The first aim of the study was to evaluate whether it was possible to manipulate the distraction effect induced by 3-D video glasses on the perceived pain and unpleasantness of the subjects by giving them different information about the expected effect. Second, the study aimed to determine the reproducibility of the effect. Forty-five students enrolled, 39 students participated in the study (24 women and 15 men, median age 23 years, range 19-28 years) because 6 did not show up for the first trial, and 37 completed the study because 2 subjects did not show up for the second trial. The subjects were randomized into 3 groups, balanced with respect to age and sex, that received different information about the effect of 3-D video on pain and unpleasantness: the first group received positive information, the second group received neutral information, and the third group received negative information. Once assigned to a group, there were no crossovers between the groups. A cold pressor stimulus was used to induce experimental pain, and the volunteers rated the intensity of pain and unpleasantness on 100-mm visual analogue scales. A new generation of video glasses were used in the study. Each volunteer was exposed to the cold pressor test in 2 randomized trials (video and control) after the information was given, and the 2 trials were repeated in a second session after 4 weeks. There was no significant difference in the effect of video glasses on perceived pain (P = .74) nor on the perceived unpleasantness (P = .84) among the 3 information groups. The data were therefore pooled. The results of the pooled data showed a significant effect of 3-D video on perceived pain (P = .03) but not on unpleasantness (P = .18). After 4 weeks, the study was repeated, and there were no significant changes in the effect of video glasses. The median visual analogue scale scores were reduced in both the video and the control trials compared with the first session.


We isolated a
microsporidium from the silkworm, Bombyx
mori, and classified it as Endoreticulatus sp. Zhenjiang based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses
of ribosomal sequences. This microsporidium causes silkworm pebrine, although its
original host and mode of transmission are unknown. To better understand its
distribution and transmission mode, it is essential to have species specific
molecular markers. Towards this goal, we characterized the alpha tubulin gene
from Endoreticulatus sp. Zhenjiang in
this study. The full-length alpha-tubulin cDNA from Endoreticulatus sp. Zhenjiang was cloned and sequenced (GenBank ID:
KJ784483) using the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) protocol. The
alpha-tubulin cDNA is 1382 bp long with an open reading frame spanning 1320 bp
and consisting of a short 20-bp 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) and a 42-bp 3'-UTR
with a stop codon and a poly (A) tail. This alpha-tubulin cDNA encodes a
deduced polypeptide with 439 amino acids, including a complete tubulin domain
and a tubulin C domain. This protein has an estimated isoelectric point of 5.1
and a predicted molecular weight of 48.6 kDa.


Durre Sadaf 1,2 1Conservative Dentistry Department, College of Dentistry, Qassim University, Qassim, Saudi Arabia; 2Graduate Reading, Centre of Evidence-Based Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK Introduction: Preservation of endodontically treated teeth (ETT) depends upon several patient-related and operator-related factors. The objectives of this study were to assess the effects of different types of coronal restoration and delayed placement on ETT survival. Methods: Data on dates of root canal treatment (RCT), restoration type, and extraction time of tooth,when applicable,were analyzed for all patientswho underwentRCT from2010 to 2018 at our institution. Inclusion Criteria: Root canal-treated teeth with complete preoperative and postoperative radiographs; ETT that were restorable and received final permanent coronal restorations; no periodontal disease or crack detected during RCT; and ETT with acceptable RCT quality. Exclusion Criteria: Patients who did not attend for follow-up, those had incomplete information available about the coronal restoration, and those with periodontally compromised teeth were excluded. ETT that involved any procedural error were also excluded. The teeth were categorized according to whether they underwent definitive coronal restoration 0–14 days, 15–59 days, or 60+ days after RCT. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). The rate of survival of ETT of 8 years was estimated, and the differences between groups were determined after applying Kaplan–Meier statistics and log-rank tests. A multivariate Cox regression test and Wilcoxon (Gehan) statistics were computed to analyze the influence of different variables. A P-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The type of restoration, opposing dentition, presence of a post, and dentistry training (year 4 or 5 students) showed significant effects on the survival of ETT (P ≤ 0.000). ETTwhich received crowns was 2.05 times more likely to need extraction than those in which a composite buildup was performed (hazard ratio [HR] 2.05; confidence interval [CI] 1.84–2.29; P ≤ 0.000). All composite buildups were performed within 14 days of completion of RCT. There was a significant correlation between the time of placement of the final coronal restoration and ETT survival (P ≤ 0.000). Extraction of ETT was 25% more likely (HR 0.25; CI 0.231–0.277) when the final coronal restoration was placed 15–59 days after completion of RCTand 73%more likely (HR 0.73; CI 0.655–0.814) when placed after 60 days than when placed at 0–14 days. Conclusion: Timely placement of the final coronal restoration is found to be the most critical factor affecting the long-term survival of teeth after RCT.


Prior to removal it is essential to identify the position of the implant by palpation. Careful palpation of the proximal and distal ends of the implant is important. Incorrect placement of the implant deeper in the subcutaneous tissue and subsequent increase in the patient's weight could result in difficulty with palpation of the implant. Difficulty with removal in the present case was probably due to insertion of the implant at an angle as seen in the ultrasound images (Figures 1 and 2). Additional factors might have been the patient's weight gain and postinsertion fibrosis. Implanon can be visualised with all ultrasound transducers (i.e. high, medium and low frequency). However, the best results are obtained with very high frequency linear array transducers of 12 and 15 MHz.2 When using a low or intermediate frequency transducer, application of a large amount of gel enhances the visibility of the implant. The manufacturer's medical information department have specified use of ultrasound frequencies above 8 MHz based on expert opinion from radiologists. In the present case, the radiologist decided to use a transducer of frequency 11 MHz. The ultrasound probe is placed at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the implant. Following identification of the acoustic shadow cast by the implant, the exact position of the two ends is visible as a clear echogenic spot.3 The transducer is then rotated by 90o to obtain a longitudinal view of the implant. The present case emphasises that in difficult cases in which the Implanon is not easily palpable, even though ultrasound localisation of Implanon is done prior to attempting removal, incorrect plane of insertion, weight gain, fibrosis and scar tissue from previous failed attempts can make subsequent removal difficult. Removal of Implanon in the ultrasound room immediately after localisation is best practice but may be difficult to organise. There have been no previous reported cases in the literature of difficulty in removal of Implanon due to weight gain. During the long waiting time incurred for removal of Implanon our patient lost a stone in weight, which possibly made the final surgical retrieval easier. However, in complex cases such delays can be reduced by establishing a clear referral system to particular surgeons and radiologists who have developed expertise in this area. A modification of the recommended removal technique may also need to be considered in difficult cases.


A 4-year-old boy from the United States had been staying in Indonesia for five months when he presented with fever, severe lethargy, progressive weight loss, and abdominal distension. He was first diagnosed with Plasmodium vivax infection in Indonesia and received treatment with chloroquine. However, his condition continued to deteriorate and he required erythrocyte transfusion for severe anemia. Three weeks into his illness, he was found to have low parasitemia with Plasmodium falciparum with massive hepatosplenomegaly in Singapore. A splenic infarct was also documented on computed tomography. Treatment with atovaquone-proguanil resulted in stabilization of the hemoglobin level and rapid reduction in splenic size, with clearance of malarial parasites from the bloodstream. Although reported typically in adult tropical residents, hyper-reactive malarial splenomegaly may occasionally be found in the pediatric traveler. Clinicians receiving children returning from the tropical regions should be aware of this potentially life-threatening complication of partially treated malaria.


As an historic cultural phenomenon that has been practiced throughout the globe for centuries, from ancient Greeks through to Vietnam veterans, the practise of pilgrimage has undergone a renaissance in the last few decades. This revival has seen the definition of pilgrimage re-examined and re-evaluated in terms that reflect the contemporary positions of religion and spirituality in society. It is up to the individual now to decide what they consider to be sacred and where they will find value and meaningfulness (Reader, 2007). As one of the oldest forms of seeking meaning and meaningfulness, pilgrimage is intimately connected with the human need and desire to become "complete embodied and spiritual beings" (Pallasmaa, 2005). So too is architecture concerned with our ability to find and occupy a meaningful existence. Yet the relationship between architecture and pilgrimage hasn't yet been explored in a meaningful manner. By exploring the concept of pilgrimage, this research aims at demonstrating how pilgrimage can be used to anchor meaning and meaningfulness in architecture. This aim is investigated though the design of a hospice facility. Architecture and pilgrimage are both concerned with humanity's search and desire for meaning and meaningfulness; pilgrimage, as a metaphor for life and as the physical act of journeying in order to find meaning; architecture and its ability to allow us to have, be and create meaningful experiences within our everyday lives.


Little research has been conducted to examine paraphilic sexual interests in nonclinical samples. The little that exists suggests that atypical sexual interests are more common in men than in women, but the reasons for this difference are unknown. In this study, we explored the prevalence of paraphilic interests in a nonclinical sample of men and women. We expected that men would report greater arousal (or less repulsion) toward various paraphilic acts than women. We also examined putative correlates of paraphilias in an attempt to explain the sex difference. In all, 305 men and 710 women completed an online survey assessing sexual experiences, sexual interests, as well as indicators of neurodevelopmental stress, sex drive, mating effort, impulsivity, masculinity/femininity, and socially desirable responding. As expected, significant sex differences were found, with men reporting significantly less repulsion (or more arousal) to the majority of paraphilic acts than women. Using mediation analysis, sex drive was the only correlate to significantly and fully mediate the sex difference in paraphilic interests. In other words, sex drive fully accounted for the sex difference in paraphilic interests. The implications of these findings for understanding the etiology of atypical sexual interests are discussed.


Injectable hyaluronic acid (HA)-based hydrogels compose a promising class of materials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. However, their limited mechanical properties restrict the potential range of application. In this study, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were employed as nanofillers in a fully biobased strategy for the production of reinforced HA nanocomposite hydrogels. Herein we report the development of a new class of injectable hydrogels composed of adipic acid dihydrazide-modified HA (ADH-HA) and aldehyde-modified HA (a-HA) reinforced with varying contents of aldehyde-modified CNCs (a-CNCs). The obtained hydrogels were characterized in terms of internal morphology, mechanical properties, swelling, and degradation behavior in the presence of hyaluronidase. Our findings suggest that the incorporation of a-CNCs in the hydrogel resulted in a more organized and compact network structure and led to stiffer hydrogels (maximum storage modulus, E', of 152.4 kPa for 0.25 wt % a-CNCs content) with improvements of E' up to 135% in comparison to unfilled hydrogels. In general, increased amounts of a-CNCs led to lower equilibrium swelling ratios and higher resistance to degradation. The biological performance of the developed nanocomposites was assessed toward human adipose derived stem cells (hASCs). HA-CNCs nanocomposite hydrogels exhibited preferential cell supportive properties in in vitro culture conditions due to higher structural integrity and potential interaction of microenvironmental cues with CNC's sulfate groups. hASCs encapsulated in HA-CNCs hydrogels demonstrated the ability to spread within the volume of gels and exhibited pronounced proliferative activity. Together, these results demonstrate that the proposed strategy is a valuable toolbox for fine-tuning the structural, biomechanical, and biochemical properties of injectable HA hydrogels, expanding their potential range of application in the biomedical field.


The vector nature of magnetic fields and the geometrical interpretation of gravity introduced by general relativity guarantee a special coupling between magnetism and spacetime curvature. This magnetogeometrical interaction effectively transfers the tension properties of the field into the spacetime fabric, triggering a variety of effects with profound implications. Given the ubiquity of magnetic fields in the universe, these effects could prove critical. We discuss the nature of the magnetic-field--curvature coupling and illustrate some of its potential implications for cosmology.


Abstract Objective: To study the sensitivity, specificity, predictive value and validity of a depression and suicidal risk screening test that compared with the psychiatristus, diagnosis. Method: The study was devided into four stage. Stage I, Revision of items of prior screening test by expertsu opioids and item analysis reconsideration. Stage II, the agreement test between psychiatristus diagnosis and psychiatric nurseus diagnosis using M.I.N.I.. Stage III, the new version of depression and suicidal risk screening test was validate by a sample to 387 outpatients at Khon-Kaen Rajanagarindra Psychiatrict Hospital. Stage IV, validatity testing of this instrument in 1,471 participants at the four Primary Care Unit of Khon-Kaen province. In the last stage, each subject was interviewed by researcherus team, if the test result was positive, they would be referred to the psychiatrist for diagnosis, if the test result was negative, they would be referred to the psychiatric nurse to interview by using M.I.N.I. Data analysis used descriptive statistic, sensitivity and specificity. Results: In depression part, the cronbachus alpha coefficient was 0.66, cut off point >3 scores, sensitivity of 89.9%, specificity of 71.9%, positive predictive value of 27.0%, negative predictive value of 98.4%, accuray of 73.7%. Prevalence of depression in community was 10.4%. In suicidal risk part, the cut off point of >1 scores which was sensitivity of 87.1%, specificity of 89.4%, positive predictive value of 42.2%, negative predictive value of 98.7%, and accuray of 89.2%. Prevalence of suicidal risk in community was 8.2%. Conclusion: The depressing and suicidal risk screening test are high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy at least 70%. It is suitable for primary health care personnel to screen the population at risk.


In order to effectively deploy high data rate millimeter-wave communication systems in urban environments, accurate information about the radio-wave propagation channel is essential. Radio-wave propagation in urban scenarios strongly depends on the topography of the immediate surroundings. A measurement campaign has been carried out to evaluate the impact of propagation effects on the radio channel at the rooftop level of buildings. In the simulation part of the paper, we present two 3-D models produced with different techniques: first, a simple geometrical model and, second, a highly accurate close-range photogrammetry model; the latter replicates the detailed building geometry. To construct a highly accurate 3-D model, images obtained by an unmanned aerial vehicle were utilized together with the photogrammetry technique. In this paper, we provide a thorough comparison between the measured and the simulated power delay profiles by conducting shooting-and-bouncing ray-based simulations for the rooftop scenario using two 3-D models of different accuracy. The results show that the use of the close-range photogrammetry model can provide better propagation prediction at millimeter-wave frequencies.


In the present study, Deep Learning (DL) algorithm or Deep Neural Networks (DNN), one of the most powerful techniques in Machine Learning (ML), is employed for estimation of ultimate load factor of nonlinear inelastic steel truss. Datasets consisting of training and test data are created based on advanced analysis. In datasets, input data are the member cross-sections of the truss members and output data is the ultimate load factor of the whole structure. An example of a planar 39-bar steel truss is studied to demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the DL method. Five optimizers such as Adadelta, Adam, Nadam, RMSprop and SGD and five activation functions such as ELU, LeakyReLU, Sigmoid, Softplus, and Tanh are considered. Based on analysis results, it is proven that DL algorithm shows very high accuracy in the regression of the ultimate load factor of the planar 39-bar nonlinear inelastic steel truss. The number of layers can be selected with a small value such as 1, 2 or 3 layers and the number of neurons in each layer can be chosen in the range [Ni, 3Ni] with Ni is the number of input variables of the model. The activation functions ELU and LeakyReLU have better convergence speed of the training process compared to Sigmoid, Softplus and Tanh. The optimizer Adam works well with all activation functions considered and produces better MSE values regarding both training and test data.
Keywords:
deep learning; artificial neural networks; nonlinear inelastic analysis; steel truss; machine learning.


Duplex renal system is a rare congenital anomaly of the urinary tract that can be diagnosed in utero. The purpose of this study was to establish the optimal diagnostic criteria for fetal renal duplication in a population undergoing prenatal sonographic screening. Between January 1989 and June 1997 we found 11 cases of duplex renal system, 10 of which were correctly identified in utero at a median gestational age of 28 weeks (range, 20 to 38 weeks), and one of which was a false‐negative diagnosis. Prenatal diagnosis of duplex renal system can be made in utero during the second half of pregnancy in the presence of two or more of the following signs: hydronephrosis limited to one pole in a kidney with two separate, noncommunicating renal pelves; ipsilateral megaureter; and ureterocele.


Revealing how species interaction and assembly processes structure the core and satellite microeukaryotic subcommunities in an engineering environment is crucial for understanding how biodiversity influences system function. By investigating the core and satellite microeukaryotic subcommunities in constructed wetlands (CWs), we depicted an integrated distribution pattern of microeukaryotic communities in the CWs with different hydraulic loading rates (HLRs). Surprisingly, our results suggested that high HLR reduced the diversity and network stability of the microeukaryote community in CW. The stochastic process becomes more important with the increased HLR. In addition, satellite and core taxa varied inconsistently under different HLRs except for niche breadth. And the changes in all taxa were consistent with those in satellite taxa. Satellite taxa, but not core taxa, was an important driver in shaping the dynamics of microeukaryotic communities and played an important role in maintaining the stability of the microeukaryotic community. Overall, our results not only fill a gap in understanding the microeukaryotic community dynamics and its basic drivers of CWs under different HLRs but also highlights the particular importance of satellite microeukaryotes in mediating biogeochemical cycles in CWs ecosystems.


Latex modified concrete (LMC) is a successful polymer-portland cement concretes, which have been developed and used for many years, in overlaying bridge decks and resurfacing industrial floors. The excellent bond strength to substrate, easy application and high resistance to impact, abrasion, wear, aggressive chemicals and freeze-thaw deterioration have made this material used widely. The objective of this study was to determine experimentally the load-deflection response and ultimate strength of reinforced RC beams. The cracking patterns and the mode of failure were observed. Because of excellent bond strength and repairing effects, the RC beams repaired by LMC at compression or tension zone showed over 100% recovery from damaged structures. The RC beams overlaid by LMC showed significant improvement at load carrying capacity as overlay thickness increases. However, the beams repaired of tension zone without shear stirrups almost showed no strengthen effect, and indicated an interfacial failures. The interfacial behavior was estimated by numerical method adopting the concept of shear flow.


We show that at wavelengths comparable to the length of the shower produced by an Ultra-High Energy cosmic ray or neutrino, radio signals are an extremely efficient way to detect these particles. Through an example it is shown that this new approach offers, for the first time, the realistic possibility of measuring UHE neutrino fluxes below the Waxman- Bahcall limit. It is shown that in only one month of observing with the upcoming LOFAR radio telescope, cosmic-ray events can be measured beyond the GZK-limit, at a sensitivity level of two orders of magnitude below the extrapolated values.


This paper deals with the Turkic background of the English ornithonym terek 'Tringa cinereus'. Despite a large number of works devoted to different aspects of bird names, the origin of the English ornithonym terek or terek sandpiper 'Tringa cinereus' has not been studied sufficiently. The English name of the bird terek originates from the name of the Terek river in the Caucasus, which, in turn, is a Turkic word meaning 'tree' and 'poplar'. The etymology of the word terek is expounded along the lines of linguistic, historical and geographical data as well as the role of mythology.


UMAP provides an additional method to visualize microbiome data. The method is extensible to any beta diversity metric used with PCoA, and our results demonstrate that UMAP can indeed improve visualization quality and correspondence with biological and technical variables of interest. ABSTRACT Microbiome data are sparse and high dimensional, so effective visualization of these data requires dimensionality reduction. To date, the most commonly used method for dimensionality reduction in the microbiome is calculation of between-sample microbial differences (beta diversity), followed by principal-coordinate analysis (PCoA). Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) is an alternative method that can reduce the dimensionality of beta diversity distance matrices. Here, we demonstrate the benefits and limitations of using UMAP for dimensionality reduction on microbiome data. Using real data, we demonstrate that UMAP can improve the representation of clusters, especially when the clusters are composed of multiple subgroups. Additionally, we show that UMAP provides improved correlation of biological variation along a gradient with a reduced number of coordinates of the resulting embedding. Finally, we provide parameter recommendations that emphasize the preservation of global geometry. We therefore conclude that UMAP should be routinely used as a complementary visualization method for microbiome beta diversity studies. IMPORTANCE UMAP provides an additional method to visualize microbiome data. The method is extensible to any beta diversity metric used with PCoA, and our results demonstrate that UMAP can indeed improve visualization quality and correspondence with biological and technical variables of interest. The software to perform this analysis is available under an open-source license and can be obtained at https://github.com/knightlab-analyses/umap-microbiome-benchmarking; additionally, we have provided a QIIME 2 plugin for UMAP at https://github.com/biocore/q2-umap.


Phenylpropanoid pathway enzymes are involved in plant defence pathways leading to lignification, synthesis of secondary metabolites, such as salicylic acid and phytoalexins, wound healing and the oxidative burst. Endophytic non-pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum isolate V5w2 has been reported to show antagonistic effects against Radopholus similis in the screenhouse. An experiment was designed to study root biochemical changes (PAL, POX and PPO activities) and R. similis numbers in susceptible and tolerant bananas following inoculation with isolate V5w2. Constitutive expression of PAL and PPO were similar between the susceptible and tolerant cultivars, while constitutive POX activity was higher in the tolerant cultivar. PAL activity was suppressed in both cultivars 7 days after endophyte inoculation (7 dai), but was significantly up-regulated in the susceptible cv. Nabusa at 30 days post nematode challenge (dpnc) in endophyte-inoculated plants. In the tolerant cultivar, PAL activity was up-regulated in R. similis -challenged plants at 7 and 30 dpnc, irrespective of endophyte inoculation. POX and PPO were transiently up-regulated in cv. Nabusa 7 dai, exceeding levels observed in non-inoculated plants of the same cultivar. POX activity was up-regulated at 7 dpnc in endophyte-inoculated cv. Nabusa plants challenged with R. similis. In the tolerant cultivar, POX and PPO activities were similarly up-regulated in R. similis -challenged plants at 7 dpnc, irrespective of endophyte inoculation. The findings of this study implicate PAL, POX and PPO in banana defence against the root-burrowing nematode R. similis . Our findings further demonstrate the ability of endophytic F. oxysporum isolate V5w2 directly to induce POX and prime PAL in the susceptible cv. Nabusa for greater up-regulation following R. similis challenge.


Intelligent video pre-processing and authoring techniques that facilitate people to create MTV-style music video clips are investigated in this research. First, we present an automatic approach to detect and remove bad shots often occurring in home video, such as video with poor lighting or motion blur. Then, we consider the generation of MTV-style video clips by performing video and music tempo analysis and seeking an effective way in matching these two tempos. Experiment results are given to demonstrate the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed techniques for home video editing.


Heuer 1 has stated that in bleeding duodenal ulcer the primary object of surgery is to control hemorrhage and to save life. Subtotal gastrectomy with removal of the ulcer is generally accepted as being the only procedure available that can be relied upon to do this, despite the formidable risk under these trying circumstances. Dragstedt's 2 recommendation of vagotomy as a less radical and more physiologic procedure for dealing with ulcer diathesis led us to begin using it exclusively, together with pyloroplasty, for surgical treatment of duodenal ulcer. Since 1946 we have employed this in nearly 300 patients, with only 3 surgical deaths and with 94% satisfactory long-term results. Early in our experience 3-5 the thought occurred to us that in the case of bleeding duodenal ulcer perhaps direct suture of the bleeding point, previously considered unreliable, might now be depended upon to control bleeding, if combined with vagotomy to


This volume contains 13 papers (plus an introduction by the editors), presenting the results of a symposium held in 1990 at the University of Tsukuba, Japan. The volume covers a wide range of topics and geographical areas, covering the Amazonian portions of Brazil and Peru and the semi-arid northeastern region of Brazil, plus one paper dealing with tropical Latin America as a whole. The individual papers contain a great deal of useful information, although there will probably be few readers with sufficiently broad interests to want to read the book from cover to cover. The volume begins with a paper by Gilberto Gallopin and Manuel Winograd presenting results of computer simulations of the 'ecological prospective' for the Latin American tropics. They generate 'pessimistic' and 'optimistic' reference scenarios (both indicating severe problems), plus a 'sustainable scenario' based on a series of assumptions taken from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization/International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (FAO/IIASA) 'Agro-Ecological Zoning' project of the early 1980s. Although the authors present the 'sustainable scenario' as realistically achievable, this reviewer (a long-time critic of the FAO/IIASA study on which it is based) can't resist the temptation to point out the dream-world nature of its basic assumptions. Crop yields are assumed to increase exponentially at 1.5-2.0%/year (p. 27), an assumption that, combined with large-scale expansion of the area cropped and population growth falling to 1.2%/year in 2030, naturally leads to a rosy situation. Perhaps more important is the belief that tropical ranching might double or almost triple in yield over the region as a whole, and that the response of ranchers would be to halt further clearing and to convert 30% of their pasture land into more sustainable uses (p. 38). One problem with this argument is the extrapolation of results obtained on small areas (where dramatic increases are undeniably possible if fertilizers and other inputs are applied) to the vast expanses of pasture in Amazonia for which supplying inputs (especially phosphorus) would be impossible. Another problem is that ranchers, like most people everywhere, would be unlikely to be satisfied with their current income if the assumed yield increases were to materialize, and would probably respond by cutting more forest to further expand the successful ranching system.


In this work, we extend the effective configurations (EC) approach (Azevedo D L, da Silva A J R and Lima M A 2000 Phys. Rev. A 61 042702) to positron scattering. EC are pseudo-eigenstates of the (N + 1)-body collision Hamiltonian. They provide a much more efficient description of polarization effects in scattering calculations by allowing considerable contraction of configuration spaces. As a result, significant computational time is saved.


Abstract : During the course of the research period our efforts were focused on the following areas: 1) An examination of stochastic acceleration mechanisms in the ionosphere; 2) A study of nonequilibrium dynamics of the coupled magnetosphere - ionosphere system; and 3) Laboratory studies of active space experiments. Reprints include: Dynamics of charged particles in the near wake of a very negatively charged body -- Laboratory experiment and numerical simulation; Laboratory study of the electron temperature in the near wake of a conducting body; New model for auroral breakup during substorms; Substorm breakup on closed field lines; New model for substorm on sets -- The pre-breakup and triggering regimes; Model of the westward traveling surge and the generation of Pi 2 pulsations; Ionospheric electron acceleration by electromagnetic waves near regions of plasma resonances; Relativistic particle acceleration by obliquely propagating electromagnetic fields; Some consequences of intense electromagnetic wave injection into space plasmas. Keywords: Electron acceleration; Wave particle interaction; Substorm dynamics; Spacecraft interactions.


Priapism is an uncommon urologic emergency with a variety of known etiologies including the use of psychotropic medications. We report a priapism case who has taken chlorpromazine for 3 years.


A large proportion of the aqueous phase was encapsulated into small-sized liposomes with diameters less than 100 nm, when multilamellar liposomes, prepared by vortexing a lipid film at an extremely high concentration of lipids up to 512 mM, were subsequently rendered to small vesicles by sonication. Sixty percent of adriamycin (8.6 mM) and 39% of sucrose (50 mM) presented were respectively entrapped into the vesicles prepared with 256 mM lipids. The vesicles formed were quite stable and retained a major portion of the entrapped materials. This simple procedure may be useful for encapsulation of valuable, water-soluble materials into small-sized liposomes.


Airway segmentation, especially bronchioles segmentation, is an important but challenging task because distal bronchus are sparsely distributed and of a fine scale. Existing neural networks usually exploit sparse topology to learn the connectivity of bronchioles and inefficient shallow features to capture such high-frequency information, leading to the breakage or missed detection of individual thin branches. To address these problems, we contribute a new bronchial segmentation method based on Group Deep Dense Supervision (GDDS) that emphasizes fine-scale bronchioles segmentation in a simple-but-effective manner. First, Deep Dense Supervision (DDS) is proposed by constructing local dense topology skillfully and implementing dense topological learning on a specific shallow feature layer. GDDS further empowers the shallow features with better perception ability to detect bronchioles, even the ones that are not easily discernible to the naked eye. Extensive experiments on the BAS benchmark dataset have shown that our method promotes the network to have a high sensitivity in capturing fine-scale branches and outperforms state-of-the-art methods by a large margin (+12.8 % in BD and +8.8 % in TD) while only introducing a small number of extra parameters.


Purpose: To characterize family physicians (FPs) who are stewards of care by consistently prescribing omeprazole over esomeprazole. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of physicians prescribing omeprazole or esomeprazole under Medicare Part D in 2014. Results: There was a regional trend with 49% of Western FPs but only 6% of Southern FPs rarely prescribing esomeprazole. Physicians had increased odds of being a steward if they worked with a care coordinator (P < .001), at a patient-centered medical home (P < .001), or in a large practice (P < .001). Conclusions: If these findings are replicated across multiple drugs, future outreach could be conducted based on provider prescribing patterns.


Donkwa is a maize-peanut based street-vended snack commonly consumed in Nigeria and other West African countries. Donkwa is produced from the mixture of roasted-ground peanut and maize with or without addition of pepper, which is then moulded into small shapes. The safety of the street-vended donkwa , which was randomly procured from eight vendors in Southwest, Nigeria was assessed through physical, chemical and microbiological hazard analysis. Hazard analysis was also used to assess the safety of samples obtained along the different processing stages of donkwa obtained from four main processors. The results showed that the street-vended samples were contaminated with sand while the fungi, Staphylococcus spp and Bacillus spp counts ranged from 0.13 to 0.80, 0.50 to 2.50 and 0.25 to 4.75 x 10 4 Cfu/g, respectively. Lead, arsenic and cadbium were respectively present in 7.14, 42.86 and 96.42% of the samples obtained from the processors while the cadbium levels among the positive samples ranged from 0.12 – 10.77 mg/kg which was higher than the permissible level of 0.1mg/kg stipulated by CODEX. The presence of hazards in the samples constitutes a food safety issue and control measures should be enacted to include educating processors and vendors on good hygienic and manufacturing practices in order to reduce or eliminate these hazards. Keywords : Safety, street foods, hazards, donkwa .


Although many studies have focused on the unique plastic deformation behavior of nanocrystalline aluminum (e.g., the positive deviation from Hall-Petch relation, the unusual yield-drop phenomenon in tensile mode, etc.), the data reported by different research groups are inconsistent with each other, possibly because of different fabrication processes. In this study, aluminum samples with a wide grain-size spectrum – from a few micrometers down to 100 nanometers – are manufactured by powder metallurgy. The grain size was measured by X-ray diffraction analysis and transmission electron microscope observation. Furthermore, the tensile behavior, which varied according to a grain size, is discussed with a comparison of the theoretical models.


This article explores the potential links and contradictions between conservatism and feminism in the light of the British Conservative Party's recent claim to 'ideological renewal' under David Cameron. It identifies a number of long-standing, significant and sometimes unexpected overlaps and resonances between some conservative ideas as these have developed in the party over time, and some elements of feminist thought. However, the article also argues that no strand of conservative thought supports the robust analysis that would be needed to tackle entrenched gender inequalities and injustices, while many of the party's underlying assumptions are deeply anti-feminist. This means that Cameron's pro-feminist rhetoric is likely to be both divisive and incapable of realization, so that a focus on feminism highlights the hazardous nature of his attempt at ideological renewal.


This study aims to investigate the factors influencing brand preference. Samsung audio and video products have been chosen as case study. This study is based on practical approach. Data collection methods is descriptive branch of the covariance matrix or correlation analysis. After gathering information through questionnaires, exploratory factor analysis was conducted by LISREL software. As a result, the overall factors affecting customer preferences in the form factor of 7 were determined. Each of these factors were determined as general hypothesis of the study. These assumptions were studied through confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis. The results showed that brand awareness, advertising, features of value and characteristics of customer, effect on Samsung brand preference.


Background— Although arterial hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy are considered good epidemiological indicators of the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients, the link between elevated afterload and AF remains unclear. We investigated atrial remodeling and the substrate for arrhythmia in a surgical model of elevated afterload in rats. Methods and Results— Male Wistar rats (aged 3–4 weeks) were anesthetized and subjected to either partial stenosis of the ascending aorta (AoB) or sham operation (Sham). Experiments were performed on excised hearts 8, 14, and 20 weeks after surgery. Unipolar electrograms were recorded from the left atrial epicardial surface of perfused hearts using a 5×5 electrode array. Cryosections of left atrial tissue were retained for histological and immunocytochemical analyses. Compared to Sham, AoB hearts showed marked left atrial hypertrophy and fibrosis at 14 and 20 weeks postsurgery. The incidence and duration of pacing-induced AF was increased in hearts from AoB rats at 20 weeks postsurgery. The substrate for arrhythmia was associated with reduced vectorial conduction velocity and greater inhomogeneity in conduction but without changes in effective refractory period. Left atrial expression of the gap junction protein, connexin43, was markedly reduced in AoB compared with Sham hearts. Conclusions— Using a small-animal model, we demonstrate that elevated afterload in the absence of systemic hypertension results in increased inducibility of AF and left atrial remodeling involving fibrosis, altered atrial connexin43 expression, and marked conduction abnormalities.


Hyaluronan (HA), a multifunctional, high molecular weight glycosaminoglycan, is a component of the majority of extracellular matrices. HA is synthesised in a unique manner by a family of hyaluronan synthases, degraded by hyaluronidases and exerts a biological effect by binding to families of cellular receptors, the hyaladhedrins. Receptor binding activates signal pathways in endothelial cells leading to proliferation, migration and differentiation collectively termed angiogenesis. HA and associated enzymes are implicated in the aetiology of cardiovascular disease and cancer and manipulation of HA expression offers a therapeutic target. HA microspheres have been developed as drug delivery agents to deliver HA to sites of disease and also in diagnosis. In this review we discuss some of the recent therapeutic applications of hyaluronan in tissue repair, as a drug delivery system and the synthesis, application and delivery of hyaluronan nanoparticles to target drugs to sites of disease.


Purpose Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is associated with profound morbidity for patients, placing a significant burden on those affected, the health service and wider society. Despite this, TRD remains chronically underserved in terms of viable treatment options. To address this gap, an advisory panel of psychiatrists and clinical researchers with experience in managing TRD convened to develop best practice statements on the use of esketamine nasal spray, one of the first TRD treatments to be licensed in 30 years. Methods During a virtual meeting held on 12th November 2020, the advisory panel shared their experiences of using esketamine nasal spray in their clinical practice. The meeting focused on developing and refining recommendations for setting up and running an efficient esketamine nasal spray clinic for patients living with TRD. At the conclusion of the meeting, agreement was reached on all recommendation statements. Results In setting up an esketamine nasal spray clinic, it is important to consider the logistical requirements involved and put measures in place to ensure it runs as efficiently as possible. Educating patients about the treatment and maintaining their well-being is paramount for preventing discontinuation. Putting in place checklists can be a useful strategy for ensuring treatment appointments run smoothly and safely. Conclusion Providing additional treatment options for the management of TRD, such as esketamine nasal spray, is likely to be key to improving the long-term outcomes of this underserved patient population.


Isoflavones are secondary phenolic metabolites found in most legumes. These compounds have important pharmacological significance such as anti-osteoporosis, anti-aging, and anti-cancer properties. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women worldwide. Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) is an important target in breast cancer treatment. In this study, we evaluated the ability of sixty isoflavones compounds to inhibit the HER2 enzyme for their potential use in breast cancer treatments by the molecular docking method. Molecular docking was done by Autodock vina software. Lipinski 5 rule is used to compare compounds with drug-like and non-drug-like properties. Pharmacokinetic parameters of potential compounds were evaluated using the pkCSM tool. Our results showed that 35 compounds inhibited HER2 stronger than the positive control. Next, we analysed the drug-likeness according to Lipinski's rule of five and predicted pharmacokinetic-toxicological parameters of these 35 compounds. We obtained two compounds, genistein and biochanin A, which could become promising drugs for breast cancer treatment. However, in vitro and in vivo studies on the inhibition of the HER2 enzyme need to be conducted.


INTRODUCTION AND AIMS
We assessed health-related quality of life amongst people who use methamphetamine, examined how this related to different patterns of methamphetamine use and what other factors were associated with decrements in quality of life in this sample.

DESIGN AND METHODS
A cross-sectional survey of 169 at least monthly methamphetamine users. Health utility scores were derived using the Assessment of Quality of Life - 4D for the past month (0 reflects death and 1 represents full health; the population mean Assessment of Quality of Life score in Australia is 0.81). Dependence on methamphetamine was a score of 4+ on the Severity of Dependence Scale. Other measures included days of methamphetamine use and other substance use in the past month, injecting methamphetamine, demographics, psychiatric symptoms (score of 4+ on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale items) and a lifetime DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia.

RESULTS
The mean utility score was 0.52 (95% confidence interval 0.48-0.56). Methamphetamine dependence was associated with lower utility (-0.10, P = 0.003) after adjustment for other univariate correlates of utility. Other factors independently associated with lower utility were being a woman (-0.14, P < 0.001), depression (-0.10, P = 0.008), self-neglect (-0.08, P = 0.035), schizophrenia (-0.17, P = 0.003) and fewer years of schooling (0.02 per year, P = 0.037).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
We found poor quality of life in this sample of methamphetamine users relative to the general population, this being associated with both dependence on methamphetamine and other factors, particularly poor mental health. We also found poorer health amongst women.


A time-of-flight diagnostic for analysis of relatively low energy ion beams is described. The system incorporates several novel features which improve its performance in a number of ways. The technique is simple and can . provide an alternative to magnetic analysis of ion beams for the determination of ion charge state and beam composition. INTRODUCTION Analysis of ion beams by time-of-f1ight (TOF) systems is a diagnostic method used in a variety of fields [1 3]. It provides a particularly simple alternative to magnetic analysis for the determination of the charge state distribution of the beam produced by an ion source. We have made extensive use of this kind of system in our work developing the MEVVA (metal vapor vacuum arc) high current metal ion source [4-6]. In our application we need to monitor the charge state distribution of beams of metal ions, from lithium up to uranium, extracted from the ion source at a voltage of from 10 kV to 100 kV and injected into a high vacuum test chamber. We describe here the system we've developed and the improvements we've made. DESCRIPTION OF THE METHOD Ions of mass number A and charge state 0 are extracted from the ion source through a voltage drop V and thus acquire a velocity where e is the electronic charge and m the nucleon mass. In the time-of-flight method, a short pulse is gated out of the main ion beam pulse for analysis. The short sampled pulse is caused to drift through a distance L adequate to allow separation of the various Q/A components in the beam, and the flight time of these components is measured by a detector located at the end of the drift region. In this application the method is a Q/A diagnostic, and since in our case the beam is composed almost entirely of a single mass ion, it provides a charge state analysis. The time in the main beam pulse at .vhich the short time-of-flight pulse is gated out can of course be varied electronically, so allowing the charge state spectrum to be sampled a'., a function of time throughout the beam pulse.


This article describes and analyzes the complex relationship between Turkey, Germany, and the European Union over the past half-century. It asks why numerous other countries have jumped the queue and managed to gain entry, whereas Turkey has been left knocking at the door, presented with increasing obstacles through which it must pass. The role of Islam is examined as a motivating factor in the exclusion of Turkey. Also, the historical memory of the Ottoman Empire's relationship with Europe is discussed. The mixed reception and perceived problems of integration of the large population of people from Turkey and their descendants who arrived in the 1960s as "guestworkers" is put forth as a key obstacle to Turkey's admission to the European Union. Contradictions in policies and perceptions are highlighted as further impediments to accession.


Abstract Two series of quasi-constant-level pressurized balloons have been flown within the tropical planetary boundary layer, preliminary to a larger experiment for exploring the low-level flow over the Indian Ocean. The first flight series from a South Pacific island indicated a very short life expectancy of the equipment due to the high probability of the vehicle being overloaded by rain drops or dew and the catastrophic effect of immersion. A second series of flights from Ascension Island in the South Atlantic was performed to test a new and completely self-enclosed balloon design, as well as a metalized reflecting screen for radiative control of the envelope temperature. This new design demonstrated acceptable vertical stability, thus proving the feasibility of long-duration quasi-horizontal balloon flights at levels as low as 500 m above the sea surface.


Purpose: To establish the influence of Television's celebrity endorsement advertisement technique on sports gambling behaviour among the university students in Kenya.
Methodology: This study employed mixed method design. In this case, convergent parallel mixed methods design was employed to evaluate the effects of Television's celebrity endorsement advertisements on sports gambling behaviour among the university students in Nairobi County, Kenya. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected at the same time after which the findings were integrated with an aim of generating overall results. Descriptive survey strategy was also used in the study. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.  Diagnostic test was first done to ascertain if the data used were normally distributed. As for this case, the following tests were conducted; skewness and kurtosis, histogram and normality plot curve, Kolmogorov Smirnov and Sharpiro Wilk test and Q-Q plot. Other tests included outlier test, collinearity diagnostics, correlation analysis, multicollinearity, autocorrelation, heteroscedasticity/ homoscedasticity and linearity test. The relationship between the variables was determined using a regression model.
Findings: This study found out that there was a significant relationship between Celebrity endorsement and sports gambling behaviour among the university students in Nairobi County. In summary, technique of celebrity endorsement in television's gambling advertisements had a positive influence in gambling activities among university students in Nairobi County.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study was embedded on the theory of planned behaviour. The core assumption of the theory is that there is a connection between beliefs and behaviour.  In this case, the intention for a behaviour intent is influenced by three issues namely; assessment of the behaviour, apparent social pressure to perform or ignore a behaviour and the perceived degree of personal privilege concerning the behaviour (Dawkins and Frass, 2005). On its contribution to practice, the study calls on the universities to come up with proper sensitization programs to prevent the students from addictive gambling. The study further recommends that proper policy should be put in place by advertisers to provide clear messages on the dangers associated with addictive sports gambling. The overall findings will help policy makers to formulate policies that will control betting activities in the country.


In this paper, we evaluate the impact of economic policy uncertainty shocks on inflation expectations in China by using a MF-VAR approach. We find that China's inflation expectations are sensitive to policy-related uncertainty shocks. Meanwhile, there exist heterogeneous impacts of national economic policy uncertainty shocks on inflation expectations in China. Overall, the inflation expectations in China rise in response to the European, Japanese and China's own uncertainty shocks. Whereas, the reaction of the inflation expectations in China to the uncertainty shocks made by both the US and BRICS (except China and South Africa) is negative. The results also reveal that the policy-related uncertainty shocks are dominant driving force of the inflation expectations in China especially during the post-crisis period. In addition, the contribution of China's domestic uncertainty shocks is remarkably higher than that of foreign uncertainty shocks.


Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a severe defect with an estimated incidence of 1:3000 live births (2). This anomalous condition is characterized by an absence of separation between the thoracic and abdominal cavities during fetal development. Some of the first hypotheses about this congenital defect postulated that the presence of abdominal viscera in the thoracic cavity caused pulmonary hypoplasia by pushing the abdominal contents into the developing lungs (1,2). After several studies in animal models, a new theory was presented to explain pulmonary hypoplasia in CDH. According to this theory, the initial lesion occurs in the early stages of fetal development and organogenesis, which promotes hypoplasia of both lungs and ipsilateral lung compression by herniation of the abdominal contents. This prevents the branching of bronchi, bronchioles, and pulmonary arteries and veins, resulting in hypoplasia of the pulmonary acini. The terminal bronchioles are reduced and the alveolar septa are thickened, which results in relatively immature lungs and vascular hypoplasia. This theory explains the variability of pulmonary hypoplasia in patients with CDH (3). In addition to the underdeveloped lungs, CDH also involves an abnormal development of pulmonary structures, mainly vessels and bronchi. This abnormal development increases vascular resistance and culminates in significant pulmonary hypertension, which is the main cause of morbimortality in children with CDH (1,2). In patients with CDH, the total number of lung vascular beds, arteries, and veins per lung unit are reduced, and vascular reshaping and hyperplasia in the tunica media of small arteries may occur. The scarcity of arteries and veins and reshaping of the lung vessels contribute to the unresponsive pulmonary hypertension, which in turn leads to refractory shock and death. The explanation for these events is the reactivity of the altered vessels due to an imbalance of autonomous innervation, vasoconstrictor mediators, and vasodilators. After birth, a combination of right ventricular hypertrophy, left ventricular hypoplasia, and an extremely altered lung architecture results in severe pulmonary hypertension, which is often unresponsive to treatment (3-5). Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a new, noninvasive, radiation-free method that can be used to assess pulmonary physiology during mechanical ventilation. EIT is a bedside method that uses high-frequency and low-amplitude electrical currents to obtain cross section images of both lungs (6,7). The development of EIT for use in newborns has emerged as a noninvasive method of continuous ventilation monitoring, because it generates functional images that allow continuous evaluation of pulmonary ventilation in different lung regions and lung perfusion in real time (6,8). This technique administers high-frequency and low-amplitude electrical currents through 16 electrodes arranged on the chest in order to acquire axial pulmonary images (7). The electrical currents are transmitted through the thorax and follow trajectories that vary according to the electrical resistance of the chest wall and lung tissue, which can allow or hinder their progression. The electrical potentials obtained on the chest are gauged and used to determine the distribution of intrathoracic electrical impedance, and images are created to represent the air distribution area in the lungs (corresponding to areas of greater resistance to the passage of the electric current). Thus, EIT explores the differences in electrical impedance generated by the replacement of tissue conductivity obtained from the range in the tidal volume of gases during breathing (8). A 3-hour old infant with a non-corrected left CDH was referred for EIT for the observation of pulmonary hypoplasia. As shown in Figure 1, the distribution of pulmonary ventilation was lower on the side of the diaphragmatic defect than on the side with the normal lung (98% versus 2%). The distribution pattern showed compensatory ventilation in the right lung. A slight difference was observed between gravityand non-gravity-dependent areas (56% versus 44%). Plethysmography showed an inferior tidal volume distribution on the compromised side (Figure 1).


The increasing prevalence of resistance in carbapenems is an escalating concern as carbapenems are reserved as last-line antibiotics. Although indiscriminate antibiotic usage is considered the primary cause for resistance development, increasing evidence revealed that inconsequential strains without any direct clinical relevance to carbapenem usage are harboring carbapenemase genes. This phenomenon indirectly implies that environmental microbial populations could be the 'hidden vectors' propelling carbapenem resistance. This work aims to explore the carbapenem-resistance profile of Vibrio species across diverse settings. This review then proceeds to identify the different factors contributing to the dissemination of the resistance traits and defines the transmission pathways of carbapenem resistance. Deciphering the mechanisms for carbapenem resistance acquisition could help design better prevention strategies to curb the progression of antimicrobial resistance development. To better understand this vast reservoir selecting for carbapenem resistance in non-clinical settings, Vibrio species is also prospected as one of the potential indicator strains for carbapenem resistance in the environment.


Background/Objectives The prevalence of chronic pain is high in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), increasing the risk for opioid use. The objective of this study was to assess disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) use and its effect on long-term opioid use in patients with RA. Methods This cohort study included Medicare beneficiaries with diagnosis of RA who received at least 30-day consecutive prescription of opioids in 2017 (n = 23,608). The patients were grouped into non-DMARD and DMARD users, who were further subdivided into regimens set forth by the American College of Rheumatology. The outcome measured was long-term opioid use in 2018 defined as at least 90-day consecutive prescription of opioids. Dose and duration of opioid use were also assessed. A multivariable model identifying factors associated with non-DMARD use was also performed. Results Compared with non-DMARD users, the odds of long-term opioid use were significantly lower among DMARD users (odds ratio, 0.89; 95% confidence interval, 0.83–0.95). All regimens except non–tumor necrosis factor biologic + methotrexate were associated with lower odds of long-term opioid use relative to non-DMARD users. The mean total morphine milligram equivalent, morphine milligram equivalent per day, and total days of opioid use were lower among DMARD users compared with non-DMARD users. Older age, male sex, Black race, psychiatric and medical comorbidities, and not being seen by a rheumatologist were significantly associated with non-DMARD use. Conclusion Disease-modifying antirheumatic drug use was associated with lower odds of long-term opioid use among RA patients with baseline opioid prescription. Factors associated with non-DMARD use represent a window of opportunity for intervention to improve pain-related quality of life in patients living with RA.


Leukocoria in infants is always a danger signal as retinoblastoma, a malignant retinal tumor, is responsible for half of the cases in this age group. More common signs should also be considered suspicious until proved otherwise, such as strabismus, the second most frequent sign of retinoblastoma. Less frequent manifestations are inflammatory conditions resistant to treatment, hypopyon, orbital cellulitis, hyphema or heterochromia. Other causal pathologies, including persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous (PHPV), Coats' disease, ocular toxocariasis or retinopathy of prematurity, may also manifest the same warning signs and require specialized differential diagnosis. Members of the immediate family circle are most likely to notice the first signs, the general practitioner, pediatrician or general ophthalmologist the first to be consulted. On their attitude will depend the final outcome of this vision and life-threatening disease. Early diagnosis is vital.


FIM-anonymizing using tree structured data study about the problem of protecting privacy in the publication of set-valued data. Considering a collection of supermarket transactional data that contains detailed information about items bought together by individuals. Even after removing all personal characteristics of the buyer, which can serve as a link to his identity, thus resulting to privacy attacks from adversaries who have partial knowledge about the set. Depending upon the point of view of the adversaries. We define a new version of the k-anonymity guarantee. Our anonymization model relies on generalization instead of suppression. We develop an algorithm which find the frequent item set. The frequent-itemsets problem is that of finding sets of items that appear in (are related to) many of the same dataset.


B42 Lung cancer cell lines sensitive to inhibition by EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) demonstrate sensitivity to inhibitors of MAP kinase (MEK1). Inhibition of MAP kinase activity results in decreased expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like ligands. Thus, lung cancers might employ overexpression of EGFR and/or constitutive expression of EGF-like ligands, such as transforming growth factor α (TGFα), heparin-binding EGF-like ligand (HB-EGF), or EGF, to achieve survival and proliferation. TGFα and HB-EGF are both highly- and constitutively-expressed in lung cancer cell lines sensitive to chemical inhibitors of the EGFR and MAPK cascades. Thus, we hypothesized that inhibition of EGFR ligand production and/or activity disrupts the EGFR autocrine loop and may circumvent resistance to EGFR TKI in non-small cell lung cancers, regardless of mutational status of EGFR. Cell lines sensitive to inhibitors of either EGFR or MAPK demonstrate a reduction in expression of the EGF-like ligands prior to induction of cell death. We have explored inhibition of activity of EGF-like ligands by RNAi toward TGFα and HB-EGF and blocking EGFR with antibody in lung cancer cell lines. Here we report the effect on EGFR receptor dimerization, activity of downstream signaling cascades, and cell survival. Not only could these findings identify new therapeutic strategies for treatment of epithelial malignancies, , but monitoring intra-tumoral expression and secretion of EGFR ligands could be a mechanism to identify patients who will demonstrate benefit from EGFR and or MAPK pathway inhibition.


Transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) scattering from dielectric-filled, cavity-backed apertures in two-dimensional bodies are treated using the method of moments technique to solve a set of combined-field integral equations for the equivalent induced electric and magnetic currents on the exterior of the scattering body and on the associated aperture. Results are presented for the backscatter radar cross section (RCS) versus the electrical size of the scatterer for two different dielectric-filled cavity-backed geometries. The first geometry is a circular cylinder of infinite length which has an infinite length slot aperture along one side. The cavity inside the cylinder is dielectric filled and is also of circular cross section. The two cylinders (external and internal) are of different radii and their respective longitudinal axes are parallel but not collocated. The second is a square cylinder of infinite length which has an infinite length slot aperture along one side. The cavity inside the square cylinder is dielectric-filled and is also of square cross section. >


This research was carried out to obtain the psychological dynamics of subjective well-being of adolescents whose parents were divorced. This study used qualitative case study method. Data was collected through interviews and observation. The subjects of this study were three children between 18 and 21 years old whose parents were divorced and two informants as 'significant others'. The guideline of the interview was designed based on subjective well-being theory developed by Diener (2005). The result of the study showed that there were three subjective well-being conditions of the children with divorced parents. The first condition was a condition prior to parental divorce while the second and third conditions were conditions post-divorce. The condition prior to parental divorce described that the subjects had low subjective well-being before their parents divorced. This was due to domestic conflict between parents and low intensity of interaction between family members. In the second condition, the subjective well-being of the children were still low triggered by the divorce itself, the absence of openness of their parents regarding their divorce, and the lack of interaction and intimacy of their parents after divorcing. In the third condition the subjective well-being level was higher than ever before due to the eventual acceptance of the divorce of their parents by the children. This self-acceptance had caused the children to feel more positive and satisfied toward their lives.


In this article, we study generalized fractional derivatives that contain kernels depending on a function on the space of absolute continuous functions. We generalize the Laplace transform in order to be applicable for the generalized fractional integrals and derivatives and apply this transform to solve some ordinary differential equations in the frame of the fractional derivatives under discussion.


Coal-fired tile stoves are widely used in Poland for domestic heating. These massive stoves,are fired for short periods once or twice each day, and the stored heat is slowly released into the room by natural convection Low-quality coal is typically used, and these stoves are therefore a major source of air pollution. A facility has been constructed to study the efficiency and emissions characteristics of these stoves. Stove exhaust gas is directed into a dilution tunnel in which pollutant concentrations and emission rates are measured. Efficiency is determined using a heat loss method. In baseline tests, stove efficiencies were found to be higher than expected -- 60% to 65%. Emission factors are high for particulates, carbon monoxide (CO), and organics. Low-volatility ``smokeless fuels`` were tested as an alternative to the normal fuels. Using the normal operating procedure, these were found to yield a factor of 10 reduction in particulate emissions but a 50% increase in CO emissions. A new operating procedure was developed with these fuels in which CO levels were lower than with the normal fuel and efficiency increased to 70%. These smokeless fuels are seen as attractive options for improving regional air quality, partly because their use does not require capital investment by residents.


Periodic nanostructures fabricated by interference lithography can be precisely designed to have a specific cell geometry, topology, and porosity in contrast to typical stochastic cellular materials. We use nanoindentation to elucidate the mechanical characteristics of the nanoframe as a function of its relative density and model the deformation behavior via numerical simulations. The nanoframe exhibits a scaling exponent of relative modulus versus relative density of 1.26, which is less sensitive than for conventional foams. Moreover, the nanoframe shows large mechanical energy dissipation/volume (up to 4.5 MJ/m(3)), comparable to the highest values achieved in the conventional polymer foams but at a far smaller strain. Counterintuitively, a nanoframe of smaller relative density can dissipate more energy per volume because the geometry of the nanoframe evolves during deformation to engage more of the material in plastic deformation. The results demonstrate how geometrical control at the nano- and microstructural scale can tailor modulus and energy dissipation and suggest means for engineering of mechanically superior materials in the future.


The law of negligence has always faced two basic challenges. The first is how to determine whether the conduct of an actor was undesirable, or careless, at the time it occurred, namely whether the actor was at fault. Did the risks that were generated by the conduct render it faulty ex ante? The second challenge is to determine ex post the scope of liability for any given faulty conduct. Specifically, for which harms caused in fact by faulty conduct is the actor liable and for which is he or she not? This is the screening challenge. Screening, which is the subject of this chapter, raises two central and interrelated sets of questions. First, once it is established that the actor's conduct was faulty, and that it was the cause-in-fact of the plaintiff's harm, what are the justifications, and what should the criteria be, for excluding certain harms from the scope of liability? The second set of questions has to do not with substance but rather with form. Which 'legal devices' are best designed or best suited to perform the screening task given its justifications and criteria?


ABSTRACT As ultrafast multiphoton microscopes become more useful for biological imaging, a major challenge for researchersis to determine the exposure conditions that provide the best combination of image resolution, contrast and specimenviability. To do this requires an accurate understanding of the spatial and temporal evolution of ultrashort pulses atthe focus produced by a microscope objective. The objective itself, however, can significantly alter the pulses.Some effects, such as the broadening of pulses due to group delay dispersion in materials along the path, are understood and partial compensation for them can be made. Other effects, such as radial variations in the propagation time and variations in the pulse width, are less well understood. In this work, we investigate theradially dependent propagation and focusing of ultrashort pulses through a Zeiss CP-Achromat lOOx, I .25 NA,infinity-corrected, oil immersion microscope objective. We also extend to this high numerical aperture case thetechnique of collinear type II second harmonic generation frequency-resolved optical gating which has previouslybeen used to measure the temporal intensity and phase of ultrashort pulses at the focus of air objectives with lowernumerical aperture.Keywords: ultrashort pulse, multiphoton microscopy, frequency-resolved optical gating


Recent developments in the field of education have led to a renewed interest in teaching methodologies and practices. Gamification is fast becoming a key instrument in the education of new generations and besides other methods, serious games have become the center of attention. Ready-built serious games are available for most higher education institutions to buy and implement. However, monetary restraints and the unalterable nature of the games might deter most higher education institutions from the application of these serious games. Therefore, there is a continuously growing need for a customizable serious game that has been developed based on a concrete need analysis and experts' opinion. There has been little evidence so far of serious games that have been created based on relevant and current need analysis from higher education institution teachers, professional practitioners and students themselves. Therefore, the aim of this current paper is to analyze the needs of higher education institution educators with special emphasis on their needs, the applicability of serious games in their classrooms, and exploring options for the development of a customizable serious game framework. The paper undertakes to analyze workshop discussions on implementing serious games in education and propose a customizable serious game framework applicable in the education of the new generation. Research results show that the most important feature of a serious game is its customizability. The fact that practitioners are able to manage different scenarios and upload their own content to a game seems to be a key to the increasingly widespread application of serious games in the classroom. Keywords—Education, gamification, game-based learning, serious games.


Depression and schizophrenia are two highly prevalent and severely debilitating neuropsychiatric disorders. Both conventional antidepressant and antipsychotic pharmacotherapies are often inefficient clinically, causing multiple side effects and serious patient compliance problems. Collectively, this calls for the development of novel drug targets for treating depressed and schizophrenic patients. Here, we discuss recent translational advances, research tools and approaches, aiming to facilitate innovative drug discovery in this field. Providing a comprehensive overview of current antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs, we also outline potential novel molecular targets for treating depression and schizophrenia. We also critically evaluate multiple translational challenges and summarize various open questions, in order to foster further integrative cross-discipline research into antidepressant and antipsychotic drug development.


Amino-functionalized phosphoryl compounds are among the most useful molecular scaffolds in medicinal chemistry, while the potential of their thiophosphorylated analogs, especially those having an alkylamino moiety, is still uncovered. This is mainly due to the lack of convenient synthetic routes to these organophosphorus derivatives. To address this issue, we have suggested the facile approaches to α-(aminomethyl)- and substituted/unsubstituted α-(aminobenzyl)diphenylphosphine sulfides based on either the sequential transformations of (hydroxymethyl)diphenylphosphine sulfide, with the Staudinger reaction of an azide derivative as the key stage, or the addition of Ph2P(S)H to hydrobenzamides followed by the acid hydrolysis. The compounds obtained were reacted with picolinyl chloride to yield functionalized amides which readily underwent direct cyclopalladation, resulting in new representatives of non-classical N-metalated Pd(II) pincer complexes. The latter exhibit promising cytotoxic activity against several human cancer cell lines and apoptosis inducing ability along with the remarkable cytotoxic effects on doxorubicin-resistant cell sublines.


There has been considerable excitement in the kidney community surrounding the research findings on the genetic contributions to kidney diseases. However, positive outcomes of personalized therapeutic interventions can be circumvented by unpredictable pharmacokinetics of prescribed drugs. Furthermore, unpredictable drug disposition can result in toxicities such as kidney injury. Patient covariates, disease covariates, and pharmacogenetics all contribute to variability in drug disposition. Further treatment personalization and avoidance of drug- and biologic- induced kidney injury will require extensive knowledge and expertise in renal clinical pharmacology. The current review will focus on the pharmacogenetics of drugs and biologics used in the treatment of glomerular kidney diseases and drugs implicated in inducing kidney injury phenotypes.


Neutrophils isolated from jugular blood of ovariectomized mares were studied for the effect of estradiol and progesterone on bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus. In experiment 1, neutrophils obtained from 4 mares were tested for bactericidal activity by adding estradiol (43 pg/ml) or progesterone (6.4 ng/ml) to the bactericidal assay. In experiment 2, 3 of the 4 ovariectomized mares were given 2 mg of estradiol, IM, daily for 3 days. Eighteen days after the initial estradiol injection, mares were given 300 mg of progesterone, IM, for 6 days. Neutrophils from these mares were tested for bactericidal activity 4 days after the initial estradiol injection, 17 days after the initial estradiol injection (control), and 7 days after the first progesterone injection. Bactericidal activity was measured at 30 and 120 minutes by counting the number of colony-forming units remaining. Neutrophil antistaphylococcal activity was not altered by adding estradiol and progesterone to the assay or by supplementing ovariectomized mares with estradiol and progesterone (P greater than 0.05).


The supreme court tried to provide higher quality of law service by oral trials to maximize the communication between parties and judges, and in due process tried to make the interested party appear persuasive and enhance the reliability of the judicature and proceeding satisfaction by the judge's natural exposure of the conviction. However, the reality of trial currently cannot sufficiently meet the above conditions. The new model is estimated to bring generally positive results the reduction of appointed trial date for lawyers or waiting period etc. but it appears that the discrepancy between the ideal of oral trial and the reality felt by surveyed lawyers on the scene is significantly different. Although many legislations of countries stipulate revival or revitalization of oral trials, but it seems that most countries except England and the United States etc. fail to bring satisfactory results. If judges and courts are enlarged to guarantee sufficient time for oral trial proceeding per each case and if facial expressions and behavior changes are well reflected by methods such as stenography, sound recording, and video recording, substantial oral trials can be proceeded. Therefore in the status quo, the success or failure of oral trial depends on judges'ability to grasp the core and issue of cases and to proceed trials skillfully and parties and lawyers' preparation for and attitude toward oral trials. If an oral trial is enforced without the preparations above, it will eventually be a wasteful formality providing little help understanding the facts of a case. Hence, to revitalize oral trials, positive attitude of partakers of lawsuits, narrowing the gap between the ideal and reality in oral trial, acknowledging flexible choice of trial methods, substantial recording of oral trials, and enforcing oral trial training of preparatory lawyers and so forth are needed.


Biological markers are useful tools for the diagnosis and prognosis of disease. Many different methods are currently used to extract markers from multiple data sources, including gene expression microarrays. This paper investigates the effect of outlier removal on the performance of one such biomarker selection method, support vector machines (SVM). A simple method of outlier removal is employed as a preprocessing step before the data is used for SVM analysis. Both linear and radial basis kernels are used as well as four different normalization techniques. Results show that outlier removal increases the number of highly predictive genes as well as the number of poorly predicting genes. This result thus supports the use of outlier removal prior to biological marker identification via SVM analysis


Objective To examine the association between fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) expression and astrocytoma characteristics. Methods Pathologic grade and expressions of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), Ki67 (proliferation marker), and FMRP were determined in astrocytoma specimens from 74 patients. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was undertaken. Pathologic grade and protein levels of FMRP were determined in 24 additional patients with astrocytoma and 6 controls (cerebral trauma). In cultured U251 and U87 cell lines, the effects of FMRP knock-down on cell proliferation, AKT/mTOR/GSK-3β and MEK/ERK signaling were studied. The effects of FMRP knock-down on the volumes and weights of U251 cell-derived orthotopic tumors in mice were investigated. Results In patients, FMRP expression was increased in grade IV (5.1-fold, P<0.01) and grade III (3.2-fold, P<0.05) astrocytoma, compared with controls. FMRP and Ki67 expressions were positively correlated (R2=0.877, P<0.001). Up-regulation of FMRP was associated with poorer survival among patients with FMRP integrated optical density >30 (P<0.01). In astrocytoma cell lines, FMRP knock-down slowed proliferation (P<0.05), inhibited total MEK levels P<0.05, and reduced phosphorylation of MEK (Ser217/221) and ERK (Thr202/Tyr204) (P<0.05). In mice with orthotopic tumors, FMRP knock-down decreased FMRP and Ki67 expressions, and reduced tumor volume and weight (36.3% or 61.5% on day 15, both P<0.01). Also, phosphorylation of MEK (Ser217/221) and ERK (Thr202/Tyr204), and total MEK in xenografts were decreased in sh-FMRP xenografts compared with non-transfected ones (all P<0.05). Conclusion Enhanced FMRP expression in astrocytoma may promote proliferation through activation of MEK/ERK signaling.


We consider a class of prioritized Discrete Event Systems (DES) that involves the control of resources allocated to tasks under real-time constraints. This is motivated by power-limited wireless environments where the objective is to minimize energy consumption while guaranteeing that task deadlines are always met. We discover several structural properties of the optimal sample path of such DES. The structural properties can be used to reduce the search space of the brute-force search and may possibly lead to a more efficient decomposition algorithm. Using the structural properties, we also propose a greedy algorithm which is shown numerically near optimal.


The consequences of climate change are an important point of contention in the current policy debate on the sustainability of economic development and growth. Climate change contributes to many socio-economic disadvantages and risks. The primary objective of global policy 2050 is to fully understand the negative externalities of environmental change. Goal and methodology: the main goal of the study is to examine convergence to the steady green growth state for a sample of 130 countries from 1990 to 2019. Setting up an efficient and consistent policy to fight climate change demands empirical knowledge on green growth. Using log (t) test methodology, we investigate convergence in green growth indicators for selected samples based on available country data. Findings: our assumptions are: (1) economies are not motivated and eager to foster energy transition; instead, they accept it as a random policy goal and (2) economies want to foster energy transition, but they are limited by a significant trade-off factor pulling their efforts down. Convergence testing shows the existence of two significant convergence clubs, one with countries moving to energy transition and the second still promoting national output based on fossil fuels. The findings indicate future divergence between the two clubs and significant convergence within identified convergence clubs. Conclusions: the energy transition is moving forward at two-tier speed with green leaders and green follower clubs. Policymakers and practitioners must closely monitor the dynamics of green growth to assess the risk and uncertainties of climate change.


The concept of phase-domain fractional-N frequency synthesis is presented. Synthesizers using this architecture can achieve fast frequency switching without limiting the minimum channel spacing. In this architecture, a numerical phase comparator is used in conjunction with weighting coefficients, as a linear weighted phase-frequency detector. The synthesizer output spur level is determined by two factors. Namely, the delay of the numerical phase comparator, and the accuracy of the digital-to-analog convertor (DAC) used to convert the phase error to the analog domain. A novel second-order timing-error cancelation scheme is proposed to eliminate the effect of the phase comparator delays. Using this technique together with a 10-bit accuracy DAC, a maximum spur level of less than -65 dBc is simulated for a 900-MHz synthesizer. The settling time of the simulated synthesizer is less than 7 /spl mu/s, and is independent of the channel spacing. The details of the synthesizer architecture, design considerations, and system-level simulations are presented. Implementation issues including the DAC accuracy and timing-error effects are discussed extensively throughout the text.


Salinity often causes decrease and instability in wheat production that occupies a supreme position in food grains of Pakistan. Recently, wheat has been designated as silicon (Si) accumulator which can alleviate the salinity damage, a major constraint to agricultural crop production. With the objective to combat salinity stress in wheat by Si applications using calcium silicate, a series of experiments were conducted on two contrasting wheat genotypes (salt sensitive; Auqab-2000 and salt tolerant; SARC-5), under normal and saline conditions. Initially five different levels of Si (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg L-1) were optimized for salinity tolerance on the basis of plant morphological characters especially dry weight in hydroponics and 150 mg L-1 was selected as an optimized level. Optimized Si-level was further used to investigate its effect on wheat in hydroponic and pot culture under normal (2 dS m-1) and saline (10 dS m-1 for hydroponics and 12 dS m-1 for pots study) conditions. The evaluation was done on the basis of various morphological, physiological, biochemical, growth and yield traits during these experiments. Silicon supplementation into the solution culture and soil medium significantly improved the K+: Na+ with reduced Na+ and increased K+ uptake. Plant water relations with higher water potential and relative water content, increase in chlorophyll fractions and its ratios, enhanced stomatal conductance and better defense system with stimulated activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were observed. Nevertheless, the activity of peroxidase (POD) was reduced and root growth remained unaffected by silicon application. The final field studies were conducted at two sites (within a radius of less than 500 m): Normal field with EC < 4 dS m-1 and saline field with EC~10-13.8 dS m-1. Silicon was applied @ 0, 75 (half of optimized dose) and 150 mg kg-1 (optimized dose). Plants were harvested at maturity and concomitant increase in number of tillers, number of grains per spike, grain yield, and biological yield were observed due to silicon application both under optimal and salt affected field conditions. It was concluded that SARC-5 is better than Auqab-2000 under salt stress and silicon inclusion into the any growth medium is beneficial for wheat and can improve crop growth by maintaining plant water status, better K+: Na+ and recovering the plant defense system adversely influenced by salt stress.


Numerical simulations of the double slit experiment with electrons, done by Al Rabeh, are repeated and improved. As well, the simulations go from moved Coulomb charges. These tests are extended with a proof of convergence for small time steps. Al Rabeh's idea is fully confirmed: The pattern on the target comes from diffraction of charged particles, though it does not distinguish from interference pattern. In context with other results like that from Afshar, the wave-particle duality is disproved. The issue of photons is raised.


Smoking is considered to be one of the most significant risk factors associated with periodontal disease initiation and progression. Smoking may influence the clinical outcome of non-surgical and surgical periodontal therapy as well as the long-term success of implant placement. This article discusses the effects of smoking on the response to periodontal treatment and explores the beneficial effects of smoking cessation in periodontal therapy.


Selective BRAF inhibitors have now been established as a standard of care option for patients diagnosed with metastatic melanoma whose tumors carry a BRAF mutation. Their successful development represents a milestone in the treatment of this disease, and has the potential to impact therapy for other malignancies as well. The use of these agents, however, has introduced a number of critical questions about the optimal use and selection of patients for BRAF inhibitor therapy. This review discusses the current status of BRAF inhibitor clinical development, the clinicopathologic features of BRAF-mutated melanoma, as well as strategies for overcoming resistance. Clin Cancer Res; 19(16); 4326–34. ©2013 AACR.


Implicit in the drug-approval process is a trade-off between Type I and Type II error. We explore the application of Bayesian decision analysis (BDA) to minimize the expected cost of drug approval, where relative costs are calibrated using U.S. Burden of Disease Study 2010 data. The results for conventional fixed-sample randomized clinical-trial designs suggest that for terminal illnesses with no existing therapies such as pancreatic cancer, the standard threshold of 2.5% is substantially more conservative than the BDA-optimal threshold of 27.9%. However, for relatively less deadly conditions such as prostate cancer, 2.5% is more risk-tolerant or aggressive than the BDA-optimal threshold of 1.2%. We compute BDA-optimal sizes for 25 of the most lethal diseases and show how a BDA-informed approval process can incorporate all stakeholders' views in a systematic, transparent, internally consistent, and repeatable manner.


The main aim of the present study was to investigate the association between food addiction (FA) symptoms and body uneasiness in a nonclinical sample, while controlling for potential confounding variables. Participants (N = 395; 123 men) were administered self-report measures assessing FA, binge eating severity, body uneasiness, depressive symptoms, emotion dysregulation and socio-demographic variables. Body uneasiness was independently associated with FA symptoms (standardized beta coefficients ranging between 0.41 [p < 0.001] and 0.22 [p < 0.001]), even when controlling for the presence of other variables. This finding suggests that body uneasiness may be a crucial symptom in the development and/or maintenance of FA symptoms.


Geophysical monitoring of subsurface reservoirs relies on detecting small changes in the seismic response between a baseline and monitor study. However, internal multiples, related to the over- and underburden, can obstruct the view of the target response, hence complicating the time-lapse analysis. In order to retrieve a response that is free from over- and underburden effects, the data-driven Marchenko method is used. This method effectively isolates the target response, which can then be used to extract more precise time-lapse changes. Additionally, the method also reveals target-related multiples that probe the reservoir more than once, which further define the changes in the reservoir. To verify the effectiveness of the method, a numerical example is constructed. This test shows that when using the isolated target response, the observed time differences resemble the expected time differences in the reservoir. Moreover, the results obtained with target-related multiples also benefit from the Marchenko-based isolation of the reservoir. It is, therefore, concluded that this method has the potential to observe dynamic changes in the subsurface with increased accuracy.


Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) has been identified in human seminal plasma. This study was conducted to determine whether IGF-I is present in bovine seminal plasma, whether sperm cells express the IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR), and whether IGF-I affects sperm motility. Semen samples were collected from bulls by electroejaculation and maintained at 37 degrees C, and motility of sperm was assessed. After centrifugation to separate sperm cells from seminal plasma, the seminal plasma was submitted to a validated heterologous RIA for IGF-I. Significant concentrations of IGF-I (116.29 +/- 40.83 ng/ml expressed as mean +/- SD) were measured in bovine seminal plasma. Sperm cells were washed with buffer and subjected to either radioreceptor assay (RRA) or immunocytochemistry (IC). RRA revealed a single high affinity for the IGF-IR with a Kd of 0.83 nM as determined by the computer program LIGAND. IC, using three monoclonal antibodies, localized the IGF-IR to the acrosomal region of the sperm. Computer-assisted sperm-motion analysis was used to determine the effects of IGF-I and IGF-II on bovine sperm motility parameters. Both IGF-I and IGF-II increased sperm motility and straight-line velocity (p < 0.05) relative to the control. The presence of IGF-IR on sperm, the presence of IGF-I in semen, and the ability of IGF-I to stimulate sperm motility provide evidence that the IGF system may be involved in the fertilization process in the bovine species.


In training of modern large natural language processing (NLP) models, it has become a common practice to split models using 3D parallelism to multiple GPUs. Such technique, however, suffers from a high overhead of inter-node communication. Compressing the communication is one way to mitigate the overhead by reducing the inter-node traffic volume; however, the existing compression techniques have critical limitations to be applied for NLP models with 3D parallelism in that 1) only the data parallelism traffic is targeted, and 2) the existing compression schemes already harm the model quality too much. In this paper, we present Optimus-CC, a fast and scalable distributed training framework for large NLP models with aggressive communication compression. Optimus-CC differs from existing communication compression frameworks in the following ways: First, we compress pipeline parallel (inter-stage) traffic. In specific, we compress the inter-stage backpropagation and the embedding synchronization in addition to the existing data-parallel traffic compression methods. Second, we propose techniques to avoid the model quality drop that comes from the compression. We further provide mathematical and empirical analyses to show that our techniques can successfully suppress the compression error. Lastly, we analyze the pipeline and opt to selectively compress those traffic lying on the critical path. This further helps reduce the compression error. We demonstrate our solution on a GPU cluster, and achieve superior speedup from the baseline state-of-the-art solutions for distributed training without sacrificing the model quality.


The purpose of this study is to define the rationale and scope of the Waste Isolation System (WIS) safeguards system, to establish a set of proposed basic safeguards criteria, and to identify the areas requiring development of specific criteria and technology. The report also presents a proposed program schedule and provides an extensive bibliography, in volumes two and three of applicable reference safeguards documents.


The application of the generalized theory of extreme values is discussed. When the hypothesis of the theory is not strictly satisfied, as is inevitable in practice, we deal with an approximation that must be carefully used to yield accurate results. A numerical example provides some insight into this approximation problem.


The authors describe two cases of recurrent neuropathy in members of two different families. Paresis of peroneal nerves was the only sign released by compression of the nerve during work in squatting or kneeling position. The members of one family had similar clinical and electrophysiological signs. The father of the second patient was clinically healthy but he had evidently reduced conduction velocity in peroneal nerves. The diagnosis was established after ruling out of exogenous and endogenous infectious and toxic factors, vitamin deficiency and allergy.


A superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) system has been built to damp power oscillations on the Western U.S. Power System, particularly on the Pacific AC Intertie that is used to transmit power from the Northwest to southern California. The 30-MJ superconducting inductor that stores energy for this purpose is contained in a nonconducting dewar and is supported by a helium refrigerator and a gas-handling system mounted on trailers. Energy flows in and out of the inductor at frequencies from 0.1 to 1.0 Hz with power amplitudes up to 11 MW. The principal oscillation to be damped has a characteristic frequency of 0.35 Hz. The superconducting coil maximum current is 5 kA with terminal voltages up to 2.2 kV. The coil interfaces with the Bonneville Power Administration 13.8-kV bus at the Tacoma Substation through a converter and transformers. The system can be operated with the converter either in parallel-bridge mode or for constant VAR control with the bridges in buck-boost mode. The program for the design, fabrication, installation, and the preliminary experimental operation of the system is reviewed.