The Polyurethane (PU) foam materials have increasingly been used as a new kind of solid insulation material, which are always inserted into post hollow composite insulators as their inner insulation section. PU foam with PU as a base material which is homogenously filled with pores, PU foam material is a possible substitute material of the air, SF6 and N2. In order to achieve a better electrical performance, the electrical properties of PU foam should firstly been studied and understood in depth. In this paper, the electrical strength, volume resistivity, permittivity and partial discharge property of PU foam have been investigated. It is the porous structure characteristic with low density that distinguishes itself from other dielectric materials. Because of the pores distributed in the PU material, the partial discharge (PD) characteristics have been put more emphasis. Four kinds of PU foam materials with different pore size and pore geometry and one kind of PU elastomer have been used in our research. The micro-pore structure of PU foam was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) method. For PD property, we mainly focus on the PD inception voltage, PD extinction voltage, discharge magnitude with applied voltage as well as its relationship with physical structure of pores. Experimental results indicated that the electrical properties of PU materials have a closely relationship with pore structure, especially for the electrical strength and PD characteristics. The electrical properties with stress on the PD behavior of PU foam were discussed in depth by combing the electrical test result and the physical property of PU foam.


Cavernous angiomas of the upper brainstem causing hemiparkinsonism are very rare. Due to their difficult-to-reach localization, brainstem cavernomas, in particular those in anterior locations, continue to present a therapeutic challenge. The authors report on a 16-year-old boy with a pontomesencephalic cavernoma who developed hemiparkinsonism and hemiparesis after hemorrhage. After complete surgical removal of the pontomesencephalic cavernoma via a pterional transsylvian approach, his symptoms resolved. Although pontomesencephalic cavernomas occupying the ventral portion of the brainstem are regarded as problematic for resection, the pterional transsylvian approach provides an excellent route for removal of cavernomas that are in contact with the ventral surface of the midbrain in the interpeduncular cistern. Surgical removal of this type of lesion is recommended because resolution of clinical symptoms, including hemiparkinsonism, can be achieved.


Galaxy formation and evolution is one of the most challenging tasks in astrophysics.
 There is strongly increasing and substantial progress in this field not only due to the
 increase of telescope size and developments of new techniques providing observations
 allover the electromagnetic spectrum, but also the development of advanced computer
 architectures and of sophisticated numerical codes allow to tackle this problem from both
 sides and to link both research approaches to a fruitful progress in astrophysics. This
 review will not focus on the application of a single numerical method and the description
 of its result, but is instead aiming at providing an overview of different numerical tools
 on the basis of particle and grid schemes and to referring to important publications for
 the intersted reader.


An appropriate estimation of the abundance of the observed C5 radical in the interstellar medium requires accurate radiative and collisional rate coefficients. We present the first two-dimensional potential energy surface (2D-PES) for the ground electronic state of the C5(X1Σ+)-He(X1S) van der Waals system, obtained using an explicitly correlated coupled-cluster method with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations (RCCSD(T)-F12). This PES is subsequently used in quantum close-coupling (CC) scattering calculations. Collisional excitation cross-sections of the rotational levels of C5 by He were calculated for energies up to 1500 cm-1 using the standard (CC) method. The thermal dependence of the corresponding rate coefficients is given for the low and moderate temperature T ≤ 300 K regime of interstellar molecular clouds. This is the first study on the collisional rate coefficients for this system and may have important implications for the astrophysical detection of C5(X1Σ+) and modeling of carbon-rich media.


This study compares the lifestyles of female consumers in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China, which together make up Greater China. The investigation revealed that significant differences exist among the three groups of female consumers in nine different areas. These are (a) women's role and perception, (b) family orientation, (c) home cleanliness, (d) brand consciousness, (e) price consciousness, (f) self-confidence, (g) addiction to work, (h) health consciousness, and (i) environmental consciousness. Although the women studied in the three groups were found to be heavily influenced by Confucianism, they were also affected by western culture to varying degrees. Thus, the three groups were found to have a mixture of traditional and modern values. Hong Kong women were found to favor a more modern view of the role of women than their counterparts in China and Taiwan. However, women in China, especially the younger ones, were quickly adopting new values and Western ideas. The authors foresee that female consumers in Greater China will become increasingly similar in their lifestyles in the near future. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


Objectives: To observe the clinical significance of N-terminal natriuretic peptide combined with inflammatory factors, oxidative stress factors and blood lipid detection in elderly patients with Type-2 diabetes complicated with CHD (CHD), and provide a theoretical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of elderly patients with Type-2 diabetes complicated with CHD. Methods: A total of 40 patients with Type-2 diabetes complicated with CHD admitted to Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University from July 2019 and July 2020 were selected as the experimental group, and 40 patients with CHD who were hospitalized in our hospital during the same period without diabetes were selected as the control group. Venous blood was taken from all patients on morning and fasting basis, and their serum inflammatory factors as well as antioxidant molecules were examined respectively. Serum inflammatory factors include serum tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-A), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein. Antioxidant molecules include antioxidant molecules superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), N-terminal natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), white blood cells (WBC), hemoglobin (HBG), albumin (ALB) and blood lipid levels. The differences of the above indexes between experimental group and control group were compared and analyzed. Results: The serum levels of TNF-a, CRP, and IL-6 in the experimental group were apparently higher than those in the control group, with a statistically significant difference (P=0.00); The levels of SOD, TAC and CAT in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group, with a statistically significant difference (P=0.00); The level of NT-proBNP and WBC count in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group, with a statistically significant difference (NT-proBNP, P=0.01; WBC, P=0.00). However, no statistically significant difference was observed in the levels of HBG and ALB between the two groups (P>0.05). The experimental group had significantly higher TC and TG levels than the control group, with statistically significant differences (TC, P=0.01; TG, P=0.02), but had a significantly lower HDL level than the control group, with a statistically significant difference (P=0.00). Conclusion: Elderly patients with Type-2 diabetes complicated with CHD showed systemic microinflammation, decreased antioxidant molecule content, as well as myocardial damage and abnormal lipid metabolism compared with patients with CHD alone. For this reason, attention should be paid to the above risk factors in clinical practice, and proactive prevention and treatment should be taken to reduce the probability of related complications.


In view of the demand for energy resources, offshore engineering has drawn the attention of many investigators over the past decade. Recent studies have revealed that seabed landslides can have a sig-nificant influence on the performance of offshore infrastructure, such as pipelines. The vulnerability triggered by seabed landslides can even lead to loss of life. In this context, the importance of offshore slope stability evaluation is obvious. Slope stability is generally assessed by the limit equilibrium method (LEM). However, the accuracy of the method is often questioned due to the underlying assumptions that it makes. This study utilises numerical finite element upper and lower bound limit analysis to produce solutions for very gentle undrained slopes. Using these techniques, the stability can be bracketed from above and below. In this paper, a range of slope geometries and the inhomogeneity of the natural soil have been taken into account. The solu-tions presented are useful tools for preliminary design.


Communities are structured by interactions of historical and ecological factors, which influence the use of different resources in time and space. We acquired data on time of activity, microhabitat use and diet of a lizard assemblage from a sand dune habitat in a coastal area, southeastern Brazil (Restinga de Jurubatiba). We analyzed the data of niche overlap among species in these three axes (temporal, spatial and trophic) using null models. We found a significant overlap within the trophic niche, whereas the overlap for the other axes did not differ from the expected. Based on this result, we discuss the factors acting on the structure of the local lizard community.


Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa [A. Chev.], C.V. Liang & A. R. Ferguson, 1984) is a perennial plant, with morphologically hermaphroditic and functionally dioecious flowers. Fruits of this species are berries of great commercial and nutritional importance. Nevertheless, few studies have analyzed the molecular mechanisms involved in sexual differentiation in this species. To determine these mechanisms, we performed RNA-seq in floral tissue at stage 60 on the BBCH scale in cultivar 'Hayward' (H, female) and a seedling from 'Green Light' × 'Tomuri' (G × T, male). From these analyses, we obtained expression profiles of 24,888 (H) and 27,027 (G × T) genes, of which 6413 showed differential transcript abundance. Genetic ontology (GO) and KEGG analysis revealed activation of pathways associated with the translation of hormonal signals, plant-pathogen interaction, metabolism of hormones, sugars, and nucleotides. The analysis of the protein-protein interaction network showed that the genes ERL1, AG, AGL8, LFY, WUS, AP2, WRKY, and CO, are crucial elements in the regulation of the hormonal response for the formation and development of anatomical reproductive structures and gametophytes. On the other hand, genes encoding four Putative S-adenosyl-L-methionine-dependent methyltransferases (Achn201401, Achn281971, Achn047771 and Achn231981) were identified, which were up-regulated mainly in the male flowers. Moreover, the expression profiles of 15 selected genes through RT-qPCR were consistent with the results of RNA-seq. Finally, this work provides gene expression-based interactions between transcription factors and effector genes from hormonal signaling pathways, development of floral organs, biological and metabolic processes or even epigenetic mechanisms which could be involved in the kiwi sex-determination. Thus, in order to decode the nature of these interactions, it could be helpful to propose new models of flower development and sex determination in the Actinidia genus.


The authors have studied the self-focusing/defocusing of transverse Gaussian (TEM00 mode) and TEM10 laser beams in a non-linear dielectric in the extraparaxial region. It has been found that at points near the axis, the lowest-order Gaussian mode exhibits self-focusing whereas for points away from the axis, self-defocusing occurs. The reverse effect has been found for the TEM10 mode.


Introduction/Background In the Phase III SOLO1 study (NCT01844986) of patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer and a BRCA mutation (BRCAm), maintenance olaparib significantly improved investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS) versus placebo (hazard ratio [HR] 0.30, 95% CI 0.23–0.41; P Methodology Patients received olaparib 300 mg twice daily or placebo for up to 2 years or until disease progression. In this exploratory analysis (primary data cut-off: 17 May 2018), patients in the higher-risk group had stage IV disease, stage III disease with residual disease following primary debulking surgery, inoperable stage III disease, or had stage III disease and underwent interval surgery. Patients in the lower-risk group had stage III disease without residual disease following primary debulking surgery. PFS was assessed by investigators and blinded independent central review (BICR). Response was assessed using modified RECIST v1.1. Results Of 391 patients, 56% were higher risk and 44% were lower risk. After a median follow-up overall of ~41 months, the risk of disease progression/death per investigator was significantly reduced with olaparib versus placebo in the higher-risk group (HR 0.34, 95% CI 0.24–0.48; 66% reduction) and the lower-risk group (HR 0.33, 95% CI 0.20–0.52; 67% reduction) (figure 1). Investigator-assessed median PFS was 39.0 versus 11.1 months for olaparib versus placebo, respectively in the higher-risk group, and not reached (NR) versus 21.9 months in the lower-risk group (figure 1). Results were similar per BICR (table 1). Conclusion In this exploratory analysis of data from the SOLO1 study, maintenance olaparib provided a substantial PFS benefit over placebo in patients with both higher-risk and lower-risk newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer and a BRCAm, with an investigator-assessed median PFS of 39 months and NR with olaparib treatment in higher-risk and lower-risk groups respectively after a median follow-up of ~41 months. SOLO1 is the only trial of maintenance monotherapy with a PARP inhibitor to have demonstrated a consistently high reduction in the risk of progression/death in both higher-risk and lower-risk patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer. Disclosures Nicoletta Colombo: Consulting fees or advisory role from Roche/Genentech, PharmaMar, AstraZeneca, Clovis Oncology, Pfizer, MSD Oncology, Takeda, Tesaro, BioCad and GlaxoSmithKline; honoraria from Roche/Genentech, AstraZeneca, Tesaro and PharmaMar. William Bradley: Nothing to disclose. Kathleen Moore: Advisory board fees from Advaxis, Aravive, AstraZeneca, Clovis, Eisai, Genentech/Roche, Immunogen, Janssen, Merck, Oncomed, Pfizer, Samumed, Tesaro, VBL Therapeutics. Antonio Gonzalez-Martin: Speaker role/consulting fees from AstraZeneca, PharmaMar, Roche, Tesaro; consulting fees from Clovis Oncology, Genmab, Inmunogen, MSD, Pfizer. Giovanni Scambia: Nothing to disclose. Ana Oaknin: Consulting fees from AstraZeneca, Clovis Oncology, Genmab, Immunogen, PharmaMar, Roche, Tesaro. Michael Friedlander: Honoraria and speaker role/advisory boards from AstraZeneca; advisory board fees from Lilly, MSD, Takeda, Novartis; non-remunerated consulting for AbbVie; research funding from Beigene, AstraZeneca, Novartis. Elizabeth S. Lowe: Shareholder and employee of AstraZeneca. Philip Rowe: Shareholder and employee of AstraZeneca. Paul DiSilvestro: Consulting fees from AstraZeneca, Tesaro.


Background Biosimilar drugs have a similar, but usually not inferior although not hidentical effects of old registred drugs. Safety is hidentical to old registred drug. Aims Aim of this study is to verify if in MDS patient with refractory anemia biosimilar erythropoietin alpha is not inferior to erythropoietin alpha in terms of safety, efficacy and costs. Methods This study is a dicentric, nonrandomized, retrospective study. Between july 2008 and june 2012, 92 patients affected by refractory anemia were studied. Median follow-up was 22 months (R3-34). Patients received in group A erythropoietin alpha 40000 IU sc/weekly. In group B patient received biosimilar erythropoietin alpha 40000 IU sc/weekly. In both groups patients received liposomal iron (Sideral®) 14 mg, 2 tablets orally/day calcium levofolinate 7.5 mg/day orally + Vitamin B12: 400 mg/day orally. In group A median age was 70 years (R63-75), M/F: 18/28; in group B median age was 64 years (R60-70), M/F: 25/21. IPSS was low in 30 patients and int-1 in 13 patients in group A, and low in 32 patients and int-1 in 11 patients, in group B. Patients with 5q- were excluded from this study. Median level of haemoglobin was 8.5 g/dl in group A (R8-11) and 9.2 g/dl (R8.5-11.5) in group B. Results Group A patients increased Hb level of 1 g/dl after a median time of 5 weeks (R4-9) and after a median time of 4 weeks (R3-8) in group B. No relevant side effects were observed in both groups. Erythropoietin alpha was reduced in group A because Hb achieved a level > 12g/dl after a median of 12 weeks (R 4-18). Biosimilar erythropoietin alpha was reduced in group B because Hb achieved a level > 12g/dl after a median of 10.5 weeks (R 3-16). In group A maintenance dose was administered with a median of every two weeks (2-4), In group B maintenance dose was administered with a median of every three weeks (2-5). Median cost for every month of erythropoietic therapy was 1536 euros/month (R1240-1850) in group A and 1354 euros/month (R954-1550) in group B. Five patients need transfusion support in group A and seven patients need transfusion support in group B Summary/conclusion Biosimilar erythropoietin alpha plus liposomal iron (Sideral®) and B12 and folates support seems to be safe, feasible, probably equally cost-effective and substantially not inferior to classical erythropoietin alpha support in patients affected by refractory anemia. This study needs confifrmation on a larger cohort of patients. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


The central goal of this work is to improve our understanding of the distinctive and unusual chemistry of aerosol particles released from firework displays and their potential health risks due to inhalation exposure. The chemical composition of fine particles (PM2.5) released from three commonly used sparklers (low smoke sparklers (LSS), whistling sparklers (WS) and colored sparklers (CS)) was investigated. In particular, total and water soluble elemental fractions (22 elements) and 13 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in PM2.5 were quantified. The particulate emissions from LSS had relatively lower particulate-bound metals and less water-soluble fractions in them compared to those from WS and CS. However, PAHs were found to be relatively higher in LSS compared to those from WS and CS. Health risk due to inhalation of PM2.5 emitted from all the three types of sparklers was estimated for various dilution conditions including the case with little or no dispersion of particles. It was observed that WS had the highest carcinogenic risk (25 × 10 for adults and 75 × 10 6 for children) followed by CS (2.6 × 10 for adults and 7.9 × 10 for children) and LSS (7.6 × 10 for adults and 2.6 × 10 for children) for the worst case scenario of no dilution of emitted particles during inhalation. This carcinogenic risk is pronounced only when there is no or very low dilution (~10) of emitted particles during inhalation. The health risk estimates for all sparkler types are below acceptable limits for dilution factors above 80 and thus exposure to PM2.5 in sparkler emissions is unlikely to have serious health effects. The water soluble fraction of metals (bioavailable metals) made a major contribution to the carcinogenic health risk due to inhalation of PM2.5 released from WS (~100%) and CS (~96%) while PAHs played a major role in the carcinogenic risk associated with PM2.5 from LSS (~66%).


We used the isolated working rabbit heart preparation as a model to study the relationship between postischemic myocardial dysfunction and the energetic state of the heart in terms of mitochondrial function and myocardial high energy phosphate (HEP) contents. Normothermic global myocardial ischemia (10, 20 and 30 min) was induced. Cardiac function, mitochondrial function and myocardial HEP contents were measured. Viability of the postischemic myocardium was assessed by electron microscopy. Myocardial tissue was found to be intact up to 20 min of ischemia plus reperfusion. Areas of irreversibly damaged myocardium were found after 30 min of ischemia. Myocardial contractile function was significantly depressed after 10 and 20 min of ischemia and severely depressed after 30 min of ischemia. Postischemic myocardial dysfunction was associated with normal mitochondrial function and HEP content after 10 min of ischemia, with near-normal mitochondrial function and HEP content after 20 min of ischemia and with pathologic values after 30 min of ischemia. It is concluded that postischemic myocardial stunning is not associated with a disturbance of the energy producing processes. More severe ischemia however leads to progressive deterioration of mitochondrial function which may contribute to complete deterioration of myocardial contractile function upon reperfusion.


Materials Science![Figure][1]

CREDIT: BOREYKO AND CHEN

When hot vapor comes in contact with a cold surface, such as a shower wall, liquid droplets are created that quickly coalesce and form a film. This condensation process is ubiquitous in natural as well as artificial environments. In industrial settings, preventing film formation is generally desirable because liquid films are poor heat conductors. However, it can be challenging to remove the droplets more quickly than they coalesce, particularly when nonvertical sample orientations preclude help from gravity. Boreyko and Chen demonstrate the spontaneous elimination of droplets from a horizontal surface. They prepare a superhydrophobic substrate consisting of carbon nanotubes deposited on silicon micropillars (shown at left). Video imaging of the condensation of ambient moisture reveals that, after the droplets are formed, they initially coalesce without moving, then eventually reach a mobile phase where several droplets fuse and leave the surface of the sample in a dramatic out-of-plane jump. The energy for the jump is provided by the decrease in surface energy gained by coalescence; the average condensed droplet size is an order of magnitude smaller than that observed in gravitational removal. Interestingly, a similar mechanism is thought to be used by a type of mushroom to eject a spore from its sterigma.

Phys. Rev. Lett. 103 , 184501 (2009).

 [1]: pending:yes


Laser scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy techniques were used to study the localization of von Willebrand factor (vWf; Factor VIII-related antigen) and thrombomodulin (transmembrane receptor for thrombin) in the microvascular endothelial cells in the normal human lung. Tissues were obtained from lobectomy specimens resected for solitary nodules (7 adenocarcinomas and 4 hamartomas) from 11 patients. The plasma membranes of the capillary endothelial cells in the alveolar zones (A-zones) showed red linear fluorescence for thrombomodulin. However, their cytoplasm was mostly unreactive for vWf. The microvessels which were located in the connective tissue (C-zones), including peribronchial, and subpleural areas and large vascular walls, consistently demonstrated band-like green fluorescence for vWf in their cytoplasm, and their plasma membranes usually lacked reactivity for thrombomodulin. Only a limited number of peribronchial capillaries measuring <10 microm in diameter showed a mosaic-like appearance, in which red fluorescence along the plasma membranes was found together with green fluorescence in the subjacent cytoplasm. In the juxtaalveolar (J-zones) microvessels located along the borders between A- and C-zones, and measuring up to 40 microm in diameter, the endothelial cells showed a mosaic-like pattern of distribution of the two antigens. However, the localization of thrombomodulin in the J-zone microvessels was separate and independent from that of vWf. The thrombomodulin-reactive cells were directly connected to the alveolar capillary endothelial cells. Heterogeneous patterns of distribution of thrombomodulin and vWf suggest that topographic differences of endothelial function occur to maintain a balance of coagulation and anticoagulation in the normal human lung.


Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive and deadly neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by memory loss, cognitive impairment and dementia. Several hypotheses have been proposed for the pathogenesis based on the pathological changes in the brain of AD patients during the last few decades. Unfortunately, there is no effective agents/therapies to prevent or control AD at present. Currently, only a few drugs, which function as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors or N-methyl-Daspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, are available to alleviate symptoms. Since many small molecule natural products have shown their functions as agonists or antagonists of receptors, as well as inhibitors of enzymes and proteins in the brain during the development of central nervous system (CNS) drugs, it is likely that natural products will play an important role in anti-AD drug development. We review recent papers on using small molecule natural products as drug candidates for the treatment of AD. These natural products possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticholinesterase, anti-amyloidogenic and neuroprotective activities. Moreover, bioactive natural products intended to be used for preventing AD, reducing the symptoms of AD and the new targets for treatment of AD are summarized.


to study the incidence and characterization of early and late onset of various skin diseases in neonates in Central India. The various skin lesions ABSTRACT Background: Neonatal skin diseases occur in almost every newborn baby. Many are transient, involute rapidly and require no management. Objective: The objective of the study was to study the incidence and characterization of early and late onset of various skin diseases in the neonates. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was carried out among 200 neonates in a tertiary care hospital in Central India. Skin lesions which appeared on or before 48 h before birth were categorized as early onset and skin lesion appearing after 48 h were considered as late onset and the characteristics of lesions were highlighted. Results: The most common skin lesions identified within 48 h of birth were Epstein pearl's (77.0%), followed by Mongolian spot (45.5%), desquamation of skin (35%), sebaceous gland hypertrophy (31.5%), and milia (28.4%), respectively. Less incidence of salmon patch, erythema toxicum neonatorum, impetigo, miliaria rubra, accessory auricles, pigmented nevi, port-wine stain, and lamellar ichthyosis also was recorded. Impetigo (11.2%) and candidiasis (11.2%) were commonly seen after 48 h of birth followed by dermatitis 6.4% and a few cases of birthmarks. Conclusion: Along with increasing awareness of neonatal diseases, our study results also aid in better identification and diagnosis of these diseases.


The optimization of the distribution network represents one of the possible ways to reduce the distribution and warehousing costs in a company. For this reason, a project aimed at optimizing the Lens Care distribution network was carried out at Bausch + Lomb, an eye health company. The current distribution network, which consists of 2 main manufacturing plants, 2 main DCs (the ELC and the DC in Italy), several satellite DCs, distributors in the emerging markets and final customers in the EMEA region, was studied and analyzed from a qualitative and from a cost point of view. Three main alternative distribution networks, namely design option 1, 2 and 3, were evaluated and compared to the current network. The first option investigated the opportunity of having all the nine countries currently served by the ELC, served by the DC in Italy; the second option investigate the opportunity of moving to the DC in Italy only four countries (Austria, Switzerland, France and Germany); and the third option investigated the opportunity of splitting France and Germany into two areas, namely north and South: the southern part would be served by the DC in Italy, while the northern part would be kept at the ELC. The main conclusion of the study is: the current lens care network should be redesigned and in order to do that, design option 2 and design option 3 seem to be valid and cost?effective alternative. However, in order to implement one of the design options or a combination of the two design options, some other aspects have to be reviewed and taken into account. Furthermore, some lens care specific recommendations and some more generic recommendations are given at the end.


To study the natural history of dry type of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and search for a sensitive method for detecting the development of the disease, the fundus fluorescein angiography, visual acuity, electroretinogram and FM 100-hue test were used to examine 75 eyes, 147 eyes, 73 eyes, and 94 eyes respectively. These examinations were taken at least twice during the follow-up periods. The average age was 63.2 years (50-80 years). The average follow-up was 29.8 months with a range of 3-74 months. It was shown tht there were not any statistically significant difference in the macular lesions and electroretinogram between the initial examinations and after follow-up (P > 0.05). 91.14% of the eyes maintained good visual acuity during the follow-up. Subretinal neovascularization developed only in one of the eyes. The total error score of FM 100-hue test had a statistically significant difference between the initial test and the test taken two years afterwards (P < 0.01). It was suggested that most of the dry type of AMD had a favorable prognosis and that color visual test was a sensitive method for monitoring the development of dry type of AMD.


In dual source CT (DSCT) with two X-ray sources and two data measurement systems mounted on a CT gantry with a mechanical offset of 90 deg, cross scatter radiation, (essentially 90 deg Compton scatter) is added to the detector signals. In current DSCT scanners the cross scatter correction is model based: the idea is to describe the scattering surface in terms of its tangents. The positions of these tangent lines are used to characterize the shape of the scattering object. For future DSCT scanners with larger axial X-ray beams, the model based correction will not perfectly remove the scatter signal in certain clinical situations: for obese patients scatter artifacts in cardiac dual source scan modes might occur. These shortcomings can be circumvented by utilizing the non-diagnostic time windows in cardiac scan modes to detect cross scatter online. The X-ray generators of both systems have to be switched on and off alternating. If one X-ray source is switched off, cross scatter deposited in the respective other detector can be recorded and processed, to be used for efficient cross scatter correction. The procedure will be demonstrated for cardiac step&shoot as well as for spiral acquisitions. Full rotation reconstructions are less sensitive to cross scatter radiation; hence in non-cardiac case the model-based approach is sufficient. Based on measurements of physical and anthropomorphic phantoms we present image data for DSCT systems with various collimator openings demonstrating the efficacy of the proposed method. In addition, a thorough analysis of contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) shows, that even for a X-ray beam corresponding to a 64x0.6 mm collimation, the maximum loss of CNR due to cross scatter is only about 7% in case of obese patients.


The number of new Ebola cases in Liberia, one of the hardest hit countries in the current epidemic, has come down to about 20 per day, far fewer than models predicted a few months ago. Ebola treatment units now have hundreds of empty beds, and the fight against the virus is entering a new phase. Back in September, the key job was building clinics, removing the dead, and keeping as many patients as possible isolated. Now, it's about setting up a flexible system to respond to new outbreaks, identifying patients quickly, and tracing their contacts to prevent more infections. Meanwhile, outbreaks are still flaring up in the remote districts, making it unlikely that Liberia can put a stop to the epidemic anytime soon.


In order to meet the future global economic challenges, the understanding of the dynamics of the Oceans, in terms of trading aspect, is as essential for the international states as Oxygen is important for the survival of the human beings. This study is an effort to explore the Indian Ocean in the context of "Blue Economy". The Indian Ocean has been presented by the maritime strategists, as an important alternate option, in terms of the increasing dependency of the Middle East, Africa, and Asia on natural resource flows. As being the third-largest ocean in the world, it has grown its' significance in global politics over the past three decades. It has unique geographic structure, bounded by Australia toward the South-East, Africa in the West and Asia in the North and East. Inspite of enjoying substantial size, expanding population and abundant natural resources, it has long been comparatively neglected in global geopolitics by the superpowers in 20th century. But now, rapidly growing economic challenges compelled the international states to take the Indian Ocean from economic perspective. The objectives of the study are to examine the dynamics of the Indian Ocean from both strategic and economic perspectives, to highlight the challenges, facing by China and Pakistan as a result of the Indian Maritime Strategy in the Indian Ocean and the presence of US naval forces there and finally, to identify those areas where Pakistan-China might be able to take advantage of the Indian Ocean, in the perspective of the Blue Economy. The qualitative study has been grounded, based on secondary data by applying the theory of balance of power. Finally, it offered some recommendations for China and Pakistan regarding how to address the problems that the US and India have placed in the Indian Ocean.


Across the world, many people, especially in rural communities, still lack access to secure, affordable electricity supplies. Many countries also lack or have under-developed indigenous fossil fuel resources, or rely on environmentally unfriendly fuels such as coal or Heavy Fuel Oil. Many under-developed regions though are blessed with considerable agricultural resources, and well-suited to Distributed Power Generation, where smaller decentralized power plants are located close to the actual energy consumers. Distributed Power eliminates the need for an electricity transmission grid, or reduces the investment costs necessary to strengthen the grid system, and helps ensure stable, secure electricity to support local economic growth. Agricultural wastes can be used as a locally available feedstock to produce the energy required to electrify regions and stimulate economic growth.
 This paper examines the benefits of applying Poly-generation — the production of multiple products at a single location — and examines a proposed bio-refinery scheme to produce ethanol from agricultural waste. The ethanol production process produces a waste biogas, which can then be used in a high efficiency Cogeneration (or Combined Heat and Power) plant as a fuel for gas turbines to generate electricity and steam (heat), not just for the bio-refinery but also local industry and businesses. By creating a high value product (ethanol) along with a free fuel, the bio-refinery acts as an anchor plant to provide reliable, affordable electricity to the local community. As well as providing economic benefits, such a concept has multiple environmental benefits as regions and nations try to combine growth in energy demand with reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions: agricultural residues that would otherwise have decayed emitting methane and CO2 into the atmosphere are used to create a high value product in ethanol, while using the biogas as a fuel displaces combustion of fossil fuels, reducing both combustion emissions and those associated with transportation of the fuel to the point of use.


Batik Kompeni is one of batik style with a typical Cirebon ornaments variety, including the popular coastal batik area. It is estimated that the Batik Kompeni emerged in the 1800-1900s period during the Dutch Colonialism in Cirebon. The ornamental variety of the Batik Kompeni shows the results from the aesthetical acculturation process between local and European ornaments during the development of batik ornaments in Cirebon. The Dutch businessmen that interacted socially with batik artists and craftsmen in Cirebon in the early 19th century is thought to have contributed on developing Batik Kompeni production in Cirebon, that later distributed in the north coast of Java Island. In the future, the decorative ornaments of Batik Kompeni have inspired many modern batik artists, craftsmen, and entrepreneurs until now and have become one of the most popular batik patterns. This paper is the result of research tracing the aesthetic acculturation of the Batik Kompeni ornaments. The method of qualitative analysis in this research is through documentation of the Company's Batik ornaments and literature studies, as well as field surveys and interviews with artists, batik craftsmen and batik collectors. The results showed that the openness of the batik craftsmen and the creation of batik ornaments in the Cirebon coast were dynamic, which has enabled the acculturation to occur. Batik Kompeni continues to grow until now into various ornaments which eventually became a typical Cirebon ornament.


A recurring theme amongst policymakers and researchers concerned with social innovation is how to increase its social impact, or replicate it elsewhere. This paper draws on the literature to develop a typology of strategies for scaling social impact. It then uses a Danish Case study of an innovative social enterprise to examine the rationale for strategic choices, and issues involved, when the social enterprise ambitiously scales its social impact. This experience also reveals how the strategies evolve over a number of years.


In the ongoing controversy over congressional earmarks, some new bones of contention have surfaced. Late last month, the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee heard testimony that the dynamics of Washington's so-called "iron triangle" are adding to the inequities that many claim are caused by the earmarking of funds for scientific research.

Nonetheless, earmarking remains a legitimate part of the appropriations game, and a practice that many still champion. At the hearing, the president of Boston University, John R. Silber, lauded the "excellence" of projects funded by earmarks.


Evidence has previously been provided that administration of kinins to the cerebrum causes edema and opening of the blood-brain barrier. It has further been shown that these highly active compounds are formed in the brain under pathophysiological conditions. Their formation was enhanced when cerebral blood flow became compromised by an increase in intracranial pressure. Final evidence, however, was not available as to whether specific inhibition of the kallikrein-kinin (KK) system has a therapeutic function in acute head injury. The authors have demonstrated in rabbits that inhibition of the activating enzyme kallikrein by aprotinin or by aprotinin plus soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI), which interfere with plasma and tissue kallikrein, is associated with a decrease in formation of posttraumatic swelling after a standardized cold lesion to the brain. Saline-treated control animals with cerebral cold-induced injury had an increase in hemispheric weight 24 hours later of 13.0% +/- 0.8% (standard error of the mean) in the damaged hemisphere compared to the contralateral nondamaged hemisphere. Administration of aprotinin or aprotinin plus SBTI led to a significant reduction of hemispheric swelling of 10.1% +/- 0.7% or 10.4% +/- 0.7%, respectively. In animals receiving SBTI only, hemispheric swelling evolving from cold injury was not significantly reduced. Therapeutic reduction of brain edema by aprotinin cannot be attributed to a nonspecific effect on the blood pressure, which in the experimental groups remained almost normal as compared to the control animals. Failure of SBTI to influence posttraumatic brain swelling may have resulted from disturbances in intravascular coagulation. Measurements of aprotinin in plasma and tissue demonstrate that the inhibitor doses employed are within an effective therapeutic range. Attenuation of brain edema by specific inhibition of the KK system provides evidence for a mediator role of kinins in vasogenic edema. Clinical trials with inhibitors of the KK system in acute forms of traumatic lesions associated with vasogenic edema appear worthwhile.


Thrombosis of the cerebral venous system may involve the cortical veins alone, the dural sinuses alone, or both. Isolated cortical venous thrombosis is rare, most patients therefore having dural sinus thrombosis with or without cortical vein involvement. The term cerebral venous thrombosis conveniently includes all types of venous thrombosis within its umbrella, and will be used for that purpose in this article, except where sufficient information has allowed a more specific anatomical diagnosis. The incidence of cerebral venous thrombosis remains uncertain. Previous reviews have relied on necropsy data,


Spin coherent state path integrals with discontinuous semiclassical paths are investigated with special reference to a realistic model for the magnetic degrees of freedom in the ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{8}$ molecular solid. It is shown that such paths are essential to a proper understanding of the phenomenon of quenched spin tunneling in these molecules. In the ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{8}$ problem, such paths are shown to arise as soon as a fourth-order anisotropy term in the energy is turned on, making this term a singular perturbation from the semiclassical point of view. The instanton approximation is shown to quantitatively explain the magnetic field dependence of the tunnel splitting, as well as agree with general rules for the number of quenching points allowed for a given value of spin. A fairly accurate approximate formula for the spacing between quenching points is derived.


In 1968, the government initiated a smallholder tea development program in which all aspects of smallholder tea marketing and trade were turned over to the Tanzania Tea Authority which assumed a wide array of responsibilities. The Authority promoted smallholder tea production. Most of the smallholder tea leaf went to the eight Tea Authority-owned factories for processing, and the rest to factories owned by the estates. Despite its apparent success, there were numerous signs of distress in the smallholder sector. This note describes the constraints and challenges faced by the production of tea in Tanzania.


Silicon (Si)/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) composites are ideal anode materials for lithium ion batteries. However, due to the large volume expansion mismatch between Si and CNTs, the cycle life of conventional Si/CNTs composites fabricated by different approaches is still very limited. Here, a novel Si/nickel-Si alloy (NiSix)/CNTs composite has been successfully designed and fabricated through a chemical vapor deposition method with the assistance of uniformly embedded Ni nanoparticles. The CNTs grow up from the composite and serve as strong rivets, which greatly improves the electrical connection stability at the interface between Si and CNTs. Consequently, the corresponding discharge capacity can remain at around 550 mA h g−1 with a capacity retention of 84% for 300 cycles, while a high rate capability can be achieved with a discharge capacity of 420 mA h g−1 at 4 A g−1.


Here's the extensively revised and updated edition of a reference renowned for its sweeping coverage, straightforward approach, and simple explanations. Teaming up with native speaker, Marie-Noelle Lamy, the authors give extra attention to areas that are especially difficult for English-speaking learners. The guide is designed for people with an intermediate or advanced knowledge in French, and it covers both formal and informal language. The new edition features fresh examples and even easier to use cross-referencing and indexing. Grammar demystified, and usage made crystal clear with: explanations of all major structures of French and points of grammar; up-to-date examples to illustrate grammar and usage; practical tips on what can and what cannot be said; and simple-to-use organization, cross-referencing, and indexing.


Arapaima gigas, one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, is suffering from high fishing pressure and habitat loss, which threaten the conservation status of its natural populations. Of great cultural importance to Amazonian people, the paiche or pirarucu A. gigas is in high demand for its meat, ornamental uses and other byproducts such as scales. Aquaculture is a feasible solution to this dilemma. However, the fact that A. gigas presents no sexual dimorphism until it is 5 years old and its long period to sexual maturity are major obstacles for brood-stock management and fingerling production. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop a molecular tool for non-invasive genotypic sexing of paiche throughout its life cycle. We collected samples from gonads, fins and gill mucus of juvenile specimens from local facilities for histological and molecular analysis. Based on the recently available genome sequence of the paiche and making use of current NGS method, we implemented a novel approach, called Genome Differences by Unmapped Reads, to identify DNA sex markers. We found a Male-Specific Region (MSR), identified as MSR_3728, to be present only in males. Next, we designed two specific sets of primers on this region to identify genotypic sex by qPCR assays. Both primer sets, MSR_107 and MSR_129, detected males with 100% accuracy. Then we developed a duplex qPCR reaction for each primer set along a reference gene, analyzed the melting curves and detected males by observing two distinct peaks, one for MSR_107 or MSR_129 and one for the reference, while females only presented the reference peak. The same results were obtained for gonads, fins and interestingly, a non-invasive source from gill mucus samples. Finally, the gonads were evaluated histologically in a double-blind test, showing 100% accuracy with qPCR assay for identifying males and females. Data clearly demonstrated a novel pipeline approach for identifying DNA sex markers, followed by a quick, non-invasive, cost-effective duplex qPCR method for sexing A. gigas. These results may be valuable to efficient paiche aquaculture and conservation studies, helping to reduce the fishing pressure on its natural populations. Highlights of the manuscript – Implementation of a novel approach, called Genome Differences by Unmapped Reads, to identify DNA sex markers. – Finding of a Male-Specific Region (MSR), present only in males. – Development of a duplex qPCR to identify genotypic sex through non-invasive sampling.


This study isolates the impact of certain factors upon the decision making of the United States Supreme Court. Selected group theory methodology is applied to the Court's decisions from 1969 through 1973. The group structure of the Court, the impact of personnel change, and the effect of judicial attitudes on public policy are explored and statistically measured with a chisquare. Schubert's bloc analysis and a Guttman scale are used to order the data. Conclusions include that two stable blocs existed on the Court during these years. Personnel change is demonstrated as causative of alterations in judicial behavior. Seven of eight groups of cases are shown to stimulate values of the Justices. Suggestions are made for further research.


A total of 130 African American students in Grades 4 through 8 were interviewed about the merits and educational consequences of adopting the philosophies of integrationism and nationalism. Simplified presentations of the perspectives of Shelby Steele and Malcolm X were used to represent these philosophies. The students generally responded positively to the communal aspect of Malcolm X's position and Steele 's suggestion that no grudges should be heldforpast injustices by Whites. Students believed that adopting a particular philosophy would influence an individual's orientation toward learning and motivation for school. Overall, students believed that persons who adopted the philosophy of Malcolm X would be more motivated to do schoolwork and more willing to collaborate with classmates in learning. Students, however, tended to expect more positive consequences from the philosophy they preferred. Older students, more than younger ones, rejected the notion that teachers should promote one particular philosophy over the other


In this paper, we investigate the application of nonbinary low-density parity-check (LDPC) cycle codes over Galois field GF(q) to multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channels. Two types of LDPC coded systems that employ either joint or separate MIMO detection and channel decoding are considered, depending on the size of the Galois field and the modulation choice. We construct a special class of nonbinary LDPC cycle codes called the parallel sparse encodable (PSE) codes. The PSE code, consisting of a quasi-cyclic (QC) LDPC cycle code and a simple tree code, has the attractive feature that it is not only linearly encodable, but also allows parallel encoding which can reduce the encoding time significantly. We provide a systematic comparison between nonbinary coded systems and binary coded systems in both performance and complexity. Our results show that the proposed nonbinary system employing the PSE code outperforms not only the binary LDPC code specified in the 802.16e standard, but also the optimized binary LDPC code obtained using the EXIT chart methods. Through a detailed complexity analysis, we conclude that for the MIMO channel considered, the nonbinary coded systems achieve a superior performance at a receiver complexity that is comparable to that of the binary systems.


Abstract An automated flow injection system was developed for monitoring cyanide concentration in effluents from petroleum refineries. The method takes advantage of the reaction of cyanide ions with ninhydrin in basic medium in a flow injection system. A linear range of 0.01 to 0.04 µg mL−1 was obtained with a detection limit of 1.5 ng mL−1 by using 500 µL sample injection, with an analytical throughput of 30 samples hr−1, excluding sample pretreatment by distillation if required. Regarding interferences, cyanide can be determined in the presence of 100 mg L−1 of thyocianate and sulfide, both species normally found in industrial effluents. For total cyanide determination, strong acid distillation is recommended due to the presence of cyano‐metallic complexes in the refinery effluents. The method was validated by analyte addition and results compared with the standard methodology proposed by the American Public Health Association (APHA). The more significant advantage of the proposed method is the lack of use of carcinogenic reagent such as pyridine and psychotropic compound such as barbituric acid, both used in the recommended method by APHA. Thus, the proposed method is really a friendly analytical procedure. The authors were invited to contribute this paper to a special issue of the journal entitled "Spectroscopy and Automation". This special issue was organized by Miguel de la Guardia, Professor of Analytical Chemistry at Valencia University, Spain.


Urbanization and regionalization are two different approaches when it comes to economical structures and development, infrastructure and mobility, quality of life and living, education, social cohesion and many other topics. At first glance, the structures associated with urbanization and regionalization seems to be contradicting. This paper discusses possibilities of transfer and cooperation between rural and urban structures. An empirical investigation contributed to reveal scenarios of supposable forms of exchange and cooperation of remote rural areas and big cities. Keywords—Learning Regions, Quality of Life and Living, Regional and Rural Development, Social Innovation.


This article presents an auto-ethnographical investigation of a pedagogical practice in creative dance education. This research is a part of the PhD-project "To create dance" in physical education teacher education based at The Norwegian School of Sport Sciences and The Norwegian National Graduate School in Teacher Education. The method used is based on life stories, and turning points are used as analytical tools. The turning point analysis highlights that an auto-ethnographical investigation is relevant when it comes to creating awareness of pre-understandings in the development of pedagogical experiences from one's own research field. In addition, the article shows that the turning point analysis may contribute to increasing knowledge on how one's own experience can change when narrated in new ways. Finally, the study shows that making use of auto-ethnography may also have value as a reflexive approach for becoming more conscious of one's own research process.


Abstract Background It has been considered impossible to perform antegrade dissection and reentry (ADR) by simply puncturing with a guidewire using the intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) observation without the support of the Stingray system. Case summary A 78-year-old man suffered from effort angina pectoris due to a chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesion in the left circumflex coronary artery. A retry percutaneous coronary intervention for the CTO lesion was attempted at our hospital. The J-CTO score was 3. The first guidewire entered the subintimal space. We moved onto Stingray-ADR using the angiographic observation, but the guidewire could not be led into the true lumen. AnteOwl WR-IVUS (AO-IVUS) observation revealed a distal true lumen in which the inner lumen was maintained 5 mm beyond the CTO exit. We decided to perform the tip detection-ADR using the AO-IVUS observation. The tip detection method allowed the tip of the penetration wire to puncture the wall between the subintima and the true lumen in an exactly vertical direction, resulting in the successful creation of a reentry point. The CTO lesion was dilated with one drug-eluting stent, and normal antegrade blood flow was achieved. Discussion Since the tip detection method enables accurate punctures, it may allow for ADR by simply puncturing using a guidewire. Due to this method being performed using the IVUS observation, it is likely more reliable than Stingray-ADR using the angiographic observation.


The search for a new paradigm in Nigeria's foreign policy demands alternative approaches which can bring socio-economic/political gains to Nigeria. This paper makes a case for the 'Nigerian market' as an essential foreign policy strategy. The paper opines that the 'Nigerian market', a neglected tool in Nigeria's foreign policy formulation ought to be an essential foreign policy strategy if Nigerians are to be main beneficiaries of Nigeria's foreign policy. The paper contends that until a sovereign nation- state takes control of her market, she remains a pawn in the chessboard of the world trade organization and the advance industrial nations.


We show how the evolution of atoms in a tilted lattice can be changed and controlled by phase noise on the lattice. Dependent on the characteristic parameters of the noise, the interband transport can either be suppressed or enhanced, which is of interest for high precision control in experimental realization with Bose-Einstein condensates. The effect of the noise on the survival probability in the ground band is summarized in a scaling plot stressing the universality of our results.


Introduction and Objectives Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection increases the risk of active tuberculosis (TB) by 50-fold. The concurrent HIV and TB pandemics therefore represent a major threat to global health. We study the immunopathogenesis of co-infection with a focus on the role of macrophages. These are sentinel cells of the immune system that orchestrate innate and adaptive immune responses, and within the lung, in particular, can host both Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTb) and productive HIV infection. We tested the hypothesis that HIV infection of macrophages modulates host responses to MTb, and contributes to the pathogenesis of co-infection. Methods Innate immune responses to MTb were assessed in human macrophages with and without productive HIV-1 infection using genome-wide transcriptional profiling. Array data were validated by quantitative PCR of selected genes and Luminex analysis of cell culture supernatants. ELISA and ELIspot assays were used to assess the effects of co-infection on HIV replication and anti-mycobacterial T cell responses. Results Major gene expression changes assessed by principle component analysis showed that HIV-infected macrophages exhibited attenuated primary transcriptional responses to MTb, but augmented responses at later time points. In keeping with this assessment, we found that MTb stimulation of macrophages induced early IL10 expression, which was attenuated in HIV co-infected cells, and associated with sustained increased expression of pro-inflammatory mediators at later time points. We confirmed the functional relationship between the IL10 response and consequent homeostatic control of inflammatory responses, by complementing deficient IL10 responses in HIV-infected cells to reverse the pro-inflammatory phenotype. We established that exaggerated inflammatory responses in HIV-infected cells were sustained at 72 h, and likely to affect both HIV replication and consequent anti-mycobacterial immune responses. We show that sustained inflammatory responses to MTb are associated with increased HIV replication and have the capacity to alter T cell responses by increasing Th17 polarisation. Conclusion HIV-1 infection of macrophages attenuates IL10 responses to MTb, and leads to sustained pro-inflammatory responses that support viral propagation and immunopathogenesis of TB.


Nowadays more and more mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) are entering European market and they are considered to be mostly a European phenomenon. This is the best opportunity for telecommunication companies to expand without investments in network constructing and buying expensive licenses and also an opportunity for brand non-telco companies to enter telecommunication market. This research starts with an overview of the mobile telecom industry in Europe, describing the development of GSM standard, new opportunities of UMTS network and main market players, focusing on Danish and UK mobile markets. Chapter 5 concentrates on the MVNO business model and describes different types of MVNOs, main driving forces for potential entrants, benefits and risks for traditional operators and influence of 3G environment on the main market players. In order to understand the environment MVNOs are acting in, it is essential to analyse the legal framework of the mobile telecommunication market. The provision of access to MVNOs remains one of the most controversial issues within the European Union. Most regulating bodies are in favour of MVNOs since they encourage competition and that means lower prices and greater choice for consumers. But regulators in many countries are still considering whether (and if so to what extent) regulatory intervention, including the regulation of access price and conditions are necessary. The issue of MVNO regulation remains polemical and various arguments both for and against MVNO regulation are discussed in Chapter 6. However, access to mobile networks is not mandated by the current regulatory framework, the new EC regulatory framework on telecommunications provides specific actions for mobile operators obliging existing mobile operators to unblock the access to the existing networks to MVNOs. Chapter 6 examines current legislation concerning telecom industry and its impact on MVNO regulatory aspects. Apart from the specific-industry regulations the role of general competition law remains fundamental. There is evidence of a growing number of cases which may not be covered by any sector specific regime (which cannot plan for all possible situations of innovation) and therefore they should be treated under general competition law (which by definition is cross-sector). Essential facilities doctrine is therefore applied to analyze the basic rights potential MVNOs may rely on under the EC competition law.
Strategic analysis starts with examining the influence of external environment on mobile telecommunications industry and provides the analysis of the key five competitive forces within the industry and their impact on MVNO business model. Porter's five forces help to assess the attractiveness of mobile telecom industry and advantages which potential entrants can obtain as a MVNO. PEST analysis focuses on environmental scanning, examining the influence of Political and Legal, Economical, Social and Technological factors on mobile telecom industry.
Finally, generic strategies analysis provides the examples of the most successful competitive strategies employed by existing MVNOs (Virgin mobile and Tele2), and examines the advantages of those strategies in the light of the existing market conditions.


The DendroEcological Network (DEN; https://www.uvm.edu/femc/dendro) is an open-source repository of high quality dendrochronological and associated ecological data. The DEN was launched in 2018 with the goal of providing a database and online infrastructure to archive these data, and make those data easy to find, explore, and aggregate across disparate research projects. The DEN provides a mechanism to gather together a range of studies conducted across space and time into a larger data network. This network has the potential to expand the scale of inquiry through synthesis and aggregate investigations to address pressing ecological questions that no single study can answer alone. The DEN is the outcome of several years of work with collaborators from the Geography Department at the University of Vermont, the Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative, and the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station along with a number of partners in the dendroecological community. The DEN is hosted and maintained by the Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative. More details on the history of the DEN and why this is a needed advance in the field can be found in Rayback et al. (in prep.). The report that follows serves as technical documentation on the infrastructure underlying the DEN for reference by those interested in its construction and capabilities. This report describes the data model used to develop the DEN, including the implementation of the Ecological Metadata Language standard and the Tree Ring Data Standard, outlines the technical details of implementing that model, and identifies potential next steps in the development of the resource.


The twilight zone of the oceans layering between the bottom of the sunlit ocean and 1000 m depth, is one of the largest continuous ecosystems on the Earth, yet remains least explored. While the sunlit ocean is well-studied for its major role in sequestering CO 2 from the atmosphere, the role of twilight zone in CO 2 sequestration remains a mystery. The twilight zone of the Arabian Sea, north-western part of the Indian Ocean inarguably possesses an active nitrogen‐cycle owing to abundant chemoautotrophic (anammox, nitrite oxidising, nitrifying) microorganisms and heterotrophic (denitrifying) microorganisms. However, these microorganisms with ramifications for the nitrogen cycle, incentivize the carbon cycle. Since chemoautotrophy is a light-independent autotrophic process, a significant amount of dissolved CO 2 may be assimilated rather than released in the Arabian Sea twilight zone by these organisms. With this supposition, we commenced the expedition in the off-shore and the central Arabian Sea during winter monsoon (Dec-Jan 2019) to measure carbon fixation rates in its sunlit and twilight zone using 13 C tracer incubation technique. The sunlit zone and twilight zone carbon fixation rates ranged from 6.8 to 40 mmol C m -2 d -1 and 0.4 to1.6 mmol C m -2 d -1 , respectively. The twilight zone carbon fixation did not vary spatially much, unlike sunlit zone which showed a sharp decreasing trend of carbon fixation from northern to the southern Arabian Sea. Notably, the twilight zone contribution to water column carbon fixation ranged from 2 to 10% during the study period. This study corroborates that the twilight zone forms an integral component of the carbon cycle; implying, the overlooked twilight zone can significantly contribute CO 2 drawdown. Therefore, the role of twilight zone towards climate buffering is bigger than previously assumed, demanding a review of its role in the current paradigm of the Earth's climate.


In this new era of structural and functional neuroimaging technologies, it is the unsurpassed anatomical resolution of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (Andreasen, 1989; and Besson, this supplement) that has resulted in a new generation of studies on cerebral morphology in schizophrenia. With the recent development of whole-body magnets of very high (⩾ 1.5T) and uniform field strength, it has become possible to extend the scope of this approach to include measurement of certain fundamental neurochemical processes, via magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS: Hubesch et al, 1989; Lock et al, this supplement). The purpose of this article is to introduce and review critically the existing literature on the application of MRI and MRS to schizophrenia, and to give a preliminary account of some of our own recent studies in these areas.


Platelet aggregation induced by ADP, collagen, epinephrine, and thrombin was studied in patients with acute leukemia in complete remission, before and after a continuous 5‐day intravenous infusion of cytosine arabinoside at a dose of 100 mg/m2 per day. Aggregation was also measured in normal subjects with cytosine arabinoside added in vitro. Cytosine arabinoside had no significant effect on platelet aggregation after either in vitro or in vivo administration.


Controlling South Africa during the Cold War era was geostrategic to the West- ern super powers because of its 1,900-mile coastline with harbours at Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Walvis Bay (a seaport in the then South West Africa, now Namibia). Being the southernmost country on the Af- rican continent, South Africa abuts on both the Indian and the Atlantic Oceans and its fascist leaders vociferously pledged to 'defend the free world from the communist threat' during the Cold War era. Thus, apartheid South Africa played a vital role in the global strategy of imperialism led by Western super powers such as the United States of America and United Kingdom to make the Indian Ocean area a region for their dominance and total control. South Africa was thus regarded as a 'second Gibraltar' or 'gatekeeper' to the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. This article is about imperial interventions in the African continent spearheaded by Western super powers, and the pivotal role of apartheid South Africa in this regard. It also discusses the actions of African countries whose leaders acted in solidarity with the apartheid regime which had divisive for- eign policy. But those African leaders who acted in solidarity with the racist South African government represented a minority group vigorously opposed by a majority of Organisation of African Unity member states and the African National Congress (ANC).


Disclosed is a travelling vehicle system having a plurality of travelling vehicles (110) which reciprocally move along a linear travelling path, the system being provided with: a reflection member (120) which is arranged at one end of the travelling path; a distance measuring device (130) which measures the distance between the travelling vehicles (110) and the reflection member (120) on the basis of a laser light; and communication devices (160), each provided with a fixed communication device (140) arranged at the other end of the travelling path of the vehicles (110) which wirelessly communicates by means of light, and a mobile communication device (150) attached to the travelling vehicles (110) which wirelessly communicates with the fixed communication device (140).


The purpose of this study was to add to the professional literature regarding combat near-death experiences (cNDEs) and to help clinicians and experiencers (cNDErs) recognize this phenomenon as an experience that is not indicative of mental illness. cNDErs were military personnel whose NDEs occurred during active combat or sequelae. Sixty-eight self-reported survivors of combat-related close brushes with death completed an online survey that included the Near-Death Experience Scale(1) (NDE Scale), the Life-Changes Inventory-Revised(2), and a few open-ended questions. Respondents were 20 cNDErs-participants who scored at least 7 on the NDE Scale-and 48 non-NDErs. Compared to NDErs from two methodologically similar studies, cNDErs scored lower on Bonferroni corrected t-tests than NDErs on the NDE Scale overall(3) (p < 0.0003) and on Affective and Transcendental subscales; they scored higher on the Cognitive subscale(1) (p < 0.0007). In Life-Changes Inventory-Revised total change and six of seven value clusters, cNDErs, compared to non-NDErs, scored in the same direction as numerous other studies of NDE aftereffects, but none of the differences were statistically significant and all reflected small effect sizes except total change and changes in spirituality that reflected medium effect sizes--a finding that corresponded to analysis of narrative responses.


Autoimmune cholangitis is the term that has been used to describe patients who have the clinical, biochemical, and histologic characteristics of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), but who are antinuclear antibody positive rather than anti-mitochondrial antibody (AMA) positive in their sera. The course of their disease is similar to AMA positive cases, and the associated nonhepatic autoimmune diseases are the same in both AMA-positive and AMA-negative PBC. Serial testing for AMA using highly sensitive and specific techniques over time suggests that in subjects with autoimmune cholangitis, their AMA negative status remains negative. The beneficial response to treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid is the same as for AMA-positive PBC. It may be preferable to use the term autoimmune cholangitis, further stratified by AMA status, instead of the somewhat innapropriate term primary biliary cirrhosis.


The distribution of dopamine β-hydroxylase (EC 1.14.21) and catecholamines in the adrenal glands of rabbits has been determined by differential and isopycnic centrifugation at various times after treatment with insulin. Fractionation of the subcellular components by differential centrifugation demonstrated that all the dopamine β-hydroxylase bound to the storage vesicle membrane was retained 3 hr after insulin-induced secretion and that only the soluble dopamine β-hydroxylase within the storage vesicle matrix was released. Twenty four hours after insulin treatment there were changes in the distribution of the membrane-bound enzyme which suggest that partial restoration of storage vesicles had already occurred and that at least some of the membranes of the evacuated vesicles were destroyed. Isopycnic centrifugation of the crude storage vesicle fraction obtained from adrenal glands 3 hr after insulin administration showed marked decreases in total dopamine β-hydroxylase and catecholamine content but no changes in their relative amounts in those fractions of the sucrose density gradient containing intact storage vesicles and no changes in the buoyant densities of the storage vesicles. These studies indicate that those vesicles which participated in the secretory response released their entire soluble content in an "all-or-none" fashion. Twenty-four hours after insulin treatment both the dopamine β-hydroxylase and catecholamine content of the glands was still markedly depleted. The buoyant density of the storage vesicles was less than that of vesicles obtained from adrenal glands of untreated rabbits, but the dopamine β-hydroxylase to catecholamine ratio of the vesicles was the same as that of controls. Forty-eight hours after insulin treatment the dopamine β-hydroxylase levels had recovered to normal but the catecholamine content was only 35% of control values. The buoyant density of the storage vesicles suggested that there was a larger proportion of vesicles with lighter than normal densities, and the dopamine β-hydroxylase to catecholamine ratio was 3 times normal values. Glands examined 96-144 hr after insulin treatment were indistinguishable from glands of untreated animals. These studies indicate that during recovery the formation of storage vesicles is not the rate-limiting step, and that there is a considerable lag between the formation of the storage vesicles and recovery of the catecholamine stores.


Classification is one of the most important problems in machine learning. To address label scarcity, semi-supervised learning (SSL) has been intensively studied over the past two decades, which mainly leverages data affinity modeled by networks. Label propagation (LP), however, as the most popular SSL technique, mostly only works on homogeneous networks with single-typed simple interactions. In this work, we focus on the more general and powerful heterogeneous networks, which accommodate multi-typed objects and links, and thus endure multi-typed complex interactions. Specifically, we propose neural embedding propagation (NEP), which leverages distributed embeddings to represent objects and dynamically composed modular networks to model their complex interactions. While generalizing LP as a simple instance, NEP is far more powerful in its natural awareness of different types of objects and links, and the ability to automatically capture their important interaction patterns. Further, we develop a series of efficient training strategies for NEP, leading to its easy deployment on real-world heterogeneous networks with millions of objects. With extensive experiments on three datasets, we comprehensively demonstrate the effectiveness, efficiency, and robustness of NEP compared with state-of-the-art network embedding and SSL algorithms.


The diagnosis of pituitary disease is generally uncomplicated. This is despite the high prevalence of occult pituitary adenomas in the general population, the widespread use of high definition imaging techniques, and the broad range of intra- and perisellar lesions that can mimic pituitary adenomas. Follow up and optimisation of pituitary hormone replacement is also relatively straightforward, but management of visual impairment, reduced fertility, coarsened facial features, arthritis, obesity, headaches, and obstructive sleep apnoea is often much more troublesome. The Pituitary Foundation (internet search term: "Pit Pat") provides important opinion and information, and reassures patients that they are not alone.

In this brief overview, the presentation, classification, and general investigation of pituitary lesions is followed by a discussion of the diagnosis and management of specific secretory subtypes.

Inappropriate pituitary hormone secretion and visual field deficits are the most characteristic presenting features of pituitary adenomas. Less specific symptoms such as headache, and subtle signs of pituitary hormone deficiency with peripheral endocrine organ hypofunction characterised by amenorrhoea, loss of libido, and lethargy, are also common. Lymphocytic hypophysitis, pituitary apoplexy, and evidence of more extensive disease such as cranial nerve palsies, temporal lobe epilepsy, hydrocephalus, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhoea are fortunately rarer. An exaggerated "physiological" trophic response to prolonged hypothyroidism presenting with visual field defects is well described but is, like pituitary carcinoma, very rare.

Pituitary adenomas are classified by size and hormone secretory subtype. So-called "silent adenomas", in which abnormal hormone gene activity is not accompanied by excessive hormone secretion, tend to be more aggressive than truly inactive adenomas. Erosion of the sellar walls and cavernous sinus invasion also suggest a more invasive nature, but estimation of mitotic index and subclassifications based on genetic and ultrastructural studies are research tools without significant clinical utility.

### Imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning of the pituitary …


We have experimentally checked the Jarzynski equality and the Crooks relation (see Jarzynski C., Phys. Rev. Lett., 78 (1997) 2690; Crooks G. E., Phys. Rev. E, 60 (1999) 2721; Jarzynski C., J. Stat. Phys., 98 (2000) 77) on the thermal fluctuations of a macroscopic mechanical oscillator in contact with a heat reservoir. We found that, independently of the time scale and amplitude of the driving force, both relations are satisfied. These results give credit, at least in the case of Gaussian fluctuations, to the use of these relations in biological and chemical systems to estimate the free energy difference ΔF between two equilibrium states (see Ritort F., Seminaire Poincare, 2 (2003) 63; Liphardt J., Dumont S., Smith S. B., Ticono I. jr and Bustamante C., Science, 296 (2002) 1832). An alternative method to estimate ΔF in an isothermal process is proposed too.


Aggregate hours worked per working-age person decreased in Austria by 25% from 1970 to 2005. During the same time period, taxes increased, particularly the effective marginal tax rate on labor income. Using a standard general equilibrium growth model with taxes, I quantitatively assess the role played by the evolution of taxes on the evolution of hours worked in Austria. The model accounts for 76% of the observed decrease in hours worked per working-age person. My results are in line with other studies, such as Prescott (2002), which find taxes play an important role in explaining aggregate hours worked.


Experimental data on the dielectric hysteresis and the capacitance-voltage characteristics are analysed for polycrystalline Pb(ZrxTi1-x)O3 thin films. An analytical description of the effect of the domain structure, 90° rotation and 180° switching processes on the dielectric permittivity is proposed by taking into account the poling field characteristics of different domain types. A distinct correlation between these processes and an asymmetric behaviour of the dielectric permittivity of polydomain grains at E>0 and E<0 is theoretically established and compared with the experimental results.


The brain parenchymal Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) without systemic disease or lytic skull lesions is extremely rare. We report a 23-year-old male presenting with new onset 1 hour seizure with loss of consciousness 20 days prior to admission, and recurrent seizure 2 weeks later. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an irregularly mass with enhancement involving the right frontal lobe. Microscopically, the lesion was characterized by sheets of Langerhans cells in addition to reactive inflammatory elements. Immunohistochemically, Langerhans cells were positive for Langerin, CD1a and S-100 protein. The patient received no chemotherapy or radiotherapy after surgery. After 24 months of follow-up, no recurrence or other systemic lesions were observed. Although there is no standard treatment for solitary cerebral LCH, the prognosis generally appears to be good.


In a state like Kerala, especially the Malabar region where livelihood and sustenance of majority of the population was based on agriculture and animal husbandry about 40 decades ago, the impact that ICT diffusion has brought into various facets of life is remarkable. What triggered this shot is an interesting question to be pondered upon. Studies indicate a somewhat dramatic relationship in the number of people migrating to other countries, mainly to the gulf countries and the speed with which ICT has diffused into the households. This study aims to explore the role of gulf migration as a crucial factor in accelerating technological diffusion in the Malabar region of Kerala. Researcher used ethnographic method to explore the history of the process of technological diffusion. 5 districts of the northern part of area formed the area of the study. From the five districts samples were selected from Kozhikode, Malappuram and Kannur were selected as it had the highest number of gulf migrants. The researcher used unstructured interview to collect the data. The challenge before the researcher is that whether the sample from which the ethnographic data is to be collected will be representative of the population.


Partisan respondents evaluated a potential party leader (Study 1) or an ingroup political candidate (Study 2) who expressed normative or deviant opinions against a backdrop of public opinion that was either supportive of, or hostile toward, the ingroup's traditional beliefs (Study 1) or the normative ingroup position on a specific issue (Study 2). Across both studies, high identifiers gave stronger support to a normative candidate over a deviant candidate when public opinion was with the group, but not when public opinion was against the group. Under the latter conditions, high identifiers instead upgraded the deviant candidate. Additional analyses revealed this pattern of differential support for normative and deviant candidates among high identifiers appeared to be related to strategic considerations - specifically, the candidate's perceived chances of gaining public support and being elected. Among low identifiers, support for normative and deviant candidates was less affected by the broader context of public opinion, and was not related to such strategic considerations. These results demonstrate that responses to deviance depend on the broader context in which deviance occurs. Deviance can, at times, be a way through which groups achieve important goals. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Semantic representations which are underspeciied with respect to, for example, scope, have recently attracted much attention. Most research in this area has focused on treating English language phenomena in a theoretical fashion. Our paper deviates from this twofold: We take Japanese as the language of our investigations and describe how our ideas about underspeciied Japanese semantics (e.g., on modality adverbs) have been implemented in a spoken-language machine translation system.


This paper investigates the causes of rejections of African exports at the EU border as a barrier in accessing EU markets. Our results indicate that natural geographical hurdle, poor trade-related infrastructure, inefficient border procedure and a lack of technical personnel increase the incidences of rejection at the EU border and add to Africa's challenges in accessing EU markets. In addition, in line with the growing literature, this study finds empirical support for the proposition that institutions, infrastructure and logistic quality matter for increased market penetration and continuous integration into the global trading system. Thus, the barrier created by EU rejection of Africa's exports can be addressed through the strengthening of African's institutions and trade facilitation measures particularly her custom and border management including transit regimes.


You don't always need pressure to propel flow through a tube. Fluid commonly flows in response to an external pressure gradient. However, when a tunnel-containing hydrogel is immersed in water, spontaneous flow occurs through the tunnel without any pressure gradient. We confirmed this flow in a wide range of plant- and animal-derived hydrogels. The flow appears to be driven by axial concentration gradients originating from surface activities of the tunnel wall. Those activities include (i) hydrogel-water interaction and (ii) material exchange across the tunnel boundary. Unlike pressure-driven flow, this surface-induced flow has two distinct features: incident infrared energy substantially increases flow velocity, and narrower tunnels generate faster flow. Thus, surface activities in hydrogel-lined tunnels may confer kinetic energy on the enclosed fluid, with infrared as an energy source.


Two cases of kala azar and 5 cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis were found in bioptic files from previous 50 years in Hlava Institute of Pathology in Prague, 4 of them were cumulated in 1994 and 1995. All cases followed short stays in Mediterranean or Caribbean area. The latest kala azar was identified from bone marrow trephine biopsy and subsequently, leishmanias were also found in an inapparent hepatopathy. In cutaneous cases, a fibrinoid vasculitis was observed in addition to accumulation of leishmanias laden macrophages and tuberculoid granulomas.


The issues of organization of additional steam extractions in station collectors of the power plant from the flowing part of steam turbines to replace the reduction-cooling unit. The results of the implementation of additional steam extractions based on rotary valves with electromechanical and spring actuators are presented. The technique for determining the range of turbine operation modes with additional steam extraction is developed. The analysis of the economical use of additional steam extractions instead of reduction-cooling units is presented.


Digitalization is a driving force for innovation in the business-to-business (B2B) environment and profoundly changes the way companies do business. It affects the entire value chain of a company and can be used for automating human tasks. For instance, previous research indicates that 40% of all sales tasks can be automated. Thus the digital transformation in sales has the potential to improve a firm's performance. Depending on its development level, digitalization in sales can assist or even replace numerous sales tasks. Therefore, using digital solutions in sales can be seen as an essential trigger to competitive advantage. Recent developments in research and practice have revealed that especially artificial intelligence (AI) has gained increasing attention in the sales domain. A challenging issue in this domain is how AI affects the sales process and how it can be applied meaningfully in B2B sales. Thus, our paper aims to investigate how AI can be used along the sales process and how it can improve sales practices.To explore this, we conduct systematic literature research in scientific databases such as Business Source Premier, Science Direct, Emerald, Springer Online Library, Wiley Online Library, and Google Scholar, supplementing the findings with a qualitative research approach. Analyzing this literature focused on digital transformation in sales, we find that the application and benefits of AI depend on the sales process step. For this reason, we conduct research on B2B sales process models, compare them, and choose a reference model for the evaluation of AI in B2B sales. Moreover, we present common definitions of AI and show how this technology is usually applied in B2B sales. Afterward, we combine the sales process with use cases of AI. For each step, we present use cases in detail and explain their benefits for sales. For instance, we find that especially tasks with traditionally high human involvement are challenging to automate. In particular, in complex sales situations, the human salesperson may not be entirely replaced by digital technologies, while routine tasks can be carried out with the help of digital technologies. Our paper closes with a discussion and conclusion. Summing up, the proposed paper analyzes different viewpoints of the sales process in the digital sales literature. We can conclude that the main focus of our paper will be presenting the application of AI along the sales cycle. Our research closes with a discussion and conclusion and gives recommendations for practice and academia.


Smartphones are equipped with sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscope, and GPS in one cost-effective device with an acceptable level of accuracy. There have been some research studies carried out in terms of using smartphones to measure the pavement roughness. However, a little attention has been paid to investigate the validity of the measured pavement roughness by smartphones via other subjective methods such as the user opinion. This paper aims at calculating the pavement roughness data with a smartphone using its embedded sensors and investigating its correlation with a user opinion about the ride quality. In addition, the applicability of using smartphones to assess the pavement surface distresses is examined. Furthermore, to validate the smartphone sensor outputs objectively, the Road Surface Profiler is applied. Finally, a good roughness model is developed which demonstrates an acceptable level of correlation between the pavement roughness measured by smartphones and the ride quality rated by users.


A 75-year-old male with metastatic pancreatic cancer is undergoing chemotherapy with gemcitabine. A portal vein thrombosis was incidentally found on surveillance CT scan. He does not report any new abdominal pain or ascites. Should anticoagulation be used to treat asymptomatic portal vein thrombosis?


Study of the effect of organic and non-organic farming practice of rice ( Oryza sativa L.) cv. Rojolele on seed physiology was carried out in Cipanas, West Java (on-farm) and in the laboratory of BSJ3 and greenhouse of RC for Biotechnology  (off-farm). Parameters were recorded particularly on seed germination percentage, water content, dormancy behavior and morphology. On-farm study results showed that germination percentage of organic seeds was higher (88.3% at water content of 13.4%) than those non-organic seeds (20.0% at water content of 10.2%). Results of off-farm study showed that the plant height of those organic seeds was higher than those non-organic seeds. On-farm practice the harvest after 150 days showed that the non-organic seeds produced more yellow grains (44.8%) than those of organic seeds (39.6%). A total grain per plant produced by the non-organic seeds was higher than those organic seeds, however, total percentage of the filled out organic seeds was higher (57.8%) than those non-organic seeds (40.1%). Organic seeds seem to be more dormant than those non-organic seeds after storage for 12 months. Grain weight of both non-organic and organic was 17-19 g per 1000 seeds. Germination of off-farm non-organic seeds was 98.0%, whereas those organic seeds were 95.0% at water content of 10.8% respectively. In view of seed physiology, organic rice quality better than those non- organic because they contain more filled out seeds, even though the organic rice harvesting time longer than those non-organic. Although off-farm study represented seed physiology of either organic or non-organic seeds, on-farm study needs to be further done on all aspects of seed physiology.


Having occasion, in the Spring of 1843, to travel along the South Eastern Railway, I observed at the distance of about 200 yards to the south of the New Cross Station, on the western side of the cutting which there lays bare the junction of the London and Plastic Clays, and at the very foot of that cutting, what seemed to be a continuous bed of stone, forming a part of the Plastic Clay series. I applied, in consequence, to Mr. Simms, a Fellow of our Society, (who, as one of the resident engineers, had ready access to every part of the line), to procure for me specimens of this bed; and he not only complied with this request, but also made a vertical section of the beds exposed in the cutting, extending from the base of the London Clay to the bed of stone in question. The specimens which Mr. Simms procured contain, imbedded in the substance of the stone, two fresh-water shells, a Paludina and a Unio, which Professor E. Forbes has examined and described. The stone proved, on examination, not to form a continuous stratum extending to any distance, but to occur at intervals only; and to be, in fact, a bed of Septaria, of a texture considerably more earthy than the Septaria of the London clay usually are.


This paper reports on experiments with a newly available sentiment classification test collection for Chinese. Detection of negation during training and classification is shown to improve the accuracy of character-based classification for the semantic orientation of individual Chinese words. Using the resulting classifier for unknown words resulted in substantial improvements in classification accuracy for positively and negatively opinionated sentences.


Given the continuous aging of pipeline infrastructure buried underground, water utilities need to make a strategic plan on how to maintain the entire water distribution systems (WDSs) to ensure the required standard of supply. This paper investigates the nexus of three key factors that have a significant impact on the decision-making process of the rehabilitation plan for WDSs. The factors considered include the problem formulations, the pipe selection methods for identifying critical components of WDSs, and the multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs). The nexus was revealed by considering all the combinations of two variants for each factor. The optimal rehabilitation problem of the Exeter network was used as a case study. Results exhibit that the problem formulation determined the range of Pareto fronts essentially, which should give the highest priority in the decision-making process. The pipe selection method played a secondary role, mainly affecting the shape of Pareto fronts. Optimization algorithms also had a considerable impact on the optimality of solutions, subject to their characteristics and parameter settings. This paper also highlights that breakthroughs need to focus on these key factors to facilitate a more cost-effective solution to the rehabilitation of large WDSs.


We reported our experience with immediate breast reconstruction after partial or total mastectomy. In patients who underwent breast conserving surgery (BCT), an immediate transposition of adipose tissue with latissimus dorsi muscle vascular pedicle was carried out with the aim of improving cosmetics after wide excision. In those who received modified radical mastectomy, immediate breast reconstruction (MIBR) using a transverse abdominomyocutaneous flap or latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap was carried out. Although either BCT or MIBR was performed at the patient's request, reconstructive surgery thus plays an important role in breast cancer operation.


I compared and contrasted nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations and land use differences in two oligotrophic lakes (Sooke and Shawnigan) and two meso-eutrophic lakes (St. Mary and Elk) in order to evaluate nutrient concentrations over time, and evaluate the relationship between in-lake nutrients and land use in the surrounding watershed. I used MapShed© nutrient transport modeling software to estimate the mass load of phosphorus and nitrogen to each lake, and evaluated the feasibility of land use modifications for reducing in-lake nutrients. In comparing nitrogen and phosphorus data in Sooke and Shawnigan Lakes, I determined that natural watershed characteristics (i.e., precipitation, topography, and soils) did not account for the elevated nutrient concentrations in Shawnigan verses Sooke Lake. Natural watershed characteristics indicated that external loads into Shawnigan Lake would be lesser-than or equal to those into Sooke Lake if both watersheds were completely forested. I evaluated trends of inlake nutrient concentrations for Sooke and Shawnigan Lakes, as well as two eutrophic lakes, St. Mary and Elk. Ten to 30-year trends indicate that nitrogen and phosphorus levels in these lakes have not changed significantly over time. Time-segmented data showed that nutrient trends are mostly in decline or are maintaining a steady-state. Most nutrient concentration data are not precipitation-dependent, and this, coupled with significant correlations to water temperature and dissolved oxygen, indicate that in-lake processes are the primary influence on lake nutrient concentrations -not external iv loading. External loading was estimated using, MapShed©, a GIS-based watershed loading software program. Model validation results indicate that MapShed© could be used to determine the effect of external loading on lake water quality if accurate outflow volumes are available. Based on various land-cover scenarios, some reduction in external loading may be achieved through land-based restoration (e.g., reforestation), but the feasibility of restoration activities are limited by private property. Given that most of the causal loads were determined to be due to in-lake processes, land-based restoration may not be the most effective solution for reducing in-lake nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations.


Monodispersive CoPt nanoparticles in sizes of about 2.2 nm are synthesized by superhydride reduction of CoCl2 and PtCl2 in diphenyl ether. The as-prepared nanoparticles show a chemically disordered A1 structure and are superparamagnetic. Thermal annealing transforms the A1 structure into chemically ordered L10 structure and the particles are ferromagnetic at room temperature.


vii, 50 p. : ill. A MASTER'S CAPSTONE
Presented to the Arts and Administration Program of the University of Oregon
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
Degree of Master of Science in Arts Management