Linker length and composition were varied in libraries of single-chain Arc repressor, resulting in proteins with effective concentrations ranging over six orders of magnitude (10 microM-10 M). Linkers of 11 residues or more were required for biological activity. Equilibrium stability varied substantially with linker length, reaching a maximum for glycine-rich linkers containing 19 residues. The effects of linker length on equilibrium stability arise from significant and sometimes opposing changes in folding and unfolding kinetics. By fixing the linker length at 19 residues and varying the ratio of Ala/Gly or Ser/Gly in a 16-residue-randomized region, the effects of linker flexibility were examined. In these libraries, composition rather than sequence appears to determine stability. Maximum stability in the Ala/Gly library was observed for a protein containing 11 alanines and five glycines in the randomized region of the linker. In the Ser/Gly library, the most stable protein had seven serines and nine glycines in this region. Analysis of folding and unfolding rates suggests that alanine acts largely by accelerating folding, whereas serine acts predominantly to slow unfolding. These results demonstrate an important role for linker design in determining the stability and folding kinetics of single-chain proteins and suggest strategies for optimizing these parameters.


A simple general equilibrium model of an economy with distortionary taxes and public goods is used to extend, unify and clean up the welfare analysis of changes in taxation, redistribution and the provision of public goods. We clarify the distinction between compensation and money metric measures of the welfare impact of fiscal changes and show that the equivalent variation measure dominates other measures. We provide an integrated approach to marginal tax and public good changes when public goods have real resource costs and must be financed by distortionary taxation using the concepts of the marginal cost of funds, the fiscal price of public goods and the virtual price of public goods. Here too, the compensation version of these concepts dominates the money metric version.


In 2002, the first permanent International Criminal Court (ICC) was established. Based on the experience of the International Military Tribunal (the so-called Nuremberg Trials), the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (the so-called Tokyo Trials), the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), the new court is "determined to put an end to impunity for the perpetrators of these crimes and thus to contribute to the prevention of such crimes." Too often in the past the worst perpetrators of the worst crimes were able to hide behind the shield of impunity because of a lack of national prosecutions. The massacres in the former Republic of Yugoslavia and Rwanda in the early nineties were a painful reminder that the hope of "never again!" after WWII has not been fulfilled. On the contrary, killings, mutilations, rapes, torture, and other crimes keep being committed against and by civilians (and unspeakably also against and by children) on the greatest scale. Appallingly, among the major key players in facilitating and even motivating some of these atrocities are indeed business entities. Although in many cases multinational corporations or their subsidiaries are directly involved in human rights violations of the worst kind, neither the host nor the home country show any interest in investigating against them. A joint report by Fafo and the International Peace Academy stated that "[t]here is a climate of impunity surrounding economic activities that promote or sustain conflict and human rights abuse." In fact, these business entities are even outside the jurisdiction of the ICC.
This Essay argues that currently international and national law regimes are insufficient in tackling corporate human rights violations and that the ICC's jurisdiction should be extended to legal persons to end the de facto impunity of multinational corporations.


Simulation models of large, complex, "real world" applications have occasionally earned the reputation of eating up hours of computer time. This problem may be attributed in part to difficulties such as slow stochastic convergence. However, an additional problem lies in the fact that a significant amount of bookkeeping time is required to keep future events in their proper sequence. This paper presents a method for significantly reducing the time spent scanning future events lists in discrete state simulations. Three models are presented, all of which improve in effectiveness as the events-list scan problem becomes more burdensome.


Introduction: Service delivery refers to the systematic arrangement of activities in service giving in stitutions with the aim of fulfilling the needs and expectations of service users and other stake holders with optimum use of resources. Given the noticeable paucity of studies addressing out patient satisfaction among client in public Hospital setting, including Felege Hiwote Referal Hospital, the information obtained from this study will hopefully assist in determining the level of satisfaction among outpatient clients in Felege Hiwot referral hospital. Method: A cross sectional study conducted from November 22 to December 26, 2015. All departments included in the study using systematic random sampling techniques. A total of 271 respondents were recruited. Structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. The report depicted descriptively using measures of central tendency, dispersion and using tables and graphs. Result: Out of the total 271 respondents; 150(55.35%) were females; Most of the Clients (32.47%) were between15– 24yearsold. Sixty three (23.24%) were illiterates. Most of the clients, 60(22.14%) were farmers while thirty (11.07%) governmental employees, 30 (11.07%).One hundred seventy seven (65.31%) of clients comes from the rural areas of the region. Out of the total respondents, 60.88%werenew visitors. Nearly one third of the client's 94(34.68%) were on paying and received the services for free. This study has revealed that the satisfaction level with the outpatient services in the Felegehiwot refer ral hospital was 62.01%. Conclusion: Many clients are found to be dissatisfied with service provision of the outpatient department soft he hospitals. These include in adequate information provision about the hospital services and the ir health problems, long Research Article Volume 2 Issue 4 Received Date: May 28, 2018 Published Date: June 14, 2018 DOI: 10.23880/eoij-16000156 Ergonomics International Journal Ayele Smachew Kasa. A Survey on Level of Client Satisfaction Among Clients Visiting out Patient Department at Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital, Amhara Reginal State, North West Ethiopia, 2015. Ergonomics Int J 2018, 2(4): 000156. Copyright© Ayele Smachew Kasa. 2 waiting time to get the hospital services. So the concerned body (Amhara Regional Health Bureau) need sound rested the extent of the problem and plan to look Fr different mechanisms to enable detailed satisfaction survey.


The root dichloromethane and ethyl acetate extracts of Acanthus puberscens (Oliv.) Engl (ACANTHACEAE) exhibited weak antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus , Bacillus subtilis , Bacillus anthracis, Salmonella typhi , Streptococcus faecalis, Streptococcus agalactiae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with MIC values ranging from 1.6-6.25 mg/ml. The two extracts also exhibited weak antifungal activity against Candida albicans (MIC 6.25 mg/ml). Using the brine shrimps lethality test ethanol, ethyl acetate and aqueous extracts were virtually non-toxic to brine shrimp larvae, but the dichloromethane extract (LC 5 0 38.9 µg/ml) was mildly toxic . These results support the use of the plant in traditional medicine to treat gonorrhea, syphilis, gastroenteritis and pneumonia. S ince the plant is used in combination with other plants it is difficult to make any final conclusions regarding safety and efficacy. Further work is needed to evaluate the activity of an extract made from a combination of the six plants.


Purpose of review In the current medical care environment, switching within class is often demanded by cost consideration, medical insurance coverage, or formulary restriction. With many choices of drugs available within a glaucoma medication class, questions exist whether switching within class is beneficial. The purpose of this article is to provide a clinical update on the feasibility of switching among the frequently used drugs within glaucoma medication class. Recent findings Although efficacies of medications within a therapeutic class are similar and significant differences are generally not observed in clinical trials, response to medication often varies among individual patients in a clinical practice. Such variation may be secondary to differences in drug–receptor interactions, patient's compliance and tolerability to medical treatment, or bioavailability of the medication in individual ocular condition. In addition, switching within class is often necessary to minimize the systemic or local adverse reactions from the active or inactive ingredients of the medication. Summary In addition to keeping up-to-date with the efficacy and safety profiles of drugs within each glaucoma medication class, clinicians should familiarize themselves with the different formulations available, preservative systems used, generics availability and compatibility, and the local insurance formulary restriction to deliver an effective glaucoma management.


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a systematic method for practitioners (owners, operators, designers, and performers) to identify pathologies (aberrations from healthy system function) in complex systems.

Design/methodology/approach

A range of published works, which aim to provide practical and theoretical underpinnings on pathologies, were critiqued with respect to method development. A systematic method with five phases was then developed to help identify and assess existence of pathologies as conditions that negatively impact system performance.

Findings

There is a range of pathological conditions and factors that affect organizational (system) performance. However, there is a lack of supporting methods that can guide practitioners in identification of pathologies that exist in systems under their purview.

Research limitations/implications

The developed method is based on functional aspects of system viability as established in management cybernetics. Management cybernetics articulates functions that must be performed for continued viability of complex organizations. Therefore, the developed method supports practitioners in their responsibilities to effectively identify pathologies and develop corresponding remedies.

Practical implications

The proposed approach articulates a repeatable approach by which an analyst can interact with a system of interest in order to identify, assess existence of, and prioritize pathologies. This research introduces an opportunity to develop sets of feasible and purposeful responses to pathologies.

Originality/value

This paper fulfills an identified need to provide practitioners with an advanced systems thinking-based approach to identify deep systemic issues (pathologies) as an essential step in improving performance of an organization (system).


This article aims to analyse the representation of female characters in the context of German language immigration literature. With focus on resistance, this article discusses the intersection of gender and immigration in the short story "Schatten und Schritte" written by Aysel Ozakin and the novel All Russians Love Birch Trees by Olga Grjasnowa. The first text, published in 1985, presents a voice of the first wave of the history of migratory flows to Germany, the second one, published in 2012, develops a discussion about female perceptions and resistance practices after the turn of the millennium. Resistance is understood in this context as a process of recognizing, naming and repressing acts which produce inequalities. The first text connects resistance to a feeling of guilt, the second focusses, above all, on the autonomy obtained through acts of resistance.


This paper proposes a dc power supply system to give high power factor and low current distortion on the rectifier side and provide stable dc voltage on the isolated dc/dc converter side. The proposed dc power supply system uses a new zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) strategy to get ZVS function. Besides operating at constant frequency, all semiconductor devices operate at soft switching without additional voltage stress. A significant reduction in the conduction losses is achieved, since the circulating current for the soft-switching flows only through the auxiliary circuit and a minimum number of switching devices are involved in the circulating current path, and the rectifier in the proposed dc power supply system uses a single converter instead of the conventional configuration composed of a four-diode front-end rectifier followed by a boost converter. An average-current-mode control is employed in proposed dc power supply system to detect the transition time and synthesize a suitable low harmonics sinusoidal waveform for the input current. A design example of 1000-W soft-switching single-phase dc power supply system is examined to assess the converter performance.


Two vector operators θ and γ are introduced. The next-state operator θ allows one to calculate the successors of a set of states {G} from a binary nonlinear feedback shift register. The past-state operator γ allows one to calculate the predecessors of a set of states {G}. Both of these operators, which can be easily programmed on a digital computer, can be used to analyze autonomous and nonautonomous feedback shift registers. Analysis procedures using these operators are given for determining the cycle set of an arbitrary nonlinear FSR, for deciding if the state diagrams of the FSR are connected or strongly connected, and also for determining if the FSR is controllable.


Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), uncommon and still unclarified in pathogenesis, has been treated by various methods, including antiplatelet drugs, steroids, heparin and recently, plasma infusion, and plasma exchange. To evaluate the effectiveness of each therapy or its combination, we analyzed the data of 56 patients with TTP in Japan by a questionnaire. The mortality was 26.8%. Plasma exchange and infusion usually combined with other drugs (steroids, antiplatelet drugs etc.) seemed more effective than therapies without exchange or infusion. We employed a scoring method to express the severity of TTP, using platelet count, hemoglobin level and serum lactate dehydrogenase, creatinine and bilirubin levels as parameters. This scoring method showed objectively the effectiveness of antiplatelet drugs, steroids, or plasma exchange or infusion, and especially, the effectiveness of the latter two (singly or combined) in seven patients who did not respond to other therapies. In conclusion, plasma exchange and infusion are suggested for the treatment of TTP, especially, the severe type. Combination of antiplatelet drugs and/or steroids remains to be evaluated.


Centrally acting antihypertensive drugs are recognized to be safe and effective treatment for high blood pressure. Centrally mediated side effects, such as sedation, are commonly dose- and treatment-limiting events. Imidazoline-preferring receptors, while functionally similar to alpha 2 adrenoceptors, are distinguishable not only on the basis of in vitro radioligand binding but also in vivo in terms of side effects. Drugs with an imidazoline structure lower blood pressure but are less likely to impair psychomotor function. A placebo-controlled study compared moxonidine 0.1 mg with clonidine 0.1 mg orally in nine normal subjects. Both active drugs lowered blood pressure compared to placebo (clonidine more than moxonidine). However, psychomotor function and self-scored sedation and dry mouth were significantly affected only by clonidine. In a long-term (4 weeks) double-blind cross-over study in essential hypertension, rilmenidine was well tolerated and had similar effects to those of atenolol on erect and supine blood pressure. Rilmenidine had no effect on a wide range of autonomic and psychomotor tests or on responses to mental or physical stress. Atenolol, by contrast, had the predicted effects of a beta adrenoceptor antagonist on heart rate during exercise and the Valsalva maneuver. Imidazoline-preferring drugs offer a new and realistic approach to antihypertensive therapy with blood pressure reduction not limited by marked sedation within the therapeutic dose range.


SUMMARY: Preliminary studies demonstrated that Clostridium sporogenes synthesized isoleucine by a pathway not involving threonine or threonine dehydratase. Radiotracer experiments with cells grown in a defined carbohydrate-free medium showed that radioactivity from [U−14C]serine, [3−14C]pyruvate, [14C]NaHCO3 and [1-], [2-] and [3−14C]propionate was incorporated into isoleucine. Conversely, there was no detectable incorporation of 14C into isoleucine during growth with [U−14C]glutamate, [U−14C]threonine, [U−14C]valine, [U−14C]leucne or [U−14C]methionine. Crude extracts of the bacteria grown in a minimal medium contained levels of α-acetohydroxyacid synthase activities comparable to those in Escherichia coli K12 grown in minimal medium. Stepwise degradation of isoleucine obtained from C. sporogenes grown in the presence of specifically-labelled precursors indicated that C. sporogenes can make isoleucine via the reductive carboxylation of propionate to yield α-oxobutyrate, which is metabolized to isoleucine in the classical fashion. Isoleucine was also formed by C. sporogenes via the reductive carboxylation of α-methylbutyrate to α-oxo-β-methylvalerate.


OBJECTIVE
The presence of severely mentally ill persons in jails and prisons is an urgent problem. This review examines this problem and makes recommendations for preventing and alleviating it.

METHODS
MEDLINE, Psychological Abstracts, and the Index to Legal Periodicals and Books were searched from 1970, and all pertinent references were obtained.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
Clinical studies suggest that 6 to 15 percent of persons in city and county jails and 10 to 15 percent of persons in state prisons have severe mental illness. Offenders with severe mental illness generally have acute and chronic mental illness and poor functioning. A large proportion are homeless. It appears that a greater proportion of mentally ill persons are arrested compared with the general population. Factors cited as causes of mentally ill persons' being placed in the criminal justice system are deinstitutionalization, more rigid criteria for civil commitment, lack of adequate community support for persons with mental illness, mentally ill offenders' difficulty gaining access to community treatment, and the attitudes of police officers and society. Recommendations include mental health consultation to police in the field; formal training of police officers; careful screening of incoming jail detainees; diversion to the mental health system of mentally ill persons who have committed minor offenses; assertive case management and various social control interventions, such as outpatient commitment, court-ordered treatment, psychiatric conservatorship, and 24-hour structured care; involvement of and support for families; and provision of appropriate mental health treatment.


In one year and a half period 47 Clostridium difficile were isolated from stool samples. Isolates with questionable morphologic features were identified using sugars fermentation, gaz liquid chromatography (GLC). Cytotoxin assay was performed on Mac Coy cells. The comparative susceptibilities to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (AMC), cefotetan (CTT), cefoxitin (FOX), cefotaxime (CTX), latamoxef (MOX), mezlocillin (MEZ), piperacillin (PIP), clindamycin (CLIN) and metronidazole was tested using minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) determination on Wilkins-Chalgren blood agar. CLIN, FOX, CTX, MOX were inactive, CTT is moderately inactive. All strains were susceptible to AMX, MEZ, PIP and metronidazole.


The Highlands and Islands of Scotland represent a dramatic mountain-seascape which for long has been regarded one of the "classic" peripheries of Europe. This perception was mainly based on a rather homogenous picture of a residual problem area in terms of economic and socio-cultural disparities which did persist to considerable extent up until recently. However, as rural areas throughout Europe presently are undergoing significant processes of structural change, including economic, social, cultural and political adjustment in the context of globalization, a much more diverse picture of rural peripheries in Europe is emerging. As such the Highlands and Islands provide an outstanding example of recent restructuring not yet fully recognized outside Britain. This is particularly true for the Western Isles, a chain of islands on the western fringe of the country facing major challenges regarding economic   performance and social well-being of its population. Against the background of an ecologically fragile mountain-seascape people of the islands find themselves increasingly involved in fundamental debate about appropriate ways of future development. As selected case studies show the idea of sustainability provides a conceptual frame that seems at the core of the present discourse. Several initiatives and projects reflect opportunities but also obstacles connected with the ongoing process of transition.


Scientific journals have change since they appeared more
than 352 years ago; the first ones created being associated
to the dynamic of scientific associations and to the
communication and public discussion needs of the generated
knowledge. Today, there are thousands of journals in
all knowledge areas and in every region of the world;
nonetheless, their edition process, content assessment,
accessibility, visibility, and diffusion, as well as their
management models, have changed, especially in recent
years.


BMD has a strong heritable component. Estrogen activity depends on the aromatization of androgenic precursors in nongonadal tissues both in postmenopausal women and men. Therefore, aromatase is an appealing candidate gene to explain, in part, the genetic component of BMD. In fact, an association between aromatase polymorphisms and BMD has been previously reported in some relatively small groups. In this study, we explored the relationship between several SNPs in the aromatase region and hip BMD in 1163 postmenopausal women. We found significant differences across genotypes, particularly in older women. The BMD differences between homozygous women with opposing genotypes were 4.2% in the whole group and 7.3% in women >67 yr of age. Body weight was significantly associated with BMD also, but there was no evidence for a statistically significant interaction between body weight and aromatase polymorphisms. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays suggested the binding of the CEBPβ transcription factor to the C/G rs1062033 locus, located ∼12 kb upstream of the translation start site. Experiments of transient transfection of osteoblastic cells with luciferase reporters showed differences in the transcriptional activity of alleles C and G at this locus, with different responses to the co‐transfection of a CEBPβ expression vector. Furthermore, evidence for differential allelic expression was found in bone tissue samples. In conclusion, polymorphisms in a 12‐kb region of the aromatase gene are associated with BMD in postmenopausal women, particularly during the late postmenopausal period. In vitro functional studies point to rs1062033 as a true regulatory polymorphism.


Abstract Background Sarcoidosis is a multi-organ granulomatous disease of unknown aetiology. Adverse outcome related with cardiac involvement, makes early diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis crucial. Case summary In a 55-year-old man presenting with recurrent pulmonary infections, computed tomography (CT) showed several enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes and no lung pathology. Subsequent mediastinoscopy revealed the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Further screening for organ involvement showed multifocal cardiac involvement both on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and 18-F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography-computed tomography (18F-FDG PET-CT). Because of the lack of functional deterioration and clinical symptoms, no steroid treatment was initiated and regular follow-up of cardiac abnormalities was performed by CMR. Unremarkable progression of cardiac involvement during the first 2 years of follow-up turned into a dramatic involvement after 4 years, with the increase in the number and size of lesions at late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) CMR. Late gadolinium enhancement areas matched the regions of strongly increased 18F-FDG uptake. For the first time, the patient started complaining on shortness of breath, electrocardiography showed an atrioventricular block Grade 1. Cardiac biomarkers and cardiac function were still preserved. Steroid treatment was started. Although an electrophysiology study was negative, Holter monitoring showed ventricular arrhythmia. Cardioverter-defibrillator was implanted. Discussion This case shows the progression of cardiac sarcoidosis on CMR in an asymptomatic untreated patient over a 4-year period, and rises the awareness of possible severe cardiac damage even in the absence of clinical signs of cardiac involvement. Combination of PET and CMR is appealing to better understand the evolution of cardiac sarcoidosis and may help in the management of such patients.


Background: Self-medication with antibiotics (SMA) has turned out to be a common practice worldwide and is widespread in developing nations like India. Self-medication in medical students is different when compared to general population, as they have a good knowledge about diseases and drugs, obtained from textbooks, colleagues, drug indices, etc., and being a medical student, drugs can be acquired easily. There are various studies conducted on nursing, medical, and university students, but there are very few studies conducted in this region.

Aims and Objectives: The present study was conducted to know patterns, perception and practice of SMA in medical students.

Materials and Methods: The present study was a questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study. The study was conducted in April 2017 at a Medical College in South India. The information was collected on demographic characteristics, reasons for SMA, indications for the use of antibiotics, drug/drug group of antibiotics used, reasons for not consulting a health-care professional, and sources of information about antibiotics. The results are described using frequency and percentage.

Results: In the present study, 81.6% of the students had taken an antibiotic in the past 1 year. Most common conditions for which students used SMA were for upper respiratory tract infections (62.1%), fever (60.5%), and gastrointestinal infections (51.3%). The most common self-medicated antibiotics were ampicillin (57.2%) ciprofloxacin (49.7%) and metronidazole (46.4%). Most common reasons of SMA were, students considered SMA as less expensive when compared to doctor prescription (55.6%), illness not considered serious (49.7%) and lack of time to visit the hospital (47%). The most common source of information of antibiotic was from a previous prescription (49.7%) and the drug store (pharmacist) (36.7%).

Conclusion: The present study found a high prevalence of SMA among medical undergraduate students. Special emphasis should be given in teaching medical students about the disadvantages of irrational self-medication particularly in relation to the emergence of drug resistance. Pharmacists should not dispense antibiotics without a valid prescription. At the policy‑making and regulatory level, there is a need for strict legislation and enforcement of law so as to restrict access to an antibiotic, along with vigorous monitoring system will help in promoting rational antibiotic usage.


The sulfates Nb(2)O(2)(SO(4))(3), MoO(2)(SO(4)), WO(SO(4))(2,) and two modifications of Re(2)O(5)(SO(4))(2) have been synthesized by the solvothermal reaction of NbCl(5), WOCl(4), Re(2)O(7)(H(2)O)(2), and MoO(3) with sulfuric acid/SO(3) mixtures at temperatures between 200 and 300 °C. Besides the X-ray crystal structure determination of all compounds, the thermal behavior was investigated using thermogravimetric studies. WO(SO(4))(2) (monoclinic, P2(1)/n, a = 7.453(1) Å, b = 11.8232(8) Å, c = 7.881(1) Å, β = 107.92(2)°, V = 660.7(1) Å(3), Z = 4) and both modifications of Re(2)O(5)(SO(4))(2) (I: orthorhombic, Pba2, a = 9.649(1) Å, b = 8.4260(8) Å, c = 5.9075(7) Å, V = 480.27(9) Å(3), Z = 2; II: orthorhombic, Pbcm, a = 7.1544(3) Å, b = 7.1619(3) Å, c = 16.8551(7) Å, V = 863.64(6) Å(3), Z = 4) are the first structurally characterized examples of tungsten and rhenium oxide sulfates. Their crystal structure contains layers of sulfate connected [W═O] moieties or [Re(2)O(5)] units, respectively. The cohesion between layers is realized through weak M-O contacts (343-380 pm). Nb(2)O(2)(SO(4))(3) (orthorhombic, Pna2(1), a = 9.9589(7) Å, b = 11.7983(7) Å, c = 8.6065(5) Å, V = 1011.3(1) Å(3), Z = 4) represents a new sulfate-richer niobium oxide sulfate. The crystal structure contains a three-dimensional network of sulfate connected [Nb═O] moieties. In MoO(2)(SO(4)) (monoclinic, I2/a, a = 8.5922(6) Å, b = 12.2951(6) Å, c = 25.671(2) Å, β = 94.567(9)°, V = 2703.4(3) Å(3), Z = 24) [MoO(2)] units are connected through sulfate ions to a three-dimensional network, which is pervaded by channels along [100] accommodating the terminal oxide ligands. In all compounds except WO(SO(4))(2), the metal ions are octahedrally coordinated by monodentate sulfate ions and oxide ligands forming short M═O bonds. In WO(SO(4))(2), the oxide ligand and two monodentate and two bidentate sulfate ions build a pentagonal bipyramid around W. The thermal stability of the sulfates decreases in the order Nb > Mo > W > Re; the residues formed during the decomposition are the corresponding oxides.


Abstract The premise of this article is that direct marketing requires theory to progress as a discipline and to advance its practice. Furthermore, the author suggests that constructive truths should be suggested by practitioners to the academic community, to be tested and verified as the basis of direct marketing theory. The theory-in-use methodology is suggested as a framework for blending practitioners' experiences into a theoretical framework.


A fluidic oscillator is proposed as an improved dynamic calibration device for pressure instrumentation such as pressure-sensitive paint (PSP). The fluidic oscillator is a device that generates an oscillating jet when supplied with a pressurized fluid. The jet oscillation frequency ranges up to 6.5 kHz, depending on supply pressure. The flowfield of the oscillating jet has higher-order frequency content of at least 40 kHz, making it ideal for high-frequency calibrations. The fluidic oscillator demonstrated in these experiments is small, simple to use, portable, and inexpensive. The fluidic oscillator calibration tool may be used to calibrate the frequency response of hot-film or hot-wire probes, as well as pressure instrumentation such as pressure transducers or pressure-sensitive paint (PSP). In this work, the fluidic oscillator is used to calibrate the response time of several PSP formulations. Pressure-sensitive paints with anodized aluminum, polymer/ceramic, and thin-layer chromatography binders are calibrated and compared to previous calibration results. Full-field measurements and pointmeasurements with PSP are presented. Typical response times of porous PSPs are on the order of 40 kHz.


Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) denotes a set of IEEE standards that amend Ethernet by realtime capabilities. Specifically, the Time-Aware Shaper (TAS) implements a time division multiple access (TDMA) scheme allowing to temporally isolate time-sensitive traffic. In order to deploy a TSN network configuration providing hard bounds on delay and jitter, synchronized clocks and a global transmission schedule are required. However, the calculation of such a global schedule is not part of the TSN standard. Most scheduling approaches proposed in the literature target static scenarios where the network topology and the flow set are known a priori. Novel use cases encountered in Industry 4.0 have more dynamic requirements, such as connecting further machines or enabling new features that result in additional flows that need to be admitted into the schedule. Dynamic TSN scheduling poses challenges not only in adding new flows to an existing schedule, but also for initial offline scheduling, as each placement of flows in the original schedule may decrease future schedulability. In our work, we define an Integer Linear Programming (ILP) model that supports incrementally adding new flows to an existing schedule, taking original flow placements into account. It supports both defensive scheduling, where existing flows are not temporally moved, as well as offensive scheduling, in which existing flows may be rescheduled by a limited amount configurable per flow. We propose two optimization objectives aiming to improve schedulability of future flows. The first objective max-freeblock schedules flows in a way that increases the unoccupied time at the end of each schedule cycle time, leaving space to place future flows in defensive scheduling scenarios. The second objective link-desync maximizes the unoccupied gap between every two consecutive flows of a link, creating flexibility for future offensive scheduling. Further, we propose a heuristic-based algorithm that strategically selects a reduced set of initial flows for rescheduling based on link occupancy, reducing the model size and decreasing the execution time necessary to place additional flows. Our evaluations show that our max-freeblock strategy outperforms the baseline min-flowspan objective in defensive scheduling. Utilizing our rescheduling selection algorithm, 97 % of additional flows were admitted in offensive scheduling scenarios, compared to only 72 % achieved without restricting the rescheduling flow set.


Background: Bimatoprost 0.03% is an intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering prostaglandin analog with different adverse side effects such as potential ocular inflammatory effect and ocular hyperemia. Case presentation: We report a case of 80-year-old woman diagnosed with bilateral glaucomatous uveitis, and choroidal detachment in the left eye after topical bimatoprost administration. During the patient's hospitalization, Bimatoprost treatment was discontinued and local steroid therapy was administrated. After 1 week we reported a marked improvement of visual acuity, IOP measurement was 12 mmHg in both eyes. Anterior segment examination showed complete resolution of conjunctival and pericheratic hyperemia with significant reduction of endothelial precipitates in both eyes. Conclusions: In our case, the anterior granulomatous uveitis occurred in both pseudophakic eyes and the choroidal detachment (CD) in the eye that previously had trabeculectomy. Probably the scar tissue of the trabeculectomy allowed a better penetration of the Bimatoprost or a greater sensitivity due to an altered trabecular tissue. This work confirms that the onset physiopathology mechanism of granulomatous uveitis and CD following instillation of Bimatoprost remains uncertain.


NATO has made important contributions to regional security in post-Cold War Southeastern Europe. Engagement with the alliance's security assistance programs provides opportunities for security sector reform and professional development, helps to reorient national defense and security policies toward contemporary challenges, and places the responsibility of territorial defense in a collective security framework that allows for a more efficient utilization of limited resources and reduces the likelihood of interstate conflict. All the countries of the Western Balkans are committed to cooperation with the alliance, and to varying degrees are moving toward (or have already achieved) closer or full association, a process that this article seeks to document. NATO membership is also often perceived, rightly or wrongly, as a necessary step along the road toward membership in the European Union, the most important strategic goal for the majority of Western Balkan states. Association with the alliance is not, however, a sufficient foundation for regional stability and cooperative security. This will require a more complex process of development, including economic, political, social and cultural dimensions. Inclusive policies, including more effective cooperation between NATO and the Russian Federation in pursuit of mutual interests, would be of particular value.


In the last century, national and international movements in capital and ideas have contributed to the radical transformation of the Brazilian countryside. In Mato Grosso do Sul, Guarani have been displaced onto reservations (through often extra-legal means) due to deforestation for cattle ranches and agricultural plantations. Guarani land activists link displacement to problems like starvation and high crime rates. Today, protest occupations of plantations result in sometimes violent counter-mobilization by plantation owners. This article investigates the production of ethnic boundaries between self-identified 'Indians' and 'non-Indians', which become articulated as territorial. It interrogates how these boundaries are both produced by and contribute to the economic development policies driving the land grab in Brazil.


Objectives:The objective of the study was to assess diffuse noxious inhibitory control (DNIC) function in women with provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) compared with healthy controls through the use of 2 different methodologies. Furthermore, the study aimed to assess whether pain characteristics correlate with DNIC in women with PVD. Methods:Twenty-three healthy control women and 23 women diagnosed with PVD by the study gynecologist participated in the study. To assess DNIC, heat pain tolerance, determined through an ascending method of limits and temporal summation of thermal pain were used as test stimuli and a cold water bath was used as the conditioning stimulus. Participants reported on pain characteristics as potential correlates with DNIC function. Results:No significant group differences were found in the number of DNIC responders per group when using heat pain tolerance or temporal summation procedures to examine DNIC. The magnitude of the DNIC response was examined for the overall groups and for positive DNIC responders only. When all participants were included in the analyses with the heat pain tolerance procedure, women with PVD displayed a higher magnitude of DNIC responding. Correlations between pain variables and DNIC responding and magnitude were nonsignificant. Discussion:Results support previous findings of intact DNIC function in women with PVD, using both an ascending method of limits and a temporal summation paradigm. Pain-related variables were not correlated with DNIC function in women with PVD, perhaps this unexpected finding is due to the possibility that central processes other than DNIC, such as descending facilitation, provoke or maintain this chronic pain condition.


The nuclear protein HMGB1 (high mobility group box 1) is secreted by monocytesmacrophages in response to inflammatory stimuli and serves as a danger-associated molecular pattern. Acetylation and phosphorylation of HMGB1 are implicated in the regulation of its nucleocytoplasmic translocation for secretion, although inflammatory stimuli are also known to induce H2O2 production. Here we show that H2O2-induced oxidation of HMGB1 that results in formation of an intramolecular disulphide bond between Cys23 and Cys45 is necessary and sufficient for its nucleocytoplasmic translocation and secretion. The oxidation is catalysed by peroxiredoxin I (PrxI) and PrxII, which are first oxidized by H2O2 and then transfer their disulphide oxidation state to HMGB1. The disulphide form of HMGB1 showed a higher affinity for the nuclear exportin CRM1 compared with the reduced form. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)–induced HMGB1 secretion was greatly attenuated in macrophages derived from PrxI or PrxII knockout mice, as was the LPS-induced increase in serum HMGB1 levels in these mice.


Wetting agents are the primary tool used to control soil water repellency (SWR) and localized dry spot (LDS), especially on sand-based soils. However, the effect of repeated applications of wetting agents on soil microbial populations is unknown. This two-year field experiment investigated six wetting agents representing different chemistry effects on a creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) putting green with existing SWR. Four out of the six wetting agents improved soil volumetric water content in the second growing season, while others showed no effect. This result was negatively correlated to the development of LDS, and positively correlated to occurrence of an air-borne turf disease. Soil microbial populations, determined by soil phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis, found that none of the treatments applied caused a shift in microbial populations between fungi and bacteria, or gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The stress indicators such as saturated to mono-unsaturated fatty acids were not affected by the wetting agents applied as well. However, the wetting agent that contains alkyl block polymers (ABP; Matador) with proven capability for removal of soil organic coatings showed inhibition of microbial populations at one evaluation timing. This result suggested a temporary restriction in soil carbon availability for soil microorganisms following repeated ABP application, which likely contributed to the elevated LDS development observed. Another wetting agent, a combined product of a nonionic surfactant plus acidifiers (NIS; pHAcid), which is designed to reduce inorganic carbonates while enhancing wetting, elevated all soil microbial populations tested at the end of the experiment, indicating a desirable improvement in soil health. However, repeated application of NIS did not reduce SWR at the conclusion of this experiment, which, in combination with a previous report, suggested a minimal disturbance of soil organic coatings of the hydrophobic sand. Overall, this experiment suggested that soil microbial populations can be affected by wetting agents which may further influence SWR, yet the actual effect on soil microorganisms varies depending on the chemistry of the wetting agents.


The article deals with operator equations of type in a Banach space . If is only Lipschitz-continuous or locally bounded, then fixed-point theorems can be applied to bounded subsets of such as balls centered at u 0 or at the zero element Θ of . The article investigates the problem for which radius of the ball, the restrictions for admissible operators (Problem A) or admissible elements u 0 (Problem B) are as small as possible.


Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection is an endobronchiolitis characterized by the microcolony mode of growth (biofilm). Early colonization is treated with oral ciprofloxacin combined with colistin inhalation. Chronic infection is treated with "maintenance chemotherapy" consisting of beta-lactam antibiotics and tobramycin intravenously in combination with colistin inhalation four times yearly.


The main purpose of this book is to bring together some areas of research that have developed independently over the last 30 years. The central problem we are going to discuss is that of the computation of the number of integral points in suitable families of variable polytopes. This problem is formulated in terms of the study of partition functions. The partition function TX(b), associated to a finite set of integral vectors X, counts the number of ways in which a variable vector b can be written as a linear combination of the elements in X with positive integer coefficients. Since we want this number to be finite, we assume that the vectors X generate a pointed cone C(X). Special cases were studied in ancient times, and one can look at the book of Dickson [50] for historical information on this topic. The problem goes back to Euler in the special case in which X is a list of positive integers, and in this form it was classically treated by several authors, such as Cayley, Sylvester [107] (who calls the partition function the quotity), Bell [15] and Ehrhart [53], [54]. Having in mind only the principal goal of studying the partition functions, we treat several topics but not in a systematic way, by trying to show and compare a variety of different approaches. In particular, we want to revisit a sequence of papers of Dahmen and Micchelli, which for our purposes, culminate in the proof of a slightly weaker form of Theorem 13.54, showing the quasipolynomial nature of partition functions [37] on suitable regions of space.


The aim of this paper is to find out different preference of common spaces and shared activities in senior cohousing community between regions in Korea: Seoul and other cities. Social survey was conducted nationwide and the respondents were 50s only, since they are the generation who will face to elderly housing subject within 10 years in turbulent Korean society. Collected data, about 1000, were analyzed by SPSS program using frequency, percentage, and Chi-square test. In summary, respondents mostly would like to move to senior cohousing on circumstance when they remain alone without big difference between regions. Loneliness and housekeeping were considered as the most difficult issues for the elderly to manage by themselves. Among common spaces, exercise room was the most preferred space to meeting room and kitchen. Exercise room was more preferred in Seoul than in other cities, on the contrary meeting room was evidently less preferred in other cities than in Seoul. Regarding shared activities, resident meeting, gardening, and common meal were revealed as less preferred activities than hobby exercise and tea meeting. As a conclusion, I would like to propose that a big common living room is better to be designed for meeting room cum dining and gathering room with flexibility in order to give residents chances to know each other more often. And since common space and shared activity show different preferences by regions, those are to be designed and planned reflecting region's different circumstance.


We studied 20 kidney transplant recipients who had received Sandimmune cyclosporine A (CSA) capsules for an average of 7.9 months at a mean dose of 312 mg/day. They were switched to CSA liquid in the same dosage for an average of 15.5 months. There was no significant difference between the means for the monthly values of either serum creatinine or whole blood CSA when the periods on capsules and liquid were compared. Fourteen bottles from 4 batches with volume stated as 50 ml CSA actually contained an average of 53.7 ml. Comparison of the amount of capsules and liquid CSA prescribed and the amount dispensed by the pharmacy showed that the amount neglected (prescribed > dispensed) was similar for patients on liquid and capsules. Wastage (prescribed < dispensed) was about 5% greater when on liquid, and as our cost for liquid was 18% less than for capsules, we saved about 13% by use of the liquid.


Modeling methodologies are proposed for lossy conductors of finite thickness. The proposed models are such that neither the ease of implementation nor the computational efficiency of a fast adaptive integral equation method-based electromagnetic field solver is penalized.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Two of nine female opossums (Didelphis virginiana) in a closed breeding colony were submitted for necropsy due to a history of poor reproductive performance in the absence of overt clinical disease. On histologic examination, marked granulomatous to pyogranulomatous pneumonia was identified in these animals.

METHODS
Lung sections were stained with periodic acid-Schiff and Gomori's methenamine silver nitrate.

RESULTS
Pulmonary lesions were characterized by large numbers of foamy macrophages within the alveoli and interstitium, prominent subpleural and peribronchiolar aggregates of histiocytes, and a few scattered lymphoid nodules. Numerous fungal organisms were evident within the cytoplasm of macrophages on impregnation of histologic sections with the aforementioned stains. Other inciting agents were not identified. A third opossum lacked pulmonary lesions, but had similar organisms within one auricular sebaceous gland/hair follicle without apparent reaction to the organisms.

CONCLUSION
A fungal agent was associated with granulomatous pneumonia in the opossum, and comparison was made with endogenous lipid pneumonia previously described in opossums. These findings stress the importance of use of special stains and additional diagnostic techniques when prominent alveolar macrophage accumulation is present on histologic examination of the opossum lung.


We examined the applicability of the home-care supporting clinics in Japan(HCSC-J)scale to measure the quality of home-care services provided by HCSC. We conducted an anonymous mailed survey of 349 bereaved family members who received home-care services in 23 wards of HCSC in Tokyo, Japan. Of 143 responders, 77(clinic A: 44; clinic B: 33)were finally evaluated. The total scores of the HCSC-J subscale revealed a significant correlation with the overall assessment of home care. Our results suggest that the HCSC-J scale is effective for measuring the quality of home-care services of HCSC in Japan.


The dichotomy between Oriental philosophy and Western philosophy and the absence of interdisciplinary studies are the major philosophical obstacles to Trans-Humanities. I think these obstacles can be removed by means of critical disputes. In this context, I claim several things. (1) There are no critical evaluations in the studies on Toegye's Simhak(心學). Similarly, there are no critical justifications in the attempt to reconstruct Oriental psychology, Confucian psychology, and Toegye's psychology. (2) Interdisciplinary studies on mind and 'mind humanities' argue that the Oriental understanding of the mind should be the frame of reference. But the premise of this claim is inconsistent with the thesis of the traditional Confucian mind learning, i.e., the givenness of the moral mind. (3) Lim Heongyu criticizes the physicalism of the analytical philosophy of mind from the perspective of Chu Hsi's theory. But Chu Hsi's argument is not justified. Furthermore, Chu Hsi's theory cannot explain the success of the natural sciences. (4) The attempts to support Mencius's theory of human nature from the insights of evolutionary psychology or social biology commit the mistake of reducing the moral mind or the moral emotions to egoistic nature or natural emotions. On the basis of these criticisms, I will show that the moral mind is constructed through the aesthetic order.


Contributors. Preface: Historical and Cultural Background to Plant Food Allergens. Chapter 1: Food Allergies-- Clinical and Psychological Perspectives. Chapter 2: The Classification, Functions and Evolutionary Relationships of Plant Proteins in Relation to Food Allergies. Chapter 3: The 2S Albumin Proteins. Chapter 4: Plant Lipid Transfer Proteins: Relationships between Allergenicity and Structural, Biological and Technological Properties. Chapter 5: The Cereal Amylase/Trypsin Inhibitor Family Associated with Bakers' Asthma and Food Allergy. Chapter 6: Latex Allergy and Plant Chitinases. Chapter 7: Profilins. Chapter 8: Bet v 1--homologous Allergens. Chapter 9: Plant Seed Globulin Allergens. Chapter 10: The Role of Common Properties in Determining Plant Protein Allergenicity. Chapter 11: Assessing the Alergenicity of Novel and GM Foods. Chapter 12: Monitoring of and Technological Effects on Allergenicity of Proteins in the Food Industry. Index


Let C be a nonempty closed convex subset of a com- plete CAT(0) space and T : C ! C be a generalized nonexpansive mapping with F(T) = {x 2 C : T(x) = x} 6 ;. Suppose {xn} is generated iteratively by x1 2 C,


Effects of Nb(Niobium) contents and solution annealing on the strength and fatigue life of 18%Ni maraging steel commonly using in aircraft, space field, nuclear energy, and vehicle etc. were investigated. Also the fatigue life stress intensity factor were compared experiment result and FEA(finite element analysis) result. The more Nb content, the higher or the lower fatigue life on base metal specimens or solution annealed specimens showing that the fatigue lift was almost the same. The maximum stresses of X, Y, and Z axis direction showed about respectively. The Y direction stress showed the highest because of the same direction as the loading direction. The fatigue lives showed about 7% lower FEA result than experiment result showing almost invariable error every analyzed cycle. Stress intensity factor of the FEA result was lower about than that of the experiment result showing that the longer fatigue crack length the higher error. It considered that the cause for the difference was the modeled crack tip having always the same shape and condition regardless of the crack growth.


PURPOSE
Barriers to the treatment of anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), the role of pharmacists in screening patients for anemia and developing guidelines for the use of anemia therapies in patients with CKD, the goals of and considerations in developing pharmacist-managed anemia management clinics, and the potential benefits of these clinics are described.

SUMMARY
The complexity of patients with CKD, patient nonadherence to the treatment regimen, a shortage of nephrologists, and a lack of familiarity with clinical practice guidelines and recommendations for treating anemia in these patients are possible barriers to the treatment of anemia. Pharmacists can play a role in improving the treatment of anemia in patients with CKD by screening for anemia, developing guidelines for the use of anemia therapies, and providing patient education to promote adherence to the treatment regimen. The optimal upper limit for hemoglobin concentration during treatment with erythropoietin-stimulating agents (ESA) in patients with CKD remains to be determined, but it should not routinely exceed 13.0 g/dL. Extended dosing of darbepoetin alfa and the new agent continuous erythropoiesis receptor activator appears effective. Iron status often is not assessed in patients with CKD because of difficulty interpreting iron laboratory values and identifying iron deficiency. The usefulness of iron supplementation is not limited to patients with iron deficiency. The intravenous (i.v.) or oral route of administration may be used for iron supplementation in predialysis patients and peritoneal dialysis patients, but the i.v. route is recommended for hemodialysis patients. Adverse effects and drug interactions limit the use of oral iron supplements. Administration of parenteral iron is time consuming and accompanied by concerns about iron accumulation and uncertainty about the optimal maximum serum ferritin concentration. Improved access to care and clinical outcomes and reduced costs have been documented in pharmacist-managed anemia management clinics.

CONCLUSION
Pharmacists can help overcome barriers to treating anemia in patients with CKD. Clinical and economic benefits are associated with pharmacist-managed anemia management clinics.


Abstract Susceptibility of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) field populations to the Cry1Ac toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) were monitored from 1997 to 2004 in China. During 2001–2004, 53 strains from the Bt cotton planting region were sampled. The range of concentration producing 50% inhibition of larval development to third instar (IC50) values among different populations in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 was 0.014–0.046, 0.010–0.062, 0.005–0.062, and 0.005–0.035 μg/ml, respectively. Diagnostic concentration studies (IC99) showed that the percentage of individuals reaching third instar ranged from 0 to 9.09%, with only four of the 53 tested populations showing values above 0%. Considering these data, it was determined that the susceptibility to Cry1Ac of the field populations sampled was not different from the baseline in 1997, and no movement toward resistance among H. armigera populations was apparent.


Many ecological attributes of organisms vary spatially. This strict dependency upon space generally arises by individuals occupying places with the necessary resources and conditions for survival. For lizards, losing the tail is an evolved mechanism that allows them to escape predators or to avoid aggressive intraspecific agonistic interactions. We evaluated the spatial relation of tail loss in a population of the lizard Tropidurus montanus. Our results support the occurrence of a spatial cluster of autotomized lizards. However, we cannot relate the cluster formation to the crowding of neighbouring lizards nor to individuals' body size. Tail loss in lizards is known to be related to predatory attacks or intraspecific aggression, and we now show that tail autotomy occurs in a non-random way regarding space, and thus is also related to the space occupied by individuals in populations.


The airway epithelium is a dynamic tissue that undergoes slow but constant renewal. Dysregulation of airway epithelial cell function related to cigarette smoke exposure plays an important role in the pathophysiology of COPD and is associated to tissue damage and disease severity. Oct-4 is the crucial POU domain transcription factor responsible for maintaining cellular self-renewal and regeneration, and CD146 is an adhesion molecule involved in outside-in signalling of inflammatory processes, remodeling and cell proliferation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanisms involved in airway epithelium maintenance and injury-induced regeneration and their correlation with Oct-4 and CD146 protein expression. We studied the expression of Oct-4 and CD146 protein by western blot and flow cytometry in human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE cells) exposed to 5% Cigarette Smoke Extract (CSE) for 120 hours. We found that long term exposure to CSE significantly down-regulated Oct-4 protein expression in 16HBE cells, whereas CD146, that was not expressed in untreated cells, was significantly increased by CSE treatment. Accordingly, under oxidative stress conditions, an inverse correlation between Oct-4 and CD146 protein expression was observed. Chronic exposure to cigarette smoke may be able to induce an altered epithelium homeostasis and regenerative capacity in bronchial epithelial cells. The Oct-4 gene activity down-regulation might lead to the imbalance between renewal, repair processes and pro-inflammatory and pro-oxidative mechanisms with a potential role in abnormal tissue remodeling and progression of COPD.


Two hundred and eighty-one strains of enterococci isolated from blood cultures of 281 consecutive patients during 1980-1988 and 108 strains of enterococci isolated from miscellaneous clinical materials during 1988 were studied for high-level resistance (MIC greater than 2000 mg/l) to amikacin, kanamycin, streptomycin, gentamicin, tobramycin and netilmicin. Before 1985 there was no enterococcal strain with high-level resistance to amikacin, gentamicin, tobramycin or netilmicin, but 14% were resistant to kanamycin and 21% to streptomycin. For strains isolated from blood cultures during 1985-1988, the prevalence of high-level resistance was as follows: amikacin, less than 1%; kanamycin, 35%; streptomycin, 26%; gentamicin, 9%; tobramycin, 9%, netilmicin, 4%. Prevalence of high-level aminoglycoside resistance of enterococci isolated from miscellaneous sources during 1988 was higher (amikacin, 5%; kanamycin, 37%; streptomycin, 31%; gentamicin, 24%, tobramycin, 27%; netilmicin, 10%). Among strains isolated from blood cultures between 1980-1984, 24% (30 of 126 strains) and among 1985-1988 strains, 40% (62 of 155 strains) were resistant to at least one of the aminoglycosides tested. Similarly, among the miscellaneous strains, 40% (43 of 108 strains) had high-level resistance to at least one of the aminoglycosides tested.


In the present paper, the performance of cooperative relaying networks with adaptive relaying scheme selection is analyzed. Cooperative relaying is a new technique to achieve spatial diversity gain by using neighboring stations. However, when multiple stations transmit simultaneously, the number of interference signals increases. Therefore, the introduction of cooperative relaying in radio communication systems does not always increase the network capacity due to the co-channel interference. Therefore, in order to achieve high spectral efficiency, it is necessary to select cooperative relaying or non-cooperative relaying adaptively. Assuming both centralized and decentralized adaptive controls, the spectrum efficiency is evaluated. The performance under decentralized control is evaluated using a game-theoretic approach. Simulation results show that the introduction of cooperative relaying with centralized control always increases the spectral efficiency. On the other hand, Simulation results also show that, when each source selects a relaying scheme independently and selfishly to maximize its own spectral efficiency, the introduction of the cooperative relaying may reduce the spectral efficiency due to the increase in the number of interference signals.


Oppositely valenced forces may be at work to influence rates of placement of children into mental retardation programs. On one hand, educational policies regarding intellectual disability and concerns about overrepresentation of minorities in special education may contribute to lower placement rates; on the other hand, more difficult intelligence test norms may be a countervailing force, increasing placement rates. An analysis of longitudinal data on state and national level placement rates reveals that a lengthy and steep 12-year decline in students receiving mental retardation services reversed shortly after the introduction of the WISC-III in 1991. This phenomenon has relevance for death-penalty cases, because this historical pattern may affect the ability to establish whether an adult meets the developmental period onset criterion for mental retardation.


We develop a functional calculus for d-tuples of non-commuting elements in a Banach algebra. The functions we apply are free analytic functions, that is nc functions that are bounded on certain polynomial polyhedra.


'The move into the community' considers deinstitutionalization. Nearly every large mental hospital in the UK and most in the US and Western Europe have closed. The emptying of the institutions was partly due to the discovery of antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs, but changes in social attitudes towards the mentally ill, radical rethinking within psychiatry, and financial considerations were also influential. The first twenty years of community care were relatively successful. However, closures often ran ahead of provision of adequate alternative services. Stigma, an exaggerated sense of risk from the mentally ill, family break-up, high social mobility, and increasing levels of drug and alcohol use have made community care of the mentally ill more difficult.


Disruption of DNA methylation patterns is one of the hallmarks of cancer. Similar to other cancer types, human papillomavirus (HPV)-driven head and neck cancer (HNC) also reveals alterations in its methylation profile. The intrinsic ability of HPV oncoproteins E6 and E7 to interfere with DNA methyltransferase activity contributes to these methylation changes. There are many genes that have been reported to be differentially methylated in HPV-driven HNC. Some of these genes are involved in major cellular pathways, indicating that DNA methylation, at least in certain instances, may contribute to the development and progression of HPV-driven HNC. Furthermore, the HPV genome itself becomes a target of the cellular DNA methylation machinery. Some of these methylation changes appearing in the viral long control region (LCR) may contribute to uncontrolled oncoprotein expression, leading to carcinogenesis. Consistent with these observations, demethylation therapy appears to have significant effects on HPV-driven HNC. This review article comprehensively summarizes DNA methylation changes and their diagnostic and therapeutic indications in HPV-driven HNC.


The emergence of mid-to-small satellites has created a need for rapid development with a relatively low cost. However, the development of mid-to-small satellites requires considerable time and cost in early phase, in particular, during the development of mission and system requirements through iterations of conceptual design and mission design. In this research, Spacecraft Conceptual Design Tool(SCDT) which is based on Graphical User Interface(GUI) was developed to reduce the time and cost for early phase development. Furthermore, GUI-based software can make the input values to be editable easily and show users design results in various way. In this paper, the development results of MATLAB GUI-based SCDT are introduced.


This article presents selected issues related to the problem of organizational culture. The work is based on the results of empirical research involving qualitative investigations using the case study method. It examines the values and norms defi ning the organizational culture of selected agricultural enterprises. It was found that the values and norms are an important factor in the competitiveness of a company. Appropriate shaping of the organizational culture promotes proinnovative behavior of employees and builds an attractive image of the organization. Considerations related to the culture of the organization revealed the importance of the multidimensionality of this concept. In addition, organizational culture can have a big impact on functioning and effectiveness of a company.


We have used two-photon Fourier transform spectroscopy to investigate the first singlet excited state (S1) of a prototypical polyene molecule 1,5—Diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene. As the S1 state in the polyenes is a one-photon forbidden transition, the structure of its vibrational levels cannot be studied using resonant linear excitation. Although this level is accessible with two-photon excitation, previous studies done by using wavelength tunable pulsed lasers did not have enough resolution to investigate the details of the vibrational levels. In Fourier transform spectroscopy, one uses a pair of laser beams to excite the sample. The measurements are done by varying the time delay between the pulses. The spectral resolution is given by the inverse of the maximum time delay rather than the spectral width of the pulses. We have used the method to investigate the vibrational levels of the S1 state. In our implementation, we have used phase modulation to carry out the measurements in the rotating frame, which requires less data points along the time delay thereby significantly reducing the measurement time.


There is intense interest to develop nanowires [1] and superlattices [2] that may offer superior thermoelectric figure of merit for efficient energy conversion. Meanwhile, the advance of semiconductor processing techniques has yielded impurity-doped semiconductor nanostructures with a doped region as small as a few nanometers. These include shallow junction Si field-effect transistors, strained Si/SiGe/Ge heterostructures and quantum dots, III-V heterostructures, and doped nanowires and nanotubes. Due to various size confinement effects, these doped semiconductor nanostructures often have unique electrical, optoelectronic, or thermoelectric properties that may lead to a wide range of applications. In contrast to the progress made in synthesizing thermoelectric nanostructures and in fabricating doped semiconductor nanostructures, the ability to quantify thermoelectric property and carrier concentration in comparable length scale has been lagging behind. For example, the 1997 U.S. Roadmap of Semiconductors from the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) defines the need for nanometer-scale measurements of carrier concentration profiles [3]. Though progress has been made, currently no technique can satisfy the requirements posted by the SIA roadmap due to the lack of either spatial resolution or accuracy.Copyright © 2002 by ASME


Both SARS-CoV-2 and SARS coronaviruses (CoVs) are members of the subgenus Sarbecovirus. To understand the origin of SARS-CoV-2, sequences for the spike and nucleocapsid proteins from sarbecoviruses were analyzed to identify molecular markers consisting of conserved inserts or deletions (termed CSIs) that are specific for either a particular clade of Sarbecovirus or are commonly shared by two or more clades of these viruses. Three novel CSIs in the N-terminal domain (NTD) of the spike protein S1-subunit (S1-NTD) are uniquely shared by SARS-CoV-2, Bat-CoV-RaTG13 and most pangolin CoVs (SARS-CoV-2r clade). Three other sarbecoviruses viz. bat-CoVZXC21, -CoVZC45 and -PrC31 (forming CoVZC/PrC31 clade), and a pangolin-CoV_MP789 also contain related CSIs in the same positions. In contrast to the S1-NTD, both SARS and SARS-CoV-2r viruses contain two large CSIs in the S1-C-terminal domain (S1-CTD) that are absent in the CoVZC/PrC31 clade. One of these CSIs, consisting of a 12 aa insert, is also present in the RShSTT clade (Cambodia-CoV strains). Sequence similarity studies show that the S1-NTD of SARS-CoV-2r viruses is most similar to the CoVZC/PrC31 clade, whereas their S1-CTD exhibits highest similarity to the RShSTT- (and the SARS-related) CoVs. Results from the shared presence of CSIs and sequence similarity studies on different CoV lineages support the inference that the SARS-CoV-2r cluster of viruses has originated by a genetic recombination between the S1-NTD of the CoVZC/PrC31 clade of CoVs and the S1-CTD of RShSTT/SARS viruses, respectively. We also present compelling evidence, based on the shared presence of CSIs and sequence similarity studies, that the pangolin-CoV_MP789, whose receptor-binding domain is most similar to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has resulted from another independent recombination event involving the S1-NTD of the CoVZC/PrC31 CoVs and the S1-CTD of an unidentified SARS-CoV-2r related virus. The SARS-CoV-2 virus involved in this latter recombination event is postulated to be most similar to the SARS-CoV-2. Several other CSIs reported here are specific for other clusters of sarbecoviruses including a clade consisting of bat-SARS-CoVs (BM48-31/BGR/2008 and SARS_BtKY72). Structural mapping studies show that the identified CSIs form distinct loops/patches on the surface of the spike protein. It is hypothesized that these novel loops/patches on the spike protein, through their interactions with other host components, should play important roles in the biology/pathology of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Lastly, the CSIs specific for different clades of sarbecoviruses including SARS-CoV-2r clade provide novel means for the identification of these viruses and other potential applications.


The sapodilla ( Manilkara zapota van Royen), also known as naseberry, nispero, zapote, zapotillo, chicozapote, native to Mexico and Central America is currently grown in southern Florida. Pests and diseases are not usually considered a major problem on sapodilla; however, the larva of the small moth Banisia myrsusalis has been reported as an occasional pest that causes extensive damage to sapodilla blooms in Florida. Damage to buds, flower drop, and damage to 70% of fruits have been observed (Pena, unpublished data). A preliminary survey of sapodilla groves was conducted from May to July 2002, since very little was known about this moth. The survey indicated the presence of lepidopterous pests feeding on the young leaves, flowers, or young fruits. Three Lepidoptera species were frequently encountered: Banisia myrsusalis (Lepidoptera: Thyrididae), Dichrorampha sapodilla (Lepdioptera: Tortricidae), and a Zamagiria sp. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). A test was conducted in 2006 to determine the efficacy of Fury, Novaluron, Venom, Danitol, Thiamethoxan, and Alverde for control of the sapodilla moths.


Background In an atherosclerotic artery wall, monocyte-derived macrophages are the principal mediators that respond to pathogens and inflammation. The present study aimed to investigate potential genetic changes in gene expression between normal tissue-resident macrophages and atherosclerotic macrophages in the human body. Material/Methods The expression profile data of GSE7074 acquired from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, which includes the transcriptome of 4 types of macrophages, was downloaded. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using R software, then we performed functional enrichment, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction, key node and module analysis, and prediction of microRNAs (miRNAs)/transcription factors (TFs) targeting genes. Results After data processing, 236 DEGs were identified, including 21 upregulated genes and 215 downregulated genes. The DEG set was enriched in 22 significant Gene Ontology (GO) terms and 25 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, and the PPI network constructed with these DEGs comprised 6 key nodes with degrees ≥8. Key nodes in the PPI network and simultaneously involved in the prime modules, including rhodopsin (RHO), coagulation factor V (F5), and bestrophin-1 (BEST1), are promising for the prediction of atherosclerotic plaque formation. Furthermore, in the miRNA/TF-target network, hsa-miR-3177-5p might be involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis via regulating BEST1, and the transcription factor early growth response-1 (EGR1) was found to be a potential promoter in atherogenesis. Conclusions The identified key hub genes, predicted miRNAs/TFs, and underlying molecular mechanisms may be involved in atherogenesis, thus potentially contributing to the treatment and diagnosis of patients with atherosclerotic disease.


ABSTRACT Objective : This study aimed to evaluate the D0 diameter of standardized gutta-percha cones for four mechanized systems: ProTaper Universal®, Mtwo®, Wave One® and Reciproc®. Methods: An endodontic calibrator ruler was used to measure the D0 diameter of 60 main cones of the above systems. Measurements were made according 3 scores as follows: gutta-percha cone fits exactly into the same hole as the endodontic ruler gauge (score 1), cone falls short of the ruler gauge whole size (score 2); or exceeding the ruler gauge hole size (score 3). The diameters D0 obtained were compared with the values reported by manufacturers. All data were analyzed by means of T Test, at 1% level of significance. Results: The average value measured was significantly higher than the measures established by manufacturers (p <0.001). Conclusion : The gutta-percha cones of ProTaper Universal® systems Mtwo®, Wave One® and Reciproc® were not standardized, except for R40 cone of the Reciproc® system (Reciproc®). The trend was for variation in the D0 Diameter towards increasing measurement values.


Fertility preservation (FP) for hematological malignancies is difficult because immediate chemotherapy is needed after diagnosis. We report two cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated with controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) and oocyte cryopreservation using DuoStim after first-line chemotherapy. In Cases 1 and 2, COS and oocyte retrieval (OR) were performed using DuoStim 116 and 51 days after first-line chemotherapy, respectively, and 14 and 6 unfertilized oocytes, respectively, were cryopreserved. Another round of COS and OR was performed using the random-start method 82 days after first-line chemotherapy, and 22 unfertilized oocytes were cryopreserved. DuoStim is useful to maximize OR for patients with a short interval for FP. Many oocytes can be retrieved depending on the timing of recruitment from primary to secondary follicles, although ovarian reserve capacity declines immediately after first-line chemotherapy. Aggressive FP should be performed before allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation becomes necessary.


Aim: Schistosomiasis is a water-borne trematode infestation and is one of the most widespread parasitic diseases in the world. Schistosomiasis can affect any organ. This case report highlights the importance of awareness of unusual cause of common surgical presentations of schisto-somiasis in endemic areas and the need for appendectomy specimens to be sent for histological review so that patients can benefit from full investigations and specific antiparasitic treatment.
Case Presentation: In this paper, the authors present a case of appendicular schistosomiasis that was incidentally discovered in a 33-year-old female patient from Lagos, Nigeria who underwent appendectomy for acute appendicitis. Appendectomy specimens removed from the patient appeared macroscopically normal but histopathological analysis revealed schistosomal eggs confirming the diagnosis of appendicular schistosomiasis.
Discussion: Confirmation of appendicular schistosomiasis is a purely histological diagnosis, because there are no pathognomonic clinical or operative findings. Physicians practising in the endemic areas must be aware of the possibility of seeing atypical presentations of parasitic diseases.
Conclusion: The authors therefore strongly recommend that all appendectomy specimens should be sent for histological review so that patients can benefit from full investigations and specific anti-parasitic treatment.


The 1999 round of trade talks in Seattle, Washington got off to a rather shaky start; in fact, it may be several years before new trade talks will be held. Many special-interest groups, including environmentalists and labor unions, were successful in scuttling these trade talks. In addition, agriculture's role and position were not clearly stated. This paper deals specifically with key agricultural issues surrounding future progress in trade talks. These comments integrate the central themes covered by the several authors who participated in the session entitled "The Millenium Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations." My discussion illustrates some of the outstanding issues which must be dealt with before significant progress will be made towards freer trade in agriculture.


The discriminant levers of customer satisfaction: the Sepsa case ABSTRACT: The discriminant levers of customer satisfaction: the Sepsa case Objectives The modern discipline of customer care is more and more paying the attention on the centrality to the customers in the modern business organization. In particular it deals with those rules, which with an increasing strength, intervene in the control of the economic activities. It is ever more true in the context of public goods, in which the attention to the consumers is hard deep-routed. As a consequence have been spreading some new initiatives, such as the service-charters, which impose to the suppliers of public goods/services the so called customer care. It is a set of actions concerning the contact, the involvement, the communication that form the main aspect of the public marketing. In this paper, to give an answer to this ethical but at the same time managerial demand, we propose a new methodology to measure the customer satisfaction (CS) based on the employment of a strategy of non-parametric models, whose aim is to individualize a set of optimal weights for the construction of a synthetic indicator of customer satisfaction. The knowledge of the role played by the latent dimensions of the satisfaction allows to support the management in the allocation of limited resources, typical of the budget of a public firm. Methods The Stump Two-Stage via Discriminant Analysis methodology, described in this paper, is based on an extension of the TS-Dis method proposed by Mola and Siciliano in 2002. The aim of this method is to identify the relationships between the typical dimensions of a public service, throughout the quantification of a set of optimal weights used to build up a global satisfaction index. In other words, starting from the data obtained trough a direct survey of customer satisfaction, the methodology makes use of a strategy of analysis which combines a non-parametric technique (two-stage segmentation trees) and a factorial method (linear discriminant function) to measure the importance of each dimension and each attribute, with the task to better explain the difference between clusters of satisfied and unsatisfied consumers. Conclusions This methodology has been showed by a CS survey carried out in the context of transport services supplied by Sepsa Spa company. It represents one of the most important actor working in the local transport system of the Campania Region. The obtained results have allowed us to identify the discriminant levers of satisfaction, which, in other words are the critical points of the service, where is necessary to invest in order to increase the level of satisfaction perceived by the users.


The Fourth United Nations World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995) adopted a Platform for Action. It was a powerful impetus to devising solutions aimed at achieving gender equality, taking into account the interests and needs of women and men in all areas of activity. Essential to accomplishing those aims is the regular, detailed, and trustworthy information now forming in many countries that is provided by an intersector area of statistics—gender statistics.


This paper mainly studied two pivotal techniques of brushless DC electromotor without powition sensor——powition detection and start.We presented a new rotor position detection method which was instantaneous state detection combined with state predict and "three sect"start method.The designed system was based on DSP TMS320LF2402A,and provided some experimented results.


This paper presents a multiple-model adaptive control procedure for sodium nitroprusside regulation of arterial pressure. Pole-placement, via state-variable feedback, is included in the controller to achieve desired performance characteristics. A Smith predictor in the controller effectively removes the infusion delay time, thus simplifying the control analysis and design. Proportional-plus-integral control is used to achieve zero steady-state error. Computer simulations on linear transfer function models with varying gains, time constants, and infusion delays demonstrate the robustness of this multiple-model controller. Additional simulations on nonlinear, pulsatile-flow cardiovascular models lend further support to the ultimate use of this controller for blood-pressure regulation.


Abstract Objective: To examine the impact of night-shift duration (≤9 hours or >9 hours) on efficacy and tolerability of armodafinil in patients with shift work disorder (SWD). Methods: This was a post hoc analysis of a 6 week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study. Shift workers with diagnosed SWD and late-in-shift sleepiness (between 4 am and 8 am, including the commute home) received armodafinil 150 mg or placebo before their night shift. Results: Proportion of patients with at least minimal improvement in late-in-shift sleepiness, late-in-shift Clinical Global Impressions–Change (CGI-C) rating and Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS), as well as overall Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale and modified Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS-M), were assessed at baseline and final visit. Results: Of the 383 patients enrolled, 279 (73%) worked shifts ≤9 hours and 104 (27%) worked shifts >9 hours. A greater percentage of patients receiving armodafinil had at least minimal improvement in late-in-shift CGI-C (≤9 hours: 78% vs 60%, P = 0.0017; >9 hours: 77% vs 46%, P = 0.0020) regardless of shift duration. Armodafinil patients also demonstrated significantly greater improvements in GAF score (≤9 hours: 9.5 vs 5.4, P < 0.0001; >9 hours: 9.6 vs 4.3, P = 0.0019) and KSS score (≤9 hours: −2.9 vs −1.9, P = 0.0002; >9 hours: −2.8 vs −1.6, P = 0.00 28). Improvement in SDS-M composite score was significantly greater for armodafinil patients working >9 hours (−6.8 vs −2.7, P = 0.0086). Headache was the most frequent adverse event in all treatment groups. Conclusions: Patients receiving armodafinil had significantly greater improvements in late-in-shift clinical condition and in wakefulness and overall global functioning than did placebo-treated patients, regardless of shift duration. Prospectively designed, randomized clinical trials that include objective measures of sleepiness are needed to support these findings.


South Asians are among the fastest growing immigrant population groups in the United States. Their traditional diets are rich in minimally processed fruits, vegetables, grains, herbs, and spices. However, the proliferation of ultra-processed foods (highly processed, industrially manufactured formulations) around the globe may compromise the nutrition profile of South Asians, threatening to increase their risk of noncommunicable diseases. This commentary discusses the rise in ultra-processed food consumption among South Asians in the United States and hypothesizes that South Asians may be especially vulnerable to the effects of ultra-processed foods due to their unique cardiovascular disease risk profiles. Using these emerging data, we propose several strategies for preventing the overconsumption of ultra-processed foods among South Asian Americans. These include the implementation of policies to encourage the consumption of whole foods over ultra-processed foods and the development of culturally tailored interventions, which include promoting consumption of traditional diets, improving affordability of healthful, culturally appropriate foods, and cultivating healthier food environments for South Asians living in the United States.


Detailed characterization of hydrofracture grouts was performed by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and B-Y autoradiography. Laboratory-produced samples containing simulated wastes as well as actual radioactive samples of hydrofracture grout sheets obtained by core drilling were examined in this work. X-ray-diffraction results revealed that both laboratory-produced samples and a core-drilled sample consisted primarily of calcium carbonate phases. Both sample types contained very small amounts of strontium or cesium wastes, neither of which could be detected by microscopic techniques. The core-drilled sample contained radioactive 90 Sr, 137 Cs, and 60 Co that could be detected by 0-Y autoradiography. The autoradiograph revealed that these radionuclides were still present in the 20-year-old grout and that they had not migrated into the trapped shale fragments.


Black rice is a type of rice in the Oryza sativa L. species. There are numerous reports regarding the pharmacological actions of black rice bran, but scientific evidence on its gastroprotection is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the gastroprotective activities of black rice bran ethanol extract (BRB) from the Thai black rice variety Hom Nil (O. sativa L. indica) as well as its mechanisms of action, acute oral toxicity in rats, and phytochemical screening. Rat models of gastric ulcers induced by acidified ethanol, indomethacin, and restraint water immersion stress were used. After pretreatment with 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg of BRB in test groups, BRB at 800 mg/kg significantly inhibited the formation of gastric ulcers in all gastric ulcer models, and this inhibition seemed to be dose dependent in an indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer model. BRB could not normalize the amount of gastric wall mucus, reduce gastric volume and total acidity, or increase gastric pH. Although BRB could not increase NO levels in gastric tissue, the tissue MDA levels could be normalized with DPPH radical scavenging activity. These results confirm the gastroprotective activities of BRB with a possible mechanism of action via antioxidant activity. The major phytochemical components of BRB comprise carotenoid derivatives with the presence of phenolic compounds. These components may be responsible for the gastroprotective activities of BRB. The 2000 mg/kg dose of oral BRB showed no acute toxicity in rats and confirmed, in part, the safe uses of BRB.


Magnetization measurements in the mixed state of thick strips of carbon nanotube doped MgB2 in crossed fields configurations are reported, together with numerical simulations performed with a geometry equivalent to the sample shape. The samples were subjected to magnetic field components along mutually perpendicular directions, an oscillatory field in one direction and a remanent magnetization in the perpendicular direction. The magnetic response along the oscillatory field and the magnetic relaxation perpendicular to it are observed and simulated using the critical state theory. A remarkable quantitative agreement between the experiment and the theory was obtained.


A basic requirement for running multiattribute auctions is knowledge of the utility function of the buyer that trades off nonprice attributes against price. We present and study an approach that elicits this preference structure based on a markovian polyhedral sampling scheme called the "Hit-and-Run" algorithm. An advantage of this technique is its relative simplicity - it relies only on matrix algebra as opposed to the use of nonlinear optimization techniques by other methods in the literature. Computational results suggest that this method is fast and accurate.


Crowd counting is challenging due to unconstrained imaging factors, e.g., background clutters, non-uniform distribution of people, large scale and perspective variations. Dealing with these problems using deep neural networks requires rich prior knowledge and multi-scale contextual representations. In this paper, we propose a Cross-stage Refinement Network (CRNet) that can refine predicted density maps progressively based on hierarchical multi-level density priors. In particular, CRNet is composed of several fully convolutional networks. They are stacked together recursively with the previous output as the next input, and each of them serves to utilize previous density output to gradually correct prediction errors of crowd areas and refine the predicted density maps at different stages. Cross-stage multi-level density priors are further exploited in our recurrent framework by the cross-stage skip layers based on ConvLSTM. To cope with different challenges of unconstrained crowd scenes, we explore different crowd-specific data augmentation methods to mimic real-world scenarios and enrich crowd feature representations from different aspects. Extensive experiments show the proposed method achieves superior performances against state-of-the-art methods on four widely-used challenging benchmarks in terms of counting accuracy and density map quality. Code and models are available at this https://github.com/lytgftyf/Crowd-Counting-via-Cross-stage-Refinement-Networks.


In recent times, a great deal of attention has been paid to the balanced design and fabrication of core-shell heterostructures for enhanced pseudocapacitor (SC) performance. In this paper, we report the synthesis of ZnO@Co3O4 based core-shell heterostructures with controllable shell thickness for the first time by a simple low-temperature solution-based method and their detailed electrode performance as SC wherein a highly enhanced pseudocapacitance of 296 C g(-1) at a current density of 0.5 A g(-1) has been observed. Further, modifying the surface of ZnO by its sulfur analogue (i.e., by creating a ZnO/ZnS heterostructure), an improved capacitance of 317 C g(-1) at a current density of 0.5 A g(-1) for ZnO/ZnS@Co3O4 has been obtained along with a better rate performance. This is attributed to an efficient charge transfer from ZnS to ZnO. Impressively, the core-double shell heterostructure exhibits high energy density of 36 Wh kg(-1) at a power density of 204.3 W kg(-1). Even at a very high power density of 10.9 kW kg(-1), it shows an energy density of 14.7 Wh kg(-1). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of the electrochemical properties of ZnO/ZnS@Co3O4 heterostructure.


New equations for converting a redundant number into its two's complement representation are presented. This enables converters to use conventional CMOS adder structures in dynamic logic, multi-output logic and differential logic. Static 4 bit CLA circuits with a compact, regular, fast, simple and multi-output structure are described.


In two studies, we examined honor-related differences in morality versus competence evaluations as a way to tap into social judgment formation after an insult. In Study 1, we distinguished between high-honor and low-honor cultures. Participants' evaluations of a norm transgressor were gathered. Results indicated that high-honor participants devalued the transgressor more strongly in terms of morality than competence in comparison with low-honor participants. In Study 2, we distinguished between participants with high- and low-honor values and investigated morality and competence in self-perception. Participants were asked to respond to different types of insults gathered in Study 1. High-honor participants were primarily harmed in their morality after being insulted, while this prominence was less apparent in low-honor participants. Both studies showed that those who value honor highly moralize insults to a greater extent, because they take more offense to them. © 2014 International Association for Conflict Management and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


ABSTRACT The two-dimensional (2D) material family can be regarded as the extreme externalization form of the matter in the planar 2D space. These atomically thin materials have abundant curvature structures, which will significantly affect their atomic configurations and physicochemical properties. Curvature engineering offers a new tuning freedom beyond the thoroughly studied layer number, grain boundaries, stacking order, etc. The precise control of the curvature geometry in 2D materials can redefine this material family. Special attention will be given to this emerging field and highlight possible future directions. With the step-by-step achievement in understanding the curvature engineering effect in 2D materials and establishing reliable delicate curvature controlling strategies, a brand-new era of 2D materials research could be developed.


Tilting the body in a foot-down direction from the horizontal produces changes in the resting end-expiratory lung volume which are essentially linear with the sine of the angle of the trunk to the horizontal. Tilting in the head-down direction produces slight and variable changes in this lung volume indicating that when the trunk is horizontal the functional residual capacity is at or near its minimal volume. Various factors which may influence the magnitude of the shift in the resting end-expiratory position are: 1) lung compliance, 2) compliance of diaphragm and abdominal wall with their attached structures, 3) compliance of rib cage, 4) effective length of the abdominal column which is considerably less than the total length of the abdominal cavity, 5) angle of trunk to horizontal. The greater the compliance of the lungs and diaphragm, the greater the angle of tilt, and the longer the effective length of the abdomen, the larger the external volume change will be. An increase in the compliance of the rib cage will increase the magnitude of the diaphragmatic shift but will decrease the external volume change. Because of this last, some patients may receive inadequate tidal volumes when tilted. In addition, children and infants who have a short effective length of the abdomen are even more likely to receive inadequate tidal volumes as a result of body tilting. Submitted on October 31, 1955


This study provides an in-depth analysis of the relationship between modernity and Christianity. The author argues that the notion of revelation is eminently reasonable and indissolubly connected with being and reality. He takes Jaspers' philosophy of religion as representative of the 'classical' modern critique and gives it its due. He then takes a step backward, so to speak, and by means of a consideration of the history of ideas, seeks to rehabilitate the Christian understanding of revelation. To do this, he draws upon Schelling's remarkable philosophy of revelation and Baader's much less familiar speculative dogmatics. However, this study is much more than a profound philosophical and theological account of the thought of Jaspers, Schelling and Baader. It is above all an eloquent defence of the plausibility and intelligibility of what Christians have always believed. In fact, the author makes a compelling case for the claim that revelation is 'that without which Christianity cannot be thought'.


1. We evaluated the feasibility of using a simulated public speaking (SPS) test to assess the activity of anxiolytic drugs. SPS was achieved by requesting subjects to present a speech to an audiocassette recorder. Thirty volunteers were randomly assigned to one of three groups treated with 10 mg diazepam, 10 mg buspirone or placebo, under double-blind conditions. One h after drug administration, subjective states were measured by the Visual Analogue Mood Scale (VAMS), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and by a Bodily Symptoms Scale (BSS). Heart rate and blood pressure were also recorded. 2. SPS induced both physiological and subjective changes characteristic of anxiety. Moreover, diazepam attenuated experimentally induced increases in excitement (as measured by VAMS) and agitation (as measured by BSS). Therefore, SPS using an audiocassette recorder is sensitive to a prototypical anxiolytic and may thus be a useful test for evaluating putative anxiolytics. 3. No effect was observed with the new anxiolytic drug buspirone. However, the present negative result may be explained by clinical data indicating that patients may experience a longer lag period before the onset of the anxiolytic effect of buspirone.