OBJECTIVES
To examine the relationship that the patient has with his/her healthcare practitioner as a factor affecting medication adherence.

STUDY DESIGN
Aggregate, physician-level adherence rates for patients were compared in a retrospective, non-case-controlled study of 3777 diabetes patients enrolled in a commercial pharmacy benefits program in a 6-county area in northeast Ohio.

METHODS
Data for the top prescribing 200 physicians and their 3777 patients were analyzed based on the adherence of their patients to medications for diabetes, statins, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEIs/ARBs). Physicians were then separated into adherence quartiles based on the results. Statistical tests for assessing between-group differences were performed. Results were reported for diabetes medication-specific adherence as well as adherence to statins and ACEIs/ARBs.

RESULTS
No appreciable demographic differences were noted between patient or physician groups, including age, sex, race, cost share, and chronic medication use. Statistically significant differences in aggregate physician-specific medication adherence between the best performing and worst performing physician quartiles were identified, with medication adherence rates of 89.5% for the highest performing quartile compared with 68.1% for the lowest performing quartile. Medication adherence for statins and ACEIs/ARBs paralleled the results for diabetes medications: 88.4% versus 73.4% and 89.8% versus 76.9%, respectively. Importantly, significantly fewer patients in the lowest performing physician group had filled prescriptions for statins or ACEIs/ARBs.

CONCLUSIONS
Physician-specific factors have an underappreciated impact on medication adherence. A better understanding of these factors may have substantial benefit in improving compliance with treatment and clinical outcomes.


Retrosynthesis involves determining a sequence of reactions to synthesize complex molecules from simpler precursors. As this poses a challenge in organic chemistry, machine learning has offered solutions, particularly for predicting possible reaction substrates for a given target molecule. These solutions mainly fall into template-based and template-free categories. The former is efficient but relies on a vast set of predefined reaction patterns, while the latter, though more flexible, can be computationally intensive and less interpretable. To address these issues, we introduce METRO (Molecule-Edit Templates for RetrOsynthesis), a machine-learning model that predicts reactions using minimal templates - simplified reaction patterns capturing only essential molecular changes - reducing computational overhead and achieving state-of-the-art results on standard benchmarks.


1 Single dose intravenous gentamicin kinetics (2.4 mg/kg) were studied in six children with kwashiorkor. It was observed, that therapeutic drug concentrations were achieved which should be neither oto- nor nephrotoxic. 2 Due to the diminished glomerular filtration and renal plasma flow seen in the acute phase of kwashiorkor, gentamicin half-life was prolonged (229.0 +/- 94.8 min) at this time returning to normal (178.5 +/- 99.5 min) with nutritional rehabilitation.


This title presents one of the earliest visual records of the Hajj and the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The diaries of Mohammed Ali Effendi Sa'oudi, a civil servant and accomplished photographer, offer a rare glimpse of the Hajj through Egyptian eyes at the beginning of the twentieth century when the Ottoman Empire was on the wane and the advance of the Hijaz railway threatened to upset vested interests in the old pattern of pilgrimage. Sa'oudi twice accompanied the Amir al-Hajj, Ibrahim Rif'at Pasha, attached to the official Egyptian caravan. His story of these journeys combines the thoughts of a devout Muslim with fine detail on the hardships and health hazards facing pilgrims, the high-level intrigues, and the ever-present dangers of taking photographs. The authors have compressed the diaries into a highly readable narrative with selected quotations, lavishly illustrated with Sa'oudi's remarkable photographs.


Silk fabric was finished using acrylic acid (AA) as the finishing agent in the presence of sodium citrate and potassium per oxodisulphate catalysts separately or in selected combinations employing a pad-dry-cure technique. Treatment with 6% AA at 30°C and at pH 7 produced optimum effects; a batching time of 45–60 min at 30°C, followed by drying of the batched fabric at 95°C for 5 min and curing of the dried fabric at 140°C for 5 min produced most balanced improvements in the properties such as wrinkle recovery, extensibility, and moisture regain with retention of more than 80% of original strength. Sodium citrate catalyst allowed esterification of AA with proteineous constituent of silk and potassium per sulfate catalyst allowed radical polymerization of free AA or silk bound AA moieties; the said process ultimately led to some degree of crosslinking of the chain polymers of silk. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011


Hypertension is a very common disease in the modern world. It requires daily measurements of blood pressure to reduce the risk of developing other associated diseases. It is especially difficult to measure blood pressure at night because the present measurement method requires compressing the patient?s arm using a cuff, which cannot be performed during sleep. In this study, we propose an unconstrained systolic blood pressure estimation method that considers time dynamics of blood pressure change during sleep on the basis of a transfer function model. In the proposed method, 12 features that relate to stroke volume, heart rate, blood vessel diameter, and vascular hardness are calculated in an unconstrained manner from the heartbeat signal measured by the pneumatic method. Taking time dynamics into account, a transfer function is constructed using the 12 features calculated from the heartbeat signal as inputs to estimate blood pressure at the current time. The features are measured for the past 70 minutes considering the ultradian rhythm.We conducted a validation experiment in six healthy subjects. The subjects were asked to sleep during the night on an ordinary bed equipped with a pneumatic bio-signal measurement system. To obtain the true systolic blood pressure as a reference, the subjects wore the cuff of an automatic sphygmomanometer around the left arm. True systolic blood pressure was measured every 10-minutes. The heartbeat signal of the subject was obtained by applying a band-pass filter with a range of 0.8?6 Hz to the output signal from the pneumatic method. The 12 features were then calculated from the heartbeat signal. To obtain the transfer function model, we performed subspace identification with the 12 measured features as input signals, and one output signal corresponding to blood pressure. Leave-one-subject-out cross-validation was applied to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed method; i.e. the transfer function was identified using five subjects? heartbeat signal data, and the blood pressure of the left-out-subject was estimated by the transfer function. Finally, we calculated the correlation coefficient between all estimated blood pressure and true blood pressure measurements. The correlation coefficient between the systolic blood pressure estimated by the proposed method and the true blood pressure measured by the sphygmomanometer was 0.81. This shows that systolic blood pressure estimated by our method is comparable to true measures of blood pressure using a sphygmomanometer. This method may be useful for monitoring blood pressure at night without disturbing sleeping patients.


Abstract Acorns comprise an important part of the diet of Tamias striatus Linnaeus (eastern chipmunks) and Sciurus spp. (squirrels) in eastern deciduous forests. These species prefer acorns from white oaks (section Quercus) for immediate consumption in the fall, but prefer acorns from red oaks (section Lobatae) for caching for winter use. In the fall, red oak acorns contain higher levels of lipids and tannins than white oak acorns. I tested for changes in lipid and tannin levels of acorns in simulated larderhoards and scatterhoards. Neither lipids nor tannins consistently increased or decreased during storage. Throughout the study, red oak acorns had lipid levels five to ten times greater than those of white oak acorns and tannin levels two to four times greater than those of white oak acorns.


The smart distribution system is an important aspects of the smart grid framework. There will be systematic update on the infrastructure of distribution side. In smart distribution grid pilot cities of China, a large number of ring main units are installed to improve the system reliability and there will be higher DG penetration rate to realize emission control. Therefore, the short circuit currents on the distribution side in the smart grid framework will be higher than that in the conventional distribution system. To meet this challenge, the fast short circuit current limiter (Is-limiter) is proposed to reduce the short circuit current level. The first 10kV Is-limiter has been installed in Xiamen. The aim of this paper is to study the impact of the Is-limiter on the distribution system in terms of short circuit current level, voltage quality and DG dynamic performances. In this paper, formula to describe the short circuit current level and the voltage sag level in the Is-limiter embedded network are deduced and the DG dynamic performances during fault are studied by time domain simulation. It is expected that the research in this paper can provide references for employing Is-limiter.


The advent of finite element methods has changed the tire industry's design process over the past three decades. Analyses, previously impractical using analytical methods and physically limited by experimental methods, can now be performed using computational methods. This decreases the cost and time associated with bringing a new design to the marketplace; however some physical testing is still required to validate the models. The design, fabrication, installation, and operation of a tire, suspension, and chassis test fixture (TiSCTeF) is detailed as part of this study. This fixture will support the validation of effective, parametric finite element models currently under development, as well as the design and testing of suspension and chassis components for the Virginia Tech Formula SAE team. The fixture is designed to use the Formula SAE race car as the test platform. Initially, the fixture is capable of performing static load-deflection and free-rolling tire tests. Provision has been made in the design for incremental upgrades to support cornering tests and additional instrumentation. An initial load-deflection test has proven that the fixture is capable of creating reproducible data sets. Specific recommendations are made concerning the improvement of data quality for future tests. This study also presents a process for analyzing existing tire cornering data and eliminating anomalies to improve the effectiveness of normalization techniques found in the literature. The process is shown to collapse tire cornering data, which is partially illconditioned, onto master curves that consistently display the effect of inclination angle and tire inflation pressure on tire response.


In this work, we tackle two vital tasks in automated driving systems, i.e., driver intent prediction and risk object identification from egocentric images. Mainly, we investigate the question: what would be good road scene-level representations for these two tasks? We contend that a scene-level representation must capture higher-level semantic and geometric representations of traffic scenes around ego-vehicle while performing actions to their destinations. To this end, we introduce the representation of semantic regions, which are areas where ego-vehicles visit while taking an afforded action (e.g., left-turn at 4-way intersections). We propose to learn scene-level representations via a novel semantic region prediction task and an automatic semantic region labeling algorithm. Extensive evaluations are conducted on the HDD and nuScenes datasets, and the learned representations lead to state-of-the-art performance for driver intention prediction and risk object identification.


Implant restorations delivered according to the Brånemark protocol have proven to be highly predictable. To shorten the length of treatment associated with the Brånemark protocol, as well as to preserve soft and hard tissues, newer protocols have focused on reducing or even eliminating the time between tooth extraction and implant placement and between implant placement and prosthetic restoration delivery. The authors present a case in which control of postextraction implant placement, optimal implant positioning, and immediate loading contributed to clinical success.


Regulators are concerned about the quality of group audits due to poor inspection results, recent enforcement actions against component auditors, and the significance of these audits to the global economy (IAASB 2015; PCAOB 2016a). In response, we survey and interview U.S.-based global group audit leads to better understand the group audit process and their perceptions of challenges that arise on such engagements. Our findings indicate that group auditors organize their audits consistent with the client's structure, which drives component auditor selection, scoping, and fees. Group auditors routinely find fault with component auditors, perceiving that work performed and/or documentation provided is not sufficient, not appropriate and/or not communicated timely, to comply with U.S. standards and reporting deadlines. In some cases, they perceive that the component auditor is unable and/or unwilling to comply; in others, that the component auditor is willing and able, but misunderstands group instructions due to language proficiency or differing interpretation of the standards. Notably this perspective is ethnocentric, as group auditors almost exclusively attribute issues to component auditors. While ethnocentric tendencies appear myopic, they provide insight into unrecognized or overlooked aspects of the global firm model of cooperative arrangements, which are largely unacknowledged in the academic literature.


Formulation of the problem. One of the promising methods of training in STEM education is the method of projects. The projected method in STEM education determines the relevance and research nature of the topic of the project, ensuring the interconnection of theoretical knowledge with practice, practical implementation of the results of the project. The project, as a means of implementing STEM education, allows you to integrate knowledge from different subject industries when solving real tasks, the creation of existing layouts, which causes their practical use.
Materials and methods. Methods of analysis and systematization of scientific and pedagogical literature were used; generalization of the results of domestic and foreign experience in the use of a prose method in the STEM education using the ARDUino software and hardware platform. The experimental method of creating an active physiotherapy laser device for treatment of the runny nose is presented. A software modeling is used to simulate a device with the design of the Arduino Uno board.
Results. The example of the implementation of the STEM project "Development of a physiotherapeutic laser device for the treatment of runny nose" demonstrates how it is possible to integrate many different-level, didactic, and research tasks. A generalized description of the main structural elements of the Arduino Uno board is given. A typical algorithm for familiarizing yourself with the operation of the Arduino board is formulated. The main sections of the physics course are indicated, the knowledge of which is fundamental for implementing the project. It is shown how using a bit matrix of laser states allows the creation of cyclic irradiation modes that periodically change each other. An example of a code processing a bit matrix of laser states is provided. The sketch controls the modes of the semiconductor laser, displays the exposure time on the liquid crystal display, and emits a sound signal at the end of the exposure time set by the potentiometer. A fragment of the simulation modeling of a physiotherapy device in the Tinkercad Circuits environment is presented.
Conclusions. The practical experience of using the project method in STEM education has shown that it allows students to investigate a real problem actively, apply the acquired knowledge in practice, and develop cooperation, communication, and critical thinking skills. Implementation of the project contributes to the combination of various activities, such as cognitive, creative, practical, and research, as well as the development of thinking skills, motivation, and responsibility for one's actions. Implementing the project method makes it possible to provide high-quality training for specialists in natural sciences who can effectively apply their knowledge and skills in practical situations and contribute to the further development of STEM fields in Ukraine.


Ataxia telangiectasia is a rare autosomal recessive condition which develops due to a mutation in the ataxia telangiectasia mutated gene (ATM gene). As a result of this mutation, the ability of the DNA to undergo repair is undermined. The resulting cellular demise is responsible for the diverse presentation of the clinical condition. Neurological symptoms such as cerebellar ataxia, abnormal eye movements and malignancies occur commonly, while immunodeficiency predisposes these patients to recurrent infections. Perioperative management of patients with this rare condition can be associated with increased morbidity. Therefore, it is recommended that patients with ataxia telangiectasia should be managed in a multidisciplinary centre, under the supervision of senior clinicians who have the insight into the clinical needs of such patients. We report herein, the perioperative management of a patient with ataxia telangiectasia undergoing laparoscopic procedure. This case report will allow the readers to increase their knowledge and understanding when it comes to the management of these patients.


The identification of phase transition points, �c, with the percolation thresholds of suitably defined clusters of spins has proved immensely fruitful in many areas of statistical mechanics. Some time ago Kertesz suggested that such percolation thresholds for models defined in field might also have measurable physical conse- quences for regions of the phase diagram belowc, giving rise to a "Kertesz line" running betweenc and the bond percolation threshold, �p, in the M,� plane. Although no thermodynamic singularities were associated with this line it could still be divined by looking for a change in the behaviour of high-field series for quantities such as the free energy or magnetisation. Adler and Stauffer did precisely this with some pre-existing series for the regular square lattice and simple cubic lattice Ising models and did, indeed, find evidence for such a change in high-field series aroundp. Since there is a general dearth of high-field series there has been no other work along these lines. In this paper we use the solution of the Ising model in field on planar random graphs by Boulatov and Kazakov to carry out a similar exercise for the Ising model on random graphs (i.e. coupled to 2D quantum gravity). We generate a high-field series for the Ising model on � 4 random graphs and examine its behaviour for


Transforming growth factor2 (TGFbeta2) is a prototypic member of a large superfamily of multifunctional cytokines, and its potential mechanisms of the neuroprotective activity in ischemic stroke and subcellular compartmentalization are largely unknown. The present study investigated TGF-beta2 protein expression in hippocampal neuronal cells after transient forebrain ischemia (TFI). TFI was induced in male adult gerbils with bilateral occlusion of both common carotid arteries for 10 minutes. With immunohistochemical methods we observe the expression of TGF-beta2 and morphological alternation in Golgi appratus (GA) in different postischemic periods and sham-operation (6 hours, 1, 3 and 7 days). In addition, the subcellular localization of TGF-beta2 is determined in trans-Golgi network (TGN) by double-labeling confocal immunofluorographs with TGN38.The results showed that TGF-beta2 persistent express in the ischemic animals and it peaks at 3 days, then decreased 7 days postocclusion. No significant alterations to the GA were noted at the point of 6 hours,1 and 3 days following TFI, but there are a few neurons in which the GA lost the normal network-like configuration and its elements decreased in cortical cells from gerbils survived 7 days postocclusion. In addition, TGF-beta2 was colocalized with TGN38 in the TGN after TFI .Taken together, this result suggested that TGF-beta2 protein expression increased in neurons after ischemia, which may represent an endogenous adaptative response of the brain damage and its secretion via GA after ischemia is supposed to be beneficial for GA . Furthermore, fragmentation of GA is not common phenomenon in the ischemia, but intact GA structural of neurons is beneficial for cell survival.


The cultural implications of globalization and ICTs on developing societies continue to generate heated arguments. Inferring from data gathered from empirical studies, this paper argues that the potential influence of globalization and ICTs on tne culture of the Nigerian society is unduly exaggerated in favour of cultural imperialism arguments. The paper also submit s that the major arguments of cultural imperialism are now socially irrelevant, theoreti call y moribund and conceptually deficient. The paper concludes that globalization and ICTs are helping the growth of local cultures, leading to socio-cultural development of such a society, as against the much touted cultural imperialism.


Micromorphological traits play a significant role both in systematic and functional aspects of plant
survival in response to environmental stimuli. Plant structural trait such as raphides play a vital role in
protecting plants from herbivore attack, cause discomfort by physical and chemical irritation by dermal
contact to soft tissue thus acts as defensive mechanism. These morphological characteristics may have
evolved as response to other environmental stimuli. The presence of raphides (Calcium oxalate crystals)
in the anther endothecium represents a rare character, reported in the present study which is of systematic
significance. In the present study raphides are present in vegetative and reproductive parts of Urginea
indica. The mild inflammation and irritation caused when the bulb is rubbed on the skin reveals that it
takes part both in mechanical and chemical irritation when they come in contact with tender tissue and
protect themselves against herbivore attack. Results indicate that raphide bundle size varies considerably
within species. These suggest that, Raphides have some potential to be a useful taxonomic tool. Polarized
microscope shows variation in the colouration of raphides.


Scientific prognoses have shown that by the year 2100, several low-lying island states such as Tuvalu and Kiribati will disappear due to rising sea levels. The submergence of whole territories will have consequences including the displacement of a huge number of islanders. In that context, the question of how to protect their human rights in their future host states is of great importance. In fact, their human rights protection will most likely prove even more difficult if disappearing island states are considered to have lost statehood. Without the nationality of any state, those displaced islanders will be stateless under international law. In this article, the author assesses whether displaced island populations are sufficiently protected by existing international law norms or whether the international community is called upon to create new rules addressing these future challenges.


Purpose of review To knock down the following myths: obesity in paediatric patients is rare and mainly a North-American problem; obesity in childhood has no long-term harmful effects. To sensitize the anaesthesiologists to a problem seldom addressed in the anaesthetic literature. Recent findings Recent medical information concerning the incidence and pathophysiology of obesity in paediatric patients is summarized. Summary The early manifestations of the comorbidities associated with obesity in adults are already present in overweight and obese children and should be addressed for their safe anaesthetic management. Perioperative respiratory events seem more frequent in overweight and obese patients.


Objectives This study aims to provide a comprehensive description of noise levels in operating rooms (ORs) in a tertiary care hospital in China. Additionally, the study aims to examine the deviation in noise levels from international and internal standards as well as the differences in noise levels by category of surgery and day of the week. Methods We monitored noise levels in 23 ORs in a tertiary care hospital in China between August 2015 and March 2016. Dosimeters were used to determine noise levels. The noise data collected in the dosimeter were downloaded to an IBM computer for subsequent analysis. One-way analysis of variance and Student's t-test were used to examine the differences in noise levels. Results The noise level in the ORs ranged between 59.2 and 72.3 dB(A), with 100% of the measurements exceeding the recommended hospital noise standards. There was substantial similarity in noise levels from Monday to Friday (F=1.404, p=0.234), with a range between 63.7 and 64.5 dB(A). The difference in noise levels by category of surgery was significant (F=3.381, p<0.001). The results of the post hoc analysis suggested that ophthalmic surgery had significantly higher noise levels than otolaryngological surgery or general surgery. Conclusions Ophthalmic surgery had significantly higher noise levels than otolaryngological or general surgeries. High noise levels were identified in all evaluated ORs during weekdays, and these levels consistently exceeded the currently accepted standards. These findings warrant further investigation to determine the harmful effects of noise on both patients and staff in ORs.


COVID-19, an infectious contagious viral (SARS-CoV-2) disease, associated with morbidity and mortality from respiratory pandemic worldwide Currently, COVID-19 has no targeted treatment strategies and has been declared by WHO as a global health emergency SARS-CoV-2, an enveloped, positive-sense, betacoronavirus (βCoV) spreading rapidly due to its potential pre-and asymptomatic transmission (silent transmission) The viral replicase single-stranded genome encodes for two open reading frame genes (orf1a and orf1b), that are translated into two polyproteins, pp1a and pp1b Viral proteases including papain-like protease (PL-PRO) and chymotrypsin-like protease (3CL-PRO) pre-processes and fragments the polyproteins into 16 non-structural proteins (Nsps) that are assembled into replicase-transcriptase complex and exhibit multiple enzymatic activity To rationalize their evolutionary success and develop improved control strategies, understanding the main functions and interactions of non-structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2 will be essential Based on the existing published literature, this review summarizes the knowledge on multiple pathologic functions of Nsps in COVID-19 This review is hoped to help the researchers to understand the significant role of non-structural proteins in COVID-19 and provide a reference for future studies


Rhabdomyomatous well-differentiated esophageal liposarcomas are extremely rare. As of August 2016, only one other such case has been reported in the English-language medical literature. Liposarcomas in general are one of the most common soft tissue neoplasms in adults, but the incidence of primary esophageal liposarcomas is exceptionally low. There have been only 42 reported cases of primary liposarcoma of the esophagus worldwide thus far. These malignancies are harbored within giant fibrovascular polyps, which slowly grow within the esophageal lumen causing obstructing symptoms. We hereby present the case of a 68-year-old male patient who came in with a 2-mo history of worsening intermittent dysphagia, persistent cough, and postprandial retrosternal pain. After an esophagogastroduodenoscopy, a computed tomographic scan, and a diagnostic endoscopy, complete endoscopic resection was performed of the 13 cm × 6 cm × 2.6 cm fibrovascular polyp. A literature review was done and results are presented herein.


Bending rigidity magnitude of sewing thread provides a sustainable solution on the appearance of single needle lock stitched lightweight woven fabrics which are prone to pucker. Comparison of sewing thread bending rigidity with thread count, thread diameter, thread cyclic recovery and their resultant implication in the single lock stitched assemblies were given less consideration for the prediction and reduction of seam pucker severity. The resultant implication of physical and mechanical properties of sewing thread with rising trend of static thread tension magnitude at lock stitched sewing machine has significant impact on lightweight lock stitched fabric assemblies to predict and elude seam pucker. The present research is focused to investigate impact of the thread bending rigidity on count, diameter and cyclic recovery at 4th cycle of four cores spun sewing threads. The study concluded that sewing thread bending rigidity has high coefficient of determination of sewing thread; diameter (R2 =0.81), count (R2 =0.73) and cyclic recovery (R2 =0.77). Single needle 400 lock stitched samples of two cores spun sewing threads (t2 and t4) were prepared with ten plain weave lightweight woven fabric samples prone to pucker at four different static needle thread tensions. It is also established that combined effect of sewing thread static tension and cyclic recovery at sewing machine has significant coefficient of determination (R2>0.85 at low static thread tension and R2>0.73 at very high static thread tension) to predict and elude seam pucker severity. Research finding provides a sustainable solution to select the fine count sewing thread attuned with lightweight woven fabrics prone to pucker severity. It was observed that the Fine count sewing thread has lowest bending rigidity and 4th cyclic recovery magnitudes (R2 close to 1) to reduce or predict pucker severity for prone to pucker plain weave lightweight woven fabrics at minimum static thread tension (25gf ) on single needle lock stitched sewing machine (R2>0.81).


Multielectron ionization of atoms in collisions with fast highly charged ions is considered for the following range of parameters , ; (Z and v are the projectile charge and velocity, respectively, are the orbital velocities of atomic electrons, n is the number of removed electrons). Simple scaling relations for multielectron ionization cross sections and an estimation of the cross sections have been obtained.


This study comprised 62 outpatients with ulcerative colitis who underwent 64 colonoscopies. The disease activity was evaluated according to endoscopic and histological criteria. The results revealed a significant correlation between both the endoscopic as well as the histological gradings of disease activity and faecal calprotectin. The median faecal calprotectin levels in the control group (6 mg/l) and in the patients with no or low disease activity (11.5 mg/l) were significantly different (p < 0.0001). The median calprotectin level among patients with active disease was 68 mg/l which was significantly different from the latter group (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, we suggest that the degree of inflammation rather than the extent of the disease determined the faecal calprotectin levels. In conclusion, assessment of faecal calprotectin seems to be a marker of disease activity in patients with ulcerative colitis.


CO J = 2-1 and 13 CO J = 2-1 and 1-0 observations have been made of the H II region S88-B, using the 15-m James Clerk Maxwell telescope in Hawaii and the 20-m telescope at Onsala. The core of the cloud is resolved into a horseshoelike structure which surrounds a diffuse reflection nebula. The central core has a mass of ≥ 1000 M ⊙ , with 400 M ⊙ in the horseshoe structure. The gas in the horse in the horseshoe appears highly fragmented, and has a kinetic temperature of ≈ 60 K, suggesting it is closely coupled to the dust temperature. A recently formed high mass star appears to be in the process of evacuating a cavity, possibly through a large molecular outflow that is found to show an accelerated component in its blue-shifted lobe. A velocity gradient across the horseshoe structure suggest ordered motion, and could represent rotation in the parental cloud.


AIM
To report the postoperative axial length (AL) changes in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment combined with choroidal detachment (RRD-CD) patients.

METHODS
The medical records of 97 consecutive patients from January 2015 to December 2018 were reviewed. Patients included were divided into RRD-CD and RRD only groups. All patients had received AL measurements before pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and before silicone oil removal (SOR). The changes in AL of the two groups were compared. In addition, the potential factors related to AL changes were analyzed.

RESULTS
AL elongation after PPV was 1.01 mm [interquartile range (IQR): 0.37, 1.79; P=0.02] in the RRD-CD group, which was greater than in RRD only group (0.15 mm, IQR: 0.04, 0.41; P<0.001). AL increased 0.06 mm per 1 mm Hg intraocular pressure changes in the RRD-CD group (R 2=0.11, P=0.03). RRD-CD patient was 11.42 times (3.54-46.80) more likely to experience post-PPV AL elongation of more than 1 mm [P<0.001, Akaike information criterion (AIC)=92.33, area under the curve (AUC)=0.839].

CONCLUSION
RRD-CD patients are very likely to have a postoperative elongation of AL. The primary intraoclular lens implantation using presurgery AL data may cause a significant refractive error in RRD-CD patients who underwent PPV.


Smoking currently is considered to be an addiction with severe medical and social effects. It has been implicated in some respiratory and extra-respiratory diseases. In spite of knowing its dangerous effects, many patients cannot stop smoking without outside help. This help usually is provided by health-care personnel. It is necessary to be familiar with disintoxication methods in order to be able to advise patients on the use of any one or a combination of them. The most efficient method is individual medical help. Nicotine substitutes have demonstrated their effectiveness. Other complementary methods are not considered effective unless combined.


To identify bacteria causing soft rot and blackleg in potato in Finland, pectinolytic enterobacteria were isolated from diseased potato stems and tubers. In addition to isolates identified as Pectobacterium atrosepticum and Dickeya sp., many of the isolated strains were identified as Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum. Phylogenetic analysis and biochemical tests indicated that one of the isolates from potato stems resembled Pectobacterium wasabiae. Furthermore, two blackleg-causing P. carotovorum strains recently isolated in Europe clustered with P. wasabiae, suggesting that at least some of these isolates were originally misidentified. All the other Finnish P. carotovorum isolates resembled the subsp. carotovorum type strain in biochemical tests but could be clustered into two distinct groups in the phylogenetic analysis. One of the groups mainly contained strains isolated from diseased tubers, whereas the other mainly included isolates from potato stems. In contrast to the tuber isolates, the stem isolates lacked genes in Type III secretion genes, were not able to elicit a hypersensitive response in tobacco leaves and produced only small amounts of autoinducers in the stationary phase in vitro. P. wasabiae isolate was able to cause similar amount of blackleg-like symptoms as P. atrosepticum in a field experiment with vacuum-infiltrated tubers, whereas both P. atrosepticum and P. carotovorum isolates reduced emergence and delayed growth more than P. wasabiae. Our findings confirm the presence of P. wasabiae in Finland and show that the Finnish P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum isolates can be divided into two groups with specific characteristics and possibly also different ecologies


The interaction between a drug molecule and its carrier's components is an important factor which influences the drug release profile. For this purpose, molecular dynamics (MD) may be the in silico tool which can help to understand the mechanism of drug loading/release. The aim of this work is to explain the effect of interactions between different types of terpenes, namely perillyl alcohol, forskolin, ursolic acid, and the nanoemulsion droplet core, on the release by means of experimental and theoretical studies. The basic nanoemulsion was composed of caprylic/capric triglyceride as the oil phase, polysorbate 80 as the emulsifier, and water. The in vitro release tests from a terpene-loaded nanoemulsion were carried out to determine the release profiles. The behavior of terpenoids in the nanoemulsion was also theoretically investigated using the molecular dynamics method. The forskolin-loaded nanoemulsion showed the highest percentage of drug release (almost 80% w/w) in contrast to ursolic acid and perillyl alcohol-loaded nanoemulsions (about 53% w/w and 19% w/w, respectively). The results confirmed that the kinetic model of release was terpene-type dependent. The zero-order model was the best to describe the ursolic acid release profile, while the forskolin and the perillyl alcohol followed a first-order and Higuchi model, respectively. Molecular dynamics simulations, especially energetical analysis, confirmed that the driving force of terpenes diffusion from nanoemulsion interior was their interaction energy with a surfactant.


During the last three decades, the water resources engineering field has received a tremendous increase in the development and use of meta-heuristic algorithms like evolutionary algorithms (EA) and swarm intelligence (SI) algorithms for solving various kinds of optimization problems. The efficient design and operation of water resource systems is a challenging task and requires solutions through optimization. Further, real-life water resource management problems may involve several complexities like nonconvex, nonlinear and discontinuous functions, discrete variables, a large number of equality and inequality constraints, and often associated with multi-modal solutions. The objective function is not known analytically, and the conventional methods may face difficulties in finding optimal solutions. The issues lead to the development of various types of heuristic and meta-heuristic algorithms, which proved to be flexible and potential tools for solving several complex water resources problems. This paper provides a review of state-of-the-art methods and their use in planning and management of hydrological and water resources systems. It includes a brief overview of EAs (genetic algorithms, differential evolution, evolutionary strategies, etc.) and SI algorithms (particle swarm optimization, ant colony optimization, etc.), and applications in the areas of water distribution networks, water supply, and wastewater systems, reservoir operation and irrigation systems, watershed management, parameter estimation of hydrological models, urban drainage and sewer networks, and groundwater systems monitoring network design and groundwater remediation. This paper also provides insights, challenges, and need for algorithmic improvements and opportunities for future applications in the water resources field, in the face of rising problem complexities and uncertainties.


National law is increasingly influenced by European developments in a process characterized by the term 'Europeanization'. This contribution illustrates the magnitude by which this process of Europeanization continues to shape national contract law in the Member States. In particular, the focus is placed on the dynamic and interwoven interaction of legal scholars, legislators and the courts, on both a national and European level and hence they collectively form the driving force behind the process of Europeanization. The author demonstrates that employing a solely national approach is no longer a sustainable preference in the emerging European legal landscape. For this reason, the author calls for all stakeholders to partake in further debate concerning the future of contract law in the Member States.


The scientific method drives improvements in public health, but a strategy of obstructionism has impeded scientists from gathering even a minimal amount of information to address America's gun violence epidemic. We argue that in spite of a lack of federal investment, large amounts of publicly available data offer scientists an opportunity to measure a range of firearm-related behaviors. Given the diversity of available data - including news coverage, social media, web forums, online advertisements, and Internet searches (to name a few) - there are ample opportunities for scientists to study everything from trends in particular types of gun violence to gun-related behaviors (such as purchases and safety practices) to public understanding of and sentiment towards various gun violence reduction measures. Science has been sidelined in the gun violence debate for too long. Scientists must tap the big media data stream and help resolve this crisis.


Fourteen samples of cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, were obtained from different localities in Australia. Wingless parthenogenetic females from each sample were transferred to seedlings of various host plants in the laboratory and reproduced to form colonies. Winged aphids from 120 colonies were mounted on microscope slides. Twenty-five characters were measured on each aphid and analyzed for differences in origin and laboratory host plant. Aphids reared on cucumber and rockmelon were significantly larger than on cotton, broad bean, or eggplant. Large and highly significant differences among the means of different colonies on the same host plant species in many characters were probably caused by different quality of the individual seedlings. Significant morphological differences were detected among source-line means of some characters, but their magnitude was small compared with variation within the same source line. The inescapable conclusion from this study is that A. gossypii in Australia is phenotypically plastic and its morphology is affected by the host plant far more strongly than by genetic differences (if any) among means of local populations. Moreover, only 13% of A. gossypii host records in Australia are from native Australian plants, implying that it was introduced into Australia, perhaps by the Europeans in the 18th century. Characters of 36 colonies on cucumber and 40 colonies on cotton were analyzed by analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) using wing length (a measure of aphid size) as a covariate. No significant differences in character means remained among source lines on cucumber, when the variation caused by aphid size was thus removed. On cotton, means of some characters still differed among source lines, after size adjustment by ANCOVA. Some evidence indicates that geographical samples of A. gossypii in Australia may differ (genetically?) in shape rather than size. When the 40 colonies reared on laboratory cotton were grouped by the host plant on which the source samples were collected, colonies originating in cotton fields were larger, in most characters, than colonies collected on other host plants. This pattern was not observed in the 36 colonies (of the same sources) reared on laboratory cucumber. If aphid size is a measure of fitness, then cotton-collected aphids had higher fitness than other lines when reared on cotton. The cotton aphids may then show traces of adaptation to their field host.


Less Is More is full of powerful ideas for teaching with short, provocative text. This book broadens and extends our available teaching tools and materials, and can help engage all students. It is a valuable resource for language arts teachers. --Cris Tovani Language arts teachers want all of their students to love literature and embrace the novels they assign. The classroom reality is that many students are not ready or motivated to immerse themselves in an entire novel. In order to reach and engage all students, teachers need to look beyond novels alone and embrace a richer variety of literature. In Less Is More Kimberly Hill Campbell draws on research as well as her own classroom experiences to show how short texts engage a wide range of middle and high school students. She shares her discovery of the power of short texts to support her students' skills as readers, writers, and students of literature. Kimberly shows how short texts can be integrated into the curriculum, without sacrificing required novels. Chapters examine different genres of short text, such as short stories, essays, memoir, and graphic novels. Each chapter provides reading, writing, and response strategies as well as a broad selection of short text resources that have proven effective with a wide range of students.


The objectives of this paper are to provide a regional description of the shrinkage parameters of Neogene clays and glacial tills from central Poland; and to present the effects of hydrocarbon contamination on the shrinkage behaviour of soils. Forty samples containing from 19 to 90% clay-size particles were tested. The comparison of the three methods applied has indicated that the shrinkage limit values obtained by the BS 1377-2 method provide a greater margin of safety when used in the classification of expansive soils and yield the best match in the analysis of the variability of the shrinkage limit in relation to other soil index parameters. A good correlation was found between the shrinkability index and the consistency index, which leads to a new classification of soils. The shrinkage tests of clean and diesel oil-contaminated samples revealed that contamination has a significant and irregular effect on the values of shrinkage parameters. For a low degree of contamination the shrinkage limit of both soils had the lowest values and the volumetric shrinkage was at its maximum, and with increasing diesel oil content the shrinkage limit values tend to increase whereas the volumetric shrinkage decreased.


We propose a conceptual model of vegetation–hydrogeomorphology interactions and feedbacks within river corridors (i.e. river channels and their floodplains) that builds on previous similar hydrogeomorphologically centred models by incorporating hydrogeomorphological constraints on river corridor vegetation from region to reach scales; defining five dynamic river corridor zones within which different hydrogeomorphological processes are dominant so that plants and physical processes interact in different ways, and considering the potential distribution of these zones longitudinally from river headwaters to mouth, laterally across the river corridor, and in relation to different river planform styles; considering the way in which vegetation‐related landforms within each zone may reflect processes of self‐organization and the role of particular plant species as physical ecosystem engineers within the context of the dominant hydrogeomorphological processes; focussing, in particular, upon a 'critical zone' at the leading edge of plant–hydrogeomorphological process interactions that is located somewhere within the area of the river corridor perennially inundated by flowing water (zone 1) and the area that is frequently inundated and subject to both sediment erosion and deposition processes (zone 2). Within the critical zone some plant species strongly influence the position and character of the margin between the river channel and floodplain, affecting channel width, channel margin form and dynamics, and the transition from one river planform type to another; and considering the vegetated pioneer landforms that develop within the critical zone and how their morphological impact needs to be scaled to the river size.


The size of virus-specific RNA synthesized in cultured mouse kidney cells infected with polyoma virus was estimated by electrophoresis and sedimentation analysis of RNA extracts from whole cells. Newly synthesized "late" polyoma-specific RNA appears as "giant" molecules of heterogeneous size, up to several times larger than a strand of polyoma DNA (1.5 x 10(6) daltons). Treatment with dimethylsulfoxide or urea showed that the large size of these molecules is not due to aggregation. Giant polyoma-specific RNA is strikingly similar in size distribution to "nuclear messenger-like" RNA ("heterogeneous nuclear" RNA) of the host cell. Subsequent to its synthesis, some of the giant polyoma-specific RNA appears to be cleaved to at least three smaller species.


Background: CD44, a cell surface proteoglycan receptor, plays an important role in modulating oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell functions. The recent identification of CD44 as a cancer stem cell marker led us to hypothesize that cleavage of CD44 may alter OSCC cell-matrix interactions and anoikis resistance, and thereby promote a metastatic phenotype in OSCC. Methods: Anoikis-resistant cells were developed by maintaining human OSCC (UM-SCC 14A) cells under suspension culture conditions in polyhydroxyethylmethacrylate (poly-HEMA) coated plates. Anoikis sensitive control cells were maintained in adherent culture conditions. CD44 cleavage was blocked by the use of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) chemical inhibitors, including ADAM-17 and ADAM-10. Western blot analysis was used to examine the relative levels of CD44 among the adherent and anoikis-resistant cells. Results: This study showed that anoikis resistant OSCC cells exhibit higher levels of CD44 cleavage than their adherent counterparts. The study also showed that ADAM-10 and ADAM-17 chemical inhibitors blocked CD44 cleavage and the formation of anoikis-resistant multicellular aggregates in OSCC cells. Conclusions: CD44 cleavage plays a crucial role in promoting the anoikis resistant phenotype in OSCC cells, suggesting that CD44 may significantly contribute to OSCC tumor initiation and metastasis. (Supported by NIH RO1 DE014429 to YLK) Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1546. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1546


The online EFL teaching and learning in this COVID-19 pandemic era has been conducted synchronously and asynchronously. However, the implementation of blended synchronous and asynchronous learning in the online grammar class was still scarce. Therefore, this study was conducted with the purpose of knowing whether or not the use of blended synchronous and asynchronous learning was effective for teaching grammar. This study was a pre-experimental research using one-group pretest-posttest design. The population of this study was the students of the second semester in the English department of a private university located in East Java. Because there was only one class in this second semester so that the sample was the same as this population. There were fifteen students in this sample. In collecting the data, the researchers used the pretest and posttest of grammar. After the data of pretest and posttest were in the normal distribution, the testing of hyphothesis using t-test especially paired samples test was conducted. The result of this t-test showed that the Sig. (2-tailed) 0.000 was lower than 0.05. It revealed that the difference of the mean scores of pretest and posttest was significant. Thus, the use of blended synchronous and asynchronous learning was effective for teaching grammar.


Introduction: Our research raises the question of how realistic and safe it is to use gold and silver nanoparticles in biotechnologies to grow microalgae, which will later be used to obtain valuable products. To this purpose, it was necessary to assess the influence of 10 and 20 nm Au and Ag nanoparticles stabilized in citrate on the growth of microalga Porphyridium cruentum in a closed cultivation system, as well as some safety parameters of biomass quality obtained under experimental conditions. Methods: Two types of experiments were conducted with the addition of nanoparticles on the first day and the fifth day of the cultivation cycle. Changes in productivity, lipid content, malondialdehyde (MDA), as well as antioxidant activity of microalgae biomass have been monitored in dynamics during the life cycle in a closed culture system. Results: The impact of nanoparticles on the growth curve of microalgae culture was marked by delaying the onset of the exponential growth phase. A significant increase in the content of lipids and MDA in biomass was noted. Excessive accumulation of lipid oxidation products within the first 24 h of cultivation resulted in altered antioxidant activity of red algae extracts. Discussion: Citrate-stabilized gold and silver nanoparticles proved to be a stress factor for red microalga Porphyridium cruentum, causing significant changes in both biotechnological and biomass safety parameters. Addition of Au and Ag nanoparticles during the exponential growth phase of porphyridium culture led to an enhanced lipid accumulation and reduced MDA values in biomass.


During the last years, there has been an increasing interest in developing bio-based active films to improve food safety, extend food shelf life and reduce the use of chemical preservatives. Chitosan, a deacetylated derivative of chitin, is a linear polysaccharide consisting of -(1 4) glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine residues with potential to be used as a food packaging/coating material. This biopolymer can be used in a wide range of applications in the food industry due to several interesting properties such as its biodegradability, biocompatibility, non-toxicity, antimicrobial activity and versatile physical properties such as its film-forming capacity. Recently, different strategies have been explored to improve its natural properties for the development of food packaging/coating materials with enhanced antimicrobial activity. In particular, the incorporation in chitosan films of essential oils (EO) with acknowledged antibacterial properties, as an alternative of synthetic preservatives, is a matter of great interest since they are generally perceived by consumers as being "natural" food additives. Thus, the objective of this work was the production of chitosan films enriched with oregano EO to further improve the natural antimicrobial properties of chitosan. The obtained films which were then evaluated for its antibacterial activity.


PURPOSE
To estimate the national burden of physical ergonomic hazards among working adults in the US.

METHODS
We estimated the population prevalence of and the total number of workers who are exposed to physical ergonomic hazards, such as vibration, working in cramped space, kneeling, body bending or twisting, climbing, and repetitive motions using Occupational Information Network (O*NET) data and the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) stratified by occupation title.

RESULTS
Repetitive motion was the most prevalent of all ergonomic hazards (27% of US workers are estimated to be exposed continually). Bending or twisting of the body more than half their time at work was also common, involving over 32 million US workers (25% of US workforce). Kneeling, crouching, stooping, or crawling was another ergonomic hazard that 14 million US workers perform more than half their time at work. Almost 4 million workers climb ladders, scaffolds, poles, etc. for more than half their time at work. We estimate that over 13 million workers (10% of US workforce) were exposed to cramped workspace that requires getting into awkward positions every day. Finally, about 3.5 million workers (2.7% of US workforce) were estimated to be exposed to whole body vibration every day.

CONCLUSION
A large portion of the US work force is exposed to ergonomic hazards known to be associated with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The occupations with the highest prevalence of each ergonomic hazard may be deserving of prompt efforts toward prevention of MSDs.


The objective of this review was to describe plant responses and tolerance mechanisms to thermal stress, as well as the use of agronomic practices to mitigate the effects of high temperature stress on crops. The energy balance of leaves and canopies is presented as a link between plant and air temperature. The effects of high temperatures on water relations, photosynthesis and assimilate partitioning, and the morphological and phenological responses of some crops are described. Response agronomy is presented as a means for the prevention and remediation of thermal stress, which is approached form the perspective of plant breeding, agronomic management, and several pharmaceutical and horticultural practices. Some agronomic practices utilized to reduce the negative effects of high temperature stress on crops are described, such as the use of ground covers, natural or artificial shade, and the application of growth regulators, plant protectants and other products of the modern pharmaceutical industry.


examination of the other gonad, which was not carried out. If the other gonad turned out to be an ovary or an ovo-testis, the individual would be a true hermaphrodite. Bromwich6 has reported a case of true lateral hermaphroditism with female nuclear morphology, the patient being psychologically a normal male, married, and capable of intercourse. Similarly, Armstrong4 7 has reported a case of true lateral hermaphroditism with female nuclear morphology. Out of the 15 reported cases of true lateral hermaphroditism, 14 had more or less completely formed male and female internal genital organs on opposite sides, accompanying their appropriate gonads. The external genitalia and bodily configuration ranged from almost female but with a phallus-like genital tubercle, to almost normal male but usually with hypospadias. Most of the cases had been regarded socially as male. In most of these cases the testis lay in the scrotum.8 Considering these observations in true lateral hermaphroditism it is likely that the undescended gonad in this case was an ovary or an ovo-testis.It would be interesting to know which of the gonads (the descended or the undescended one) showed the presence of seminiferous tubules. The author has not mentioned from which gonad the biopsy was performed. Hence the apparently surprising features in this case, viz., the presence of a prostate, the potency of the individual, the evidence of seminiferous tubules in one of the gonads, and the presence of an ejaculate cannot be considered prima facie as points conclusive of the sex of the individual. The histological examination of the other gonad, a sex chromosome analysis of the individual, and examination of different tissues, including the gonads for mosaicism, would be of much help in this case.-I am, etc.,


Frbrizing OPACs is viewed from two different angles: the system approach and the user approach. The first deals with different requirements of a system to be Frbrized automatically. The second regards the user as the integral element which any system attempts to serve. Due to the very huge number of MARC records stored in our OPAC databases, data mining MARC records to find different FRBR entities or user functions has been a dominant approach in Frbrizing systems. An in-depth study in this regard has been conducted on MARC 21 but there is no evident attempt performing the same job on Unimarc or its different national derivations/adaptations. This study aims at mapping Unimarc fields and subfields to FRBR entities (1 st group: Work, Expression, Manifestation, Item) and also user functions (Find, Identify, Select, Obtain). For this purpose, Unimarc fields (0XX – 7XX) were mapped to FRBR and those fields relevant for identifying entities or supporting different user tasks were identified. After pointing out some major gaps and also strengths of Unimarc for Frbrization, some concluding remarks have been made.


Quantile regression is proposed for modeling game out comes and as the basis for rating teams. The model includes the standard location model for team strength as a special case, while allowing for a richer specification in which teams differ according to the quantiles of the out come distribution. Team ratings are defined as the handicap needed to equalize the out come of a contest. With teams differing by quantiles, this leads to a class of ratings that depend on where in the out come distribution the out come is equalized. Relation ships with betting games are discussed. The approach is illustrated by rating National Football League (NFL) teams based on game results for the 2005 season.


Here we present a tunable chiral metamaterial platform that incorporates both metal and dielectric components, where the sign and magnitude of the circular dichroism (CD) response depend on the refractive index of the dielectric component. Using finite-difference time-domain simulations, we show that non-resonant scattering interactions between the components of the system reverse the sign of the CD signal by changing the dissymmetry in absorption of circularly polarized light by the individual plasmonic components of the system. The platform exhibits tunable CD signal regardless of the shape and dimension of the dielectric scatterer, and the magnitude of the CD signal is enhanced by improving the scattering cross section of the dielectric structure. Finally, we show that the structure can be modified to incorporate other materials without diminishing the reversal in dissymmetry in transmission. These results indicate that controlled, off-resonant interactions between different materials in chiral metamaterials may be used to create tailored and tunable chiral platforms.


The aim of this work is to advance the understanding of the solar potential of urban residential environments which, by their morphology, and the impact of urban trees, present values of irradiance that is very different from full solar collection. Morphological variables of urban settings and urban trees, a very distinctive feature of the Mendoza Metropolitan Area (MMA), have a fundamental impact on the feasibility of implementing strategies for solar energy utilization in urban environments. The results achieved will contribute, modify and gradually update urban and building legislation to implement higher levels of energy efficiency and minimum environmental impacts. This work proposes to study the potential of solar collection in urban environments, analyzing eleven urban configurations selected according to their building and urban morphological characteristics. Results obtained so far indicate that solar masking is critical for vertical surfaces, with a reduction of the available solar energy between 2% and 66% in the winter season. The first case corresponds to a high density homogeneous area, with wide street channels, at a third of building height, with little influence of surface shaded by the neighboring buildings and trees. In the second case, the impact of masking produced by the unleafed branches in winter is considerable and comes from species of first and second magnitude (10 m. high or more), constructions of low density and narrow street channels (13 to 16 m.). However, these drawbacks caused by urban trees are compensated by benefits in the warm season (Brager, et. al. 2001): controlling the intensity of the urban heat island, absorption of pollutants, cooling and humidifying the air through evapotranspiration, reducing thermal loads of buildings, occupancy of public open spaces, and an invaluable contribution to the urban aesthetic.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of acupressure applied at meridian P6 point for prevention of nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

METHODOLOGY
A randomized double blind study was performed in 50 ASA I and II patients scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Patients were divided into two groups; control and placebo. In the control group acupressure was applied at P6 point half an hour before surgery while in the placebo group the acupressure band was tied on meridian P6 point but the plastic bead was placed on the dosum of right forearm away from meridian P6 point. Patients were assessed for nausea and vomiting for six hours after surgery. Anaesthetic technique and postoperative analgesia were standardized for all patients.

RESULTS
Results showed that the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was 36% in the treatment group and 40% in placebo group, which is statistically insignificant.

CONCLUSION
Application of acupressure at P6 point half an hour before induction of anaesthesia does not significantly alter the incidence of postoperative nausea and/or vomiting within 6 hours after surgery.


After the hike of the Coronavirus from the country of China in the end of the previous year, Novel Coronavirus accounts for a total of about 46 million cases all around the world with the death of more than 1 28 million individu-als & 31 8 million recoveries Besides its extraordinary infectivity & casualty rates, Corona Virus Disease has caused widespread panic, economic weight & budgetary misfortunes Mass terror of CORONA VIRUS, named as "corona phobia", has made an adequate mental indications in over-all population Along these lines, this audit has been embraced to characterize panic conse-quence of CORONA Virus The quarantine can create extreme anger, nervous-ness, accumulating, psychological illness & sadness Strengthened through an "infodemic" extent through a various foundation in web-based broadcasting Upheavals bigotry, defamation, & tolerance against specific networks remain additionally being broadly detailed All things considered, bleeding-edge medical services laborers are at higher danger of getting the illness just as encoun-tering unfriendly mental results in a type of burnout, tension, fear of communi-cating contamination, a sentiment of contrariness, wretchedness, & extended substance-reliance Network-based alleviation projects to battle coronavirus will upset youngster normal way of life & may cause flowery psychological depression Networks remain pretentious by disease in several manners & want exceptional consideration


The electromagnetic fields throughout all of space produced by an excited finite length slot in an infinite extent perfectly conducting metallic sheet have been calculated by the double current sheet diffraction formula. The space dependence of the fields is the same as that of a thin wire antenna, but with the electric and magnetic fields interchanged. An integration of Poynting's vector over the surface of the slot gives an input resistance of 363 ohms for a center-driven half-wavelength slot. The mutual admittance between slots necessary in slot array calculations is also determined.


Abstract Since few therapeutic options are clinically accessible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), effective, safe, and globally available pharmaceuticals need to be urgently developed to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and alleviate the severity of COVID-19. In this regard, the present paper is intended to provide an extensive review of the clinical and preclinical evidence on the psychotropics' anti-SARS-CoV-2 effects, giving an insight into their potential applications for patients with a proven or high likelihood of COVID-19 pneumonia. The results showed that psychotropic drugs such as melatonin, lithium carbonate, valproate, olanzapine, quetiapine, clozapine, fluoxetine, escitalopram, fluvoxamine, and cannabidiol could help lower the mortality due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. According to these medications' direct immunomodulatory actions against the destructive cytokine storm, as well as other direct/indirect mechanisms (e. g., the endolysosomal pathway modulation, interactions with specific receptors, and membrane fusion), it was perceived that such drugs could effectively weaken the worsened immune response and avoid adult respiratory distress syndrome and acute lung injury. According to the author's analysis of the currently available evidence, there is significant support for psychotropics as complementary interventions during SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, further studies need to be carried out to assess the effects of the above psychotropic drugs in vitro and clinical settings.


A Republican sweep in the November elections could lead to repeal of most of the Affordable Care Act, to be replaced with legislation to achieve limited coverage expansion. A Romney victory and split Congress would likely result in Republicans using their administrative authority to modify or disrupt implementation of the act, with provisions altered or repealed where bipartisan agreement exists. An Obama victory and split Congress would likely result in continued implementation of the act but with a delay to some elements.


Ammonia (NH) scrubbers reduce amounts of NH and dust released from animal rearing facilities while generating nitrogen (N)-rich solutions, which may be used as fertilizers. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of various NH scrubber solutions on forage yields, N uptake, soil-test phosphorus (P), and P runoff. A small plot study was conducted using six treatments: (i) an unfertilized control, (ii) potassium bisulfate (KHSO) scrubber solution, (iii) aluminum sulfate [Al(SO) ⋅14HO, alum] scrubber solution, (iv) sodium bisulfate (NaHSO) scrubber solution, (v) sulfuric acid (HSO) scrubber solution, and (vi) ammonium nitrate (NHNO) fertilizer. The scrubber solutions were obtained from ARS Air Scrubbers attached to commercial broiler houses. All N sources were applied at a rate of 112 kg N ha. Plots were harvested approximately every 4 wk and soil-test P measurements were made, then a rainfall simulation study was conducted. Cumulative forage yields were greater ( < 0.05) for KHSO (7.6 Mg ha) and NaHSO (7.5 Mg ha) scrubber solutions than for alum (6.7 Mg ha) or HSO (6.5 Mg ha) scrubber solutions or for NHNO (6.9 Mg ha). All N sources resulted in higher yields than the control (5.1 Mg ha). The additional potassium in the KHSO treatment likely resulted in higher yields. Although Mehlich-III-extractable P was not affected, water-extractable P in soil was lowered by the alum-based scrubber solution, which also resulted in lower P runoff. This study demonstrates that N captured using NH scrubbers is a viable N fertilizer.


We report 31 cases of keratosis punctata palmaris et plantaris in blacks. Eleven of these were found in a prospective study of 573 consecutive black private dermatologic outpatients, a prevalence of 1.9%, and 20 cases were randomly encountered over a three-year period in the same office. Five of the 30 patients able to give a history were symptomatic, and they and ten others came to the office because of this disease, where as 15 came for other reasons, two of whom were unaware of the disease. Four of the 31 patients also had foot lesions. Four patients were aware of relatives with palmar keratoses. The mean duration of disease was 4.3 years, the median was three years, and the range was zero to 38 years. The mean age at onset was 30.3 years, the median was 29 years, and the range was 12 to 70 years, with one case beginning in infancy. Each patient in the prospective study was examined for personal atopy or for a family history of atopy. Nine (82%) of the 11 patients with keratosis punctata had atopy and/or a family history of atopy. Statistical analysis confirmed the association between keratosis punctata and atopy in the prospective study.


The aim of our research was to develop a reliable and valid questionnaire to assess trait emotional contagion ability in Chinese college students. In Study 1 we generated a preliminary questionnaire by modifying previously established questionnaires and eliminating items assessing emotional
 response. The final version consisted of 12 items categorized into four dimensions, and it demonstrated high reliability and validity. Study 2 was designed to examine the empirical validity of the questionnaire in a laboratory setting. Results revealed that trait emotional contagion ability
 was significantly associated with muscle activity and level of state emotional contagion in the laboratory experiment, indicating that the Emotional Contagion Ability Scale is a valid tool for assessing emotional contagion ability and can be utilized in laboratory-based emotional contagion
 research among college students.


This century has belonged to the Information Technology Sector. How organisations are able to leverage IT to get advantage in a highly competitive market will be the key to success. Leading the way would be the organisations that are in the IT industry. The IT boom has brought with it, its own set of challenges to organisations. How to put in place systems and process that are in tune with the IT revolution, how to strategize and compete in the IT era? etc. But a major challenge that the IT industry per se has been facing is in the field of Human Resource Management. The nature of work in todays competitive world is changing at whirlwind speed. Now more than ever before, job stress poses a threat to health of employees and in turn to the health of organization although occupational stress and stress management have assumed enormous importance in any organization. The work life and the problems that are encountered in daily work life has been blended with our lifestyles for the past several years. Work place stress management programs and implementation of measures to reduce psychological pressure and individual's sense of control are possible ways to counteract the negative effects of a stressful situation.


An experiment is reported involving 72 student subjects, a population of 144 different five-letter anagrams and a total of 864 solution times for analysis. Various characteristics of anagram solving are considered leading to a conception of the process as a recurring trial and check activity in which the nature and sequence of the tries are determined jointly by the thinker's set, linguistic knowledge, and preference for certain forms of letter position rearrangement. Regarding this last factor of letter location, solution is attained sooner if the thinker must change the location of a single letter (a) rather than the locations of several letters, (b) to a nearby rather than to a distant location, and (c) from an end to a middle rather than from a middle to an end location: ease of moving a single letter does not depend on the direction of the move. A subsidiary experiment shows that the relative difficulty of complex, as contrasted with simple, moves is less for students than for 15-year-olds than for 12-year-olds. This finding is interpreted in terms of interaction between letter location factors and varying levels of linguistic knowledge. It is ksuggested that improvement in overall anagram solving performance can be brought about only with learning which extends over a period of months or years.


Daratumumab (DARA) is an anti-CD38 human mAb in phase III clinical trials in myeloma patients. DARA binding induces killing of tumor cells via complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC), antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) and apoptosis.

This work reports on the results obtained while dissecting the events following in vivo CD38 ligation by DARA. Treatment of myeloma cells with DARA + anti-human IgG at 37 °C influenced myeloma cytoskeleton, with redistribution of the CD38 molecules and a formation of distinct polar aggregates visualized by confocal microscopy. DARA effects are different from those observed using 8 different murine anti-human CD38 mAbs, which tended to internalize. The findings observed after DARA ligation were confirmed by exposing myeloma cells to DARA immobilized on CHO cells modified to express 4 distinct human FcRs. CHO cells adhere to plastic and mimics the events that take place in the myeloma niche. First, the interaction between Dara and the different FcRs was determined according to a biosensor-based approach on an IAsys Plus equipment (Affinity Sensors). Results show that DARA possesses the highest avidity for CD64, due to the higher kinetic stability of the complex. Conversely, the differences in the FcR-DARA recognition phase (kass) had only minor effects on final stability of the complex. The results also indicated that NK cells and monocytes are the blood populations with higher kdiss for DARA. The effects observed at 37 °C on myeloma cells in the presence of immobilized DARA were amplified when compared to those with soluble mAb. Results indicate that DARA induces CD38 target to aggregate, polarize and to release microvesicles (MV) from extrusions of the myeloma membrane. MV in culture supernatants and in bone marrow plasma of myeloma patients were characterized for concentration (particles/ml) and size by means of Malvern NanoSight NS300 equipment. DARA treatment was followed by high amounts of MV of different sizes released from myeloma cells. Same experiments repeated using DARA + anti-human IgG labeled with Alexa 488 analyzed by Malvern equipment highlighted the presence of DARA on the surface of MV.

The induction of MV may be relevant for in vivo therapy: MV are outward buds of the membrane, which host molecules clustered in microdomains. The presence of CD38 has been confirmed. MV phenotype was analyzed looking for the ectoenzymes that join CD38 in the regulation of adenosine in the myeloma niche. MV phenotype included not only the presence of the expected CD38, but also of CD203a/PC-1, CD39 and CD73, the ectoenzymatic pathway leading to ADO production.

A first conclusion is that DARA treatment is followed in vivo by a marked release of MV at the tumor site. The fate of the MV bearing DARA on their surface is multiple: on one side, MV may interact locally with different cells and populations of the niche. Another possibility is that MV are released into the blood stream and interact with cell populations therein. The lipid bilayer of MV consents passive movements even through tissues. MV appear as minicellular signals delivering instructions at a distance from their place of origin. Further, the ectoenzymes analyzed are also involved in cell migration or in interaction with countereceptors ( e.g. , CD31) expressed by endothelial cells. This issue, was investigated by testing FITC-conjugated DARA on a Laboratory-established human myeloma line. MV-DARA-FITC were then exposed to PBMC preparations obtained from normal donors. The results from a cytofluorimetric analysis highlighted the tendency of the labeled MV to cluster around CD16+ (NK cells) and CD14+ subsets (monocytes). At the moment, it is only possible to conclude that MV are associated with cell membranes, a binding likely mediated by FcRs.

Not known yet whether MV interact with other cell types ( e.g. , macrophages, dendritic cells or lymphocytes). DARA shows a high affinity to FcRs of immune cell types (NK cells, monocytes, B cells). Given clinical data that indicate a robust increase in T cell counts, activation and clonality following DARA treatment should be expected. MV containing DARA and portions of myeloma cell membranes could help drive antigen presentation and T cell response in some patients. This is being investigated further.

Disclosures Mark: Bioinvent International: Consultancy, Research Funding. Giuliani: Janssen Pharmaceutica: Research Funding; Celgene Italy: Research Funding. Sasser: Janssen Pharmaceuticals: Employment. Malavasi: Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding.


Soil health conceptualized as a measurable ecosystem property provides a powerful tool for monitoring progress in restoration projects or implementation of best management practices to promote sustainable agroecosystems. We surveyed soils collected from a range of land uses (i.e., protected native and non-native forest, managed pasture, unmanaged previously intensive agricultural lands, organic cropland, and conventional cropland) across a range of soil orders (Oxisol, Mollisol, Andisol, Inceptisol, and Vertisol) on three Hawaiian Islands. Forty-six metrics associated with soil health and encompassing biological, chemical, and physical properties were measured. In this multivariate survey, the most distinct group was the unmanaged, previously intensive agriculture lands, which was significantly different from all other land uses regardless of mineralogy. Importantly, the soil health of well-managed pastures in Hawaiʻi was not different from protected forests, suggesting that well-managed grazing lands may be as healthy and resilient as protected forests. A suite of 11 readily measured parameters emerged out of a first-principle approach to determining a holistic indication of soil health across a range of soils and systems in Hawaiʻi encompassing much of the diversity in the tropics and subtropics. Every land use may improve its soil health status within a reasonable range of expectations for a soil's land use history, current land use, and mineralogy. Key drivers of the measures for soil health, including intensive land use history, current land use practices, and mineralogy, must be interwoven into the soil health index, which should set minimum and maximum benchmarks and weight parameters according to equitable standards.


AIM
This study aimed to evaluate the influence of phenothiazine derivatives (PDs) on the intracellular accumulation of cyanine dye DiOC6(3) in doxorubicin-resistant LoVo-DX cell line, with overexpression of P-glycoprotein.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
In order to maintain a high expression level of P-gp, the LoVo-DX cells were grown in the presence of doxorubicin (100 ng/ml). The time-dependent fluorescence signal (T-DFS) of the intracellular accumulation of DiOC6(3), in the presence of PDs, was then recorded. The rate constants k1, k2, k3 and amplitudes of T-DFS, describing the intracellular accumulation process, were determined based on the respective theoretical equation.

RESULTS
The values of k1 and k2 were dependent on the hydrophobicity (logP) of the PDs used as drug resistance modulators. A rise of k1 and k2 values was observed when the logP of PDs increased.

CONCLUSION
We suggest that the k1 and k2 rate constants could be regarded as useful parameters for assessment of PDs as well as of other compounds of potential application as reversers of multidrug resistance.


The Defined Benefit Division of UniSuper is a large defined benefit superannuation scheme in Australia for public universities. Unlike public service superannuation schemes in Australia, it is not guaranteed by the employers. This has previously led to a reduction in benefits of the scheme due to expected funding shortfalls. This paper examines longstanding and more recent issues with the funding of the Defined Benefit Division. Recent changes to superannuation laws in Australia may result in further benefit reductions for the scheme in the future. Should new eligible employees join the Defined Benefit Division? What form of retirement benefit should be taken by retiring Defined Benefit Division members? The paper examines these two key questions. Employees who are contemplating joining the Defined Benefit Division, or those Defined Benefit Division members about to retire, have some very important decisions to make. 2


Incinerators reduce the volume of visible waste, turning it into ashes and smoke which can cause local and global environmental pollution due to particulate matter (PM), dioxins, furans, hydrochloric acid, hydrocarbons, heavy metals, sulfur and nitrogen dioxides. In order to describe cancers and non-neoplastic diseases in populations exposed to incinerator pollution, the scientific literature available since 1987 has been selected on the basis of the best epidemiological evidences. In Italy, women who lived for at least 5 years in areas that were likely to be the most polluted by heavy metals, showed increased risk of death from all causes (relative risk, RR=1.17-1.54). In France, an incidence study found increases in all cancer risks both in males (RR=1.06) who resided in areas where dioxin pollution was estimated to be higher than it was in the referent areas (less dioxin polluted).


. Community engagement has become a central and essential aspect of the museum process. As part of this shift in focus, museums are broadening their scope and aim to be inclusive to a multitude of communities. One of the audience groups that museums are specifically seeking to engage are youth audiences. This paper discusses youth engagement by presenting examples from museums in the Caribbean. It attempts to increase the diversity of the museological debate by extending the discussion to practices from the Caribbean region. The paper begins by contextualizing the discussion: the history of the purpose of museums as educational institutions is linked to the contemporary transformation to museums as social agents. Youth engagement is placed partially within educational theories, although the important role of museums as facilitators for social inclusion and cultural performances is also stressed. Theoretical concepts are used to present a number of ways in which youth audiences can be defined, for instance by learning style or visiting group. The core of the paper is a collection of Caribbean examples of youth engagement processes or projects grouped by different approaches and desired outcomes. It concludes with a plan of action for youth engagement in museums.


In this paper we discuss the derivation and numerical implementation of the equations of motion for mechanical systems with rods. These equations of motion find application in the analysis and simulation of class 1 tensegrity structures. In the first part of the paper we present detailed derivations of two distinct sets of differential equations, both using non-minimal sets of coordinates. In the second part of the paper we present the result of some numerical experiments, comparing the performance of these equations in the context of numerical integration algorithms


The decrease in biodiversity occurs across national borders and has mutual influences on food and health. In this study, we analyzed the links and relationships between the decisions made by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)—the highest decision-making bodies in each field—from 1994 to 2018. We aimed to determine how each regime related to the decisions of others and identify the critical agendas that mediate the three regimes. Consequently, critical agendas, including agricultural biodiversity, taxonomy, traditional knowledge, access and benefit sharing, antimicrobial resistance, and marine biodiversity, were observed. In the order of degree centrality, the top six agendas were discussed in terms of the cooperation history of 'One Health' and its implications.


Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812-1852) was one of the most appreciation of medieval art and architecture and established in his polemical writings and design manuals the principles upon which the 19th-century Gothic Revival was based. His ideas were adopted and developed by followers as diverse as William Morris and Frank Lloyd Wright. Pugin virtually invented modern concepts of interior and industrial design. A master in the use of colour, pattern and ornament, with no fear of modern technology, he was also a prolific product designer, creating furniture and woodwork, silver, metalwork and jewellery, pottery and tiles, textiles and wallpapers, and books, all of which reflected his desire to adapt the principles of medieval art to the modern world. This catalogue and the exhibition it accompanies establish Pugin as a figure of worldwide significance. The objects in this catalogue, which are illustrated primarily in colour, reflect Pugin's diversity as a product designer and the modernity of his design principles. Ten essays and their illustrations are included. They show the development of pre-Puginian Gothic and underline the nature of Pugin's role in the history of architecture and design.


Foraging behaviour plays a key role in the interaction between herbivores and vegetation, their predominant food source. Understanding this interaction is crucial to providing information that is useful for conservation of herbivores. The objective of this study was to determine how sward height influences functional response and movement patterns of free ranging wild impala and zebra at the Kenya Wildlife Service Training Institute. The study was conducted for 3 months. Sward height is an important parameter that indicates how intensive a sward has been grazed and it influences intake rate through its effect on bite size. Bite size, instantaneous intake rate, specific mass intake rate and feeding station interval for impala and zebra increased with sward height. Sward height in combination with an animal's sex was found to have a profound effect on specific mass intake rate in impala. Zebra had a longer feeding station interval and lower stepping rate in tall swards compared to impala. Despite differences in their specific body mass and digestive strategies, impala and zebra maximized their intake rates in tall swards as a trade-off among the swards. Tall swards are therefore critical in the study area and should be protected from bush encroachment which is a persistent problem. 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.


The suitability of 1-3-day-old eggs of Busseola fusca Fuller and Sesamia calamistis Hampson (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to a strain of Telenomus busseolae (Gahan) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) collected in mid-altitudes of Kenya was assessed in the laboratory. For both species, age of egg did not affect progeny production but two-day-old B. fusca eggs yielded more progeny than S. calamistis eggs of the same age. With S. calamistis, development time of T. busseolae increased with age of eggs, while host species had no effect. Neither borer species nor age of eggs significantly affected the sex ratio. Longevity of T. busseolae was greater and total fecundity higher on B. fusca than S. calamistis. The intrinsic rate of increase and the net reproductive rate were greater with B. fusca than S. calamistis eggs as host. The values were considerably lower than those reported from the same species in West Africa, indicating that there are differences in strains between regions. Females begun ovipositing on the first day of emergence and the average daily number of eggs laid and the proportion of females decreased with age of the female, on both hosts. The ability of T. busseolae females to accept and develop in B. fusca and S. calamistis of different ages is an advantage, especially during times of host scarcity, which is common during the dry-season. In a Y- tube experiment no preference for either stemborer species was observed. Similarly, in the field, there was no significant variation in parasitism between B. fusca and S. calamistis eggs.


Fossil fuels make up the bulk of the world's energy consumption today. One of these fuels is natural gas condensate, which is composed of various carbon compounds and is used as one of the main fuel sources. But these condensates also contain sulfur compounds such as hydrogen sulfide, thiols (citrate), and aromatic compounds that are considered environmental pollutants. Therefore, these sour hydrocarbon sources need to be refined to reduce the sulfur content. In this study, desulfurization of natural gas condensate extracted from the gas field of southern Iran and removal of disulfide oils produced in the South Par refinery was performed by hydrogen-desulfurization ion desulfurization ion with the help of hydrogen. For this simulation, the Aspen Plus software package was used. Unused hydrogen in the effluent is hydrated by washing with an amine solvent to reduce operating costs. Refined condensates are a mixture of complex hydrocarbon compounds called petroleum fractions classified according to their boiling point range. A multi-component distillation system is also simulated to produce optimal products. The cuts taken from the distillation section include boot, light naphtha, heavy naphtha, kerosene, and gas oil. This study aimed to investigate the number of sulfur compounds remaining in these hydrocarbon sections. The results of this experiment show that the final products are completely pure and free of sulfur compounds.


With administration of 2 mg of dexamethasone 9 h before, serum cortisol levels were determined for the times just before and 30 min after the first and last electroconvulsive therapies (ECTs) of a series of at least six sessions. Twelve drug-free patients with melancholic or psychotic depression completed the study. Response to treatment was taken as a fall in the value of the Carroll rating scale. The average cortisol elevation over baseline was by 575% with the first ECT, 10 times larger than other studies in the literature that were done without dexamethasone. With the final ECT the elevation was lower (p < 0.01), averaging 181%. Post-ECT cortisol levels (and elevations over baseline) were lower after the final ECT than after the initial ECT, with 10 of the 11 patients who responded to this treatment (p < 0.005 vs. 50%). Consistent with this, the lone nonresponder showed a large increase in serum cortisol level and elevation over baseline from the first to the last treatment. The one responder who went against this trend had an unusually high baseline cortisol level, 24.1 &mgr;g/dl, which can be considered to disqualify his inclusion. The near-unanimous fall of post-ECT cortisol levels with remission suggests that defects in cortisol regulation are much more prevalent (p < 0.01) than those detected by the dexamethasone suppression test (36% in this sample).


This article reports on an extension of group-based trajectory modeling to address nonrandom participant attrition or truncation due to death that varies across trajectory groups. The effects of the model extension are explored in both simulated and real data. The analyses of simulated data establish that estimates of trajectory group size as measured by group membership probabilities can be badly biased by differential attrition rates across groups if the groups are initially not well separated. Differential attrition rates also imply that group sizes will change over time, which in turn has important implications for using the model parameter estimates to make population-level projections. Analyses of longitudinal data on disability levels in a sample of very elderly individuals support both of these conclusions.


This is a magnificently illustrated guide to the entire collection of the Uffizi Gallery - one of the world's most celebrated art galleries. The Uffizi Gallery in Florence is one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world. First commissioned as offices for the Florentine magistrates by Cosimo de Medici, it is now houses some of the world's most outstanding works of art. This superb volume offers a comprehensive, detailed, and informative look at the entire exhibited collection of the Gallery - from masterpieces such as Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus" and Caravaggio's "Medusa" to many works of classical sculpture. "The Uffizi Gallery" also provides readers with an insightful look at the gallery's origins and history, as well as discussions about ongoing restoration efforts, and biographies of selected artists.


Electroencephalogram studies have identified an error-related event-related potential (ERP) component known as the error-related negativity or ERN, thought to result from the detection of a loss of reward during performance monitoring. However, as own errors are always associated with a loss of reward, disentangling whether the ERN is error- or reward-dependent has proven to be a difficult endeavor. Recently, an ERN has also been demonstrated following the observation of other's errors. Importantly, other people's errors can be associated with loss or gain depending on the cooperative or competitive context in which they are made. The aim of the current ERP study was to disentangle the error- or reward-dependency of performance monitoring. Twelve pairs (N = 24) of participants performed and observed a speeded-choice-reaction task in two contexts. Own errors were always associated with a loss of reward. Observed errors in the cooperative context also yielded a loss of reward, but observed errors in the competitive context resulted in a gain. The results showed that the ERN was present following all types of errors independent of who made the error and the outcome of the action. Consequently, the current study demonstrates that performance monitoring as reflected by the ERN is error-specific and not directly dependent on reward.


Protein folding produces characteristic and functional three-dimensional structures from unfolded polypeptides or disordered coils. The emergence of extraordinary complexity in the protein folding process poses astonishing challenges to theoretical modeling and computer simulations. The present work introduces molecular nonlinear dynamics (MND), or molecular chaotic dynamics, as a theoretical framework for describing and analyzing protein folding. We unveil the existence of intrinsically low dimensional manifolds (ILDMs) in the chaotic dynamics of folded proteins. Additionally, we reveal that the transition from disordered to ordered conformations in protein folding increases the transverse stability of the ILDM. Stated differently, protein folding reduces the chaoticity of the nonlinear dynamical system, and a folded protein has the best ability to tame chaos. Additionally, we bring to light the connection between the ILDM stability and the thermodynamic stability, which enables us to quantify the disorderliness and relative energies of folded, misfolded and unfolded protein states. Finally, we exploit chaos for protein flexibility analysis and develop a robust chaotic algorithm for the prediction of Debye-Waller factors, or temperature factors, of protein structures.