Multi-input multi-output (MIMO) techniques are currently extensively considered in underwater acoustic (UWA) communications to overcome the bandwidth limitation of under-sea channel. Associated with Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) modulation, MIMO techniques provide substantial gain in spectral efficiency and fair robustness against frequency fading while keeping simple equalizer structure. In this paper, we study accurately the gain provided by MIMO-OFDM paradigm over Shallow Water Acoustic (SWA) channel by taking into account channel characteristics as well as OFDM parameters.


This article investigates the role of overseas language study in the context of skilled migration with a particular focus on the experiences and outcomes of South Koreans studying English language in New Zealand. Through this case we illustrate the manner that language learners develop skills and embodied cultural capital that allow them to improve their socio-economic position in Korea or pursue migratory possibilities elsewhere. However, our findings also offer a qualification to common assertions about the global transferability of skills as we argue that skills are context reliant and cannot be separated either from the individual who possesses them or the places in which they are deployed. Finally, the paper also points to the different sorts of influences on post-study destinations that include not only economic rationalities but also individual experiences and the different characteristics of migratory regimes.


A manufacture system with the abilities of easy reconfiguration and highly scalability becomes flexible, dynamic and open to the use of software technologies. To give these abilities to a manufacture cell formed of three industrial robots and two conveyors, a middleware based on the programming standard Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORA) was developed, thus creating a distributed manufacture cell, allowing us to have a real production with different final products. In order to optimize the production times of the different products to be manufactured, a product scheduler was developed using the algorithm Earlies Deadline First (EDF) and the support algorithm Deferrable Server (DS). Given that failures may occur on any of the specialized modules of the manufacture system, the self reconfiguration of the manufacture system is something very desirable. This article propose an algorithm to solve this problem, the algorithm identifies the failures in relation to the time it takes the system to make a product, then makes a modification on the working speed of the plant elements of the specialized modules.


Pantograph failures due to complex interactions between the overhead line (OHL) and pantograph structure cause significant problems to railway industry worldwide. In spite of much efforts undertaken worldwide no successfully implemented Pantograph Monitoring system was up to now introduced for long-term operation on routinely operating trains.
This paper describes development, design and test results from the first fully proven Pantograph Monitoring System which is now deployed on routinely operating trains in the UK.
The system uses two subcomponents; Digital Processing Module (DPM) which is directly clamped on the life 25kV pantograph structure, and the Receiving Signal and Relay Unit (RSRU) which is installed in secure location inside the carriage. Pantograph mounted unit (DPM) is interfaced with the accelerometers attached in vicinity of the carbon strip. DPM uses Bluetooth communication to report any unexpected events to the RSRU. DPM has an on-board GPS module and acquires and stores time domain data corresponding to 100 highest events captured during daily train operation. The data is downloaded to the RSRU on daily basis. Any high alarm events are instantaneously transferred to the train to warn the operator and the control centre about potentially harmful event which require immediate attention. The 'hot spots' caused by overhead line are mapped and trended to allow successful implementation of predictive maintenance of the OHL. The system uses GPRS mobile network to allow instantaneous access and remote interrogation from any location worldwide.


Field experiments were carried at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Shuhama (Jammu and Kashmir) to study the performance evaluation of sprinkler system. The climatic conditions of previous years were obtained and were taken into consideration before the starting of the experiment. The climatic conditions recorded for the experiment were wind speed and wind direction. The micro sprinkler arrangement was made of two types – point arrangement and linear arrangement. The volume of water was collected in water containers, systematically leveled on the ground surface and placed 0.75 x 0.75 m apart. The volume of water was measured by the aid of measuring cylinder. The water flow pressure for the experiment was kept 1.5 Kg/cm 2 and 2.0 Kg/cm 2 . The pressure was measured by a pressure gauge. The riser height was kept 0.75 m and 1 m respectively. The data revealed that uniformity coefficient varied from 82.83 to 88.7 percent in point arrangement of micro sprinklers, whereas uniformity coefficient varied from 86.10 to 91.76 percent in case of the linear arrangement of sprinklers. Experiments revealed that the change in riser height and operating pressure affected the uniformity coefficient significantly. Data also revealed that wind velocity was found to be low in the morning as compared to evening. However, wind velocity didn't show a significant effect on uniformity coefficient as wind velocity was found to be very low in the experimental area.


The objective of this study is to present and analyze the content of a psychological intervention for the development of Life Skills in adolescents, starting from a detailed description of the strategies used. The intervention, performed within a group context, consisted of 12 weekly meetings, lasting two hours each. The authors discuss the adequacy of the modality of care, the topics and contents approached and the methodology adopted aiming at the adolescents' development. The detailed presentation of group-work techniques allows its replication by other professionals. This model of care, regarding Health Promotion, is characterized as an important strategy for working with adolescents since it may turn them more competent in psychosocial terms, thus influencing their quality of life.


The effect of canavanine and 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanol (British antilewisite, BAL) on the uptake of (3H)-thymidine by Novikoff hepatoma cells, as a measure of DNA formation, was measured in tissue culture in the absence and presence of the mitogen, concanavalin A (Con A). Canavanine and Con A stimulated cell proliferation at low concentrations, and inhibited at higher concentrations. BAL inhibited even at low concentrations. In the presence of a stimulating concentration of Con A, both canavanine and BAL inhibitory effects were amplified. In the presence of a high concentration of Con A and low concentration of BAL the combined effect was substantially greater than the sum of the individual effects. We describe the culture and harvest of Novikoff hepatoma cells, and changes in their morphology when acted upon by the toxic agents used.


Of a series of polyfunctional compounds containing amino, hydroxyl, or mercapto groups in conjunction with the carboxyl group, only the 1,2- or 1,3-disubstituted aminothiols, namely, D-(-)-penicillamine (1), L-cysteine (2), L-cysteinyl-L-valine (3), mercaptoethylglycine (4), and DL-homocysteine (12), showed any propensity to sequester acetaldehyde (AcH) when tested in vitro in a buffered system at pH 7.5. In vivo, however, only D-(-)-penicillamine (1) was effective in lowering ethanol-derived blood AcH in rats that had been treated with disulfiram and ethanol. These results suggest that, in addition to the functionality in the molecule, pharmacokinetic and metabolic factors must also be considered when designing AcH-sequestering agents for use in vivo.


ABSTRACT Moral exemplars, individuals admired for their moral goodness, are invaluable resources for education and in practice, especially for practices fraught with ethical challenges such as advertising. The current study is the first to examine the moral psychology profile of advertising executives with a range of strategic communication experience as chief executive officers at regional, national, and international agencies and chief marketing officers for national and international brands. The findings indicate that these executives embrace challenges that encourage ideological and character development, believe in values of empathy and compassion, and engage in higher-order moral reasoning more so than advertising practitioners in general but comparable to other media exemplars. They often apply moral rules and standards equally to everyone when considering their response to an ethical dilemma, and their idealistic thinking is positively correlated with perceptions that their organizations have benevolent and principled ethical climates. These findings give strategic communication practitioners, educators, and ethicists a road map of what to look for in individuals likely to serve in the capacity of moral leadership for others.


One of the limiting factors for improved performance of the spark
ignited internal combustion engine is the phenomenon of knock.
The present investigation makes a survey of the available models for
auto-ignition for introduction into an existing phenomenological
combustion model. A mathematical model of knock, based on a
degenerate branched chain mechanism for the prediction of
autoignition delay time, was considered and introduced into the
combustion model. Experiments were carried out on a single cylinder
variable compression ratio engine to validate the model.
The interaction of acoustic waves with unsteady combustion leading to
unstable combustion and thus triggering knock is considered. This
work examines the relationship between the variation in the power of
the frequency component corresponding to the natural frequency of the
combustion chamber, and the occurrence of knock.
A model based on the relaxation oscillation phenomenon is developed
to calculate the oscillating frequency of the flame front. This
model was developed on the basis that the gas contents of the
combustion chamber in an internal combustion engine can be considered
as a 'lumped parameter' spring mass damper system.
Analysis of the frequency spectrum of flame ionization data show a
favourable comparison with the predictions from the model, thus,
opening the possibility of future work on correlating the acoustic
instability in the combustion chamber to knock in spark ignition
engines


The development objectives of the Energy Sector Cleanup and Land Reclamation Project for Kosovo are to: (a) address environmental legacy issues related to open dumping of ashes on land; (b) enable Kosovo Energy Corporation (KEK) to free land for community development purposes currently taken by overburden materials and enable KEK to remediate the Kosovo A ash dump; and (c) build capacity in KEK for continued clean-up and environmentally good practice mining operations. Some of the negative impacts and mitigation measures include: all residential and non-residential structures registered during the asset inventory phase were eligible for compensation; household eligibility was determined by possession of land titles or verifiable interests in the land as established in Kosovo's Expropriation Law. As mentioned above, by the end of the resettlement process, all households surveyed in Shala held titles of the land; all complementary agricultural activities for own consumption were also considered eligible for compensation; commercial activities being conducted within the impacted area were also considered for compensation; involving and obtaining agreement from the affected population on compensation rates and entitlements; promoting in-kind compensation as the preferred alternative for compensation during negotiations, but providing other alternatives that included monetary compensation and self-construction; recognizing the mainly residential nature of most of the affected land plots and ensuring that in-kind compensation for land reflected plot sizes that were appropriate for the residents; and complying with international standards with regards to monetary compensation by accounting for the replacement value of assets, including land, crops and structures.


THE REPORT PRESENTS THE RESULTS OF A FIELD AND ANALYTICAL STUDY INTO THE CAUSES OF CRACKING OF LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE BRIDGE SLABS IN LOUISIANA. THE FIELD STUDY INVOLVED THE DETERMINATION OF THE PRESENT CONDITION OF 389 SIMPLY SUPPORTED LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE BRIDGE SLABS BUILT COMPOSITELY WITH STEEL STRINGERS. THIS INCLUDED A CRACK SIZE AND DISTRIBUTION STUDY AND A DETERMINATION OF REINFORCEMENT EMBEDMENT DEPTH. AVAILABLE CONSTRUCTION RECORDS WERE REVIEWED, CLIMATIC CONDITIONS TO WHICH THE STRUCTURES HAD BEEN SUBJECTED WERE STUDIED ALONG WITH THE TRAFFIC HISTORY OF EACH BRIDGE. THE ANALYTICAL STUDIES ATTEMPTED TO RELATE DESIGN CRITERIA, DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR OF THE STRUCTURE AND CONCRETE SHRINKAGE TO THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE BRIDGE. SOME OF THE CONCLUSIONS PRESENTED WERE' 1. THERE APPEARS TO BE NO REASONABLE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SLAB DETERIORATION AND MOST OF THE VARIABLES INVOLVED IN DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION. 2. IF THE CONCRETE COVER WAS LESS THAN 3/4 INCHES, THE CRACKS TENDED TO COINCIDE WITH REINFORCEMENT ORIENTATION. IF THE COVER WAS LARGER, NO RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CRACKS AND REINFORCEMENT ORIENTATION EXISTED. 3. SHRINKAGE STRAINS AS ANALYTICALLY DETERMINED ARE AS GREAT AS THE APPROXIMATE TENSILE STRENGTH OF THE CONCRETE. 4. THE DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS POINTED TO THE SUPPOSITION THAT FOR SOME SPAN LENGTH AND LOADING CONBINATIONS, CRACK PROPAGATION IS CAUSED MAINLY BY OSCILLATIONS DUE TO MOVING VEHICLES. /BPR/


Dengue is a vector-borne viral illness of major public health importance. It is endemic in many parts of India and also causes frequent epidemics. Platelet transfusions are given in severe cases of dengue fever to treat and prevent hemorrhagic complications. Here, we report three patients in North India with development of panophthalmitis and endophthalmitis shortly after receiving platelet transfusion.


The training of precise speech recognition models depends on accurate segmentation of the phonemes in a training corpus. Segmentation is typically performed using HMMs, but recent speech recognition work suggests that the transient acoustic features characteristic of manner-class phoneme boundaries (landmarks) may be more precisely localized using acoustic classifiers specifically designed for the task of landmark detection. This paper makes an empirical exploration of new features which suit Landmark Detection and the application of Multi-class SVMs that are capable of improving the time alignment of phoneme boundaries proposed by Binary SVMs and HMM-based speech recognizer. On a standard benchmark data set (A database of Telugu Official Indian Language, spoken by 75 million people), we achieve a new state-of-the-art performance, reducing RMS phone boundary alignment error from 32ms to 22ms.


The present research examines the relation between perceived intergroup distinctiveness and positive intergroup differentiation. It was hypothesised that the distinctiveness-differentiation relation is a function of group identification. In two studies group distinctiveness was varied and level of identification was either measured (Study 1) or manipulated (Study 2). Results support the prediction that low group distinctiveness leads to more positive differentiation for high identifiers, although we found less support for the prediction that increased group distinctiveness leads to enhanced positive differentiation for low identifiers. The difference in emphasis between social identity theory and self-categorisation theory concerning the distinctiveness-differentiation relation is discussed and the importance of group identification as a critical factor of this relationship is stressed.


The pandemic of COVID-19 is the biggest public health crisis in 21st Century. Besides the acute symptoms after infection, patients and society are also being challenged by the long-term health complications associated with COVID-19, commonly known as long COVID. While health professionals work hard to find proper treatments, large amount of knowledge has been accumulated in recent years. In order to deal with long COVID efficiently, it is important for people to keep up with current progresses and take proactive actions on long COVID. For this purpose, this review will first introduce the general background of long COVID, and then discuss its risk factors, diagnostic indicators and management strategies. This review will serve as a useful resource for people to understand and prepare for long COVID that will be with us in the foreseeable future.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the safety, quality and impact of point-of-care ultrasound on patient management when performed by rural generalist doctors.

DESIGN
Cross-sectional descriptive study.

SETTING
Six rural small hospitals serving a range of communities in rural New Zealand.

PARTICIPANTS
All generalist doctors practising ultrasound in the study hospitals.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Technical quality, accuracy, impact on diagnostic certainty, patient disposition and overall patient care.

RESULT
Participants correctly interpreted 90% of images and a similar percentage of point-of-care ultrasound findings when compared with the results of formal imaging or the final diagnosis. In total, 87% of scans contributed to the diagnostic process, changing the diagnostic probability. There was a 4% overall reduction in the number of patients needing hospital admission or transfer to an urban base hospital. The overall impact on patient care was positive for 71% of point-of-care ultrasound scans. Three percent of scans had the potential for patient harm.

CONCLUSION
Rural generalists' practise a broad scope of point-of-care ultrasound that, when used as a part of the full clinical assessment, has a positive impact on patient care, improving diagnostic certainty and reducing the need for hospital admission and inter-hospital transfer. There are challenges in learning and maintaining the skills needed to practise a high standard of point-of-care ultrasound in this context. Further consideration needs to be given to the development safe scopes of practice, training, credentialing and quality assurance.


INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Androgen receptor splice variant V7 (AR-V7) was recently detected in circulating tumor cells of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients and its expression correlated with a predictive value in terms of resistance to new generation androgen signaling inhibitors. We retrospectively analyzed whether AR-V7 expression was detectable on prostatic tissues from radical prostatectomy (RP) in an early stage of untreated non- metastatic PC cases, and whether it could be associated with progression after surgery. METHODS: The expression of AR-V7 and AR-FL (full length) was separately evaluated by immunohistochemistry using a streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase system (UCS Diagnostic) with two anti-AR-V7 and anti-AR-FL rabbit monoclonal antibodies (Abcam) on sections from paraf fi n-embedded tumoral tissues obtained from 56 patients with a histologically proved prostatic adenocarcinoma considered for RP. RESULTS: 56 prostatic tumors, classi fi ed on the basis of their clinical risk in low (LR), intermediate (IR) and high (HR) risk, were analyzed with immunohistochemistry for AR-V7: positive expression was found in 24 out of 32 in the HR group, 4 out of 13 in the IR and only in 2 of the 11 LR cases. We found a signi fi cant correlation between AR-V7 positive staining and the clinical risk classi fi cation (p < 0.001), and between AR-V7 positivity and biochemical and radiological progression after surgery (p < 0.001). In particular, 17 out of 18 patients with biochemical and radiological progression were AR- V7 positive, while 25 out of 26 cases without progression resulted AR-V7 negative. CONCLUSIONS: Although the numbers are too low to draw conclusions, we found that, in a population of untreated and non- metastatic PC, AR-V7 is detectable by immunohistochemistry, although at low and various rates, in more than 50% of cases. At this early stage, independently to ADT administration, AR-V7 positivity is associated to risk classi fi cation and it can predict biochemical and radiological progression after surgery. Validation of our fi ndings in a larger cohort will be relevant for further studies to de fi ne a subset of PC cases submitted to RP in which intensi fi cation of adjuvant treatments could be indicated. (cid:3) SD). OGM detected copy number alterations such as chr6q13 loss and chr8q12-24 gain. Two adjacent tumor samples were distinguished by inter/intra-chromosomal translocations, revealing that they're from the same ancestor. Furthermore, OGM detected large deletion of chr13q13.1 accompanied by inter-chromosomal translocation t(13;20)(q13.1;p13) occurring within BRCA2 gene, suggesting complete loss of function. In conclusion, clinically relevant genomic SVs were successfully detected in PCa samples by OGM. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that OGM can complement panel sequencing of DNA repair genes BRCA1/2 or ATM in high-risk PCa.


INTRODUCTION AND AIMS
Clients in opioid substitution therapy often have considerable unmet health-care needs. The current study aimed to explore health problems related to opioid substitution therapy among clients on methadone and buprenorphine treatment.

DESIGN AND METHODS
A self-complete, cross-sectional survey conducted among 508 patients receiving methadone and buprenorphine treatment at community pharmacies in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.

RESULTS
The most common problems for which participants had ever sought help were dental (29.9%), constipation (25.0%) and headache (24.0%). The most common problems for which participants would currently like help were dental (41.1%), sweating (26.4%) and reduced sexual enjoyment (24.2%). There were no significant differences between those currently on methadone and those currently on buprenorphine for any of the health problems explored, nor differences for gender or treatment duration. Participants on methadone doses 100 mg or above were significantly more likely to want help currently for sedation.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
The considerable unmet health care needs among participants in this study suggest that treatment providers should consider improving the detection and response to common health problems related to opioid substitution therapy.


Using the Hamiltonian constraint derived by Ashtekar and Bojowald, we look for pre-classical wave functions in the Schwarzschild interior. In particular, when solving this difference equation by separation of variables, an inequality is obtained relating the Immirzi parameter γ to the quantum ambiguity δ appearing in the model. This bound is violated when we use a natural value for δ based on loop quantum gravity together with a recent proposal for γ. We also present numerical solutions of the constraint.


Purpose

Some of Australia's most severe and protracted workforce shortages are in public sector community mental health (CMH) services. Research identifying the factors affecting staff turnover of this workforce has been limited. The purpose of this paper is to identify work factors negatively affecting the job satisfaction of early career health professionals working in rural Australia's public sector CMH services.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 25 health professionals working in rural and remote CMH services in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, for NSW Health participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews.

Findings

The study identified five work-related challenges negatively affecting job satisfaction: developing a profession-specific identity; providing quality multidisciplinary care; working in a resource-constrained service environment; working with a demanding client group; and managing personal and professional boundaries.

Practical implications

These findings highlight the need to provide time-critical supports to address the challenges facing rural-based CMH professionals in their early career years in order to maximise job satisfaction and reduce avoidable turnover.

Originality/value

Overall, the study found that the factors negatively affecting the job satisfaction of early career rural-based CMH professionals affects all professionals working in rural CMH, and these negative effects increase with service remoteness. For those in early career, having to simultaneously deal with significant rural health and sector-specific constraints and professional challenges has a negative multiplier effect on their job satisfaction. It is this phenomenon that likely explains the high levels of job dissatisfaction and turnover found among Australia's rural-based early career CMH professionals. By understanding these multiple and simultaneous pressures on rural-based early career CMH professionals, public health services and governments involved in addressing rural mental health workforce issues will be better able to identify and implement time-critical supports for this cohort of workers. These findings and proposed strategies potentially have relevance beyond Australia's rural CMH workforce to Australia's broader early career nursing and allied health rural workforce as well as internationally for other countries that have a similar physical geography and health system.


This study examined the effect of 12 weeks of combined exercise training on levels of leptin, adiponectin and  blood lipids in obese women. The subjects (N=20) were assigned randomly to the combined exercise training  (resistance and aerobics) group (CEG: n=10) or the control group (CG: n=10). Exercise sessions took place three times weekly for 12 weeks. The combined exercise training was composed of walking on an air-board and resistance exercise at 30 to 50% of the one repetition maximum. Subjects in the CG did not participate in any exercise programme. A main effect of participation was observed for body weight, percentage body fat and glucose (p<0.05). An interaction was detected between time and group on body weight, percentage body fat, triglycerides, total cholesterol, leptin and adiponectin (p<0.05). However, no significant differences were observed in the assessment of the homeostasis model estimate of insulin resistance, insulin, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. These results indicate that the combined exercise training programme improved insulin-sensitising cytokines and blood lipids in the obese women. Key words : Insulin resistance; Adiponectin; Combined exercise programme; Obese women; Leptin.


The facile and cost-effective fabrication of hybrid nanostructures comprised of hollow mixed metallic chalcogenides has attracted growing interest in the development of high-performance energy storage devices. Herein, multi-component (nickel-cobalt-copper-sulfides/selenides (NCCS/NCCSe)) hollow nanocubes (HNCs) are prepared via a single-step sulfurization/selenization process. The NCCS material shows interior HNCs, and the NCCSe material exhibits slightly formed porous cubes. Both the prepared materials demonstrate higher charge storage performance than the precursor NCC NCs owing to the improved surface morphology and addition of sulfur and selenium ions. Particularly, the NCCS HNCs electrode reveals superior specific capacity (capacitance) (70.32 mAh g-1 (666.20 F g-1 ) at 5 mA cm-2 ) along with excellent cycling stability of 108.6% even after 10 000 cycles. Interestingly, the electrode delivers a good rate capability of 83.5% at a high current density of 20 mA cm-2 . The feasibility of the battery-type NCCS HNCs as a positive electrode is explored by constructing an aqueous electrochemical hybrid capacitor (AEHC). The AEHC exhibits maximum energy and power densities of 23.15 Wh kg-1 and 7899.08 W kg-1 , respectively. Remarkably, it demonstrates superior long-life cycling stability even after 10 000 cycles (120.6% retention). The suitability of AEHC for practical application is also tested by driving electronic devices.


The motional Stark effect (MSE) has become the leading diagnostic technique for measurement of the internal poloidal field profile in neutral beam heated tokamak plasmas. The technique relies upon the measurement of the polarization angle of Stark broadened neutral beam Dalpha emission due to the strong E= nu b*B motional electric field. In many recently discovered enhanced confinement regimes in tokamaks, a strong radial electric field Er is also present in the plasma. It is shown that in these cases, the effect of Er on the interpretation of MSE measurements is significant and cannot be neglected. The importance of this effect is illustrated with the analysis of the q profile in a high performance discharge from the DIII-D tokamak


The anthropogenic activities derive in the production and emission of pollutants. These substances are used in industry and at home to break down raw materials, products and residual substances. Its impact on public health is significantly adverse. The solvents are inhaled, ingested, absorbed. Chronic exposure can cause various pathologies at a systemic level including cancer, while acute exposure can lead to death. The purpose of this research is to show the different effects of the solvents in the organism, as well as to propose actions tending to the prevention and protection against its effects. In this documentary analysis, sufficient scientific evidence was found regarding the wide range of pathologies that solvents generate in humans. Keywords : solvent, injurie, organ, pathologie, xenobiotic


During somatic embryogenesis (SE), somatic cells initiate embryogenic development under appropriate conditions. Uniconazole, a plant growth regulator, was found to inhibit the proliferation of callus but promoted the conversion of callus into an embryogenic callus (EC) in cotton. The supplementation of uniconazole in the culture medium significantly suppressed the endogenous auxin [indole acetic acid (IAA)] level in callus tissues in both the callus initiation and proliferation stage but enhanced the abscisic acid (ABA) level only in the callus proliferation stage. Exogenous ABA and uniconazole showed cooperative effects on promoting the differentiation rate of callus into EC. These findings were verified by RNA-seq analysis, which elucidated that the genes involved in the IAA biosynthesis, metabolism, and signaling, and ABA metabolism pathways were regulated by uniconazole during the callus development and SE. Overall, the results suggest that uniconazole could modulate callus proliferation and callus differentiation rate by regulating the endogenous levels of IAA and ABA.


Background and Objectives: Increased risk of venous thromboembolism is observed in several autoimmune inflammatory disorders. However, data on bullous pemphigoid, one of the most common autoimmune blistering disorders, is limited. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to summarize all available evidence. Methods: Two investigators independently searched published studies indexed in MEDLINE and EMBASE from inception to July 2016 using the terms for bullous pemphigoid and venous thromboembolism. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) cohort or case-control study evaluated the association between bullous pemphigoid and risk of venous thromboembolism, (2) effect estimates were provided as odds ratios, relative risk, hazard ratio, standardized incidence ratio with 95% confidence intervals, and (3) subjects without bullous pemphigoid were used as comparators for cohort studies, while subjects without venous thromboembolism were used as comparators for case-control studies. Point estimates and 95% confidence intervals were extracted from each study and were pooled together using the random-effect model, generic inverse variance method of DerSimonian and Laird. Cochran's Q test and the I2 statistic were used to evaluate the statistical heterogeneity. Results: Two retrospective cohort studies, one prospective cohort study, and one case-control study met the eligibility criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled odds ratio was 2.69 (95% confidence interval, 1.79–4.05). Statistical heterogeneity was high with I2 of 77%. Limitation: Limited accuracy of diagnosis of primary studies and high between-study heterogeneity. Conclusion: This meta-analysis demonstrated that patients with bullous pemphigoid have a significantly increased risk of venous thromboembolism.


Since WHO established COVID-19 as a pandemic, many countries have maintained calm downs, soft downs, and lockdowns. To prevent the spread of the virus more widely, by avoiding crowds of people. The Indonesian government also applies large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) to various areas of the pandemic red zone. Business, industry, production, education, restaurant, worship, performance, art, travel, sports, tourism are suspended, and Work from Home (WFH) is implemented. Both lives and livelihoods are at risk from this pandemic. Agricultural harvest and meat products at the beginning of the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic made abundant stockpiles, and prices fell below the production price. The next food production cycle is hampered due to the dry season, lockdown, and declining business prospects. The food supply chain is a complex web that involves producers, consumers, agricultural and fishery inputs, processing and storage, transportation, and marketing. Tropical ecosystems have an essential role in global climate change, biodiversity, life cycle, healthy food, food production, food safety, food sovereignty, food supply chain, bioeconomic, environment, social culture, and environment (Agus, 2018). Indonesia has an advantage as an "equatorial emerald" with the highest natural productivity in the world, about ten times compared to temperate regions because it is supported by high temperatures, rainfall, humidity, sunlight, and organic cycles year. Integrated bio-cycle farming system (IBFS) can become a new superhero sector of the national economy in managing the community-based, superior land (soil, water, air) and biological (animal, plant, and human) resources (Agus, 2018). Farmers who are food producers, which make up 70% of Indonesia's population, are highly dependent on the food industry. The strategic efforts towards food sovereignty of the Government of Indonesia through the Nawacita program are quite reasonable but are still conventional. Covid-19 and hydrometeorology disaster mitigation due to global climate change must be anticipated and mitigated. Modern nano-biotechnology is expected to be a big leap to produce food efficiently and effectively in the future. The government must also provide agricultural machinery technology assistance; subsidize agricultural inputs, price subsidies, tax exemptions, and agricultural insurance. Indonesia will be able to become a full food sovereignty country if agriculture as an integrated village development locomotive is managed from upstream to downstream synergistically and well.


One of the major problems in healthcare systems throughout the world, and especially in developing countries, is the ability to identify appropriate technologies for a given healthcare provider. Not only are data scarce on the subject, but also the factors contributing to the selection process. For instance, the healthcare level places certain constraints such as the cost of acquisition and the needs of the community. The risk of not using the technology places certain constraints on the features required in that technology when certain disorders are to be considered. In this paper, we create a mapping system between various health disorders and their corresponding appropriate technologies to minimize technology underutilization. Towards this end, a database management system is developed to establish relationships between different entities with a friendly interface to allow the system to grow as medical equipment manufacturers introduce more technical features in their products.


Objective To study the respiratory and circulatory changes in elderly patients, and their relationship with pulmonary complications after thoracotomy. Methods 58 elderly patients either aged over 75 years, with major organ dysfunction or underwent highly invasive procedures (group 1). Respiratory and circulatory status, including arterial blood gas under room air, water balance, urine gravity, and hemodynamics monitoring through pulmonary artery catheter were documented. The results were compared with those from 56 young patient controls receiving thoracotomy in the same period (group 2). Results All 12 patients having pulmonary complications were from group 1 (group 1A). Ten of them presented on the 2nd or 3rd postoperative day with hypoxemia. The other 2 died of type II respiratory failure after severe infection. Preoperative pulmonary co-morbidity (P=0.026, Exp(B)=5.4) and obesity (P=0.043, Exp(B)=4.9) were identified as independent risk factors for pulmonary complications after thoracotomy in elderly patients. During the first 3 postoperative days, PaO_2 of group 1A was significantly lower than group 2 as well as the other elderly patients who did not develop pulmonary complications after surgery (Group 1B). PaCO_2 of group 1A and 1B were significantly lower than group 2. There were also significant differences between the three groups in water balance on the first postoperative day (group 1A +832ml, P=0.006 vs. group 1B +109ml, P=0.004 vs. group 2 -243ml ). Urine gravity in group 1A was also significantly higher than in group 2 in the first 3 postoperative days. Pulmonary artery catheter monitoring revealed increased cardiac output and decreased systemic vascular resistance, showing a hyperdynamic status, in elderly patients after surgery. Pulmonary vascular resistance was elevated in the same time. Conclusion Pulmonary co-morbidities commonly seen in elderly patients are responsible for pulmonary complications, the major cause of surgical mortality after thoracotomy. Hypoxemia in the early postoperative period is mainlycaused by relative volume overloading from trauma induced interstitial edema. Close monitoring of arterial blood gas under room air, water balance, and urine gravity after thoracotomy may identify elderly patients at risk of developing pulmonary complication and prompt timely intervention.


Two minor outbreaks of puerperal sepsis in two different hospitals are presented. In four (out of totally five) cases nosocomial transmission of group A streptococci (GAS) from health care workers to patients was likely to have occurred, based on epidemiological links and microbiological typing results. This is a reminder of the importance of careful adherence to standard precautions, but also illustrates the difficulties in keeping up good results over time.


A solution of the inelastic Boltzmann equation that applies for strong dissipation and takes into account non-equipartition of energy is used to derive an explicit expression for the thermal diffusion factor. This parameter provides a criterion for segregation that involves all the parameters of the granular binary mixture (composition, masses, sizes, and coefficients of restitution). The present work is consistent with recent experimental results and extends previous results obtained in the intruder limit case.


In this paper, a two-layer structured PbI2 thin film was constructed by the spin-coating procedure using a 0.80 M PbI2 solution in DMF and subsequent close-spaced vacuum thermal evaporation using PbI2 powder as a source. The bottom PbI2 thin film was compact with a sheet-like appearance, parallel to the FTO substrate, and can be easily converted to a compact perovskite thin film to suppress the charge recombination of the electrons of the TiO2 conduction band and the holes of the spiro-OMeTAD valence band. The top PbI2 thin film was porous with nano-sheet arrays, perpendicular to the FTO substrate, and can be easily converted to a porous perovskite thin film to improve the hole migration from the perovskite to spiro-OMeTAD and the charge separation at the perovskite/spiro-OMeTAD interface. The planar perovskite solar cells based on the two-layer structured PbI2 thin film exhibited a photoelectric conversion efficiency of 11.64%, along with an open-circuit voltage of 0.90 V, a short-circuit photocurrent density of 19.29 mA cm(-2) and a fill factor of 0.67.


Achieving detection of the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) is of critical importance for understanding plant growth and development. We report a hybrid supramolecular fluorescent probe that uses bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a host. Aggregation-induced emission of fluorescent chromophores (AIEgens) enables luminescence in the presence of BSA. ABA and its aptamer act as a switch to trigger this fluorescent system, the strategy that exhibits high sensitivity to abscisic acid with a detection limit of 0.098 nM. The probe test strip also enables visualization of ABA content from plants by colorimetric observation with the naked eye. In particular, the high biocompatibility and small molecular size of the prepared fluorescent probe allow for effective monitoring of ABA in plant tissues by fluorescence imaging. This strategy provides a new perspective to achieve the detection of endogenous and exogenous ABA in plants and has important implications for plant biology research.


Controlled/living radical copolymerization (CLRcoP) operated in a batch process is subject to composition drifting and thus produces spontaneous gradient copolymer. The composition distribution along the chain length of individual chains is solely determined by the reactivities of comonomers and the as-synthesized product is uncontrolled. Design of the composition vs. chain length profile provides a new route for developing polymer materials with tailor-made properties. Presented in this article is a theoretical mainframe used for the control over composition distribution along the chain length in atom transfer radical copolymerization. The control is based on a semibatch reactor technology with programmed comonomer feeding rates. Illustrated are three copolymerization model systems with representative reactivity ratios. The targeted composition distribution profiles are uniform, linear gradient, parabolic gradient, hyperbolic gradient, and di-block and tri-block distributions. © 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2007


This study was aimed at increasing our current knowledge on how professional development initiatives can be structured to develop and strengthen academics' pedagogical practices in implementing blended learning (BL) in university education. We investigated the mindsets and processes of 2 groups of academics in a research-intensive university in Singapore. The first group of academics had implemented BL at the early stages of the university's efforts to encourage the broader adoption of this innovative approach, while the second group comprised academics who had attended a professional development course on BL conducted by the faculty development unit within the institution. Initial analysis of interview data revealed positive results on the effectiveness of the professional development course and the use of the ICAP framework to enhance academic teachers' practices in implementing BL.


ABSTRACT There is a need to delve into major subgroups among U.S. Latina/o/xs and identify emerging patterns in their understanding and consumption of new media. This study used six small-group interviews to explore the fluidity of parasocial dynamics with podcasts among young Latina/o/x podcast listeners experiencing the COVID-19 lockdown. Recent literature has focused on the parasocial nature of dynamics, relationships, and emotional connections listeners develop with their favorite podcasts. While we found that there are unique circumstances of listening among young Latina/o/x listeners, such as living with family and working during school, their podcast interests are driven by identification with hosts, age, and gender more than ethnic parameters. The conceptual acronym EASY (Engaged Experience, Accessible Authenticity, Socialization in Solitude, and Youth and YouTube) was developed to interpret pandemic listening among Latina/o/x podcast users.


A series of MnO(x)/nano-TiO2 catalysts were prepared and their application in degradation of beta-naphthol by catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) was investigated. The catalysts preparation conditions, reaction conditions and its stability were tested. The catalysts had been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) measurements. The results showed that the decrease of the COD removal for the degradation of beta-naphthol at high Mn loading was due to the aggregation of the highly dispersed Mn species and the formation of the correlated crystals. The decline of the COD removal at high calcination temperature was probably attributed to the weak electron transfer between Mn2O3 and MnO2 and the formation of the inactive Mn2O3. The COD removal had been falling slightly when the catalyst was used 6 times, and this was likely related to the decrease of the diffraction peaks. The catalyst had a high activity when the Mn loading (mass fraction) was 4% and the calcination temperature was 450 degrees C. The COD removal was up to 96.4% at 110 degrees C and 0.5 MPa with this catalyst. The COD removal of 92.4% could be obtained with the MnO(x)/nano-TiO2 catalyst was recycled 6 times. The Mn leaching at 50, 80, 110 and 150 degrees C were all less than 9.3 mg x L(-1) by means of Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). The probable degradation pathway was proposed according to some publications.


Biological monitoring plays an important role in a pollution monitoring program providing information not available through conventional physical and chemical monitoring. The saprobic system and the use of structural and functional changes in aquatic communities are two approaches utilized in assessing the effects of pollutants on aquatic communities. The feedback of information from conventional instream biological monitoring has been too slow for the most effective management of an aquatic system. Two rapid biological monitoring systems (the Sequential Comparison Index, and an automated community structure analysis using laser holography) have been developed to increase the speed of data collection and data analysis.


As the carbon monoxide (CO) total column over Asia is among the highest in the world, it is important to characterize its variations in space and time. Using Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) and Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) satellite data, the variations and trends in CO total column over Asia and its seven subregions during 2003–2017 are investigated in this study. The CO total column in Asia is higher in spring and winter than in summer and autumn. The seasonal maximum and minimum are in spring and summer respectively in the regional mean over Asia, varying between land and oceans, as well as among the subregions. The CO total column in Asia shows strong interannual variation, with a regional mean coefficient of variation of 5.8% in MOPITT data. From 2003 to 2017, the annual mean of CO total column over Asia decreased significantly at a rate of (0.58 ± 0.15)% per year (or −(0.11 ± 0.03) × 1017 molecules cm−2 per year) in MOPITT data, resulting from significant CO decreases in winter, summer, and spring. In most of the subregions, significant decreasing trends in CO total column are also observed, more obviously over areas with high CO total column, including eastern regions of China and the Sichuan Basin. The regional decreasing trends in these areas are over 1% per year. Over the entire Asia, and in fire-prone subregions including South Siberia, Indo-China Peninsula, and Indonesia, we found significant correlations between the MOPITT CO total column and the fire counts from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The variations in MODIS fire counts may explain 58%, 60%, 36%, and 71% of the interannual variation in CO total column in Asia and these three subregions, respectively. Over different land cover types, the variations in biomass burning may explain 62%, 52%, and 31% of the interannual variation in CO total column, respectively, over the forest, grassland, and shrubland in Asia. Extremes in CO total column in Asia can be largely explained by the extreme fire events, such as the fires over Siberia in 2003 and 2012 and over Indonesia in 2006 and 2015. The significant decreasing trends in MODIS fire counts inside and outside Asia suggest that global biomass burning may be a driver for the decreasing trend in CO total column in Asia, especially in spring. In general, the variations and trends in CO total column over Asia detected by AIRS are similar to but smaller than those by MOPITT. The two datasets show similar spatial and temporal variations in CO total column over Asia, with correlation coefficients of 0.86–0.98 in the annual means. This study shows that the interannual variation in atmospheric CO in Asia is sensitive to biomass burning, while the decreasing trend in atmospheric CO over Asia coincides with the decreasing trend in MODIS fire counts from 2003 to 2017.


The effect of Methanolic,chloroform and diethel ether extracts of Adhatoda vasica was investigated in rats to evaluate the anti-ulcer activity by using three models, i.e. Aspirin, Alcohol and pyloric ligation models experimentally induced gastric ulcer. The parameters taken to assess anti-ulcer activity were volume of gastric secretion, PH, free acidity, total acidity and ulcer index. The results indicate that the alcoholic extract significantly (P < 0.001) decreases the volume of gastric acid secretion, PH, free acidity, total acidity and ulcer index with respect to control.


The purpose of this study was to examine the influences of thermal cycling on the adhesive strength of the adhesive resin cements. Four kinds of adhesive resin cements, which belonged to the commercial composite resin inlay products, were used for the study. They were CR Inlay Cement, Duo Cement, Dual Cement and P-30 diluted with Enamel Bond. The shear adhesive strengths to tooth substance and composite resin inlay were measured. Adhesive strength to etched enamel : CR Inlay Cement showed the highest values of 274 kg/cm2 after immersion in water at 37 degrees C for 24 hours and 230 kg/cm2 after 300 thermal cycles at 4 degrees C for 3 min and at 60 degrees C for 3 min. Adhesive strength to etched dentin : P-30 diluted with Enamel Bond showed the highest values of 64 kg/cm2 after 24-hour immersion in water, and 63 kg/cm2 after 300 thermal cycles. Adhesive strength to composite resin inlay : CR Inlay Cement showed the highest values of 310 kg/cm2 after 24-hour immersion in water, 306 kg/cm2 after 300 thermal cycles, and 297 kg/cm2 after 1000 thermal cycles. Adhesive resin cements other than CR Inlay Cement, showed a decrease in adhesive strengths to tooth substance and composite resin inlay after thermal cycling. Especially, Dual Cement and Duo Cement showed considerable decreases.


Hyaluronate is a potential marker of activated pulmonary fibroblasts and appears in increased amounts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with sarcoidosis. This study was performed to investigate a possible link between the local immune response and pulmonary fibroblast proliferation. The median hyaluronate concentration in the lavage fluid from 23 sarcoid patients was 12.0 (interquartile range 7.5-28.5) micrograms/l. The hyaluronate concentration was positively correlated to the concentration and proportion of lymphocytes (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.01, respectively) as well as to the concentrations of T lymphocyte subsets (OKT4+ p less than 0.01, OKT8+ p less than 0.05). No correlation was found between the hyaluronate concentration and the OKT4+/OKT8+ ratio. Furthermore, a significant correlation was observed in the lavage fluid between hyaluronate and angiotensin-converting enzyme, a marker of monocyte/macrophage activity (p less than 0.01). Thus, the intensity of the sarcoid alveolitis was associated with biochemical signs of pulmonary fibroblast proliferation/activation in sarcoidosis.


In response to low K+ stress, the MYB59 transcription factor regulates both the expression of transporter gene NRT1.5/NPF7.3 in Arabidopsis roots and the rate of root-to-shoot K+/NO3− transport. Potassium and nitrogen are essential nutrients for plant growth and development. Plants can sense potassium nitrate (K+/NO3–) levels in soils, and accordingly they adjust root-to-shoot K+/NO3– transport to balance the distribution of these ions between roots and shoots. In this study, we show that the transcription factorMYB59 maintains this balance by regulating the transcription of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) Nitrate Transporter1.5 (NRT1.5)/ Nitrate Transporter/Peptide Transporter Family7.3 (NPF7.3) in response to low K+ (LK) stress. The myb59 mutant showed a yellow-shoot sensitive phenotype when grown on LK medium. Both the transcript and protein levels of NPF7.3 were remarkably reduced in the myb59 mutant. LK stress repressed transcript levels of both MYB59 and NPF7.3. The npf7.3 and myb59 mutants, as well as the npf7.3 myb59 double mutant, showed similar LK-sensitive phenotypes. Ion content analyses indicated that root-to-shoot K+/NO3– transport was significantly reduced in these mutants under LK conditions. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation and electrophoresis mobility shift assay assays confirmed that MYB59 bound directly to the NPF7.3 promoter. Expression of NPF7.3 in root vasculature driven by the PHOSPHATE 1 promoter rescued the sensitive phenotype of both npf7.3 and myb59 mutants. Together, these data demonstrate that MYB59 responds to LK stress and directs root-to-shoot K+/NO3– transport by regulating the expression of NPF7.3 in Arabidopsis roots.


We give a complete geometrical description of the effective Hamiltonians common in nuclear shell-model calculations. By recasting the theory in a manifestly geometric form, we reinterpret and clarify several points. Some of these results are hitherto unknown or unpublished. In particular, commuting observables and symmetries are discussed in detail. Simple and explicit proofs are given, and numerical algorithms are proposed that improve and stabilize methods commonly used today.


The main challenge for anyone who attempts to research or translate medieval epistolary texts is the complexity and specifics of the epistola regia (royal letters) genre. The present article analyses letters written by Vytautas the Great, Grand Duke of Lithuania (1350–1430), focusing on the translation of said letters with regard to special aspects concerning the difficulties faced by the translator. There are no scientific papers which focus on the difficulties in translating Vytautas' letters from Latin. From the nearly 450 surviving letters of the Grand Duke, a large part of them written in Latin, only four Latin letters have been translated to Lithuanian. This article mostly raises issues rather than provides solutions, since the latter would require more extensive research. The aim is to show the qualities of epistolary texts of the Middle Ages, specifically the Latin correspondence of Vytautas, and the problems of translating them into Lithuanian. The greatest attention is given to a special rhythm (cursus), syllabic strategies at the beginning or at the end of a phrase, the listing of proper names, the selection of epithets or even of conjunctions and their usage, etc. I shall argue that such details could provide plenty of additional information for the analysis of the narrative. Therefore, if they are to be lost in research or translation, it would be a definitive deprivation of full understanding of the medieval rhetoric.


We report unique programming characteristics of a nanocrystal memory cell using a high-density SiGe nanocrystal array incorporated in the gate oxide of a MOSFET. The threshold voltage shift of the nanocrystal memory cell showed multiple step-like saturation behavior with respect to the write time. Capacitive coupling among very closely spaced nanocrystals seems to play a significant role in the tunneling process of single electron from the channel into the nanocrystal.


Increased longevity has not been paralleled by extended healthspan, resulting in more years spent with multiple diseases in older age. As such, interventions to improve healthspan are urgently required. Zoledronate is a nitrogen containing bisphosphonate, which inhibits the farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPPS) enzyme, central to the mevalonate pathway. It is already used clinically to prevent fractures in osteoporotic patients, who have been reported to derive unexpected and unexplained survival benefits. In this study we show that zoledronate has beneficial effects on both lifespan and healthspan using Drosophila as a model. We found that zoledronate extended lifespan, improved climbing activity and reduced intestinal epithelial dysplasia and permeability in aged flies. Mechanistic studies showed that zoledronate conferred resistance to oxidative stress and reduced accumulation of X-ray-induced DNA damage via inhibition of FPPS. Moreover, zoledronate inhibited pAKT in the mTOR pathway and functioned via dFOXO, a molecule associated with increased longevity, downstream of the mevalonate pathway. Taken together, our work indicates that zoledronate, a drug already widely used and dosed only once a year to prevent osteoporosis, modulates important mechanisms of ageing. Its repurposing holds great promise as a treatment to improve healthspan.


This paper reports on the behaviour of Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) detectors under continuous light. Usually, the bias circuit of a SiPM has a resistor connected in series to it, which protects the sensor from drawing too high current. This resistor introduces a voltage drop when a SiPM draws a steady current, when illuminated by constant light. This reduces the actual SiPM bias and then its sensitivity to light. As a matter of fact, this effect changes all relevant SiPM features, both electrical (i.e. breakdown voltage, gain, pulse amplitude, dark count rate and optical crosstalk) and optical (i.e. photon detection efficiency). To correctly operate such devices, it is then fundamental to calibrate them under various illumination levels. In this work, we focus on the large area (∼1 cm2) hexagonal SiPM S10943-2832(X) produced by Hamamatsu HPK for the camera of a gamma-ray telescope with 4 m-diameter mirror, called the SST-1M. We characterize this device under light rates raging from 3 MHz up to 5 GHz of photons per sensor at room temperature (T = 25̂C). From these studies, a model is developed in order to derive the parameters needed to correct for the voltage drop effect. This model can be applied for instance in the analysis of the data acquired by the camera to correct for the effect. The experimental results are also compared with a toy Monte Carlo simulation and finally, a solution is proposed to compensate for the voltage drop.


Type X is a distinctive post-Lapita pottery on Huon Peninsula and its adjacent islands in Papua New Guinea, for which Lilley originally proposed a time span from about 1600 to 850/550 cal. bp. The paper reviews this chronology in the light of new dates and the original data, and proposes that the duration of Type X should be shortened to about 1000–500 cal. bp. This revised chronology possibly lengthens the post-Lapita aceramic period on Huon Peninsula, and has implications for the history of trading across Vitiaz Strait. LILLey, Ian, & JIm Specht, 2007. Archaeological Studies of the Middle and Late Holocene, Papua New Guinea. Part VI. Revised dating of Type X pottery, Morobe Province. Technical Reports of the Australian Museum 20: 217–226 [published online]. Technical Reports of the Australian Museum (2007) No. 20. ISSN 1835-4211 online www.australianmuseum.net.au/pdf/publications/1478_complete.pdf Archaeological excavations in the Siassi Islands and at Sio on northeast Huon Peninsula, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea (Fig. 1), have yielded evidence for five prehistoric pottery styles starting with the dentate-stamped phase of the Lapita ceramic series at about 3000 years ago (Lilley, 1988a, 1988b, 2002, 2004). The most distinctive of the four post-Lapita styles is Type X, which is now known from 33 localities on Huon Peninsula, its adjacent islands and New Britain (Table 1). Petrographic and limited geochemical studies suggest a probable origin for Type X somewhere on Huon Peninsula (Watchman, 1986; Lilley, 1988a; Specht et al., 2006). Lilley (1988a) assigned Type X to the period c. 1600–850/550 cal. bp, spanning about 750–1000 years and overlapping with the start of pottery traditions ancestral to the present-day industries of the Madang and Sio-Gitua areas of mainland New Guinea (cf. May & Tuckson, 1982). This paper reviews the chronology of Type X in the light of dates obtained since Lilley's definition of the style or not available to him at the time, and reconsiders the original dating evidence. We conclude that Type X began around


When motion blur is considered, the optics point spread function (PSF) is conventionally assumed to be fixed, and therefore cascading of the motion optical transfer function (OTF) with the optics OTF is allowed. However, in angular motion conditions, the image is distorted by space-variant effects of wavefront aberrations, defocus, and motion blur. The proposed model considers these effects and formulates a combined space-variant PSF obtained from the angle-dependent optics PSF and the motion PSF that acts as a weighting function. Results of comparison of the new angular-motion-dependent PSF and the traditional PSF show significant differences. To simplify the proposed model, an efficient approximation is suggested and evaluated.


The G protein-coupled bile acid receptor (GPBAR1) has been recognized as a promising new target for the treatment of diverse diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and atherosclerosis. The identification of novel and potent GPBAR1 agonists is highly relevant, as these diseases are on the rise and pharmacological unmet therapeutic needs are pervasive. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a proficient workflow for the in silico prediction of GPBAR1 activating compounds, primarily from natural sources. A protocol was set up, starting with a comprehensive collection of structural information of known ligands. This information was used to generate ligand-based pharmacophore models in LigandScout 4.08 Advanced. After theoretical validation, the two most promising models, namely BAMS22 and TTM8, were employed as queries for the virtual screening of natural product and synthetic small molecule databases. Virtual hits were progressed to shape matching experiments and physicochemical clustering. Out of 33 diverse virtual hits subjected to experimental testing using a reporter gene-based assay, two natural products, farnesiferol B (27) and microlobidene (28), were confirmed as GPBAR1 activators reaching more than 50% receptor activation at 20 μM with EC50s of 13.53 μM and 13.88 μM, respectively. This activity is comparable to that of the endogenous ligand lithocholic acid (1). Seven further virtual hits showed activity reaching at least 15% receptor activation either at 5 or 20 μM, including new scaffolds from natural and synthetic origin.


Uterine artery embolization (UAE) is a relatively recent, safe, and minimally invasive procedure for women experiencing symptomatic fibroids. This process of percutaneous occlusion of blood vessels to disrupt blood flow will consequently impede nourishment to the uterine fibroids and cause infarction. To have proper patient treatment to optimize overall clinical success, guidelines should be rigorously followed. This article will delineate a suitable patient care process for UAE in which subsequent interventional radiologists can employ.


In this paper, physical models for vertical 4H-silicon carbide (4H-SiC) Schottky diodes are used to develop a design method, where a maximum cutoff frequency for a given punch-through is achieved. The models presented are also used to extract microwave simulator computer-aided design (CAD) models for the devices. A device process was developed and Schottky diodes were fabricated in-house. Characterization of the devices was performed and compared to the theoretical models with good agreement. A demonstrator singly balanced diode mixer was simulated using the developed models. The mixer was fabricated using the in-house developed diodes, and measurements on the mixer show good agreement with the CAD simulations. A conversion loss of 5.2 dB was achieved at 850 MHz, and an excellent IIP/sub 3/ of 31 dBm at 850-MHz RF was measured, at 30-dBm P/sub LO/. These results verify the enhanced properties of the SiC Schottky diode compared to other nonwide bandgap diodes.


Yersinia pestis, a gram-negative rod belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family, is the causative agent of plague. Classical methods of detecting the organisms are time-consuming, expensive and dangerous. The aim of the study was to design a Real-time PCR assay on the basis of the pla gene of Yersinia pestis. In this research the Realtime PCR test was optimized by using special primers for targeting pla gene. After preparing 10-fold serial dilutions of the pla and their analysis by the assay, the last dilution showing a fluorescent signal was confirmed as the limit of detection (LOD). A standard curve based on the Ct values was depicted, so the assay was developed to quantify the target gene. The analytical specificity was determined by subjecting the genome of some control negative bacteria to the assay. In this experiment, negative control genomes did not show detectable signals in the assay. The last dilution of pla plasmid which showed a fluorescent signal was 4.5 fg. So, the lower detectable copy numbers of the gene in a 20 μl PCR reaction was calculated as 1×10.


Studies of characterization of benthic communities and habitats are of paramount importance in the elaboration of management plans and in the preservation of marine biodiversity, especially in areas of marine protection, regions considered of relevant ecological interest. At the Santa Cruz Wildlife Refuge (RVS) and the Environmental Protection Area (APA) in the state of Espirito Santo, there are several potentially anthropogenic activities that cause impacts, such as fishing activity and exploration and production of oil and gas occurring near the region. The objective of this study was to characterize the main habitats in the region of the RVS of Santa Cruz and the APA Costa das Algas, using remotely operated vehicle (ROV) imaging techniques and its correlation with the sedimentological material. The records were obtained through 50 collection stations distributed along the continental shelf, from the 10 m isobath. Five habitats were identified and described as Terrestrial Sands, Carboniferous Gravels, Rodoliths and Gravels, Reefs and Rodolites and Laterites (Hardground), refining the level of knowledge in relation to that already existing in past and more regional studies of the study area. It was possible to identify a greater abundance in the habitat described as Reefs and Rodolites, located in the deeper portion of the APA Costa das Algas, having as opposite the Terrestrial Sands habitat, mostly comprising at the RVS of Santa Cruz. The method used proved to be satisfactory for this type of characterization, which can be replicated in studies of more sensitive areas. The results obtained in the present study will be able to subsidize the managing organ of the two protected areas in the elaboration of their respective management plans.


Cuba has recognized that conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity is a priority. One of the main strategies it has developed is the creation of the National System of Protected Areas (Sistema Nacional de Areas Protegidas, or SNAP), which includes an important marine component. Here, we present the current status of the Cuban marine protected areas (MPAs) and their challenges and prognoses. To date, 105 MPAs have been proposed; they cover 25% of the Cuban insular shelf. Of these, 57 have been legally incorporated into the system and 13 more are being managed to its standards, a total of 70 have some degree of implementation. About 30% of the Cuban coral reefs, 24% of the seagrass beds, and 35% of mangroves are legally protected by SNAP. The main challenges are insufficient financing and the difficulty of reinvesting profits generated within these areas. Prohibited fishing practices and capture of protected species are the principle issues that affect MPAs. The priorities for the immediate future are to assess the value of ecosystem services, strengthen connections with fishing communities, and achieve greater integration with other sectors to guarantee the proper management of tourism and fisheries in and near MPAs for the benefit of sustainable development.


Microelectronic packages are typically composed of different layers of materials with un-similar thermo-mechanical properties. Fabrication-induced residual stresses, resulting from the mismatch of layers' thermo-mechanical properties, may lead to adverse effects such as warpage and delamination at the interface of layers. In this study, the fabrication process of the ball grid array (BGA) package was simulated to predict the thermal residual stresses through the thickness of the package. A finite-element model incorporating realistic material behavior of the BGA package layers was developed. To this end, the epoxy molding compound (EMC) was modeled as a viscoelastic material, while the silicon chip, the die-attach, and the composite substrate were simulated using an elastic model during cooling. Since Young's modulus of EMC is time and temperature-dependent, three different process temperatures were simulated to investigate the impact of viscoelastic properties of EMC, defined using Prony coefficients, on numerical residual stresses. To verify the simulation results, the incremental hole-drilling method was used to experimentally measure the residual stress components. It includes drilling a small hole at the center of a rosette strain gauge bonded on the BGA package surface and measuring the released strains on the surface. The relaxed strains were then converted to the residual stresses using a calibration matrix whose coefficients are determined from a finite-element model. The reasonable agreement of numerical and experimental components of the residual stress throughout the thickness of the BGA package confirms the reliability of the proposed simulation approach in estimating residual stresses in microelectronics packages.


Begonia is the world's fastest-growing genus and a focus of intense taxonomic research. To support this, a stable and useful sectional classification is needed. This paper reviews the feasibility and challenges of creating an infrageneric classification for Begonia based on phylogenetic data, and how to overcome phylogenetic and taxonomic conflict. In particular, it (i) tests genus-wide patterns of incongruence between phylogenies based on the nuclear, chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes; (ii) explains organelle inheritance and its contribution to phylogenetic incongruence, and (iii) presents a manifesto for a workable and stable subgeneric classification in light of the above and lays the foundation for a collaborative Begonia Phylogeny Group.


The education system must respond to changes in society, its demands and needs of students at all levels, so the mission of modern pedagogical institutions of higher education is to train teachers ready and able to accept such challenges. The article presents the experience of the Department of Foreign Languages at the Pedagogical Institute of Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University in training students majoring in 012 "Preschool Education" and 013 "Primary Education" and methods of teaching them to implement digital tools in the process of forming foreign language communicative competence of 3-10 year-old children at preschool institutions and the New Ukrainian School. It should be noted that this work took place within the research on the scientific topic: "Strategy of foreign language teacher training in the context of European integration." The basis of the study is the understanding of the specifics of language as a means of communication, and therefore the emergence of new digital ways and tools of communication, their widespread penetration into various spheres of life naturally requires their use for educational purposes. In addition, the normative documents of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine recognize information and digital competence as a component of professional competence of a teacher of any subject, which also requires modernization of components of teacher training in early foreign language learning. In the process of research we relied on the levels of digital competence of teachers defined in DigCompEdu and aimed to prepare future teachers of early foreign language teaching for the practical application of digital tools and instruments taking into account Generation Theory, Alpha children, current foreign language programs in modern conditions of educational institutions in Ukraine. In the process of research in the curriculum of disciplines "Modern technologies of teaching preschool children a foreign language" (specialty "Preschool education") and "Modern technologies of foreign language teaching in primary school" (specialty "Primary education") content modules "Organizational and pedagogical conditions of application of modern technologies of teaching foreign languages (FL) to preschool (PS) children / FL in PS", "Digital technologies of teaching FL to preschool children / FL in PS", "Media-based learning in early foreign language learning in PS / in primary school"," Technologies of blended learning of foreign languages in primary school" are introduced, within which theoretical, practical and methodical work takes place, the purpose of which is the formation of digital competence of future teachers.


The distinction between low-grade and high-grade disseminated appendiceal mucinous neoplasms is of critical importance in assessing prognosis and guiding patient therapy. SMAD4 encodes a protein that is a central component of the TGF&bgr; signal transduction pathway, and loss of SMAD4 expression has been associated with poor prognosis in carcinomas of the gastrointestinal tract. We reviewed the clinicopathologic and molecular features of 109 disseminated appendiceal mucinous neoplasms identified over an 8-year period at our institution in an attempt to: (1) correlate SMAD4 immunohistochemical expression with tumor grade; and (2) assess the prognostic significance of SMAD4 expression in predicting overall survival. Compared with tumors demonstrating preserved SMAD4 expression, tumors with loss of SMAD4 expression more frequently exhibited high cytologic grade (85% vs. 50%, P=0.035), high cellularity (100% vs. 45%, P<0.001), and destructive invasion (100% vs. 55%, P=0.001). SMAD4 expression significantly correlated with overall tumor grade (P=0.003): all 13 tumors with loss of SMAD4 expression were high grade, whereas all 42 low-grade tumors displayed preserved SMAD4 expression. A significantly higher proportion of tumors with loss of SMAD4 immunohistochemical expression demonstrated loss of heterozygosity at chromosome 18q (38%) compared with tumors with preserved SMAD4 expression (11%) (P=0.049), suggesting that loss of SMAD4 expression is due to genomic deletion in a high proportion of cases. Patients with SMAD4-negative tumors had significantly worse overall survival in comparison with patients with preserved SMAD4 expression (log rank P=0.023). However, our multivariable analysis found that SMAD4 expression was not independent of overall tumor grade in predicting overall survival. Our results indicate that loss of SMAD4 immunohistochemical expression is associated with loss of heterozygosity at chromosome 18q and is always associated with aggressive histologic features in disseminated appendiceal mucinous neoplasms. SMAD4 immunohistochemistry may be a useful ancillary study in select cases of disseminated appendiceal neoplasia, in which the distinction between low-grade and high-grade tumors is difficult.


Background Biological therapies optimization in joint inflammatory diseases is indicated in patients who have more than six months in clinical remission. The main objective is to limit the occurrence of adverse effects, which are dosage-dependent. In addition, the cost savings suppose a better access of new patients to these treatments. Given the increasing importance of this topic in recent years, we present the optimization experience in our center at the last 4 years Objectives 1.To analyze the clinical evolution evaluated by DAS28 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and polyarticular psoriatic arthritis (PPSA) in biological therapy (BT) followed in a university hospital in the south of Spain which are performed in optimization of BT. 2.To analyze the optimization strategies used with the different BT Methods Observational, longitudinal, retrospective and descriptive study by the review of clinical records, between January 2013 and January 2017, of patients with RA and PPSA who underwent BT optimization for more than 6 months at follow-up (DAS28 <2.6) or minimal activity (DAS28 2.6–3.2). We analyze demographic data, time of evolution of illness before the use of BT, time of TB until optimization, clinical evaluation by DAS28 and therapeutic strategies. Statistical analysis was performed with the IBM SPSS Statistics program Results From 294 patients in BT (174 RA and 120 PPsA), 95 (32.3%) were submitted to optimization treatment: 58 in RA group and 37 in PPSA group. 57 were women and 38 men, with 56±12 years mean age. The mean treatment time at optimized doses was 32±17 months. At the optimization time, 85 (89.5%) patients presented DAS28 remission and 10 (10.5%) had low activity; at the study cut time, 67 (70.5%) of them continue at clinical remission,14 (14.7%) low activity, 11 (11.6%) moderate and 3 (3.2%)high activity according to DAS28. A 69.5% (66) of the patients continued with optimized doses at the end of the study. From the 58 patients included in the RA group, 14 (5 with adalimumab 40 mg/21 days, 8 with etanercept 25 mg/7–10 days or 50 mg/10 days and 1 with certolizumab 200 mg/month) need the standard dose of the drug for disease control; a patient receiving etanercept discontinued the treatment after the diagnosis of breast cancer, as well as three other patients treated with adalimumab who were diagnosed of pancreatic cancer, septic arthritis and cognitive impairment respectively. On the other hand, 9 patients from of the PPSA group needed to restart the treatment at standard doses, either for articular (4) or cutaneous (5) worsening, 3 of them being treated with adalimumab and 6 with etanercept. In addition, a patient had to be discontinued due to the diagnosis of decompensated liver cirrhosis; another patient suspended it voluntarily Conclusions After 4 years, we can conclude that in our cohort of patients with inflammatory joint disease in BT that have been submitted to dose optimization because they were in remission or low disease activity, a high percentage (69.5%) remain in the same clinical situation for an average of 32 months. The response rate obtained for optimization in the RA group and in the PPSA group are comparable. The most frequent optimization strategies employed were adalimumab 40mg/21 days, etanercept 25mg/7 days and etanercept 50mg/10 days. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Favorable silvicultural and technological characteristics of the species Calophyllum brasiliense Camb. have led to the emergence of commercial plantations. Scientific literature offers only medium and general data on some variables of this species, not reporting specific variables prior to the time of the study, such as age, spacing, among others, perhaps because the wood is mostly from native forests. Given the knowledge gap regarding the characterization of guanandi wood, the aim of this work was to quantitatively study: (i) the morphological structural variation of the wood cells, and (ii) the distinction between juvenile and mature wood, for the species from a pure plantation, whose growth history are known. Five specimens were sampled, within a population of 135 trees, with 13 years of age and 4.0 x 2.5 m spacing. The results indicated average values of 1134, 21.02, 12.88 and 4.07 μm for the length, width, and diameter of the lumen and mean wall fiber thickness, respectively. 13-years-old guanandi wood was characterized as juvenile.


The state of the art in the spectroscopic identification and kinetic analysis of condensed-phase reactions of bivalent germanium derivatives and their dimers is considered. Considerable attention is drawn to the comparison of results obtained by laser flash photolysis and spin chemistry methods.


To evaluate the effect of a 1–2 week multiprofessional team assessment, without a real rehabilitation effort, 60 patients suffering from long-standing pain and on long-lasting time on sick leave were studied. A questionnaire concerning their daily activities, quality of life, pain intensity, sick-leave level, and their work state was filled out by all patients before starting the assessment and at a 1-year follow-up. The results from the assessment period and the multiprofessional team decision of the patient's working ability were compared with the actual working rate after 1 year. The follow-up showed a significant reduction of sick leave and a higher level of activity (P < 0.001). One year after the initial evaluation, 40% showed a reduction in sickness benefit level and 12% resumed full-time work. However, the team evaluation of the patient's work ability did not correlate to predict the actual outcome. The patient's pain intensity, life satisfaction, gender, age, ethnic background, and time absent from work before the start of the evaluation showed no correlation to reduction on time on sickness benefit level. These parameters could not be used as predictors in this study.


In this article, we discuss how two interpretations of vulnerability in the climate change literature are manifestations of different discourses and framings of the climate change problem. The two differing interpretations, conceptualized here as 'outcome vulnerability' and 'contextual vulnerability', are linked respectively to a scientific framing and a human-security framing. Each framing prioritizes the production of different types of knowledge, and emphasizes different types of policy responses to climate change. Nevertheless, studies are seldom explicit about the interpretation that they use. We present a diagnostic tool for distinguishing the two interpretations of vulnerability and use this tool to illustrate the practical consequences that interpretations of vulnerability have for climate change policy and responses in Mozambique. We argue that because the two interpretations are rooted in different discourses and differ fundamentally in their conceptualization of the character and causes of vulnerability, they cannot be integrated into one common framework. Instead, it should be recognized that the two interpretations represent complementary approaches to the climate change issue. We point out that the human-security framing of climate change has been far less visible in formal, international scientific and policy debates, and addressing this imbalance would broaden the scope of adaptation policies.


Brain tumor detection and the amount of severity may be a difficult downside for the radiologists. This project is aimed to produce a completely unique clinical network to help radiologists and clinicians in time period. An adaptive mean thresholding is used for segmentation and graylevel runlength matrix are determined from LBP image of therefore obtained segmental image. The features are developed from gray level runlength matrix. Classification is finished with discriminant analysis classifier. This system will not only detect the tumors, but will also identify its grading in terms of its severity. The most frequent tumor among different types of tumors is brain tumor, this projected system will test the presence of low grade tumor such as Astrocytoma and Ependymoma, moreover as high grade tumors like Oligodendroglioma and glioblastoma Multiforme.


Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is a growing health problem of the elderly population. Diabetes education based on effective patient-provider communication pla ys a major role in treatment of type 2 DM. In this study, as an effort for making better communication, we examined how older patients with type 2 DM report their healthcare goals, what factors influencing their goals and control their self-care behaviors. Methods: Subjects were thirty three patients with type 2 DM aged 65 and older. An interviewer conducted one-on-one interviews using open questions about 5 categories: concept of "health," purpose of DM management, causes of DM, practical aspects of DM management, and decision making related to DM management. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed and two investigators independently reviewed. Results: The majority of our sample (79%) expressed their management go als in a socio-functional language, rather than medical issues. They defined "Healthy" as a status of keeping daily life without any symptoms. Many subjects has not altered their diet habits (33%) and making no efforts to exercise (64%) due to physical and psychological limitations though almost all (91%) older patients recognized the importance of diet control and exercise. Conclusion: When introduce the goal of DM management, it would be better to use socio-functional terms in diabetes education of elderly patients with type 2 DM. To improve the self-care behaviors, it is essential to make efforts not only to give knowledge but also to find their physical and psychological limitations related to poor performances. (Korean Diabetes J 33:439-447, 2009)


This paper presents an experimental case study concerning the application of an on-line inverse kinematics algorithm ensuring tracking of the assigned end-effector path to a six-dof industrial robot manipulator. The desired trajectory to be followed by the manipulator in the presence of velocity and acceleration joint limits is generated on-line while the robot manipulator is in motion. Path tracking is achieved by properly slowing down the task-space trajectory via a time warp when joint limits are encountered. The experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the adopted algorithm and show that the desired path is kept as much as possible.


The clinical records of 166 available vasectomy patients at the Fertility Control Clinic of the University of the Philippines Philippines Medical Center were examined and in-depth interviews using the case study method were conducted with 10 vasectomy acceptors in an attempt to obtain the characteristics of vasectomy acceptors and to determine the persons most influential in the decision to accept vasectomy as well as the fears and problems relating to vasectomy. The demographic characteristics of age educational achievement occupation residence race religion marital status total live births and contraceptives used before vasectomy were gathered. The most probable acceptors of vasectomy are men in the 30-39 year age bracket with high school education an unskilled job married Catholic father of 3-4 children and wives who have used oral contraception. For 64% of the acceptors the reason for vasectomy was socioeconomic according to clinic records. The in-depth interviews indicated the reasons for acceptance to be contraceptive failure and convenience. The mass media and "significant others" (such as friends; neighbors; associates; and the husbands manager) played a major role in the dissemination of vasectomy information. Husbands were the decision-makers in the family particularly with regard to the choice of vasectomy. The nature of preoperative fears was related to possible side effects and the uncertain outcome of the procedure. The sexual relationship remained unchanged in regard to coital frequency coital attitude and behavior.


This case study takes a mixed methods approach to examine the alignment of beliefs on Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) in light of student motivation. This study is situated at a private school in Dubai and it focuses on the high school section. The data collection was done through data source triangulation and method triangulation, as it uses a questionnaire to obtain students' opinions and interviews to gather the opinions of teachers and senior leaders. The overall number of participants is 46, consisting of 40 high school students from ninth to twelfth grade, 4 teachers and 2 senior leaders. The qualitative data was analysed through inductive coding, whereas the responses to the questionnaire were obtained through quantitative analyses. The data findings represent discrepancies in opinions, not only between the students and educators, but also within the educational staff and leaders. It also brought forward the lack of knowledge that principals generally have on TBLT and their indifference towards the internal motivation of learners. This study concludes with evidence that students' and educators' beliefs are, in fact, skewed. Finally, specific limitations of this study are outlined and implications for future research are brought forward.


The relationship between mast cells' secretory response to stimulation via their type 1 Fc epsilon receptors (Fc epsilon RI) and that provided by the C3a fragment of the complement system was investigated in the rat mucosal-type mast cell line RBL-2H3. These cells are known to be unresponsive to the so-called 'peptidergic' stimulus provided by cationic agents, such as anaphylatoxins, neuropeptides or polyamines. We now observed that C3a effectively inhibits the Fc epsilon RI clustering induced secretion of RBL-2H3 cells. This inhibition is dose-dependent and takes place at a C3a concentration range of 0.4-12.5 nM, i.e. at least three orders of magnitude lower than those where this anaphylatoxin exerts its secretory stimulus to 'serosal' mast cells. In order to identify where C3a interferes in the Fc epsilon RI coupling cascade, we have studied its effect on the cells' protein phosphorylation pattern, hydrolysis of phosphatidyl inositides, transient rise in free cytosolic Ca2+ ion concentration and Ca2+ uptake. All these processes were found to be inhibited by a similar C3a concentration range.


A study was made of the quantitative changes in myoglobin and the subcellular organization of the myocardium at early periods of experimental infarction of the heart in dogs. There proved to be a correlative relationship between the myoglobin content and the state of subcellular organization of the cardiomyocytes in the ischemic area and the so-called intact portions of the right and the left ventricles.


Objectives To explore the influencing factors of satisfaction with postoperative treatment in patients diagnosed with thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum during different follow-up periods. Methods This was a retrospective study of 57 patients who were diagnosed with thoracic ossification of ligamentum flavum (TOLF) and treated with laminectomy in the Spine Surgery Department of the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2010 to January 2017. The Patient Satisfaction Index (PSI) was collected at discharge and at 6-month, 1-year, and the last follow-up. According to the evaluation results, the patients could be divided into a satisfied group and a dissatisfied group. The patient's Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score improvement rate was evaluated at the last follow-up. Possible influencing factors of the two groups of patients were compared and the related influencing factors of satisfaction with postoperative treatment in patients during different follow-up periods were summarized. Results At the time of discharge, the dissatisfied and satisfied groups had significant differences in variables of diabetes mellitus, duration of preoperative symptoms, urination disorder, intramedullary signal change on MRI, dural ossification, residual rate of cross-sectional spinal canal area on CT, shape on the sagittal MRI, hospital stay, hospitalization expenses, postoperative pain in LE VAS, delayed wound healing, postoperative depression, and intercostal pain (P < 0.05). There were also significant differences in urination disorder, postoperative pain according to the LE VAS, JOA score, and postoperative depression during the 6-month follow-up (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in other variables between the two groups (P > 0.05). One year after the operation, there were significant differences between the dissatisfied group and the satisfied group in urination disorder, JOA score, and symptom recurrence (P < 0.05). There were also significant differences in the JOA score and symptom recurrence at the final follow-up (P < 0.05). For further analysis, the duration of preoperative symptoms in the satisfied group was less than 24 months and the duration of preoperative symptoms in the dissatisfied group was more than 24 months. The JOA scores of patients in the satisfied group and the dissatisfied group increased gradually with the improvement of neurological function in different follow-up periods, but, at the last follow-up, the JOA scores of patients in the satisfied group were significantly higher than those in the dissatisfied group. Conclusions In conclusion, for thoracic ossification of ligamentum flavum patients who received laminectomy, dissatisfaction with the early and medium-term postoperative results may be related to diabetes, the duration of preoperative symptoms, hospitalization expenses, delayed wound healing, intercostal pain, and urination disorder, and dissatisfaction with the long-term postoperative results might be related to the low JOA score improvement rate and symptom recurrence.


Devoted to imbalances of sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, chloride, and water, Dr Collins' cleverly illustrated manual considers the electrolyte disturbances that a practitioner is likely to encounter in his hospital practice. Collins uses a brightly colored diagram, which he repeats throughout the manual with appropriate additions in black and white, to illustrate each abnormality. Facing each diagram on the opposite page, a few paragraphs of text consider the pathophysiology, treatment, and causes of the disorder. Collins discusses both normal and abnormal findings and usually recommends a treatment, often referring to a few simple formulas for estimating excesses and deficits. He provides tables that summarize the clinical features of fluid and electrolyte disorders and give the constituents of various reparative solutions. Lists of electrolyte imbalances accompanied by the most likely causes of each also appear in tables designed to help the reader make a differential diagnosis. Finally, Collins shows how he uses


Helping professionals in multiple disciplines, including social workers, are commonly taught to embrace human diversity, think critically, empower clients, and respect client self-determination. Indeed, much of clinical practice with clients is predicated on such professional values, which are important to the establishment of a strong therapeutic alliance and an effective treatment outcome. This study applies qualitative measures, such as  an open-ended questionnaire and creative analytic practice (CAP) strategy in the form of poetic representation, to provide insights into how people with a specific nontraditional identity, that of "real vampire," feel about disclosing this salient identity to helping professionals within a clinical context. As a CAP method, poetic representation is valuable in acknowledging participants' subjective realities and preserving emotional intensity in participants' responses. Results suggest that nearly all participants were distrustful of social workers and helping professionals and preferred to "stay in the coffin" for fear of being misunderstood, labeled, and potentially having to face severe repercussions to their lives.


New information about food safety can stimulate a sudden, significant concern by the public, resulting in a pronounced change in consumer demand. One such example is the declining level of beef consumption in Europe and Japan, stemming from the outbreak of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), known as mad-cow disease. This study evaluates the impacts of the BSE outbreak in Japan in September 2001 on the import demands for U.S. meat in Japan and South Korea, using a nonparametric revealed preference approach. Empirical results show that there are excess violations in the Japanese data after the timing of the outbreak, but not in the South Korean data, implying that the event has influenced Japanese meat import demand, but not South Korean meat import demand.


In the last decades we have witnessed a technological advancement at all levels with particular emphasis in hardware and mobile devices. These became increasingly lighter and cheaper, and transferred from the office to the car, to equipment and other utensils. The amount of (digital) information available in the environment has increased exponentially, requiring a technological response in order to improve and facilitate its access and assimilation. The concept of Augmented Reality acts as a bridge between real and digital inviting to new models of user interaction. The AR incorporation is intended primarily to make systems more usable by decreasing the need of cognitive load inherent to their use. This paper presents a case study, proposing a model for a Learning Object using Augmented Reality, studying the integration of augmented reality and multimedia techniques combined with other conventional materials researching how they may contribute to increase motivation and perceived towards knowledge.