(1) Objectives: To investigate the difference in prevalence of depression between patients with CL/P (cleft lip and/or palate) and analyze the possible demographic factors that affect the prevalence of depression in Chinese patients with CL/P. (2) Methods: Patients with CL (cleft lip only), CP (cleft palate), and CLP (cleft lip and palate) were included in the study group. Non-CL/P individuals were included in the control group. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to screen the depression of Chinese patients with CL/P. The different proportions of different depression groups between the CL/P group and the control groups were tested by the Fisher–Freeman–Halton test and Bonferroni correction. The scores between the study groups and the control group were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. In the study groups, demographic and clinical data of the patients, including diagnosis (CL, CP, CLP), gender, age, the only child or not, and region were collected to analyze whether they were the possible factors affecting depression through one-way independent-samples t-test. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between monthly family income and depression. (3) Results: 111 and 80 valid questionnaires were collected from the study and control groups, respectively. The mean PHQ-9 score of the study group (5.459 ± 6.082) was relatively higher than the control group (4.362 ± 3.384), and the difference in proportions of depression groups was statistically significant between the CL/P group and the control group (p = 0.01), especially in the mild depression (p < 0.05) and moderately severe depression groups (p < 0.05). Statistically significant differences in PHQ-9 scores were observed between the individuals of different genders (p = 0.036) and ages (p = 0.007) in patients with CL/P, the individuals who were the only child or not in patients with CL (p = 0.007), and the individuals of different ages in patients with CP (p = 0.016). (4) Conclusions: The prevalence of depression in Chinese patients with CL/P was different compared with those without CL/P, while gender, age, the only child or not, and region played significant roles in affecting depression psychology.


Microbes have driven eco-evolutionary adaptations organizing biodiversity from the origin of life. They are ubiquitous and abundant, facilitating the biochemical processes that make Earth habitable and shape ecosystem structures, functions, and services. Recent studies reveal that commensalistic and beneficial microbes associated with wild and domesticated plants may aid in establishing sustainable agriculture for a changing climate. However, developing microbe-based biotechnologies and ecosystem services requires a thorough understanding of the diversity and complexity of microbial interactions with each other and with higher organisms. We discuss the hot and blind spots in contemporary research on plant microbiomes, and how the latest molecular biological techniques and empirical eco-evolutionary approaches could elevate our perception of microbe–plant interactions through multidisciplinary studies.


NearPod is a multiplatform e-learning tool that allows students to engage with each other and the lecturer in real time, independent of learning space size or type. This research investigated the impact of NearPod use in two different third level educational settings. The rationale was the practical implementation of key trends in higher education, and enhancing the student learning experience, through the integration of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and flipped classroom learning. One aim of this project was to identify if NearPod, could address these trends in a simple, cost effective way. Secondly, the research sought to investigate if embedding engaging technology into the learning environment could enhance the student learning experience and create a truly interactive environment. The impact of NearPod as an interactive learning tool was evaluated in terms of student interaction, engagement and participation through NearPod facilitated synchronous learning activities. Evaluative data were collected in several forms; anonymous questionnaires, academic facilitated discussion fora with purposefully sampled students and a staff reflective diary. The data were qualitatively and quantitatively analysed, leading to a triangulated data set ensuring only valid themes emerged. Overall, the students perceived use of the technology, and the academic's personal reflective writings, suggested that the learning environment evolved towards a student-orientated, interactive space where the students took ownership for their participation in the learning activity. Students became responsible for constructing their learning 'product'; created by the students, for the students and, hence, their learning overall.


The publication by Kidston and Gwynne-Vaughan ïn 1912 of a memoir on Stenomyelon tuedianum Kidston marked the beginning of a proposed series, which was never continued by them, on the Carboniferous Flora of Berwickshire, based upon material collected during 1900 and 1901 from rocks of the Calciferous Sandstone Series (Cementstone Group) at various localities in Berwickshire while Kidston was working with Mr A. Macconochie of the Geological Survey. Brief notes on this material, with identifications of some of the plants found in compression form, were contributed by Kidston to the "Summary of the Progress of the Geological Survey" (Kidston, 1901, 1902 a), where he commented upon the interest and importance of the material; but beyond recording the occurrence of petrified specimens, no further description of these was given at the time. An incomplete list of anatomical species identified from this Berwickshire material was also given by Kidston at a later date (Kidston, 1923, p. 19). Some of the petrifactions, in addition to the Stenomyelon tuedianum already referred to (Kidston and Gwynne-Vaughan, loc. cit.), have been described by various writers, mostly from specimens in the Kidston Collection of Fossil Plant Slides in the Botany Department of Glasgow University, where the majority of the sections is to be found.


It is explicitly shown, for optical processes arbitrarily comprising two-, three- or four-photon interactions, that the sum over all matter states of any optical susceptibility is exactly zero. The result remains true even in frequency regions where damping is prominent. Using a quantum electrodynamical framework to render the photonic nature of the fundamental interactions, the result emerges in the form of a traceless operator in Hilbert space. The generality of the sum rule and its significance as a thermodynamic limit are discussed, and the applicability to real systems is assessed.


Limiting potential for totipotency Biological roles for microRNAs are not limited to RNA silencing and posttranscriptional regulation; they have now been shown to also regulate cell pluripotency. Choi et al. eliminated miR-34a from mouse embryonic stem cells and found that the cells exhibited a bidirectional cell fate potential, generating both embryonic and extraembryonic lineages (see the Perspective by Hasuwa and Siomi). During miR-34a deficiency, an endogenous retrovirus was induced, at least in part through Gata2-dependent transcriptional activation. Thus, the interplay of protein-coding genes, noncoding RNAs, and endogenous retroviruses can change cell fate plasticity and the developmental potential of pluripotent stem cells. Science, this issue p. eaag1927; see also p. 581 In mouse pluripotent stem cells, miR-34a deficiency expands developmental potential to both embryonic and extraembryonic lineages. INTRODUCTION Mouse zygotes and early blastomeres have totipotent cell fate potential, generating both embryonic and extraembryonic cell lineages during normal development. This totipotent potential is gradually restricted during development, with the first cell fate specification event being completed by the blastocyst stage. Mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) exhibit a pluripotent potential similar to that of the epiblast in blastocysts, efficiently generating all embryonic cell types but rarely contributing to extraembryonic lineages in the placenta and yolk sac. Experimentally, ESCs and iPSCs can be induced into cells with expanded developmental potential, albeit with low efficiency. Such pluripotent stem cells are characterized by their bidirectional developmental potential (contributing to both embryonic and extraembryonic lineages) and their strong induction of the MuERV-L (MERVL) endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), both of which are features of totipotent two-cell (2C) blastomeres. The low efficiency in generating bipotential ESCs reflects the existence of multiple cellular and molecular impediments that restrict the pluripotent cell fate potential. RATIONALE We identified miR-34a microRNA (miRNA) as a potent regulator that restricts the cell fate potential of ESCs and iPSCs to a pluripotent state. miR-34a−/− pluripotent stem cells exhibit a bidirectional cell fate potential, generating both embryonic and extraembryonic cell lineages in multiple functional assays. Hence, the miR-34a−/− pluripotent stem cells provide a powerful experimental system to dissect the molecular mechanisms that restrict cell fate potential in ESCs and iPSCs. RESULTS miR-34a−/− ESCs and iPSCs exhibited an expanded cell fate potential, generating both embryonic and extraembryonic lineages in teratomas, embryoid bodies, and chimeric embryos. In particular, a single miR-34a−/− ESC injected into a recipient morula could yield progenies in both inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm. Expression profiling studies comparing wild-type and miR-34a−/− pluripotent stem cells revealed a strong and specific induction of the MERVL ERVs, together with many MERVL-proximal genes, in miR-34a−/− ESCs and iPSCs. Whereas wild-type ESCs and iPSCs almost exclusively expressed Oct4, miR-34a−/− ESCs and iPSCs were heterogeneous, containing mutually exclusive populations with either Oct4 expression or MERVL induction. Because MERVL is a specific and highly expressed molecular marker for totipotent 2C blastomeres and for bipotential ESCs, we investigated the mechanism by which miR-34a regulates MERVL expression. We demonstrated that MERVL induction in miR-34a–deficient pluripotent stem cells is regulated at the transcriptional level, at least in part because of an increase of the transcription factor Gata2, a direct target of miR-34a. Knockdown of gata2 in miR-34a–deficient pluripotent stem cells phenocopied miR-34a overexpression, not only down-regulating the expression of MERVL but also abolishing their bipotential cell fate. Thus, miR-34a restricts cell fate potential and represses MERVL induction in pluripotent stem cells, at least in part through down-regulation of Gata2. CONCLUSION We have identified miR-34a as a noncoding RNA that restricts the cell fate potential of ESCs and iPSCs to a pluripotent state. The miR-34a/gata2/MERVL axis plays an essential role in modulating the transition between pluripotent stem cells and bipotential stem cells in culture. Thus, an intricate network of protein-coding genes, noncoding RNAs, and endogenous retroviruses could act cooperatively to define cell fate plasticity and developmental potential in pluripotent stem cells. The miR-34a/Gata2 pathway restricts the cell fate potential of ESCs and iPSCs to a pluripotent state. Pluripotent stem cell cultures contain mutually exclusive populations of pluripotent MERVLlow/Oct4high cells and bipotent MERVLhigh/Oct4low cells. In wild-type ESC and iPSC culture, this equilibrium strongly favors the MERVLlow/Oct4high population at the expense of the MERVLhigh/Oct4low population. miR-34a deficiency increases Gata2-dependent transcription of MERVL endogenous retroviruses, shifting the equilibrium to enable more cells to acquire a bipotential cell fate that yields both embryonic and extraembryonic cell lineages. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) efficiently generate all embryonic cell lineages but rarely generate extraembryonic cell types. We found that microRNA miR-34a deficiency expands the developmental potential of mouse pluripotent stem cells, yielding both embryonic and extraembryonic lineages and strongly inducing MuERV-L (MERVL) endogenous retroviruses, similar to what is seen with features of totipotent two-cell blastomeres. miR-34a restricts the acquisition of expanded cell fate potential in pluripotent stem cells, and it represses MERVL expression through transcriptional regulation, at least in part by targeting the transcription factor Gata2. Our studies reveal a complex molecular network that defines and restricts pluripotent developmental potential in cultured ESCs and iPSCs.


Clinical governance has been an important issue in the British National Health Service for several years. This study looks to see how this has filtered down to front‐line staff, in terms of their knowledge about clinical governance, their attitude to it, and their implementation of it. A total of 539 participants across three NHS trusts in the South of England completed the Staff Clinical Governance Survey. The results showed generally positive attitudes and varying levels of knowledge and implementation. The use of this questionnaire enables services to audit their implementation of clinical governance, and highlights specific training needs for staff and their managers.


Policy making is called to play a decisive role in the commercialisation of tidal stream energy projects. For they are site-specific, spatial targeting of policies is needed, so that tidal stream regulations (financial supporting mechanisms, consenting procedures, etc.) could be concentrated to sites where they can achieve the greatest benefits. With this in view, the aim of this paper is: (i) to develop a new method to delimit the most suitable (target) areas for tidal stream energy policy intervention within a coastal area of interest, and (ii) to apply it to the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary (UK). The method includes spatial numerical analysis by means of a Matlab-based code coupled with a Navier-Stokes solver. The programme works in steps, in which different constraints are imposed with a view to carry out a zoning process. As a result of this zoning process, four hotspots are selected, for which a set of policy interventions is proposed. This includes the specific levels of subsidisation for closing the grid parity gap of potential projects in each area. The method can be viewed as a supporting decision mechanism for spatially targeted policy-making and management of tidal stream energy across the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary.


Applying nonstationary panel data econometric methods, this paper analyzes the major sources and transmission of inflation in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries over the 1980-2008 period. We argue that, in GCC countries, money is essentially demand determined, so that the high collinearity between money and aggregate demand indicators such as non-hydrocarbon output is expected and should be dealt with accordingly. Several important results emerge from the analysis. First, the money supply stands out as a significant determinant of inflation both in short- and long-run. Both foreign prices and the nominal effective exchange rate are shown to be more successful in explaining inflation in the long-run than the short-run. The half-life of the speed of adjustment reveals that it takes about 2.9 years for 50% of a shock to the long-run equilibrium to dissipate. An implication of our results is the case it makes for more sovereign monetary policies in GCC countries.


Subsurface lesions in bovine enamel slices were remineralized. The remineralization solutions contained either 0.03, 0.3, or 1.0 ppm fluoride at either pH 5.5 or 6.8. The amount of remineralization was determined after periods of up to 610 h, using quantitative microradiography. The results showed that after 126 h of remineralization in the presence of 0.03 ppm fluoride significantly (p less than 0.05) more remineralization occurred at pH 6.8 than at pH 5.5. At 0.3 and 1.0 ppm fluoride no significant differences between pH 5.5 and pH 6.8 were observed. An interaction between fluoride and pH was observed. The observed differences in the rates of remineralization are explained by the formation and subsequent transformation of the precursors octacalcium phosphate (pH 6.8) and brushite (pH 5.5) into (fluor)apatites.


We are presently adding the capability to irradiate indirectly-driven Nova targets with two rings of illumination inside each end of the hohlraum for studies of time-dependent second Legendre (P2) and time-integrated fourth Legendre (P4) flux asymmetry control. The rings will be formed with specially designed kinoform phase plates, which will direct each half of each beam into two separate rings that are nearly uniform azimuthally. The timing and temporal pulse shape of the outer rings will be controlled independently from those of the inner rings, allowing for phasing of the pulse shapes to control time dependent asymmetry. Modifications to the incident beam diagnostics will enable us to verify that acceptable levels of power balance among the contributing segments of each ring have been achieved on each shot. Current techniques for precision beam pointing and timing are expected to be sufficiently accurate for these experiments. We present a design for an affordable retrofit to achieve beam phasing on Nova, results of a simplified demonstration, and calculations highlighting the anticipated benefits.


: Facial emotion recognition is advancement in computer vision and machine literacy and with the help of this computing technology it's easy to identify mortal emotion through images also. In this paper we propose fashion call facial emotion recognition with music recommendation using Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). The FER is grounded on three corridor. The first part removes the background from the picture, the alternate part concentrates and maps the facial point vector birth, and the third part recommends music grounded on prognosticated emotion. So, to train the images online database is taken from the Kaggle and consequently the feelings are labelled with 96 of delicacy. Further, grounded on emotion vaticination music or audio song will be recommended from the database.


Perhaps, we are at the fork in the road when it is imperative that we consider whether the pursuit of pluralism in science education is a worthwhile endeavor in light of recent educational reforms that seem to decorate the true aim of education. The "decorated landscapes" of educational reform concentrate on economic growth and do little to promote the conservation of Earth's natural environments that sustain life itself. Here we renew a discussion of a 300-year pursuit in the United States toward educational landscapes that contribute to students' lives. We connect with scholars who have pursued the pluralistic landscapes of culture in an attempt to make education more authentic and democratic and with scholars who have pursued an education for the conservation of the Earth's natural environments. We argue that these two educational domains are and necessarily should be reflective, reliant, and reciprocal of each other if we wish to truly engage students in scientific literacy—the authentic, relevant, and meaningful science education experiences


We argue that polygyny creates a social imbalance where few, economically well-off men marry many wives and many poor men marry late or never. By definition, polygyny produces what we refer to as "excess men." In order to gain material wealth, excess men are likely to raid, plunder, and rob neighboring ethnic groups. We test this hypothesis with georeferenced data on polygyny and intergroup conflict in rural Africa and find strong support. Drawing on Afrobarometer survey data, we explore the underlying mechanisms and find that young men who belong to polygynous groups feel that they are treated more unequally and are readier to use violence in comparison to those belonging to monogamous groups. Our article makes an important contribution to the peace, conflict, and development literature by emphasizing a fundamental aspect of human life: marriage and family.


In this paper the dynamic point target tracking is studied, and a message driven target tracking algorithm based on non-ranging is proposed by combining the actual sensor node characteristics. By tissue tracking around the target sensor nodes collaborate to establish a tracking cluster and the cluster head node for data fusion to accurately locate the target and thus formed a kind of efficient and precise distributed dynamic tracking cluster algorithm of DTC. The tracking cluster can follow the target as a shadow, and it can realize the management of the cluster itself and constantly report to the sink node to the target location. The protocol is especially suitable for the use of large scale wireless sensor networks with low node cost.


We read with interest the article by van der Vaart et al published recently in Arthritis Care & Research (1) describing the information needs and support of patients with systemic sclerosis. This article partially recapitulated the results and conclusion made by us in a related study (2). Our study included 184 patients from different Spanish regions and with different autoimmune diseases, including systemic sclerosis (17.1%). Internet use for healthrelated purposes was similar among all studied patients, regardless of the pathology. The mean SD age was 47.5 15.04 years, from which 72.8% were women. In total, 84% of subjects had searched the internet for information relating to their condition, a percentage similar to that reported by van der Vaart et al (1). The variables associated with internet use to find health information were age 56 years (odds ratio [OR] 5 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.5–9.9], P 0.000), being a regular internet user (OR 12.9 [95% CI 5.9–28.2], P 0.000), having a college education (OR 5.5 [95% CI 2.9–13.8], P 0.000), dissatisfaction with the information received by the regular doctor (OR 3.4 [95% CI 1.5–7.5], P 0.003), and belonging to a patient's association (OR 1.9 [95% CI 1–3.6], P 0.05). In our study, 20.7% of the patients thought information found on the internet was of limited use or of no use at all, and 31% did not know of any website with quality or accurate information about their disease. Van der Vaart et al did not evaluate the usefulness of the information found on the internet. It is well-known that the validity of some health-related websites is questionable, and there are no laws or regulations governing the accuracy of the information on the internet (3). Quality varies widely in the field of rheumatic diseases, and URLs with the .gov and .edu suffixes are generally better (4). Furthermore, many patients experience difficulties when interpreting the information and distinguishing between good and bad information (5). More than half of the patients (66.8%) wanted their physicians to inform them on quality websites. Similarly to van der Vaart et al (1), we consider it essential that physicians participate actively in the development of quality websites to ensure that patients have accurate information as well as to promote the development of interactive health communication applications as a tool for a better followup of our patients. Better-informed patients will be more adherent to the treatments prescribed by their physicians (6,7).


Introduction. The high level of environmental pollution in industrial cities, including carcinogens, causes an unacceptable risk to public health. In this regard, a quantitative risk assessment is required to develop preventive measures to reduce it. The aim of the study was to assess the carcinogenic risk to the health of the population of an industrialized city, caused by the probable presence of carcinogens in the ambient air, drinking water of the centralized water supply system, and the soil of the residential area. Material and research methods. The laboratory control of the content of carcinogens in environmental objects of the city of Voronezh for 2017-2020 was used as the reference data. The carcinogenic risk was assessed under the provisions of Guideline R. 184.108.40.2060-04 "Guidelines for assessing the risk to public health when exposed to chemicals that pollute the environment." Results. Taking into account the regional peculiarities of the composition of pollutant emissions into the atmospheric air, 1,3-butadiene (source - production of synthetic rubber) should be classified as priority carcinogens requiring systematic monitoring and measures to reduce emissions and, accordingly, concentrations in the surface layer of atmospheric air and chromium6+ compounds (the main source is an aircraft plant), which contribute 69.9-75.7% and 21.7-26.9%, respectively, to the total values of the individual carcinogenic risk, which exceeds the maximum permissible level (1 • 10-4). The carcinogenic risk from exposure to drinking water pollutants (halogenated organic substances) and soil (under the scenario of accidental ingestion by preschool children) is below the maximum permissible risk (1 • 10-4). Conclusion. It is necessary to pay attention to increasing the sensitivity of the applied laboratory control methods, expanding the list of controlled carcinogenic pollutants, improving the monitoring system of carcinogens, and implementing measures to reduce the carcinogenic risk associated with atmospheric air pollution.


This paper presents a bidirectional non-isolated dc-dc converter based on three-level flying-capacitor converters intended to be applied to electric railway systems. It consists of several main converters with four power devices per converter, multiple auxiliary converters each of which is formed by cascaded chopper cells, and inductors for current control. The dc-dc converter can achieve zero-current switching (ZCS) for all the power devices in the main converters, not only under steady-state conditions but also under transient-state conditions including sudden changes in the supply voltage. This paper presents a current control method based on dq0 transformation and a voltage control method for the floating dc capacitors used in the auxiliary converters. The validity of the control methods proposed in this paper is verified through experiments using a 200-V, 2-kW downscaled model.


IκB-ζ [inhibitor of NF-κB (nuclear factor κB) ζ] is a nuclear protein that is induced upon stimulation of TLRs (Toll-like receptors) and IL (interleukin)-1 receptor. IκB-ζ harbours C-terminal ankyrin repeats that interact with NF-κB. Our recent studies have shown that, upon stimulation, IκB-ζ is essential for the induction of a subset of inflammatory genes, represented by IL-6, whereas it inhibits the expression of TNF (tumour necrosis factor)-α. In the present study, we investigated mechanisms that determine the different functions of IκB-ζ. We found that co-expression of IκB-ζ and the NF-κB subunits synergistically activates transcription of the hBD-2 (human β-defensin 2) and NGAL (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin) genes, whereas it inhibits transcription of E-selectin. Reporter analyses indicated that, in addition to an NF-κB-binding site, a flanking C/EBP (CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein)-binding site in the promoters is essential for the IκB-ζ-mediated transcriptional activation. Using an artificial promoter consisting of the NF-κB- and C/EBP-binding sites, transcriptional activation was observed upon co-transfection with IκB-ζ and NF-κB, indicating that these sequences are minimal elements that confer the IκB-ζ-mediated transcriptional activation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays and knockdown experiments showed that both IκB-ζ and the NF-κB subunits were recruited to the NGAL promoter and were essential for the transcriptional activation of the hBD-2 and NGAL promoters on stimulation with IL-1β. The activation of the NGAL promoter by transfection of IκB-ζ and NF-κB was suppressed in C/EBPβ-depleted cells. Thus IκB-ζ acts as an essential transcriptional activator by forming a complex with NF-κB on promoters harbouring the NF-κB- and C/EBP-binding sites, upon stimulation of TLRs or IL-1 receptor.


The Japanese became aware of sexual harassment only since the mid 1980s. Before
this period, sexual harassment was not identified by the firms as a crucial social issue.
But in June l997, the revision of the 1985 Equal Employment Opportunity Law provides
new provision related to the employers's obligation of preventing sexual harassment in
the work place. This article deals with this process of revision along with scholarly developments and judicial responses through tort and contract liability. Then it focuses on
the role played by the Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry in order to ensure the implementation of the new amendment through administrative guidance. At last, on the base
of numerous surveys conducted by the Labour Administration and the Institute for Work
in the 21st century, it questions the companies'attitudes, balancing between indifference
and positive action.


We present the results of stability testing of a terahertz radiometer based on a superconducting receiver with a SIS tunnel junction as the mixer and a flux-flow oscillator as the local oscillator. In the continuum mode, the receiver with a noise temperature of 95 K at 510 GHz measured over the intermediate frequency (IF) passband of 4–8 GHz offered a noise equivalent temperature difference of 10 ± 1 mK at an integration time of 1 s. We offer a method to significantly increase the integration time without the use of complex measurement equipment. The receiver observed a strong signal over a final detection bandwidth of 4 GHz and offered an Allan time of 5 s.


Here, we show that: if the equation has an integer solution and a b is not a perfect square, then (1) has an infinitude of integer solutions; in this case we find a closed expression for (xn, yn ) , the general positive integer solution, by an original method. More, we generalize it for any Diophantine equation of second degree and with two unknowns.


Abstract The linear, zonally symmetric modes of the basic state of a Hadley cell are examined. We find that the inclusion of the divergent basic state leads to the formation of a new class of slowly oscillating modes, some of which have periods in the range of 40–50 days. The modes have many features in common with the observed tropical 40–50-day oscillation; however, an explanation for the observed fluctuations in convective cloudiness remains a topic for future work.


Abstract The influence of the concentration of sodium nitrate aqueous solution electrolyte on the machining characteristics of wire electrochemical finishing using bipolar pulses was investigated. The material removal rate and surface roughness obtained remained almost the same as the concentration was varied from 0.2 wt% to 20 wt%. However, smaller surface roughness was obtained with a smaller depth of cut under a lower electrolyte concentration. Hence, the deterioration of the geometrical accuracy of the workpiece owing to the electrochemical finishing operation can be better suppressed using a lower electrolyte concentration. The measured glossiness of the finished surface obtained with a lower electrolyte concentration was higher. To understand the reason for the particular characteristics obtained from a lower electrolyte concentration, the temperature and current density distributions were analyzed. The results showed that the current density is more localized in a gap with lower electrolyte concentrations owing to Joule heating. Consequently, considering environmental issues, the use of the 0.2 wt% electrolyte is the most appropriate under the conditions adopted in the present work.


Research on visuospatial memory has shown that egocentric (subject-to-object) and allocentric (object-to-object) reference frames are connected to categorical (non-metric) and coordinate (metric) spatial relations, and that motor resources are recruited especially when processing spatial information in peripersonal (within arm reaching) than extrapersonal (outside arm reaching) space. In order to perform our daily-life activities, these spatial components cooperate along a continuum from recognition-related (e.g., recognizing stimuli) to action-related (e.g., reaching stimuli) purposes. Therefore, it is possible that some types of spatial representations rely more on action/motor processes than others. Here, we explored the role of motor resources in the combinations of these visuospatial memory components. A motor interference paradigm was adopted in which participants had their arms bent behind their back or free during a spatial memory task. This task consisted in memorizing triads of objects and then verbally judging what was the object: (1) closest to/farthest from the participant (egocentric coordinate); (2) to the right/left of the participant (egocentric categorical); (3) closest to/farthest from a target object (allocentric coordinate); and (4) on the right/left of a target object (allocentric categorical). The triads appeared in participants' peripersonal (Experiment 1) or extrapersonal (Experiment 2) space. The results of Experiment 1 showed that motor interference selectively damaged egocentric-coordinate judgements but not the other spatial combinations. The results of Experiment 2 showed that the interference effect disappeared when the objects were in the extrapersonal space. A third follow-up study using a within-subject design confirmed the overall pattern of results. Our findings provide evidence that motor resources play an important role in the combination of coordinate spatial relations and egocentric representations in peripersonal space.


Global environmental degradation creates and exacerbates social injustices. Using relative deprivation (RD) theory, we investigate whether people perceive environmental degradation in Australia, and extend RD theory by connecting it to the construct of place attachment (PA) at multiple scales. We surveyed 5163 Australians, measuring RD, PA, personal and collective environmental behaviours, and policy support. About one-third believed environmental quality is worsening and felt angry about it. We regressed each of the behaviour and policy-support measures onto the RD and PA measures. Collective environmental behaviours and policy support were more strongly predicted, in each case by RD and just one of the PA measures. RD partially mediated the association between PA and each of the behavioural measures. Responses to global environmental degradation are an admixture of injustice and place attachments at multiple scales. Efforts to promote environmentally relevant behaviours require attention to local and global attachments and identities.


Undoped and Ga-doped In2O3 nanowires (NWs) were synthesized by using vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth and were characterized as transparent conductive oxides for future generations of optoelectronic devices. A low amount of Ga was obtained due to the low solubility of Ga2O3 in In2O3. The incorporation of Ga into In2O3 nanowires decreases the grain size, the transmittance and the optical band gap. The Ga-doped In2O3 NWs exhibited a low sheet resistance of 12.2 ± 2 Ω/▭ and a mean transmittance value in the visible region of 77.1, which favor its use as a promising transparent conductive oxide.


Hair shaft disorders may lead to brittleness and uncombable hair. In general the hair feels dry and lusterless. Hair shaft abnormalities may occur as localized or generalized disorders. Genetic predisposition or exogenous factors are able to produce and maintain hair shaft abnormalities. In addition to an extensive history and physical examination the most important diagnostic examination to analyze a hair shaft problem is light microscopy. Therapy of hair shaft disorders should focus to the cause. In addition, minimizing traumatic influences to hair shafts, such as dry hair with an electric dryer, permanent waves and dyes is important. A short hair style is more suitable for such patients with hair shaft disorders.


The author analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of Total Quality Management and Self-Managed Teams, as compared to mass production approaches to service delivery, among customer service and sales workers in a large unionized regional Bell operating company. Participation in self-managed teams was associated with a statistically significant improvement in self-reported service quality and a 9.3% increase in sales per employee. When combined with new technology, teams boosted sales an additional 17.4%. These effects persisted over time. Total Quality Management, by contrast, did not affect performance. This study represents a "strong test" of the efficacy of teams because theory predicts weak outcomes for self-managed teams among service and sales employees in establishments where technology and organizational structure limit opportunities for self-regulation, the nature of work and technology do not require interdependence, and downsizing creates pervasive job insecurity—conditions found at the company studied here.


Pump-turbines cope very well with modern electricity-market demand, having high operational flexibility and storage capabilities. Nevertheless, dynamic operation of these machines can lead to very challenging transient conditions, depending on the shape of the characteristic. Mechanical integrity can be correspondingly affected. Therefore assessment of the characteristic during the design phase, i.e. before model testing, is of crucial importance.
 In the past years different attempts to accurately compute the characteristic under steady (i.e. fix point) and transient conditions have been undertaken using RANS CFD. While the SST turbulence model has become the reference for machine design, it often fails for conditions close to or around instabilities. Its strength to accurately predict separation close to sound conditions (i.e. mild part- and over-load) is no more helpful. Under unstable conditions, which are characterized by continuous unsteady vortex formation, turbulence isotropy as assumed by linear two equation models is no more the right choice.
 Accordingly a turbulence model able to capture anisotropy, EARSM (Explicit Algebraic Reynolds Stress Model), has been implemented in an in-house code and used for the computation of the characteristic of various machines, stable and unstable, in order to assess the model performance.
 In this paper computations of three different machines in turbine mode are presented. Results using steady boundary conditions (BC) in the unstable region as well as transient BC like load-rejection and runaway are computed with EARSM, showing its superiority compared to linear two equation models.


This study was conducted to identify the patterns of emotional and social difficulties among Pakistani adolescents. The Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Disruptive Behavior, and Self-Concept Inventories of the Beck Youth Inventories were administered to 300 adolescents (150 females and 150 males). The age range was between 14–19 years. Each inventory represented distinct symptom dimensions and the overall pattern of results indicated that anxiety level in males was higher than females but females' disruptive behavior was significantly high. Hence, there was no significant gender difference in the levels of anger, self concept and depression. Age had strong impact on all types of psychological distress. Late adolescents showed more anger, anxiety, depression and disruptive behavior. Early adolescents had high self concept as compared to late adolescents. Anxiety was significantly positively related with depression, anger and disruptive behavior.


Protein is the main nutrient needed at the beginning of life, especially babies, but many things that cause the baby cannot be breastfed by his mother. The alternative is to give cow milk as a substitute for ASI. This study aims to determined the differences in protein levels and what protein levels were found in breast milk and formula cow's milk for children aged 0-6 months in Jember Regency. The kjehdahl method was selected, namely destruction, distillation, and titration to determined protein levels in breast milk and formula milk. From the results of the experiment, it was found that protein levels were 0.28%, 0.36% and 0.17% for formula A, B and ASI milk. The results of the SPSS analysis test using the T test showed a significance value of 0,189 (p0.05). These results indicate that there are no differences in the levels of protein contained in formula milk and breast milk.Keywords: breast milk, formula milk, protein content, kjehdahl method.


Lead (Pb) isotope compositions of sulfide minerals coupled with rocks associated with an ore deposit provide critical constraints on the source of metals and fluid pathways in a fossil hydrothermal system (Heyl et al., 1966; Stacey et al., 1968; Gulson, 1986; Sanford, 1992). Lead isotope compositions of sulfide minerals also provide chronologic information, either absolute or relative, for ore deposition (for example, Carr et al., 1995) and can also be used as an exploration tool during prospect evaluation (Gulson, 1986; Young, 1995). These varied applications of Pb isotopes to achieve an understanding of the ore genesis process are too diverse to be adequately discussed in a single overview chapter. Instead, this chapter focuses attention on what Pb isotopes tell us about (1) the sources of Pb nd other metals in ore deposits, (2) the interaction between hydrothermal fluids and wall rocks, (3) the influence of basement rocks and tectonic setting on Pb sources in ore deposits in magmatic arcs, and (4) the application f crustal-scale Pb isotope variations to an understanding of regional controls on ore deposition Before Pb isotopes pertinent to understanding ore genesis can be examined, we must review some basic principles of Pb isotope geochemistry (Fig. 1). Elegant discussions of U-Th-Pb geochemistry are presented by Doe (1970), Faure (1977), Zartman and Haines (1988), Garipy and Dupr (1991), and Dickin (1995). The following discussion is simplified from these sources. Three isotopes, 208Pb, 207Pb, and 206Pb, are partly the radiogenic daughter products from the radioactive decay of one isotope of thorium (232Th 208Pb*) and two isotopes of uranium (238U 206Pb* and 235U 207Pb*). (Note that an asterisk (*) after an isotope denotes that it is the product of radioactive decay of a parent isotope over time and is not the total abundance of the isotope in a sample.) The abundance of radiogenic isotopes has grown since the earth formed some 4.56 billion years ago (Fig. 1), building upon an initial concentration. The fourth isotope of Pb, 204Pb, is stable and has no long-lived parent isotope nordoes it decay to another isotope. Time-integrated growth of radiogenic Pb isotopes from an arbitrary starting time, t1, to an ending time, t1, in an environment where there has been no migration of U, Th, and their daughter products, is described by standard decay equations: These equations simply show that the measured present-day Pb isotope composition is equal to the sum of the initial


The Supreme Court is thought to use a method of statutory interpretation called "the new textualism" when construing Federal Statutes, including the Bankruptcy Code. The new textualism, in brief, ties interpreters more closely to the text than more traditional interpretative methods. This Essay inquires into the justifications for the new textualism, but its primary goal is to argue that the Court prefers an important justification of this interpretative method to the method itself. The justification holds that interpretation should advance the rule of law virtues of certainty and predictability. A court that is committed to the new textualism would construe statutory standards as standards. This Essay argues that the Court, in contrast, exhibits a strong tendency to transmute Bankruptcy Code standards into bright line rules that maximally confine the discretion of the bankruptcy courts that administer the Code, and the district courts that review them. This tendency is in the self conscious service of attempting to advance the rule of law virtues. The Essay goes on to argue that judicial attempts to restrict the discretion of administrators are likely to fail when the governing statute, like the Bankruptcy Code, is intended to confer on administrators a large discretion; and the Essay suggests the possibility that the Court may be reading other statutes as it reads the Bankruptcy Code, subject to Chrevon type constraints that do not apply to bankruptcy as a field of Federal regulation.


We present a systematic study of the role of Anderson orthogonality for the dynamics after a quantum quench in quantum impurity models, using the numerical renormalization group. As shown by Anderson in 1967, the scattering phase shifts of the single-particle wave functions constituting the Fermi sea have to adjust in response to the sudden change in the local parameters of the Hamiltonian, causing the initial and final ground states to be orthogonal. This so-called Anderson orthogonality catastrophe also influences dynamical properties, such as spectral functions. Their low-frequency behaviour shows nontrivial power laws, with exponents that can be understood using a generalization of simple arguments introduced by Hopfield and others for the X-ray edge singularity problem. The goal of this work is to formulate these generalized rules, as well as to numerically illustrate them for quantum quenches in impurity models involving local interactions. As a simple yet instructive example, we use the interacting resonant level model as testing ground for our generalized Hopfield rule. We then analyse a model exhibiting population switching between two dot levels as a function of gate voltage, probed by a local Coulomb interaction with an additional lead serving as charge sensor. We confirm a recent prediction that charge sensing can induce a quantum phase transition for this system, causing the population switch to become abrupt. We elucidate the role of Anderson orthogonality for this effect by explicitly calculating the relevant orthogonality exponents.


It is argued that echo -words result from the tension between a requirement that penalizes a sequence of two identical stems, * REPEAT(Stem), and one that requires two identical stems, REPEAT(Stem). Based primarily on data from Javanese, I make three main points. First, at least some inputs to the Optimality Grammar must be abstract morphological specifications like PLURAL. They are phonologically incomplete outputs of the morphosyntax. Second, morpheme realization results from an attempt to meet output targets in the form of constraints: REPEAT, a2 =a; PL=s, and so on. Such morphemes do not have underlying forms in the familiar sense (cf Hammond 1995, Russell 1995). Third, the target constraints may be out -ranked by phonological constraints of various kinds, particularly constraints against the repetition of elements, here called *REPEAT. The elements may be phonological (feature, segment) or morphological (affix, stem). These findings support the view of Pierrehumbert (1993a) that identity has broad cognitive roots. The primary data comes from Javanese, but the paper also touches on English and Turkish.' Section 1 gives some background on the handling of morphological data in OT. Section 2 discusses identity avoidance in morphology, sets out the basic proposal, and gives sketches of English and Turkish. Section 3 is an extended discussion of Javanese. Section 4 looks at secret languages, and section 5 sums up.


The increase of national corn production impacted to the increase of dry corn husk waste. The waste, if were not handled properly would cause environmental problems. Dry corn husk consist of 15,7 % lignin, 36,81 % cellulose, and 27,01 % lignecellulose, so that it can be used as mate-rial in paper making. The purpose of the study is to understand the influence of dry corn husk pulp variations on the pulling strength of the paper made, by conducted an experimental study which followed post-test only design. Five variations of the mass ratio of used paper pulp and  dry corn husk pulp used in this study were: 1:0; 1:2; 1:2.5; 1:3; and 0:1; and were obeserved in nine replications. The results showed that the average of pulling strength of the paper yielded from above five ratio, respectively were: 2.030,02 grams; 7.004,06 gr; 9.038,37 gr; 11.888,78 gr; and 17.970,59 gr. Based on the results of the one way anova test, it was revealed that corn husk waste pulp determined the pulling strengh of the paper produced. The pulp waste only without used paper pulp addition earned the biggest pulling strength. The cellulose, lignin and hemicellu-lose content in dry corn husk were considered have function as an adhesive between the fibers and reinforce the bond and the length of the fibers. To conclude, the bigger the mass ratio be-tween corn husk pulp and used paper pulp, the higher the pulling strength will be gained.


Two groups of Nigerian university students were compared in terms of their attitudes towards mental illness. Responses on the OMI scale questionnaire items on attitudes towards mental illness were examined. Subjects were 37 registered general nurses from the Faculty of Medicine and 15 science students from the Faculty of Science. Differences between the nurses and science students not attributable to age were observed in Factors A : Authoritarianism, B: Benevolence and D: Social restrictiveness. The nurses scored lower on the above mentioned factors while they scored higher on Interpersonal etiology and Mental hygiene ideology. Also intercorrelation between the five factors was done. Positive correlation was found between Authoritarianism and Social restrictiveness and also between these two factors and Benevolence.


It is usually assumed that theories should be consistent and coherent. Unfortunately, inconsistencies, incoherencies, or other logical defects are difficult to detect when a theory is stated in natural language (e.a., English). When a theory is translated into a formal logical language, its structure becomes more explicit, and better accessible for repair. Furthermore, new hypotheses can be derived from a given theory by using the formal machinery. In this paper we show how a formalization in a logical language can be done, by formalizing an important fragment of Michael T. Hannan's and John Freeman's Organizational Ecology in First Order Logic, examining its logical properties, and deriving new theorems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; Copyright of Mens en Maatschappij is the property of Amsterdam University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)


We present a spectral analysis of NuSTAR and NICER observations of the luminous, persistently accreting neutron star (NS) low-mass X-ray binary Cygnus X-2. The data were divided into different branches that the source traces out on the Z-track of the X-ray color–color diagram; namely, the horizontal branch, the normal branch, and the vertex between the two. The X-ray continuum spectrum was modeled in two different ways that produced comparable quality fits. The spectra showed clear evidence of a reflection component in the form of a broadened Fe K line, as well as a lower-energy emission feature near 1 keV likely due to an ionized plasma located far from the innermost accretion disk. We account for the reflection spectrum with two independent models (relxillns and rdblur*rfxconv). The inferred inclination is in agreement with earlier estimates from optical observations of ellipsoidal lightcurve modeling (relxillns: i = 67° ± 4°; rdblur*rfxconv: i = 60° ± 10°). The inner disk radius remains close to the NS (R in ≤ 1.15 R ISCO) regardless of the source position along the Z-track or how the 1 keV feature is modeled. Given the optically determined NS mass of 1.71 ± 0.21 M ⊙, this corresponds to a conservative upper limit of R in ≤ 19.5 km for M = 1.92 M ⊙ or R in ≤ 15.3 km for M = 1.5 M ⊙. We compare these radius constraints to those obtained from NS gravitational wave merger events and recent NICER pulsar lightcurve modeling measurements.


The purpose of this study is that we"d like to find out basic psychological factors of golfers during the golf events. To attain this goal, we analyzed and measured how different the anxiety in the competitive state was showed in golf events, according to the amateur(at the university) and professional golfer and then we estimated them. Research methods for this study is Qualitative research. the goals of this study, the researcher attempted to apply the phenomenological research approach to understand anxiety in the competitive state was showed in golf events, To do, 10 golfers were sampled randomly through the reputational case selection process. As a result of this research, golfers experience of anxiety in the competitive state while being further sub-divided : negative mind, inter-personal disturbance, physiological phenomenon, and competitive stress.


At this stage of stapes mobilization surgery, it appears appropriate to evaluate some existing problems, and to consider some perspectives. The two problems to be presented are the following: The footplate approach Delayed postoperative threshold shift. A perspective which merits discussion is the question of combined myringoplasty and stapes mobilization in otosclerotics with tympanic deformities due to coexistent adhesive otitis. I. The Footplate Approach There has been a significant evolution in the modus operandi of the surgical technique of stapes mobilization since the first publication of Rosen, 1 when he advised mobilization via the stapedial neck with a specially curved instrument. Shortly thereafter, others 2-3 suggested force application through the lenticular process of the incus, through the capitulum of the stapes, and other modifications in the region of the incudostapedial joint. It was quite logical that initial attempts to mobilize the ankylosed stapedial footplate should begin at the


OBJECTIVE
Continuous measurement of cardiac output (CCO) is of great importance in the critically ill. However, pulmonary artery thermodilution has been questioned for possible complications associated with right heart catheterization. Furthermore, measurements are delayed in the continuous mode during rapid hemodynamic changes. A new pulmonary artery catheter CCO device (Aortech, Bellshill, Scotland) enabling real-time update of cardiac output was compared with 2 different, less-invasive methods of CCO determination, esophageal Doppler and pulse contour analysis.

DESIGN
Prospective, observational study.

SETTING
University hospital, single institution.

PARTICIPANTS
Patients scheduled for elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

INTERVENTIONS
None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
CCO measurements were analyzed using a Bland-Altman plot. Bias between CCO and pulse contour cardiac output (PCCO), and Doppler-derived cardiac output (UCCO) was (mean +/- 1 SD) -0.71 +/- 1 L/min versus -0.15 +/- 1.09 L/min, and between UCCO and PCCO -0.58 +/- 1.06 L/min. Bias was not significantly different among methods, nor were comparative values before and after cardiopulmonary bypass (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Agreement between the CCO method and both less-invasive measurements was clinically acceptable. There were no adverse events associated with the use of either device.


In the following article the peculiarities of agriculture of the ethnological location of the population living in Surkhan oasis occupied with the agriculture, its historical development is analysed. The current situation and development of the traditional farming in the adaptation process to the market relations. Also the massive sources and literature related with the literature ethnolocal types of the agriculture, its place in the ethnoeconomical system, particularly in the household economy and the social significance in the form of the lifestyle of the population are studied. The types of traditional farming, their ethnolocal properties in relation to the oasis, the modernization of this domain within the conditions of the changing of the types of properties, the types of crops are analysed. Based on the studied problems the scientific conclusions are drawn, the practical proposals and recommendations are presented.


The stable redox properties of ferrocene/ferrocenium have been used to investigate ferrocene-based functional materials. Herein, the steric effects of an exterior cage on the redox properties of interior metallocenes have been investigated using cyclic voltammetry measurements of ferrocene-diyl bridged macrocages and their noncage isomers. As the half-wave potential (E1/2) depends on ferrocenium stabilization through solvation, positive shifts in the E1/2 were observed in the macrocages. As peak separation between potentials of the anodic and cathodic peaks depends on the rate of electron transfer, marked broadening from the ideal value was observed in the macrocages due to the insulating effect of the outer cage. These steric effects of the cage on the redox properties of ferrocenes could aid the molecular design of metallocene-based functional molecules.


mTORC1 inhibitors relieve feedback inhibition of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and cause mTORC2-dependent phosphorylation of AKT S473 and activation of AKT kinase and signaling. mTOR kinase inhibitors block mTORC1 and mTORC2 and thus do not cause the mTORC2 activation of AKT observed with the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin. We now show, however, that these drugs have a biphasic effect on AKT. Inhibition of mTORC2 leads to AKT S473 dephosphorylation and a rapid but transient inhibition of AKT T308 phosphorylation and AKT signaling. However, inhibition of mTOR kinase also relieves feedback inhibition of RTKs leading to subsequent PI3K activation and rephosphorylation of AKT T308 sufficient to reactivate AKT activity and signaling. Thus, catalytic inhibition of mTOR kinase leads to a new steady state characterized by profound inhibition of mTORC1 and accumulation of activated AKT phosphorylated on T308 but not S473. Combined inhibition of mTOR kinase and the induced RTKs fully abolishes AKT signaling and results in profound cell death and tumor regression in vivo. These results reveal the adaptive capabilities of oncogenic signaling networks, as AKT signaling may be driven by a loss-of-feedback-induced AKT species lacking S473 phosphorylation. The addition of RTK inhibitors can prevent this reactivation of AKT signaling and cause profound cell death and tumor regressions in vivo, highlighting the possible need for combinatorial approaches to block feedback-regulated pathways. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2011 Nov 12-16; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2011;10(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A165.


Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second common cause of cancer incidence and death among Egyptian men. á-fetoprotein (AFP) may be elevated in many liver diseases and is not elevated in all patients with HCC, So more sensitive serum markers are needed for HCC diagnosis. AFP glycoform measuring is more important than measuring of AFP. There are three types of glycoforms, the most important one in diagnosis of HCC is lens Culinaris agglutinin reactive 3 alpha fetoprotein (AFPL3), as it is generated from malignant liver cells, its measurement helps to differentiate HCC from benign hepatic diseases. The aim of the present study was to improve outcome of patients with HCC by early diagnosis, through detection of AFP L3 in patients with normal level of AFP. This study included 82 patients divided into two groups: Group (A): 41 HCC patients with normal Alpha fetoprotein level, Group (B): 41 HCC patients with high level of Alpha fetoprotein. Tri-phasic liver Computed Tomography (CT) is a standardized procedure for the detection and characterization of HCC. Measurement of Human AFP-L3 by ELISA in serum by the kit (AFPL3 EIAab®, Catalog No: E1117h). Results showed that out of 82 patients 18 patients were females and 64 were males with mean age 63.5years old. AFP L3 at cutoff 2.89 had sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 87.8%, AUC=0.515 and accuracy of 93.2% according to this cutoff 95% of patients with AFP <30 ng/mL had AFP L3 =2.89 versus 5% of patients with AFP <30 ng/mL had AFP L3 >2.89, while 100% of patients with AFP >30 ng/mL had AFP L3 >2.89 versus 0% of patients with AFP >30 ng/mL had AFP L3 =2.89, this indicates that AFP L3 is a good diagnostic marker for HCC when AFP level is more than 30 ng/ml. Conclusion: There is a significant direct correlation between AFP level and AFPL3 level in patients with HCC. AFP L3 is a good diagnostic marker for HCC only when AFP level is more than 30 ng/ml.


Successful function of an indwelling biliary endoprosthesis requires precise initial positioning relative to the stricture site. Delayed failures may occur as a result of migration either proximally or distally. The authors describe a method for retrieval of a distally displaced endoprosthesis using a vascular balloon-dilatation catheter.


BACKGROUND
Although previous evidence suggests that the cognitive effects of concussions are cumulative, the effect of time interval between repeat concussions is largely unknown.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of time interval between repeat concussions on the cognitive function of mice.

METHODS
We used a weight-drop model of concussion to subject anesthetized mice to 1, 3, 5, or 10 concussions, each a day apart. Additional mice were subjected to 5 concussions at varying time intervals: daily, weekly, and monthly. Morris water maze performance was measured 24 hours, 1 month, and 1 year after final injury.

RESULTS
After 1 concussion, injured and sham-injured mice performed similarly in the Morris water maze. As the number of concussions increased, injured mice performed worse than sham-injured mice. Mice sustaining 5 concussions either 1 day or 1 week apart performed worse than sham-injured mice. When 5 concussions were delivered at 1-month time intervals, no difference in Morris water maze performance was observed between injured and sham-injured mice. After a 1-month recovery period, mice that sustained 5 concussions at daily and weekly time intervals continued to perform worse than sham-injured mice. One year after the final injury, mice sustaining 5 concussions at a daily time interval still performed worse than sham-injured mice.

CONCLUSION
When delivered within a period of vulnerability, the cognitive effects of multiple concussions are cumulative, persistent, and may be permanent. Increasing the time interval between concussions attenuates the effects on cognition. When multiple concussions are sustained by mice daily, the effects on cognition are long term.


Influence of cluster rhenium compounds with different ligands on the activity of glucose oxidase was studied. Ability of the rhenium compounds to influence on the enzyme's activity was ascertained. It is depended on the compound structure and the time of incubation: activity of the glucose oxidase changed by 4–24 %. The cluster compound with GABA ligand reduced the enzymatic activity, but compounds with hydrophobic ligands increased the activity of glucose oxidase. Different mechanisms of the cluster rhenium compound–enzyme interactions are suspected.


In Reply. —Dr Howe mistakenly suggests that we have argued for evaluating the safety and efficacy of UCB in populations that would not have access to this technology for "financial or other reasons." Our argument for establishing publicly funded UCB banks that recruit donations from people of "all races, income levels, and ethnic groups" assumes that provisions are made for making UCB available to all who need it. Although Howe misinterprets our arguments, we agree that there should be a mechanism to provide donor families with coverage toward a transplant in the event such therapy is needed. Howe's claim regarding the likelihood that banked UCB will be limited to an affluent minority is really an incompletely tested empirical claim that embraces important cautions for those developing procedures for UCB banking. Nevertheless, it is encouraging that in contrast to the trends in transplant management cited by Howe, early experience suggests that


The development of advanced solid lubricants is of considerable importance to space tribology. The most common solid lubricant coatings today are based on MoS2, lead or PTFE. However, none of these coatings can simultaneously fulfill all specifications, with regard to friction and wear, under ambient atmosphere and in vacuum. Consequently research is currently being aimed at further improvements in advanced solid lubricant coatings. One approach is to optimize Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) coatings to meet the specifications. In this study, the feasibility of highly hydrogenated DLC coatings (~ 50 at% hydrogen) for solid lubricant applications is assessed. The coatings were deposited on AISI 52100 steel substrates and tested in ball-on-disc tribometers in air, vacuum and dry nitrogen environments. It was found that the test environment has the most decisive effect on both friction and wear rate, while these parameters are only slightly affected by varying the applied load under a given atmosphere. It was concluded that highly hydrogenated DLC coatings are capable of yielding ultra-low friction values in vacuum (µ = 0.008). The average friction coefficient range obtained in humid air, dry nitrogen and vacuum for the range of applied loads were respectively 0.22 to 0.27, 0.02 to 0.03, and 0.007 to 0.013. Coating lifetime was over 100 000 cycles for the entire load range tested in air and nitrogen, but was affected by the applied load as far as tests in vacuum are considered. The specific wear rate was lower than 1x10-5 mm3 N-1 m-1 under all test conditions, which was considered favourable.


Leptin, an adipose tissue-derived cytokine, is correlated with adipose mass as obese persons have increased levels of leptin that decrease with weight loss. Previous studies demonstrate that high-energy-expenditure exercise decreases circulating leptin levels, whereas low-energy-expenditure exercise has no effect. We aimed to test the hypothesis that acute exercise reduced leptin mRNA levels in human adipose tissue and that this effect would be ameliorated by carbohydrate supplementation. Because exercise markedly increases circulating IL-6 and epinephrine, we investigated whether the changes in leptin seen with acute exercise could be mediated by IL-6 or epinephrine infusion. Abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue mRNA and plasma levels of leptin were measured in healthy men in response to 3-h ergometer exercise with or without carbohydrate (CHO) ingestion (n = 8) and in response to infusion with recombinant human (rh)IL-6 (n = 11) or epinephrine (n = 8) or saline. Plasma leptin declined in response to exercise (P < 0.05) compared with rest, whereas mRNA expression in adipose tissue was unaffected. The exercise-induced decrease in plasma leptin was attenuated by CHO ingestion (P < 0.001). A 3-h epinephrine infusion decreased plasma leptin (P < 0.001) to the same level seen with 3 h of exercise, whereas leptin levels were unaffected by rhIL-6 infusion. In conclusion, both acute exercise and epinephrine infusion decreased plasma leptin to a similar extent, whereas there was no effect with rhIL-6 infusion. Acute exercise solely affected leptin plasma levels, as mRNA levels were unchanged. The exercise-induced decrease in circulating leptin was counteracted by CHO ingestion, suggesting a posttranscriptional regulatory mechanism of leptin involving substrate availability.


The effects of heat stress (HS) and ultra low oxygen (ULO) in controlled (CA) or modified (MA) atmosphere on chestnut (Castanea sativa L. cv. Rodiana) fruit quality and storability were investigated. Chestnuts exposed to ULO (1% O2 for 1 h) or dipped in water bath (at 55?C for 15 min) and then stored to CA or MA conditions at 6?C for up to 90 days. The HS dipping and storage in CA or MA increased sprouting (up to 60%) as well as mould severe on chestnuts com-paring with the control. In MA conditions, HS and ULO increased respiration rate. Total starch content increased (up to 30%) in MA-HS and MA-ULO treatments comparing with the control the first 60 days of storage. The first 30 days of CA and MA storage, chestnut moisture content decreased. No major differences observed in total sugar, total fat and total phenolic content as well as in the incidence of hole with or without worm in chestnut fruit. Following sensory evaluation, 57% of panelist marked differences among treatments, while the greater preference (67%) observed in chestnut treated with HS and stored in MA. Additionally, MA-HS enhanced (up to 30%) the chestnut appearance while no difference observed in aroma, sweetness and texture among treatments and storage conditions. Thus, the impacts of HS on chestnuts maintain fruit quality, with benefits in CA storage, as increased panelists' preference.


A high-speed CMOS phase/frequency detector (PFD) for faster frequency acquisition is presented. An improved CMOS D-type master-slave flip-flop is described and adopted. Higher speed is attributed to the reduced node capacitances. Charge-sharing phenomena are circumvented. An input delay scheme is employed to achieve faster acquisition. The optimal delay for PFD maximum operating frequency is analytically studied and a design guide is given.


Abstract : With the upcoming change of administration, Congress has mandated that a new Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) be accomplished, the first such review since 2001. While the Department of Defense (DoD) endeavors to produce this cornerstone report on the current and future shape of U.S. strategic forces, it is perhaps also time for a renewed public examination and debate. Without the crisis of the Cold War, nuclear weapons and nuclear strategy are no longer the exclusive purview of military generals and elite statesmen. In fact the very nature of democracy demands that its citizens are not ignorant of the risks or costs associated with the various policies and decisions that our elected representatives make on our behalf; and perhaps no issue contains such critical risks and high costs as nuclear weapons.[1] There must be a clear public understanding of why we still have these weapons, how many we need, what they can and cannot do for us, and how our use or misuse of them will impact not only our own security, but in this increasingly globalized world, the inherently shared security of all people. In this essay I will lay the foundation for understanding these issues by showing how the wide discrepancy in opinions over the shape and purpose of U.S. nuclear forces is due to a fundamental difference in how various groups understand nuclear deterrence.


Ayurveda emphasizes that all the diseases are the result of weak state of Agni. Improper functioning of Agni leads to various metabolic disorders. Ascites describes the condition of pathologic fluid collection within the abdominal cavity .According to Ayurveda Udar-Jatodakawastha can be corelated with ascites as the sign and symptoms are same. Mandagni,Ajirna and malavrudhi are the reasons behind udar-jatodakawastha. In this article a case study of Udar-Jatodakawastha in which Mahishmutra Ghanvati has been given over a period of 14 days resulted in the reduction of the abdominal girth, decreases in weight without any treatment emergent adverse effect and reduction of all symptoms. Mahishmutra Ghanvati causes deepan, pachan, srotorodhanashnam and virechan(Malavishodhana).


The incidence of chronic aging-associated diseases, especially cardiovascular and prostatic diseases, is increasing with the aging of society. Evidence indicates that cardiovascular diseases usually coexist with prostatic diseases or increase its risk, while the pathological mechanisms of these diseases are unknown. Oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of both cardiovascular and prostatic diseases. The levels of oxidative stress biomarkers are higher in patients with cardiovascular diseases, and these also contribute to the development of prostatic diseases, suggesting cardiovascular diseases may increase the risk of prostatic diseases via oxidative stress. This review summarizes the role of oxidative stress in cardiovascular and prostatic diseases and also focuses on the main shared pathways underlying these diseases, in order to provide potential prevention and treatment targets.


Public reason liberals typically defend an accessibility requirement for reasons offered in public political dialog. The accessibility requirement holds that public reasons must be amenable to criticism, evaluable by reasonable persons, and the like. Public reason liberals are therefore hostile to the public use of reasons that appear inaccessible, especially religious reasons. This hostility has provoked strong reactions from public reason liberalism's religion-friendly critics. But public reason liberals and their religion-friendly critics need not be at odds because the accessibility requirement is implausible. In fact, the accessibility requirement is ambiguous between two interpretations, one of which is too stringent and the other too loose. Depending upon the interpretation, accessibility either restricts the use of too many secular reasons or permits appeal to a wide range of religious reasons. The accessibility requirement should therefore be rejected.


Abstract Pupulin, F. & Merino, G.: Two new species of Kefersteinia (Orchidaceae: Zygopetalinae). — Willdenowia 38: 187–193. — ISSN 0511-9618; © 2008 BGBM Berlin-Dahlem. doi:10.3372/wi.38.38113 (available via http://dx.doi.org/) Two new species of the genus Kefersteinia, K. saccata and K. medinae, are described and illustrated from Costa Rica and Ecuador, respectively. K. saccata has apparently no close relatives; among the species with truly cylindric-umbonate callus, it is compared with K. retanae and K. wercklei, from which it differs in the porrect petals, the saccate, ovate-subrhombic lip, shorter than the column, and the obreniform basal callus. K. medinae belongs to a group of species of mainly Central American distribution, ranging southward to Ecuador. It differs from its closest relative, K. costaricensis, by the lateral almost horizontal sepals, the immaculate sepals and petals, and the distinctly obovate, truncate lip, provided with a triangular apicule.


In this paper, we present the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of bubble transport in a first generation bifurcating microchannel. In the present study, the human arteriole is modeled as a two-dimensional (2D) rectangular bifurcating microchannel. The microchannel is filled with blood and a single perfluorocarbon (PFC) bubble is introduced in the parent channel. The simulations are carried out to identify the lodging and dislodging pressures for two nondimensional bubble sizes, L(d) (ratio of the dimensional bubble length to the parent tube diameter), that is for L(d) = 1 and L(d) = 2. Subsequently, the bubble transport and splitting behavior due to the presence of symmetry and asymmetry in the daughter channels of the microchannel is studied for these bubble sizes. The splitting behavior of the bubble under the effect of gravity is also assessed and reported here. For the symmetric bifurcation model, the splitting ratio (SR) (ratio of bubble volume in bottom daughter channel to bubble volume in top daughter channel), of the bubble was found to be 1. For the asymmetric model, the splitting ratio was found to be less than 1. The loss in the bubble volume in the asymmetric model was attributed to surface tension effects and the resistance offered by the flow, which led to the bubble sticking and sliding along the walls of the channel. With the increase in roll angle, Φ (angle which the plane makes with the horizontal to study the effects of gravity), there was a decline in the splitting ratio.


To the Editor: —I read the article on agenesis of the medial rectus muscle, by Girard and Neely, in the March, 1958, issue, p. 337, with considerable interest, since he records the rarity of absence of an extraocular muscle. I should like to add a case of absence of lateral rectus muscle. About five years ago I operated on a child for overaction of an inferior oblique muscle. In clearing the muscle, I found it to be attached at the normal line of insertion of the lateral rectus. However, despite very careful exposure, no lateral rectus muscle was found. A very greatly overdeveloped inferior oblique was performing the function of both muscles. I proceeded to recess the inferior oblique and gained my goal without having to resort to surgery for weakness of abduction of that eye. I have recently transplanted slips from the vertical recti for weak medial and lateral


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) duty hour regulations have significantly changed residency education. Initial research focused heavily on resident experiences, while changes in faculty roles and effects on patient care and resident education have received less attention. This survey examines faculty perceptions of the effect of duty hour changes in academic family medicine.

METHODS
Family medicine faculty members from 15% of ACGME-accredited residencies were surveyed. The survey included demographic information and Likert-type questions about changes in faculty duties, patient care, resident education, and satisfaction with academic medicine.

RESULTS
A total of 368 of 672 surveys were returned; 97% of the 69 surveyed programs were represented. The average faculty workweek was 66 hours, including call. Of respondents, 81% felt that weekly faculty hours were unchanged since duty hours; 19% thought work hours had increased. Faculty felt that residency education and patient care were not positively affected by duty hours. Statistically significant differences were found between perceptions of faculty who did and did not deliver babies. Twenty percent of faculty members are considering leaving academic medicine in relation to duty hours.

CONCLUSIONS
Consistent with research from other specialties, many faculty members perceive that their work roles have increased in certain areas. Resident performance and patient care are not seen to be improved as a result of duty hours. Further research into the unexpected findings involving labor and delivery responsibilities is needed.


Within a group of companies, a model is given for management of the relationships between the parent company and its subsidiaries. This is particularly relevant for groups originating from mergers and takeovers, because firms acquired often differ substantially in organizational structure from each other and from the parent company. The model provides a means of harmonizing the organizational structures of parent company and subsidiaries, so as to provide a complete coverage of necessary activities without duplication, and a means of identifying which activities should, in economic terms, be centralized by the parent company, and which should be delegated to the subsidiary. Finally, there is an empirical application of the model to one of the principal Italian banking groups.


. When people or groups in conflict initiate a mediation process to try to reach an agreement, painful and distressing feelings emerge. Mediation professionals facilitate and promote understanding despite the suffering that arises along the way. Previous research has confirmed the impact of professional quality of life and self-care on successful task performance. This research is a pioneering study in the occupational field of mediation. The purpose of this study was to analyse the efficacy of personal and professional self-care practices in relation to the quality of professional life of Spanish mediators. Mediators presented moderately high levels of compassion satisfaction but also had moderately high levels of burnout and compassion fatigue. Self-care positively correlated with compassion satisfaction and negatively with burnout and compassion fatigue. Positive associations were found between self-care and professional quality of life. Such a finding can help create personal and professional self-care practices to improve the lives of professionals.


A low-power polar modulator for a multiband and multimode RF transmitter is presented. The multimode capability of the modulator was tested with WCDMA and GSM/EDGE system requirements. The polar modulator consists of a saturated amplifier with a modulating current source which allows low power consumption. The multiband operation is obtained by tuning an LC output matching network.


The World Pandemic: an Impossible Storytelling?  Since 2020 the pandemic has been affecting the world population, bringing with it a proliferation of widely medialized images, symbols and myths. Has this collective catastrophe, which has upset the social and economic life of many countries, been accompanied by a coherent, stable, identifiable imaginary capable of producing meaning in events? Has the pandemic not been marked by the impossibility of a great narrative, by disturbing images, induced by contradictory injunctions and obsessive forms of anxious dystopias? Will covid19 not be contemporary with a perturbed, perverted, deficient imaginary (especially in France?)


A magnetocardiogram (MCG) can detect three-dimensional electric phenomena of the heart, because MCG does not influence the lung and torso form of the internal organs. In this symposium, we report the application of 64-channel MCG for the measurement of various arrhythmias (atrial flutter, atrial fibrillation), myocardial injury, and fetus arrhythmia. We composed function images of the conduction wave front and injured myocardium superimposed on a three-dimensional heart outline from the magnetic field. The injured myocardium was determined by a three-dimensional RT dispersion map. This algorithm allows the non-invasive determination of the space location of signal source and injured myocardium. In addition, 64-channel MCG can detect the fetal arrhythmias and autonomic nervous activity, which allows the diagnosis of fetus arrhythmia in detail before birth. Thus, MCG measurement is a useful non-invasive diagnostics procedure. However, there are several problems such as sealed room installation and the use of liquid helium. In the future, a newer technology that does not require liquid helium and a sealed room will be necessory.


Background TNBC, defined by the absence of ER, PR, and HER2, is associated with higher risk of recurrence and BC-related mortality, earlier age at diagnosis, menarche, and 1st pregnancy, increased parity, higher BMI, and African-American/Hispanic race. TNBC is a heterogeneous group. Using gene expression analysis, our group described a subset of AR+ ER/PR- BC that exhibits androgen-dependent growth. In vitro studies confirmed the functional role of AR and showed that growth could be abrogated by antiandrogens.(Doane et al 2006) We translated this work into a phase II trial of bicalutamide in pts with AR+ ER/PR- metastatic BC (MBC). (NCT00468715) We now describe the prevalence and clinicopathological characteristics of AR+TNBC in primary disease in a single-institution retrospective cohort. Methods: We identified 1,032 pts with resectable, TNBC (ER/PR 1 cm) with each tumor represented by three 0.6mm cores. AR was tested with DAKO antibody (Clone AR441; dilution 1:500). TMAs were digitized with a Mirax scanner. MetaMorph image analysis software was used to quantify the ratio of DAB staining to hematoxylin signal. A ratio >1 SD above mean was defined as AR+. AR+ cores were manually reviewed; false positives due to core artifact were excluded. To evaluate clinicopathological variables and differences in recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) by AR status we used chi-square/t-tests and Kaplan-Meier methods/log-rank test, respectively. Results: 169 pts had adequate cores for image analysis/quantification of AR. 10% of pts tested AR+ (17/169). Median (med) followup: AR+=6 years (yr), AR-=5.6yr. Demographic/clinicopathological variables: Table 1 (ages in med yr). Overall med age=54yr (29-84). Adjuvant chemotherapy received: AR+ 82%, AR- 87%, p =0.40; 77% received anthracycline/taxane-based therapy. Med time to distant metastasis (DM)=2.1yr (0.2−6.2yr). We were unable to demonstrate a difference in 5yr RFS (69% vs. 77%; p=0.37) or OS (68% vs. 84%; p=0.25) between AR+ and AR- TNBC. Conclusions: Consistent with our prospective study, AR is expressed in ∼10% of TNBC tumors in this retrospective cohort. The pts in our dataset may be older, postmenopausal, more likely to self-report white race and have T1-2/N0-1 BC. No statistically significant differences were observed in demographic/clinicopathological variables or survival outcomes between AR+ and AR- TNBC. Additional TMA data from our database will be presented. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-02-04.


This paper tackles the open problem of designing combinational self-testing checkers (STCs) for K-pair 2-rail codes which are self-testing, even by a subset of codewords, such that some input lines are 0 (or 1) for only one input codeword. The checker presented in the paper has both theoretical and practical importance. It is useful, for example, to build STCs for other systematic error-detecting codes, like Berger codes with I = 2/sup K-1/ data bits and arithmetic codes with the check base A = 2/sup K-1/+I (K = 3, 4, 5, ...). It also allows the designers to build functional totally self-checking circuits with 100% fault coverage in which such 2-rail codes could not have been used otherwise.


Objective To investigate the influence of smoking on bone during therapy with nasally administrated estradiol in sequential combination with oral progesterone in early postmenopausal women. In addition, to observe the consequences of smoking on bone in untreated women. Methods Post-hoc exploratory analyses of data from 270 postmenopausal women randomized to 2 years' therapy with daily nasal administration of 17β-estradiol or placebo sequentially combined with oral micronized progesterone in the active groups or placebo in the placebo group. Results During treatment with nasal estradiol, the bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine had increased less at 2 years in smokers as compared to non-smokers (2.6% vs. 3.9%, p = 0.03). Parallel changes were seen in the placebo group (−3.6% vs. −2.4%, p = 0.08). In the total hip BMD, there was no difference in the response to estradiol in smokers vs. non-smokers (1.4% vs. 1.4%, p = 0.89), whereas the change in the hip on the placebo was similar to that seen in the spine (−3.7% vs. −2.6%, p = 0.08). Supportive changes were seen in urinary CTX and in serum osteocalcin. Conclusions These results indicate that cigarette smoking may reduce the efficacy of nasal estradiol to increase bone mass in early postmenopausal women. In addition, smoking may increase spontaneous bone loss in untreated women.


Background: Occult HBV infection (OBI) is the absence of hepatitis surface antigens (HBsAg) that is not apparent during detection by serological tests despite the presence of virus DNA. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of OBI infection among various populations in Diyala province, Iraq.
Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from 1st January to 30th September, 2021, at Ibn Sina Dialysis Center, Baquba Teaching Hospital, Iraq. Three hundred and sixty participants were equally involved (90 individuals for each) from the dialysis department, the thalassemia department, blood bank donation Centre, and the control group. Study populations were screened for HBV Ag, HBV c IgG, HBV c IgM, abusing the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test, and detecting HB core gene. Demographic data of the study group were recorded. Descriptive analysis was done using SPSS Version 25, and the P-value was considered significant wherever it was below 0.05.
Results: The positivity rate of serological markers of OBI among the study population was (6.7%) of the participants were HBs Ag positive. Whereas 22 (6.1%) were anti-HBc IgG positive and 3 (0.8%) were anti-HBc IgM positive. The detection rates of the PCR products of 76 participants after amplification using specific primers for (core-gene) have been presented to the gel electrophoresis, which showed none of the 76 participants were positive for the HBc gene.
Conclusion: The current study showed a medium percentage of anti-HBc IgG in the serum of the study groups without the presence of HBs Ag, which indicates the presence of a previous infection that was resolved or the occurrence of occult hepatitis B infection. The current study results also showed that the serum of any of the study groups was not positive for the core gene, which confirms the possibility of infection with OBI.


Intense terahertz (THz) stimulated emission from boron-doped SiGe/Si quantum well structures with internal strain has been observed recently. We present a theoretical calculation which shows the formation of resonant states, and explains the origin of the observed temperature dependence of the dc conductivity under low bias voltage. Thus, the mechanism of THz lasing is population inversion of the resonant state with respect to the localized impurity states. This is the same mechanism of lasing as in uniaxially stressed p-Ge THz lasers.


ABSTRACT The UN maintains a zero-tolerance policy on sexual interactions between peacekeepers and beneficiaries of assistance. Our research describes the lived experience of engaging sexually with UN peacekeepers during Mission des Nations Unies pour la Stabilisation en Haiti (MINUSTAH) from the perspectives of Haitian women/girls. Eighteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with Haitian women raising children fathered by MINUSTAH peacekeepers. Transcripts were analyzed according to empirical phenomenology. Adverse socio-economic conditions were key contextual factors. Three themes related to the nature of the sexual interactions emerged: sexual violence, transactional sex, and long-term transactional relationships imbedded in perceptions of love. Most sexual interactions were transactional and nuanced since the peacekeeper assumed the role of romantic and material provider. Sexual consent was conceptualised as the ability to weigh the benefits and consequences of engaging sexually with peacekeepers. Sexual violence was identified among minors and in instances of sexual abuse. This study provides empirical evidence to support a nuanced understanding of sexual relationships between women/girls and peacekeepers. In addition to holding peacekeepers accountable, a harm-reduction approach that aims to raise awareness for peacekeeping codes of conduct and provide comprehensive reproductive and sexual education should be considered.


Past research on the financial sector, which includes the whole financial services industry and is connected to economic growth, has remained scarce. The three main Islamic financial industry sectors in Indonesia—Islamic Capital Market, Islamic Banking, and Islamic Non-Bank Financial Industry—and their contributions to economic growth between 2014Q1 and 2021Q3 were empirically studied in the current study. The ARDL Bound-test for Cointegration and Error Correction Model was applied to the quarterly data (ECM). Three of the four research variables—sharia stocks, Sukuk, and sharia insurance—were found to have a considerable impact on GDP, whereas Islamic banking had no such impact. Islamic banks in Indonesia must therefore maximize funding for the productive sector. Future policies ought to take into account maximizing the contribution of the Islamic financial sector to economic growth.


A three-dimensional magnetic field digitizer has been interfaced the COMPASS Stereotactic System to act as a measuring device aiding in computer-assisted volumetric procedures. Reference points on the stereotactic headholder are used to create a transformation matrix to convert the digitizer coordinates to stereotactic coordinates, allowing the location of the stylus to be displayed on CT and reconstructed tumor volume images to maintain the surgeon's orientation. This technology is an adjunct to and employs treatment planning software of the system to calculate a target and determine a safe trajectory to a lesion. Environmental effects of the magnetic field have been studied to determine overall accuracy and reliability of the system. A device was developed to map the magnetic field in efforts to compensate for environmental effects. The device has been utilized on five procedures. We have found it to be a useful tool in aiding the surgeon in locating the surgical field preoperatively and maintaining orientation intraoperatively.


Drilling activity during 1959 was statistically higher than the preceding year. Discoveries indicate no new major fields but should add substantially to the total reserves of the area. There were 23 new-field discoveries: 9 in the Upper Cretaceous, 13 in the Lower Cretaceous, and 1 in the Jurassic. Field extension and new-pool discoveries totaled 33. Total number of wells drilled increased by 274 from the previous year. Exploratory tests totaled 355, of which 13.8% were successfully completed. Geophysical activity was 701 crew-weeks. This is a decrease of 8 crew-weeks from 1958, and a continuation of the decline pattern begun in 1953. Core-drill activity totaled 53 crew-weeks, an increase of 35 crew-weeks over 1958.


The journal tilted Journal of Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences (JECNS) appears in online format to fulfill the promise of providing more data to explore human mind and establish a forum for researchers to disseminate their discoveries. The topics provided in this issue vary but all aimed at increasing our understanding of the complex nature of human nervous system. Our nervous system is who we are. And understanding this complex system will help us to understand ourselves and the universe around us. A very important topic in this regard relates to sleep deprivation and guidelines for animal models of sleep deprivation that can be used to explore effects of sleep deprivation on our nervous system. Why sleep is important as it relates to our brain function? Why we need to be concerned about sleep? Does sleep deprivation affect our nervous system? Decades of research strives to respond to these questions. During sleep, majority of systems in the body slow down. Our metabolic rate diminishes; our heart decelerates; our respiratory system reduces its function and retains carbon dioxide, and our gastrointestinal tract relaxes. But what happens to our nervous system? Sleep consists of various states [1]. Research shows that our central nervous system go through distinct states including wakefulness (right before falling asleep), non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM), and rapid eye movement sleep (REM) sleep. Each state is characterized with activation of certain circuits in brain. Further, autonomic nervous system has different balance of activity in each sleep states. In general, with sleeping the vagal system dominates except during phasic parts of REM sleep. In contrast the central nervous system goes through states of lower activity and hyperactivity. Interestingly, instability of these states creates various sleep disorders named "Parasomnias" [2]. Many of these diseases are diagnosed and managed by neurologists and are the topic of research by neuroscientists. A typical example is narcolepsy that presents with features of REM sleep including hallucinations when awake, sleep paralysis and loss of muscle tone (cataplexy) while a patient transitions to or from REM to wakefulness [3]. Studies of sleep deprivation clearly indicate significant change in nervous system function. Sleep deprivation affects ability to stay awake, ability to focus, attention span, learning and memory formations. For example, sleep deprivation in young adults preferentially impairs prefrontal cortical function very similar to effects of aging on this region of the brain [4]. Sleep deprivation in animal models act as a stressor and may result in structural changes in regions of brain (hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex) involved in memory and emotions [5]. Studies of partial sleep deprivation show impairment of various brain function equal to being intoxicated with alcohol. Thus, we must agree with Dr. Santiago Ramon y Cajal, the Spanish pathologist, histologist, neuroscientist and Nobel laureate, when he said: "As long as our brain is a mystery, the universe, the reflection of the structure of the brain will also be a mystery."[6]. As long as we do not know our nervous system, we will not know the universe that we live in. With that in mind, we would like to congratulate the editor and staff of the journal in undertaking such a noble task of providing a medium for researchers to exchange their data and ideas.