Leadership is an essential element for promoting innovation. The literature has primarily focused on the effect of "constructive" leadership on innovation, although numerous studies point out that destructive leadership affects organizational performance. However, such literature pays little attention to the relationship between destructive leadership and innovation. This study uses an online survey of 210 employees from 80 Portuguese firms in different sectors, to test the effect of destructive leadership on behavioural innovation and how a caring climate influences such relationship. The analysis uses multiple linear regressions to test the hypotheses. Findings reveal that destructive leadership has a negative effect on innovation and on caring climate. The results show that a caring climate influences innovation in a positive way that mitigates the relationship between destructive leadership and innovation.


Objective(s): In this study, we tested the hypothesis that sinapic acid (SA), a naturally occurring hydroxycinnamic acid found in vegetables, cereal grains, and oilseed crops with various biological activities suppresses adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by down-regulating adipogenesis transcription factor. Materials and Methods: 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with SA and evaluated by Oil Red O staining, triglyceride estimation, lipolysis, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with various concentrations of SA (100 to 1000 μmol) during differentiation. Results: SA prevented an increase in adipocytes by reducing preadipocyte clonal expansion. ORO staining analyses revealed that SA reduced cytoplasmic lipid droplet accumulation in 3T3-L1 by 57% at the highest concentration of 1000 μmol without affecting cell viability. Furthermore, SA down-regulated the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha, sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c, and fatty acid synthase. ROS generated during adipogenesis was also attenuated by SA treatment by increasing antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, and the cellular antioxidant glutathione. SA demonstrated no in vivo toxicity in the Drosophila melanogaster model. Conclusion: These results suggest that SA exerts anti-oxidant and anti-adipogenic effects and could be used as a functional nutraceutical ingredient in combatting obesity-related diseases.


ging the anaesthetist's chest level relative to the patient's face by adjustment of operating table height is a troublesome task. In our operating room, face-mask ventilation and subsequent laryngoscopic intubation are routinely performed by the anaesthetist sitting on a stool with adjustable height. Before anaesthesia, by adjusting the height of the stool, the patient's face is initially placed at the level of the anaesthetist's xiphoid process. During laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation, the height relation of anaesthetist's chest with the patient's face can be adjusted momentarily by changing the height of stool by the operator themself, as needed. Our experience suggests that dynamic optimization of the height relation between the anaesthetist's chest and the patient's face using an adjustable stool during tracheal intubation is an easy and rapid process.


In this study, the authors propose an efficient fractional pixel search algorithm for H.264/AVC video coding to reduce the computational complexity in half/quarter-pixel motion estimation. A prediction for the optimal motion vector is derived under the assumption that the sum of absolute transform differences error surface is a symmetric parabolic function. With the optimal region, a decision rule for half-pixel search is proposed. The experimental result shows that approximately two search points are required. Based on the half-pixel search, a hierarchical quarter-pixel search is described and an extra three search points, on average, are consumed for each quarter-pixel search. Experimental results show that significant reduction in computation can be achieved, while maintaining high coding efficiency.


This paper addresses the problem of locating error sources in an erroneous combinational circuit. We use a fault simulation-based technique to approximate each signal's correcting power. The correcting power of a particular signal is measured in terms of the signal's correctable set, namely, the maximum set of erroneous input vectors that can be corrected by re-synthesizing the signal. Only the signals that can correct every erroneous input vector are considered as a potential error source. Our algorithm offers three major advantages over existing methods. First, unlike symbolic approaches, it is applicable for large circuits. Secondly, it delivers more accurate results than other simulation-based approaches because it is based on a more stringent condition for identifying potential error sources. Thirdly, it can be easily generalized to identify multiple errors. Experimental results on diagnosing circuits with one and two random errors are presented to show the effectiveness and efficiency of this new approach.


The Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2014 was the most comprehensive to date. Yet it left several gaps with regards to the impacts, implications and responses to climate change in small island developing states (SIDS). SIDS are recognized as a special grouping of developing countries. Located in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, Caribbean, and Pacific regions, they comprise 58 countries that are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change and its impacts. With adaptation to climate change viewed as a viable and necessary complement to mitigation, academic interest in adaptation in these complex geographies is increasing. Despite this, not enough is known about the body of knowledge relating to adaptation in SIDS. This article systematically reviews 208 articles, books, book chapters, conference papers, and notes, and synthesizes the nature and extent of the research evidence before and after AR5 (i.e., from 1990 to 2014, and from 2015 to 2018). It specifically explores shifts in (a) when, where and by what means knowledge is being produced (e.g., subject areas, methodologies), and the ways in which adaptation is being framed (i.e., conceptually, operationally), (b) the narratives, consensuses, and tensions across the key emerging themes in the literature, and (c) the knowledge gaps that exist. It also outlines a future research agenda, which is an important consideration not only for multi‐scale actors working to help solve the global climate challenge, but also for the scholars preparing the Small Islands Chapter of the Sixth Assessment Report due in 2021.


Integral to lasting democracy, liberty and freedom is banishment of poverty, ill-health, illiteracy, superstitious beliefs and backwardness on the one hand and facilitating the creation of institutions that defend these values on the other. Criminals and terrorists in today's world cannot prosper or become a major threat to democracy, liberty and freedom unless one or more states or influential sections within those states directly or indirectly sponsor them. Those who have sowed the poisonous seeds cannot disown responsibility for the bitter fruits. Why successive US administrations have always chosen to encourage and support the most retrograde forces in countries where they have chosen to intervene is something that needs to be examined more thoroughly.


Purpose: Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation plays an important role in the development and progression of chronic allograft vasculopathy. Mycophenolic acid (MPA) inhibits various mesenchymal cell proliferation, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in the anti-pro-liferative effect of MPA. In this study, we investigated the effects of MPA on oleic acid (OA)-induced VSMC proliferation and also the role of ROS in these processes. Methods: Primary cultured rat VSMCs from Sprague-Dawley were stimulated with OA 100μM. MPA 0.1∼10μM and N-acetylcystein (NAC) 5 mM were administered 1 hour before adding the OA. Cell proliferation was measured by Methylthiazoletetrazolium (MTT) assay, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression by Western blot analysis, and dichlorofluorescein (DCF)-sensitive cellular ROS by flow cytometry. Results: OA at 100μM significantly increased MTT level by 1.6-fold as well as PCNA expression at 48 hours in rat VSMCs. OA also induced DCF-sensitive cellular ROS by 1.6-fold at 5 minutes and the increment of cellular ROS remained for up to 1 hour. MPA at above 1μM inhibited OA- induced VSMC proliferation and cellular ROS in a dosedependent manner. NAC 5 mM also inhibited OA-induced rat VSMC activation. Conclusion: These results suggest that MPA inhibits OA-induced VSMC proliferation partially through the inhibition of cellular ROS.


As Sartori (1998) and Taylor(2000) state, the current trend in commercial news seems to be the removal of any critical function from documentary photography, in order to produce images of sensationalism or entertainment. In fact, pushed by a competitive market and other forms of communication, many newspapers have become more entertaining and trivial than concerned with public knowledge, controversy and debate. Some of them have even learned to conceal their real intentions and make sensationalism look serious (Sampson 1996). But what happens when the fabrication and invention of images are overtly exposed on their front-cover, with no intention whatsoever of hiding their manipulations? This article examines this practice on the front-pages of P᧩na/12, a famous "left-leaning" daily published in Buenos Aires, Argentina, since 1987. Exemplifying with pictures and cartoons reproduced on P᧩na's first page between 1998 and 2003, this paper analyses (1) their particular conventions and discursive effects, and (2) how they project a variety of connotative meanings that defy concepts of truth or authenticity, to end up questioning the hegemonic discourse of neoliberalism in Argentina during the 90s.


Background: To determinethe involvement of hypoxia inducible factor1α (HIF) pathway inmetastasis of gastric cancer (GC). Method: It was determined that the expression of HIF and annexin A1 (ANXA1) in human GC (n=76),using immunohis to chemistry, as well as,the involvement of HIF pathway in GC cell migration and invasion in vitro. The correlation between HIF/ANXA1 and the prognosis wasalso evaluated.Results: HIF1αwas substantiallyupregulatedin GC tissues, compared to that of non-cancer. HIF1α was positively correlated withlymph node metastasis, but inversely correlated with survival in GC patients. HIF1αwas an independent prognostic factor in GC patients, and the combination of HIF1α and ANXA1 might serve asuseful prognostic markers in GCpatients.Furthermore,HIF-1αseems topromote GC migration and invasion through HIF1α/ANXA1/MMP-2 pathway. Conclusions: Our findings suggestthat HIF-1αmay serve as a promising prognostic biomarkerand therapeutic target for inhibiting GC metastasis.


The beneficial results of surgery were weighed against the risks in a review of 118 major eye operations on a series of patients from 65 to 94 years of age. Eighty-five operations were for cataract and 18 for glaucoma. Most patients had some form of circulatory disease, 19 had hernias, 16 had pulmonary emphysema, and 11 had diabetes. Nevertheless, there were only two deaths attributable to the operation. The declining years of many of these patients were immeasurably brightened by restoration of vision, which in some cases meant ability to carry on a reasonably self-sufficient and meaningful existence for many years without being a constant burden to others. Undue emphasis on the risks of operation can lead to the withholding of beneficial ocular surgery in the aged.


Even before the completion of land reform, the Communist regime had introduced in most parts of China the two new institutions through which it planned eventually to socialize rural trade, namely the state trading companies and the supply and marketing cooperatives. The former, wholly owned by the state and controlled by governmental departments of commerce, were normally established in cities and central market towns. Each company specialized in certain lines—e.g., grain, edible oils, marine products, stationery supplies—and established branches in nearby market towns as required for sales or purchases. With few exceptions, free competition obtained between the state trading companies and private firms until November 1953, when the companies began to acquire official monopolies of important commodities. By the end of 1954, state concerns had absorbed a number of larger private firms and captured a major share of the wholesale market.


Cell-mediated immunity conferred by CD4+ T helper cells is considered the predominant host defense against mucosal Candida infections, with Thelper (Th1)-type responses associated with resistance to infection and Th2-type responses associated with susceptibility to infection. Oropharyngeal candidiasis, the most common oral opportunistic infection in HIV-infected persons, is associated with a Th2-type cytokine profile in saliva. To obtain more direct evidence for a role of salivary cytokines in susceptibility to oropharyngeal candidiasis during immunosuppression, we evaluated Th1/Th2-type cytokines in the saliva of those with denture stomatitis, a form of oropharyngeal candidiasis not related to immunosuppression. Results showed that HIV-negative denture wearers with and without denture stomatitis demonstrated a mixed Th1/Th2 cytokine profile with no significant differences found between the groups. These results suggest that a local Th cytokine dichotomy in saliva is not associated with susceptibility to denture stomatitis in immunocompetent persons.


ABSTRACT Choi, H.C.; Youn, S.H.; Huh, S.-H., and Park, J.M., 2018. Diet composition and feeding habits of two engraulid fish larvae (Engraulis japonicus and Coilia nasus) in the Nakdong River estuary, Korea. In: Shim, J.-S.; Chun, I., and Lim, H.S. (eds.), Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2018 (Busan, Republic of Korea). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 85, pp. 346–350. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Engraulis japonicus and Coilia nasus are members of the family Engraulidae, and their larvae are important components in the estuarian ecosystems that they inhabit. The dietary study of fish larvae is essential to understanding early survival and recruitment in fish populations. This study investigated the dietary compositions and size-related dietary changes in E. japonicus and C. nasus larvae in the Nakdong River estuary. Larvae samples were collected monthly between April and August 2011 using an RN80 net at two stations in the estuary. Gut content analyses revealed that E. japonicus fed mostly on copepods, and secondarily on tintinnids and cladocerans, while C. nasus preferred to consume freshwater cladocerans. These dietary differences between the two larvae were closely related with habitat preference, which provided different local prey sources at each station. As the larvae of both species grew, the consumption of copepods for E. japonicus, and cladocerans for C. nasus, gradually increased, indicating distinct ontogenetic dietary changes. This dietary study of larval E. japonicus and C. nasus is important information for the development of fisheries, and can be implemented in related further studies of areas other than estuaries.


Application of potassium fertilizer can promote photosynthesis of crops, promote crop results and improve the cold and disease resistance of crops, thereby increasing agricultural yield. Potassium exists in the form of free potassium ions in plants, which can promote the metabolism of carbohydrates and nitrogen; control and regulate the activities of various mineral nutrients; and activate the activities of various enzymes. This article analyzes the nutrition of green plant K elements and modern architectural design. In the development of the entire construction industry, green buildings have become the main development trend of the industry. In modern building design, the development of green buildings can not only reduce the harmful gases generated in construction projects to a certain extent, but also reduce the waste of resources, improve the overall performance of buildings, and enhance the overall benefits of the construction industry. Under this premise, this article mainly analyzes the application of green buildings in modern building design, and explores the role of potassium in green plants, with a view to promoting the sustainable development of the construction industry to a certain extent.


The aims of this research were to describe the processing of sweet corn, to analyze the value-added and distribution of value-added becomes peas,corn on the cob,  donuts, grits, and  bakwan  on the business F1 Aina Batu Hampa. This study was conducted  from  March to  April 2016.  The study employed a  case study method.  The study used  Hayami method  in analyzing the value added. The results of this  study showed that the value added generated by Aina F1  was high. It can be seen through the ratio of value added that  is  greater than 40 percent  and varied among products where; 71.76% for corn peas, 58.65% for corn on the cob, 71.71% for donuts, 74.40% for the grits, and 63,49% for bakwan. The product of Sweet corn that generate the highest value added is grits. The ratio of value added can be seen through the margin value distributed in production factors. The highest  of  portion  of value-added received by  the company and the smallest portion  value-added received by the labor.   The largest distribution margin is for the profit of the company. The company's biggest profits come from corn on the cob, followed by grits, peas, donuts, and bakwan. The largest distribution of other input contributions is bakwan, followed by donuts, peas, grits, and  corn of the cob. The distribution of margins received by workers is the smallest part compared to the margins for other input contributions and company profits. The largest distribution is for bakwan , followed by donuts, peas, grits, and corn of the cob.


The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system is a transport infrastructure that has grown tremendously among developing countries, including Africa. However, the effectiveness of such a transport system needs an evaluation from the users' perception. Access to a transportation system is an important factor in measuring the effectiveness of a transport system. Using Ikorodu-Mile12 corridor as a case study, this study examined the commuters' perception on the level of access to Lagos BRT to evaluate its effectiveness. The research employed a case study approach with quantitative analysis methods to explore the commuter's perception using dimensions of accessibility, affordability, availability, acceptability and adequacy. A total of 343 questionnaires were sampled using the accidental strategy at bus stops and inside neighborhoods of the study area at a distance of 400m, 800m, and 1200m from BRT bus stops. The results revealed that more than half of the respondents are satisfied with BRT service affordability, accessibility and adequacy. The system is perceived to be satisfactory but needs improvement on bus service frequency, service information and staff attitude.Keywords: Access, Acceptability, Accessibility, Affordability, Adequacy, BRT, Neighborhood, Public transport


After two generations of software systems for the analysis of two‐dimensional electrophoresis (2‐DE) images, a third generation of such software packages has recently emerged that combines state‐of‐the‐art graphical user interfaces with comprehensive spot data analysis capabilities. A key characteristic common to most of these software packages is that many of their tools are implementations of algorithms that resulted from research areas such as image processing, vision, artifical intelligence or machine learning. This article presents the main algorithms implemented in the Melanie II 2‐D PAGE software package. The applications of these algorithms, embodied as the feature of the program, are explained in an accompanying article (R. D. Appel et al.; Electrophoresis 1997, 18, 2724–2734).


1LHAASO J1929+1846 is one of the ultra-high-energy (UHE, E > 0.1 PeV) sources in the first catalog of γ-ray sources detected by the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory. It has been detected fluxes at 3 TeV for 2.48 ± 0.11 × 10−13 TeV−1 cm−2 s−1 with the Water Cherenkov Detector Array and at 50 TeV for 0.64 ± 0.06 × 10−16 TeV−1 cm−2 s−1 with the Kilometer Squared Array, but the origin of its UHE emission remains unknown. The pulsar wind nebula (PWN) G54.1+0.3, which is powered by the pulsar PSR 1930+1852 with a period of 136 ms and it is detected within a 0.°29 region around the centroid of 1LHAASO J1929+1846. We explore whether G54.1+0.3 is capable of producing the UHE radiation of 1LHAASO J1929+1846. First, the data with Fermi Large Area Telescope for the PWN is analyzed to obtain the GeV fluxes. Second, the multiband non-thermal fluxes for the nebula are investigated based on a one-zone time-dependent model. In the model, we assume the spin-down energy of the pulsar is persistently injected into particles (electrons and positrons) and magnetic field in the PWN, and these high-energy particles produce multiband non-thermal radiation from radio to γ-rays via synchrotron radiation and inverse Compton scattering. We reproduce the spectral energy distribution of PWN G54.1+0.3 with reasonable parameters. The result indicates that the UHE γ-ray source 1LHAASO J1929+1846 possibly originates from PWN G54.1+0.3.


To overcome the fruit's perishability, mulberry wine has been developed as a method of preservation. However, dynamic changes in metabolites during mulberry wine fermentation have not been reported yet. In the present investigation, UHPLC-QE-MS/MS coupled with multivariate statistical analyses was employed to scrutinize the metabolic profiles, particularly the flavonoid profiles, throughout the process of vinification. In general, the major differential metabolites encompassed organic heterocyclic compounds, amino acids, phenylpropanoids, aromatic compounds, and carbohydrates. The contents of total sugar and alcohol play a primary role that drove the composition of amino acids, polyphenol, aromatic compound, and organic acid metabolites based on the Mantel test. Importantly, among the flavonoids, abundant in mulberry fruit, luteolin, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, (−)-epiafzelechin, eriodictyol, kaempferol, and quercetin were identified as the differential metabolic markers during blackberry wine fermentation and ripening. Flavonoid, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis were also identified to be the major metabolic pathways of flavonoids in 96 metabolic pathways. These results will provide new information on the dynamic changes in flavonoid profiles during black mulberry winemaking.


A generalized analytical model has been developed to simulate the radial thickness of the helix employed in practical traveling wave tubes. With this proposed model, the exact physical dimensions of the helix radial thickness can be incorporated in the design equations. Relevant dispersion relations, characteristic and interaction impedances, and equivalent circuit parameters are derived by making use of both the field theory and equivalent analysis methods. Besides, in the field theory approach, a novel technique has been introduced to reduce the complexity in the derivation of the design formula. The results obtained using the present model are critically assessed, for four different practical slow-wave structures, over a wide range of experimental frequencies and found to be better than those obtained using earlier models.


Corporations have a major role in society for example when it comes to economic development. Over the past decades, stakeholders have begun to demand corporations to take increased responsibility for their business and practice regarding sustainability issues. This development can be described as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). By the end of 2016, the Swedish government introduced a new ordinance, obliging larger corporations regardless of branch, to create a sustainability report. The sustainability report is expected to increase transparency and give stakeholders an opportunity to evaluate the sustainability efforts of each corporation. Previously, service corporations have not been taking sustainability reporting into account extensively. However, due to the new ordinance, service corporations can no longer overlook sustainability reporting. The ordinance is designed to suit all types of businesses. Because of this, there is scope for interpretation and uncertainty regarding the report's design and content. Additionally, sustainability reporting is criticised by stakeholders. They are sceptical since they do not trust corporations to actually perform the CSR-activities they claim to conduct. Few studies have addressed the development of sustainability reporting in service corporations. This study aims to investigate the development of trustworthy sustainability reporting in a Swedish service corporation.

To be able to fulfil the aim of this study, a case study of the service corporation LRF Konsult has been conducted. Sustainability reporting is a new challenge for LRF Konsult, and this study is focusing on the initial phase in developing trustworthy sustainability reporting. The empirical results have been collected through five semi-structured interviews, conducted with individuals of distinct positions within LRF Konsult. The questions of the interviews were based on a theoretical framework addressing sustainability reporting, stakeholder theory and CSR-communication strategies.

This study identifies four primary objectives for sustainability reporting made by a service corporation; meet and satisfy stakeholders' demands, be perceived as an attractive employer, educate and motivate employees and maintain legitimacy. Thus, stakeholders are an indispensable part to consider regarding the development of sustainability reporting. This case study also shows that the most relevant stakeholders to involve, when it comes to sustainability reporting, are the employees, the customers and the owner. They are relevant since they both influence and are directly affected by corporations' sustainability reporting. When involving relevant stakeholders through communication, trustworthiness can be achieved. This study implies that both one-way and two-way communication strategies are useful when involving stakeholders in sustainability reporting.


Experiments were conducted to observe the effect of pre-harvest calcium (Ca) applied as calcium chloride (1% W/V) and postharvest hot water treatment (HWT) on "Royal Delicious" apples. For this, apples were divided in 4 lots viz., untreated (neither Ca nor HWT), Ca alone (pre-harvest 3 sprays of CaCl2 (1.0% w/v) in the orchard), HWT (42℃ for 2 h). Apples of all four lots were stored in cold storage maintained at 0℃ ± 1℃ and 90% - 95% relative humidity for 6 months. After storage, fruits were removed to ambient conditions for 5 days, and then observations on decay area and incidence, bitter pit incidence, fruit Ca content, lipoxygenase (LOX) and antioxidant (AOX) activity, fruit firmness and fruit quality parameters were recorded. After 6 months in cold storage plus 5 day at 22℃ ± 2℃ and 70% + 4% RH, apples, which received Ca as pre-harvest spray or those which received postharvest hot water treatment or Ca + HWT had significantly lesser decay area (decay lesions) caused by Penicillium expansum or Botrytis cinerea than untreated ones (control). Ca + HWT treatment was significantly more effective on B. cinerea than P. expansum. Untreated apples exhibited higher incidence of bitter pit (18.2%) than those treated with Ca or HWT or both. Fruit Ca content (2.92% DM) were significantly lower and conversely the LOX activity (6.9 μmoles min–1×g–1FW) was higher in untreated apples. Similarly, total phenolics and AOX activity were also lower in the untreated apples than Ca or HWT treated. HWT or Ca treated apples have beneficial effects on fruit firmness, peel colour and quality parameters like TSS and ascorbic acid content. Thus, it is concluded that pre-harvest sprays of calcium chloride with postharvest HWT is highly useful for "Royal Delicious" for reducing decay loss, maintaining firmness, high levels of antioxidants and fruit quality.


Resembling the desktop of personal computer in which files and applications are stored, MICE3 desktop is a Web-based information desktop where individual can keep and manage resources such as links to Web sites and services, as well as Web sources and documents. Resources on the desktop are represented in Web directory structure and annotated with information such as concepts, entities, etc. Categories are used to organize resources in the directory. Each category is annotated with concept learnt from the contents of the category. MICE3 desktop allows users to exploit information and knowledge from their resources. Users can retrieve information by navigating the directory structure, look up the resource index or searching the resource contents. The desktop also allows users to effectively manage their resources by enabling them to enhance categories with concept. The concept is further used to assist user in organizing resources into their directory


Objectives One of the most common complications of thyroidectomy is hypoparathyroidism and that complication has a multifactorial etiology. The etiology of post-operative hypoparathyroidism is multifactorial, some factors affecting hypoparathyroidism have been revealed in the literature, and there are some conflicting results about this complication. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate pre-operative and intraoperative factors affecting development of hypoparathyroidism. Methods Data of 542 patients underwent thyroidectomy±central dissection (±lateral dissection) and whose post-operative parathormone values could be obtained, between 2012 and 2020 were collected prospectively and evaluated retrospectively. A parathyroid hormone (PTH) value of <15 pg/mL at the post-operative 4th h was defined as hypoparathyroidism, and a calcium (Ca) value of <8 mg/dl on the 1st post-operative day was defined as biochemical hypocalcemia. Patients were divided into two groups as post-operative hypoparathyroidism (Group 1) and non-hypoparathyroidism (Group 2). In addition, PTH value below the reference value at the post-operative 6th month and/or still needing calcium treatment was defined as permanent hypoparathyroidism. Demographic data of the patients, pre-operative biochemical values, surgical indications, intraoperative findings, post-operative 4th h PTH values, post-operative 1st day calcium values, and pathological examination of the specimen whether there was an unintenionally resected parathyroid gland or not were evaluated as risk factors for hypoparathyroidism. A logistic regression model was used to determine independent risk factors for the development of hypoparathyroidism. Results Hypoparathyroidism was determined in 124 (22.9%) and hypocalcemia was determined in 120 (22.1%) patients. According to 6-month follow-up period; 110 (20.3%) patients were transient, 7 (1.3%) patients were permanent, and 7 (1.3%) patients data could not be obtained. The hypocalcemia rate was higher in Group 1 (39.3% vs. 14.3%, p<0.0001), also the post-operative 1st day calcium values were lower (8.2+0.7 mg/dl vs. 8.5+0.6 mg/dl; p=0.000). The rate of parathyroid autotransplantation, the rate of parathyroid gland in pathological specimen, and the rate of central dissection were significantly higher in Group 1 compared to group 2 (15.8% vs. 8%; p=0.006; 20% vs. 10.6%; p=0.003; 16.4% vs. 5.3%, p<0.0001, respectively). The difference between the two groups was significant in terms of the number of remaining parathyroids, and the rate of the number of patients with four remaining parathyroids in place was higher in Group 2 than in Group 1 (84.1% vs. 67.9; p=0.000). In the logistic regression analysis, only central dissection is an independent risk factor affecting the development of hypoparathyroidism, and central dissection increases the risk of hypoparathyroidism approximately 2.3 times (p=0.014; OR: 2.336). The other factors were not determined as independent risk factor. Conclusion Performing central neck dissection with total thyroidectomy may increase the risk of hypoparathyroidism development. The risk of hypoparathyroidism should be considered when evaluating the indications and dissection extent in the central dissection. Maximum effort should be made to preserve the parathyroid glands and their vascularization during central dissection, and if there is a removed parathyroid gland, it should be autotransplanted.


Kentrung art is a folk theater art that tells a story in the form of prose and interspersed by pantun, an Indonesian unique form of prose. It is played by sung, and uses musical instrument called "Terbang" or Rebana. This research aims to analyze the shape and structure of Kentrung art in Ngasem Village District Batealit Jepara regency. The method used in this research is qualitative descriptive with interpretative case study research design. The research data was collected by observation technique, interview, and documentation study. It is also using triangulation techniques of sources and data to maintain its validity. Meanwhile, the data analysis technique is done through the process of reduction, presentation, and withdrawal of conclusion (verification). The results of this study indicate that, Kentrung musical form consists of two elements, namely elements of time and melody. The time element of Kentrung art employs Allegreto tempo which means fast or between the speed limit of 104-112 steps per minute; the meter uses 4/4, meaning there are four or four minutes of beats on each bar; and rhythmic patterns are divided into two types (senggakan and sautan) which generally use the value of half-tap, and on the big fly using the pattern of rhythm singkup. Most melodies use a half-tap note with the highest tone of G# 5 (la), and the lowest tone is F# 4 (sol). Meanwhile, the musical structure of Kentrung consists of two sentences or periods namely repeated A B.


In an age when people spend most of their time indoors and smartphones become a necessity, there is an increasing demand to navigate user absolute position in indoor environments. While global positioning system (GPSs) perform well outdoors, their inaccuracy can not be tolerated in places where GPS signal is weak or barely detected. This leads to a number of solutions which utilize smartphone inertial measurement unit (IMU) to track user location. Most IMU-based methods track the trajectory of a person by using stride-length and heading estimation. Thus, the accuracy of stride-length estimation plays a very important role in these methods. Inspired by recent success in the field of computer vision and machine learning, we proposed an image-based stride-length estimation method that employs gramian angular field (GAF) in converting accelerometer data into images, and then feed them into a convolutional neural network (CNN) to predict the stride-length. We evaluate the performance of our proposed method by using a public dataset from Qu Wang in his GitHub repository (available at https://github.com/Archeries/StrideLengthEstimation). The result shows that our proposed method is superior in terms of accuracy in one stride and in large walking distance than others using only data collected from the accelerometer.


Many genes that are expressed specifically in the differentiating asexual spores (conidia) of Aspergillus nidulans are organized into clusters. We investigated the effects of altered chromosomal position on expression of a gene from the conidiation-specific SpoC1 gene cluster. The gene became deregulated when integrated at nonhomologous chromosomal sites, in that transcript levels were elevated in vegetative cells (hyphae) and variably altered in conidia. We also investigated the effects on expression of insertion of the nonregulated argB gene into the SpoC1 region. Levels of argB transcripts were markedly reduced in hyphae. The results suggest that a cis-acting regional regulatory mechanism represses transcription of SpoC1 genes in hyphae. They also indicate that expression of individual SpoC1 genes is modulated during conidiation by trans-acting factors. We propose that the two types of regulation act together to produce the major differences in transcript levels observed in hyphae versus conidia.


Deep learning-based grasp prediction models have become an industry standard for robotic bin-picking systems. To maximize pick success, production environments are often equipped with several end-effector tools that can be swapped on-the-fly, based on the target object. Tool-change, however, takes time. Choosing the order of grasps to perform, and corresponding tool-change actions, can improve system throughput; this is the topic of our work. The main challenge in planning tool change is uncertainty - we typically cannot see objects in the bin that are currently occluded. Inspired by queuing and admission control problems, we model the problem as a Markov Decision Process (MDP), where the goal is to maximize expected throughput, and we pursue an approximate solution based on model predictive control, where at each time step we plan based only on the currently visible objects. Special to our method is the idea of void zones, which are geometrical boundaries in which an unknown object will be present, and therefore cannot be accounted for during planning. Our planning problem can be solved using integer linear programming (ILP). However, we find that an approximate solution based on sparse tree search yields near optimal performance at a fraction of the time. Another question that we explore is how to measure the performance of tool-change planning: we find that throughput alone can fail to capture delicate and smooth behavior, and propose a principled alternative. Finally, we demonstrate our algorithms on both synthetic and real world bin picking tasks.


Background Effects of prenatal and postnatal exposure to air pollution on lung function at preschool age remain unexplored. We examined the association of exposure to air pollution during specific trimesters of pregnancy and postnatal life with lung function in preschoolers. Methods Lung function was assessed with spirometry in preschoolers aged 4.5 years (n=620) participating in the INfancia y Medio Ambiente (INMA) cohort. Temporally adjusted land use regression (LUR) models were applied to estimate individual residential exposures to benzene and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) during specific trimesters of pregnancy and early postnatal life (the first year of life). Recent and current (1 year and 1 week before lung function testing, respectively) exposures to NO2 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) were also assessed. Results Exposure to higher levels of benzene and NO2 during pregnancy was associated with reduced lung function. FEV1 estimates for an IQR increase in exposures during the second trimester of pregnancy were −18.4 mL, 95% CI −34.8 to −2.1 for benzene and −28.0 mL, 95% CI −52.9 to −3.2 for NO2. Relative risk (RR) of low lung function (<80% of predicted FEV1) for an IQR increase in benzene and NO2 during the second trimester of pregnancy were 1.22, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.46 and 1.30, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.76, respectively. Associations for early postnatal, recent and current exposures were not statistically significant. Stronger associations appeared among allergic children and those of lower social class. Conclusions Prenatal exposure to residential traffic-related air pollution may result in long-term lung function deficits at preschool age.


Synchrotron x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopic experiments, and thermodynamic analysis aiming at the investigation of stability of iron oxides at pressures and temperatures reaching the deep lower mantle conditions were carried out using diamond anvil cell technique combined with laser and resistive heating. In the x-ray experiments, the thermodynamically predicted breakdown of magnetite to hematite and wustite was not observed, but the trace amounts of hematite detected in the sample assemblage may signify the presence of nucleation centers of breakdown products, the growth of which is kinetically hindered due to the energetic requirements for the reaction. This is corroborated by the occurrence of bands of the locally ordered units of hematite in the Raman spectra. Raman spectra of wustite compressed to 80 GPa and subjected to an intense laser heating show several new strong bands in the range 200-350 , originating presumably from the transformation to a polymorph with the NiAs structure. The transition is reversible as evidenced by the recovery of wustite upon decompression of sample to a zero pressure. The 298 K isotherm of magnetite derived from the compression experiments is in a very good agreement with the results of earlier studies. The 1-confidence ellipsoid shows large negative correlations for the fit parameters K0, K0', and V0. The transformation of magnetite to a dense polymorph was observed already at 19 GPa. The Rietveld refinement of the diffraction pattern of is consistent with the -type structure. Thermodynamic assessment shows that on the pressure - temperature phase diagram the stability field for the mixture of oxides + FeO has maximum temperature of only 850 K at 14.6 GPa. At 298 K, the equilibrium pressure for the breakdown of magnetite is 13.3 GPa, while the pressure for the synthesis of FeO + to is located between 35 and 47 GPa, depending on the choice of the equation of state. The calculations also predict that the becomes unstable with respect to h- + FeO at pressures higher than 50 GPa. The values of Gibbs formation energies at standard conditions for the high-pressure polymorphs and h- were estimated to be -962 kJ/mol and -610 kJ/mol, respectively. The standard-state entropy of is 172.4 J/K/mol.


We report a simple technique to suppress high-frequency phase noise of a Yb-based fiber optical frequency comb using an active intensity noise servo. Out-of-loop measurements of the phase noise using an optical heterodyne beat with a cw laser show suppression of phase noise by ≥7 dB out to Fourier frequencies of 100 kHz with a unity-gain crossing of ∼700 kHz. These results are enabled by the strong correlation between the intensity and phase noise of the laser. Detailed measurements of intensity and phase noise spectra, as well as transfer functions, reveal that the dominant phase and intensity noise contribution above ∼100 kHz is due to amplified spontaneous emission or other quantum noise sources.


Variations in certain slopes of the carotid pulse which exist among normal subjects, patients with aortic valvular disease, and those with hypertrophic subaortic stenosis were examined. Records from 256 subjects were quantified with computer technics. The externally recorded volume pulses were related to simultaneously recorded brachial artery pressures (cuff); thus the slopes are expressed in mm Hg/sec. Several slopes were studied: the maximum rate of pressure rise, the mean systolic upstroke (onset of carotid upstroke to peak systolic excursion), and the least square fits of the first twothirds of the upstroke and the first two-thirds of diastole. The least square slopes of 98% of the patients with aortic stenosis were <457 mm Hg/sec, whereas none of those with hypertrophic subaortic stenosis was that low. The greatest overlap was between patients with aortic stenosis and those with aortic stenosis and aortic insufficiency. The slopes correlated poorly with valve areas and gradient in aortic stenosis and combined aortic stenosis and aortic insufficiency. The least square slope in normal subjects is not related to heart rate or age. Thus, the decreased slopes in patients with aortic stenosis are related to many factors, including myocardial function, but influenced by the size of the aortic valve opening and the properties of the vessels.


Background Ultrasound (US) is a useful imaging modality that allows the evaluation of features suggestive of inflammation in osteoarthritis (OA). US features are more common in those with painful knee OA but the association between them remains inconclusive. Objectives To determine: [1] whether the frequency of ultrasound (US) features of inflammation differs between people with (a) normal asymptomatic knees (controls); (b) knee pain (KP) with no radiographic osteoarthritis (ROA); (c) asymptomatic ROA; and (d) symptomatic ROA (SROA); [2] whether US features associate with knee pain, OA change on x-ray, or symptoms and signs of inflammation; and [3] whether US features change in parallel with temporal change in knee pain. Methods A multiple group case-control study design was used. Community participants were recruited and divided into 4 groups based on presence or absence of (1) knee pain and (2) ROA. Standardised knee radiographs and assessments for pain, stiffness and function were carried out. All underwent US examination for effusion, synovial hypertrophy, popliteal cysts and power Doppler signal (PD) within the synovium. Features were dichotomised as present/absent, and grey-scale features were measured directly in mm. Follow-up US and pain assessments were collected in some OA and non-OA participants after 3 months. Comparisons between groups were examined using Χ2 tests, one-way ANOVA and post-hoc Bonferroni tests. Logistic regression was used to examine association between US features, knee pain and ROA adjusting for age, sex and BMI. Results 243 participants were recruited: 90 controls, 59 with KP, 32 with ROA and 62 with SROA. Greyscale US features of inflammation were more common in SROA (effusion 92%, synovial hypertrophy 82% and popliteal cysts 39%) than control and KP participants (p<0.05). US effusion, synovial hypertrophy and popliteal cysts were strongly associated with ROA (aOR(95%CI) =13.39 (6.14, 29.02); 14.39 (6.28, 32.94); 3.19 (1.42, 7.17) respectively) but only synovial hypertrophy was independently associated with pain (aOR=6.56 (2.85, 15.11)). No independent associations were found between PD signal, and pain or ROA. Follow-up of 65 non-OA and 51 OA participants found no relationship between change in pain severity and change in US features. Conclusions US features of inflammation are most strongly associated with ROA but the relationship with symptoms is less clear. This supports synovial changes as predominantly a secondary rather than primary feature of OA. Further studies are warranted to confirm these findings. Acknowledgements We are grateful to Arthritis Research UK for funding this work (AHP Training Fellowship Grant no.18861). Disclosure of Interest None Declared


4869 Background: The EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) and Her2/neu genes play an important role in cancer pathogenesis and biology. Amplification of the EGFR gene has been described in 20-40% of high-grade gliomas. Targeted anti-cancer agents (e.g. trastuzumab, erlotinib, gefitinib, lapatinib) have become available that inhibit these proto-oncogenes. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) tests are commercially available to determine the expression and amplification status of both genes. This study aimed to determine the usefulness of IHC and FISH and to establish the correlation between both tests for both these genes in a cohort of high-grade glioma. This knowledge should be of help to stratify glioma patients in clinical trials with targeted agents against EGFR or Her2/neu. Material and methods: Tumor tissues from 63 patients were collected from a retrospective cohort of patients from five different Belgian hospitals. In addition to conventional histopathology, tumors were characterized by IHC for expression of the EGFR (DAKO EGFR pharmDX) and Her2/neu (DAKO HercepTest) and by FISH for the amplification status of the EGFR gene (Vysis, LSI EGFR/CEP 7 Dual Color Probe). Results: The patient population (n = 63) consisted of 40 men and 23 women with a median age of 55 years at diagnosis. According to WHO classification, there were 17 anaplastic astrocytoma (AA) and 46 glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). None of the glioma in this series expressed Her2/neu and therefore this cohort was not further explored with FISH for Her2/neu gene amplification. FISH identified an amplification of the EGFR gene in 4/17 AA (23,5%) and 15/46 GBM (32,6%). Interpretation of FISH results was straightforward. A positive EGFR IHC staining was observed in 12/17 AA (70,6%) and 39/46 GBM (84,8%) when a cut-off of 10% positive cells with membrane staining was taken into account. EGFR gene amplification did not correlate with the level of expression assessed by IHC staining. Conclusions: The Her2/neu proto-oncogene is not expressed in AA and GBM and therefore this gene seems not involved in the biology of high-grade glioma. We confirmed that EGFR is expressed in most AA and GBM and that the EGFR gene is frequently amplified in these tumors. EGFR IHC was not correlated with EGFR gene amplification status as determined by FISH. Stratification of glioma patients in clinical trials according to EGFR FISH results seems feasible and preferable as compared to IHC.


Carbon-supported Sn–SnO2 photocatalysts have been prepared for the first time using the newly designed dextran-mediated, epoxide-assisted sol–gel method. By coupling dextran with the epoxide assisted sol–gel technique we have established an easily modulated one-pot synthesis that demonstrates tunable carbon content with concerted production of a biphasic system. In effect, this method targets efficient development of photocatalysts that are metal-incorporated and catalyst-supported, very few methods such as this exist in the literature. This method eliminates traditional treatment steps required to create porous xerogels thereby eliminating days of processing. The formation of nanostructured sol–gels by epoxide-driven polycondensation was achieved using propylene oxide or glycidol, and the effects of the epoxide and dextran were explored in the formation of SnO2 and Sn–SnO2 carbon composite nanomaterial. The photocatalytic activity of selected SnO2 and Sn–SnO2 carbon composites were tested for the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB). The biphasic systems show higher photocatalytic activity than the pure SnO2 systems, a result of both increased heterojunction sites between metallic tin and tin oxide that lower recombination rates, in addition to the incorporation of a carbon network that displays increased dye adsorption. The original methods developed here should be further explored to access improved catalytic material.


The effect of regulatory system on the engineered biosynthetic pathway in chassis cells remains incompletely understood in microorganisms. Acyl-CoAs function as key precursors for the biosynthesis of various natural products and the dominant donors for protein acylation. The polyphenol pinosylvin, with high antimicrobial and antifungal activities, is biosynthesized with malonyl-CoA as its direct precursors. But correlation between lysine malonylation and pinosylvin biosynthesis remains unknown. Herein, we found that the malonyl-CoA-driven lysine malonylation plays an important role in interaction between the engineered pathway of pinosylvin synthesis and E. coli chassis cell. Oversupply of malonyl-CoA leads to an increase in malonylation level of global proteome as well as the enzymes in the artificial pathway, thereby decreasing yield of pinosylvin. The results revealed that the intricate balance of cellular acyl-CoA concentrations is critical for the yields of acyl-CoA-derived natural products. We next modified the enzymes in the biosynthetic pathway to adjust their acylation level and successfully improved the yield of pinosylvin. Our study uncovers the effect of protein acylation on the biosynthetic pathway, helps optimization of synthetic constructs, and provides new strategies in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology at the protein post-translational level.


Endometriosis is the presence of ectopic endometrial tissue at extrauterine sites. Symptoms vary greatly and depend on the extent of the disease, ranging from an asymptomatic state to a miscellaneous group of symptoms. The correct diagnosis of intestinal endometriosis is often delayed because it may clinically masquerade as a wide spectrum of diseases, mainly Crohn's disease. We describe the case of a 42-year-old woman who presented to our hospital with subacute bowel obstruction. She had been suffering from strong abdominal disorders for over ten years with recurrent abdominal pain and chronic diarrhea, sometimes with gross bleeding, resulting in impaired nutrition, weight loss, and several hospital admissions. She had been diagnosed with Crohn's Disease ten years earlier, which was established by imaging, endoscopic and histologic criteria. The gastrointestinal symptoms were recurrent despite the medication for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The patient underwent a laparotomy, which identified a large bowel wall thickening with severe mucosal edema and luminal stricture in the proximal ileum. An ileocecal resection and appendectomy with latero-lateral ileocolic anastomosis was performed. Histopathological examination reported a diagnosis of ileocecal endometriosis. After a three-year follow-up period, she has no gynecologic symptoms but still maintains chronic diarrhea and imaging and endoscopic criteria are suggestive of IBD. Intestinal endometriosis should be borne in mind when a woman of reproductive age presents with episodic gastrointestinal symptoms. Multidisciplinary care should be encouraged.


Counting processes provide a very flexible framework for modeling discrete events that occur over time. Estimation and interpretation are easy, and links to more familiar approaches are at hand. The key is to think of data as "event history", a record of times of switching between states in a discrete state space. In a simple case, the states could be default/nondefault. In other models relevant to credit modeling, the states could be credit scores or payment statuses (30 days past due (dpd), 60 dpd, etc). Here, we focus on the use of stochastic counting processes for mortgage default modeling, using data on high loan-to-value mortgages. Borrowers seeking to finance more than 80% of a house's value with a mortgage usually either purchase mortgage insurance (MI), allowing a first mortgage greater than 80% from many lenders, or use second mortgages. Are there differences in performance between loans financed by these different methods? We address this question in the counting process framework. In fact, MI is associated with lower default rates for both fixed- and adjustable-rate first mortgages.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the proliferation and osteoblastic differentiation of dental pulp stem cell (DPSC) isolated from normal and inflamed pulps of different degrees in Beagle immature premolars, and provide evidence for the use of inflammatory DPSC (IDPSC).

METHODS
This study evaluated 14 Beagle's young premolars (21 roots). In the experiment group, irreversible pulpitis was induced by pulp exposure and the inflamed pulps were extracted 2 weeks and 6 weeks after the pulp chamber opening.For the control group, normal pulps were extracted immediately after the exposure. HE staining and real-time PCR were performed to confirm the inflammation. The cells were isolated from the inflamed and normal pulps (IDPSC and DPSC). Cell proliferation and osteoblastic differentiation potentials of the two cells were compared.

RESULTS
Inflammation cells infiltration was observed in the inflamed pulps by HE staining. The expression of inflammatory factor was much higher in the 6 week inflamed pulp. IDPSC had higher potential of cell proliferation and osteoblastic differentiation potentials. Furthermore, the osteoblastic differentiation potentials of IDPSC from 2 week inflamed pulp were higher than those from 6 week inflamed pulp.

CONCLUSION
The potential of cell proliferation and osteoblastic differentiation of DPSC was enhanced at early stage of irreversible pulpitis, and reduced at late stage in Beagle immature premolars.


Abstract "Companies are relying more and more on online communication to reach consumers. While some viral campaigns are tremendously successful, others remain far below expectations. But why are certain pieces of online content more viral than others? An analysis conducted on the New York Times' most-emailed list, along with further experimental evidence, showed that positive content is more viral than negative content. However, the relationship between emotion and social transmission is more complex than valence alone. Virality is driven, in part, by activation and arousal. Content that evokes either high-arousal positive emotions (awe) or negative emotions (anger or anxiety) tends to be more viral. Content that evokes low arousal or deactivating emotions (e.g., sadness) tends to be less viral. These results were also true when examining how surprising, interesting, or practically useful content is (all of which are positively linked to virality), as well as external drivers of attention (e.g., how prominently content is featured). Taking the effect of emotions into account helps to design effective viral marketing campaigns. "


Having examined how Paul relies on his experiences of suffering hardships and persecutions to defend his apostolic authority, this article suggests the potential—if not the inevitability—of competing valuations of suffering, especially when one or both parties bring such valuations to bear upon a polemical context of disputed authority. Neither Paul nor his opponents in Galatia or Corinth would have accepted the other's claims to having been oppressed, maligned or otherwise unjustly treated by the other party, since each side defied the other out of loyalty to their different conceptions of the Christian gospel. Interpreters today should therefore be cautious to embrace Paul's valuations of his suffering as if they were, or are, somehow objectively "true." Certainly for Paul and constituted a key part of his argument to reestablish his authority among the Galatians and would likely have played a significant role in determining which, if any, version of the Christian gospel the Galatians would ultimately embrace and which apostolic authority would be recognized in Corinth.


Intermolecular C-N bond formations via cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) of aryl ethers and tetrazoles have been developed under a metal-free condition. In the presence of catalytic amount of tetrabutylammonium iodide (TBAI) and aqueous TBHP, aryl ethers coupled efficiently with tetrazoles to afford hemiaminal ethers. This strategy showed high level of regioselectivity for substrates possessing multiple sp(3) C-H bonds adjacent to the ethereal oxygen.


User authentication or identification is the big challenges in E-Business. In this paper, we have implemented a typing biometric technique which increases the security level up to 98.1% without changing existing authentication technique. Habitual typing speed pattern is a behavioural biometric characteristic in Biometric Science can be effectively implemented to classify the users. This typing speed pattern is promising as biometric characteristics which cannot be lost or stolen in addition with inexpensive to collect. Many statistical, distance-based and machine learning algorithms are proposed on habitual typing pattern and many have obtained impressive results, but in practice, the accuracy level is not much promising, it demands higher level of security and reliability. In our experiment, we have collected press and release time of 12096 keystrokes using Java Applet programming form 12 individuals during 12 months in 4 sessions for 1440 samples then we analysed that data using R statistical programming language and obtained average Equal Error Rate (EER) of 21 different data-mining and distance-based classification algorithms and compared their performance in accuracy to search the suitable algorithms on typing patterns. But in evaluation process, a classifier's average Equal Error Rate (EER) widely jumped from 1.9% to 63%. The question may arise, which classifier is suitable on typing speed patterns, which pattern of string is suitable. To get the answer, we have started our experiment and created our own rhythmic keystroke dynamics database of different pattern of strings and executed various classification algorithms on it, so, we can compare their performance soundly.


Transcatheter arterial chemo-embolization with lipiodol and anticancer agents (LP-TACE) is a highly effective therapeutic method for treating liver cancer. It has been difficult, however, to evaluate how lipiodol, an oil, and anticancer agents dissolved in an aqueous contrast medium are retained in tumors. This paper reports the study on the dynamics of anticancer agents administered in LP-TACE both in vitro and in tumor-bearing animals using emulsions produced by mixing lipiodol and adriamycin (ADM) dissolved in Gd-DTPA. The results were as follows. 1) ADM was dissolved in contrast mediums (60% Urografin and Gd-DTPA) and each solution was emulsified by mixing with lipiodol. The emulsion separated into two distinct layers 5 min. after mixing. From this observation it is guessed that lipiodol and anticancer agents also separate in tumors after administration in LP-TACE. 2) Rabbits with VX2 carcinoma implanted in their lower limbs were treated by chemo-embolization and subjected to serial observations for changes in signals on MRI. The signal intensity markedly increased, persisting until one week after administration, when the tumor was resected. This change may have been owing to Gd-DTPA retained in the tumor, indicating that the anticancer agent is not washed out, even after separating from lipiodol, but is retained in the tumor. 3) When ADM was dissolved in Gd-DTPA and intraarterially infused without being mixed with lipiodol, the intensity of the signal on MRI was the same as that in LP-TACE immediately after the administration, and gradually decreased thereafter. This result indicates earlier washout of the anticancer agent when administered without being combined with lipiodol. Quantitative analysis of the tumor resected one week after the treatment also revealed ADM levels with less than 10% of those in LP-TACE, suggesting the possibility of estimating intratumoral concentration of anticancer agents. This was evaluated on the basis of the signal intensity in the tumor using MRI. 4) A comparison of lipiodol accumulation on CT and signal changes induced by Gd-DTPA on MRI suggested that even after separation from lipiodol, the anticancer agent extends to microvessels in the interior part of the tumor.


Planar-type Marchand baluns are embedded into on-wafer probes in order to provide accurate differential measurement capabilities for conventional single-ended measurement equipments such as the two-port vector network analyzer. In designing the planar-type Marchand balun, the values for differential- and common-mode characteristic impedances of the coupled transmission lines are analytically derived by using general transmission line theories. The derived characteristic impedances are realized using a double-sided single-layer printed circuit board surrounded by conductive fixtures. The proposed coupled transmission line structure provides convenient port interfaces to the coaxial cables and it is free from bond wires and vias, enabling one to achieve high cost efficiency and reproducibility.


Pre-training Transformer from large-scale raw texts and fine-tuning on the desired task have achieved state-of-the-art results on diverse NLP tasks. However, it is unclear what the learned attention captures. The attention computed by attention heads seems not to match human intuitions about hierarchical structures. This paper proposes Tree Transformer, which adds an extra constraint to attention heads of the bidirectional Transformer encoder in order to encourage the attention heads to follow tree structures. The tree structures can be automatically induced from raw texts by our proposed "Constituent Attention" module, which is simply implemented by self-attention between two adjacent words. With the same training procedure identical to BERT, the experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of Tree Transformer in terms of inducing tree structures, better language modeling, and further learning more explainable attention scores.


Using natural language, Conversational Bot offers unprecedented ways to many challenges in areas such as information searching, item recommendation, and question answering. Existing bots are usually developed through retrieval-based or generative-based approaches, yet both of them have their own advantages and disadvantages. To assemble this two approaches, we propose a hybrid retrieval-generation network (HeroNet) with the three-fold ideas: 1). To produce high-quality sentence representations, HeroNet performs multi-task learning on two subtasks: Similar Queries Discovery and Query-Response Matching. Specifically, the retrieval performance is improved while the model size is reduced by training two lightweight, task-specific adapter modules that share only one underlying T5-Encoder model. 2). By introducing adversarial training, HeroNet is able to solve both retrieval\&generation tasks simultaneously while maximizing performance of each other. 3). The retrieval results are used as prior knowledge to improve the generation performance while the generative result are scored by the discriminator and their scores are integrated into the generator's cross-entropy loss function. The experimental results on a open dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of the HeroNet and our code is available at https://github.com/TempHero/HeroNet.git


Apoptosis is critical for normal development and post-natal tissue homeostasis. ARC (Apoptosis Repressor with CARD), is an inhibitor of apoptosis with the unusual property of antagonizing both death receptor and mitochondrial apoptosis pathways. Under normal conditions, ARC is expressed in cardiac and skeletal myocytes and neurons. Suppression of cell death is critical for carcinogenesis and chemoresistance and we previously reported that ARC expression is induced in a wide variety of primary human epithelial cancers, including breast. Herein we present the first data demonstrating critical roles for ARC in several aspects of breast carcinogenesis. To test the hypothesis that ARC plays an important role in the pathogenesis of breast cancer in vivo, ARC-/- mice were bred onto the polyoma middle T-antigen (PyMT) transgenic mouse model of breast cancer. PyMT expression activates many oncogenic pathways common to human breast cancer including the induction of ARC in early and late-stage tumors and invading and metastatic cells. PyMT mice lacking ARC exhibit a 34% decrease in primary tumor burden compared to PyMT mice with ARC, although tumor onset and multiplicity remains unchanged. Unexpectedly, the reduced tumor burden can be accounted for by a novel function of ARC to promote proliferation, while baseline apoptosis remained comparable. The absence of ARC also results in a 44% reduction in the number of lung metastases independent of primary tumor burden. In vivo invasion assays and blood burden intravasation assays demonstrate that PyMT mice lacking ARC have a significant reduction in invading and circulating tumor cells when compared to those with ARC. Conversely, overexpression of ARC in a PyMT-derived metastatic cell line caused a significant increase in basement membrane invasion in vitro and lung metastases when injected into tail veins of mice. To test the function of ARC in a humanized model of breast cancer, ARC was knocked-down in the MDA-MB-231-derived LM2 human metastatic breast cancer cell line which was subsequently transplanted into mammary glands of SCID mice. Diminished ARC expression resulted in a 50% reduction in xenograft tumor volume and a drastic decline in stromal invasion in vivo. We also examined if the presence of ARC in invasive and metastatic cells contributes to chemoresistance. Xenograft LM2 mammary tumors deficient in ARC were sensitized to apoptosis induced by doxorubicin while the control tumors remained resistant. Moreover, deletion of ARC sensitized the invading cell population collected from primary PyMT breast tumors to tamoxifen-induced killing. This study demonstrates that ARC promotes primary tumor growth, improves the efficiency of metastasis at several stages and renders invasive breast cancer cells resistant to chemotherapies. These data implicate ARC as a novel mediator in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4695. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4695


Objective: The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between oral health behaviors and Self- perceived oral health in Korean adolescents. Methods: The survey data was extracted from Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) VI-3 (2015). The subjects of this study were 488 adolescent samples aged 13 to 18 years old. The data about gender, age and use of oral care supplies were analyzed without conversion. SPSS version 22.0 was used for the statistical analysis. Results: The results were significant differences in the self-perceived oral health status according to the BMI, tooth brushing frequency, use of dental floss and use of mouthwash (p<0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the tooth brushing frequency and the use of mouthwash were found to significantly affect the self-perceived oral health status (p<0.05). Conclusion: When the number of brushing times is large and oral hygiene auxiliary products are used, the interest in oral care is high and the oral hygiene is perceived as well because it is well known and practiced. In adolescence, basic and systematic oral health care education should be expanded and effective oral health care programs should be developed through diverse and interesting media.


We produced a-amylase from banana peel by Bacillus subtilis through solid state fermentation (SSF). Addition of yeast extract, corn steep liquor, sodium dodesyl sulphate (SDS) and Tween-80 enhanced the a-amylase production under preoptimized fermentation conditions. Maximum enzyme yield (10.25 U/mL) was observed at 35°C after 24 hours of SSF in growth medium containing 0.1% yeast extract, 1% corn steep liquor, 0 15% SOS and 0.1% Tween-80 at pH 7. The crude a-amylase produced under optimum conditions was characterized by studying the effect of pH and temperature on its activity. Activity of a-amylase was maximum (12.18 U/mL) at 60°C and pH 6 which was stable for 3 hours under these conditions.


We introduce a novel combination of Bayesian Models (BMs) and Neural Networks (NNs) for making predictions with a minimum expected risk. Our approach combines the best of both worlds, the data efficiency and interpretability of a BM with the speed of a NN. For a BM, making predictions with the lowest expected loss requires integrating over the posterior distribution. When exact inference of the posterior predictive distribution is intractable, approximation methods are typically applied, e.g. Monte Carlo (MC) simulation. For MC, the variance of the estimator decreases with the number of samples – but at the expense of increased computational cost. Our approach removes the need for iterative MC simulation on the CPU at prediction time. In brief, it works by fitting a NN to synthetic data generated using the BM. In a single feed-forward pass, the NN gives a set of point-wise approximations to the BM's posterior predictive distribution for a given observation. We achieve risk minimized predictions significantly faster than standard methods with a negligible loss on the test dataset. We combine this approach with Active Learning (AL) to minimize the amount of data required for fitting the NN. This is done by iteratively labeling more data in regions with high predictive uncertainty of the NN.


Huntington's disease is an autosomal-dominant, progressive neurodegenerative disorder with a distinct phenotype, including chorea and dystonia, incoordination, cognitive decline, and behavioural difficulties. Typically, onset of symptoms is in middle-age after affected individuals have had children, but the disorder can manifest at any time between infancy and senescence. The mutant protein in Huntington's disease--huntingtin--results from an expanded CAG repeat leading to a polyglutamine strand of variable length at the N-terminus. Evidence suggests that this tail confers a toxic gain of function. The precise pathophysiological mechanisms of Huntington's disease are poorly understood, but research in transgenic animal models of the disorder is providing insight into causative factors and potential treatments.


Background: Ultrasound is the selected technique for the detection of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS). This method can detect PAS in 80%-50% of cases. This study aimed to assess and compare the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of PAS after the first trimester. Materials and Methods: In this prospective study that was performed in 2020-2021 on 79 patients at high risk of PAS, all cases underwent ultrasonography in both 18-22 weeks of gestational age (GA) and 32-34 weeks of GA for evaluation of accreta. As per the risk factors, the delivery plan for all mothers was cesarean section. During the cesarean section, the placenta was examined for accreta, and if it was attached to the uterus, a diagnosis of placenta accreta was ascertained and a total abdominal hysterectomy was performed if the patient's bleeding was not controlled during the operation. The final diagnosis of PAS was made based on the pathology report. Results: Ultrasound evaluation for PAS in 18-22 weeks of GA had 79.17% specificity, 51.61% sensitivity, 61.54% positive predictive value, and 71.70% negative predictive value. Ultrasound imaging for PAS in 32-34 weeks of GA had 60.8% specificity, 90% sensitivity, 62.52% positive predictive value, and 90.33% negative predictive value. Conclusion: It should be concluded that PAS is a critical condition and if the patient is diagnosed in the second or third trimester, special strategies should be applied.


Much of the work on the ethics of climate engineering over the last few years has focused on the front-end of the potential timeline for climate intervention. Topics have included the initial taboo on bringing the discussion of climate engineering into the open, guidelines to put in place before commencing research, and governance arrangements before first deployment. While this work is clearly important, the current paper considers what insights can be gleaned from considering the tail-end, that is, by using the requirement for future cessation as a criterion for any acceptable climate engineering strategy. After showing that time-limited interventions are a key part of the rhetoric of leading climate engineering advocates, the paper examines the implications of imposing a 'cessation requirement' on solar radiation management and carbon dioxide removal strategies. Consideration of a cessation requirement turns out to reveal a great deal about what ought to be happening now, before any decision to proceed with climate engineering deployment has been taken.


In previous work the jth automaton of a system of interactive automata was treated as a black box containing a stimulus processor that received stimuli and produced responses. Here the automaton is broken down into greater structural detail, making the receptors and effectors distinguishable from the stimulus processor. The sets of stimuli and triadic responses remain observed sets over a moment base. The sets of receptors and effectors are described by dyadic relations on the sets of principal and auxiliary receptors and effectors. Modifications to the equations and functions are made, and summaries of the graph primitives for the processor, environment, and time graphs are presented reflecting these modifications. The results of this analysis has been required in the formulation of a language information theory, and the manner of importance is illustrated by an example sentence.


Surgery plays an irreplaceable role in the prevention, diagnosis, staging, reconstruction, and rehabilitation in the overall management of cancer. Nevertheless, it is difficult for surgeons and nurses to take into account the details of medication management, considering the impact of  surgery on the patient's physical function and the complexity of anti-tumor  treatment with comorbidity. The pharmaceutical care services previously  provided by pharmacists in oncology focus more on the internal medicine  system, not widely the surgical field. At present, the pharmaceutical working  mode in oncology surgery has not well been formed around China, and the  whole process medication management needs to be improved. In 2015, the  GuangDong Pharmaceutical Association came up with the concept of  surgical pharmacist in China and subsequently created its position. In 2021, the GuangDong Pharmaceutical Association established a new discipline  termed "surgical pharmacy", which is the knowledge system of surgical pharmacists, and also tried to differentiate surgical pharmacy into  diverse areas, such as oncology surgical pharmacy. This article introduced a  working mode of surgical pharmacists in China that providing pharmaceutical  care services in perioperative period around anti-tumor, anti- infection, anesthesia, anticoagulation, blood pressure, blood glucose, nutrition, and pain management, to improve quality of life for patients.


Understanding the emergence of innovation systems is recently put central in research analysing the process of technological change. Especially the key activities that are important for the build up of an innovation system receive much attention. These are labelled 'functions of innovation systems'. This paper builds on seven empirical studies, related to renewable energy technologies, to test whether the functions of innovation systems framework is a valid framework to analyse processes of technological change. We test the claim that a specific set of functions is suitable. We also test the claim made in previous publications that the interactions between system functions accelerate innovation system emergence and growth is valid. Both claims are confirmed.


For your information, following the announcement of the results of the final degree examinations in medicine by the University of Sydney a meeting is held at which representatives of the University of Sydney and the teaching hospitals are present, and they allot the resident medical officers to these hospitals. Immediately following that meeting a further meeting is held of representatives of the British Medical Association (New South Wales Branch), the New South Wales Post-Graduate Committee In Medicine, and the Hospitals Commission of New South Wales. At this meeting the remaining successful medical students are allotted to the non-teaching hospitals.


Abstract The aim of this paper is to evaluate contrasting policy approaches towards undeclared work. To do so, evidence is reported from 1,000 face-to-face interviews conducted in Croatia during 2013. Logistic regression analysis reveals no association between participation in undeclared work and the perceived level of penalties and risk of detection, but a strong association between participation in undeclared work and the level of tax morality. It thus confirms recent calls for the conventional direct controls approach, which seeks to deter engagement in undeclared work by increasing the penalties and risk of detection, to be replaced by an indirect controls approach which seeks to improve tax morality so as to encourage greater self-regulation and a culture of commitment to compliance. The implications for theory and policy are then discussed.


Iterative minimization algorithms appear in various areas including machine learning, neural network, and information theory. The em algorithm is one of the famous one in the former area, and Arimoto-Blahut algorithm is a typical one in the latter area. However, these two topics had been separately studied for a long time. In this paper, we generalize an algorithm that was recently proposed in the context of Arimoto-Blahut algorithm. Then, we show various convergence theorems, one of which covers the case when each iterative step is done approximately. Also, we apply this algorithm to the target problem in em algorithm, and propose its improvement. In addition, we apply it to other various problems in information theory.


Although most of the experimental work dealing with the magnetic relaxation of systems characterized by the existence of an energy-barrier distribution have been analyzed in terms of the so-called logarithmic approximation, this is not a good approximation because obviously it cannot describe the behavior for the whole range of temperatures and times. An alternative method called ln(t/${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\tau}}}_{0}$) scaling is proposed. This scaling method allows one to extrapolate the relaxation behavior at times that are experimentally completely unaccessible. From this scaling it is also possible to determine the attempt frequency 1/${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\tau}}}_{0}$, and if a certain distribution of energy barriers is assumed the width \ensuremath{\sigma} and the mean energy barrier is also obtained. The validity of the logarithmic approximation is critically discussed.


OBJECTIVES
To test the hypothesis that violence among US adolescents spreads like a contagious disease through social networks.

METHODS
Participants were a nationally representative sample of 90 118 US students aged 12 to 18 years who were involved in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Violence was assessed by having participants report the number of times in the preceding 12 months they had been involved in a serious physical fight, had hurt someone badly, and had pulled a weapon on someone.

RESULTS
Participants were 48% more likely to have been involved in a serious fight, 183% more likely to have hurt someone badly, and 140% more likely to have pulled a weapon on someone if a friend had engaged in the same behavior. The influence spread up to 4 degrees of separation (i.e., friend of friend of friend of friend) for serious fights, 2 degrees for hurting someone badly, and 3 degrees for pulling a weapon on someone.

CONCLUSIONS
Adolescents were more likely to engage in violent behavior if their friends did the same, and contagion of violence extended beyond immediate friends to friends of friends.


Two thymidine auxotrophs of Dictyostelium discoideum were isolated which improve the efficiency of in vivo DNA-specific radiolabeling. Mutant HPS400 lacked detectable thymidylate synthetase activity, required 50 micrograms of thymidine per ml, and incorporated sixfold more [3H]thymidine into nuclear DNA than did a wild-type strain. Either dTMP or exogenously provided DNA also permitted growth of this strain. The second mutant, HPS401, was isolated from HPS400 and also lacked thymidylate synthetase activity, but required only 4 micrograms of thymidine per ml for normal growth and incorporated 55 times more thymidine label than did a control strain. Incorporation of the thymidine analog 5'-bromodeoxyuridine was also markedly increased in the mutants. Catalytic properties of the thymidylate synthetase of D. discoideum investigated in cell extracts were consistent with those observed for this enzyme in other organisms. These strains should facilitate studies of DNA replication and repair in D. discoideum which require short-term labeling, DNA of high specific activity, or elevated levels of substitution in DNA by thymidine analogs.


Cell therapy, in particular liver cell transplantation, holds great therapeutic potential and is partially hindered by the high rate of apoptosis during cell isolation, cryopreservation, and engraftment. Apoptosis occurring due to cell detachment from the extracellular matrix is a phenomenon termed "anoikis. " The purpose of this review is to describe signaling mechanisms pertinent to anoikis in both immortalized cell lines, but particularly in primary normal epithelial cells. The mechanisms described include integrin signaling and survival molecules, caspase activation, and the role of mitochondrial proteins in anoikis. Strategies to prevent anoikis during isolation and cryopreservation of hepatocytes are discussed.


Background NSAIDs are commonly prescribed for the relief of arthritic, musculoskeletal, and postoperative pain, yet safety and tolerability concerns still exist. We have completed 3 Phase 2 clinical trials in validated acute pain models to assess the analgesic efficacy and safety of the following investigational, nano-formulated, lower dose oral NSAIDs: diclofenac, indomethacin, and naproxen. Objectives Determine patient's global evaluation of nano-formulated lower dose NSAIDs compared with placebo in an acute pain model. Methods All 3 Phase 2 trials were multi-center, randomized, double-blind, single-dose, parallel-group, active- and placebo-controlled studies. Subjects were 18-50 years of age, had extraction of ≥2 third molars, and experienced moderate to severe pain intensity ≤6 h after surgery. Subjects received nano-formulated diclofenac, indomethacin, or naproxen, an active comparator (parent compound or celecoxib), or placebo. For global evaluation of study drug, subjects were asked "How effective do you think the study drug is as a treatment for pain?" Response choices were: 0=poor, 1=fair, 2=good, 3=very good, or 4=excellent. Subjects completed the evaluation 8h (nano-formulated indomethacin) or 12h (nano-formulated diclofenac and naproxen) after Time 0 or immediately before the first dose of rescue medication (whichever occurred first). The primary efficacy endpoints were sum of total pain relief (TOTPAR) 12 (diclofenac and naproxen) and TOTPAR-8 (indomethacin). Results According to patient's global evaluation, there were statistically significant differences (P<0.001) in patients evaluating the nano-formulated, lower dose NSAIDs as "very good" to "excellent" compared with placebo: 44.9% (22/49, nano-formulated diclofenac 18mg), 56.9% (29/51, nano-formulated diclofenac 35mg), 47.1% (24/51, celecoxib 400mg), and 9.8% (5/51, placebo); 18.0% (9/50, nano-formulated indomethacin 20mg), 56.9% (29/51, nano-formulated indomethacin 40mg), 51.0% (26/51, celecoxib 400mg), and 0.0% (0/51, placebo); 60.0% (30/50, nano-formulated naproxen 200mg), 72.5% (37/51, nano-formulated naproxen 400mg), 62.0% (31/50, naproxen 250mg), 74.5% (38/51, naproxen 500mg), and 13.7% (7/51, placebo). Numerical values were similar for nano-formulated naproxen and corresponding higher dose of standard naproxen, and nano-formulated diclofenac and indomethacin and the loading dose of celecoxib. The nano-formulated NSAIDs exhibited statistically significant improvements (P<0.001) in TOTPAR-8 or -12 compared with placebo. There were no differences in safety and tolerability data between treatment groups and placebo. Conclusions The use of investigational, nano-formulated, lower dose oral NSAIDs was favored over placebo and demonstrated good efficacy in an acute pain model. These Phase 2 data indicate that nano-formulated, lower doses of diclofenac, indomethacin, and naproxen provide pain relief at a lower dose and deserve further investigation in Phase 3 clinical trials. These products may provide therapeutic options in accordance with the FDA directive to use the lowest effective NSAID dose. Disclosure of Interest V. Strand Consultant for: Participant at advisory board for Iroko Pharmaceuticals, R. Altman Consultant for: Participant at advisory board for Iroko Pharmaceuticals, S. Daniels Consultant for: Employee of Premier Research Group International, LLC, which was contracted to complete this Phase 2 clinical trial, G. Manvelian Consultant for: Medical consultant to Iroko Pharmaceuticals


The architecture of trabecular bone is thought to be an optimal mechanical structure in terms of maximal strength and stiffness, and minimal weight. The structural optimality seems to be maintained during growth and adulthood by adaptation of mass and structure through a relationship with actual mechanical usage. The formation and maintenance of the architecture is realized by bone-resorbing osteoclasts and bone-forming osteoblasts, the effector cells of bone metabolism. Hence, a feedback regulatory mechanism between external load and metabolism must exist. We have developed an FEA-based computer-simulation model to study explanations for the workings of such regulatory schemes (1: Huiskes et al. (2000), Nature, 404, 704-706). The model is based on a mechanosensory function of osteocytes, which are thought to react to the local strain-energy-density rate in the mineralized tissue, produced by dynamic external loading on the bone. As an effect of this signal, osteocytes are assumed to transfer an osteoblast recruitment stimulus to the surface, enhancing bone formation. Osteoclasts are assumed to resorb bone that is disused or damaged, in a spatially random manner. This model provides an explanation for the maintenance and adaptation of trabecular bone architecture as an optimal structure. In this article, the mathematical background of the model is specified.


A patient is reported with a history of multiple tendon ruptures including biceps, flexor hallucis longus and achilles tendons. He presented with closed rupture of the flexor carpi radialis tendon following long standing tendonopathy and scapho-trapezio-trapezoid arthrosis. Non-operative treatment was elected because of low physical demands on the upper extremity. Early management of scapho-trapezio-trapezoid arthritis can prevent flexor carpi radialis tendon rupture.


The Object Modeling System (OMS) is a framework for environmental model development, data provisioning, testing, validation, and deployment. It provides a bridge for transferring technology from the research organization to the program delivery agency. The framework provides a consistent and efficient way to create science components, build, calibrate, and evaluate models and then modify and adjust them as the science advances, in addition to re-purposing models for emerging customer requirements. OMS was first released in 2004 and version 3.0 represents a major milestone towards an easier to use, more transparent and scalable implementation of an environmental modeling framework. OMS3 development is the result of an in-depth analysis of successful framework designs and software engineering principles as provided by general-purpose modeling frameworks. Like any modeling framework, OMS3 is enabling technology for modeling. The main goal of OMS3 development is an easier integration of model source code based on language annotations while being flexible to adopt existing legacy models. In OMS3, the internal complexity of the framework itself was reduced while allowing models to implicitly scale from multi-core desktops to clusters to clouds, without burdening the model developer with complex technical details.


The periodic variations in field strength and phase received from an inclined, elevated VLF transmitting antenna as the antenna is moved in a circular path (orbit) are calculated. This is a simplified model of a trailing-wire transmitting antenna carried by an orbiting aircraft. The earth-ionosphere waveguide propagation model with an isotropic homogeneous ionosphere is used. For an inclined orbiting antenna, the magnitude and sense (whether increasing or decreasing at a given time) of the variations are found to depend on the range of the receiver from the transmitter. For an antenna whose inclination angle oscillates with its orbital position, the orbit-produced variations are both range-dependent and bearing-dependent. Either one or two relative maximum values of field strength occur per orbit. Additional complications introduced by an anisotropic ionosphere are also considered.


Abstract The birth of stars and the formation of galaxies are cornerstones of modern astrophysics. While much is known about how galaxies globally and their stars individually form and evolve, one fundamental property that affects both remains elusive. This is problematic because this key property, the stellar initial mass function (IMF), is a key tracer of the physics of star formation that underpins almost all of the unknowns in galaxy and stellar evolution. It is perhaps the greatest source of systematic uncertainty in star and galaxy evolution. The past decade has seen a growing number and variety of methods for measuring or inferring the shape of the IMF, along with progressively more detailed simulations, paralleled by refinements in the way the concept of the IMF is applied or conceptualised on different physical scales. This range of approaches and evolving definitions of the quantity being measured has in turn led to conflicting conclusions regarding whether or not the IMF is universal. Here I summarise the growing wealth of approaches to our understanding of this fundamental property that defines so much of astrophysics, and highlight the importance of considering potential IMF variations, reinforcing the need for measurements to quantify their scope and uncertainties carefully. I present a new framework to aid the discussion of the IMF and promote clarity in the further development of this fundamental field.


Aims: Keratinophilic fungi include dermatophytes and a variety of other fungi. Information on their occurrence in several Caribbean countries is scarce. This study investigates occurrence of dermatophytes and other keratinophiic fungi in soils of Anguilla, British West Indies (BWI) and emphasizes its public health significance. Study design: Place and Duration of Study: The study was done in the Department of Microbiology, Saint James School of Medicine, Anguilla (BWI). One hundred and ten samples of soils from habitats in several localities in Anguilla were examined. Methodology: The samples were processed by Vanbreuseghem's hair-bait technique. Bits of fungal growth on hair-bates were cultured on Mycobiotic agar to get pure cultures. Identification of the isolates was accomplished by a detailed study of colonial characters and microscopical features of the isolates. Results: Eighty-five isolates of keratinophilic fungi were recovered. The identified species included two geophilic dermatophytes, Micrsporum fulvum and M. gypseum and two species of Chrysosporium, namely Chrysosporium keratinophilum and C. indicum, M. fulvum was the Original Research Article Giugnani and Venketesan; MRJI, 30(7): 1-6, 2020; Article no.MRJI.58827 2 predominant species being recovered from 35 (31.8%) of the soil samples followed by C. keratinophilum being isolated from 15.5% of the samples. M. gypseum was present in 8 (7.3%) of the samples. The prevalence of other species was as follows: C. indicum (13.6%), Chrysosporium spp. (4.5%) and Sepedonium spp. (4.5%). Conclusion: The preponderance occurrence of M. fulvum over M. gypseum and that of C. keratinophilum over C. indicum in soils of Anguilla is a remarkable observation. The farmers, other workers, school children who come in contact with soil are likely to be infected with a dermatophytes and also the visitors to the beaches and the local population nearby.


Shortlisted for the Children's Book Award, this is the much-loved story of Little Beaver, who lives all alone by the edge of a pond. He doesn't have a friend in the world. One day, when he starts to cry, he hears someone else crying too. So Little Beaver sets off to find this kindred spirit. Along the way, he's joined by a duck, an otter and a turtle, who each claim, "I do need a friend, but it wasn't me who was crying." Will Little Beaver ever find the creature who was crying, and make a friend at last? A story time favourite, this sweet, sensitive story of new friendship is brought beautifully to life by Sarah Fox-Davies's softly glowing landscapes and adorably furry characters.


BACKGROUND/AIM
Rural and remote health education during undergraduate training is a strategy to alleviate the shortage of rural health professionals. Undergraduate rural exposure can be beneficial in improving students' perceptions towards rural and remote practice as well as their decision to work rurally. This study examined James Cook University (JCU) final year occupational therapy students' perceptions towards rural and remote practice and if their perceptions had changed over the course of their study.

METHODS
Questionnaires were administered to 58 final year occupational therapy students at JCU during a block class. Quantitative data analysis was performed on responses.

RESULTS
The change in the students' career intentions from not considering to considering rural and remote practice over the duration of their study was found to be significant (exact P = 0.003). The influential factors identified in students considering rural employment included the rural location of their close family and friends (exact P = 0.006), the overall occupational therapy programme (U = 171.5, P = 0.045), good fieldwork experience (U = 144, P = 0.039) and inspiring fieldwork supervisors (U = 135.5, P = 0.01). The course curriculum was not found to influence the students' perceptual change.

CONCLUSION
This study has found that students' perceptions towards rural and remote practice changed over the course of their university programme. A greater focus on the academic staff and fieldwork supervisors' perceptions towards rural and remote practice may be required in the development of rural undergraduate programmes. Identification of students who have family/close friends living in rural and remote areas may encourage occupational therapists to work in rural areas.