How can we understand why a bank teller has different needs for a user interface than those of casual users of a machine teller, or why a graphic designer needs a different user interface than a secretary? This article presents a framework for the design of user interfaces that originates from the work situations in which computer-based artifacts are used: The framework deals with the role of the user interface in purposeful human work. Human activity theory is used in this analysis. The purpose of this article is to make the reader curious and hopefully open his or her eyes to a somewhat different way of thinking about the user interface. The article applies examples of real-life interfaces to support this process, but it does not include a systematic presentation of empirical results.

I focus on the role of the computer application in use. Thus, it is necessary to consider human-computer interaction and other related work conditions. I deal with human experience and competence as being rooted in the practice of the group that conducts the specific work activity.

The main conclusions are: The user interface cannot be seen independently of the use activity (i.e., the professional, socially organized practice of the users and the material conditions for the activity, including the object of the activity). The standard view in these situations is to deduce an ultimate set of operations from an abstract use activity and apply these to design and analysis. This article argues that the user interface fully reveals itself to us only when in use. What is a good user interface for those with a certain degree of competence may not be efficient for those with different levels of competence. I give certain general recommendations for the user interface, but I have no guarantee that such recommendations are applicable to the specific case wherein these concerns may be overruled by specific social or material concerns.


Inter-individual variation in gene expression has been shown to be heritable and it is often associated with differences in disease susceptibility between individuals. Many studies focused on mapping associations between genetic and gene regulatory variation, yet much less attention has been paid to the evolutionary processes that shape the observed differences in gene regulation between individuals in humans or any other primate. To begin addressing this gap, we performed a comparative analysis of gene expression variability and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) in humans and chimpanzees, using gene expression data from primary heart samples. We found that expression variability in both species is often determined by non-genetic sources, such as cell-type heterogeneity. However, we also provide evidence that inter-individual variation in gene regulation can be genetically controlled, and that the degree of such variability is generally conserved in humans and chimpanzees. In particular, we found a significant overlap of orthologous genes associated with eQTLs in both species. We conclude that gene expression variability in humans and chimpanzees often evolves under similar evolutionary pressures.


With the development of any new biomedical or surgical technique using a potentially hazardous new technology, it is necessary to consider health hazards to both the patient and medical personnel. Lasers used in surgery and in some other biomedical applications can pose potential hazards to both the patient and to the laser operating personnel. Because the laser beam is normally in the open when emitted from a surgical laser, special precautions are necessary. Unlike many applications of relatively high-powered lasers in industry where the laser may been closed, the very nature of most lasr surgical procedures requires the use of administrative controls and the use of protective eyewear rather than engineering controls such as beam enclosures, baffles, etc. Be cause of the requirements for flexibility in the arrangement of the laser beam delivery system and the open beam, the potential for hazardous exposure to laser radiationis the highest for some surgical and biomedical personnel (1, 2, 3). The hazards posed by enclosed industrial lasers are, as a general rule, farless (2).With the development of any new biomedical or surgical technique using a potentially hazardous new technology, it is necessary to consider health hazards to both the patient and medical personnel. Lasers used in surgery and in some other biomedical applications can pose potential hazards to both the patient and to the laser operating personnel. Because the laser beam is normally in the open when emitted from a surgical laser, special precautions are necessary. Unlike many applications of relatively high-powered lasers in industry where the laser may been closed, the very nature of most lasr surgical procedures requires the use of administrative controls and the use of protective eyewear rather than engineering controls such as beam enclosures, baffles, etc. Be cause of the requirements for flexibility in the arrangement of the laser beam delivery system and the open beam, the potential for hazardous exposure to laser radiationis the highest for some surgical and biomedical personnel (1, 2, 3). The hazards...


Intestinal parasitic infections are a major cause of morbidity in developing countries including Nepal. Most common intestinal parasites reported in Nepal are Ascaris lumbricoides, Hymenolepis nana, Hookworm, Trichuris trichiura, Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica. This study aimed to find out the prevalence of various intestinal parasitic infections among school children in Kirtipur Municipality, Kathmandu. A cross-sectional observational study was carried out with prepared questionnaire and stool examination between October to November, 2021. Altogether, 409 stool samples were randomly collected from different schools and examined by direct smear method. Out of 409 stool samples, 73 (17.8%) were positive and 336 (82.1%) were negative. Among positive cases, helminthic infection was seen in 45 (11.0%) and protozoan infection was found in 28 (6.8%). Altogether eight species of intestinal parasites were detected, the most common was A. lumbricoides (34.2%), followed by protozoa G. lamblia (23.3%), E. histolytica (15.1%), T. trichiura (10.96%), Hookworm (6.8%), Enterobius vermicularis (4.11%), Taenia solium (4.11%) and H. nana (1.37%) respectively. Study showed that, there was 63 (86.30%) single infections, 9 (12.33%) double infections and 1 (1.37%) multiple infection. The present study reveals that intestinal parasites are abundant among students of Kirtipur Municipality, Kathmandu. The situation strongly calls for the use of control measures including treatment of infected individuals, improvement of health status of infected students by health education, public health awareness and also develop the health care facilities and aware the people for the utilization of health services.


Several Phaeoacremonium species have been recently described to include some species involved in disease of decline of woody plants and others associated with human infections. Thirteen species are currently reported on grapevines and they are suspected to be involved in Esca and Petri disease. The pathogenic character of new defined species is still unknown and, therefore, pathogenicity studies were conducted in this work. The pathogenicity of the following species was studied on grapevine seedlings and cuttings: Phaeoacremonium aleophilum, P. angustius, P. inflatipes, P. krajdenii, P. mortoniae, P. parasiticum, P. scolyti, P. venezuelense, P. viticola, and Phaeomoniella chlamydospora included as positive control. Two-month-old grapevine seedlings of Vitis vinifera cv. Malvar and cv. Airen were inoculated by watering 10 individual pots with a spore suspension (107 spores/ml) of each Phaeoacremonium species. All inoculated seedlings showed typical symptoms of a vascular disease 2 months after inoculation. Grapevine cuttings of Vitis vinifera cv. Monastrell were vacuum-inoculated with a spore suspension (108 spores/ml) and individually planted. Plants rated after 5 months showed that all Phaeoacremonium species and P. chlamydospora (used as positive control) caused a significant vascular discoloration, while only Phaeomoniella chlamydospora, Phaoeacremonium mortoniae and P. aleophilum caused a significant root weight reduction compared with a non-inoculated control. Phaoeacremonium parasiticum, P. angustius, P. inflatipes and P. venezuelense caused significant foliar symptoms that included interveinal chlorosis and stunted leaves.


Cellular sheetpile structures are used as temporary cofferdams to keep construction activities dry and as permanent bulkheads. Successful design ensures that allowable sheetpile interlock tensions are not exceeded during cell filling operations. For two cellular cofferdam case histories, axisymmetric finite element analyses were performed to estimate main and arc cell fill pressures and arc cell tensions. Results of the analyses are compared with field strain gage data and conventional predictions of main and common wall interlock tensions.


In the literature of mainstream scientific psychology, German scholar William Stern has been known primarily (if at all) as the inventor of the intelligence quotient (IQ). In fact, however, Stern's contributions to psychology were much greater and more consequential than this. In this all-inclusive article, I have sought to provide readers with a fuller appreciation for the breadth and depth of Stern's work, and, in particular, for that comprehensive system of thought that he elaborated under the name "critical personalism." Drawing frequently on translated quotations from Stern's published works, and on his personal correspondence with the Freiburg philosopher Jonas Cohn, I have endeavored to show how Stern was much more than "the IQ guy." During the first 20 years of his academic career, spent at the University of Breslau in what is now the Polish city of Wroclaw, Stern founded that sub-discipline of psychology that would be concentrated on the study of individual differences in various aspects of human psychological functioning. He also made major contributions to that sub-discipline referred to at the time as "child" psychology, and laid the foundations for a comprehensive system of thought that he would name "critical personalism." After relocating to Hamburg in 1916, Stern continued his scholarly efforts in these domains, taught courses both in psychology and in philosophy at the university that opened its doors there in 1919, and played major administrative roles there in the institutional homes of both disciplines until forced to flee Nazi Germany in 1934. The present chapter highlights ways in which, over the course of his scholarly career, Stern boldly opposed certain trends within mainstream thinking that were ascendant during his time.


Abstract This article offers a cognitive perspective on the evolution of the semantics of English nominal gerunds (NG) (I regret the signing of the contract) and verbal gerunds (VG) (I regret signing the contract). While the formal differences between NGs and VGs are well documented, their semantics remains largely unexplored territory. The perspective that is taken here is centered on the linguistic notion of reference and various aspects of the conceptualization involved in it. As they formally hover between more nominal and more clause-like internal properties, gerunds form an interesting test case for the cognitive perspective on referentiality. Our corpus analysis describes how the situations that NGs and VGs refer to are conceptualized as deictic expressions grounded in the speech event in Present-day English, and how this has changed since the Early Modern period. It is shown that only a multi-layered model of referentiality can account for the subtle differences found between NGs and VGs: while no fundamental shifts are found with regard to the traditional referential subtypes (specific, non-specific, generic), NGs and VGs do turn out to differ in their choice for either nominal or clausal grounding mechanisms, in their status as existentially stable or flexible entities and in the mental spaces in which they situate the events that they conceptualize.


A 60-year old woman presented with a 2-year history of abdominal distension, early satiety, weight loss, bilateral leg swelling and difficult breathing. Clinical examination had to be conducted in the semi-recumbent position, as the patient was very uncomfortable in the supine position. A diagnosis of advanced intra-abdominal tumour was made, and the patient was scheduled for laparotomy. With the patient in the lateral decubitus position, induction of anaesthesia, endotracheal intubation and laparotomy were done. Laryngoscopy and intubation were relatively easy. A huge right ovarian mass weighing 29kg, was excised at surgery. Anaesthesia and surgery were successful, without adverse incidents. She developed postoperative pulmonary oedema, that resolved after 5 days of treatment. She was discharged on the 20th postoperative day. Sahel Medical Journal Vol. 10 (1) 2007: pp. 34-37


Decades ago, microplastic presence was corroborated in aquatic ecosystem, but revelations from current studies indicate microplastics (MPs) as ubiquitous environmental concern and demonstrate our plasticized life, because of microplastic existent in food, air, water, and soil. Existence of MPs in terrestrial ecosystem is long recognized now and additionally, all the evidence that has been found for microplastic entering the farm soils indicated that they are gradually accumulating in the agricultural soil. While previous studies focused extensively on marine systems, the increasing toxicity of MPs in agricultural cultivated soils and the aspects of MPs being accumulated causing bio-toxification are being looked upon presently. They potentially damage the yield of crop plants making their roots unable to uptake water and nutrients from the soil by accumulating near the roots. MPs have already invaded the terrestrial food chain and they have been detected in excreta of livestock animals along with earthworms and crop plants. MPs are abundant in farm soil that has interacted with sewage-sludge, plastic mulching sheets, organic fertilizers, and vermicompost for a long duration. This review focuses on current evidence of microplastic accumulation in farm soil, thereby enlightening the potential damages to crop plants, soil properties, soil microbes while ultimately reaching humans via the food chain. It also covers the recent advances for soil microplastic extraction, treatment, and possible bioremediation strategies.


In 1648 George Fox, drawing on members of a "shattered" Baptist community in Nottinghamshire, helped to organize the "Children of the Light."1 At first he and his brethren represented simply another small sect among the welter of competing sects which characterized the Interregnum. Yet the "Children of the Light," derisively known by 1650 as "Quakers," were to grow and develop into one of the strongest radical challenges to the predominance of the older Puritan sect prior to the Restoration. A major cause of their growth was the work of the itinerant ministers known to Friends as First Publishers of Truth, many of whom were drawn from the lonely outposts of the north of England. These northern Quakers often commented on God's call to them to spread "truth" to the less enlightened areas of England. In order to make that task easier they hoped to convince England's rulers of the need to remove all laws which hampered the Spirit, and consequently the ministering activities of these First Publishers. Typical of these First Publishers was John Camm, successful yeoman in the northwest of England, who was to give his life in the service of God, a service which demanded of him, as of other early Quaker ministers, great physical and mental exertion in gathering together potential Friends, convincing them of the "truth" and organizing them into meetings, while at the same time countering opposition, whether verbal, physical or legal. Although he


Aims In this randomised fast-track phase II trial, the authors examined (1) whether the timing of referral to short-term palliative care (PC) affected selected outcomes, and (2) the potential staff-modifying effect of the short-term PC intervention (whether the effects were sustained over time after PC was withdrawn). Methods PC comprised a multiprofessional PC team that provided, on average, three visits, with all care completed by 6 weeks. Recruitment commenced in August 2004 and continued for 1 year. Follow-up was performed for 6 months in both groups. Outcomes were a composite measure of five key symptoms (pain, nausea, vomiting, mouth problems and sleeping difficulty) using the Palliative care Outcome Scale–MS Symptom Scale, and care giver burden was measured using the Zarit (Care Giver) Burden Interview (ZBI). Results 52 patients severely affected by multiple sclerosis were randomised to receive PC either immediately (fast-track group) or after 12 weeks (control group). Patients had a high level of disability (mean Expanded Disability Status Scale: 7.7; median: 8; SD: 1). Following PC, there was an improvement in Palliative care Outcome Scale–MS Symptom Scale score and ZBI score. A higher rate of improvement in ZBI score was seen in the fast-track group. After withdrawal of PC, effects were maintained at 12 weeks, but not at 24 weeks. Conclusions Receiving PC earlier has a similar effect on reducing symptoms but greater effects on reducing care giver burden, compared to later referral. In this phase II trial, the authors lacked the power to detect small differences. The effect of PC is maintained for 6 weeks after withdrawal but then appears to wane. Trial Registration Number National Institutes of Health, USA, http://www.Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT00364936.


The present paper aims in investigating the performance of state-of-the-art machine learning techniques in trading with the EUR/USD exchange rate at the ECB fixing. For this purpose, five supervised learning classification techniques (K-Nearest Neighbors algorithm, Naive Bayesian Classifier, Artificial Neural Networks, Support Vector Machines and Random Forests) were applied in the problem of the one day ahead movement prediction of the EUR/USD exchange rate with only autoregressive terms as inputs. For comparison reasons, the performance of all machine learning techniques was benchmarked by two traditional techniques (Naive  Strategy and moving average convergence/divergence model). Trading strategies produced by the machine learning techniques of Support Vector Machines and Random Forests clearly outperformed all other strategies in terms of annualized return and sharp ratio. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first application of Random Forests in the problem of trading with the EUR/USD exchange rate providing extremely satisfactory results.


The control of the native defects in the CdTe thin film solar cells was investigated by using a novel source for a close-spaced sublimation (CSS) process which was prepared by vacuum evaporation with elemental Cd and Te (evaporated source). The evaporated sources were prepared on glass substrates at room temperature, and Cd/Te ratio was controlled by varying the Cd and Te beam equivalent pressures. In the cells using the Te-rich source, the conversion efficiency was less than 0.2 % because of the extremely low shunt resistance. On the other hand, the conversion efficiency above 15 % was obtained by using the Cd-rich source. C-V characteristics revealed that the acceptor concentration in the CdTe layer increased with increasing the Cd/Te ratio of the evaporated source. Furthermore, photoluminescence spectra implied that the formation of the Cd vacancies in the CdTe layer was suppressed by using the Cd-rich source.


Neuropathic pain arising from peripheral nerve injury is a clinical disorder characterized by a combination of spontaneous pain, hyperalgesia and tactile pain (allodynia), and remains a significant clinical problem since it is often poorly relieved by conventional analgesics. Despite the progress that has occurred in recent years in the development of therapy, there is still a need for effective and potent analgesics for neuropathic pain. This review summarizes the existing studies investigated the efficacy of herbs as a treatment for neuropathic pain. Recently discovered analgesic substances in neuropathic pain include alkaloids, terpenoids and flavonoid, this plant-derived substances have, and will certainly continue to have, a relevant place in the process of drug discovery, particularly in the development of new analgesic drugs. In this review, emphasis will be given to the important contribution of herbs and their compounds in the development of new analgesics.


Experimental work on the strength of single phases has been used to infer the strengths of the upper and lower crust and mantle. Dislocation creep in plagioclase is commonly inferred to approximate the rheology of the lower crust. Recent work suggests that diffusion-accommodated grain-boundary sliding in plagioclase may be an important deformation mechanism in naturally deformed lower crust. One way to constrain rheology is through field and petrographic studies of naturally deformed systems, such as the Mt. Hay block in central Australia. These rocks demonstrate strain partitioning from the micro- to macroscale and provide an opportunity to study the relationships between structures of different scales. Field work shows map-scale fabric contrasts (lineation dominant versus equal foliation and lineation) between the geographic domains in the Mt. Hay block. At the outcrop scale, plagioclase-rich domains shape defines both foliation and lineation. Microstructural studies also show the partitioning of strain between lithologic domains. These show that plagioclase has different microstructures in different lithologic layers. This suggests different deformation mechanisms are active depending on plagioclase content, which may control variations in meso- and macroscale fabric. EBSD analyses of plagioclase in these different domains will evaluate the importance of dislocation creep in this context.


In this paper we present an efficient test pattern generator for robust path delay faults, which we call ATPD. Our CAD tool detects much faster more robust path delay faults than any other existing nonenumerative approach. ATPD generates patterns for a non necessarily polynomial number of path delay faults. The nature of the problem indicates that for a test generator to be efficient it must count nonenumeratively the additional delay paths detected by each generated pair of patterns. ATPD generates each pair of patterns and determines the number of paths covered in a novel way that combines these two phases effectively.


Hostility and low self-control are two hallmark characteristics of antisocial personality disorder and are also risk factors for offending. This study tested for mediating effects of these concepts for explaining the antisocial personality disorder-offending relationship. The Pathways to Desistance data were used in analyses. Generalized structural equation modeling was used to estimate these relationships. A Clogg Z test was used to test the equivalence of the mediation effects. Results indicated that antisocial personality disorder diagnosis was associated with offending. Inclusion of hostility and self-control in the model accounted for 65% of the antisocial personality disorder-offending relationship and attenuated it to non-significance. Only self-control was a significant mediator of this relationship and the magnitude of this effect was significantly greater hostility.


Mathematics is a scientific discipline that is abstract and full of problems that must be solved. One of the goals of learning mathematics is to encourage students to become problem solvers by thinking critically, logically, and rationally. To achieve this goal, we need the right learning method, namely the expository learning method. The expository method is a learning method that emphasizes the process of delivering material verbally from a teacher to a group of students with the intention that students can master the subject matter optimally. To test whether the expository learning method really has an effect on mathematics learning outcomes, this study aims to: (1) describe whether the expository learning method has an effect on student learning outcomes, (2) describe how much influence the expository learning method has on student learning outcomes.This research uses quantitative research. The method used is the method of documentation and tests. The subjects in this study were all third grade students of SDN Tambakrejo I Krembung, totaling 32 students. The subjects studied were mathematics with multiplication and division material.The results showed that (1) there was a positive and significant effect of the expository learning method on mathematics learning outcomes as indicated by the value of tcount > ttable or 10.29 > 0.05, and (2) the large influence of the expository learning method on learning outcomes.Thus the results of this study indicate that there is a significant and large influence between the expository learning method on the mathematics learning outcomes of third grade students at SDN Tambakrejo I Krembung. So, students, it is easier to absorb mathematics lessons using the expository method.


Chlorella pyrenoidosa growing in continuous cultures on a sterilized sewage were able to utilize some of the organic matter present as evidenced by a decrease in the soluble BOD and in the dissolved volatile solids in cultures having short detention periods. The utilization of organic compounds in sewage by Chlorella was influenced by the rate of supply of inorganic carbon to the culture; the decrease in the organic matter per unit of cell weight produced being greater when the supply of carbon dioxide was less. In cultures having detention periods greater than 3 days there was always an increase in the dissolved volatile solids and in the soluble BOD indicating a secretion of organic substance by the algae.


Experimental infection of puppies with Heterophyes heterophyes was associated with marked cell-mediated immune response that manifested itself by increase of T-cell count and leucocyte migration. The degree of cell-mediated immune response was inversely proportional to the intensity of infection. The significance of the results was discussed.


Abstract Background Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a major source of alcohol-related morbidity and mortality. Heavy drinkers and alcoholics may progress from fatty liver to alcoholic hepatitis to cirrhosis. The enzyme γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) is a membrane-bound glycoprotein which catalyzes the transfer of the γ-glutamyl group from γ-glutamyl peptides to other peptides, amino acids, and water. Serum GGT activity mainly attributed to hepatobiliary system and thus is an important marker of ALD. Hence the present study is conducted to estimate and correlate the levels of GGT and osteopontin (OPN) in ALD. Aims and Objectives The objective of this study is to estimate and correlate the levels of GGT and OPN in ALD. Materials and Methods Sixty clinically diagnosed cases of ALD and sixty age- and gender-matched healthy controls were recruited for the study. Blood samples were collected from them and serum aspartate aminotransferase, serum alanine transaminases (ALTs), serum ALP levels, and plasma OPN levels were measured. Estimation of serum aspartate transaminases (AST), ALTs, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was assayed by standard photometric methods in autoanalyzer ERBA-XL (EM-200) using commercially available kits. OPN was estimated by using commercial kit based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results The parameters of the liver function tests such as AST, ALT, and ALP were significantly increased in patients with ALD (p < 0.001) when compared with the healthy control subjects. In the present study, significantly increased levels of γ-glutamyl transferases and OPN were found in patients with ALD (p < 0.001) when compared with the control subjects. OPN showed significant positive correlations with AST (r = 0.76, p < 0.001), ALT (r = 0.64, p < 0.001), ALP (r = 0.68, p < 0.001), and GGT (r = 0.61, p < 0.001). Conclusion The present study focuses on the role of GGT and OPN that are sensitive indicators of liver cell injury and are most helpful in recognizing hepatocellular diseases such as ALD, hepatitis, and liver cirrhosis. Hence, the pattern of the GGT and OPN levels elevation can be helpful diagnostically.


We describe an eff icient variation on the z-buffer algorithm for hidden-surface removal in computer-generated images, which allows to selectively post-filter such images in order to reduce the artifacts due to sub-sampling. With a moderate increase in both the computational cost and the memory needs of the classic z-buffer, we filter only those areas where aliasing is most noticeable and improve considerably the subjective resolution of the resulting images. This technique has been added successfully to the " flying logos" software package developed for a commercial character generator used in TV post-production.


This paper, part of a broader, ongoing research, has as its purpose to present the preliminary results related to the presence of gender stereotypes in the visual texts of a selection of textbooks used in the teaching of foreign languages in Brazilian primary and secondary schools. A critical stance guided the analysis of the instructional materials. Although the research has included five foreign languages, for the purpose of this paper only the results related to English and French textbooks (28 books) are reported. The preliminary results of the qualitative analysis of randomly selected materials indicate that men and women are still visually represented in a stereotyped way as far as professional, social, economic and affective aspects are concerned.


A dislocation model which is appropriate for discussing the propagation of fatigue cracks from notches of elliptical or V-shaped profiles is presented. The principal conclusion is that the rate of crack growth is proportional to the fourth power of the stress intensity factor, deduced from the notch geometry. Detailed predictions are made about the variation of the rate of crack growth with the parameters governing the notch shape.


Roleplay metode is one of ways to increase self esteem in in preschool children. The lesson of pre school children (4-5 years old) is the most basic lesson, it means it's a critical range to the next step. Roleplay has an education character. The aims of this study were to find any influence of roleplay to increase self esteem in pre school children. This method was pre experimental with one group pre test post test design. The analysis in this study used Wilcoxon test. The sample were 20 person who has age between 4-5 years old. The result shows that after finished the roleplay, children who has high self esteem 12 person (60 %) is more than children who has moderate self esteem 8 person (40 %). The result shows p value 0.000 before and after role play. It means there is a difference betwen self esteem before and after do a roleplay.It concluded there's a significant influence between rol play method to increase self esteem among pre school children (4-5 years old) Insan harapan at klaten.


We report here the unprecedented modification of the hydrogen absorption/desorption properties of 1 nm Pd clusters relative to the bulk and nanoparticles down to 2–3 nm. These metal clusters have been synthesized by a facile double solvent impregnation method. They contain on average 33 atoms and are confined/stabilized into a metal-organic-framework with different metal loadings (5–20 wt%). This is the first time, to the best of our knowledge, that 1 nm Pd clusters are effectively confined into a MOF for high metal loadings. Such ultra-small nanoparticles are crystalline with the archetypical fcc structure of the bulk metal, as confirmed by both HR-TEM and in situ EXAFS. Hydrogen absorption/desorption properties of 1 nm Pd clusters have been characterized by both laboratory and synchrotron facilities. Under ambient conditions, 1 nm Pd clusters absorb hydrogen forming solid solutions instead of a hydride phase, as usually encountered for the bulk and Pd nanoparticles down to 2–3 nm. This can be understood by a decrease of the critical temperature of the two-phase region in the Pd–H phase diagram below room temperature. Moreover, the activation energy of hydrogen desorption from Pd clusters strongly decreases relative to bulk Pd. This suggests a change in the rate limiting step from surface recombination or β → α phase transformation usually encountered in bulk Pd to hydrogen diffusion into α and β phases in 1 nm clusters.


Hygroscopic properties of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formed by photooxidation of different concentrations (10-27 or 220-270 ppb) of alpha-pinene precursor were investigated at different relative humidities (RH) using a hygroscopicity tandem differential mobility analyzer (HTDMA, RH=95-97%) and using the mobile version of the Leipzig Aerosol Cloud Interaction Simulator (LACIS-mobile, RH=98-99.3%). In addition, the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity was measured applying two CCN counters (CCNC). An apparent single-hygroscopicity parameter, kappa, of approximately 0.09, approximately 0.07-0.13, and approximately 0.02-0.04 was derived from CCNC, HTDMA and LACIS data, respectively, assuming the surface tension of pure water. Closure between HTDMA and CCNC data was achieved within experimental uncertainty, whereas closure between LACIS and CCNC was only achieved by assuming a concentration-dependent surface tension reduction, consequently resulting in lower CCNC-derived kappa values. Comparing different experimental techniques at varying precursor concentrations in more detail reveals further open questions. Varying precursor concentration influences hygroscopic growth factors at subsaturated RH, while it has no effect on the CCN activation. This difference in behaviour might be caused by precursor concentration-dependent surface tension depression or changing droplet solution concentration dependence of the water activity coefficient with varying SOA composition. Furthermore, evidence was found that the SOA might need several seconds to reach the equilibrium growth factor at high RH.


This ethnographic case study of serege-commons, communal pasture and forest in Muhur, Ethiopia, demonstrates the socially complex nature of the common property resource (CPR) system, including the factors behind its resilience and sustained operation. It reveals the multifaceted and interacting local processes that maintain the commons in the face of political economic processes that challenge common property management. The study shows how CPR use, crop cultivation, alternative livelihood strategies, out-migration, collective herding practices, management practices, and alternative sources of compliance interact, and these interacting processes reinforce each other and maintain a resilient CPR system. This study argues that there is not one single cause for sustainable CPR regimes. Instead, the resilience and sustained operation of the CPR system are due to a mix of interdependent elements and inter-reinforcing linkages related to CPR operations, and their interactions within complex social-ecological systems.


Bistable electrowetting display (EWD) is a promising low-power electronic paper technology, where power is consumed only during the switching between two stable states; however, it is not required for state maintenance once switched. In this paper, a bistable electrowetting device with non-planar designed controlling electrodes is fabricated by a fully conventional photolithography process. The device has potential for video display applications with a controllable gray scale. The novel electrode design realizes a lower driving voltage and a higher contrast between two stable states than the EWDs with planar electrodes reported previously.


Background: Autonomic nervous system effects have been hypothesized as a mechanism of air pollutant health effects, though scant prior epidemiologic research has examined the association between air pollutants and catecholamines. Objectives: To examine the association of long-term air pollutants with three urinary catecholamines: dopamine (DA), epinephrine (EPI), and norepinephrine (NE). As a secondary aim, we also examined the association between short-term (or acute) exposure to fine particulate matter [particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5μm (PM2.5)] and those catecholamines. Methods: We used data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) and two of its ancillary studies, the MESA Air Pollution Study and the MESA Stress Study, to provide exposure and outcome data. DA, EPI, and NE from urine samples were collected from 2004 to 2006 from 1,002 participants in the New York, New York, and Los Angeles, California, study sites. Spatiotemporal models incorporated cohort-specific monitoring and estimated annual average pollutant concentrations (PM2.5, NO2, NOx and black carbon) at participants' homes the year prior to urine collection. Secondarily, short-term PM2.5 was evaluated (day of, day prior, and 2- to 5-d lags prior to urine collection). Several covariates were considered confounders (age, race, sex, site, socioeconomic status, cardiovascular disease risk factors, psychosocial stressors, and medication use) in linear regression models. Results: A 17  ppb higher annual NOx concentration was associated with 6.3% higher mean EPI level [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.3%, 12.6%]. A 2-μg/m3 higher annual ambient PM2.5 concentration was associated with 9.1% higher mean EPI (95% CI: 3.2%, 15.3%) and 4.4% higher DA level (95% CI: 1%, 7.9%). NO2, black carbon, and short-term PM2.5 exposures were not significantly associated with any of the catecholamines. Conclusions: We found an association between EPI and long-term concentrations of PM2.5 and NOx and an association between DA and long-term ambient PM2.5. These novel findings provide modest support for the hypothesis that air pollutant exposures are related to sympathetic nervous system activation. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP3286


Subgrid-scale turbulence in numerical weather prediction models is typically handled by a PBL parameterization. These schemes attempt to represent turbulentmixing processes occurring below the resolvable scale of themodel grid in the vertical direction, and they act upon temperature, moisture, and momentum within the boundary layer. This study varies the PBL mixing strength within 4-km WRF simulations of a 26–29 January 2015 snowstorm to assess the sensitivity of baroclinic cyclones to eddy diffusivity intensity. The bulk critical Richardson number for unstable regimes is varied between 0.0 and 0.25 within the YSU PBL scheme as a way of directly altering the depth and magnitude of subgridscale turbulent mixing. Results suggest that varying the bulk critical Richardson number is similar to selecting a different PBL parameterization. Differences in boundary layer moisture availability, arising from reduced entrainment of dry, free tropospheric air, lead to variations in themagnitude of latent heat release above thewarm frontal region, producing stronger upper-tropospheric downstream ridging in simulations with less PBL mixing. The more amplified flow pattern impedes the northeastward propagation of the surface cyclone and results in a westward shift of precipitation. In addition, trajectory analysis indicates that ascending parcels in the less-mixing simulations condensemore water vapor and terminate at a higher potential temperature level than do ascending parcels in the more-mixing simulations, suggesting stronger latent heat release when PBL mixing is reduced. These results suggest that spread within ensemble forecast systems may be improved by perturbing PBL mixing parameters that are not well constrained.


The aim of the Entrepreneurship Development Program (PPK) is to provide training, coaching and assistance to students at the Faculty of Computer Science, Universitas Duta Bangsa Surakarta who have taken Entrepreneurship courses and opened business startups to produce young and independent and sustainable entrepreneurs. There are many ideas and creativity of students to open businesses, but they only stop at the last activity of the lecture, namely the entrepreneurship Bazaar. The problems that often occur are constraints in the field of marketing, business premises, the absence of teaching factory facilities and marketing networks with the business world and the industrial world. The PPK team fostered 20 student tenants and 4 business groups and 5 independent businesses were produced. From these new entrepreneurs, they already have profits and can create jobs, helping the government in alleviating unemployment and poverty.


Introduction The prevalence of metabolic bone disease (MBD) in Type 3 Intestinal Failure (IF) has been reported at 84% (1) but it is unclear if long term home parenteral nutrition (HPN) is associated with a consistent decline in bone mineral density (2). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of MBD and the progression of BMD in a large cohort of patients with CIF managed at a national referral centre. Method The prevalence of MBD in patients requiring HPN was evaluated retrospectively from a maintained database at a national U.K. referral unit in 2016. BMD was measured using DEXA scan and WHO criteria were used to categorise patients into normal (T score −1 and above), osteopenia (T score between −1 and −2.5), and osteoporosis (T score −2.5 and below). BMD progression was assessed by reviewing follow up DEXA scan results. Patient demographics along with HPN requirements and underlying disease were recorded. Results 140 patients (mean age 54 years; 87 female)) with CIF had a DEXA scan performed. 85.7% patients were dependent on PN for calories and 11.4% were fluid dependent only. 106 (75.7%) patients had a diagnosis of MBD (58 (41%)) osteoporosis; 48 (34.3%) osteopenia). 34 (24.3%) patients had a normal BMD. 47 patients had follow up of BMD with a 2nd DEXA bone scan (time between DEXA scans, mean=2.4 years, min=1, max=5). Deterioration in BMD was demonstrated in 12 (26%) patients with change in WHO classification (7=osteoporosis from osteopenia; 5=osteopenia from normal). 34 (72%) showed no change in classification (osteoporosis n=21, osteopenia n=11, normal n=2). Only 1 (2%) patient had improvement in classification from osteoporosis to osteopenia. Aetiology of IF was classified into intestinal dysmotility (20%); post-operative surgical complications (26.4%); Crohn's disease (32.9%); ischaemia (18.6%) and malignancy (2.1%). Prevalence of MBD differed between groups, with Crohn's patients demonstrating the highest prevalence of MBD, 98% (52% osteoporosis, 46% osteopenia). Conclusion We report a MBD prevalence in patients with CIF of 75.7%, comparable to other series),1 with a quarter of patients demonstrating a decline in T score. These data support the need for surveillance and treatment of MBD in patients needing HPN.2 References . Pironi L, et al. Clin Nutr2002;21:289e96. . Pironi L, et al. Clin Nutr2016; 35: 247–307. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


OBJECTIVE
To compare the clinicopathological characters and operative prognosis of gastric cancer complicated with Krukenberg tumor and with pelvic peritoneal dissemination.

METHODS
Thirty-nine female cases of gastric carcinoma with pelvic metastasis were treated operated on between August 1994 and March 2006. Among them, 18 cases were complicated with Krukenberg tumor and 21 cases with pelvic peritoneal dissemination. The clinicopathological characters in the two groups were recorded and compared and the operative prognosis were analyzed.

RESULTS
There was no significant difference in age, tumor location and size, hepatic metastasis, organic encroachment, infiltration degree, positive lymph nodes, differentiated degree, tissue typing, Borrmann typing, value of carcinoembryonic antigen between the two groups (P > 0.05). The rate of P3 (peritoneal dissemination) in the cases of Krukenberg tumor (44.4%) was significantly lower than that in pelvic peritoneal dissemination group (85.7%) (P < 0.01), whereas the focal resection rate (77.8%) and multi-organ dissection rate (55.6%) were significantly higher than in pelvic peritoneal dissemination (38.0%, 23.8%) (P < 0.05). The mean survival of all cases was 12.6 months. The mean survival in the patients with Krukenberg tumor and pelvic peritoneal dissemination was 20.5, 15.0 months, respectively (P < 0.05). The mean survival of total focal resection, palliative focal resection, non-focal resection was 19.9, 12.5 and 5.7 months, respectively (P < 0.01). Non-focal resection, pelvic peritoneal dissemination, P3 of peritoneal implantation, hepatic metastasis, organic encroachment, total gastric cancer were unfavorable prognosis factors for all cases.

CONCLUSIONS
Compared with pelvic peritoneal dissemination, the gastric cancer with Krukenberg tumor is associated with more limited peritoneal dissemination, higher resection rate and better prognosis. Focal resection can improve the prognosis.


Introduction: Development of age-appropriate clinical norms is needed for modified Romberg test (MRT) in the Indian scenario. Hence, the present study was undertaken. Objectives: The specific objectives of the study were to investigate the age and gender effect on MRT, comparison of MRT in normal individuals and individuals with vestibular dysfunctions, and association of MRT with caloric and cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) test. Materials and Methods: The study involved two groups of participants: Group I had 90 healthy individuals (45 males and 45 females) and Group II had 30 individuals with vestibular dysfunction. MRT was administered on both the groups. Furthermore, participants of Group II underwent caloric and cVEMP test. Results: It was observed that scores of MRT reduced with increase in age among the participants of Group I. However, gender did not show any significant effect for MRT. On comparison, MRT revealed that healthy participants performed superior to individuals with vestibular dysfunction. Further, correlation analysis between MRT with caloric test and cVEMP showed poor association between them (P > 0.05). Conclusions: MRT is affected by age, and therefore, age-specific norms for MRT are required for each clinic.


Chitosan and alginate are both pH-responsive biopolymers extracted from crustacean exoskeletons and brown algae, respectively. Poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (PNIPAAM) is a hydrogel that becomes hydrophobic at a lower-critical solution temperature. This study sought to combine pH- and temperature-responsive polymers via crosslinking, in order to create a dual-stimuli responsive polymer for hydrophobic antimicrobial compounds delivery, improving their antimicrobial effects. Cinnamon bark extract (CBE) was used as a model for hydrophobic antimicrobial. Two co-polymers were synthesized to create two nanoparticles types: chitosan-co-PNIPAAM and alginate-co-PNIPAAM. Nanoparticles were formed from the resulting co-polymers using a self-assembly top-down process followed by glutaraldehyde or calcium chloride crosslinking. These nanoparticles were then used as controlled delivery vehicles for CBE, whose rapid release could be triggered by specific external stimuli. For the same pH and temperature conditions, the chitosan-co-PNIPAAM nanoparticles were significantly more potent bacterial inhibitors against both pathogens and also exhibited a faster CBE release over time as well as slightly higher entrapment efficiency. The alginate-co-PNIPAAM nanoparticles were significantly smaller and exhibited a slow, gradual release over a long time period. Although both nanoparticles were able to effectively inhibit pathogen growth at lower (P < 0.05) concentration than free CBE, the chitosan-co-PNIPAAM nanoparticles were more effective in delivering a natural antimicrobial with controlled release against foodborne pathogens.


Sir, In response to the comments of Gazdovich and colleagues we make the following observations. The take home message from this study is that nocturia in women has a mixed pathophysiology and cannot be considered solely a feature of the overactive bladder (OAB) nor as only resulting from high fluid intake or diuresis rate at night. Factors unique to women, such as pelvic organ prolapse and hormone-mediated thermoregulation, may play into the causal pathway. Bother attributable to nocturia is mediated predominantly through the impact on sleep quality, where a greater number of nocturia episodes is associated with a higher prevalence of poor sleep. More voids per night are also significantly associated with greater impact on both physical and mental health components of quality of life scores. The following aspects of sleep have been reported significantly more often by individuals who void twice or more each night compared with those who do not: restless sleep, first undisturbed sleep time (FUST) less than 3 hours, difficulty falling back to sleep after voiding, insufficient overall sleep, low energy or fatigue during the day and worry that nocturia will get worse. This severity of nocturia of at least twice at night has also been demonstrated to be significantly associated with more adverse health outcomes than less frequent night voiding. For all these reasons, we believe that it is clinically relevant to consider two or more voids per night as a point at which to dichotomise nocturia frequency. The term 'disruptive nocturia' was defined in our methodology and used as shorthand for 'nocturia of twice a night or more' in order to optimise readability of the text. We concur with the use of validated metrics to collect data and used two such measures in this study (the 3-day bladder diary and the TANGO causality tool). The hormone status questionnaire was study-specific and included a nocturia frequency item. For statistical integrity, the diary-recorded nocturia was used when describing actual measures. The 'subjective' response to nocturia frequency recorded on the questionnaire may reflect a broader more life-like representation of nocturia severity over the long term. In order to accommodate this option, both values were extracted and used in descriptive statistics. Key symptoms of the OAB were noted in approximately two-thirds of the women from TANGO responses; the prevalence was described in Table 2 of our paper. We believe that the presentation of Nocturnal bladder capacity index data captures those women with a likely OAB diagnosis. We note that this suggests that 26.2% of women had likely OAB compared with 64.6%who demonstrated nocturnal polyuria. One of the main messages of this paper was to encourage clinicians to not only question women with respect to OAB symptoms but also to ensure that an estimate of nocturnal urine volume has been made. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus was low, 11.6%, and as such was not specifically described in the manuscript. Pelvic organ prolapse can be associated with nocturia through incomplete bladder emptying. We agree that it would be ideal to have clinicians assess and measure any urogenital prolapse using validated measures. To minimise clinic burden, this study was conducted directly with women and did not involve input from clinic staff. In order to test observations, future work will include objective measures of hormone status, vitamin D and physical parameters alongside a minimum data set.


Purpose: Prompted by a desire to increase the complexity and precision with which radiation can be distributed at the small scale demanded by preclinical studies, several institutions have developed dedicated platforms for small animal irradiation research. Such systems have the potential to probe the physiological response of spatially inhomogeneous dose distributions in the controlled preclinical environment. The performance of such a system (Xrad225Cx, Precision X‐Ray, Inc., North Branford, CT) in terms of its ability to spatially modulate dose was assessed for a dose pattern broadly characterized as 'grid' therapy. Methods: By programming the animal positioning stage to move between a series of irradiations, complex dose patterns can be delivered. A spatially modulated grid irradiation pattern consisting of a 5×11 array of irradiations delivered with a fixed 1 mm diameter circular collimator and a 2 mm distance between the isocenter of each irradiation was delivered. Individual irradiations were performed for 30 seconds at an energy of 225 kVp and current of 13 mA. Gafchromic EBT2 radiochromic film placed between two 4.9 mm thick water equivalent slab phantoms was used for quantitative dosimetric analysis. After irradiation, the films were scanned at a resolution of 400 DPI (∼0.06 mm/pixel). Results: The 55 separate irradiations forming the 'grid' pattern were delivered with 93% of the irradiations within 0.15 mm of the desired 2.0 mm spacing. Dose falloff from each individual irradiation was rapid with a typical falloff of 1.24 Gy / mm (57% / mm). The dose‐depth curve was roughly exponential with a decay constant of 0.040 / mm. Conclusions: The preliminary characterization of the delivereddose demonstrates the ability of the small animal irradiation platform to deliver precisely modulated dose distributions comparable to that employed in 'grid' therapy. This dosimetric capability holds promise for in vivo radiobiological studies of complex radiationdelivery schemes. Some of the co‐authors are inventors of the small animal irradiation system described herein, and may financially benefit through its successful commercialization by Precision X‐Ray, Inc.


Herbiflata gen. nov., the second genus in the tribe Nephesini from China, is erected with Hilavrita xizangensis Chou et Lu, 1981 as its type species-Herbiflata xizangensis (Chou et Lu, 1981) comb. nov. This new genus resembles Hilavrita Distant, 1906 but can be differentiated by the following characters: vertex obtusely pointed; tegmen not spotted, with orange margin; apical angle of tegmen broadly rounded; Vein ScP+R arising from one stem. Three new species, H. chromata sp. nov., H. sacra sp. nov. and H. saxeta sp. nov., are described and illustrated. A key to four species in this genus is provided.


Although herbicide and insecticide contamination of surface waters normally occurs in the form of mixtures, the toxicity interactions displayed by such mixtures have only rarely been characterized. This study evaluated the acute effects of single pesticides (paraquat dichloride and deltamethrin, tested in their commercial formulations Gramoxone 276 SL and Decis 25EC) and their equitoxic mixtures on the survival of adult male guppy fish (Poecilia reticulata). Mixture toxicity was evaluated against the reference models of Concentration Addition (CA) and Independent Action (IA). In the single treatments, the 72h LC10 and LC50 values were 1.5 and 6.0 mg a.s. L-1 and 0.53 and 3.6 µg a.s. L-1 for paraquat dichloride and deltamethrin, respectively. The equitoxic mixtures showed significant paraquat dichloride-deltamethrin antagonism, both based on the CA and the IA model, without significant dose-level dependent deviations.


Inelastic neutron scattering was used to probe edge states in a quantum spin liquid. The experiment was performed on finite length antiferromagnetic spin-1 chains in Y2BaNi1-xMgxO5. At finite fields, there is a Zeeman resonance below the Haldane gap. The wave-vector dependence of its intensity provides direct evidence for staggered magnetization at chain ends, which decays exponentially towards the bulk [xi=8(1) at T=0.1 K]. Continuum contributions to the chain-end spectrum indicate interchain segment interactions. We also observe a finite size blueshift of the Haldane gap.


Rationale/Objectives of the study: Drug use and misuse remain a critical problem in most countries and are associated with varied social and economical consequences. It includes self medication and abuse of psychoactive substances. The specific objective of the study were to assess the socio-demographic characteristics and pattern of drug misuse among the students of a Polytechnic in Lagos.
Research design: The study was carried out using a self reporting anonymous questionnaire modified and adapted from the World Health Organization (WHO), student drug survey proforma(1). The study population consisted of 210 students, 140 males and 70 females from the 5 levels of polytechnic education.
Main findings: Over 71% of the respondents acceded to drug misuse. This cuts across age, sex and educational levels. The modal age group of students who used un-prescribed drugs was 20–24 years. Almost all the class levels of respondents have above 60% use of un-prescribed drugs. There is a positive statistical association between the use of un-prescribed drugs and the level of education. (p
Conclusions/Recommendations: There is a very high prevalence of drug misuse among the respondents. There is a need for an effective method of enforcing the available legislation with regards to drug retailing. It is also important to give intensive health information to student users in order to prevent them from graduating into addicts with its attendant social and economical consequences.
KEY WORDS: Adolescents, Drug misuse, Tertiary Institutions Nig. Jnl Health & Biomed. Sciences Vol.3(1) 2004: 40-43


Validity criteria are fundamental elements that make up the methodological rigor of a scientific study. Thus, this study aimed to examine the validity criteria used in scientific studies in the area of strategy, published in the Annals of EnAnpad between 1997 and 2010. In the literature review, the theoretical approach to validity criteria is that of Selltiz, Wrightsman and Cook (1987), Straub and Carlson (1989), Cooper and Schindler (2003), Babbie (2005), Hair Jr., Anderson, Tatham and Black (2005), Yin (2005), Brewer and Hunter (2006) and Malhotra (2006). From the literature review, aiming to expand the adoption of validity criteria, items are proposed so that can help researchers to determine the adequacy of their studies to the main criteria. We performed a literature and bibliometric analysis of 53 articles in the field of strategy and content analysis was made of the theoretical articles; data were submitted to descriptive analysis of frequency and percentual use of validation as of the type of research (quantitative, qualitative and the two approaches mixed), the types of validation criteria employed, and the most cited works in addressing validation. It was found that the convergent, discriminant, content and construct validities were the most employed criteria in the studies reviewed and criterion validity (criterion validity, concurrent and predictive), although widely discussed in the literature, was used in less 10% of these studies. Among the results, even if it has, in the area of strategy, conducted surveys that show concern for validation, that number is still small considering the number of articles published in the field, in the period analyzed. So, there is room for exploring other validity criteria, such as criteria validation. This study can contribute, through the dissemination and guidance regarding the main validity criteria, so that research can adopt procedures aimed at validating research instruments.


Background Guanine nucleotide exchange factor T (GEFT) exhibits high amplification level using high-resolution array comparative genomic hybridization in rhabdomyosarcoma. The overexpression rate of GEFT protein is higher in rhabdomyosarcoma than in normal striated muscle tissues. This study evaluated the aberrant expression of GEFT in multiple subtypes of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and compared the differences in clinical pathology, histological feature and expression levels of GEFT protein and mRNA between chromosomal translocation-associated sarcomas (CTAS) and non-chromosomal translocation-associated sarcomas (NCTAS). Methods GEFT protein expression was detected using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and tissue microarrays. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of GEFT mRNA. Results The rates of GEFT positive expression (196/219, 89.50%) and overexpression (113/219, 51.60%) were higher in multiple subtypes of STS than in normal striated muscle tissues. The rates of GEFT positive expression and overexpression in all subtypes of STS detected were significantly higher than that in the controls. No difference of GEFT expression was detected between CTAS and NCTAS. Conclusions The abnormal expression of GEFT exists in various subtypes of STS, which may play an important role in tumorigenesis of STS.


The movement of water is a matter of great importance to all plant species. This is particularly true for the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.) which is tapped for the laticifer cytoplasm in the form of aqueous latex. Due to the lack of plasmodesmata, the laticifer water balance is mediated largely by aquaporins (AQPs), a class of channel-forming integral membrane proteins that transport water and other small solutes. Our studies reported the characterization of 51 full-length AQP genes from the rubber tree genome, and further assigned them to five subfamilies, i.e. plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs: 15), tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs: 17), NOD26-like intrinsic proteins (NIPs: 9), small basic intrinsic proteins (SIPs: 4) and X intrinsic proteins (XIPs: 6). Although the classification of subfamily/subgroup is the same as in castor bean (Ricinus communis L.), genome-wide comparative analysis revealed the PIP and TIP subfamilies in rubber tree are highly expanded, corresponding to their high water permeability and the particular importance of water balance in a big tree and a highly differentiated laticifer tissue. Functional prediction based on the analysis of the aromatic/arginine (ar/R) selectivity filter, Froger's positions and specificity-determining positions (SDPs) further suggested the potentially key role of HbPIPs and HbTIPs in the laticifer water balance. Moreover, deep sequencing of the latex transcriptome and qRT-PCR analysis supported a crucial role of several PIP subfamily members in the laticifer water balance under both normal and ethephon-stimulated conditions.


We tested the hypothesis that during a continuous popliteal-sciatic nerve block, postoperative analgesia is improved with the catheter insertion point "deep" to the paraneural sheath immediately distal to the bifurcation between the tibial and common peroneal branches, compared with the traditional approach "superficial" to the paraneural sheath proximal to the bifurcation. The needle tip location was determined to be accurately located with a fluid bolus visualized with ultrasound; however, catheters were subsequently inserted without a similar fluid injection and visualization protocol (visualized air injection was permitted and usually implemented, but not required per protocol). The average pain (0–10 scale) the morning after surgery for subjects with a catheter inserted at the proximal subparaneural location (n = 31) was a median (interquartile) of 1.5 (0.0–3.5) vs 1.5 (0.0–4.0) for subjects with a catheter inserted at the distal supraparaneural location (n = 32; P = .927). Secondary outcomes were similarly negative.


Purchases of private land for conservation are common in California and represent an alternative to regulatory land-use policies for constraining land use. The retention or enhancement of ecosystem services may be a benefit of land conservation, but that has been difficult to document. The InVEST toolset provides a practical, low-cost approach to quantifying ecosystem services. Using the toolset, we investigated the provision of ecosystem services in Sonoma County, California, and addressed three related questions. First, do lands protected by the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (a publicly funded land conservation program) have higher values for four ecosystem services — carbon storage, sediment retention, nutrient retention and water yield — than other properties? Second, how do the correlations among these services differ across protected versus non-protected properties? Third, what are the strengths and weaknesses of using the InVEST toolset to quantify ecosystem services at the county scale? We found that District lands have higher service values for carbon storage, sediment retention and water yield than adjacent properties and properties that have been developed to more intensive uses in the last 10 years. Correlations among the ecosystem services differed greatly across land-use categories, and these differences were driven by a combination of soil, slope and land use. While InVEST provided a low-cost, clearly documented way to evaluate ecosystem services at the county scale, there is no ready way to validate the results.


Frictional behavior and interfacial adhesion of differently textured pyrolytic carbon layers on Si substrate were investigated by indentation and scratch testing. A large amount of elastic recovery and a low coefficient of friction (μ = 0.05 to 0.09) were observed. Elastic/plastic and frictional behaviors of the coatings are strongly influenced by the microstructure of the pyrolytic carbon films, especially by the texture. The critical load at which the first abrupt increase in the normal displacement occurs was used to characterize interfacial adhesive strength. A pyrolytic carbon film deposited at higher residence time from a gas mixture containing 3% oxygen exhibited higher critical loads than film deposited at lower residence time without oxygen. The results can be understood if one assumes that the gas phase composition during deposition significantly influences the bonding strength at the interface. Failure mechanisms are discussed for both types of films.


Protonation of the polyhedral anion [closo-B(10)H(10)](2-) under superacidic conditions apparently generates an electrophilic intermediate, [B(10)H(13)](+), that forms 6-R-nido-B(10)H(13) (R = aryl, alkyl, triflate) derivatives by electrophilic aromatic substitution, C-H bond activation, or ion-pair collapse, respectively. The proposed mechanism of formation of the 6-R-nido-B(10)H(13) derivatives via the boranocation [B(10)H(13)](+) is discussed. The synthesis of carboranes, starting from 6-R-nido-B(10)H(13) decaboranes, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses of several 6-R-nido-B(10)H(13) decaboranes and carboranes are described.


We derive exact formulas for the expectation value of local observables in a one-dimensional gas of bosons with point-wise repulsive interactions (Lieb–Liniger model). Starting from a recently conjectured expression for the expectation value of vertex operators in the sinh-Gordon field theory, we derive explicit analytic expressions for the one-point K-body correlation functions in the Lieb–Liniger gas, for arbitrary integer K. These are valid for all excited states in the thermodynamic limit, including thermal states, generalized Gibbs ensembles and non-equilibrium steady states arising in transport settings. Our formulas display several physically interesting applications: most prominently, they allow us to compute the full counting statistics for the particle-number fluctuations in a short interval. Furthermore, combining our findings with the recently introduced generalized hydrodynamics, we are able to study multi-point correlation functions at the Eulerian scale in non-homogeneous settings. Our results complement previous studies in the literature and provide a full solution to the problem of computing one-point functions in the Lieb–Liniger model.


Primary malignant lymphomas of parotid gland are very rare. Most are B-cell lymphomas, and T-cell lymphomas are very rare. Unfortunately, fine needle aspiration biopsy is non-diagnostic. We, herein, present a case of a 51-year male, who presented with a large mass in the left parotid gland that had rapidly grown over a few months. As fine needle aspiration biopsy was non-diagnostic, we decided to take an incisional biopsy to disclose the pathology. The lesion was diagnosed as T-cell lymphoma after immunohistochemical examination of the specimens. Following 2-[18F] fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT), the disease was staged as 'Stage I'. The patient received six sessions of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone protocol as chemotherapy management. After the completion of chemotherapy, complete remission was achieved. In suspected cases, an incisional open parotid core biopsy should be considered for a definite diagnosis. As the treatment of lymphomas is not surgical, this approach avoids a parotidectomy, which in turn, avoids facial nerve complications. Key Words: T-cell lymphoma, Parotid gland, Malignant lymphoma, Incisional biopsy, Fine needle aspiration biopsy.


At the hill of Agios Symeon, on the island of Kea, Aegean Sea, Greece, ancient metallurgical slags with a high Pb–Zn–Cu content have been found. Thermodynamic simulations have been carried out, using the FactSage™ thermodynamic database computing system, with a view to understanding the ancient metallurgical processes that produced the observed slag compositions and morphologies. The simulations demonstrate that the slag samples resulted from Cu-making processes. It would thus appear that mixed ores were used, containing Cu2S–FeS–PbS with significant amounts of sphalerite (ZnS) as impurity. The roasted ores were reduced at relatively high oxygen potentials at ∼1125°C to form Cu containing low levels of Pb, Fe and Zn.


Attentive Recurrent Comparators (ARCs) are a novel class of neural networks built with attention and recurrence that learn to estimate the similarity of a set of objects by cycling through them and making observations. The observations made in one object are conditioned on the observations made in all the other objects. This allows ARCs to learn to focus on the salient aspects needed to ascertain similarity. Our simplistic model that does not use any convolutions performs comparably to Deep Convolutional Siamese Networks on various visual tasks. However using ARCs and convolutional feature extractors in conjunction produces a model that is significantly better than any other method and has superior generalization capabilities. On the Omniglot dataset, ARC based models achieve an error rate of 1.5% in the One-Shot classification task a 2-3x reduction compared to the previous best models. This is also the first Deep Learning model to outperform humans (4.5%) and surpass the state of the art accuracy set by the highly specialized Hierarchical Bayesian Program Learning (HBPL) system (3.3%).


At present, soil quality standards used for agriculture do not fully consider the influence of soil properties on cadmium (Cd) uptake by crops. This study aimed to develop prediction models for Cd transfer from a wide range of Chinese soils to carrot (Daucus carota L.) using soil properties and the total or available soil Cd content. Path analysis showed soil pH and organic carbon (OC) content were the two most significant properties exhibiting direct effects on Cd uptake factor (ratio of Cd concentration in carrot to that in soil). Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis also showed that total soil Cd, pH, and OC were significant variables contributing to carrot Cd concentration, explaining 90% of the variance across the 21 soils. Soil thresholds for carrot (cultivar New Kuroda) cropping based on added or total Cd were then derived from the food safety standard and were presented as continuous or scenario criteria.


Usage of thermal energy contained in abandoned, flooded, coal mines has the potential to contribute to low carbon heating or cooling supply and assist in meeting net-zero carbon emission targets. However, hazardous ground gases, such as CH4 and CO2, can be found naturally in superficial deposits, coal bearing strata and abandoned mines. Determining the presence, magnitude, and origin of subsurface gases, and how their geochemical fingerprints evolve within the shallow subsurface is vital to developing an understanding of how to manage the risk posed by ground gases in geoenergy technology development. Here, we present the first CH4 and CO2 concentration-depth profiles and stable isotope (δ13CCH4, δ13CCO2, and δDCH4) profiles obtained from UK mine workings, through analysis of headspace gas samples degassed from cores and chippings collected during construction of the Glasgow Observatory. These are used to investigate the variability of gas fingerprints with depth within unmined Carboniferous coal measures and Glasgow coal mine workings. Stable isotope compositions of CH4 (δ13CCH4 = −73.4‰ to −14.3‰; δ13CCO2 = −29‰ to −6.1‰; δDCH4 = −277‰ to −88‰) provide evidence of a biogenic source, with carbonate reduction being the primary pathway of CH4 production. Gas samples collected at depths of 63–79 m exhibit enrichments in 13CCH4 and 2H, indicating the oxidative consumption of CH4. This correlates with their proximity to the Glasgow Ell mine workings, which will have increased exposure to O2 from the atmosphere as a result of mining activities. CO2 gas is more abundant than CH4 throughout the succession in all three boreholes, exhibiting high δ13CCO2 values relative to the CH4 present. Gases from unmined bedrock exhibit the highest δ13CCO2 values, with samples from near-surface superficial deposits having the lowest δ13CCO2 values. δ13CCO2 values become progressively lower at shallower depths (above 90 m), which can be explained by the increasing influence of shallow groundwaters containing a mixture of dissolved marine carbonate minerals (∼0‰) and soil gas CO2 (−26‰) as depth decreases. Our findings provide an insight into the variability of mine derived gases within 200 m of the surface, providing an important 'time-zero' record of the site, which is required in the design of monitoring approaches.


The preferred treatment for kidney failure is a transplant; however, demand for donor kidneys far outstrips supply. Kidney exchange, an innovation where willing but incompatible patient-donor pairs can exchange organs- — via barter cycles and altruist-initiated chains —provides a life-saving alternative.Typically, fielded exchanges act myopically, considering only the current pool of pairs when planning the cycles and chains. Yet kidney exchange is inherently dynamic, with participants arriving and departing. Also, many planned exchange transplants do not go to surgery due to various failures. So, it is important to consider the future when matching. Motivated by our experience running the computational side of a large nationwide kidney exchange, we present FutureMatch, a framework for learning to match in a general dynamic model. FutureMatch takes as input a high-level objective (e.g., "maximize graft survival of transplants over time'') decided on by experts, then automatically (i) learns based on data how to make this objective concrete and (ii) learns the ``means'' to accomplish this goal — a task, in our experience, that humans handle poorly. It uses data from all live kidney transplants in the US since 1987 to learn the quality of each possible match; it then learns the potentials of elements of the current input graph offline (e.g., potentials of pairs based on features such as donor and patient blood types), translates these to weights, and performs a computationally feasible batch matching that incorporates dynamic, failure-aware considerations through the weights. We validate FutureMatch on real fielded exchange data. It results in higher values of the objective. Furthermore, even under economically inefficient objectives that enforce equity, it yields better solutions for the efficient objective (which does not incorporate equity) than traditional myopic matching that uses the efficiency objective.


Pericardiocentesis with drain placement provides relief of symptomatic pericardial tamponade. The use of a pericardial sheath preserves access to the pericardial space in the event a drain may need to be replaced or manipulated. Although rare, sheath fracture and migration into the pericardial space may be a complication of prolonged sheath maintenance. Prompt action may allow percutaneous retrieval of the foreign body and avoid the need for surgical exploration. We report a case of successful percutaneous retrieval of a fractured pericardial sheath. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Efficient timing macromodels for CMOS static NAND-type and NOR-type latches are developed, to compute analytically their signal timing under different input state transitions. The timing equations in the macromodels are derived from the effective dominant pole of the linearised large-signal equivalent circuit of a latch under the characteristic-waveform consideration. Through extensive comparisons with SPICE simulations, it is found that the macromodels have a maximum error of 22% for the total propagation delay times of the latches, with different device sizes, capacitive loads, device parameter variations, noncharacteristic-waveform input excitations and input-state transitions. When incorporated with the timing models of CMOS combinational logic gates, the macromodels can also be applied to characterise the signal timing of static sequential integrated circuits. Application examples on two CMOS clocked flip-flops and experimental verifications on a fabricated CMOS master-slave T flip-flop are successfully made to confirm the accuracy and applicability of the developed macromodels. Reasonable accuracy, wide applicable ranges and CPU-time, and memory efficiency have made the macromodels very attractive in many CAD applications.


This paper reports the results of studying ion-exchange synthesis of chlorine-free potassium sulfate from KCl and Na2SO4 on strong acid cation-exchange and strong base anion-exchange resins using an ion-exchange isothermal supersaturation (IXISS) effect. This effect is observed for a number of ion-exchange systems, where the ion-exchange process is accompanied by the formation of a stable supersaturated solution of slightly or sparingly soluble substances in the interstitial space of ion-exchange columns. The formation of stable K2SO4 solutions in the columns has been observed by the displacement of either K+ or SO42- ions from a cation or anion exchanger with concentrated Na2SO4 or KCl solutions, respectively. After leaving the column, a supersaturated solution crystallizes spontaneously, which allows for the design of a practically ideal ion-exchange process where a crystalline chlorine-free potassium sulfate is obtained right after the ion-exchange conversion cycle. The process is practically wasteless...


The UL27 open reading frame of the Duck Plague virus encodes glycoprotein B, the molecular characteristic of this gene was analyzed with bioinformatics software. The results indicated that this gene encodes an estimated 1000 putative proteins, contains the conserved domain of the Herpesvirus UL27-like protein. Similarity comparisons of DPV CHv strain gB protein sequences with those of 20 known herpesviruses clearly showed that the DPV gB protein sharing 58.0%, 48.1%, 45.9%, 45.8%, 45.8%, 45.8% and 39.4% amino acid identity with MDV, PRV, EFV-1, HSV-1, EHV-4, BHV-2 and ILTV, respectively. Phylogenetic tree of the amino acids sequences showed this gene has a close evolutionary relationship with MDV, indicating that the DPV should be placed into a single cluster within the subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae. The relative molecular weight of the protein was 113.8781kDa, an obvious transmembrane region was located between 860aa-883aa with a signal peptide 1aa-20aa. Nine N-glycosylation sites, fifteen N-myristoylation sites, four cAMP- and cGMP-dependent protein kinase phosphorylation sites, twenty Protein kinase C phosphorylation sites, seventeen Casein kinaseⅡphosphorylation sites, three Tyrosine kinase phosphorylation sites and one Amidation site were determined by PROSCAN. Also, one Cell attachment sequence R-G-D was located in site 525aa-527aa. These results provided rational data to elucidate biological function and physiological features of the UL27 gene.


Charged solute particles are known to be emitted from boiling solutions, in particular saline solutions and sea water. In the case of Leidenfrost boiling, decrepitation of precipitated solute was found to be an important factor. Conditions for the decrepitation of sodium chloride have been examined. The pressure in occluded brine has been estimated and comments are made on the main reasons for decrepitation. The subject is relevant to solute particle production from boiling associated, for example, with solution contact charging related to volcanic electricity.


Abstract. Wind turbines are designed using a set of simulations to determine the fatigue and ultimate loads, which are typically focused solely on unwaked wind turbine operation. These structural loads can be significantly influenced by the wind inflow conditions. Turbines experience altered inflow conditions when placed in the wake of upstream turbines, which can additionally influence the fatigue and ultimate loads. It is important to understand the impact of uncertainty on the resulting loads of both unwaked and waked turbines. The goal of this work is to assess which wind-inflow-related and wake-related parameters have the greatest influence on fatigue and ultimate loads during normal operation for turbines in a three-turbine wind farm. Twenty-eight wind inflow and wake parameters are screened using an elementary effects sensitivity analysis approach to identify the parameters that lead to the largest variation in the fatigue and ultimate loads of each turbine. This study uses the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 5 MW baseline wind turbine, simulated with OpenFAST and synthetically generated inflow based on the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Kaimal turbulence spectrum with the IEC exponential coherence model using the NREL tool TurbSim. The focus is on sensitivity to individual parameters, though interactions between parameters are considered, and how sensitivity differs between waked and unwaked turbines. The results of this work show that for both waked and unwaked turbines, ambient turbulence in the primary wind direction and shear are the most sensitive parameters for turbine fatigue and ultimate loads. Secondary parameters of importance for all turbines are identified as yaw misalignment, streamwise integral length, and the exponent and streamwise components of the IEC coherence model. The tertiary parameters of importance differ between waked and unwaked turbines. Tertiary effects account for up to 9.0 % of the significant events for waked turbine ultimate loads and include veer, non-streamwise components of the IEC coherence model, Reynolds stresses, wind direction, air density, and several wake calibration parameters. For fatigue loads, tertiary effects account for up to 5.4 % of the significant events and include vertical turbulence standard deviation, lateral and vertical wind integral lengths, non-streamwise components of the IEC coherence model, Reynolds stresses, wind direction, and all wake calibration parameters. This information shows the increased importance of non-streamwise wind components and wake parameters in the fatigue and ultimate load sensitivity of downstream turbines.


All papers published in this volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing. • Type of peer review: Double-blind • Conference submission management system: All the papers were submitted papers via the conference email: email@example.com • Number of submissions received: 226 • Number of submissions sent for review: 209 • Number of submissions accepted: 99 • Acceptance Rate (Number of Submissions Accepted/Number of Submissions Received X 100):43.8 • Average number of reviews per paper: 2 • Total number of reviewers involved:61 • Any additional info on review process: EAME 2021 uses a plagiarism software to detect instances of overlapping and similar text in submitted manuscripts. • Contact person for queries: Ms. Yolanda Xu, Advanced Science and Industry Research Center, Hong Kong, firstname.lastname@example.com


The major goal in dentistry and oral health care is maintaining the health of oral tissues. Thus, to achieve this goal, the advances in nanosciences and nanotechnology have paved the way to approach this goal. The application of these nanotechnologies to dental medicine have given rise to nanodentistry, whitch is an innovative branch of science. Many studies indicate extensive application of the medical nanosystems in numerous fields of nanodentistry such as prevention, diagnosis, therapeutic, restoration and tissue regeneration. The lattery, cover all dentistry specialties such as restorative dentistry, periodontics, endodontic, orthodontics, prosthodontics, oral implantology and regenerative dental Medicine. These dental Medicine nanosystems as nanostructred materials constitute new innovative nanoproducts that make possible the maintenance of oral health care in a very precise, safe and effective way. The objective of this review is to expose briefly, the recent advances in these dental Medicine nanosystems, especially in nanoparticles and nanoparticles-based nanomaterials. In addition, the article sets out to describe the various potential applications of this type of nanostructured materials and the challenges they present in clinical, cosmetic and esthetic dental and oral health care.


Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to examine changes in accountability as the provision and control of education moved from private nonprofit organisations to a public sector provider. Design/methodology/approach - – Analysis of nineteenth century archival documents from significant primary educational providers in a major early New Zealand settlement. Findings - – The nonprofit education provider utilised public meetings including public examinations, whose effect was to develop trust based on the education values it shared with its community of stakeholders. It also published financial reports which, along with inspections and statistical returns, were preferred once the government became the education provider. Such publications and inspections indicated bureaucracy and control. Nevertheless, government funding, rather than the nonprofit organisation's dependence on its community, made education provision sustainable. Research limitations/implications - – It has been suggested that the differences between public sector and private sector accounting and accountability are not always sharply defined (Carnegie and Napier, 2012). However, this case study shows that a change of education provider did lead to a marked difference in accountability. While theory suggests that public sector accountability should enhance democracy, the party best meeting this brief was the nonprofit provider, with the public sector provider preferring hierarchical accountability. It could be argued that funding dependence drove these different approaches as community accountability was traded for financial security. Originality/value - – Distinctive study of accountability practices to external stakeholders, in a mid-nineteenth century education context.


Introduction: Job stresses can increase the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in midwifery job, and reduce the efficiency and quality of their services. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the prevalence of MSDs among midwives and to examine the relationship between job stress and the prevalence of MSDs in different regions their body. Materials and Methods: This was descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study. The study population included all midwives working in public and private hospitals of Kerman in 2011. According to the research community, 74 midwives were selected as a sample of research, by Census method. For data collection, Standard Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and Altmeyer job stress questionnaire were used. The data were analyzed with descriptive and analytical statistics (Pearson correlation, t-test and Chi square test) methods by SPSS 16 software. Results: In this study 78.4 % of subjects had experienced discomfort or pain in the past 12 months at least in one body part. The most frequent symptoms of MSDs were observed in the three parts of body, feet with a frequency of 39.2% (29 persons), and knees and back each one 35.1% (26 persons). Also in this study, the relationship between musculoskeletal disorders and job stress was dignificant (P<0.05). Conclusion: According to the result of this research, it can be concluded that job stresses can presumably intensify physical side effects including musculoskeletal disorders. Also the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in midwives under studied was high. Therefore, holding training courses about standard body postures while doing job tasks and avoiding inappropriate body posture will be important.


It is often difficult to predict the optimal neural network size for a particular application. Constructive or destructive methods that add or subtract neurons, layers, connections, etc. might offer a solution to this problem. We prove that one method, recurrent cascade correlation, due to its topology, has fundamental limitations in representation and thus in its learning capabilities. It cannot represent with monotone (i.e., sigmoid) and hard-threshold activation functions certain finite state automata. We give a "preliminary" approach on how to get around these limitations by devising a simple constructive training method that adds neurons during training while still preserving the powerful fully-recurrent structure. We illustrate this approach by simulations which learn many examples of regular grammars that the recurrent cascade correlation method is unable to learn.


The study goal is to determine factors affecting the market access of green pomelo farmers in Ben Tre Province. The study collected data from 148 households growing green pomelo in Chau Thanh, Mo Cay Bac, Giong Trom, and Cho Lach Districts. The study has demonstrated six impacting factors to the market access of pomelo farmers by the logit regression. They include age, training, telephone, connection, distance, and acreage. In particular, training is the most affecting factor to the market access of green pomelo growers in Ben Tre Province.


Thin films of ZnS of different thickness have been prepared on glass substrates at room temperature by vacuum deposition. The thickness of the deposited films was measured by employing quartz crystal monitor method. The optical properties have been studied in the range of wavelength 250-500nm. The optical band gap, absorption coefficient and extinction coefficient values of different thickness have been estimated. The Photoluminescence emission spectra of ZnS films of thickness 550Å, 1150Å and 1850Å have been studied with different excitation wave lengths. In Photoluminescence spectra, recombination processes are observed with emission energies less than Eg. The intensity of the PL signal at the room temperature, averaging of the experimental points can be carried out in order to find more clear PL characteristics. The electrical resistivity measurements were performed at room temperature by four probe method and it shows ZnS films with high resistivity.


Maximal inspiratory pressure evaluation among non-cooperative critical patients: comparison between two methods Background: Although mechanical ventilation is necessary for treating acute respiratory insufficiency, it may be associated with deconditioning and respiratory muscle dysfunction. Maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) evaluation is used to estimate inspiratory muscle strength in artificially ventilated patients, but there is no definition as to the best way to make this measurement. Objective: To compare two methods for MIP evaluation, using four different protocols, among non-cooperative artificially ventilated patients. Method: Thirty non-cooperative patients undergoing the process of weaning off mechanical ventilation were evaluated. In accordance with block randomization, the simple occlusion method (OM) or the unidirectional valve method (UV) was applied to each patient for time periods of 20 and 40 seconds. Additionally, during the 40s measurements, the MIP value at 30s was recorded. Results: The MIP values were higher at 40s than at 20s, both from OM (48.2 ± 21.7 vs. 36 ± 18.7 cmH 2 O; p< 0.001) and from UV (56.6 ± 23.3 vs. 43.4 ± 24 cmH 2 O; p< 0.001). The MIP values were higher from UV at 40s (UV40) than from OM at 40s (OM40) (56.6 ± 23.3 vs. 48.2 ± 21.7 cmH 2 O; p< 0.001). There was a difference between UV at 30 and 40s (51.5 ± 20.8 vs. 56.6 ± 23.3 cmH 2 O; p< 0.001). Conclusion: Among non-cooperative patients, higher MIP values were obtained from the unidirectional valve method with 40s of occlusion than from the other protocols evaluated.


CT is an important diagnostic procedure in patients with suspected or known disease of the rectum. Knowledge of proper technique for CT of the rectum, as well as an understanding of normal pelvic anatomy, is essential to its effective use. CT can demonstrate the extent of perirectal and pararectal abnormalities detected on barium enema. While routine preoperative staging of rectal cancer is not justified, CT can be used to solve specific problems. Perhaps the most important role of rectal CT is in evaluating postoperative rectosigmoid cancer patients in an attempt to detect early asymptomatic recurrences and, thereby, prolong patient survival.


Over four decades, researchers have extensively focused on bonding flexible pavement layers. Scholars have concentrated on the partial or complete lack of interlayer bonding between asphalt layers, which is the primary cause of premature pavement failures, such as cracking, rutting, slippage of wearing courses, and decline in pavement life. These defects are observed within the high horizontal force areas owing to increased speed, braking, and sharp angles when entering or exiting highways and the variations in paving materials, traffic load, and climatic factors. Various studies have investigated the debonding of flexible pavements, and test methods have been developed to find effective solutions. This review is aimed at summarising and discussing certain factors influencing shear strength performance, such as tack coat material, surface characteristics of multi-layer construction of flexible pavements, and different mechanical shear tests. First, bonding in the interface zone area and its Effect on the shear strength performance is reviewed. Subsequently, the types of materials and construction methods and their effects on the bonding quality of the interface zone area are clarified. Finally, the linear relationships between certain effects and the Ability of nanofibers to improve the emulsion properties are discussed. However, no agreement on the optimum tack coat could be obtained owing to the variety of surfaces. Hence, a milling surface is recommended for higher shear strength. The shear test is the most used method for verifying the interlayer bonding strengths, and continuous research endeavours are recommended to analyse debonding in multi-layer asphalt pavements.


ABSTRACT Contemporary digital media is characterized by a cultural logic of participation that encourages sharing, confession, phatic communication, and an emphasis on the visual. In this techno-cultural milieu, self-presentation has become a key mode of communication, and has enabled ordinary individuals to attain a measure of celebrity status. A key component of being a microcelebrity entails developing a consistent persona that is recognizable and unique. How such persona can be studied from the sociolinguistic perspective of stance and style is the focus of this article. We combined corpus linguistic and qualitative discourse analytic methods to examine a small corpus of videos produced by Chinese online celebrity, Papi Jiang. The article presents key lexico-grammatical, discourse-level, and non-linguistic resources that are analyzed as stance markers that together contribute to Papi's intense, critical-satirical performative style. The significance of the findings is discussed in relation to performance, performativity, and critique in digital media. (Persona, microcelebrity, style, performance, stance)*


It is important to identify the ground deformation areas by landslides for sediment disaster prevention. Since InSAR analysis can investigate surface deformation in wide areas with accuracy of centimeters, it is effective for detecting on actively creeping landslides. Aim of this study is detecting deformation of landslides using ALOS-PALSAR data and verifying the validity of results based on the field survey. We conducted InSAR analysis in the Ikawa district located in the southern Japanese Alps, central Japan. This area has weak geology because of fault belts named Median tectonic line and Itoigawa-Shizuoka tectonic line. A lot of landslides have occurred due to existing steep topography and abundant precipitation (about 3100 mm/year). We compared the results with landslide distribution maps that were constructed by aerial photograph investigations detecting characteristic landslide topographies. As a result, by the InSAR analysis, some displacements of landslide bodies were extracted. We detected clacks in road retaining walls by field survey at displacement points. We also conducted 2.5-dimensional analysis at the areas in which displacement has been observed using images captured on both ascending and descending orbits.