Abstract The objectives of this study were to estimate the residual and half-life of [imazapic + imazapyr] and to infer on the impact of these residuals over time. The first experiment comprised the application of [imazapic + imazapyr] to Clearfield® rice. On the following summer cropping season (365 days later), undeformed soil samples 0-5 cm depth were collected and seeds of six species or varieties were sown as bioindicators of residuals (experiment 2), being assessed plant height and dry mass 20 days after emergence start. The third experiment comprised the cultivation of the same species submitted to ten increasing herbicide doses (0-280 g ha−1) to establish standard response curves, also assessing plant height and dry mass 20 days after emergence start. About 2.1-5.8% of the applied imazapic remains in soil after one year, for the label doses. Imazapyr was considered to be at negligible doses as its half-life is short, and less than 0.0000001% of the applied dose is expected to be in soil 365 days later. The expected imazapic half-life in lowland areas of Southern Brazil is longer than for dryland, being estimated as between 63 and 77 days (95% confidence interval), contrasting to the 60 days half-life previously estimated for dryland soils.


A compound having a cyclolanostane framework, e.g., 9,19-cyclolanostan-3-ol or 24-methylene-9,19-cyclolanostan-3-ol, is used as an active ingredient for a medicine or a food/beverage for ameliorating hyperglycemia.


This thesis presents a variationist analysis of two linguistic variables among 72 speakers in three Suffolk communities. It is chiefly inspired by the Labovian sociolinguistic methodology, and the work of Trudgill (e.g. 1974, 1988) in another East Anglian locality, Norwich. It broadly speaking seeks to ascertain whether either of the linguistic variables show evidence of change in progress away from traditional East Anglian forms; and if so, whether this could represent dedialectalisation or levelling of the Suffolk dialect.
The results show that one of the variables has undergone change, while the other appears to be resisting it. The verbal -s variable, which refers to traditional East Anglian zero marking of third person singular present tense verb forms (e.g. he run, she go, c.f. Standard English he runs and she goes), shows evidence of being at a late stage of change. Across the three locations, younger speakers are almost categorical in their use of the Standard English-like -s marking of third singular subjects, while middle aged and older speakers use traditional East Anglian zero marked forms more often. That said, older speakers still use standard -s marked forms around 73% of the time; suggesting that even for this group the change towards a Standard English-like present-tense verb system is well underway. The 'David' variable, the propensity for unstressed /ɪ/ to be realised as schwa in East Anglia, shows the opposite effect. The use of the traditional [ə] variant remains high among all three age groups, albeit with perhaps the slight beginnings of a movement towards [ɪ] among middle aged and younger speakers. Perhaps the most significant finding is that the initial (arbitrary) classification of each of the three locations from which data was collected as 'urban', 'rural' and 'intermediate' does not appear to sufficiently account for the variation uncovered. Instead, the factor of 'place' – the specific socio-political context unique to each of the communities – provides a more satisfactory explanation as to why Ipswich (the urban location) and Wickham Market (the rural location) should behave similarly to each other, while Woodbridge (the intermediate community with higher social status) is more innovative in showing greater and earlier movement away from traditional East Anglian features.


We show how one can use the anisotropic properties of a coherent medium to separate temporally the two polarization components of a linearly polarized pulse. This is achieved by applying a control field such that one component of the pulse becomes ultraslow while the other component's group velocity is almost unaffected by the medium. We present analytical and numerical results to support the functioning of such a coherent medium as a polarization splitter of pulses.


This study investigated the effects of replacing dicalcium phosphate (DCP) with Hazara rock phosphate (HRP) on the growth performance of broiler chickens. The purpose was to determine the maximum level of F that could be well tolerated. The HRP (13.16% P and 2.98% F) was incorporated into a standard corn- and soybean meal-based diet by replacing 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% of DCP based on P. Each treatment consisted of 5 replicate pens of 10 chicks each. The Ca and nonphytate P contents of all diets were maintained constant at 1.0 and 0.45%, respectively. Replacing 25% DCP with HRP significantly increased average BW gain. Substituting 100% HRP (562 mg of F/kg) decreased (P < 0.05) BW gain. The BW gain was maximized at 63.5:36.5 (DCP:HRP) using a quadratic relationship: BW gain (g) = 1,128.6 + 2.6848 × HRP - 0.0368 × HRP(2). Increasing the level of HRP decreased feed intake: feed intake (g) = 1,987.4 + 2.775 × HRP - 0.0515 × HRP(2). The effect of HRP was not pronounced (significant at P < 0.05) until 75% of DCP was replaced by HRP. Feed intake decreased by an average 3.77 g with each 1.0% increase in the levels of HRP beyond 27% HRP substitution. Replacing DCP with HRP up to 50% caused a significant increase in hot carcass weights. The Ca content of tibia was a quadratic function of HRP and was predicted to be highest at 56% HRP substitution. However, increasing HRP in the diet gradually decreased tibia P content (linear function). Serum Ca was increased by substituting HRP for DCP (linear effect). Increasing HRP in the diet decreased the P content of the serum and was predicted to be lowest (P < 0.05) beyond 50% HRP substitution, suggesting poor P availability at high HRP. In conclusion, growth was maximized by feeding about 36.5% HRP (205 mg of F/kg) and 63.5% DCP as P supplements. Using a multiple range test, it was concluded that between 25 and 50% DCP with HRP replacement (141 and 281 mg of F/kg, respectively) could be used safely without significantly decreasing the growth performance of broiler chickens.


Purpose Emphysematous gastritis (EG) is a rare form of infectious gastritis reported in many immunocompromised patient with extreme severity and many potential comorbidities. However, despite lots of critically ill case reports, there is a trend towards conservative management. Furthermore, it has never been described in refractory septic intensive care unit patient treated successfully with a sleeve gastrectomy. We wanted to focus on the progress made in diagnosis and treatments since the early 2000s and to report a case. Methods We report the case of a critically ill and immunocompromised 45-year-old women, who presented an EG secondary to an ileus due to a high dose of barbiturates for a refractory epilepticus status. Then, we conducted a literature search for reported adult cases of EG since 2000. Results Study cohort included 53 new cases of EG since 2000. Mean age was 54, and mean (SD) length of stay was 23 ± 36 days. Diabetes mellitus is still the main predisposing factor identified. Causative pathogen was found in only 40% of the cases, mostly Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus spp, and Streptococcus. An emergent surgery was required in only 6 cases of refractory septic shock or gastric necrosis. The global mortality rate reached 34%. Conclusions Emphysematous gastritis remains a severe disease, which can evolve quickly in septic shock or in gastric necrosis. Early diagnosis and management are warranted to favor a conservative management, even for severe forms and prevent further complications. Cases refractory to supportive measures can be successfully managed with minimally invasive surgery.


Rather than proposing new legal instruments for addressing the contemporary significant changes of the Arctic Ocean, both the 2008 Ilulissat Declaration and the 2010 Chelsea ministerial meeting reaffirm the five Arctic coastal States' commitment to the Law of the Sea. Since then, several of them have strengthened their presence in the Arctic in order to protect their particular interests. Priority seems to be given to a selective application of the international norms that ensure the coexistence of coastal States in the Arctic Ocean, as well as the cooperation between them for enabling said coexistence. A good example would be the signing of the Treaty of 15 September 2010 between Norway and Russian Federation concerning maritime delimitation and cooperation in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean. However, the applicable law in the Arctic Ocean should be the comprehensive existing Law of the Sea frameworks, including any norms that do not rely on the geographic location of States, and that promote cooperation for protecting the general interests of the international community, particularly for the benefit of mankind as a whole. Without precluding work on further developing some of the existing frameworks, attention will be paid to the need for a teleological interpretation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, in light of the new conditions or specificities of the Arctic Ocean.Keywords: Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); Arctic Ocean; Sea-ice and Ice Islands; Trans-Arctic Passages; Arctic Outer Limits of the Continental Shelf; Arctic Maritime Zones beyond National Jurisdiction; Sub/Circumpolar CooperationCitation: Arctic Review on Law and Politics, vol. 2, 1/2011 p. 4–24. ISSN 1891-6252


The arterial blood supply of 30 pairs of swines testicles were studied. The animals 6 to 10 months old were obtained from the "Campus Administrativo de Pirassununga, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinaria e Zootecnia - USP" and from "Seara Industrial de Xanxere S/A - Santa Catarina". The testicular artery was injected with vinyl in order to obtain arterial models. In 50% of the preparations the testicular artery showed a variable number of lateral and medial branches; in 31.7% there was predominance of lateral branches. On the remaining 18.3% it was observed predominance of the medial branches. In 43.3% the testicular artery originated two branches, a lateral and a medial. In 30.0% of the preparations there was predominance of the medial branch, while the lateral one predominated on 13.3%. On the remaining 6.7% of the organs the testicular artery gave a dorsal branch and a ventral branch, the later prevailing on the vascularization of the organ. Concerning to the number and distribution of the arterial penetrant vessels, as analysed by the median method, it was possible to observe little differences among quadrants on the various models studied. When the testicular artery originated a variable number of lateral and medial branches (50%), it was possible to observe the presence of penetrant vessels that starting from the branching point reach oposite quadrants to the principal destination of the original artery. In 20.0% of the preparations when the division resulted in a lateral branch and a medial one, there were additional branches originating from the testicular artery prior to its division point. In 59 models (95.0%) anastomosis between the testicular artery and its main branches of theirs collaterals were identified. Those anastomosis were observed under thin albuginea and in the caudal face of the organ generally. Other anastomosis were noted between branches of the testicular and epididymary arteries. There were no significant differences among median values (P>0,05) of total number of penetrant vessels of the right or the left testicles.


CAKUT is the leading cause of end-stage kidney disease in children and comprises a broad spectrum of phenotypic abnormalities in kidney and ureter development. Molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of CAKUT have been elucidated in genetic models, predominantly in the mouse, a paradigm for human renal development. Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is critical to normal embryogenesis, including kidney development. Hh signaling mediates the physiological development of the ureter and stroma and has adverse pathophysiological effects on the metanephric mesenchyme, ureteric, and nephrogenic lineages. Further, disruption of Hh signaling is causative of numerous human developmental disorders associated with renal malformation; Pallister-Hall Syndrome (PHS) is characterized by a diverse spectrum of malformations including CAKUT and caused by truncating variants in the middle-third of the Hh signaling effector GLI3. Here, we outline the roles of Hh signaling in regulating murine kidney development, and review human variants in Hh signaling genes in patients with renal malformation.


The reduction in the reserves of traditional natural raw materials makes us look for new ways to replace it with different types of waste. At the same time, the costs of exploration, construction and operation of quarries are excluded, and significant land plots are exempt from the impact of negative anthropogenic factors. The experience of advanced foreign countries has shown the technical feasibility of this direction and its application as a tool for protecting the natural environment from pollution. On the basis of inter-shale clay and high-alumina nanotehnologija raw materials petrochemical spent catalyst IM-2201 NovoKuibyshev petrochemical plant derived ceramic brick with high physical-mechanical properties without the use of traditional natural materials. Using nanotechnogenic petrochemicals - spent catalyst IM-2201, containing more than 70% A12O3, a ceramic brick was obtained that corresponds to the M200 brand. It is possible to build load-bearing walls of the lower floors of high-rise buildings (15 floors or more) from M200 ceramic bricks. Innovative proposals for the use of industrial waste: interslant clay and spent catalyst in the production of high-strength ceramic earthquake-resistant bricks with high strength and frost resistance have been developed. The absolute advantage of using multi-tonnage waste of the spent IM-2201 catalyst and inter-shale clay for the waste of oil shale is the unloading of the environmental situation.


By using the well-known Ikeda model as the node dynamics, this paper studies synchronization of time-delay systems on small-world networks where the connections between units involve time delays. It shows that, in contrast with the undelayed case, networks with delays can actually synchronize more easily. Specifically, for randomly distributed delays, time-delayed mutual coupling suppresses the chaotic behaviour by stabilizing a fixed point that is unstable for the uncoupled dynamical system.


Abstract : DOD has stated that it intends to rebalance its defense posture toward the Asia-Pacific region. Japan hosts the largest U.S. forward-operating presence in this region; the majority of the U.S. forces in Japan are located in Okinawa. The United States and Japan planned to reduce the U.S. military presence on Okinawa by relocating approximately 9,000 Marines. DOD had originally planned to move the Marines only to Guam, but revised its plans in 2012 to include other locations in the Pacific. Congressional committees have directed GAO to examine DOD s initiatives in the Pacific, focusing on planning and costs. This report discusses the extent to which DOD has (1) developed a comprehensive cost estimate for the realignment of Marines, (2) planned for and synchronized other movements to coincide with the realignment, and (3) identified plans to sustain the force until all initiatives are implemented. To address these objectives, GAO reviewed relevant policies and procedures, reviewed and analyzed cost documents related to the realignment initiatives, interviewed DOD officials, and conducted site visits at U.S. military installations in the Pacific. GAO recommends that DOD develop more reliable cost estimates and an integrated master plan for the realignment of Marines, develop a mechanism to share annual updates on the status of each, and identify sustainment requirements for affected facilities until realignment initiatives are complete. DOD generally agreed with GAO s recommendations.


The sulfur K and L2,3 x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectra of FeS, CoS and NiS having the NiAs-type crystal structure have been measured. Theoretical analysis of the experimental data has been conducted by the full multiple-scattering approach. Good agreement between experimental and theoretical data is obtained for comparatively small clusters containing 19–37 atoms. There is no significant difference between S K-edge absorption spectra for the studied compounds calculated by G4XANES and FEFF8.2 packages. The electronic structure of NiS and CoS has been studied by analysing the distribution of calculated electronic states of the sulfides.


Several techniques and applications have been proposed to aid the decision taking process in the system performance domain. Most of these techniques have depicted the performance model of systems through annotations of performance measurements coming from specific software descriptive syntactical languages. However, the semantic representation of performance information provides the possibility of its ulterior machine-processable logical interpretation and therefore the applicability of inference rules about a particular domain. In this work, we propose a performance ontology together with the system performance analysis technique as an example of framework building for intelligent applications based on semantic Web


We give a set of continuous characterizations for the homogeneous Triebel-Lizorkin spaces and use them to study boundedness properties of Fourier multiplier operators whose symbols satisfy a generalization of Hormander's condition. As an application, we give new direct proofs of the imbedding theorems of the Sobolev type.


The granulation characteristics of two quite different sinter blends have been studied. One comprises a significant proportion of pisolite ore, and the other is dominated by hematite ores. The effect on granulation of adding a significant proportion of West Angelas, a Marra Mamba type ore, into both blends is also studied. The relationship between blend moisture content and green permeability is measured, as is the size distribution of the granulated blends at different moisture contents. It is clear that when West Angelas ore displaces a denser, less porous ore type in a sinter blend, additional granulation moisture must be added to ensure optimal granulation performance. A petrographic study of granule morphology at different blend moisture contents is reported, with particular reference to the features of the adhering layer. The important role of ultrafines, particularly the -50 μm 'superfine' fraction, in the granulation process is discussed. The variations in mineralogical and textural characteristics of West Angelas ore with size are presented. It is proposed that the mineralogical and textural characteristics of the superfine particles are an important factor in the granulation performance of an ore or a blend of ores.


MS analysis results showed that propene, butane and THF contained in the storage
product with a retention time respectively 3.148, 3.267 and 4.883. Rate of reaction speed has
been assumed to follow first-order and in thiscase at minutes of 45 greatest reaction rate
constants indicate that the reaction proceeds effectively at the minute. The reaction rate is
decreased after minutes 45 shows the catalyst began to deactivate.
Intermediates that may occur from products butane and propene according Furimsky
(2000) and Bejblova (2008) is the formation of butanol and butanal. Hydrolyzed buthanol which
will be buthane and H2O while buthanal intermediates decomposed to propene and CO.
When divided by the lowest energy betweenthe two intermediates showed that the
intermediates butanal two times more stable thanthe intermediates butanol is adsorbed on the
catalyst surface. In thermodynamics, the reaction product will be more likely to produce propene.


Immunoreactivity for pCREB was localized surprisingly in the
nucleoli of the DRG neurons of both naive and operated rats. In
comparison to DRG neurons from naive rats, significant
increased immunostaining for pCREB was found in the neurons of
both ipsilateral and contralateral DRG following various types
of nerve injuries. The present results demonstrated that
increased phosphorylation of CREB induced by nerve injury may
be involved in the development neuropathic pain. Similar
bilateral exhibition of increased pCREB immunostaining
suggested a retrograde neuroinflammation signalling of the
neuropathic pain development.


We present a 3-step registration pipeline for differently stained histological serial sections that consists of 1) a robust pre-alignment, 2) a parametric registration computed on coarse resolution images, and 3) an accurate nonlinear registration. In all three steps the NGF distance measure is minimized with respect to an increasingly flexible transformation. We apply the method in the ANHIR image registration challenge and evaluate its performance on the training data. The presented method is robust (error reduction in 99.6% of the cases), fast (runtime 4 seconds) and accurate (median relative target registration error 0.19%).


This paper aims at exploring the reliability model based on communication network that carries power grid control service information, it analyzes service type and feature of the power grid control information carried by electric power communication network and the communication network transmission requirements. It studies the method of abstracting reliability parameters of the communication link for power grid control service (i.e. constructing a mapping from error rate to reliability). It analyzes factors and types of faults of node devices and optical cables that affect network reliability. It puts forward several kinds of reliability models for the typical electric power communication network. It gives some suggestions on studying the reliability of the electric power communication network on the basis of relevant studies on the reliability of the electric power communication network. Finally, it introduces the progress and achievement of relevant studies. It can provide reference for researchers on the reliability of electric power communication.


Driving wheel operation is characterized by force interactions with the ground, manifested in the form of vibrations. Signals generated by driving wheels can be analyzed in the frequency spectrum of tractor drawbar pull. The paper presents the analysis of a drawbar pull signal generated by a tractor equipped with two types of special driving wheels and standard tires. Beside the evaluation of special driving wheels' properties according to drawbar power, the frequency spectra of measured signals were analyzed using a fast Fourier transformation. The model spectrum intervals for the standard tires, spike tires, and blade wheels were calculated according to the number of rubber lugs, blades, or spikes and compared with the experimental results. The results showed that the specific frequencies typical for blades and spikes were identified in model spectrum intervals. In the case of standard tires, the spectrum components typical for rubber lugs of the tire tread pattern were not identified. The highest amplitude of the typical frequency component was detected in the case of blades wheels, which showed the highest difference in drawbar power in comparison with the standard tires. Smaller dimensions of spikes resulted in lower amplitude and lower difference in drawbar power in comparison with the standard tires.


The plasma replacement procedure using the blood cell separator IBM-2997 provides for safe replacement of 2000-3000 ml plasma and a 35 to 45% reduction of the lipid concentration. Plasma replacement with 5% albumin solution per 50 to 70% of total volume allows to maintain normal total plasma protein levels throughout treatment. It was demonstrated that plasmapheresis with plasma ultrafiltrate return makes the procedure more tolerable for the patients, while their own electrolytes, amino acids, vitamins and some enzymes are retained. The reported technique for the discontinuation of the procedure reduces the volume of residual blood in the separation channel, preventing anemia.


Can we determine the poverty levels of the population aged 65 and over without considering their assets? How much can we reduce poverty rates among older adults if their assets are liquidated? To answer these questions, we investigate poverty rates among older adults relatively by taking residential property into account using an actuarial method applied to a public reverse mortgage program. We use unique data collated by merging the Survey of Household Finances and Living Conditions by Statistics Korea and data on spouse information. We find that public reverse mortgage programs increase disposable income by approximately 20% on average for the population aged 65 and over, and the improvement is more effective in the low-income quintiles. Due to the income enhancement from reverse mortgages, poverty rates among older adults reduce significantly to about 31%, while it is 41% without the liquation of home equity. Therefore, the current poverty rate among older adults following the OECD standard may overestimate the poverty rate for people aged 65 and over and misguides the direction of welfare policies, and misuses government budgets for older adults.


Formaldehyde, as a carcinogenic substance, is often intentionally used to adulterate vegetables to increase their shelf life, and the adhesive tape used to attach labels can also leave formaldehyde on the surface of vegetables. However, as the "gold" standard, gas chromatography (GC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) are expensive for individual tests and confined to the laboratory owing to their size and a suitable detector (low-cost, portable, fast detection speed) to check formaldehyde contamination in vegetables not being available. Here, we tested formaldehyde contamination in vegetables using a low-cost and hand-held detector combined with a screen-printed electrode (SPE) amperometric sensor and an open-sourced potentiostat. The analyzer can detect a concentration of 100 μmol/L formaldehyde and achieve a good linear range between 100 and 1000 μmol/L. Furthermore, the detector successfully identified formaldehyde contamination in 53 samples of six different kinds of vegetables even after residual formaldehyde on the surface was evaporated. Most importantly, under the practicability-oriented idea, a cost-effective strategy was implemented for this detector design rather than using other pricey methods (e.g., photolithography, electron-beam evaporation, chemical deposition), which enormously reduces the cost (under ∼USD 0.5 per test) and meets all of the requirements of ASSURED device. We believe this cheap, portable detector could help law-enforcing authorities, healthcare workers, and customers to screen formaldehyde contamination easily. Also, the cost-saving strategy is appropriate for low-income areas, where there is a lack of laboratories, funds, and trained experts.


Current approaches to facial expression classification employ a variety of expression classes and different preprocessing steps, making comparison of results difficult. To outline the effects of these variations we explore several image and action preprocessing steps, using the discrete expressions: happy, sad, surprised, fearful, angry, disgusted and neutral; with a dataset aligned and normalised by our proposed face model. Each of the preprocessing steps is organised across four prominent approaches: holistic, holistic action, component and component action. These are compared using a modified multiclass Support Vector Machine (SVM) that uses pairwise adaptive model parameters. We illustrate that including the neutral expression as part of the study has a noticeable impact, and suggest that it should be used in future research in this area. We also show that results can be improved through innovative use of image and action preprocessing steps. Our best correct classification rate was 98.33% using 10-fold cross validation and a component action approach.


The steady mixed convection boundary layer flow from a vertical cone in a porous medium filled with a nanofluid is numerically investigated using different types of nanoparticles as Cu (copper), Al2O3 (alumina) and TiO2 (titania). The boundary value problem is solved by using the shooting technique by reducing it into an ordinary differential equation. Results of interest for the local Nusselt number with various values of the constant mixed convection parameter and nanoparticle volume fraction parameter are evaluated. It is found that dual solutions exist for a certain range of mixed convection parameter. Keywords—boundary layer, mixed convection, nanofluid, porous medium, vertical cone.


The effect of backward-facing step sweep angle on the mean turbulent velocity field has been measured at subsonic speeds. A single component hot-film anemometer was used in a wind tunnel to measure the velocity normal and parallel to three 1.27-cm-high, backward-facing steps with sweep angles of 0, 15, and 30 deg. A swept step flowfield provides a useful and special test case for modelers of three-dimensional turbulent flows. This is illustrated here by testing the ability of Coles' wall-wake model and the Baldwin-Lomax viscosity model's ability to describe the measured profiles


Abstract This paper examines Greek learners' deviations in the dimensions of internal and external modification. It investigates the way Greek non-native speakers of English use lexical and phrasal downgraders and external supportive moves in order to soften the force of their English requests in three power-asymmetrical situations. Such power-asymmetrical social situations are more demanding in that they generally require greater pragmatic skills and are particularly difficult for non-native language speakers. For this reason, the study aims to investigate the extent to which the learners' use of mitigating devices deviates from that of British English native speakers and to relate any deviations to issues of politeness and culture. Additionally, the extent to which the social variables of power, familiarity and imposition of the requested act affect the learners' use of request mitigation is also pursued. Results from this study have shown that the amount and type of modification used by the Greek learners present some deviations from native speakers' use. It has been argued that these deviations can be seen as being due to native influence and therefore to pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic transfer, as well as to the different politeness orientation of the two groups.


We report a technique of integrating planar Fresnel microlenses with InGaAs/GaAs-based vertical-cavity surfacee-mitting laser arrays by selectively ion-beam milling the substrate. Depending on the application, one can focus, collimate, and bend the individual laser beams using such microlenses. An example is presented where a 32 x 32 array of microlenses, each with an aperture of 80microm and a focal length of 108 microm is integrated with a laser array. As expected, arrays of focused beams, each with a 2-microm spot size, are generated at a distance of approximately 110 microm.


Traumatic vascular injuries are common in the multi-injured patient. Exposure and repair can often be challenging, particularly in the pelvis, chest, and distal carotid arteries. The explosion of endovascular technology over the last decade has brought innovative strategies to managing vascular trauma in the injured patient.( 1 ) Hybrid operating rooms provide the perfect opportunity to perform arteriography, minimally invasive proximal control, and therapeutic intervention, be it endovascular, open, or a hybrid combination thereof. In the absence of a hybrid operating room, an angiographic table and portable C-arm in the operating room is certainly acceptable. Percutaneous and hybrid techniques to manage nonaortic arterial trauma will be reviewed.


We propose a simple acoustic model explaining the main features of gas chimneys. The main elements of the model consist of gas diffusing from a connected fracture network and into the surrounding shale creating an inhomogeneous gas saturation. The gas saturation results in an inhomogeneous fluctuating compressional velocity field that distorts seismic waves. We model the fracture network by a randomwalk process constrained by maximum fracture length and angle of the fracture with respect to the vertical. The gas saturation is computed from a simple analytical solution of the diffusion equation, and pressure-wave velocities are locally obtained assuming that mixing of shale and gas occurs on a scale much smaller than seismic wavelengths. Synthetic seismic sections are then computed using the resulting inhomogeneous velocity model and shown to give rise to similar deterioration in data quality as that found in data from real gas chimneys. Also, synthetic common-midpoint CMP gathers show the same distorted and attenuated traveltime curves as those obtained from a real data set. The model shows clearly that the features of gas chimneys change with geological time a model parameter in our approach , the deterioration of seismic waves being smallest just after the creation of the gas chimney. It seems likely that at least some of the features of gas chimneys can be explained by a simple elastic model in combination with gas diffusion from a fracture network.


By applying multi-view features of a 3D model as the whole feature descriptors to match the 3D model feature, this paper presents a modified 3D model retrieval algorithm which is based on the fusion of contour features and texture features of the model. After two-dimensional depth images of the 3D model are obtained under the different views of a spherical bounding box, the contour feature and the texture features of the model images are fused for realizing the constitute of the 3D model. The experiment results shown that the proposed method gains great improvement in retrieval speed and effective rate in comparison with other view-based 3D model retrieval methods.


Over the last few years the market requirements for drinking milk have changed considerably, and this has brought on a number of radical changes in production and milk treatment technology.


Abdominal incisional hernia is a common postoperative complication. With the development of a new type of surgical anti-adhesion mesh, mesh repair has become a widely-adopted procedure, particularly in the laparoscopic era. However, there were few reports about use of these new meshes to repair incisional hernia in the abdominal cavity. In this report, we present two cases: one a 72-year-old male and the other a 62-year-old female. Both of those patients suffered incisional hernias during abdominal operations, and therefore underwent open incisional hernia anti-adhesion mesh repair operations. Both of them had recurrent incisional hernias after the first repair operation. During the second hernia repair operation via laparoscopy, tissue from the intestine and omentum were found to have adhered seriously to the old meshes, which could cause many serious problems. We need to pay more attention to the issue of adhesion, try to determine possible reasons and improve in our future work.


To study insect decline, an important threat to biodiversity, long‐term datasets are needed. Here we present a study of hoverfly (Diptera: Syrphidae) abundance and diversity in a Dutch forest, surrounded by other forests, and analyse the variation in insect numbers over four decades. Between 1982 and 2021, abundance decreased by 80%. Until 1990, abundance showed a strong decrease of 10.9% per year, mainly in nationally rare species with carnivorous larvae exposed to air. From 1990, abundance stabilised, whereas from 2000, a second period of strong decline of 9.0% per year occurred, mainly in very common species. Species richness also declined strongly between 1979 and 2021: the total number of species observed in five monitoring days dropped by 44% over those 43 years. The characteristic set of dry‐forest hoverfly species disappeared over four decades. The number of nationally rare species observed at the study site declined from 19 to 9 early on, in a period (1979–1984) that coincided with intense nitrogen input and acidification caused by agriculture in the same region. The more recent decline is likely also caused by factors from outside the forest, as forest management and conditions remained constant. Continued influx of nutrients and pesticides at a regional level, as well as climate change are possible causes of the decline. Research is needed to quantify their relative effects.


The classification accuracy of an event-related potential (ERP) induced by a tactile stimulus is investigated to create a brain-computer interface (BCI). Mechanical tactile stimuli were applied to the left and right index fingers using two piezo actuator probes that were used as a Braille display for the visually impaired. In an experiment, two-class classification was investigated using three kinds of tactile stimulus pattern. The subjects were instructed to pay attention to unusual target stimuli while avoiding other frequent nontarget stimuli. The extracted features were classified using stepwise linear discriminant analysis. As a result, high accuracy was obtained by the task of random intervals compared with the task of constant intervals. It was suggested that the accuracy of the BCI using tactile stimuli is influenced by the concentration on the task.


The aim of this study was to test (a) three methods to estimate the quantity of lactate accumulated (QLaA) in response to supramaximal exercise and (b) correlations between QLaA and the nonoxidative energy supply assessed by the accumulated oxygen deficit (AOD). Nine rowers performed a 3‐min all‐out test on a rowing ergometer to estimate AOD and lactate accumulation in response to exercise. Peak blood lactate concentration [(La)peak] during recovery was assessed, allowing QLaA(m1) to be estimated by the method of Margaria et al. Application of a bicompartmental model of lactate distribution space to the blood lactate recovery curves allowed estimation of (a) the net amount of lactate released during recovery from the active muscles (NALRmax), and (b) QLaA according to two methods (QLaA(m2) and QLaA(m3)). (La)peak did not correlate with AOD. QLaA(m1), QLaA(m2) and QLaA(m3) correlated with AOD (r = 0.70, r = 0.85 and r = 0.92, respectively). These results confirm that (La)peak does not provide reliable information on nonoxidative energy supply during supramaximal exercise. The correlations between AOD and QLaA(m2) and QLaA(m3) support the concept of studying blood lactate recovery curves to estimate lactate accumulation and thus the contribution of nonoxidative pathway to energy supply during supramaximal exercise.


A least mean square (LMS) based calibration algorithm is proposed to calibrate most known error sources in 1.5 bit/stage pipelined ADCs, known to be immune to moderate comparator offsets. The error sources include linear gain errors, reference voltage errors, systematic offset errors and amplifier non-linear errors of each pipeline stage. LMS is used to estimate the error parameters in the digital domain. After estimation the proposed algorithm calibrate the pipelined ADC using the estimated parameter errors. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can improve the ENOB from 6.6 bits to 13.9 bits for a 14 bit 1.5 bits/stage pipelined ADC.


SUMMARY Orthostatic hypotension is uncommon during oral conrerting enzyme inhibition, even when combined with salt depletion. To assess the mechanisms responsible for the cardiovascular homeostasis in this condition, we studied the blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), total plasma catecfaolamines (CA), and plasma renin activity (PRA) responses after 20 minutes of 60° bead-up tilt in four groups of hypertensive patients. Group 1 included seven untreated patients; Group 2, eight patients on converting enzyme inhibitor (captopril) therapy; Group 3, six patients on diuretic therapy and Group 4,15 patients on combined captopril and diuretic therapy. Long-term converting enzyme inhibition alone or In combination with diuretics resulted in reduction of mean arterial pressure (MAP) associated with a marked increase in PRA and fall in plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC). Pronounced increases in HR and plasma CA on tilt were observed in all groups. In Groups 1, 2, and 3, BP was maintained during tilt; in Group 4, three patients fainted between 5 and 15 minutes while the other 12 had a normal response to tilt. Plasma catecholamines increased more significantly after 15 and 20 minutes of tilt, more in Groups 3 and 4 than in Group 1, while no differences in HR response were observed among groups. Results suggest that sympathetic compensatory mechanisms are adequate In the majority of patients to maintain BP during converting enzyme inhibition even when combined with salt depletion. In a few who exhibited orthostatic hypotension, a vasovagal attack seemed to be responsible for bradycardia and fall in BP. (Hypertension 3 (suppl II): 11-216-11-221, 1981)


Transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) is a safe procedure with a reported complication rate of less than 1%. Pneumomediastinum after TBNA has not been reported in the English literature in the past. We present the case of a 65-year-old woman with widely metastatic small cell carcinoma, who developed pneumomediastinum after flexible bronchoscopy with TBNA. A persistent visible defect in the bronchial wall at the site of the needle insertion strongly implicated the TBNA as the cause of the pneumomediastinum.


We study the three-body problem for three atomic fermions, in the same spin state, experiencing a resonant interaction in the p-wave channel via a Feshbach resonance represented by a two-channel model. The rate of inelastic processes due to recombination to deeply bound dimers is then estimated from the three-body solution using a simple prescription. We obtain numerical and analytical predictions for most of the experimentally relevant quantities that can be extracted from the three-body solution: the existence of weakly bound trimers and their lifetime, the low-energy elastic and inelastic scattering properties of an atom on a weakly bound dimer (including the atom-dimer scattering length and scattering volume), and the recombination rates for three colliding atoms towards weakly bound and deeply bound dimers. The effect of ``background" non-resonant interactions in the open channel of the two-channel model is also calculated and allows to determine which three-body quantities are `universal' and which on the contrary depend on the details of the model.


In this paper, the feasibility of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems in aircraft is examined for the specific application of seatback entertainment, using an approach built around a site-specific capacity analysis methodology. The average capacity is evaluated as a function of the seat location, using the proposed methodology that relies on inputs from measurement results or ray-tracing simulations. The extension of the methodology to optimize the access point and client antenna placement locations and array configurations is also described in the paper. While the specific results are for the deployment of MIMO communication in aircraft for seatback entertainment, the same methodology can be applied to other deployment scenarios as well.


BACKGROUND Perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa) is a rare mesenchymal neoplasm that can arise in many different organs with a broad spectrum of biological behavior, from indolent to aggressive progression. Only ten cases of gastric PEComas have been reported in the English literature, which were treated with endoscopic, laparoscopic, or open resections. Due to its rarity, the optimal surgical management and prognosis of this tumor are still uncertain. CASE SUMMARY We present a case of robotic wedge resection of a 6.5 cm bleeding lesion of the gastric fundus located 3 cm below the esophago-gastric junction in a 55-year-old man. Biopsy revealed a malignant tumor with epithelioid cells focally positive for muscle markers desmin and smooth muscle actin. In addition, histology revealed that the tumor was positive for HMB-45, melan-A (MART-1), microphthalmia transcription factor and negative for pan-cytokeratin AE1/AE3, CD34, p40, DOG-1, CD117 (c-kit), S100, CD3, CD79a, caldesmon and myogenin. These markers suggested the possibility of a PEComa. The patient underwent a diagnostic laparoscopy via the da Vinci® Si™ system and robotic wedge resection. Final pathology confirmed a malignant gastric PEComa with negative margins. At his 11-mo follow-up visit, the patient remained disease-free. CONCLUSION Gastric PEComa can be treated with a robotic R0 resection with acceptable postoperative and short-term oncological outcomes.


Abstract. With the further acceleration of the new urbanization process, China's urbanization construction has entered a new stage of more standardized and scientific development, which puts forward higher requirements for national land and space monitoring. In view of the rapid changes in looks of our cities, the periodic monitoring methods such as personnel patrolling inspection, public reporting or satellite remote sensing are difficult to meet the needs of full-range, dynamic and precise monitoring. Therefore, it is urgent to establish a new spatial monitoring system to make up for the deficiencies of current urban spatial monitoring. In the article, the authors provide an implementation idea of a space-aerial-ground integrated remote sensing monitoring method system, which integrates various remote sensing techniques and information platform to meet the needs of large-scale urban change cycle monitoring and continuous monitoring of key construction areas Space monitoring provides modern technical support. Some of the techniques in the method system described here have been applied in some regions, which provides a basic platform for regional city monitoring, and have further research and application prospects.


The paper compares Joseph Schumpeter, Emil Lederer and Rudolf Hilferding with respect to their visions concerning economic development, technology, credit and business cycles. Their theoretical investigations, in a great number of thematic areas and concepts, seem to converge significantly. For instance, all three used similar arguments to emphasize the link between economic development and technological change. In their analyses, Schumpeter and Lederer referred to psychological factors motivating the entrepreneur, in order to explain the forces that set in motion the process of innovation and thus economic development. Hilferding stressed the importance of technology but mostly with respect to market structure and, more specifically, the emergence of monopolies and cartels. The function of credit is another central theme in the works of all three theoreticians. Besides, they all comprehended in a similar manner the way that credit expansion infuses dynamism into the economic system, creating, thus, on the one hand new growth prospects, and on the other financial and economic instability. Also, regarding the issue of economic crises and fluctuations, all three economists considered them as an endogenous characteristic of the capitalist system and not simply as the result of external factors or shocks. Schumpeter and Lederer argued that business cycles arise from the disruptions created by innovations, which are introduced discontinuously into the economic system, whereas Hilferding focused on the role of disproportionality between sectors producing capital goods and those producing consumer goods. Conclusively, all three writers, in spite of their theoretical differences, have delivered theses which are similar in scope and conclusions. JEL Classification: B24, B25, B31


This cross-sectional study was performed to assess the self-esteem in employees of faculties of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences in 2010. All employees in faculties of medicine, nursing and midwifery, dentistry, Health and Paramedical sciences were entered the study by census method. The measurement tools included demographic information and Eysenck Self Esteem Scale. Results of this study indicated that approximately half of the employees in faculties of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences had low self-esteem.


Seismic physical modeling technique is a kind of experimental methods, the seismic physical modeling experiments are mainly used for the exploration and development of oil and gas, this technique in the coal fields is rarely used to solve practical problems at present. In order to achieve the fine exploration of the geological condition of coal seam, aimed at the geological conditions of the coalfield,the distribution of coal strata and lithologic features,completes the production seismic geology model of coal measure strata. The results show seismic physical modeling can simulate the typical geologic structure of coal mine, simulate complex geological phenomenon of coal mine, validate mathematical calculation method, validate related theory, reduce costs, also introduce the prospect of coal seismic physical modeling technology.


Differences in regulations,technical standards and national medical cultures across EU member states created a highly segmented pharmaceutical market in Europe prior to the implementation of the Single Market Programme. The subsequent reduction in non-tariff barriers to trade would be expected to have an impact on where pharmaceutical multinationals locate production within the EU.Using discrete choice models, we study separately the determinants of multinational location choices in terms of expanded production at existing facilities and location of start-up firms.Our results support the findings of models which predict reduced rather than increased agglomeration in the face of trade-cost reductions.


The effect of electrode configuration on wastewater treatment by underwater electrical streamer discharge is investigated by comparing a coaxial rod-to-cylinder electrode configuration with a point-to-cylinder one. By using a brilliant-blue FCF solution as monitor pollutants, the dissipated energy per pulse, the degradation rate constant, and the energy consumption in both electrode configurations are compared under different solution conductivities or pH values. The coaxial rod-to-cylinder electrode configuration can dissipate as about three times of energy into the solution as the point-to-cylinder one does during one discharge pulse in our experiment. In both electrode configurations, the degradation of the brilliant-blue FCF solution follows a pseudo first-order rate profile. The degradation rate constant is not significantly influenced by the solution conductivity, but it decreases with increasing the solution pH value. Comparing with the point-to-cylinder configuration, the degradation rate constant in the rod-to-cylinder one was improved by a factor of about 4.3, 3.6, and 2.9 at solution , 7.8, and 10, respectively. The energy consumption increases with increasing the solution conductivity or the solution pH value in both electrode configurations, but it is significantly lower in the rod-to-cylinder one when the solution . Fixing the solution conductivity at 150 , the energy consumption in the rod-to-cylinder system decreases by about 30% and 20% at solution and 7.8, respectively.


This project presents an energy storage technology for a renewable energy power generation, which is developed as a small scale power plant. The proposed system based on main compressed air energy storage (CAES) concept but it is in small scale system (SCAES). The system consists of 4 main components: air compressor and pressure vessel, micro turbine, DC generator and DC/AC converter circuit. This project is design system where it can use off-peak electricity to switch on the air compressor to produces
compressed air. It is stored in pressurized vessels as energy storage medium and installed above ground to avoid the site limitation as the conventional CAES does. When the air is released, the compressed air expands through a micro-turbine blade which connected single shaft with DC generator that used as power generation. The micro-turbine blade run and rotate generator rotor that convert mechanical energy to electrical energy. This system
does not have combustion units as the conventional CAES that used gas turbine. Thus, the system does not burn fuel and exhaust pollution. The output voltage will convert from
direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) voltage after flow in the DC/ AC converter circuit. These four components are related with each other to produced output. This report describe the analysis about the system characteristic that have been done include input of
air compressed, speed of turbine rotation and output generator are related.


Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is a non-invasive technique that has been used by neuroscientists as a powerful tool to study human brain functions in response to stimuli. By generating high quality movies of the brain in action, it helps to determine which parts of human brain are activated by different task performances. The process can be modeled as a linear mixture of independent localized sources of oxygenation, where no a priori information is known about their properties. Here independent component analysis (ICA) is used to understand the brain functions and to explore spatiotemporal features in fMRI data. It has been especially successful to recover brain function related signals (task related and physiology related signals) from recorded mixtures of unrelated signals (noise). Due to the high dimensionality, high noise level and spikes (due to high sensitivity of MR scanners) analysis of fMRI data and order selection, i.e., estimation of independent component is critical. We have tried to find the independent components by a number of ICA algorithms from which Extended Efficient FastICA and Combi ICA are found to have better performance as they are robust to outliers (caused due to high sensitivity of MR scanners) and the accuracy in terms of Amari Performance Index is more as compared to others. In this paper we 1) describe fMRI data and its properties, 2) and show that the combi ICA faithfully separates the independent components from fMRI data.


I incorporate the recursive utility into Pagel (2016)'s reference-dependent preference and study their aggregate implications in a consumption-based asset pricing model. In the case of recursive utility, the proposed model reproduces crucial asset pricing moments and time-varying risk premiums with a simple IID process for consumption growth. Second, the proposed model consistently predicts that the agent prefers a late resolution of uncertainty in both time-separable and recursive utility. My additional finding is that intertemporal substitution elasticity is more sensitive to asset prices given the recursive preference. Finally, the introduction of sluggish-updating can improve model performances.


ABSTRACT A total of 161 low-G+C-content gram-positive bacteria isolated from whole-crop paddy rice silage were classified and subjected to phenotypic and genetic analyses. Based on morphological and biochemical characters, these presumptive lactic acid bacterium (LAB) isolates were divided into 10 groups that included members of the genera Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, and Weissella. Analysis of the 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) was used to confirm the presence of the predominant groups indicated by phenotypic analysis and to determine the phylogenetic affiliation of representative strains. The virtually complete 16S rRNA gene was PCR amplified and sequenced. The sequences from the various LAB isolates showed high degrees of similarity to those of the GenBank reference strains (between 98.7 and 99.8%). Phylogenetic trees based on the 16S rDNA sequence displayed high consistency, with nodes supported by high bootstrap values. With the exception of one species, the genetic data was in agreement with the phenotypic identification. The prevalent LAB, predominantly homofermentative (66%), consisted of Lactobacillus plantarum (24%), Lactococcus lactis (22%), Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides (20%), Pediococcus acidilactici (11%), Lactobacillus brevis (11%), Enterococcus faecalis (7%), Weissella kimchii (3%), and Pediococcus pentosaceus (2%). The present study, the first to fully document rice-associated LAB, showed a very diverse community of LAB with a relatively high number of species involved in the fermentation process of paddy rice silage. The comprehensive 16S rDNA-based approach to describing LAB community structure was valuable in revealing the large diversity of bacteria inhabiting paddy rice silage and enabling the future design of appropriate inoculants aimed at improving its fermentation quality.


Internet Protocol Television or IPTV is defined as an alternate method of distributing television content over IP by a telecom carrier or an Internet service provider (ISP) and it is increasingly gaining market share in modern communication networks. IPTV poses specific requirements on the network infrastructure and at the same time it requires that several network performance characteristics are maintained under defined levels in order for the end user to have an assured viewing experience. In this paper, our main motivation is to investigate how a real life network performs in terms of distributing this inelastic and high-bandwidth type of service utilizing traffic measurements. Furthermore, our goal is to verify and analyze whether the studied network is suited for multicast IPTV traffic.


Abstract This case report described a patient presenting with unilateral transient myopic shift after consuming a lot of red wine. Ultrasound biomicroscopy detected annular shallow ciliary body detachment with supraciliary effusion, as well as a narrow chamber angle. The myopic shift was spontaneously resolved about one week after the onset without any treatment.


The segment report provides managers with information to evaluate business results by unit, region, and group of commodity rather than report the overall results of the whole enterprises. This article focuses on research of segment reports by divisions in service of the administration of pharmaceutical companies through the contents as follow: identifying segments to report, understanding actual content, targets, types of reports, allocation of revenues, general costs to each division, and administrator's assessment of the effect of segment report. Case study method passed through in-depth interviews with more than 30 cases in 23 pharmaceutical enterprises. The results show that enterprises make segment reports by business sector (81.16%), with high frequency (mean 3.95); by geographical area (56.52%), with relatively high frequency (mean 3.38); other criteria (29.57%), with low frequency (mean 2.62). Segment reporting is used in controlling activities (75.36%, mean 3.36); performance evaluation (76.81%, mean 3.10); decision making (60.87%, mean 3.78). The use of segment report tends to decrease by business type from Joint Stock Co., Co., Ltd., Single-member, Co., Ltd., Private Co. In this research sample, the enterprise size decreases along with the type of business which is also a characteristic of Vietnamese enterprises. The drawback of the segmental reporting in these businesses is influenced by financial accounting, lacks uniformity and inflexibility. Through the research findings, the authors have proposed ideas to help businesses establish more effective segment report system.


How plants are arranged into communities is one of the central questions in plant ecology. One view holds that plant assembly is governed by deterministic factors, like assembly rules, while another holds that it is mostly stochastic, only constrained by the ability of plants to disperse and survive under the current environmental conditions. Here, I summarize studies on grassland community assembly, and try to find general patterns and rules. Of the 40 reviewed studies, evidence of deterministic assembly was found in 15, while evidence for stochastic assembly was found in nine. Evidence for both factors together was found in the remaining 16 studies. The studies varied in their use of methods, measured variables and scale, making them hard to compare. Even within a single study, results were dependent on the factors mentioned above. Plant community assembly of grasslands is a complex process, affected by assembly rules, environmental filtering and stochastic factors (e.g. dispersal limitation and priority effects) and which factor has the most influence seems to be site specific. More detailed and coordinated research is needed to determine what controls community assembly in grasslands.


The iterated Even–Mansour (EM) ciphers form the basis of many blockcipher designs. Several results have established their security in the CPA/CCA models, under related-key attacks, and in the indifferentiability framework. In this work, we study the Even–Mansour ciphers under key-dependent message (KDM) attacks. KDM security is particularly relevant for blockciphers since non-expanding mechanisms are convenient in setting such as full disk encryption (where various forms of key-dependency might exist). We formalize the folklore result that the ideal cipher is KDM secure. We then show that EM ciphers meet varying levels of KDM security depending on the number of rounds and permutations used. One-round EM achieves some form of KDM security, but this excludes security against offsets of keys. With two rounds we obtain KDM security against offsets, and using different round permutations we achieve KDM security against all permutation-independent claw-free functions. As a contribution of independent interest, we present a modular framework that can facilitate the security treatment of symmetric constructions in models that allow for correlated inputs.


The coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has already resulted in a huge setback to mankind in terms of millions of deaths, while the unavailability of an appropriate therapeutic strategy has made the scenario much more severe. Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) are crucial mediators and regulators of host immunity and the role of human cell surface TLRs in SARS‐CoV‐2 induced inflammatory pathogenesis has been demonstrated recently. However, the functional significance of the human intracellular TLRs including TLR3, 7, 8, and 9 is yet unclear. Hitherto, the involvement of these intracellular TLRs in inducing pro‐inflammatory responses in COVID‐19 has been reported but the identity of the interacting viral RNA molecule(s) and the corresponding TLRs have not been explored. This study hopes to rationalize the comparative binding of the major SARS‐CoV‐2 mRNAs to the intracellular TLRs, considering the solvent‐based force‐fields operational in the cytosolic aqueous microenvironment that predominantly drives these interactions. Our in silico study on the binding of all mRNAs with the intracellular TLRs depicts that the mRNA of NSP10, S2, and E proteins of SARS‐CoV‐2 are possible virus‐associated molecular patterns that bind to TLR3, TLR9, and TLR7, respectively, and trigger downstream cascade reactions. Intriguingly, binding of the viral mRNAs resulted in variable degrees of conformational changes in the ligand‐binding domain of the TLRs ratifying the activation of the downstream inflammatory signaling cascade. Taken together, the current study is the maiden report to describe the role of TLR3, 7, and 9 in COVID‐19 immunobiology and these could serve as useful targets for the conception of a therapeutic strategy against the pandemic.


Backgrounds The presence of amyloid deposits of human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) in islet β-cells has been associated with type 2 diabetes occurrence and islet graft failure. Self-assembly into oligomers and fibrils during the process of aggregation by hIAPP can lead to failure and depletion of β-cells. Studies have shown that some critical regions of hIAPP might contribute to the aggregation. Thus, many studies focused on finding the effective molecules, especially the short-peptide inhibitors, that bind to these regions and disrupt the aggregation of hIAPP. In the present study, a novel pentapeptide inhibitor Phe-Leu-Pro-Asn-Phe (FLPNF) was designed and its effectiveness on the inhibition of the formation of amyloid deposits was examined. Methods The binding mode between FLPNF and hIAPP was performed using molecular docking. The effectiveness of FLPNF on inhibiting hIAPP amyloid aggregation was tested by Thioflavin T (ThT) staining. Furthermore, negative stain electron microscopy was used to observe hIAPP fibrils. A biolayer interferometry analysis was used to identify the interaction between FLPNF and hIAPP. In addition, the cytotoxicity toward INS-1 cells was tested by a cell proliferation assay. Results FLPNF was predicted to have a compact conformation to bind at the site of hIAPP. FLPNF strongly inhibited the amyloid aggregation of hIAPP at a 10 : 1 molar ratio in vitro. Coincubation of FLPNF with hIAPP decreased the amount of hIAPP fibrils. Furthermore, a direct interaction between FLPNF and hIAPP was confirmed. FLPNF could also decrease the cytotoxic effect of hIAPP. Conclusions The novel pentapeptide inhibitor FLPNF was constructed and inhibited the aggregation through direct binding to hIAPP. It is considered a suitable inhibitor for hIAPP amyloid deposit formation.


What the gods dared not promise to thy prayers, time, as it rolls on, has bestowed.—Virgil. THE rapid pace of growth and development in childhood impels a natural rehabilitation in the course of which many functional and structural deviations from the normal are corrected. Familiar examples will come to every pediatrician's mind—the molding of irregular head contours, the straightening of angular deformities of long bones disproportioned through scurvy or osteomyelitis, the filling out of thoracic defects, the alinement of alveolar margins temporarily distorted by thumbsucking and the retractions of umbilical protrusions. More dramatic even than these is the multitude of abnormal functional disturbances which are outgrown, spectacular examples of which were presented by Dr. Holt1in his last public address, given at Peking Union Medical College in 1923. These changes, Dr. Holt stated, are not as curious as they may seem to be, when it is recalled that


Finite impulse responses (FIR) of single-input single-output (SISO) channels can be blindly identified from second-order statistics of transformed data, for instance when the channel is excited by binary phase shift keying (BPSK), minimum shift keying (MSK), or quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) inputs. Identifiability conditions are derived by considering that noncircularity induces diversity. Theoretical performance issues are addressed to evaluate the robustness of standard subspace-based estimators with respect to these identifiability conditions. Then benchmarks such as asymptotically minimum variance (AMV) bounds based on various statistics are presented. Some illustrative examples are eventually given where Monte Carlo experiments are compared to theoretical performances. These comparisons allow to quantify limits to the use of the al- phabet diversities for the identification of FIR SISO channels, and to demonstrate the robustness of algorithms based on high-order statistics.


Particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) technique has been employed to perform elemental analysis of (Al, Br, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, P, Rb, S, Sr, and Zn). The results of analysis showed that Ca and K are the major elements in the samples. It is clear from the results that the content of Mn in tea samples (white tea and green tea) is 10 times higher than its content in chamomile samples. And the content of Fe and Zn in all samples ranged between 253 ppm and 1731 ppm and between 33 ppm and 138 ppm respectively, where the lowest content of both Fe and Zn found in tea samples. Cu has almost the same content in all samples. The contribution of some elements in these plants to the dietary recommended intake (DRI) has been evaluated.


BACKGROUND
Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) describes a group of language-led dementias. PPAs are complex, diverse and difficult to diagnose, and therefore conventional models of aphasia and dementia treatment do not meet their needs. The research evidence on intervention for PPA is developing, but to date there are only a few case studies exploring the experiences of people with PPA (PwPPA) themselves.

AIMS
To explore the experiences and opinions of PwPPA and their communication partners (CPs) to understand how speech and language therapy (SLT) services can better meet their needs.

METHODS & PROCEDURES
A qualitative research approach was used whereby PwPPA and their friends or family members were recruited to participate in focus groups, via advertisements in the Rare Dementia Support PPA group newsletters. Consenting participants were allocated to attend one of four focus groups hosted on an online video conferencing platform. Participants were asked about their communication difficulties, and how SLT could address these needs. All meetings were transcribed, and data were examined using reflexive thematic analysis.

OUTCOMES & RESULTS
Six PwPPA and 14 CPs representing all three PPA variants and mixed PPA participated in the focus groups. Four main themes were identified during the analysis of the focus group discussions: (1) CPs' burden, (2) adjusting to the diagnosis, (3) communication abilities and difficulties and (4) beyond language. A further 10 subthemes were identified.

CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS
This study provides a greater understanding of the experiences and needs of PwPPA and their families in relation to SLT. This work underlines the importance of a person-centred approach that considers the broader needs of both the PwPPA and the people around them. This will enable service providers to deliver SLT that meets the needs of PwPPA and their families and will also inform future research in this field.

WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS
What is already known on this subject We know that PwPPA can maintain or even make improvements in word retrieval and speech fluency with SLT exercises. There is also developing evidence of the benefits of interventions such as CP training, communication aid support and other functional interventions. What this paper adds to existing knowledge This study provides an understanding of the experiences and opinions of people living with PPA and their families in relation to SLT. Results demonstrate that PwPPA and their families have to navigate a complex journey, identifying strategies to support communication but also the influence of personality and other cognitive symptoms. SLT was useful, but not always available. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? This study will enable service providers to better plan, justify funding for and delivery of SLT that will meet the needs of PwPPA and their families. Most importantly this work underlines the importance of a person-centred approach, incorporating the broader needs of the person with PPA and those around them.


[The abstract of this article is not available. Here are the first sentences of the article. The full text is freely available upon registration] Market research is invariably confused with marketing – but, in fact, the two disciplines are very different. Put in its simplest terms, marketing is about promotion whilst market research is about understanding . Accordingly, data collected for market research purposes are used in a completely different way to that gathered for marketing, with research practices heavily regulated to ensure high ethical standards. Let's begin with a definition of what, exactly, market research is. According to the ICC/ESOMAR International Code 2007 (a definition also adopted by the European Pharmaceutical Market Research Association), it is: «the systematic gathering and interpretation of information about individuals or organisations using the statistical and analytical methods and techniques of the applied social sciences to gain insight or support decision-making. The identity of respondents will not be revealed to the user of the information without explicit consent and no sales approach will be made to them as a direct result of their having provided information».


Over the past 25 yr, the science of stratigraphy has evolved to include time-correlative data from vastly disparate components of the Earth system. Not least of these is the global signal afforded by cyclostratigraphy, which has recorded the evolution of Earth's astronomical ("Milankovitch") forcing of insolation and the paleoclimate system. Fossil astronomical signals are collected from cyclic sedimentary sequences by detailed sampling and study of facies, geochemistry, mineralogy, rock magnetism, color, etc. In step with the documentation of astronomically forced paleoclimate from ever-older older geologic times, innovations in computational science have provided ever-longer high-accuracy astronomical model "targets" that can be used for time scale calibration. The Earth's orbit is affected by motions of other planets, notably the orbital perihelia of Venus and Jupiter, which impose a dominant 405 k.y. eccentricity cycle on Earth's orbital evolution. The large mass of Jupiter stabilizes this cycle over hundreds of millions of years. The cyclostratigraphic record of 405 k.y. cycles is therefore often used to correct chronologies affected by variable sedimentation. Earth's shape and rotation rate are influenced by tidal dissipation and climate friction; these effects affect Earth's precession rate through time. Thus, a record of Earth-Moon evolution is also embedded in cyclostratigraphy. The geochronologic value of cyclostratigraphy has been affirmed through intercalibration with high-precision radioisotope dating, which today has the potential to define the ages of stratigraphic horizons with 2σ uncertainties at the scale of a precession cycle. Precession index phasing relative to that of the obliquity elucidates the seasonal nature of astronomical forcing of the paleoclimate system. Cyclostratigraphy contributes to our knowledge of planetary dynamics for times prior to the current ca. 50 Ma limit of accurate astronomical solutions, and it will guide our future understanding of solar system evolution and the evidence for chaotic diffusion. Astronomical modeling is undergoing its own revolution with development of new numerical integrators to extend accuracy further back in time. Finally, space exploration has revealed prominent sedimentary bedding and ice stratigraphy on the surface of Mars, with patterns suggestive of astronomical forcing analogous to Earth.


What is already known about this subject Night‐eating syndrome (NES) can be a feature of severe obesity. NES is a dysfunction of circadian rhythm and is associated with impaired sleep. What this study adds Night eaters with severe obesity are more likely to be low in mood and unemployed compared with non‐night eaters. Night eaters with severe obesity describe compulsive and uncontrolled eating.


Asymptotic standard errors of the estimates of the obliquely rotated parameters by the Harris-Kaiser Case II orthoblique method are derived under the assumption of the multivariate normal distribution for observed variables. A covariance structure model for observed variables is constructed such that both unrotated and orthogonally rotated parameters are involved in the model. The asymptotic standard errors for the final oblique solution (orthoblique solution) are derived by a stepwise method. First, the asymptotic variance-covariance matrix for the estimates of the unrotated and orthogonally rotated parameters is derived. Second, the delta method is used to obtain the asymptotic variances of the estimates of the obliquely rotated parameters. Results by simulation indicate that the theoretical values of the asymptotic standard errors are close to simulated ones.


A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES OF ADDIS
ABABA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER IN PUBLIC HEALTH


In this paper, a macro-scale, phenomenological constitutive model for shape memory alloys is used in conjunction with energy balance equations to study the evolution of temperature and deformation profiles seen in SMA wires under specific thermal and mechanical boundary conditions. The general, fully coupled thermo-mechanical problem is formulated and analytical solutions are determined for the decoupled case and limit cases. Results for two specific initial/boundarv value problems are presented here: 1) resistive heating of an SMA wire-initial detwinned martensite leads to strain recovery (contraction) on heating; 2) deformation wave in a semiinfinite, initially austenitic SMA wire cooled at the boundary-deformation zone propagates and expands as the wire transforms to martensite (expansion). In both cases, the region and extent of transformation is identified, indicating the magnitude of actuation obtained. Implications of the modeling for the active control of structures are discussed.


The effect of chirality on the structural stability of single-wall carbon nanotubes have been investigated by performing molecular-dynamics computer simulations. Calculations have been realized by using an empirical many-body potential energy function for carbon. It has been found that carbon nanotube in chiral structure is more stable under heat treatment relative to zigzag and armchair models. The diameter of the tubes is slightly enlarged under heat treatment.


In military operation or emergency response situations, very frequently a commander will need to assemble and dynamically manage Community of Interest (COI) mobile groups to achieve a critical mission assigned despite failure, disconnection or compromise of COI members. We combine the designs of COI hierarchical management for scalability and reconfigurability with COI dynamic trust management for survivability and intrusion tolerance to compose a scalable, reconfigurable, and survivable COI management protocol for managing COI mission-oriented mobile groups in heterogeneous mobile environments. A COI mobile group in this environment would consist of heterogeneous mobile entities such as communication-device-carried personnel/robots and aerial or ground vehicles operated by humans exhibiting not only quality of service (QoS) characters, e.g., competence and cooperativeness, but also social behaviors, e.g., connectivity, intimacy and honesty. A COI commander or a subtask leader must measure trust with both social and QoS cognition depending on mission task characteristics and/or trustee properties to ensure successful mission execution. In this paper, we present a dynamic hierarchical trust management protocol that can learn from past experiences and adapt to changing environment conditions, e.g., increasing misbehaving node population, evolving hostility and node density, etc. to enhance agility and maximize application performance. With trust-based misbehaving node detection as an application, we demonstrate how our proposed COI trust management protocol is resilient to node failure, disconnection and capture events, and can help maximize application performance in terms of minimizing false negatives and positives in the presence of mobile nodes exhibiting vastly distinct QoS and social behaviors.


A case of enormous Chiari's network in a 7-year-old girl is described. It formed a parachute or spinnaker-like sack which moved freely into the pulmonary artery causing mild pulmonic stenosis. The preoperative diagnosis was believed to be myxoma of the right ventricle. The real condition was recognized during the operation. This is the seventh reported case of correction of so-called cor triatriatum dextrum.


In this paper we establish the subelliptic Picone type identities. As consequences, we obtain Hardy and Rellich type inequalities for anisotropic p-sub- Laplacians which are operators of the form
$$ \mathcal{L}_p f := \sum_{i=1}^{N}X_i(|X_if|^{p_i-2}X_i f), \quad 1<p_i< \infty, $$
where $X_i, i=1,\ldots, N,$ are the generators of the first stratum of a stratified (Lie) group. Moreover, analogues of Hardy type inequalities with multiple singularities and many-particle Hardy type inequalities are obtained on stratified groups.


NiO(70 nm)/NiFeCo(5 nm)/Cu(2 nm)/NiFeCo(5 nm) spin-valve multilayers were prepared by electron beam evaporation. It is found that the magnetoresistive (MR) ratio of the as-deposited films is relatively small (about 1.6%) and there is no apparent biasing in MR curves of as-deposited multilayers due to weak exchange coupling. Through heat treatment at a proper temperature in a magnetic field, the exchange field of the materials increases and the multilayers show good exchange-biased spin-valve MR character with MR value reaching about 2.5%. The proper temperature range for annealing is 200-250° C. With further increasing temperature, MR ratio drops rapidly.


A conceptual stochastic model for rainfall, based on a Poisson-cluster process with rectangular pulses representing rain cells, is further developed. A method for deriving high-order moments is applied to obtain the third-moment function for the model. This is used with second-order properties to fit the model to January and July time-series taken from a site in Wellington, New Zealand. It is found that the parameter estimates may follow two solution paths converging on an optimum value over a bounded interval. The parameter estimates are used with the model to simulate 200 years of hourly data, and parametric tests used to compare simulated and observed extreme rainfalls. These show good agreement over a range of sampling intervals. The paper concludes with a discussion of the standard errors of the model parameter estimates which are obtained using a non-parametric bootstrap.


A technique was developed for measuring the Laminar Burning Velocity (LBV) of multi-component fuel blends for use in high-performance spark-ignition engines. This technique involves the use of a centrally-ignited spherical combustion chamber, and a complementary analysis code. The technique was validated by examining several single-component fuels, and the computational procedure was extended to handle multi-component fuels without requiring detailed knowledge of their chemical composition. Experiments performed on an instrumented high-speed engine showed good agreement between the observed heat-release rates of the fuels and their predicted ranking based on the measured LBV parameters.


As the problem of global warming and subsequent climate change becomes more and more pronounced, causing a lot of difficulties for the communities all over the world, and for the whole humankind as well, the need to focus on some of the aspects of such state off affairs arises among researchers and in the political discourse. Some of the problems that sprung out of the changes in our environment create the need for a new legal solutions, or the need to at least redefine the ones that are already set in place. One of such problems is the phenomenon of "climate refugees". Droughts, food insecurity, degradation of drinking water, rising sea levels, storm surges and infectious diseases, all of which could be linked (directly or indirectly) to the changes brought about by the global warming and all of those can be reasons that could force people out of their habitual homes in search of better living conditions, and even due to the need to save their health and life. Having that in mind, this article raises the issue of so called climate refugees, people displaced due to the negative changes taking place in the environment, which, based on scientific reports, may be related to the negative impact of a human activity, both of sudden and long-term occurrence. The text presents proposals for defining the discussed phenomenon and addresses the issue of the lack of an appropriate legal framework regulating the discussed topic in the UN and on the EU level.


The therapeutic alliance is central to couples and family therapy. Although the formal concept of therapeutic alliance has not been used widely within the family therapy field, virtually every prominent clinical theorist has addressed the importance of establishing and maintaining a positive therapeutic relationship with the family. The alliance in couples and family treatment differs from the alliance in individual psychotherapy in that the couples and family therapist must establish and maintain multiple alliances. They also must adopt a conceptual framework that accounts for the interactions within triangles or three-person systems, recognize the influence of the system operating on him or her, and appreciate how different models of family therapy define the position of the therapist in relation to the couple or family. An integrative review of the therapeutic alliance in couples and family therapy is followed by a discussion of problems in the therapeutic relationship. Two general clinical strategies for managing difficulties in the alliance then are illustrated through case vignettes.


In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), chronically stimulated T lymphocytes sustain tissue-destructive joint inflammation. Both naïve and memory T cells in RA are prematurely aged with accelerated loss of telomeres suggesting excessive proliferative pressure or inadequate telomeric maintenance. Upon stimulation, RA naïve CD4 T cells are defective in up-regulating telomerase activity (P < 0.0001) due to insufficient induction of the telomerase component human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT); T cell activation and cell cycle progression are intact. Telomerase insufficiency does not affect memory T cells or CD34 hematopoietic stem cells and is present in untreated patients and independent from disease activity. Knockdown of hTERT in primary human T cells increases apoptotic propensity (P = 0.00005) and limits clonal burst (P = 0.0001) revealing a direct involvement of telomerase in T cell fate decisions. Naïve RA CD4 T cells stimulated through the T cell receptor are highly susceptible to apoptosis, expanding to smaller clonal size. Overexpression of ectopic hTERT in naïve RA T cells conveys apoptotic resistance (P = 0.008) and restores proliferative expansion (P < 0.0001). Telomerase insufficiency in RA results in excessive T cell loss, undermining homeostatic control of the naive T cell compartment and setting the stage for lymphopenia-induced T cell repertoire remodeling. Restoring defective telomerase activity emerges as a therapeutic target in resetting immune abnormalities in RA.


In this work, we bridge the gap between recent pose estimation and tracking work to develop a powerful method for robots to track objects in their surroundings. Motion-Nets use a segmentation model to segment the scene, and separate translation and rotation models to identify the relative 6D motion of an object between two consecutive frames. We train our method with generated data of floating objects, and then test on several prediction tasks, including one with a real PR2 robot, and a toy control task with a simulated PR2 robot never seen during training. Motion-Nets are able to track the pose of objects with some quantitative accuracy for about 30-60 frames including occlusions and distractors. Additionally, the single step prediction errors remain low even after 100 frames. We also investigate an iterative correction procedure to improve performance for control tasks.


Psychology Division, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom Relatively little research has been carried out into female sex addiction. There is even less regarding understandings of lived experiences of sex addiction among females. Consequently, the purpose of the present study was to examine the experiences of female sex addiction (from onset to recovery). This was done by investigating the experiences and conceptualisations of three women who self-reported as having had a historical problem with sex addiction. An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) methodology was applied in the current research process in which three female participants shared their journey through the onset, progression, and recovery of sex addiction. The IPA produced five superordinate themes that accounted for the varying degrees of sexual addiction among a British sample of females: (1) "Focus on self as a sex addict"; (2) "Uncontrollable desire"; (3) "Undesirable feelings"; (4) "Derision"; and (5) "Self help, treatment and recovery". The implications of these findings towards the understanding and the need for the implementation of treatment are discussed.


A contour map is one of many layers that composed Informasi Geospasial Dasar (IGD), which according to Act. No 4 2011 serves as a reference for any thematic map. The provision of contour map at a different level of scale is needed since mapping activities will always refer to map scale based on the mapping area. This research aims to analyze automated contour generation quality to produce 1:50.000 contour map, by means of using open access Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data, such as Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) and Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Global Digital Elevation Model (GDEM).
The automated contour generation was done by using contour interpolation in Quantum GIS software. Furthermore, simplification and smoothing algorithm was applied to both data, in order to improve their visual appearance. In this case, there are four algorithms used in the study, namely Douglas-Peucker, Visvalingam, Chaikin, and McMaster. Quality assessment, both qualitative and quantitative assessment, was done to each derived contour map to ensure the applicability of the procedure.
The result shows that contour map generated from SRTM has a better quality than contour map generated from ASTER GDEM. Nevertheless, both data has a similar pattern on each topographical classes, which tends to produce bad quality contour line in the flat area. The more mountainous the area, the better the contour line. Meanwhile, of all generalization algorithm applied in this study, Chaikin's algorithm is the best algorithm in terms of smoothing the contour line and improving visual quality, but still doesn't significantly improved the metric accuracy. The contour line can be either directly added to the Digital Cartographic Model of Topographic Map (Rupabumi Map), or used as compliance data in a thematic map.


Traditional lecture-centered classrooms are being challenged by active learning hybrid curricula. In small graduate programs with limited resources and primarily non-traditional students, exploring how to use online technology to optimize the role of the professor in the classroom is imperative. However, very little research exists in this area. In this study, the use of short statistical computing video tutorials was explored using a pilot study in a small Public Health Program at the University of New Mexico. The videos were implemented in two Master's-level biostatistics courses and student perception of the videos was assessed using quantitative surveys and qualitative focus groups. The results from 16 survey respondents and 12 focus group participants are presented across the two courses. Viewing rates for the videos were high, with 15 out of 16 respondents reporting usually or always viewing the videos. Overall perception of the videos as a learning tool was positive, with 14 out of 16 respondents agreeing that the videos offer advantages to them. Two prominent themes emerged in our analysis: (1) the usability and convenience of the videos and (2) the deeper learning facilitated by having the videos available. We conclude that the short video tutorials were a useful learning tool in our study population.


We study numerically and analytically the role of Fabry‐Perot resonances in the transmission through a one‐dimensional finite array formed by two alternating dielectric slabs. The disorder consists in varying randomly the width of one type of layers while keeping constant the width of the other type. Our numerical simulations show that localization is strongly inhibited in a wide neighborhood of the Fabry‐Perot resonances. Comparison of our numerical results with an analytical expression for the average transmission, derived for weak disorder and finite number of cells, reveals that such expression works well even for medium disorder up to a certain frequency. Our results are valid for photonic and phononic one‐dimensional disordered crystals, as well as for semiconductor superlattices.


The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trust (NAREIT) has suggested that Net Income (NI) might not be the best measure of operating performance for income-producing real estate, since depreciation measurement based on historical cost is inappropriate for income-producing real estate. Thus, the NAREIT purposes Funds From Operation (FFO) as a supplemental measure for operating performance of income-producing real estate. In Taiwan, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are a relatively new type of income-producing real estate investment. Since the data on REITs in Taiwan is not yet sufficient, this work uses hotel, tourism and department store industries, or real estate operating firms (REOCs), as a proxy for a preliminary study of REITs in Taiwan. The empirical results show that using a model incorporating both NI and FFO understates the explanatory power of two variables, since multicollinearity occurs. Therefore, the current study separately estimates the information content of NI and FFO, finding that the explanatory power of NI is higher than that of FFO, though the forecasting ability of FFO is higher than that of NI. But the differences between the explanatory power and forecasting ability of NI and FFO are very small. The results show that NI and FFO are both informative for income-producing real estate in Taiwan.

Keywords: Net Income, Fund From Operation, Real Estate Investment Trusts


Herein, we provide the first record of Enyalius bilineatus for the Caatinga region, northeastern Brazil, and an updated distribution map based on literature and museum records. We collected two specimens of E. bilineatus at Serra do Barbado, northern region of the Espinhaco mountain ridge ("Chapada Diamantina" plateau complex), Bahia, Brazil. This new record extends the known geographic distribution of E. bilineatus 716 km, 462 km, and 590 km from the closest known localities in the southwest, southeast, and south, respectively.


There is a lack of enough attention to the patients' hand posture. When robots implement assistive training, patients are often asked to grip a handle tightly, which may induce strong hand muscle contractions with the hand at an abnormal posture. If we ignore proper control of the muscle tension of subject's hand, the flexibility of hand/fingers may decrease and the robot training may potentially cause abnormal muscle tone. On the other hand, since the patient's fingers are already in an abnormal posture, properly aligning the joint and making the robot easy to attach is important. However, an existing multi-DOF hand exoskeleton systems may be difficult for the patients to put it on. the purpose of this paper was to design a patient-friendly mechanism drive by a single motor and attached to the whole-arm rehab robot for the hand and finger opening and closing functions. Using our 8+2 DOF whole-arm robot including this hand opening and closing mechanism, a novel integrated rehabilitation is performed including 1) strenuous stretching of the MCP-thumb joints and other spastic joints of the upper limb; 2) active assistive exercise is provided to improve voluntary neuromuscular control by using robot-computer games with a griping task; 3) outcome evaluations including the cross-coupling torques between the fingers/thumb and the other joints during hand opening/closing and other upper limb movements.


A novel fabrication method of polymer tubes with simple operation process and high yield is presented. N,N'-methylene bisacrylamide (MBA) polymer microtubes are fabricated via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization using MBA self-assembled fibers as both the template and monomer source. The resulting products are characterized by SEM, TEM, FTIR, and element analysis. The mechanical properties of the gel-like product and the MBA organogel are measured by rheometer. The morphology of the polymer tubes obtained via RAFT polymerization is compared with the sample obtained via conventional radical polymerization. Based on the current investigations, the fabrication mechanism of this method is initially proposed.


It has been suggested that theory of mind may rely on several precursors including gaze processing, joint attention, the ability to distinguish between actions of oneself and others, and the ability to represent goal-directed actions. Some of these processes have been shown to be impaired in individuals with autism, who experience difficulties in theory of mind. However, little is known about action representation in autism. Using two variants of a spatial compatibility reaction time (RT) task, we addressed the question of whether high-functioning individuals with autism have difficulties in controlling their own actions and in representing those of others. Participants with autism showed automatic response activation and had no difficulties with response inhibition. When two action alternatives were distributed among pairs of participants, participants with autism represented a co-actor's task, showing the same pattern of results as the matched control group. We discuss the possibility that in high-functioning individuals with autism, the system matching observed actions onto representations of one's own actions is intact, whereas difficulties in higher-level processing of social information persist.