Together with an overview of classification and incidence of cardiac tumors, author presents 31 cases of cardiac tumors diagnosed in adults by echocardiography during the last 15 years. Out of 24 myxoma cases 3 had an atypical echocardiographic appearance (small or non-prolapsing tumors) and there were 8 complex myxomas: it was multicentric in 3, localised outside the left atrium in 1, familiar in 1, it occurred below 40 years age in 1 and it was associated with an extracardiac tumor in 2 cases. There was no recurrence of the myxoma in any of the 20 survivors during the 5-6 year echocardiographic follow-up, other primary benign tumor was found in 1 patient, primary malignant tumors in 2 cases, secondary malignant tumors of the heart occurred in 4 cases. There were two unique cases: the primary mesothelioma of the pericardium and the rhabdomyosarcoma of the mitral valve.


With the end of the Cold War, the complicated and rather messy
institutional security frameworks were the result of
correlation of military, political and economic efforts to
advance a preferred view of how to arrange security
architecture in the evolving world. This chapter addresses the
evolution of international organizations related to security
matters – OSCE, NATO, EU and UN. South Caucasus has been a
frontline for the collision of interest of many actors
including these international organization, as well as state
actors like the US, Russia, Turkey and Iran. Studying and
comparing the role of selected organizations in these volatile
regions contributes to our understanding of core principles and
tools of the organizations to project security in this volatile
region.


In this thesis we consider different tests for unit roots in the presence of structural change. We present the theory that lies behind unit roots, what we mean by structural change and try to detect the instances that "breaks" occur in the data. When performing a unit root test, when there is a structural change the results are biased toward accepting a unit root. Therefore, special care must be taken if it is suspected that such breaks have happened. Moreover, we will try to check these circumstances in real life data and perform various tests over these data. Our data is about the CPI (consumer product index) of Greece and Iran during 1948-2003. We try to see whether social or political events in contemporary history of these two once empires of world, have had any effect on their economy. Knowing this history we try to see if there appears to be a "break" in our data at certain years.


Empirical research examining the decision-making processes involved in the management of problematic signs and symptoms has either focused on a specific condition or examined more general decision rules. The problem with these approaches is the difficulty in identifying which elements are specific to certain complaints and which are more generally applicable. The study presented here shows a comparison of the processes involved in the decision to seek medical care for sufferers with different types of complaint. This comparison identified various different elements in the decision-making processes which were shown to have considerable implications for their pattern of help-seeking behaviour and their pathways to the hospital accident and emergency department.


Epilepsy is a clinical diagnosis based on the history of the patient and of witnesses. Sometimes this is not available or is incomplete, thus making diagnosis uncertain. In other cases, specifically in patients with intractable epilepsy being considered for epilepsy surgery, the diagnosis of epilepsy is not in doubt but the precise localisation of the epileptogenic zone needs to be determined. In both these situations, video telemetry plays a key role and is now a routine in most neuroscience units. This review covers existing practice and the exciting recent development of home video telemetry.


This thesis presents a visual tracking framework, Component-based Tracking. This framework combines low-level visual clues and constraints in a systematic way. It is based on a probabilistic graphical model to infer the marginal probability density function of the state of a tracked target. In this framework, all potential functions are approximated as weighted sums of multivariate Gaussians so probabilistic inference by message passing is equivalent to hypotheses combination and evaluation. The possibility of low level detectors not providing useful information is taken into account by the introduction of a null hypothesis. Simulation is conducted to verify the framework.
In addition, a new kind of image-level region tracking method is studied. The estimation error of transformation parameters from using kernels is analyzed, and algorithms are proposed to select and construct optimal kernels to minimize the estimation errors of various types of geometric transformations. The algorithms are verified and compared against the method of sum-of-square differences (SSD) by both simulation and using real images. This optimal kernel tracker can be either used by itself or as a part of the component-based tracking framework.
Finally, an experimental application on face tracking by the component-based tracking framework with optimal kernels is developed. Its performance is analyzed and compared against that of particle filters with various numbers of particles.


Stroke is a life threatening condition and remains the most common neurologic cause of hospital admission. Approximately 500,000 new or recurrent strokes are recorded each year in the United States. Behind cardiovascular disease and cancer, stroke remains the third leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for approximately 150,000 fatalities per year. Approximately 15%-20% of strokes are hemor-rhagic. This article focuses on intracerebral hemorrhage, which accounts for approximately half of stroke-related deaths.


Anaplasma marginale Theiler, a tick-borne rickettsial pathogen of cattle, was recently propagated in a continuous tick cell line, IDE8, derived from embryonic Ixodes scapularis Say. Cell monolayers were infected briefly with a high multiplicity of infection to synchronize rickettsial development and allow for description of the invasion, development, and release of A. marginale from the cultured cells. Sequential samples were collected, fixed, and processed for examination with light and electron microscopy. A. marginale entered host cells by an endocytotic process and remained within a vacuolar membrane throughout development. After entry, the dense form of A. marginale transformed into the vegetative or reticulated form that multiplied by binary fission, forming large colonies of rickettsiae. The reticulated form subsequently transformed into the dense form of A. marginale, which was released from cells and survived extracellularly. The dense forms were eventually released from the cultured cells by a process in which the inclusion membrane fused with the host cell membrane. Release of A. marginale was effected without the loss of host cell cytoplasm. In subsequent cell cycles, A. marginale reinfected cultured cells resulting in the development of multiple colonies per cell and eventual host cell destruction. Small vesicles were abundant within the colonies and appeared to form from individual rickettsiae. Development of A. marginale in IDE8 cells was similar to that described in naturally infected Dermacentor spp. ticks. However, destruction of cells by A. marginale as seen in vitro was not observed in naturally infected ticks. An understanding of the developmental cycle of A. marginale in cultured cells may provide insight into rickettsial development in its tick host and provide a basis for studying pathogen-host cell interaction in vitro.


The potential
for the use of MAS
and static
NMR in the
investigation of alkali silicate and alkali phosphosilicate glasses and
glass ceramics
is the main theme of this thesis. MAS NMR of binary
lithium silicate glasses containing
24-29
mol%
Li20 shows that their
structure
follows the constrained
distribution
model.
However
addition
of
Li20 in
excess of
29
mol% causes
deviation from the model and a
concentration
dependent disproportionation
of Q3 to Q4+Q2 occurs. This
is observable
from MAS NMR in
combination with static
NMR results. The
devitrification of these glasses produces two polymorphs of
lithium
disilicate. The
structural changes
during heat treatment occur aNve
the glass transition temperature and are observed
from the Si
chemical shift and
full
width at
half
maximum.
The static
Li
spectra
for the crystallised samples exhibit a
Pake doublet indicative
of the
presence of
Li
pairs.
The effect of paramagnetic
impurity from 0-0.8
mol% on the
29Si
T1
relaxation
times in Na20.2SiO2 base
glasses
is discussed.
The heat treatment of the sodium
disilicate
glasses shows a -,
s-,
Y- and
6- Na2Si2O5 as the devitrification
products
depending
upon
heat treatment. A
way of estimating the unknown
Si-O-Si
mean
bond
angle of the polymorphs
is
presented.
The effect of the addition of
0-70
moll
P205 to alkali
disilicate
glasses
is described. Small
amounts of P205 (1-10
mol%)
in the glasses
results
in the scavenging of alkali metal
ions by
phosphate groups.
In
sodium and potassium
disilicates
the phosphate groups resemble
orthophosphate and pyrophosphate
but
only orthophosphate
like
units are
formed in lithium disilicate
glasses. As
a consequence of the
scavenging,
the silicate network partially repolymerises.
A
structural
model
for the disilicates
with
(1-10)
moll
P2OS is presented.
For
larger concentrations of P205 (>10
mol%)
in
sodium
disilicate
glasses
only metaphosphate species are observed and phosphorus occurs as next
nearest neighbour of silicon. However this arrangement gradually
changes
to Si-O-Si bond
with
-
25
moll
P 05
and the length of
metaphosphate chain
increases. On
addition oft greater
than about
30
mol%
P205 some of the network silicon changes radically
from its
conventional
four
coordination to six coordination.
Both the
tetrahedral and octahedral environments of silicon at these
concentrations are characteristic of mainly Si-O-P bonds. The six
coordinated silicon occupies a
SiPZO7 like
environment.
The
proportion
of
"SiP2O7" depends
upon the alkali content and the cooling rate.
The
cooling rates cause structural relaxation and are used to measure
fictive temperature. This
gives an estimate of the change of enthalpy
for the conversion of one mole of six coordinated silicon
from four
coordinated silicon.
The
29Si
T1
relaxation times in
alkali silicate glass, glass
ceramics and alkali phosphosilicates are presented.
The T1 in
sodium
disilicate glasses as a
function
of MnO
content
is
a single exponential
but a two component
T1 is
observed after
heat treatment. The
single
component relaxation times for the disilicate
composition range
becomes
two component as the Na20
content is
reduced. The Tl values
in
all the
lithium silicate glasses, glass ceramics and alkali phosphosilicate
systems are two component. The
conversion of single component
exponential
to two component because
of
heat treatment or
Na20
content
could
be due to either nucleation or glass-in-glass phase separation.
Thus the possibilities
for
obtaining new
information
about phase
separation
in glasses are also briefly discussed
with the help
of
TEM
micrographs.


alter the women's original intention. When the pregnancy was wanted the desire to have the baby overrode all other considerations. Many women were influenced by their lack of clinical illness and a belief that there was a low risk to the child, gained from local experiences and newspaper reports. The early experience locally has been unusually favourable, and as this changes so also may the perception of risk and the number of terminations. The advantage of our study is that it was population based and hence independent of any particular source of recruitment. Like studies in New York (A Sunderland et al fourth international conference on AIDS, Stockholm, 1988; abstract No 6607), it shows that many women with HIV infection do not see this as a reason to terminate a wanted pregnancy. Whether this will remain true when clinical illness in women and babies is more apparent, or when women with different risk factors become pregnant, is being studied.


A guaranteed cost control problem for a class of discrete-time linear state-delayed systems with norm-bounded uncertainties is considered. Attention is focused on the design of memoryless state feedback controllers such that the resulting closed-loop system is asymptotically stable and an adequate level of performance is also guaranteed. By using a descriptor model transformation of the system and Moon's inequality for bounding cross terms, new delay-dependent sufficient conditions for the existence of the guaranteed cost controller are presented in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Three numerical examples are given which show that the proposed method can even produce a lower guaranteed cost than the delay-independent methods.


The objective of this paper is to determine the incidence and pattern of diabetic retinopathy in a clinic population of diabetics in Nnewi. All consecutive new patients seen at the Diabetic Eye Clinic, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Nigeria, between March 1997 and September 1998 were examined. Examination methods include interviewer-administered structured questionnaire, visual acuity test, external eye examination, refraction, tonometry, gonioscopy, binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy and slit lamp fundus examination with 78D non-contact lens. Data on patients with diabetic retinopathy were analyzed and presented in this report. 33 patients (61 eyes) out of 100 new patients had diabetic retinopathy. Of the 33 patients, 14 did not know that diabetes could cause visual loss; 16 had not consulted any eye health worker. None had laser or vitreo-retinal surgery. Six patients were bilaterally blind and another 6 had uniocular blindness. Visual impairment in the better eyes was recorded in 12 patients. All cases of bilateral blindness in this cohort were due to diabetic retinopathy and its complication (neovascular glaucoma). The severity of diabetic retinopathy is as follows: mild non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) 23 eyes; moderate NPDR 20 eyes; severe NPDR 2 eyes and proliferative diabetic retinopathy 16 eyes. Vitreous haemorrhage (4 eyes) and traction retinal detachment (8 eyes) complicated proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Concurrent diabetic maculopathy was found in 34 eyes viz: clinically significant macular edema (CSME) 33 eyes; Non-CSME 1 eye. Diabetic retinopathy is not rare in Nigerians. Diabetics should be educated on the ocular complications of the disease. Since laser and vitreo-retinal surgery will reduce visual loss in the patients, these facilities should be provided in eye hospitals in Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Ophthalmology Vol. 8, No.1 (August 2000): pp 7-10 KEY WORDS : Diabetic retinopathy, incidence, visual loss, Nigeria.


Background and objectives: The tendency to engage in impulsive behaviors when distressed is linked to engagement in disordered eating. The current study comprehensively examines emotional responding to a distress tolerance task by utilizing self-report and psychophysiological measures (respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA], skin conductance responses [SCRs] and tonic skin conductance levels [SCLs]). Methods: A treatment seeking sample with Bulimia Nervosa (BN), Binge Eating Disorder (BED), Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and healthy controls (HCs) completed ratings of self-reported emotions and psychophysiological measurements before and after completion of the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task-Computerized (PASAT-C). Results: Overall, we found an effect of Time, such that all participants reported greater negative emotions, fewer positive emotions, lower RSA, more SCRs and higher tonic SCLs after completion of the PASAT-C relative to baseline. We did not find differences in performance on the PASAT-C between groups. We found an effect of Group, such that individuals with BN, BED and AN reported overall higher levels of negative emotions relative to HCs. Furthermore, we found an effect of Group for greater urges to binge eat and lower RSA values among BED, relative to individuals with BN, AN and HCs. Conclusion: This is the first study to examine emotional responding utilizing multiple methods among different eating disorder diagnoses. The finding that individuals with BN, BED and AN report overall greater self-reported negative emotions without concurrent deleterious effects on PASAT-C performance relative to HCs suggests that subjective distress, rather than behavioral distress, may be an important area for intervention.


4 Servicios Integrales de Recursos Biológicos, Acuáticos y Ambientales Calle Genaro Estrada 406 Centro 82000 Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico Abstract—The aim of this study was to use a Bayesian approach to estimate age and growth parameters for the golden cownose ray (Rhinoptera steindachneri) in the southern Gulf of California in Mexico. Age estimates were obtained through analysis of vertebrae of 249 individuals. The von Bertalanffy growth function (VBGF) and Gompertz growth model (GM) were fit to lengthatage data by using a Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm for parameter estimation. Prior distributions of parameters were included for an informative prior for disc width at birth (DW0) and uninformative priors for the theoretical maximum disc width (DW∞) and growth coefficients (k and g, for the VBGF and GM, respectively). Our results indicate that the golden cownose ray lives up to 13 years. The GM for combined sexes was selected as the best model by using the Watanabe–Akaike information criterion for model selection suitable for Bayesian estimation. The mean values of the GM parameters were as follows: DW∞=101.10 cm (95% credible interval [CI]: 94.19–110.43), g=0.15 year (CI: 0.12–0.18), and DW0=40.00 cm (CI: 39.29–40.71). This study of the golden cownose ray contributes to the information available to develop better management and conservation strategies for this species.


A method is suggested to obtain solubility parameters for crystalline solid compounds involving a quadratic equation based on the original Scatchard-Hildebrand solubility expression. The geometric mean delta 1 delta 2, of the Hildebrand approach is replaced by w12 = K delta 1 delta 2, and log alpha 2/(V2 phi 2(2)/2.3RT) is regressed against delta 1 in a second-degree power series for parabens and benzoic acid in a series of normal alcohols. The method provides reasonable solubility parameters for the solid solutes and affords a convenient calculation of the solubility of drugs in a homologous series of solvents.


The optimal environmental ranges of the establishment phase for the distribution of Zizania latifolia and Typha angustifolia was determined to develop a set of basic data and criteria of planting substrate for the restoration, conservation and management of wetlands. The study was carried at 17 wetlands in the Kyunggi-do and Gyeongsangnam-do region where inland wetlands place intensively in June, 2005. Total 127 quadrats were sets in growing areas of Zizania latifolia and Typha angustifolia. , K, Ca, Mg and Na in the water variables and soil texture, LOI (loss on ignition), soil pH and soil conductivity in the soil variables were analyzed. The optimal range of water depth for the distribution of Zizania latifolia was -5~39cm, content of water was /cm, respectively. The optimal range of LOI for the distribution of Zizania latifolia was 1.7~11.9%, soil conductivity was 25.5~149.9/cm, respectively. The optimal range of water depth for the distribution of Typha angustifolia was -20~24cm, content of water was /cm, respectively. The optimal range of LOI for the distribution of Typha angustifolia was 2.4~15.9%, soil conductivity was 17.6~149.9/cm, respectively. The optimal soil texture were loam, silt loam and sandy loam in both species. The lower water depth (-20~40cm) is appropriate to increase biodiversity in both species dominated community and it is better to maintain water depth of 40~100cm for water purification. Both species appear frequently in the soil with high silt content.


In the vagal-sensory system, neuropeptides such as substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) are synthesized nearly exclusively in small-diameter nociceptive type C-fiber neurons. By definition, these neurons are designed to respond to noxious or tissue-damaging stimuli. A common feature of visceral inflammation is the elevation in production of sensory neuropeptides. Little is known, however, about the physiological characteristics of vagal sensory neurons induced by inflammation to produce substance P. In the present study, we show that allergic inflammation of guinea pig airways leads to the induction of substance P and CGRP production in large-diameter vagal sensory neurons. Electrophysiological and anatomical evidence reveals that the peripheral terminals of these neurons are low-threshold Adelta mechanosensors that are insensitive to nociceptive stimuli such as capsaicin and bradykinin. Thus inflammation causes a qualitative change in chemical coding of vagal primary afferent neurons. The results support the hypothesis that during an inflammatory reaction, sensory neuropeptide release from primary afferent nerve endings in the periphery and central nervous system does not require noxious or nociceptive stimuli but may also occur simply as a result of stimulation of low-threshold mechanosensors. This may contribute to the heightened reflex physiology and pain that often accompany inflammatory diseases.


Business sustainability from the point of view of human resource management (HRM) is a management and leadership philosophy about how people are most enable to contribute to success at their work by minimizing the negative impact of their work on the environmental and social factors and at the same time improving the financial factors in the organizations. This study is an empirical study conducted on 233 Indian manufacturing firms operating in the Karnataka region to investigate the role for HRM in business sustainability. The role for HRM in business sustainability is studied with the construct HRM strategic integration in business sustainability strategy. Further, this study focuses on the way HRM incorporates sustainability in its practices in the organization and its impact on the organizational performance. The data are analyzed using SEM, and the results revealed the significance of the relationship of the HRM strategic integration of sustainability strategy with the organizational performance. The organizational performance studied with respect to the three factors of business sustainability viz., profit, people, and planet. Further, these relationships are tested with contingency factors, age of the firm, and the number of employees for its significance in this relation. The empirical evidence of the study shows a significant positive relation of organizational performance when HRM has strategic integration in business sustainability strategy. Model I4C is derived to show the role for HRM in business sustainability.


congregated and swam upside-down near the edges of the tanks with abdominal distension. When pressed the dilated abdomen, the fish often exhibited a normal swimming pattern for some time, then resumed their characteristic upside-down swimming patterns. Internally, the fish showed abdominal dropsy and dilated stomach filled with yellowish granular contents. When the contents in the stomach, fish feed, water and excrement in the farm inoculated on Sabouraud destrose agar (SDA) at 25℃ for 48 hr. Candida sp. were isolated except from the feed. Candida sp. in excrement or water in the farm may enter into the stomach with feed and then produce gases in the metabolic process, which in turn may cause the stomach overinflation.


Laparoscopic hepaticojejunostomy for choledochal cyst in children is one of the most technically challenging operative procedures. Recent advances in high-definition imaging modalities have brought a better intraperitoneal visibility and expanded the indication to meticulous anastomosis for small bile ducts. In our standardized method, the hepatic duct is resected at the common hepatic duct level above the cyst. The jejunum is then extracted from an umbilical wound, and Roux-en-Y jejuno-jejunostomy is performed. The small hepatic duct is enlarged using a diagonal cut up the left side of the hepatic duct (in the 3 o'clock direction). Anastomotic hole is made at anterior wall of jejunum based on the size of hepatic duct. The mucosa and serosa of the opened hole is approximated using 6-0 monofilament absorbable sutures in order to perform membrane-to-membrane anastomosis. After stay sutures are laid, the posterior wall is sutured using interrupted 6-0 absorbable monofilament intracorporeal knot tying. Anastomosis is completely performed without stent insertion. During the anastomotic steps, the suspension technique for the anterior wall of the hepatic duct is very useful for confirming the lumen of the hepatic duct. However, this approach is associated with several well-known intraoperative pitfalls, such as the involvement of posterior wall needle-driving during anterior wall anastomosis, so the surgical team should be alert to prevent such events.


This paper presents a comparative analysis of six band selection methods applied to hyperspectral datasets for biophysical variable estimation problems, where the effect of denoising on band selection performance has also been analyzed. In particular, we consider four hyperspectral datasets and three regressors of different nature (ε-SVR, Regression Trees, and Kernel Ridge Regression). Results show that the denoising approach improves the band selection quality of all the tested methods. We show that noise filtering is more beneficial for the selection methods that use an estimator based on the whole dataset for the prediction of the output than for methods that use strategies based on local information (neighboring points).


ABSTRACT The posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) is a sex steroid-sensitive area that modulates different social behavior by relaying chemosensorial information to hypothalamic nuclei. However, little is known about MePD cell type diversity and functional connectivity. Here, we have characterized neurons and synaptic inputs in the right and left MePD of adult male and cycling female (in diestrus, proestrus or estrus) rats. Based on their electrophysiological properties and morphology, we found two coexisting subpopulations of spiny neurons that are sexually dimorphic. They were classified as Class I (predominantly bitufted-shaped neurons showing irregular spikes with frequency adaptation) or Class II (predominantly stellate-shaped neurons showing full spike frequency adaptation). Furthermore, excitatory and inhibitory inputs onto MePD cells were modulated by sex, estrous cycle and hemispheric lateralization. In the left MePD, there was an overall increase in the excitatory input to neurons of males compared to cycling females. However, in proestrus, the MePD neurons received mainly inhibitory inputs. Our findings indicate the existence of hemispheric lateralization, estrous cycle and sexual dimorphism influences at cellular and synaptic levels in the adult rat MePD. Highlighted Article: The intrinsic properties and synaptic inputs of posterodorsal medial amygdala neurons (classified as Class I and II) in rat are modulated by sex, estrous cycle and hemispheric lateralization.


A machine learning algorithm for partitioning the nuclear vibrational space into subspaces is introduced. The subdivision criterion is based on Liouville's theorem, i.e., the best preservation of the unitary of the reduced dimensionality Jacobian determinant within each subspace along a probe full-dimensional classical trajectory. The algorithm is based on the idea of evolutionary selection, and it is implemented through a probability graph representation of the vibrational space partitioning. We interface this customized version of genetic algorithms with our divide-and-conquer semiclassical initial value representation method for the calculation of molecular power spectra. First, we benchmark the algorithm by calculating the vibrational power spectra of two model systems, for which the exact subspace division is known. Then, we apply it to the calculation of the power spectrum of methane. Exact calculations and full-dimensional semiclassical spectra of this small molecule are available and provide an additional test of the accuracy of the new approach. Finally, the algorithm is applied to the divide-and-conquer semiclassical calculation of the power spectrum of 12-atom trans-N-methylacetamide.


The mucosal immune system identifies and fights invading pathogens, while allowing non-pathogenic organisms to persist. Mechanisms of pathogen/non-pathogen discrimination are poorly understood, as is the contribution of human genetic variation in disease susceptibility. We describe here a new, IRF3-dependent signaling pathway that is critical for distinguishing pathogens from normal flora at the mucosal barrier. Following uropathogenic E. coli infection, Irf3−/− mice showed a pathogen-specific increase in acute mortality, bacterial burden, abscess formation and renal damage compared to wild type mice. TLR4 signaling was initiated after ceramide release from glycosphingolipid receptors, through TRAM, CREB, Fos and Jun phosphorylation and p38 MAPK-dependent mechanisms, resulting in nuclear translocation of IRF3 and activation of IRF3/IFNβ-dependent antibacterial effector mechanisms. This TLR4/IRF3 pathway of pathogen discrimination was activated by ceramide and by P-fimbriated E. coli, which use ceramide-anchored glycosphingolipid receptors. Relevance of this pathway for human disease was supported by polymorphic IRF3 promoter sequences, differing between children with severe, symptomatic kidney infection and children who were asymptomatic bacterial carriers. IRF3 promoter activity was reduced by the disease-associated genotype, consistent with the pathology in Irf3−/− mice. Host susceptibility to common infections like UTI may thus be strongly influenced by single gene modifications affecting the innate immune response.


Background Tumor-like cortical irregularities at the posterior distal femur are common incidental findings in adolescents, but the origin of these irregularities is debated. Purpose To compare the prevalence of distal femoral cortical irregularities (DFCIs) at different tendon attachment sites in youth competitive alpine skiers with that in young adults. Materials and Methods In this secondary analysis of a prospective trial, unenhanced 3-T knee MRI scans obtained in youth competitive alpine skiers were compared with images in control participants of the same age from 2014 to 2019 (Cantonal Ethics Committee Zurich registry number: KEK-ZH-2017-01395) for presence of DFCIs at the femoral attachment of the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle (MHG) and/or lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle (LHG) and adductor magnus tendon by two radiologists. DFCI size and tendon attachment position were measured. Tendon attachment position and associated MRI findings (meniscus, cartilage, bone marrow edema, joint effusion, ligaments, tendons) were examined for an association with DFCI. Pearson χ2, Student t test, logistic regression, and κ statistics were applied. Results Unilateral knee MRI scans obtained in 105 skiers (mean age, 14.8 years ± 0.6 [standard deviation]; 66 boys) and in 105 control participants (mean age, 14.6 years ± 0.5; 59 boys) were evaluated. DFCIs were found in 61 of 105 skiers (58%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 48.5%, 67.2%) compared with 28 of 105 control participants (27%; 95% CI: 18.9%, 35.7%) (P < .001). Two skiers had more than one DFCI. Distribution of DFCIs for skiers and control participants was 60 of 63 (95.2%) and 26 of 28 (92.8%) at the MHG, three of 63 (4.8%) and one of 28 (3.6%) at the LHG, and zero of 63 (0%) and one of 28 (3.6%) at the adductor magnus attachment site, respectively. Interreader agreement was almost perfect (κ = 0.87; 95% CI: 0.80, 0.93). The mean size of MHG-related DFCIs in skiers (3.7 mm) was not different compared to the size of those in control participants (3.4 mm) (P = .32), nor was a difference found for the MHG tendon attachment position in knees with DFCI (63.9 mm vs 63.0 mm, P = .83) or without DFCI (63.6 mm vs 62.8 mm, P = .86). Regarding associated MRI findings, increased signal intensity of the MHG tendon showed a significant association with MHG-related DFCI in both groups (P = .01 for both). Conclusion A distal femoral cortical irregularity at the attachment sites of tendons was a frequent incidental finding on knee MRI scans, with an increased prevalence in youth competitive alpine skiers. © RSNA, 2020 Online supplemental material is available for this article.


We studied four patients with acute renal failure associated with nontraumatic rhabdomyolysis to evaluate the presence and progression of calcium deposits in damaged muscle tissue. Conventional and electron radiography and technetium-99m diphosphonate (TcDP) scans were done during the oliguric phase of acute renal failure and repeated after renal function returned to normal. Three patients showed deposits of calcium by conventional radiography and all by electron radiography and TcDP during the oliguric period. When the patients recovered renal function and muscle injuries healed, calcium deposits disappeared. The results show that calcium deposits in damaged muscle occur during the oliguric phase of acute renal failure due to rhabdomyolysis and the calcification disappears with recovery of renal failure; and TcDP scans are the most sensitive method of detecting calcium deposits in these patients.


Functional boxplot is an attractive technique to visualize data that come from functions. We propose an alternative to the functional boxplot based on depth measures. Our proposal generalizes the usual construction of the box-plot in one dimension related to the down-upward orderings of the data by considering two intuitive pre-orders in the functional context. These orderings are based on the epigraphs and hypographs of the data that allow a new definition of functional quartiles which is more robust to shape outliers. Simulated and real examples show that this proposal provides a convenient visualization technique with a great potential for analyzing functional data and illustrate its usefulness to detect outliers that other procedures do not detect.


Background Although increasingly recognised as valuable within sexual and reproductive health (SRH) research and service improvement, examples of patient and public involvement (PPI) are underdocumented, including specific issues relating to young people's involvement. This article aims to contribute to greater transparency about the practical, methodological and ethical considerations of SRH-related PPI with young people, and to offer recommendations for their meaningful involvement. Methods Guided by a conceptual tool for evaluating youth participation (the '7P' framework), we analysed learning from PPI within three projects (two academic studies and one service improvement project) that worked with young people to shape sexual health research and practice in Scotland. Analysis Cross-project analysis of seven interconnected domains (purpose, positioning, perspectives, power relations, protection, place and process) generated productive dialogue about the nuances of meaningfully involving young people in shaping SRH research and services. Key learning includes the importance of: young people's early involvement in agenda-setting for SRH improvement; developing trusting partnerships that can support involvement of diverse groups of young people; creating multiple ways for young people to contribute, including those that do not rely on direct conversation; and formative evaluation of young people's experiences of involvement. Conclusions Mainstreaming young people's meaningful involvement in shaping SRH research and services requires systems-level change. Resources are required to support SRH researchers and practitioners to share learning and build sustainable multi-sector partnerships, which in turn can increase opportunities for young people from diverse groups to engage with SRH-related PPI activities.


this paper presents a proximity operator based GAC approach to MR image segmentation method. Our method is a combination of geodesic active contours and the optimization tool of proximity operator in that it uses proximity op- erator to iteratively deform the contour. Consequently, it has the following advantages. The operator has the ability to jump over local minima and provide a more global result. The proximity operator is used to solve GAC fast image seg- mentation model, gets an efficient iterative algorithm. Our approach easily extends to the segmentation of MRI objects and not sensitive to the noise. In addition, the algorithm is suitable for interactive correction and is shown to always con- verge. Experimental results and analyses are provided.


The seasonality of births provides us with insights into the economic, cultural, and biological effects on the private lives of our predecessors in time. This comparison between two culturally very different societies results in the conclusion that there is an amazing geographic and historical stability in the patterns of seasonality in conceptions, both in Taiwan and in the Netherlands. Economic and cultural variables only have a minor influence. The fact that a biological variable like temperature is so dominant in the Taiwanese case suggests that future studies may benefit from focusing more on the biological determinants of human behaviour.


The main observational results from radio continuum and polarization observations about the magnetic field strength and large-scale pattern for face-on and edge-on spiral galaxies are summarized and compared within our sample of galaxies of different morphological types, inclinations, and star formation rates (SFR). We found that galaxies with low SFR have higher thermal fractions/ smaller synchrotron fractions than those with normal or high SFR. Adopting an equipartition model, we conclude that the nonthermal radio emission and the total magnetic field strength grow nonlinearly with SFR, while the regular magnetic field strength does not seem to depend on SFR. We also studied the magnetic field structure and disk thicknesses in highly inclined (edge-on) galaxies. We found in four galaxies that -despite their different radio appearance- the vertical scale heights for both, the thin and thick disk/halo, are about equal (0.3/1.8 kpc at 4.75 GHz), independently of their different SFR. This implies that all these galaxies host a galactic wind, in which the bulk velocity of the cosmic rays (CR) is determined by the total field strength within the galactic disk. The galaxies in our sample also show a similar large-scale magnetic field configuration, parallel to the midplane and X-shaped further away from the disk plane, independent of Hubble type and SFR in the disk. Hence we conclude that also the large-scale magnetic field pattern does not depend on the amount of SFR.


Disclosed is a method for producing crystals of steroids, whose average particle sizes are within a predetermined range and whose maximum particle sizes do not exceed a predetermined value, wherein a supersaturated solution of the steroids during crystallization to wet grinding is subjected to wet milling using a device, whereby primary particle suspension. Further, commercially available crystals, as well as pharmaceutical formulations containing them are described by this process.


Outsourcing is part of a system, as it includes products and services integrated in a value chain and which are performed by an external (contracted) firm, aiming to establish an interdependent, collaborative and trusting relationship between the contracting and contracted firms. Like any dimension of business in organisations, changes in organisational structures and in how the service is produced/provided, outsourcing brings benefits and risks. Therefore, from literature review method, this chapter aims to explore the concept of outsourcing as a differentiating tool in organisations' performance, emphasising the benefits and risks. The results showed the dimensions to consider in the decision to implement outsourcing, which are: (1) transaction costs, (2) use of resources, and (3) collaboration between the parties. The contribution of the study is to present a synopsis of the outsourcing topic, specifically the theories that support it, its benefits and risks. Additionally, a decision-making model is presented, in the certainty of its usefulness for the organizations' managers.


We report significantly enhanced device performance in long wavelength interband cascade lasers (ICLs) by employing a recently proposed innovative quantum well (QW) active region containing strained InAsP layers. These ICLs were able to operate at wavelengths near 14.4 μm, the longest ever demonstrated for III–V interband lasers, implying great potential of ICLs to cover an even wider wavelength range. Also, by applying the aforesaid QW active region configuration on ICLs at relatively short wavelengths, ICLs were demonstrated at a low threshold current density (e.g., 13 A/cm2 at 80 K) and at temperatures up to 212 K near 12.4 μm, more than 50 K higher than the previously reported ICLs with the standard W-shape QW active region at similar wavelengths. This suggests that the QW active region with InAsP layers can be used to improve device performance at the shorter wavelengths.


By their very nature, virtual reality worlds are spatial. Hence, one of the key requirements for virtual reality applications is the possibility to navigate within the virtual world. Previous studies have shown that the characteristics of the device used for navigation, both in terms of the physical properties, and the interaction logic, has effects on the user's experience. The question we address is how does different navigation modes with the same physical interface affect the user's experience. We selected two modes which differed in the way the user's actions were mapped to movements in the virtual environment. To quantify the difference between the two interaction mappings, spatial memory and the subjective sense of presence were compared. The results of our study showed that interaction mapping affects both, spatial memory and presence. Hence, not only the specific physical device but also the way it is used is important for the user's experience and recollection of it. Additionally, we found a correlation between spatial memory and subjective sense of presence, which indicates that the subjective sense of presence can be estimated from the performance in a spatial memory task.


Virilization, including penile enlargement and growth of pubic hair and facial acne, developed in a 2-year-old boy over a period of months. This sexual development was induced by incidental and unintentional dermal exposure to a testosterone cream that was applied to his father's arm and back as a part of body building regimen. Except for penile size, the other signs of virilization diminished several months after the exposure was discontinued.


We present a method for computer-generated holography based on deep learning. The inverse process of light propagation is regressed with a number of computationally generated speckle data sets. This method enables noniterative calculation of computer-generated holograms (CGHs). The proposed method was experimentally verified with a phase-only CGH.


Abstract A spectropolarimeter equipped with eight spectral bands in the visible, near– and short–wave infrared ranges (490–2200 nm) as well as a rotary film polarizer has been developed for measuring the reflectance and degree of polarization of light reflected from field crop canopies. This paper describes the design and specification of the instrument and the results of preliminary field experiments. Solar and view zenith angles and view azimuth direction relative to the solar position had a much greater influence on polarization than reflectance. For fully developed sweet potato and soybean canopies, the degree of polarization was a better discriminator of the canopy than each single band reflectance and a reflectance–based vegetation index such as normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI).


Cold urticaria is a skin condition characterized by rapid appearance of itchy wheals and occasionally angioedema in response to cold stimulation. Antihistamines do not sufficiently protect all patients from symptoms, even when used in higher than standard doses. In these patients, desensitization to cold can be beneficial. The aim was to investigate whether desensitization can lower temperature thresholds and reduce release of histamine in the skin. Cold urticaria patients were subjected to desensitization and assessed for skin responses to cold stimulation and codeine before and after. Histamine levels mediated by cold and codeine were determined by cutaneous microdialysis before and after desensitization in patients and healthy controls. Desensitization to cold resulted in protection from cold-induced symptoms and lower temperature thresholds in six out of nine patients. Desensitization also prevented histamine release after skin exposure to cold. Surprisingly, skin histamine levels and release after codeine injection were found to be normal in desensitized patients.


WEC-260, a 7-page illustrated fact sheet by Steve A. Johnson and Heather Violett, describes this small, seed-eating bird which nests on buildings in urban areas — similar species, native range and habitats, mode of introduction, introduced range and habitats, ecology, ecological impacts, impacts on people and pets, solutions, and how you can help. Includes additional resources. Published by the UF Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, June 2009.


In this paper we study the problem of recommending scientific articles to users in an online community with a new perspective of considering topic regression modeling and articles relational structure analysis simultaneously. First, we present a novel topic regression model, the topic regression matrix factorization (tr-MF), to solve the problem. The main idea of tr-MF lies in extending the matrix factorization with a probabilistic topic modeling. In particular, tr-MF introduces a regression model to regularize user factors through probabilistic topic modeling under the basic hypothesis that users share similar preferences if they rate similar sets of items. Consequently, tr-MF provides interpretable latent factors for users and items, and makes accurate predictions for community users. To incorporate the relational structure into the framework of tr-MF, we introduce relational matrix factorization. Through combining tr-MF with the relational matrix factorization, we propose the topic regression collective matrix factorization (tr-CMF) model. In addition, we also present the collaborative topic regression model with relational matrix factorization (CTR-RMF) model, which combines the existing collaborative topic regression (CTR) model and relational matrix factorization (RMF). From this point of view, CTR-RMF can be considered as an appropriate baseline for tr-CMF. Further, we demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed models on a large subset of the data from CiteULike, a bibliography sharing service dataset. The proposed models outperform the state-of-the-art matrix factorization models with a significant margin. Specifically, the proposed models are effective in making predictions for users with only few ratings or even no ratings, and support tasks that are specific to a certain field, neither of which has been addressed in the existing literature.


The interaction of benzoic acid and benzoate with model membrane systems was characterized to understand the molecular interactions of the two forms of a simple aromatic acid with the components of the membrane. The microemulsion system based on bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT) allowed determination of the molecular positioning using 1D NMR and 2D NMR spectroscopic methods. Benzoic acid and benzoate were both found to penetrate the membrane/water interfaces; however, the benzoic acid was able to penetrate much deeper and thus is more readily able to traverse a membrane. The Langmuir monolayer model system, using dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, was used as a generic membrane lipid for a cell. Compression isotherms of monolayers demonstrated a pH dependent interaction with a lipid monolayer and confirming the pH dependent observations shown in the reverse micellar model system. These studies provide an explanation for the antimicrobial activity of benzoic acid while benzoate is inactive. Furthermore, these studies form the framework upon which we are investigating the mode of bacterial uptake of pyrazinoic acid, the active form of pyrazinamide, a front line drug used to combat tuberculosis.


Genotyping errors are rules rather than exceptions in reality, and are found in virtually all but very small datasets. These errors, even when occurring at an extremely low rate, can derail many genetic analyses such as parentage/sibship assignments and linkage/association studies. Nonetheless, few robust and accurate methods are available for estimating the rate of occurrence of genotyping errors and for identifying individual erroneous genotypes at a locus. Methods based on duplicate genotyping are expensive, and estimate genotype inconsistency rather than error rate at a locus. Methods based on Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium tests have low robustness and low power, and apply only to those particular errors that cause excessive homozygosity. Methods based on pedigrees are powerful, robust and accurate. However, they rely on known and complete pedigrees that are unfortunately rarely available from natural populations in the wild. I proposed a maximum likelihood method to reconstruct pedigrees from genotype data with errors occurring at a roughly estimated (presumed) rate. In this paper, I describe how to use the method and inferred pedigree in estimating allelic dropout (or null allele) rate and false allele rate jointly at each marker locus, in identifying the erroneous genotypes, and in inferring the most likely genotypes at each locus of each individual. I examine the power, accuracy and robustness of the method by extensive simulations, and demonstrate the usefulness of the method by analysing three empirical datasets. It is concluded that, both pedigrees and the rates of genotyping errors at each locus can be reliably estimated from the same genotype data by the same likelihood method, when marker information is sufficient and some sampled individuals are first‐degree relatives. The erroneous genotypes are however inferred conservatively, and are reliably detected only when they occur in large families and/or at highly polymorphic loci. Estimation of genotyping error rates per locus and identification of erroneous genotypes of each individual at each locus should be routinely conducted to assess and improve data quality, to highlight markers for optimization of genotyping protocols or for replacement, and to enable the integration of genotyping errors in a robust statistical analysis.


units (hazard ratio [HR] 1.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0–2.2), total red cell dose ≥5 units (joint HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.79–1.0, p < .046) and estimated blood volume in liters (HR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1–1.3). No other covariates were significant. Conclusions: We found that alloimmunization-free survival after an acute transfusion episode was directly related to the total dose of red cells only up to 5 units, after which it is constant. These data support the hypothesis that highintensity transfusions have a blunted risk of red cell alloimmunization compared to equivalent chronic exposures.


Surgical haemostatic agents have been increasingly applied for the control of bleeding, and have excellent potential in laparoscopy. Several factors are important when evaluating the use of sealants. We present a brief overview of the history, composition and mechanism of action of sealants, together with a report on experimental studies and clinical experience with haemostatic sealants. We searched for reports on haemostatic agents and their use in renal parenchymal haemostasis; 15 animal models studies and 11 papers on clinical experience were included. The development of haemostatic agents and instruments is allowing the wider diffusion of challenging procedures. Several experimental animal studies have shown the efficacy and safety of sealants for haemostasis during nephron‐sparing surgery. Clinical studies confirm the effectiveness of synthetic or fibrin glue, in particular during laparoscopic surgery. Sealants are effective and safe topical agents to control bleeding during nephron‐sparing surgery. They should not be viewed as an alternative, but as complementary agents to be used to improve surgical outcomes. Further prospective studies are necessary to validate their role in relation to other haemostatic support techniques.


Although the dynamic load test technique has been developed for a long time, it became very popular in Brazil over the last 20 years (especially after the publication of Brazilian standard NBR6122, in 2010). However, the site quality control of driven piles in respect to the resistant capacities remains with the practical application of the so-called "dynamic formulas". Most of the established formulations use a key parameter of the driving event: the driving system efficiency, whose calibration is performed with dynamic monitoring. However, assuming a single value for the efficiency in order to extrapolate it to non-tested piles of the site requires a much more careful analysis of the test than that which has been carried out in practice. The aim of this paper is to discuss the issues involving the efficiency assessment based on the dynamic test and to propose an alternative method of estimating the effective energy during driving through measurements of set and elastic rebound. The method application was verified in comparison with 692 dynamic test records (526 in concrete and 166 in steel piles) of twelve sites spread across seven different locations in Brazil.


The corporate image notion that is cared about by a number of corporates in recent years, aimed to introduce corporates visually until effects of globalization emerge. The corporate image notion which only aimed to introduce the corporates visually to target group and came up with the idea of creating logo, emblem, fond and name for corporates, starts to lose its importance by the years where consumers demand more detailed information about the corporate in a competitive market conditions. Because, it is not possible to inform target groups about the identity of corporate, mission and vision of the corporate and how it behaves consumers. Today, it has completely changed. Anymore, corporates should communicate with target groups and stakeholders directly, transparent and in a friendly manner. The aim of this study is to investigate the direction of effects of the public relation practices on corporate image and also examine the possibility of creation of a strong corporate image by managing target groups' perception.


Theoretical scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images for all group-III and -V dopants on the GaAs (110) surface are calculated using density functional theory (DFT). In addition, a geometrical model based on the covalent radii of the dopants and substrate atoms is used to interpret the images. We find that the covalent radius of the dopant determines the geometry of the surface, which in turn determines the contrast seen in the STM images. Our model allows bond lengths to be predicted with an error of less than 4.2% and positions to be predicted with an average deviation of only 0.19 A compared to positions from fully relaxed DFT. For nitrogen we demonstrate good qualitative agreement between simulated and experimental STM images for dopants located in the first three surface layers. We are able to explain differences in both the contrast and positions of bright and dark features in the STM image based on our geometrical model. We then provide a detailed quantitative analysis of the positions of the bright features for nitrogen dopants in the second layer. The agreement of the DFT calculation with experiment is excellent, with the positions of the peaks in simulated and experimental STM scans differing by less than 2% of the lattice constant. For dopants other than nitrogen, we compare the calculated STM image contrast with the available experimental data and again find good agreement.


The evaluation of arguments and argumentation is best understood epistemologically. Epistemic circularity is not formally defective but it may be epistemologically objectionable. Sorenson's doubts about the syntactic approach to circularity are endorsed with qualifications. One explanation of an argument's goodness is its ability to produce justified belief in its conclusion by means of justified belief in its premises, but matters are not so simple for interpersonal argumentation. Even when an argument's premises and conclusion are justified for a speaker, this justifiedness may not be transmissible to every hearer. Still, an epistemic approaeh is instructive. Arguing in enthymemes can be legitimate, e.g., because enthymemes can help produce justified persuasion in an audience that supplies the missing premises .


A numerical method for computing the wave fields in arbitrarily bent waveguides is developed based on a curvilinear coordinate system and the beam propagation method. Unlike earlier approaches based on the conformal mapping or the polar coordinate system, waveguides with arbitrary bends can be conveniently modeled. The new method is accurate for bends with any curvature, since it avoids the small curvature approximation.


The multi traveling salesman problem is the extension of the well-known problem of traveling salesman and considered as a NP-Complete problem having exponential solution space. MTSP is more complicated than TSP, because in MTSP first the cities must be divided between salesmen, and then the optimal order of cities for each traveling salesman should be determined. By looking at early studies, it is revealed that researchers had focused on MTSP less than TSP, and few studies have been done in this area so far. In this paper a new combinatorial algorithm named CGA-MTSP is proposed for solving MTSP problem which is a combination of Genetic Algorithm and Clustering Technique. The aim of this method is to reduce the travelled distance by salesmen. In the proposed method the Clustering Technique has been used intelligently to reduce the solution space of the mentioned problem. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm (CGA-MTSP) leads to better results than other algorithms, but it requires more execution time. Key-words: Multi Traveling Salesman Problem, Clustering Technique, Genetic Algorithm, Optimization


ABSTRACT: Ore element ratios in intrusion-related mineralisation are in part a function of the relative oxidation state and degree of fractionation of the associated granite suite. A continuum from Cu-Au through W to Mo dominated mineralisation related to progressively more fractionated, oxidised I-type magmas can be traced within single suites and supersuites. Such systematic relationships provide strong evidence for the magmatic source of ore elements in granite-related mineral deposits and for the production of the observed ore element ratios dominantly through magmatic processes. The distribution of mineralised intrusive suites can be used to define a series of igneous metallogenic provinces in eastern Australia. In general, there is a correlated evolution in the observed metallogeny (as modelled based on the compatibility of ore elements during fractionation) with increasing degree of chemical evolution of the associated magmatic suite. This is from Cu-Au associated with chemically relatively unevolved magmas, through to Sn and Mo-rich mineralisation associated with highly evolved magmas that had undergone fractional crystallisation. Provinces recognised in that way do not necessarily correlate with the tectonostratigraphic boundaries defined by the near-surface geology, indicating that the areal distribution of some granite source regions in the deep crust is unrelated to upper crustal geology.


Background: Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) practice is one of the interventions improving child survival. Health workers have been shown to be vital in influencing EBF practices.Objectives: To assess the level of knowledge and supportive practices on EBF among healthcare workers Kilimanjaro region, northern Tanzania.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted between April - June 2011 health care providers working in 36 randomly selected health facilities of Hai and Siha districts. A questionnaire was used to obtain information. Observation of health worker-client interaction was conducted using a check list.Results: A total of 250 health workers participated in this study. The majority (80 %) had adequate knowledge of EBF. However, 36 % of providers believed light porridge should be introduced after 4 months and 43 % believed infants will feel thirsty on breast- milk alone. Only 7 % of providers answered correctly on skills of support, positioning and attachment. Fifty percent of the facilities with labour/maternity wards gave breastfeeding lessons to post delivery women. The majority (90 %) gave theoretical information, without practical demonstration with positioning and/or attachment of the baby to the breast.Conclusion: Providers had adequate theoretical knowledge of EBF but lacked important skills to support women in breastfeeding practices. Few labor/maternity facilities used the opportunity to educate women on EBF. Pre- and in-service health providers' training on breastfeeding should target improved practical skills.


IEEE 802.11e utilizes the Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) protocol to provide quality of service (QoS) support over WLANs. However, under EDCA, all video data are allocated to the same access category (AC) queue, irrespective of their coding importance. Consequently, the quality of the transmitted video may be severely degraded under heavy traffic load conditions. The literature contains several queue mapping mechanisms based on the settings of the AC queues, such as contention window size, for improving the video transmission quality over IEEE 802.11e WLANs. However, these mechanisms fail to consider the effect of the dequeuing time on the video delivery performance. Accordingly, the present study proposes a new queue mapping algorithm, designated as the throughput-based mapping algorithm (TMA), for improving the video transmission quality and reducing the video delay by dynamically allocating the video data packets to different AC queues based on their length and throughput such that the probability of the dequeuing time being reduced is increased. In implementing the proposed approach, the throughputs of the AC queues are analyzed using two Markov chain models. The simulation results show that TMA outperforms previously proposed static and dynamic queue mapping schemes in terms of a reduced AC queue length, an improved PSNR (peak signal-to-noise ratio), and a shorter transmission delay.


B cell receptor (BCR) signals generated by chronic interactions with external autoantigens or cell-autonomous BCR-BCR interactions play a critical role in the pathogenesis of CLL (Dühren-von Minden M et al, Nature 2012; Iacovelli S et al, Blood 2015). However, the role of these signals in regulating CLL cell responses and in particular in regulating CLL cell proliferation has still not been established. To address this issue, we first reanalyzed a previously generated dataset of human CLL cells stimulated with immobilized anti-IgM (Dal Bo M et al, Oncotarget 2015), which revealed differential expression of a number of genes involved in regulating the G1 phase of the cell cycle. The observed changes included upregulation of positive regulators of the cell cycle, such as CCND1, CCND2 and CDK4, but also upregulation of negative regulators, such as the cell cycle inhibitors CDKN1A, CDKN2A and CDKN2B. Changes in the expression of these genes were further validated by RQ-PCR analysis of a separate set of anti-IgM-stimulated human CLL cells (n=12), as well as by analysis of murine Eμ-TCL1-derived CLL cells stimulated with their cognate antigen phosphatidylcholine (PtC) (n=5). To investigate whether these genes are also induced by cell-autonomous BCR-BCR interactions, we analyzed the same samples following treatment with the SYK inhibitor entospletinib or the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib (1 μM each for 20 hours). A modest reduction in the levels of the cell cycle inhibitor CDKN2B but no change in the levels of any of the positive cell cycle regulators was observed, suggesting that only signals generated by external antigens can induce CLL cells to enter the cell cycle.
 The finding that the negative regulators CDKN1A, CDKN2A and CDKN2B are induced upon BCR engagement with external ligand appeared particularly interesting, considering that these genes are frequently downregulated in cases with Richter transformation because of co-existing genetic lesions in CDKN2A/2B and TP53, which is a key transcriptional activator of CDKN1A. Moreover, these findings suggested that genetic lesions in CDKN2A, CDKN2B and TP53 could contribute to Richter transformation by increasing the proliferation of leukemic cells stimulated with external autoantigen. To further address this possibility, we simultaneously targeted CDKN2A, CDKN2B and TP53 by CRISPR/Cas9 in primary Eμ-TCL1-derived murine CLL cells expressing an autoreactive BCR with specificity for the PtC autoantigen. The Cas9-edited and non-edited CLL cells were then expanded in immunodeficient NSG mice and were subsequently transferred in syngeneic recipients (n=6-8 per group) to evaluate the effects of CDKN2A/2B/TP53 knockdown on leukemia growth and proliferation. Combined targeting of CDKN2A, CDKN2B and TP53 resulted in accelerated leukemia growth, as evidenced by the significantly higher number of leukemic cells in the peritoneal cavity, peripheral blood and spleen of mice that received Cas9-edited vs wild type CLL cells (Figure 1A). The Cas9-edited leukemic cells showed markedly reduced expression of CDKN1A and CDKN2B protein (CDKN2A expression was not assessed in these experiments) and significantly higher expression of the proliferative markers Ki67, BrdU and phospho-histone H3 compared to non-edited leukemic cells. Moreover, indel analysis by amplicon capillary electrophoresis showed an increase in the ratio of CDKN2B mutant and TP53 mutant alleles vs wild type alleles during in vivo propagation, further suggesting that cells with combined CDKN2A/2B/TP53 deficiency have a growth advantage over wild type CLL cells (Figure 1B). A separate experiment with independent knockdown of CDKN2A/2B and TP53 also revealed selection of the mutant alleles during in vivo propagation, although only CDKN2A/2B knockdown resulted in a significant increase in tumor burden (Figure 1C and 1D). In conclusion, these data demonstrate that BCR interactions with external autoantigens induce both positive and negative regulators of the cell cycle and suggest that genetic lesions associated with Richter transformation cooperate with BCR signals by downregulating the negative regulators and facilitating cell cycle progression.

 No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


The positive relationship between family formation and regular weekly religious service attendance is well established, but cross-sectional data make it difficult to be confident that this relationship is causal. Moreover, if the relationship is causal, cross-sectional data make it difficult to disentangle the effects of three distinct family-formation events: marrying, having a child, and having a child who reaches school age. We use three waves of the new General Social Survey panel data to disentangle these separate potential effects. Using random-, fixed-, and hybrid-effect models, we show that, although in cross-section marriage and children predict attendance across individuals, neither leads to increased attendance when looking at individuals who change over time. Having a child who becomes school aged is the only family-formation event that remains associated with increased attendance among individuals who change over time. This suggests that the relationships between marriage and attending and between having a first child (or, for that matter, having several children) and attending are spurious, causal in the other direction, or indirect (since marrying and having a first child make it more likely that one will eventually have a school-age child). Adding a school-age child in the household is the only family-formation event that directly leads to increased attendance.


This paper shows how the transient response of gas-to-gas parallel and counterflow heat exchangers may be calculated by an analytical method. Making the usual idealizations for analysis of dynamic responses of heat exchangers, the problem of finding the temperature distributions of both fluids and separating wall as well as the outlet temperatures of fluids is reduced to the solution of an integral equation. This equation contains an unknown function depending on two independent variables, space and time. The solution is found by using the method of successive approximations, the Laplace transform method, and special functions defined in this paper.


Ozone in the lower planetary boundary layer of the earth atmosphere is dangerous to people and vegetation, since it oxidizes natural tissue. The diminished in visibility is because of dispersing of sun based radiation by high convergences of anthropogenic aerosols. Visibility impairment is most prominent at high relative mugginess when the aerosols swell by the take-up of water to expand the cross sectional area for dispersing; this is the wonder known as haze. Haze has become a major air pollution challenge the aviation industry has to cope with in recent time. In this review, two major problems were spotted to be responsible for air disaster in any region of the world. While some developed countries had almost resolved the challenge of visibility impairment by seeking relevant solutions, most developing countries do not have a recovery plan. Therefore, the resolution of this major challenge may be the leverage for most developing nations to draw out a recovery plan.


The aim of this project is to construct and test a prototype for a system designed for recording the image experienced by the user when operating a Night Vision Goggle. This report starts with a summary of the construction and the operating principles of night vision equipment and the different generations of these that are available. The work from theoretical modelling in ZEMAX as well as construction of the different components needed is described. In the later part of the report the testing of the prototype shows that the Toshiba camera used can record images down to 5 mLux at an acceptable level. As a last remark the suggestion to alter the R/T ratio of the beamsplitter and increase the sensitivity of the camera to meet the high military standard is outlined.


Background: Increasing the access and availability of modern contraceptives with emergency contraceptives prevent unplanned pregnancy. In Ethiopia, the rate of unintended pregnancy is high among adolescents. The role of the Emergency contraceptive is confirming in the prevention of unplanned pregnancy and its sequels. However, the use of emergency contraceptives in cities like Addis Ababa is verylow. Given that unsafe abortion is the leading cause of maternal mortality, appropriate use of emergency contraceptives as back up for regular contraceptive is therefore needed. Objective: This study has assessed the practice of emergency contraception and associated factors among female students in ALKAN Health Science Business and Technology (HSBT) College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods: An institution-based study among 271 female ALKAN Health Science Business Technology College, Addis Ababa campus students using a self-administered questionnaire. The study subjects were selected randomly using a stratified sampling technique. We used both descriptive summaries statistics and logistic regression to present the study findings. Results: The majority (93.3%) had emergency contraceptives awareness. Among those who had heard about an emergency contraceptive, 81.5% had good emergency contraceptive knowledge. The magnitude of participants who had used emergency contraceptive was 12.9%, where oral pills (93.3%) were the most frequently used method. Factors significantly associated with the use of emergency contraception were user being sexually active [AOR=124.0, 95%CI=33.4-61.1)], age less than or equal to 20 years [AOR=5.7, 95%CI=2.35-3.91)], and being single [AOR=6.2, 95%CI= 1.91-20.0)]. Conclusion: Efforts should be made to educate college female students on emergency contraceptives usage in their formal lesson.


Abstract : This paper examines the affects of an evolved National Security Strategy to meet the demands of a New World order on modern logisticians. It examines the expanded role of our military forces in the conduct of Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW) and the evolution of Joint doctrine to meet these new demands. The focus of this examination remains at the strategic level and the ability of the Services to meet the logistical demands of the modern theater battlefield. The evolution of joint doctrine from Low Intensity Conflict (LIC) to MOOTW dramatically changes logistic requirements and the operational continuum of our forces. Does logistics doctrine adequately address this change? Current logistics doctrine, organization and techniques are products of the 20th century battlefield, tailored to meet the demands of a major regional contingency. Is change mandated to meet the differing demands of MOOTW? The paper discusses the expanded role of logisticians in the conduct of MOOTW and assesses current doctrine, logistics lessons from United States deployments during the 1990's and the affects of post cold war military departmental contraction on service logistic capabilities. It presents recommendations based on this methodology for joint and service doctrinal adjustments and organizational priorities and capabilities that should be considered to meet the increased demands on our logistics systems during the next century.


For monodisperse linear polymers, the steady state recoverable compliance J characterizing the terminal relaxation intensity/mode distribution is known to be (approximately) proportional to the molecular weight M in the light to moderately entangled regime, i.e., for M between the entanglement molecular weight Me and the characteristic molecular weight Mc' defined for J (Mc' = 4Me - 6Me). However, for those lightly to moderately entangled polymers, the so-called glassy relaxation and Rouse fluctuation processes have a non-negligible contribution to the complex modulus G* even in the terminal regime and thus to J. In other words, the G* and J data of those polymers do not exclusively reflect the entanglement relaxation behavior of those polymers. For a test of this behavior, linear viscoelastic data were examined for entangled linear polystyrene (PS) and poly(p-tert-butyl styrene) (PtBS) in a wide range of M. The contribution of the glassy and Rouse fluctuation modes were subtracted from the G* data to evaluate the modulus Gent* exclusively reflecting the entanglement relaxation. It turned out that the terminal mode distribution of Gent* and the corresponding compliance Jent were rather insensitive to M even for M c' and close to those of well entangled high-M polymers, in particular for the case of PS. This result provides us with a clue for discussing the onset of entanglement.


Horses that present with abnormal upper respiratory noise at exercise can have a myriad of different laryngeal and pharyngeal structures collapsing into the airway, and exercising endoscopy provides the only way of providing a definitive diagnosis (or diagnoses in the case of composite collapse). However, a thorough clinical examination, endoscopic examination at rest and other ancillary diagnostic techniques can be very useful in some cases. This case study describes the clinical and endoscopic findings of a horse with suspected fourth branchial arch defect (4-BAD), a syndrome in which laryngeal palpation, radiography and ultrasound can all be very useful in addition to resting and exercising endoscopy when making a diagnosis.


One of the perspective directions of active impact on the ionosphere is the for-mation of electron concentration irregularities. Such irregularities can be used to increase the efficiency of radar systems and signal transfer in an interlayer ionospheric waveguide. Experiments on Alaska-Antarctica path showed that signal level at a receiving site is de-termined by heating wave parameters. In this case we did not study the character of its level change with time, i.e. possible fading, that is very important for radio-engineering systems. It is known that fading is determined by dimensions and space distribution of irregularity. Observations over EISCAT experiments make it possible, to some degree, to show the character of a scattered signal and the topology of ionospheric magnetically-oriented irregularities in the area of active impact on the ionosphere.


A perceptual lightness anchoring model based on visual cognition is proposed. It can recover absolute lightness of natural images using filling-in mechanism from single-scale boundaries. First, it adapts the response of retinal photoreceptors to varying levels of illumination. Then luminance-correlated contrast information can be obtained through multiplex encoding without additional luminance channel. Dynamic normalization is used to get smooth and continuous boundary contours. Different boundaries are used for ON and OFF channel diffusion layers. Theoretical analysis and simulation results indicate that the model could recover natural images under varying illumination, and solve the trapping, blurring and fogging problems to some extent.


During prehistoric periods, humans rarely experienced technological change. For nearly all of recorded human history, most humans experienced no major technological advances over their entire lives. We live in far more interesting times! Over the past few hundred years, humans began to experience multiple technological changes over the course of their lives, and now we take for granted that there will be a major update to our iPhones every year. New technologies come so fast that what was new and hot a short while ago (records, CDs, videotapes, DVD stores, AOL, MySpace) may already be superseded. This is happening in medicine too. When etanercept was approved for psoriasis 15 odd years ago, I thought I would never see that kind of revolutionary quantum leap forward in psoriasis treatment again in my lifetime; now I rarely prescribe the drug because of products that seem at least as safe and considerably more effective. The current rage in psoriasis treatment consists of drugs blocking the interleukin (IL)-23/IL-17 pathway. Ustekinumab, an antibody against the p40 subunit contained in both IL-12 and IL-23, hits a sweet spot: few injections, high efficacy and minimal, if any, risk. Several IL-17 antagonists are, in head-tohead trials, even more effective. The newest treatment, guselkumab, binds the p19 subunit of IL-23, thereby leaving IL-12 unaffected. In head-to-head trials against adalimumab, a highly effective psoriasis treatment, guselkumab was more effective. Guselkumab requires few injections (every 2 months in the maintenance phase) and, if we can extrapolate from our experience with the IL-12/IL-23 blocker ustekinumab (which we really shouldn't do), we can expect it should be very safe. The current issue of the British Journal of Dermatology features an analysis by Gordon et al. of the effectiveness of guselkumab in patient subpopulations. The authors compile data from 1829 subjects enrolled in the two large, randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded, head-to-head trials – Voyage 1 and Voyage 2 – of guselkumab vs. adalimumab. The primary efficacy outcome was assessed at week 16 (the primary endpoint in adalimumab's package insert). At that point, patients would have been treated with only three injections (baseline, week 4 and week 12) of guselkumab. Not surprisingly, regardless of baseline characteristics, more patients achieved standard measures of success [Psoriasis Area and Severity Index 75% improvement over baseline (PASI 75) and clear/almost clear] with guselkumab than with adalimumab, and more patients achieved high levels of success (PASI 90, clear) with guselkumab than with adalimumab. At this point, it's getting harder and harder to identify psoriasis patient populations for which a tumour necrosis factor inhibitor would be the clear first choice of treatment. The levels of success achievable with inhibitors of the IL-23/IL-17 axis, along with their safety and injection frequency, seem to make them the more rational choice, excepting, of course, what a payer tells us to do.


In this paper, we have discussed some of the code rules to be followed during pressure vessel design, fabrication and operation with respect to international codes and standard recommendations. The violations of codes shall be avoided all the time during design and fabrication to continuously improve the quality of the vessels so that the operation and safety of the vessel would be safe all the time. Quality assurance and quality control are the major areas to be concentrated during vessel fabrication. We didn't produce all the QA and QC procedures here; however we covered some of the important areas with respect to Vessel Design, Fabrication, Testing, NDT and Operation based on our study and general survey of vessel fabrication industries.


Compelling features of wireless local area networks (WLAN) put a variety of wireless service demands in place. In order to adjust system parameters to fulfill the specific needs of different applications, a mathematical description of the system tends to be helpful. The inherent complexity of wireless access makes this description very challenging. We propose a new performance model for the IEEE 802-11 WLAN in ad-hoc mode. The ad-hoc mode has been chosen since we eventually aim at interconnected WLAN clusters where no base station exists. The model is based on the presentation of the system with a pair of one-dimensional state diagrams which can easily accommodate variations of many input parameters. The corresponding state variables are contention window size and buffer occupancy of each user in the system. The input parameters considered are: packet fragmentation factor; buffer size; maximum allowable number of retransmissions. However, the approach taken is capable of ingesting any other probable parameters of interest. System performance criteria under study are: throughput; delay; probability of failure to deliver. The last two are crucial for real-time applications.


Bhutan is a small country undergoing rapid social change arising from income growth, urbanisation and Western cultural influence. Markers of poverty, namely infectious disease and infant mortality, have improved dramatically. The attention of health authorities is now focused on the non-communicable disease and injury burdens, to which alcohol consumption is a major contributor. The paper draws on official data to characterise the consumption of alcohol and related harm, and the nature of the alcohol market, with commentary on crucial aspects of availability policies and drink-driving regulation that need reform. Kypri K, Dorji G, Dalton C. Alcohol and economic development: Observations on the kingdom of Bhutan. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;36:333ȃ336.].


To examine whether genetic factors influence the prognosis of cancer patients, several polymorphic markers were used to determine the allelic loss of certain areas of the genome. Two polymorphic markers, IFNA and D9S171 were used to study the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of chromosome 9p21 in 75 head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. LOH was detected in 14 out of 64(22%) DNA samples obtained from cancer specimens when at least one marker was used. The frequency of LOH was not correlated with the localization of the tumor, clinical stage of the patient, tumor size and lymph node involvement. However, the frequency of LOH was significantly higher in the recurrent tumors than in the non-recurrent tumors, suggesting that the allelic loss at 9p21 can be correlated with the short term prognosis of the patients. LOH was identified in only three out of 19(16%) samples when D7S522 was used as a marker. However, all of these three cases were recurrent, and two of the three showed the allelic loss at 9p21 at the same time. These results indicate that LOH of 9p21 and/or 7q31 is a novel prognostic factor independent of other clinical factors for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Replication error (RER) was observed in 4 cancers, implicating genetic instability in the carcinogenesis of a subset of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.


One main focus of high precision heterodyne displacement interferometers are the means of splitting and merging for the reference (R) and measurement (M) beams when a cancelable circuit is implemented. Optical mixing of R and M gives birth to a systematc error called cyclic error, which appears as a periodic offset between the detected displacement and the actual one. A simple derivation of the cyclic error due to optical mixing is proposed for the cancelable circuit design. R and M beatings are collected by two photodiodes and conveniently converted by transimpedance amplifiers, such that the output signals are turned into ac-coupled voltages. The detected phase can be calculated as a function of the real phase (a change in optical path difference) in the case of zero-crossing detection. What turns out is a cyclic non-linearity which depends on the actual phase and on the amount of optical power leakage from the R channel into the M channel and vice versa. We then applied this result to the prototype of displacement gauge we are developing, which implements the cancelable circuit design with wavefront division. The splitting between R and M is done with a double coated mirror with a central hole, tilted by 45° with respect to the surface normal. The interferometer features two removable diffraction masks, respectively located before the merging point (a circular obscuration) and before the recombination point (a ring obscuration). In order to predict the extent of optical mixing between R and M, the whole layout was simulated by means of the Zemax ® Physical Optics Propagation (POP) tool. After the model of our setup was built and qualitatively verified, we proceeded by calculating the amount of optical leakages in various configurations: with and without the diffraction masks as well as for different sizes of both the holey mirror and the diffraction masks. The corrisponding maximum displacement error was then calculated for every configuration thanks to the previously derived formula. The insertion and optimization of the diffraction masks greatly improved the expected optical isolation inside the system. Data acquisition from our displacement gauge has just started. We plan to experimentally verify such results as soon as our prototype gauge will reach the desired sub-nanometer sensitivity.


Abstract The global Hangenberg Crisis near the Devonian–Carboniferous boundary (DCB) represents a mass extinction that is of the same scale as the so-called 'Big Five' first-order Phanerozoic events. It played an important role in the evolution of many faunal groups and destroyed complete ecosystems but affected marine and terrestrial environments at slightly different times within a short time span of c. 100–300 kyr. The lower crisis interval in the uppermost Famennian started as a prelude with a minor eustatic sea-level fall, followed rather abruptly by pantropically widespread black shale deposition (Hangenberg Black Shale and equivalents). This transgressive and hypoxic/anoxic phase coincided with a global carbonate crisis and perturbation of the global carbon cycle as evidenced by a distinctive positive carbon isotope excursion, probably as a consequence of climate/salinity-driven oceanic overturns and outer-shelf eutrophication. It is the main extinction level for marine biota, especially for ammonoids, trilobites, conodonts, stromatoporoids, corals, some sharks, and deeper-water ostracodes, but probably also for placoderms, chitinozoans and early tetrapods. Extinction rates were lower for brachiopods, neritic ostracodes, bryozoans and echinoderms. Extinction patterns were similar in widely separate basins of the western and eastern Prototethys, while a contemporaneous marine macrofauna record from high latitudes is missing altogether. The middle crisis interval is characterized by a gradual but major eustatic sea-level fall, probably in the scale of more than 100 m, that caused the progradation of shallow-water siliciclastics (Hangenberg Sandstone and equivalents) and produced widespread unconformities due to reworking and non-deposition. The glacio-eustatic origin of this global regression is proven by miospore correlation with widespread diamictites of South America and South and North Africa, and by the evidence for significant tropical mountain glaciers in eastern North America. This isolated and short-lived plunge from global greenhouse into icehouse conditions may follow the significant drawdown of atmospheric CO2 levels due to the prior massive burial of organic carbon during the global deposition of black shales. Increased carbon recycling by intensified terrestrial erosion in combination with the arrested burial of carbonates may have led to a gradual rise of CO2 levels, re-warming, and a parallel increase in the influx of land-derived nutrients. The upper crisis interval in the uppermost Famennian is characterized by initial post-glacial transgression and a second global carbon isotope spike, as well as by opportunistic faunal blooms and the early re-radiation of several fossil groups. Minor reworking events and unconformities give evidence for continuing smaller-scale oscillations of sea-level and palaeoclimate. These may explain the terrestrial floral change near the Famennian–Tournaisian boundary and contemporaneous, evolutionarily highly significant extinctions of survivors of the main crisis. Still poorly understood small-scale events wiped out the last clymeniid ammonoids, phacopid trilobites, placoderms and some widespread brachiopod and foraminiferan groups. The post-crisis interval in the lower Tournaisian is marked by continuing eustatic rise (e.g. flooding of the Old Red Continent), and significant radiations in a renewed greenhouse time. But the recovery had not yet reached the pre-crisis level when it was suddenly interrupted by the global, second-order Lower Alum Shale Event at the base of the middle Tournaisian.


Background The Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by low back pain and progressive stiffness of the spine. Even being a rare disease, the resulting incapacity, impaired quality of life and the long term pharmacological therapy cause big social and economical impacts. In Brazil the AS gains a special highlight because most of the patients are covered by the public health care therefore receiving free medical care and pharmacological treatment. The high costs involving the TNF-blockers (Etanercept, Adalimumab, Infliximab) and the reduced workforce, caused by the impairment of the disease, is a strategic point on financial planning of the health system. In our peer reviewed national literature, only one study had measured the cost of AS in the country, however, this study was performed before the biologic era, making it necessary to reevaluate the actual cost with the new therapy. Objectives To Measure and characterize the costs related to AS care in a public outpatient clinic after the introduction of TNF-blockers as standard medication. Methods During 2011-2012 AS patients assisted in a public outpatient Rheumatology clinic were randomly recruited. To assess the demographic, clinical and economical data every patient answered a form in which inquired about several aspects of their disease and their economic life in the last year. BASDAI and BASFI were obtained right after it. Direct Costs were defined as the economic amount directly involved with the disease and disability treatment including private and public spends. On the other hand, Indirect Costs were all private losses or welfare spends related with absent work days, pensions and unemployed compensations. All the costs were measured using as reference the national costs table published by the brazilian government in 2012. To convert the currency was used the mean value of Euro in 2012 (1,00 Euro =2,51 Reais). Results 93 AS patients were included, being 76% of them men. The mean age was 43,95 years (21-69 years) and time of disease was 8,92 years (SD 7,32). HLA-B27 was positive in 72% subjects, 65% were being treated with TNF-blockers, BASDAI and BASFI means at baseline were 4,9 and 5,4 respectively. The total cost of this population was 1,762,720 euros/year resulting in 18,953 euros/year per patient. The costs distribution is shown in Fig. 1. 32 subjects were retired due to labor incapacity and 18 were receiving unemployed compensations, resulting in 150,463 euros/year. Conclusions There is an increase of the costs in AS care after the biologics introduction in Brazil and this medication is the responsible for the major part of spends related with the disease. References Torres TM, Ferraz MB, Ciconelli RM. Resource utilisation and cost of ankylosing spondylitis in Brazil. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2010 Jul-Aug;28(4):490-7. Epub 2010 Aug 30. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.4678


The unrelenting scaling of CMOS devices has brought their dimensions down to few tens of nanometers. In such sizes, the reliability margins drop ominously and the leakage power dissipation increases significantly. This paper presents a non-conventional transistor-sizing method for improving reliability by increasing the static noise margin, while simultaneously reducing the power consumption. Simulations results have been used to compare the static noise margin, the power consumption, and the performance of classical CMOS gates with the proposed scheme in the 22 nm technology. The results show that modifying the channel lengths of transistors in inverters and other gates can improve the noise margin by nearly 40% over the conventional one, while reducing the power consumption by 47%. The robustness (measured here in terms of noise margin) of the classical and the new gates are also compared when their transistors are subject to threshold voltage variations.


A dozen foreign teams are at work in Oman, which was a surprisingly sophisticated player in global trade 4000 years ago and also the center of the incense trade ([see sidebar][1]). Researchers are taking advantage of a stable political system, generous help from the central government, and a landscape that until recently was remarkably unmarred by modern development. Yet the quickening pace of development threatens many sites, and local champions of archaeology are few and politically vulnerable.

 [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/328/5982/1099


There is a growing trend in education and training towards the use of online and distance learning courses. This delivery format provides flexibility and accessibility; it is also viewed as a way to provide education in a more effective way to a broader community. Online courses are comfortable, they are built under the missive of "anyone, anywhere, anytime". Everyone can participate from home or workplace.


In assembly operations by the industrial robot, the shaft insertion is very important and frequently performed. We have studied the shaft inserting system for the moving object by using a PSD (Position Sensitive Detector). In this paper, we propose the new position error detecting sensor in which four dimensional PSDs are arranged in cross. This sensor can detect the position error and inclined angle between the center of shaft and the hole in real time. At first, we show the detecting principle of the position and the inclined angle of this sensor. Next, we show the configuration of the robot system with this sensor. Using this robot system, the robot can insert a shaft into no inclination hole of the moving object with a clearance of 50 /spl mu/m at a velocity of 80 mm/s. From the experimental result for the inclined angle detection, the characteristic of the inclined angle detection differed from the one of the theoretical output. We verify the difference between the experiment result and the theory result.


The experience of emotions is a ubiquitous human experience, as is the experience of adversity. In the aftermath of an adverse life event, a variety of emotional experiences can occur. This chapter reviews the relationship between emotional responding and adversity within the science of emotion and resilience. Current literature on possible emotional responses to adversity are reviewed, including literature on both resilience and psychopathology. Multiple trajectories following the experience of various types of potentially traumatic events are outlined, including predictors for each of these trajectories. In addition, forms of psychopathology in emotional responding after adversity are discussed, including posttraumatic stress disorder, prolonged grief disorder, adjustment disorders, and other mental health conditions. Information regarding risk and resilience factors for each disorder are discussed, and evidence regarding treatment is briefly summarized.