disturbance, though to be sure to less extent, as are the greatly disturbed days. This fact is admirably shown in Father de Moidrey's timely article (pp. 79-82). Instead of the quiet-day values representing normal conditions they should be looked upon as representing subnormal conditions; it is as bad at times for a patient to have a sub-normal temperature as a high temperature. On the average, about 65-70 per cent of the five magnetically-quiet days per month selected at the De Bilt Observatory, on the basis of characterization lists received from the operating observatories, are the days of minimum range in horizontal intensity. Sometimes it happens that a magnetic-activity measure based on the assumption that the quiet days represent normal conditions turns out negative, and, hence, does not admit of physical interpretation. It has even occurred that the monthly mean diurnal range for the selected 5 quiet days was higher than the monthly mean diurnal range obtained from the 10 least disturbed days per month. We, accordingly, deem it safer in general, not to apply non-cyclic corrections by Chree's method, with all the suppositions it implies, e.g., progressive linear change throughout the day, but we are quite ready to give all the information in our observatory publications which others may require for any procedure they may make themselves responsible for. Fortunately in terrestrial magnetism the "non-cyclic" correction, as derived from differences of successive midnight values, is, in general, small, however, the case is entirely different in atmospheric electricity where the accidental or disturbing features may play a predominant part. We have repeatedly determined the Fourier coefficients from a series of diurnal-variation observations extending over several months, or over several years, and have invariably found that the differences in the essential quantities, computed with or without application of a supposed non-cyclic correction, are inconsequential from a physical standpoint.


Photochromic transitions in silvernanoparticles (AgNPs) embedded titanium dioxide (TiO2) films under green light illumination are marked by reduction in strength and blue shift in the position of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) associated with AgNPs. These transitions, which happen in the sub-nanometer length scale, have been analysed using the variations observed in the effective dielectric properties of the Ag-TiO2nanocompositefilms in response to the size reduction of AgNPs and subsequent changes in the surrounding medium due to photo-oxidation. Bergman-Milton formulation based on spectral density approach is used to extract dielectric properties and information about the geometrical distribution of the effective medium. Combined with finite element method simulations, we isolate the effects due to the change in average size of the nanoparticles and those due to the change in the dielectric function of the surrounding medium. By analysing the dynamics of photochromic transitions in the effective medium, we conclude that the observed blue shift in LSPR is mainly because of the change in the dielectric function of surrounding medium, while a shape-preserving effective size reduction of the AgNPs causes decrease in the strength of LSPR.


Background: Cardiovascular disease especially myocardial infarction is one of the major causes of death in today's world. Atherosclerosis is thought to be one of the most important factors behind the increasing incidence of myocardial infarction.

Aims & Objective: This study was undertaken to find out the incidence of atherosclerosis in different coronary arteries, its correlation with increasing age and sex and with that of myocardial infarction of heart.

Material and Methods: Study was performed on 300 hearts received from medicolegal autopsy cases in a tertiary care hospital, that were examined to find out the incidence of myocardial infarction and atherosclerosis in different coronary arteries.

Results: Incidence of atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction was found to be more in men than in women (M:F ratio is 7:1 in atherosclerosis and 11:1 in myocardial infarction). The incidence of both increases with age. The left anterior descending artery (LAD) was the most common coronary artery involved by atherosclerosis (33%), especially type V atherosclerosis and in myocardial infarction (31%). Root of aorta was involved by atherosclerosis in only 16% cases and in 35% cases of myocardial infarction (MI). Triple vessel disease was most commonly (67.5%) associated with myocardial infarction, but a single case of myocardial infarction without involvement of any of the coronaries was reported. Regarding MI and type of atherosclerosis, more number of coronaries in MI was involved by type V atherosclerosis with occlusion, but type VI was more associated with MI.

Conclusion: Atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction are more common in men and with increasing age group. Atherosclerosis of coronary arteries may lead to myocardial infarction, but the confounding effect of other lifestyle factors and age, sex and comorbid diseases can't be excluded, for which further study is required.


Although there is increasing knowledge about the pathobiology of follicular lymphoma (FL), the incorporation of new agents is challenged by the long clinical course and inherent heterogeneity of the disease. Furthermore, a longstanding concept in FL is that although most patients have an indolent initial phase of disease, this is typically followed by sequentially shorter remission durations and justifies the continued intense search for new rationally designed agents. Ideally, there would be personalized prognostic tools, preemptive target identification, and means to predict response in individual patients. Short of having these tools, one conceptual approach is to consider FL as a series of clinical disease states divided between treatment-naïve (low tumor burden and high tumor burden), relapsed (typically still chemoimmunotherapy-sensitive), and multiply relapsed (usually chemoimmunotherapy-resistant) disease. By applying what is known about the biology of FL along with the available agents, new treatment options can be better defined and tested within these clinical contexts. During the last few years, novel chemotherapeutics, biologic agents, monoclonal antibodies, antibody drug conjugates, and maintenance strategies are all either replacing or adding onto existing strategies. These new agents and approaches challenge the notion of inevitably shorter response durations, and offer hope of improved clinical outcomes compared with traditional sequential cytotoxic therapy.


Objective: To present the one-year prevalence of 14 psychiatric disorders in a community sample of Ontarians aged 15 to 64 years. Method: Data on psychiatric disorders were collected on 9953 respondents using the University of Michigan revision of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (UM-CIDI). DSM-III-R criteria were used to define the psychiatric disorders. Results: Almost 1 in 5 Ontarians (18.6%) had one or more of the disorders measured in the survey. Among 15- to 24-year-olds, 1 in 4 was affected. The distribution of individual disorders varied by sex and age. Conclusion: Because of the immense burden of suffering associated with psychiatric disorders, clinical and research efforts in this area should receive high priority within the health budget.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate antibody responses to a broad panel of peptides derived from human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) among unselected patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

METHODS
In sera obtained from 69 patients with SLE and healthy blood donors, immunoassay was used to measure levels of antibody against synthetic peptides derived from HERVs, exogenous retroviruses, and nonviral poly(amino acids).

RESULTS
Measurement by immunoassay revealed increased frequencies of antiretroviral antibodies against 2 peptides derived from the env gene of the type C-like class, which includes ERV-9 and HERV-H, and against 2 peptides from the gag region of human T lymphotropic virus type I-related endogenous sequence 1, in patients with SLE. Antibodies to 2 nonviral peptides, polyhistidine and polyproline, were also overrepresented in patient sera. In 1 patient, longitudinal data obtained over a period of 12 years indicated that the concentrations of certain antiretroviral antibodies varied according to disease activity.

CONCLUSION
Reactivity to certain type C HERV-derived antigens was found among patients with SLE. This reactivity could be explained by increased exposure to cross-reactive epitopes from essentially complete type C HERVs.


Understanding the stress-strain behavior of corroded rebars is essential for understanding the structural behavior of corroding reinforced concrete structures. However, conventional methods of testing have several drawbacks, which have led to differences in opinion among researchers regarding the mechanical behavior of corroded rebars. This article proposes an improved method using Digital Image Correlation (DIC) to assess the stress-strain behavior of corroded rebars. The study is conducted in two phases: (a) development of the testing and evaluation method and (b) determination of the mechanical properties (i.e., yield strength, ultimate strength, and ultimate strain) of naturally corroded cold-twisted deformed (CTD) steel rebars using the developed method. The stress-strain behavior of one pristine plain mild (PM) steel and 13 naturally corroded steel rebars collected from a 15-year-old building are investigated in this study. The experimental results show that the proposed method can provide more accurate estimates of mechanical properties than the conventional methods. The developed method facilitates a better understanding of the stress-strain behavior at the fracture location (FL) and other local points of interest on corroded steel rebars. Because DIC measures local strains, the proposed method is able to measure local strain heterogeneity and therefore distinguish between the effects of geometrical variations from those due to true material degradation. This is in contrast to the conventional methods wherein deformation is measured over a finite gauge length, which results in a measurement of average deformation rather than true local deformation. This study emphasizes the need for measurement of full-field deformation to assess the stress-strain behavior of the corroded rebars with highly uneven cross-sectional area.


The variation of snow albedo with wavelength across the solar spectrum from 0.3 μm in the ultraviolet (UV) to 2.5 μm in the near infrared (IR) was measured at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station during the Antarctic summers of 1985–1986 and 1990–1991. Similar results were obtained at Vostok Station in summer 1990–1991. The albedo has a uniformly high value of 0.96–0.98 across the UV and visible spectrum, nearly independent of snow grain size and solar zenith angle, and this value probably applies throughout the interior of Antarctica. The albedo in the near IR is lower, dropping below 0.15 in the strong absorption bands at 1.5 and 2.0 μm; and it is quite sensitive to grain size and somewhat sensitive to zenith angle. Near-IR albedos were slightly lower at Vostok than at South Pole, but day-to-day variations in the measured grain size due to precipitation, drifting, and metamorphism were found to cause temporal variations in near-IR albedo larger than those due to any systematic geographical change from South Pole to Vostok. The spectrally averaged albedos ranged from 0.80 to 0.85 for both overcast and clear skies, in agreement with measurements by others at South Pole and elsewhere in Antarctica. Using a two-layer radiative transfer model, the albedo can be explained over the full wavelength range. Tests were made to correct for systematic errors in determining spectral albedo. Under clear skies at about 3000-m elevation the diffuse fraction of downward irradiance varied from 0.4 in the near UV to less than 0.01 in the near IR; knowledge of this fraction is required to correct the measured irradiance for the instrument's deviation from a perfect cosine-response. Furthermore, the deviation from cosine response is itself a function of wavelength. Under clear skies a significant error in apparent albedo can result if the instrument's cosine collector is not parallel to the surface; e.g., if the instrument is leveled parallel to the horizon, but the local snow surface is not horizontal. The soot content of the snow upwind of South Pole Station was only 0.3 ng/g. It was somewhat greater at Vostok Station but was still too small to affect the albedo at any wavelength. Bidirectional reflectance at 0.9-μm wavelength, measured from a 23-m tower at the end of summer after the sastrugi (snow dunes) had diminished, showed a pattern remarkably similar to the spectrally averaged pattern obtained from the Nimbus 7 satellite.


The multilevel fast multipole algorithm (MLFMA) is traditionally employed in the context of an iterative matrix solver, in which the MLFMA is utilized to implement the underlying matrix product with NlogN complexity, where N represents the number of unknowns. The total computational complexity of such an approach is order PNlogN, where P represents the number of iterations required for convergence of the iterative-solver (e.g. conjugate gradients) to a desired accuracy. Many electromagnetic-scattering problems are poorly conditioned, and therefore P is often large. Rather than applying an iterative matrix solver, we perform a matrix product involving the inverse of the impedance matrix. By using the properties of the MLFMA, this process is performed very efficiently for electrically large problems. In particular, numerical experiments indicate that this new formulation (which avoids the iteration count P) is often significantly faster than the traditional iterative MLFMA solution, while requiring the same computer memory. The basic theory is described, and several examples are presented.


BACKGROUND
Betaine (trimethylglycine) is found in several tissues in humans. It is involved in homocysteine metabolism as an alternative methyl donor and is used in the treatment of homocystinuria in humans. In pigs, betaine decreases the amount of adipose tissue.

OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to examine the effect of betaine supplementation on body weight, body composition, plasma homocysteine concentrations, blood pressure, and serum total and lipoprotein lipids.

DESIGN
Forty-two obese, white subjects (14 men, 28 women) treated with a hypoenergetic diet were randomly assigned to a betaine-supplemented group (6 g/d) or a control group given placebo for 12 wk. The intervention period was preceded by a 4-wk run-in period with a euenergetic diet.

RESULTS
Body weight, resting energy expenditure, and fat mass decreased significantly in both groups with no significant difference between the groups. Plasma homocysteine concentrations decreased in the betaine group ( +/- SD: 8.76 +/- 1.63 micro mol/L at 4 wk, 7.93 +/- 1.52 micro mol/L at 16 wk; P = 0.030 for the interaction of time and treatment). Diastolic blood pressure decreased without a significant difference between the groups. Serum total and LDL-cholesterol concentrations were higher in the betaine group than in the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION
A hypoenergetic diet with betaine supplementation (6 g daily for 12 wk) decreased the plasma homocysteine concentration but did not affect body composition more than a hypoenergetic diet without betaine supplementation did.


The peripheral nervous system is often involved in patients with mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC), while there are few reports of central nervous system involvement. We describe a case of HCV-related type II MC with peripheral and central nervous system involvement. A 61-year-old woman, suffering from flaccid tetraparesis, was referred to our department because of an increasing disability. The presence of delirium prompted us to also investigate the central nervous system. MMSE, EEG, EMG, brain CT-scan, color-Doppler of neck vessels, retinal fluorangiography and brain MRI were performed. These investigations suggested a cerebral vasculitis. The finding of very low C4 serum levels, together with high rheumatoid factor serum levels, suggested the search for cryoglobulins. The laboratory findings showed a HCV-related type II (IgMk) MC. A marked improvement of symptoms and of laboratory data was obtained by treatment with methylprednisolone + cyclophosphamide.


This study was undertaken to evaluate a new osteoinductive material--perforated decalcified bone matrix (PDBM). Subcutaneous implantation of PDBM induces multiple centers of endochondral osteogenesis with subsequent resorption of bone matrix and its replacement by new bone. PDBM should therefore prove useful as a research model to study osteoinduction and in the clinical situation in orthopedic and reconstructive surgery for the filling of bone defects and stimulation of fracture healing.


We propose new insights into the network centrality based not only on the network graph, but also on a more structured model of network uncertainties. The focus of this paper is on the class of uncertain linear consensus networks in continuous time, where the network uncertainty is modeled by structured additive Gaussian white noise input on the update dynamics of each agent. The performance of the network is measured by the expected dispersion of its states in steady state. This measure is equal to the square of the  $\mathcal {H}_2$-norm of the network, and it quantifies the extent by which its state deviates away from the consensus state in steady state. We show that this performance measure can be explicitly expressed as a function of the Laplacian matrix of the network and the covariance matrix of the noise input. We investigate several structures for noise input and provide engineering insights on how each uncertainty structure can be relevant in real-world settings. Then, a new centrality index is defined in order to assess the influence of each agent or link on the network performance. For each noise structure, the value of the centrality index is calculated explicitly, and it is shown how it depends on the network topology as well as the noise structure. Our results assert that agents or links can be ranked according to this centrality index, and their rank can drastically change from the lowest to the highest, or vice versa, depending on the noise structure. This fact hints at emergence of fundamental tradeoffs on network centrality in the presence of multiple concurrent network uncertainties with different structures.


While the amount of book borrowing is overlooked in the calculation of book losing rate in a closed system, there are also other important overlooked elements, factors such as reader groups and the reading timetable in open book stacks. On the basis of concrete evidence, this paper revised a new formula for book losing rate with the purpose of making the estimation in management more objective and more accurate.


Serum samples from two populations of Catalonia, Spain, 208 from Olot (Gerona) and 209 from Tortosa (Tarragona), were typed for G1m (1, 2, 3, 17), G3m (5, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 26), and Km (1). The Gm patterns of the Catalonian populations are characterized by the presence of four haplotypes, Gm 1,17;21,26 Gm 1,2,17;21,26 Gm 1,3;5,10,11,13,14,26 and Gm 3;5,10,11,13,14,26. The homogeneity for haplotype Gm 1,17;21,26 among our data and other European populations suggests the existence of an isofrequency line which starts from the Mediterranean zone of Iberian Peninsula and continues through the northwestern part of Europe. From this line a decreasing cline towards the south can be observed. For the haplotype Gm 1,2;17,21,26, affinities are observed between Catalonian populations and other populations from central Europe. This confirms the existence of a gradient towards low values from NW to SE. The presence of the typical Mongoloid haplotype Gm 1,3;5,10,11,13,14,26 is discussed in this paper. No significant differences in the frequencies of the Km1 allele were observed among the European populations.


In the Ontario basin, Canada, last interglacial, glacial, and postglacial lacustrine sands, deposited at times of high lake level, commonly show hummocky and swaley cross-stratification, inferred to form beneath storm waves. Calculations using linear wave theory show that storm-deposited cross-strata formed in water depths as shallow as 2 m and as deep as 20 m. Storm-deposited bed forms, though widely known, are almost exclusively reported from shallow marine rocks. Their common presence in lacustrine sediments of the Ontario basin shows that these facies can be a major sedimentary component of the nearshore depositional record of lake basins.


Background/Aims: The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is 1 in 300 children in the US. ASDs are characterized by impairments in social relatedness and communication, repetitive behaviors, abnormal movement patterns, and sensory dysfunction. Pre-pubertal age children with ASDs were assessed for metabolites in the methionine cycle-transsulfuration and androgen pathways, and for present physical development/behaviors indicative of hyperandrogenicity. Methods: The Institutional Review Board of the Institute for Chronic Illnesses (Office for Human Research Protections, US Department of Health and Human Services IRB number: IRB00005375) approved the present study. Sixteen consecutive pre-pubertal age children (≤11 years old; mean ± SD: 5.9 ± 2.1 years old) with previously diagnosed ASDs that presented to the Genetic Centers of America for outpatient care were evaluated. Results: Significantly (p < 0.01) increased levels of serum/plasma dehydroepiandrosterone and serum total testosterone relative to the age- and sex-specific normal laboratory reference ranges were observed. Conversely, serum follicle-stimulating hormone levels were significantly (p < 0.01) decreased. Plasma-reduced glutathione (p < 0.01), plasma cysteine (p < 0.01), plasma methionine (p < 0.01), serum cystathionine (p < 0.05), and serum homocysteine (p < 0.01) were all significantly decreased. Conclusion: The results suggest a possible cyclical interaction between the methionine cycle-transsulfuration and androgen pathways in some children with ASDs.


A one year old female Foreign White cat is described with a history of six days of unthriftiness, anorexia, anaemia and depressed temperature. The necropsy revealed multiple sessile polyps in the jejunum. Histologically a hyperplasia of the crypt epithelium with an inflammation of the mucosa and submucosa was found. A comparison of polyposis in man, dogs and cats is made.


The effect of dextranases (EC 188.8.131.52) from the oral isolates Actinomyces israelii and Bacteroides ochraceus on water-insoluble glucan production by the Streptococcus mutans dextransucrase (EC 22.214.171.124) and sucrose-dependent adherence to smooth glass surfaces by S. mutans was studied. Collection on membrane filters of water-insoluble polysaccharides synthesized from radioactive sucrose was used to demonstrate the marked sensitivity of insoluble glucan formation to the presence of dextranase. Concentrations of A. israelii dextranase as low as 0.002 U/ml inhibited insoluble glucan formation by 60%. Similar results were obtained the the B. ochraceus enzyme. An assay for sucrose-stimulated adherence of S. mutans to smooth surfaces involved attachment of radioactively labeled nongrowing cells to the bottom of glass scintillation vials. This facile and sensitive assay was utilized to demonstrate that sucrose-dependent adherence was affected by low levels of dextranase from either A. israelii or B. ochraceus. Enzyme at 0.005 U/ml reduced adherence of S. mutans by 80%. Treatment of S. mutans cells previously attached to glass with low concentrations of the dextranases resulted in removal of 50% to 60% of the bacteria. The results indicate that dextranase-producing oral bacteria may affect sucrose-dependent colonization of S. mutans on the tooth surface and offer a possible explanation for both the difficulties involved in implanting this bacterium into the human mouth and the limited intraoral transmission of S. mutans from one tooth surface to another.


The goal of this article is to develop a linear mathematical model for a small scale turbojet engine with variable convergent nozzle, and validate it on existing laboratory hardware owned by the authors' Departments. Control of gas turbine engines plays an essential role in the safety of aviation. Although its role is constantly expanding, ranging from pilot workload reduction to detailed diagnostics, the basic competence is to regulate the thrust output of the power plant with maximum available accuracy, rapidity, stability, and robustness. The linear quadratic control is one possible solution for the above mentioned criteria. Although civil aircraft engines include fixed exhaust nozzle geometry, in military applications the exhaust nozzle geometry is also adjustable to reach optimum efficiency due to better matching of individual engine components, etc. In the present article the authors deduce the members of state space governing equations to acquire the basis of the LQ control. The established model is based on the physical laws describing the operational behavior of the engine as well as its complexity should be reduced to an acceptable level where still enough details remain to reflect the nature of the controlled object.


Vitamin E in the reduced, alpha-tocopherol form shows very modest anticlotting activity. By contrast, vitamin E quinone is a potent anticoagulant. This observation may have significance for field trials in which vitamin E is observed to exhibit beneficial effects on ischemic heart disease and stroke. Vitamin E quinone is a potent inhibitor of the vitamin K-dependent carboxylase that controls blood clotting. A newly discovered mechanism for the inhibition requires attachment of the active site thiol groups of the carboxylase to one or more methyl groups on vitamin E quinone. The results from a series of model reactions support this interpretation of the anticlotting activity associated with vitamin E.


This paper describes a technique for evaluating the structural variations that tensile deformation induces in austenitic stainless steels. By using fast Fourier transform processing to analyze the spectral distributions of ultrasonic pulse waveforms, I quantitatively investigate the relationship between the spectral distributions of pulse echoes and the internal structures of SUS304 and SUS310 stainless steel. The spectral distributions are obtained by the zero-crossing method and the relationship between the spectral distributions and ultrasonic attenuation caused by grain scattering are discussed. With increasing elongation, the spectral peak frequency and Q value increase for SUS304 steel and are nearly constant for SUS310 steel. The results for SUS304 steel are attributed to martensite transformation, which results in smaller grain size and a corresponding reduction of the attenuation coefficient due to the ultrasonic scatterings.


Abstract What motivates faculty teaching gateway courses to consider adopting an evidence-based classroom intervention? In this nationally representative study of biology faculty members in the United States (N = 422), we used expectancy–value–cost theory to understand three convergent motivational processes the faculty members' underlying intentions to adopt an exemplar evidence-based classroom intervention: the utility value intervention (UVI). Although the faculty members perceived the intervention as valuable, self-reported intentions to implement it were degraded by concerns about costs and lower expectancies for successful implementation. Structural equation modeling revealed that the faculty members reporting lower intentions to adopt it tended to be White and to identify as male and had many years of teaching or were from a more research-focused university. These personal, departmental, and institutional factors mapped onto value, expectancies, and cost perceptions uniquely, showing that each process was a necessary but insufficient way to inspire intentions to adopt the UVI. Our findings suggest multifaceted, context-responsive appeals to support faculty member motivation to scale up adoption of evidence-based classroom interventions.


Immunotherapy approaches with antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) have proved safe and effective prophylaxis and treatment of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated lymphomas arising after bone marrow transplantation. EBV is also associated with other malignancies including about 40% of cases of Hodgkin's disease making this tumor another potential target for EBV-targeted immunotherapy. While studies with autologous EBV-specific CTLs have shown antiviral activity and immune effects, the clinical responses have been less impressive than those observed in post-transplant lymphomas. There are several possible reasons why the malignant cells in EBV-positive Hodgkin's disease may be less susceptible to immunotherapy approaches, including the fact that they express a more restricted array of EBV-encoded antigens and possess many immune evasion strategies. A number of approaches to overcome these tumor evasion strategies including targeting CTLs to the expressed antigens and genetic modification of CTLs are being evaluated.


This paper describes the development of a simple circuit for the measurement of electrochemical noise, which has the potential to be routinely applied in conservation contexts, particularly for the evaluation of coatings on historic metal objects. Measurement of electrochemical noise (both voltage and current) has been performed on a range of coated mild steel samples in chloride solution, demonstrating the ability of the equipment to discern trends in the behaviour of coated metal systems and to rank coating performance. Electrochemical noise results are compared with the results of AC impedance tests performed on the same samples.


Introduction The TRIACs of today are well suited to the requirements of switching inductive loads. TRIAC control circuits must be particularly well tuned to be both economical and applicable to inductive loads. The purpose of this document is to present different methods of TRIAC control with their applications and to analyze their relative advantages and disadvantages. A simple circuit offering all the guarantees of reliability is proposed for inductive loads.


A 418 base pair DNAduplex consisting of a gene for human lysozyme with a synthetic ribosome binding site of E. coli was assembled by stepwise ligation of 56 chemically synthesized oligodeoxyribonucleotides. The synthesized gene was expressed under the control of the lambda pRpL promoter and the gene product accumulated as several percent of the total cellular proteins in E. coli. The expressed product existed as insoluble and biologically inactive aggregates in the cells, but the biological activity was regenerated by solubilization and renaturation of the aggregated protein. The results of the N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis of the product showed the humanlysozyme synthesized in E. coli has an additional methionine residue at the Nterminal of the mature human lysozyme due to the translational initiation codon of E. coli.


Multi-wavelength surveys have vastly improved our understanding of many astrophysical objects, in particular, circumstellar disks. We present our results for the disk population of the young cluster NGC2264. Our study was based on data obtained with the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) and the Multiband Imaging Photometer on board the Spitzer Space Telescope combined with previously published optical data. We divide the disk population into 3 classes based on their spectral energy distribution shapes: optically thick disks, homologously depleted anemic disks, and radially depleted transition disks. We find that there are two distinct evolutionary paths for disks: a homologous one, where the disk emission decreases uniformly in NIR and mid-infrared wavelengths (anemic disks) and throughout which most sources pass, and a radially differential one where the emission from the inner region of the disk decreases more rapidly than from the outer region (transition disks). Whether a disk evolves in a homologously or radially depleted fashion is still unknown and may depend on the nature of planet formation in the disk.


Background: The optimal chest tube size for the drainage of traumatic hemothoraces and pneumothoraces is unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of small versus large chest tubes for use in thoracic trauma. Our hypothesis was that (1) there would be no difference in clinically relevant outcomes including retained hemothoraces, the need for additional tube insertion, and invasive procedures and (2) there would be an increase in pain with the insertion of large versus small tubes. Methods: This is a prospective, institutional review board-approved observational study. All patients requiring open chest tube drainage within 12 hours of admission (January 2007–January 2010) were identified at a Level I trauma center. Clinical demographic data and outcomes including efficacy of drainage, complications, retained hemothoraces, residual pneumothoraces, need for additional tube insertion, video-assisted thoracoscopy, and thoracotomy were collected and analyzed by tube size. Small chest tubes (28–32 Fr) were compared with large (36–40 Fr). Results: During the study period, a total of 353 chest tubes (small: 186; large: 167) were placed in 293 patients. Of the 275 chest tubes inserted for a hemothorax, 144 were small (52.3%) and 131 were large (47.7%). Both groups were similar in age, gender, and mechanism; however, large tubes were placed more frequently in patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale ⩽8, severe head injury, a systolic blood pressure <90 mm Hg, and Injury Severity Score ⩽25. The volume of blood drained initially and the total duration of tube placement were similar for both groups (small: 6.3 ± 3.9 days vs. large: 6.2 ± 3.6 days; adjusted (adj.) p = 0.427). After adjustment, no statistically significant difference in tube-related complications, including pneumonia (4.9% vs. 4.6%; adj. p = 0.282), empyema (4.2% vs. 4.6%; adj. p = 0.766), or retained hemothorax (11.8% vs. 10.7%; adj. p = 0.981), was found when comparing small versus large chest tubes. The need for tube reinsertion, image-guided drainage, video-assisted thoracoscopy, and thoracotomy was likewise the same (10.4% vs. 10.7%; adj. p = 0.719). For patients with a pneumothorax requiring chest tube drainage (n = 238), there was no difference in the number of patients with an unresolved pneumothorax (14.0% vs. 13.0%; adj. p = 0.620) or those needing reinsertion of a second chest tube. The mean visual analog pain score was similar for small and large tubes (6.0 ± 3.3 and 6.7 ± 3.0; p = 0.237). Conclusions: For injured patients with chest trauma, chest tube size did not impact the clinically relevant outcomes tested. There was no difference in the efficacy of drainage, rate of complications including retained hemothorax, need for additional tube drainage, or invasive procedures. Furthermore, tube size did not affect the pain felt by patients at the site of insertion. Level of Evidence: II.


This study used a cross sectional study method using 39 obese women aged 19-22 years old, Body Mass Index (BMI) 25-35 kg / m2 and Percentage Body Fat (PBF) above 30%, normal blood pressure, heart rate normal rest and normal Hemoglobin (Hb). IGF-1 levels were measured using the Enzym Link Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method, while the FBG measurements used ACCU-CHEK® Performance. Data analysis techniques used the Pearson Correlation test with the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The results obtained an average level of IGF-1 (11,530 ± 4,397) ng / mL and an average FBG (90,153 ± 6,659) mg / dL       (r = 0.379) and (p = 0.017). Based on the results of the study, it's concluded that there is a positive correlation of IGF-1 levels with FBG in obese women. Further research is needed to explain the physiological mechanism of the relation between IGF-1 and FBG in more detail


The rapid progress in imaging techniques has led to the introduction of new methods in many sections of radiology. While cone beam computed tomography is a fairly recent newcomer, it is a widely applied, precise three-dimensional method for imaging hard tissue structures especially in dental radiology. In addition to the precise imaging of hard tissue structures, its benefits include a smaller irradiation exposure than in conventional computed tomography, as well as lower price and, as a rule, smaller size of the equipment. With a different equipment design the method is also applicable to the imaging of soft tissues.


Confocal spectral imaging (CSI) microscopic systems currently on the market delineate multiple fluorescent proteins, labels, or dyes within biological specimens by performing spectral characterizations. However, some CSI systems have been found to present inconsistent spectral profiles of reference spectra within a particular system and between related and unrelated instruments. This variability confirms that there is a need for a standardized, objective calibration and validation protocol.


Abstract Two methods for analyzing contingency tables with ordered response categories are presented. One method is analogous to using rank tests when there are many ties and the other is based on a Thurstonian scaling model. Both methods use minimum χ2 1 estimates of parameters in linear models and results of either analysis can be presented in the form of analysis of variance. Examples of univariate and bivariate responses are included.


Modellingspeciesdistributionisoneofthemostwidelyusedapproachesusedbymodernecologists to predict species occurrence as well as to explore the environmental variables that determine the presence of a species in an habitat. Given the outstanding importance of mammals in the context of conservation or management actions, it is not surprising that an ever increasing number of mammalogists have successfully employed species distribution models over the last few years. As a scientific journal devoted to mammal natural history, Hystrix, the Italian Journal of Mammalogy is pleased to present a collection of articles forming a special issue that deals with such an important and timely matter.


Background Gonadal fate in many reptiles, fish, and amphibians is modulated by the temperature experienced during a critical period early in life (temperature-dependent sex determination; TSD). Several molecular processes involved in TSD have been described but how the animals "sense" environmental temperature remains unknown. We examined whether the stress-related hormone cortisol mediates between temperature and sex differentiation of pejerrey, a gonochoristic teleost fish with marked TSD, and the possibility that it involves glucocorticoid receptor- and/or steroid biosynthesis-modulation. Methodology/Principal Findings Larvae maintained during the period of gonadal sex differentiation at a masculinizing temperature (29°C; 100% males) consistently had higher cortisol, 11-ketotestoterone (11-KT), and testosterone (T) titres than those at a feminizing temperature (17°C; 100% females). Cortisol-treated animals had elevated 11-KT and T, and showed a typical molecular signature of masculinization including amh upregulation, cyp19a1a downregulation, and higher incidence of gonadal apoptosis during sex differentiation. Administration of cortisol and a non-metabolizable glucocorticoid receptor (GR) agonist (Dexamethasone) to larvae at a "sexually neutral" temperature (24°C) caused significant increases in the proportion of males. Conclusions/Significance Our results suggest a role of cortisol in the masculinization of pejerrey and provide a possible link between stress and testicular differentiation in this gonochoristic TSD species. Cortisol role or roles during TSD of pejerrey seem(s) to involve both androgen biosynthesis- and GR-mediated processes. These findings and recent reports of cortisol effects on sex determination of sequential hermaphroditic fishes, TSD reptiles, and birds provide support to the notion that stress responses might be involved in various forms of environmental sex determination.


This article focuses on governance-type organized crime (OC). First, it explores two cases of illegal governance in Salford (Greater Manchester) and Derbyshire by relying on a wide range of qualitative data. Next, it presents a novel instrument measuring the strength of governance-type OC, the 'Illegal Governance (i-Gov) Index'. This instrument is then included in a survey we conducted with Derbyshire Constabulary. This is the first systematic attempt to measure such crime in the United Kingdom. The article shows that the governance dimension of OC is present in the United Kingdom, although with varying degrees of sophistication and development. While comparatively rare, this form of OC is pernicious and highly destructive of communities. This article therefore calls for a systematic evaluation of such phenomenon across the United Kingdom, based on the i-Gov Index.


Objective: To highlight the importance of the interrelation between the ABO blood group system and platelet indices in healthy young adults.
Study Design: Cross-sectional study
Place and Duration of Study: Pathology Department, PNS Shifa Hospital, Karachi Pakistan, from Jan to Jun 2020.
Methodology: Comprised 399 blood donors who visited the transfusion department of the hospital without any comorbidities.All the donors were requested for their informed consent before their enrolment in the study. Blood groups were determined by a simple conventional tile method. Platelet indices (Platelet count, mean platelet volume and Platelet distribution width)were studied by auto-analyzer. Blood pressures were estimated by manual auscultator technique with a mercury sphygmomanometer.
Results: Males and females were equal in number, with a mean BMI of 19.89(1.24%). The majority of the donors, 143(35.8%),had B-Blood Group, while 140(35.1%) donors had O-Blood group, 93(23.3%) had A-Blood group, and only 23(5.8%) had AB group. Rh positivity was noted in 378(94.7%) of the donors. Different blood groups were responsible for the changes in the platelet parameters, especially MPV and PDW, as there was a significant difference in MPV and PDW values (p-value<0.05).
Conclusion: While determining the presence of a relationship between the ABO blood group system and platelet indices, it is observed that there is a high frequency of cardiovascular diseases among B and AB blood groups in young, healthy adults.Keywords: Blood groups, Body mass index, Mean platelet volume, Platelet count, Platelet distribution width.


A series of studies were carried out to assess the usefulness and accuracy of measuring blood sugar levels in a tropical medical practice using an enzyme test strip ("Dextrostix"). The results showed that the method is simple, accurate and reproducible, especially when the colour changes on the strips are interpreted electronically by the reflectance meter or Eyetone instrument. The results are independent of packed cell volume. Sequestrene-containing blood samples maintain a constant level of glucose for 5 hours. The Eyetone can be used for approximate determination of blood glucose levels greater than 400 mg per 100 ml by exposing the strips to blood for only 30 seconds and multiplying the result by two. Where there is no mains supply, the instrument can be operated from a car battery.


Asthma is one of the leading chronic diseases of our times, with millions of sufferers worldwide and can be defined as a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that is temporarily reversible either spontaneously or by treatment. Although there are many allopathic treatments including bronchodilators and corticosteroids, which either focuses on long-term control or immediate relief, there is no single medication that is effective against both the inflammatory and bronchoconstrictive components of asthma. Therefore, many sufferers turn to alternative or complementary therapies, typically in conjunction with their regular allopathic medications. The current short communication briefly reviews the disease and investigates the types of alternative and complementary treatments available to asthma sufferers. It is concluded that therapies like acupuncture, yoga, Tai Chi Chuan and hypnosis are used by many asthma patients but it seems as if many patients do not communicate the use of such therapies to their medical practitioners. Results from documented research, however, show alternative therapies for the treatment of asthma have a role to play and are effective to alleviate symptoms. However, well-organized clinical trials are needed to document efficacy and delineate the specific types of interventions most appropriate for particular asthmatic populations.


. This paper investigates the Ising model, a model conceived by Ernst Ising to model ferromagnetism. This paper presents a historical analysis of a model which brings together aspects of graph theory, statistical mechanics, and linear algebra. We will illustrate the model and calculate the probability of individual states in the one dimensional case. We will investigate the mathematical relationship between the energy and temperature of the model, and, using the partition function of the probability equation, show that there are no phase transitions in the one dimensional case. We endeavor to restate these proofs with greater clarity and explanation in order for them to be more accessible to other undergraduates.


Spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage (SIH) represents a severe clinical event that is associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity. Only a minority of SIH patients receive surgical treatment, whereas the majority are treated conservatively. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is one of the most common complications in SIH patients and a potential cause of death. Because of the lack of adequate evidences from the literature, the risk to benefit ratio of pharmacologic prophylaxis of VTE, represented on the one hand by hematoma enlargement and/or rebleeding and on the other hand by an expected reduction of the risk of VTE, remains controversial. Mechanical prophylaxis is a potentially safer alternative, but the efficacy of this approach is uncertain. In the absence of specific clinical guidelines containing clear-cut recommendations, physicians have insufficient tools to assist their therapeutic decisions.


This paper focuses on fixed-term employment in the OECD countries, its trends and conditions, as well as controversies regarding its significance for flexibility of employment and labour market segmentation. Statistical data show that fixed-term employment significantly increased its share in total employment in many OECD countries in the last quarter century. The reasons of this trend can be sought in the lower labour cost of this type of employment, and the ease with which this group of employees can be dismissed, which was in part a result of the relaxed legal protection of fixed-term employment in the nineties. Analyses indicate that the increase in the share of fixed-term employment affect employment elasticity nonlinearly according to the shape of the letter U. The analyses support the hypothesis about the segmentation of the labour market as a result of the development of fixed-term employment. KONTROWERSJE WOKÓŁ EKONOMICZNYCH SKUTKÓW ZATRUDNIENIA NA CZAS OKREŚLONY – ANALIZA NA PRZYKŁADZIE KRAJÓW OECD Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski Katedra Makroekonomii Wydział Ekonomiczno-Socjologiczny Uniwersytet Łódzki S ł o w a k l u c z o w e: zatrudnienie na czas określony, elastyczność zatrudnienia, kontraktowa segmentacja rynku pracy. * The research was supported by the National Centre of Science within a project number DEC2013/11/B/HS4/00684 entitled "Labour market institutions and labour market performance in the OECD countries during the global crisis".


This work deals with extremely low frequency (ELF) electric and magnetic sensors. The discussion emphasizes the similarity existing between the two families and attempts to exploit this similarity in studying the performance of such devices. The new approach is not based merely on similarity. We show that the two families of devices are in fact mutually related by the strict rules of electromagnetic duality. It is known that a small loop antenna serves as a magnetic dual for the short electric dipole. This duality is usually demonstrated by the far fields behaviors and the radiation resistances. By introducing an appropriate ferromagnetic core into the loop, the detailed duality relationship can be extended to the immediate vicinity of the sensors as well. The latter means that sensors of both families process the near vicinity fields in a similar way in converting them to the measured signals. The existence of duality is assessed by showing that for geometrically similar structures, the reactances of the two entitles are correctly related. It is also shown that the electromagnetic duality manifested by the fields conforms also with the rules of duality in circuit theory. The latter is demonstrated by dealing in both cases with circuit models of the sensors, which are derived by considering similar circuit models that are common in antenna theory. The presently investigated sensors possess practical implications. It is well established that short electric dipoles are employed as sensors in the field of electromagnetic interference (EMI) and also as ELF electric field sensors aboard spacecrafts. Cored search coils are employed as ELF and even as ultra low frequency (ULF) magnetometers in geophysical and space research. They were even considered as possible antennas for ELF communications. The paper is concluded by showing that the present duality considerations of ac sensors can be even extended to deal with dc field sensors magnetic and electric.