A system for security purposes comprising: - an inner structure that is accessible by a plurality of terminals, - wherein the system allows a measurement on the inner structure of the system by using a challenge signal comprising a plurality of input signals applied in parallel to the terminals and by receiving a response signal dependent on a setting of the challenge signal and dependent on the inner structure of the system, wherein - the system comprises at least two features of the group containing: > the ability to process non-binary input signals, > a bandwidth at the terminals and an information content ensuring a incomplete readout of the information content within a predefined access time period, > a spatial and/or logical disorder of the inner structure, > a non-linear relation between the input signals and output signals appearing at the terminals, and that - from the knowledge of a subset of the predefined settings and of associated response signals, the response signal associated with a particular setting outside the subset is not predictable with a probability higher than the probability for guessing the response signal.


In recent years, many new immunosuppressive drugs have been discovered and developed for clinical use in transplantation. This review focuses on those drugs (leflunomide, mycophenolate mofetil, sirolimus, tacrolimus) that have been shown to have immunosuppressive activity in patients. Different anti-interleukin-2 receptor antibodies are also reviewed as an example of a resurgence of development in the area of monoclonal antibodies. The price for reducing the incidence of allograft rejection by improved immunosuppression was thought to be a proportional increase in the incidence of infection and malignancy. Data from Phase III clinical trials of new immunosuppressants, however, show a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of acute rejection produced by these new drugs, which has not been accompanied by increases in infection and malignancy rates. The wide array of new drugs offers the opportunity to use combinations that block different pathways of immune activation while at the same time selecting drug combinations with nonoverlapping toxicity profiles so that doses of each single drug can be reduced below toxicity levels. The immunosuppressive therapy for patients can be tailored according to their individual needs.


Abstract While recent years have witnessed increasing attention to technology-enhanced language learning, investigation regarding how technologies facilitate digital storytelling outcomes among middle school students in English-as-a-foreign-language contexts remains insufficiently explored. Studies concerning the effects of different presentation modes such as anthropomorphized robots versus PowerPoint on digital storytelling outcomes have been insufficient, and specific probes into affective domains such as emotion, grit, and perceptions have been even scarcer. The interplay between these issues, therefore, has yet to be validated. This mixed-methods study, accordingly, addresses these concerns by examining not only the relationship among digital storytelling outcomes, emotions, and grit in different presentation modes (Robot vs. PowerPoint), but also student perceptions. Focusing on 52 ninth-grade middle school students from a middle school in central Taiwan, the results from diverse data sources (pre-/post-tests, an questionnaire about emotions, a grit survey, a perception survey, and reflective journals) identified the benefits of both presentation modes. Nonetheless, the robot-assisted mode was more advantageous in making the learners grittier and led to higher storytelling outcomes as well as more positive affect. Storytelling outcomes were strongly and positively correlated with grit, including perseverance of effort and consistency in interests. Nonetheless, perseverance of effort was the best predictor of storytelling outcomes in the experimental group, suggesting higher perseverance of effort for better storytelling outcomes. In terms of student perceptions, the robot-assisted group using Kebbi Air was more positive about the overall learning experience, as demonstrated by higher responses to motivation, effectiveness, engagement, and satisfaction.


This book offers both a practical as well a theoretical approach to Solvent Microextraction (SME) and will help analytical chemists to evaluate SME for a given sample preparation. Introductory chapters overview a comparison of SME with other sample preparation methods, a summary of the technical aspects, and a detailed theoretical treatment of SME. The book then describes the practical aspects of the technique, with detailed "how to" chapters devoted to the preparation and analysis of atmospheric, solid and liquid environmental, clinical and industrial samples. This text will serve as both a handy laboratory desk-reference and an indispensible instructional tool.


BACKGROUND
In type 2 diabetic patients without retinopathy the cause of albuminuria is heterogeneous and our knowledge of the relationship between kidney structure and function in these patients is limited. Therefore, a long-term study evaluating the structural-functional relationship in albuminuric type 2 diabetic patients without retinopathy was performed.

METHODS
Mesangial volume of total glomerular volume (Vv (mes/glom)), fractional area of focal interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy of cortical area (FF) and percentage of sclerosed glomeruli (S/G) were measured on kidney biopsies from 49 type 2 diabetic patients without retinopathy. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was determined at least 3 times (median 8 (range 3-20)) in each patient. Patients were followed for 7.0 (1.1-17) years. Albuminuria and blood pressure were measured every 3-6 months.

RESULTS
Biopsies revealed diabetic glomerulopathy (DG-group) in 69% of the patients (27 male/7 female) and normal glomerular structure (n=9) or glomerulonephritis (n=6) were found in 31% (13 male/2 female) (NDG-group). In the DG-group GFR decreased from 97+/-5 to 66+/-5 ml/min/1.73 m(2) (mean+/-SE) (P<0.001), with a rate of decline in GFR of 5.3+/-0.8 ml/min/year and in the NDG-group from 93+/-7 to 74+/-11 ml/min/1.73 m(2) (P<0.01), with a rate of decline in GFR of 3.2+/-0.9 ml/min/year, P=0.09 between groups. Mean arterial blood pressure decreased from 109+/-2 to 100+/-2 mm Hg (P<0.001) (DG-group) and remained unchanged in the NDG-group. An association between Vv (mes/glom) and rate of decline in GFR was revealed mainly in the NDG-group (DG-group; r=0.31, P=0.07 and NDG-group; r=0.74, P<0.01). Furthermore, the rate of decline in GFR seemed to be associated with FF in the NDG group (r=0.48, P=0.07). Percentage of S/G was not associated with the rate of decline in GFR. Vv (mes/glom) was associated with mean albuminuria during follow-up in the DG group; r=0.38, P<0.03 (NDG group; r=0.51, P=0.09). Albuminuria was an independent predictor of the rate of decline in GFR in both groups (DG-group; r=0.40, P<0.05 and NDG-group; r=0.61, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS
Our study revealed a tendency to a faster rate of decline in GFR in the DG-group compared to the much smaller NDG-group, characterized by marked heterogeneity of the underlying kidney lesions and rate of GFR loss. A large mesangial volume fraction was associated with increased albuminuria and loss in GFR. Albuminuria acted as a progression promoter in both groups.


HBT-based millimeter-wave square-law power detectors exhibit high power readout uncertainties, typically in the range of ±5 dB, related to process and temperature variations. High uncertainty is unacceptable when the detector is used for built-in self-test purposes. To overcome this drawback, we propose a new calibration procedure based on an analysis of the process and temperature-dependent terms in the detector output voltage equation. Unlike previous approaches, the proposed procedure has minimal area overhead while dealing with both temperature and process variation. The calibration procedure is verified experimentally along with process corner and Monte Carlo simulations. We show that the proposed approach is able to entirely remove the limitation of the dynamic range (DR) for low inputs caused by mismatch. After calibration, the power prediction error in the DR is within ±1 dB, an accuracy improvement of at least 4 dB.


Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is one of major causes of mortality in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). GVHD prophylaxis for HLA matched sibling BMT is widely done by methotrexate and/or cyclosporine. More intensive modalities are necessary for HLA mismatched related or HLA matched unrelated BMT; T cell depletion, ALG/ATG in preconditioning or following BMT and FK-506 with short term methotrexate are currently used with certain success. Moderate to severe GVHD may develop despite of these preventions, and standard to high dose of steroid with or without ALG/ATG is currently used as the first line therapy. GVHD, however, is an important component to cure malignant diseases through its anti-tumor effect called graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect. Several attempts have been made to induce mild to moderate GVHD both in allogeneic and in autologous BMT; low dose of cyclosporine, IL-2, ubenimex and donor buffy coat or peripheral lymphocyte transfusion are shown to be effective with some limitation.


When solving complex and critical decision problems involving several aspects, collecting decision-maker (DM) preferences remains a delicate issue. Indirect parameter identification procedures are more adequate in such situations than procedures consisting to ask directly the DM to provide preferences. In the case of methods based on additive models such as MACBETH, disaggregation procedures are implemented to handle this problem. In case of sophisticated non-additive model, e.g. Choquet integral based fuzzy measure, most of the existing indirect procedures assume a 2-additive fuzzy measure and the DM is asked to change her/his preferences if they do not match this model. This paper proposes an approach to determine preferences model that achieves a trade-off between model sophistication and the fastidious MACBETH questioning procedure when considering interactions between more than two attributes. First, it proposes a practical approach to solve a real case of multiple criteria decision problem while considering sophistical model of preferences. On one hand, particular binary alternatives are selected for a first questioning procedure to determine the fuzzy measure parameters. In order to make the later procedure as simple as possible to handle, some simplifications are introduced to reduce both the amount of information and the cognitive effort requested from the DM. Our proposition consists in fixing several non-linear optimization problems until reaching the first k for which the k-additive fuzzy measure match the DM preferences. On the other hand, starting from a decision matrix and the answers to a second questioning procedure, value functions are determined. The second contribution is a theoretical one and consists in proving the existence of a k-additive fuzzy measure matching the DM preferences. Finally, the approach is applied to a real world case that concerns the comparison of some electrical and thermal vehicles regarding their environmental impacts.


This tutorial reviews technologies towards terabit transport: Increase of bitrate per channel by higher symbol rate or higher number of bit per symbol, alternatively superchannel application consisting of non-overlapping or overlapping sub-channels contributing to increased spectral efficiency.


Background: Orthotic treatment of idiopathic toe walking is complicated by the lack of a known etiology. This study compared control of toe walking using an articulated ankle–foot orthosis versus a rigid carbon fiber footplate attached to a foot orthosis. Objectives: Ascertain differences between two orthoses in the control of idiopathic toe walking. Study design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: A total of 18 children with idiopathic toe walking were randomized to either the ankle–foot orthosis or foot orthosis treatment group in a Parallel Randomized Controlled Trial with no blinding. Prior to and after 6 weeks of treatment, participants completed three-dimensional gait assessment and the L-test of Functional Mobility. Parents completed a satisfaction survey and a subset of the Orthotic and Prosthetic User Survey after treatment. Results: Nine participants were analyzed in each group. Both groups showed significant improvement in kinematics versus baseline with orthoses; however, when the orthoses were removed, the ankle–foot orthosis group did not immediately sustain this improvement, while the foot orthosis group did. Parents preferred the foot orthosis for donning and appearance. Conclusion: The ankle–foot orthosis controls idiopathic toe walking, but subjects may revert to earlier patterns following treatment. The foot orthosis does not control idiopathic toe walking as well but is less restrictive and more accepted by children and their parents, with similar out-of-brace effects. Clinical relevance This study suggests that sequential orthotic treatment for children with idiopathic toe walking (ITW) may be beneficial. Initial treatment could include a less restrictive orthosis like a foot orthosis (FO); if this is unsuccessful within a set time frame, then the patient may require a more restrictive form of treatment such as an ankle–foot orthosis (AFO).


Whether gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) indexes in patients with severe periodontitis affect the efficacy of drug treatment was a new direction of recent research. At present, there were few studies on the effects of inflammatory indicators, BGP, and MMP-8 levels in GCF on the efficacy of drug treatment in such patients. So the purpose of this study was to observe the changes in osteocalcin (BGP), matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8), and inflammatory indexes levels in GCF of patients with severe periodontitis. The correlation between the above indexes and the effect of drug treatment in the patients was analyzed, in order to provide guidance for improving the clinical curative effect of severe periodontitis. A retrospective analysis was conducted to collect the baseline data of patients with severe periodontitis who were treated with Minocycline Hydrochloride Ointment in our hospital. The inflammatory indicators, BGP, and MMP-8 levels in GCF were analyzed before drug treatment, and the treatment effect on the patients was counted. Logistic regression was used to analyze the correlation between BGP, MMP-8, and inflammatory indicators levels in GCF and the drug treatment effect on the patients. After statistical analysis, we found that the response rate was 69% and the inefficiency was 31%. There were no significant differences in C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels between the inefficacy group and efficacy group (P > 0.05). Compared with the efficacy group, the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-8 (IL-8), BGP, and MMP-8 were increased in the inefficacy group. High levels of IL-6, IL-1β, IL-8, BGP, and MMP-8 were associated with ineffective drug treatment in patients with severe periodontitis (all OR >1 and P < 0.05). Levels of IL-6, IL-1β, IL-8, BGP, and MMP-8 predicted that the AUCs of drug treatment failure in patients with severe periodontitis were all greater than 0.7, which were 1.398, 1.458, 1.244, 1.012, and 1.012, respectively. From this, we can conclude that increased levels of BGP, MMP-8, and inflammatory indicators such as IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-8 in GCF would increase the risk of ineffective drug treatment in patients with severe periodontitis. The clinical treatment plan could be adjusted according to the levels of the above indicators in GCF to improve the effectiveness of drug treatment in patients.


This study investigated interactions between the internal-external wave field of a permeable coastal structure consisting of rubble. The study examined the application criteria of an existing numerical model (CADMAS-SURF V.4.0) and proposed a modified method to provide reasonable results. In particular, the study focused on and emphasized the water surface profiles in front of a structure, wave run-up/run-down on a slope, and internal water level fluctuations due to the drag coefficient and porosity of a rubble mound structure. In conclusion, the result show that when the vertical fluctuations of the internal water levels in permeable coastal structures exhibited high-quality representation. Sane responses can be seen for wave run-up/run-down characteristics on its slopes.


Construction procedures produce disruptive effects on human and natural environments. Adverse impacts can be minimized best by environmentally sensitive planning and responsive designs. Construction project personnel are the last line of defense for environmental engineering. Demonstrated concern and open communication with the public alleviates apprehension for inconvenience and damage resulting from construction. Uniform national standards for environmental protection would enable the construction equipment industry to produce universally acceptable machines and contractors to bid work with confidence.


Objective. The present study aims at reviewing the main publications on the use of macrolides as immunomodulators in patients with noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. Source of Data. The Medline database was our source of data for this research carried out until June 2011, using the key words: macrolides and bronchiectasis, while searching for original articles and reviews. Summary of Data. Seven clinical studies that evaluated the action of the macrolides in patients with bronchiectasis were found. There was the sputum volume, reduction in pulmonary exacerbation frequency, and in the use of antimicrobial treatment, in addition to pulmonary function improvement. Conclusions. Anti-inflammatory action and immunomodulatory effects can be attributed to macrolides when administered in low doses and on the long term. This use has been well established both in diffuse panbronchiolitis and in cystic fibrosis. Evidence indicates possible benefits in bronchiectasis. Future studies are needed, though, to establish the ideal dose and treatment duration and to understand the implications in the generation of microbial resistance. "When patients have bacteria that are resistant to all antibiotics, prescribe erythromycin, leave them on it for a long time, and they will do much better" Dr. Harry Shwachman, 1950


We investigate numerically the shape of cracks obtained in hydraulic fracturing at constant pressure using a square lattice beam model with disorder. We consider the case in which only beams under tension can break, and discuss the conditions under which the resulting cracks may develop fractal patterns. We also determine the opening volume of the crack and the elastic stress field in the bulk, quantities which are accessible experimentally.


Background: Oral xylitol products have been labeled as a caries preventive measure; however, their use is still limited. This study aims to summarize the evidence on the effectiveness of xylitol-containing products in dental caries prevention with a focus on dental caries as the primary outcome rather than other pseudo outcomes. Materials and Methods: A structured literature search was conducted to identify the studies related to the efficiency of products containing xylitol for the prevention of caries. The literature search was conducted through the following databases: Medline, PubMed (Central), SCOPUS, Web of Science (WoS), Open Grey, and the Cochrane Library and included papers published between 1966 and March 2020. Fixed- and random-effect models were used to obtain pooled estimates through meta-analysis. Results: Evidence-based results of this study showed that xylitol is easily available in the form of various products, but clinically tested products are few in markets. The literature review has also concluded that the most effective xylitol product in caries prevention was (100%) xylitol, chewed or consumed three to five times per day, after meals with a total dose of 5–10 g of xylitol per day. Products included xylitol-containing lozenges, candies, and chewing gum, foods based on xylitol, and xylitol-containing toothpaste and mouth rinse. Results showed that xylitol-containing products significantly prevented caries compared with the other (control) non-xylitol products. Pooled estimates using the combined fixed and random effects of standardized mean difference were −0.099 [95% confidence interval (CI): −0.149, −0.049] and −0.089 (95% CI: −2.04, 0.026), respectively. Conclusion: This review concluded that xylitol should be part of an overall strategy to decrease and prevent dental caries. Dosage and frequency should be considered strictly when prescribing xylitol as a caries preventive measure.


To the Editor:— The renal arteries typically arise between the midportion of the first lumbar vertebral body and the upper third of the second. 1-4 Variations of approximately one vertebral body in either direction are well known. To the best of our knowledge, only one case of a single renal artery is reported arising above the level of the 12th thoracic vertebra, 5 accompanied by a normal contralateral renal artery. In the present case, single right renal artery arose at the level of the 11th thoracic vertebra, with agenesis of the left kidney, the only example reported so far as we know. Report of a Case.— A 40-year-old Negro woman entered the hospital for investigation of discomfort of several weeks' duration in the left lower quaddrant of the abdomen. Intravenous urography demonstrated a normal right kidney and collecting system; however, the left kidney was not visualized. Cystoscopic examination and retrograde


This book is a record of the life work of a recently retired and decorated U.S. Geological Survey geologist, Donald A. Singer, who addresses a topic that is of primary interest and importance to mining and exploration companies, but also to many other decision makers, many of whom may not be directly connected to Earth sciences, e.g., land-use planners, investment bankers, and politicians.

The title is a little misleading as one may think that the book may be about a numerical approach to estimating the contained value of specific, already identified, and proven mineral resources, but it is rather about predicting what mineral resources are out there waiting to be discovered, in so-called "permissive tracts" of land. The title would have been more complete if it had included the phrase "undiscovered mineral resources."

The core idea presented is that there is a predictable distribution of mineral deposits in terms of type, location, size (tonnage), grade (contained metal content), and number. Compilations of minerals deposits by type (or model, e.g. porphyry copper or Kuroko-type) are used define distributions (in a statistical sense) of deposits in terms of grade and tonnage. This forms the first part of the "Three-part Mineral Assessment" methodology developed by the senior author for the USGS. The other two are the mineral resource map and the estimated number of undiscovered deposits.

The authors state in the preface that this book was written mostly for users or practitioners of assessments. As a non-user and non-practitioner I found the style and flow of the book and methodology somewhat confusing and irritating, and that I had to resort frequently to other published sources to find the reasoning and logic about statements made in the text, and in many …


Our Final Hour A Scientist's Warning; How Terror, Error, and Environmental Disaster Threaten Humankind's Future in This Century--On Earth and Beyond. by Martin Rees. Basic Books (Perseus), New York, 2003. 238 pp. $25, C$39. ISBN 0-465-06862-6. Our Final Century The 50/50 Threat to Humanity's Survival. by Martin Rees. William Heinemann, London, 2003. 238 pp. £17.99. ISBN 0-434-00809-5. Exploring reasons why the prospects for human survival on Earth may be dire, Rees provides a calm consideration of apocalyptic scenarios that science and technology have made possible.


The paper describes a knowledge-based framework for the modelling and simulation of hybrid systems and its implementation in the G2 Expert System tool. The approach is based on three key notions : a hybrid model base, hybrid simulation, and interactions between dissimilar model elements. The hybrid model base is a repository of model building paradigms, including Grafcets, equations, rules, and object-orientation. Hybrid simulation is based on the concurrent execution of the G2 continuous simulator, a Grafcet simulator, and the G2 inference engine. The three simulators exchange information through interactions which are dynamically created during a simulation. Interactions are modelled as notional objects with attributes specifying the variables and variable types involved in the exchange of information. This represents a form of causality between the source and receptor variables. The approach is illustrated by applying it to the modelling and simulation of a rolling mill.


RATIONALE, AIMS, AND OBJECTIVES
The way in which care providers describe incapacitated elderly people is not without implications. The different ways in which they describe their patients-client, patient, or a sick human being-have consequences for their relationships with these patients and the decision-making processes. The aim of this study is to use insights from complexity thinking to understand the dynamic relations between various patient descriptions in decision-making.

METHOD
We conducted a retrospective qualitative empirical study. Health care professionals were interviewed on how their decisions with the families of the patients were made during the course of the patients' illness. Transcriptions of interviews with physicians, residential practitioners, nurses, and head nurses were made regarding their contribution to the decision-making process. Methodologies of complexity thinkers can be helpful to not articulate the implications of individual patient descriptions, but also their interrelationships.

RESULTS
Instead of reducing their patients with the logic of the market to clients or with the logic of medicine to patients, health care providers learn in an emergent dialogic encounter to care for them as sick persons.

CONCLUSIONS
Shared-decision-making favours the involvement of patients and their families in decision-making. However, due to a domination of the logic of the market and the logic of medicine, decision-making is problematic. As professional mediators, health care providers learn, however, to balance client demands, medical perspectives, and embodied dialogic care in decision-making for voiceless patients.


UNLABELLED
AIM; Revealing the level and significance of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in the normobiocenosis and disbacteriosis of mucosal microflora in the osophagogastroduodenal zone.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Qualitative and quantitative composition of the mucosal microflora was defined in biopsy specimens from different parts of oesophagus, stomach and duodenum in addition to clinical and histological examination in 50 healthy volunteers, 106 ulcer duodenum patients, 24 patients with gastric ulcer, 36 with chronic gastritis and 24 with chronic oesophagitis.

RESULTS
H. pyloril is involved into normomicrobiocenosis of the mocosal microbiota and take part of main defensive function of gastroduodenal tract. Excerbation of peptic ulcer, chronic gastritis and oesophagitis is accompanied with the reduction H. pylori in most cases, though the scar formation occurs both with and without presence of H. pylori.

CONCLUSION
The colonization of the oesophagogastroduodenal zone by H. pylori has no infection process and play the independent role in the development of the ulcer disease, gastritis and oesophagitis and does not require the eradication.


Fracture mechanics analysis for cracked pipes is essential for applying the leak-before-break (LBB) concept to nuclear piping design. For LBB assessment, crack instability and leak rate should be predicted accurately for through-wall cracked pipes. In a nuclear piping system, elbows are connected with straight pipes by circumferential welding; this weld region is often considered a critical location. Hence, accurate crack assessment is necessary for cracks in the interface between elbows and straight pipes. In this study, the stress intensity factor (SIF) and elastic crack opening displacement (COD) were estimated through detailed 3D elastic finite element (FE) analyses. Based on the results, closed-form solutions of shape factors for calculating the SIFs and elastic CODs were proposed for circumferential through-wall cracks in the abovementioned interfaces under internal pressure. In addition, the effect of the elbow on shape factors was investigated by comparing the results with the existing solutions for a straight pipe.


Using the case of Swiss video journalists as an example this article examines how the structure-agency problem is reflected in the professional practice of contemporary news production. The trend in journalism and in news work in general is reportedly towards declining autonomy and increasing workplace alienation, hastened by the introduction of new production technologies. Evidence from a study of Swiss video journalists suggests that the impact of such change may not have the anticipated, wholly negative, consequences for news workers. The article concludes by suggesting that while it is difficult to see video journalists as skilled strategists contesting control in the increasingly market-oriented environment, neither can they be readily characterized as victims of commercialism enjoying little workplace autonomy. These extremes may exist among journalists as a whole, but the evidence indicates that professional practice in the world of the video journalist is the product of both the structure of their employment and their individual agency.


Abstract
The major aim of this study is appraising the rate of rural entrepreneur's success in Isfahan province. The techniques of survey research such as direct observation and interviewing as well as structured questionnaire have been used for gathering appropriate data. For analyzing of the data Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Factor Analysis were applied. After primary study, based on the defined factors (indicators and indexes) 65 entrepreneurs were identified. Softwares, which have been used in this survey, are SPSS (the 11.5 version), Expert choice and Excel. Results showed that Innovation, establishment of internal units and the growth indicators can assess the rate of rural Entrepreneurs' success clearly. Also 80 percent of the rural Entrepreneurs in this survey have been allocated the middle to high successful rate.

Key words: Rural entrepreneurs, success, Multiple Attribute Analysis, Analytical Hierarchical Analysis (AHP), Factor analysis


Title Verification of practical effectiveness of various applications of electrochemical chloride extractions for cement concrete [an abstract of dissertation and a summary of dissertation review] Author(s) Nguyen, Thi Hai Yen Citation 北海道大学. 博士(工学) 甲第12463号 Issue Date 2016-09-26 Doc URL http://hdl.handle.net/2115/63417 Rights(URL) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.1/jp/ Type theses (doctoral abstract and summary of review) Additional Information There are other files related to this item in HUSCAP. Check the above URL. File Information Nguyen_Thi_Hai_Yen__abstract.pdf (論文内容の要旨)


BACKGROUND
Diseases of the ocular surface very frequently seen are related to irregularities of wetting. Patients often have complaints and feeling of ill-health, although under symptomatic therapy. Tolerability of the tear substitutes plays a key role in these cases. It is improved with unpreserved medication.

METHOD
59 patients with 'dry eye condition' of various etiology were enrolled in an open multicentre study and treated 8 weeks with a new preservative-free tear substitute. All patients had a history of previous ineffective treatment with artificial tears. The product was formulated with polyvidone and electrolytes in a composition which resembles natural tears. The therapeutic effect was evaluated by ratings of patients' self assessment of their complaints, tear film break up time (BUT), Schirmer I test, visual acuity, biomicroscopic examination and physicians' assessment.

RESULTS
Based on the key criteria patients's self assessment and BUT, the new agent (Oculotect fluid sine) improved symptoms and reduced discomfort significantly compared with the previous treatment (paired t test, two-sided, level of significance p < or = 0.05). The improved condition was confirmed by the other findings taken.

CONCLUSION
In 4/5 of patients, as typically met in ophthalmologists' offices, whose complaints were insufficiently relieved by previously applied tear substitutes, treatment with the new preservative-free product resulted in a distinct improvement of their condition. The lack of preservatives contributed to better tolerability and acceptance of tear substitution.


OBJECTIVE
To explore the effects of total flavonoids of Hippophae rhamnoides L. (TFH), quercetin (Que) and isorhamnetin (Isor) on the intracellular free calcium ([Ca(2+)](i)) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY).

METHODS
Fluo 3-acetoxymethylester (Fluo-3/AM) was used to observe the effects of TFH (100 mg/L) and its essential monomers, namely Que (10(-4) mol/L) and Isor (10(-4) mol/L) on changes of [Ca(2+)](i) in cultured SHR and WKY VSMC (abbr. to Ca-SHR & Ca-WKY) following exposure to high K(+), norepinephrine (NE) and angiotensin II (Ang II), and to compare with the effects of verapamil (Ver).

RESULTS
(1) TFH, Que and Isor had inhibitory effects on resting Ca-SHR (P < 0.05), but had no significant effects on Ca-WKY (P > 0.05). (2) High K(+) could increase Ca-SHR more significantly than Ca-WKY (P < 0.05); TFH, Que and Isor could inhibit the elevation of [Ca(2+)](i) induced by high K(+)-depolarization, with the effects similar to that of Ver, and the effect on Ca-SHR was more significant than that on Ca-WKY (P < 0.05). (3) NE and Ang II could increase Ca-SHR more significantly than Ca-WKY (P < 0.05), TFH, Que and Isor had remarkably inhibitory effect on the elevation of Ca-SHR and Ca-WKY induced by NE or Ang II. (4) In the absence of extracellular Ca(2+), TFH, Que and Isor also had certain inhibitory effect on Ca-SHR and Ca-WKY induced by NE, and the effect on the former was more significant than that on the latter (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION
TFH, Que and Isor might decrease the levels of [Ca(2+)](i) in VSMCs by blocking both voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDC) and receptor-operated calcium channels (ROC) in physiological or pathological state, which may be one of the important mechanisms of their hypotensive and protective effects on target organs in patients with hypertension.


The physician's role is continually changing and is sure to undergo significant changes in the near future. Among many other disruptive forces, healthcare continues to become more team- and technology-based. The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to be an important turning point for the medical profession. One current issue in healthcare is physicians experiencing moral distress due to conflicts between their duty as employees and their ultimate duty to patients. Other imminent changes are coming due to incorporation of technology, in particular, artificial intelligence and telehealth. These changes can be met through the process of lifelong learning, which entails a commitment to continually improve our knowledge and skills to deliver a high standard of care.


IgG4-related disease (Mikulicz disease) was first reported by Mikulicz in 1892 in a case of a man with bilateral swelling of the lachrymal, parotid, and submandibular glands. However, since Morgan and Castleman examined the pathological features of what they called Mikulicz disease in the 1950s, Mikulicz disease's been considered as a part of Sjögren's syndrome. In 2000, Tsubota et al. reported the difference in salivary gland destruction patterns between Mikulicz disease and Sjögren's syndrome, and explained the clinical differences of each disease. In 2004, Yamamoto et al. reported that the serum IgG4 level is extremely elevated in Mikulicz disease patients. The concept of a systemic IgG4-related syndrome came with the recognition of autoimmune pancreatitis, in which Hamano et al. reported in 2001 that the serum IgG4 level was elevated. Since that time, Mikulicz disease has been considered as a part of a systemic IgG4-related syndrome. We report herein on the case of a man who came to our institute in 2001 with bilateral swelling of the submandibular glands. We initially suspected malignant lymphoma and some other diseases, but during the long course of more investigations and follow-up, we finally diagnosed the condition as IgG4-related disease (Mikulicz disease).


Mahal is a linear village settlement situated about 0.5 km from an open waste‐water drain, the Tung Dhab drain, which carries effluents from local industrial sites. Villagers generally have a low‐to‐middle socio‐economic status and use ground water or a combination of ground water and tap water for drinking and for their other daily activities. The land in and around Mahal is used for agriculture and is irrigated by water from the Tung Dhab. The drain water contains heavy metals, and there is a possibility that these and other contaminants may reach the ground water table of Mahal and thereby compromise the health of the residents. The comet assay was performed on peripheral blood lymphocytes from Mahal villagers and revealed statistically significant increases in DNA damage as compared to a control group that does not use ground water. DNA damage was also significantly related to the age of the villagers and to the length of residence in the village. In the absence of other environmental exposures, it is concluded that the elevated DNA damage in the villagers is a consequence of continuous utilization of contaminated ground water. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 43:235–242, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


We prove that optimal lower eigenvalue estimates of Zhong-Yang type as well as a Cheng-type upper bound for the first eigenvalue hold on closed manifolds assuming only a Kato condition on the negative part of the Ricci curvature. This generalizes all earlier results on $L^p$-curvature assumptions. Moreover, we introduce the Kato condition on compact manifolds with boundary with respect to the Neumann Laplacian, leading to Harnack estimates for the Neumann heat kernel and lower bounds for all Neumann eigenvalues, what provides a first insight in handling variable Ricci curvature assumptions in this case.


The compound K2[SnBi] was prepared by reaction of stoichiometric amounts of the elements in graphitized quartz ampoules. K2[SnBi] crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, space group Pbcm (No 57), Z = 4, with a = 680,4(3), b = 1339,(4) and c = 649,9(3) pm. The crystal structure of K2[SnBi] is characterized by folded infinite 1∞[SnBi] zigzag chains of alternating Sn and Bi atoms. The chains are bent at each Bi atom, the Sn atoms are located at the fold of the chain. Apart from the two covalent Sn-Bi bonds, each Sn atom has two additional collinear Sn-Sn contacts in direction of the fold of the chain which in terms of partial bonds can be assigned a bond order of one half. The repeating unit of the chain [Sn2Bi2]4− is strongly related to the isoelectronic butterfly [Si4]6− in Ba3Si4.


The assessment of students' learning results has not been fully implemented. Whereas, the importance of assessing students is to find out the development of learning abilities in solving problems, but many obstacles are still faced by educators at SMAN (high school) 5, SMAN (high school)15, and SMAN (high school) 16 Bandar Lampung. This study aims to produce a valid product and determine the feasibility of construction, substance, and language. Sugiyono's research design development model was divided into (1) potential and problem, (2) data collection, (3) product design, (4) design validation, (5) design revision. The product is valid because the expert validator accepts the instrument in terms of both content and format, including instrument outline, learning scenario, rubric, and scoring guideline. The construction aspect score was 3.59 while the substance aspect score was 3.56, and the language aspect score was 3.58. The validation test result meets very sufficient quality criteria. Therefore, the product performance assessment instrument to measure problem-solving skills in physics inquiry-based learning of senior high school students can be used.


Comprehensive patient education is required to provide the patient with the self management skills necessary to achieve good glycemic control. In order to convey the importance of patient education, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) has labeled self-management education as the corner stone therapy for the patient with diabetes. Previous research has shown that patient education adds value to diabetes management and that specific interventions aimed at improving patient knowledge can improve diabetes control. Many patients who have had diabetes for several years do not know exactly how diabetes affects the foot. Patients with less formal education have less knowledge of diabetes and this is usually more common in women. When patients are evaluated on their knowledge about diabetes, those who attend education programs seem to have a better knowledge than the non-attenders. The value of patient education is evident from research demonstrating that patients who never received diabetes education are at increased risk of a major complication. The basic objectives in the handling of type-2 diabetes mellitus patients are reaching normal metabolic control and preventing complications. Intensive efforts to increase awareness among health professionals and diabetic individuals to improve diabetes management through education are urgently needed as it provides a useful benchmark to plan future strategies in diabetes care.


Background Health care system in Tanzania is overburdened by increasing number of patients in need of palliative care due to patient and family denial of diagnosis which result into late starting of treatment, AIDS pandemic and few treatment and psychosocial facilities which result into death. St. Lucia Nursing Home is doing home visits to identify patients in their homes the team is working with trained community health volunteers through developed home based care checklist to identify needs of the patients with life threatening illness and refer patients to the appropriate service providers. Aim To identify readily available resources within the community based activities which are focused on provision of component of palliative care issues of death, dying and end of life care. Methods Mapping of service providers, data collection and analysis, organisational audit and semi structured in depth interview was done. Results 450 patients with chronic illness were identified and visited from September 2013–September 2014, mostly suffered from cancer and HIV/AIDS. The needs were identified by the palliative care team and initiated referrals to appropriately service providers to meet their physical, social, psychological, and spiritual pain needs. A monthly stakeholder meeting is organised to share patients experience and capacity building offered based on the needs. Discussion In low resource settings few organisations can offer comprehensive palliative care services. Conclusion Integration of community and professional markedly improves access to palliative care services for patients while Referral and networking enhance quality of care in resource limited settings.


The equations of the Hartree and Hartree-Fock formulations for a perturbed atomic system are discussed. It is pointed out that there are two alternative procedures, one of which is correct to first order in the error of the unperturbed wave function, but not the other, and explicit expressions are written down for the error in the derived perturbed energies in the two cases. A quantitative assessment of the accuracy of the two procedures is provided by the calculation of the dipole and quadrupole polarizabilities of helium, a variation-iteration method being used to solve the relevant equations.


While a listener may derive semantic associations for audio clips from direct auditory cues (e.g., hearing "bass guitar") as well as from "context" (e.g., inferring "bass guitar" in the context of a "rock" song), most state-of-the-art systems for automatic music annotation ignore this context. Indeed, although contextual relationships correlate tags, many auto-taggers model tags independently. This paper presents a novel, generative approach to improve automatic music annotation by modeling contextual relationships between tags. A Dirichlet mixture model (DMM) is proposed as a second, additional stage in the modeling process, to supplement any auto-tagging system that generates a semantic multinomial (SMN) over a vocabulary of tags when annotating a song. For each tag in the vocabulary, a DMM captures the broader context the tag defines by modeling tag co-occurrence patterns in the SMNs of songs associated with the tag. When annotating songs, the DMMs refine SMN annotations by leveraging contextual evidence. Experimental results demonstrate the benefits of combining a variety of auto-taggers with this generative context model. It generally outperforms other approaches to modeling context as well.


Summary. Boar spermatozoa fertilized only a small proportion of the follicular and ovulated eggs that were transferred into the uterus of artificially inseminated gilts. The possibility that spermatozoa had entered the oviduct or were influenced by tubal secretions before penetration cannot be excluded. Sperm penetration in utero was not observed when oviducts were ligated at the uterotubal junction before transferring eggs into the uterus.


Abstract. In order to determine whether increased plasma free fatty acid (FFA) levels inhibit glucose utilization in man, glucose metabolism was studied in 8 normal subjects both under basal conditions and during experimental elevations of plasma FFA concentrations induced by the administration of high fat meals and heparin. A primed constant infusion of 1‐14C‐glucose was used to measure the rate of turnover, the fractional removal rate and the rate of oxidation of plasma glucose under both experimental conditions. Elevations of FFA levels (+117%) were accompanied by a 9% reduction in both the fractional removal rate of glucose and the hepatic glucose production so that glycaemia remained unchanged. The % glucose converted to CO2, and the % CO2 derived from plasma glucose decreased respectively by 13.5% and 21.7%, while unlabelled CO2 production remained unchanged. This reduction in glucose utilization occurred despite a significant rise in insulin concentration indicating that high FFA levels reduce sensitivity to insulin. The tissue implicated in the inhibitory effect of FFA on overall glucose utilization cannot be determined from these experiments but it is suggested that muscle participated in these metabolic changes. These data provide further arguments supporting the view that plasma FFA participate in the regulation of glucose metabolism in man.


The currents induced by an ionizing particle in a diode and a bar are compared. A short track, located within the structure, and a long track passing through it are considered. Analysis of the mechanisms involved is proposed to explain why the observed effects are approximately the same.


OBJECTIVE
To develop a host-vector balanced lethal system of Salmonella typhimurium adenylate cyclase mutant, and detect its biological characteristics.

METHODS
We constructed SL1344ΔcyaΔasd mutant strain by recombinant suicide plasmid (pREAasd), and screened by two-step method, transformed pYA3493 plasmid containing the asd gene without resistance electric into the lack of SL1344 AcyaΔasd, then the recombinant strains SL1344 ΔcyaΔasd (pYA3493) was constructed successfully.

RESULTS
The biochemical characteristics and growth rate of the mutant were different from that of the wild strain SL1344, but almost the same as that of the parent strain SL1344Δcya. The mutant strain could neither ferment maltose, lactose, and sorbitol, nor decompose H2S, galactose and rat lee sugar, but still retained the ability to use glucose. The one-day chicken lethal test showed that SL1344ΔcyaΔasd (pYA3493) mutant was at least 104 times lower than SL1344 strain. The protection rate induced by the SL1344ΔcyaΔasd (pYA3493) mutant was 62. 5%.

CONCLUSION
The SL1344ΔcyaΔasd (pYA3493) mutant was successfully constructed, and had good immune protection, it laid a foundation for developing potential oral vaccines.


Choral activities are generally led by a conductor who uses visual cues and non-verbal instructions to drive the performance. Song dynamics are generally well rehearsed however live performances may necessitate unrehearsed messages in order to correct errors or to introduce dynamics in response to external factors. These messages are communicated by the choir master just-in-time, to which however, visually impaired choristers have no access. This paper outlines an investigation into how technology can contribute to this end while presenting a solution which adopts optoelectronic devices for gesture recognition, real-time communication protocols and over-the-air haptic-feedback to enable participation while minimising adoption barriers via intuitive and low-friction interaction. Insights from both qualitative and quantitative techniques will be presented along with techniques used to understand, assess and evaluate the domain in an iterative series of interventions.


It is shown how a major (and questionable) assumption underlying a previously reported approach to the modeling of software testing can be relaxed in order to provide a more realistic model. Under the assumption of uniform execution the new model is found to perform only marginally better than the previous model, indicating that the uniform execution assumption is a poor one. A nonuniform execution model is then shown to give very good performance on application to three sets of software reliability data. Attention is also devoted to the problem of comparing the performance of different models, and some difficulties in this area are noted.


Dust, dirt, debris, and biological matter collect on the surface of solar panel cover glass and attenuate the light entering the solar cell, reducing electricity generation and power output. Hydrophobic coatings are a passive anti-soiling method that utilizes low surface energy materials to force liquid droplets to cohere together which create a 'elf-cleaning' effect. As many hydrophobic coatings are fluorinated, this study evaluates the effectiveness of fluorine-free coatings as an alternative due to the environmental and biological risks posed by fluorine containing materials. A fluoroalkylsilane-based coating and a polydimethylsiloxane-based coating was deposited on soda-lime glass slide and exposed to 400 hours of UV and damp heat accelerated ageing tests. The two coatings were shown to be resistant to the accelerated ageing, with the fluorine-free coating marginally outperforming the fluorinated coating. For both coatings, little reduction in optical transmittance was observed, and each coating retained their hydrophobic properties in water contact angle tests. Surface chemical characterisation using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that the fluorinated coating was in the starting phase of degradation with carbonyl and methyl groups replacing trifluoromethyl groups, reducing fluorine surface content, and reducing the effectiveness as an anti-soiling coating.


BackgroundIn Canada, recent data shows that Lyme diseases (LD) have increased in many different regions of the country. British Columbia (BC), with its natural beauty and suitable terrain for outdoor activities, has drawn thousands of hikers to the established hiking trails, as well as off–trail wilderness. Consequently, more people are expected to be exposed to Lyme disease every year. For better understanding of the risk, study of their knowledge and awareness, and also their preventative behavior against Lyme disease is necessary. The purpose of our study is to evaluate hiker awareness about LD and assess type and frequency of preventive measures they take against the disease.MethodsA self-administered electronic survey was created and disseminated online among hikers in British Columbia, Canada. The online survey distributed via the social platform, Reddit, and took approximately five minutes to complete. The results were collected and organized in Microsoft Excel and analyzed with NCSS statistical software (NCSS, 2021).ResultsThe results of this study indicated that general awareness of LD among hikers in British Columbia is high. Ninety-eight percent of participants in the study have heard about the LD before the study was conducted. Hikers are generally aware of the prevalence of the disease (83%) in BC and know that ticks are problematic for them (74%). Majority of hikers (92%) have taken at least one measure to protect themselves against the disease. Avoiding tall grasses and bushwalking while hiking was the most popular method as 46% of the hikers frequently (more than half the time) took this measure. In contrast, wearing protective cloths or tucking pants into socks were the least frequent methods taken by them. Also, 68% of the hikers never used chemical insect repellent to deter ticks. This result suggests that avoiding ticks and tick bites by avoiding grassy areas, where ticks might be present, is the preferred method over the usage of chemical insect repellants, or physical barriers against tick bites such as wearing protective cloths or tucking pants into the socks; however, further data is needed to precisely conclude this result.Our study found that there are no significant statistical associations between hiker's knowledge and their level of education (P= 0.77), hiker's education level and preventive method taken (P=0.91), level of hiking experience and preventive method taken (P=0.86) or gender of the hikers and preventive methods taken (P=0.068) against the Lyme disease.ConclusionsAs Lyme disease has been recognized as a potentially increasing infectious disease in British Columbia, assessment of hiker's knowledge and preventive behavior towards LD through an online survey concluded that BC hikers have high level of awareness about the disease, and they protect themselves against the tick bites.
As predictive models show that climate change and warmer weather cause an expansion in tick habitat in North America, probability of hikers being exposed to ticks is higher. As the risk increases, LD prevention campaigns could be designed considering what prevention methods are the most popular; and more effective or innovative prevention methods could be introduced to the population. Health authorities may introduce LD prevention initiatives and educational plans that are adaptable and suitable to the geographical region based on prevalence of the disease. Similarly hiking groups may educate their new members regarding the disease, how to prevent it and what methods are suitable based on the region they are active in.


This article argues that Trujillo's ordered massacre of the people in Haiti did not stem from his own racism. Rather, it argues that it was motivated by a desire to please the Dominican elite and a desire for personal power. This article is available in Constructing the Past: https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/constructing/vol7/iss1/15 Constructing the Past Blood, Power, and Privilege Why the man who ordered the slaughter of a race was not racist


Abstract In this paper, I reconstruct the understanding of selfhood in The Sickness unto Death. Using Leo Tolstoy's character Ivan Ilyich, I argue that one can become alienated from oneself, although one is completely socially recognized. I critically engage this reconstruction with the theories of social agency of Axel Honneth and Robert Pippin and the existentialism of Jean-Paul Sartre. In the end, Anti-Climacus offers a notion of self-relating selfhood, which keeps a balance between the radical self-construction of Sartre and the theories of social dependency of Honneth and Pippin by understanding "God" as the necessity of having irreducibly personal reasons for becoming oneself.


Cycloisomerisation of polyenes such as diethyl geranylprenylmalonate [(E)-1 a], diethyl geranylphenylmalonate [(E)-2 a] and diethyl cinnamylgeranylmalonate [(E,E)-3 a] catalysed by bismuth triflate was studied from experimental and theoretical viewpoints. Several intermediates were isolated and characterised, and calculated transition-state structures are proposed for the three reactions. The diastereoselectivity observed during the reaction of (E)- or (Z)-2 a in favour of the formation of trans-fused bicyclic products is discussed in detail. The nature of the active catalytic species derived from bismuth triflate was also investigated, and the formation of a hybrid Lewis acid/Brønsted acid catalyst with water molecules is proposed, supported by experimental and theoretical data.


This paper presents an analytic study for the steady drainage of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Sisko fluid film down a vertical belt. The fluid film is assumed to be electrically conducting in the presence of a uniform transverse magnetic field. An analytic solution for the resulting non linear ordinary differential equation is obtained using the Adomian decomposition method. The effects of various available parameters especially the Hartmann number are observed on the velocity profile, shear stress and vorticity vector to get a physical insight of the problem. Furthermore, the shear thinning and shear thickening characteristics of the Sisko fluid are discussed. The physical quantities discussed for the Sisko fluid film have also been discussed for the Newtonian fluid film and comparison between them made.


A model of radiation action is described which unifies several of the major existing concepts which have been applied to cell killing. Called the lethal and potentially lethal (LPL) model, it combines the ideas of lesion interaction, irreparable lesions caused by single tracks, linear lesion fixation, lesion repair via first-order kinetics, and binary misrepair. Two different kinds of lesions are hypothesized: irreparable (lethal) and repairable (potentially lethal) lesions. They are tentatively being identified with DNA double-strand breaks of different severity. Two processes compete for depletion of the potentially lethal lesions: correct repair following first-order kinetics, and misrepair following second-order kinetics. Fixation of these lesions can also occur. The model applies presently only to plateau (stationary)-phase cells. Radiobiological phenomena described include effects of low dose rate, high LET, and repair kinetics as measured with repair inhibitors such as hypertonic solution and beta-arabinofuranosyladenine (beta-araA). One consequence of the model is that repair of sublethal damage and the slow component of the repair of potentially lethal damage are two manifestations of the same repair process. Hypertonic treatment fixes a completely new class of lesions which normally repair correctly. Another consequence of the model is that the initial slope of the survival curve depends on the amount of time available for repair after irradiation. The "dose-rate factor" occurring in several linear-quadratic formulations is shown to emerge when appropriate low-dose and long-repair-time approximations are made.


Free and open source software projects are often perceived to be of high quality. To a great extend the success of open source software seems to be due to an implicit but effective connection between communication and contributions in its development process. In this paper, we present a snapshot of the state the art on quality and success of Open Source Software (OSS) based on a review of the literature. For each of these concepts, we describe various measures considered in the literature and a number of methods by which they are obtained. Contributions to an Open Source Software (OSS) project are made through communication among developers and users. We elaborate on the concrete notions of communication and contribution in Open Source Software (OSS) and their links.


The security of many cryptographic systems is based on the difficulty of solving systems of quadratic multivariate polynomial equations. XL family which stands for eXtended Linearization is a traditional type of algorithm for solving systems of multivariate polynomial equations over finite fields. The main idea of these algorithms is to extend the initial system by monomials multiplications and use linear algebra techniques to solve the system. The overall complexity of XL family is essentially determined by the workload of Gaussian elimination step. In this paper, we use the structured Gaussian elimination and parallel fast Gaussian elimination to reduce the complexity of XL family over GF2. Because of the sparsity of the extended system, structured Gaussian elimination is applied to reduce the dimensions of the extended system. Thus, a great reduction of the storage can be obtained. By slightly modifying the logic of ordinarily Gaussian elimination, we parallelly compute the reduced system. Theory analysis indicates that the complexity of our improved XL, XL_SP, is λT2, which is far lower than 7/64T2.8, the complexity of XL, where T is the number of monomials and λ is the ratio of the dimensions of the reduced system to the extended system. Further experiments to Hidden Field Equation cryptosystems show that about 90% reduction of the extended system is achieved by using structured Gaussian elimination, which means λ is about 1/10 in our experiments. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


During a survey of Longidoridae carried out in the period 1971-1973 in various regions of Italy, an undescribed species of Longidorus was found in the rhizosphere of Juniperus sp., in the National Park of Circeo, Latina. As it was found in low numbers and mainly in the juvenile stages it was not described at that time and therefore it is not reported in the Atlas of Plant Parasitic Nematodes of Italy (Roc a and Lamberti, 1985). Individuals of the same species were recently collected by Prof. M. T. Vinciguerra at Monte Minardo (Sicily) from the rhizosphere of Quercus ilex L., on the slope of Mount Etna. The species is described here as Longidorus aetnaeus sp. n. Nematodes were extracted from soil samples by the Cobb wet sieve technique, killed and fixed in 5% hot formalin and mounted in glycerin on nematology slides by the slow method. Specimens were measured with the aid of a camera lucida.


Vesicles derived from the sarcoplasmic reticulum of rabbit white skeletal muscle were loaded with Ca(2+) and used to measure the rates of Ca(2+) efflux, heat production, and ATP synthesis from ADP and P(i). It was found that the Ca(2+)-ATPase can function in three different forms: (i) it absorbs heat from the medium (5 Kcal/mol Ca(2+)) when the efflux was coupled with ATP synthesis; (ii) it converts the energy derived from the gradient into heat (30 Kcal/mol Ca(2+)) when Mg(2+) is removed from the medium and the synthesis of ATP is impaired; and (iii) the ATPase becomes uncoupled when the different ligands of the enzyme are removed from the medium. As a result, there is no ATP synthesis and no heat production or absorption during Ca(2+) efflux. The Ca(2+) efflux, ATP synthesis, and heat production were inhibited by thapsigargin, a specific inhibitor of the Ca(2+)-ATPase.


The issue of race was virtually beyond the touchline in Australian rugby league before the 1960s. It was a white man's game. Institutionalised racism meant that few Aboriginal men played rugby league at the highest professional level. It is now presumed that race and racism has no place in a game where these questions have been historically 'out of bounds'. The dearth of critical writing in rugby league history indicates that racism in the sport has been subject to a form of social blindness and deemed unworthy of study. Rugby league's white exclusionist past and the denial of racism in the present era indicate habits of mind which may be described in league argot as the 'blindside flick'.


This research analyzes the criticality of Urban Green Spaces (UGS) environmental and health benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, restrictions on mobility, safety concerns, and restricted access during the implementation of social distancing policies tend to use UGS to provide alternative spaces for social interaction and health. This is a severe concern to Jakarta, as the epicenter of the pandemic outbreak with limited UGS. An online survey was conducted from March to April 2021 to understand better and investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the use of UGS and behavior-changing of visitation. The results show that respondents continued to use UGS during the pandemic and considered it more beneficial for health. However, the result showed that residents' considerations of staying active for health reasons, reduced stress, and boredom. This research provides empirical evidence illustrating the value of UGS as a resilient city infrastructure, therefore, the management policy in this city can be considered with potential application to other cities.


The month of August is traditionally known as Women's Month and various celebrations and special events are held throughout the month to promote and create an awareness of the significant contribution that women have made to our society.


Over the past 15 years, three new classes of drugs, glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) receptor agonists, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP‐4) inhibitors and sodium glucose cotransporter‐2 (SGLT‐2) inhibitors have been approved to treat type 2 diabetes based on effects on glycemic control. Although large randomized controlled trials have played an important role in characterizing the efficacy and safety of these agents on a population level, questions remain about how best to individualize therapy and target the "right" medicine to the "right" patient. In contrast, few medicines have been approved to treat diabetic kidney disease and initiatives have been launched on both sides of the Atlantic to facilitate the development of effective personalized medicines for the treatment of diabetic kidney disease. Increasingly, "omics," imaging and other biomarkers will be used to match patients with therapies to which they are likely to respond best. This review addresses regulatory considerations related to precision medicine, draws lessons learned from other therapeutic areas and discusses efforts undertaken by the European (EMA) and United States (FDA) to facilitate the development of such therapies. Moving forward, an integrated approach that makes use of predictive preclinical models, innovative trial designs, observational "real‐world" data and novel statistical methodologies will likely be needed to complement inherently smaller RCTs conducted in more selected populations. Patient involvement will also be critical. Regulatory agencies are ready to engage in such approaches.


This paper analyzes increased risk aversion in the presence of two risks. Necessary and sufficient conditions for increased risk aversion across the domain of the foreground risk are found for changes in both the foreground and background risks. Preferences that satisfy the necessary and sufficient conditions are determined through a lower bound on their measure of prudence. These bounds are found through second-degree spreads of a transformation of the background risk. The necessary and sufficient conditions demonstrate that for all second degree spreads of this nature, absolute temperance plays a central role in the necessary and sufficient conditions for increased risk aversion. The approach also demonstrates that changes in risk aversion under the general framework of stochastic dominating spreads can be explained by a weighted average of terms involving absolute prudence and absolute temperance. Once a general set of necessary and sufficient conditions have been found it is shown that for preferences that are decreasing absolute risk averse in the sense of Ross, increased risk aversion due to changes in the background risk within this framework is equivalent to Ross risk vulnerability. The general conditions also find necessary and sufficient conditions for preferences to be properly risk averse toward patent increases in risk. INDEX WORDS: Stochastic dominance, increased risk aversion, background risk, transformations, patent increase in risk, prudence, proper risk aversion, risk vulnerability


Jackson and Gibbin1 point out that one of the fundamental problems faced by today's surgical trainees is decreased operative exposure. This is a result of a combination of reduced working hours due to the European Working Time Directive, and shortened surgical training. In addition, there has been much debate over the medico-legal and ethical issues regarding consent, where trainees practice on real patients under the supervision of surgical tutors.2,3 The traditional assessment of direct observation of trainee performance is often influenced by subjectivity, since different trainers have different expectations, and the use of a logbook only demonstrates individual trainee operative exposure and not competency. The accuracy of these logbooks are also often questionable as they rely heavily on self-assessment, and hence tend to lack reliability and validity.4 We therefore agree with the authors that we have much to learn from the aviation industry, especially regarding the use of virtual reality simulators.

Virtual reality simulators allow automated objective measurements and assessment of surgical skills, which were not previously possible. It also allows new surgical trainees to be trained in their own time without endangering patient lives, and for some simulators, the predictive validity of skills transfer to real operations has been proven.

Although this type of training is still in its infancy, we can anticipate that virtual reality simulators will be a great asset to the surgical training curriculum, both as means of training, as well as an assessment tool.


Brief Behavioural Activation (Brief BA) is a manualised intervention for low mood and depression in adolescents (Pass & Reynolds, 2014) shown to improve depression symptoms and functioning from pre- to post- treatment. To draw conclusions about the effectiveness of Brief BA it is important to establish therapist adherence and competence (i.e. treatment fidelity). There are currently no published measures of treatment fidelity for Behavioural Activation. In this study, a measure of Brief BA fidelity was developed, and psychometric properties were tested with 30 Brief BA cases where treatment was delivered in schools. The scale evidenced good inter-rater reliability, internal consistency, and face validity and treatment fidelity was generally high. There was a significant reduction in client self-reported depression symptoms and an increase in client self-reported functioning from pre- to post- Brief BA treatment. The relationship between session-specific Brief BA fidelity and the therapeutic alliance was not significant at the beginning or middle of treatment but was significant at the end of treatment. There was no significant relationship between Brief BA fidelity and client outcome, which may be due to lack of variance given the high rates of both fidelity and client improvement in the sample. Results suggest the Brief BA fidelity scale is a reliable and valid measure, which can be used to inform future training and supervision.


– Yoga was conferred early in the day and at night hours with one hour for every day for a time of twelve weeks. The systolic, diastolic pulse, body weight and lipid profile including TG, TC, LDLC,VLDLC( aside from HDLC) were fundamentally low in yoga gathering (P=<0.05) contrasted with the control gathering. HDLC esteems were altogether high in yoga gathering. The consequences of test uncovered that yoga was viable in controlling the factors of hypertension. The goal of this investigation is to survey the discoveries of chose articles with respect to the restorative impacts of yoga and to give an extensive audit of the advantages of general yoga hone. As cooperation rates as a primary concern body fitness projects, for example, yoga keep on increasing, it is essential for health mind experts to be educated about the idea of yoga and the proof of its numerous helpful impacts. Along these lines, this original copy gives data with respect to the restorative impacts of yoga as it has been examined in different populaces concerning a large number of various illnesses and conditions. Restorative yoga is characterized as the utilization of yoga stances and practice to the treatment of health conditions. Results from this examination demonstrate that yogic practices upgrade strong quality, body adaptability, advance and enhance respiratory and cardiovascular capacity, advance recuperation from treatment of compulsion, enhance rest examples, and improve general prosperity and personal satisfaction. The examination uncovers that there is critical lessening in post-test condition. Yogic exercises demonstrated a positive and huge effect on diabetic grown-ups. On account of systolic circulatory strain, diastolic pulse it was discovered that the diminishment level was critical in post-test condition. Comparative investigation is important to watch the adequacy Asanas and Pranayama on various age level and sexual orientation. Another proposal may likewise be that these factors ought to be incorporated with different factors and distinctive time interims with a sorted out way. The expanded affectability is by all accounts supported for long time bringing about a dynamic long haul impact of Asanas. The examination is noteworthy on the grounds that, it has out of the blue endeavored to test the instrument by which yoga-Asanas decrease glucose. In the present examination there was a critical fall in the fasting blood glucose levels in the yoga gathering. Every one of the members in the yoga assembles build up a feeling of prosperity with no reaction. So they are self-persuaded to proceed with the yoga rehearse as an everyday routine in their life.


ABSTRACT In response to viral infection, host cells elicit a number of responses, including the expression of alpha/beta interferon (IFN-α/β). In these cells, IFN regulatory factor-3 (IRF-3) undergoes a sequence of posttranslational modifications that allow it to act as a potent transcriptional coactivator of specific IFN genes, including IFN-β. We investigated the mechanisms by which herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) inhibits the production of IFN-β mediated by the IRF-3 signaling pathway. Here, we show that HSV-1 infection can block the accumulation of IFN-β triggered by Sendai virus (SeV) infection. Our results indicate that HSV-1 infection blocks the nuclear accumulation of activated IRF-3 but does not block the initial virus-induced phosphorylation of IRF-3. The former effect was at least partly mediated by increased turnover of IRF-3 in HSV-1-infected cells. Using mutant viruses, we determined that the immediate-early protein ICP0 was necessary for the inhibition of IRF-3 nuclear accumulation. Expression of ICP0 also had the ability to reduce IFN-β production induced by SeV infection. ICP0 has been shown previously to play a role in HSV-1 sensitivity to IFN and in the inhibition of antiviral gene production. However, we observed that an ICP0 mutant virus still retained the ability to inhibit the production of IFN-β. These results argue that HSV-1 has multiple mechanisms to inhibit the production of IFN-β, providing additional ways in which HSV-1 can block the IFN-mediated host response.


SAR image compression is very important in reducing the costs of data storage and transmission in relatively slow channels. The authors propose a compression scheme driven by texture analysis, homogeneity mapping and speckle noise reduction within the wavelet framework. The image compressibility and interpretability are improved by incorporating speckle reduction into the compression scheme. The authors begin with the classical set partitioning in hierarchical trees (SPIHT) wavelet compression scheme, and modify it to control the amount of speckle reduction, applying different encoding schemes to homogeneous and nonhomogeneous areas of the scene. The results compare favorably with the conventional SPIHT wavelet and the JPEG compression methods.


Education is important in any country since it promotes the knowledge, skills, habits, and values. The learning does not solely come from the teacher. Hence the educator for the child is both the teacher and his peer group. The societal values have been diminishing over the past few decades. Therefore, it is necessary develop the holistic citizenship education. The problem of value education of the young African nation Eritrea is gaining prominence in educational discussions during the recent times. Hence, Eritrea emphasises on values in education and attempted to incorporate its National Curriculum Framework for School Education-2003. An attempt is made in this paper to discuss the Eritrean societal values in fighting for their freedom and it provides some conclusions and implications to develop the value education in Eritrea.


Introduction: The contact inhibition of proliferation is crucial for well-controlled organogenesis. Its disruption results in sustained cell proliferation, which is a hallmark of solid tumors. The Hippo signaling pathway has been implicated in contact inhibition of proliferation. Here, we investigated the role of TAZ (WWTR1), a key transcription co-activator of hippo-pathway, in HCC progression. Methods and Results: In HCC patients, the high TAZmRNA expression examined by real time PCR showed worsen survival outcomes compared with low expression group. Additionally, the tumor size in High TAZmRNA expression group was significantly larger than that in low expression group, and its high protein expression in HCC was deeply associated with the cell proliferative activity. A knockdown of TAZ expression in HCC cell lines attenuated the cell growth accompanying the downstream gene expressions (CTGF and CYR61). As the TAZ-mediated signaling pathway in cell growth, a knockdown of TAZ expression using RNAi inactivated the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Conclusion: Thus, TAZ plays a crucial role in tumor progression by accelerating cell growth via a PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, and tumoral TAZmRNA expression level may be a useful prognostic biomarker in HCC. Citation Format: Hiromitsu Hayashi, Hideyuki Kuroki, Shigeki Nakagawa, Takaaki Higashi, Keita Sakamoto, Naomi Yokoyama, Takatoshi Ishiko, Toru Beppu, Hideo Baba. TAZ (WWTR1), a key transcription co-activator of hippo-pathway, promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3520. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3520


Since 2003, Fujitsu has been pursuing innovation in manufacturing based on its strengths in value-added manufacturing, an objective of which has been to raise the skill level of all employees. Our manufacturing environment has been undergoing great changes, with the relocation of production to Southeast Asia and China and less value being added internally due to more unit purchasing stemming from fractionization and increasing openness of technology. Based on an analysis of these changes, this paper outlines Fujitsu's commitment to innovation in manufacturing and engineering with the focus on improving quality, cost, and delivery (QCD) for servers, networks, personal computers, and mobile phones in the processes from development to manufacturing. Going into more detail, it describes our activities for reducing total costs and increasing competitiveness through innovation in manufacturing, originating in the plant and extending upstream to the supply chain and development.


We show that it is possible to reduce the size of a classification problem by automatically ranking the relative importance of available features. Variables are importance-sorted with a decision tree algorithm and correlated ones are removed after ranking. The selected features can be used as input quantities for the classification problem at hand. We tested the method with the case of highly boosted di-jet resonances decaying to two 1-quarks, to be selected against an overwhelming QCD background with a Deep Neural network. We make it explicit the relation between different importance rankings obtained with different algorithms. We also show how the signal-to-background ratio changes, varying the number of features to feed the Neural Network with.


UNLABELLED
Brazilian Psychiatric Reform proposes a mental healthcare model based on the implementation of a community-based service network, in which Psychosocial Service Centers (CAPS) play a fundamental role. The report presents the results of a pilot study which aimed to adapt Critical Time Intervention to the Brazilian context, and to test its feasibility to provide it to persons with schizophrenic spectrum disorders who are enrolled in CAPS of Rio de Janeiro.

METHODS
The research design included three inter-related phases. Phase one consisted in carrying out qualitative and quantitative field work. This phase included mapping out the socio-demographic, clinical and service utilization data of CAPS users, as well as assessing the mental health needs of participants in the study. The second phase consisted in translation of the CTI clinical manual to include the adaptations made for use in Brazil, which were based on data collected in the first phase, as well as training individuals with moderate education as CTI intervention workers. The third phase consisted of pilot implementation of the adapted intervention among a group of individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders enrolled in CAPS, but with difficulties in being included in treatment.


Mobile data traffic is anticipated to surpass 49 exabyte per month by 2021. Smartphones, as the main factor of generating this huge data traffic (86%), are expected to require average speed connection of 20 Mbps by 2021. Light-fidelity (LiFi) is a novel bidirectional, high-speed and fully networked optical wireless communication and it is a promising solution to undertake this huge data traffic. However, to support seamless connectivity in LiFi networks, real-time knowledge of channel state information (CSI) from each user is required at the LiFi access point (AP). The CSI availability enables us to achieve optimal resource allocation and throughput maximization but it requires feedback transmitted through the uplink channel. Furthermore, the important aspects of the indoor LiFi channel such as the random orientation of user device, user mobility and link blockage need to be carefully analysed and effective solutions should be developed. In contrast to radio frequency (RF) channels, the LiFi channel is relatively less random. This feature of LiFi channel enables a potential reduction in the amount of feedback required to achieve high throughputs in a dynamic LiFi network. Based on this feature, two techniques for reducing the amount of feedback in LiFi cellular networks are proposed: 1) limited-content feedback scheme based on reducing the content of feedback information and 2) limited-frequency feedback scheme based on the update interval. It is shown that these limited-feedback schemes can provide almost the same downlink performance as full feedback scheme. Furthermore, an optimum update interval which provides maximum bidirectional user equipment (UE) throughput, has been derived. Device orientation and its statistics is an important determinant factor that can affect the users throughput remarkably in LiFi networks. However, device orientation has been ignored in many previous performance studies of LiFi networks due to the lack of a proper statistical model. In this thesis, a novel model for the orientation of user device are proposed based on experimental measurements. The statistics of the device orientation for both sitting and walking activities are presented. Moreover, the statistics of the line-of-sight (LOS) channel gain are calculated. The influence of random device orientation on the received signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) and bit-error ratio (BER) performance of LiFi systems has been also evaluated. To support the seamless connectivity of future LiFi-enabled devices in the presence of random device orientation, mobility and blockage, efficient handover between APs are required. In this thesis, an orientation-based random waypoint (ORWP) mobility model is proposed to analyze the performance of mobile users considering the effect of random device orientation. Based on this model, an analysis of handover due to random orientation and user mobility is presented. Finally, in order to improve seamless connectivity, a multi-directional receiver (MDR) configuration is proposed. The MDR configuration shows a robust performance in the presence of user mobility, random device orientation and blockage.


The current status of Japanese office buildings is taken as an example and the balance of environmental concerns and office productivity are discussed. To promote the effort for energy conservation, it is important to estimate the indoor environmental quality from the aspect of office workers' productivity. Our experiments on the effect of moderately high temperature on productivity are noted. They showed that the effects of thermal environment on task performance were contradictory among the task types. However, the subjects complained of the feeling of mental fatigue more, and more cerebral blood flow was required to maintain the same level of task performance in the hot condition than at a thermal neutral condition. For evaluating task performance, the cost of maintaining performance, namely, fatigue and mental effort, is important in evaluating and predicting productivity. For long periods of exposure, indoor air temperature has effects on workers' performance.


In this chapter, some real-life model problems that can be formulated as ordinary differential equations (ODEs) are introduced and numerically studied. These models are the variable-order fractional Hodgkin–Huxley model of neuronal excitation (VOFHHM) and other models with the variable-order fractional (VOF) time delay, such as the 4year life cycle of a population of lemmings model, the enzyme kinetics with an inhibi‐ tor molecule model, and the Chen system model. A class of numerical methods is used to study the above-mentioned models such as non-standard finite difference (NSFD) and Adams-Bashforth-Moulton (ABM) methods. Numerical test examples are presented.


The reform of the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will fundamentally affect the decision behaviour of land users. So far transfer payments were coupled to specific forms of land use. The reform encourages land users to make decisions concerning production based solely on market aspects. The effects of the CAP reform on the Lahn Dill region in Germany are simulated with the spatially explicit land use model ProLand. The results show that land use decisions will be based stronger on site specific natural conditions than was the case in the Agenda 2000 scenario. The transfer payment volume directed into the region increases considerably.


The crystal structure of D,L-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-alanine has been determined by X-ray methods using 1971 observed reflections. The crystals are monoclinic, space group P2-1, with four molecules in the unit cell of dimensions a=6.32-5 A; b=26.48-9 A; c=5.36-7 A, and beta=98.1-8 degrees. The structure was solved by direct methods and refined to a conventional R-factor of 0.048; estimated standard deviations in bond lengths not involving hydrogen are 0.002-0.004 A and in angles 0.1-0.2 degrees. Bond lengths and angles are in accordance with those found in tyrosine. Owing to an intra-molecular hydrogen bond between the ammonium group and the ring hydroxyl oxygen atom, however, the conformational angles differ from those found in several other phenylalanine derivatives. There are non-crystallographic centres of symmetry between pairs of enantiomeric molecules.


Specially built intensified CCD (ICCD) detector tubes were purchased and the performance of the electron bombardment process was investigated. In addition to studying the signal characteristics of the photoevents, there was interest in demonstrating that back-illuminated chips were not susceptible to radiation damage to their clocking electrodes. How to perform a centroid analysis for a 2-dimensional Gaussian distribution of charge is described. Measurement of the projection (along columns or rows) of the average charge spread profile is discussed. The development and flight of the Interstellar Medium Absorption Profile Spectrograph (IMAPS) is discussed.


A method is developed for transforming the equations of hydrodynamics to a system of curvilinear co-ordinates in motion relative to fixed axes using the tensor-calculus and without employing Coriolis's theorem .The basic entity is the kinetic metric, a four-dimensional quadratic form defined through the kinetic energy of unit mass of fluid.The mechanics of special relativity are used to obtain, by approximation in terms of 1/c2, where c is the velocity of light, the classical formulae.The equations of motion in terms of the energy-tensor, the four-dimensional vorticity-tensor and the˙ velocity-components are successively obtained and the equation of continuity is shown to be independent (in mathematical form) of the motion of the co-ordinate-system . This property holds also for the equation of heat-transfer in a non-viscous fluid. Applications are made to the case of local Cartesian and local cylindrical polar co-ordinates on the Earth 's surface. Formulae for the rate of change of vorticity due to Helmholtz and to Petterssen, respectively, are obtained as special cases and Sawyer's theory of tropical cyclones is also discussed.


This research attempted to study and identify the relationship between information quality and organizational strategic benefit, to measure the level of awareness about information quality different dimensions in the commercial banks, and finally provide recommendations regarding information quality role in improving the organizational strategic benefit. In order to achieve the study objectives, and to conduct the research in a systematic approach, a conceptual framework was developed. The key factors of the conceptual framework were proposed in the following factors of information quality: dependability (timeliness and security) and usability (believability, accessibility, ease of operation, reputation, and value added). The primary data had been analyzed by multiple regression analysis. The results of the current study indicate that there is a general relationship between information quality and the organization strategic benefit in the commercial banks, and there is a relationship between dependability (timeliness / security) and both the alignment between organizational goals and the information systems, and the improvements in customer relationships. Furthermore, there was a relationship between (believability and reputation) and both the alignment between organizational goals and the information systems, and the improvements in customer relationships. Whereas, there was no relationship between (accessibility, ease of operation, and value added) and both the alignment between organizational goals and the information systems, and the improvements in customer relationships. Researchers are also encouraged to conduct research similar to this study, but using the product aspects of information quality so as to reveal additional relationships that are not evident in this research. Future researches are encouraged to examine the relationship between information quality and organizational strategic benefit in non-for profit companies.


(1)H and (13)C NMR chemical shifts of alpha- and beta-anomers of adenosine, 2'-deoxyadenosine and their acetate derivatives were completely and definitely assigned using the concerted application of one- and two-dimensional experiments (gCOSY, gNOESY, gHSQC and gHMBC). The influence of the stereochemistry of the purine base on the NMR data of the hydrogen and carbon atoms of the furanose moiety was estimated.


Despite the fact that the resolution of conventional contact/proximity lithography can reach feature sizes down to ~0.5- 0.6 micrometers, the accurate control of the linewidth and uniformity becomes already very challenging for gratings with periods in the range of 1-2 μm. This is particularly relevant for the exposure of large areas and wafers thinner than 300 μm. If the wafer or mask surface is not fully flat due to any kind of defects, such as bowing/warpage or remaining topography of the surface in case of overlay exposures, noticeable linewidth variations or complete failure of lithography step will occur. We utilized the newly developed Displacement Talbot lithography to pattern gratings with equal lines and spaces and periods in the range of 1.0 to 2.4 μm. The exposures in this lithography process do not require contact between the mask and the wafer, which makes it essentially insensitive to surface planarity and enables exposures with very high linewidth uniformity on thin and even slightly deformed wafers. We demonstrated pattern transfer of such exposures into Si substrates by reactive ion etching using the Bosch process. An etching depth of 30 μm or more for the whole range of periods was achieved, which corresponds to very high aspect ratios up to 60:1. The application of the fabricated gratings in phase contrast x-ray imaging is presented.


Using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies, we find that a 500-nm-thick KxC60 (x=3) thin film deposited on a gold thin film grown on a mica substrate has the face-centered cubic (fcc)-(311) surface and that a KxC60 (x=4) film of the same thickness has the body-centered tetragonal(bct)-(112) surface. The potassium density x of a KxC60 thin film is estimated by in situ measurement of the exposure time dependence of the sheet resistance of the film in potassium vapor. STM images of the K3C60 thin film, which are different from the reported images of C60 thin films, indicate that the observed surface is a fcc-K3C60 (311) surface. The images also show that the lattice constant of the potassium-doped C60 thin film is about 0.5% larger than that of a nondoped one along . From the I–V characteristics of the KxC60 films as measured by STM, it is found that the band gap of films vary with the value of x in KxC60 films.


We present a rare case of an acquired giant vascular tumour of the breast that was diagnosed as angiomatosis. It was characterised by the mixture of blood-filled haemangiomatous, and apparently empty lymphangiomatous, vascular channels. The breast remnant returned to a normal configuration and contour without breast reduction.


[1] Two powerful formulas have been available to scientists for more than two centuries: Newton's second law, providing a foundation for classical physics, and Bayes's theorem, prescribing probabilistic learning about unknown quantities based on observations. For the most part the use of these formulas has been separated, with Newton being the more dominant in geophysics. This separation is arguably surprising since numerous sources of uncertainty arise in the application of classical physics in complex situations. One explanation for the separation is the difficulty in implementing Bayesian analysis in complex settings. However, recent advances in both modeling strategies and computational tools have contributed to a significant change in the scope and feasibility of Bayesian analysis. This paradigm provides opportunities for the combination of physical reasoning and observational data in a coherent analysis framework but in a fashion which manages the uncertainties in both information sources. A key to the modeling is the hierarchical viewpoint, in which separate statistical models are developed for the process variables studied and for the observations conditional on those variables. Modeling process variables in this way enables the incorporation of physics across a spectrum of levels of intensity, ranging from a qualitative use of physical reasoning to a strong reliance on numerical models. Selected examples from this spectrum are reviewed.

So far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain. And so far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.Albert Einstein (1921)


: Four cases of urachal carcinoma are presented. The features of this uncommon disease are outlined and the literature is reviewed briefly.


Traditionally, electric system operators have dispatched generation to minimise total production costs ignoring the flexibility of the AC transmission system (ACTS). One available option to enhance power system security is to harness the flexibility of the ACTS, where a variety of flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) devices can be incorporated in the ACTS. However, utilisation of FACTS devices is limited today due to the complexities that these devices introduce to the AC optimal power flow (ACOPF) problem. The mathematical representation of the full ACOPF problem, with the added modelling of FACTS devices, is a non-linear programming (NLP) optimisation problem, which is computationally burdensome for large-scale systems. This study presents a method to convert this NLP problem into a mixed-integer linear program (MILP) where a certain level of solution accuracy can be achieved for a time budget. In this regard, this study first proposes a linear AC OPF model, using which the OPF solution with the operation of FACTS devices is obtained. In addition, the loadability of the power systems is utilised to quantify the impacts of FACTS devices on improving the security of system. The OPF problem including FACTS devices based on a linearised model is tested on a 6-bus and the IEEE 118-bus test systems.