A plasmonic perfect absorber (PA) utilizes high absorption of incident radiation and near-field enhancement which is so advantageous for many applications such as solar cell, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and refractive index (RI) sensitivity. In this study, the numerically presented PA system has resonances from mid-infrared (MIR) to near-infrared (NIR) regions for different periodicities at 2.0, 2.4, and 2.8 µm. A fine-tuning mechanism is obtained to control the spectral response of PA through the geometrical parameters. Dual-band plasmonic resonances have nearly 98% absorption. Near-field intensity distributions are shown with the enhancement factor of 103 at the resonance frequencies. Refractive index sensitivity is also analyzed by embedding PA in different cladding mediums to show the sensing performance. Relationship between resonance wavelength and refractive index of the medium is observed for all resonant modes. The highest sensitivity value is 2382.48 nm/RIU and the figure of merit reaches as high as 28.29 RIU−1.


This paper examines three distinguishing features of caring: that it involves the development of a relationship, that caring responsibilities and needs are unequally distributed and that social norms influence the allocation of care and caring responsibilities, to draw out their implications for analysing caring and its movement between unpaid and paid economies. Rising opportunity costs of caring are found to produce pressures experienced in different ways across different sectors of the economy. These, coupled with inequalities in care responsibilities and labour market opportunities, influence the movement of care between paid and unpaid economies. This analysis is then used to examine the likely evolution of caring norms and practices and how policy might intervene to avoid an uncaring future.


ABA triblock copolymers were synthesized using two polymerization techniques, polycondensation, and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). A telechelic polymer was synthesized via polycondensation, which was then functionalized into a difunctional ATRP initiator. Under ATRP conditions, outer blocks were polymerized to form the ABA triblock copolymer. Six types of samples were prepared based on a poly(ether ether ketone) or poly(arylene ether sulfone) center block with either poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(pentafluorostyrene), or poly(ionic liquid) outer blocks. As polycondensation results in polymers with broad molecular weight distribution (MWD), the center of these triblock copolymers are disperse, while the outside blocks have narrow MWD due to the control afforded from ATRP. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 228–238


Hippuric acid (HA) is a metabolite resulting from the hepatic glycine conjugation of benzoic acid (BA) or from the gut bacterial metabolism of phenylalanine. BA is generally produced by gut microbial metabolic pathways after the ingestion of foods of vegetal origin rich in polyphenolic compounds, namely, chlorogenic acids or epicatechins. It can also be present in foods, either naturally or artificially added as a preservative. The plasma and urine HA levels have been used in nutritional research for estimating the habitual fruit and vegetable intake, especially in children and in patients with metabolic diseases. HA has also been proposed as a biomarker of aging, since its levels in the plasma and urine can be influenced by the presence of several age-related conditions, including frailty, sarcopenia and cognitive impairment. Subjects with physical frailty generally exhibit reduced plasma and urine levels of HA, despite the fact that HA excretion tends to increase with aging. Conversely, subjects with chronic kidney disease exhibit reduced HA clearance, with HA retention that may exert toxic effects on the circulation, brain and kidneys. With regard to older patients with frailty and multimorbidity, interpreting the HA levels in the plasma and urine may result particularly challenging because HA is at the crossroads between diet, gut microbiota, liver and kidney function. Although these considerations may not make HA the ideal biomarker of aging trajectories, the study of its metabolism and clearance in older subjects may provide valuable information for disentangling the complex interaction between diet, gut microbiota, frailty and multimorbidity.


This paper discusses a class of data-preprocessed statistical models for evaluating the optimal calibration interval of a measuring instrument. These models are based on the assumption that the calibration status of a measuring instrument can be predicted using the instrument's historical calibration data. On the basis of the gray threshold value prediction method, a series of historical calibration data are preprocessed so that a monotone-increasing series of data points will be created. Then, the first-order gray model, exponential regression, linear regression, and general polynomial regression are applied to fit the series of preprocessed data points to predict the time at which the measured value of the instrument will be outside of the allowable tolerance range. The effectiveness of each developed model was evaluated through the actual data collected in a calibration laboratory. Results demonstrate that the gray threshold value prediction based on second-order polynomial model, a modified autoregressive model, is the best method for forecasting the calibration interval of a measuring instrument.


Health intervention schemes have previously been used in order to improve animal welfare and to reduce and sometimes eradicate disease (Bell et al., 2009). This investigation looks at the success of one such scheme upon the incidence of cattle lameness. Farmers participating in the Healthy Livestock Scheme, which took place in the South West of England from November 2010January 2014, had their cattle mobility scored before commencing any mentored training, to determine pre-intervention lameness prevalence and again after intervention. The results confirm there was a significant reduction in lameness, from an average 26.7% lame before any intervention to 20.4% after. This means there was on average, 23.6% fewer cases of lameness after farms had participated in the Healthy Livestock Scheme, than before. In an average 128 cow herd, this equates to seven fewer cows becoming lame each year and, based on a single case of lameness costing £180 (AHDB, 2016), this represents a significant saving of £1,283 per annum. Importantly, none of the independent variables had a significant effect upon the change in lameness seen between pre and post-intervention mobility scores. This means the Healthy Livestock scheme was effective at reducing lameness regardless of farming system, breed, herd size, housing, or number of FTEs. The wider implications of this mean that, crucially, this type of funded vet and farmer interaction reaps benefits for all farm types, regardless of these factors. F. Shepherd Student number: 323432 4


The chlorine degassing in magma is crucial in the control of vapour-induced magma differentiation, ore formation, hydrother-mal alteration, and volcano-atmosphere interactions, because the chlorine-rich fluids have high chemical reactivity. Since the degassing is a process involving diffusive transport of the volatiles, it is necessary to quantify the diffusivity of chlorine in silicate melts for the detailed understanding of these phenomena. Bai and Koster van Groos (1994) carried out systematic experiments of chlorine diffusion in rhyolitic melts by using molten NaCl or NaCl aqueous solutions for the chlorine source. In these cases, however, it is possible that sodium infiltrates into the melt to modify the original composition, resulting in the increase of the diffusivity because sodium efficiently cuts the silicate network. In this study, I carried out diffusion experiments of chlorine in rhyolitic melts using pure chlorine to measure the diffusivity without any significant change of the alkali content. Chlorine was generated by means of electrolysis of a sodium chloride solution, and it was then purified cryogenically in a vacuum line. A rhyolitic glass slab prepared from natural obsidian was sealed in a quartz glass pressure vessel together with the pure chlorine, and annealed in a furnace at 750 to 950 ℃ for up to 20 days. The pressure in the vessel was calculated to be 12 to 128 bars. In a selected experiment, water was added to chlorine in the vessel to examine the water-content dependence of the chlorine diffusivity. After quenching, the chlorine contents were quantified along the diffusion profile using an EPMA. The diffusivity of chlorine under the dry condition was determined to be 3.5 × 10 − 17 to 5.9 × 10 − 16 m 2 /s at 750 to 950 ℃ . These values are about three orders of magnitude smaller than those previously measured for dry rhyolitic melts using the molten NaCl for the chlorine source (Bai and Koster van Groos, 1994). This difference may be attributed to the difference in the melt composition caused by sodium infiltration. The activation energy of the chlorine diffusion was calculated to be 89 kJ/mol, and is similar to that of Bai and Koster van Groos (86 kJ/mol). This indicates that the mechanism of chlorine diffusion is identical irrespective of the chlorine source. In the water-added experiment, the diffusivity was an order of magnitude greater than that in the dry experiments. Here, the water content of the melt was calculated to be 1.2 wt%. The present study showed that the diffusivity of chlorine was much lower than previously considered. The chlorine diffusivity showed a strong dependence of the water content. These observations may indicate that the chlorine degassing occurs only when the magma has the high water content before eruption. This idea is consistent with the observation that the groundmass glass of obsidian pyroclasts, pumice, and lavas from Mukaiyama volcano, Niijima island, have the constant chlorine content (0.13 ± 0.01 wt%), while the melt inclusions in quartz contained 0.18 ± 0.02 wt% chlorine (Yoshimura, in preparation).


All that is attempted in this paper is to describe the reactions of the various cells of the endometrium to infection. It is based on the study of a large number of endometriums known to be infected. From these a few have been selected to illustrate the typical cell changes. No distinction is made between the results of the various infecting organisms. No attempt is made at a classification. Up to the present time, writers undertaking to describe the pathologic changes in the endometrium due to infection have constantly confused them with the physiologic changes that take place during the menstrual cycle. As these physiologic changes have been recognized too recently for the profession in general to be familiar with them, it is necessary to review briefly the histology of the normal endometrium before taking up the changes that are found as the result of infection. NORMAL HISTOLOGY The surface


【In this paper, we designed and fabricated electromagnetic induction based scaffold type energy harvester. For energy harvesting, mechanical energy of vertical motion is transferred to rotational energy using rack gear and multiplying gear was used to maximize energy transfer. To optimize design parameters, physical structure of energy harvester was modeled using finite element method. The effect of multiplying gear ratio and frequency levels of applied mechanical energy on energy generation efficiency are analyzed by computer simulation and experimental test. Experimental results showed that maximum 25.36 W of electric power can be achieved at the frequency of 2 Hz and 1:77 of gear ratio with only 5 mm of vertical changes on scaffold structure.】


The current form of Ps. xcix reflects its position in a collection of texts spanning Pss. xciii-c that addresses the kingship of YHWH and the interests of a 5th century Zadokite establishment. Ps. xcix, however, possesses both lexical and ideological features that point to an earlier literary stratum underlying the current form of the text. An examination of these features suggests that the psalm was initially composed during the reign of David and relates to the transformation of Jerusalem from a Jebusite to an Israelite city, drawing heavily upon the Shiloh tradition and the significance of Mosaic intercession as a means of establishing the sacred parameters of history. A later Zadokite editor included this earlier text in the 5th century collection but augmented it with references to Jerusalem Priestly tradition, facilitating the transfer of religious authority from Mosaic to Zadokite circles.


Aim: We aimed to determine tendo calcaneus thickness (TCT) and its relationships with body mass index (BMI), fasting blood sugar, and age and to determine gender impact on TCT in a Nigerian population. Materials and Methods: The present study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive research design to assess the TCT of 264 adult participants of a Nigerian population aged 30 years and above. A gray-scale high-resolution ultrasound machine, Sonoace 5500, manufactured by Medicol in Korea, with a 10 MHz transducer was used to obtain the sonographic measurements of the tendo calcaneus. The study was carried out at Assurance Medical Diagnostic and Research Center, Calabar. The weight and height of the participants were measured using an electronic weighing scale and meter rule, respectively. Only participants/volunteers who gave their informed consent for the study were included in the study. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Human Research and Ethical Committee of Assurance Medical Diagnostic and Research Center, Calabar, Cross River State. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software version 16.0 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: A strong positive correlation was obtained between TCT and gender (r = 0.72; P < 0.05); TCT also had a positive relationship with BMI (r = 0.421; P < 0.05). The male had significantly thicker tendo calcaneus (5.8 ± 1.4 mm) than their female (5.1 ± 1.6 mm) counterpart (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Results of the present study show that TCT is gender specific and may be useful in cardiovascular risk stratification due to its relationship with BMI, weight, and age, which are known risk factors of tendinopathy and cardiovascular disease.


Abstract Lymphoid follicles/aggregates in gastric biopsies have been traditionally linked to Helicobacter pylori gastritis, and less commonly to other inflammatory and neoplastic conditions. The frequency of such aggregates in normal stomachs has yet to be adequately evaluated. This is especially relevant when it comes to diagnosing non-specific chronic gastritis in biopsy specimens with chronic inflammation but no evidence of H pylori infection. Sleeve gastrectomies represent an opportunity to study adequately preserved gastric mucosa in patients who are otherwise asymptomatic and lack a history of gastric disease. To study sleeve gastrectomy specimens to quantify the amount of lymphoid follicles/aggregates and lymphocytic infiltration in normal stomachs. Sixty-eight bariatric sleeve gastrectomies and 13 control specimens from Whipple resections were examined for multiple histologic features including type, quantity, and distribution of chronic inflammation and lymphoid follicles/aggregates. Presence of H pylori was documented by both Hematoxylin and eosin-stained (H&E) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Clinical information including age, sex, medication intake, prior endoscopy, and/or H pylori infection was recorded. The patient population was divided in 2 groups, H pylori negative versus H pylori positive, and statistical analysis was performed by a biostatistician. Two hundred sixty three fundic sections from 68 bariatric patients were examined. Fifty three patients were found to be H pylori-negative, compared with 15 who were positive for H pylori. Among the H pylori-negative group, the average number of lymphoid aggregates was 3.33, compared with an average of 6.26 in the H pylori positive group (the difference was statistically significant with a P-value of .008). The average number of plasma cells per high power field was 2.15 in the H pylori negative group, compared and average of 5.07 in the H pylori positive group (the difference was also statistically significant with a P-value <.001). Clinically, 10 of the 53 H pylori-negative patients had esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) that showed endoscopic mild non-erosive gastric erythema. The remaining had no documentation of symptoms or medication intake, including Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI). Our results suggest that the presence of lymphoid aggregates and plasma cells infiltration can be a normal finding in otherwise normal gastric mucosa, though more pronounced in H pylori infected patients.


This innovative practice work-in-progress paper presents the Challengr tool, a modern Classroom Response System (CRS) used to organise micro-contests in classrooms, especially for higher education. The proposed tool is designed to evaluate students in a fun and challenging way. It also allows instructors to collect feedback about students' performances to adapt and improve their lessons and teaching.CRS is an interesting technology to increase students' motivation and introduce interactions in classrooms in a scalable way. Classical CRS like clickers can be used to implement active and cooperative learning, making students engaged actors of their own learning. The tool proposed in this paper is not meant to provide interaction during the lesson or collect real-time statistics with brief questions to the audience. The micro-contests can take place at the beginning of the lesson to check students' backgrounds or memories of the previous ones. At the end of the lesson, it can be used to probe what they understood. Finally, the system supports local challenges and online remote ones and can accept guests. It additionally offers an API to connect it to other tools, like Learning Management System (LMS).Challengr is suitable for computer science engineering courses, in particular when skills to be mastered by students are piecewise and incremental. This work-in-progress tool is planned to be tested for an introductory programming course. It is critical for instructors to follow up how students are assimilating the material from the lessons. It will also undergo a thorough evaluation measuring the impact on students' learning.


Transient electronic absorption following excitation of the first C-H stretching overtone (2nu(CH)) or a C-H stretch-bend combination (nu(CH) + nu(bend)) monitors the flow of vibrational energy in cis-stilbene and in trans-stilbene. Following a rapid initial rise as energy flows into states interrogated by the probe pulse, the absorption decays with two time constants, which are about a factor of 2 longer for the cis-isomer than for the trans-isomer. The decay times for cis-stilbene are tau2(cis) = (2.6 +/- 1.5) ps and tau3(cis) = (24.1 +/- 2.1) ps, and those for trans-stilbene are tau2(trans) = (1.4 +/- 0.6) ps and tau3(trans) = (10.2 +/- 1.1) ps. The decay times are essentially the same in different solvents, suggesting that the relaxation is primarily intramolecular. The two decay times are consistent with the sequential flow of energy through sets of coupled states within the molecule, and the difference in the rates for the two isomers likely reflects differences in coupling among the states arising from the different structures of the isomers. The similarity of the time evolution following excitation of the first C-H overtone at 5990 cm(-1) and the stretch-bend combination at 4650 cm(-1) is consistent with a subset of states, whose structure is similar for the two vibrational excitation energies, controlling the observed flow of energy.


The principal theme of the book is the fundamental problem of Marxist studies: the development of a theory of history that is an "epistemological reflection of materialist historical thought" and from which a rigorous methodology can evolve. In particular, Schmidt advances a view of history that reaffirms the reality and value of the actual content of historical experience. In the first half of the book, Schmidt returns to the historical texts of Hegel and Marx, and presents an original and suggestive account of Marx's appropriation of Hegel, and most importantly, of the concept of "dialectical mediation" of logic and history. These sections focus on the perennial opposition of "logic," "theory," "system", and (more recently) "structure," on the one hand, and "history-as-narrative" on the other, and argue that holding with only one side of this opposition--either structure without history or history without structure--is unfaithful to Marx and also makes for inadequate history. The final half of the book presents the opposing sides of the current debate between the two most influential streams of Marxist theory--structuralism vs. critical theory--and enters the debate by outlining the critical-theoretic arguments against the structuralists and what Schmidt sees as the modern loss of the sense of history and historical consciousness, as well as by appropriating for Marxist historiography what is of value in structuralism. This debate is given concrete form through the discussion of the writings of the French structuralist Louis Althusser and of the dialectically contradictory outlook of Antonio Gramsci.


Motivated by the bad metal behavior of the iron pnictides, we study a multi-orbital t-J1-J2 model and investigate possible singlet superconducting pairings. Magnetic frustration by itself leads to a large degeneracy in the pairing states. The kinetic energy breaks this into a quasi-degeneracy among a reduced set of pairing states. For small electron and hole Fermi pockets, an A1g state dominates over the phase diagram but a B1g state has close-by energy. In addition to the nodeless A1g sx2y2 channel, the nodal A1g sx2+y2 and B1g dx2- y2 channels are also competitive in the magnetically frustrated J1∼J2 parameter regime. An A1g+iB1g state, which breaks time-reversal symmetry, occurs at low temperatures in part of the phase diagram. Implications for the experiments in the iron pnictides are discussed.


We expose the principle of a new optical technique which allows the simultaneous measurements, in a precise and fast way, of the thermal diffusion coefficient and the thermal conductivity of any transparent isotropic medium. This method, which makes use of the heat produced by the non-radiative absorption of the light used for the measurement, perturbs the medium to a negligible amount. We report here as well some preliminary results obtained on pure and multicomponent normal liquids, on amorphous and cristalline solids and on a critical binary liquid mixture.


Dix, M.E. 1976. Protection of Great Plains shelterbelts from insects, p. 169-171. In Shelterbelts on the Great Plains. Proc. Symp. [Denver, Colo., Apr. 1976]. Great Plains Agric. Council Publ. 78, 218 p. Trees severely damaged by insects in the shelterbelts on the Great Plains are common, and they reduce the effectiveness of the entire shelterbelt. Currently the major pest species can be divided into two categories, the borers and the defoliators. Boring insects structurally weaken, deform, or kill their hosts trees. Defoliating insects decrease crown density and retard tree growth. Most surveys identify the problem but do not estimate its importance. Better methods of assessing and predicting insect populations are needed. Presently, insecticides are used to control all the major pest species. Few alternative immediate silvicultural or biological controls are available. Rhoads, A.F. 1976. Effects of air pollution stress on urban plantings in New Jersey. American Nurseryman 144(11): 11, 48, 50-51, 54-55. Trees for urban plantings must be able to survive in a hostile environment. On the other hand, trees can have an ameliorative effect on the harsh city environment. Trees are able to absorb gaseous pollutants, including ozone and sulfur dioxide, and to muffle noise. However, in most urban areas, the number of trees present is not sufficient to have a significant impact on air quality, temperature or noise levels. The major contributions of most urban plantings are visual and aesthetic. This article will cover some specific effects of air pollution, one of the urban stresses, on trees in New Jersey.


The paper examines the development of Russia's customs policy in the Central Asian region in the mid-to-late 19th c. The main part of the paper is a publication of a staff report written by Vladimir P. Cherevansky, a Russian high-rank official to Turkestan, namely, Head of Chamber of Control, in the 1870s. As a member of Commission for Russian Trade in Central Asia he disagreed with his colleagues on customs evolution and expressed his opinion in the report addressed to Konstantin von Kaufman, the then Governor-General of Turkestan. Since the 18th c. Russia had implemented the most favorable treatment towards merchants from the Central Asian khanates (Bukhara, Khiva, Khoqand, etc.) but their monarchs never responded equally. In the 1850s – 1860s, the Russian Empire substantially widened its possessions in Central Asia, shifting its borders southward. It caused a necessity of closing customs stations on the former borders (in particular, in Orenburg region). However, imperial authorities did not agree on whether or not to establish new ones in the newly annexed Russian Turkestan. The problem of customs policy of the Russian Empire (Turkestan Governor-Generalship being its specific region) towards Central Asian Khanates has been studied in a number of works, but the published document was never analyzed properly, whereas its content and especially its author are of great importance to go deeply into that difficult situation in the Russian customs policy to Central Asia. V. P. Cherevansky's report mirrored different opinions on customs policy and, in fact, the end of the era of free-trade in the Russian Empire in general, and its Central Asian trade specifically. The content of report was influenced by debates between central authorities on administration of Turkestan — the Ministry of Finance and the Military Ministry. Although V. P. Cherevansky and Kaufman represented, respectively, financial authorities and military circles, they were not in conflict, and the report is an evidence of their constructive and respectful relations. In fact, the author of the report, who ex officio had to support free-trade policy, manifested his adherence to protectionism and strict customs policy towards Central Asian khanates and potential competitors from British India. The publication of the report also gives more information on V. P. Cherevansky as such. He was not just an official of a high rank (not only to Turkestan but later in Moscow and St. Petersburg where he finished his career as senator and member of the State Council), but also an author of novels and historical essays. His literary talents can well be seen in the published report, its style and content. Still, first of all V. P. Cherevansky was a professional with expertise in Russian Central Asian affairs. That is why his arguments were kept in mind by both local Turkestanian rulers and central authorities. However, the process of establishment of the customs system in Russian Central Asia proved long-term. Only in the late 19th c. it was finally organized with the aid of Cherevansky's proposals.


Abstract
Purpose
This article aims at investigating knowledge transfer and exchange (KTE) between founder firms and corporate foundations (CFs), looking at mechanisms able to enhance CFs' orientation of effectiveness.

Methodology/approach
We analyze 50 questionnaires collected through a survey of CFs based in Italy (redemption of 42.7% of the total). We use a number of regressions to verify the change of explained variance moving from a basic model with control variables (enter method) and a model including KTE mechanisms with an impact on orientation to effectiveness (stepwise method).

Findings
The analysis produced a model which underlines the influence of knowledge transfer mechanisms in stimulating orientation to effectiveness. The adoption of specific knowledge transfer mechanisms by founder firms can have a significant influence on how CFs manage their effectiveness. Three mechanisms emerge from the study as elements with a positive impact.

Practical implication
The results apply to nonprofit or public bodies, especially if we consider partnerships or organizational networks. The individuated criteria for selecting a positive KTE could drive similar choices of other nonprofit bodies.

Social implication
The study individuates a set of practices that are potentially able to influence positively the orientation to effectiveness of CFs, and the capacity to perform their activities and respond to social needs more successfully.

Originality/value
This research considers CFs as founder firms' subsidiaries, with a growing strategic importance. This research reveals how KTE mechanisms can foster the development of orientation to effectiveness if implying interaction, firms' commitment, autonomy, and alignment with the firms' strategy and CFs' purposes.


The Indian Ocean is traversed by some of the world's most important shipping routes. The fact that four continents (if one includes the Antarctic) front the Indian Ocean and its southern approaches is itself explanation of the wide range of political, economic and cultural challenges that are faced. Such diversity in the Indian Ocean's littoral means that nation states must develop equally diverse strategies to manage the emerging problems. Given all these factors, Australia's approach to maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean must have both military and civil dimensions, as manifested in its support for the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), as well as its contributions to anti-piracy operations and the fight against organised crime.


The objective of the present work was to evaluate the effect of the organo-mineral foliar fertilization and the environment in the lettuce crop. The work was carried out in a soil classified as Quartzipsamments, with loam texture and low initial availability of nutrients. The experimental design used was randomized blocks with a factorial arrangement 2 x 2 x 5, corresponding to two cultivars of lettuce (Crisp Vanda and Crisp Lucy Brown), two environments (with and without shading mesh at 35%) and five concentrations of Ferti Garden liquid fertilizer multipurpose via foliar, (0; 5; 10; 15 and 20% of the product in the solution), with 4 repetitions, containing 20 plants. Soil preparation was done manually and fertilized with 30 m hectare of bovine manure, dead cover was also used. The foliar fertilizer was applied three times, at intervals of seven days, through a constant pressure sprayer, from 12 days after transplanting the seedlings. At 33 days after the transplant the plants were harvested and evaluated in the variables of head diameter, number of leaves, fresh matter and productivity. The cultivar Crisp Lucy Brown proved to be more demanding in terms of luminosity and mineral nutrition in relation to the cultivar Crisp Vanda. Therefore, the highest development and productivity of the Crisp Lucy Brown cultivar is obtained without shading mesh, with fertilization before sowing of 30 kg ha of fowl bed and fertilization with 9.1% of the foliar fertilizer. While for the cultivar Crisp Vanda the highest productivity is obtained with shading mesh, and only with fertilization before sowing.


This study conducts three experiments on adversary decision-making modeled as a graph. Each experiment has the overall goal to understand how to exploit an adversary's decision-making in order to obtain desired outcomes, as well as specific goals unique to each experiment. The first experiment models adversary decision-making using an Absorbing Markov chain (AMC). A sensitivity analysis of states (nodes in the graph) and actions (edges in the graph) is conducted which informs how downstream adversary decisions could be manipulated. The next experiment uses a Markov decision process (MDP). Assuming the adversary is initially blind to the rewards they will receive when they take an action, a Q´learning algorithm is used to determine the sequence of actions that maximizes the adversary rewards (called an optimum policy). This experiment gives insight in the possible decision-making of an adversary. Lastly, in the third experiment a two-player Markov game is developed, played by an agent (friend) and the adversary (foe). The agents goal is to decrease the overall rewards the adversary receives when it follows optimum policy. All experiments are demonstrated using specific examples.


We investigate the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis for the cross-country relationship between per capita income and the overall risk of biodiversity loss. Relative to several recent EKC studies on biodiversity, use of a multivariate index that considers species, genetic and ecosystem diversity is a better indicator of biodiversity risk than simply the number or percentage change of any particular species category (e.g. plants, birds and mammals). Using several variants of the multivariate National Biodiversity Risk Assessment Index (NBRAI), we find no evidence in support of an EKC relationship.


Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) of the post-synaptic density (PSD) was solubilized and activated 4- to 5-fold by limited alpha-chymotrypsin digestion with prior autophosphorylation of the kinase. The enzyme was also activated by trypsin and mu-calpain, a Ca(2+)-dependent protease. The active catalytic fragment was purified to homogeneity using gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography. The purified active fragment was completely Ca2+/calmodulin-independent and exists as a monomer. Kinetic studies with the purified fragment revealed similar Km values for ATP and synthetic peptide substrate, and an about 8-fold increment in Vmax, compared with native PSD CaM kinase II.


Objective-To evaluate the safety and efficacy of recombinant y interferon (rIFNy) in the treatment of patients with systemic sclerosis. Methods-Sixteen patients with systemic sclerosis were treated with r-IFNy, 60 FIg m (low dose, n=10) and 150 ;tg m-2 (high dose, n=6), three times weekly in an open phase I/11 trial of eight months duration. The patients were stratified in low and high dose according to the severity and the extent of scleroderma; the two groups were comparable. Results-The treatment was well tolerated. The most common side effects, almost certainly related to r-IFNy, were fever, chills, dizziness, headache, and severe flu-like syndrome with decreasing intensity with the time of treatment. Severe aphthous stomatitis (n = 1), ventricular tachycardia (n = 1), severe oesophageal ulcers due to gastrooesophageal reflux (n = 1), disease exacerbation alone with frank arthritis and slight pericardial effusion (n = 1), and inability to conform to the requirements of the study (n = 1) were the reasons for discontinuing treatment. Side effects and degree of response were evident during the first five months of treatment. A significant decrease in mean skin thickness score was observed and was higher in the high dose group. Reactive oxygen species of peripheral neutrophils and soluble interleukin-2 receptor serum concentrations were higher than those ofnormal individuals at study entry and decreased in parallel with clinical improvement. Conclusions-Treatment of systemic sclerosis patients with r-IFNy was relatively safe and well tolerated for doses as high as 150 ig m-2 three times weekly. Side effects and the degree of response can be seen during the first months oftherapy and can be used as predictors of ultimate toxicity or response. The drug seems to be effective in treating cutaneous scleroderma. (Ann Rheum Dis 1996;55:761-768) Systemic sclerosis is a multisystem disorder of unknown aetiology, characterised by deposition of excessive amounts of collagen in the skin and internal organs.' Activation ofT lymphocyte subpopulations and fibroblasts plays a key role in the development of the disease,23 and is probably linked to the hyper-reactivity of the immune system,"7 and to the vascular damage observed in the early disease stages."' An increased in soluble interleukin-2 receptors (SIL-2R) has been observed in the sera of systemic sclerosis patients and reflect the activation ofT lymphocytes.7 1 Peripheral neutrophils, also activated in systemic sclerosis patients, produce high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which have been associated with the severity and the extent of skin involvement. 14 y Interferon (IFNy) has been shown to inhibit collagen synthesis by normal dermal fibroblasts and by systemic sclerosis fibroblasts in vitro. ""i Encouraging results regarding safety and efficacy of recombinant IFNy (r-IFNy) in treating systemic sclerosis in previous studies,""'0 stimulated us to undertake a pilot phase I/II open clinical trial for systemic sclerosis patients in order to further test the safety and clinical and biological effectiveness of r-IFNy. Although definite answers about efficacy can be obtained only by placebo controlled trials,'2 phase I/II trials are nevertheless important to establish a substantial safety database and to answer questions relating toxicity to the extent and duration of biological effects induced by the drug. Methods Sixteen patients (15 female, one male) were enrolled in a phase I/II clinical study, (table 1). The patients had clinical evidence of sclerodermatous skin involvement (oedematous or hidebound) proximal to wrist, ankle, and face. Patients 6, 13, 14, and 15 had skin thickening restricted to sites distal to the elbow and knee, but also involving the face and neck, and these patients were considered to have limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lSSc).2 The remaining patients had skin thickening centrally to the elbows and knees and nine of them (Nos 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, and 16) had also trunk involvement; these patients were considered to have diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dSSc)," as shown in table 1. The sclerodermatous changes occurred during a period of 1 to 46 months before treatment. The patients were able and willing to conform to the requirements of the study and gave a written consent. Thirteen patients were followed up in the rheumatology outpatient clinic, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ioannina, and three patients at the rheumatology outpatient clinic, Department of Pathophysiology, Laikon Hospital, National University of Athens. The following exclusion criteria were used for the selection of the patients: Medical School, National University of Athens, Athens, Greece: Department of Pathophysiology P G Vlachoyiannopoulos I Dimitriou H M Moutsopoulos Medical School University ofIoannina, Ioannina, Greece: Department of Internal Medicine N Tsifetaki S A Papiris Department of Biochemistry D Galaris Correspondence to: HM Moutsopoulos MD, FACP, FRCP (Edin), Department of Pathophysiology Medical School, National University of Athens, 75 M Asias Street, 115 27 Athens, Greece. Accepted for publication 21 June 1996 761 group.bmj.com on June 23, 2017 Published by http://ard.bmj.com/ Downloaded from


An accounting information system is a system that processes data and transactions to produce useful information for planning, controlling, and operating a business. Factors that affect the performance of SIA such as user involvement in the development of information systems, personal technical skills, top management support, training and education. This research is in the form of associative using a questionnaire. The number of samples studied as many as 117 respondents using purposive sampling technique of determining the sample using criteria. The results of hypothesis testing indicate that the variables of user involvement in information system development, personal technical skills, top management support, training and education affect the performance of SIA at LPD in Abiansemal District


35S‐labeled proteins carried by fast axonal transport in sciatic sensory axons of bullfrog and rat were separated electrophoretically on discontinuous polyacrylamide gradient slab gels. In contrast to the previously reported similarity in the electrophoretic profiles of rapidly transported proteins from functionally different neurons, we have found that there is very little correspondence in the profiles of these proteins in functionally similar neurons from two widely studied species. We also found very little correspondence between the two species in the profiles of locally synthesized sciatic nerve protein. The results demonstrate the difficulty inherent in comparing the electrophoretic profiles obtained using these two model systems for the study of rapidly transported axonal proteins. In particular, relationships between the major rapidly transported proteins in the two species could_not be analyzed with this technique.


Samples were prepared from a raw material mixture containing 50 % of kaolin, 25 % of quartz, and 25 % of feldspar and extruded from the plastic paste. Young's modulus was measured by the resonant method using flexural vibrations. The results of Young's modulus measurement at the room temperature, obtained from the samples fired at a temperature in the range 420-740°C, show that it is necessary to consider the increase of the porosity during dehydroxylation as the most important cause of the decrease of the values of Young's modulus. The role of the β ↔ α reversible transformation of quartz grains inside the ceramic material as well as the role of the solid state sintering in the considered temperature interval turns out to be negligible.


Introduction Manual hyperinflation (MH), a maneuver applied in mechanically ventilated patients to facilitate secretion removal, has large variation in its performance. Effectiveness of MH is usually evaluated by its capacity to generate an expiratory flow bias. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of MH—and its resulting flow bias—applied according to clinical practice versus according to expert recommendation on mucus movement in a lung model simulating a mechanically ventilated patient. Methods Twelve physiotherapists were asked to apply MH, using a self-inflating manual resuscitator, to a test lung as if to remove secretions under two conditions: according to their usual clinical practice (pre-instruction phase) and after verbal instruction to perform MH according to expert recommendation was given (post-instruction phase). Mucus simulant movement was measured with a photodensitometric technique. Peak inspiratory flow (PIF), peak inspiratory pressure (PIP), inspiratory time (TINSP), tidal volume (VT) and peak expiratory flow (PEF) were measured continuously. Results It was found that MH performed post-instruction delivered a smaller VT (643.1 ± 57.8 ml) at a lower PIP (15.0 ± 1.5 cmH2O), lower PIF (38.0 ± 9.6 L/min), longer TINSP (1.84 ±0.54 s) and lower PEF (65.4 ± 6.7L/min) compared to MH pre-instruction. In the pre-instruction phase, MH resulted in a mean PIF/PEF ratio of 1.73 ± 0.38 and mean PEF-PIF difference of -54.6 ± 28.3 L/min, both out of the range for secretion removal. In the post-instruction phase both indexes were in the adequate range. Consequently, the mucus simulant was moved outward when MH was applied according to expert recommendation and towards the test lung when it was applied according to clinical practice. Conclusions Performance of MH during clinical practice with PIF higher than PEF was ineffective to clear secretion in a lung model simulating a mechanically ventilated patient. In order to remove secretion, MH should result in an adequate expiratory flow bias.


This study explores the competitive relationship between form and meaning in getting attention based on the primacy of meaning principIe and the lexica1 preference principie (VanPatten, 2004a). With this end in view 161 participants were assigned to four experimental conditions: Silent reading with (+) and without (-) LTIs and thinlkaloud with (+) and without (-) LTls. +LTIs groups read a passage with a title referring to the past, 14 target forms -ed and 12 LTIs. «LTIs groups read a version of the passage with 14 target forms, with no title and LTls associated with the temporal morphology. To identify the degree of text comprehension resulting from djfferent conditions, all groups took a comprehension test while the degree of form processing was examined through a form-recognition test, a cloze-passage production test, and a translation test. A two-way ANOVA run on the data obtained from the comprehension test showed statistically main effect for +LTIs. Two-way ANOVAs run on the data obtained from the three tests examining the effects of «LTIs on participants' engagement wit'h L2 fonn processing showed some benefits. The results obtained 1'01' text interaction formats measured by comprehension test showed no benefit. Input processing made benefit from think-aloud protocol measured by cloze-passage and translation tests and not from form-recognition test. The interaction of ±LT[s and text interaction fonnats did not inl1uence comprehension; however, input processing was influenced by the interaction 01' ±LTls and text interaction formats.


Much progress has been made in the understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of motor control including a complex interaction of sensory, motor and cognitive functions. The identification and investigation of the functional role of the neurotransmitter systems that are involved in the regulation of motor functions offer new perspectives in interpreting the complex, inadequately clarified mechanisms of movement disorders and in developing approaches to their treatment. The organization of motor behavior, including the neurotransmitter anatomy of the so-called motor centers Р the cerebral structures involved in motor control, is extremely complex and requires further investigation.


Perillyl alcohol is a monoterpene isolated from the essential oils of lavendin, peppermint, spearmint, cherries, celery seeds, and several other plants. In animal studies it has been shown to regress pancreatic, mammary, and liver tumors, to exhibit possible application as a chemopreventative agent for colon, skin, and lung cancer, and as a chemotherapeutic agent for neuroblastoma, and prostate and colon cancer. Perillyl alcohol is active in inducing apoptosis in tumor cells without affecting normal cells and can revert tumor cells back to a differentiated state. Its mechanism of action is unclear, but it has actions on various cellular substances which control cell growth and differentiation. It has been shown to increase mannose-6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor II receptors, increase tissue growth factor beta receptors, increase Bak, decrease ras protein prenylation, decrease ubiquinone synthesis, and induce Phase I and Phase II detoxification systems. Preliminary human trials have not demonstrated tumor regression at a four times daily dosage schedule. In addition, significant side-effects, mainly gastrointestinal, have been experienced.


ABSTRACT The overwhelming number and complexity of domestic violence cases in criminal and family courts has resulted in the development of education programmes to assist judges. There is limited research on judicial education in this area. This paper reviews one such initiative entitled 'Enhancing Judicial Skills in Domestic Violence Cases' (EJS) that has been developed and implemented over the last 20 years by the National Judicial Institute on Domestic Violence, a partnership of the US Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and Futures Without Violence. We present findings of a preliminary evaluation of the programme based on the self-reports of 480 judges who had taken the four-day workshop between 2006 and 2010. Overall, judges reported the programme to be engaging and effective. At a six-month follow‐up, most of the judges identified specific benefits and behavior changes in the areas of access to justice, judicial leadership, victim safety, and abuser accountability as a result of participating in the programme. Critical issues in judicial education are highlighted based on the authors' experiences in the development and implementation of this programme.


Semantic similarity analysis and modeling is a fundamentally acclaimed task in many pioneering applications of natural language processing today. Owing to the sensation of sequential pattern recognition, many neural networks like RNNs and LSTMs have achieved satisfactory results in semantic similarity modeling. However, these solutions are considered inefficient due to their inability to process information in a non-sequential manner, thus leading to the improper extraction of context. Transformers function as the state-of-the-art architecture due to their advantages like non-sequential data processing and self-attention. In this paper, we perform semantic similarity analysis and modeling on the U.S Patent Phrase to Phrase Matching Dataset using both traditional and transformer-based techniques. We experiment upon four different variants of the Decoding Enhanced BERT - DeBERTa and enhance its performance by performing K-Fold Cross-Validation. The experimental results demonstrate our methodology's enhanced performance compared to traditional techniques, with an average Pearson correlation score of 0.79.


In recent years, an increasing number of practitioners in the UK have applied systemic approaches in their work within intellectual disabilities services. Set within a postmodern paradigm, systemic approaches explore the beliefs and contexts that influence and give meanings to people's actions and interactions. The approach assumes that all parties are acting in a way that makes sense from their perspective, however problematic the behaviour of any person in the system may appear to others. Practitioners aim to understand the perspectives of the people involved before exploring possibilities for change. Systemic approaches have wide applicability and can be used in a variety of settings: with individuals; families; paid carers; networks of professionals; and with staff teams. Evidence from a variety of sources including, importantly, service users themselves suggests that this approach has a lot to offer. In this roundtable we are aiming to initiate discussion and reflections around different ways of incorporating systemic approaches into service contexts and to share examples from our practice that have invigorated and inspired us as well as those that have presented challenges and dilemmas. Haydon will set the context for the discussion; Baum will describe how different services have found ways of applying the systemic approach in their local context; Rikberg Smyly will share the knowledge that has been accumulated by a range of practitioners; and finally, Lynggaard will highlight some common dilemmas that may arise in this work. Further discussion will be shaped by the questions and interests of participants.


Modern classical valence bond (VB) methods provide clear interpretation and chemical insights by employing covalent and ionic VB structures explicitly. This review focuses on a methodical development of current modern classical VB methods. As a basic method of the classical VB theory, the VB self‐consistent field (VBSCF) method provides a compact wave function, mainly containing static correlation. On the basis of the VBSCF method, the development of classical VB methods can be divided into two aspects—one focuses on improvement of computational accuracy, such as the breathing orbital VB (BOVB), VB configuration interaction (VBCI), and VB second‐order perturbation theory (VBPT2) methods; the other focuses on extending VB approaches to molecules and reactions in solvated or biological environments, including the VB polarizable continuum model (VBPCM), VB solvation model (VBSM), VB effective fragment potential (VBEFP), and VB/molecular mechanics (VB/MM) methods. These improved methods have the advantage of VB theory and provide intuitive chemical insights into medium‐sized chemical problems. Finally, the further development of modern classical VB methods is briefly discussed.


The author analyzes migration from Africa to the developed countries of the north, focusing on the underlying logic and methods of such migration. He suggests that Africans see migration to the northern countries as a survival strategy and as an attempt to integrate themselves into the world economic system. The methods employed by African migrants to circumvent the increasing efforts to limit their numbers are described, with a focus on their use of regulations designed to aid the reunification of families. The author suggests that rich countries may have a moral obligation to allow migration from Africa, since its causes lie in the history of colonialism and the present and past exploitation of the developing countries by those of the north.


Car engine noises have been analyzed from a psycho-acoustical point of view since early 90's. Classical psycho-acoustic parameters as loudness, sharpness and roughness have been used for this task, resulting in significant improvements in the annoyance caused in humans, especially for diesel engine noises. However, roughness sensation has been well defined and measured in modulated narrowband signals, but not in broadband noises. Here a new model of engine noise production is proposed in order to relate some of its features with the roughness perceived. The model is based on complex cepstrum analysis of the real engine noise, a technique widely used in speech processing, but not explored yet for psycho-acoustic sensations. A noise synthesizer is build for performing subjective tests and detect model parameters related to roughness perception. Results have shown that peak amplitudes range (represented by a certain amplitude modulation index of the impulses) is linearly related to roughness perceived, whereas frequency modulation index of the same impulse train has a weak influence on roughness sensation.


We consider an infinite system of particles on a line performing identical Brownian motions and interacting through the |x-y|^{-s} Riesz potential, causing the overdamped motion of particles. We investigate fluctuations of the integrated current and the position of a tagged particle. We show that for 0<s<1, the standard deviations of both quantities grow as t^{s/2(1+s)}. When s>1, the interactions are effectively short-ranged, and the universal subdiffusive t^{1/4} growth emerges with only amplitude depending on the exponent s. We also show that the two-time correlations of the tagged-particle position have the same form as for fractional Brownian motion.


Semi-conductive C/Al2O3 ceramic composites were successfully fabricated by a pretty simple approach, combining a powder mixture process and pulsed electric current sintering. In order to obtain homogeneous distribution of carbon contents, popular polymers were used as carbon fillers to mix with Al2O3 powder by a wet ball milling step. The sintering was conducted by pulsed electric current sintering without any special requirement of the reductive environment like in conventional sintering. Density of bulk bodies, states of carbon contents after sintering and the electrical properties were analyzed in this study. Although the density of sintered bodies and their electrical properties were not superior, those characteristics of C/Al2O3 ceramic composites in this study were still comparatively high among semi-conductive ceramics. Especially, the carrier type of semi-conductive C/Al2O3 composites could be modified easily by adding polycarboxylic acid (PCA) in the powder mixture as a dispersant.


1 Prologue.- Why live and why die?.- Some guidelines for living and dying.- Quality and quantity of population.- Childhood and adolescence.- Student riots and demands.- Careers.- Anxieties and fears.- Drug use and alcoholism.- Crime.- Equalization of people.- Prejudice and discrimination.- Marriage.- Euthanasia.- Summary.- 2 Metabolism, Mentation, and Behavior.- Some factors in normal mentation.- Neurotransmitters.- Acetylcholine.- Catecholamines.- Serotonin.- Learning and memory.- Sleep.- Coma.- Metabolic disorders associated with abnormal mentation.- Genetic disorders.- Endocrine disorders.- Mental depression and mania.- Schizophrenia.- Summary.- References.- 3 Body, Mind, and Soul.- Conclusions.- References.- 4 On the Origin of Life.- The concept.- The search for an answer.- The past.- Some thermodynamics and kinetics.- Self-replication.- Evolution.- Does life exist elsewhere?.- References.- 5 Genetic Engineering: Present and Future.- Gene action: DNA ? RNA ? protein.- Prevention of the birth of children with genetic defects.- Mutations.- Genetic counseling.- Intrauterine diagnosis and selective abortion.- Indications for intrauterine diagnosis.- Chromosomal disorders.- Enzyme deficiencies.- X-chromosome diseases.- Determination of the sex of the baby.- Artificial fertilization.- Cloning.- Therapy of genetic diseases without changing the abnormal gene.- Gene replacement with normal DNA: true "genetic engineering".- Preparation of the DNA for gene replacement.- Insertion of the DNA into recipient cells.- Integration of the replacement DNA into the host cell chromosome.- Expression of the new gene in the cell.- Potential applications.- Pitfalls.- References.- 6 The Climax of World Population Growth.- Is world population growth slowing down?.- The alternative possibilities.- 7 Propagation, Modification, and Termination of Life: Contraception, Abortion, Suicide, Euthanasia.- Quantity and quality of propagation.- Methods of population control.- Sterilization and castration.- Abortion.- Amniocentesis.- Better control of the quantity and quality of propagation.- Promoting reproduction in some instances.- Modification of genetic patterns.- Organ transplantation.- Termination of life.- Suicide.- Euthanasia.- Negative euthanasia.- Positive euthanasia.- Discussion of euthanasia.- a. Religion.- b. Laws.- c. Traditions of society.- d. Physician's role.- e. The role of the patient and his family.- Conclusions.- References.- 8 An Alternative to the Ethic of Euthanasia.- The ethic of euthanasia.- An ethic of benemortasia.- References.- 9 Ethics and Euthanasia.- The ethical and the pre-ethical.- Elective death.- Means and ends.- 10 Ethical and Moral Problems in the Use of Artificial and Transplanted Organs.- The patient-recipient.- The living donor.- The potential cadaveric (dying) donor.- Families of recipients and donors.- The medical team: physicians and surgeons.- Society.- The future.- References.- 11 Management of the Sick with Kindness, Compassion, Wisdom, and Efficiency.- Medicine as a career.- Settings for optimal practice.- The physician's management of the patient.- Attitudes and responsibilities of patients.- Death.- References.- 12 Life and Death: Lessons from the Dying.- The meaning of death in the history of man's life.- The quality of life and the acceptance of death.- References.- 13 The Here and the Hereafter: Reflections on Tragedy and Comedy in Human Existence.- 14 Too Many and Too Few Limitations for Children.- Introduction: The need for historical perspective.- And today.- Some cases in point.- Some recommendations.- References.- 15 Careers and Living.- Rewards for success.- Selecting goals.- Some general considerations.- Selection of specific goals.- Attaining goals.- Obligations and responsibilities.- The role of leaders.- Summary and conclusions.- 16 Advantages and Disadvantages of Technological Achievements.- The ambivalence of human aspirations.- Agriculture.- Mass production and automation.- Shelters.- Settlements.- The population explosion.- Health care and emotional well-being.- Publishing and reproduction.- Telecommunications.- Changing goals for improved quality of life.- Summary.- References.- 17 Causes and Effects of Excessive Fears, Anxieties, and Frustrations.- The basis for emotion.- Instinct and intelligence.- What is behavior?.- Adaptation to society.- Sensory overload.- Sensory deprivation.- Patterns of behavior involving internal organs.- The stress of change.- Toward a science of man.- Man's nature and his needs.- Learning man's place in nature.- Needs for new knowledge.- References.- 18 Causes and Management of Current Anxieties and Frustrations in Universities.- Social change in midcentury America.- Rapid change, confusion, and disillusionment.- The effects of violence.- The university's response.- The web of morality.- References.- 19 The Social and Psychiatric Aspects of Psychotropic Drug Use.- Sources of irrational drug attitudes.- The socialization of drug use.- The medical socialization of drug use.- Current ideological confusions.- Intrinsic factors in drug misuse.- Prediction of risk.- Conclusion.- 20 Causes and Management of Criminals: Psychiatric Aspects.- Causation-the definitional problem.- Causation-the dilemma of understanding.- Causation-the wish for a simple explanation.- Causation-mental illness and crime.- Management-the atrocious nonsystem of corrections.- Management-principles of correctional management.- Management-effects of institutionalization.- Mangement-the incorrigible few.- Management-outside the walls-the role of the community.- Management-the role of science.- References.- 21 The Criminal Justice System: Crimes, Criminal Processes, and Sentencing.- What is criminal conduct?.- The process of labeling a criminal.- Sentencing the criminal.- Conclusions.- References.- 22 Some Major Guides for Laws.- The recognition of a problem.- What law does.- How the rules are formulated.- Reformation of values and goals.- Promoting goal attainment.- Reconciling professional technology and societal values.- Managing trouble.- Resolving disputes.- Conclusion.- 23 Psychosocial and Religious Aspects of Medical Ethics.- I. Religion and morality.- Background.- Personal versus social morality.- II. The priest and physician.- III. Human values in medical ethics.- The reality of the human.- The integrity of the human.- The unity of the human.- The limitations of the human.- The transcendence of the human.- The summation of human values.- IV. Medical ethics in death and dying.- V. Summary.- References.- 24 Marriage: Whence and Whither?.- A short history of marriage.- Marriage in transition.- Marriage as relationship-the new focus.- Marriage attacked and defended.- Conclusion.- References.- 25 Changing Views on Homosexuality, Transvestism, and Transsexualism.- Homosexuality.- The homosexual spectrum.- Homosexuality: Is it an illness?.- The legal aspects.- Erotic reorientation of the homosexual.- Transvestism.- Varieties of transvestism.- Helping the transvestite.- Transsexualism.- The development of gender identity.- Helping the transsexual through surgical and hormonal therapy.- Summary and conclusions.- References.- 26 Equality and Inequality: Facts and Values.- 27 Epilogue.- Body, mind, and soul in life, death, and the hereafter.- Some major effects of organ transplantation.- a. Effect of transplanting a normal brain from a woman into a man on his sex interests and actions.- b. Effect of transplanting a heart or brain from a black man into a white man on his reactions of racial prejudice and discrimination.- c. Effect of transplanting a normal brain from a white man into a black man on his reactions of racial prejudice and discrimination.- d. Effect upon abnormal mentation of transplanting a normal brain.- e. Effect upon abnormal mentation of transplanting a normal liver.- f. Effect upon normal mentation of transplanting an abnormal liver.- g. Effect of gonad transplantation upon the progeny.- Creation and propagation of life population increase.- Too many and too few limitations for children.- Excessive fears, anxieties, and frustrations.- a. Campus anxieties, frustrations, and protests.- b. Careers.- c. Crime.- Technology in the welfare of man.- Marriage.- Sex deviants.- Management of the sick and dying.- Euthanasia.- Need for adjusting guidelines in law and religion.- Equalization of unequal people.- Final summary and conclusions.


This article addresses the essential role of gender equality in any process of transformative education and in the goal of achieving global citizenship. Having made clear its importance, it analyses how to integrate this commitment in a transversal way in the educational processes through co-education. In order to do, it establishes what we understand by co-education, and offers clear guidelines on how to integrate this approach from different types of curriculum and educational axes concerning any type of social-educational centre or space. Building Citizenship through Coeducation


The characteristics of modern science, i.e., data-intensive, multidisciplinary, open, and heavily dependent on Internet technologies, entail the creation of a linked scholarly record that is online and open. Instrumental in making this vision happen is the development of the next generation of Open Cyber-Scholarly Infrastructures (OCIs), i.e., enablers of an open, evolvable, and extensible scholarly ecosystem. The paper delineates the evolving scenario of the modern scholarly record and describes the functionality of future OCIs as well as the radical changes in scholarly practices including new reading, learning, and information-seeking practices enabled by OCIs.


Introduction: The use of lasers in Optometry is here and expanding. The Nd:YAG laser and its use for iridotomies and capsulotomies is described. The use of a pig eye model for teaching the use of lasers was also proposed. Methods: An inexpensive and simple technique for constructing a Nd:YAG laser teaching aid using pig eyes is described. The eyes were tested and evaluated to determine practicality and effectiveness as a substitute for human eyes. Results: The teaching aids were very effective at demonstrating the Yag laser. The surrounding solutions remained clear and the irides held up well to continual laser blasts. Discussion: This study showed that a pig eye model is effective at teaching the use of lasers and only minor alterations are needed in the current design to increase longevity and effectivity.


THE report issued by the British Colonial Office on research carried out during the period 1950-1 contains accounts of the work of the Colonial Research Council and the numerous councils and specialist bodies concerned with research of all kinds in the colonial territories. It includes a list of schemes made during the year and the grant allotted in each case from Colonial Development and Welfare funds. The section concerned with activities directed or sponsored by the Colonial Social Science Research Council includes accounts of the regional Institutes of Social and Economic Research, now established in a number of oversea territories, and of researches, carried out by Universities in the Colonies. A section is devoted to researches financed by Colonial governments or carried out by government officers. An impressive list of research projects now in progress in Africa is presented, which includes, besides projects undertaken by the International African Institute, studies in Islamic and Customary Law, land tenure, history of African administration, East African music, administration by native authorities, psychological testing, and numerous socio-economic surveys and anthropological studies of specific areas and peoples.


Accreditation is an important distinction of education quality in the realm of colleges and universities. According to the US Department of Education, the purpose of accreditation is to certify that the education given by institutions meet national standards of quality. Fundamentally, accreditation ensures that students are obtaining a quality education – and for future employers and graduate programs to recognize education at a specific standard. While accreditation is an essential component of institutional success and sustainability, it has been considered an administrative procedure that focuses on compliance and not for institutional effectiveness. Therefore, recent participation in accreditation shows to be somewhat limited in warranting participation from faculty, primarily at the two-year college level. The following study sought to define gaps within accreditation participation and identify solutions to support inclusiveness and contribution of faculty to the accreditation process.


Despite an increasing prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, the health and economic impact of colonization and infection with these organisms has not been fully elucidated. We explore how antimicrobial resistance can affect patient outcomes by enhancing virulence, causing a delay in the administration of appropriate therapy, and limiting available therapy. Next, we examine the different perspectives held by hospitals, third-party payers, patients, and society on the impact of resistance. Finally, we review methodological issues in designing and assessing studies that address the clinical outcomes for patients infected or colonized with resistant pathogens, including adjustment for important confounding variables, control group selection, and the quantification of economic outcomes.


Retention of sulfur in bituminous coalashes prepared in the laboratory was shown to be related to ashing temperature and to amounts of sulfur and calcium present in the coal. Evidence also was obtained in support of the theory that catalytic oxidation of sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide influences retention of sulfur a s calcium sulfate in coal ash . Iron oxide produced during coal combustion acts a s a catalyst for this reaction. Factors affecting sulfur retention in coal ash prepared in the laboratory a t 800' C were not applicable to most industrial combustions because of the relatively higher temperatures (usually > 1000" C) involved in commercial applications. As these temperatures are above the thermal decomposition temperature of calcium sulfate, it does not form and hence cannot serve a s a sulfur retaining agent. The small amount of sulfur found in power plant coal ashes was related to carbon remaining in the ash after combustion and was of no practical signifcance in reducing sulfur emission to the atmosphere.


OBJECTIVE
To study the clinical features of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) involving the oral and maxillofacial region in children.

METHODS
A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 12 children with LCH involving the oral and maxillofacial region who were hospitalized and treated from September 2012 to September 2017, including clinical manifestations, pathological features, treatment and prognosis.

RESULTS
Of the 12 children, 8 (67%) had multiple system involvement and 7 (58%) had the involvement of organs at risk. Bone was the most common affected site (11 children, 92%), among whom 7 children had the involvement of the mandible. Oral soft tissue involvement manifested as gingival ulcer or hyperplasia in 4 children, loose teeth in 5 children, oral mucosal lesions in 2 children, and nodular lesions in 1 child. Pathological examination showed positive CDla in 11 children and positive CD207, CD68, S-100, and LCA in 12 children. Surgery combined with chemotherapy was the major treatment method, and surgical resection alone was performed for focal lesions. After treatment, 11 children were cured or improved and 1 gave up treatment and was lost to follow-up. No recurrence was observed.

CONCLUSIONS
LCH children with oral and maxillofacial involvement often have the involvement of multiple systems and organs at risk, with the mandible as the most common affected site. These children may also have the involvement of gingiva, oral mucosa and teeth. Surgery combined with chemotherapy is the major treatment method, and the patients generally have a good prognosis without recurrence.


Host plant resistance to insects (PRI) is an underutilized pest management strategy in
tobacco production. Deploying resistant varieties is a more environmental friendly and
sustainable solution to managing tobacco aphids. Breeding for insect pest resistance is the
foremost method in any integrated pest management approach. Although it is impossible to
obtain a completely aphid-resistant plant, a certain degree of resistance (through antibiosis,
antixenosis or othercombinations of mechanisms) can help to reduce the number of insecticide
applications. Thisstudy aimed to evaluate selected flue-cured and burley varieties and breeding
lines in Zimbabwefor resistance to the tobacco aphid, Myzuspersicctenicotianae. Resistance of
tobacco genotypes(Nicotianaetahacum L.), KRK 26 R, BRK 2, BRK 4, T66, BU 21, Landrace 4,
Landrace 12,Landrace 17, Landrace 18, Landrace 19, Habana 92, Kva 1, TN 86, VAM and DSD
were studiedin field experiments conducted at the Kutsaga Research Station, Harare. Significant
differences(P < 0.05) in aphid populations amongst genotypes evaluated at all assessment were
noted. Aphid populations started building up at 6 weeks after transplanting (WAT) with Landrace
4, Landrace17, T 66 and VAM having the lowest mean aphid scores than the other varieties.
Similarly at 7, 8and 9 WAT, Landrace 4 and VAM had the least number of aphids making them
resistant to aphid infestations than the other susceptible varieties. The low aphid scores observed
in Landrace 4 and VAM can be explained by the presence of hairy leaf characteristics of the
two lines which makes it difficult for aphids to probe and insert their style into the leaf so as
to extract sap. Results are consistent with the past two seasons which showed that Landrace 4
and VAM were resistant to aphid infestations. However, since they only achieved some degree
of resistance to the M. nicotianae, their use is recommended in breeding programmes as well as
in crop protection programmes where combinations with a low insecticide dose can be practiced.


Background The assessment of fitness to drive in patients with cognitive impairment is complex. The SIMARD MD was developed to assist with assessing fitness to drive. This study compares the clinical decision made by a geriatrician regarding driving with the SIMARD MD score. Methods Patients with a diagnosis of mild dementia or mild cognitive impairment, who had a SIMARD MD test, were included in the sample. A retrospective chart review was completed to gather diagnosis, driving status, and cognitive and functional information. Results Sixty-three patients were identified and 57 met the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 77.1 years (SD 8.9). The most common diagnosis was Alzheimer's disease in 22 (38.6%) patients. The mean MMSE score was 24.9 (SD 3.34) and the mean MoCA was 19.9 (SD 3.58). The mean SIMARD MD score was 37.2 (SD 19.54). Twenty-four patients had a SIMARD MD score ≤ 30, twenty-eight between 31–70, and five scored > 70. The SIMARD MD scores did not differ significantly compared to the clinical decision (ANOVA p value = 0.14). Conclusions There was no association between the SIMARD MD scores and the geriatricians' clinical decision regarding fitness to drive in persons with mild dementia or mild cognitive impairment.


Rhodium carbenes are key intermediates in a range of cycloadditions and insertion reactions. Herein, we report the first generation of donor RhII carbenes by decarbenation of 7-substituted 1,3,5-cycloheptatrienes. This discovery unlocks an improved retro-Buchner-cyclopropanation sequence, a Si-H insertion reaction for a broad-scope synthesis of allylsilanes, and a new method for the vinylogation of aldehydes. The last strategy led to the development of an iterative synthesis of E-polyenes, and to the total synthesis of navenones B and C.


Because moral transgressions are considered more serious than non-moral (i.e. conventional or personal) transgressions, it is less threatening to self-esteem to interpret one's own delinquent act as a non-moral transgression rather than a moral transgression. This 'domain shift' couldbe a way of reducing cognitive dissonance. It was expected that adolescents who report a certain category of delinquent behaviour would evaluate hypothetical transgressions in the same category as more non-moral than would adolescents who did not report that category of delinquent behaviour.A group of 278 students from the first (M(age) = 13.1), second (M(age) = 14.3) and third (M(age)= 15.2) grade of intermediate secondary schools in the Netherlands participated in the research. The results showed a domain shift from the moral towards non-moraldomains in the evaluation of hypothetical situations about delinquent behaviour reported by the adolescent. At the same time, this domain shift did not occur in situations concerning delinquent behaviour not reported by the adolescent, even when delinquent behaviour occurred in the adolescent'speer group. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that the domain shift takes place as a consequence of cognitive dissonance. The results also showed that the attitude towards delinquent behaviour and the prevalence of delinquent behaviour in the peer group both predicted a uniquepart of the variance in reported delinquent behaviour (RDB; 28% and 10%, respectively). The level of moral reasoning (measured by the Sociomoral Reflection Measure-Short Form [SRM-SF]) did not appear to be a significant predictor of RDB.


The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the record development in the Jordanian, Arabian, Asian, and world track and field championships for men during 1998-2008 and to predict the records expected in 2010 and 2012, respectively. The descriptive approach was used. Data were screened (using the records of Jordanian, Arabian, Asian, and world federations) during the period (1998-2008) for the Jordanian, Arabian, Asian, and world records championships. (SPSS) software used to analyze the data. Simple linear regression and percentages were used.
Results showed that there was an ability to predict the records in most of the championships involved in both the field activities and track activities. It was recommended to plan and train in a high level in order to enhance the Jordanian records in the different activities.


Ninety-two serum specimens, positive for antibodies against hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) virus in initial screening with immunofluorescence assay technic (IFAT), were serotyped with micro cell pathogenic effects neutralization test based on preliminary epidemiological classification of epidemic foci of HFRS throughout the province to find out serological evidence of HFRS typing in Hubei Province. It was found that 48 of the specimens were belonged to Type I (HTN) accounting for 52.18 percent, 29 Type II (SEO) for 31.52 percent, and 15 undefined for 16.30 percent. Hubei Province was classified serologically as a mixed prevalent area with Type I as its major component, but all serotypes in different sub-areas have their own features and those in the old epidemic foci were more complex. It indicated that it was better to use a bivalent HFRS virus vaccine, or a single-valent vaccine consistent with local serotype. Serotyping of local HFRS conformed basically to that of epidemiological classification. Local HFRS should be serotyped periodically due to continuous changes in types of foci. Attention to reactions of vaccine immunization should be paid during observation of the effectiveness of the vaccine.


Transformer is the most costly and important component of power system. It is more than 100 years old technology. Technology has not changed drastically but the challenges are continuous increase in size and rating , competition in global market , accurate prediction of performance parameters , updating of design baseline and many more. Transformer design optimization (TDO) is a complex task in which designer have to ensure that the imposed specifications are met, while keeping manufacturing costs low. The research associated with design optimization is therefore more restricted involving different mathematical optimization methods. This paper presents review of research and development in transformer engineering and design optimization for the past 40 years based on more than 100 published papers, latest 10 transformer books and various national and international standards. Keywords: transformer design optimization (TDO), magnetic circuit, no load losses, load loss cooling, finite element method (FEM) Cite this Article Parekh C, Kotwal C, Upadhyay H. A review on transformer design and innovative aspects of optimization. Journal of Instrumentation Technology and Innovations. 2016; 6(1): 10–22p.


Nonheme iron(III)-superoxo intermediates are generated in the activation of dioxygen (O2) by nonheme iron(II) complexes and then converted to iron(IV)-oxo species by reacting with hydrogen donor substrates with relatively weak C-H bonds. If singlet oxygen (1O2) with ca. 1 eV higher energy than the ground state triplet oxygen (3O2) is employed, iron(IV)-oxo complexes can be synthesized using hydrogen donor substrates with much stronger C-H bonds. However, 1O2 has never been used in generating iron(IV)-oxo complexes. Herein, we report that a nonheme iron(IV)-oxo species, [FeIV(O)(TMC)]2+ (TMC = tetramethylcyclam), is generated using 1O2, which is produced with boron subphthalocyanine chloride (SubPc) as a photosensitizer, and hydrogen donor substrates with relatively strong C-H bonds, such as toluene (BDE = 89.5 kcal mol-1), via electron transfer from [FeII(TMC)]2+ to 1O2, which is energetically more favorable by 0.98 eV, as compared with electron transfer from [FeII(TMC)]2+ to 3O2. Electron transfer from [FeII(TMC)]2+ to 1O2 produces an iron(III)-superoxo complex, [FeIII(O2)(TMC)]2+, followed by abstracting a hydrogen atom from toluene by [FeIII(O2)(TMC)]2+ to form an iron(III)-hydroperoxo complex, [FeIII(OOH)(TMC)]2+, that is further converted to the [FeIV(O)(TMC)]2+ species. Thus, the present study reports the first example of generating a mononuclear nonheme iron(IV)-oxo complex with the use of singlet oxygen, instead of triplet oxygen, and a hydrogen atom donor with relatively strong C-H bonds. Detailed mechanistic aspects, such as the detection of 1O2 emission, the quenching by [FeII(TMC)]2+, and the quantum yields, have also been discussed to provide valuable mechanistic insights into understanding nonheme iron-oxo chemistry.


This study aimed to reveal the effect of different genotypes (population and variety) on yield, yield components and quality parameters of black cumin (Nigella sativa L.). The experiment was carried out in the Aegean Region of Turkey in two vegetation seasons of 2017 and 2018. In the study, four black cumin populations (Uşak, Hatay, Diyarbakır and Burdur) obtained from Turkey's different regions as well as Çameli variety were used. The plant materials had been cultivated in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Results showed that there were statistically significant differences among genotypes in terms of all parameters examined except for fixed oil ratio. The mean seed yield varied between 0.34-0.86 t ha in 2017 and 0.10-0.31 t ha in 2018. The seed and fixed oil yields were higher for Çameli, Hatay and Diyarbakır genotypes. The percentages of linoleic and oleic acid of genotypes varied in a range of 55.85-57.67% and 21.05-22.59%, respectively. There was no significant difference among genotypes in terms of linoleic acid content. However, a significant difference was found among genotypes in terms of oleic acid content and the oleic acid content was higher in the black cumin populations than the Çameli variety.


Beckground:The series of human Metastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma (MHCC) cell lines MHCC97 with a continuously enlarged metastatic capabilities have been widely used as a metastatic model in cancer research. However, their genomic features have not been thoroughly investigated so far. This study aims to reveal the genetic events that could drive metastatic clonal evolution through uncovering their genomic aberrations, together with methylomic and transcriptomic alteration.Results: We investigated the karyotypes on MHCC97L and HCCLM6 HCC cell lines with lower and the highest metastatic capability respectively, and interrogated their complete repertoire of genomic features by performing whole genome sequencing (WGS), whole exome sequencing (WES) and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping. Mutations including single nucleotide variant (SNV), copy number variation (CNV) and structural variant (SV) were called. In addition, the methylome profiles were analyzed via Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 Bead Chip and the transcriptome profiles were analyzed via RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). The karyotypic examination revealed that MHCC97L cells are more heterogenous than the HCCLM6 cells. The clonal analysis on the two cell lines revealed that a minor subclone with the mutations predisposed to metastatic potential within the MHCC97L become the dominant one within the HCCLM6 cell population. The amplification of CAV1, CAV2 and MET, together with STAT1 deep deletion and DELC1 promoter hypermethylation could be the earlier key drivers occurred in the MHCC97L cells. Subsequently, extra CCL4, CCL26 and TWIST2 amplification, along with the c.1061T>G in SMAD5 and c.1373A>G in RNF169 mutations and deregulatory promoter methylation in the HCCLM6 cells, aggravate the metastatic capability.Conclusions: Our results revealed that HCCLM6 cells might be derived from a minor subclone within the MHCC97L cell population, where the genetic events, including MET, CAV1 and CAV2 amplification, together with the extra mutations, amplification and deregulatory promoter methylation of some genes, drive the clonal expansion and evolution of those cells with the metastatic capability.


Business clusters as geographic groupings of firms and other organizations and associated institutions are for more than two decades considered to be the efficient instrument in regional and industrial policies which enable to increase the innovation and competitiveness of firms and other institutions and regions. The assessment of their benefits and performance is an issue often discussed in professional literature with various approaches. The composition and structure of clusters develop during their lifecycle from establishment to maturity or decay and different parts of firms in cluster contribute to cluster results in a variety of ways. The main aim of paper is to design a methodology for evaluation of business cluster performance during its lifecycle based on cluster analysis and time series analysis of business clusters and to reveal which parts of clusters called sub-clusters exert the decisive impact on business indicators by which the performance may be measured and to predict the future development of cluster and its parts. The methodology is verified on the case of the Czech machinery cluster with the longest life time in the Czech Republic. The results show that development of cluster is significantly affected by its structure and by performance of firms in sub-clusters.


The issue analyses the diagnostics of the repeated malignant lesions of the colorectal region. The study covers the two decades period (1992-2011 yy). Of the observed patients with primary colorectal tumors, 238 showed the repeated lesions of the region. The article focuses on the on-time diagnostics and differential approach to the repeated malignancies of the colorectal region.


Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) has been increasingly reported in the literature concomitant with the improved sensitivity of imaging modalities. Although typically associated with meningeal weakening, a handful of cases of SIH secondary to thoracic disc osteophytes have been reported. Five of 7 reported cases were treated with epidural blood patch (EBP) alone while 2 required surgical management. There is no standard operative approach; both anterior and posterolateral approaches can be cumbersome and associated with morbidity, particularly in young, healthy patients. The authors report a case of SIH in which a ventral dural tear secondary to a calcified thoracic disc was repaired via posterior thoracic laminoplasty with dorsal durotomy and intradural exposure of the ventral defect with transdural discectomy followed by primary closure. A 34-year-old man presented with low-pressure headaches following axial load injury from a ski accident 5 years earlier. The patient's symptoms were refractory to a trial of conservative treatment and EBP, and he developed bilateral upper-extremity paresthesias. MRI of the spine demonstrated an extrathecal collection spanning the thoracic spine, and dynamic CT myelography identified contrast extravasation adjacent to a calcified paramedian disc at T9-10. The patient underwent posterior laminoplasty with neuromonitoring. A ventral dural defect was visualized via a dorsal durotomy, the penetrating disc osteophyte was removed transdurally, and the ventral and dorsal dura maters were closed primarily. Both somatosensory and motor evoked potentials were unchanged during surgery. The patient has remained asymptomatic more than 10 months postoperatively and he has resumed work as a surgeon. Cases of SIH secondary to a calcified thoracic disc are rare with little precedent as to optimal surgical intervention. This case illustrates the potential usefulness of posterior laminectomy in nonmyelopathic patients in whom there is no evidence of canal compromise and for whom neuromonitoring is available. Additionally, surgeon experience and patient preference may guide surgical planning.


The objective was to evaluate a commercial forest plantation using raw sewage in Ojinaga, Mexico. A total of seven materials were used: three genetic lines of Eucalyptus camaldulensis, three of Populus deltoides and one of Robina pseudoacacia. Each genetic line was considered as a treatment and six repetitions were used. Forty nine plants were established in each treatment and the evaluation was performed on the 25 most centrally located plants. A total area of 1.5 ha was used for the experiment. Completely randomized designs were used. Plant height, diameter and plant survival were determined 33 months after planting. The genus Eucalyptus presented the best performance reaching a plant height of 7.78 m, a diameter of 7.8 cm and a 96.2% survival. Populus showed a plant height of 6.24 m, a diameter of 5.4 cm; but poor survival with 55.1%. Although Robinia genus had a good plant survival (86.9%) it was the worst in plant height (5.04 m) and diameter (3.5 m). Wood production from irrigation with raw sewage may be a feasible alternative to using water and fertilizer in the state of Chihuahua.


Transformer-based large language models (LLMs) have achieved great success with the growing model size. LLMs' size grows by 240× every two years, which outpaces the hardware progress and makes model inference increasingly costly. Model quantization is a promising approach to mitigate the widening gap between LLM size and hardware capacity. However, the existence of outliers, values with significant magnitudes, in LLMs makes existing quantization methods less effective. Prior outlier-aware quantization schemes adopt sparsity encoding techniques to separate outliers from normal values where the process requires global coordination (e.g., a global sparsity coordination list). This incurs complex encoding/decoding hardware logics and an extra orchestration controller for the computation between outlier and normal values. As such, it is not hardware-efficient and hence only achieves sub-optimal quantization benefits. We propose OliVe, an algorithm/architecture co-designed solution that adopts an outlier-victim pair (OVP) quantization and handles outlier values locally with low hardware overheads and high performance gains. The key insight of OliVe is that outliers are important while the normal values next to them are not. Thus those normal values (called victims) can be sacrificed to accommodate outliers. This enables a memory-aligned OVP encoding scheme, which can be efficiently integrated to the existing hardware accelerators like systolic array and tensor core. As a result, OliVe-based accelerator surpasses the existing outlier-aware accelerator, GOBO, by 4.5× speedup and 4.0× energy reduction, respectively, with a superior model accuracy.


The current-voltage characteristics of the P-N double quantum well resonant interband tunneling (RIT) diodes in InAlAs-InGaAs system have been improved in this letter. The peak-to-valley current ratio (PVCR) is as high as 144 at room temperature. As we know, this is the highest room temperature PVCR ever reported in any tunneling devices. Moreover, the influence of the central barrier thickness varying from 10 /spl Aring/ to 30 /spl Aring/ on the device characteristics is also studied.<<ETX>>


Introduction: Although technology-assisted total hip arthroplasty (TA-THA) may improve implant positioning, it remains unknown whether TA-THA confers improved clinical outcomes. We sought to examine national TA-THA utilization trends and compare clinical outcomes between TA-THA and unassisted THA (U-THA). Methods: Patients who underwent primary, elective THA from 2010 to 2018 were identified using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Demographic, perioperative, and 30-day outcomes were queried and collected. Patients were stratified based on whether they underwent TA-THA, which included computer navigation or robotics, and U-THA. Propensity score matching paired patients undergoing TA-THA or U-THA on a 1:1 basis. Results: Of the 238,755 THA patients, 3,149 cases (1.3%) were done using TA-THA. Comparing the unmatched TA-THA and U-THA groups, race distribution (P < 0.001) and baseline functional status (P < 0.001) differed. Propensity score matching yielded 2,335 TA-THA and U-THA pairs. Perioperatively, the TA-THA cohort had longer mean surgical times (101.0 ± 34.0 versus 91.9 ± 38.8 minutes, P < 0.001), but lower transfusion rates (5.7% versus 7.8%, P = 0.005). As compared with the U-THA group, the TA-THA group had a shorter mean hospital length of stay (2.0 ± 1.1 versus 2.5 ± 2.0 days, P < 0.001) and a higher proportion of patients discharged home (85.8% versus 75.7%, P < 0.001). Notably, the TA-THA cohort had higher readmission rates (3.8% versus 2.4%, P < 0.001). Major complication and revision surgery rates did not markedly differ between groups. Discussion: TA-THA utilization rates remain low among orthopaedic surgeons. As compared with U-THA, TA-THA yield mixed perioperative and 30-day outcomes. Surgeons must consider the clinical benefits and drawbacks of TA-THA when determining the proper surgical technique and technology for each patient. Clinical trials assessing long-term functional and clinical outcomes between U-THA and TA-THA are required to further elucidate the utility of assistive technologies in THA. Level III Evidence: Retrospective Cohort Study


The micas in the Abas granite (northern Portugal) have been examined by means of electron microprobe, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and partial chemical analyses on mica separates. Four different types of postmagmatic muscovites are distinguished in thin sections, and their chemical variations are described in terms of celadonite, paragonite, and pyrophyllite substitutions. The paragonite substitution indicates that the four muscovite types formed at successively lower temperatures. Generally, the biotites exhibit texturally magmatic features, whereas they chemically have a deficient octahedral occupancy, suggesting considerable alteration to muscovite or zinnwaldite. Our observations suggest that the chemical variations in the biotite composition can more likely be explained by solid solution rather than by fine-scale intergrowths of the end-member minerals. Deficient interlayer occupancy ofthe biotites is caused at least in part by finescale interlayering of retrograde chlorite.


Abstract Neoplasms are the second leading cause of death worldwide. The increase in diagnostic possibilities and development of new treatments has led to an increase in life expectancy among cancer patients. The proximal region of the femur is a favorite site for bone metastases, these lesions being accompanied by increased mortality and morbidity. The methods of treatment for metastatic bone disease can be surgical or non-surgical. Bone metastases and pathological bone fractures in the proximal femur are most commonly located in the intertrochanteric or subtrochanteric region. Patients with bone metastases at this level most often require osteosynthesis with a centromedullary nail, but also plates and screws or dynamic hip screw can be used. Bone metastases located in the femoral neck or femoral head can be treated surgically by hemiarthroplasty (HA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA). Both HA and THA have been shown to be successful surgeries in patients with bone metastases. In patients with multiple bone metastases located in the head or neck of the femur and trochanteric region, but with increased life expectancy, resection and reconstruction using endoprostheses is a viable solution. Given the complexity of oncological pathologies, the therapeutic decision in the case of a patient with secondary bone determinations must be established by a multidisciplinary team comprising the oncologist, orthopedic surgeon, pathologist, anesthetist, and radiotherapist. Surgical treatment of symptomatic bone metastases that cause pain and functional impotence with limited patient mobility increases survival and quality of life regardless of the type of surgery and the implant chosen.