Objectives: COVID-19, a novel Coronavirus from same family as SARS-CoV-2 is a highly contagious virus. It is transmitted mainly from upper respiratory system and affects important organs, like heart and lungs. The aim of this study is identifying appropriate therapeutic methods originated from persian medicine. Materials and Methods: This study has been designed from the viewpoints of traditional and modern medicine. Considering modern medicine, we searched valid database by searching key words "SARS-Cov-2" and "COVID-19". For traditional medicine, we searched reliable traditional medicine like the "Canon of Medicine" by "Avicenna", the Exir-e Aazam and Zakhira-I Kharazm Shahi. Patients were evaluated according to their symptoms and categorized based on traditional medicine. Physiopathology and management of the disease, including prevention and treatment were studied. Results: The principle underlying mechanism seems to be warm and dry dystemperament that affects different organs and causes various adverse effects which are higher than warm and dry dystemperament, but less than the presence of virus. Our traditional Iranian medicine findings are validated by the modern medicine. Conclusion: Based on symptoms, the equivalent of this disease was examined from the viewpoint of traditional medicine. Then, physiopathology and management of this disease were presented in five levels, including one stage of prevention and four stages of treatment, and finally, the treatment recommendations of Iranian traditional medicine were approved with new research results.


Aim. To study the changes of splenic morphometric parameters in aged laboratory animals exposed to ionizing radiation in the dose of 4Gr after multipotent mesenchymal and hematopoietic stem cells transplantation. Methods. The experiments were conducted on 72 white male laboratory mice at the third year of life with the body weight of 50 g. Multipotent mesenchymal stem cells and hematopoietic stem cells were obtained from 8 laboratory female mice with the body weight of 30 g aged 3-4 months, the gestation term was 14 days. The first group (36 animals exposed to radiation) was subdivided to 2 subgroups of 18 animals each. The suspension of multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (6 000 000 cells/kg) and hematopoietic stem cells (330 000 cells/kg) was introduced as single intravenous injection to the experimental subgroup (18 animals) 1 hour after the animals were exposed to radiation. The animals of control subgroup (18 animals) were injected 0.2 ml of normal saline. The second group included two subgroups 18 mice each that underwent the same procedure without being exposed to radiation. 9 animals from each group were withdrawn from the study at 1 st and 7 th day each. The lymphoid follicle gross area, area of the T-cell and B-cell zones, general numbers of cells in the red pulp of spleen, including erythrocyte and lymphocyte count, were measured in splenic histologic specimens using the morphometric «BioVision 2008» software. Results. It was shown that on the 7 th day after exposure to ionizing radiation followed by stem cells transplantation, the area of thymus-independent zone of lymphoid follicle restored back to normal ranges. The effect of multipotent mesenchymal stem cells and hematopoietic stem cells transplantation also resulted in the increase of the number of cells in the red pulp of spleen. There were no significant changes observed in numbers of erythroid cells and white blood cells in the spleen red pulp compared to control subgroup. At the same time, the leukocyte number in the red pulp of spleen restored to normal values. Conclusion. The restoration of the basic morphometric parameters in spleen of aged laboratory animals exposed to ionizing radiation may be explained be increased homing of splenic colony-forming units with subsequent activation of extramedullary hematopoiesis in spleen, and apoptosis-reducing effect of multipotent mesenchymal stem cells.


We summarize the experimental program of Jefferson Lab that studies the nucleon spin structure at low $Q^2$. This program completes the precise experimental mapping of the nucleon spin structure functions $g_1(\nu, Q^2)$ and $g_2(\nu, Q^2)$ and their moments started at SLAC, CERN and DESY at high $Q^2$, and continued at Jefferson Lab at intermediate $Q^2$. The results presented cover the domain where Chiral Effective Field Theory ($\chi$EFT) should describe the strong interaction. They provide a comprehensive set of benchmark measurements for $\chi$EFT. The preliminary conclusion is that nucleon spin structure data are still challenging for $\chi$EFT in spite of the notable improvements in these calculations.


This Article addresses a long-established debate in political theory — under which circumstances is it legitimate to force people to be free? Focusing on recent cases in Europe—handshaking, gender-mixed swimming lessons, and burkini ban — the Article reveals two types of moral hypocrisy. First, there is an increasing appeal to the notion of "forcing people to be free." This seems counter-intuitive and the antithesis of freedom, yet it is often justified based on conformity with the "general will" and the avoidance of self-imposed "harm." The Article shows the dangerous use of the concepts of the general will and harm and claims that they are employed to legitimize the submission of the minority to the majority culture. Second, the Article indicates the double standard of European policies. While religious symbols and ways of life of the majority are first culturalized and then universalized, symbols and ways of life of the minority, even when seen as cultural, are often religionalized and politicized. This legal facade enables the majority group to frame social reality as a direct conflict between universal morality and religious fundamentalism.


Objective To observe the ability of triple helix-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) modified with manganese porphyrin to combine with and cleave HBV DNA fractions. Methods TFO were modified with manganese porphyrin and acridines, and then reacted with the 32P labeled HBV DNA fragments at 37℃ in vitro (pH 7.4). Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and Dnase Ⅰ footprinting tests were used to show the affinity and specificity of TFO to bind to target sequences. The ability of TFO to cleave HBV DNA fragments was tested by cleavage experiments. Results TFO modified with manganese porphyrin and acridine could bind to the target sequence in a sequence-dependent manner, with a Kd value of 3.5×10-7 mol/L and a relative affinity of 0.008. In the presence of potassium monopersulfate (KHSO5), TFO modified with manganese porphyrin and acridine could cleave the target sequence where the triplex DNA was formed. Conclusion In the presence of KHSO5, TFO modified with manganese porphyrin and acridine could bind and cleave the target HBV-DNA in a sequence-dependent manner.


We have measured the total cross sections for single charge exchange in He2+-He+, Ne2+-Ne+ and Ar2+-Ar+ collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 1.8-14.8, 1.8-10.8 and 2.8-7.3 keV, respectively, using an intersecting beam technique. The results for He2+-He+ collisions are compared with existing measurements and calculations. For Ne2+-Ne+ and Ar2+-Ar+ the measured cross sections are compared with results from new close-coupling calculations based on a one-electron model potential description of the collision system.


Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and chikungunya virus (CV) replicated in monolayers of human umbilical vein endothelium to peak titres of 104.5 TCD50 per ml in 24 and 48 hours respectively following inoculation of 106 TCD50/ml of virus. The cultures demonstrated no cytopathic effects after 6 days incubation. Analysis of intracellular protein from virus-infected endothelial cells by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of 35s-methionine labelled extracts of infected and uninfected cells indicated that at 22 hours after infection, normal cellular protein synthesis was shut down and virus-specific protein was found inside the cells. In contrast, Influenza A viruses (HK and PR 8) did not replicate in endothelial cells. Endothelial cells exposed to a high dose of NDV were severely damaged as illustrated by rounding and stranding. Influenza A and CV did not exhibit this toxic effect. Although both NDV and CV demonstrated replication, they showed contrasting thrombo- genic effects in virus endothelium platelet reactions. Larger amounts of radioactivity were associated with endothelial cells when washed suspensions of 51Cr-labelled human platelets were added 24 hours after infection with NDV than when exposed to heat inactivated NDV or allantoic fluid. Platelets added to cultures infected with non-toxic doses of NDV or influenza virus adhered singly and in clumps to the surface of the endothelial cells, but not to those infected with CV. Identical results were attained when platelets, pre-incubated with virus, were placed on uninfected endothelial cell monolayers, then washed with buffer. The mechanism by which this adhesion takes place may be due to virus bridging or modification of endothelial cell membranes by viral neuraminidase leading to a depression of endothelial cell properties responsible for antiadhesiveness.


Environmental policy in centrally planned economies is nowadays based mainly on administrative measures, such as licences and standards. The realisation of environmental targets by physical planning, management, and regulation alone, however, is falling short of expectations. For that reason, economists in centrally planned economies have recently put forward various proposals for using economic mechanisms in environmental policy based on the economic valuation of natural resources and environmental degradation. Within these economic valuations three leading methodologies can be distinguished, based on Marx's labour theory of value, the notion of differential rent, and the notion of reproduction costs, respectively. Up till now, these proposals are only considered for use in perspective planning and they therefore bypass day-to-day economic practice. Besides that, the emphasis of most proposals is mainly on optimising economic behaviour rather than maintaining a certain level of environmental quality. If compared with the Western World's neoclassical methods of valuation some formal analogies in both approaches can be observed.


Abstract Context. Livestock guardian dogs (LGDs, Canis familiaris) can be highly effective in protecting livestock from predators; however, how they accomplish this, is poorly understood. Whereas it is clear that these dogs spend a high proportion of their time accompanying livestock, and confront predators that approach closely, it is unknown whether they also maintain territories around the areas used by their livestock and exclude predators from those territories. Aims. We aimed to determine whether LGD behaviour towards predators is consistent with defence of a larger territory that encompasses the stock, or is based on repelling predators that closely approach livestock. Methods. We used audio playbacks and scent placements to simulate incursions by dingoes (Canis dingo) at different locations with the LGD ranges, and used GPS tracking and automatic cameras to monitor responses to these incursions. Key results. The LGD responses depended on location of the incursion. When simulated incursions were a significant distance inside the range (about the 50th kernel isopleth), they responded by vocalising, leaving their livestock, and travelling up to 570 m away from the stock to approach the incursion point and display challenging behaviour; when incursions were at the boundary of the range (at or beyond the 90th kernel isopleth), they vocalised but did not approach the incursion point, regardless of the location of the sheep. The LGDs in this study worked in groups. Group members responded differently to simulated incursions, some moving to challenge, whereas others remained close to the sheep. Conclusions. Our results showed that protection by LGDs extends beyond the immediate vicinity of livestock, and is consistent with the defence of a larger territory. Implications. If predators are excluded from this territory, LGDs enforce a spatial separation of predators and livestock. This would reduce risk of attack, but also prevents the disturbance and stress to livestock that would be caused by frequent approaches of predators. Where possible, training and management of LGDs should allow them to range freely over large areas so that they can develop and exhibit territorial behaviour, and they should be deployed in groups so that group members can assume complementary roles.


Cotton textiles with high air permeability, good hygroscopicity and good soft-feeling due to be natural cellulose fabrics, but their high flammability greatly limit its applications; fire-retardant finishing of cotton fabrics can impart good flame retardant properties. In this research, a novel phosphorous-nitrogen flame retardant (FR), poly-(imino-4-amino- 1,3,5-triazin-2,6-imino-(3-oxopropyl)-N-phenylphosphinamido) (PCEPAM) was synthesized with 2-carboxyethyl(phenyl)phosphinic acid (CEPPA) and melamine (MA). Its structure was characterized by FTIR, 1H-NMR, and the thermal performance was analyzed by TGA-DSC. Cotton fabrics were treated via pad-dry-cure process with PCEPAM. The surfaces of treated fabrics and the combustion residue were characterized by SEM. The fire behavior was performed by limited oxygen index (LOI) and vertical burning test. The LOI of FR fabric is more than 28.5% after washing once. The thermal stability and surfaces of the combustion residue of the fabrics were investigated by TG and SEM, respectively. The results show that PCEPAM is not only an effective FR but also a good char-forming agent for the cotton fabric. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.24.4.18606


OBJECTIVES
The purpose of the research is to evaluate whether the exposure to antineoplastic drugs of health workers may cause alteration of blood chemistry parameters.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Research was conducted on 5800 health workers employed in a hospital in a big Italian city. The final sample is composed of 57 people in charge of cytotoxic drugs compared with 57 subjects not exposed; each worker underwent a general clinical examination and determination of the following values: complete blood count (CBC), white blood cell count (WBC), total protein, BUN, total bilirubin, creatinine, GOT, GPT, alkaline phosphatase, gamma GT. Statistical analysis of data was based on calculation of the mean, standard deviation and the distribution into classes according to the nature of each variable. Differences were considered significant when p was <= 0.05.

RESULTS
The mean and the distribution of values of total bilirubin were significantly higher in the workers exposed to antineoplastic drugs than in workers non-exposed; the mean and the distribution of values of monocytes were significantly lower in subjects exposed compared to controls.

CONCLUSIONS
According to the results antiblastic drugs, at the doses used in the departments we studied, can induce an increase in the values of total bilirubin for liver toxicity and a reduction in the monocyte line due to myelosuppression.


Background: Globally, Tuberculosis (TB) still remains a major public health problem. In India, Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) is the most common form of the disease; however, Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis (EPTB) comprises 10 to 20% of all TB cases. The diagnosis of EPTB cases is difficult because of paucibacillary nature and consequently is associated with low sensitivity of Zhiel- Neelson (ZN) smear and culture on Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) media as gold standard. The present study comparatively evaluates the utility of real time quantitative PCR over nested PCR and other conventional techniques for the detection of M. tuberculosis Complex (Mtc) in clinical isolates of PTB and EPTB samples at a tertiary care centre, Shri Ram Murti Smarak Institute of Medical Sciences (SRMSIMS), Bareilly.
Methods and Findings: In total, 205 both pulmonary (24) and extrapulmonary (181) specimens were processed for ZN smear, culture on LJ media, nested PCR and real time quantitative PCR using IS6110 as a gene target. Out of 205 samples, none of the sample was found to be smearpositive and only 28 (14%) samples were found to be culture positive. The nested PCR and real time quantitative PCR positivity was observed 100% in culture positive specimens. However in majority of culture negative specimens the sensitivity was 100% in both nested PCR and real time quantitative PCR assays for EPTB and PTB specimens. The specificity was better in case of real time quatitative PCR as compared to nested PCR, 45.8% and 20% in case of nested PCR for nonrespiratory and respiratory specimens respectively. The specificity was increased upto 86.1 and 100% with real time quantitative PCR for EPTB and PTB cases respectively.
Conclusions: The combined analysis of nested PCR, real time quantitative PCR and other lab investigations can be very useful in the rapid diagnosis of M. tuberculosis in paucibacillary extrapulmonary tuberculosis samples in Indian scenario.


Abstract Iron sulfide (FeS) has been examined in a diamond anvil cell to 120 GPa pressure using an in situ angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction technique. The transformation from a monoclinic phase (FeS III) to a newly described orthorhombic phase (FeS VI) was observed at 35-40 GPa and high temperatures. This phase remained stable during the temperature quench. After the decompression, however, the recovered sample was transformed to the troilite structure (FeS I). The relative volume change that accompanies this transformation is ~1%. No further phase transformations were observed at higher pressures up to 120 GPa, even when the sample was laser-heated to ~2000 K. There are four molecules in a single unit cell (Z = 4) of the orthorhombic phase. The isothermal bulk modulus (K0) of the orthorhombic phase is 156(6) GPa, with V0 = 99.5(7) Å3 when K0' is fixed at 4. The a axis of the unit-cell parameter is more compressible than the b and c axes. Our study indicates that the phase transformation from NiAs-type (FeS V) to orthorhombic (FeS VI) phases could occur in the Martian core.


Total serum and liver cholesterol values were determined in germfree and conventional Lobund strain male rats of various ages. The data indicate that in the absence of a microflora, serum cholesterol values are higher at an early age, to become slightly lower than found in conventional controls at the age of 100 days. In young, young adult, and old germfree rats, liver cholesterol values were always higher than in the conventional animals. It is speculated that better reabsorption of biliary cholic acid and cholesterol, unchanged because of the absence of a microflora, could be responsible for the higher liver cholesterol values found in the germfree animals.


Context: The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) consists of a battery of seven tests that are widely used to systematically evaluate movement. Objective: To evaluate the interrater agreement and intrarater reliability of FMS scores assigned by athletic trainers who reviewed video recordings of the movements. Design: Interrater agreement and test–retest intrarater reliability. Setting: Laboratory. Subjects: Eight athletic trainers rated the movements of 15 college-aged participants. Measurements: Component and composite FMS scores. Results: Median values for interrater agreement (0.90) and intrarater reliability (0.88) of the FMS composite score were acceptable. With the exception of the rotary stability test, all of the component scores demonstrated acceptable values for scoring consistency (> 0.80). Conclusions: Both component and composite FMS scores assigned by athletic trainers were highly consistent, both in terms of scores assigned by different raters and scores assigned by the same raters on two diff...


Background and Objective Denosumab is a valuable and safe therapy for skeletal disorders in adults and has received regulatory approval to treat osteoporosis and bone metastases. However, denosumab is not licensed for pediatric use due to a lack of high-quality prospective research on children. This study aimed to describe and discuss the benefits and disadvantages of denosumab in treating bone diseases in children and to summarize the current understanding of the role of denosumab therapy in children. Methods A narrative review was conducted using the literature retrieved from the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. Key Content and Findings In children with type 6 osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), juvenile Paget disease (JPD), and secondary osteoporosis who show poor response to bisphosphonate, the use of denosumab has been reported to improve osteoporosis and increase bone mineral density (BMD). Moreover, for those with relapse, progressive and refractory aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC), fibrous dysplasia (FD), giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB), and central giant cell granuloma (CGCG) lesions, denosumab can improve pain symptoms, control disease progression, and reduce serious adverse events. Although there have been sporadic reports of adverse events such as hypocalcemia during medication and rebound hypercalcemia after discontinuation, early prevention, monitoring, and timely intervention can prevent children from experiencing severe adverse events. Conclusions The published data indicate that denosumab has efficacy in alleviating disease in multiple refractory bone lesions in children.


Aims. The circumstellar environment of L-2 Pup, an oxygen-rich semiregular variable, was observed to understand the evolution of mass loss and the shaping of ejecta in the late stages of stellar evolution. Methods. High-angular resolution observations from a single 8 m telescope were obtained using aperture masking in the near-infrared (1.64, 2.30 and 3.74 mu m) on the NACO/VLT, both in imaging and polarimetric modes. Results. The aperture-masking images of L-2 Pup at 2.30 mu m show a resolved structure that resembles a toroidal structure with a major axis of similar to 140 milliarcseconds (mas) and an east-west orientation. Two clumps can be seen on either side of the star, similar to 65 mas from the star, beyond the edge of the circumstellar envelope (estimated diameter is similar to 27 mas), while a faint, hook-like structure appear toward the northeast. The patterns are visible both in the imaging and polarimetric mode, although the latter was only used to measure the total intensity (Stokes I). The overall shape of the structure is similar at the 3.74 mu m pseudo-continuum (dust emission), where the clumps appear to be embedded within a dark, dusty lane. The faint, hook-like patterns are also seen at this wavelength, extending northeast and southwest with the central, dark lane being an apparent axis of symmetry. We interpret the structure as a circumstellar torus with inner radius of 4.2 au. With a rotation velocity of 10 kms(-1) as suggested by the SiO maser profile, we estimate a stellar mass of 0.7 M-circle dot.


Several mathematical models have been proposed for the modelling of someone's degrees of belief. The oldest is the Bayesian model that uses probability functions. The upper and lower probabilities (ULP) model, Dempster's model, the evidentiary value model (EVM) and the probability of modal propositions somehow generalize the Bayesian approach. The transferable belief model (TBM) is based on other premises and uses belief functions. None of these models is THE best: each has its own domain of application. We spell out through examples what are the underlying hypotheses that lead to the selection of an adequate model for a given problem. We give indications on how to choose the appropriate model. The major discriminating criterion is: if there exists a probability measure with known values, use the Bayesian model, if there exists a probability measure but with some unknown values, use the ULP models, if the existence of a probability measure is not known, use the TBM. Dempster's model is essentially a special case of ULP model. The EVM and the probability of modal propositions (provability, necessity...) corresponds to a special use of the Bayesian model.


Objective The aim of the present study was to describe how policy makers (bureaucrats and politicians) in Australia and Ontario (Canada) perceive evidence provided by doctors to substantiate applications for disability income support (DIS) by their patients with mental illnesses. Because many mental illnesses (e.g. depression) lack diagnostic tests, their existence and effects are more difficult to demonstrate than most somatic illnesses. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 45 informants, all influential in the design of the assessment of DIS programs. The informants were subcategorised into advocates, legal representatives, doctors (general practitioners (GPs) and specialists (e.g. psychiatrists)), policy insiders and researchers. Informants were found through snowball sampling. Following the principles of grounded theory, data collection and analysis occurred in tandem. Results Informants expressed some scepticism about doctors' evidence. Informants perceived that doctors could, due to lack of diagnostic certainty, 'write these things [evidence] however [they] want to'. Psychiatrists, perceived as having more time and skills, were considered as providing more trustworthy evidence than GPs. Conclusion Doctors, providing evidence to support applications, play an important role in determining disability. However, policy makers perceive doctors' evidence about mental illnesses as less trustworthy than evidence about somatic illnesses. This affects decisions by government adjudicators. What is known about the topic? Doctors (GPs and psychiatrists) are often asked to provide evidence to substantiate a DIS application for those with mental illnesses. We know little about the perception of this evidence by the policy makers who consider these applications. What does this paper add? Policy makers distrust doctors' evidence in relation to mental illnesses. This is partly because many mental illnesses lack diagnostic proof, in contrast with evidence for somatic conditions, where the disability is often visible and proven through diagnostic tests. Furthermore, GPs' evidence is considered less trustworthy than that of psychiatrists. What are the implications for practitioners? Although doctors' evidence is often required, the utility of their evidence is limited by policy makers' perceptions.


Over the past few years, rapid advances in wireless broadband networks have been driving the evolution of communication and network technologies towards next generation omnipresent computing environments. If a mobile station velocity is high and its movement pattern is irregular, unnecessary handovers likely occur more frequently, and then a seamless handover algorithm between heterogeneous wireless networks is required. This paper describes two techniques Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) & WiMAX(Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) used in wireless communication along with their comparison and how vertical handover takes place between these two heterogeneous techniques. Here the heterogeneity is defined in terms of WiMAX and Wi-Fi Networks. The aim of this paper is to study these two techniques and describe the basic vertical handover procedure


Accurate tree height and diameter at breast height (dbh) are important input variables for growth and yield models. Height-Diameter models adequately describe the relationship between both tree characteristics at stand level. This study was carried out to model height-diameter relationships of mixed tree species in and around the departments of Forest Resources Management and Wildlife and Ecotourism, University of Ibadan. Five commonly used non-linear growth functions were selected as candidate base models and were fitted to individual tree height-diameter data of mixed tree species. The study area hosts about 24 tree species dominated by Eucalyptus camaldulensis , Eucalyptus tereticornis , Nauclea diderichi , Terminalia superba , and Terminalia randii . Complete enumeration was carried out in the study area. A total number of 115 trees were identified and measured. The sampled trees were used to estimate the 5 nonlinear model parameters for about 24 species of trees pooled together. Model 1 had a RMSE, SEE, AIC and R2 value of 4.256, 4.295, 122.8979, and 0.920 respectively. Model 2; 4.083, 4.122, 122.4568 and 0.927 respectively. Model 3; 4.096, 4.135, 172.8217 and 0.926. Model 4; 5.194, 5.239, 123.2952.and 0.881 and model 5; 4.088, 4.127, 122.8179, and 0.926 respectively. Among the Five models, Shreuder model (M2) demonstrated the best fit and accounted for the greatest proportion of total height variations (RMsup>2= 92.7%). Residual plots were plotted for each model as a means of verifying the validation of the equation. Keywords: Height-Diameter Models, Mixed Tree Species, University of Ibadan


Water scarcity is increasingly becoming a physical and economical problem across the globe; though water is globally available in relatively large amounts, it is becoming readily more expensive to harvest. Several methods exists that are applied in the treatment of water meant for drinking purposes, although quite often, physico-chemical methods such as coagulation/flocculation and filtration are still the most widely applied.This study aims to understands the effects of using different coagulation devices and different coagulants on the resulting particle removal efficiency, but also on floc size and strength. Also, this thesis tries to elucidate what causes the difference in removal efficiencies and to ascertain as to whether the Camp number (Gxt), often used to describe coagulation/flocculation is the best descriptor to predict coagulation efficiency. This study also aims at investigating the effect of adding baffles in coagulation/flocculation and how this influences removal efficiencies. Finally, the effects of pH and how it influences coagulation mechanisms were investigated...Read on


The international debt crisis has forced painful economic adjustments on the developing world. In the short run it has forced governments to seek to correct payments imbalances through stabilization programs, usually undertaken with conditional assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The crisis has also revealed deeper weaknesses in many Third World economies, weaknesses demanding more basic reforms in the structure of incentives, prices, and investment.


A self-heat recuperative seawater desalination process using fluidized bed evaporator with high recovery ratio (defined as product water flow rate divided by feed water flow rate) was proposed to develop a highly energy efficient desalination process. In the process, the feed seawater may cause an agglomeration derived from liquid bridge force between particles, which finally leads to defluidization. Thus, the influence of seawater feed on the fluidization was examined. Fluidizing gas velocity was changed as a parameter. The experimental results showed that the fluidizing gas velocity of more than 2.5 umf can prevent the agglomeration due to the liquid bridging. At the fluidizing gas velocity condition (u = 2.5 umf and 3.0 umf), small amount of agglomerations caused by solid bridge force was observed. However, these agglomerations did not strongly influence the fluidization and the seawater evaporation was maintained, which means that the fluidized bed can be used as an evaporator. Therefore, the novel thermal seawater desalination process using fluidized bed with high recovery ratio can be developed when the proper fluidizing gas velocity is selected.


Objective. Though methadone pharmacotherapy is the treatment of choice for opiate-dependence during pregnancy in the USA, most methadone-exposed neonates develop neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). NAS expression is widely variable among methadone-exposed neonates and only a subset requires pharmacotherapy. This study explores the potential predictors of NAS severity, including aspects of maternal substance use and methadone maintenance histories, concomitant exposure to other licit substances, and individual differences in intrinsic maternal or infant factors that may affect the infant's vulnerability to NAS expression. Methods. Fifty methadone-maintained pregnant women attending a comprehensive substance abuse treatment facility, received electrocardiogram monitoring at 36 weeks of gestation at the times of trough and peak maternal methadone levels. Vagal tone, an estimate of the magnitude of an individual's respiratory sinus arrhythmia and an indicator of autonomic control, was derived. Results. NAS expression was unrelated to maternal substance abuse history, methadone maintenance history, or psychotropic medication exposure. Male infants displayed more profound NAS symptoms and received more pharmacotherapy to treat NAS (all p < 0.05). NAS expression was related to maternal vagal reactivity; both suppression and activation of maternal vagal tone in response to methadone administration were positively and significantly associated with NAS symptomatology (F (2,44) = 4.15, p < 0.05) and treatment (F (2,44) = 3.39, p < 0.05). Infants of vagal non-responder mothers showed substantially lower NAS expression. Conclusions. NAS severity is associated with maternal vagal tone change in response to methadone administration.


Despite its controversial status, indirect translation remains one of the most prevalent translation methods and efforts have been made to explore the positive effects of this practice. The present article aims to contribute to such endeavours by researching the potential of indirect fansubbing for the promotion of several key areas of the United Nations' Fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). The article reports on a fansubbing community consisting of Chinese to Spanish amateur subtitlers who have mobilised indirect translation to attain linguistic proficiency, translational skills and cultural literacy. Results from fieldwork and qualitative data show that indirect subtitles might enhance Spanish-speaking communities' appreciation of foreign languages and cultures by providing access to otherwise inaccessible audiovisual products. The present research finds potential for indirect fansubbing as an autodidactic method capable of promoting a culture of lifelong learning, global citizenship, and the appreciation of cultural diversity, factors conducive to the fourth SDG.


Watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai var. lanatus] is a diverse species, with fruits of different sizes, shapes, rind patterns, and flesh colors. This study measured the inheritance of novel rind phenotypes and verified the genetics of white, red, salmon yellow, and canary yellow flesh colors. For each of the 11 crosses, six generations (P(a)S1, P(b)S1, F1, F2, BC1P(a), and BC1P(b)) were produced to form 11 families. Three new genes were identified and designated as follows: Scr for the scarlet red flesh color of Dixielee and Red-N-Sweet, Yb for the yellow belly (ground spot) of Black Diamond Yellow Belly, and ins for the intermittent stripes of Navajo Sweet. The inheritance of the C gene for the canary yellow flesh color was verified as single dominant, and a new inbred type line was developed possessing that gene. Aberrations in the segregation of red, white, and salmon yellow flesh colors were recorded, raising questions on the inheritance of these traits. Finally, the spotted phenotype from Moon and Stars was combined with light green and gray rind patterns for the development of novel cultivars with distinctive rind patterns.


O ff ering students immediate, formative feedback when they are programming can increase students' learning outcomes and self-e ffi cacy. However, visual and interactive programs include dynamic user input and visual outputs that change over time, making it di ffi cult to automatically assess students' code with traditional functional tests to o ff er this feedback. In this work, we introduce Execution Trace Based Feature Engineering (ETF), a feature engineering approach that extracts sequential patterns from execution traces, which capture the runtime behavior of students' code. We evaluated ETF on 162 students' code snapshots from a Pong game assignment in an introductory programming course, on a challenging task to predict students' success on fine-grained rubrics. We found that ETF achieves an average F 1 score of 0.93 over 10 grading rubrics, which is 0.1–0.2 higher than a high-performing syntax-based code classification approach from prior work. These results show that ETF has strong potential to be used for code classification, to enable formative feedback for students' visual, interactive programs.


It has long been known that an electro-magnet gives forth a decided sound when it is suddenly magnetized or demagnetized. When the circuit upon which it is placed is rapidly made and broken, a succession of explosive noises proceeds from the magnet. These sounds produce upon the ear the effect of a musical note, when the current is interrupted a sufficient number of times per second. The discovery of "Galvanic Music," by Page,* in 1837, led inquirers in different parts of the world almost simultaneously to enter into the field of telephonic research; and the acoustical effects produced by magnetization were carefully studied by Marrian, †Beatson, ‡Gassiot,§DelaRive,|| Matteucci,* Guillemin,† Wertheim,‡ Wartmann,§ Janniar,|| Joule,¶ Laborde,** Legat,‡‡Reis,‡‡Poggendorff,§§ Du Moncel, || || Delezenne,¶¶ and others.***


In this work, the effect of the presence and the diffusion of the Copper from the tool electrode onto the EDMed stainless steel (SS) surface have been investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Quantometer analysis, and Optical microscopic observations. The Taguchi method was used to study the effects of Pulse-on time (ton), Pulse-off time (toff), discharge current (I), and overall machining time (τ) on chemical composition, microstructures, micro-cracks, and electrochemical corrosion of EDMed stainless steel workpieces. The results show that the variation of machining parameters changes the chemical composition of the workpieces. By increasing the discharge current and decreasing the Pulse-on time, the copper and the carbon diffuse onto the surface of the workpiece. Consequently, the chemical composition of the workpiece surface changes, which leads to an increment of the corrosion resistance. The XRD showed the formation of Fe2C, Cr3C2, and CuNi. In addition, at higher values of discharge current and ton/toff ratio, the micro-cracks propagate on the surface of the workpiece.


We propose an integral equation theory for a mixture of macroions, counterions, and co-ions in a waterlike fluid in which all the components are accounted for explicitly. The macroions can carry positive and negative surface charges simultaneously, mimicking in this way the situation occurring in protein solutions. To solve this complex model numerically, we utilize the associative mean spherical approximation, developed earlier for low-molecular-mass charge-symmetric electrolyte solutions. To illustrate the potential of this approach, we present numerical results for various experimental conditions. Among the measurable properties we choose to calculate the osmotic coefficient, a quantity that reflects the stability of the solution. We show that the osmotic coefficient depends not only on the magnitude of the net charge on the macroion but also on its sign, as well as on the nature of the low-molecular-mass electrolyte present. These specific ion effects are the consequence of differences in hydration between the ions in solution and charged groups on the macroion.


Women are under-represented in disciplines related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans are also under-represented in these careers. Communication scholars have considered the role that media representations may play in this imbalance, as well as whether or not a shift in how STEM careers are portrayed in the media could help to address it. In this audience-based study, STEM professionals and students interested in STEM-related careers were asked about their lifelong media consumption. Responses from people from under-represented populations are analyzed. Their comments provide insights into the influence of the "symbolic annihilation" of women and minority populations in entertainment media. The interviewees' responses to specific characters provide support for Greenberg's drench hypothesis (1988), which suggests that one powerful portrayal can offset the overall dearth of positive characters in the media landscape. In particular, the character of Lieutenant Uhura from the original run of Star Trek was frequently noted by female respondents as an influential character.


There are 11 lamprey species in Canada: Vancouver lamprey En- tosphenus macrostomus (formerly Lampetra macrostoma), Pacific lamprey Entos- phenus tridentatus (formerly Lampetra tridentata), chestnut lamprey Ichthyomyzon castaneus, northern brook lamprey Ichthyomyzon fossor, silver lamprey Ichthtyo- myzon unicuspis, river lamprey Lampetra ayresii, western brook lamprey Lampe- tra richardsoni, Alaskan brook lamprey Lethenteron alaskense, American brook lamprey Lethenteron appendix (formerly Lampetra appendix), Arctic lamprey Le- thenteron camtschaticum (formerly Lampetra camtschatica), and sea lamprey Petro- myzon marinus. Entosphenus and Lethenteron were previously synonymized with Lampetra, but Nelson (2006) recognized these as three distinct genera. Conserva- tion status has been assessed in only five species and in two of these (western brook lamprey and chestnut lamprey), only for portions of their Canadian population. The 2007 Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada list indicates that the enigmatic population of western brook lamprey in Morrison Creek, Brit- ish Columbia, is endangered; the Vancouver lamprey in British Columbia is threat- ened; the chestnut lamprey in Saskatchewan and Manitoba is special concern; the northern brook lamprey in Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec is of special concern in the latter two provinces and data deficient in the former; and the Alaskan brook lamprey in the Northwest Territories is data deficient. The threats to the four spe - cies at risk were collectively related to habitat degradation and loss, sensitivity to a catastrophic event, and sensitivity to lampricide used to control the invasive sea lamprey in the Great Lakes basin. Despite much lamprey work being conducted in the past decade, there still remain a number of knowledge gaps. These gaps include unequivocal evidence as to whether parasitic and nonparasitic members of a paired species should be considered distinct species and information on the distribution and population sizes and trends of the native lamprey species.


BackgroundSNRPC is cloned on human chromosome 6p21.31, which encodes a special protein component of U1 snRNP granules. Although SNRPC played an important role in the pre-mRNA splicing starting and adjustment, but in the tumor biological function is still unknown.MethodThrough the pan-cancer analysis of SNRPC, and our data sets, phosphorylation and functional network analysis based on TCGA (Cancer Genome Map) and GEO (Integrated Gene Expression Database), also from the western blot, qRT-PCR and CCK-8, cloning-forming experiment, scratch experiment to prove SNRPC biological function.ResultsSNRPC is related to the regulation of RNA, shear, and protease signals and has an important effect on ovarian cancer prognosis. Through a series of biological information data mining and basic experiments, we found that SNRPC plays an important role in the proliferation and migration of ovarian cancer. SNRPC expression is positively correlated with the immersion of CD4+T cells, macrophages, and neutrophils (p< 0.05), as obtained through the TIMER database (Tumor Immunological Assessment Resources) database. ConclusionOur pan-cancer research provides SNRPC in different tumors, especially the relatively comprehensive understanding of the carcinogenic potential of ovarian cancer.


The paper describes mathematical models suitable for digital simulation of saturated systems. The method takes account of the changing saturation at every instant by using the magnetisation curve. The transient behaviour of the transformer is first studied, and the technique is then extended to cover the case of sudden line-line short circuit of the synchronous machine. Computed values are in good agreement with test results throughout, and a contrast is drawn between the basic simplicity of the method, and the complex problems to which it may readily be applied.


ABSTRACT Thermal stress is the result of a misbalance between heat produced or gained from the environment and the amount of heat lost to the environment. The level of thermal stress can range from minor or no effect to death of vulnerable animals. Under summertime conditions, thermal stress results in hyperthermia or heat stress. Heat stress in feedlot cattle is a common summertime occurrence in cattle-producing parts of the world (USA, Australia, Brazil, etc.). Effects on animals experiencing heat stress [...]


Phosphogypsum is a high volume by-product from Phosphate fertilizer factory, named the Triple Superphosphate complex of Bangladesh containing naturally occurring radionuclide. Distribution of 226Ra, 210Pb and 210Po in the fertilizer factory byproduct, phosphogypsum, has been determined using alpha and gamma-spectrometry. Both nuclides (226Ra and 210Po) were found to be concentrated in the finest-grained materials of phosphogypsum. The investigated radionuclide concentration values in PG obtained were comparable with data reported in the phosphogypsum literature, while lower values were found for these radionuclides. Moreover, laboratory radium and polonium leaching experiments of phosphogypsum by deionized water and selective extraction solution have been performed. Radium leaching results showed that fresh phosphogypsum produced the highest concentration of Ra in solution and old phosphogypsum showed a very low transfer to the water. Polonium leaching experiments have shown that only a small amount of polonium is dissolved in filtrated fresh water, this amount is increased when the pH is decreased. It was observed that some extraction solution is more effective at releasing polonium to water from the gypsum matrix. Approximately 32% of 210Po is present on the gypsum surface and not inside the lattice; this position is easily exchangeable with contact of external media (i.e., MgCl2 extraction solution) and 95% of PG was soluble with concentrated cocktail acid solution and a value of 14% 210Po was released with contact of 0.02M sulfuric acid solution. The results obtained in this study can be utilized to verify the environmentally safe use of phosphogypsum as an amendment to agricultural soils.


In this article, we review the theory and the experimental status of inclusive semileptonic B meson decays B -> Xc l nu. Based on these inputs, we present the latest determination of the magnitude of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element |V_cb| and of the b-quark mass m_b, obtained by the Heavy Flavor Averaging Group (HFAG).


The feeling is widespread in the West that the post WWII normative international order has been under severe challenge since Russia's seizure of Crimea, now exacerbated by statements from the American president casting doubt on the institutions that underpin that order. Is there a future role for OSCE mediation as this order erodes? Study of the Ukraine crisis in light of other protracted conflicts on the territory of the former Soviet Union shows that the same challenges have existed for a generation. Because the conflicts were small, however, the international community chose to accept a fiction of convenience to isolate them from an otherwise functioning international order: the narrative that the separatists sought independence, not (as in reality) a re-drawing of post-Soviet borders. This isolation is under pressure both from the new experience in Ukraine and from the extension of ever-greater Russian control over the separatists, amounting to crypto-annexation, despite a backlash from Moscow's clients, including in Armenia. There is little likelihood of a resolution to the Ukraine crisis, including Russia's annexation of Crimea, and prospects for mediation to resolve the conflicts remain dim. However, continued talks may resolve some humanitarian issues and provide a release valve to prevent pressures boiling over into renewed open warfare.In 2015 the present author published an article outlining some effects of the Ukraine crisis on protracted conflicts in the OSCE area and on OSCE mediation in those conflicts.1 He has been asked to revisit his assessment of that time in light of subsequent events in world politics (in particular the advent of a new administration in the United States) and in the region. The new developments give little cause for optimism that settlement in any of the conflicts is closer. Rather, the question for the OSCE is whether the international community, in view of the challenges posed by the Ukraine crisis, should continue to engage in the fictions that have allowed it to manage the conflicts since their beginnings in the collapsing Soviet Union.


Skeletal muscle represents between 30 and 38% of the human body mass. Both the maintenance and repair of adult muscle tissue are directed by satellite cells (SCs). SCs are located beneath the basal lamina of the skeletal muscle myofiber. They are quiescent for most of their life but, in response to physiological stimuli or muscle trauma, they activate, proliferate, and enter the myogenic program via generating myogenic progenitors (myoblasts) that fuse to existing myofibers or de novo myofibers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) play a critical role in regulating muscle regeneration and stem cell behavior. In this chapter, we review the pivotal role in the regulation of SC quiescence, activation, and differentiation in the context of muscular dystrophies.


The accurate, efficient, and reliable forecasting of wind speed is a hot research topic in wind power generation and integration. However, available forecasting models focus on forecasting the wind speed using historical wind speed data and ignore multidimensional meteorological variables. The objective is to develop a hybrid model with multidimensional meteorological variables for forecasting the wind speed accurately. The complementary ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (CEEMDAN) is applied to handle the nonlinearity of the wind speed. Then, the original wind speed will be decomposed into a series of intrinsic model functions with specified numbers of frequencies. A quadratic model that considers the two-way interactions between factors is used to pursue accurate forecasting. To reduce the model complexity, Gram–Schmidt-based feature selection (GSFS) is applied to extract the important meteorological factors. Finally, all the forecasting values of IMFs will be summed by assigning weights that are carefully determined by the whale optimization algorithm (WOA). The proposed forecasting approach has been applied on six datasets that were collected in Qinghai province and is compared with several state-of-the-art wind speed forecasting models. The forecasting results demonstrate that the proposed model can represent the nonlinearity of the wind speed and deliver better results than the competitors.


Fractal component model provides controllers for adding extra-functional capabilities to component behaviors. However, controllers may interfere one with another and their composition is still a challenge. In this article, we extend Fractal with a support for composing controllers with reusable operators. Then, we discuss how to formally model and analyze, in Uppaal, Fractal systems with several controllers. This enables us to detect when controllers interfere and to check whether their composition is interference-free.


Ingestion of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is associated with the risk of both diabetes and obesity. Rare sugar syrup (RSS) has been developed by alkaline isomerization of HFCS and has anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects. However, the influence of RSS on glucose metabolism has not been explored. We investigated whether long-term administration of RSS maintains glucose tolerance and whether the underlying mechanism involves hepatic glucokinase translocation. Wistar rats were administered water, RSS, or HFCS in drinking water for 10 weeks and then evaluated for glucose tolerance, insulin tolerance, liver glycogen content, and subcellular distribution of liver glucokinase. RSS significantly suppressed body weight gain and abdominal fat mass (p < 0.05). The glucose tolerance test revealed significantly higher blood glucose levels in the HFCS group compared to the water group, whereas the RSS group had significantly lower blood glucose levels from 90 to 180 min (p < 0.05). At 30, 60, and 90 min, the levels of insulin in the RSS group were significantly lower than those in the water group (p < 0.05). The amount of hepatic glycogen was more than 3 times higher in the RSS group than that in the other groups. After glucose loading, the nuclear export of glucokinase was significantly increased in the RSS group compared to the water group. These results imply that RSS maintains glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, at least partly, by enhancing nuclear export of hepatic glucokinase.


The present paper is a review on the structural approach on social thinking, a research stream that aims at studying the influence of social factors in thinking processes through characterization of relationship structures. The presentation of the approach is followed by concepts and research on social thinking and its related symbolic formations. The conclusion comments on the trend of bridging social thinking and social cognition research traditions and addresses the need of studies focusing on the social origin of the studied processes and the integration of communication into research.


Numerous voice conversion (VC) techniques have been proposed for the conversion of voices among different speakers. Although the decent quality of converted speech can be observed when VC is applied in a clean environment, the quality will drop sharply when the system is running under noisy conditions. In order to address this issue, we propose a novel enhancement-based StarGAN (E-StarGAN) VC system, which leverages a speech enhancement (SE) technique for signal pre-processing. SE systems are generally used to reduce noise components in noisy speech and to generate enhanced speech for downstream application tasks. Therefore, we investigated the effectiveness of E-StarGAN, which combines VC and SE, and demonstrated the robustness of the proposed approach in various noisy environments. The results of VC experiments conducted on a Mandarin dataset show that when combined with SE, the proposed EStarGAN VC model is robust to unseen noises. In addition, the subjective listening test results show that the proposed E-StarGAN model can improve the sound quality of speech signals converted from noise-corrupted source utterances.


Lattice matrix associative memories have been developed as an alternative way to work with a set of associated pattern pairs for which the storage and retrieval stages are based in the theory of minimax algebra. Several methods have been proposed to cope with the problem of binary or real valued pattern recall from corrupted inputs and recent results on fixed point sets of matrix lattice transforms have provided for an algebraic characterization as well as a geometrical description of the canonical lattice min/max auto-associative memories. Compared to other correlation type associative memory models, the lattice associative memory schemes have shown better performance for both storage and recall capability; however, the computational techniques devised to achieve that purpose are still cumbersome when inputs have undetermined noise bounds. The procedure suggested in this paper uses noise masking to boost the recall performance of either the min or max morphological auto-associative memories. Examples using image patterns show the enhanced recovery of almost correct associations from noisy inputs by a single lattice matrix memory.


The paper aims to analyze the main characteristics of the Romanian labour resources between 1999 and 2019 by using the statistic database collected in territorial profile. We analyzed the civil employment population based on their territorial distribution and we correlate the results with the main economical national activities. The research proved a polarization of human resources around the important cities, but also a distribution of civil employment population in the counties from central and west part of the country where in the last two decades developed more economic branches like construction and manufacturing industries. By observing the development pattern for 19992019 period we can say that Romania is facing many challenges like the decrease of labour resources due to reallocation to other counties or external migration. However we also observed that the industry, constructions and commerce act as polarizing sectors for the labour force, to the detriment of agricultural activities, so the future strategies have to be oriented towards the development of business in these fields.


OBJECTIVE To evaluate probiotics for the primary prevention of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) among hospital inpatients. DESIGN A before-and-after quality improvement intervention comparing 12-month baseline and intervention periods. SETTING A 694-bed teaching hospital. INTERVENTION We administered a multispecies probiotic comprising L. acidophilus (CL1285), L. casei (LBC80R), and L. rhamnosus (CLR2) to eligible antibiotic recipients within 12 hours of initial antibiotic receipt through 5 days after final dose. We excluded (1) all patients on neonatal, pediatric and oncology wards; (2) all individuals receiving perioperative prophylactic antibiotic recipients; (3) all those restricted from oral intake; and (4) those with pancreatitis, leukopenia, or posttransplant. We defined CDI by symptoms plus C. difficile toxin detection by polymerase chain reaction. Our primary outcome was hospital-onset CDI incidence on eligible hospital units, analyzed using segmented regression. RESULTS The study included 251 CDI episodes among 360,016 patient days during the baseline and intervention periods, and the incidence rate was 7.0 per 10,000 patient days. The incidence rate was similar during baseline and intervention periods (6.9 vs 7.0 per 10,000 patient days; P=.95). However, compared to the first 6 months of the intervention, we detected a significant decrease in CDI during the final 6 months (incidence rate ratio, 0.6; 95% confidence interval, 0.4–0.9; P=.009). Testing intensity remained stable between the baseline and intervention periods: 19% versus 20% of stools tested were C. difficile positive by PCR, respectively. From medical record reviews, only 26% of eligible patients received a probiotic per the protocol. CONCLUSIONS Despite poor adherence to the protocol, there was a reduction in the incidence of CDI during the intervention, which was delayed ~6 months after introducing probiotic for primary prevention. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;765–770


Compared with other industrialized countries, Austria exhibits a substantial "technology gap" in foreign trade that is revealed in a low share of high-technology products in manufacturing exports and in low unit values. The resulting deficit in foreign trade with high-technology products totaled almost ATS 22 billion in 1994. A positive structural change has been taking place, however, over the last two decades. In order to accelerate this shift toward technologically more sophisticated products, the ratio of research expenditures to GDP will need to be raised from the current 1.5 percent to the EU average of 2 percent. The additional funds required to achieve this goal over the period of six years total some ATS 40 billion.


We report on low-loss, alignment-tolerant coupling between a single-quantum-well (SQW) GaAs-AlGaAs laser and a cleaved single-mode fiber. The laser was fabricated using conventional growth and processing techniques, and did not involve any regrowth. The mode size in the transverse direction was expanded by using a diluted waveguide structure. A butt-coupling efficiency of 66% was achieved against a theoretically possible 78% (which does not correct for Fresnel losses). In addition, large alignment tolerances for a 1-dB excess loss of /spl plusmn/2.0 pm and /spl plusmn/1.0 /spl mu/m were measured in the lateral and the transverse directions, respectively.


The transportation of convicts to the British penal colony at New South Wales in the late 18th and early 19th centuries was largely undertaken by private merchants under contract to government. In the early years, the outcomes of this system, as measured by mortality rates, were mixed, but by the turn of the century, public officials had refined its operation, resulting in a significant decline in convict deaths. Close study of the evolution of this system reveals that government officials were grappling with many of the same issues encountered by public service commissioners today – trade-offs between price and quality, the use of transactional versus relational contracting forms, and heavy reliance on financial incentives as opposed to intrinsic motivation. Government's success in reducing mortality on the convict ships highlights the importance of system design, effective monitoring and management when public services are delivered under contract.


AIM
To determine the prevalence of renal dysfunction according to the type of atrial fibrillation (AF) and anticoagulation treatment in patients attended in primary care in Spain. METHODS & PARTICIPANTS: The VAL-FAAP study was a national, descriptive, epidemiological and cross-sectional study that included patients of both sexes, ≥18 years of age, with a previous diagnosis of AF by an ECG, attended in a primary-care setting. Renal function was defined by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), calculated by the modification of diet in renal disease-4 formula.

RESULTS
A total of 3287 patients with atrial fibrillation were included (mean age: 71.9 ± 10.1 years; 52.3% male). Overall, 31.6% of patients had an eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73m(2) and 1.6% <30 ml/min/1.73m(2). The proportion of patients with permanent AF increased as the eGFR decreased. Similarly, as congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥75 years (doubled), diabetes mellitus, stroke (doubled), vascular disease, age 65-74 years, sex category (CHA2DS2-VASc) increased, chronic kidney disease was more frequent. A third of patients with CHA2DS2-VASc ≥2 had moderate renal dysfunction; however, 35.5% of them did not receive anticoagulants (compared with 31.5% of those with CHA2DS2-VASc ≥2 and normal renal function).

CONCLUSION
Chronic kidney disease is common in patients with AF, particularly in those patients with permanent AF or CHA2DS2-VASc ≥2. Although indicated, 35.5% of patients with AF, a CHA2DS2-VASc ≥2 and moderate renal dysfunction did not receive appropriate anticoagulation, despite the high risk of stroke.


This work was directed towards finding out the natural radioactivity and effective dose due to ingestion of frozen chicken samples that are created regionally and foreign from outside Iraq taking in account different age groups. The samples were collected from markets in Al-Najaf city. This food analyzed in the laboratory using gamma spectrometer. The average of specific activity of 40K, 226Ra and 232Th of the samples under study were found to be 65.40±11.14 Bq/ kg, 4.53±0.89 Bq/kg and 0.87±0.19 Bq/kg respectively. These results were less than the worldwide vary for 40K, 226Ra and 232Th in food according to UNSEAR 2000 that it's four hundred Bq/kg, thirty Bq/kg and thirty two Bq/kg, respectively. While the average total value of annual effective dose for persons eating these samples in different age groups (infant, children and adult) were 112.25±16.98 μSv/y, 165.32±28.00 μSv/y and 93.65±15.25 respectively. The average of the annual effective dose found to be below the limit of (1.0 mSv/y) that is the value that suggested by the International Commission on radiological Protection. In general, it is complete that foodstuffs that were analyzed are safe for human consumption as a result of their natural radioactivity levels are under the utmost permissible level.


Introduction Gravel deposits in which the combination of topography, composition, structure, and magnitude is unlike anything described in geologic literature are widely distributed over the channeled scablands of the Columbia Plateau in Washington and thence along the Snake and Columbia rivers as far down as Portland, Oregon. They record extraordinary conditions of origin. No hypothesis for channeled scabland which does not account for them can be worthy of consideration. The writer's interpretation of channeled scabland[2][1] is so great a departure from prevailing conceptions of rivers and river work that numerous suggestions have been made by other geologists looking toward more acceptable, more conventional explanations. In none of them, however, is there an adequate appreciation of the character of these gravel deposits, perhaps because no adequate descriptions have been made by the writer. The endeavor in this paper is to show clearly just what these deposits are and to show the . . .

 [1]: #fn-1


The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the addition of the methanolic extract of Urochloa humidicola at four different concentrations (0, 75, 150, and 250 g L -1 ) on the in vitro rumen fermentation of Urochloa brizantha . The following variables were evaluated by the in vitro gas production technique: kinetic parameters; rumen degradation of dry matter; and production and concentration of the methane and carbon dioxide gases and of the acetate, propionate, and butyrate short-chain fatty acids. The addition of the methanolic extract reduces the production of gases generated from the degradation of non-fibrous carbohydrates (fraction A) in 9.55, 6.67, and 13.33%, respectively, at the concentrations of 75, 150, and 250 g L -1 , compared with the control group, but it negatively affects the degradation of the dry matter of U. brizantha at the concentrations of 150 and 250 g L -1 . The extract shows negative quadratic effect on gas production during 12 and 24 hours of U. brizantha incubation. The extract of U. humidicola reduces methane production and increases short-chain fatty acid production at the concentrations of 75, 150, and 250 g L -1 .


SUMMARY
The 8-week mindfulness meditation (MM) trainings have proven to be helpful for reducing burnout due to work-related stress. Most studies reported these positive effects with evaluations made immediately before and immediately after the therapeutic interventions. Little is known, however, about the symptoms of burnout in the months following these interventions. In our exploratory study, the effects of an 8-week MM training were assessed in a group of health care professionals (n = 19) with vulnerability to develop burnout; a 9-month follow-up was conducted on the subjects (n=8) who continued to meditate after the end of the training. Other health care professionals of the same company, who did not meditate during this research, served as control group. Burnout, mindfulness abilities and job satisfaction were evaluated through self-reports. Data showed that during the training the levels of burnout did not decrease, but significant reductions were observed during the follow-up. This indicates the possibility of obtaining results with MM even in subjects who do not have standard response time to the therapy and highlights the importance of monitoring the healing process.


We propose a stochastic model for a memristive system by generalizing known approaches and experimental results. We validate our theoretical model by experiments carried out on a memristive device based on multilayer structure. In the framework of the proposed model we obtain the exact analytic expressions for stationary and nonstationary solutions. We analyze the equilibrium and non-equilibrium steady-state distributions of the internal state variable of the memristive system and study the influence of fluctuations on the resistive switching, including the relaxation time to the steady-state. The relaxation time shows a nonmonotonic dependence, with a minimum, on the intensity of the fluctuations. This paves the way for using the intensity of fluctuations as a control parameter for switching dynamics in memristive devices.


The author presents an initial approach to identifying electrical household appliances strictly by analyzing variations in current-voltage signals at the meter panel level. The study shows that local measurement of variations in active and reactive power is sufficient in most cases to identify an appliance. This measurement must be synchronized with the events. This necessitates a numerical measurement device which can monitor the signal and isolate the times when variations occur. In a second stage, a sorting algorithm identifies the appliance that has operated. An attempt is made to show the feasibility of this device. Test findings secured on site using a test prototype are presented. >


OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of a consulting hour for ultrasound examination for general practitioners and midwives, performed by gynaecologists. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective. METHOD: Indications for ultrasound examination, as determined by general practitioners and midwives, were compared with the ultrasound findings. The consequences of the ultrasound examination were analysed. RESULTS: An abnormal finding was obtained in 23.5% of 1801 women examined by ultrasound. Correction of estimated gestational age took place in 47%. Abnormal findings were present in 64% of women with first trimester bleeding. In 5.6% a further consultation of a gynaecologist was necessary. CONCLUSION: A consulting hour for ultrasound examination is a useful supplementary diagnostic tool for general practitioners and midwives.


A model of a rotary ventricular assist device was developed to predict the blood flow through the device using the pressure difference across the device itself. The model contains two parts: inflow and outflow. The structure and parameters of this model were identified by linear regression analysis of data acquired from animal experiments. The model performed well, with a median RMS error of 18.09% for the inflow part and a median RMS error of 16.52% for the outflow portion. This model will be integrated with a cardiovascular model in computer simulation as a platform for developing the physiological controller of the device.


Complexes of trivalent lanthanides are utilized in medicine and preclinical research as magnetic resonance, optical or nuclear probes. In this contribution, thermodynamic (ligand dissociation and complex stability constants) and kinetic (formation and dissociation) properties of selected lanthanide(III) complexes with phosphorus-containing macrocyclic ligand which are based on cyclen skeleton will be presented. The ligands are H8dotp analogs where substituents modified on all parent phosphonate groups are monoester (H4dotpOEt), phosphinate (H4dotpH) or phenylphosphinate (H4dotpPh). The H8dotp analogs are less basic then the mother ligand and, consequently, the thermodynamic stabilities of the lanthanide(III) complexes are much lower. Rates of the complex formation of studied ligands are of the same order of magnitude to that for H8dotp. Kinetic inertness of complexes of the anologs is mostly lower; however, the kinetic inerteness is still much higher than that of complexes of open-chain ligands.


VLF tanδ diagnosis technology is introduced in IEEE Std 400 and proposed as evaluation criterion in an effective way of detecting water tree which mainly causes the failure of XLPE insulated cables. In order to inspect the accuracy of the VLF tanδ method for XLPE insulated power cables in Korean distribution system, diagnosis for 41 cables which were being serviced in the fields has been carried out and they were removed for AC breakdown voltage test after. Regarding the 41 cables, it was hard to confirm any relation between the VLF tanδ values and AC breakdown voltages and also water tree in the insulation was not detected. However, the other cables were failed several days after the diagnosis of the 41 cables. Water trees were found and their VLF tanδ values were also much higher than the criterion of IEEE standard. It has been ascertained that we need to change the IEEE criteria in order to improve the accuracy of detecting water trees by additional analyzing of field examples of failure and case studies from overseas countries and therefore amended VLF tanδ test voltage and evaluation criteria have been proposed.


The ability for robots to engage in interactive behavior with a broad range of people is critical for future development of social robotic applications. In this paper, we propose the use of online games as a means of generating large-scale data corpora for human-robot interaction research in order to create robust and diverse interaction models. We describe a data collection approach based on a multiplayer game that was used to collect movement, action and dialog data from hundreds of online users. We then study how these records of human-human interaction collected in a virtual world can be used to generate contextually correct social and task-oriented behaviors for a robot collaborating with a human in a similar real-world environment. We evaluate the resulting behavior model using a physical robot in the Boston Museum of Science, and show that the robot successfully performs the collaborative task and that its behavior is strongly influenced by patterns in the crowdsourced dataset.


Modern societies depend on energy for their very existence. Without it, the Earth cannot support its present population of 5 billion people, let alone even dream about supporting the 8 to 10 billion people that are likely to inhabit the Earth under the so-called "equilibrium" conditions (Kefitz, 1977) in the twentyfirst century. Society has long passed the time when most humans can "live off the land." At the present time, the average primary energy consumption is slightly over 2 kW per capita (Hafele, 1981; U.S. Department of Energy, 1987), but over 70% of the world's population is well below that average and is desperately trying to improve its standard of living. Therefore, copious amounts of energy will be needed over the next century to feed, clothe, warm, cool, protect, and keep the Earth's citizens healthy in the face of an environment under increasing stress. Ever since the world population passed the one billion mark in 1830, fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas have been used to sustain life on this planet. Up through 1986, we have used approximately 300TW-yr of that energy (1 TW-yr = 1012W for one year). Our present world population of 5 billion people (up from 2 billion in 1930, 3 billion in 1960, and 4 billion in 1975) and a usage rate of-2 kW/capita, means that we are currently using primary energy at a rate of -10 TW-yr/yr. As the world moves toward the "equilibrium" population of 8 to 10billion people, and allowing for some modest increase in the standard of living for the underdeveloped nations, our future worldwide primary energy consumption rate will be between 20 and 30 TWyr/yr. Since there is only lO00-1500TW-yr of fossil fuel energy left that is economically recoverable (Hafele, 1981; US. _ment of Energy, 1987), it is easy to see that somewhere in the mid-twenty-first century our economically recoverable fossil fuel resources will be exhausted. It is also possible that environmental problems such as acid rain, the CO2 "greenhouse" effect, or wars over the last remaining deposits of fossil fuels will limit the useful lifetime to even less than that determined by resources alone. It is also important to note that fossil fuels will also be of increasingly greater value as chemical feedstocks for nonfuel products to sustain the quality of life. In any case, for much of the twenty-first century, inhabitants of the Earth will have to rely on renewable energy sources (solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and biomass) and nuclear energy sources to survive. The use of nuclear energy in the form of fission reactors is already widespread with nearly 400 reactors located in 26 countries that provide approximately one-sixth of the world's electricity. By the year 2000, this fraction will increase to approximately one-fifth. However, this source of energy is not without its problems, which currently range from public resistance to the storage of long-lived fuel cycle wastes to reactor safety questions. There is another form of nuclear energy that could provide an even more environmentally acceptable and safer solution to our long-range energy problems. The fusion of certain light elements into heavier ones at high temperatures can release enormous amounts of energy. This form of energy release can be observed every day from the sun, and every night from the billions upon billions of stars that themselves are powered by fusion reactions. Scientists have been trying to reproduce a controlled fusion reaction here on Earth since 1951. After 40 years of research and the expenditure of over 20 billion dollars in a worldwide program, the fusion community is now within a few years of the first "breakeven" fusion experiments (Hau_yluk et al. 1986), historically similar in some ways to the Chicago Stagg Field fission reactor experiment conducted by Enrico Fermi and his colleagues in 1941 (Fermi and Szilard, 1944). Early in the 1990s, magnetically confined plasmas in either the TFI'R device at Princeton, USA (Hawryluk et al., 1986) or the JET device in Culham, UK (JET Team, 1986) are expected to release more thermonuclear energy than required to initiate the fusion reaction. Scientists have already anticipated success in these devices and have designed the next generation of fusion devices that will produce hundreds of megawatts of thermonuclear power in the 1990s (Abdou et al., 1986). Work has even begun on the design of conceptual commercial fusion power plants (Ku/c/nskt, 1985; Hogan and Kulcins_ 1985) and for fusion power sources in space ( Santan'us et al., 1987). Currently, the worldwide effort in fusion is concentrating on the deuterium (D) and tritium (T) reaction because it is the easiest to initiate. However, 80% of the energy released in this reaction is in the form of neutrons and these particles not only cause severe damage to the surrounding reactor components, but they also induce very large amounts of radioactivity in the reactor structure. It is fortunate that there is another fusion reaction, involving the isotopes of D and helium-3 (He 3) that, in theory, involves no neutrons or radioactive species, i.e.


The magnetic phase diagram of erbium with a magnetic field applied along the hexagonal c axis has been investigated using high-resolution neutron diffraction. The authors find that there are three distinct ordered phases occupying different regions of the field-temperature plane, a cone phase is found at high fields (B>or=2 T) which has an incommensurate structure at temperatures above 40 K, but which becomes commensurate on cooling, first with a wavevector of qm=1/4c* and then with qm=5/21c*; a nearly cycloidal structure in fields below 2 T, with a wavevector which passes through a series of commensurate values, with those structures having a net c axis moment being particularly favoured; and a phase at temperatures above 60 K which is mostly longitudinally modulated, but which also has a smaller basal plane component with a different wavevector.


The paper deals with describing the method of satisfaction measurement as a one of marketing techniques used for detecting visitors' satisfaction in tourist regions in the Czech Republic. In the treatise, we try to analyse visitors' satisfaction with the twenty four partial factors affecting total satisfaction. In the theoretical part of the paper, there are described methodological approaches to satisfaction measurement and presented various methods for satisfaction measurement with focus on the Satisfaction Pyramid method which is also used in the field part. Other presented methods are Customer Satisfaction Index, European Customer Satisfaction Model, Importance-Satisfaction Matrix, SERVQUAL Concept and KANO Model. Data have been collected all over the Czech Republic in years 2010 and 2011 twice every year. In the field part there are presented calculations of data and described total satisfaction, Satisfaction Index and partial satisfactions as well as level of satisfaction by tourist regions and correlations between partial satisfactions and total satisfaction which refers to importance of partial factors. Most important factors affecting total satisfaction are public transport, sport equipment, shopping possibilities, children attractions, orientation signage and free time programs.


The risk of late-onset cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection remains a concern in seronegative kidney and/or pancreas transplant recipients of seropositive organs despite the use of antiviral prophylaxis. The optimal duration of prophylaxis is unknown. We studied the cost effectiveness of 6- versus 3-mo prophylaxis with valganciclovir. A total of 222 seronegative recipients of seropositive kidney and/or pancreas transplants received valganciclovir prophylaxis for either 3 or 6 mo during two consecutive time periods. We assessed the incidence of CMV infection and disease 12 mo after completion of prophylaxis and performed cost-effectiveness analyses. The overall incidence of CMV infection and disease was 26.7% and 24.4% in the 3-mo group and 20.9% and 12.1% in the 6-mo group, respectively. Six-month prophylaxis was associated with a statistically significant reduction in risk for CMV disease (HR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.17 to 0.72), but not infection (HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.37 to 1.14). Cost-effectiveness analyses showed that 6-mo prophylaxis combined with a one-time viremia determination at the end of the prophylaxis period incurred an incremental cost of $34,362 and $16,215 per case of infection and disease avoided, respectively, and $8,304 per one quality adjusted life-year gained. Sensitivity analyses supported the cost effectiveness of 6-mo prophylaxis over a wide range of valganciclovir and hospital costs, as well as variation in the incidence of CMV disease. In summary, 6-mo prophylaxis with valganciclovir combined with a one-time determination of viremia is cost effective in reducing CMV infection and disease in seronegative recipients of seropositive kidney and/or pancreas transplants.


Modelling multivariate time series of possibly high dimension calls for appropriate dimension-reduction, e.g. by some factor modelling, additive modelling, or some simplified parametric structure for the dynam- ics (i.e. the serial dependence) of the time series. This workshop aimed to bring together experts in this field in order to discuss recent methodology for multivariate time series dynamics which are changing over time: by an abrupt switch between two (or more) different regimes or rather smoothly evolving over time. The emphasis has been on mathematical methods for semiparametric modelling and estimation, where "semiparametric" is to be understood in a rather broad sense: parametric models where the parameters are themselves nonparametric functions (of time), regime-switching nonpara- metric models with a parametric specification of the transition mechanism, and alike. An ultimate goal of these models to be applied to economic and financial time series is prediction. Another emphasis has been on comparing Bayesian with frequentist approaches, and to cover both theoretical aspects of estimation, such as consistency and efficiency, and computational aspects.


This work aims to provide the first holistic and deep bibliometric mapping and analysis of the management of plastic waste. Data from the last five years were obtained from a Scopus database search. Relevant information on scientific production, contributions by country and institutions, sources, reference authors, and topic trends were obtained, being analysed using the VOSviewer and Bibliometrix R-package software programs. The results clearly have shown a significant increase in the number of publications over the years, depicting the great influence of the People's Republic of China, since the most relevant authors, publications, and institutes are Chinese. Regarding the topic trends, there is a massive concern about plastic pollution, especially related to plastic in water bodies (mainly microplastics), and the socio-environmental problems which plastic may cause/aggravate, with recycling and the circular economy emerging as possible solutions.


We discuss the environmental dependence of the galaxy evolution based on deep panoramic imaging of two distant clusters, CL0016+1609 at z = 0.55 and RXJ0152.7−1257 at z = 0.83, taken with Suprime-Cam on Subaru as part of the PISCES project. By combining with the SDSS data as a local counterpart for comparison, we construct a large sample of galaxies that spans wide ranges in environment, time, and stellar mass (or luminosity). Based on local and global densities of galaxies, we classify three environments: field, group, and cluster. Then we focus on the color-magnitude relation of galaxies. In particular, we quantify how the color-magnitude relation is built-up as a function of time, environment, and mass. In the field environment, there is no clear color-magnitude relation at z = 0.83, while a clear relation is seen at lower redshifts, especially at the bright end. In groups, a relation is visible only at the bright end (MV < −20) at z = 0.83. The relation is found to extend down to our magnitude limit in groups at lower redshifts. Clusters have a clear relation down to the magnitude limit at all redshifts considered here. We confirm the 'down-sizing' in the star formation recently reported both at low and high redshifts, where massive galaxies complete their star formation earliest and the truncation of star formation is propagated to smaller objects as time progresses. Our results suggest that 'down-sizing' is yet at its earlier stage in lower density regions, while it is more proceeded in high density regions. All in all, it is likely that the formation and evolution of galaxies are the earliest in massive systems and in high density regions, and it proceeds to less massive systems and to lower density regions.


The research deals with difficulties in the communication between health professionals and pediatrics patients, under hospitalization conditions. Considering that an effective communication involves mutual recognition, the research focused both patients and professionals, in order to understand the communication between each other and the ways they interact. Given the problem stated, the methodology is qualitative and the method, the case study. The field research was developed in a public university hospital in the city of Sao Paulo. A comunicacao entre os profissionais de pediatria e a crianca hospitalizadaTwo children were chosen for study according to the following criteria: in school age and staying in the hospital over one week. A systematic tracking of these two children was made, through observation and the family members and professionals involved in the children's care and treatment were interviewed, covering most of the children interpersonal relations in the hospital. We observed that the communication was established preferably between professionals and the children's family members, but not necessarily with the children's participation, living then on a secondary level in the relationship.


Reliability issues are becoming more important in interconnect via. Electromigration experiments are performed on line/via structures in a two level Cu dual damascene interconnection system and it is found that wide line/via fails earlier than the narrow line/via. Semi-classical width dependence Black's equation together with finite element analysis revealed that the difference in the time to failure is due to the much larger average current density along the heterogeneous interface for the wide line/via structure, and good agreement is obtained between the simulation and experimental results.


Methods of analysing motion have advanced greatly in recent years due to improvement in technology as well as application of scientific approaches. Methods of analysis may involve video based techniques from which kinematics and kinetics can be derived or direct measurement of velocity and force using various velocities and force transducing devices. At the Centre for Aquatics Research and Education (CARE) we have developed methods based predominantly on analysis of video. Analysis based on video ranges from qualitative analysis without quantification of variables, to three-dimensional analysis of kinematics and kinetics from digitised body landmarks from several cameras. The purpose of this paper is to present video-based methods of collecting data, analysing data, and presenting results for different levels of analysis including qualitative analysis and simple quantitative analysis for immediate feedback, two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) quantitative analysis of kinematics, and deriving forces from the whole body centre of mass. Examples of specific applications and implications are described.


The paper discusses the effect damper circuit modeling and the current interruption process following clearance of grid network disturbances has on machine transient response. Parameters for a 2-direct-axis and 3-quadrature-axis damper circuit model are given, as are those for lower-order damper model equivalents. Torques obtained following clear¬ ance of typical L-L-L and L-L non-ground system disturbances at fault current zeros or by simultaneous interruption for detailed and reduced damper models are illustrated. Further, the effect damper circuit modeling has on peak torque response following clearance of supply network disturbances at fault current zeros, sustained L-L-L and L-L stator terminal short-circuits and worst-case malsynchromzation is depicted.


The Crotone Basin was generated in the late Cenozoic as a forearc basin of the Ionian arc‐trench system. New data are gained through detailed field mapping, high‐resolution stratigraphic analysis of a key area and examination of offshore well data and seismic reflection profiles. Major unconformities divide the basin fill into major sequences, which reveal a three‐stage internal organization thought to reflect geodynamic events of the Calabrian arc and backarc area closely. The first stage is characterized by extensional block faulting and uplift followed by rapid drowning during high subsidence and transtension in the basin along a major NNW‐ to NW‐striking fault system. This stage is interpreted to reflect resumption of rollback after an episode of slab tearing triggered by transitory docking of continental lithosphere in the trench. The initial uplift is inferred to reflect decoupling and rebound after the transitory coupling phase. The second stage is characterized by increased subsidence and continued extension/transtension. This trend presumably reflects a decreasing rate of rollback resulting from a tendency towards viscous coupling after acceleration of slab downwelling. The third stage is characterized by short‐lived transpression along major shear zones and local inversion of former basins. This is inferred to reflect entrance into the trench of buoyant continental lithosphere, resulting in significant deceleration of slab rollback and consequently a break in, or slowing of, backarc extension, and predominance of the effects of compression related to Africa–Europe convergence. Overall, the above evolution resulted in the formation of a progressively narrower and rapidly retreating slab, inducing extreme rates of backarc extension, and may have played a critical role in determining the intermittent nature of the backarc rifting.


Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy that leads to loss of retinal ganglion cells and thinning of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL). Circumpapillary RNFL thickness measurements have been used for glaucoma diagnostic and monitoring purposes. However, manual measurement of the RNFL thickness is tedious and subjective. We proposed and evaluated the performance of automated RNFL segmentation from OCT images using a state-of-the-art deep learning-based model. Circumpapillary OCT scans were extracted from volumetric OCT scans using a high-resolution swept-source OCT device. Manual annotation was performed on the extracted scans and used for training and evaluation. The results show that the accuracy and diagnostic performance is comparable to manual assessment, and the potential application of deep learning-based approach in such segmentation.


Adequate assessment of heparin neutralization following cardiac surgery is critical in reducing the patient's exposure to protamine. Both excessive protamine and residual heparin have been associated with postoperative bleeding and poor patient recovery. The activated clotting time (ACT) is the preferred intraoperative heparin monitor, while both protamine titration (i.e. a protamine-containing ACT) and thrombin time methods have been used to detect circulating residual heparin after protamine administration. Following initial protamine dosing using the protamine response test (PRT), postoperative monitoring was employed in the operating room prior to transport of the patient to intensive care. Two point-of-care assays, the thrombin time (TT) and the protamine dose assay (PDA), were evaluated to determine their relative heparin sensitivity and their usefulness to quantitate protamine dose. The PDA, which is based on the ACT, was shown in laboratory and clinical studies to detect residual heparin above 0.25 units/ml and to quantify additional minidoses of protamine (as low as 25 mg) required to obtain complete heparin neutralization. Differential evaluation of the TT and heparin neutralized thrombin time (HNTT) was shown in laboratory studies to be more sensitive to small amounts of residual heparin than the ACT. Clinical evaluations confirmed that additional protamine is required in approximately 12% of cardiac surgical cases managed using the PRT system. Both the PDA and TT/HNTT provided useful postoperative assessment of the adequacy of heparin neutralization. The TT/HNTT had slightly improved heparin sensitivity even in the presence of significant fibrinogen loss. These point-of-care assays provide the opportunity to optimize heparin and protamine management in the cardiac surgery patient.


Oedema is considered a key pathogenic factor in the development of venous leg ulcers. The purpose of this study was to determine the localization of oedema in legs with ulcers. Twelve patients with 13 venous leg ulcers (one bilateral), with a duration of 7–18 months, were examined by high‐frequency B‐mode ultrasound scanner. This was performed at three sites in the leg (low, middle and upper sites of the lower leg). In the same group of patients, the legs without ulcers were used as controls. The echogenicity and the thickness of the whole dermis were quantified by digital image analysis; the echogenicities of the upper (papillary) and lower portions of the dermis were measured. In the upper site no significant difference was found between the legs with ulcers and controls. In the middle and low sites of legs with ulcers, the dermal echogenicities were 34% and 64% (P < 0.01) less than those in controls, and the dermal thicknesses were 0.4 mm and 0.8 mm (P < 0.01) thicker than those in controls, respectively. This indicated intradermal oedema existing in the lower part (gaiter area) of the legs with ulcers. The ratios of low echogenic pixels in the upper and lower portions of the dermis, in the middle and low sites of legs with ulcers, were 0.5 and 0.9 (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01), respectively, higher than those in controls, suggesting the papillary dermis as a preferential site of oedema formation. The present study demonstrates that in the low sites of legs with ulcers, a marked increase in oedema was seen in the papillary dermis. This may add to the understanding of the origin of leg ulcers in the gaiter area of the leg.


Natural Language interfaces have been proposed as a solution to make application functionality more accessible to end users. Practical implementation of such systems has been hampered by both semantic and knowledge-engineering challenges. This paper introduces Social Computation, a theoretical model targeting both challenges. The model employs natural language in a planning framework to enable communities of end-users to collaborate, explicitly and implicitly, in the development of new functionality. The model intrinsically supports the acquisition of user goals and natural language semantics in the context of the application domain. ScratchTalk is a prototype of the natural language planning component of the model applied to the Scratch programming environment. This serves to ground the framework and provide insights into the space of applications likely to be addressable by the Social Computation model. Author