This chapter deals with a comparison between State terrorism in Argentina and Mexico in the 1970s-1980s, when a range of crimes were perpetrated by institutions otherwise responsible for law and justice. In Argentina, attempts were made to heal the wounds of the past once the military regime was repudiated by means of elections. What occurred in Mexico is more surreptitious. In this case, the Mexican state presented to the outside political solidarity with Cuba and with the oppositions to Latin American military dictatorships; on the other hand, within the country, it not only ignored protests, but also spurred civil struggle and even guerrilla, by repressing them violently, as was the case with movements led by the country teachers turned guerillas Genaro Vazquez and Lucio Cabanas. I build on ideas about memory offered by Todorov as "it permits one to use the past with a view toward the present, to use the lessons about injustices suffered in the past to fight against those create today, and to separate oneself to go toward the other". I compare the story "Soldado" by Roberto Ramirez Bravo and the speech by general Ramon Camps in an interview with Santiago Aroca, which was used to condemn him for his crimes. Both the literary discourse and the general's speech make use of pejorative adjectives that dehumanize the rebels, calling them, for example, "indios" in the first case or "subversives" in the second. This creates a polarization between victims and perpetrators, and promotes a distancing which enables a range of aggressions that end in the death and/or disappearance of the dissidents. In the story we find irony in the situation that the soldier who confesses his crimes is dead; in this way, this tale symbolizes the Mexican reality, in which repressors and their victims are relegated to oblivion and death, especially now as the Partido Revolucionario Institucional has regained the presidency. At the same time, the lack of restitution for damages inflicted allows for a sense of impunity which has contributed to the current climate of social disintegration.


We examined causes and levels of tree mortality one year after thinning and prescribed burning was completed in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) forests at Pringle Falls Experimental Forest, Oregon, U.S. Four blocks of five experimental units (N = 20) were established. One of each of five treatments was assigned to each experimental unit in each block. Treatments included thinning from below to the upper management zone (UMZ) for the dominant plant association based on stand density index values for ponderosa pine followed by mastication and prescribed burning: (1) 50% UMZ (low density stand), (2) 75% UMZ (medium density stand), (3) 75% UMZ Gap, which involved a regeneration cut, (4) 100% UMZ (high density stand), and (5) an untreated control (high density stand). Experimental units were thinned in 2011 (block 4), 2012 (block 2), and 2013 (blocks 1 and 3); masticated within one year; and prescribed burned two years after thinning (2013–2015). A total of 395,053 trees was inventoried, of which 1.1% (4436) died. Significantly higher levels of tree mortality occurred on 100 UMZ (3.1%) than the untreated control (0.05%). Mortality was attributed to prescribed fire (2706), several species of bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) (1592), unknown factors (136), windfall (1 tree), and western gall rust (1 tree). Among bark beetles, tree mortality was attributed to western pine beetle (Dendroctonus brevicomis LeConte) (881 trees), pine engraver (Ips pini (Say)) (385 trees), fir engraver (Scolytus ventralis LeConte) (304 trees), mountain pine beetle (D. ponderosae Hopkins) (20 trees), Ips emarginatus (LeConte) (1 tree), and Pityogenes spp. (1 tree).


July 23, 1916, I was called in consultation by Dr. Chett McDonald to see a man, aged 23, who complained of very frequent and painful urination, with much tenesmus. He gave a history of venereal sore, diagnosed chancroid, two years before, and gonorrheal infection of the urethra beginning a year later and persisting to the date of consultation. He had been in the Navy and had been sent to the hospital at Great Lakes. He stated that he had had two negative Wassermann tests and had been under treatment while there, and later at Bremerton, Wash., with sounds, irrigations of permanganate, and instillations of silver nitrate. He had obtained his discharge from the Navy, and was at the home of his parents. There was a scar of the glans where the chancroid had been. There was a slight purulent discharge from the urethra, and urination was followed by a mucous


In order to secure the proper development strategy, local governments in Poland should use appropriate instruments for strategic management of communities. A successful development, however, cannot exist without the proper identification and the strategic analysis of owned assets. However, development of local governments largely depends on development of subordinate communities. This is why adopting an appropriate approach, as well as active support of the very communities are essential. The aim of the article was twofold. First of all, the authors attempted to classify all the instruments, which may be used to facilitate development of local governments. Secondly, the authors tried to determine if local governments in the Kujawsko-pomorskie region are aware that they have such instruments at their disposal.


In this paper, with the help of MATLAB and Auto CAD, some curves are drawn based on the observed data of the Jinzhou20-2MUQ platform. The regression analysis is applied to analyze the momentum equation of sea ice drifting and numerical simulation is employed to analyze the track of sea ice drifting. This paper focuses on the relationships of sea ice motion, ocean currents and sea surface wind elements, and the results that the directions of sea ice motion and ocean currents are apparently consistent and that the velocities of the sea ice and the surface current are correlative with each other are obtained, although there are still some differences between them which can't be neglected. And after studying about the observed data, we also discover that the wind velocity and direction also have some degrees of influence on the sea ice motion. Based on the law of sea ice motion, this paper has expounded the influence of sea ice on the platform structure and the sea ice disaster which might happen. The ASARP theory is employed to study and manage the sea ice disaster, which has significant meanings to the early-warning and evaluation of sea ice disaster.


In this article, I analyze self-disclosure in autoethnography and the various degrees of risk experienced by researchers based on social position. I use autoethnography to consider the possibility of researcher empathy that relies on sensory connection between self and other. I use my personal experience with car accidents to analyze cultures of empathy and caregiving. Connections among self-disclosure, empathy, and social action are explored. In autoethnography, the researcher takes on the risk of being subject as well as observer and self-discloses personal information as a way to make clear possible bias and awareness of the partial and political aspects of research observation. I use autoethnography to consider the political hope of feminist research to raise consciousness of injustice and encourage new emotional awareness (empathy) on the part of the community as catalyst for social change.


Introduction The authors of the study assessed the emotional and cognitive state of geriatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and tried to answer the question: were there any differences in this state in geriatric patients at different stages of the pandemic? Material and methods The study included 518 patients of 60 years old and above of the Department of Geriatrics in Warsaw. To collect data, the following tools of psychological measurement were applied: the Mini-Mental State Examination scale and Geriatric Depression Scale. In order to test the differences in the means between the groups, a Chi-square test (with Yates's correction for continuity when the class size did not exceed 8 items) was used. For the comparison of the three groups, the Kruskal-Wallis (ANOVA) test was performed. Results It was found that the majority of geriatric patients (73% of respondents) do not show symptoms of depressed mood. But there are statistically significant differences in the results of the patients' cognitive state tests depending on the time of examination. Patients examined before the pandemic tended to demonstrate a better cognitive state than patients at the beginning of the pandemic and in its later stages. Nevertheless, there are no significant differences in the cognitive functioning of patients examined at the beginning and later in the pandemic. Conclusions The number of geriatric patients with symptoms of depression significantly increased when visits of relatives prohibition were introduced. However, the number of patients with depression returned to its previous level later in the pandemic. This phenomenon may indicate psychological adaptation to the situation. The presented results of observation suggest that the introduction of limitations is less important than the particular perception of one's situation and adaptation to that.


Background: The objective of the study was to asses the presence of depressive symptoms at patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and to identify potential psychosocial factors (such as social support and coping mechanisms) that may help these patients to deal with the disease. Methods: The design of the study was transversal and included 37 patients with PAD with critical ischemia (32 men, 5 women, mean age= 62,41). They were administered Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire and COPE inventory. Findings: Depressive symptoms were found at 21,6 % of the patients. There were low scores of perceived social support at 32,4% of the patients. Depression correlated (p<.001) positively with mental disengagement (r=.791), denial (r=.672), behavioral disengagement (r=.760), restraint (r=.0753) and negatively with social support (r= -.879) and positive reinterpretation (r=-.844), active coping (r=-.776), use of emotional support (r=-.624). Discussion: Recognition and evaluation for depression in patients with PAD followed by identifying psychosocial interventions may be useful in improving outcomes of these patients.


In this discussion we build on previous work on the role of ethics in shaping the behaviour of leaders in business and public administration to investigate the relationship between leadership spirituality, the environment springing from such leadership, and the resulting followers' attributions of leader effectiveness in the USA and France. Survey data collected from the USA and France were used to test a composite construct of spiritual leadership including (a) accountability, (b) rationality, and (c) honesty. The results of hypothesis tested suggest followers' attributions of leaders' positive outcomes increase in proportion with increases in leader's spirituality. These results are indicative of a state of affairs that will force new standards to be written in political books, government manuals, and history books. This study contributes to the standards research by bridging ethical standards, spirituality, and organisational performance.


Author(s): Bevan, Hannah R.; Jenkins, David G.; Campbell, Todd S. | Abstract: As a result of the pet trade, Africa's Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus) is now established in North America (Florida). This generalist carnivore is a potential threat to native wildlife, requiring proactive measures to effectively prevent further spread into novel regions. To determine regions at risk, we create and compare alternative ensemble species distribution models (SDMs) using a model selection approach (with 10 possible modeling algorithms grouped according to assumptions). The ensemble SDMs used presence and environmental data from both native (Africa) and nonnative (Florida) locations. The most predictive consensus SDMs for native and native + nonnative data sets (TSS = 0.87; Sensitivity = 93%; Specificity = 94%) were based on the boosted regression tree (BRT), classification tree analysis (CTA), and random forest (RF) modeling algorithms with all environmental predictor variables used. The global Nile monitor SDMs predict strong habitat suitability in tropical and subtropical regions in the Americas, the Caribbean, Madagascar, Southeast Asia, and Australia. Florida Nile monitor populations are less likely to spread into the Neotropics than if pets now in the Southwest USA are released intentionally or accidentally. Management options to avoid this spread into vulnerable regions are to actively prohibit/regulate Nile monitors as pets, enforce those restrictions, and promote exotic pet amnesty programs. The model selection approach for ensemble SDMs used here may help improve future SDM research


The use of a bit in the mouth of a horse is being increasingly questioned with respect to its actual function, and is sometimes judged an obsolete instrument of control with potential to injure the horse.

The objective of the research presented herein was twofold; firstly, to investigate the actual pressure load in the mouth of the horse with regard to oral health issues, and, secondly, to investigate whether this could be a viable method to objectively measure strength exerted by a rider/driver to the mouth of the horse especially with regard to training regimes.

From the results, it is evident that these newly developed sensors have a future in equine research, although they are still under development. They can be useful both as a pedagogic teaching instrument, providing instructor and pupil with instantaneous, objective feedback on the contact between hand and mouth, as well as an aid in measuring pressure loads from our common bits.


Vitamin D deficiency is an emerging health concern around the world, highly prevalent in south Asian population, despite abundant sunlight. In Pakistan, all age groups are vulnerable to Vitamin D deficiency including pregnant women. This systematic review aimed to determine the pattern of Vitamin D deficiency among Pakistani pregnant women as well as exploring the causes and possible interventions that have had a substantial effect on improving the vitamin D level. Three databases (PubMed, Pub Get and Google Scholar), for the present review up to 2016, were used for the identification of published peer reviewed original relevant studies regarding Vitamin D deficiency among Pakistani pregnant women with the keywords Vitamin D or 25-hydroxyvitamin D or 25(OH)D in combination with pregnant women. Five studies were included for the final analysis. Vitamin D deficiency was common and highly prevalent among Pakistani pregnant women and their neonates. The main reasons for this were found to be avoiding sun exposure, quality of diet, and lower intake of calcium. Maternal vitamin D supplementation was found to be a key intervention to improve the maternal and neonatal vitamin D status. These review findings can be emerging in ensuring the adequate vitamin D level for Pakistani pregnant women during pregnancy, ultimately to achieve positive maternal and neonate's health outcomes.


Granular materials display a host of fascinating behaviours both remarkably similar to and strikingly different from those exhibited by classical solids, liquids and gases. Due to the ubiquity of granular materials, and their far-reaching importance in multitudinous natural and industrial processes, an understanding of their dynamics is of the utmost importance to modern society. In this thesis, we analyse in detail two phenomena, one from each of the above categories: granular convection, a behaviour directly analogous to the Rayleigh-Benard cells observable in classical fluids, and granular segregation, a phenomenon without parallel in classical, molecular physics, yet which is known to greatly impact various physical and industrial systems. Through this analysis, conducted using a combination of the experimental positron emission particle tracking technique and discrete particle method simulations, we aim to improve our knowledge of these processes on a fundamental level, gaining insight into the factors which may influence them, and hence how they may be effectively controlled, augmented or eliminated.


The tumorigenesis mechanism of cervical cancer (CC) is complicated as several pathways deserve exploration. LncRNAs are recently highlighted to be involved in various biological processes. The role of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in tumor regulation is recently investigated.
 Herein, we aimed to explore the interaction between lncRNA Neu and microRNA (miR)-625 and BMSCs in CC. Expression levels of lncRNA Neu and miR-625 in CC cells and BMSCs were determined by RT-qPCR. The relationship between lncRNA Neu and miR-625 was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis.
 After cancer cells were transfected with siRNA-Neu, CCK-8 assay and clone formation assay were conducted to determine cell proliferation and viability. LncRNA Neu was highly expressed in CC cells and poorly expressed in BMSCs. Knockdown of lncRNA Neu attenuated cell viability and proliferation
 while increased miR-625 expression. MiR-625 expression was negatively correlated with expression of lncRNA Neu in CC cells. Overexpression of miR-625 resulted in weakened CC cell viability. Collectively, lncRNA Neu was highly expressed in CC and promoted the development of CC through stimulating
 the growth of BMSCs and suppressing miR-625 expression. These findings provide a novel insight into targeted therapy for CC.


Abstract The geochemical evolution of tin-tungsten deposits and their associated sulphides can be discussed in terms of four sequential processes: acquisition of the ore-forming elements (OFEs) by the granitic magma, emplacement of these elements in minerals and residual melt of the crystallizing granite, release of the OFEs to the circulating hydrothermal fluids and transport to the depositional sites, and finally, deposition of ore minerals through interaction of these fluids with the wall rock. Based on their crystallographic behaviour, it is useful to distinguish three principal classes of OFEs, here identified as BOC, LHC, and ALC elements. BOC (bivalent octahedral cation) elements are similar to ferrous iron and here are represented mainly by Zn, Mn, and perhaps Cu. Li also belongs to this class, although it is monovalent. LHC (large highly charged cations) elements encompass As, Nb, Mo, Sn, Sb, Ta, and W and they are similar to ferric iron or titanium in their crystallographic role. ALC (alkali-like cations) are capable of occupying alkali positions and are represented mainly by Pb, Ag, and Hg. LHCs are rejected from the polymerized silicate liquid network and become enriched in the roof of the acid magma chamber, where more non-bridging oxygens are available. Transport to the roof may be enhanced by the formation of hydrous complexes, as is the pronounced enrichment of Na and Li. BOCs, along with Cl, F, and B, fractionate strongly into the vapour phase during vesiculation. HCl in the ore fluid is crucial for the alteration process and can be produced during boiling by a hydrolysis reaction of the NaCl dissolved or immiscibly present in the silicate magma. Considerable laboratory information is available concerning release mechanisms of the OFEs to hydrothermal fluids. We can distinguish congruent and incongruent dissolution, both in response to acid buildup, as well as congruent and incongruent exchange not involving HCl. Melt-fluid fractionation is also thought to be important, though the physical mechanisms are not well understood. Any of these release mechanisms may be coupled with reduction or oxidation reactions. LHC, BOC, and ALC elements respond differently to each of these mechanisms, and these differences may in part be responsible for the observed separation of ore minerals in space and time. It is suggested that LHC elements are released preferentially during acid, non-oxidizing conditions typical of early stages, while BOC elements respond more readily to later acid-oxidizing environments, as well as exchange reactions with or without oxidation. Depositional reactions have been formulated with respect to two contrasting types of country rocks: carbonates and schists. Differences are related to the process of neutralization of the HCl produced by ore deposition: carbonate dissolution on one hand and feldspar-muscovite or biotite-muscovite conversion on the other. In carbonate rocks, evaporite-related sulphates may provide the H2S necessary for sulphide precipitation, while in schists disseminated sulphides and organic matter may be important sulphur reservoirs in addition to the sulphur liberated from the granite. A variety of situations can be envisaged with respect to the sources of the OFEs and the sulphur species required for ore deposition, including granite and wall rocks. Chloride is recognized as the crucial anion for OFE release, transport, and deposition, although F and B play a role yet to be evaluated. Final HCl neutralization is an essential step in the reactions responsible for the deposition of ore minerals. The ultimate sources of the OFEs must be related to the continental material involved in the process of melt production by partial melting. Oxidized sediments provide sources for LHC and ALC elements in the form of heavy minerals and clastic feldspars and micas. Organic-rich reduced sediments are hosts to BOC and LHC elements as sulphides and ALC elements in organic matter. Remelting of igneous and metamorphic rocks can enrich LHC, BOC, and ALC elements in the melt by extraction from opaques, Fe-Mg silicates, feldspars, and micas.


Wireless Sensor Networks are more and more frequently integrated into many civil and military applications. Those applications rely on the system to determine accurately the location of the sensor nodes. Most existing localization algorithms are not efficient in noisy environments and assume that the nodes are already configured appropriately for the local environment. In this paper, we propose a novel method to determine the position of the nodes in a noisy environment. The preliminary step of our solution consists of characterizing the local environment parameters. The localization step implements an iterative procedure to determine the nodes position. The numerical results derived from the simulations show the robustness of our method when compared the Concentric Anchor Beacon (CAB) algorithm, one of the most efficient techniques. We also address the computation time, as a performance metric.


Myofibroma is a rare benign tumor of myofibroblastic origin that presents as solitary or multiple, and as an intraosseous and/or soft tissue lesion. It most commonly occurs in infants and children, although adult myofibromas have also been reported. Solitary central infantile myofibroma of the jaws is very rare and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of central jaw lesions involving the mandible in children. Its etiology is unknown. The purpose of this manuscript is to report a case of solitary intraosseous infantile myofibroma of the mandible wherein trauma may have been a contributory factor to the development of the tumor. The importance of immunohistochemistry in diagnosing this entity has also been emphasized. Resection should be preferred over enucleation when the lesion infiltrates the surrounding bone.


This paper presents the outcome of a series of tests to determine properties of blended cement pastes and mortar mixtures using Taguchi's design of experiment approach. Fly ash (FA), water to cementitious material ratio (w/c), superplasticiser (SP) and sand to cementitious material ratio (s/c) are the main parameters considered. Mixture samples were tested at varying temperatures up to 800C. The ANOVA results and regression analysis show that an increase in FA content and w/c ratio lead to a decrease in the density of blended cement. For compressive strength development, an increase in FA content and s/c ratio decreased the compressive strength development. Within the tested levels of the parameters, the optimum mix to achieve the highest compressive strength of blended cement mixtures is 20% of FA content, 1.5 of s/c ratio, 0.35 of w/c ratio and 0.2% of SP. Increasing the content of FA and SP improved the overall residual strength, and the optimum mix design to achieve the highest residual strength is 20% of FA, 1.5 of s/c ratio, 0.35 of w/c ratio and 0.2 of SP. Based on all the test results, an empirical formula for predicting residual strength of blended cement paste and mortar is proposed.


In the absence of exact criteria to ascertain qualitative matching of the same experiences in different individuals, one can only concede the fact that experience, as a generator and solidifier of meaning, is far from being an ultimate authority to arbitrate its exactness. Reality presented to one individual is never the same as that presented to another. Hence, different individuals do not experience identical but similar elements, and generate not identical but similar meanings thereupon. Every person has their own world, impervious to the worlds of others. And yet, there are invariable and objective elements of meaning streamlined across the whole community, which leads to the conclusion that their origins existed already in the most rudimentary stages of the formulation of meaning. It transpires then, that there is a certain discrepancy between those two notions of objectivity of meaning. In order to avoid the confusion which can ensue from that kind of dualism, it is only logical to operate with two, rather than one, terms.


Following a long and contentious law reform process, Canada's new Impact Assessment Act came into force in 2019. While the Act constitutes more of a retrofit than a rebuild of the previous regime, it does include significant changes with respect to engagement and consultation with Indigenous communities. This article presents these dimensions of the Act, noting differences and improvements over the previous regime. It then goes on to explore how the new Act relates to Crown consultation obligations with respect to Indigenous communities, with particular focus on the duty to consult and accommodate, and, in a preliminary way, implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and associated notions of consent. Overall, the analysis shows that while the Act includes many opportunities and requirements for Indigenous engagement and consultation, it fails to provide much needed clarity around implementation of the Declaration, Indigenous consent, and the duty to consult in the project-level assessment realm. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Act represents a relatively narrow interpretation of UNDRIP and the associated concept of free, prior and informed consent. Ultimately, under the new Act the rights and interests of Indigenous peoples become "considerations" within a new public interest decision-making paradigm that is premised on final decision-making power held by the federal government. This structure may jeopardize achievement of the original law reform impetus of restoring public confidence – and Indigenous confidence - in the federal assessment regime.


Computer-controlled, human-like virtual agents (VAs), are often embedded into immersive virtual environments (IVEs) in order to enliven a scene or to assist users. Certain constraints need to be fulfilled, e.g., a collision avoidance strategy allowing users to maintain their personal space. Violating this flexible protective zone causes discomfort in real-world situations and in IVEs. However, no studies on collision avoidance for small-scale IVEs have been conducted yet. Our goal is to close this gap by presenting the results of a controlled user study in a CAVE. 27 participants were immersed in a small-scale office with the task of reaching the office door. Their way was blocked either by a male or female VA, representing their co-worker. The VA showed different behavioral patterns regarding gaze and locomotion. Our results indicate that participants preferred collaborative collision avoidance: they expect the VA to step aside in order to get more space to pass while being willing to adapt their own walking paths.


Objective To investigate the influence of laparoscopic surgery on the natural conception rate in infertile women with endometriosis during the first year after the operation. Methods We retrospectively studied 43 infertile women with surgically proven endometriosis. The natural conception rate was investigated for the 12 months after the laparoscopy. Results The overall pregnancy rate was 41.9% (18/43). 66.7% (12/18) and 94.4% (17/18) of the patients conceived within postoperative 3 months and 6 months, respectively. The spontaneous pregnancy rate was not associated with the severity of endometriosis or laparoscopic findings or the type of surgery. The pregnancy rate for stage IV was relatively low (20.0%) compared to stage I, II, and III (35.7%, 44.4%, and 53.3%, respectively), although it did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion Conservative surgical treatment with laparoscopy and a prompt attempt at natural conception may be effective for infertile patients with endometriosis.


Pleural metastases of breast cancer is a severe progression of the disease and the treatment is difficult. Distant metastases are mainly treated by chemo-, radio- or hormone therapy, but in recent years surgical intervention is increasingly important. Between the 1st of January 1992 and 31st of December 2001 in the 2nd Department of Surgery University of Debrecen Medical and Health Science Center Medical School of Medicine 43 patients with breast cancer were operated on because of pleural metastases. In these patients biopsy and pleurodesis with talcum insufflation were performed. The surgical treatment was followed by chemotherapy. Pleurodesis was successful at 76.7 percent. The 6, 12 and 24 months survival was 58.1, 39.5 and 16.3 percent. Based on literature data and own experience we conclude that surgical intervention with adjuvant therapy extends life expectancy for patients with pleural metastases. Pleurodesis can prevent or delay hydrothorax, it improves vital functions and the quality of life for patients with pleural metastases.


In 1973 P. Erd\H{o}s and L. Lov\'asz noticed that any hypergraph whose edges are pairwise intersecting has chromatic number 2 or 3. In the first case, such hypergraph may have any number of edges. However, Erd\H{o}s and Lov\'asz proved that in the second case, the number of edges is bounded from above. For example, if a hypergraph is $ n $-uniform, has pairwise intersecting edges, and has chromatic number 3, then the number of its edges does not exceed $ n^n $. Recently D.D. Cherkashin improved this bound (see \cite{Ch}). In this paper, we further improve it in the case when the number of vertices of an $n$-uniform hypergraph is bounded from above by $ n^m $ with some $ m = m(n) $.


This study explores collaborative knowledge construction using interactive tables for an ICT-based drawing task. Thirty-six students worked in small groups on science posters. Results show a significant learning gain from pre- to post-test. Furthermore, significant positive correlations were found between students' science curiosity and pre-test scores as well as between flow and perceived collaboration. Analyses of the video-data suggest that the more successful group displayed higher proportions of domain related talk


Burnout is a syndrome that has been characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment associated with chronic occupational stressors. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of burnout in healthcare professionals involved in primary burn care and to gain an understanding of the stressors and pleasures they experience. A cross-sectional survey was administered between February and March 2004 to healthcare professionals working in the burn unit (BU, study group) and critical care unit (CrCU, control group) of a teaching hospital. Three questionnaires were administered: a demographic data sheet, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and a questionnaire evaluating sources of stress, pleasures of work, and coping mechanisms used by staff. All 75 surveys distributed were completed (BU = 36, CrCU = 39). Respondents from the BU were nurses (66.7%), occupational or physical therapists (11.1%), physicians (8.3%), respiratory therapists (5.6%), social workers (2.8%), and others (5.6%). There were no significant differences between BU and CrCU professionals in years of experience on the unit (6.7 vs 8.0 years), years in the field (16.5 vs 14.7 years), weekly hours of patient care (35.1 vs 39.6 hours), and number of ventilated patients cared for per month (8.4 vs 19.3 patients). On the MBI, there were no significant differences between units with respect to the emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment subscales. However, staff in the BU reported lower rates of depersonalization (P = .049) compared with the CrCU counterparts. There was no significant difference in the perceived sources of workplaces stressors, but differences existed in the coping mechanisms. BU professionals exercised less (P = .007), talked less with their families (P = .006), ate less (P = .002), and watched less television (P = .002) compared with CrCU professionals as a means of coping with their workplace stress. In conclusion, although BU and CrCU have similar work environments, BU staff was significantly less depersonalized compared with CrCU staff. However, the two units had comparable rates of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. The mechanisms for coping with workplace stress differed significantly between the two units.


The purpose of this article is to examine some features of the International Criminal Court (hereinafter "ICC") procedural system, in particular the law of evidence, making use of theoretical models. The article first deals with the disclosure phase. Second, it focuses on the admission of evidence. To conduct the analysis, two widely known theoretical models, are employed: the accusatorial versus the inquisitorial model, and the Damaska partition between the reactive and proactive State. Despite its accusatorial structure, ICC provisions provide many important exceptions to the typical features of the accusatorial theoretical model. In particular, to uphold the values inherent in the international criminal justice system, the ICC Statute and Rules provide various exceptions to the prohibition against admitting unchallenged testimonial statements at trial. Additionally, in the disclosure phase, notwithstanding a parties-led general structure, procedural sanctions seem oriented towards leading the trial to a (possibly correct) conclusion on the merits, rather than merely punishing the misconduct of a culpable party.The above exceptions make the system, considered as a whole, partially ineffective. The emerging picture is that the accusatorial structure of the processes in international criminal procedures was adopted by the drafters without effectively implementing all its specific technical consequences. The frequent exceptions to the technical solutions implied by this theoretical model put the fairness of the system in constant tension. This tension is reminiscent of two historical precedents: the 1808 Napoleon counter-reform and the Italian struggle for an accusatorial system. The price of the inconsistencies in the accusatorial structure, in most cases, seems to be paid by the defense, which is systematically disadvantaged. Some changes in the interpretation and application of the ICC sources concerning the law of evidence would be advisable in order to rectify certain inconsistencies.Among them is a proposal for greater observation of the orality principle. To make this sustainable, it would be advisable to develop and improve the hermeneutic solution (originally conceived by the Ad Hoc Tribunals' jurisprudence), which is based on the partition between acts and conduct of the defendant, and other contextual aspects of the indictment.


B cells contribute critically to an effective immune response by producing Ag-specific Abs. During the immune response to so-called "thymus-dependent Ags," activated B cells seek T cell help and form germinal centers. In contrast, thymus-independent Ags generally do not induce germinal center formation. In the germinal center, B cells undergo somatic hypermutation, affinity-based clonal expansion, and differentiation to produce plasma cells and memory B cells. Valuable insight into these processes has been gained by using model hapten–carrier complexes or SRBCs. SRBCs induce robust germinal center formation in mice. Therefore, this Ag is commonly used to study germinal center responses. In contrast to haptenated Ags, thus far it has been difficult to measure the titer of Ag-specific Abs or the expansion of Ag-specific B cells after immunization with SRBCs. We have developed new, simple methods to access these parameters, thus providing new tools to study germinal center and Ab responses.


We have developed an asymptotically correct basis for the analysis of a class of short-range potentials. This basis provides accurate representations for the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues for the Yukawa, exponential-cosine, and Hulthen potentials. These results, along with the strong-coupling expansion for the energy, provide guide-lines for constructing simple interpolation formulae for the eigenvalues.


Background
Bone loss occurs in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection but paradoxically is intensified by HIV-associated antiretroviral therapy (ART), resulting in an increased fracture incidence that is largely independent of ART regimen. Inflammation in the bone microenvironment associated with T-cell repopulation following ART initiation may explain ART-induced bone loss. Indeed, we have reported that reconstitution of CD3+ T cells in immunodeficient mice mimics ART-induced bone loss observed in humans. In this study, we quantified the relative effects of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell subsets on bone.

Methods
T-cell subsets in T-cell receptor β knockout mice were reconstituted by adoptive transfer with CD4+ or CD8+ T-cells subsets were reconstituted in T-cell receptor β knockout mice by adoptive transfer, and bone turnover, bone mineral density, and indices of bone structure and turnover were quantified.

Results
Repopulating CD4+ but not CD8+ T cells significantly diminished bone mineral density. However, micro-computed tomography revealed robust deterioration of trabecular bone volume by both subsets, while CD4+ T cells additionally induced cortical bone loss.

Conclusions
CD4+ T-cell reconstitution, a key function of ART, causes significant cortical and trabecular bone loss. CD8+ T cells may further contribute to trabecular bone loss in some patients with advanced AIDS, in whom CD8+ T cells may also be depleted. Our data suggest that bone densitometry used for assessment of the condition of bone in humans may significantly underestimate trabecular bone damage sustained by ART.


82 Nefrología 2009;29(1):81-94 5. Plantinga L, Jaar B, Fink N, Sadler J, Levin N, Coresh J, Klag M, Powe N. Frequency of patient-physician contact in chronic kidney disease care and achievement of clinical performance targets. Int J Qual Health Care 2005;17:115-21. R. Pons Nephrology Department, Castellon General Hospital. Castellon, Spain. Correspondence: Ramón Pons Prades Hospital General de Castellón. Castellón email@example.com


Positive accounting theory is claimed to be explanatory of accounting practice; a scientific, empirical, economics-based theory. These claims are examined severally, and in significant respects are found to be untenable. Vast tracts of accounting practice remain unexplained, even unnoticed. That scientific enterprise is directed to the development of technical norms or prescriptions is set aside. The association between the ideas of economics and accounting extends, at the hands of the theory's exponents, not to the corpus of well-established economic notions, but only to tangential elements of economics. While purporting to shun prescription, the exponents of the theory, both actively and by implication, endorse conventional accounting which is heavily dependent on normative propositions. The'theory'is marred by oversights, inconsistencies and paradoxes. The implicit hope that the methodology followed'will provide a useful positive accounting theory'(Watts and Zimmerman, 1986, p. 362) entails that its proponents have offered no such theory.


In 1995, Professor Ursula King published an edited volume, Religion and Gender. This volume comprised a collection of essays that had been presented at the International Association of the History of Religions (IAHR) conference in Rome, 1990. As such, it marked a milestone: it was the first published volume that featured work undertaken solely by women in the history of the IAHR. In her own Introduction, Professor King drew attention to a number of important topics, such as 'gender', 'postmodernism', that were being debated at that time. The volume remains a testament to Professor King, and her dedication to, as well as support of women's scholarship in the discipline on the Study of Religions, and to what was then called Comparative Religion. A subsequent volume, edited together with Tina Beattie, Gender, Religion and Diversity: Cross Cultural Perspectives (2004), addressed more complex issues that had emerged in the intervening years. This later volume provided another platform from which to explore not only developments in gender, but a number of other crucial topics, including postcolonialism and globalization. In this essay, I propose to follow the effects of such issues as addressed or acknowledged by Professor King in her various works, as well as to examine the further expansion and qualification of these topics in more recent years. This essay will thus explore issues that have had a formative and even decisive influence on the way that women scholars in the Study of Religions today approach the discipline. I will look to certain of my own essays that appeared in Professor King's edited volumes as well as essays by other contemporary women scholars in order to illustrate these developments.


Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) has reduced populations of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) across most rabbit-prone short-tussock grasslands of New Zealand, at scales rarely seen there before. Flow-on effects to other parts of these ecosystems will be inevitable. We report evidence for increases in pasture biomass, increases in abundance of other exotic herbivores, declines in abundance of rabbit-specialist predators, and short-term increases in predation rates of some native birds by these predators. At one site in Central Otago, RHD reduced an index of rabbit abundance by 88%, and an index of their grazing impacts by 77%. Recovered biomass consisted mostly of fast-growing exotic pasture species of moderate palatability to livestock. Spotlight counts and hunters' returns suggest increases in possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) and hare (Lepus europeaus) abundance, but their grazing pressure is unlikely to replace that originally imposed by rabbits. The apparent increase in possum numbers poses an increased risk from the spread and maintenance of bovine tuberculosis (Tb), although this risk may be offset by declines in the counts of ferrets (Mustela furo), which also carry Tb. Declines in predator numbers (including feral cats, Felis catus) may also, in the longer term, benefit some native fauna that are secondary prey of these predators. There is evidence for increased predation of some native birds' eggs since RHD arrived. It is not possible at this stage to generalise the effects of RHD-induced declines in rabbit abundance on New Zealand ecosystems. Effects are highly variable, and their implications for pastoral production, management of bovine Tb, and conservation of native species are likely to vary locally according to the suite of plant and animal species originally present.


1 The pharmacological properties of the ATP‐activated conductance in isolated sensory neurones of the rat were investigated by use of voltage clamp and concentration clamp techniques. 2 Adenosine 5′‐triphosphate (ATP), adenosine 5′‐diphosphate (ADP), cytidine 5′‐triphosphate (CTP), cytidine 5′‐diphosphate (CDP) and some derivatives activate these receptors, whereas adenosine 5′‐monophosphate (AMP), cytidine 5′‐monophosphate (CMP) and other naturally‐occurring nucleotides are competitive blockers. 3 In the sequence of substances, adenosine 5′‐(β,γ‐methylene)‐triphosphonate (APPCP), adenosine 5′‐(β,γ‐difluoromethylene)− triphosphonate (APPCF2P), adenosine 5′‐(β,γ‐dichloromethylene)‐triphosphonate (APPCC12P) and adenosine 5′‐(β,γ‐dibromomethylene)triphosphonate (APPCBr2P), the properties of ligands depend on the radius of the atom linked to the carbon of the diphosphonate group. Thus, APPCP is an agonist, APPCF2P is a partial agonist, while dichloromethylene and dibromomethylene analogues of adenosine 5′‐(β,γ‐methylene)triphosphonate demonstrate features of competitive blockers. APPCC12P is the most effective blocker of ATP‐receptors (inhibition constant Ki = 21 ± 4μm). An adenosyl or adenylyl radical, when connected to the terminal phosphate of ATP, converts the agonist into a partial agonist. 4 Two especially important parts of the ATP molecule are crucial for the interactions with receptors. They are: (1) the vicinity of C6 of the purine ring and (2) the polyphosphate chain. Some modifications in these regions of the molecule result in the transformation of an agonist into an antagonist.


This paper focuses on the politics of regulating natural gas fracking operations in Colorado and Texas. Between state differences in the economic importance of natural gas production, political traditions, environmental impacts of drilling activities, and local governmental responses to risk reduction, and entrepreneurial activities are discussed in relation to policymaking initiatives. In the concluding section, I suggest that Colorado's regulatory approach offers a greater degree of environmental protection than Texas. Key reforms adopted in 2007-8 can be largely attributed to electoral victories that ensured unified party control over state government and the determined efforts of the pro-environmental governor to make changes in both the regulatory commission and in the substance of natural gas drilling policies.


This paper describes a proof-of-concept all-electrical individually-addressable micro piston actuator array that produces high displacement and force by utilizing hydraulic amplification and electrostatic control. This new class of actuator arrays can remove a critical hurdle, pneumatic control ports to lab-on-chips, and achieve fully-integrated, large-scale, and all-electrical microfluidic systems. The fabricated actuator consists of a 3×3 array of 2×2mm2 membranes and produces maximum deflections of 35, 23, and 11 ¿m when hydraulicallydriven by piezoelectric actuation at 100, 80, 60V, respectively. The corresponding hydraulic amplification ratios are 3.2, 3, and 2.5, respectively. The array functions up to a frequency of 2Hz without failing, while allowing control over individual actuators by utilizing electrostatic latching at 100V. The active device part measures as 8.4×8.4×0.65mm3.


A 63-year-old woman presented with dyspnea, non-productive cough and chest pain. On computed tomography of the thorax, near total atelectasis of the left lung was reported. On bronchoscopic examination, a mass lesion was observed in the mucosa of the left main bronchus leading to near total obstruction. Her medical history revealed that she had been treated with total abdominal hysterectomy and adjuvant radiation therapy for a leiomyosarcoma of the uterus one year ago. She was diagnosed as having a metastatic leiomyosarcoma and was treated with palliative radiation therapy. Six months later, she presented with disseminated disease involving the thorax and the pelvis. She refused further treatment and died one month later. Patients with leiomyosarcomas of the uterus might follow an aggressive clinical course, with relatively early metastases at unusual sites.


Cancer vaccination or immunotherapy may be our best and most benign option for preventing or curing metastatic cancer. However, a real breakthrough is hampered by immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Myeloid- derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are one of the most important players in immune suppression in the TME. In the study presented here we found that c-di-GMP (ligand for STING), an ubiquitous bacterial signaling molecule and promising vaccine adjuvant, improved the therapeutic efficacy of an attenuated L. monocytogenes-based vaccine expressing tumor-associated antigen (TAA) Mage-b, in a mouse model of metastatic breast cancer (4T1), by targeting MDSC. An extreme low dose of c-di-GMP (0.01 nmol) combined with a low dose of Listeria-Mage-b (104 CFU), dramatically reduced the number of metastases, in correlation with a significant reduction of MDSC and a significant increase in CD8 T cell responses to Mage-b. Moreover, low dose of c-di-GMP increased the production of IL-12, while high dose killed tumor cells directly. Administration of one high dose c-di-GMP to kill the tumor cells, followed by repeated administrations of low dose c-di-GMP to improve CD8 T cell responses, provided similar efficacy against the metastatic breast cancer as Listeria-Mage-b and c-di- GMP in the 4T1 model. These results demonstrate that c-di-GMP is an attractive adjuvant for cancer therapy.


The application of artificial intelligence (AI) in laryngeal cancer (LC) has the potential to improve accuracy and efficiency in diagnosis and treatment, as well as aid in predicting patient prognosis and personalized therapy. The application of AI in LC has expanded to include various data modalities, enabling support for screening, diagnosis, therapeutic decision-making, and prognosis. This multidimensional approach utilizes the following data modalities: 1) Videomics: AI algorithms can analyze video recordings of laryngeal endoscopy or surgical procedures to aid in LC diagnosis and treatment planning. 2) Radiomics: AI algorithms can extract and analyze quantitative features from medical imaging data, such as computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to assist in LC screening and diagnosis. 3) Acoustics: AI-based acoustic analysis techniques can assess vocal characteristics and patterns in LC patients. 4) Clinical data: AI algorithms can integrate clinical data, including patient demographics, medical history, and laboratory results, to support LC diagnosis, staging, and treatment decision-making. 5) Genomics: by integrating genomic data, such as gene expression profiles or DNA sequencing results, with AI algorithms, researchers can identify molecular markers associated with LC. By considering various factors, such as tumor characteristics, stage, and individual patient factors, AI algorithms can provide insights to optimize treatment strategies and improve patient outcomes. However, it is crucial to emphasize that AI should not replace healthcare professionals but rather serve as a supportive tool. Here, published papers on AI applied to the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of laryngeal cancer are reviewed and useful information is provided to readers.


Under the term malignant lymphoma or lymphoblastoma are included several types of neoplastic growths of the lymphatic cells of the body, which, however, are related in that they all have the common characteristics of forming lymphatic cell tumors or infiltrations throughout the body and of being absolutely fatal. Among these are Hodgkin's disease or lymphogranuloma, lympho-epithelioma, lymphosarcoma, and also a first cousin, lymphatic leukemia, which likewise forms these tumors or infiltrations. Some pathologists, including Tracy Mallory 1 of Boston, believe that these are not separate diseases but are different types of what is fundamentally one disease, that is, a malignant lymphatic neoplasm, which on different occasions manifests itself in different ways. One of the chief reasons for believing that this is true is that in many instances a combination of two or more of these types is found in the same case of lymphoma. Therefore, in accord with this belief


The authors have produced in their field of interest a useful compendium for the rapidly developing "poison centers." I found the description of familiar plants adequate and useful for confirmation. Descriptions of those with which I am not familiar would be aided with the plant in hand or prove more useful for a physician with a botanical background. Of 148 pages, 124 are related to plants, all or parts of which are reported to be poisonous on ingestion. Of the remaining 24 pages only 12 are concerned with dermatitis which, I am sure, is more common though less serious than the episodes of systemic poisoning. The report gives little attention to primary irritants, does not clearly define acquired contact sensitivity, and gives only a short list of plants reported to cause photocontact dermatitis.


The banking sector is the most vital partner of development for countries' economies. It has a remarkable contribution to the country's Gross Domestic Product. This study investigates the relationship between the market interest rate and commercial banks' financial performance. As Bangladesh's banking industry is growing, it is vital to maintain a more robust profitability level for its financial stability and soundness. Banks have some determinants that have a significant impact on their performance. The convenience sampling method is used to select the targeted sample. The study includes the time series data of eight years of fifteen commercial banks listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange in Bangladesh. Multiple variable linear regression and correlation analysis are performed to examine the relationship of market interest rate with banks' profitability with statistical software, IBM SPSS version 25, and Microsoft excel. The study explored that the market interest rate has a significant positive impact on banks' profitability. It is also found that the lending rate and interest rate spread are significantly correlated with the banks' financial performance. The study recommended that banks make their investment to make a higher profit margin to enhance their management and financial soundness efficiency.


Project teams are composed of a diverse collection of individuals to provide the necessary background and skills to complete an information system. The diversity within groups can be problematic from the standpoint of creating conflict that inhibits progress. A model is derived from theory that shows expected relationships among informational diversity (knowledge), conflict, and learning. All three of these variables are expected to impact eventual success of the project; with learning, informational diversity, and conflicts about the task being positive influences, but relationship conflicts being detrimental. A survey instrument composed of published metrics has been sent to project team members.


Since 2002 / 2003 black rot caused by Guignardia bidwellii is regularly occurring in organic viticulture in the wine growing areas at the Mosel and Nahe River and in the Middle Rhine valley in Germany. Though the disease originates from the USA and is known in Europe already for more than 100 years, the knowledge about the biology of its causal organism is still scanty. In the present study the life cycle of G. bidwellii is analysed with histological microscopical methods (bright field, phase contrast, fluorescence and electron microscopy). The development of the fungus on a susceptible grapevine variety (Riesling) is followed from spore germination up to the development of pycnidia and pseudothecia. The study is focused on the phase after penetration of the fungus which is characterized by subcuticular spread. The aim is to broaden the knowledge of the biology of G. bidwellii, to provide the basis for efficient control measures and to enable the histological characterization of varietal resistance.


MR imaging is the ubiquitous imaging modality used for studying multiple sclerosis (MS). A variety of MR imaging protocols, including T2, spin density, T1-weighted, with and without gadolinium, and magnetization transfer imaging, have been used in studying MS. This article provides an overview of the techniques recently developed for quantifying the extent of MS through the application of MR imaging.


2. Juanita.............................. ........ singing melody (C) Step by Step, by Elizabeth Fyffe. A Course in Theory and Practice for the young Piano Student. (Carl Fischer, Inc., New York.) In these days of Miessner, Diller & Quaile, Oxford Piano Course, Guy Maier and many other methods of teaching piano by melody, rote and motivation "Step by Step" is an astonishing throw back to previous methods. An adult beginner may find it useful as there are cuts illustrative of wrist, arm and finger exercises, elaborate explanations, and pages of preparatory exercises for the compositions to be studied. The course includes six volumes in all, three of teaching material, and three of writing drills, etc., rather bewildering to a child, but decipherable to an adult who is aflame with a desire to learn.


Acknowledgments ix Introduction: Forms of Detachment 3 Chapter One: Gender, Modernity, and Detachment Domestic Ideas and the Case of Charlotte Bronte's Villette 34 Chapter Two: Cosmopolitanism in Different Voices Charles Dicken's Little Dorrit and the Hermeneutics of Suspicion 63 Chapter Three: Disinterestedness as a Vocation Revisisting Matthew Arnold 91 Chapter Four: The Cultivation of Partiality George Eliot and the Jewish Question 119 Chapter Five: "Manners Before Morals" Oscar Wilde and Epigrammatic Detachment 147 Conclusion: The Character of Theory 177 Bibliography 181 Index 193


Ibrutinib represents a therapeutic improvement in hematologic cancers, but it is associated with bleeding-related adverse events. To minimize such adverse events and improve the therapeutic utility of this drug, it is important to understand the underlying mechanisms responsible for the adverse events. In this study, we observed that platelets isolate from the blood samples of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) treated with Ibrutinib exhibited deficiencies in collagen-mediated aggregation. Mechanistic studies identified the mitochondrial respiratory chain as a potential mediator of ibrutinib-induced impairment of platelet function. A short-term treatment of platelets isolated from human blood with ibrutinib for less than one hour led to reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation associated with inhibition of mitochondrial respiration, as evident by a reduction in oxygen consumption rate measured by a Seahorse metabolic analyser. Long-term incubation of megakaryocytes with ibrutinib markedly suppressed the expression of mitochondrial electron transport chain components in platelets and a reduction in mitochondrial respiration. Interference with the respiratory chain by rotenone also resulted in similar reduction in collagen-induced platelet aggregation. Interestingly, ROS generation upon collagen stimulation induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Syk (spleen tyrosine kinase) to activate platelet, while impairment of respiratory chain induced by ibrutinib diminished collagen-evoked activation of the Syk pathway. These data suggest that ibrutinib suppresses mitochondrial respiration, leading to defects in collagen-induced platelet aggregation, potentially through inhibiting the activation of the Syk pathway. Citation Format: Jie Huang, Helen Pelicano, Feng Li, Michael J. Keating, Peng Huang. Ibrutinib inhibits platelet aggregation through inhibition of mitochondrial respiratory chain function and suppression of Syk activation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 1248.


Abstract:The current COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on global health security, and some developed countries have promoted "vaccine nationalism" based on the principle of self-interested supremacy and have adopted the approach of seizing pre-sale opportunities in the procurement of vaccines and competing for the right to distribute vaccines to obstruct fair and reasonable distribution of vaccines worldwide. This article analyses the current situation of and predicament caused by the pandemic in the Middle East which has to bear the brunt of the influence and detrimental impact of vaccine nationalism. By analysing the vaccine cooperation model and mechanism between China and countries in the Middle East, this article investigates how China's vaccine cooperation in the Middle East has transcended vaccine nationalism. Vaccine nationalism has not only affected the availability of vaccines in countries in the Middle East but also threatened the health and safety of the region. The international vaccine cooperation between China and Middle Eastern countries is therefore an effective hedge against the negative impact of vaccine nationalism, highlighting China's fundamental stance to safeguard the attributes of vaccines as public goods and also demonstrating to the international community China's exemplary role in the fight against the pandemic.


Panti Nirmala Hospital's patient safety report contained 34,1% of events related to medication administration errors. This indicates that the implementation of drug delivery based on 7 rights is not running well. The purposes of this study are to identify and to analyze the factors inhibiting the implementation of drug delivery based on 7 rights according to the standard operating procedures (SOP) in inpatient unit of Panti Nirmala Hospital. This research was conducted by observation method towards 39 nurses in 7 units of inpatient units in the morning and afternoon shifts during drug administration, both oral and intravenous medications. After making observations, researchers gave questionnaires to measure knowledge, attitude, and willingness of nurses. The questionnaires were distributed to 49 inpatient unit nurses. The observations show 64,9% of nurses do right patients, 86,5% of nurses do right medication, 64,9% of nurses do right time, and 100% of nurses do right dose, right way and documentation. The results of the questionnaire showed that 89% of inpatient nurses have good knowledge on the principles of 7 rights. The nurses possess good attitude and have willingness in implementing drug delivery based on 7 rights. This was due to a lack of effective communication from nurses to patients and families.


This work arises from the comprehensive study of a park of 50 wells with artificial lift pumping systems. These have intelligent well controllers and telemetry systems with downhole calculation modules deriving from the processing of dynamometry and surface production data.
 In both controllers and telemetry software, dynamometer cards are processed using wave equation algorithms applied to vertical wells. These calculation methods do not consider the effects of Columbian frictions in deviated wells.
 The aim of the study was to compare the dynamometer cards obtained using controllers and telemetry with other external softwares that do consider Coloumbian frictions and their effects in deviated wells. The goal was to assess whether, despite the limitations of the analysis, the results were acceptable to determine conditions of fluid pound, run algorithms to control pump filling, and to analyze Goodman diagram applied to sucker rods. Thus, it is possible to describe the scope of the technology available in the field to optimize wells in real time and to provide an operational diagnostic.
 Within the framework of the above-mentioned study, and as part of the need to understand the high rate of early faults observed in wells, advanced studies of speed and cycle times of pump strokes were conducted. This paper focuses on the specific findings obtained as regards this topic.


Transesophageal echocardiography is a widely accepted technique for the assessment of left ventricular (LV) function in the operating room, intensive care unit, and cardiac catheterization suite. Not only do the images generated by these systems provide the observer with dynamic views of currently ongoing cardiac mechanics, but the computed LV area values obtained by the automated border detection system can be converted to an analog signal and then used to generate pressure-area loops if LV pressure is measured simultaneously. The intraventricular area has been shown to correlate closely with intraventricular volume and to vary proportionately. Therefore, it can be substituted for volume to generate pressure-area loops that display equivalent behavior to external perturbations as pressure-volume loops. Visualization of these waveforms and the values extracted from them, along with the associated hemodynamic values, provide valuable insight into ventricular function and heart-lung interactions. This paper describes a system that was designed and developed to acquire, display, store, and analyze pressure-area loops in addition to other associated hemodynamic signals of interest.


The development of biofilms on the inner-pipe surfaces of drinking water constitutes one of the major microbial problems, which contributes to the deterioration of water quality and entails potential health risks for consumers. Data about the biofilm's microflora of real chlorinated drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) were collected, on the ground in SidiBel-Abbes (SBA) city, Algeria. A set of analyses were conducted to evaluate, to identify, and to determine the prevalence of bacterial organisms isolated from biofilms. Thirty biofilm samples were collected from the internal walls of the drinking water pipes. The bacterial abundance and the composition of biofilm's communities were analysed by heterotrophic plate counts and identified by Gram's reaction, cultural features and biochemical characterisation. Despite the presence of free residual chlorine in the drinking water, biofilm density varied between 2.4x10 5 and 9.8x10 8 colony forming unit/cm 2 (CFU/cm 2 ). Simultaneously, a higher diversity of the bacterial communities was detected. They were listed in two bacterial groups. The predominant group was Gram-negative bacilli, with a rate of 67.86%, including Pseudomonas, Escherichia, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Citrobacter, Yersinia, in which Pseudomonas aeruginosa was at the top rate. However Grampositive cocci group rate was 32.14%; including two genera Staphylococcus and Enterococcus, in which Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus represented the majority of isolated strains. Therefore drinking water biofilms constitute a reservoir of opportunistic pathogens which can be harmful to human health. For this reason, it is recommended to optimise the water treatment sectors in Algeria so as to limit biofilm's development, water quality degradation, and protect public health.


The landscape, bearing certain pressure from the society, simultaneously has an aesthetic potential and actively affects the emotional and psychological comfort of a person. Among the many factors affecting the aesthetic qualities of the landscape (relief, vegetation, water, etc.), colour is also separated. The color diversity of the landscapes is impossible to appreciate with only using eyes. The article presents a unique methodology for separating colour shades, which are one of the important aesthetic factors of the landscape. For the first time, an attempt was made to distinguish the color tones that have a great influence on the aesthetic qualities of landscapes and to group them by analyzing the spectral curves of satellite images․ In contrast to the traditional field method, satellite images allow us to assess color tones over a short period of time and over a large area. Red, green and blue are considered the main physiological colours, and almost all true colours can be obtained by the combination of these three radiations. An attempt was made to separate the colors in the landscapes by analyzing spectral curves in green (543–578 nm), red (650–680 nm), blue (458–523 nm) spectral ranges of the Sentinel-2A, Sentinel 2B TCI (true color image) space images taken in the summer with a resolution of 10 m. In a professional software environment, 50 classes were obtained using "unsupervised" classification method, and for each class, the curves with the average values of spectral reflection of three visible colour ranges were obtained. By grouping the classes, a map of five colour groups (blue-green, green, red, gray and yellow, white) of the landscapes of Syunik Region was created for the summer season. Since the most important factor of colour harmony is the balance of colour shades, an attempt was made to determine the colour diversity of landscapes. Based on the obtained colour groups, in the summer season the colour diversity of the landscapes of Syunik Region was asssessed and mapped using Shannon's coefficient of heterogeneity. As a result, it was found that 52% of the landscapes of Syunik Region have green colouring in summer. The latter is considered a positive feature of the aesthetic appeal of landscapes and has a calming effect on a person. White colour has the smallest percentage share. 36% of the territory of the region has a high and very high diversity indicator, and 17.6% has a very low degree of diversity. In summer, the North-Eastern part of the region, the areas adjacent to the lower and middle streams of the Vorotan River, the Voghji and Meghri River basins are distinguished by colour diversity. However, from the point of view of aesthetic perception, the average degree of diversity is highly assessed, which is 27.2% in Syunik Region. The Southern part of Syunik has an average degree of diversity, especially the valley areas of the Araks River, the area of the Spandaryan reservoir.


Abstract. An analysis of the deformation conditions of lacustrine materials deposited at three sites in the volcanic valley of the Mexico City is presented. Currently geotechnical studies assume that compressibility of granular materials decreases in depth due to the lithostatic load. That means that the deeper the sample the more rigid is supposed to be, this assumption should be demonstrated by a decreased Compression Index (Cc) in depth. Studies indicate that Mexico City clays exhibit brittle behaviour, and have high water content, low shear strength and variable Cc values. Furthermore, groundwater withdrawal below the city causes a differential decrease in pore pressure, which is related to the physical properties of granular materials (hydraulic conductivity, grain size distribution) and conditions of formation. Our results show that Cc for fine grain materials (lacustrine) can be vertically variable, particularly when soils and sediments are the product of different volcanic materials. Lateral and vertical variations in the distribution of the fluvio-lacustrine materials, especially in basins with recent volcanic activity, may be assessed by Cc index variations. These variations can also be related to differential deformation, nucleation and propagation of fractures and need to be considered when modelling land subsidence.


Abstract Recently developed CMOS-based microprobes contain hundreds of electrodes on a single shaft with interelectrode distances as small as 30 µm. So far, neuroscientists manually select a subset of those electrodes depending on their appraisal of the "usefulness" of the recorded signals, which makes the process subjective but more importantly too time consuming to be useable in practice. The ever-increasing number of recording electrodes on microelectrode probes calls for an automated selection of electrodes containing "good quality signals" or "signals of interest." This article reviews the different criteria for electrode selection as well as the basic signal processing steps to prepare the data to compute those criteria. We discuss three of them. The first two select the electrodes based on "signal quality." The first criterion computes the penalized signal-to-noise ratio (SNR); the second criterion models the neuroscientist's appraisal of signal quality. Last, our most recent work allows the selection of electrodes that capture particular anatomical cell types. The discussed algorithms perform what is called in the literature "electronic depth control" in contrast to the mechanical repositioning of the electrode shafts in search of "good quality signals" or "signals of interest."


Specimens of a Didymium collected at Endegeest near Oegstgeest, a suburb of Leiden, on holly leaves, were put aside by Prof. Dr. W. K. H. Karstens as being near to Didymium squamulosum (Alb. & Schw.) Fries, but not identical with it. Some of the specimens were collected in August 1944 by Dr. S. J. van Ooststroom, whereas several other ones were collected in October of the following year by Prof. Karstens at the same locality; they are all very similar, and remarkable in the smooth white calcareous crust, which is distant from the membranous inner part of the peridium, and in the rather dark spores, which are nearly all encircled by a thin, sometimes fragmentary ridge. Comparison with a large number of specimens of D. squamulosum has convinced me that the specimens collected at Endegeest are indeed distinct from that species. LISTER, in a footnote to D. squamulosum (3rd ed. 1925, p. 118), mentions a form collected on holly leaves, but the description and figure prove that this is plainly D. squamulosum, and certainly not identical with the above mentioned specimens. The specimens from Endegeest are not identical with D. praecox de Bary either. The latter is described by Lister "as so inconstant that the name cannot be applied to mark even a variety". However, D. praecox was described by Berlese in Saccardo (Syll. 1306) and by Massee (Mon. p. 223) (the two descriptions, probably based on that given by Rostafinsky, which was not seen by me, are practically identical) as possessing a double peridium. Study of a duplicate of de Bary's type specimen in the Rabenhorst "Fungi Europaei" collection no. 367, 1861, preserved at the Rijksherbarium at Leiden (no. 910243-676), shows this to be D. squamulosum, as the crystalline lime crust closely adheres to the membranous inner layer of the peridium, a condition which is characteristic of this species; this is seen quite clearly at the time of dehiscence, as the two layers break away simultaneously. The spores were found by me to be 10-11 µ in diam., and not 8—9 µ, as they are said to be in Massee's description (which, however, comes within the range allowed for the spores of this species by Lister and by Martin in their monographs, viz. 8-11 µ), and they are spinulose; some of the dark spinules are grouped in clusters, whereas the remaining ones are unevenly and sparingly scattered between these clusters. In the specimens collected at Endegeest the crystalline lime layer of the peridium, as stated above, is distinctly separated from the membranous inner layer, the latter, moreover, is often provided with light brown areolae, a feature which is seen also in D. nigripes and in D. melanospermum, but which I myself have not met with in D. squamulosum. However, Lister describes the inner peridium of the latter as "sometimes mottled with red-brown towards the base"; this, therefore, is a point which deserves further study. Other noteworthy points are that the spores of the new species are provided with a ridge and that the spinules are not arranged in clusters.


A new model for determining the time‐dependent behavior of exploding metallic fuses is formulated. The model draws on an atomic data base and gives insight into the temporal behavior of the material density and temperature of the fuse as well as the nonlinear electrical circuit interaction. The model includes an embedding insulating tamper and leads to a plausible explanation of fuse ''restrike.'' The model predicts time‐scale compression of 500 for inductive store systems powered by explosive driven magnetic flux compression generators. A scenario for achieving multimegajoule foil implosions is predicted.


Building heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems contribute substantially to the energy consumption of buildings. Today, traditional HVAC systems mostly operate according to the maximum occupancy assumption, which in turn increases energy consumption during periods of low occupancy. Although, recently, implementing demand-driven HVAC operations are accepted as an innovate approach for reducing HVAC-related energy consumption, occupancy forecast is important to realize demand-driven HVAC operations in buildings. This study aims at using time series models in order to forecast the daily number of bank customers in a financial center of a bank, which is located in Izmir, Turkey. Data were collected from the computerized tracking system for a period of 60 weeks and two forecasting methods were used: 1) Decomposition Method, 2) Box-Jenkins Method. To determine the final model identified via the Box-Jenkins Method, goodness-of-fit, residual analysis and Akaike information criterion were taken into consideration. The results show that the SARIMA model with a MAPE of 11% yields a good occupancy forecast for supporting demand-driven HVAC operations.


The mitotic and meiotic karyotypes of seven species of Caribbean weevils are reported. Three species belong to the Dryophthoridae and four to the Curculionidae families. All are considered as pests for agriculture, and were formerly classified among Curculionidae. The three mitotic karyotypes of the Dryophthidae species differ in their chromosome number and morphology while those of the four Cuculionidae species are fairly similar and can be distinguished by heterochromatin variations or NOR location only. Diakineses/Metaphases I of all species exhibit a parachute sex bivalent and the same range of autosomal bivalent compaction. At contrast, at the pachytene stage, bi- valents appear less compact in Curculionidae than in Dryophthoridae species, and this difference is particularly clear for the sex bivalent: at early-mid pachytene stage, chro- mosomes X and Y are elongated and in end-to-end association in Curculionidae while they form a rounded dense body in Dryophthoridae species. In both conditions, the sex chromosomes are embedded in argyrophilic proteins. The different compactions of the sex chromosomes do not depend on NOR location, either on the X or autosome(s). Thus, bivalent compaction kinetic and/or structure at pachynema may be a taxonomic character, which would give arguments for the split of Curculionidae into two families.


Summary

The effectiveness of post-operative analgesia and the frequency of side effects of caudal epidural sufentanil with bupivacaine plus adrenaline was compared with bupivacaine plus adrenaline alone and morphine with bupivacaine plus adrenaline. One hundred and four children scheduled for subdiaphragmatic surgery were studied and divided in three groups. The results showed that epidural sufentanil with bupivacaine provided better analgesia than bupivacaine alone with fewer side effects compared with the group who received morphine and bupivacaine.


Background: Progressive airflow limitation (PAL) during exercise involves dynamic airway compression (DAC) and is manifested in scooping of the spontaneous expiratory flow-volume curve (SEFVC). Aims: Examine: 1) shape changes of SEFVC during exercise and 2) tiotropium (tio) effect on flow limitation. Methods: Clinical trial NCT01072396: 18 μg qd tio effect on dynamic hyperinflation (DH) and exercise endurance in GOLD 1&2 COPD. SEFVC was recorded in 6 exercise tests of 20 pts with DH and 16 age-matched controls on a breath-by-breath basis. PAL was quantified by comparing area under the SEFVC relative to a rectangle spanning peak intrabreath and end-expiratory flow (rectangular area ratio [RAR]; Fig insert; Ma et al . Resp Med 2010;104:389–96). Results: 7 pts with DAC (baseline RAR≤0.5; Grp2) were mainly GOLD 2 (86%) and had worse obstruction vs pts without DAC (baseline RAR>0.5; Grp1; 31% GOLD 2). Grp1 vs 2 mean±SD: FEV 1 % pred, 79.6±10.1 vs 63.4±14.0, P =0.008; FEV 1 /FVC, 59.9±5.6 vs 51.7±7.4, P =0.012. At peak exercise, tio significantly improved DAC in Grp2: RAR increased from 0.53±0.01 (mean±SEM) at baseline to 0.57±0.01 (Fig). Conclusions: RAR gave clear separation of controls vs Grp2 as a distinct phenotype during exercise. Tio improved DAC in Grp2. RAR calculation provides evidence of relief of exercise DAC assessed from recordings of spontaneous expiratory airflow without needing additional ventilatory manoeuvres.


Introduction: Despite the well-recognised benefits of regular physical activity (PA) in COPD, a large number of patients are inactive. Previous research has highlighted that family support may affect PA levels of healthy people. However, the influence of family members on PA levels of patients with COPD has never been explored. Objective:To assess PA levels of patients with COPD and explore the influence of family members on this health behaviour. Methods: Eighteen patients (66.2±11.7 years, FEV 1 67.2±20.7pp) and their respective family members (57.7±12.4 years) completed the Portuguese version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short-form (IPAQ-sf), which provides information about the amount of PA performed in the last 7 days. This was reported as Metabolic Equivalents-minutes spent per week (MET-min/wk) and sitting time per day. Descriptive statistics were conducted and a stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate whether family members9 PA variables were associated with patients9 PA. Results: Patients spent a median of 1386.0 (interquartile range [IQR]=2255.5) MET-min/wk and family members spent 862.5 (IQR=1533.0) MET-min/wk. Self-reported sitting time was 4.0 (IQR=2.3) h/day for patients and 3.0 (IQR=3.25) h/day for family members. Family members9 MET-min/wk (B=0.957, p=0.021) and sitting time (B=-10.319, p=0.015) were significant predictors of patients9 MET-min/wk (F(2,15)=6.438, p=0.010; r 2 adjusted =0.39). Conclusion: Findings suggest that family members influence the PA levels of patients with COPD. Therefore, the inclusion of the family in rehabilitation interventions might facilitate the increase of patients9 PA.


Today the types and number of vaccines in immunization schedule and in the market are increasing. The vaccination applied at first day of life and continues in different ages during life, in healthy people and by many states is mandatory for school entry requirements. It is the reason that the safety and efficacy of vaccines are very important and the much discussed issue in the world. Some country time after time face unfavorable situation for vaccination. The technology of information is very developed and people can get information for immunization and vaccines in different ways as journal, internet, TV, social media, newspaper, discussion between each other etc. which have an impact. Not always the information is right, but unfortunately this can cause panic and damage the system of immunization in the country and sometimes in the world. It is very important to prepare the situation in advance which mean not to allow space for misunderstanding and misinterpretation of vaccines safety and efficacy. World Health Organization (WHO) coordinates efforts directed towards achieving international consensus, but the National Regulatory Authority (NRAs) ultimately makes decisions based on benefit/ risk assessment for their population. Strengthening and increasing the effectiveness of the NRA function is an immediate task.


An enhanced-oil-recovery (EOR) pilot test has multiple goals, among them to be profitable (if possible), demonstrate oil recovery, verify the properties of the EOR agent in situ, and provide the information needed for scaleup to an economical process. Given the complexity of EOR processes and the inherent uncertainty in the reservoir description, it is a challenge to discern the properties of the EOR agent in situ in the midst of geological uncertainty. We propose a numerical case study to illustrate this challenge: a polymer EOR process designed for a 3D fluvial-deposit water/oil reservoir. The polymer is designed to have a viscosity of 20 cp in situ. We start with 100 realizations of the 3D reservoir to reflect the range of possible geological structures honoring the statistics of the initial geological uncertainties. For a population of reservoirs representing reduced geological uncertainty after 5 years of waterflooding, we select three groups of 10 realizations out of the initial 100, with similar water-breakthrough dates at the four production wells. We then simulate 5 years of polymer injection. We allow that the polymer process might fail in situ and viscosity could be 30% of that intended. We test whether the signals of this difference at injection and production wells would be statistically significant in the midst of geological uncertainty. Specifically, we compare the deviation caused by loss of polymer viscosity with the scatter caused by the geological uncertainty using a 95% confidence interval. Among the signals considered, polymer-breakthrough time, minimum oil cut, and rate of rise in injection pressure with polymer injection provide the most-reliable indications of whether a polymer viscosity was maintained in situ.


Security of the computer files and folders have been a core issue ever since the advent of the windows. Passwords were then introduced to solve this issue but they themselves lend a host of disadvantages. In this paper, we shall study what disadvantages the passwords bring and how we can tackle them. Also we shall propose a Two Factor Authentication [T-FA] system utilizing Bluetooth as a factor coupled with the powerful Rijndael Encryption Algorithm. Bluetooth is the most commonly used technology for Point to Point short range of communication of devices. Besides from being commonly used, it also offers multi connection. Rijndael algorithm is an Advanced Encryption standard, believed to be the most effective encryption and decryption cryptographic algorithm. Its minimum 10 rounds of encryption and variable key size with a minimum of 128 bits makes it difficult to crack. Coupling the widespread accessibility of Bluetooth and powerful encryption of Rijndael, a Two Factor Authentication System [T-FA] can be created which will not only efface the disadvantages of passwords, but also create a user friendly security system.


We present the measurement of ferromagnetic resonance (FMR-)driven spin pumping and three-terminal electrical spin injection within the same silicon-based device. Both effects manifest in a dc spin accumulation voltage V_{s} that is suppressed as an applied field is rotated to the out-of-plane direction, i.e., the oblique Hanle geometry. Comparison of V_{s} between these two spin injection mechanisms reveals an anomalously strong suppression of FMR-driven spin pumping with increasing out-of-plane field H_{app}^{z}. We propose that the presence of the large ac component to the spin current generated by the spin pumping approach, expected to exceed the dc value by 2 orders of magnitude, is the origin of this discrepancy through its influence on the spin dynamics at the oxide-silicon interface. This convolution, wherein the dynamics of both the injector and the interface play a significant role in the spin accumulation, represents a new regime for spin injection that is not well described by existing models of either FMR-driven spin pumping or electrical spin injection.


In order to evaluate the efficacy of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in the treatment of myopia, we summed up and analysed the 3-month follow-up data on 145 cases treated in our hospital. Prior to PRK, refractive dioptal was -1.5 to -11.5; visual acuity was less than 0.1 in 137 cases (94%) and less than 0.5 in 8 cases(6%). One month after operation, the mean refractive dioptal was +0.98 +/- 0.88; visual acuity increased to > or = 1.0 in 95 cases (66%) and to > or = 0.5 in 142 cases(98%). Three months after operation, the mean refractive dioptal was -0.13 +/- 1.09; visual acuity increased to > or = 1.0 in 104 cases(72%) and to > or = 0.5 in 135 cases(93%). There was no severe complication noted in all cases. The results demonstrate that PRK is and effective, safe and predictable treatment for myopia.


1. The dynamics of osmoregulation in an ideal semi-permeable animal are discussed. The theoretical minimum osmotic work is evaluated in terms of the surface area of the animal, its permeability and the concentrations of the blood, urine and external medium.

2. It is shown that:

( a ) The most important means whereby a marine animal entering brackish water can reduce the strain upon its osmoregulatory mechanisms is by reducing the concentration of its blood.

( b ) In a brackish-water animal the production of urine hypotonic to the blood has only a very small effect upon the osmotic work.

( c ) In a fresh-water animal the reduction of the urine concentration to the point at which it is isotonic with the medium can reduce the osmotic work by as much as 90%; but even a moderate reduction of the urine concentration, so that the urine is hypotonic to the blood but many times more concentrated than the medium, greatly reduces the osmotic work and is compatible with high osmoregulatory efficiency.

3. These conclusions are discussed with reference to some fresh-water animals.


Bone is a frequent target of lung cancer metastasis, which is associated with significant morbidity and a dismal prognosis. This study analyzed the soluble factors secreted by lung cancer cells, which are responsible for increasing osteoclast differentiation. Addition of recombinant human interleukin-8 (rhIL-8), present in large amounts in A549-conditioned medium (CM) and NCI-H460-CM, mimicked the inductive effect of A549-CM and NCI-H460-CM on osteoclastogenesis. In contrast, depletion of interleukin-8 (IL-8) from A549-CM and NCI-H460-CM decreased the osteoclastogenesis-inductive properties of A549-CM and NCI-H460-CM. Induction of osteoclast differentiation by lung cancer-derived-CM and rhIL-8 was associated with increased phospholipase D (PLD) activation, and the activations of protein kinase C (PKC) alpha/betaII, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 and AKT/the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Blocking PLD by a specific inhibitor significantly decreased osteoclast formation by inhibiting PKCs activation and subsequently attenuating the phosphorylation of ERK1/2. PLD inhibitor also completely decreased AKT and mTOR phosphorylation, whereas phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor only partially decreased mTOR phosphorylation, suggesting that mTOR activation by PLD is through both PI3K/AKT-dependent and PI3K/AKT-independent manner. In addition, blocking AKT and ERK1/2 by a specific inhibitor also suppressed lung cancer-derived-CM and rhIL-8-induced osteoclast differentiation. Moreover, treatment of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with sera from invasive lung cancer patients increased the formation of osteoclasts. Our study suggests that IL-8 or IL-8-mediated PLD/PKC/ERK1/2 or PLD/AKT signaling is an attractive therapeutic target for osteolytic bone metastases in lung cancer patients.


The Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI) has recently proven to be an indicator of adipose distribution and function that indirectly expresses cardiometabolic risk. In addition, VAI has been proposed as a useful tool for early detection of a condition of cardiometabolic risk before it develops into an overt metabolic syndrome. The application of the VAI in particular populations of patients (women with polycystic ovary syndrome, patients with acromegaly, patients with NAFLD/NASH, patients with HCV hepatitis, patients with type 2 diabetes, and general population) has produced interesting results, which have led to the hypothesis that the VAI could be considered a marker of adipose tissue dysfunction. Unfortunately, in some cases, on the same patient population, there is conflicting evidence. We think that this could be mainly due to a lack of knowledge of the application limits of the index, on the part of various authors, and to having applied the VAI in non-Caucasian populations. Future prospective studies could certainly better define the possible usefulness of the VAI as a predictor of cardiometabolic risk.


This essay proposes the concept of 'anscription', and employs it to re-think some of the typical valences of inscription in media theory. The word is derived from the German anschreiben, which can simply mean, 'to write up', but also refers to the specific act, and the set of social relations that come into place, when one writes something up on a blackboard. Not quite encompassed by inscription, it offers an essential counterpart to the term for media-oriented thinkers. The essay draws out this corresponding function through readings of three imagined (but not-quite-imaginary) media, across which emerges a dialectic in the cultural imaginary of inscription. The first comes from the mathematician Norbert Wiener's description of a mechanism that would translate written text into tactile impressions; the second, from Jacques Derrida's historical framing of the project of deconstruction in relation to writing systems; and the third, from a thirty-two-page description of an American football game in Don DeLillo's 1972 novel, End Zone. Each will offer a different exemplification of the function termed 'anscription'. Just as significantly, each example presents this function in relation to the technical possibilities of media and articulates it through a theory of the body that is entangled with writing.


Magnetic diffusion time in nonlinear steel is shown to vary with applied field magnitude and whether the field is undergoing infusion (inward flow upon turnon) or effusion (outward flow upon turnoff). Transient finite-element analysis is used to compute planar flux effusion that agrees very closely with an analytical equation for unsaturated steel slabs. When the steel is saturated, it is shown that effusion times can be much longer than infusion times, which are greatly reduced by saturation. Effusion times are computed for varying levels of saturation both in planar slabs and in axisymmetric cylinders.


Derivatives of arachidonic acid may be involved in atherosclerosis and its clinical complications. There is much interest in pharmacologically manipulating the arachidonic acid cascade as a means of preventing cardiovascular disease. The development of atherosclerosis has been intensively studied and the consequences of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular vessel occlusion are too familiar. Many factors are probably involved, but the role of plasma lipoproteins and the interactions between various constituents of blood and blood vessel walls have received particular attention. The risk of cardiovascular disease associated with high plasma concentrations of the low density lipoproteins and the possible protective effects of high density lipoproteins have been well documented. Much is now known about lipoprotein biochemistry, and the importance of controlling the quantity and quality of dietary lipids has been demonstrated in epidemiological studies. In studies of patients with transient ischaemic attacks, aspirin reduced the risk of stroke and death in males, although these benefits were not as convincingly demonstrated in women. The majority of patients were given aspirin 1300 mg daily, but the optimum dosage was not properly evaluated. Administering aspirin in combination with another antiplatelet drug did not appear to offer any therapeutic advantage in these patients. Aspirin showed a positive, but non-significant trend towards reduced numbers of cardiac events, non-fatal infarcts and total mortality in patients who had experienced at least one myocardial infarction. In contrast, statistically significant beneficial effects were recorded when patients with unstable angina were administered aspirin. The risks of myocardial infarction or coronary death were reduced by 51% in 2 large studies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


The bandwidth packing problem BWP concerns the selection of calls from a given set and the assignment of one path to each selected call. The ultimate aim of the BWP is to maximize profit while the routings of the selected calls observe the capacity constraints of the links. Here, we additionally consider queueing delays in the network, which may cause a deterioration in the quality of service to users if they exceed the acceptable limits. The integer programming formulation for the BWP with the queueing delay restriction contains a nonlinear constraint that is intrinsic to the model. We apply the Dantzig-Wolfe decomposition to this nonlinear constraint, and since the Dantzig-Wolfe decomposition has exponentially many variables, we propose the branch-and-price procedure to find optimal solutions. We also propose a generalized Dantzig-Wolfe reformulation based on the aggregation of variables, which makes our branch-and-price algorithm more competitive. Computational results on cases of randomly generated networks and some real-life telecommunication networks demonstrate that our algorithm performs well for large networks.


In order to investigate Magnesium-Potassium Phosphate Cement (MKPC) mixed with silica fume on the solidification and reduction of high moisture content (94%) of municipal sludge. The moisture content of the solidified sludge, volume shrinkage, compressive strength and other properties were studied, and the mechanism was discussed based on phase and morphology analysis. The results indicates that the solidified sludge (30% MKPC) with 30% silica fume can obtain with the early compressive strength of 430 KPa, which reached the requirements of the landfill (≥ 350 KPa). The moisture content of solidified sludge decrease to 30% and the volume shrinkage of solidified sludge can reduce to 68% or less at 7d, which played a key role for sludge reduction. MKPC and silica fume form skeleton structure that can promote the evaporation of moisture in the sludge.