We have used deep-level transient spectroscopy in an investigation of the electronic properties of defects introduced in boron-doped, strained p-type Si1-xGex alloys with x = 0 and 0.05, during argon plasma sputter etching. These defects are compared with those introduced during electron beam deposition of metal contacts and after 5.4 MeV particle irradiation. Four defects with discrete energy levels, ranging from 0.22 eV to 0.55 eV above the valence band, were introduced in p-Si during sputtering. The most prominent defect, detected in Ar plasma etched samples, has similar electronic properties to those of the defects detected after electron and particle irradiation. The main defects detected in p-Si were also observed in p-Si0.95Ge0.05. One of the dominating peaks has been correlated with the interstitial carbon-interstitial oxygen pair. The decrease in activation energy of this defect with increasing Ge content from x = 0 to 0.05 is found to follow the same variation as the bandgap of strained Si1-xGex/Si. The energy level position of the defect, relative to the conduction band, is therefore the same for x = 0 and 0.05 indicating that such a level is pinned to the conduction band.


INTRODUCTION
Spinal palpation is subject to inconsistency between examiners. When testing students on the location of vertebral spinous processes, faculty examiners may wish to allow for a margin of error that is observed between experienced practitioners. This study attempts to determine such a margin of error for selected vertebral levels that could be allowed in testing situations at Sherman Chiropractic College. This could serve as a model for other chiropractic colleges in determining their margins of error.

METHODS
Two faculty clinicians palpated spinous processes at four different vertebral levels (C2, T3, T9, and L2) on 18 student volunteers. Differences for each vertebral level, along with one, two, and three standard deviations, were calculated.

RESULTS
AVERAGE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EXAMINERS INCREASED CAUDALLY, AS FOLLOWS: C2, 4.23 ± 3.77 mm; T3, 13.41 ± 10.53 mm; T9, 18.17 ± 17.62 mm; L2, 18.70 ± 16.58 mm.

DISCUSSION
In this study, faculty examiners exhibited variation in their locations of spinous processes for these vertebrae. These variations could be allowed when assessing student skills in locating these spinous processes at this chiropractic college.

CONCLUSION
In this study, differences between examiners plus or minus one standard deviation ranged from 4.23 ± 3.77 mm for C2 to 18.70 ± 16.58 mm for L2. The concept of margin of error should be considered by faculty examiners when assessing the skill of students in locating the spinous process of various vertebral levels.


The formation, development and degradation of peroxisomes were studied directly in growing yeast-methylotrophs under the microscope using anoptral and phase contrast. The degradation of peroxisomes was caused by their degeneration and dislocation to the central vacuole of the yeast cell. A fluorescent-microscopic technique was elaborated for detecting selectively the crystals of catalase in the cells. As was shown by intravitam studies, electron microscopy and cytochemistry, peroxisomes are directly connected with the central vacuole of the cell, enzymes being transferred from the former into the latter. Experiments conducted with different cultures have demonstrated that the high activity of exocatalase is typical of methylotrophic yeast organisms. The highest activity that was exhibited for a long period of time was found in Torulopsis molischiana.


Purpose

The present paper aims to draw an attention towards the inclusion of forecast related costs. Its main purpose is to initiate a new line of research/practice including the forecasting expenditure.

Design/methodology/approach

After a relevant review of supply chain/procurement/production planning related literature, it has been observed that the existing work lacks an explicit inclusion of the cost concerned with forecast. The increased cost of forecasting is expected to enhance the forecasting accuracy. At a higher level, product family is considered for the analysis. However, a basic unit of analysis is always a single item production/procurement situation. Therefore, this situation has been discussed analytically with the use of the fundamental equations and an explicit inclusion of forecasting cost for the first time in the relevant literature. Numerous practical applications have been discussed at strategic and operational level. A framework is also presented for future research in this area.

Findings

A specific contribution of the present paper is an approach towards a unique index for relative forecasting expenditure. The suggested index will be useful for comparison purpose. Also, it can be used as a benchmark that can be improved in future.

Practical implications

The case is explained when cycle time is invariant after discussing the other potential applications. Usefulness of the proposed methodology and the index is discussed for the business organizations operating independently or in the supply chains.

Originality/value

On the basis of the forecast, a production or procurement plan is generated in many of the industrial or business situations. In the context of supply chain/production/inventory management, focus is more on demand forecasting techniques or generation of the forecasts in the existing literature. However, the increased costs concerning forecasts are expected to provide more accurate prediction. Therefore, the originality lies in an inclusion of forecast related costs.


The ambient temperature of tropical countries like Nigeria is as high as 40 o C during the dry season. This ultimately g ives rise to increase in demand for ice which is used to reduce the temperature of water, soft -drinks as well as other uses. This increase in demand for ice block makes the design and construction of a machine which can be used for the production of ice within a short period of time in order to save energy and time imperative and a worthwhile venture. This paper presents the design and performance evaluation of a model ice block making machine that can freeze water quickly. In order to achieve quick freezing, certain design consideration, such as the quantity of water to be frozen, the choice of cooling system and the methodology of attaining the desired result. The methodology adopted involves increasing the area of heat transfer and employing a vapour compression refrigerating system to generate the refrigerating effect. The design analysis of the evaporator, compressor and condenser are presented in details. This paper also reports on the material selection, fabrication methods and the experimental procedures and results. A temperature of -14 0 C was achieved in the freezing chamber and a freezing duration of 70 minutes for 1kg of ice block as test results.


We determined moment tensor solutions for middle and large-size earthquakes that occurred during the period 1990-2013 in the subduction zone, Nicaraguan forearc and Nicaraguan depression, using inversion analysis of teleseismic waveforms. In order to understand tectonic stress state from the subduction zone to the inland crust in Nicaragua, we estimated stress drop for each earthquake using obtained values of seismic moment and half duration of source time function. We found that the thrust faulting is clearly predominant in subduction zone, generating shallow earthquakes with magnitudes up to more than Mw 7, while in the Nicaraguan forearc the faulting type is mixed including thrust and strike-slip faulting, generating intermediate earthquakes with magnitudes between Mw 5.3-6.9. On the other hand, in Nicaraguan depression the strike-slip faulting with left-lateral motion is predominant, generating shallow earthquakes with magnitudes between Mw 5.3-6.1. Then, we examined the relationship between seismic moment and half duration of source time function, and found that the stress drop for each earthquake is nearly constant between 0.1-10 MPa with no dependence on seismic moment. Earthquakes with a depth of 50-100 km show higher stress drop than earthquakes with a depth of 0-50 km. Our results give information for understanding of tectonics in Nicaragua.


The carbonate strata of the Lower Ordovician formations in the southern Appalachian Valley were probably considerably thicker, less compacted, and more porous and permeable in early Middle Ordovician time than they are now. Analysis of selected compaction features of rocks associated with the breccias of the East Tennessee zinc districts permits quantitative estimation of the relative compaction (reduction in thickness) these sediments have undergone before and after brecciation.Total reduction in thickness of certain Lower Ordovician marker beds because of compaction during burial under younger Paleozoic sedimentary rocks and imbricate Appalachian thrust sheets appears to be at least some 40 to 50 percent. Furthermore, it is also estimated that about half of this compaction took place after brecciation in the solution-collapse structures of the zinc deposits. In comparison with laboratory compaction tests on carbonate muds it is apparent that the Lower Ordovician rocks had been buried to a depth of at least several thousand feet by the end of the Paleozoic Era. On the other hand the zones of collapse breccias probably formed at depths of generally less than a thousand feet, thus indicating an early Middle Ordovician age for their development. The general character of the rock during this time probably was similar to that of Tertiary limestone, which acts as the principal aquifer in the Coastal Plain region of southeastern United States.


On-core microarchitectural structures consume significant portions of a processor's power budget. However, depending on application characteristics, those structures do not always provide (much) performance benefit. While timeout-based power gating techniques have been leveraged for underutilized cores and inactive functional units, these techniques have not directly translated to high-activity units such as vector processing units, complex branch predictors, and caches. The performance benefit provided by these units does not necessarily correspond with unit activity, but instead is a function of application characteristics. This work introduces PowerChop, a novel technique that leverages the unique capabilities of HW/SW co-designed hybrid processors to enact unit-level power management at the application phase level. PowerChop adds two small additional hardware units to facilitate phase identification and triggering different power states, enabling the software layer to cheaply track, predict and take advantage of varying unit criticality across application phases by powering gating units that are not needed for performant execution. Through detailed experimentation, we find that PowerChop significantly decreases power consumption, reducing the leakage power of a hybrid server processor by 9% on average (up to 33%) and a hybrid mobile processor by 19% (up to 40%) while introducing just 2% slowdown.


Abstract In deltaic petroleum systems there is often no shortage of potential source rocks but it can be difficult to work out which facies contain the effective source rocks. An oil, being by definition evidence of the latter, contains information about the key characteristics of that source. This paper shows how the distribution of oleananes and bicadinanes - land plant biomarkers abundant in many Southeast Asian and Australasian oils - can be used to better define the maturity and depositional environment of the effective source rocks. Although oleananes are ubiquitous in oils and sediments of the region they are actually minor products of the diagenesis of terrestrial plant matter. As such, their abundance is highly sensitive to conditions during early diagenesis, especially the degree of marine influence, and their abundance can increase rather than decrease with distance from the paleoshoreline, e.g., in the South Sumatra Basin. Conversely, A-ring contracted oleananes result from diagenesis of plant matter under peat swamp conditions and their abundance decreases (with respect to oleanane) with increasing marine influence. Taken together, these observations suggest a means of distinguishing between source rocks laid down in flood-plain, paralic and marine deltaic settings. This concept is supported by data for a large set of oils from across Asia and Australasia. Maturity estimation based on saturated or aromatic biomarkers can be misleading in deltaic depositional settings due to diagenetic interferences. Some new maturity parameters based on bicadinane isomers are less subject to diagenetic effects, continue to change into the oil window and are extremely resistant to biodegradation.


Abstract: Literature reviews provide a summary of sources and works administered by different researchers and
may demonstrate the readers how their research fits within a bigger field of study. It helps the new researchers
in searching for a specific topic. Further, it describes the origin and relevance of the research problem and also
gives a quick summary of the subject. During this paper, we've reviewed how the tumours arose in the physical
body and its interaction with the system. We've also described therapies like surgery, radiotherapy,
chemotherapy, and immunotherapy which are utilized in the curing of cancer. We reviewed some works
administered by different researchers in tumour-immune interactions and also curing therapy of cancers by
using mathematical modelling.


ABSTRACT The prevalence of a genetic polymorphism(s) at codon 268 in the cytochrome b gene, which is associated with failure of atovaquone-proguanil treatment, was analyzed in 227 Plasmodium falciparum parasites from western Kenya. The prevalence of the wild-type allele was 63%, and that of the Y268S (denoting a Y-to-S change at position 268) mutant allele was 2%. There were no pure Y268C or Y268N mutant alleles, only mixtures of a mutant allele(s) with the wild type. There was a correlation between parasite 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) and parasite genetic polymorphism; mutant alleles had higher IC50s than the wild type.


Many of the physical systems in the universe are fluids. Our understanding of the Earth, the planets, stars and even galaxies depends crucially on fluid dynamics. This mathematical discipline has been instrumental in the development of meteorology, oceanography and, to a lesser extent, astrophysics. From the beginning, observations and calculations have made apparent the rich dynamical structure of astronomical fluids: Satellite observations told us that the Great Red Spot of Jupiter was simply the most prominent object within the turbulent Jovian atmosphere, which exhibits hundreds of observable vortices embedded in a complex structure of bands or jets extending from one pole to the other. Similar structures have been observed, though in less detail, on the other Jovian planets. Complex dynamical structures are also believed to characterize condensing nebulae, evolving galaxies, stellar convective layers and the accretion disks of neutron stars and black holes.


Heliconius and Laparus butterflies exhibit a unique pollen–collecting behaviour that enhances lifespan and fecundity. The specific nutritional contribution of pollen, however, had not been previously demonstrated. We used stable isotope variation to trace the carbon flow into eggs from corn pollen provided experimentally to ovipositing female Heliconius charitonia, and to evaluate the use of isotopically contrasting nectar sugars in egg amino acids. The &dgr;13C of individual amino acids from pollen, larval host plant and the eggs from experimental butterflies was measured with gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS), to evaluate amino acid transfer. The &dgr;13C of egg essential amino acids indicated a transfer of essential amino acids from pollen to butterfly eggs. However, the &dgr;13C of non–essential amino acids reflected the isotopic composition of the artificial nectar, indicating that H. charitonia synthesizes non–essential amino acids from dietary sugars. This, to our knowledge, is the first direct demonstration of amino acid transfer from pollen to butterfly eggs, and suggests that essential amino acids in particular are a key resource for extending lifespan and fecundity in Heliconius butterflies.


BACKGROUND
A challenge for resection of thoracic inlet tumors lies in that high risk of injuring vital blood vessels and brachial plexus still exists during the resection. And the standard surgical approach for resection of thoracic inlet tumors has not yet been well established.

METHODS
Small cervical incision-assisted minimally invasive surgical technique was developed and carried out in patients with non-invasive thoracic inlet tumor in our department.

RESULTS
We successfully performed the small cervical incision-assisted minimally invasive surgery in two patients with thoracic inlet tumors. The thoracic inlet tumors of the two patients were removed completely without any postoperative complications, and the patients achieved quick rehabilitation after surgery. This combined approach compensates the blind area of thoracoscope in visualizing the superior end of thoracic inlet tumors, and thus enables us to complete the resection safely and confidently.

CONCLUSIONS
Small cervical incision did facilitate the minimally invasive resection of non-invasive thoracic inlet tumor. Hopefully, this combined approach of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) with small cervical incision could be widely utilized in resecting thoracic inlet tumors by general thoracic surgeon.


Matte, porous, and weakly bound paint layers, typically found in modern/contemporary art, represent an unsolved conservation challenge. Current conservation practice relies on synthetic or natural adhesives that can alter dramatically the optical properties of paints. Alternatively, we propose a novel nanostructured consolidant based on starch, a renewable natural polymer. We synthesized starch nanoparticles (SNPs) to boost their penetration into the porous painted layers; upon solvent evaporation, the particles were expected to adhere to the pigments thanks to their large surface area and abundant -OH groups. The SNPs were formulated through a bottom-up approach, where gluten-removed Jin Shofu wheat starch was gelatinized and then precipitated in a nonsolvent. The low gelatinization temperature of wheat starch is likely key to favor disassembly in alkali and reassembly in the nonsolvent. The synthesis conditions can be tuned to obtain amorphous SNPs of ca. 50 nm with acceptable polydispersity. The particles swell in water to form nanosized gel-like fractal domains (as observed with cryogenic electron microscopy), formed by the organization of smaller units in polymer-rich and -deficient regions. Aqueous and hydroalcoholic particles' dispersions were assessed on aged ultramarine blue mock-ups that mimic degraded modern/contemporary paints. The consolidation effectiveness was evaluated with a specifically designed in-house protocol: the SNPs distribute across the paint section and strongly increase pigments' cohesion while preserving the original optical properties of the painted layer, as opposed to dispersions of bulk starch that simply accumulate on the paint surface, forming superficial glossy films. The Jin Shofu SNPS proved to be a new promising tool for the consolidation of weakened paintings, opening perspectives in the formulation and application of consolidants for modern and contemporary art.


Introduction: The concentration-sensitive Na+ channel (NaC), a member of the family of voltage-dependent Na+ channels, opens in response to increased Na+ concentration in the extracellular fluid ([Na+]o). Although the expression of NaC in alveolar epithelial type II (AT II) cells has been reported, the physiological role of NaC in lung tissue has not yet been established. Various ion channels in the alveolar epithelium are involved in maintaining the alveolar fluid balance; therefore, we hypothesized that NaC-mediated Na+ transport contributes to the clearance of Na+ from the alveolar fluid. In this study, we examined NaC distribution in mouse lung tissue and the [Na+]o-dependent influx of Na+ into mouse alveolar epithelium.

Methods: We used immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence to study mouse lung tissue using antibodies against NaC and other ion transport proteins. In situ hybridization was performed using a digoxigenin-labeled antisense probe for NaC mRNA. Na+ dynamics in mouse alveolar epithelium were analyzed using sodium-binding benzofuran isophthalate and an image analyzer Argus-50.

Results: The alveolar epithelial type I (AT I) cells showed positive staining with anti-NaC antibodies. Similarly, NaC mRNA signals were detected in the AT I cells by in situ hybridization. Confocal laser scanning microscopy showed the presence of NaC in the cell membrane of the AT I cells. NaC was partially colocalized with γ epithelial sodium channels (ENaC). Results of image analysis showed that Na+ influx into alveolar epithelium was dependent on elevation of [Na+]o.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that NaC, expressed in AT I cells, is involved in Na+ transport in the alveolar epithelium.


WATER QUALITY MONITORING is essential for the management
of water supplies particularly in the developing
world. Within the framework of WHO and local incountry
standards, many countries have put surveillance
and control of water quality high on their list of national
priorities. To this end, a number of developing countries
have introduced different ways of managing and monitoring
their water quality.
This paper presents an overview of two different approaches
in monitoring water quality which are at opposite
ends of the monitoring spectrum.


Tuberculosis is a major global health problem and is still among the top 10 causes of death. The increasing rate of drug resistance to infectious agents has provoked an urgent need to discover novel anti-tuberculosis agents with novel modes of action. In this study, small molecule inhibitors of the proteins encoded by the drug resistant genes, i.e., katG, gyrA, pncA and rpoB of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), were identified using computational methods. In the ligand base pharmacophore, an already reported four ligands for the four proteins encoded by the resistant genes of M. tuberculosis were selected for the generation of pharmacophores. The validated pharmacophores model of all the four proteins, generated on the basis of ligand base, were selected for further screening of ZINC drug like database. As screening results 486 structurally diverse hits for katG, 542 for PncA, 112 for rpoB and 365 for gyrA were mapped and filtered via Lipinski's rule of five. Finally, on the basis of docking score and binding interactions, ten small molecules were selected for each protein as novel inhibitors. These selected novel inhibitors have significant interaction with the active site of the protein and a strong possibility to act as an additional starting opinion in the development of new and potential inhibitors. The result indicates that novel inhibitors could be a promising lead compound and be effective in treating sensitive as well as multi drug resistant tuberculosis.


Purpose
Organizations worldwide use virtual teams to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and capitalize on distributed members' unique expertise to accomplish essential tasks. A critical reason that inhibits virtual team members from leveraging each other's knowledge is a lack of psychological safety. Specifically, individuals are unwilling to speak out for fear of negative repercussions, such as embarrassment to one's image and rejection from others in their teams. The purpose of this study is to advance the importance of distinct awareness (task knowledge and presence) enabled by information technologies in developing the psychological safety of men and women in virtual teams.

Design/methodology/approach
This study tested the hypotheses using a survey study of 94 participants from 19 graduate student virtual teams.

Findings
This study found that task knowledge awareness predicted psychological safety for men, whereas it was presence awareness for women. By demonstrating the role of awareness in promoting psychological safety for men and women in virtual teams, this study also sheds light on reducing online gender inequitable issues.

Practical implications
First, organizational managers need to incorporate gender when deciding the awareness type to promote psychological safety in virtual teams. For men, it is task knowledge awareness, whereas for women, it is presence awareness. Second, as there is a wide range of information technologies (ITs) available, managers need to identify if the provided ITs enable virtual team members to develop the specific type of knowledge awareness critical for psychological safety development. Third, managers can incorporate rewards and apply interventions at regular temporal periods to encourage team members to increase their online presence as well as question and share task-related content.

Originality/value
It is imperative to identify ways to encourage men and women working in virtual teams to speak up so that the expertise held by the members can be better leveraged. This study represents an important step in this direction.


OBJECTIVE
A drug delivery system using copoly(lactic/glycolic acid) was developed for the intracranial administration of papaverine. A rod-shaped implant prepared by a heat compression method was tested to determine its efficacy in preventing cerebral vasospasm in dogs.

METHODS
Sixteen dogs were randomly assigned to one of two groups, i.e., placebo or papaverine. Control angiography was performed, followed by right craniectomy and the induction of subarachnoid hemorrhage by the placement of a clot in the Sylvian fissure. Two pellets, containing either 25 mg of papaverine or no papaverine, were placed in the cistern. In in vitro studies, 56% of the actual papaverine loading was released in the first 4 days and 78% within 8 days. On Day 7, angiography was repeated and the animals were killed. A similar experiment using low-dose pellets containing 5 mg of papaverine, half of which was released within 7 days, was performed with 16 mongrel dogs.

RESULTS
There were significant differences between the papaverine- and placebo-treated groups in the reductions of vessel diameters of the internal carotid, middle cerebral, and anterior cerebral arteries on the clot side. The mean concentration of papaverine in the clot was 4.5 x 10(-4) mol/L. The low-dose pellet failed to prevent cerebral vasospasm, although the mean concentration of papaverine in the clot was 2.3 x 10(-5) mol/L.

CONCLUSION
A prolonged-release preparation of papaverine that could be implanted intracranially at the time of surgery prevented vasospasm significantly while maintaining an appropriate concentration of papaverine in the cistern.


Abstract:In this article, the authors provide an account of their two-level oral history project conducted at Our Lady of Guadalupe Center in partnership with Ohio State University (OSU) faculty and graduate students in the Hilltop neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. In this performance-based ethnographic project, OSU faculty and students first conducted oral histories of Alma Santos, the daughter of the Guadalupe Center's founder, and of the current director, Ramona Reyes, as well as shorter interviews with the Guadalupe Center's community theater ensemble. A performance was then created based on the oral histories and interviews, and performed by an ensemble of community members. The authors first provide a brief history of the Guadalupe Center and Hilltop, and then analyze the Spanish-speaking performance with a focus on community cultural wealth, placemaking, theater of place, and family.


This study examines the potential effect of RAFT strategy on Jordanian EFL Eleventh-grade students' creative writing. A sample of Eleventh-grade students was purposefully selected from a secondary school in Irbid. The experimental group (n=25) was taught using a RAFT strategy whereas the control group (n= 25) was taught conventionally based on Teacher Book of Action Pack 11. For data collection, a creative writing pre/ post-test was used. The findings reveal statistically significant differences in students' means scores in the creative writing post test, in favor of the experimental group which may be attributed to RAFT strategy.


The glandulariine genus Siamites is amongst the rarest Oriental ant-like stone beetles. To date, only three species have been known, distributed in Thailand and Vietnam. A new species, S. sarawakensis sp. n. is described here, based on a male specimen collected in Sarawak, East Malaysia. This finding extends the known range of Siamites over 1200 km southeastward.


In five experiments some edgelines on different polyhedrons (house models in 3-D) were, from a certain vantage point, optically confluent, ie in optical prolongation of each other in 2-D on the retinal image and on photos. Other edgelines on the same polyhedrons were non-confluent, ie optically separate in 2-D. These conditions were found to lead to five different illusory shapes in 3-D. Five spatiofigural illusions were perceived. From these findings an edgeline principle is formulated that: "a straight edgeline in 2-D, whether confluent or separate, is perceived as a unitary and continuously straight edgeline in 3-D". To this is added a supplementary perceptual principle, an amodal completion principle. In the experiments reported here, the illusory perception of shapes in 3-D with confluent edgelines as well as the veridical perception of other shapes in 3-D with only separate or non-confluent edgelines could all be explained by the edgeline principle and the amodal completion principle. By applying the concepts of edgeline confluence and the edgeline principle, a new explanation of the Kopfermann (1930 Psychologische Forschung 13 293–364) cube phenomena is proposed together with one example of how to test this explanation experimentally.


Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is prevalent in patients with hypertension (HTN). There is a lack of OSA screening in patients with HTN. Diagnosis and treatment of OSA in patients with HTN may improve blood pressure control and avoid complications of undiagnosed and untreated OSA. Hence, this study was conducted with the aim to screen OSA suspects in high risk groups of patients with hypertension using Stop Bang Questionnaire and Epworth sleepiness Scale (ESS). This was a cross sectional study carried out in OPD and IPD in Department of Respiratory Medicine, Lata Mangeshkar hospital, Hingna after obtaining approval from institutional ethics committee. Total 100 patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included after taking informed consent. The patients were screened according to ESS and Stop Bang Questionnaire. Out of 100 , 53% of hypertensive patients were overweight / obese with mean BMI of 25.49 ± 5.43 kg/m 2 . According to Stop bang questionnaire, 56% and 34% of patients had high risk and intermediate risk of OSA respectively with mean score of 4.69 ± 1.68. According to ESS, 61% patients had low probability of OSA, 15% patient on borderline and 24% abnormal patients with mean score of 8.38 ± 4.688. BMI along with stop bang score showed high probability of OSA which was statistically significant. Screening with Stop bang questionnaire and ESS is helpful for diagnosing OSA in case of strong clinical suspicion with high BMI. This will avoid complications of undiagnosed OSA in patients with hypertension. Keywords: Obstructive sleep apnoea, Stop Bang Questionnaire, Systemic hypertension.


From the Publisher:
This book provides the most up-to-date coverage using the Synopsys program in the design of integrated circuits. The incorporation of "synthesis tools" is the most popular new method of designing integrated circuits for higher speeds covering smaller surface areas.Synopsys is the dominant computer-aided circuit design program in the world. All of the major circuit manufacturers and ASIC design firms use Synopsys. In addition, Synopsys is used in teaching and laboratories at over 600 universities.


Biondi, Fazio, and colleagues recently reported that long term T4 treatment to suppress serum TSH markedly affects cardiac function. T4-treated patients had more symptoms [12.2 +/- 3.9 (+/-SD) vs. 4.2 +/- 2.3 by quantitative questionnaire], higher mean heart rate, increased incidence of atrial extrasystoles, increased interventricular septal thickness and left ventricular mass index (LVMi), and significant diastolic dysfunction. The severity of cardiac abnormalities was highly correlated with scores of a rating scale used for assessing symptoms of thyrotoxicosis. We have duplicated their studies in 17 athyreotic patients (mean age, 45 +/- 10 yr; range, 27-63 yr) without heart disease or hypertension whose dose of T4 was titrated to suppress serum TSH to less than 0.01 microU/mL. The mean duration of T4 treatment was 9.2 +/- 5.4 yr. Controls were healthy volunteers matched for sex and age (+/-3 yr). The mean T4 dose was 2.8 +/- 0.9 micrograms/kg (0.192 +/- 0.058 mg/day). By questionnaire, patients had minimal symptoms, although their symptom score was significantly greater than the control value (4 +/- 3 vs. 2 +/- 1; P < 0.05; maximum score, 36). No differences in mean heart rate or in atrial or ventricular extrasystoles were noted. In patients, indexes of systolic and diastolic function and interventricular septal thickness were similar to control values. The mean LVMi was normal in both groups. However, the mean LVMi in patients (117 +/- 35 g/m2) was higher than that in controls (92 +/- 31; P < 0.05). In conclusion, patients were minimally affected by TSH-suppressive doses of T4. They had few symptoms and no increase in extrasystoles or basal heart rate. Based on current knowledge, the increase in LVMi observed in patients without associated significant systolic or diastolic abnormalities does not have clinical or prognostic importance. Therefore, in the absence of symptoms of thyrotoxicosis, patients treated with TSH-suppressive doses of L-T4 may be followed clinically without specific cardiac laboratory studies.


Background: Physical Inactivity (PI) and sedentary behaviour are the most important and modifiable risk factors to prevent cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a multidisciplinary program for patients who have undergone cardiac surgeries. Through CR, monitoring physical activity (PA) is possible and may reduce the rate of rehospitalization. The pedometer is a device that is useful to track the step count of the person day to day. It helps in self-monitoring of PA. The purpose of this review was to summarise the evidence about the effect of pedometer-based exercise program in phase 1 and phase 2 CR. Methods: Databases such as MEDLINE, Cochrane, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science were searched. This search is limited to randomized controlled trials (RCTs), human trials, a 10-year period, and English language journals. Based on inclusion criteria of pedometer-based exercise programs in phase 1 (inpatient phase) and phase 2 (outpatient phase) of CR and exclusion criteria of studies using pedometer in maintenance phase CR. The primary outcome of the study is step count, while secondary is PA (in terms of time), heart rate, sedentary behaviour, and quality of life. This study quality was assessed by the Downs and Black's checklist. Results: The study includes 6 RCTs based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Most studies show a considerable increase in step count associated with increased patient PA. Few studies have explained a significant increase of PA in the study group and maintained for longer terms. More research is needed to determine the impact of cardiovascular risk factors.


Cowpea is a crop with great economic, social and food importance in semi-arid regions, but its production is drastically reduced by the water deficit in these regions, requiring better management strategies that allow the crop's production. This study therefore aimed to evaluate the photosynthetic efficiency and production of cowpea cultivars under deficit irrigation replacement levels. The experiment tested three cowpea genotypes (G1 = 'BRS Aracé', G2 = 'BR 17 Gurguéia' and G3 = 'BRS Marataoã') and four irrigation depths (40, 60, 80 and 100% of ETc), resulting in a 3 x 4 factorial scheme, arranged in randomized complete blocks design with four replicates. During the experiment, the gas exchanges, chlorophyll a fluorescence and production of the cowpea genotypes under deficit irrigation were evaluated. Carbon fixation in the photosynthetic metabolism of cowpea plants was reduced by accentuated water deficit, regardless of the genotype. The low stress severity was indicated by the lack of effects on chlorophyll fluorescence, indicating that the reduction in the rate of carbon assimilation was due to the stomatal effects. The irrigation with 80% of ETc can be used in the cultivation of the respective cultivars, but with small losses in the production. Among the genotypes, 'BRS Marataoã' stands out with respect to yield, with higher values for weight of pods and green beans.


Grown in liquid culture in the presence of a variety of structurally unrelated drugs, mycelia of wild-type Neurospora assume a colonial or semicolonial growth habit similar to that of known morphological mutants. Drugs that produce these morphological changes include atropine, theophylline, histamine, and several of the quinoline-containing antimalarials. Each of these drugs decrease the endogenous adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) concentration of mycelia as a result of their effect on the activity of adenyl cyclase, the cAMP-dependent phosphodiesterase, or both. The evidence indicates a relationship between the degree of morphological abnormality, the degree to which intracellular cAMP is reduced, and the action of the drugs on the adenyl cyclase and phosphodiesterase.


An experimental investigation is carried out to study the transition from stratified to slug flow and the development of slug flow. The variation of Lockhart–Martinelli parameter with the non-dimensional liquid height is established based on the experimental data. A correlation is developed for the liquid height as a function of superficial gas and liquid Reynolds number. The liquid height is observed to increase up to some level depending on the mass flow rate, beyond which there is a sudden jump in the height leading to the formation of slug. This critical liquid height is the limiting condition for the evolution of slug. Below the critical height a stable stratified flow is observed. The critical height for stability limit of stratified flow is established experimentally for various combinations of mass flow rates of the primary and secondary phases. © 2011 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering


The Internet today presents information consumable as a tangible good that is often used in exchange for something else. Technology eases our access to literacy while redefining it, making literacy a product aimed at consumers on a broader basis. No longer is literacy being defined by the limitations of academia. What was once considered a measurement of education and knowledge is now how easily we can access information needed, whether it be for academic purposes or social. Looking at literacy from a sociocultural perspective allows us to see how information is consumed, and how the influence of consumerism affects our idea of literacy. Because technology is everywhere and because it presents us with literacy events multiple times a day, the consumer-centered Internet and online branding have a similar impact on literature and literacy as it does in our lives.


Agriculture constitutes as the largest livelihood provider in India. Land governance is thus very important. Strategically, interventions by the state through policies and programmes at all levels of government are required for improved land governance. In order to address the complexity of land-related problems, government has introduced e-governance practices in land administration. Government of India has introduced National Land Records Modernisation Programme in order to computerise land records and registration. The State Government in Haryana has implemented the Haryana Land Registration Information System. It is complete integrated workflow automation system of land record. The services to citizens are provided through public services delivery centres 'e-Disha'. An attempt has been made in this article to assess the implementation of governance reforms through information and communications technology in land sector in the state of Haryana.


ABSTRACT Ji, X.R., 2020. Data management and visualization of coastal railway in wireless sensor network monitoring system. In: Al-Tarawneh, O. and Megahed, A. (eds.), Recent Developments of Port, Marine, and Ocean Engineering. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 110, pp. 219–222. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. With the continuous progress of industrialization in our country, machinery and equipment are developing to higher frequency and larger scale. How to automate and monitor is the key parts which are widely distributed and in bad working environment in machinery and equipment. Therefore, the realization of scientific life prediction and fault diagnosis is an important issue, which is widely concerned by the industry at present. This paper studies the fusion method of equipment information data and geographic information data in the wireless sensor network (WSN), and realizes the fusion of WSN sensing data based on the proposed development environment. Then, we establish the database model and parses the data file. In addition, we realize data visualization in web environment based on the Silverlight module. Finally, the visual part of the coastal railway monitoring WSN system established in this paper is tested by function test and performance test.


Naturalistic Driving (ND) studies represent the state of the art in traffic safety research and can be defined as studies undertaken to provide insight into driver behaviour during every day trips by recording details of the driver, the vehicle and the surroundings through unobtrusive data gathering equipment and without experimental control. Typically, in an ND study passenger cars, preferably the subjects' own cars, are equipped with several small cameras and sensors. For several months to several years, these devices continuously and inconspicuously register vehicle manoeuvres (like speed, acceleration/deceleration, direction), driver behaviour (like eye, head and hand manoeuvres), and external conditions (like road, traffic and weather characteristics). Thus, the ND approach allows us to observe and analyse the interrelationship between driver, vehicle, road and other traffic in normal situations, in conflict situations and in actual crashes. This type of information is not just useful for reducing road transport casualties, but also for reducing the environmental burden of road transport, and for reducing congestion. ND studies are not limited to passenger cars since vans and trucks can also be studied in a naturalistic way. Similarly, motorcycles can be equipped: naturalistic riding. The specific problems of pedestrians and cyclists can be studied based on observations from the vehicle. However for this application, naturalistic site-based observations can be a useful addition.


Smith-purcell radiation using a Si-field emitter has been generated and detected in both ultraviolet and infrared regions. We passed a 200 nA beam current accelerated in 25-30 kV over a 550 nm pitch grating and detected the 1st harmonic waves of SPR in the infrared region from 1300 to 1400 nm by using an InGaAs detector. In addition to them, the 4th harmonic waves of SPR in the ultraviolet region from 320 to 360 nm were clearly observed by using a CCD detector. These spectra also coincided with those of the calculation using the SPR theory and blue-shifted with increasing the acceleration voltage. As results, we have successfully observed SPR from ultraviolet to infrared using a Si field emitter for the first time.


Urgency of the research. The bond graphs theory aim for to formulate general class physical systems over power interactions. The factors of power are effort and flow. They have different interpretations in different physical domains. Yet, power can always be used as a generalized resource to model coupled systems residing in several energy domains. Target setting. Formalism of power graphs enables to describe different physical systems and their interactions in a uniform, algorithmizable way and transform them into state space description. This is useful when analyzing mechatronic systems transfor-ming various forms of energy (electrical, fluid, mechanical) by means of information signals to the resulting mechanical energy. Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. Over the past two decades the theory of Bond Graphs has been paying atten-tion to universities around the world, and bond graphs have been part of study programs at an ever-increasing number of universities. In the last decade, their industrial use is becoming increasingly important. The Bond Graphs method was introduced by Henry M. Paynter (1923-2002), a professor at MIT & UT Austin, who started publishing his works since 1959 and gradually worked out the terminology and formalism known today as Bond Graphs translated as binding graphs or performance graphs. Uninvestigated parts of general matters defining. The electrical system model is solved with the help of the above men-tioned bond graphs formalism. Gradually, the theory of power graphs in the above example is explained up to the construc-tion of state equations of the electrical system. The state equations are then solved in Matlab / Simulink. The statement of basic materials. Using bond graphs theory to simulate electrical system and verify its suitability for simu-lating electrical models. In various versions of the parameters of model we can monitor its behavior under different operating conditions. The language of bond graphs aspires to express general class physical systems through power interactions. The factors of power i.e., effort and flow, have different interpretations in different physical domains. Yet, power can always be used as a generalized coordinate to model coupled systems residing in several energy domains. Conclusions. We introduced a method of systematically constructing a bond graph of an electrical system model using Bond graphs. A practical example of an electrical model is given as an application of this methodology. Causal analysis also provides information about the correctness of the model. Differential equations describing the dynamics of the system in terms of system states were derived from a simple electrical system coupling graph. The results correspond to the equations obtained by the classical manual method, where first the equations for individual components are created and then a simulation scheme is derived based on them. The presented methodology uses the reverse procedure. However, manually deriving equations for more complex systems is not so simple. Bond charts prove to be a suitable means of analysis, among other systems and electrical systems.


Aims: This article addresses the clinical presentation, diagnosis, histological features, and treatment of two cases of fibroma. Background: Fibromas are proliferative fibrous lesions of the gingiva and oral mucosa that may cause esthetic and functional problems. Fibrous hyperplasia and fibroepithelial hyperplasia are histological variants of these nonneoplastic lesions. Case description: Case 1 demonstrated an overgrowth in the lower back tooth region. Case 2 was present at the corner of the lip mucosa. Both the growths were pale in color, sessile, painless, and firm in consistency. Lesions caused discomfort during chewing of food. Thus, both the lesions were excised using diode laser in continuous mode and sent for histopathological assessment. Conclusion: These lesions are a result of trauma/chronic irritation and arise from cells of oral mucous membrane or periosteum. Clinical significance: The cases demonstrate the need for proper diagnosis, role of biopsy, and histologic evaluation in the management of these lesions.


One of the main challenges of today is to increase the resilience of individuals to stressful environmental factors and preserve the quality of life and efficiency. Hardiness is a psychological phenomenon, the essence of which is a productive way out of the crisis towards personal growth. Taking into account the effectiveness of information and technological progress, the issue of internalization of AR technologies in the process of training a competitive, viable specialist who is able to mobilize and self-realize internal potential resources is vital. The scientific article analyzes the possibilities of using innovative AR technologies in the process of developing the hardiness of the future specialist on the basis of the implementation of competence and subject-personal approach to the introduction of AR technologies in the educational process in the system of higher education. The article describes the experience of integrated implementation of elements of augmented reality in the program of development of hardiness - Hardiness Enhancing Lifestyle Program based on the concept of BYOD. According to the results of the obtained empirical data the efficiency of using innovative AR technologies in the structure of mobile applications in the process of development of the components of hardiness of the personality of the future specialist is proved. Prospect for further research is the development of a methodology for integrated implementation of AR technologies in the practice of higher education in order to optimize the training of future professionals.


The number of high rise building has increased significantly as supporting infrastructure in many big cities in Indonesia. Most of the high rise buildings in Indonesia are constructed using reinforced concrete (r/c) moment resisting frame systems. However, due to the high seismicity of many of the regions of Indonesia, the use of moment resisting frames as single system, especially for tall buildings, are restricted. This structural system is in general quite flexible, and therefore excessive lateral drifts are experienced under seismic forces. In practice, adding buckling restrained brace (BRB) can be used to limit the lateral drift in high rise buildings. The objective of this paper is to present a study on the use of BRB elements in high rise r/c frame buildings to evaluate their seismic performance. In this paper, a 20 story office building located in a high seismicity region is modeled into two basic distinctions, i.e. building with BRB and without BRB. The adopted system of BRB is UBB (Unbonded Brace) type. The seismic response of the buildings is obtained by conducting non-linear time history analysis with seven scaled ground motions. Then, the performance of these buildings are evaluated and compared. Based on the findings, some recommendations are proposed for the use of BRB in the design of high rise r/c frame buildings located in regions with high seismicity.


PURPOSE
It has been suggested that structural alterations of the photoreceptor connecting cilium are a primary defects leading to photoreceptor degeneration in some forms of inherited retinal degenerations (5). In a series of 17 eyes with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and with various genetic forms of RP, examined by electron microscopy, no structural abnormalities were found in the arrangement of the ciliary microtubules. However, a 10% reduction in the ciliary diameter was recorded in RP photoreceptors (12). The question arose: is thinning of the cilium a primary defect associated with RP, or a secondary abnormality related to degenerative processes in photoreceptors irrespective of the cause? The aim of this study was to examine the photoreceptor connecting cilia in the early stages of experimental light induced retinal degeneration in the rat, by conducting a structural and morphometric survey of the relevant electron-micrographs. In addition, the effects of various fixation techniques on the ciliary structure were compared.

MATERIAL AND METHOD
Analysis of 124 transmission electron micrographs of 9 controls and 155 transmission electron micrographs of 55 light damaged animals was conducted. For the effects of fixation on morphometry 72 transmission electron micrographs from an additional 4 controls (43 negatives) and 8 light damaged animals (29 negatives) were examined. Light damage was induced by exposure to 1000 lux of white light for 120 minutes. Retinal samples were fixed either in 2.5% glutaraldehyde or by high pressure freezing followed by freeze-substitution.

RESULTS
This study showed that one of the early morphological alterations occurring in rat photoreceptors damaged by light is a reduction of ciliary diameter of approximately 10%. It was not associated with any apparent ultrastructural changes in the axoneme. It was also found that the degree of ciliary shrinkage largely depends on the fixation technique used. Cryo-fixation followed by freeze substitution shows more shrinkage than chemical fixation by immersion in glutaraldehyde.

CONCLUSIONS
It is suggested, that reduction in photoreceptor cilium diameter is a secondary and non-specific change. It is not a unique phenomenon, observed not only in human photoreceptors, which are undergoing degeneration in RP. It can be induced in otherwise healthy rat retina, in which photoreceptor degeneration was caused by exposure to toxic levels of light.


The study was carried out to determine librarians' use of social media for promoting library and information resources and services in university libraries in South-South, Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design method was employed for this study. The sample for this study comprised of 304 librarians in 9 selected university libraries from 3 states of South-South, Nigeria. The questionnaire was the only instrument used for data collection. Frequency counts and means were used to analyze the data collected. The study revealed that blogs and facebook are the most commonly used social media to promote library and information resources and services in the libraries. Findings also showed librarians' use of social media promotes two-way communication, makes communication with library users easier, and provides forum for feedback and increases library users / usage. Some challenges librarians encounter were also discovered, hence recommendations were made. These include provision of adequate technology and internet facilities in all offices in university libraries and a viable ICT policy amongst other recommendations.


BACKGROUND AND AIMS
The mechanisms involved in breaking seed dormancy in species with woody endocarps are poorly understood. In a landmark study examining the role of endocarps in regulating germination, our aim was to investigate the effects of the natural sequence of environmental conditions on dormancy break of a species with a woody endocarp (Persoonia longifolia).

METHODS
The role of the endocarp in germination was investigated through imbibition and endocarp removal germination tests. The use of burial to break dormancy was examined and results from these experiments were used to guide laboratory investigations into the use of wet/dry cycling and stratification to break dormancy.

KEY RESULTS
Endocarps were water-permeable. Germination increased from 0 to 92·5 % when endocarps were removed. During burial in the field and nursery, 41·6 and 63·7 % of the endocarps germinated, respectively, after 36 months. Ex situ post-burial germination was cyclical and highest after 30 months of burial (45·4 % nursery and 31·8 % field). Highest germination occurred in wet/dry trials when the dry summer was long (20 weeks), had fluctuating temperatures (30/50 °C) and two long (7 d) wet cycles and was followed by moist winters at 10/20 °C. A stratification trial found that highest germination occurred following incubation for 12 weeks at 30 °C (including 2 weeks moist) + 6 weeks moist at 8 °C then placement at 20/10 °C for germination.

CONCLUSIONS
Summer conditions break physiological dormancy of the embryo and promote opening of the endocarp, allowing seeds to germinate during winter conditions. By closely monitoring the environment that endocarps are exposed to in nature, dormancy breaking mechanisms can be identified and used to improve germination. These results outline for the first time how dormancy and germination are regulated in a species with a hard woody endocarp, insights which will significantly improve our understanding of other species with similar reproductive features.


Purpose: To examine macular changes before and after uncomplicated cataract surgery in a healthy population. Material and Methods: In a prospective study, we evaluated 62 eyes of healthy patients having elective cataract phacoemulsification. We performed optical coherence tomography (OCT) measurements preoperatively and at 3, 6, 12, 20, and 28 weeks after surgery. The retinal map was divided into minimal foveal thickness, a central 1-mm disk area, and two peripheral ring areas with diameters of 3 mm and 6 mm, respectively, and centered on the fovea. We compared the postoperative OCT values against the respective preoperative values. Results: Two eyes (3.2%) developed cystoid macular edema (CME) after cataract surgery and were excluded from the study. With respect to preoperative values, visual acuity improved significantly postoperatively, and at 12 weeks, we observed an asymptomatic increase in retinal thickness at 3 mm and 6 mm. Macular volume showed a statistically significant increase at the 12th week after surgery. There was no correlation between macular changes and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) or ultrasound time. Conclusions: Our data indicate that the onset of clinically significant CME is rare after uncomplicated phacoemulsification cataract surgery, but with respect to preoperative values we observed an asymptomatic increase in macular thickness and volume at 12 weeks. The possible onset of macular alterations after uncomplicated cataract surgery must be taken into account as a potential later complication, because it can lead to a permanent loss of visual acuity.


The first clinical trials of therapies for Ebola virus disease will begin next month in the treatment centres run by Medecins Sans Frontieres in Guinea.

At a press conference in Geneva the principal investigators of the trials announced that three therapies would be tested at three separate sites. They said that the trials would begin in December, and 100-200 patients at each treatment centre would undergo testing.

A team led by the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research will test the antiviral drug favipiravir in Gueckedou, the antiviral brincidofovir will be tested by a consortium led by the University of Oxford at a site yet to be announced, and convalescent whole blood and plasma therapy will be tested by a group led by the Antwerp Institute of …


It has been shown that the intrinsic mitochondrial apoptotic cascade is activated in vascular hyperpermeability after conditions such as hemorrhagic shock. Studies from our laboratory demonstrated mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation in endothelial cells during vascular hyperpermeability. We hypothesized that the participation of mitochondrial ROS in the intrinsic apoptotic cascade results in microvascular endothelial cell hyperpermeability. The purpose of this study was to identify the site(s) of ROS formation in the mitochondrial complex(es) that leads to hyperpermeability. Rat lung microvascular endothelial cell monolayers were pretreated with inhibitors of the complex(es) (I-V) before the activation of the mitochondrial apoptotic cascade using the proapoptotic peptide BAK (BH3). Inhibitors of the xanthine oxidase, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (reduced form) oxidase, NOS, and cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase were also studied. The hyperpermeability was determined by the fluorescence of fluorescein isothiocyanate-albumin that leaked across endothelial cells and ROS production by 2′,7& rime;-dichlorofluorescein diacetate. Cytochrome c levels were also measured. BAK (BH3)-transfected cells showed increased ROS, cytosolic cytochrome c, and hyperpermeability (P < 0.05). Complex III inhibitors antimycin A (10 μM) and stigmatellin (10 μM) attenuated BAK (BH3)-mediated ROS formation and hyperpermeability (P < 0.05). The complex III inhibition decreased BAK (BH3)-mediated cytochrome c release. The results suggest that mitochondrial ROS formation, particularly at respiratory chain complex III, is involved in BAK-induced monolayer hyperpermeability.


With the rapid development of computer technology and network communication technology, the demands of different industries and departments for information of computer technology are growing at the same time. Therefore the traditional mode of education has failed to keep pace with the development of the times. In the colleges and universities of our country, especially in music education of the local colleges and universities, developing a multicultural music education is an important matter which will influences the future development of the college music education of our country. The present paper states the methods and ways to make a quantitative evaluation on teaching effectiveness of college music education when the computer technology is introduced in.


Translation invariant (TI) image denoising outperforms orthogonal wavelet thresholding by averaging a collection of denoised estimates from different orthogonal bases. The paper proposes a new perspective of TI processing as an average of a collection of cyclic-basis frame reconstructions, each a stationary signal estimate, contrasting with the nonstationary estimates of orthogonal wavelet thresholding. This viewpoint clarifies that certain characteristics of TI (i.e. reduced edge contour artifacts) are inherited from each cyclic-basis reconstruction, rather than from the process of averaging. We relate performance advantages of TI in smooth areas of images to statistical relationships of the cyclic-basis reconstructions. In edge regions, the quality of cyclic-basis reconstructions varies significantly with pixel position relative to the edge contour. These differences couple with convexity arguments to explain the large performance gains of TI in edge regions. They also suggest an improved approach to frame reconstruction, based on estimating relative location information, and identifying the best cyclic-basis reconstruction for the estimated pixel location.


Among the Acanthaceae grown in the glasshouses of the University Botanic Garden, Utrecht, a plant labelled Aphelandra velutina drew my attention, first, because it obviously belonged to an entirely different genus, and secondly, because a description under this name could nowhere be found. The coincidence of these two grounds for bewilderment might be explained by assuming that Aphelandra was merely a perversion, probably caused by the inadvertency of a transcriber, of the true generic name. This sounded plausible enough, but the name itself could not be found, for all attempts to refer the plant to one of the existing genera failed. It looked as if the plant might have been described somewhere, but for the time being there was no indication at all as to the whereabouts of this description. A clue to the origin of the name was obtained some time afterwards when I found in the Utrecht herbarium a specimen belonging to the same species which was labelled Eranthemum velutinum: the specific epithet, therefore, was the same, but the generic name was different and, as I will show presently, nearer to the mark. The specimen, which dated from 1922, had been collected by the roadside in the Buitenzorg suburb Kotta Paris, and had apparently been named by an official of the Buitenzorg Botanic Gardens. It is, however, certainly no native Javanese plant, for the flora of Java, and particularly that of Buitenzorg, is well known, and a rather conspicuous plant like this one could not have escaped the attention: it was obviously a runaway from one of the neighbouring gardens.


We study unitarity of lowest weight irreducible representations of rational Cherednik algebras. We prove several general results, and use them to determine which lowest weight representations are unitary in a number of cases. In particular, in type A, we give a full description of the unitarity locus (justified in Subsection 5.1 and the appendix written by S. Griffeth), and resolve a question by Cherednik on the unitarity of the irreducible subrepresentation of the polynomial representation. Also, as a by-product, we establish Kasatani's conjecture in full generality (the previous proof by Enomoto assumes that the parameter c is not a half-integer).


The use of blockchain technology is becoming more widespread. Governments have expanded their use of the technology from online polls to business management of smaller local governments while private institutions have increased their services from financial to medical services management. This paper presents the modified pBFT blockchain consensus algorithm for a more efficient data management method in cases of applying blockchains in authorized nodes such as governmental agencies. The network communication cost was minimized while the consensus accuracy was maximized by applying a method of simplifying the request management process and electing the reliability-based consensus node during the pBFT consensus algorithm process. By applying the modified pBFT consensus algorithm, stability and speed of the consensus and verification process among various organizations can be guaranteed as well as application in efficient management and value creation of data.


Biosynthesis of iron-sulfur clusters (Fe-S) depends on multiprotein systems. Recently, we described the SUF system of Escherichia coli and Erwinia chrysanthemi as being important for Fe-S biogenesis under stressful conditions. The SUF system is made of six proteins: SufC is an atypical cytoplasmic ABC-ATPase, which forms a complex with SufB and SufD; SufA plays the role of a scaffold protein for assembly of iron-sulfur clusters and delivery to target proteins; SufS is a cysteine desulfurase which mobilizes the sulfur atom from cysteine and provides it to the cluster; SufE has no associated function yet. Here we demonstrate that: (i) SufE and SufS are both cystosolic as all members of the SUF system; (ii) SufE is a homodimeric protein; (iii) SufE forms a complex with SufS as shown by the yeast two-hybrid system and by affinity chromatography; (iv) binding of SufE to SufS is responsible for a 50-fold stimulation of the cysteine desulfurase activity of SufS. This is the first example of a two-component cysteine desulfurase enzyme.


Abstract:This essay utilizes chess to ventilate and then re-inter a sustaining premise of Western thought: the belief that practically all phenomena are susceptible to rational calculation, and that even the most aleatory cultural processes can be captured within a matrix of formal procedures. Although this tendency toward mathematical operationalization—the re-inscription of culture into algorithms—is often depicted as emerging alongside computers, my study of chess demonstrates that algorithms have a much longer history within the European cultural imaginary, particularly where Europeans have imagined the culture of the Other. Computers and computation, I argue, must be considered as only one narrow part, albeit a vigorous part, of this older and broader historical project. To begin, I show how algorithms aided European philologists who traced chess back to its origins in India; next, I use this philological history to contextualize subsequent debates in the prominent Artificial Intelligence subfield of computer chess. For computer scientists as well as textual scientists, chess's internal mechanisms become a locus for validating judgments and actions that far exceed the confines of the chessboard itself. Reading AI within the shadow of European philology discloses a critical history of computation, broaching the impingements that computers place upon critical scholars in the present. If today's culture is indeed a digital culture, then it is incumbent upon us, as humanists, to investigate, study, and critique the digital aspects of that culture. But this means seeking digital problems and digital objects where they actually are, rather than imagining them where they are convenient. A postcolonial account of chess forges one—but only one—new trailhead for this spatio-temporal re-mapping of our so-called digital culture.


Mountain areas of Europe have been managed by humans for a long time, leading to a prevalence of semi-natural habitats in mountain landscapes today. These landscapes contain both natural and cultural heritage; however, natural and cultural heritage are rarely considered together when valuing landscapes and developing management plans in protected areas. Here we present a case study of seven protected areas in the mountains of Great Britain and Norway. We take a long-term perspective on landscape and land-use change and propose an integrated model of landscape valuation on the basis of combined natural and cultural heritage. Our model plots indicators of natural and cultural heritage along a gradient of land-use intensity, allowing simultaneous assessment and highlighting how valuation depends on what type of heritage is considered. We show that while contemporary land-use changes follow similar trajectories in Norway and Britain, different land-use histories mean that the loss of heritage differs between the regions. The model presented here thus allows for the consolidation of valuation based on both cultural and natural heritage in landscapes.


Word stress patterns in Najdi Arabic have not received a great deal of attention even though Najdi Arabic could play a central role in the development of metrical theory. This study will provide a brief description of stress in Najdi Arabic dialect as well as Modern Standard Arabic. Beyond the analysis of word stress patterns, this paper will also attempt to deal with three important phenomena that affect stress, namely epenthesis/insertion, vowel shortening and consonant (the glottal stop) deletion. This paper shows that word stress in Najdi Arabic is predictable and heavy syllable carries stress.


Recent data obtained in an unsteady turbulent channel flow is reviewed. Results concerning the modulation characteristics of the Reynolds shear stresses, of the structural parameters and of the length scales inferred from unsteady spatial correlations are discussed. The close examination of both the amplitude and the phase shifts of the Reynolds shear stresses confirms the existence of three distinct inposed frequency regimes, namely the quasi-steady regime, the relaxation regime, in which the amplitudes decrease and which is accompanied by large time lags, and a subsequent third regime wherein the modulation characteristics change considerably. The fine structure of the near-wall turbulence response through quadrant analysis reveals large cyclic variations of the contributions of ejections and sweeps to the Reynolds shear stress. The reaction of the spanwise extent of the near-wall structures is investigated through the spanwise correlation coefficient between the wall shear stress and the streamwise velocity, and the resulting length scales. A temporal filtering of both signals shows that the inactive motions respond uniformly in the whole imposed frequency regime. A strong correlation is found between the modulation characteristics of the streak spacing and the ejection frequency.


Education is one of the most far reaching requirements for development. Combining work commitment, family responsibilities, and school obligations may be very complex and tasking. evaluate the impact of studying circumstances of women on various aspects of their sexual life. The study was performed on 400 married women aged 20 to ≥ 40years. Participants were divided into 2 groups, the studying group (300 cases of married, studying and sexually active women) and the control group (100 cases not studying, married and sexually active women). Each participant was asked to fill the questionnaire. There were highly significant differences between the 2 groups regarding sexual desire, orgasm, emotional satisfaction and sexual satisfaction. While there was a highly significant correlation between the 2 studied groups regarding sexual arousal, lubrication and pain. studying circumstances form a great stress on studying women and applied a negative impact on their sexual life.


Fractal features extraction for the texture classification is studied. BP network is used for the classification of the natural texture image that selected from the Brodatz image database. The performance of the classifier with different features is analyzed and a comparison method for texture feature's capability is proposed. The corresponding selection and combining of features can increase the correct rate


Significance Much of how people process other social agents is hidden under the surface of awareness. Here we report that people automatically and unconsciously treat other people's eyes as if beams of force-carrying energy emanate from them, gently pushing on objects in the world. The findings show how the human brain constructs surprising, rich, and at the same time schematized models of other people's internal processes such as visual attention. As a part of social cognition, people automatically construct rich models of other people's vision. Here we show that when people judge the mechanical forces acting on an object, their judgments are biased by another person gazing at the object. The bias is consistent with an implicit perception that gaze adds a gentle force, pushing on the object. The bias was present even though the participants were not explicitly aware of it and claimed that they did not believe in an extramission view of vision (a common folk view of vision in which the eyes emit an invisible energy). A similar result was not obtained on control trials when participants saw a blindfolded face turned toward the object, or a face with open eyes turned away from the object. The findings suggest that people automatically and implicitly generate a model of other people's vision that uses the simplifying construct of beams coming out of the eyes. This implicit model of active gaze may be a hidden, yet fundamental, part of the rich process of social cognition, contributing to how we perceive visual agency. It may also help explain the extraordinary cultural persistence of the extramission myth of vision.


A study of the degradation of plant cell walls by the mixture of enzymes present in Pectinol R-10 is described. A "wall-modifying enzyme" has been purified from this mixture by a combination of diethylaminoethyl cellulose, Bio Gel P-100, and carboxymethyl cellulose chromatography. Treatment of cell walls with the "wall-modifying enzyme" is shown to be a necessary prerequisite to wall degradation catalyzed by a mixture of polysaccharide-degrading enzymes prepared from Pectinol R-10 or by an alpha-galactosidase secreted by the pathogenic fungus Colletotrichum lindemuthianum. The action of the "wall-modifying enzyme" on cell walls is shown to result in both a release of water-soluble, 70% ethanol-insoluble polymers and an alteration of the residual cell wall. A purified preparation of the "wall-modifying enzyme" is unable to degrade a wide variety of polysaccharide, glycoside, and peptide substrates. However, the purified preparation of wall-modifying enzyme has a limited ability to degrade polygalacturonic acid. The fact that polygalacturonic acid inhibits the ability of the "wall-modifying enzyme" to affect cell walls suggests that the "wall-modifying enzyme" may be responsible for the limited polygalacturonic acid-degrading activity present in the purified preparation. The importance of a wall-modifying enzyme in developmental processes and in pathogenesis is discussed.


This is a follow-up on "Happiness is Flextime" (Okulicz-Kozaryn and Golden 2017), but with focus on the case of unpredictability, the polar opposite of flextime. We study how schedule unpredictability is associated with a worker's subjective wellbeing (SWB). We use the 2016 US General Social Survey containing Quality of Work life and Work Orientations modules. We include only respondents who are either full-time or part-time employees on payrolls. We find that in general the more the instability and unpredictability of work schedules, the lower is their SWB. Results in general have large size effects, at least as much as the effect of income. Although results are specific for the US, our findings provide support for both public and organizational policies that would promote increased predictability and advance notice for the timing of daily work shifts, particularly because the US may be an outlier in the developed world regarding the institutional barriers to last minute work scheduling and its underlying causes.


Electron cyclotron maser emission has been suggested as a possible explanation of ground-based observations of auroral radio waves at twice and three times the lower ionospheric electron cyclotron frequency (2ƒce and 3ƒce). Preliminary theoretical work concluded that direct maser excitation at the first and second harmonics of the free space extraordinary mode (X2 and X3) could exceed collisional ionospheric damping rates, although growth rates were low. Recently, however, ground-based observations indicate that these emissions are predominantly O mode polarized. Therefore a reassessment of the lower ionospheric cyclotron maser as an emission mechanism is necessary. In this paper, kinetic cyclotron maser instability calculations are extended to include the trapped Z mode for varying thermal energies and auroral potential drops within the context of a realistic ionospheric electron distribution model. It is found that when the local upper hybrid frequency is in the close vicinity of 2ƒce or 3ƒce, harmonic Z mode (Z2 and Z3) growth rate is shown to be exceedingly high. This finding suggests that an indirect mechanism that involves linear or nonlinear mode conversion of the excited harmonic Z mode into the ordinary (O) mode is a possible emission mechanism.


【Objectives : The education of dental hygienists on emergency care has been implemented as a part of curriculum at school, the contents and practice are inadequately and unsystematically conducted. The purpose of the study was to examine the perception and use of emergency care in dental hygienists in various emergency situations and emergency medical equipment. Methods : The subject of this study was 64 dental hygienists dental hygienists in Chungchenongnam-Do. The data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire from November, 17 to 24, 2011. Results : Only 3.1% of dental hygienists answered "I know very well", exhibiting relatively low level of recognition. Moreover, 15.6% of respondents answered "I know quite well", 53.2% answered "I know somewhat well", and 28.1% answered "I do not know well". In terms of the operation of defibrillator, 9.4% of dental hygienists answered "yes" and 90.6% answered "no". Regarding performing CPR, 15.6% of respondents answered "I can perform" while 84.4% answered "I can not perform". Conclusions : Despite the education on emergency medicine, dental hygienists working in dental clinics are found to be not well aware of proper perception of emergency care and the utilization of emergency medical equipment. Therefore, appropriate refresh educational framework and development and application of programs are thought to be essential for dental hygienists to adequately and swiftly respond to emergency situations by full recognition of the importance of emergency care.】


The purpose of this study was to explore the psychoneuroimmunologic effect of aromatherapy massage and to compare the effect with that of massage. This study is designed as a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study and each twenty postpartum mothers volunteered the experimental group and control group. For experimental group, researcher used massage with 2% Jojova oil mixed with Lavender and Rosemary oil (Bush Boake Allen Inc., USA) for 20 minutes, whereas for control group Jojova oil was used as luburicant for massage. Skin temperature was measured with YSI Tele-thermometer(Simpson electric Co., USA) and the concentration of IgA in salivary was analyzed by immunoturbididimeter assay(Cobas INTEGRA, Roche, Swiss) at pre and post test. Also at this time fatigue were measured by Rhoten Fatigue Scale through self-report. The data were analyzed using SAS and hypothesis was tested with unpaired t-test. The results were as follows : 1) Score of fatigue decreased significantly after use of aromatherapy massage. 2) Skin temperature increased significantly after use of aromatherapy massage. 3) Concentration of salivary IgA increased significantly after use of aromatherapy massage. In conclusion, from the standpoint of psychoneuroimmunologic view, the results suggest that aromatherapy massage have greater effect compared with massage and can be effective nursing intervention to enhance relaxation of mind and body in the postpartum mothers.


In this paper I trace the emergence of a more-than-human antitoxic politics where microbes are cultivated agents of environmental remediation. Following a successful anti-incinerator protest, a group of urban waste activists in China turned to the brewing of eco-enzymes, a fermented solution made from organic waste, as a means of fortifying the health of bodies, homes, and their local environment. I illustrate how the material effects of microbes catalyze a grassroots response of experimental speculation among middle-class waste activists in response to China's polluted environment. Following feminist science and technology studies scholars and the work of Roberto Esposito, I argue that eco-enzyme brewers engage in a microbiopolitics of immunity and collaboration to reconstitute human and nonhuman collectives in acts of cooperation and care for the environment. Eco-enzymes brewing illustrates how the uncertain effects of microbial transformation can sustain an experimental inquiry into the modes of ecological action that are possible under China's authoritarian politics and polluted landscape.


Method of solution: RSD-PLOT uses an own file format (*.ppf files). The data files (FAT-Rietan IGOR files, DBWS files) are first converted and then displayed. An interface was designed that is easy to use and features pop-up menus etc. This gives the user easy control over all display and output settings. Information panels show the values of 20, the interplanar spacing d and the intensity following the mouse movement. The indices (hkl) are displayed by clicking on a Bragg-position tick. Software environment: The source code is written in Turbo Pascal 7.0. The executable file RSDP.EXE is compiled for the protected DOS mode. At least 4 Mbytes of RAM are recommended for holding large data sets. No other libraries are necessary. The program offers a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) that is fully mouse-controlled. Hardware environment: The program runs on IBM-compatible PC-ATs under MSDOS 6.0 and higher. For the installation, 1.6 Mbytes of disk space are needed, since the distributed package contains large example data files. The program uses VGA graphics and an IBM-compatible mouse. Program specification: RSD-PLOT is interactive. Output is in the form of PostScript files (color or black/white), which then can be sent to a PostScript printer or viewed with the public domain software GhostScript. For future versions, the implementation of screen dumps to laser and matrix printers is intended. The main feature of RSDPLOT is its fully user-defined layout. With a few mouse clicks, one can create a design file (*.dsg) that fits one's individual taste. Different layouts may be loaded or permanently bound to a specific data file. It is also possible to add text, such as peak labels, for the PostScript output. RSD-PLOT furthermore features an ASCII-file viewer. To some extent, this also allows editing of the text files. Documentation: An on-line help file explains the different features as well as the formats of the required system and data files. Some example data files, an example PostScript file and several design files are included in the package. Availability: RSD-PLOT in the form of a self-extracting archive (454 kbytes) can be obtained either by anonymous FTP from ftp.nirim.go.jp/pub/education/dos/ rsdp/rsdplot.exe or by downloading from the author's homepage at http://www. nirim.go.jp/~weber/


Background Small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) is a rare gastrointestinal malignancy. There is no standard regimen for adjuvant chemotherapy for treating SBA. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with resectable SBA. Methods This retrospective study collected data from 148 eligible SBA patients who received radical resection at a single institution. The patients' clinicopathological characteristics were reviewed and disease-free survival (DFS) time and overall survival time (OS) were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results The patients had a median age of 57 years at the time of diagnosis. In most cases, the primary tumor was located in the duodenum (75.68%). Of the 55 patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy, 43 received the combined regimen and 12 received single agent chemotherapy. During the follow-up period, 87 patients (58.87%) relapsed. The median DFS and the median OS were 19 and 32 months for all patients, respectively. Stage, N-stage, adjuvant chemotherapy, and having more than one symptom at the time of diagnosis were factors associated with DFS and OS. The 43 patients who received combined adjuvant chemotherapy generally exhibited better DFS and OS at 3 and 5 years (DFS: 75.7% and 57.3%, respectively; OS: 75.7% and 62.5%, respectively) than the patients who did not receive the same treatment. The survival time was significantly improved in patients with initial CA19-9 of less than 300 µ/mL or CEA of less than 10 ng/mL. Multivariate analysis revealed N stage and combined adjuvant chemotherapy were independent factors for DFS. However, only combined adjuvant chemotherapy could prolong OS for patients who underwent radical resection. Conclusions In our study, both N stage and combined adjuvant chemotherapy are found to influence postoperative recurrence of SBA. Moreover, combined adjuvant chemotherapy is an independent prognostic factor of DFS and OS.


Resorption of the bone consistently ensue the use of denture. Hence, the need for denture relining. Thermoplastic nylon as denture's base material has more fl exibility than acrylic resin but lacks adhesiveness to the self cured acrylic resin.  A surface treatment is necessary to strengthen the shear bond of self cured acrylic resin to thermoplastic nylon. The research was aimed at perceiving the impact of surface treatment on the shear bond strength of self cured acrylic resin, as the relining material of thermoplastic nylon denture. The experimental laboratory research consisted of subject 50 cylinder self cured acrylic resin with a diameter of 5mm and height 3mm bonded to the thermoplastic nylon plate (20x20x2)mm. The treatment was tested on 5 different classifi cations of acetic acid, sandblasting, silane, combination of acetic acid and silane, and combination of sandblasting and silane, added to the surface treatment. The acquired data were analyzed by one way anova and LSD post hoc. The result indicated that the surface treatment had impacts on the shear bond strength of thermoplastic nylon relined with self cured acrylic resin (p<0.05). The post hoc test with LSD showed that the combination of sandblasting and silane demonstrated greater shear bond strength compared to the other four classifi cation. Conclusion: surface treatment were able to increase the shear bond strength of thermoplastic nylon that relined with self cured acrylic resin. The sandblasting - silane combination showed the highest shear bond strength.


SUMMARY This essay describes a fire at a major state institution that caused primarily fire-related damage, with very little attendant water damage. The essay covers treatment of materials damaged and disaster plans as they relate to an incident of this magnitude, and suggests ways to assist other institutions in dealing with major disasters requiring contracted assistance.


Volcanic ashes from Vulcanian explosions derived from shallow-intruded magmas and dome lavas often include microporous and glass-free groundmass in which lath-shaped plagioclase microlites form angular voids. Such texture, generally described as diktytaxitic texture, is known to control the permeability of bulk rock significantly when the connected porosity of bubbles and cracks is small (Kushnir et al., 2016). How and under what conditions diktytaxitic texture is formed is, however, not precisely known. In this study we simulated the formation of diktytaxitic groundmass through a series of isobaric-isothermal (IBIT) crystallization experiments in order to clarify its formation kinetics. As a result, diktytaxitic texture was formed at 850 and 900°C and at 10 and 20 MPa, and almost entire groundmass became diktytaxitic (i.e. glass-free) in the experiment kept at 850°C and 20 MPa for 189 h. At 850°C and 10 MPa for >24 h, interstitial melt completely disappeared to form the groundmass composed of feldspar microlites with angular voids. Cristobalite crystals were found in the groundmass and on the interior walls of capsules. The glass compositions form liner trends between the plagioclase microlites and the precipitated silica on the SiO2-Al2O3 diagram. These observations indicate that evaporation of SiO2-rich melt and condensation of cristobalite are the dominant process for the formation of microporous groundmass characteristic of dixtytaxitic texture. The wide range of K2O contents in the glass can be explained as a result of vapor-phase growth of ~10 μm K-feldspar microlites in the diktytaxitic groundmass. Hence, we conclude that diktytaxitic texture is formed through (1) enrichment of silicon and potassium in the melt by microlite crystallization, (2) evaporation of SiO2-rich constituents from the melt accompanied by breakage of Si-O covalent bond, and (3) precipitation of cristobalite and K-feldspar from vapor. The present study indicates that the late stage magma crystallization in shallow intrusions and lava domes proceeds dominantly through a vapor phase.


Single cell to multiple cells, simple morphology to ultrastructural studies, Biological sciences to Nano Sciences and to some extent medical sciences, has fully or partly depended on Microscopic studies. Without Leeuwenkoek's discovery we can't imagine our latest development in Research. Finally, in 21 st Centuary latest discovery i.e. foldscope microscopy with low cost, easily handle for our tiny school to field scientists.


Context: Bullous pemphigoid (BP) and "Pemphigus diseases" (PD) can have overlapping clinical manifestations and accurate distinction is crucial for appropriate management. Aims: The study aimed at analyzing the utility of simple hematological markers of systemic inflammation like neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), neutrophil-to-eosinophil ratio (NER), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in clinical decision making in the setting of clinical differentials of BP and PD in a particular case. Methods: This single-centre based retrospective observational analytical study included adult subjects newly diagnosed to have BP (n=66) or PD (n=53), confirmed with direct immune-fluorescence testing, over a period of six years. Blood counts performed using Coulter™ hematology analyser, at the time of their initial presentation, were retrieved from the hospital medical records, and the leucocyte ratios were calculated.Statistical Analysis: The data were compared between the two groups, using Mann–Whitney U test and chi-square test /Fisher's exact test. ROC curve analysis was performed to estimate cut-off values. Results: The BP group had a significantly higher NLR, total leukocyte counts (TLC), absolute eosinophil counts (AEC), and absolute lymphocyte counts (ALC), and lower NER values compared to the PD group (P < 0.05). Areas under ROC for NLR, NER, TLC, AEC, and ALC were between 0.5 and 0.7. NLR ≥ 7, AEC ≥ 2055/cumm, and TLC ≥ 15,000/cumm had a specificity of 90.6, 100, and 100% respectively for identifying BP patients out of the two groups, but with a low sensitivity of 22.7, 21, and 22.7%, respectively. Conclusions: NLR can be a valuable diagnostic adjunct in subtyping autoimmune bullous disorders, albeit in a small proportion of cases.


The main natural factors that have a significant impact on the maximum flow rate of suspended sediments are identified. The most universal of these factors is the maximum water flow rate, which creates an opportunity for the formation and development of mudflow processes, as well as determines the power of the mudflow. As a rule, the maximum flow rate of suspended sediments increases with increasing catchment area. At the same time, the larger the size of a river basin is, the greater the impact of various physical and geographical factors. Such complex factors include: Qmax – the maximum water flow rate, φ – the coefficient of natural over regulation of rivers, ϒ – the index of ploughness, Ψ – the forest cover index, İ – the slope of the catchment area. These factors are closely interrelated and interdependent, as mudflows are, to a certain extent, a mirror reflecting the influence of the main natural and anthropogenic factors. It seems to us that of the above factors determining the general background, the most universal ones are singled out for calculating the maximum flow rate of suspended sediments. We believe that there should also be a link between the values of the maximum flow rate of suspended sediments and the set of parameters that more clearly reflect the influence of natural factors. In this regard, in individual basins of any territory mudflows appear with different capacity. The relationships between the maximum flow rate of suspended sediments and the complex of natural factors reflect hydrological and geological-geomorphological conditions. Horizontal and vertical differentiation of mountain slopes with different exposures allowed us to identify this dependence in the form of 3 equations. The first two equations characterize the increase of maximum flow of suspended sediments in watershed and plowed slopes that lead to the maximum flow rate of suspended sediments. But forest cover and the coefficient of rivers flood natural overregulation lead to the lowest flow rate of suspended sediments. The third equation is characterized by the largest increase in water flow rate and in the average height of the catchment, which increases the maximum flow rate of suspended sediments, and the catchment area and the natural over regulation of rivers leads to its reduce.


The current leaders of Egypt and Saudi Arabia are trying to assert much more political control over their respective country's religious institutions. The lesson the regimes seem to have taken away from the Arab upheavals is not the necessity of pluralism, but instead the need for more regimentation, control and exclusion. Nathan Brown explains these issues in both a short issue brief and longer research paper on pluralism and inclusion in the Middle East after the Arab Spring. The project is generously supported by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.


This study aims to analyse the effect of political motives on the quality of local government financial statements (LGFS) in Indonesia. As a public institution, local governments need to increase transparency and accountability by producing high quality financial statements. The LGFS quality is measured using qualitative characteristics while political motives are measured by percentage of opposition member in the legislative, meanwhile, the election year and re-election chances are used as moderating variable. To test the hypothesis, two sample groups were used. The first group of all selected local governments between 2016 and 2017 while the second group are the local governments that have conducted an election. The results showed that political competition had positive effect on LGFS quality while election year together with re-election chances strengthened the positive effect.


Background: The six-minute stepper test (6MST) validity and reproducibility have already been demonstrated in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Aims: To evaluate the responsiveness of the 6MST to pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in patients with COPD and to objectively compare 6MST and six-minute walk test (6MWT). Methods: 62 patients with COPD were included in this prospective cohort study. Participants underwent a three weeks inpatient PR program. Two 6MST and two 6MWT were performed before PR and one 6MST and one 6MWT were performed after the program. The primary outcome was the evolution of the number of steps during the 6MST before and after PR. Secondary outcome included the evolution of the six-minute walk distance (6MWD) pulse oxymetry, heart rate, dyspnea and leg discomfort during the tests before and after PR. Results: A significant increase in the number of steps during the 6MST was observed after PR (22.5 steps; 95% CI: 13.8-31.3; pl0.0001) and in the 6MWD after PR (26.6 m; 95% CI: 17.6-35.5; pl0.0001). 6MST and 6MWT improved by 10.1% and 6.5%, respectively. The number of steps during the 6MST was significantly correlated with the 6MWD before (r=0.72; pl0.0001) and after PR (r=0.66; pl0.0001). Conclusion: The 6MST appears to be as responsive as the 6MWT in order to assess functional improvement during PR in patients with COPD. The 6MST is low cost and requires limited space.


We propose an algorithm for the recovery of a potential from the knowledge of the eigenvalues of the Laplacian operator and the traces of its eigenfunctions. This inverse spectral problem is solved by recasting the operator as an infinite matrix and using transition matrices together with spectral projections on the boundary.