Reading this book' is an experience that is both fascinating and frustrating. It is very like crossing a rocky unfamiliar terrain at night in a lightning storm. All sorts of new perceptions appear with blinding clarity. But it is difficult to draw a map afterwards showing others where one has been; and during the traverse, the traveler is apt to come back to the same place several times, without being aware that he has done so because it is being viewed under different lights. The authors have set themselves a profound and difficult task, and we should be grateful for the attempt and for the many insights garnered en route. Societies, in one way or another, make allocative choices in many fields and by many mechanisms, including the market, the political process, and sheer chance. Among the kinds of choices made the authors seek to distinguish a special class, which they term "tragic." This key concept is left undefined, but one may infer from the discussion that tragic choices are those in which deeply held values necessarily conflict. Typically, choices of life and death are at issue, and resources are scarce so that these choices cannot be avoided. Three examples are used throughout the book: the allocation of renal dialysis therapy, military service, and births. The first two are choices that modem societies have openly and painfully made. The discussion of the third choice has been largely confined to academic speculation; specifically, there is Kenneth Boulding's proposal that each family be given the rights to a specified number of children (2.1 to yield a zero population growth, for example), with the rights being saleable.2


Using data from 16 West African countries, this paper examines the links between Per Capita Income, Trade and Financial indicators, Education and Freedom indicators. Others are Internet users, Broadband and Mobile Cell phone Subscribers. Mean while Fresh Water Supply (which is assumed as a bench mark public sector-led water resource management performance indicators) and Access to Safe Drinking Water (a bench mark private sector-led water resource management performance indicators) represents indicators of water resources management. The results show that income, ICT and government trade policies influence the efficient management of cross-country water resource. Freedom indicators strongly affect water resource management performance indicators (WRMPI). Moreso, Internet Users, Broadband Subscribers, and Mobile cell phones Subscribers have a positive association with WRMPI. Contrary to wide spread expectations, education does not influence WRMPI. Key words : ICT, Water economics, water Resource Management, Nigeria, International Water Wars


In our growing cities, climate change and energy related uncertainties are of great concern. The impact of the Urban Heat Island on comfort, health and the way we use energy still requires further clarification. The outdoor-indoor energy balance model (3D-City Irradiance) presented in this article was developed so as to address these issues. The effects of view factors between urban surfaces on three-dimensional radiation and the effects of fully integrated outdoor-indoor energy balance schemes on heat islands and building indoor thermal loads could be included within different building blocks at a resolution of several metres. The model operated under the 'stand alone' mode. It was tested using the Building Energy Simulation Test (BESTest) which demonstrated good levels of agreement for diurnal and seasonal simulations.


Long-term spaceflight induces both physiological and psychological changes in astronauts. To understand the neural mechanisms underlying these physiological and psychological changes, it is critical to investigate the effects of microgravity on the functional architecture of the brain. In this study, we used resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) to study whether the functional architecture of the brain is altered after 45 days of −6° head-down tilt (HDT) bed rest, which is a reliable model for the simulation of microgravity. Sixteen healthy male volunteers underwent rs-fMRI scans before and after 45 days of −6° HDT bed rest. Specifically, we used a commonly employed graph-based measure of network organization, i.e., degree centrality (DC), to perform a full-brain exploration of the regions that were influenced by simulated microgravity. We subsequently examined the functional connectivities of these regions using a seed-based resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analysis. We found decreased DC in two regions, the left anterior insula (aINS) and the anterior part of the middle cingulate cortex (MCC; also called the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex in many studies), in the male volunteers after 45 days of −6° HDT bed rest. Furthermore, seed-based RSFC analyses revealed that a functional network anchored in the aINS and MCC was particularly influenced by simulated microgravity. These results provide evidence that simulated microgravity alters the resting-state functional architecture of the brains of males and suggest that the processing of salience information, which is primarily subserved by the aINS–MCC functional network, is particularly influenced by spaceflight. The current findings provide a new perspective for understanding the relationships between microgravity, cognitive function, autonomic neural function, and central neural activity.


Describes the design and implementation of a software system, called Virtual Construction Material Router (VCMR). The software provides a decision‐support system for materials movement in complex construction sites. It consists of integrated software systems, composed of computer‐aided design, geographical information systems and fuzzy logic. Makes transparent the interrelationship between these applications to the user. This application enables site managers and planners to make strategic decisions about the movement of materials within a site. It allows the rehearsal, through simulation, of possible scenarios in order to select the best available route. Suggests that this tool will allow scenario planning in order to enable faster and more informed responses to unforeseen circumstances on site. Describes the computational architectures and conceptual basis of the major components in VCMR.


This paper presents a flexible solution methodology for the capacitated vehicle routing problem with stochastic travel times (CVRPSTT). One of the basic ideas of the methodology is to consider a vehicle working time lower than the actual maximum vehicle working time when designing CVRPSTT solutions. In this way, the working time surplus can be used to cope with unexpected congestions when necessary. Another important idea is to transform the CVRPSTT instance to a limited set of capacitated vehicle routing problems (CVRP), each of which is defined by a given percentage of the maximum vehicle working time. Thus, our approach can take advantage of any efficient heuristic that already exists for the CVRP. Based on the two key ideas, this paper presents a simulation-based algorithm, in which Monte Carlo simulation is used to obtain estimates of the cost and the reliability of each solution, and the Clarke and Wright heuristic is improved to generate more reliable solutions. Finally, a number of numerical experiments are done in the paper with the purpose of analyzing the efficiency of the described methodology under different uncertainty scenarios.


Image fusion is the process of extracting meaningful visual information from two or more images and combining them to form one fused image. Image fusion is important within many different image processing fields from remote sensing to medical applications. Previously, real valued wavelet transforms have been used for image fusion. Although this technique has provided improvements over more naive methods, this transform suffers from the shift variance and lack of directionality associated with its wavelet bases. These problems have been overcome by the use of a reversible and discrete complex wavelet transform (the dual tree complex wavelet transform DT-CWT). However, the existing structure of this complex wavelet decomposition enforces a very strict choice of filters in order to achieve a necessary quarter shift in coefficient output. This paper therefore introduces an alternative structure to the DT-CWT that is more flexible in its potential choice of filters and can be implemented by the combination of four normally structured wavelet transforms. The use of these more common wavelet transforms enables this method to make use of existing optimised wavelet decomposition and recomposition methods, code and filter choice.


Protein analysis is a field under rapid development mainly thanks to technological advances that have granted miniaturization of analytical devices, automation, and higher detection sensitivity. The interest in the field has paralleled the expansion of the -omics era, laying down the bases for the current applications in proteomics and glycomics. Advances in protein sample transformation prior to analysis have led to reduction of sample consumption and contamination, enhancing throughput. Within this context, and thanks to the availability of new high-performing materials and technologies, increasingly more efficient and miniaturized enzyme-based analytical tools have been proposed to overcome shortcomings encountered in the in-solution enzymatic reactions (protein digestion and protein deglycosylation, for proteomics and glycomics, respectively). In this context, immobilized enzyme reactors (IMERs) and IMER-based platforms have been developed as promising approaches toward automation and higher analysis throughput. The scenario is in continuous development as underlined by 34 papers published in the last 5 years. This review encompasses recent advances in the design and operational setups of IMERs purposely developed for the analysis of proteins and glycoproteins. Recently developed dual IMERs, which integrate more than one processing step into a single IMER, and analytical platforms exploiting tandem IMERs are also reviewed and commented on. (Naldi, M., et al. J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal. 2018, 160, 222–237.)


The luminescence from single quantum dots has been studied. Single dot photoluminescence was studied under continuous as well as under pulsed excitation. Time-resolved studies revealed fast relaxations in quantum dots. The time resolved measurements were fitted with a set of rate equations. Blinking in the luminescence was observed on a few quantum dots. The polarization of the emission from single quantum dots was also measured. The emission correlation was measured on a single dot and revealed the antibunched nature of the emission from single quantum dots. Single photon generation on demand was demonstrated with a single quantum dot under pulsed excitation. Attempts to generate entangled photon pairs with a single quantum dot were also made. Devices containing single quantum dots as the active region were fabricated. Light Emitting diodes were fabricated and studied, the electroluminescence from single quantum dots has been observed. Two types of microcavities containing single dots were also fabricated, planar microcavities where the light is confined between two planar mirrors and microdisks, where the light is confined in a high refractive index disk-shaped cavity in whispering modes. A processing technique was developed to position selected single quantum dots in microdisks with submicron resolution to achieve maximum coupling with the whispering modes. The problem of the very limited light extraction efficiency from high refractive index materials was studied and solid immersion lenses were used to increase the light extraction efficiency from single quantum dots. Theoretical calculations gave results in good agreement with experimental observations. Further improvements to solid immersion lenses were also studied. (Less)


Sarcoidosis can affect any organ and thus lead to a significant impairment of quality of life, even to an increase in mortality. Neurosarcoidosis, cardiac sarcoidosis, and pulmonary fibrosis in sarcoidosis are the forms of sarcoidosis with the highest mortality rate, and with the lowest response rate to the current therapy. A group of experts in the field of sarcoidosis, supported by the European Respiratory Society, created practice guidelines in the treatment of the most common forms of sarcoidosis, and provided suggestions for further research so as to create new therapeutic protocols. The evidence was obtained by reviewing literature. The aim of this paper is to bring these guidelines closer to doctors in daily clinical practice, in order to improve patients' quality of life and reduce mortality from sarcoidosis.


Powered lower-limb prostheses with vision sensors are expected to restore amputees' mobility in various environments with supervised learning-based environmental recognition. Due to the sim-to-real gap, such as real-world unstructured terrains and the perspective and performance limitations of vision sensor, simulated data cannot meet the requirement for supervised learning. To mitigate this gap, this paper presents an unsupervised sim-to-real adaptation method to accurately classify five common real-world (level ground, stair ascent, stair descent, ramp ascent and ramp descent) and assist amputee's terrain-adaptive locomotion. In this study, augmented simulated environments are generated from a virtual camera perspective to better simulate the real world. Then, unsupervised domain adaptation is incorporated to train the proposed adaptation network consisting of a feature extractor and two classifiers is trained on simulated data and unlabeled real-world data to minimize domain shift between source domain (simulation) and target domain (real world). To interpret the classification mechanism visually, essential features of different terrains extracted by the network are visualized. The classification results in walking experiments indicate that the average accuracy on eight subjects reaches (98.06% $\pm ~0.71$ %) and (95.91% $\pm ~1.09$ %) in indoor and outdoor environments respectively, which is close to the result of supervised learning using both type of labeled data (98.37% and 97.05%). The promising results demonstrate that the proposed method is expected to realize accurate real-world environmental classification and successful sim-to-real transfer.


Despite the importance and ubiquity of qualitative inquiry, a comprehensive account of its history in psychology has not been written. Phases and landmark moments of qualitative inquiry are evident in variations that range from informal, implicit, and unacknowledged practices to philosophically informed and scientifically sophisticated methodologies with norms and carefully specified procedures. After the founding of psychology in 1879, qualitative inquiries were conducted by Wilhelm Wundt, Sigmund Freud, and William James, who assumed their scientific status. During the 20th century, with a rising emphasis on hypothesis testing by means of quantification, psychologists continued to use qualitative practices but did not include them in general accounts of scientific research methods. Although Gordon Allport (1942) called for bold innovation and an increasingly rigorous accountability, a delay in the systematic development of qualitative methodology took place even as practices continued to yield fruitful research in work such as Flanagan (1954); Maslow (1954, 1959), and Kohlberg (1963). Only between the late 1960s and 1990 did phenomenologists, grounded theorists, discourse analysts, narrative researchers, and others articulate and assert the general scientific value, methodologies, and applicable tools of qualitative inquiry in psychology. Between the 1990s and the present, a revolutionary institutionalization of qualitative methods has taken place in publications, educational curricula, and professional organizations. Examples of ground breaking, well-known psychological research using qualitative methods have begun to be examined by research methodologists. The historical study of qualitative methods offers a treasure trove for the growing comprehension of qualitative methods and their integration with quantitative inquiry.


The surgical management of vesicovaginal fistulae (VVF) is a matter of controversy. This study deals with our experience with transvaginally treated patients suffering from VVF. Between 1966 and 1996, 64 patients with VVF were treated surgically. The VVF occurred in the course of hysterectomy in 54 patients, was due to radiotherapy in 7, was a result of obstetric complications in 2 patients, and occurred after colporrhaphy in 1 patient. In 60 of these 64 patients closure of the fistula was carried out transvaginally. Fourteen of these 60 patients (23%) had undergone prior surgical attempts to close the VVF (1 to 3 procedures). Transvaginal surgery was successful at first attempt in 55 of these 60 patients (92%). The other 5 patients were successfully treated by a second procedure (again transvaginal: n = 3; transabdominal: n = 2). In conclusion, the transvaginal approach to close VVF is of advantage, avoiding an abdominal incision and reducing postoperative morbidity. In the vast majority of the cases isolated VVF can be treated successfully by transvaginal repair.


Robert Bryant (Theorie des varietes minimales et applications, 1988, 154: 321-347) proved that an isolated singularity of a conformal metric of positive constant curvature on a Riemann surface is a conical one. Using Complex Analysis, we find all of the local models for an isolated singularity of a flat metric whose area satisfies some polynomial growth condition near the singularity. In particular, we show that an isolated singularity of a flat metric with finite area is also a conical one.


Uptake of Pb was investigated for different hydrated fresh and leached Portland and high-alumina cements, different CSH phases including tobermorite, portlandite, as well as for several relevant cement Al-minerals. Except for highly degraded cement, CSH minerals are the most important phases for Pb uptake. A systematic analysis of our data and a comparison with recent literature data for CSH phases [1] shows that Pb uptake is characterized by three trends: 1) between pH 10–13, Pb uptake decreases with increasing pH, 2) Pb uptake increases with increasing Fe content in the clinker, and 3) Pb uptake is dependent on the Pb concentration in the solution. Following these findings, an empirical model was developed based on regression analyses of uptake vs. Pb concentration, pH, and Fe content in the clinker. The resulting relation can predict K d values for a large range of fresh and leached cements, as well as for individual cement minerals under different experimental conditions. Model application to independent data on cement phases, whole cement, and mortar gave very good agreements.


instruments will produce the same note for a given length of wire, since the tension of the wire is immaterial. Compare this with the Edelmann-Galton whistle, where the construction alone is very complicated and open to many variations; where, too, the note produced by a given length of the pipe varies with the distance from the air-outlet and the force of the air-blast. So many factors are involved that each instrument requires testing by the sensitive flame; a special table is then drawn up, which must be consulted to read the results obtained. As against this, with a fixed gauge steel wire every monochord will produce the same note for a particular length of wire thrown into vibration (at the same temperature).


The authors necessitate precise determination of methodology for epidemiological research in ecologically unfavorable regions. The article deals with standardization principles of epidemiological research protocol, select formation, approaches to detection of regional health problems, quantitative evaluation of ecological risk factors (attributive, relative risks) and their comparative significance (calculation of standardized coefficients of discrimination) in disease formation.


The organisation of a control programme to evaluate the quality of culture media for human in vitro fertilisation is described. The development of mouse embryos to the blastocyst stage in vitro was used as control system. It is shown that it was possible to screen for embryo toxic chemicals in the media so that these can be avoided in the human culture. The influence of temporary pH shifts on the mouse embryo development and in vitro fertilisation in the mouse are mentioned. Exposure to low pH before fertilisation caused a drastic reduction of the development of mouse embryos. No clear association is found between pregnancy rate using in vitro fertilised human oocytes and mouse embryo development. The control system cannot be used to improve media for human in vitro fertilisation.


Deficient serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] may contribute to the impaired bone turnover of end stage renal disease patients. In 112 hemodialysed patients we analysed the relation between 25(OH)D and bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP), beta-CrossLaps (beta-CTx) and iPTH. We analysed parameters according to the manufacturers' instructions. We found potentially significant vitamin D deficiency: 71% of patients had 25(OH)D levels below 50 nmol/L. In patients with iPTH below 150 pg/mL (n = 57), we observed significantly low 25(OH) (p < 0.01). In addition, patients with iPTH above 300 pg/mL had higher BALP levels (p < 0.05). There were negative correlations between serum 25(OH)D and both BALP and iPTH (r = -0.225, p < 0.05 and r = -0.331, p < 0.05). Beta-CTx levels were significantly higher in patients who did not receive vitamin D supplementation (p < 0.01). In addition, reduced BALP and iPTH levels indicate decreased bone turnover. Recorded data could signify that vitamin D deficiency may contribute to the impaired bone metabolism of hemodialysis patients.


We read with interest the letter from Frerichs and Zhao regarding our recently published European Respiratory Society (ERS) statement [1]. Frerichs and Zhao noted that, although in the task force electrical impedance tomography (EIT) was considered among the imaging techniques used in acute respiratory failure, no related articles were reported in the final paper. In the report, task force members supported by two methodologists performed a systematic search of the literature on five lung imaging techniques (i.e. chest radiography, lung ultrasound, computed tomography, position emission tomography and EIT) using the same search terms for all the techniques (refer to tables S1–S4 in the ERS statement); according to these criteria we did not report any articles related to the EIT. Is electrical impedance tomography ready for clinical use in acute respiratory failure? http://bit.ly/30Gjvlt


The coupled dynamics of two conjugated liquid layers of disparate thicknesses, which coat a solid substrate and are subjected to a transverse temperature gradient, is investigated. The upper liquid layer evolves under the short-wavelength Bénard–Marangoni instability, whereas the lower, much thinner film undergoes a shear-driven long-wavelength deformation. Although the lubricating film should reduce the viscous stresses acting on the up to one hundred times thicker upper layer by only 10 %, it is found that the critical Marangoni number of marginal stability may be as low as if a stress-free boundary condition were applied at the bottom of the upper layer, i.e. much lower than the classical value of 79.6 known for a single film. Furthermore, it is experimentally verified that the deformation of the liquid–liquid interface, albeit small, has a non-negligible effect on the temperature distribution along the liquid–gas interface of the upper layer. This stabilizes the hexagonal pattern symmetry towards external disturbances and indicates a two-way coupling of the different layers. The experiments also demonstrate how convection patterns formed in a liquid film can be used to pattern a second conjugated film. The experimental findings are verified by a numerical model of the coupled layers.


We present a frequency domain analysis technique for modelling and recognizing human periodic movements from moving light displays (MLDs). We model periodic motions by motion templates, that consist of a set of feature power vectors extracted from unidentified vertical component trajectories of feature points. Motion recognition is carried out in the frequency domain, by comparing an observed motion template with pre-stored templates. This method contrasts with common spatio-temporal approaches. The proposed method is demonstrated by some examples of human periodic motion recognition in MLDs.


China and South Korea are the main producers and exporters of ginseng. This paper mainly discusses the characteristics of ginseng price fluctuations in China and South Korea. As people continue to understand the concept of homology of medicine and food, there is still an increasing international demand for ginseng, and the favorable market can be expected.


Nucleotide sequence data (cytochrome b) and ISSR genomic fingerprints were used to analyse the genetic variation and population differentiation in Thorn-tailed Rayadito, a widespread Patagonian forest bird. We included samples from eight populations of Thorn-tailed Rayadito covering most of the distribution range of the species: from fragmented patches of Olivillo forest in northern Chile to Isla Navarino forests in the extreme south of South America. Low levels of genetic diversity were found among populations, with a large within-population molecular variance indicating high levels of gene flow. The multivariate and cluster analyses based on ISSR markers show that the subspecies bullocki (from Mocha Island) differs significantly from all other populations. The subspecies fulva (Chiloe Island) shows less differentiation than bullocki, sharing several alleles with continental populations. Bayesian analyses suggest that the Mocha Island population contributes most to the total genetic diversity observed in the species. Mantel tests revealed no significant correlation between geographical distance and pair-wise genetic distance and cytochrome b sequence analyses failed to detect differentiation among subspecies. Mocha Island might have been a palaeorefuge and this population may have diversified by genetic drift after the last glacial maximum. There is also the possibility of a postglacial colonization of the Thorn-tailed Rayadito from an austral palaeorefugium, supporting a multiple refugia hypothesis. This study illustrates the usefulness of the rarely used ISSR genomic fingerprint method in avian phylogeography.


abstract Median values of seismic noise in the period range of 0.3 to 1.3 sec were obtained from recordings at vaults of the Pole Mountain and WMSO arrays. Interquartile ranges were used to measure dispersions about the medians. Medians of the noise at Pole Mountain ranged from 0.91 mµ to 2.20 mµ in November 1962. The former value was obtained for a vault that was located in dense granite at the base of a massive granite outcrop; the latter value was obtained for a vault in a slab of dense granite located on a grassy plain. This indicated that topographic shielding from wind rather than density of bedrock affected noise. As a test of this idea, wind protection numbers were assigned to vaults Z1 through Z9 of the WMSO array based on comparative topographic shielding with respect to a known wind direction. Noise values increased as wind numbers decreased. Topographic protection and vault construction limited wind noise at WMSO.


ABSTRACT Self-efficacy is an important determinant of health behaviour. Digital interventions are a potentially acceptable and cost-effective way of delivering programmes of health behaviour change at scale. Whether behaviour change interventions work to increase self-efficacy in this context is unknown. This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to identify whether automated digital interventions are associated with positive changes in self-efficacy amongst non-clinical populations for five major health behaviours, and which BCTs are associated with that change. A systematic literature search identified 20 studies (n = 5624) that assessed changes in self-efficacy and were included in a random-effects meta-analysis. Interventions targeted: healthy eating (k = 4), physical activity (k = 9), sexual behaviour (k = 3) and smoking (k = 4). No interventions targeting alcohol use were identified. Overall, interventions had a small, positive effect on self-efficacy . The effect of interventions on self-efficacy did not differ as a function of health behaviour type (Q-between = 7.3704, p = .061, df = 3). Inclusion of the BCT 'information about social and environmental consequences' had a small, negative effect on self-efficacy . Whilst this review indicates that digital interventions can be used to change self-efficacy, which techniques work best in this context is not clear.


Abstract The paper presents the issue of a knife proof ballistic package. This issue was emphasized since most of modern vests are designed to match the threat posed to them only by firearms. There was observed negligence of protection against melee attacks. There is, thus, a need to develop a research methodology in this matter, because it is a valid and necessary problem in a modern developed society. The aim of this study was to perform a numerical model which simulated the phenomenon of penetration of a ballistic package by an engineering blade. Specification of an engineering blade was taken from standard NIJ Standard-0115.00. Commercial software LSDYNA was used to carry out the analysis.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Cystic fibrosis (CF) and the nonclassical forms of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (NC21OHD) are frequent autosomal recessive diseases. Their frequencies in the Caucasian population are the ones applied to the management of the diseases (1:2500 and 1:1000, respectively). The aim of this study was to learn about the adequacy of these figures to the Spanish population.

MATERIAL AND METHOD
Study of the recurrent mutation (about 50% of alleles) in each entity, DF508 or Val281Leu, respectively, in 300 anonymous consecutive samples (600 alleles) from the Comunidad de Madrid neonatal screening. PCR specific amplifications of the CFTR and CYP21A2 genes and direct analyses of DF508 and Val281Leu mutations were performed.

RESULTS
Allele frequencies of DF508 and Val281Leu were 0.005 and 0.038 (carrier frequencies 1.1% and 7.5%, respectively). Taking into consideration the percentage of these mutations in patient alleles, 48% for CF and for 57% NC21OHD, disease frequencies of about 1:8028 (CF) and 1:230 (NC21OHD) were estimated. The standard error calculated for these data were 0.6% and 1.5%.

CONCLUSIONS
We have found that CF is less frequent and NC21OHD more frequent in the Spanish population than in other Caucasian populations.


record of the classic laryngeal mask airway' [3]. The second reference [4] was cited because it more specifically studied the kind of patient which Cook et al. reported (Cook's first patient) having suffered aspiration; namely, a female undergoing gynaecological laparoscopy. Patel and Chatterjee are correct in stating that this paper reports a 1% incidence of regurgitation and not aspiration. However, we maintain that most clinicians would equate an occurrence of regurgitation with at least a substantially increased risk for aspiration. Thus the intent of citing these two papers was to reinforce the overall excellent safety record of the laryngeal mask airway while also questioning use of that and other supraglottic airways in patients who might be at increased risk of regurgitation. In any event, we maintain that any supraglottic airway should be able to be used safely in appropriately selected patients who require positive pressure ventilation if properly carried out (by limiting airway pressures to < 20 cm H2O), and the letter by Patel and Chatterjee certainly supports this for the laryngeal mask airway. The thrust of our reply to Cook et al. was to question why this would not be true for the CobraPLA as well.


In this paper the theoretical foundations of pedagogical study in the formation of value orientations of Russian and foreign students are carried out. A review of the principles and approaches that provide a basis for determining research directions and concepts of the problem is also being studied.


The use of a chemically inert and essentially biocompatible material for cellular biosensing is an attractive idea. In this context we have studied the operation of diamond-based ion-sensitive field effect transistors (ISFETs) within solutions of varying pH, and alkali-halide concentrations. In particular, we report the use of an inexpensive diamond substrate material, often referred to as 'black' diamond. pH sensitivity was observed when devices based on hydrogen-terminated p-type surfaces where employed, provide some surface oxidation was performed prior to their use. Variation in the threshold voltage for ISFET operation of the order of 20mV/pH unit was determined. In terms of operation in potassium iodide solution, we have shown that the device is shows selective sensitivity to the iodide species, despite the equi-molar presence of both K+ and I- species. The origin of this selectivity is discussed.


Objectives: Loss of lumbar lordosis causing pain and curvature of the vertebral skeleton to one side is a relatively uncommon disease. To our knowledge, successful treatment of loss of lumbar lordosis with any potentized homeopathic drug diluted above Avogadro's limit (that is, above a potency of 12C) has not been documented so far. In this communication, we intend to document a relatively rare case of loss of lumbar lordosis with osteophytic lippings, disc desiccation, and protrusion, causing a narrowing of secondary spinal canal and a bilateral neural foramina, leading to vertebral column curvature with acute pain in an adolescent boy. Methods: The patient had undergone treatment with orthodox Western medicines, but did not get any relief from, or cure of, the ailment; finally, surgery was recommended. The patient's family brought the patient to the Khuda-Bukhsh Homeopathic Benevolent Foundation where a charitable clinic is run every Friday with the active participation of four qualified homeopathic doctors. A holistic method of homeopathic treatment was adopted by taking into consideration all symptoms and selecting the proper remedy by consulting the homeopathic repertory, mainly of Kent. Results: The symptoms were effectively treated with different potencies of a single homeopathic drug, Calcarea phos. X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) supported recovery and a change in the skeletal curvature that was accompanied by removal of pain and other acute symptoms of the ailment. Conclusion: Homeopathy can be a safe, much less expensive, non-invasive, and viable alternative for the treatment of such cases.


Transport properties vary considerably over small distances in most soils. The stochastic streamtube model offers one approach to incorporating heterogeneity into transport predictions. This study tested the ability of the streamtube concept to predict transport in heterogeneous fields using measurements from undisturbed columns. Fifty undisturbed columns (0.15-m diam. by 1.5 m deep) were taken every 0.4 m from a 20-m-long transect in a loamy sand soil with variable horizon thickness. Each core was instrumented at 0.1-m intervals with time domain reflectometry probes to measure resident fluid concentrations of a conservative (Cl - ) tracer under steady flow conditions. Large-scale concentration curves of Cl - from solution samplers and coring were obtained from field experiments conducted on the same soil under similar boundary conditions. Differences were observed in the solute spread and mass recovery, but not in the centers of mass. Horizontal scale dependence of transport was observed in the field but not in the columns. This suggests that a higher dimensionality of transport, probably along the horizon interfaces, may be responsible for the observed scale dependence in the field. Although the stochastic streamtube model gave good predictions of the center of mass, it does not appear to be a realistic physical analogue for describing solute dispersion in soils with spatially variable layer thickness


Dynamic Time Warping is a standard algorithm used for matching time series irrespective of local tempo variations. Its application in the context of Query-by-Humming interface to multimedia databases requires providing of independence transposition, which involves some additional, sometimes computationally expensive processing and may not guarantee the success, e.g., in the presence of a pitch trend or accidental key changes.

The method of tune following , proposed in this paper, enables solving of the pitch alignment problem in an adaptive way inspired by the human ability of ignoring typical errors occurring in sung melodies. The experimental validation performed on the database containing 4431 queries and over 5000 templates confirmed the enhancement introduced by the proposed algorithm in terms of the global recognition rate.


A DIGITAL CITIZENS BILL OF RIGHTS "[A] bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, and what no just government should refuse." --Thomas Jefferson December 20, 1787 Introduction This paper presents a comprehensive framework for discussing proposed rights of digital citizens in the digital age. Over the past decade, as the Internet has grown in influence and scope, many have proposed individual or partial lists of rights that citizens should have, but none of them have been comprehensive or complete. We present here a comprehensive list of "rights" that citizens should expect governments in the digital age to protect and enhance. The paper proposes the notion of "digital citizens," who interact with agencies of government through voting, receipt of government services and day-to-day interactions over important public policy issues. We explore briefly the history of the Internet in regards to government and democratic participation, explain the difference between e-Government and e-Democracy and then itemize and discuss a proposed new "Digital Citizens' Bill of Rights." We also illustrate many of the proposed "rights" with data from different countries to illustrate the developments that have been achieved over the last decade in e-Government and e-Democracy. 1. Right to Information --Right to identify the name, title, contact information and duties of each elected official directly responsible to each citizen (e.g., a citizen should be able to access an online government database, enter his/her address and identify their city councilmember, county supervisor, state assembly member, etc.) --Right to obtain elected officials' voting records and positions on range of issues --Right to access full-texts of all government research online and, where feasible, through other media (TV, Video-on-Demand) --Right of access to online search engine to locate government research --Right of access to government information in multiple languages where appropriate (e.g., English & French in Canada) 2. Right to Transparency --Right to view online agendas of all upcoming governmental meetings --Right of notification (e.g., email, text message), upon request, of specific upcoming governmental decisions (e.g., citizens would indicate they are interested in specific issues, and city council would email them notification a week before issues are considered, so citizens can participate in public hearing or comment by email) --Right to access online streamed and/or archived video coverage of public government decisions (e.g., video coverage of city council, state legislature), via TV, the Web or Cable TV/DBS/Cellular Video-on-Demand retrieval systems 3. Right to Petition --Right to access software that will allow citizens to transmit their opinions on pending issues to government officials --Right to expect that information transmitted to elected officials electronically will not be ignored (officials will log comments, respond in timely manner, etc.) --Right to participate in periodic, online, non-binding government-initiated public opinion polls, to express opinions on major items pending before local, regional, state and national governments (e.g., government would conduct public opinion polls, post the results, and publicly respond through committee hearings, legislative resolutions, etc.) (alternative to binding ballot initiative) 4. Right to Vote --Right to vote online in manner that is private, secure and accurate --Right to sign online petitions to qualify citizen initiatives for the ballot, in jurisdictions which utilize the ballot initiative process --Right to receive voter information on all candidates for elected office and ballot measures in textual and/or video formats via the Web, Internet or Cable TV/DBS/Cellular Video-on-Demand retrieval systems 5. Right to Privacy --Right to inspect any information collected by government and to correct it for errors or omissions --Right to prevent government and private vendors from selling, disseminating or making public any private information collected by government, where that information personally identifies specific citizens 6. Right to Access --Right of universal access to government information and services via the Internet (e.g., free government supported public points of access through libraries, kiosks, etc.) --Right of access to government via electronic technologies (email, Internet) should exist irrespective of age, gender, race, income or disability (e.g., voice activation for blind, sub-captioning for deaf) --Right to receive free government-supplied email addresses and accounts --Right to explicit governmental policies designed to keep Internet access costs low (tariffs, antitrust enforcement policies against media monopolization, etc.) 7. Right to Assemble --Right to create or join online communities and forums without constraint --Right to privacy in online memberships 8. Right to Freedom of Expression --Right to free and uncensored personal communication without governmental intervention --Right to free and uncensored communication in un-moderated public forums or networks 9. Right to Online Services --Right to enter into government transactions (e.g., income tax filing) or obtain government services (e.g., auto registration) online --Right to obtain online answers to specific questions relating to government (e.g., hours of park operation, ways to obtain camping permits) Bills of rights have been articulated at crucial moments in political history, dating back to the Magna Carta, and these rights have provided the foundations for the formation of modern democracies. We believe the time is now right to begin articulating a comprehensive Digital Citizens' Bill of Rights that will define basic rights and benefits of all citizens in the digital age, protecting citizens against electronic abuses of government power, and empowering them to participate more actively and effectively in the activities of democratic governance.


The survey was based on a questionnaire designed by the authors which included questions related to the preferences as well as the behaviours and attitudes of consumers in relation to the selection of wines. The survey was conducted during a wine fair, the respondents being considered knowledgeable wine consumers. The research included the assessment of the preference for categories of wines classified in accordance with the colour, sugar content, and quality category declared by the producer. Price, label design or origin of wine were variables also evaluated in the study. The influence of combined variables was also investigated. The results showed that the knowledgeable wine consumers prefer red wines (61%), dry (55%), with denomination of origin (58.1%), of Romanian provenance (66.3%), being in this way different from the average consumers. The distribution of preferences in accordance to combined parameters is also graphically presented and discussed with a view on the present situation regarding the supply on the market.


In response to the recent sovereign debt crisis, the member states of the European Union agreed to enact balanced budget rules in their national legislation. However, little is known about the public's opinion of balanced budget rules. To fill this gap, we conducted a survey among 2,000 representatively chosen German citizens. Our findings suggest that 61 % of the German population supports the debt brake, whereas only 8 % oppose it. However, approval rates differ notably among various subgroups of the population. The debt brake enjoys greater support among high-income earners and among those well-informed about the future costs of deficit spending. People who do not trust politicians would like to see the government's hands tied even more tightly. Opinions about the debt brake also differ markedly across the supporters of different political parties.


Abstract. Ao A, Changkija S, Tripathi SK. 2020. Species diversity, population structure, and regeneration status of trees in Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary, Nagaland, Northeast India. Biodiversitas 21: 2777-2785. The plant species composition and diversity represent the overall health of the forest ecosystems and provide useful insight on forest conservation, and the species regeneration is important in assessing the potential of the forests to serve the society on sustained basis. This present study aimed to assess the species diversity, population structure, and regeneration status of the trees in temperate forest of Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary, Nagaland, Northeast India. Tree species composition, population structure and regeneration status were analyzed by randomly establishing eight plots of 0.1 ha within the sanctuary. Density, basal area, abundance, evenness, and other diversity indices were calculated for mature trees with girth at breast height (GBH) ≥ 30 cm. A total of 60 tree species belonging to 40 genera and 27 families were recorded. The most dominant families recorded were Lauraceae and Rosaceae. The total tree density recorded from the forest was 432.5 individuals ha-1 with a basal area 42.8 m2 ha-1. Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Lithocarpus pachyphyllus had the highest density with 17.58 individuals ha-1 and Lithocarpus pachyphyllus had the highest basal area with 2.64 m2 ha-1. The species with the highest IVI was Betula alnoides (17.13). Girth class of 30-60 cm had the highest density and basal area with 280 individuals ha-1 and 20.7 m2 ha-1. The diversity indices such as Shannon-Wiener index, Simpson index, Pielou evenness index, and Margalef species richness index were 3.90, 0.93, 0.92, and 11.59, respectively in the wildlife sanctuary. The present study showed that 41% of tree species exhibited good regeneration status, 31% as fair regeneration, 8% as poor regeneration and 20% had no regeneration. The present data will be useful to understand the current status of tree species and will serve as baseline information to the forest department, policymakers and conservationists to develop management plans for the conservation of priority species in the area.


Do the programs that aim to promote and develop industry clusters (also known as Cluster Development Programs, or CDP) work? Do they have an impact on enterprise development? This paper offers an insight into the methods that can help answer these fundamental questions through solid quantitative evidence. In general, results will depend on the level of coordination that is achieved and on the actions undertaken as a result of improved coordination and strategy-setting of the relevant actors. The techniques of Social Network Analysis (SNA) can be employed to assess the evolution of coordination among cluster actors, with the requirement that network indicators are observed before and after the implementation of the CDPs. While this particular analysis can assist in monitoring and assessing the process of coordination and its changes throughout the program, other qualitative and contextual information can also assist in interpreting the data and, thus, increase the reliability of results. However, in order to properly assess the impact of CDPs, their causality needs to be explored further by the application of additional quantitative methods. In fact, the effects cannot be attributed to the program itself, unless a proper counterfactual is built in, such as what would have happened to the beneficiaries in the absence of the program. By definition, this particular counterfactual cannot be observed, but the application of experimental and quasi-experimental techniques can help construct control groups of non-beneficiaries to approximate the counterfactual and assess the evidence with econometric techniques. Furthermore, a detailed observation of cases and specific interviews can help regarding the interpretation of results derived from these methods. The quantitative tools discussed herein are indeed complementary and not alternatives, with each applied as a means to strengthen the explanatory capacity of the other. Each tool requires specific and challenging data analysis that can be achieved with careful resource planning and the appropriate team skill set. The overarching objective is to build new and solid evidence on the effectiveness of CPDs and their respective policies. JEL codes: O22, O25, O29, Z13


The translation of the Gospels into Old English has been a text edited on several occasions since the sixteenth century, from Parker's edition (1571) to that by Skeat at the end of the nineteenth century (1871-1887) and, more recently, the one carried out by Liuzza in the second half of the twentieth century. [1] The Old English Gospels have received attention from many scholars working in the field of English historical linguistics. Although the lexical level has been partially analysed (see for instance Liuzza 1994-2000), it is still an under-researched area. This article aims to examine three versions of the Gospels, namely West Saxon, Lindisfarne and Rushworth, in order to analyse the various mechanisms used by the translator(s) and glossators [2] when rendering lexical items from the original Latin text into the different dialects. The analysis focuses on the study of nouns from an interdialectal perspective, since they are collated in the three different versions, so as to establish dialectal changes. A cross-linguistic approach is also pursued by assessing how the translator(s)/glossators interpreted nouns from Latin. [1] The Anglo-Saxon Gospels have also been edited by Marshall and Junius (1665), Thorpe (1842), and Bosworth and Waring (1865). [2] The scribes copying the text of the manuscript could have also had an active role by introducing modifications.


This case demonstrates a recognized association between an acetabular injury pattern and underlying morphology of the hip. In the patient discussed, hyperflexion of the hip results in the engagement of the present CAM lesion, and the resulting subluxation leads to a fracture of the posterior wall and instability of the hip. This combination of pathologies was addressed with a surgical dislocation approach to address both the CAM lesion and fix the posterior wall.


In this article, a framework is provided for analyzing conditions that lead to positive or negative relations between trustworthiness and formal control in the context of manager-subordinate relationships, a domain often discussed controversially in the literature. In analyzing the relationship between managerial formal control and subordinates' trustworthiness, the author draws on self-determination theory. Self-determination theory is useful in showing how to link characteristics of organizational regulation (i.e., managerial formal control) with individual intentions (i.e., subordinates' intentions to behave in a trustworthy fashion). Subsequently, empirical findings related to formal control and trustworthiness are integrated into this framework to deduce a set of propositions that can be tested in the future.


We report on a patient with a bone marrow plasmacell infiltration, since this case displays some outstanding clinical and laboratory features: the presence of massive splenomegaly and the absence of bone lesions; the cytoplasmic heavy chain type mu, without any light chain detectable by immunofluorescence (IF); the non secretory feature of this plasma cell proliferation. The position of such an entity within the spectrum of B-lymphoproliferative disorders, from mu heavy chain disease to non secretory IgM myeloma, is discussed.


Microbial infection is the most common obstacle in the wound healing process, leading to wound healing impairment and complications and ultimately increasing morbidity and mortality. Due to the rising number of pathogens evolving resistance to the existing antibiotics used for wound care, alternative approaches are urgently required. In this study, α-aminophosphonate derivatives as antimicrobial agents were synthesized and incorporated into self-crosslinked tri-component cryogels composed of fully hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol (PVA-F), partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol (PVA-P), and cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs). Initially, the antimicrobial activity of four α-aminophosphonate derivatives against selected skin bacterial species was tested and their minimum inhibitory concentration was determined based on which the most effective compound was loaded into the cryogels. Next, the physical and mechanical properties of cryogels with various blending ratios of PVA-P/PVA-F and fixed amounts of CNFs were assessed, and drug release profiles and biological activities of drug-loaded cryogels were analyzed. Assessment of α-aminophosphonate derivatives showed the highest efficacy of a cinnamaldehyde-based derivative (Cinnam) against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria compared to other derivatives. The physical and mechanical properties of cryogels showed that PVA-P/PVA-F with a 50/50 blending ratio had the highest swelling ratio (1600%), surface area (523 m2 g-1), and compression recoverability (72%) compared to that with other blending ratios. Finally, antimicrobial and biofilm development studies showed that the cryogel loaded with a Cinnam amount of 2 mg (relative to polymer weight) showed the most sustained drug release profile over 75 h and had the highest efficacy against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. In conclusion, self-crosslinked tri-component cryogels loaded with the synthesized α-aminophosphonate derivative, having both antimicrobial and anti-biofilm formation properties, can have a significant impact on the management of uprising wound infection.


In Blake's mythopoeia, as well as his personal eschatology, belief is the source of life itself; all creative acts, all visionary episodes, stem from an individual's belief. "Eternal Death," which is the cycle of Generation, is the result of unbelief. Francis Bacon, Isaac Newton, and John Locke were, for Blake, the triumvirate of culpable votaries for the propagation of rational reductionism which had led to the reification of "Natural Religion" in the form of Deism and Rational Dissent in England and, with the addition of Rousseau and Voltaire, of the apotheosis in France of the Cult of Reason. The French philosophes and the English empiricists were not only at fault for forming the wheels which turned the "dark Satanic Mills?" (M 514 1.8) of man's cognizance but, and what Blake considered their primary offence, of unbelief. This paper will discuss how unbelief is the main cause of division in Blake's universe, accentuated "by the cruelties of Demonstration" (M 578 29.36) of empiricists who "Doubt Doubt & dont believe without experiment" (NB 609 5–9), and how the Limits placed upon man's fall(s) act as one possible mode of redemption which allows for the return of belief and the individual's creative vision.


Hydroxytyrosol acetate was synthesized, and the antioxidant activity of this olive oil component was assessed in comparison with that of other olive oil components, namely hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein, 3,4-DHPEA-EA, and alpha-tocopherol in bulk oil and oil-in-water emulsions. The activity of the compounds was also assessed by scavenging of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. Hydroxytyrosol acetate had a weaker DPPH radical scavenging activity than hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein, or 3,4-DHPEA-EA but it had a radical scavenging activity similar to that of alpha-tocopherol. In oil, the antioxidant activity of hydroxytyrosol acetate was much higher than that of alpha-tocopherol or oleuropein, but in an emulsion 3,4-DHPEA-EA and alpha-tocopherol were more effective as antioxidants than hydroxytyrosol acetate. The antioxidant activity of hydroxytyrosol acetate was rather similar to that of hydroxytyrosol in oil and emulsions despite the difference in DPPH radical scavenging activity.


We describe the development and validation of a labeled-hapten competitive immunoassay for determining total estrone in serum. For the hapten tracer we use the 6 alpha-biotinylated estrone derivative, 3-hydroxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17-one 6 alpha-N-(epsilon-biotinyl)aminocaproamide (Bio-E1). A specific polyclonal rabbit anti-estrone antibody is indirectly bound via an immobilized donkey anti-rabbit antibody on microtiter plate wells. The amount of Bio-E1 bound is then measured with streptavidin-horseradish peroxidase conjugate, whereby the enzyme activity is quantified by an enhanced chemiluminometric method. For the assay, serum samples were extracted with solid-phase extraction cartridges. The assay dynamic range was 93-7400 pmol/L estrone, with a lower detection limit of 55 pmol/L. An interassay imprecision (CV) of 12-14%, a recovery rate between 80% and 110%, and a dilution linearity are demonstrated. Estrone serum concentrations were measured in healthy men and women and in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Comparing the assay with a nonextraction RIA, we found an acceptable correlation for samples from 143 subjects of either sex. This enzyme immunoassay with biotin as the primary label and enhanced chemiluminescence signaling detection performs well for determining total estrone in serum and is readily adaptable to assays for other steroid hormones.


Background: Birth registration is both a fundamental human right and an essential means of protecting a child′s right to identity. Objective: The aim was to assess the awareness, knowledge and practice of birth registration by mothers and the socio-demographic determinants of birth registration in an urban community in southern Nigeria. Methodology: A community-based descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among mothers in an urban community in Ovia North East local government area of Edo State, Nigeria. A structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: Awareness of birth registration was high (69.6%) with mass media as the major source of information (60.5%), but the composite knowledge of it was poor. Awareness of the agency responsible for birth registration was poor. Only 44.2% of the respondents registered the births of their children, two-thirds of those who registered births possess a birth certificate. Marital status and level of education were significantly associated with the knowledge of birth registration. Age, level of education, marital status, occupation, and place of delivery were the determinants of the practice of birth registration. Conclusion: There is a need for a change of strategy in the campaign for birth registration so that awareness can translate into better knowledge and practice. We advocate the establishment of community-based birth registration centers to improve accessibility and practice of birth registration.


In the practice of radiology, there really is just one question that needs to be answered each time the radiologist performs or reports a study. The question is 'Why?'–'Why am I performing this study?' or 'Why was this study requested?'

If the answer to this question is clear, almost everything else falls into place. One doesn't have to be the world's greatest radiologist to do good work; when doing a study or interpreting imaging findings, what is needed is common sense and the ability to understand what the question is that the referring doctor wants answered.

On any given day, 80% of all studies performed or interpreted are routine, for example, reporting on chest radiographs, routine obstetric USG scans, CT of brain in stroke and headaches, etc., demanding no significant additional thought from the radiologist. However, in about 20% of the cases the radiologist will need to stop and ask: Why was this study asked for/done? What did the referring doctor want? What exactly is the question that needs to be answered? Often, to answer these questions, it is necessary to call the referring doctor to understand the relevant issues, especially if a detailed history is not available. Sometimes it is necessary to go through all the old papers and investigation reports and, if necessary, to talk to the patient or even re-image if the correct scanning protocol has not been followed in an earlier study. If at the end of all this, one still doesn't know why the study was done or if, because of the absence of relevant history, one is unable to interpret the study, then the right thing to do is to describe the findings in the report and honestly confess that the interpretation of these findings is difficult in the absence of additional relevant information.

Looking around, it is clear that the professionally successful radiologists are the ones who, having figured this out, are able to satisfy the clinical needs of their referring doctors. These are the radiologists to whom all the complicated cases are referred and to whom the referring doctors go when they themselves have problems.

Residents, senior registrars, lecturers, and those who immediately plunge into practice after their MD or DNB rarely understand this! I have seen brilliant young radiology residents who know everything there is to know about "Radiological signs of…" or "Imaging findings of…" but who pay scant attention to the 'why'! In fact, in today's day and age of easy access to information, it is not necessary to know everything about a disease or its radiological signs or to know all the syndromes and measurements. What is truly important in today's connected world is to know where to look for the answers: whether in carefully archived articles, in textbooks, or in Pubmed, Google Scholar, or Wikipedia. Since the need to remember everything has actually reduced due to this easy access to information, we now need to use our grey cells more efficiently by being more involved in the clinical situations and issues related to the patients who come to us.

This applies to speakers and teachers as well. It is all very well to give a lecture on multiple sclerosis (MS) and show 50 slides of the various MRI appearances of MS. This is no big deal! All this information is easily available in textbooks and in umpteen review articles, all freely available at the AJR or Radiographics sites. What the speakers and teachers need to bring to the table are the clinical issues related to MS: what are the common problems that patients come with and what kind of information is expected from the radiologist, given a particular clinical situation and presentation. The students and residents should also expect and demand more from their teachers and from speakers than mere regurgitation of material from textbooks.

Things were different in the days of x-rays, simple radiographic procedures, and basic USG, when the questions that needed to be answered were simpler and often easily understandable. With plain radiographs, even if the radiologists screwed up, very often the physicians, orthopedic surgeons, etc. were able to interpret the radiographs and manage things. Today, when even radiologists have trouble keeping their skills up-to-date, to expect the referring doctor to be able to correctly interpret complex imaging findings is unrealistic, and the radiologists' responsibilities have increased that much more.

That we need to be more involved clinically is something that Mr. Ragavan also talks about in 'Radiology in India: The Next Decade.' This is a new series that we have started, edited by Dr Sanjeev Mani, where over the next 2–3 issues, we will have eminent radiologists and industry experts airing their thoughts on this subject.

Paradoxically, we have also seen the rise of teleradiology, both in India as well as in the rest of the world, something that Dr Arjun Kalyanpur is very upbeat about in his article in the same series. However, the 'why' of radiology and teleradiology are at opposite ends of the radiology spectrum. Teleradiology takes us back to the early days of radiology, with radiologists sitting in dark dungeon-like offices, reporting radiographs without any concern for the clinical setting. Interpreting the imaging findings of patients who are physically and figuratively very far away, with no clinical interaction, may be a good way to provide a commodity service and to earn money, but it is not a good way to practice radiology. There are of course exceptions, for example, when teleradiology is used for obtaining expert, second opinions or for nighttime, emergency coverage, where the questions to be answered are much simpler. But, overall, our growth as radiologists will come from our ability to understand the clinical issues surrounding our patients and not by interpreting 'unknown' images.

This also brings us to the issue of subspecialization. To be useful to our clinical colleagues, we must be able to speak their language. To be able to do this, we must subspecialize in specific areas, whether it be neuroradiology, head and neck, cardiac, musculoskeletal, etc. It is not necessary to be a single-organ subspecialist in our country as yet, since the economic and social realities make this difficult except in some academic institutions. Yet to expect to be able to handle all organ systems is also stupid. Currently, the best solution would be to focus on 2–3 areas, eg, neuroradiology and head and neck; chest and cardiac imaging; abdominal imaging along with pelvic imaging; or women's imaging, which would include gynecologic, obstetric, and breast imaging.

The advent of subspecialization in radiology also means that radiologists who have subspecialized in different organ systems will have to work together in groups. In academic institutes, this is easily done. Sadly, however, except in 2–3 institutes, radiologists in our country still want to do everything or rotate through every modality and organ system. In private hospitals and private practice, the only way to subspecialize is to work in cohesive groups. This allows the groups to gain tremendous depth of knowledge, respect, and a good patient load; in addition, the radiologists' quality of life will also improve significantly: there is no need to be on call 24 × 7; one can take holidays or take time off when required. Even if it means earning a shade less, over the long term, group practice with subspecialization works out to be a much better deal than working solo and trying to do everything. This is how I currently practice radiology and this, in my view, is the future of radiology and radiologists in our country.

Let me summarize. All our radiology reports need to answer the 'why' question. To do this, we must be thorough with our understanding of the clinical situation and the answers being sought by our clinical colleagues. For this to happen well, we must subspecialize and be able to speak the same language as our clinical colleagues. Subspecialization inherently means that we need to work with other radiology subspecialists in a group practice; both academically and in general, this would automatically lead to a better quality of life.


RNA editing is an alteration in the primary nucleotide sequences resulting from a chemical change in the base. RNA editing is observed in eukaryotic mRNA, transfer RNA, ribosomal RNA, and non-coding RNAs (ncRNA). The most common RNA editing in the mammalian central nervous system is a base modification, where the adenosine residue is base-modified to inosine (A to I). Studies from ADAR (adenosine deaminase that act on RNA) mutants in Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila, and mice clearly show that the RNA editing process is an absolute requirement for nervous system homeostasis and normal physiology of the animal. Understanding the mechanisms of editing and findings of edited substrates has provided a better knowledge of the phenotype due to defective and hyperactive RNA editing. A to I RNA editing is catalyzed by a family of enzymes knows as ADARs. ADARs modify duplex RNAs and editing of duplex RNAs formed by ncRNAs can impact RNA functions, leading to an altered regulatory gene network. Such altered functions by A to I editing is observed in mRNAs, microRNAs (miRNA) but other editing of small and long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) has yet to be identified. Thus, ncRNA and RNA editing may provide key links between neural development, nervous system function, and neurological diseases. This review includes a summary of seminal findings regarding the impact of ncRNAs on biological and pathological processes, which may be further modified by RNA editing. NcRNAs are non-translated RNAs classified by size and function. Known ncRNAs like miRNAs, smallRNAs (smRNAs), PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), and lncRNAs play important roles in splicing, DNA methylation, imprinting, and RNA interference. Of note, miRNAs are involved in development and function of the nervous system that is heavily dependent on both RNA editing and the intricate spatiotemporal expression of ncRNAs. This review focuses on the impact of dysregulated A to I editing and ncRNAs in neurodegeneration.


The use of randomization in the design and analysis of algorithms promises simple and efficient algorithms to difficult problems, some of which may not have a deterministic solution. This gain in simplicity, efficiency, and solvability results in a trade-off of the traditional notion of absolute correctness of algorithms for a more quantitative notion: correctness with a probability between 0 and 1. The addition of the notion of parallelism to the already unintuitive idea of randomization makes reasoning about probabilistic parallel programs all the more tortuous and difficult.
In this paper we address the problem of specifying and deriving properties of probabilistic parallel programs that either hold deterministically or with probability 1. We present a proof methodology based on existing proof systems for probabilistic algorithms, the theory of the predicate transformer, and the theory of UNITY. Although the proofs of probabilistic programs are slippery at best, we show that such programs can be derived with the same rigor and elegance that we have seen in the derivation of sequential and parallel programs. By applying this methodology to derive probabilistic programs, we hope to develop tools and techniques that would make randomization a useful paradigm in algorithm design.


Natural calamities (e.g., hurricane, excessive ice-fall) may often impede the inventory replenishment during the peak sale season. Due to the extreme situations, sales may not occur and demand may not be recorded. This study focuses on forecasting of intermittent seasonal demand by taking random demand with a proportion of zero values in the peak sale season. Demand pattern for a regular time is identified using the seasonal ARIMA (S-ARIMA) model. The study proposes a Bayesian procedure to the ARIMA (BS-ARIMA) model to forecast the peak season demand which uses a dummy variable to account for the past years intermittent demand. To capture uncertainty in the B-ARIMA model, the non-informative prior distributions are assumed for each parameter. Bayesian updating is performed by Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation through the Gibbs sampler algorithm. A dynamic programming algorithm under periodic review inventory policy is applied to derive the inventory costs. The model is tested using partial demand of seasonal apparel product in the US during 1996-05, collected from the US Census Bureau. Results showed that, for intermittent seasonal demand forecast, the BS-ARIMA model performs better and minimizes inventory costs than do S-ARIMA and modified Holt-Winters exponential smoothing method.


Three-dimensional analyses of anisotropic stress effects during thermal oxidation of silicon are performed in this study using finite strain formulation. A reaction rate model that conjugates pressure to a crystalline direction dependent activation volume is employed for the modeling of facet formation in an STI MOSFET device. The numerical results agree well with TEM observations. The 3-D nature of stress evolution in fabrication process is demonstrated and the implication of stress relaxation on device performance in a strained SiGe based device is discussed.


In the recent past Saving and Credit Cooperatives Societies in Kenya have gained popularity as a result of high interest being charged by commercial banks and borrowers have shifted their focus to the SACCOs due to their fixed interest rates on loans. SACCOs pay high dividends in comparison to commercial banks, however the level of dividend payout keeps on fluctuating and thus shareholders are not aware of what they expect in the next financial year. Studies have been carried out to examine the determinants of dividend of payout, where various factors have been identified and inconsistency results have been found in regard to the influence of cashflow liquidity on dividend payout. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to establish the influence of cashflow liquidity on dividend payout among deposit taking saving and credit cooperative societies (SACCOs) in Kenya. The study focused on deposit taking SACCOs as more researchers have focused on commercial banks and SACCOs in general. The study used descriptive and correlational research design. The target population was the 176 the deposit taking SACCOs in Kenya, out of which a sample of 108 respondents were randomly selected each SACCO that was included in the sample. Questionnaire and document analysis were used to collect data and which was analyzed with the help of SPSS (23). The study findings revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between cashflow liquidity and dividend payout.  It was concluded that cashflow liquidity influenced dividend payout, among deposit taking SACCOs in Kenya. It was recommended to improve cashflow liquidity SACCOs should adopt conservative approach for management of working capital elements. The study also recommended that to improve cashflow liquidity, SACCOs should reduce the proportion of their long-term loans to short term loans. The study recommended further analysis on the influence of cash reserve ratio on dividend payout. Keywords: Dividend payout, cash flow liquidity, Deposit-taking, SACCOs


Twelve female age-group swimmers and twelve female controls, aged ten to sixteen, performed a pre-training discontinuous maximal cycle ergometer test to determine the capacities of their anaerobic (alactacid and lactacid) and aerobic energy systems. Heart rate and oxygen uptake were determined during rest, exercise, and recovery. Blood samples were collected before and after exercise for determination of blood lactic acid concentrations. Tests were readministered to both groups immediately following the swimmers' competitive season. It was concluded that female swimmers possess significantly superior oxygen transport systems as compared to the untrained controls and that the high level of aerobic fitness is maintained throughout their training programme.


A critical review of the world literature of the main authors in the past twenty years (871 cases) and the personal series (1975-1987: 22 cases) shows that biliary ileus is a rare, serious pathology with an emergency surgical indication. The numerical data collected confirm the need for a conservative surgical attitude, limited to the removal of the obstructing cause. Some authors have maintained that it is possible to treat the occlusion and the bilio-digestive fistula and carry out the cholecystectomy contemporaneously. Personally it is considered that the latter possibility can be confined to carefully selected patients who are not too elderly, do not present associated pathologies and for whom the diagnostic opinion is one of preoperative biliary ileus. Cholecystectomy is therefore programmed and this is followed at a later stage by repair of the biliary fistula, the occlusive pathology being corrected immediately so as to eliminate as far as possible the immediate risks of prolonged emergency surgery on the bile ways and digestive tract at the same time.


The teacher has become the focus of attention in modern world because of his unique roles in the society. It is daily becoming increasingly clear that no nation can rise or develop without the right caliber of teachers. Curriculum is an indispensable instrument in any educational programme. It has often been contended that its fundamental nature derives from the fact that it is the very foundation for any education system. There is a strong desire for climate change issues to be taught as cross-cutting themes across disciplines, which would require considerable wide-scale developments in curricula. This position paper therefore considered the whole web of issues surrounding the teachers' involvement and the role played in climate change curriculum development and implementation in Nigerian secondary educational system. The paper recommended amongst others that teachers should be informed, trained and involved in the process of climate change curriculum development and implementation. Most reforms should be initiated from the grassroots, bottom-up, particularly by teachers who are on the field and know what and where a change is needed. Curriculum emerging through this process will be more acceptable.


Cities are invaded by a variety of synthetic representations, as they can be explorer or virtually visited by the omnipresent Google Earth, as well as interactive maps, digital reconstructions, photographed ours or panoramas, RT cameras, etc. Furthermore, they can be hosted at websites complemented by multimedia, which allow, with little time and effort, have a preview that conditions us before the in situ experience of the real places. Besides the general use that can be made of these powerful media, we consider the potential influence that they cause in the disciplines that are involved with the urban space.


488 cases of warm disease with tongue diagnosis picked up from 29 monographs providing materials of tongue diagnosis are sorted out of 51 monographs of medical records in the Qing Dynasty. Statistics and analysis were made on these 488 cases of tongue diagnoses, according to the classification of tongue manifestations in the Textbook of Diagnostics of Chinese Medicine for TCM schools of higher education. Results showed that, among all the cases, the recording rate of tongue fur was 65. 16% and was the highest one of the recording materials. The frequencies of different fur recorded from high to low were yellow, white and black. From 1850 to 1911 in the Qing Dynasty, occurrence rate of tongue coating had changed. Those of white, yellow and compound fur were increased. On the contrary, that of black fur was decreased. The recording rate of the color of tongue proper was 23. 16%, among which the proportions of red and crimson tongue were the highest. The recording rate of fur quality of fur was 37. 7%. From 1850 to 1911 in the Qing Dynasty, the recording rate of greasy fur reached the first place in fur quality. Tongue diagnosis was applied in warm- heat and damp-heat types of Warm Disease and pestilence.


The purposes of this study was to identify fashion shoppers` perceived risk and satisfaction while shopping at overseas online shopping malls based on their internet shopping values. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection and an internet survey was conducted from April 12~15, 2015. Most consumers purchased one or two fashion items at overseas online malls directly, motivated by low prices, and spent 200,000~400,000 won during the last one year. The factors of consumers` internet shopping values were information, hedonics, and practicality. Factors of perceived risk were delivery and refund, price and approval, and product and shopping mall. Consumers were divided into three categories: heavy pursuit shoppers, intermediate shoppers, and uninformed shoppers based on their internet shopping values. Heavy pursuit shoppers were primarily female; they spent more, felt a deeper patronage with overseas online shopping malls and their perceived risk regarding delivery and refund was higher than the other shoppers. The group of uninformed shoppers were primarily male. They spent less, had low patronage with overseas online shopping malls, and their perceived risk regarding delivery and refund was lower than other shoppers. Overall satisfaction was positively affected by information provided while shoppers were surfing the overseas online shopping malls and practicality. Satisfaction was negatively affected by perceived risk regarding price and approval and difficulty in finding specific products while shopping at overseas online shopping malls.


A Tale of Two Aggregations: Kinship and Population Genetics of Whale Sharks (Rhincodon typus) at Shib Habil, Saudi Arabia, and Mafia Island, Tanzania. Royale Hardenstine In a recent global study of whale shark population genetics, aggregations were found to belong to either the Indo-Pacific or Atlantic population. This overview included an aggregation found within the Red Sea near Al Lith, Saudi Arabia, however the Mafia Island, Tanzania, aggregation was not part of the study. Both aggregations have unique aspects with the Saudi Arabian individuals showing sexual parity with no segregation, while recent acoustic results have revealed cryptic residency at Mafia Island. Genetic analysis using 11 microsatellite markers was performed on whale sharks from both locations. A combination of primers sourced from previous studies and newly designed primers were used to compare both aggregations and the individuals within. Samples were collected in the Red Sea for 5 seasons spanning 6 years, and for 2 seasons in Tanzania. Analysis with STRUCTURE showed a lack of significant genetic differences between the two aggregations, confirming that whale sharks in Tanzania are part of the Indo-Pacific population. Kinship analysis using COLONY found two potential pairs of full siblings in Tanzania. One pair had a high probability (.993) of being a full sibling dyad while the other had a lower probability (.357). There were no sibling pairs identified from the Red Sea aggregation. Genetic diversity 4 was investigated using allelic richness over the 6 seasons at Al Lith, with values showing no significant change. This is in contrast to results that showed a decline in genetic diversity at Western Australia's Ningaloo reef. These differences, however, only highlight the need for genetic diversity studies over longer time periods and at other aggregations within the Indo-Pacific.


Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a relatively common tumour predisposition syndrome related to germline aberrations of NF1, a tumour suppressor gene. The gene product neurofibromin is a negative regulator of the Ras cellular proliferation pathway, and also exerts tumour suppression via other mechanisms. Recent next-generation sequencing projects have revealed somatic NF1 aberrations in various sporadic tumours. NF1 plays a critical role in a wide range of tumours. NF1 alterations appear to be associated with resistance to therapy and adverse outcomes in several tumour types. Identification of a patient's germline or somatic NF1 aberrations can be challenging, as NF1 is one of the largest human genes, with a myriad of possible mutations. Epigenetic factors may also contribute to inadequate levels of neurofibromin in cancer cells. Clinical trials of NF1-based therapeutic approaches are currently limited. Preclinical studies on neurofibromin-deficient malignancies have mainly been on malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour cell lines or xenografts derived from NF1 patients. However, the emerging recognition of the role of NF1 in sporadic cancers may lead to the development of NF1-based treatments for other tumour types. Improved understanding of the implications of NF1 aberrations is critical for the development of novel therapeutic strategies.


Petioles (up to 4 m tall) of huge solitary leaves of mature plants of Amorphophallus titanum and A. gigas resemble tree trunks supporting an umbrella-like crown. In a mechanical sense, the petiole is a shell, composed of compact parenchyma with embedded collenchyma strands. The core of the shell is filled with aerenchyma. Mechanical stability of the petiole strongly depends upon the turgor pressure in the parenchyma of the shell and the core. The petiole collapses upon senescence when the turgor pressure decreases as a result of increasing osmolality of the solution permeating cell walls. The present study supports the postulate that aerenchyma serves a mechanical function. The petiole can be easily broken by animals during a collision. This risk is proposed to be lowered by the mimicry of the color pattern of the petiole's surface, which resembles a stiff tree trunk covered with lichen thalli (in both species) and with bark in the case of A. gigas. The cellular basis of these color patterns is described.


ABSTRACT As informal science institutions (ISIs) play a larger role in science education, there is an increased need to research and understand how society identifies the brand of each institution. In this study, I apply actor-network theory (ANT) as a way to view the actors within and outside an ISI and define visitors' understandings about the institution. The practice of applying ANT explores the webs of the social and natural worlds and describes the relationships that occur. For the purpose of this paper, a zoo served as the example institution. Even though the example in this study is a zoo, the conclusions and discussion focus on how ANT may be used in a similar way across museums to define visitor knowledge of the institution. ANT may be applied by any institution to define its self-identity and tell the story of how the institution is viewed by visitors.


This paper presents the analysis and design of a compressor for application to a Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) Methyl Linoleate (MLL) bio-refrigerant cascade working cycle. This working fluid is being used in the topping cycle of an active electronics payload cooling system design to operate at elevated temperatures and pressures such as those witnessed by a Venus lander. The twin-screw, three-stage compressor operates at escalated temperatures of approximately 520 °C (960 °F). The total compressor power of 143.4 W is shared as 43.5 W, 47.7 W, and 53.3 W over stages 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The screw compressor is baselined with a D = 1 inch diameter rotor and an L/D (stroke/bore) ratio of L/D = 2 per stage. The compression ratio corresponds to a volume ratio of 6.5. The swept volume for a 4+6 rotor configuration is estimated to be 1.13 CFM at 2000 RPM with an asymmetric profile and no leakage. The volumetric efficiency of the compressor is estimated to be on the order of 80% due to the higher molecular weight of the FAME/MLL working fluid. The SCORG turbomachinery software is used to verify the thermodynamics analysis and affords a volumetric displacement of 0.025 L/rev at 2000 RPM and 80% adiabatic efficiency.


Identification to the structural vulnerability with a consideration to the physical and operational characteristics of electric power grid through networks data mining based on complex networks theory was suggested in this paper. A directed-weighted topological model of power grid based on P-Q networks decomposition was proposed, and the calculation to direction and weight of lines were presented. A few new definitions such as the shortest electrical path and others networks parameters were given and average contributiveness, a new network parameter, are suggested. On the basis of that, networks data mining to power grid was carried out. Results of a numerical example showed that the model was more suitable to depict characteristics of power grid, and consideration to the direction of running state variable and the weight of transmission line effectively improved calculation precision. Meanwhile, it was verified that the method was rational and available. Networks data mining had been a new important analysis tool to power grid study.


ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary inclusion of protected sodium butyrate (PSB) on the intestinal development and feed nutrient metabolizability of commercial laying hens. The birds started to receive the treatment rations at 58 weeks of age. At 76 weeks of age the laying hens were distributed in a randomized block design to four treatments (0, 105, 210 and 300 g t-1/PSB), six replicates, and two birds/replicate. The nitrogen balance (NB), ether extract balance (EEB), dry matter metabolizability coefficient, nitrogen, ether extract, ash, apparent metabolizable energy (AME), and AME corrected by nitrogen (AMEn) were evaluated. For assessment of intestinal development, we evaluated the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, and colorectal lengths, the relative intestine weight and villus height, crypt depth, and villus:crypt ratio of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. A decreasing linear effect was observed in the duodenum length, while an increasing linear effect was observed in the height of the duodenum and jejunum villi. A quadratic effect was found in the jejunum crypt depth. A linear increasing effect was found on the villus:crypt ratio of the duodenum and jejunum, and a quadratic effect was observed in the ileum. Quadratic and increasing linear effects were observed in the NB and EEB, respectively. Additionally, increasing linear effects were observed in the AME and AMEn. The dietary addition of 300 g t-1 of PSB improved intestinal development and energy metabolizability of the diet.


Precisely ordered arrays of InAs quantum dots are formed on a nanoisland-structured GaAs (100) surface using in situ laser interference during self-assembled molecular beam epitaxial growth. Nanoislands induced by single-pulse four-beam laser interference act as preferential nucleation sites for InAs quantum dots and result in site occupation dependent on the size of nanoislands, the InAs coverage, and the laser parameters. By optimizing the growth and interference conditions, regular dense ordering of single dots was obtained for the first time using this in situ noninvasive approach. The photoluminescence spectra of the resulting quantum dot arrays with a period of 300 nm show good optical quality and uniformity. This technique paves the way for the rapid large-scale fabrication of arrays of single dots to enable quantum information technology device platforms.


A periodic branching filter consisting of three directional couplers, a traveling-wave resonator, and connecting waveguides is used as a band diplexer with a broad 3-dB bandwidth and sharp selectivity for a satellite communication system application. This paper describes a theoretical analysis, a design method, and experimental results for this periodic branching filter. The fabricated periodic branching filter for separating the 30-GHz frequency band 27.0-29.2 GHz into two subbands of equal 3-dB bandwidth of about 900 MHz has sharp frequency selectivity. Measured branching losses and relative delay time are 0.35-0.5 dB and 0.4 ns, respectively, within each frequency subband (f /sub 1,2/ /spl plusmn/ 300 MHz). The 96-g diplexer is made of thin-walled aluminum. Its size is 15 x 9 x 4 cm.


Curcuminoids, as the main ingredient of turmeric, are popularly used in food additives and condiments, and are widely accepted to be beneficial for human health for their antioxidant activity. However, curcuminoids are highly susceptible in terms of thermal-induced degradation, and curry is usually boiled, roasted, or fried in the use of food additives and condiments. Thus, it is interesting to explore the effect of cooking on the antioxidant activity of curcuminoids. In the present study, the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) of cooked curcuminoids (boiled curcuminoids, roasted curcuminoids, and fried curcuminoids) processed through three heating conditions, and their protective effects against oxidative damage to rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells, a well-established neuronal model, were evaluated. It was found that cooking slightly lowered the T-AOC of curcuminoids, with boiled curcuminoids being relatively stronger than roasted curcuminoids, and fried curcuminoids being the weakest form. Both boiled and roasted curcuminoids could significantly improve cell viability, mitigate intracellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species and reduce malondialdehyde activity, reduce caspase-3 and caspase-9 protein expression, and increase superoxide dismutase activity of PC12 cells compared with the control group. In comparison with parent curcuminoids, the protective effects of cooked curcuminoids got relatively lower overall, with boiled curcuminoids being relatively stronger than roasted curcuminoids. In conclusion, the cooked curcuminoids, including boiled and roasted forms, still have antioxidant and neuroprotective activity.


Modern fluorescence microscopy allows the fundamental building blocks of all life to be studied at a level of detail and accuracy that would have been inconceivable just a few years ago. One example is the movement of intracellular motor proteins responsible for muscle contraction or for the transport of biological cargo along microtubules within the cell. To study these systems using fluorescence microscopy, laser light over a wide range of wavelengths is required that has to be coupled precisely into the microscope. With free-beam optics, this can only be done to a limited extent and at considerable cost.


The clinical therapeutics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) constitutes a complicated process which involves theory, diagnosis, and formula prescription with specific herbal dosage. Zhang Zhong-Jing's classic work, Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases, has been influencing TCM practice for almost 2000 years. However, during this extended period of time in Chinese history, the Chinese weight measurement system experienced noticeable changes. This change in the weight measurement system inevitably, and perhaps even negatively, affected TCM herbal dosage determination and treatment outcome. Thus, in modern society, a full understanding of the accuracy of herbal dose selection has a critical importance in the TCM daily practice of delivering the best treatment to the patients suffering from different illnesses. In the 973 Project of the Chinese National Basic Research Program, expert consensus on classic TCM formula dose conversion has been reached based on extensive literature review and discussion on the dose-effect relationship of classic TCM formulas. One "liang" in classic TCM formulas is equivalent to 13.8 g. However, based on many TCM basic and clinical studies of variable herbal formula prescriptions and herbal drug preparations, the rule of one liang equals 13.8 g should be adjusted according to different disease conditions. Recommended by the committee on TCM formula dose-effect relationship of the China Association of Chinese Medicine and the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, the following expert consensus has been reached: (i) One liang converts to 6-9 g for the severely and critically ill patients. (ii) One liang converts to 3-6 g for the patients suffering from chronic diseases. (iii) One liang converts to 1-3 g in preventive medicine. The above conversions should be used as a future TCM practice guideline. Using this recommended guideline should enhance the effectiveness of daily TCM practice.