SLOVIC P. Perceived risk, trust, and democracy. Risk Analysis 1993;13:675-682. Slovic argues that the study of risk perception and trust leads to a more adequate diagnosis of the root causes of risk concerns and risk conflicts. He argues that new approaches to risk management can go in two directions: the first, towards less public participation and more centralized control (the French model); the second, towards increased openness and involvement with the public going beyond public relations and &dquo;two-way communication&dquo; to levels of power sharing and public participation. Slovic points out that the second approach has rarely been attempted and carries with it no guarantee of success.


Side-coupled photonic crystal (PhC) nanobeam cavities were investigated to overcome challenges in measuring low-order resonances in traditional in-line PhC nanobeams that arise due to the trade-off between achieving high quality (Q)-factor and high transmission intensity resonances. On the same PhC nanobeam, we demonstrate that the side-coupling approach leads to measurable resonances even in cases in which high mirror strength unit cells severely limit the intensity of transmitted light through the in-line configuration. In addition, by coupling light directly into the cavity center, the design of side-coupled PhC nanobeams can be simplified such that high Q-factor PhC nanobeams can be achieved using only two different hole radii and uniform hole spacing.


Investigation of common mode (CM) electromagnetic interference (EMI) currents in an electromagnetic synchronous motor (EMSM) fed by the pulse width modulated (PWM) voltage converter requires a model of the motor that take into account parasitic capacitances existing in the motor windings. Presented CM transfer impedance analysis method shows that the motor voltage transient is strongly related to the resonance effects observed on the windings CM impedance. The wide frequency CM impedance characteristics analysis allows to identify and determine resonance effects which are the primary reasons for voltage ringing phenomena. The paper presents a circuit modeling method of the EMSM windings parasitic capacitances, which allows to take into account the change of the winding to ground capacitance for different frequency ranges in the conducted frequency range. The proposed circuit model and its parameter identification method make possible more accurate CM currents modeling in the EMSM windings fed by the converter.


An increased focus on bad leaders and toxic workplaces in recent years has led many to question how a single leader can have such a large effect on an organization. It is becoming more apparent that a relationship exists between leadership, workplace culture, and employee behavior that may explain how destructive leadership can become so widespread. This study examines the effects of perceived destructive leadership on how employees view the ethical culture of their workplace, and how they treat their fellow coworkers. 97 participants participated in an online questionnaire asking them about their perception of their leader, the culture of their workplace, and the extent to which they had bullied coworkers within the past six months. The results showed that destructive leadership significantly predicted an unethical workplace culture, and that an unethical workplace culture significantly predicted higher rates of employee bullying. However, there was no significant direct relationship found between destructive leadership and employee bullying. These findings suggest that it is not only leaders that can perpetuate destruction throughout an organization, but that culture and employees play a significant role as well. (Less)


The objective was to evaluate seminal plasma supplementation and the relationship between some of its components with frozen-thawed semen quality of donkey ( Equus asinus ). Semen from five Colombian Creole donkeys was collected by the artificial vagina method. From a fraction of each ejaculate the seminal plasma was separated by centrifugation, and vitamin C (VC), vitamin E (VE), total protein (TP) and lipid profile (LP) was evaluated. Semen cryopreservation was performed by conventional freezing in supplemented extender with 20 % of seminal plasma. Motility , structural membrane integrity (SMI), abnormal morphology (AM) and functional membrane integrity (HOS) of sperm, was assessed by SCA ® computerized system, SYBR14 / IP fluorescent assay, eosin-nigrosine staining and hypo osmotic swelling test, respectively. Mixed models were fitted where the fixed effect of the level of each component is included and a Pearson correlation analysis was performed between the plasma components and sperm quality. Means were compared by the Tukey test. It was found that high levels of VC, VE, TP and stearic acid (C18:0) had a deleterious effect on cryopreserved semen quality ( P ≤0.05). While a low level of PT and C18: 0, and a medium level of VE and VC showed higher post-thaw results for motility and membrane integrity ( P ≤0.05). Negative correlation coefficients of VC, VE, TP and C18:0 with different parameters of post-thaw semen quality were found. It is concluded that the composition of seminal plasma supplemented in freezing of donkey semen, influences the post-thaw sperm quality.


Understanding human gestures can be posed as a typical classification problem. Within the computer, gestures are represented as time-varying patterns in feature space. These patterns, though variable, are distinct and have associated meanings. In the absence of a priori knowledge of the underlying class probabilities, classification is performed based on some notion of similarity, e.g. distance, among samples. The k-nearest neighbour (kNN) decision rule has often been used in these pattern recognition problems. The use of this particular technique gives rise to multiple issues, one of them being that it operates under the implicit assumption that all features are of equal importance in deciding the class membership of the pattern to be classified, regardless of their "relevancy". This paper presents an accelerometer-based gesture recognition system that utilizes Mahalanobis distance metric learning to derive optimal weighting scheme for nearest neighbour classification. The metric is trained with the goal of separating different classes by large local margins and pulling closer together samples from the same class, based on using as few features as possible. Our experiments on an arbitrary gesture set show that the proposed method leads to significant improvements in recognition accuracies, yielding simultaneously a maximum of feature discrimination.


$Q$-learning with function approximation is one of the most popular methods in reinforcement learning. Though the idea of using function approximation was proposed at least 60 years ago, even in the simplest setup, i.e, approximating $Q$-functions with linear functions, it is still an open problem on how to design a provably efficient algorithm that learns a near-optimal policy. The key challenges are how to efficiently explore the state space and how to decide when to stop exploring in conjunction with the function approximation scheme.
The current paper presents a provably efficient algorithm for $Q$-learning with linear function approximation. Under certain regularity assumptions, our algorithm, Difference Maximization $Q$-learning (DMQ), combined with linear function approximation, returns a near-optimal policy using a polynomial number of trajectories. Our algorithm introduces a new notion, the Distribution Shift Error Checking (DSEC) oracle. This oracle tests whether there exists a function in the function class that predicts well on a distribution $\mathcal{D}_1$, but predicts poorly on another distribution $\mathcal{D}_2$, where $\mathcal{D}_1$ and $\mathcal{D}_2$ are distributions over states induced by two different exploration policies. For the linear function class, this oracle is equivalent to solving a top eigenvalue problem. We believe our algorithmic insights, especially the DSEC oracle, are also useful in designing and analyzing reinforcement learning algorithms with general function approximation.


The noise suppression techniques with wavelet transform are widely used in non-destructive evaluation (NDE). In order to improve the SNR of the ultrasonic signals and detect the small defect buried in heavy noises, a method of identification of weak ultrasonic signals based on the partial wavelet transform is proposed in this paper. The support in frequency of the partial wavelet matches that of the ultrasonic signal very well. Applying the partial wavelet to the measured ultrasonic signal, the part of the signal related to the noise will be removed leaving only the correlated portion of the ultrasonic echoes. Numerical and experimental results show that this technique can be efficient in eliminating noise and detecting small flaw in non-destructive evaluation.


Nonpoint source pollution affects the quality of numerous watersheds in the Midwestern United States. The Illinois State Water Survey conducted this study to ~1! assess the potential of artificial neural networks ~ANNs! in forecasting weekly nitrate-nitrogen ~nitrate-N! concentration; and ~2! evaluate the uncertainty associated with those forecasts. Three ANN models were applied to predict weekly nitrate-N concentrations in the Sangamon River near Decatur, Illinois, based on past weekly precipitation, air temperature, discharge, and past nitrate-N concentrations. Those ANN models were more accurate than the linear regression models having the same inputs and output. Uncertainty of the ANN models was further expressed through the entropy principle, as defined in the information theory. Using several inputs in an ANN-based forecasting model reduced the uncertainty expressed through the marginal entropy of weekly nitrate-N concentrations. The uncertainty of predictions was expressed as conditional entropy of future nitrate concentrations for given past precipitation, temperature, discharge, and nitrate-N concentration. In general, the uncertainty of predictions decreased with model complexity. Including additional input variables produced more accurate predictions. However, using the previous weekly data ~week t21! did not reduce the uncertainty in the predictions of future nitrate concentrations ~week t11! based on current weekly data ~week t!.


The setting up of RF based negative ion experimental facility shall witness the beginning of experiments on the negative ion source fusion applications in India. A 1 MHz RF generator shall launch 100 kW RF power into a single driver on the plasma source to produce a plasma of density ~5 × 1012 cm-3. The source can deliver a negative ion beam of ~10 A with a current density of ~30 mA/cm2 and accelerated to 35 kV through an electrostatic ion accelerator. The experimental system is similar to a RF based negative ion source, BATMAN, presently operating at IPP. The subsystems for source operation are designed and procured principally from indigenous resources, keeping the IPP configuration as a base line. The operation of negative ion source is supported by many subsystems e.g. vacuum pumping system with gate valves, cooling water system, gas feed system, cesium delivery system, RF generator, high voltage power supplies, data acquisition and control system, and different diagnostics. The first experiments of negative ion source are expected to start at IPR from the middle of 2009.


Carbon and nitrogen in the soil microbial biomass were measured on eight occasions during a grassland production season, under swards of perennial ryegrass receiving 210 or 420 kg N ha−1 per year or of ryegrass/white clover receiving no fertiliser N. The swards were either cut or grazed at monthly intervals. Soil microbial biomass C increased under all treatments in late April before declining until late July and rising slowly towards the end of the season. Values for microbial C under cutting and grazing were not significantly different but were usually larger under grass/clover than under grass. In contrast, the smallest values for soil microbial biomass N were recorded in late April. Larger N values were again recorded under grass/clover, and although values were nearly always smaller under grazing than under the corresponding cut treatment the differences were not significant.

Soil biomass N comprised a large reservoir of mobile N, and at any one time contained 11, 3 and 5 times more N than was present in the mineral N component of the soil, the standing crop or excretal returns, respectively. It did not appear to be responsive, within a season, to the considerable returns of C and N from grazing animals or to N fertiliser management.


PURPOSE
To expedite on-board volumetric image reconstruction from limited-angle kV-MV projections for intrafraction verification.

METHODS
A limited-angle intrafraction verification (LIVE) system has recently been developed for real-time volumetric verification of moving targets, using limited-angle kV-MV projections. Currently, it is challenged by the intensive computational load of the prior-knowledge-based reconstruction method. To accelerate LIVE, we restructure the software pipeline to make it adaptable to model and algorithm parameter changes, while enabling efficient utilization of rapidly advancing, modern computer architectures. In particular, an innovative two-level parallelization scheme has been designed: At the macroscopic level, data and operations are adaptively partitioned, taking into account algorithmic parameters and the processing capacity or constraints of underlying hardware. The control and data flows of the pipeline are scheduled in such a way as to maximize operation concurrency and minimize total processing time. At the microscopic level, the partitioned functions act as independent modules, operating on data partitions in parallel. Each module is pre-parallelized and optimized for multi-core processors (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs).

RESULTS
We present results from a parallel prototype, where most of the controls and module parallelization are carried out via Matlab and its Parallel Computing Toolbox. The reconstruction is 5 times faster on a data-set of twice the size, compared to recently reported results, without compromising on algorithmic optimization control.

CONCLUSION
The prototype implementation and its results have served to assess the efficacy of our system concept. While a production implementation will yield much higher processing rates by approaching full-capacity utilization of CPUs and GPUs, some mutual constraints between algorithmic flow and architecture specifics remain. Based on a careful analysis of the prototype performance, it will be feasible to resolve such issues through appropriate algorithmic modifications or special-purpose hardware, thus enabling target verification in seconds with the LIVE system. This work was partially supported by a research grant from Varian Medical Systems.


The patient has a small-fiber sensory neuropathy that is managed with lamotrigine. She is a physical therapy student who has frequent patient contact. She drinks alcohol occasionally but denies smoking and illicit drug use; she says she is not sexually active.


The paper presents a virtual design and assembly system (VDAS) developed in a virtual reality (VR) environment. The VDAS is a VR‐based engineering application which allows engineers to design, modify and assemble mechanical products. As a prototype, this system has a knowledge‐based library of standard mechanical fastening parts, so a great deal of work is reduced during the product modeling stage. Besides, product models can be directly inserted or modified with a friendly user interface in the immersive VR environment. In order to reach the target of virtual design and integrate VR and computer aided design, the system adopts the variational design approach, so a product model has not only the geometric information, but also variation information and even assembly match information. Finally, the VDAS has the function of assembly planning, and several interactive manipulations, such as part modification, assembly plan verification and modification, have been realized.


Population level reduction in injury-related harm is rarely achieved by simply multiplying the scale of a prevention program that has been shown to be efficacious under controlled research circumstances. More often population level impact is achieved by starting de novo from within the public domain, and designing and implementing complex solutions using existing social infrastructures and institutions. Injury prevention projects delivered to whole populations are complex, and while local involvement is critical to the success of population-based interventions, effective action to prevent injury does require orchestrated support from societal leadership. Support can maximise and amplify the outcomes of local initiatives with changes in the social institutions in which causal events, conditions and attributes are created and sustained. Past successes, e.g., tobacco control and use of seat belts, have required extensive and prolonged attention with interventions ultimately engaging all aspects of society, including cultural norms. The implementation of a broad prevention approach will reduce intrinsic risk factors across the whole population before they manifest themselves as proximal risk factors. For this session, a presenter will introduce the concepts to be discussed and then other presenters will provide brief examples of empirical prevention research that demonstrates the effectiveness of state-of-the-art methods of achieving population-level improvements in health. This will be followed by participant interaction from the floor. Discussion notes will be collected and posed as working lines of inquiries for a future journal supplement. This session will provide an opportunity for free flow of ideas between injury prevention researchers and advocates. The session will drive innovation and development of the field by setting the stage for lines of inquiry. Presentations "The nature of population level change" Roderick McClure "Suicide and Social Processes" Eric Caine "Injury Prevention as a byproduct" Ronan Lyons "Pathways to Progress Overview and Facilitated Discussion" Karin Mack


1. The hypothesis that active exploration of objects is required for the functional maturation of neuronal circuits subserving tactile perception was tested by subjecting 8- to 11-day old rats to a complete unilateral section of the facial nerve. This procedure selectively abolished whisker protraction movements without affecting the sensory innervation of the facial vibrissae, the tactile organs used by rats to discriminate object texture and shape. 2. Six to 14 mo after the facial nerve section, simultaneous recordings of neuronal ensembles located in the ventral posterior medial nucleus (VPM) of the thalamus revealed a marked reduction in receptive field (RF) size (in terms of number of whiskers), and the formation of abnormal RF surrounds, spanning the face and contiguous body regions. In addition, the directional organization of VPM RFs, represented by caudal to rostral shifts in RF centers over 30 ms following whisker stimulation, was greatly reduced in these animals. 3. These results suggest that neonatal active tactile exploration is required to establish normal spatiotemporal patterning of neuronal RFs within the somatosensory system, and consequently, to develop normal tactile perception.


This paper proposes a IEC 61131-3 compliant translation methodology to emulate any PLC control program in the Matlab/Simulink environment. The developed methodology translates the PLC control program into Matlab/Simulink software language through the use of the IEC 61131-3 standard. Any IEC 61131-3 compliant PLC control program is translated into a Matlab/Simulink compatible m-file, within the Matlab/Simulink environment, containing the correspondent PLC control program translation. This file will be called as a Matlab function, within the Matlab/Simulink environment, and will control the model of the industrial process as long as the simulation runs. For the moment, this tool is being evaluated as a teaching tool for process automation classes.


Median nerve entrapment as a consequence of posterior dislocation of elbow is a rare. The diagnosis is usually missed or delayed. We present a case of median nerve entrapment following dislocation of elbow with medial epicondyle fracture in a 12 years old male child. After 10 days of reduction, the child presented with neurological deficit showing median nerve palsy. Nerve conduction study showed total denervation of median nerve. Nerve release was done by breaking the callus around medial epicondyle with neurolysis. Median nerve entrapment after the elbow dislocation is a very rare entity. High index of suspicion and timely intervention is helpful in diagnosing the case and managing with a good functional recovery.


1. Ph. D Scholar, EPM Department, Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad, Pakistan 2. Professor, Department of Education, Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad, Pakistan PAPER INFO ABSTRACT Received: May 28, 2020 Accepted: August 25, 2020 Online: September 15, 2020 In this study, the existence of the glass ceiling has been analyzed in the Federal Chartered universities of Pakistan. The study was descriptive. The data was collected through questionnaires from the employees of the universities, using purposive sampling techniques (n=484). The data revealed that the glass ceiling exists in Federal Chartered Universities of Pakistan. Elements of glass ceiling such as gender biases and internal structure of organizations were found to exist. Gender-based glass ceiling was found to exist for women and not for men. The internal structures factor favors the males. Based on discussions with the respondents, the strategies for melting the glass ceiling have been proposed. It has been recommended that the researchers may replicate this research to other industries. Further, it has been recommended that the practitioners can implement the strategies to mitigate the glass ceiling in their organizations


This paper is concerned with introducing two wavelets collocation algorithms for solving linear and nonlinear multipoint boundary value problems. The principal idea for obtaining spectral numerical solutions for such equations is employing third- and fourth-kind Chebyshev wavelets along with the spectral collocation method to transform the differential equation with its boundary conditions to a system of linear or nonlinear algebraic equations in the unknown expansion coefficients which can be efficiently solved. Convergence analysis and some specific numerical examples are discussed to demonstrate the validity and applicability of the proposed algorithms. The obtained numerical results are comparing favorably
with the analytical known solutions.


This work provides a 3D hand attitude estimation approach for fixed hand posture based on a CNN and LightGBM for dual-view RGB images to facilitate the application of hand posture teleoperation. First, using dual-view cameras and an IMU sensor, we provide a simple method for building 3D hand posture datasets. This method can quickly acquire dual-view 2D hand image sets and automatically append the appropriate three-axis attitude angle labels. Then, combining ensemble learning, which has strong regression fitting capabilities, with deep learning, which has excellent automatic feature extraction capabilities, we present an integrated hand attitude CNN regression model. This model uses a Bayesian optimization based LightGBM in the ensemble learning algorithm to produce 3D hand attitude regression and two CNNs to extract dual-view hand image features. Finally, a mapping from dual-view 2D images to 3D hand attitude angles is established using a training approach for feature integration, and a comparative experiment is run on the test set. The results of the experiments demonstrate that the suggested method may successfully solve the hand self-occlusion issue and accomplish 3D hand attitude estimation using only two normal RGB cameras.


At the core of most decision making mechanisms is some sort of intelligent logical reasoning strategy. Therefore, the accuracy and precision of decision making depends on the applied logic and learning processes. This paper tries to address these issues by formulating a tolerance to imprecision view which can be used in the proposed decision making framework that integrates various reasoning strategies.


In order to probe into the effects of ultrasound in different parameters on amylase activity, coarse amylase of rice was p'urified with diethylaminoethyl cellulkose chromatography after being salted out with (NH_(4))_(2)SO_(4). Two single protein peaks were separated with gradient elution. The second protein component showed quite high amylase activity and the activity peak inosculated with the protein peak. The ingredient having the highest activity in the second protein peak was used to process polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The results showed that there were less ingredients in the purified sample than in the coarse sample. Ultrasound treatment with suitable parameters could increase the enzyme activity by 9.09%--33.09%.


BACKGROUND
Long-term use of oral corticosteroids has known adverse effects, but the risk from brief oral steroid bursts (≤14 days) is largely unknown.

OBJECTIVE
To examine the associations between steroid bursts and severe adverse events, specifically gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, sepsis, and heart failure.

DESIGN
Self-controlled case series.

SETTING
Entire National Health Insurance Research Database of medical claims records in Taiwan.

PARTICIPANTS
Adults aged 20 to 64 years with continuous enrollment in the National Health Insurance program from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2015.

MEASUREMENTS
Incidence rates of severe adverse events in steroid burst users and non-steroid users, as well as incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for severe adverse events within 5 to 30 and 31 to 90 days after initiation of steroid therapy.

RESULTS
Of 15 859 129 adult participants, 2 623 327 who received a single steroid burst were included. The most common indications were skin disorders and respiratory tract infections. The incidence rates per 1000 person-years in steroid bursts were 27.1 (95% CI, 26.7 to 27.5) for GI bleeding, 1.5 (CI, 1.4 to 1.6) for sepsis, and 1.3 (CI, 1.2 to 1.4) for heart failure. Rates of GI bleeding (IRR, 1.80 [CI, 1.75 to 1.84]), sepsis (IRR, 1.99 [CI, 1.70 to 2.32]), and heart failure (IRR, 2.37 [CI, 2.13 to 2.63]) significantly increased within 5 to 30 days after steroid therapy initiation and attenuated during the subsequent 31 to 90 days.

LIMITATION
Persons younger than 20 years or older than 64 years were not included.

CONCLUSION
Oral corticosteroid bursts are frequently prescribed in the general adult population in Taiwan. The highest rates of GI bleeding, sepsis, and heart failure occurred within the first month after initiation of steroid therapy.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE
National Health Research Institutes, Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan, Chang Gung Medical Foundation, and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.


The smallest members of the sunlit-ocean microbiome (prokaryotes and picoeukaryotes) participate in a plethora of ecosystem functions with planetary-scale effects. Understanding the processes determining the spatial turnover of this assemblage can help us better comprehend the links between microbiome species composition and ecosystem function. Ecological theory predicts that selection, dispersal and drift are main drivers of species distributions, yet, the relative quantitative importance of these ecological processes in structuring the surface-ocean microbiome is barely known. Here we quantified the role of selection, dispersal and drift in structuring surface-ocean prokaryotic and picoeukaryotic assemblages by using community DNA-sequence data collected during the global Malaspina expedition. We found that dispersal limitation was the dominant process structuring picoeukaryotic communities, while a balanced combination of dispersal limitation, selection and drift shaped prokaryotic counterparts. Subsequently, we determined the agents exerting abiotic selection as well as the spatial patterns emerging from the action of different ecological processes. We found that selection exerted via temperature had a strong influence on the structure of prokaryotic communities, particularly on species co-occurrences, a pattern not observed among communities of picoeukaryotes. Other measured abiotic variables had limited selective effects on microbiome structure. Picoeukaryotes presented a higher differentiation between neighbouring communities and a higher distance-decay when compared to prokaryotes, agreeing with their higher dispersal limitation. Finally, drift seemed to have a limited role in structuring the sunlit-ocean microbiome. The different predominance of ecological processes acting on particular subsets of the ocean microbiome suggests uneven responses to environmental change. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The global ocean contains one of the largest microbiomes on Earth and changes on its structure can impact the functioning of the biosphere. Yet, we are far from understanding the mechanisms that structure the global ocean microbiome, that is, the relative importance of environmental selection, dispersal and random events (drift). We evaluated the role of these processes at the global scale, based on data derived from a circumglobal expedition and found that these ecological processes act differently on prokaryotes and picoeukaryotes, two of the main components of the ocean microbiome. Our work represents a significant contribution to understand the assembly of marine microbial communities, providing also insights on the links between ecological mechanisms, microbiome structure and ecosystem function.


Background: Needle Stick Injuries (NSIs) in healthcare settings are a global issue. Percutaneous injuries, caused by needle sticks and other sharps, are a serious concern for all Health Care Workers and pose a significant risk of occupational transmission of blood borne pathogens. The incidence of NSI is considerably higher than current estimates, because of gross under reporting and hence a low injury rate should not be interpreted as a nonexistent problem. The present study was carried out to determine the occurrence of NSI among various categories of HCWs . Methods:  The present prospective cross sectional study was carried out at the 400 bedded Government Medical College Hospital, Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, India during period from November 2015 to August 2016. Out of total (180) study participants, 18 were doctors, 142 nurses and 20 lab technicians from different clinical departments/wards of the hospital. Data was collected by using a predesigned pretested questionnaire. The first part of the questionnaire contained information on background characteristics and second part contained the questions regarding knowledge and practices about NSI. Results: Out of 180 HCW, 149 (82.78%) were females and, 31 (17.22%) were males. Majority of the subjects were nurses (78.89%). 92.2% subjects were aware of the Needle Stick Injury (NSI). 85% of the subjects knew that certain diseases can be spread through NSI. Almost all of them were using disposable/auto disabled syringes and needles at the hospital. Re-capping of used needle was practiced by 35.5% subjects. 63.8% subjects gave history of NSI in the last one year. Most chances of getting NSI were found to be while working in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department (29.4%). 68.9% of the study subjects were immunized completely against Hepatitis B . Conclusions:  There was gap between the knowledge and use of preventive measures. There is a need to address this gap by organizing on job training, retraining at regular intervals, workshops for HCWs regarding hazards, preventive measures and post-exposure prophylaxis for NSIs. Preventing NSI should be an essential part of any blood borne pathogen prevention strategy in the work place.


Abstract : A program plan for evaluating beryllium/titanium composite materials with respect to method of manufacture, v/o Be extrusion and forging reduction is presented. Coextruded Be/Ti powders, as well as coextruded Be rod with a wrought Ti matrix was investigated. The most cost effective material/process was characterized and design criteria properties determined for gas turbine for gas turbine fan/compressor blades applications. The material from each vendor was received, isothermally forged and tensile tested at room temp. and 600F. Based on the tensile results and metallographic examination one type was selected for further property characterization. This characterization included creep, high and low cycle fatigue and ballistic impact.


Abstract This paper reviews the different challenges that are encountered in the delivery of high power lasers as drivers for fusion energy. We will focus on diode-pumped solid-state lasers and we will highlight some of the main recent achievements when using ytterbium, cryogenic cooling and ceramic gain media. Apart from some existing fusion facilities and some military applications of diode-pumped solid-state lasers, we will show that diode-pumped solid-state lasers are scalable to inertial fusion energy (IFE)'s facility level and that the all-fiber laser scheme is very promising.


Peptides modelling transmembrane segments C, D, E and G of bacteriorhodopsin were obtained by solid phase method using the conventional Boc strategy. Protected peptides were assembled on PAM polystyrene support. Side chain protecting groups were: Tos for Arg, Bzl for Thr and Ser, cHx for Asp and Glu, Bzl(Cl2) for Tyr, For for Trp, Z(Cl) for Lys. Syntheses were performed on a modernized Beckman 990 synthesizer in the automatic mode. Double couplings by a preformed hydroxybenzotriazole ester were used for all residues. Qualitative and quantitative ninhydrine tests were used to monitor coupling efficiency. Removal of protecting groups and peptide cleavage were achieved by hydrogen fluoride, containing p-cresol and p-thiocresol as scavengers. Preparative reverse phase HPLC was used for purification. Peptide structure and homogeneity were confirmed by amino acid analysis, 1H-NMR and analytical HPLC.


Are there analogues to the SVD, LU, QR, and other matrix decompositions for tensors (i.e., higher-order or multiway arrays)? What exactly do we mean by "analogue," anyway? If such decompositions exist, are there efficient ways to compute them? These are some of the questions asked, and partially answered, at the Workshop on Tensor Decompositions, held July 19–23, 2004, at the American Institute of Mathematics in Palo Alto, California. Gene Golub, Tammy Kolda, James Nagy, and Charles Van Loan were the organizers. About 35 people—computer scientists, mathematicians, and a broad range of scholars who use tensor decompositions in their research—had come from eleven countries to participate in the weeklong workshop. Large group discussions and smaller break-out sessions were interleaved with invited talks, making for lively exchanges and a creative learning environment. Carla Martin, a graduate student at Cornell University, opened the week with an overview of multilinear algebra and tensor decompositions, beginning with the definition of a pth-order tensor A as a multiway array with p indices. A third-order tensor, for example, is written


Summary
The phosphorylation of structural proteins of ten rhabdoviruses has been studied. Each virus preparation has been found to possess at least one phosphoprotein which, in the case of Chandipura, Cocal, Piry viruses or vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), Indiana and New Jersey serotypes, is the minor NS protein. In rabies virus the sole phosphoprotein appears to be the N protein of the nucleocapsid. For Mokola and Lagos bat viruses, two or three phosphoproteins have been observed, one of which is the N protein. Spring viraemia of carp virus (SVCV) preparations contain two phosphoproteins one of which is, or has a mobility close to, that of the N protein. Kern Canyon virus preparations also possess two phosphoproteins, one with the same electrophoretic mobility as (and possible identity to), the virus glycoprotein while the other has a mobility slightly slower than the N protein. Antigenically the core proteins of rabies, Mokola and Lagos bat viruses have been shown to be related to each other but distinct from those of SVCV or VSV.


Invasion of pathogens into host cells is the key process to consequently induce the infection, which depends on the actin cytoskeleton rearrangement. Cofilin in the host cell is one of the most important actin depolymerization factor that is essential responsing to the infection of several viruses, bacteria and fungi. Pathogenic microbes can induce biphasic remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton in host cells, accompanied by changes of phosphorylation of cofilin, which results in changes of cofilin activity. The modulation of host cofilin activity by mutation, knockdown, or overexpression can effectively inhibit the infection. Here we review the function and possible regulatory mechanism of host cofilin during the process of infection.


Polysialic acids (PSA) exist mainly on the surface of mammalian cells and certain bacteria and are involved in many important biological roles.1 For example, the R2,8-PSA chain is expressed in neural cell adhesion molecules (N-CAM) in a developmentally regulated manner. The homopolymers of N-acetylneuraminic acids have been implicated in altering the shape and movement of cells because PSA can attenuate adhesion forces and modulate overall cell surface interaction.2 There are two distinct features of PSA in relation to its critical physiological roles: intramolecular lactonization and the lability of glycosidic linkages. The former influences the charge distribution and tertiary structure of PSA, and the latter varies the size of PSA-containing biopolymers. Of all the glycosidic linkages found in oligosaccharides, those of polysialic acids are remarkbly labile.3 R-2,8Polysialic acid has been noted for its degradation in prolonged freezer storage4 and in the preparation of N-CAM for SDS gel anlaysis.5 Acid-catalyzed cleavage of the R2,8-linkage in oligoand polysialic acids (OSA/ PSA) was reported to occur preferentially at the linkage between two internal sialic acid residues. The cleavage of the internal R2,8-linkages in PSA is much easier as a


When the COVID-19 pandemic engulfed the United States in early 2020, the concept of essential workers rose to prominence. Within that broadly defined group, this Article examines the workplace safety and health protections available to frontline essential (FE) workers: the health care professionals and support personnel, grocery and convenience store workers, janitors and building cleaners, warehouse workers, transit workers, and others who must travel to their jobs and interact with coworkers and the public on a regular basis. There are more than 30 million FE workers; when compared to the U.S. workforce, they are more African-American, more female, more foreign born, and more likely to live in low-income families. FE workers also bear disproportionate health risks, as evidenced by their rates of infection, serious illness, and death.

The risks that FE workers endure in service to the economy and country have made them heroes, supportively portrayed in the media and celebrated in cities at a designated early evening hour. Yet in the face of these risks, FE workers have confronted a remarkable absence of legal protections. The Article examines this situation in depth, assessing inadequacies in federal and state laws as written and implemented with respect to paid leave, PPE and social distancing requirements, emergency worker protection standards, hazard pay, whistleblower protections, and the right to refuse unsafe work.

At the same time, the current crisis presents an opportunity for rethinking how the law regulates workplace safety and health. To that end, the Article proposes and justifies two major changes in federal law.

First safety and health protections should be addressed in industry-wide rather than simply employer-specific terms. The impact of COVID-19 vividly demonstrates that the nature and extent of health risks vary with the working conditions experienced in different industries or occupation groups. For FE workers whose lives and health are most at risk, a comparable sectoral or industry-wide framework must play a key part in legislative and regulatory responses. Possible models for such a sectoral approach exist—in tripartite arrangements on wages that have featured federal and state government participation; and in past and present industry-wide collective bargaining agreements.

Second, safety and health protests deserve meaningful protection that the law does not now provide. COVID-19 has shown how grave hazards faced by FE workers in diverse occupational settings can arise with little or no warning and persist or worsen if unaddressed. Labor law, however, provides limited protection for peaceful grievance-related strikes motivated by health and safety concerns, or for health and safety refusals to work in abnormally dangerous conditions. These minimal protections should be extended by expanding the definition of lawfully protected strikes to cover intermittent or repeated safety-related walkouts and slowdowns, and by prohibiting permanent replacements for all such protest actions.


An accurate method for measuring whole blood total folate using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry is described and compared to GC/MS and a chemiluminescence assay. Whole blood from normal adults (n = 15) was fortified with a [(13)C(6)]para-aminobenzoic acid (pABA) internal standard and treated with 12.1 N hydrochloric acid at 110 degrees C for 4 h to hydrolyze all folates to pABA. Contaminants in the hydrolysate were adsorbed onto a C18 SPE cartridge. The eluate containing the folate catabolite pABA was partitioned into ethyl acetate and methylesterified with trimethylsilyldiazomethane. The methyl-pABA derivatives were quantified by positive-ion atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI)LC-MS/MS. An isocratic mobile phase of acetonitrile-water (70:30) (v/v) on a C18 analytical column was used with a postcolumn reagent of 0.025% formic acid. The limit of quantitation for folate was 56.6 nmol/L RBC, and the limit of detection was 22.6 nmol/L RBC. Folate levels as determined by LC-MS/MS correlated well with the chemiluminescence assay and a GC/MS method. This new LC-MS/MS method provides enhanced sample throughput (n = 36 per day) as compared to GC/MS methods. LC-MS/MS will enable accurate measurements of red blood cell (RBC) folate in nutrition surveys and clinical trials.


This paper explores the use of parallel columns of convolutional layers with tied weights presented to each column in a layer at different rotations, to create a rotation invariant deep convolutional network (CNN). Results of the columns are combined using a winner takes all pooling method to produce approximate rotation invariance, with the approximation improving with smaller rotation increments between parallel columns. Results of applying invariant deep CNN to the MNIST and the CHARS74K rotated test data showed great improvement over traditional deep CNN with a 52.32% increase in accuracy on the MNIST dataset and a 36.44% accuracy increase on the CHARS74K dataset. This paper also introduces a Caffe implementation of the method for use with object recognition research.


Abstract : The bactericidal efficiency of ultrahigh hydrostatic pressure (UMP) and pulsed electric field (PEF) were studied in combination with two acteriocins, nisin A and pediocin AcH, and lysozyme. Several Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial species and strains associated with food spoilage and foodborne diseases were tested. The results showed that both UHP and PEF inflict lethal and sublethal injury to Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial cells. As the sublethally-injured cells became sensitive to the bactericidal action of the two bacteriocins and lysozyme, the combination of the UHP and PEF treatment, along with bacteriocin and lysozyme resulted in greater viability loss than when only the UHP or PEF are used. In general, under the study conditions, UHP and bacteriocins produced more viability loss than PEF with and without bacteriocins. By combining bacteriocins and lysozyme, UHP at 30,000 psi for 1 min produced viability loss of 13.8 logs in Listeria monocytogenes Scott A and 6.3 logs in Salmonella typhimurium as compared to 2.8 logs for both species by UHP alone and 4.7 and 4.1 logs, respectively, by UHP + bacteriocins.


A case of thymic Hodgkin's disease presenting with an anterior mediastinal mass is reported. The mass progressively expanded in size on plain chest radiography during and following a mantle radiation therapy. A repeat computed tomographic (CT) scan of the chest in this patient revealed a cystic component to the mass, and thin‐needle aspiration of the cyst led to a shrinkage of the mass. An experience in this case and review of literature suggest Hodgkin's disease involving the thymus gland frequently predisposes to cystic degeneration especially following radiotherapy, leaving a stable or progressively enlarging residual mass. A precise diagnosis of such a progressively expanding mass despite the adequate radiation therapy is crucial. CT scan of the chest in such cases and a thin‐needle aspiration of the cystic mass offer precise diagnosis and may obviate the need for an open thoracotomy procedure.


The right to private property was first written into the Constitution of the People's Republic of China in March 2004. This study takes advantage of the 2004 amendment and uses a difference‐in‐differences approach to empirically test the impact of private property rights security on investment patterns and thereby on asset structure. Employing the Chinese Industrial Enterprises Database from 2000 to 2007 to implement the analysis, we find that private property rights security has not only led enterprises to boost investment in both fixed assets and intangible assets but also induced them to allocate available resources more towards intangible assets. We address two potential concerns about our empirical design.


A FastSLAM is an algorithm for SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) using a Rao-Blackwellized particle filter and its performance is known to degenerate over time due to the loss of particle diversity, mainly caused by the particle depletion problem in the resampling phase. In this paper, the GeSPIR (Geographically Stratified Particle Information-based Resampling) technique is proposed to solve the particle depletion problem. The proposed algorithm consists of the following four steps : the first step involves the grouping of particles divided into K regions, the second obtaining the normal weight of each region, the third specifying the protected areas, and the fourth resampling using regional equalization weight. Simulations show that the proposed algorithm obtains lower RMS errors in both robot and feature positions than the conventional FastSLAM algorithm.


The nonspecific binding of certain therapeutic antibodies to tissues or to soluble biomolecules can accelerate their clearance from the circulation and undermine their benefit to patients. This article proposes that tandem amino acid repeat sequences in antibody hypervariable segments, particularly the complementarity determining regions (CDRs), can enhance this off-target binding. This hypothesis is based on two sets of observations. First, in a limited number of cases, antibodies with clusters of amino acid repeats in their CDRs have significantly higher clearance rates in experimental animals than otherwise identical antibodies without the repeats. Second, tandem amino acid repeats are abundant in intracellular hub proteins where they appear to promote the promiscuous binding of these proteins to a wide variety of other molecules. These nonspecific hub protein interactions are highly favored by the intense macromolecular crowding that permeates the cytoplasm. A survey of the variable region sequences of 137 antibodies in various stages of development revealed that 26 have at least one CDR containing a cluster of three closely spaced amino acid repeats. If the overall hypothesis is valid, then it suggests strategies for site-directed mutagenesis to improve pharmacokinetic behavior and for the design of more reliable in vitro binding assays to predict off-target binding in vivo.


Curcumin is a hydrophobic polyphenol derived from turmeric: the rhizome of the herb Curcumalonga. Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved process, in which cellular proteins and organelles are engulfed in autophagosome and then fuses with lysosome for degradation. Our previous study showed that Curcumin activates lysosome and induce autophagy through inhibition of AKT (protein kinase K, PKB)-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. But whether Curucmin affects the fusion of autophagosome-lysosome is still not clear. Here, we used Curcumin-probe conjugation with an alkyne moiety to label mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and found that Curcumin targets autophagy-related proteins, enhances autophagic flux and activates lysosome in cells. Moreover, Curcumin treatment promotes the fusion of autophasosome-lysosome in MEFs. Second, the enhanced fusion of autophagosome-lysosome is attributed to mTOR suppression. Third, blockage of the autophagosome-lysosome fusion leads to cell growth inhibition by Curcumin. Taken together, data from our study indicates the importance of the fusion of autophagosome-lysosome in Curcumin-induced autophagy, which may facilitate the development of Curcumin as a potential therapeutic agent for oxidative stress-related diseases.


OBJECTIVES
We correlated virologic and immunologic parameters of disease progression with cytopathogenicity of HIV isolates.

STUDY DESIGN/METHODS
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) isolates from 207 patients with CD4+ cell counts < 500/mm3 were examined for biologic phenotype in MT-2 cells. We used a cross-sectional study design.

RESULTS
Three subtypes of syncytium-inducing (SI) strains with different times of appearance of syncytia formation in cell culture and two subtypes of non-syncytium-inducing (NSI) isolates, with (NSI/MT2+) or without (NSI/MT2-) replicative capacity in MT-2 cells, were identified. Early SI strains were associated with the lowest CD4+ cell counts and the highest levels of viral load, and NSI/MT2- isolates correlated with the highest CD4+ cell counts and the lowest viral loads. Patients with late SI and NSI/MT2+ strains showed minimal differences in immunologic and virologic markers.

CONCLUSIONS
Five HIV phenotypic variants that correlate significantly (P < 0.001) with markers of disease progression were identified.


Purpose: To report the midterm outcome of a novel reconstructive technique using a contoured iliac crest bone graft for partial radial head replacement in the treatment of complex elbow dislocation. Material and methods: Between January 2008 and December 2013, 10 patients (5 women, 5 men; mean age, 43.8 years; mean follow-up duration, 65.9 months) with complex elbow dislocation who underwent the partial radial head replacement with the contoured bone graft were included in the study. The irreparable radial head defects averaged 49% of the articular surface (range, 36–60%). The fracture involved the entire head in four patients and partial head in six patients. Results: At the final follow-up, the mean elbow extension was 8°, flexion 143°, supination 76.5°, and pronation 73°. The mean Mayo elbow performance index was 93.2 points and the Broberg–Morrey functional rating score was 94.1 points, with seven excellent cases, two good cases, and one fair case. Radiographic union was achieved in all but one, at an average time of 6.89 weeks (range, 6–10 weeks). The final radiographs demonstrated no evidence of degenerative change in eight patients, mild arthritis in one patient, and moderate arthritis in one patient. Conclusion: This technique is a viable option in the treatment of the large radial head defect in complex elbow dislocation when more than 40% of the original head is still available for incorporation.


This article describes an investigation of C(sp(3))-O bond-forming reductive elimination reactions from Pd(IV) complexes. Phenoxide, acetate, difluoroacetate, dimethylphosphate, tosylate, and nitrate nucleophiles are shown to participate in this reaction. In all cases, C(sp(3))-O bond formation occurs with high selectivity over potentially competing C(sp(2))-O coupling. Additives have a profound impact on the chemoselectivity of these reductive elimination reactions. An excess of RO(-) was found to limit competing C(sp(3))-C(sp(2)) bond-forming reductive elimination, while the presence of Lewis acidic cations was found to suppress competing C(sp(3))-F coupling. Mechanistic investigations were conducted, and the available data are consistent with a sequence involving pre-equilibrium dissociation of the oxyanion ligand (RO(-)) followed by nucleophilic attack of RO(-) on a cationic Pd(IV)-alkyl intermediate.


The current pandemic of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) skin infections is caused by several genetically unrelated clones. Here, we analyzed virulence of globally occurring CA-MRSA strains in a rabbit skin infection model. We used rabbits because neutrophils from this animal species have relatively high sensitivity to Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL), a toxin epidemiologically correlated with many CA-MRSA infections. Virulence in the rabbit model correlated with in vitro neutrophil lysis and transcript levels of phenol-soluble modulin α and α-toxin, but not PVL genes. Furthermore, abscesses caused by USA300 and its PVL-negative progenitor USA500 were comparatively large and similar in size, suggesting that PVL has played a limited role in the evolution of USA300 virulence in the context of skin infections. Our study indicates a major but not exclusive impact of virulence on the epidemiological success of USA300 and other CA-MRSA strains and emphasizes the importance of core genome-encoded toxins in CA-MRSA skin infections.


Feasibility of rapid and sustainable diagnostic methods that provide useful and timely results to guide the clinical control of tuberculosis patients was analyzed. However, policies guiding the insertion of new diagnostics in the laboratory services that support the tuberculosis control are lacking in developing countries. The introduction of these methods in developing countries laboratories requires rational policies guiding the application of these technologies. In the last few years, some automated systems for culture and molecular testing in laboratory services for tuberculosis diagnosis, which offered accuracy and speed, have been reported. However, their implementation is restricted because of costly resources, logistics and infrastructure. Recently, various economically feasible tests have demonstrated to be applicable in poor-resource labs. The detection of adenosine desaminase (ADA) in pleural fluid is a valuable low-cost approach to the diagnosis of tuberculosis. On the other hand, the microscopic detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis using thin layer agar is a moderate cost alternative method. Drug susceptibility testing to antituberculous drugs can be expedited by the nitrate reduction assay in tuberculosis laboratories using routine procedures for tuberculosis diagnosis.


The concept of concordance is based on negotiation between equal partners in a therapeutic relationship to effect a therapeutic alliance. Its strength lies in respect for the patient's agenda and the creation of openness in the relationship. One field of therapeutics in which concordant relationships may be particularly valuable is the integration of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) into the conventional medicine paradigm. CAM is increasingly a reality in health care. Further, principles of holism and patient-centeredness in CAM parallel the principles of concordance, and exploring the two paradigms in concert was considered conceptually valuable. Review of the international literature identified a lack of research regarding concordance and partnerships in CAM, and concordance in general. The aim of this research was therefore to explore and improve the understanding of consumers' perspectives and experiences with conventional medicines and practitioners (general practitioners (GPs) and pharmacists) and CAM practitioners, in order to propose how relationships and therapeutic partnerships between all four parties may be enhanced. The initial research stage involved qualitative and quantitative data collection from a sample of 83 consumers with a chronic condition (cystic fibrosis) to determine their CAM use and issues relating to their relationships with their conventional and CAM practitioners. In this sample, 26% were consulting a CAM practitioner and 45% were using CAM; this was comparable with general population data. Findings of concern were failure to disclose potentially harmful CAM use to conventional practitioners, despite their positive relationships. This study emphasised the importance of communication between consumers and health care practitioners in therapeutic management. A second study explored beliefs and expectations of GPs, consumers and pharmacists to allow further insight into the principles of concordance in health care. This involved qualitative data collection through focus groups with seven consumers and nine pharmacists and in-depth semi-structured interviews with ten GPs in Brisbane. Discussion and interview topics were derived from the current concordance literature. The data were transcribed, independently checked, thematically analysed and used to develop a model to test the application of concordance in pharmacy and medical practice. Despite developing a method for the concordance initiative, attempts to recruit GPs and pharmacists for the trial were unsuccessful. Useful feedback was gathered from contacted GPs and pharmacists. To further explore perceptions on relationships, concordance and CAM use between GPs, pharmacists, CAM consumers and CAM practitioners, a subsequent problem detection study (PDS) was designed. PDS methods are increasingly accepted in health care, usually involving qualitative and quantitative survey research to explore similarities and differences in perceptions between groups of participants. The PDS method initially involved a further focus group with eleven CAM consumers to identify issues specific to CAM and relationships for this group. These qualitative data, in combination with the preceding focus groups and interviews, revealed seven common themes. The themes formed the basis of questionnaire research in GPs, pharmacists, CAM practitioners and CAM consumers. The questionnaire was self-completed and anonymous, and consisted of general demographic descriptors and 36 statements (derived from the seven themes) measured using a five-point Likert scale. Sixty CAM practitioners, 57 GPs, 83 CAM consumers, and 172 pharmacists responded. Analysis was performed by comparison of responses to the 36 statements between the four respondent groups. The findings were interpreted with respect to the original seven themes. In a confirmatory process, principal components analysis, a data reduction technique, was applied to the 36 variables to statistically assess underlying factors. This process identified six factors explaining 56% of the variance. Systematic comparison of the factors with the constituent variables and original themes identified some consistency between the factors and the initial seven themes, but also highlighted new and more congruent themes within the data. The various analyses within this PDS raised a number of issues with respect to challenges in achieving concordant relationships between the four groups, such as the importance of mutual respect and communication, and understanding of roles and limitations. A key recommendation from this research stage is to trial a practice-based concordance intervention/exercise involving both conventional and CAM sectors in Australia. In conclusion, this research has examined the views and experiences of consumers, pharmacists, GPs, and CAM practitioners regarding their inter-personal relationships and partnerships. The findings from the various research stages showed that CAM use was established in the sample populations, and that consultations with CAM practitioners are a valid consideration in the enhancement of concordant therapeutic relationships. Barriers to achieving concordance included lack of time and remuneration for quality interaction and information sharing between health providers and consumers, and current lack of 'system' support for the implementation of the principles of concordance. However, the concept of partnerships (concordance) was favoured by all four groups in general, despite some considerable differences in opinion within and between groups. There is a place for advancement of the principles of concordance in both conventional and CAM fields of health care in future health care practice and research in Australia.


Peptidoleukotrienes reproduce some of the functional and histological features of clinical asthma, such as potent bronchoconstriction, airway microvascular leakage, mucus hypersecretion, eosinophilic airway infiltration, in addition to inducing bronchial hypersensitivity. An important role for peptidoleukotrienes has been demonstrated in experimental challenge studies in asthmatic patients and in acute asthma attacks. Antagonists of peptidoleukotrienes can inhibit bronchoconstriction in response to inhaled allergen, exercise or inhaled cold air, and oral or inhaled aspirin. These compounds demonstrate beneficial effects in clinical studies with improvement in symptoms and lung function. Peptidoleukotriene antagonists may provide a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of asthma.


The study investigated the implications for women from the coast of Paraná, Brazilin regard to the home office in life, family, and work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research was conducted on 20 women, and 3 (three) categories of analysis were taken into consideration: woman, family, and work. For data analysis, the content of Bardin analysis technique was used. The study revealed that the imposition of the home office brought new challenges for women to reconcile home care, family, and work, which caused an overload of responsibilities leading to fatigue due to the multiple tasks performed; as well as the lack of preparation of companies to adopt the modality, which results in an environment that hinders the performance of their functions and affects the quality of life of workers.


Introduction Intraoral film processing can be performed manually using chambers manufactured from opaque material to prevent light from entering and consequently blurring images. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether portable darkrooms used in offices, clinics and educational institutions prevent the entry of light during the processing of intraoral films. Methods To this end, tests were carried out and images were analyzed by measuring the optical base-plus-fog densities (ODs) upon imaging. Results Review of the OD measurements revealed that in 70.7% of the evaluated manual portable revelation cameras, the base-plus-veil density of intraoral films was not in accord with that of the protocol reference. Discussion The results of this work can be used to identify chambers that are commonly exposed to light from fluorescent lamps and solar lighting.


With the popularity of Extensible Markup Language (XML) as the new standard of data exchange on the web, a large number of data sources are represented or encoded in XML format. Therefore, querying and searching XML data on the web has attracted much attention in the database literature. The new emerging Peer-to-Peer (P2P) computing model has fueled the autonomous data sharing over the Internet in a more flexible fashion. Needless to say, XML data retrieval in P2P systems has become attractive to professionals in both research and industrial communities. In this paper, we propose a Bloom-Filter based keyword search framework for XML data retrieval in structured P2P systems. We designed an efficient Bloom-Filter based XML indexing scheme for XML data retrieval in structured P2P systems. We also developed an effective keyword search algorithm over our Bloom-Filter encoded XML indexes. The experimental results demonstrate that our novel indexing scheme is much more efficient compared to the traditional full-indexing scheme, our keyword search algorithm is efficient in terms of query response time, and our system is scalable in terms of data size and network size.


5-Nitronicotinamide (1) was prepared from 5-bromonicotinoyl chloride by treatment with ammonia and then oxidation with fuming H2SO4 and 30% H202. 2-Cholor-, 2-alkoxy-2-benzyloxy,2-phenoxy-,2-alkylamino-, and 2-benzylamino-5-nitronicatinamides were also prepared via 2-chloro-3-cyano-5-nitropyridine. 2-Methyl-5-nitronicotinamide (2) was obtained from ethyl 2-methyl-5-nitronicotinate by treatment with ammonia; the 4-methyl analogue 3 was from 3-cyano-2,6-dihydroxy-4 methylpyridine by nitration, chlorination, and dechlorination, and the 6-methyl analogue 4 was prepared by transforming 2-chloro-3-cyano-6-methyl-5-nitropyridine to the corresponding amide, followed by dechlorination. Of these compounds, the 5-nitronicotinamide, the 2-methyl and 4-methyl but not the 6-methyl, analogue showed significant anticoccidial activity against eimeria tenella. N-Substituted analogues of 5-nitronicotinamide and 2-methyl-5-nitronicotinamide were prepared in a conventional manner and optimal anticoccidial activity was attained with their lower N-alkyl analogues, N-alkanoyl and -alkenoyl analogues, and N-aromatic acyl analogues together with these parent compounds.


Abstract A drug delivery system based on dual responsive units was developed. An appealing pH- and thermo-responsive triblock terpolymer as the drug carrier was synthesized by RAFT polymerization of N-isopropyl acrylamide and methacrylic acid monomers using PEG-RAFT agent. The Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized by co-precipitation of Fe salts. Synthesized samples were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, GPC, SEM and TEM. The dual responsive behaviour and self-assembly of the triblock terpolymers in aqueous solution were investigated using UV–vis transmittance and DLS. Based on the results of DLS and TEM, the average size of micelles was 170, 125 and 30 nm. The triblock terpolymer was used as a chemotherapy drug carrier and doxorubicin as a model drug. The release rate of the drug at two different temperatures (37 °C and 42 °C) and pHs (5.8 and 7.4) was studied. The in vitro cytotoxicity assay of free doxorubicin and drug-loaded magnetic nanoparticles was studied. The MTT assay exhibited that these polymers are biocompatible and no toxicity. As well, IC50 of the DOX-loaded triblock terpolymer in MTT test demonstrated that these systems could be suitable for the treatment of cancer.


BACKGROUND: Endovascular approach to the aortic arch is an appealing solution for selected patients. OBJECTIVE: To compare the technical and clinical success recorded in the different anatomical settings of endografting for aortic arch disease. METHODS: Between June 1999 and October 2006, among 178 patients treated at our institution for thoracic aorta disease with a stent-graft, the aortic arch was involved in 64 cases. According to the classification proposed by Ishimaru, aortic zone 0 was involved in 14 cases, zone 1 in 12 cases and zone 2 in 38 cases. A hybrid surgical procedure of supra-aortic debranching and revascularization was performed in 37 cases. RESULTS: Zone 0. Proximal neck length: 44±6 mm. Initial clinical success was 78.6%: two deaths (stroke), one type Ia endoleak. At a mean follow-up of 16.4±11 months the midterm clinical success was 85.7%. Zone 1. Proximal neck length: 28±5 mm. Initial clinical success was 66.7%: 0 deaths, four type Ia endoleaks. At a mean follow-up of 16.9±17.2 months the midterm clinical success was 75.0%. Zone 2. Proximal neck length: 30±5 mm. Initial clinical success was 84.2%: two deaths (one cardiac arrest, one multiorgan embolization), three type Ia endoleaks, one case of open conversion. Two cases of delayed transitory paraparesis/paraplegia were observed. At a mean follow-up of 28.0±17.2 months the midterm clinical success was 89.5%. CONCLUSIONS: This study and a literature review demonstrated that hybrid procedure for aortic arch pathology is feasible in selected patients at high risk for conventional surgery. Our experience is still limited by the relatively small sample size. We propose to reserve zone 1 for patients unfit for sternotomy or in cases with aortic neck length > 30 mm following left common carotid artery debranching. We recommend to perform complete aortic rerouting of the aortic arch in cases with lesser comorbidities and shorter aortic neck.


Abstract We investigate the connections between computability theory and Nonstandard Analysis. In particular, we investigate the two following topics and show that they are intimately related. (T.1) A basic property of Cantor space $2^ $ is Heine–Borel compactness: for any open covering of $2^ $, there is a finite subcovering. A natural question is: How hard is it to compute such a finite subcovering? We make this precise by analysing the complexity of so-called fan functionals that given any $G:2^ \to $, output a finite sequence $\langle f_0 , \ldots ,f_n \rangle $ in $2^ $ such that the neighbourhoods defined from $\overline {f_i } G\left( {f_i } \right)$ for $i \le n$ form a covering of $2^ $. (T.2) A basic property of Cantor space in Nonstandard Analysis is Abraham Robinson's nonstandard compactness, i.e., that every binary sequence is "infinitely close" to a standard binary sequence. We analyse the strength of this nonstandard compactness property of Cantor space, compared to the other axioms of Nonstandard Analysis and usual mathematics. Our study of (T.1) yields exotic objects in computability theory, while (T.2) leads to surprising results in Reverse Mathematics. We stress that (T.1) and (T.2) are highly intertwined, i.e., our study is holistic in nature in that results in computability theory yield results in Nonstandard Analysis and vice versa.


This study examined whether exposure to pornography lead to aggression, utilizing pornographic video excerpts and measuring participants' aggression by the number of human faces chosen as targets during a dart-throwing decision task. Male college students (n = 120) were randomly assigned into one of three experimental groups who viewed the sexually explicit material (nonviolent, sadomasochistic, or violent pornography) or to a control group who viewed nonsexual, nonviolent material. Each participant could then behave aggressively, or not, in a dart-throwing decision task offering pictures of human faces as possible targets. The facilitative effect of aggression was significant for all three groups exposed to pornography. The effect was especially conspicuous for those groups exposed to violent pornography.


In this paper, the enhancement in the thermoelectric properties of the organic semiconducting material, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) by addition of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), have been studied for applications in the renewable energy. For this purpose, the thin film of P3HT: CNTs blend has been deposited on the glass substrate by drop casting technique. The blend is prepared by the ratio of 10: 0.5 mg of P3HT: CNTs at room temperature in chloroform. The thickness of P3HT: CNTs nanocomposite found by ellipsometer was 2570 nm. The Seebeck coefficient of the film is measured to be 58.18 mV/K and the electrical conductivity of nanocomposite was 254 S/cm found by four probe method. The bandgap of P3HT: CNTs nanocomposite was 1.4 eV measured by UV-Vis spectrometer. In this blend, the CNTs are used for enhancement of the thermoelectric properties of the film. The films are also characterized by different material characterization techniques. These characterizations are correlated with the thermoelectric properties of the material. The optimized value of the figure of merit (ZT) for the thin film has been achieved ZT = 0.14 for the P3HT: CNTs nanocomposites.


Background: Children with severe atopic dermatitis (AD) have limited treatment options. Objective: We report the efficacy and safety of dupilumab + topical corticosteroids (TCS) in children aged 6–11 years with severe AD inadequately controlled with topical therapies. Methods: In this double-blind, 16-week, phase 3 trial (NCT03345914), 367 patients were randomized 1:1:1 to 300 mg dupilumab every 4 weeks (300 mg q4w), a weight-based regimen of dupilumab every 2 weeks (100 mg q2w, baseline weight <30 kg; 200 mg q2w, baseline weight ≥30 kg), or placebo; with concomitant medium-potency TCS. Results: Both the q4w and q2w dupilumab + TCS regimens resulted in clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvement in signs, symptoms, and quality of life (QOL) versus placebo + TCS in all prespecified endpoints. For q4w, q2w, and placebo, 32.8%, 29.5%, and 11.4% of patients, respectively, achieved Investigator's Global Assessment scores of 0 or 1; 69.7%, 67.2%, and 26.8% achieved ≥75% improvement in Eczema Area and Severity Index scores; and 50.8%, 58.3%, and 12.3% achieved ≥4-point reduction in worst itch score. Response to therapy was weight-dependent: optimal dupilumab doses for efficacy and safety were 300 mg q4w in children <30 kg and 200 mg q2w in children ≥30 kg. Conjunctivitis and injection-site reactions were more common with dupilumab + TCS than with placebo + TCS. Limitations: Short-term 16-week treatment period; severe AD only. Conclusion: Dupilumab + TCS is efficacious and well tolerated in children with severe AD, significantly improving signs, symptoms, and QOL.


【The kill probability of a missile depends on guidance error, warhead performance, and etc. In this paper, we analyzed the kill probability of anti-tank missile in a new approach. Under the condition that the missile hit the target, we studied the effect of angle of attack and impact angle. High impact angle increase the probability that the missile hits the upper armour which is relatively weaker, while high angle of attack at the impact instant decreases the effectiveness of the jet induced by the warhead. We proposed a way to increase the capability of penetration by analyzing the interrelation between impact angle and angle of attack.】


We propose a new source-time function, to be used in kinematic modeling of ground-motion time histories, which is consistent with dynamic propagation of earthquake ruptures and makes feasible the dynamic interpretation of kinematic slip models. This function is derived from a source-time function first proposed by Yoffe (1951), which yields a traction evolution showing a slip-weakening behavior. In order to remove its singularity, we apply a convolution with a triangular function and obtain a regularized source-time function called the regularized Yoffe function. We propose a parameterization of this slip-velocity time function through the final slip, its duration, and the duration of the positive slip acceleration ( Tacc ). Using this analytical function, we examined the relation between kinematic parameters, such as peak slip velocity and slip duration, and dynamic parameters, such as slip-weakening distance and breakdown-stress drop. The obtained scaling relations are consistent with those proposed by Ohnaka and Yamashita (1989) from laboratory experiments. This shows that the proposed source-time function suitably represents dynamic rupture propagation with finite slip-weakening distances.


Anticoagulant prophylaxis with vitamin K antagonists (such as warfarin) is effective in reducing the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). New oral anticoagulants have emerged as potential alternatives to traditional oral agents. The purpose of this review was to summarise the effectiveness and safety of rivaroxaban, dabigatran and apixaban in stroke prevention in patients with AF in phase III trials, evaluate their cost‐effectiveness and consider the implications for primary care.


OBJECTIVE
The present study focuses on health assessment of wood based panels which are widely used in interior decoration practices over the recent years in China. Formaldehyde has been identified as chemical indicator of (IAO) and an indoor air pollutant. To test its health effects experiment was undertaken.

METHOD
A small environmental test chamber (60/L) was used as the generator of emission gas from new panels, and was operating at a temperature of 22.7 +/- 0.6 degrees C and a humidity of 44.4 +/- 2.5% with an air exchange rate of 1.0 +/- 0.15 h-1. On the three experimental days the values of product loading in chamber were 4, 2 and 6 m2/m3, respectively. Eight people were selected randomly from the students and employees of Wuhan Health and Anti-epidemic Station as subjects, with an average age of 21.9 +/- 5.9 years, and a gender ratio of 1:1, and two of them were smokers (one male and one female). The subjects' eyes were exposed to formaldehyde through a pair of goggles. Each goggle had its flow inlet and outlet, and connected to chamber exhaust of emission gas and to an exhaust from the room. The exposure time was very short, just 5 minutes and the formaldehyde doses were at 1.65 +/- 0.01, 2.99 +/- 0.07 and 4.31 +/- 0.02 ppm. A 60-mm linear visual analogue rating scales was used to measure the intensity of sensory eye irritation and a video tape recorder was used to record eye blinking frequency.

RESULTS
The results demonstrated that tests of sensory eye irritation and eye blinking can be used for materials testing, and that a dose-effect as well as a time-variance of the effect can be measured.

CONCLUSION
The tests showed that eye irritation was perceived at all of the three levels.


A double-blind, double-dummy, randomized Italian multicenter trial was carried out to compare the efficacy and safety of omeprazole 20 mg in the morning and ranitidine 150 mg b.i.d. in short-term treatment of acute duodenal ulcer. One hundred and twenty-one patients (61 in the omeprazole and 60 in the ranitidine group) with endoscopically proven active duodenal ulcer, completed the study. The healing rates after 2, 4 and 6 weeks were 66, 97 and 100%, respectively, with omeprazole and 53, 85 and 92%, respectively, with ranitidine. The difference was statistically significant (p less than 0.05) at weeks 4 and 6. Night and day pain were markedly reduced during both treatments, as also antacid consumption. Both drugs were well tolerated, and the adverse events were infrequent and moderate. In our experience, omeprazole 20 mg once daily seems to be superior to ranitidine 150 mg b.i.d. in the short-term treatment of duodenal ulcer.


Prostate cancer (PC) is the most common cancer in men and after development of the castration-resistant PC (CRPC), there are no curative treatment options. Inactivating mutations in cyclin-dependent kinase 12 (CDK12) define an aggressive sub-type of CRPC. We hypothesized that compromised CDK12 activity leads to significant rewiring of the CRPC cells, and that this rewiring results in actionable synthetic lethal interactions. Methods We used combinatorial lethal screening, ChIP-seq data, RNA-seq data, global alternative splicing analysis, and comprehensive mass spectrometry (MS) profiling to understand how the compromised CDK12 activity rewires the CRPC cells. In addition, we used DepMap-, PC- and CRPC-datasets as a strategy to identify factors that are selectively required by the CDK12-mutant cells. Results We show that inhibition of O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and CDK12 induces cancer cell-selective growth-defect. OGT catalyzes all nucleocytoplasmic O-GlcNAcylation, and we use unbiased MS-profiling to show that the short-term CDK12 inhibition induces hyper-O-GlcNAcylation of the spliceosome-machinery in PC and CRPC cells. Integration of DepMap- and a small scale-drug screen data reveled that depletion of CDK12 activity causes addiction to non-essential spliceosome components (CLK1/4 and SRPK1). CDK12-mutant tumors overexpress CLK1/4 and SRPK1. Finally, we show that the genomes of the CDK12-mutant tumors have lower DNA methylation, and that CDK12 inhibition induces the expression of the genes marked by DNA methylation. Conclusions Compromised CDK12 activity rewires DNA methylation, transcription and splicing, and this rewiring renders the affected cells addicted on the non-essential spliceosome components. We propose that inactivation of CDK12 is a biomarker for sensitivity against inhibitors of the non-essential spliceosome components just entering the clinical trials.


The antagonism between the Perisan and the Greek colonies on the Ionian coast of Asia Minor began with Cyrus I and continued for some 200 years until the Empire was destroyed by Alexander's Macedonians. The Persian armies of this period also fielded troops in countries as far apart as India, Egypt, southern Russia and the Balkans and were undoubtedly the largest and most colourful the world has yet seen. In this volume the arms, equipment and organization of these forces is illustrated and documented.


This paper deals with the reconstruction of buried targets exhibiting both dielectric and magnetic characteristics, starting from GPR data collected at the interface air/soil. The problem is tackled under the Born approximation. In particular, two-dimensional migration and linear inversion results will be compared versus experimental data and three-dimensional representations of the reconstructions achieved from both methods will be shown.


An investigation was performed to design a network of nodes interconnected by conductive microwires in polymer-based substrates, which can be expanded to cover an area which is several orders of magnitude larger for macro-scale integration. The substrates can be potentially designed to host nano/micro-sensors/actuators and electronics to create a functional network for various applications. The major focus of the research is to develop a process to ensure that the network transition from a micro-scale fabrication to a macro-scale deployment is controllable, reliable and stable without failure. The key concept of the proposed design is to remove microscopically unnecessary materials from the substrate to create a network of infrastructures that can be stretched and expanded to a macro-scale size of several orders of magnitude. Material reduction is achieved by engineering a network of thousands of micronodes interconnected by extendable microwires, which are the key element to perform uniform expansions of the network in all directions, to allow precise location of the nodes, to maximize the polymer expansion per unit area and to allow translation only of the nodes. The number of nodes, the bidimensional stretching ratio of the network and the material reduction are linked to the processable substrate size, to the final area coverage upon full expansion and to the in-plane area of the nodes and wires. In this paper we demonstrate that an expandable network with 200 µm diameter nodes and 4 µm wide wires is characterized by a 99.7% material reduction and a 25 600% bidimensional stretching ratio. A 5041 micronode network was built on a 100 mm diameter wafer and was expanded to a final area of 1 m2 at low strain levels. The expanded node network is integrated into materials of different rigidities and is proven to resist under bending and twisting of the hosting material. The proposed flexible, expandable polymer design is a cost-effective approach that has the potential to build a bridge between the engineering of the nano/microscopic devices and their exploitation on the macroscopic scale. In particular, this approach can be used for wired or wireless sensor network applications as well as for the realization of innovative materials.


Data videos are an increasingly popular storytelling form. The opening of a data video critically influences its success as the opening either attracts the audience to continue watching or bores them to abandon watching. However, little is known about how to create an attractive opening. We draw inspiration from the openings of famous films to facilitate designing data video openings. First, by analyzing over 200 films from several sources, we derived six primary cinematic opening styles adaptable to data videos. Then, we consulted eight experts from the film industry to formulate 28 guidelines. To validate the usability and effectiveness of the guidelines, we asked participants to create data video openings with and without the guidelines, which were then evaluated by experts and the general public. Results showed that the openings designed with the guidelines were perceived to be more attractive, and the guidelines were praised for clarity and inspiration.


The aim of this study is to develop an eco-friendly reduction process of indigo as an alternative choice. Hansenula misumaiensis was used and their reducing activity toward synthetic indigo as well as natural indigo was estimated by dyeing test in terms of indigo dye uptake. The changes in K/S value and pH were monitored on the time-based measurements. Also, reduction duration was evaluated. On the basis of the results described in this study, it was confirmed that Hansenula misumaiensis reduced indigo. Reducing power of Hansenula misumaiensis reached to maximum in two days. It can be possible to develop eco-friendly process of indigo reduction using Hansenula misumaiensis by the optimization of strain culture conditions and the optimization of reduction conditions.


This paper discusses economic and ethical issues that bring about certain limitations in human resource management as one of the basic organizational functions, through which the organization's relationship with employees is expressed. The aim of this paper is to point out the ethical dimension of human resource management as a key organizational function, which has economic, but at the same time ethical responsibilities. In elaborating this problem, we started from the basic assumption that human resource management as an organizational function and theoretical concept should balance between economic and ethical requirements, which depends on the attitudes of managers as decision makers. In addition to the analysis of the existing literature in this field, an empirical research was conducted to verify the stated assumptions on the basis of a survey questionnaire, which explored the attitudes of managers. The results were processed by statistical methods in the SPSS program. The significance of this paper derives from the importance of employees for the organization and the sensitivity of the human dimension of the organization in relation to the economic one. Bad condition in human resources management in BiH and Serbia, as the countries on which our research is focused, with unfavorable situation on the labor market, low level of perception of needs by managers and knowledge (professionalism) required for experts in this field to achieve necessary influence and affirm an effective concept and practice, opens opportunities for unethical actions of organizations. Unethical practices can be generated by ignorance, employers 'greed for quick profits, and weak institutional influence. High distance of power is an unfavorable cultural factor that encourages the arbitrariness of individuals and prevents social control of the behavior of organizations. In these wanderings and undefined directions of institutional development, in these countries there is room for corruption, poor law enforcement (incomplete reform of the judicial system), insufficiently defined protection of private property, strong influence of political parties in all spheres of life, political and economic connection, significant share of state property, etc. On the ground of egalitarian culture, high social inequality and impoverishment of the majority of the population is created, which negatively affects education, health and distracts attention from the civic control of the government. Therefore, in the research we started from the assumption that the primary evaluation of the human and social function of business and employees as a purpose, not a means, positively affects the ethical practice of human resource management, which we tested over the average response of respondents employed in different positions in the organization. The results obtained are presented in the paper.

Keywords: Business Ethics, Ethics, Employees, Economics, HRM, Organization.


This is a chapter of the upcoming "A Concise Encyclopedia of Coding Theory", W.C. Huffman, J.-L. Kim, and P. Sole' Eds., CRC Press. The chapter gives an introduction to the mathematical theory of rank-metric codes. Treated topics include: definition of rank metric, equivalence of codes, support of a codeword and of a code, duality, weight enumerators and MacWilliams identities, higher rank weights, MRD codes, optimal anticodes, and q-polymatroids associated to a rank-metric code.


The ML 5.6-5.8 Little Skull Mountain, Nevada, 29 June 1992 earth- quake occurred in the southwest portion of Nevada Test Site (NTS) approximately 20 km from Yucca Mountain, a potential site for a high-level radioactive waste repository. The earthquake involved predominantly down-to-the-southeast dip-slip motion with a small left-slip component on a steeply dipping, 70, northeast-striking fault. The mainshock nucleated near the base of the aftershock zone and ruptured up and to the northeast, and the mainshock rupture and the majority of the aftershock sequence were confined to depths between 6 and 12 km. All three ML 4 (largest ML 4.5) aftershocks occurred off the mainshock fault plane on secondary structures within the aftershock zone. The nearest strong-motion instrument located 11 km southwest of the epicenter recorded a peak acceleration of 0.206g. The earthquake occurred adjacent to the Rock Valley fault zone within an area of prior concentrated background seismicity and near the intersection of several northeast-striking faults in the southern NTS that have experienced Quaternary motion.


Scotland's Mental Health First Aid (SMHFA) is a two day, certificated course which will give participants the knowledge and skills required to recognise people who may be having mental health difficulties and gives them a framework for how to offer help.


The aim of the present study was to calculate maternal mortality rates by analyzing pregnancy-related death cases in Samsun over the last 20 years, to identify causes of death and preventability, and to examine the change over the years. The Samsun Provincial Health Directorate's pregnancy-related mortality data from 2002 to 2021 were examined retrospectively. Causes of maternal death were classified as direct, indirect, undecided, and incidental. The maternal mortality rate was calculated as the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Between 2002 and 2021, Samsun experienced a total of 344,324 live births juxtaposed with 79 pregnancy-related deaths. The computed maternal mortality rate is 19.16 per 100,000 live births across the two-decade span. Detailed analysis reveals that 30 deaths (38%) were attributable to direct causes, 31 (39.2%) to indirect causes, 13 (16.5%) were incidental, and 5 (6.3%) remained inconclusive post-autopsy. A breakdown of the direct causes unveils obstetric bleeding as the primary culprit (18.2%), trailed by cardiovascular diseases (13.6%). Moreover, incidental causes, represented by traffic accidents, account for a 7.6% fatality rate. While the observed decline in maternal deaths, particularly from preventable direct causes, over the previous twenty years signifies the efficacy of the instated health policies, the persistent mortality underscores the imperative for ongoing research and strategy recalibration. Identifying fluctuations in causative factors through comparative analyses is pivotal in strategizing future preventive studies on pregnancy-related deaths. The results advocate a pronounced emphasis on continuous professional development to curtail mortalities from avoidable sources, especially postpartum hemorrhage, thereby fortifying existing health policies with reinforced, data-driven interventions.


The far-IR/sub-mm wavelength range contains a wealth of diagnostic information that is important for understanding the role of radio AGN in galaxy evolution. Here we present the results of Herschel PACS and SPIRE observations of a complete sample of 46 powerful 2Jy radio AGN at intermediate redshifts (0.05 < z < 0.7), which represent the deepest pointed observations of a major sample of radio AGN undertaken by Herschel. In order to assess the importance of non-thermal synchrotron emission at far-IR wavelengths, we also present new APEX sub-mm and ALMA mm data. We find that the overall incidence of non-thermal contamination in the PACS bands (<200 μm) is in the range 28 – 43 per cent; however, this rises to 30 – 72 per cent for wavelengths (>200 μm) sampled by the SPIRE instrument. Non-thermal contamination is strongest in objects with compact CSS/GPS or extended FRI radio morphologies, and in those with type 1 optical spectra. Considering thermal dust emission, we find strong correlations between the 100 and 160 μm monochromatic luminosities and AGN power indicators, providing further evidence that radiation from the AGN may be an important heating source for the far-IR emitting dust. Clearly, AGN contamination – whether by the direct emission from synchrotron-emitting lobes and cores, or via radiative heating of the cool dust – needs to be carefully considered when using the far-IR continuum to measure the star formation rates in the host galaxies of radio AGN.


Dialyzers have been commercially used for hemodialysis application since the 1950s, but progress in improving their efficiencies has never stopped over the decades. This article aims to provide an up-to-date review on the commercial developments and recent laboratory research of dialyzers for hemodialysis application and to discuss the technical aspects of dialyzer development, including hollow fiber membrane materials, dialyzer design, sterilization processes and flow simulation. The technical challenges of dialyzers are also highlighted in this review, which discusses the research areas that need to be prioritized to further improve the properties of dialyzers, such as flux, biocompatibility, flow distribution and urea clearance rate. We hope this review article can provide insights to researchers in developing/designing an ideal dialyzer that can bring the best hemodialysis treatment outcomes to kidney disease patients.


In this paper, the performance of a multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system in time-varying channels is evaluated using measurement data. We consider the multi-user MIMO system using a block diagonalization (BD) scheme and an eigenbeam-space division multiplexing (E-SDM) technique. In an ideal case, the BD scheme eliminates inter-user interference, and the E-SDM technique suppresses inter-stream interference. In actual radio environments, however, channels change over time. This causes interference in the multi-user MIMO system even though the BD scheme and the E-SDM technique are used. To overcome this problem, the authors have developed a simple channel prediction scheme on the basis of a linear extrapolation and have demonstrated its effectiveness by computer simulations assuming the Jakes' model. To verify the performance of the channel prediction scheme in actual environments, we conducted a measurement campaign in indoor environments and measured a large amount of channel data. Using these data, we examined the channel transition and channel tracking with the prediction method. Then we obtained the bit-error rate (BER) performance. The prediction technique was shown to track the channel and improve the BER performance almost to that in the ideal time invariant case.


The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway has been directly implicated in the pathogenesis of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and medulloblastoma (MB). Constitutive Hh signaling, most often due to underlying loss of function mutations in the inhibitory receptor Patched1 (PTCH1), has been demonstrated in a majority of common localized BCCs and approximately 25–30% of sporadic MB cases. In this study, we examined molecular correlatives of clinical efficacy in locally‐advanced / metastatic BCC and MB patients treated with GDC‐0449, an inhibitor of the Hh pathway that targets the serpentine receptor Smoothened (SMO). An analysis of Hh pathway transcriptional target gene expression in archival tissue biopsies provided evidence for active Hh signaling in patients exhibiting clinical benefit (objective response or disease stabilization) on therapy. This was further supported by the identification of either loss of function or activating mutations in PTCH1 or SMO, respectively. We were unable to provide evidence for active Hh signaling in 2 patients with progressive disease as best response, potentially underlying the reason for lack of efficacy in these patients. In addition to providing molecular support for Hh pathway activity in patients exhibiting treatment benefit, this is the first evidence for Hh pathway dysregulation in the previously uncharacterized, advanced BCC setting. Furthermore, the results begin to support the utility of transcriptional‐based tests as a strategy to potentially select the subset of MB patients with Hh‐driven disease that would likely benefit on GDC‐0449. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):A44.