Background: Coronary heart disease which imposes a heavy burden on the health care system worldwide. Psychological factors are effective in the occurrence and persistence of this disease. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of emotion regulation method based on Gross model and muscle relaxation technique on resilience and anger in patients with coronary heart disease.
Methods: The research method is quasi-experimental and pre-test-post-test and follow-up with the control group. The statistical population includes all patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) between 30 and 50 years old referred to medical centers and private clinics of cardiologists in Ilam in 2021, of which 60 people were available by random sampling and random distribution to three groups. Were divided. The data collection tool is the use of standard resilience and anger scales.
Results: The results of repeated measures analysis of variance showed the effectiveness of Gross model-based emotional regulation training in patient resilience, so that Benson muscle relaxation exercises compared to Gross model-based emotional regulation training increased patients' resilience and effect. It was better. Also, Benson muscle relaxation exercises were effective in reducing patients' anger. However, the results showed the ineffectiveness of Gross model-based emotion regulation training on anger.
Conclusions: By using Gross model emotion regulation training and Benson muscle relaxation exercises, we can take steps to provide services to patients with or with a history of heart disease and reduce the severity of the disease.


The objective of this systematic review is to investigate the impact of tangible rewards on substance use of young people between 16 and 25 years old. A total of 10 randomized controlled trials and 11 observation studies were included. All 21 studies showed efficacy on the short term on behavior change. Only six of them explored both short and long term effect (> six months). Of these, three randomized controlled trials didn't prove effect after six months. However, three observation studies (Quit and Win) showed a positive effect after 6 and 12 months, with an average abstinence rate of 23,9% (intention-to-treat: 9,3%), although these results were based on self-report.
To investigate the impact of the variables on the effectivity of incentive-based interventions the studies were analyzed for: 1) choice of target behavior, 2) monitoring of target behavior, 3) incentive scheme, 4) size and 5) type of incentive. Five studies showed more effectivity when the target behavior has a direct relationship with the healthy behavior. No evidence was justified by the other variables. Incentive schemes were both effective when the incentive was provided immediate after the desired behavior as well as when there was only a chance to win a prize. One study showed more efficacy when the size of the incentive was higher, but also small incentives were effective.
Psychosocial therapy, particularly Motivational Enhancement Therapy, was more effective when implemented with an incentive-based intervention. There was no evidence of other kinds of interventions in combination with incentive-based interventions.
We can conclude that incentive-based interventions for young adults can change behavior in the first instance, but to maintain this behavior it's necessary to develop a more sophisticated programme. Future evaluation research should prioritise the use of randomized controlled trials, as this approach is more reliable than observation studies. This research should concern both short and long term effects as well as the separate impact of the five variables. Moreover all evaluations should be accompanied by well designed process evaluations, to get detailed information about the implementation and the acceptance of the intervention. This might result in a deeper insight in the efficacy of incentive based interventions by young adults.


This study was to evaluate the effect of an ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric nerve block with bupivacaine 0.25% on the postoperative analgesia and subsequent analgesic requirements in patients undergoing unilateral open inguinal herniorrhaphy under spinal anaesthesia. Fifty consenting American society of anaesthesiologists (ASA) score I-II patients scheduled for unilateral inguinal herniorrhaphy procedures were given spinal anaesthesia with hyperbaric 0.5% bupivacaine. In a randomized fashion, half of them received an ilioinguinal-iliohypogastric nerve block (IINB) with 30 millilitre (ml) of 0.25% bupivacaine at the time of wound closure and then other half with intramuscular injection of diclofenac sodium 75 milligram (mg). The patients were observed for postoperative 24 hour, such as duration of postoperative analgesia, first on demand analgesic and total analgesic doses, 4 hourly visual analogue scales (VAS), complications of nerve block, 4 hourly haemodynamic changes and assessed patient's satisfaction at postoperative 12 hour in both groups. The results showed that in comparison with diclofenac group (group B), significantly longer duration of postoperative analgesia in IINB group (group A) (P<0.05%) and the amount required was also significantly less postoperatively in 24 hour (P<0.05%). No complications occurred. Patient's satisfaction score at postoperative 12 hour was higher in group (A) patients (P<0.05%). There was no significant difference in haemodynamic changes between the two groups. It is concluded that the use of IINB with bupivacaine 0.25% at the time of wound closure in patients undergoing unilateral open inguinal herniorrhaphy under spinal anaesthesia decreased pain and analgesic requirements in the postoperative 24 hour and increased patient's satisfaction score at postoperative 12 hour.


Gray scale ultrasound can define intrarenal structures which could not previously be visualized. The normal calyces and infundibula within the renal sinus can be evaluated for abnormalities. Parenchymal anatomy (cortex, medulla, and arcuate vessels) of the right kidney is best demonstrated with the patient supine, using the liver as a window; anatomy of the left kidney is best appreciated using coronal scans in the right lateral decubitus position. Criteria and differential diagnosis of "Type I" parenchymal changes, in which the echo intensity within the cortex is increased, and "Type II" changes, in which there is a focal or diffuse disruption of normal renal parenchymal anatomy, are presented.


Two mechanisms at the origin of profile consistency in models of electrostatic turbulence in magnetized plasmas are considered. One involves turbulent diffusion in collisionless plasmas and the subsequent turbulent equipartition of Lagrangian invariants. By the very nature of its definition, this state can only be reached in the absence of imposed fluxes of the transported quantities. As such, the concept of turbulent equipartition cannot be used to interpret profiles in numerical simulations of interchange modes, as it has nevertheless been done in the past. It is shown in this article that for interchange modes, profile consistency is in fact due to mixing by persistent large-scale convective cells. This mechanism is not a turbulent diffusion, cannot occur in collisionless systems, and is the analog of the well-known laminar "magnetic flux expulsion" in magnetohydrodynamics. This expulsion process involves a "pinch" across closed streamlines and further results in the formation of pressure fingers along the separatrix of the convective cells. By nature, these coherent structures are dissipative because the mixing process that leads to their formation relies on a finite amount of collisional diffusion. Numerical simulations of two-dimensional interchange modes confirm the role of laminar expulsion by convective cells for profile consistency and structure formation. They also show that the fingerlike pressure structures ultimately control the rate of heat transport across the plasma layer and thus the transport scaling at large Rayleigh numbers. This contradicts mixing-length arguments which do not account for collisional processes. For interchange modes, the problem of coherent structure formation, profile consistency, and transport scaling are thus intimately linked.


Ouabain-sensitive Na+-K+-stimulated ATPase was measured in red cell membranes using a spectrophotometric assay. The mean enzyme level in patients in the depressed state (1.2 nM/mg protein per min +/- 0.18 SEM) was lower lower than that in well-state patients (2.0 +/- 0.26) and hypomanic patients (2.4 +/- 0.31). Lithium treatment itself did not alter ATPase levels. Levels in patients in the well state were not significantly different from controls and thus ATPase does not constitute a "trait" marker for affective illness. Plasma cortisol level was higher in well-state patients (15.9 micrograms/dl +/- 1.46) than in controls (11.5 +/- 0.75). There were no significant differences in cortisol in these single morning samples during different mood states. Cortisol level correlated negatively with ATPase level in the total group of patients (r = 0.42, p less than 0.005), especially in those who were euthymic. These data indicate a relationship between cortisol and ATPase levels in affectively ill patients. Ouabain-sensitive NaK ATPase may be useful as an indicator of state in affective illness; plasma cortisol may be continuously elevated in some individuals with affective disorder.


It is now well established that clinical use of statins for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular complications in patientswith diabetes mellitus (DM) increases life expectancy. At the same time, meta-analysis of major randomized trials shows statins to increaseglycemic levels and incidence of diabetic symptoms, especially in patients at risk for developing glycemic disorders. However,comparison of positive and negative effects of statins suggests prevalence of clinically beneficial factors.


Liquid hydrocarbons from agricultural wet wastes can serve as a strategy to greatly reduce CO 2 emissions. This study presents the upgrading via catalytic hydrotreatment of hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) biocrudes derived from cow manure, wheat straw and their combined liquefaction (co-HTL). Four different temperatures were tested (340, 360, 380 and 400 ◦ C) at constant hydrogen and biocrude flowrate. The co-HTL biocrude contained more recalcitrant nitrogen-containing molecules towards hydrotreatment, which caused decreased hydrogen consumption and overall lower quality of upgraded products. Generally, upgraded products were obtained with > 80 wt% carbon yields based on biocrude input. Products of hydrotreatment at 400 ◦ C were distilled into four cuts. Increased hydrotreatment temperature improved physicochemical properties of upgraded products, leading to generally higher yields of gasoline and kerosene through significant cracking of bottom residues. Bottom residues derived from single feedstock HTL biocrudes were totally miscible with fossil-derived vacuum gas oil at room temperature, while the co-HTL derived one required increased temperature for total solubility. We show that the co-HTL approach leads to a higher production of the diesel and bottom residue fractions. Overall, single feedstock HTL resulted in a carbon yield from biomass to upgraded oils of 34 and 38 % respectively for wheat straw and cow manure, while the co-HTL approach increased this value to 43 %. The combination of agribusiness waste for HTL processing is shown here to be an attractive solution for wet waste processing and carbon recovery towards advanced biofuels.


Abstract Tyre behaviour plays an important role in vehicle dynamics studies. The Magic Formula Tyre Model is a semi-empirical tyre model which can describe tyre behaviour quite accurately. A set of Magic Formula parameters constitutes the basis of the model. The determination of these parameters out of tyre measurement data produced by the Delft tyre measurement trailer is dealt with in this paper. Problems that may occur during the "fitting process' are indicated as well. The comparison between the latest version and the 'Monte Carlo version' of the tyre model shows that the latest version results in better fitting results especially for camber influences and (even more important) in an improvement on the fitting process.


This study utilized 33 students taking creative communication design 3 in the third year of the graphic design and multimedia program, using an Anderson's model in teaching art appreciation. The quantitative research design and procedures were employed in this study. An experimental research using the quasi-experimental design, a single-group interrupted time series-design was used to examine a group of students' achievement. The research was conducted at the researcher's university, a private higher learning institution. In collecting the data, two instruments were used, namely the new teaching module and three sets questions of tests. The descriptive statistics made use of means and standard deviations to determine students' achievements and inferential statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient to study the relationship between the students' three sets questions of test scores and studio art production scores. The findings exhibited that the 33 students tested have exhibited a moderate developmental progression in their three sets questions of tests. In terms of studio art production, students were able to make the appreciation of artwork with a better understanding. Generally, the correlation between students' test scores and studio art production scores exhibited students have gained a reasonable amount of knowledge through the new teaching module. The effectiveness of the teaching module using Anderson's model exhibited students' good understanding and its ability to foster implementation in cognitive knowledge both in their tests and studio art production.


Wireless Sensor Network (WSNs) are commonly deployed in hostile (unattended) and open environments, where it is easy for an attacker to physically capture some of the legitimate nodes, copy credentials, reprogram them and re-deploy them in the WSN. Such type of attack is called Node Replication or Clone Node Attack. With this attack an attacker can easily gain significant control over the WSN. In the literature, several schemes have been proposed to detect Clone Node Attack in general; however, limited work has been done for the prevention of this attack in mobile WSNs. Consequently, in this paper we present an approach to prevent Clone Node Attack in mobile WSNs. Since the proposed scheme neither uses node's physical location information nor any other complex computational intensive algorithm, it is best suited for memory and computationally constrained sensor nodes. In order to evaluate the proposed scheme, we have exploited five different scenarios in which adversary can launch replicas/clones in the WSNs. These scenarios are examined theoretically as well as practically.


This report describes the intensive blood pressure management and transfusion of a peripartum intrauterine hemorrhage following a cesarean section in a dog. The impact of pregnancy-associated physiologic changes and anesthesia on hemodynamic parameters along with potential alternate management techniques are discussed.


The recent availability of large corpora for training N-gram language models has shown the utility of models of higher order than just trigrams. In this paper, we investigate methods to control the increase in model size resulting from applying standard methods at higher orders. We introduce significance-based N-gram selection, which not only reduces model size, but also improves perplexity for several smoothing methods, including Katz backoff and absolute discounting. We also show that, when combined with a new smoothing method and a novel variant of weighted-difference pruning, our selection method performs better in the trade-off between model size and perplexity than the best pruning method we found for modified Kneser-Ney smoothing.


1. The extracellular phosphate pool in incubations of rumen fluid or washed cell suspensions of mixed rumen bacteria (WCS) was labelled with 32P. From the constant extracellular phosphate pool specific activity and the amount of radioactivity incorporated during incubation, the amount of P incorporated in the microbial fraction was calculated. From the value for nitrogen: P determined in microbial matter, the amount of N incorporated was calculated as a measure of microbial growth. 2. Incorporation of soluble non-protein-N in incubations devoid of substrate protein was 50 and 80 % of the values obtained using the isotope method for rumen fluid and WCS respectively. It is suggested that results obtained using the former method reflect 'net growth' of micro-organisms which is the result of simultaneous growth and degradation. The isotope method measures 'total growth', as isotope incorporation is not affected by degradation of non-growing cells. 3. Incorporation of 32P in P-containing microbial components (mainly nucleic acids) was compared with net synthesis of these components in incubations of WCS. The results showed different specific rates of synthesis and degradation for all components studied. It is concluded that the composition of microbial matter changed during growth. 4. When N incorporation, calculated from results obtained using the isotope method in incubations with rumen fluid, was compared with the amount of carbohydrate substrate fermented and the type of fermentation, values between 18.3 and 44.6 g N incorporated/kg of organic matter fermented were obtained. Low values were associated with large proportions of the substrate being fermented to lactate and the use of glucose instead of disaccharides as substrate. Part of the variation could also be attributed to differences in incubation period, reflected in different proportions of polysaccharide formed. 5. The use of isotopes for determination of rumen microbial growth in vitro is critically discussed.


Sample ablation by pulsed lasers is one option for removing material from a sample surface for in situ depth profiling during imaging mass spectrometry, but ablation is often limited by laser-induced damage of the remaining material. A preliminary evaluation was performed of sub-100 fs, 800 nm pulsed laser ablation for depth profiling of bacterial biofilms grown on glass by the drip flow method. Electron and optical microscopy were combined with laser desorption vacuum ultraviolet postionization mass spectrometry to analyze biofilms before and after ablation. Ultrashort laser pulses can ablate 10 - 100 µm thick sections of bacterial biofilms, leaving behind a layer of lysed cells. However, mass spectra from intact and ablated biofilms doped with antibiotic are almost identical, indicating little chemical degradation by ablation. These results are consistent with prior observations from laser surgery and support the use of ultrashort pulse laser ablation for minimally disruptive depth profiling of bacterial biofilms and intact biological samples.


The MAP-Elites quality-diversity algorithm has been successful in robotics because it can create a behaviorally diverse set of solutions that later can be used for adaptation, for instance to unanticipated damages. In MAP-Elites, the choice of the behaviour space is essential for adaptation, the recovery of performance in unseen environments, since it defines the diversity of the solutions. Current practice is to hand-code a set of behavioural features, however, given the large space of possible behaviour-performance maps, the designer does not know a priori which behavioural features maximise a map's adaptation potential. We introduce a new meta-evolution algorithm that discovers those behavioural features that maximise future adaptations. The proposed method applies Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy to evolve a population of behaviour-performance maps to maximise a meta-fitness function that rewards adaptation. The method stores solutions found by MAP-Elites in a database which allows to rapidly construct new behaviour-performance maps on-the-fly. To evaluate this system, we study the gait of the RHex robot as it adapts to a range of damages sustained on its legs. When compared to MAP-Elites with user-defined behaviour spaces, we demonstrate that the meta-evolution system learns high-performing gaits with or without damages injected to the robot.


The method describes the use of a piezoelectric quartz crystal (PQC) as a substitute for ion-selective electrodes. The approach is feasible when the membrane materials are electrically non-conductive and membrane potential measurements are consequently not possible. An ion-selective piezoelectric sensor sensitive to atropine sulfate was constructed by coating a PVC membrane containing activant on one the side of a PQC. On the basis of selective adsorption of atropine ions across the modified film and the sensitive mass response of PQC, the method exhibits a sensitive, rapid response and is easy to operate without pretreatment of the sample. The logarithm of the frequency shift gave a linear relationship with the logarithm of atropine sulfate concentration in the 1.0 x 10(-8)-1.0 x 10(-3) M range with a detection limit of 5.0 x 10(-9) M at pH 7.0. Recoveries were from 98.7-102.2%. Two activants, atropine tetraphenylborate and atropine dipicrylaminate, were synthesized and investigated. Influencing factors were also examined and optimized. The results for real samples obtained by the proposed method agreed with those obtained by conventional methods.


Introduction The longest interval of lung metastasis from endometrial cancer was initially reported 17 years after standard surgical treatment. Aims and objectives Nearly 80% of all recurrences of endometrial cancer occur within 3 years after the initial treatment. We report two cases of lung metastasis 14 and 17 years after the initial surgical treatment of endometrial cancer. Methods A 71- year-old female was referred to our center for histological diagnosis of lung lesions. Histological biopsy showed lung metastasis of an endometrial cancer which was resected 17 years ago. A 77- year-old female was also referred for histological diagnosis of multiple lung lesions and a clavicle metastasis. Both clavicle and lung biopsy revealed metastasis of an endometrial cancer treated 14 years ago surgically. Results Our first patient was treated with organ- preserving metastatic wedge resection. The latency period in the first case between initial treatment of endometrial cancer and pulmonary metastases was 17 years. Our second patient with widespread metastasis was treated with palliative radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy. The latency period between initial diagnosis and treatment of endometrial cancer and pulmonary metastases in the second case was 14 years. Conclusion Lung metastases originating from tumors of the female genital tract are very rare. We report of lung metastasis from endometrial cancer with a latency period of 14 and 17 years. To our knowledge, in the literature there is only one case reported with a similar extreme latency.


Biocompatible nanostructures play an important role in drug delivery and tissue engineering applications. Controlled growth of peptide-based nanoparticles with specific morphology needs an understanding of the role of the sequence and solvation properties. In a previous combined experimental-computational study, we identified factors that govern the formation of well-defined aggregates by self-assembled pentapeptides using single amino acid substitution ( Mishra , N. K. ; Jain , A. ; Peter , C. ; Verma , S. J. Phys. Chem. B 2017 , 121 , 8155 - 8161 ). The atomistic simulation study suggested a subtle interplay between various peptide properties like rigidity/flexibility, hydrogen bonding, partitioning of aromatic residues, and dimerization of peptides that determine the different morphologies, while the overall aggregation propensity was mostly determined by the composition of the methanol/water solvent mixture. The size of the simulated aggregates and the time scales were rather restricted due to the atomistic character of the study. Here, we present an extension to a coarse-grained representation that allows for much larger system sizes and longer time scales. To this end, we have optimized a MARTINI model so that it can deal with a system that relies on local structure formation. We combine information on local behavior from atomistic studies and apply supportive dihedral angles together with local adjustment of the bead types to find the right interplay of solvent and peptides. Finally, to mimic the dimers, an introduction of additional bonds between the monomers was necessary. By adding the modifications stepwise, we were able to disentangle the influences of the various contributions, like the rigidity/flexibility of the peptides, dimer formation, or nonbonded properties of the beads, on the overall aggregation propensity and morphology of the nanoparticles. The obtained models resemble the experimental and atomistic behavior and are able to provide mechanistic insight into peptide nanoparticle formation.


We assessed parameters of advanced diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) models for the prediction of the tumor growth rate in 55 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. The DWI acquisition used single-shot spin-echo echo-planar imaging with 12 b-values (0−2000). We calculated 14 DWI parameters using mono-exponential, bi-exponential, tri-exponential, stretched exponential and diffusion kurtosis imaging models. We directly measured the tumor growth rate from two sets of different-date imaging data. We divided the patients into a discovery group (n = 40) and validation group (n = 15) based on their MR acquisition dates. In the discovery group, we performed univariate and multivariate regression analyses to establish the multiple regression equation for the prediction of the tumor growth rate using diffusion parameters. The equation obtained with the discovery group was applied to the validation group for the confirmation of the equation's accuracy. After the univariate and multivariate regression analyses in the discovery-group patients, the estimated tumor growth rate equation was established by using the significant parameters of intermediate diffusion coefficient D2 and slow diffusion coefficient D3 obtained by the tri-exponential model. The discovery group's correlation coefficient between the estimated and directly measured tumor growth rates was 0.74. In the validation group, the correlation coefficient (r = 0.66) and intra-class correlation coefficient (0.65) between the estimated and directly measured tumor growth rates were respectively good. In conclusion, advanced DWI model parameters can be a predictor for determining HNSCC patients' tumor growth rate.


The Consorzi Vicinali are common property organisations (CPOs) located in a mountain area of Friuli Venezia Giulia region, in North East Italy. These CPOs have a long history of mutual assistance and collective use and management of local resources, thus contributing to a balanced development of the local community and territory. The research aimed at investigating whether these historical CPOs still have a relevant role to play in the development of local rural areas, and how they deal with the present needs and opportunities of these areas. Specifically, the robustness and viability of these organisations were analysed. The survey revealed some strengths and weaknesses of the Consorzi Vicinali. According to Ostrom's design principles, the robustness is quite high. Nevertheless, this ability to maintain some desired characteristics despite internal and external fluctuations does not always match with a high viability, in terms of natural resource management, internal participation, creation of job opportunities especially for young people, and capacity to attract financial support. In fact, some Consorzi still act effectively in terms of the collective stewardship of rural resources. Whereas, others have the potential to adapt to new challenges and emerging needs, due to the deep rootedness and the sense of belonging of the local community to its territory. These are the strengths of all the Consorzi. The robustness and viability analyses used in a complementary way have been effective here in giving a more comprehensive description of CPOs and their (potential) role in rural development.


We consider the problem of estimating vector-valued variables from noisy "relative" measurements. The measurement model can be expressed in terms of a graph, whose nodes correspond to the variables being estimated and the edges to noisy measurements of the difference between the two variables. We take the value of one particular variable as a reference and consider the optimal estimator for the differences between the remaining variables and the reference. This type of measurement model appears in several sensor network problems, such as sensor localization and time synchronization. Two algorithms are proposed to compute the optimal estimate in a distributed, iterative manner. The first algorithm implements the Jacobi method to iteratively compute the optimal estimate, assuming all communication is perfect. The second algorithm is robust to temporary communication failures, and converges to the optimal estimate when certain mild conditions on the failure rate are satisfied. It also employs an initialization scheme to improve accuracy in spite of the slow convergence of the Jacobi method


ABSTRACT There has been a surge of scholarly interest lately in the progymnasmata, those ordered exercises in composition that played such an important role in rhetorical education from antiquity to the Renaissance. Comprising an integrated program in literary, civic, and moral effectiveness, they offer a compelling alternative to language arts pedagogy today, which seems too often driven by the goal of "college and career readiness." But to be truly useful as a pedagogical model, the progymnasmata need to be embedded in something like the comprehensive educational philosophy of Quintilian's Institutio Oratoria.


The case reports come from the files of the State Department of Public Health which, together with the California Medical Association, now sponsors the statewide studies of all maternal mortalities. Selected Cases are to be presented here from time to time as a matter of interest and illumination to all physicians concerned with the practice of obstetrics. It is hoped that a review of such significant cases will help to improve the welfare of future California mothers.


The present invention relates to a polymer electrolyte, a lithium secondary battery using the same, and a method for manufacturing the lithium secondary battery, wherein: an electrode assembly is formed by using a porous nanofiber web as an electrolyte matrix; an organic electrolyte having a mixture of a gel polymer-forming monomer and a polymerization initiator is injected, and a gel polymer electrolyte is formed by polymerization; and the porous nanofiber web is maintained in a web form such that stability can be increased by preventing a short circuit between a cathode and an anode. The polymer electrolyte, according to the present invention, comprises: the porous nanofiber web which is provided with a plurality of nanofibers; and a gel polymer portion which is impregnated into the porous nanofiber web, wherein the gel polymer portion is formed by polymerizing the gel polymer-forming monomer after a non-aqueous organic solvent, a solute of lithium salt, and the organic electrolyte having the gel polymer-forming monomer and the polymerization initiator have been impregnated into the porous nanofiber web.


The management and publishing of complex presentations is poorly supported by available presentation software. This makes it hard to publish usable and accessible presentation material, and to reuse that material for continuously evolving events. XSLidy provides an XSLT-based approach to generate presentations out of a mix of general-purpose HTML and a small number of presentation-specific structural elements. Using XSLidy, the management and reuse of complex presentations becomes easier, and the results are more user-friendly in terms of usability and accessibility.


The shortcomings of maximum likelihood estimation in the context of model-based reinforcement learning have been highlighted by an increasing number of papers. When the model class is misspecified or has a limited representational capacity, model parameters with high likelihood might not necessarily result in high performance of the agent on a downstream control task. To alleviate this problem, we propose an end-to-end approach for model learning which directly optimizes the expected returns using implicit differentiation. We treat a value function that satisfies the Bellman optimality operator induced by the model as an implicit function of model parameters and show how to differentiate the function. We provide theoretical and empirical evidence highlighting the benefits of our approach in the model misspecification regime compared to likelihood-based methods.


The authors have at present on their records in Slovakia 422 patients with haemophilia type A, i.e. 7.9 per 100,000 population, 76 cases of haemophilia type B, i.e. an incidence of 1.4, 189 patients with von Willebrand's disease with an incidence of 3.6 and 215 patients with hypoconvertinaemia with an incidence of 3.98 per 100,000 population. The authors present an account on the most frequent complications of haemophilia with special attention to haemorrhage into the joints and the development of serious haemophilic arthropathies. They emphasize the great contribution of team work of different medical specialists who participate in the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases.


Abstract: The leaf-mining moth genus Philodoria Walsingham (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) is composed of 30 described species, all of which are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Philodoria is known to feed on 10 families of endemic Hawaiian host plants, with several species recorded only from threatened or endangered hosts. Beyond their dependence on these plants, little is known of their evolutionary history and conservation status. We constructed a molecular phylogeny of Philodoria to assess validity of its current subgeneric classification and to help guide future work on this threatened Hawaiian lineage. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences from three genes (CO1, CAD, EF-1α) combining for a total of 2,041 base pairs, were collected from 11 Philodoria species, incorporating taxa from both currently recognized subgenera. These data were analyzed using both parsimony and model-based phylogenetic approaches. Contrary to the most recent systematic treatment of Philodoria, our results indicate strongly that the two currently recognized Philodoria subgenera are not monophyletic and that morphological characters used to classify them are homoplasious. Based on our robust results, we revised the higher classification of Philodoria: the subgenus Eophilodoria Zimmerman, 1978 is established as subjective junior synonym of Philodoria Walsingham, 1907. We also present new host plant and distribution data and discuss host range of Philodoria as it pertains to endangered Hawaiian plants.


The effect of antibodies to serotonin on lipid peroxidation (LPO) in acute alcoholic intoxication was studied in rabbit experiments. Acute alcoholization causes marked LPO disorders which are manifested by a sharp increase of the content of intermediate products and reduction of the concentration of end products. Active immunization of the animals with a conjugated serotonin antigen, bovine serum albumin, reduces the LPO disorders induced by alcoholization.


ABSTRACT Although there is significant interest in the potential interactions of microbes with gas hydrate, no direct physical association between them has been demonstrated. We examined several intact samples of naturally occurring gas hydrate from the Gulf of Mexico for evidence of microbes. All samples were collected from anaerobic hemipelagic mud within the gas hydrate stability zone, at water depths in the ca. 540- to 2,000-m range. The δ13C of hydrate-bound methane varied from −45.1‰ Peedee belemnite (PDB) to −74.7‰ PDB, reflecting different gas origins. Stable isotope composition data indicated microbial consumption of methane or propane in some of the samples. Evidence of the presence of microbes was initially determined by 4,6-diamidino 2-phenylindole dihydrochloride (DAPI) total direct counts of hydrate-associated sediments (mean = 1.5 × 109 cells g−1) and gas hydrate (mean = 1.0 × 106 cells ml−1). Small-subunit rRNA phylogenetic characterization was performed to assess the composition of the microbial community in one gas hydrate sample (AT425) that had no detectable associated sediment and showed evidence of microbial methane consumption. Bacteria were moderately diverse within AT425 and were dominated by gene sequences related to several groups of Proteobacteria, as well asActinobacteria and low-G + C Firmicutes. In contrast, there was low diversity of Archaea, nearly all of which were related to methanogenic Archaea, with the majority specifically related to Methanosaeta spp. The results of this study suggest that there is a direct association between microbes and gas hydrate, a finding that may have significance for hydrocarbon flux into the Gulf of Mexico and for life in extreme environments.


Past fire regimes may indicate under what conditions species have been able to exist in the past, but they do not provide clear and easy answers as to how the boreal landscape should be managed today. First, fire regimes have changed considerably over time through the effects of a changing climate, and sometimes even more dramatically through the influence of humans. Therefore it is unlikely that a close quantitative link exists between fire regime and biodiversity. Alternatively, if there is such a link, then biodiversity should have been highly variable in the past, even at the landscape scale. Second, it is impossible to re-enact all fire variables within forestry, particularly those operating at the landscape scale. An alternative to the superficial ''emulation'' of the past, which is so often claimed in today's forest management, would be to identify critical processes and habitats at the stand and landscape scale and find ways to maintain these at sufficient levels. This requires detailed knowledge of the mechanisms involved, and will lead to very different solutions for different groups of species. For example: whereas the highly mobile fire-dependent insects can make use of randomly appearing and relatively small burns in the landscape, fire-dependent plants are typically seed bankers and require that fire returns to the same site within a reasonable time. For these and other more or less ''sessile'' organisms it is vital to designate selected stands and landscapes with long-term plans for the use of fire. Without such a long-term commitment to selected localities, much of the unique features associated with fire in the boreal landscape will be lost, despite a costly investment in prescribed burning.


activation (JEG and MCF-7; Figure 1). Mechanistically, Shin et al concluded that the inhibitory effect of bortezomib was due to stimulation of the physical interaction between FIH and HIF-1 CAD. However, bortezomib treatment had no effect on cellular localization of HIF-1 (mainly nuclear) and FIH (cytoplasmic).1 In our opinion, transiently enhanced interaction between 2 proteins that eventually end up in different cellular compartments cannot explain the potent inhibitory effect. Should FIH be implicated, before being released, HIF-1 would have to be inactivated (presumably permanently) by hydroxylation of N803. It is not clear, however, how this hydroxylation could efficiently proceed under conditions of hypoxia, the major physiologic inhibitor of FIH, without a significant up-regulation of FIH. Shin et al failed to discuss the conclusion of Birle and Hedley that FIH does not play a role in the inhibitory effect of bortezomib.3 In addition, their statement that "demonstration that CAD activity was regulated by FIH expression or knock-down even at an O2 tension of 1%, indicating that FIH regulates CAD even in hypoxia" was misassigned to our studies.2 Their statement that "bortezomib inhibited HIF-1 more so than proteasome" cannot be justified exclusively by the absence of stabilized HIF-1 or CITED2 (cAMP-responsive element–binding protein [CBP]/p300-interacting transactivators with glutamic acid [E] and aspartic acid [D]–rich tail 2) in bortezomib-treated samples (bortezomib inhibits chymotrypsin-like activity of the proteasome with Ki 0.6 nM).4 Nevertheless, Shin et al speculated that the HIF-inhibitory effect of subnanomolar concentrations of bortezomib "may not be attributable to proteasome inhibition." Bortezomib is considered a highly specific inhibitor of proteasome and before being approved for clinical use, extensive screening found no other intracellular targets.4 Although we are not clear about the underlying cause(s), the discrepancies brought up in this Letter argue against the universal appeal of the mechanism outlined by Shin et al. More work is required before the mechanism of inhibition of HIF function by bortezomib is fully understood.


ABSTRACT A prototype pilot plant testing for a novel complete treatment strategy for landfill leachate aimed to decrease its environmental impact was studied. Pre-treatment of leachate was performed by means of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) decreasing inorganic carbon concentration by 92 ± 8% and achieving N removals of 85%. Suspended solids removal in the MBR >99.9% conditioned leachate for the next membrane step. Spiral-would reverse osmosis (RO) regenerated membranes were used to treat the MBR effluent. This RO unit achieved a global recovery of 84% along with operation and rejections of >95% for most of the analyzed compounds. Since RO permeate did not meet discharge standards, promising results were obtained after a second RO pass was applied. The RO brine produced was further concentrated by an electrodialysis reversal (EDR) unit, achieving an averaged recovery of 67% throughout the operation. The average recovery of the whole pilot plant system was >90%. The reduction of global brine volume together with the use of regenerated membranes are key to the environmental impact of the process and contribute to closing the loop of the circular economy. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), performed according to ILCD Handbook guidelines, demonstrated that proposed new treatment had lower environmental impact than conventional treatments currently used in landfill facilities. Concretely, for the nine impact categories evaluated, the proposed treatment presented an average impact reduction of 93% compared to an advanced oxidation system and an average reduction of 26% when compared to a conventional RO treatment. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


Researchers have noted sex differences in verbal memory performance with females showing a memory superiority effect. Research paradigms have largely incorporated experimenter-timed materials. Therefore, the extent to which self-regulating study time influences this pattern of sex differences is unclear. The researcher reexamined data from a published paper to determine whether sex differences in multitrial verbal learning are minimized when individuals self-regulate their study time, or if sex differences would still remain. The results from this study showed that females outperformed males on subsequent test trials, and they allocated more study time. Controlling for the influence of study time allocation reduced or eliminated sex differences in memory performance, and only study time allocation was related to whether items were gained or lost across trials. These findings suggest the importance of self-regulated learning in reducing sex differences on a verbal memory task and the contribution of study time allocation to memory performance.


Accumulation of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment is associated with poor prognosis and recurrence of colorectal cancer (CRC). Despite their prominent roles in colorectal carcinogenesis, there is a lack of robust and specific markers to classify the heterogeneous and highly complex CAF populations. This has resulted in confusing and misleading definitions of CAFs in cancer niche. Advancements in molecular biology approaches have open doors to reliable CAF marker detection methods in various solid tumors. These discoveries would contribute to more efficient screening, monitoring and targeted therapy of CRC thus potentially will reduce cancer morbidity and mortality rates. This review highlights current scenarios, dilemma, translational potentials of CAF biomarker and future therapeutic applications involving CAF marker identification in CRC.


We summarise two human-robot interaction studies investigating a drumming experience with Kaspar, a humanoid child-sized robot, and human participants. Our aim is not to have Kaspar just replicate the humanpsilas drumming, but to engage in a 'social manner', i.e. in a call and response turn-taking interaction. The interactions are discussed in terms of imitation, turn-taking, and the effect of gender differences. This research is part of a project into developmental robotics with a particular emphasis of our work on gesture communication.


9. Lynn J: Dying and Dementia. JAMA 256:2244,1986 10. Murphy DJ: Do-not-resuscitate orders: time for reappraisal in long-term-care institutions. JAMA 260:2098, 1988 11. Wagner A: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the aged: a prospective survey. N Engl J Med 310:1129,1984 12. Wagner A: Personal communication, July 14, 1987 13. Fader AM, Gambert SR, Nash M, et al: Implementing a "do-notresuscitate" (DNR) policy in a nursing home. J Am Geriatr SOC 37544, 1989 Sloane PD, Pickard CG: Custodial nursing home care: setting realistic goals. J Am Geriatr Soc 33:864, 1985 The letters of Dr. Zorowitz and of Dr. Murphy (in the September issue), as well as the Special Article by Dr. Miles (also in September), were referred to Drs. Applebaum & Fmucane for comment. Their reply follows.


The widely discussed scientific data deluge creates not only a need to computationally scale an application from a local desktop or cluster to a supercomputer, but also the need to cope with variable data loads over time. Cloud computing offers a scalable, economic, on-demand model well matched to the evolving eScience needs. Yet cloud computing creates gaps that must be crossed to move science applications to the cloud. In this article, we propose a Generic Worker framework to deploy and invoke science applications in the Cloud with minimal user effort and predictable, costeffective performance. Our framework is an evolution of Grid computing application factory pattern and addresses the distinct challenges posed by the Cloud such as efficient data transfers to and from the Cloud, and the transient nature of its VMs. We present an implementation of the Generic Worker for the Microsoft Azure Cloud and evaluate its use in a genome sequencing application pipeline. Our results show that the user overhead to port and run the application seamlessly across desktop and the Cloud can be substantially reduced without significant performance penalties, while providing on-demand scalability. Keywords-cloud tools; escience applications; scientific data management; provenance; scientific workflows; performance analysis;


Soil-salinity is a serious problem that impedes food production and reforestation worldwide. In order to improve plant salt tolerance, many genes for abiotic stress have been over-expressed by genetic engineering. The codA gene encodes for the choline oxidase of the soil bacterium Arthrobacter globiformisa. We analyzed the effect of overexpression of CodA on stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco plants using the stress-inducible Rd29A promoter. Four transgenic Nicotiana tabacum plants were obtained. Southern blot analysis demonstrated that the codA gene had integrated into the genome of the tobacco. When exposed to NaCl salt stress, the chlorophyll content of the transgenic plants was not altered significantly. With prolonged stress (2-4 weeks), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased by at least 50% relative to controls in all four transgenic lines. Malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation was observed after 7 days of NaCl stress in all transgenic plants, but decreased during continued salt stress in some lines, indicative of salt stress tolerance. These results showed that the codA gene may enhance salt-tolerance by inhibiting lipid peroxidation through induction of stress response genes like SOD. These results offer additional support to the suggestion that CodA is involved in the modulation of plant gene activity in response to salt stress conditions and indicate that plants over-expressing codA could be engineered for agriculture in saline soils.


Although membership in voluntary associations has been presumed to be a central element in the building of social capital, micro-level knowledge about whether and how voluntary associations make their members more trusting and cooperative has been lacking. The link between trust and involvement in associations in Germany and Sweden was explored by means of a questionnaire concerning traits of individuals and of the associational groups to which they belong. The analysis of the resulting data set considered the extent to which various group characteristics (such as demographic diversity, in-group trust, and engagement level) are related to the generalized trust of the members. The results indicate that more diverse, more engaged voluntary associations, and those with weak ties, indeed accommodate more trusting people. In particular, time spent in groups with foreigners, or in groups with weaker ties, affects the generalized trust levels of the members.


Abstract. Terrestrial biogeochemical models are essential tools to quantify climate-carbon cycle feedback and plant-soil relations from local to global scale. In this study, theoretical basis is provided for the latest version of Biome-BGCMuSo biogeochemical model (version 6.2). Biome-BGCMuSo is a branch of the original Biome-BGC model with a large number of developments and structural changes. Earlier model versions performed poorly in terms of soil water content (SWC) dynamics in different environments. Moreover, lack of detailed nitrogen cycle representation was a major limitation of the model. Since problems associated with these internal drivers might influence the final results and parameter estimation, additional structural improvements were necessary. During the developments we took advantage of experiences from the crop modeller community where internal process representation has a long history. In this paper the improved soil hydrology and soil carbon/nitrogen cycle calculation methods are described in detail. Capabilities of the Biome-BGCMuSo v6.2 model are demonstrated via case studies focusing on soil hydrology and soil organic carbon content estimation. Soil hydrology related results are compared to observation data from an experimental lysimeter station. The results indicate improved performance for Biome-BGCMuSo v6.2 compared to v4.0 (explained variance increased from 0.121 to 0.8 for SWC, and from 0.084 to 0.46 for soil evaporation; bias changed from −0.047 to 0.007 m3 m−3 for SWC, and from −0.68 mm day−1 to −0.2 mm day−1 for soil evaporation). Sensitivity analysis and optimization of the decomposition scheme is presented to support practical application of the model. The improved version of Biome-BGCMuSo has the ability to provide more realistic soil hydrology representation and nitrification/denitrification process estimation which represents a major milestone.


Bi-substituted garnet films with perpendicular anisotropy have been prepared by a sol-gel method. Annealing effects on magneto-optical properties and structures of the films are studied. The results indicate that the Kerr hysteresis loops of garnet films have good squareness at annealing temperatures above 650°C, the coercive force Hc of these films increases from 1070 to 1570 Oe with the increasing temperature from 650°C to 700°C. The Kerr rotation of the films was changed with the increasing annealing temperature, and there is a maximum value (0.82°) at 675°C. It was found that the structure of the films is a single phase of garnet without preferring orientation when the annealing temperature is about 650°C, but a new phase (Bi2Al4O9) can be formed when the annealing temperature reaches 675°C, another new phase (Bi2Fe4O9) appears when the annealing temperature is about 700°C.


This paper considers the scheduling and resource allocation with adaptive modulation in downlink coordinated multi-point transmission (CoMP) systems, where multiple users are served via zero-forcing precoding simultaneously by several cooperative base stations (BSs). The joint scheduling and resource allocation to maximize the sum rate is formulated as a combinational optimization problem under constraints. As the searching space for this problem is extremely large, which prohibits an exhaustive search (ES), a genetic algorithm (GA) based solution is proposed. In particular, a two-dimension-binary chromosome coding scheme is designed to denote potential user selection and bit loading strategies across multiple subchannels. To handle per-BS power constraint, a penalty based fitness function is used, and in doing so GA can search for optimal solution in a larger region. To ensure convergence, a super individual named elite is added to each population. Simulation results indicate that the proposed algorithm leads to significant sum rate gain compared to existing schemes, and provides close to ES performance but with much lower computational complexity.


This paper presents an implementation solution for a digital baseband receiver, which consists mainly of an analog symbol timing recovery (STR) block and a digital carrier recovery block. The STR is realized based on "one-sample-per-symbol" sampling, resulting in relaxed requirement on the A/D converter's sampling speed. In this sense, the proposed implementation solution is hardware efficient. To functionally verify the solution, a proof-of-concept E-band link system is implemented and tested in the laboratory, which supports 5-Gbit/s data traffic using 16 quadrature amplitude modulation. The test results demonstrate that the proposed solution works for high-capacity millimeter-wave radios for point-to-point links, one of the targeted applications.


The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of climate change on trade and competitiveness in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries and to address the implications for managing the impacts, including the options for mitigation and adaptation. The African continent is particularly vulnerable to climate change for a variety of reasons including the fact that the majority of the countries are reliant on agriculture, which is particularly sensitive to climate change and variability. Furthermore, the low per capita incomes and the existing stresses present unique challenges to adapting to climate change. Forecasts indicate that agricultural productivity decline for SSA as a whole could be about 28% on average without carbon fertilisation by the 2080s, and about 18% with carbon fertilisation. However, these figures mask the extreme nature of the losses for some countries. For example, for countries that are dependent on dryland agriculture, productivity losses could be as much as 100%. The study simulated the macroeconomic implications of the decline in agricultural productivity using a computable general equilibrium model of the world economy. It was found that GDP increases for the EU, Japan and the US but decreases by significant amounts in the SSA region. The terms of trade declines in SSA, leading to a reduction of disposable incomes and hence a reduction in welfare. Issues and challenges relating to adaptation and mitigation, as well as options for managing the impact of climate change and the role of key stakeholders, are discussed.


The prime objective of this review is to analyze popular techniques used for object segmentation and recognition. In this paper various existing object segmentation and recognition methodologies have been systematically analyzed and presented. The importance of object segmentation can be in identifying the object in a video. It is majorly used in video surveillance system, in human activity recognition, in shadow detection which includes both static and moving objects. The object recognition also has various applications in the field of video stabilization, cell counting in bio-imaging and in automated vehicle parking system. Google's driverless car and Microsoft's Kinect System also uses object recognition methodologies for its implementation. We have concluded our findings with the various pros and cons of the existing methods and with the possibility of future research in this area.


This presentation is situated within the general framework of Vygotsky's educational theory, which argues that development in formal educational activity is a fundamentally different process from development that occurs in the everyday world. A cornerstone of Vygotsky's theory is that to be successful education must be sensitive to learners' zone of proximal development. This requires the dialectical integration of instruction and assessment into a seamless and dynamic activity. The presentation includes a discussion of how the integration is systematically achieved in the process known as dynamic assessment and illustrates through analysis of data from advanced learners of French how this functions in second language education.


Discrete models for dynamic fragmentation with mass consumption are considered. Simple inequalities for N(t), the total number of fragments, and D(t), the diversity are derived. For free fragmentation processes it is shown that the maxima of the number of fragments N and of the diversity D, which occur at times tN and tD, respectively, are related to the total mass M(t) by N(tN) ∼ M(tN) and D(tD) ∼ √(M(tD)), independently of the dimension and topology of the lattice. A one-dimensional model with position-dependent consumption rates is analysed. Exact solutions for N(t), M(t), the average fragment size ⟨s⟩, and the average number of fragments of size s, n(s, t) are obtained. The existence of scaling regimes for n(s, t) is investigated.


This paper evaluates the ethical consequences of the use of marketing techniques in the child adoption process within England and Wales. Since 1995 the political climate in the UK has seen a reassessment of the manner in which the state organises care for children who are within its legal guardianship. Successive UK governments have acknowledged the under-utilisation of child adoption as a moral and efficient means of child-care. However, the presentation of child adoption in a more active fashion involves concerns about the manner in which child adoption has been organised. Increasingly child adoption organisations and social work professionals are being made accountable through the language of customer service and performance measurements. The use of commercial techniques such as marketing is justified on utilitarian grounds. However, any utilisation of marketing within the child adoption process is forced to ensure that the child is not de-centred. Legislation requires that the needs and welfare of the child are the first consideration for the adoption agency. Here we begin to see tensions between the humanitarian project that is child adoption, and the unease produced by viewing the child as human "product". This invites analysis via critical theory. The use of marketing in child adoption raises issues related to the objectification and commodification of the child and prospective adopters. Within child adoption it is assumed that we must engage with the child as "face" (Bauman, 1995). But will these assumptions stand the encroachment of marketing techniques into this very sensitive area?


1. Blood pressures were measured in the hearts and aortas of several bivalves. 2. Systolic pressures in the ventricles were commonly 0·5-2·0 mm. Hg, while diastolic pressure was zero. 3. The aortic bulb produced pressures similar to those produced by the ventricle, but beat less frequently and not in synchrony with the ventricle, except in the isolated heart. 4. Pericardial and auricular pressures were normally undetectable, except that small pressure pulses were recorded in the auricle during experimentally produced increases in venous return. 5. Aortic pressure sometimes exceeded ventricular pressure, although unusually strong contractions of the body muscles raised aortic pressures far above that in the ventricle. The heart does not provide pressure for extension of siphons or foot. 6. Sea water pumped by isolated Tresus ventricles demonstrated that neither pericardium nor auricles are needed for ventricular filling, as had been hypothesized earlier. 7. The morphology of the heart walls supports the concept of bivalve hearts as being a site of filtration, with the ventricle thought to play a larger role than the auricles. 8. Valves in the heart and aortas which control direction of blood flow are described.


The status of fisheries requires establishing and evaluating benchmarks derived from unfished ecosystems. Habitats, environmental conditions, properties of the fish communities, and management systems could potentially influence the variability surrounding benchmarks. Consequently, eighteen variables including habitat, number of species, life histories, thermal and productivity environments were tested for influences on reef fish biomass in 62 reefs within old high compliance closures along the east African coastline. Biomass and weighted life histories characteristics were classified and described for total, fishable, target, and non-target groups. Benchmark biomass fell within a 95% confidence interval of ~1030 to 1250 kg/ha and equally distributed among target and non-target groups. While some relationships were statistically significant, most were weak, poorly sampled (ocean exposed reefs), had uncertain relationships with biomass (number of species), or the explained variation was bounded within the above confidence intervals (habitat and environment). Therefore, a regional unfished biomass benchmark (B0) of 1150 and 560 kg/ha are recommended for total and target biomasses, respectively. Weighted life history metrics indicate that the target had slower life histories than the non-target fish communities. Consequently, they will be fished unsustainably if yield recommendations are derived from total, resilient, or non-target fish life history metrics. The intrinsic rates of increase (r) and target categorization of biomass were the most influential metrics in estimating yields.


This report describes the simple preparation of superhydrophobic and lipophobic surfaces by self-organization. Microporous polymer films of a fluorinated polymer with hexagonally arranged pores were prepared by casting from solution under humid conditions. Hexagonally packed water microdroplets were formed by evaporative cooling on the surface of the casting solution. After solvent evaporation, a honeycomb-patterned polymer film was formed with the water droplet array acting as a template; the water droplets themselves evaporated soon after the solvent. Two porous polymer layers were stacked vertically, separated by pillars at the hexagon vertexes. After peeling off the top layer using adhesive tape, a pincushion-like structure was obtained. Here, we show that superhydrophobic behavior was achieved, with the maximum contact angle, 170 degrees, observed using these pincushion structures. Theoretical calculations fit the experimental results well. The lipophobic properties of the films are also discussed.


Background Recent guidelines on iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) have confirmed the aetiological role of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori), but the relationship still remains controversial. Methods Starting in May 2009, searches of the following databases were undertaken: Medline (1966 to April 2009), Embase (1980 to April 2009), the Cochrane library (1800 to June 2008), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Premedline, Healthstar, CBMdisc and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (January 1970 to April 2009). Changes in haemoglobin (Hb) concentrations and serum ferritin (SF) concentrations were recorded for intervention and control groups. The meta-analysis used random effect models and subgroup analyses were performed to explain heterogeneity. Results Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. All studies were performed in Asia, an area with a high incidence of IDA and H pylori. The pooled analysis of eight studies showed that H pylori eradication therapy can improve IDA, since changes in Hb and SF concentrations in the intervention groups were higher than in controls. The weighted mean difference (WMD) of Hb was 12.88 g/l (95% CI 6.03 to 19.74 g/l, p<0.00001); the WMD of SF was 10.05 μg/l (95% CI 5.48 to 14.63 μg/l, p<0.00001). Conclusions H pylori eradication therapy combined with iron administration is more effective than iron administration alone for the treatment of IDA. Eradication therapy has different effects on adults and children. Bismuth based triple therapy has a better response in terms of increased Hb and SF concentrations than proton pump inhibitor (PPI) based triple therapy.


The growing process comprehends synthesis and accretion of tissue which require energy to be carried out. This energy is what is called Energetic Cost of Growth (ECG), an important factor to determine the energy expenditure to obtain an optimal development on the human being; it varies among the stages of life in relation to the growing velocity. We will review the diverse studies which try to determine the ECG for each of these stages, being these values useful to calculate the additional energetic necessities in growing children with weight alterations who we wish to take to a certain weight.


Visual Abstract The fetal absorbed dose from 18F-FDG administration to the mother is an essential piece of information when considering the use of PET to stage cancers during pregnancy. However, the few existing human case reports were obtained using either PET-only or PET/CT machines, which may not accurately identify the soft tissues of the fetus for dosimetric calculations. This study presents data from 11 women injected with 18F-FDG for cancer staging during the first 2 trimesters of pregnancy and is, to our knowledge, the first to be entirely acquired with PET/MRI. Methods: Eleven pregnant women (12 scans) with cervical cancer were imaged with 18F-FDG PET/MRI, and their images were retrospectively analyzed for this study. The fraction of injected activity concentrated by the fetus was derived from manually drawing regions of interest on the MRI slices. From the activity fraction, the fetal time-integrated coefficients were derived and combined with the standard coefficients of the mothers' organs from the ICRP publication 106. The fetal absorbed doses were calculated with OLINDA/EXM 1.1 and a dynamic bladder model. Results: All fetuses after early pregnancy could be accurately delineated because of the coregistered MRI scans. 18F-FDG activity was unevenly distributed in the fetal body: the hearts and urinary bladders were generally visible, whereas the brain showed lower uptake. The estimated fetal doses were 2.21E−02 mGy/MBq for 1 woman imaged in early pregnancy, 7.38 ± 0.25 E−03 mGy/MBq for 3 women imaged at the end of the first trimester, and 4.92 ± 1.53 E−03 mGy/MBq for 8 women imaged during the second trimester. Conclusion: PET/MR images of pregnant women injected with 18F-FDG confirm that the fetal 18F-FDG dose is very low. Therefore, clinically appropriate 18F-FDG scans in women with cancer should not be withheld because of pregnancy.


This book disputes the widely-held view of Edmund Burke as the wellspring and the source of modern conservatism, arguing that Burke''s defense of the aristocratic order and his distinct conservatism makes his political thought incompatible with the visions of contemporary conservatism. Author presents a defense of Burke''s political philosophy against contemporary conservative scholars who have revised the originality of Burke''s thought in order to mold him into a modern conservative. It is argued that Burke''s conservatism is embedded in his defense of the existing institutions of the social order and his use of such conceptual tools as historicism, tradition, prescription, and prudence to justify this defense. Furthermore, author demonstrates the revisionist tendencies of modern conservatives and their attempt to marginalize Burke''s appeal to the aristocratic order as an intrinsic part of Burke''s conservatism. Finally, the fundamental differences between Burke''s conservatism and those of the revisionists are explored, demonstrating that Burke''s conservatism is antithetical to the claims of contemporary revisionists conservatism.


Brucellosis is reportedly endemic in ruminants in Pakistan. Both Brucella abortus and B. melitensis infections have been decumented in domestic animals and humans in the country. This study aimed to identify the burden of anti-Brucella antibodies in small ruminants as well as associated potential risk factors with its occurrence at nine institutional livestock farms in Punjab, Pakistan. The sera collected from equal number of sheep and goats (500 from each species) were screened by indirect-ELISA for anti-smooth-Brucella antibodies followed by a serial detection by real-time PCR. Overall, 5.1% (51/1000) seropositivity was registered corresponding to 5% (25/500) prevalence in goats and 5.2% (26/500) in sheep. Brucella-DNA could not be detected in any of the tested sera by real-time PCR. Multiple logistic regression model indicated that farm location (OR 34.05), >4 years of age (OR 2.88), with history of reproductive disorders (OR 2.69), and with BCS of ≤ 3 (OR 12.37) were more likely to test positive for brucellosis at these farms. A routine screening, stringent biosecurity, and quarantine measures are warranted for monitoring and eradication of the infection. Similarly, isolation and molecular investigation of the etiologic agent(s) are needed to understand the relationship of epidemiology and out-breaks of brucellosis in the country.


ABSTRACT Contemporary policy attention to manufacturing revolves around a narrative of advanced, innovation-driven production. Often overlooked are "low-tech," "high-touch" manufacturing, which engage in specialized and often urbanized labor-intensive production. These firms represent a missed economic development opportunity yet may be displaced due to major urban industrial re-zonings. We respond to this policy challenge by providing a detailed analysis of the growth, concentration and clustering patterns of cultural manufacturing and food and beverage manufacturing in Melbourne, Australia. These forms of low-tech, high-touch manufacturing are more likely to concentrate in central industrial zones while manufacturing at large is predominately in the outer suburbs.Our findings demonstrate the need for a more nuanced understanding of manufacturing geographies and suggest that a key yet overlooked feature of industrial agglomeration is zoning. We argue that industrial decline is not solely due to outsourcing, but also land use policies geared toward maximizing land values over other benefits.


The general response of macerals to the coalification process, the effectiveness of organic geochemical and petrological parameters as estimators of coalification and the applicability of different microscopical parameters in the assessment of rank are reviewed. The central role of vitrinite reflectance as the most widely used estimator of coalification from brown coals to the low -grade metamorphic zone is established on the basis of its relatively uniform variation with rank, specificity, ease and rapidity of measurement and cheapness. Factors influencing the optical properties ofvitrinites are considered. Temperature has the dominant influence in modifying optical properties with rank, but time, static pressure and stress can all have significant influences upon the course of optical properties, depending upon particular geological conditions. Static pressure has a retarding effect on the coalification process, but it is also responsible for creating increasing anisotropy within the condensing aromatic structures as rank rises. Hydrostatic pressures and pore pressures can contribute to the overpressuring of sediments, thus affecting their thermal conductivities and consequently the rate of coalification. Stress is responsible for the development of biaxicity in the reflectance indicatrix. Fast and high levels of heating from igneous bodies cause textural effects on vitrinites as a result of carbonization that are quite different from those of coalification. Recognizing these different influences upon the optical properties of vitrinites, examples are given of the use and application of vitrinite reflectance in the preparation of rank maps, in the burial histories of basins, in the timing of coalification in relation to orogenesis and igneous activity and in the zones of anchimetamorphism and low-grade metamorphism. Consideration is also given to the problem of 'provincialism ' in correlations between chemical and physical parameters and to the future development of optical studies in organic petrology and their relation to organic geochemical investigations.


Globally, self-medication has increased, where 25% of adults use OTC medicines. This research is intended to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding OTC medicines among adults in Brunei Darussalam. An online cross-sectional survey was performed using a questionnaire adapted from similar research conducted among students in Brunei Darussalam. A total of 364 responses were collected, where the median age of the study participants was 23 years. The mean knowledge score was 7.3 out of 9, with most respondents (77.7%) having good knowledge of OTC medicines. Almost all (92.9%) showed a positive attitude towards OTC use. A statistically significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) was observed in attitude scores between age groups and education levels. Most of the study participants (88.2%) have practiced self-medication with OTC medicines, mainly due to their easy accessibility (79.4%). A small number practiced improper habits, such as consuming more than the recommended dose (6.0%) and not checking the expiry date (0.5%). The practice of self-medicating with OTC medicines can be advantageous when patients fully know the medications and nature of their disease. Knowledge of proper OTC medicine use among adults in Brunei Darussalam is essential to avoid improper user practices and potential health hazards associated with the misuse of medications.


KIMS is an experimental group searching for dark matter in an underground laboratory in Korea. Major effort of KIMS has been devoted for the development of low background CsI(Tl) crystal detectors with low threshold for the direct WIMP search. An underground laboratory utilizing the space in a tunnel of Yangyang Pumped Storage Power Plant is established. We present the first result obtained with one crystal detector and the future prospect of WIMP search as well as other research activities carried out by KIMS.


1,3-Dienes are common scaffolds in biologically active natural products as well as building blocks for chemical synthesis. Developing efficient methods for the synthesis of diverse 1,3-dienes from simple starting materials is therefore highly desirable. Herein, we report a Pd(II)-catalyzed sequential dehydrogenation reaction of free aliphatic acids via β-methylene C-H activation, which enables one-step synthesis of diverse E,E-1,3-dienes. Free aliphatic acids of varying complexities, including the antiasthmatic drug seratrodast, were found to be compatible with the reported protocol. Considering the high lability of 1,3-dienes and lack of protecting strategies, dehydrogenation of aliphatic acids to reveal 1,3-dienes at the late stage of synthesis offers an appealing strategy for the synthesis of complex molecules containing such motifs.


A fundamental question in deep learning concerns the role played by individual layers in a deep neural network (DNN) and the transferable properties of the data representations which they learn. To the extent that layers have clear roles, one should be able to optimize them separately using layer-wise loss functions. Such loss functions would describe what is the set of good data representations at each depth of the network and provide a target for layer-wise greedy optimization (LEGO). Here we derive a novel correspondence between Gaussian Processes and SGD trained deep neural networks. Leveraging this correspondence, we derive the Deep Gaussian Layer-wise loss functions (DGLs) which, we believe, are the first supervised layer-wise loss functions which are both explicit and competitive in terms of accuracy. Being highly structured and symmetric, the DGLs provide a promising analytic route to understanding the internal representations generated by DNNs.


Human CD4+ T cells can differentiate into multiple effector subsets, but their role in anti-tumor immunity remains incompletely elucidated. Further, the costimulatory molecules that effectively bolster their antitumor activity are unknown. To uncover the role of CD28 versus ICOS costimulation, we sorted Th1 (CXCR3+), Th2 (CCR4+), or Th17 (CCR6+ or CD26hi) subsets from bulk human CD4+ T cells and stimulated them with CD3/CD28 or CD3/ICOS beads. We found that ICOS costimulation not only augmented human Th17 cells' function, but also enhanced the function of human Th1 and Th2 cells superior to CD28 costimulation. Moreover, CD26hi Th17 cells were more polyfunctional than the other T cells subsets, as indicated by increased secretion of IL-17, IFN-γ, IL-22 and TNF-α. To determine the therapeutic potential of these subsets, we sorted Th1, Th2 and Th17 cells from human peripheral blood, expanded them with CD3/ICOS beads, and engineered them to recognize mesothelioma. We found that CD26hi Th17 cells mediated superior regression of large human mesothelioma in mice compared to CXCR3+Th1, CCR4+Th2 or CCR6+Th17 cells. The therapeutic effectiveness of CD26hi Th17 cells was associated with enhanced functionality and persistence in vivo. Taken together, these data indicate that the appropriate selection of effector CD4+ T cells is critical for successful tumor eradication. These findings will help guide next generation clinical trials for patients with advanced malignancies.


The most common causes for urethritis and epididymitis in males, are C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhea. Management consists of taking a complete sexual history, examinations of the genital area, assessment of laboratory proof of infection, antimicrobial treatment guided towards the significant etiologies, and therapy of sexual partners. Therapy of N. gonorrhea calls for making use of a single-dose program targeting this microorganism, plus a 7to 10-day tetracycline regimen against C. trachomatis and nongonococcal urethritis. Microbiologic failure is seldom seen in patients taking the proper treatment regimens. However, recurrent urethritis is commonly seen nevertheless. Patients with consistent or recurring symptoms require a cautious reevaluation, and re-treatment if cultures of polymorphonuclear leukocytes were found in urethral secretions. Although some patients will stay symptomatic and have an increased number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in urethral secretions, additional treatment is typically not indicated. One of the most vital causes of prostatitis and epididymitis in older males or males with structural anomalies of the urethra are classic urinary system microorganisms as opposed to sexually transferred pathogens. Treatment of these infections consists of getting laboratory evidence of infection and medications against specific pathogens. Men with signs of "prostatitis" need to be assessed making use of both urine and prostatic secretions to look for infection and inflammation. Most of the males with these signs do not have an infection that can be laboratory documented. These patients react poorly to the medication regimen. Males with recorded persistent microbial prostatitis need lengthy regimens of antimicrobials to have an effective treatment. In many cases, nevertheless, the illness is resistant, and persistent treatment with antimicrobials might be needed for the best outcome. Aim: In this article, we will review the causes of urethritis in men and the management plan to treat this common disease.


The role of characteristic functions in finance has been strongly amplified by the development of the general option pricing formula by Carr and Madan. As these functions are defined and operating in the complex plane, they potentially encompass a few well known numerical
issues due to "branching". A number of elegant publications have emerged tackling these effects specifically for the Heston model. For the latter however we have two specifications for the characteristic function as they are the solutions to a Riccati equation. In this article
we put the i's and cross the t's by formally pointing out the properties of and relations between both versions. For the first specification we show that for nearly any parameter choice, instabilities will occur for large enough maturities. We subsequently establish - under an additional parameter restriction - the existence of a "threshold" maturity from which the complex operations become a spoil-sport. For the second specification of the characteristic function it is proved that stability is guaranteed under the full dimensional and unrestricted parameter space. We blend the theoretical results with a few examples.


Background: Coagulation-related biomarkers are drawing new attention in diagnosing periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Thromboelastography (TEG) analysis provides a comprehensive assessment of coagulation and therefore could be a promising test for PJI. This study aims to assess the value of TEG in diagnosing PJI and to determine the clinical significance of TEG in analyzing reimplantation timing for the second-stage revision.Methods: From October 2017 to September 2020, 62 patients who underwent revision arthroplasty were prospectively included, PJI was defined by 2011 Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS) criteria. Twenty-three patients were diagnosed with PJI (Group A) and the other 39 patients were included as aseptic loosen (Group B). Seventeen patients in Group A finished two-stage revision in our center. C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), D-dimer and TEG parameters (K (clotting time), Angle (α-angle), MA (maximum amplitude), A30 (amplitude at 30 min), TPI (thrombodynamic potential index)) were measured preoperatively in all included patients. Receiver operating characteristic curves were applied to evaluate the diagnostic value of these biomarkers.Results: ESR (AUC 0.953, sensitivity 81.82, specificity 94.87) performed best in PJI diagnosis, followed by MA (AUC 0.895, sensitivity 82.61, specificity 97.44) and CRP (AUC 0.893, sensitivity 82.61, specificity 94.74). When these biomarkers combined in pairs, the diagnosis value improved compared with any individual biomarker. The overall success rate of the two-stage revision was 100%. ESR and MA showed valuable in determining the time of reimplantation, with their values all decreased below cut-off values before reimplantation.Conclusion: TEG could be a promising test in assisting PJI diagnosis, and a useful tool in judging the proper timing of reimplantation.


OBJECTIVES
To determine the treatment effects produced in Class II patients by the Carriere® Motion 3D™ appliance (CMA) followed by full fixed appliances (FFA).

MATERIALS AND METHODS
This retrospective study evaluated 34 adolescents at three time points: T1 (pretreatment), T2 (removal of CMA), and T3 (posttreatment). The comparison group comprised 22 untreated Class II subjects analyzed at T1 and T3. Serial cephalograms were traced and digitized, and 12 skeletal and 6 dentoalveolar measures were compared.

RESULTS
Phase I with CMA lasted 5.2 ± 2.8 months; phase II with FFA lasted 13.0 ± 4.2 months. CMA treatment restricted the forward movement of the maxilla at point A. There was minimal effect on the sagittal position of the chin at pogonion. The Wits appraisal improved toward Class I by 2.1 mm during the CMA phase but not during FFA. Lower anterior facial height increased twice as much in the treatment group as in controls. A clockwise rotation (3.9°) of the functional occlusal plane in the treatment group occurred during phase I; a substantial rebound (-3.6°) occurred during phase II. Overjet and overbite improved during treatment, as did molar relationship; the lower incisors proclined (4.2°).

CONCLUSIONS
The CMA appliance is an efficient and effective way of correcting Class II malocclusion. The changes were mainly dentoalveolar in nature, but some skeletal changes also occurred, particularly in the sagittal position of the maxilla and in the vertical dimension.


An advanced detection method based on a modulation technique is described in radio-frequency-powered glow discharge plasma optical emission spectrometry (r.f. GD-OES). A frequency-sensitive separation using a fast Fourier transform (FFT) analyser, where a pulsated bias-current was introduced into an r.f. GD plasma, was available for improving the limit of determination for the atomic emission analysis. The FFT analyser has an ability to disperse signal components by frequency, and it is thus employed to select the component of a particular frequency. A dc bias current introduced into the GD plasma can enhance the emission intensities of analyte species greatly, and furthermore, it can be easily pulsated to modulate the emission intensities from the plasma. The modulated emission signal was selectively detected with the FFT analyser, with removing any noise components from the overall signal. The duty ratio of the pulsed bias current largely affected the amplitude of the FFT frequency components, because the pulse waveform comprised sine-function components having frequencies integral-times as much as the fundamental frequency, whose contribution coefficients depended on the duty ratio. This detection method was applied to the determination of vanadium and molybdenum in low-alloyed steel samples. The detection limits were obtained to be 6.2 × 10 –3 mass% V and 2.0 × 10 –3 mass% Mo in low-alloyed steel samples.


degree. Tests suggested that the cause was iron compounds and other insoluble impurities in the water supply; the colour was much better with detergents such as soap, which possess greater suspending power. The possibility of the detergency of the non-ionic compounds being improved by the addition of "builders" such as carboxymethylcellulose was not investigated, as methods of sterilizing wool by boiling were being tested and proved preferable to quaternary ammonium compounds. Details of the investigations of the boiling method will be reported in a separate paper.


Two beam lines have been designed to transfer 200 GeV protons from the Medium Energy Booster (MEB) to the High Energy Booster (HEB) of the SSC injector complex. At 850 m and 2200 m in length, these are the longest beam transfer lines at the SSC and are intended to inject beam into the bipolar HEB in the clockwise and counter-clockwise directions, respectively. The beam optics is designed so as to facilitate easy tuning and commissioning of these lines. Sources of emittance dilution are identified and estimates of their contribution calculated which serve as basis for specifications of dipole field homogeneity and power supply stability.<<ETX>>


Energy consumption is one of the most constraining requirements for the design and implementation of wireless sensor networks. Simulation tools allow one to significantly decrease the effort and time spent to choose the right solution. Existing simulators provide varying degrees of analysis for communication, application and energy domains. However, they do not provide enough flexibility to estimate the consumed power for a wide range of wireless sensor network (WSN) hardware (HW) platforms. In this paper we present a flexible and extensible simulation framework to estimate power consumption of sensor network applications for arbitrary HW platforms. This framework allows designers of sensor networks to estimate power consumption of the explored HW platform which permits the selection of an optimal HW solution and software (SW) implementation for the desired projects.


Patient: Female, 94-year-old Final Diagnosis: Cervical emphysema and pneumomediastinum Symptoms: Cervical emphysema and pneumomediastinum Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: General and Internal Medicine • Otolaryngology Objective: Unusual clinical course Background: The nasogastric tube (NGT) is a common medical device, and serious complications associated with NGT insertions are rare. The most common serious complication is tracheal insertion; cervical emphysema and pneumomediastinum are rare. There are several methods for confirming the location of the NGT, but a single method of confirmation is often inadequate. Confirmation by air insufflation into the NGT is currently not recommended and is highly invasive. Here, we report a case of cervical emphysema and pneumomediastinum caused by an NGT. Case Report: A 94-year-old woman experienced a stroke and was hospitalized for neurosurgery. The nurse inserted an NGT and performed insufflation, but air sounds were not detected. Chest radiography did not reveal the tip of the NGT. Computed tomography (CT) revealed cervical emphysema, pneumomediastinum, an NGT bent in the esophagus, and the distal end of the NGT in the nasopharynx. Nasopharyngeal endoscopy revealed damaged nasopharyngeal mucosa and the distal end of the NGT. The patient was diagnosed with insufflated air passing through the damaged nasopharynx, which had spread to the cervical area and mediastinum. The NGT was removed, and the patient was treated with antibiotics. CT showed cervical emphysema, and the pneumomediastinum resolved after 20 days. Conclusions: It is important to recognize that there are numerous serious and unexpected complications associated with NGT. Different methods should be considered and used to confirm the location of an NGT. Further studies on the confirmation methods and dissemination of such knowledge are required to reduce NGT complications.


We present the continuation of our long-term spectroscopic monitoring of the gravitationally lensed quasar QSO 2237 + 0305. We investigate the chromatic variations observed in the UV/optical continuum of both quasar images A and B, and compare them with numerical simulations to infer the energy profile of the quasar accretion disk. Our procedure combines the microlensing ray-shooting technique with Bayesian analysis, and derives probability distributions for the source sizes as a function of wavelength. We find that the effective caustic crossing timescale is 4.0 +/- 1.0 months. Using a robust prior on the effective transverse velocity, we find that the source responsible for the UV/optical continuum has an energy profile well reproduced by a power-law R proportional to lambda(zeta) with zeta = 1.2 +/- 0.3, where R is the source size responsible for the emission at wavelength.. This is the first accurate, model-independent determination of the energy profile of a quasar accretion disk on such small scales.


Professional social work has been reintroduced to Vietnam recently as part of the effort to deal with increasing levels of social problems arising from changes in economic policy. It is estimated that about 25% of the population is in need of social work services. Though social work has not yet been officially recognized as a profession in Vietnam, programmes of social work education have been offered since the early 1990s. Following the issue of a government training code in 2004, social work education is considered to be the most developed aspect of the professionalization of social work in Vietnam. Social work education is now being offered in increasing numbers of training institutions. Nevertheless, social work education in Vietnam faces many challenges. As has happened elsewhere, Western models of social work education have influenced social work education in Vietnam. From this phase of 'adoption' of Western models, Vietnam is in an 'adaptation' phase, in that making social work education appropriate for Vietnam is the current major issue. Vietnamese social work educators are striving to develop social work training programmes that meet core international professional standards as well as fitting the Vietnamese cultural, political and economic background. This paper describes and discusses these developments.


Sunburn in apples is caused by excessive solar radiation and high temperatures. Shade netting is used to control sun damage in apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) orchards. The physiological aspects of the effectiveness of this technique have not yet been fully understood. The objective was to study the variation in chlorophyll fluorescence in apples exposed to environmental conditions of radiation and temperature under netting, to better understand the physiological aspects in the effectiveness of this technique to control sun damage. From 50 and up to 150 d after flowering (DAF), maximum photochemical quantum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm), incidence of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, μmol m-2 s-1), and fruit surface temperature (FST, °C) were evaluated in netted and non-netted 'Fuji' and 'Gala' apple orchards with 20% shade netting, as well as at harvest in fruit picked from the tree. Netting reduced sunburn by 9% for 'Gala' and 5% for 'Fuji'. For 'Gala', netting reduced FST from 2 to 5 °C and 2 to 3 °C for 'Fuji' compared to the control (P < 0.05). The PAR decreased by 27% for 'Gala' and 22% for 'Fuji' compared to the control (P < 0.05). The mean value of Fv/Fm was 12% in 'Gala' and 3% in 'Fuji' lower than under netting. This difference in Fv/Fm was maintained in fruit picked from the tree and was 13% in 'Gala' and 8% in 'Fuji'. The effectiveness of nets as a measure to control sun damage in apples is related to the ability of this technique to reduce the photo-inhibition process on the fruit skin.


Computational Thinking (CT) has emerged in recent years as a thematic trend in education in many countries. initiatives have been developed for its inclusion in school curricula. There are many pedagogical strategies to promote the development of elementary school students' CT skills and knowledge. Unplugged learning tasks, block-based programming projects, and educational robotics are 3 of the most used strategies. This paper aimed to analyze the effect of Scratch-based activities, developed during one scholar year, on the computational thinking skills developed and concepts achieved by 4th-grade students. The study involved 189 students from two school clusters organized into an experimental group and a control group. To assess students' computational knowledge, the Beginners Computational Thinking Test developed by Several Zapata-Cáceres et al. (2020) was used. The results indicate statistically significant differences between the groups, in which students in the experimental group (who performed activities with scratch) scored higher on the test than students in the control group (who did not use Scratch).


Different studies have demonstrated that there are significant changes in the health and habits/life-style of university students, and it seems that Medical students also reveal a significant vulnerability to the adoption of health risk behaviours. The present study aims to (1) characterize the main sources of academic stress of the Medical School students of the University of Porto as well as the intensity with which they are experienced, (2) investigate the variations in academic stress and psychosocial variables, due to gender, year of course and displacement from home and (3) contribute, for the first time, to the understanding of stress and life-style of medical students in Portugal. The empirical study included a sample of 251 students from all 6 years of the course (160 females and 91 males), evaluated by the following instruments: (1) The Inventory of Sources of Academic Stress in Medical Education (ISASME), and the Portuguese versions of (2) the Brief Personal Survey (BPS), (3) the General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12), and (4) the Interpersonal Behaviour Survey-Brief (ICIBrief). In terms of overall levels of stress (GHQ-12), a prevalence of 58.2% of clinically significant stress symptoms was found, with the students from the basic cycle and those who are living away from home, presenting higher levels of stress. In terms of life-style, 47% of the students revealed health risk behaviours, with eating habits, physical exercise, alcohol and drug consumption, and body image being the main problem areas. Gender and year of course seem to have a significant influence on the variables studied, being the female students those who present higher levels of academic stress, stress responses (pressure/overload, physical distress, anxiety, anger/frustration, inefficiency, depression and loss of control), and low levels of coping confidence; the students of the basic cycle reveal higher levels of stress in managing their life-style (academic stress), general stress symptoms and stress responses. This study calls attention for the need of preventive intervention with medical students in order to prevent negative consequences of stress and improve their life-style by promoting individual and social resources.


Over the last years, Differential Scanning Calorimetry has proven to be a powerful and versatile tool for the study of hydrates, particularly in complex media such as slurries, water-in-oil emulsions and drilling fluids. The paper presents various uses of this technique in the fields of thermodynamics, kinetics, and hydrate formation characterization in water-in-oil emulsions. Results of ambient pressure DSC, performed on model hydrates, and high pressure DSC, performed on gas hydrates in the range 4 to 12 MPa, are completed by results of coupled X-Ray diffraction-DSC.