Rapid antimicrobial action is an important advantage of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) over antibiotics, which is also a reason for AMPs being less likely to induce bacterial resistance. However, the structural parameters and underlying mechanisms affecting the bacterial killing rate of AMPs remain unknown. In this study, we performed a structure-activity relationship (SAR) study using As-CATH4 and 5 as templates. We revealed that hydrophobicity, rather than other characteristics, is the critical structural parameter determining the bacterial killing rate of α-helical AMPs. With the hydrophobicity increase, the action rates of AMPs including bacterial binding, lipopolysaccharides neutralization, and outer and inner membrane permeabilization increased. Additionally, the higher hydrophobic AMPs with enhanced bacterial killing rates possess better in vivo therapeutic potency and a lower propensity to induce bacterial resistance. These findings revealed the importance of the bacterial killing rate for AMPs and are of great significance to the design and optimization of AMP-related drugs.


Business schools have been using information for years to improve the efficiency of academic services and effectiveness of academic programs. As more trustees, administrators, faculty, parents, students have begun to seek better outcomes, not surprisingly these schools are investing in technology. But these schools are finding that technology implementation does not necessarily improve decision-making nor does it necessarily improve outcomes and decision-making. This paves the way to recognise the urgent need for Knowledge Management (KM) which is a key asset.A big and major crucial feature of business schools is that they are made up of a number of nested systems. In analytical terms, this can also be described as levels or units. These levels range from faculty, student, research, administration, academics and placement. The reports in business schools are numerous as the requirement of reports from level to level is difficult. Analytical needs differ, but are present at every level of the system. A robust KM system must reflect the information needs of all levels. In particular, data must be gathered at all levels to the user in a fine-grained manner. This paper explores the application KM to business schools and in particular in support of the sharing of knowledge resources. This paper considers the critical role played by the "sharing of knowledge resources" in one of top business schools, Test Business School — TBS (pseudonym is used to mask the institution name) in India.


Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate complications and costs in patients treated with laparoscopic and open method for common bile duct (CBD) stones. Secondary aim is to compare the effectiveness, safety, and outcomes of these methods. In addition, it is aimed to review the feasibility of laparoscopic method in rural areas. Methods: Seventy-one patients were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into two groups as open and laparoscopic surgical method. These groups were analyzed comparatively in terms of complications and costs. Subgroups were formed from patients who underwent T-tube drainage, primary closure, and biliary anastomosis as choledochotomy management. As a secondary outcome, these three subgroups were investigated in terms of complications and cost. Results: The cost was lower in open method compared to laparoscopic method (484$, 707$, P = .002). There was no significant difference in postoperative complications between groups (P = .257). While the mean hospital stay was longer in the open group, the operation time was shorter (P = .002, P = .03). The mean length of hospital stay in the T-tube group was significantly higher than the primary closure (P = .001). The cost in the T-tube group was significantly higher than the primary closure and biliary anastomosis groups. Conclusion: Laparoscopic CBD exploration by experienced surgeons in endoscopic retrograde-cholangiopancreatography-limited settings is an effective and safe method in the treatment of choledocholithiasis. This procedure should not be limited to reference centers and should be performed safely in rural areas by well-trained surgeons.


We consider the well-studied problem of learning a linear combination of $k$ ReLU activations with respect to a Gaussian distribution on inputs in $d$ dimensions. We give the first polynomial-time algorithm that succeeds whenever $k$ is a constant. All prior polynomial-time learners require additional assumptions on the network, such as positive combining coefficients or the matrix of hidden weight vectors being well-conditioned. Our approach is based on analyzing random contractions of higher-order moment tensors. We use a multi-scale analysis to argue that sufficiently close neurons can be collapsed together, sidestepping the conditioning issues present in prior work. This allows us to design an iterative procedure to discover individual neurons.


Laboratory work has shown that mosquitoes obtaining blood meals from animals treated with ivermectin exhibit lowered adult survival, fecundity, egg hatch and larval survival. Computer simulation evaluated the consequences of this phenomenon in field populations of Psorophora columbiae feeding on cattle in the rice agroecosystem. Results suggest that rather minor reductions, on the order of 10% below normal, in these life history parameters would significantly affect the population dynamics of this species in this particular system. Significant reductions in the amount of insecticide used for mosquito abatement are also projected.


This study addresses freedom, work and organisation by problematising Amartya Sen's pluralistic notion of (development as) freedom through a fieldwork study of a Filipino non-governmental organisation that promotes sustainable agriculture. In this context, peasant farmers face increasing threat from intersecting agrarian and climate crises, exacerbated by mainstream economic paradigms for agricultural development. For Sen, development encompasses the process of expanding the 'substantive freedoms' of people (freedom to), and removing sources of 'unfreedom' (freedom from). However, it is not clear in Sen's work how such freedoms are relationally constituted and thus the manner of the 'labour of agential becoming' at the core of Sen's thought. We therefore ask: how do agroecological work and organisational practices of grassroots development promote freedom for small-scale farmers under climate threat in the Global South? Our analysis identifies a novel form of freedom – labelled 'freedom with' – defined as a set of relational, multi-actor capabilities and organising practices that constitute alternative, future-oriented ways of doing and being. 'Freedom with' enables us to better understand how and why the labour of agential becoming works, offering a theoretical extension of Sen's notion of freedom with implications for debates in our field on sustainability and beyond-capitalist organising.


TFIIE and TFIIH are essential for the promoter opening and escape that occurs as RNA polymerase II transits into early elongation. XPB, a subunit of TFIIH, contains an ATP-dependent helicase activity that is used in both of these processes. Here, we show that the smaller beta subunit of TFIIE stimulates the XPB helicase and ATPase activities. The larger alpha subunit can use its known inhibitory activity to moderate the stimulation by the beta subunit. Regions of TFIIE beta required for the helicase stimulation were identified. Mutants were constructed that are defective in stimulating the XPB helicase but still allow intact TFIIE to bind and recruit XPB and TFIIH to form the pre-initiation complex. In a test for the functional significance of the stimulatory effect of TFIIE beta, these mutant forms of TFIIE were shown to be defective in a transcription assay on linear DNA. The data suggest that the beta subunit of TFIIE is an ATPase and helicase co-factor that can assist the XPB subunit of TFIIH during transcription initiation and the transition to early elongation, enhancing the potential diversity of regulatory targets.


Barley developmental mutants tweaky spike (tw) with disturbed auxin pathways possess a unique feature of an increased level of mouldy germinating grains (MGG), which serves as a convenient model to investigate the effects of plant immunity-related substances. The effects of the auxin 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), auxin inhibitors, salicylic acid (SA), and trans-cinnamic acid (TCA) were studied using the tw-WT system in surface-sterilized and unsterilized germinating grains under high rates of natural infection. Significant differences among the allelic tw mutants were revealed at the natural MGG level and in response to 2,4-D, SA, and TCA. The most effective means against MGG were sterilization and TCA. 2,4-D inhibited root growth in tw and tw2 mutants, occurring only in unsterilized and not sterilized germinating grains, while the opposite was observed for TCA and SA. The tw mutations influenced variations in the seed-borne fungal spectra, decreasing the frequency of Bipolaris sorokiniana and increasing Fusarium spp. Hypochlorite-based surface sterilization methods should be used with caution in studies where the action of exogenous 2,4-D will be analysed in germinating grains. Auxin pathway disturbances specific for pleiotropic tw mutants are generally restricted to organogenesis but not to germination events.


This paper presents microstructure optical fiber (MOF) for tailoring nearly zero ultraflattened dispersion and low confinement losses in a wide range of wavelengths. The finite-element method with perfectly matched layers boundary condition is used to investigate the guiding properties. It has been shown theoretically that it is possible to obtain nearly zero ultraflattened dispersion of 0.35 ps/nm/km in a wavelength range of 1.30 to 1.65 μm with low confinement losses of the order less than 10-5 dB/km within the entire band of interest from a fivering MOF.


A three-dimensional (3-D) spectral-element method (SEM) based on Gauss-Lobatto-Legendre (GLL) polynomials is proposed to solve the Schro/spl uml/dinger equation in nanodevice simulation. Galerkin's method is employed to obtain the system equation. The high-order basis functions employed are orthogonal and the numerical quadrature points are the same as the GLL integration points, leading to a diagonal mass matrix and a more sparse stiffness matrix. Thus, the proposed method leads to a regular eigenvalue problem, rather than a generalized eigenvalue problem, greatly reducing the computer-memory requirement and central-processing-unit (CPU) time in comparison with the conventional finite-element method (FEM). Furthermore, the SEM is implemented for high geometrical orders, where curved structures can be modeled up to the accuracy comparable to the interpolation accuracy afforded by the basis functions. Numerical examples verify a spectral accuracy with the interpolation orders, and confirm that higher geometrical orders are essential for curved structures to achieve overall spectral accuracy. Examples of quantum dots in various structures, including a waveguide, are analyzed with mixed boundary conditions. Numerical results show that the SEM is an efficient alternative to conventional FEM and to the finite-difference method (FDM) for nanodevice simulation.


Acknowledgments Introduction 1. The state and the novel: The post-war wilderness The testing of liberal humanism The sixties and social revolution The post-consensus novel Intimations of social collapse After Thatcher 2. Class and social change: 'The movement' Anger and working-class fiction Education and class loyalty The formal challenge of class The waning of class consciousness The rise of the middle class The rise of the underclass The realignment of the middle class The role of the intellectual 3. Gender and sexual identity: Out of the bird-cage Second-wave feminism Post-feminism Repression in gay fiction 4. National identity: Reinventing Englishness The colonial legacy The Troubles Irishness extended Welsh resistance The 'Possible Dance' of Scottishness Beyond the Isles? 5. Multicultural personae: Jewish-British writing The empire within 'Windrush' and after: dislocation confronted The quest for a settlement Ethnic identity and literary form Putting down roots Rushdie's broken mirror Towards post-nationalism 6. Country and suburbia: The death of the nature novel The re-evaluation of pastoral The post-pastoral novel The country and the city Trouble in suburbia Embracing the suburban experience 7. Beyond 2000: Realism and experimentalism Technology and the new science Towards the new confessional The fallacy of the new A broken truth: Murdoch and morality Notes Bibliography.


. In the pre-recombination era, cosmological density fluctuations can naturally generate magnetic fields through Thomson scatterings. In previous studies, only the magnetic field generation from the initially- adiabatic fluctuations has been considered. Here we inves-tigate the generation of cosmological magnetic fields sourced by the primordial non-adiabatic fluctuations based on the cosmological perturbation theory, using the tight-coupling approx-imations between photon and baryon fluids. It is found that the magnetic fields from the non-adiabatic fluctuations can arise at the first-order expansion of the tight coupling approximation. This result is in contrast to the case of adiabatic initial fluctuations, where the magnetic fields can be generated only at the second-order. In a general case where the primordial density perturbations contain small non-adiabatic fluctuations on the top of the dominant adiabatic ones, we show that the leading source of magnetic fields is given by the second-order coupling of the adiabatic and non-adiabatic fluctuations. We calculate the power spectrum of the generated magnetic fields when the non-adiabatic fluctuations have a blue power spectrum, which has been suggested by recent cosmological observations.


Over 80 percent of securitized loans consolidated back onto banks' balance sheets as a result of FAS 166/167 are revolving consumer loans, primarily credit card loans. In this paper, we examine the impact of FAS 166/167 on the credit card loan securitization. First, we document that the affected U.S. banks sponsor significantly less amount of credit card-backed securities after FAS 166/167. In addition, compared with both non-securitized credit card loans from the same securitization banks and credit card loans from non-securitization banks, the balance of securitized credit card loans falls significantly after the adoption of FAS 166/167 for affected banks. We consider two alternative explanations for this reduction: increased financial reporting transparency and reduced regulatory capital arbitrage. Consistent with the latter explanation, we find that banks securitized higher quality credit card loans before the adoption of the new accounting rules and that the differential loan quality between securitized and non-securitized loans from the same securitization banks decreases after FAS 166/167. Overall, our findings suggest that banks reduce credit card securitization due to decreased regulatory capital arbitrage opportunities after the adoption of FAS 166/167.


The formation of blue stragglers is still not completely understood, particularly the relationship between formation environment and mechanism. We use a large, homogeneous sample of blue stragglers in the cores of 57 globular clusters to investigate the relationships between blue straggler populations and their environments. We use a consistent definition of "blue straggler" based on position in the color-magnitude diagram and normalize the population relative to the number of red giant branch stars in the core. We find that the previously determined anticorrelation between blue straggler frequency and total cluster mass is present in the purely core population. We find some weak anticorrelations with central velocity dispersion and with half-mass relaxation time. The blue straggler frequency does not show any trend with any other cluster parameter. Even though collisions may be expected to be a dominant blue straggler formation process in globular cluster cores, we find no correlation between the frequency of blue stragglers and the collision rate in the core. We also investigated the blue straggler luminosity function shape and found no relationship between any cluster parameter and the distribution of blue stragglers in the color-magnitude diagram. Our results are inconsistent with some recent models of blue straggler formation that include collisional formation mechanisms and may suggest that almost all observed blue stragglers are formed in binary systems.


Abstract The study reports the evolution of the demyelinization process based on cholesterol ([CHOL]) levels quantified in median nerve samples and collected at different times—from death from both right and left wrists. The statistical data show that the phenomenon evolves differently in the right and left nerves. Such a difference can reasonably be attributed to a different multicenter evolution of the demyelinization. For data analysis, the enrolled subjects were grouped by similar postmortem intervals (PMIs), considering 3 intervals: PMI < 48 hours, 48 hours < PMI < 78 hours, and PMI > 78 hours. Data obtained from tissue dissected within 48 hours of death allowed for a PMI estimation according to the following equations: PMI = 0.000 + 0.7623 [CHOL]right (R2 = 0.581) for the right wrist and PMI = 0.000 + 0.8911 [CHOL]left (R2 = 0.794) for the left wrist. At present, this correlation cannot be considered to be definitive because of the limitation of the small size of the samples analyzed, because the differences in the sampling time and the interindividual and intraindividual variation may influence the demyelinization process.


The study area is the village of Tanjung Beringin carefully situations, South OKU Regency, which is included within the Subpalembang Basin  with the dominant lithology is granite. Granite in this area has a diversity of grain size and mineral composition, in the southern part of the study area the size of the mineral feldspar is greater than the granite in the northern part, where the granite in this section contains plagioclase and quartz dominant, and it was bigger than the other minerals, Granite on the area carefully situations are the result of the appointment that occurs due to the compression phase at the end of the Late Jurassic until Late Cretaceous. Fracture growing on granite have a general direction Northeast equivalent to tectonic compression Miocene - Now, the presence of other directional sharpness is secondary sharpness formed by the collision between the rocks. Fractures that develops is the path where the discharge of magma to the formation of granite with different characteristics. In petrographic analysis porphyritic texture is thriving and there are indications of alteration process in the presence of alteration minerals such as chlorite and quartz vein.


Though the response of plants exposed to severe drought stress has been studied extensively, little is known about how plants adapt their growth under mild drought stress conditions. In the present study seeds of sixteen genotypes were germinated under three treatments: non stress, 1% mannitol and 2% mannitol and the result revealed that average germination percentage was found to be low in both the treatments compared to non stress. However, better plant vigour on the basis of shot and root length was observed in 1% mannitol treated seeds compared to untreated and 2% mannitol treated seeds. Other traits like total protein content, catalase and peroxidase activity were also more at 1% mannitol compared to nonstress and 2% mannitol treatment. Among all the genotypes tested, AC 42994, AC 43030 and AC 43012 out performed in plant vigour as well as anti oxidant enzyme activities compared to other genotypes and tolerant check.


For reasons of regional relationships, the base of the Wilcox group is best placed at the base of the Seguin formation as redefined by Beckman and Turner, 1943. This formation is a transgressive shallow-marine sequence of glauconitic sands topped by the Caldwell Knob oyster bed. The latter is a biostrome, 0-23 feet thick. The Seguin formation is 92 feet thick in central Texas. The Seguin formation is overlain by the Hooper formation (newly proposed), about 325 feet thick in central Texas. The Hooper is a regressive partly marine, partly non-marine sequence of glauconitic sands and lignitic clays. An erosional disconformity separates the Hooper from the overlying Simsboro sand, a non-marine kaolinitic very coarse sand, about 75 feet thick in central Texas. The Simsboro san is succeeded by a great mass of non-marine sediment composed of shales, clays, silts, sands, old soils, lignites, channel sandstones, and clay-ironstone lenses. The Butler clay, previously regarded as occupying the stratigraphic position of the Hooper, rests on the Simsboro sand at the Butler clay type locality. Hence the Butler clay is merely the basal part of the Calvert Bluff formation from which it can not be separated on lithologic grounds. The top of the Wilcox group is placed at the base of the Carrizo sand, a fluviatile sand, which rests with a regional erosional disconformity on the Wilcox. A hilly buried topography exists at this break and is recognizable in the Tyler basin, central Texas, and possibly other marginal updip areas. The data presented are the work of Ralph Giannone, William W. Sharp, Jr., and H. B. Stenzel. End_of_Article - Last_Page 2625------------


OBJECTIVE
Excessive internet use is being discussed as a non-substance-related addiction disorder. Estimations of its prevalence show that 1% of the German general population is affected by internet addiction. However, it is still unclear, whether internet addiction as a co-morbid disorder is also common among patients of the general health care system, especially in patients being treated in inpatient addiction rehabilitation centers. It seems plausible that these patients have a heightened proneness to co-morbid internet addiction.

METHODS
In order to address this issue, a government-funded cooperation project was conducted. Within six months every new patient admitted to one of 15 rehabilitation facilities was screened for internet addiction.

RESULTS
4.2% of the patients fulfilled criteria for internet addiction. Male patients of younger age with main diagnosis of cannabis dependence or pathological gambling were found to be at higher risk.

CONCLUSIONS
Internet addiction is more common among patients of the rehabilitation system than in the general population. Especially young, male patients in treatment for cannabis dependence or pathological gambling are at risk for co-morbid internet addiction. It is recommended that regular screening for internet addiction should be implemented in facilities with patients at risk in order to offer indicative treatment.


Cassava, a tropical storage-root crop, is a major source of food security for millions in the tropics. Cassava breeding, however, is hindered by the poor development of flowers and a low ratio of female flowers to male flowers. To advance the understanding of the mechanistic factors regulating cassava flowering, combinations of plant growth regulators (PGRs) and pruning treatments were examined for their effectiveness in improving flower production and fruit set in field conditions. Pruning the fork-type branches, which arise at the shoot apex immediately below newly formed inflorescences, stimulated inflorescence and floral development. The anti-ethylene PGR silver thiosulfate (STS) also increased flower abundance. Both pruning and STS increased flower numbers while having minimal influence on sex ratios. In contrast, the cytokinin benzyladenine (BA) feminized flowers without increasing flower abundance. Combining pruning and STS treatments led to an additive increase in flower abundance; with the addition of BA, over 80% of flowers were females. This three-way treatment combination of pruning+STS+BA also led to an increase in fruit number. Transcriptomic analysis of gene expression in tissues of the apical region and developing inflorescence revealed that the enhancement of flower development by STS+BA was accompanied by downregulation of several genes associated with repression of flowering, including homologs of TEMPRANILLO1 (TEM1), GA receptor GID1b, and ABA signaling genes ABI1 and PP2CA. We conclude that flower-enhancing treatments with pruning, STS, and BA create widespread changes in the network of hormone signaling and regulatory factors beyond ethylene and cytokinin.


Despite the complex nature of the project, the clients brief of a 14 month design and installation period was achieved within the approved budget of 2.5 million pounds. Early performance figures indicate that the scheme is on target to achieve the original payback of under four years. Queen Elizabeth Hospital: installation of integrated combined heat and power plant. Client: Central Birmingham Health Authority. Consulting Engineers/Project Managers: Yates, Edge and Partners. Architects: Temple Cox and Nichols. Structural Engineers: Peel and Fowler. Quantity Surveyor: West Midlands Regional Health Authority.


We study the role played by the final-state interactions (fsi) in heavy quark decays using Pomeron and Regge exchanges to describe high energy scattering. At center of mass energy √ s ∼ 5 GeV , Pomeron dominance does not apply. We study the behavior of the decay amplitudes as √ s is varied close to the B mass. We also investigate the behavior of the decay amplitude as √ s → ∞ . Our conclusion is that the decay amplitudes approach a real value asymptotically.


This thesis considers the organisation and development of local state cultural policies in post-war Britain, taking as the central focus the policy concerns of Sheffield City Council in the period 1960-1987.The concept of the local state is developed to discuss local policies as constructed within a framework set by the central state but not wholly determined by it. National cultural policy: the political, social andeconomic factors that impinge upon it; and its relation to the local state, form a basis for the examination of local state cultural policy.The objectives of national public cultural provision have been informed by particular definitions of culture and by post-war themes of the preservation of national cultural heritage and of increasing public access to it. These themes were central to the post-war political policies of social consensus.A complex relation between public cultural provision and the developing mass market reveals the contradictions within the state's political and cultural objectives. In dealing with these contradictions the local state reveals both its subordination to the national state and its own particular configuration of the roles of state and market.The three Case-Studies were chosen to illustrate key issues. The first case-study considers the way preservation of traditional high cultural forms has been negotiated. The second discusses the development of recreation policies, formed within the primary structures of the municipal authorities. The more recent developmentof policies for the cultural industries as inclusive ofmarket based cultural forms, provides the focus for thethird case-study. The thesis has an empirical base, much of the material was drawn from interviews with Councillors and Officers of Sheffield City Council; from Council Committee papers; from attending policy group meetings; and from discussions with representatives from cultural organisations in the city.The empirical research is analysed in the political,economic and social contexts within which cultural policy is constituted.


Pseudomembranous colitis, also called antibiotic-associated colitis, is caused by the gram-positive anaerobic bacterium Clostridium difficile (C.difficile). The infection is common in elderly patients on chronic antibiotic use and in immunosuppressed patients. We report a rare case of pseudomembranous colitis in a 49-year-old male who presented with cramping abdominal pain, abdominal distension, and loose stools, without any pre-existing immunosuppression or chronic drug intake. The computed tomography (CT) picture was suggestive of fulminant ulcerative colitis and the patient underwent total colectomy in view of severe disease. This patient also had rectal bleeding caused by a bleeding pseudoaneurysm of the right internal pudendal artery, which posed diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Embolization of the pseudoaneurysm was done in the post-operative period. Though the clinical and radiological pictures were suggestive of ulcerative colitis in our patient, this was disproved in the histopathological examination and by the negative serum anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCA) testing. The presence of extensive pseudomembranous colitis in this patient masked the bleeding pseudoaneurysm of the internal pudendal artery, as bleeding is a common presentation in fulminant colitis, leading to a delay in the management of the pseudoaneurysm. Such a presentation was not reported in the literature to the best of our knowledge. Considering co-existent pathologies, especially in patients who present with an unobvious clinical picture, can prevent delay in the definitive diagnosis of these conditions.


BACKGROUND
An increased risk of breast cancer is associated with alcohol consumption; however, it is controversial whether red wine increases this risk. Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) prevent the conversion of androgens to estrogen and occur naturally in grapes, grape juice, and red, but not white wine. We tested whether red wine is a nutritional AI in premenopausal women.

METHODS
In a cross-over design, 36 women (mean age [SD], 36 [8] years) were assigned to 8 ounces (237 mL) of red wine daily then white wine for 1 month each, or the reverse. Blood was collected twice during the menstrual cycle for measurement of estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), androstenedione (A), total and free testosterone (T), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH).

RESULTS
Red wine demonstrated higher free T vs. white wine (mean difference 0.64 pg/mL [0.2 SE], p=0.009) and lower SHBG (mean difference -5.0 nmol/L [1.9 SE], p=0.007). E2 levels were lower in red vs. white wine but not statistically significant. LH was significantly higher in red vs. white wine (mean difference 2.3 mIU/mL [1.3 SE], p=0.027); however, FSH was not.

CONCLUSION
Red wine is associated with significantly higher free T and lower SHBG levels, as well as a significant higher LH level vs. white wine in healthy premenopausal women. These data suggest that red wine is a nutritional AI and may explain the observation that red wine does not appear to increase breast cancer risk.


OBJECTIVES
To investigate the factors associated with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) usage by multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Design, Setting/Location: Single-center, prospective clinical study at an academic MS center in the northeastern United States.

METHODS
This study included CAM data from 524 MS patients and 304 healthy controls (HC) enrolled in a prospective study of clinical, neuroimaging, and environmental risk factors in MS at an academic MS Center. Clinical, neuroimaging, and disease-modifying treatment data were obtained. In addition, data on usage of CAM modalities, including acupuncture, aromatherapy, Ayurveda, Chinese herbal medicine, chiropractor, electromagnetic therapy, homeopathy, hypnosis, massage, naturopathy, Qi gong, Reiki, therapeutic touch, and bee stings were collected in an in-person interview.

RESULTS
The percentages of HC reporting usage of any CAM (32%) was similar to that in MS patients after diagnosis (30.5%). The usage of any CAM was higher in MS patients after MS diagnosis compared to before MS diagnosis (p < 0.001). The three most frequently used CAM for MS patients after MS diagnosis and HC were chiropractor, massage, and acupuncture. The most frequent reasons for CAM use were MS symptom relief, back problems, and pain. In multivariate analysis, female gender, higher education level, MS disease course, and not currently on disease-modifying therapies (DMT) treatment status were associated with CAM usage.

CONCLUSIONS
Gender, education level, DMT treatment status, and MS disease course are associated with CAM usage in MS patients. Ever-CAM usage patterns in MS patients are similar to those in HC.


We consider transformations of monthly black market and official exchange rates between the Brazilian cruzeiro and the US dollar over the period 1973–1989. Applying Mosteller and Tukey's idea of 'straightening transformations' we find first differences of a log log transformation of levels of both series yield mean and covariance stationary data. These series are cointegrated. Tests of equality of the cointegrating parameters are rejected, while tests on equality of speed of adjustment of each transformed series to perturbations in the cointegrating equilibrium are not rejected.


The reliability and validity of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual well-being (FACIT-Sp), Japanese version, which was developed in the United States for a simple survey of QOL related to spirituality, was evaluated. The survey simultaneously covered FACIT-Sp and HADS, an anxiety and depression scale, using 64 cancer patients as the subjects of the study. In the evaluation of its intrinsic conformity, the Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient of the sub-scale ranged from 0.80 to 0.91 and the evaluation of validity by factor analysis indicated satisfactory factorial appropriateness. The correlation coefficients for the sub-scales were all below 0.7, indicating that each scale is independent. The correlation with HADS depression and anxiety scales was -0.54 and -0.56, respectively, showing that the emotional and spiritual scales are independent of each other. The findings suggest that The Japanese version of FACIT-Sp is associated with satisfactory reliability and validity and is an effective tool in the study of spirituality among cancer patients.


Background The theoretical maximum force (F0), velocity (V0), and power (Pmax) of athletes calculated from the relationship between force and velocity (F-V relationship) and the slope of the F-V relationship, reflect their competitive and training activity profiles. Evaluating the F-V relationship of athletes facilitates categorizing the profiles of dynamic muscle functions in relation to long-term sport-specific training. For gymnastics, however, no studies have tried to examine the profiles of F-V relation and power output for upper limb muscles in relation to the muscularity, while the use of the upper extremities in this sport is very unique as described earlier. Purpose It was hypothesized that the F-V relationship of the elbow flexion in gymnasts might be characterized by low capacity for generating explosive force, notably in terms of the force normalized to muscle size. Methods The F0, V0, and Pmax derived from the force-velocity relationship during explosive elbow flexion against six different loads (unloaded condition, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75% of maximal voluntary isometric elbow flexion force (MVFEF)) for 16 gymnasts (GYM) and 22 judo athletes (JD). F0 and Pmax were expressed as values relative to the cross-sectional area index (CSAindex) of elbow flexors (F0/CSAindex and Pmax/CSAindex, respectively), which was calculated from muscle thickness in the anterior upper arm. The electromyogram (EMG) activities of the biceps brachii (BB) during the maximal isometric and dynamic tasks were also determined. Results There were no significant differences in CSAindex of elbow flexors between GYM and JD. MVFEF/CSAindex for GYM was significantly lower than that for JD. Force was linearly associated with velocity in the dynamic elbow flexion for all the participants (r = − 0.997 to −0.905 for GYM, r = − 0.998 to −0.840 for JD). F0, F0/ CSAindex, V0, Pmax, Pmax/CSAindex, and MVFEF were significantly lower in GYM than in JD. The activity levels of BB during the dynamic tasks tended to be lower in GYM than in JD at load of <45%MVC. Conclusion Gymnasts cannot generate explosive elbow flexion force corresponding to their muscle size. This may be due to low neuromuscular activities during the maximal dynamic tasks against relatively low loads.


We investigate the modifications of the energy spectrum in electron-atom scattering in a laser field if the atom is placed near the interface between radiation filled space and vacuum. Considerable modifications are found if compared with the results for a laser beam of infinite extent. With the advent of femto- and attosecond laser pulses, the investigation of such edge effects will become of relevance in comparing experimental data with theoretical predictions.


Although Thermal Analysis is a useful technique in characterizing the clay constituent of a potentially valuable clay deposit, it is, perhaps, even more useful when the type and amount of non-clay impurities are important factors in its commercial appraisal. The effect of impurities on the physical and chemical properties of the clay may determine its potential uses in bulk, or it may be advisable to remove the impurity, either to improve the grade and quality of the clay or to provide a useful by-product. The application of both qualitative and quantitative thermal data, in the analysis and control of laboratory work in this field, is demonstrated by its use in the assessment of materials such as evaporite-rich clays, siliceous clays, and high-alumina clays.


SARS - COVID 2019 is a global respiratory infection that has been confirmed as a global pandemic. The life of healthcare professionals has changed while working during the corona COVID-19 outbreak. During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, the dentist's knowledge about various practice modifications has been evaluated in order to combat COVID-19. A well-constructed questionnaire was designed; it was a close-ended questionnaire study involving 150 participants. The responses of the survey were obtained and subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS Software. The respondents were found to have good knowledge, which is important to combat COVID -19, which would help them imply those techniques in clinical practice. In Spite of having a high standard of knowledge while working during these current situations, dental practitioners are still in a state of anxiety and fear.


Individual variation in drug response is a substantial clinical problem. Research in pharmacogenetics is currently evolving in two directions, firstly to identify genes and gene products associated with certain diseases, which may serve as targets for new drugs, and secondly to identify genes and allelic variants of genes that affect the expected and adverse response to current and future drugs. In that respect drug metabolising enzymes play a key role. A readily and widely available pheno- and/or genotyping service for drug metabolism polymorphisms is currently not established and the clinical relevance has only been shown for a limited number of drugs. The overall pharmacologic effects are typically not monogenic traits, they are a result of an interaction of several genes encoding proteins involved in drug metabolism, disposition, and effects. Each individual represents a unique combination of polymorphic genes that are known to be involved in the metabolism and disposition of medications, in the target structures of drug therapy, and in the pathogenesis of diseases. This will lead to the development of DNA chips for genotyping which will guide the selection and dosing of drug therapy in the future.


This paper re-examines the role of 'client kings' in the Roman east in the early Principate. Contrary to previous emphasis on continuity with the republican past, it proposes that Octavian-Augustus enacted a set of measures that fundamentally changed the relations of certain eastern monarchs with the imperial centre. These 'provincial monarchs' became a new elite of Roman administrators, personally loyal to the domus Augusta and distinct from 'client kings' earlier and elsewhere. This Augustan systemisation complemented the provincial division of 27 b.c.e., creating a 'divide and rule' dynamic between provincial monarchs and imperial legates which was expedient to the Julio-Claudians. This model is then used to challenge the view that the Flavians systematically 'provincialised' the east as part of a reorganisation of the frontier. It raises the alternative possibility that provincial monarchy gradually died out, following the Flavians' realisation that its continued maintenance was detrimental to their public image in Rome.


Gynura procumbens which is locally known as 'Sambung nyawa' in Malay and 'Feng Wei Jian' in Chinese, belongs to
the botanical family of Compositae. In this study, antioxidant property of G. procumbens extracts was evaluated using
DPPH radical scavenging, metal chelating and β-carotene bleaching assays. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first
report that evaluated the cytotoxicity of G. procumbens extracts on human colon cancer cells (HT-29, HCT 116, HCT-15,
SW480, Caco-2) and human normal colon cells (CCD-18Co). The results showed that ethyl acetate extract contained
the highest total phenolic content (172.68 mg of GAEs/g of extract) compared to methanol, hexane and water extracts.
Methanol extract possessed better overall antioxidant activities while ethyl acetate extract demonstrated better cytotoxic
activity. At 24 h treatment, ethyl acetate extract demonstrated selective cytotoxicity against HT-29 and HCT 116 cells with
IC50 values of 35.7 and 42.6 µg/mL, respectively. In addition, methanol extract showed negligible level of toxicity when
administered orally. All the results indicated that G. procumbens may provide benefits in prevention and treatment of cancer.


One of the widely used drives in the industry is current source inverter-fed three-phase induction motor drive system. In this paper a complete design of such system, included a 0.5 HP three phase induction motor, is given. It was strongly required, that the design and implementation of the control and logic circuits must be cheap and simple as possible without loosing the stability of the system. A suitable dynamics was also recognized. The experimental results are given in support of the design procedure used to built the experimental model.


Electromagnetic band gap (EBG) structures that are engineered to achieve desired transmission and reflection characteristics in specific frequency bands, have long been actively studied in the microwave regime for a wide variety of applications. They have also been used as superstrates for directivity enhancement of antennas as well as substrates for height reduction of conformal antennas.In this study we develop some guidelines for systematically designing Enhanced Bandwidth antenna systems, comprising of a microstrip patch antenna (MPA) covered by a planar EBG substrate. At the beginning, the investigations of EBG were mainly on wave interactions of these structures at optical frequencies and hence PBG emerged with the name of photonic band-gap structures.EBG is due to the interplay between macroscopic and microscopic resonances of a periodic structure.The major Area of interest EBG structure gain with its enomourous advantage it offers like Mutual Coupling, Surface Wave Suppression at microwave frequencies. In my study I Concentrate on Mashroom EBG antenna which is a part of planer structure of microstrip patch array and using multiple layers of substrate we can achieve great Bandwidth enhancement. KeywordsADS (Advance Design System), FSS (Frequency selective surfaces), EM (Electromagne tic), MoM (Methods of Moments).


A unique ecological landscape distributed in the Mongolian Plateau, called fairy rings, caused by the growth of the fungus Leucocalocybe mongolica (LM) in the soil could promote plant growth without fertilization. Therefore, this landscape can alleviate fertilizer use and has excellent value for agricultural production. The previous studies only investigated several parameters of the fairy rings, such as soil microbial diversity and some soil chemical properties, thus conclusions based on the studies on fairy rings lack comprehension. Therefore, the present study systematically investigated the chemical properties, metabolome, and metabarcoding of LM-transformed soil. We analyzed fairy ring soils from DARK (FR) and OUT (CK) zone correlated growth promotion with ten soil chemical properties, including N, nitrate-N, inorganic-P, cellulose, available boron, available sulfur, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu, which were identified as important markers to screen fairy ring landscapes. Metabolomics showed that the accumulation of 17 carbohydrate-dominated metabolites was closely associated with plant growth promotion. Finally, metabarcoding detected fungi as the main components affecting soil conversion. Among the various fungi at the family level, Lasiosphaeriaceae, unidentified_Auriculariales_sp, and Herpotrichiellaceae were markers to screen fairy ring. Our study is novel and systematically reveals the fairy ring soil ecology and lists the key factors promoting plant growth. These findings lay a theoretical foundation for developing the fairy ring landscape in an agricultural system.


The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance is a growing problem in both developing and developed countries and threatens to become a global crisis. A strategy for the containment of resistance needs to be developed, applied and evaluated. Such a strategy should focus on improving rational use of antimicrobials and reducing opportunities for spread of resistant organisms. Implementation requires education and training, surveillance, technical developments, research, and statutory regulation.


This paper reports on a navigation method for the snow-removal robot called SnowEater. The robot is designed to work autonomously within small areas (around 30 m2 or less) following line segment paths. The line segment paths are laid out so as much snow as possible can be cleared from an area. Navigation is accomplished by using an onboard low-resolution USB camera and a small marker located in the area to be cleared. Low-resolution cameras allow only limited localization and present significant errors. However, these errors can be overcome by using an efficient navigation algorithm to exploit the merits of these cameras. For stable robust autonomous snow removal using this limited information, the most reliable data are selected and the travel paths are controlled. The navigation paths are a set of radially arranged line segments emanating from a marker placed in the environment area to be cleared, in a place where it is not covered by snow. With this method, by using a low-resolution camera (640 × 480 pixels) and a small marker (100 × 100 mm), the robot covered the testing area following line segments. For a reference angle of 4.5° between line paths, the average results are: 4° for motion on hard floor and 4.8° for motion on compacted snow. The main contribution of this study is the design of a path-following control algorithm capable of absorbing the errors generated by a low-cost camera.


Abstract The experiments reported in this research paper examine the potential of digestion using acidic enzymes Protease A and Protease M to selectively hydrolyse α-lactalbumin (α-La) whilst leaving β-lactoglobulin (β-Lg) relatively intact. Both enzymes were compared with pepsin hydrolysis since its selectivity to different whey proteins is known. Analysis of the hydrolysis environment showed that the pH and temperature play a significant role in determining the best conditions for achievement of hydrolysis, irrespective of which enzyme was used. Whey protein isolate (WPI) was hydrolysed using pepsin, Acid Protease A and Protease M by randomized hydrolysis conditions. Reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography was used to analyse residual proteins. Regarding enzyme selectivity under various milieu conditions, all three enzymes showed similarities in the reaction progress and their potential for β-Lg isolation.


In recent years, the use of cloud computing in real life applications has increased rapidly. It provides an efficient solution for sharing group resource among cloud users. Sharing data in a multi-owner manner while preserving data and identity privacy from an un-trusted cloud is still a challenging issue, due to the frequent change of the membership. This paper surveys new granted users can directly decrypt data files uploaded before their participation without contacting with data owners. This scheme is able to support dynamic groups efficiently. User revocation can be achieved through a novel revocation list without updating the secret keys of the remaining users. Finally these papers summarize and conclude with the different algorithms and technique


Monel 400 a Nickel-Copper based alloy widely used in field of marine engineering, acidic and alkaline environment because of its excellent properties such as high strength and corrosion resistance. This experimental investigation has been performed to study the influence of Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) and cutting parameters on surface roughness, cutting force and tool wear in milling of Monel 400. Milling was performed on 3-axis CNC machine. Taguchi's L9 orthogonal array was applied to design experiments containing cutting parameters and lubrication. Cutting Speed of 75m/min, 100m/min, 125m/min, feed of 0.010 mm/tooth, 0.015 mm/tooth, 0.020mm/tooth, depth of cut of 0.20mm, 0.35mm, 0.50mm were selected as cutting parameters and Dry, Flooded, MQL were selected as lubricating conditions. Optimal conditions for best surface finish, lowest cutting force and reduced tool wear were determined by Taguchi analysis using "smaller the better approach". A comparative study of tool life for flooded lubrication and MQL was performed for a total cutting length of 1200mm. The study revealed that the use of minimum quantity lubrication is as effective as using conventional cutting fluid, with an added advantage of the former being very environment friendly.


A simple theory of the first-order properties of holograms in thick photographic emulsions is presented. Following a combination by Denisyuk of the basic method of wavefront reconstruction with Lippmann's method of colour photography, such holograms are produced by the interference of an object wave with a coherent reference wave, falling on the emulsion from opposite sides. It is shown, by using the first Born approximation, that such deep holograms have three properties which distinguish them from two-dimensional or 'plane' holograms: (1) They have directional selectivity, that is to say the image will appear only if the hologram is illuminated in the reconstruction within a certain angular zone. (2) They have colour selectivity, that is to say they will reflect only within a certain narrow waveband close to the original wavelength. (3) The second wave, which is a disturbance in two-dimensional holograms is as good as completely suppressed. All three are of great practical value. It is shown that holograms which are produced by strongly diffused, wide-angle illumination, and which have a random, noise-like appearance, contain the information in the form of the auto-correlation function of densities or scattering powers between different space-elements in the emulsion.


We analyze the effect of the fill factor of binary diffraction gratings on the near field propagation. We show that the location of the best-visibility planes changes with the configuration parameters of the grating, that is, the amplitude and phase modulation and the fill factor. Moreover, different intensity patterns and contrast shapes can be obtained when different configurations are used. Analytical expressions describing the contrast of the diffracted field are obtained, that agree with numerical simulations.


During the Middle Ages, executions of criminals were occasions for feasts and public display. Originally intended as deterrents to heresy or other crimes, these public functions became reasons for jubilation on the part of the populace—with each participant rejoicing when the condemned man was broken at the wheel or drawn and quartered or otherwise tortured. The onlookers may have secretly transferred their own sins upon the executed and in so doing purged their own consciences of their wrongdoings which had not been detected. Men of the Middle Ages prided themselves on their morality—but thus were most amoral and un-Christian in their relationships with their fellow men. But the Middle Ages ended. The community became increasingly concerned with its sick and its poor and with those who suffered as a result of wars or natural disasters. The rise of civilization coincides with the systematic organization of means taken by the community


The 802.11ac amendment of the IEEE 802.11 standard, known as a very high-throughput wireless local area network (WLAN), has attracted extensive attention for achieving a maximum transmission rate up to 7 Gb/s. This is mainly possible by adopting the DownLink MultiUser Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (DL MU-MIMO) technology, which allows multiple frames to be simultaneously transmitted from the access point (AP) to different receivers via multiple spatial streams. To support the DL MU-MIMO technology at medium access control level, a technique called transmission opportunity (TXOP) sharing has been proposed to extend the mandatory TXOP of the WLAN standard. In this letter, we propose an analytical model based on Markov chains to evaluate the performance of an IEEE 802.11ac AP enabling the TXOP sharing mechanism. Based on this model, we are able to derive the achievable throughput of a given access category (AC), namely, voice (VO), video (VI), best effort (BE), and background (BK). The ultimate goal of this letter is to analyze how the TXOP sharing mechanism could improve the utilization of the scarce wireless bandwidth while achieving channel access fairness among the different ACs. Note that the obtained theoretical results are also validated by computer simulation.


Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations based on a crystal structure and selected force field represent a powerful approach to generate models for the internal motions of a protein in order to interpret the results of biological experiments and model the interactions between proteins and ligands. However, there are relatively few experimental probes that can be used to verify the results of MD, particularly with regard to slow, correlated motions of loops, folds or domains. Wide-angle X-ray solution scattering (WAXS) is sensitive to protein structure and dynamics including secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure and slow, correlated motions. Here, we present a method to utilize the crystal structure of a protein and its corresponding MD simulation to predict WAXS data from a protein. First, the WAXS pattern of a rigid protein is calculated using an explicit atom model of the hydration layer with the software package, XS. Second, MD trajectories are utilized to calculate a sigma-r plot (the standard deviation of interatomic distances averaged as a function of interatomic distance) which is subsequently combined with the results of the XS calculation to predict the scattering pattern of the dynamic protein. The difference between observed and calculated intensities is minimized by scaling the sigma-r plot with a single variable factor which provides a measure of the discrepancy between experimental and computational characterization of global dynamics. In examples presented here, we show that the correspondence between observed and calculated intensities are often excellent, providing direct experimental validation of the MD results. In other examples, we demonstrate how the approach can identify over or under-estimates of large scale motions in MD simulations that may arise from under-sampling of the structural ensemble or inappropriate choice of simulation parameters.


Arnold Sommerfeld introduced the fine-structure constant that determines the strength of the electromagnetic interaction. Following Sommerfeld, Wolfgang Pauli left several clues to calculating the fine-structure constant with his research on Johannes Kepler's view of nature and Pythagorean geometry. The Laplace limit of Kepler's equation in classical mechanics, the Bohr-Sommerfeld model of the hydrogen atom and Julian Schwinger's research enable a calculation of the electron magnetic moment anomaly. Considerations of fundamental lengths such as the charge radius of the proton and mass ratios suggest some further foundational interpretations of quantum electrodynamics.


The two critical factors distinguishing inventory management in a multifirm supply-chain context from the more traditional centrally planned perspective are incentive conflicts and information asymmetries. We study the well-known order quantity/reorder point Q, r model in a two-player context, using a framework inspired by observations during a case study. We show how traditional allocations of decision rights to supplier and buyer lead to inefficient outcomes, and we use principal-agent models to study the effects of information asymmetries about setup cost and backorder cost, respectively.

We analyze two "opposite" models of contracting on inventory policies. First, we derive the buyer's optimal menu of contracts when the supplier has private information about setup cost, and we show how consignment stock can help reduce the impact of this information asymmetry. Next, we study consignment and assume the supplier cannot observe the buyer's backorder cost. We derive the supplier's optimal menu of contracts on consigned stock level and show that in this case, the supplier effectively has to overcompensate the buyer for the cost of each stockout.

Our theoretical analysis and the case study suggest that consignment stock helps reduce cycle stock by providing the supplier with an additional incentive to decrease batch size, but simultaneously gives the buyer an incentive to increase safety stock by exaggerating backorder costs. This framework immediately points to practical recommendations on how supply-chain incentives should be realigned to overcome existing information asymmetries.


In this paper, we present a method for solving electromagnetic scattering from a composite object at low frequencies using the method of moments (MoM) and loop-tree basis. Many applications involve composite objects which consist of several homogeneous regions. The loop-tree basis used for analyzing scattering from a homogeneous body at low frequencies could not be directly applied to analyze the low-frequency scattering from a composite object. In general, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to find a set of loop-tree basis functions that is valid for the structures on both sides of the interfaces. In this paper, we treat a composite object as a limiting case of multibody problem so that we could setup the MoM equation using the loop-tree basis found on each single body. A process is then developed to eliminate the redundant unknowns. The proposed method makes it possible to analyze low-frequency scattering from an arbitrary composite object. The validity and applications are illustrated with representative numerical examples.


What motivates a lifelong scholarly pursuit, and how do one's studies inform life outside the academy? Sociologists, who live in families but also study families, who go to work but also study work, who participate in communities but also try to understand communities, have an especially intimate relation to their research. Growing up poor, struggling as a woman in a male-dominated profession, participating in protests against the Vietnam War; facts of life influence research agendas, individual understandings of the world, and ultimately the shape of the discipline as a whole. Barry Glassner and Rosanna Hertz asked twenty-two of America's most prominent sociologists to reflect upon how their personal lives influenced their research, and vice versa, how their research has influenced their lives. In this volume, the authors reveal with candor and discernment how world events, political commitments and unanticipated constraints influenced the course of their careers. They disclose how race, class, and gender proved to be pivotal elements in the course of their individual lives, and in how they carry out their research. Faced with academic institutions that did not hire or promote persons of their gender, race, sexual orientation, or physical disability, they invented new routes to success within their fields. Faced with disappointments in political organizations to which they were devoted, they found ways to integrate their disillusionment into their research agendas. While some of the contributors radically changed their political commitments, and others saw more stability, none stood still. An intimate look at biography and craft, these snapshots provide a fascinating glimpse of the sociological life for colleagues, other academics, and aspiring young sociologists. The collection demonstrates how inequalities and injustices can be made into motors for scholarly research, which in turn have the power to change individual life courses and entire societies.


It is estimated that one-third of the United States population subscribes to alternative medical therapies (Eisenberg et al, NEJM 1993;328:246-252). Ear candles are popular products promoted by alternative health practitioners, and sold by health shops and even over the Internet. They have been promoted for ear and sinus discomfort, rhinitis, sinusitis, glue ear, colds, flu, migraine, tinnitus, but particularly for removal of ear wax (cerumen). In this case report, a 4-year-old girl in New Zealand presents with otitis media and during the course of the ear examination white deposits were noticed on her eardrum; this was confirmed as being caused by ear candling.


This paper describes the design, fabrication, modeling, and early testing of a new high-sensitivity bulk-silicon micromachined accelerometer based on electron tunneling. The electron tunneling transducer permits detection of small displacements of the proof mass with high electrical response; such a transducer is essential for a high-performance miniature accelerometer. Using bulk-silicon microfabrication technology, a new tunneling accelerometer has been fabricated successfully and operated reliably. The resonant frequency of the proof mass in this tunneling accelerometer is easily modified to satisfy different requirements of sensitivity, dynamic range and bandwidth. This tunneling accelerometer is designed for underwater acoustic application and can be packaged in an 8 cm3 volume with a mass of 8 grams. The measured sensitivity is as high as 200 V/g with a resolution of less than 10 μg/Hz, which is limited by environmental noise, from a few Hz to 270 Hz for a 360 Hz resonant proof mass.


The cross-entropy (CE) method is a new generic approach to combinatorial and multi-extremal optimization and rare event simulation. Vehicle Routing Problem has been approved a NP problem and it belongs to classical Combination Optimization hard problem. An effective algorithm based on cross-entropy is designed to solve the model which named Vehicle Routing Problem with Weight Coefficients and Stochastic Demands (WVRPSD) with weight coefficients and stochastic demands. Numerical experiments have been conducted and the results indicate that the method can effectively solve this problem.


One hundred thirty patients with Siberian silicosis occurring under exposure to large amounts of dust at labor in a siberian mine were analyzed for 67 clinical and 122 laboratory data. Eighty-eight of 130 patients are now alive, but 42 have already died. When they started work, 122 of the patients were under thirty years of age. The duration of work was 7 to 12 months for 17 patients, 13 to 18 for 43, and 19 to 24 for 40. Seventy-six of 99 patients were initially diagnosed with lung tuberculosis and 23 with silicosis. Almost all patients have complained of respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, sputum, and cyanosis. All of the pulmonary function tests including %VC, FEV1.0/FVC, V25/height, RV, TLC, and DLco showed abnormal values. The chest roentogenograms showed 3 of type 1, 22 of type 2, 55 of type 3, and 124 of type 4. Of 124 type-4, large opacities, 84 were type A, 28 B, and 12 C. Of 416 small opacities, 144 were type P, 191 Q, and 81 R. The complications and secondary changes that appeared with progression of the disease were lung emphysema, hilar and mediastinal lymphnode enlargement, egg shell calcification in lymphnode, and bulla or bleb.


Combination chemotherapy appears superior to single‐agent therapy in treating a wide variety of tumors. Encouraged by this data, we conducted a pilot study using cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, intermediate dose methotrexate and folinic acid rescue (CAMF) in patients with advanced lung cancer. Forty‐eight patients with unresectable tumors were entered on this trial, and treated with 500 mg/m2 intravenously administered cyclophosphamide, 50 mg/m2 intravenously administered adriamycin, 40 – 200 mg/m2 orally administered methotrexate (4 doses/24 hrs), and 5 mg orally administered folinic acid (6 doses/36 hrs); this regimen was repeated every three weeks if tolerable. There were 43 patients evaluable for toxicity and 34 (non‐small cell types) for response. The major toxicities were myelosup‐pression and nausea and vomiting. The overall response rate (complete and partial responses) was 29.4% (10/34) and in 13 patients (38%), the disease was stabilized. Those responding had a median survival time of 10.5 months versus 4 months for nonresponders. Patients in whom the disease was stabilized had a median survival time of 8 months. CAMF is a well‐tolerated drug combination with promising results in patients with advanced lung cancer.


BACKGROUND
Carbamazepine is a first line treatment for focal epilepsy. Tegretol and Tegatard are two trade name of Carbamazepine. Tegretol is produced by Novartis Pharmaceutical Company, Switzerland. Recently, Raha pharmaceutical Company in Iran has produced CBZ which trade named is Tegatard. Extended usage of Tegatard instead of Tegretol has economic benefits for Iranian families. In this clinical trial, we aimed to compare therapeutic efficacy and safety of Tegretol and Tegatard in patients suffering from focal seizures with or without secondary generalization.

METHODS
200 patients with provoked or non-provoked focal seizure with or without secondary generalization were screened and 180 patients were fulfilled the criteria to enter this double blinded clinical trial study. Patients were divided into two groups, the first group (A) received Tegretol and the second group (B) Tegatard. Carbamazepine (CBZ) was prescribed with doses 10-20 mg/kg every 12 hours by neurologists. The patients were visited after 1, 3 and 6 months and the side effects and lab data in patients were investigated.

RESULTS
Patients were divided into two groups, 88 patients in group A (Tegretol) (50 males and 38 females) and 92 in group B (Tegatard) (51 males and 41 females). Mean age of patients was 35.39±11.17 years. There was no significant difference according to age and gender, Carbamazepine dosage, EEG recording, neuroimaging change and adverse effects of antiepileptic drug between two groups (P>0.05). Regarding the drug efficacy, in group A and B, 60 (68%) and 58 (63%) patients were seizure free after 6 month follow up; respectively. The differences between two groups were not statistically significant (P value =0.46).

CONCLUSION
Tegatard is an effective drug with similar efficacy, similar side effects and cost-effectiveness compared with Tegretol and could be used widely when indicated.


Thirty-two first time fathers participated in this study which was primarily
concerned with how men prepare for fatherhood and whether previous
interactions with children equips men with necessary experience to
alleviate the development of post natal depression. Fathers completed
questionnaires and correlation analyses were used to test the relationship
between paternal post natal depression and prepatory activities such as
seeking information about parenthood, and previous interaction with
children. The results of the current study revealed that there was a
relationship between fathers seeking information from books, internet, and
videos relating to parenthood, and a reduction in reported anxiety and
insomnia. This kind of preparation for parenthood may be crucial in the
decision making process when planning the birth of a child, which was
also linked to reduced feelings of depression in new fathers. The study also
identified that fathers who had some previous interaction with children
were less likely to report psychological distress. These results could
indicate that men should be supported to interact with children during their
lifetime. Furthermore, fathers who reported social support felt that they
play an important role in caring for their child and this reflects social
support may be an important factor in facilitating the transition to role as
caregiver. This attitude was also related to fewer experiences of
psychological distress.


The concept marked by such terms as 'retribution', 'requital', or 'paying back', I shall argue, has been generally misunderstood: a misunderstanding which has helped to bring about disastrous social consequences, and which makes many arguments-both philosophical and practical-about punishment and social justice seem beyond hope of settlement. In particular, the misunderstanding has masked the point or purpose of retribution.


The volume of an extrinsic ball in a minimal submanifold has a well defined lower bound when the ambient manifold has an upper bound on its sectional curvatures, see e.g. [3] and [10]. When this upper bound is non-positive, the second named author has shown an isoperimetric inequality for such domains, see [11]. This result again gives the comparison result for volumes alluded to above together with a characterization of the totally geodesic submanifolds of hyperbolic space forms. In the present paper we find a corresponding sharp isoperimetric inequality for minimal submanifolds in spaces with sectional curvatures bounded from above by any constant. As a corollary we find again a characterization of the totally geodesic submanifolds of spherical space forms.


The objective of this retrospective study was to determine the predictive value of a selfadministered questionnaire together with physical and laboratory examinations in establishing the diagnosis and severity of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). The apnea index (AI) and apnea/hypopnea index (AHI), measured by nocturnal respiratory monitoring, were matched with the 21 questions of the questionnaire as well as with physical and laboratory findings in 129 patients (average age 53 years, 80% males) referred to the sleep lab within a three-year period because of suspected OSAS. OSAS was diagnosed in 85 (66%) patients. Patients with OSAS had significantly higher body weight (BMI), but lower PaO2, lower total and vital lung capacity, as well as lower FEV1, than patients without OSAS. AI and AHI could be predicted from the BMI (R2 = 0.13) as well as the day time sleepiness (R2 = 0.11), less so by blood pressure and hemoglobin (R2 < 0.1); therefore, a predictability score could not be calculated. We conclude, that in addition to a specific questionnaire and physical and laboratory examinations, still a routine examination in a specialized sleep lab is necessary to establish the diagnosis of OSAS.


BACKGROUND
The central nervous system (CNS) is involved in organic integration. Nervous modulation via bioactive compounds can modify metabolism in order to prevent systemic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Concerning this, plant polyphenols are proposed as neurotropic chemopreventive/ therapeutic agents, given their redox and regulating properties.

OBJECTIVE
To review polyphenolic pharmacology and potential neurological impact on NCDs.

METHOD
First, polyphenolic chemistry was presented, as well as pharmacology, i.e. kinetics and dynamics. Toxicology was particularly described. Then, functional relevance of these compounds was reviewed focusing on the metabolic CNS participation to modulate NCDs, with data being finally integrated.

RESULTS
Oxidative stress is a major risk factor for NCDs. Polyphenols regulate the redox biology of different organic systems including the CNS, which participates in metabolic homeostasis. Polyphenolic neurotropism is determined by certain pharmacological characteristics, modifying nervous and systemic physiopathology, acting on several biological targets. Nonetheless, because these phytochemicals can trigger toxic effects, they should not be recommended indiscriminately.

CONCLUSION
Summing up, the modulating effects of polyphenols allow for the physiological role of CNS on metabolism and organic integration to be utilized in order to prevent NCDs, without losing sight of the risks.


RDF defines the concept of RDF datasets, a structure composed of a distinguished RDF graph and zero or more named graphs, being pairs comprising an IRI or blank node and an RDF graph. While RDF graphs have a formal model-theoretic semantics that determines what arrangements of the world make an RDF graph true, no agreed formal semantics exists for RDF datasets. This document presents some issues to be addressed when defining a formal semantics for datasets, as they have been discussed in the RDF 1.1 Working Group, and specify several semantics in terms of model theory, each corresponding to a certain design choice for RDF datasets.


The aim of this research was to assess teacher educators' knowledge, perceptions and understanding of the Strengthening Teacher Education in Pakistan (STEP) project which was designed to develop professional standards for teachers in Pakistan. Using a qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews, data were collected from teacher educators (N=12) across various elementary and secondary teacher education programs. Through thematic analysis, four themes were identified teachers' firm belief in the need for change and reform, the relevance of teaching standards to current day Pakistan, support for implementation, and confidence in implementing teaching standards. Overall, participant responses indicated that all teacher educators believed that professional standards were appropriate as a set of guided principles encapsulating a professional body of knowledge, which ideally provided the benchmark and framework to assist preservice teachers in implementing effective teaching practices in their classrooms. However, the same educators revealed that the integration of such Standards in teacher education programs was yet to be achieved, due to various execution challenges. The article discusses the need to integrate the Professional Standards into current pre-service teacher training programs while being sensitive to contextual givens.


The theme of this fifty-fourth volume of Studies in Church History is 'The Church and Empire', and the twenty-three articles included here explore the complex and ever-evolving relationship of ecclesiastical and imperial power within a range of historical contexts. The articles represent plenary addresses and a selection of the communications presented at two highly successful Ecclesiastical History Society conferences during my presidential year – a Summer Conference held at the University of Edinburgh in July 2016 and a Winter Meeting held at Magdalene College, Cambridge, in January 2017. Both conferences attracted a large number of speakers and participants from across the world, and reflected the considerable scholarly interest in questions concerning the relations of Church and empire. These questions include the extent to which Christianity in the Western world became linked to the political power of large imperial states, the nature and extent of the connection of Christianity to the expansion of Western imperialism in the early modern and modern periods, and the manner in which the Church often came into conflict with imperial power, especially when Christians insisted on the spiritual independence of the Church and on maintaining an independent Christian moral witness against the wars of conquest, cruelty, racism, oppression and arrogance of power that too often have been associated with imperial rule.


This review presents a systematic perspective on the development of micro-optofluidic lenses. The progress on the development of micro-optofluidic lenses are illustrated by example from recent literature. The advantage of micro-optofluidic lenses over solid lens systems is their tunability without the use of large actuators such as servo motors. Depending on the relative orientation of light path and the substrate surface, micro-optofluidic lenses can be categorized as in-plane or out-of-plane lenses. However, this review will focus on the tunability of the lenses and categorizes them according to the concept of tunability. Micro-optofluidic lenses can be either tuned by the liquid in use or by the shape of the lens. Micro-optofluidic lenses with tunable shape are categorized according to the actuation schemes. Typical parameters of micro-optofluidic lenses reported recently are compared and discussed. Finally, perspectives are given for future works in this field.


Recent developments in solid-state light-emitting diode (LED) materials and devices are driving a resurgence in the use of free-space optics (FSO) for wireless broadband communication. This technology uses the visible spectrum provided by "white" LEDs, which are becoming ubiquitous in lighting and has some desirable properties competitive with existing radio frequency (RF) communications. By leveraging the low-cost nature of LEDs and lighting units there are many opportunities to exploit this medium for widespread optical communication deployment. The optical medium, however, has distinct characteristics that must be managed, such as directionality and susceptibility to noise sources in the visible spectrum. In this paper we present a new indoor FSO communication system, also known as a visible-light communication (VLC) system that achieves satisfactory data rates while supporting multiple access under line-of-sight (LOS) constraints. A hexagonal device design is proposed and investigated in the context to two communication protocols designed to manage point-to-point and point-to-host cases. Theoretical analysis and simulation of the two protocols using this hexagonal transceiver design indicate suitability for addressing high data rate communications between peer devices; or between multiple devices using the peerto-host model. A new medium access control (MAC) scheme will also discussed.


Ambient noise constrains the evolution of acoustic signals and hearing. An earlier fitness model showed that the trade-off between sound detection and recognition helps predict the best level of auditory sensitivity for acoustic communication in noise. Here, the early model is improved to investigate the effects of different noise masking conditions and signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). It is revealed that low sensitivity is expected for acoustic communication over short distances in complex noisy environments provided missed sound recognition is costly. By contrast, high sensitivity is expected for acoustic communication over long distances in quieter habitats or when sounds are received with good SNRs under unfavorable noise conditions. High sensitivity is also expected in noisy environments characterized by one dominant source of noise with a fairly constant spectrum (running-water noise) or when sounds are processed using anti-masking strategies favoring the detection and recognition of sound embedded in noise. These predictions help explain unexpected findings that do not fit with the current view on the effects of environmental selection on signal and sensitivity. Model predictions are compared with those of models of signal detection in noisy conditions and results of empirical studies.


Air cooler system is aimed at increasing the density of pressurized air to reduce the work cycle of the average cylinder temperature and exhaust temperature, to prevent excessive thermal load on components, effectively inhibit the NOx emissions. Daihastu 6PSHdM-26H diesel engine, which is a type of 4-stroke medium-speed turbocharged marine diesel engine, is widely used in ocean-going ships. Considering its working principle and structural properties, this paper describes some roles and running influent factors of air cooler, establishes its physical and mathematical models in order to set up the numerical calculation method, gets the relative parameters of deterioration of cooling capacity in an air-cooler. And then points out that the influence of deteriorated heat transfer in an air-cooler for the effective fuel oil consumption of marine diesel engine is dual , that is, the increasing of air flow resistance and dirt as well as decreasing of cool capacity, the effective fuel oil consumption is rising. On the basis of the numerical calculation of air cooler, these results not only provides some theory support to solve deteriorated of operational performance for heavy-duty 4-stroke marine diesel engine, but also decrease the dependence degree for a marine engineer, then make it possible to scientific manage modern big-scale automatic engine room and improve the reliability of marine propulsion power plant.


The Great Indian Bustard is a bird of open areas with shrubby vegetation. In view of increasing developmental activities it is now confined to the western part of the "Thar Desert" in Rajsthan, where it is sustaning a large number and multiplying too. It is a magnificent large bird and it facing extinction due to certain misbelief and poaching incidents. It is omnivorous in feeding habits. The Great Indian Bustard lays a single egg that too in the open, which is a hindrance in its multiplication. It has a peculiar courtship displaying, inflating a pouch from its neck. More than 200 birds are estimated in Jaisalmer area. It is also breeding there if sanctuaries sad national parks are created where G.I.B. is confined, then this bird can be saved from extinction.


The Candida antarctica lipase B (Novozyme 435) catalysed resolution of 2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-4-methyl-3-oxo-1H-1,4-benzodiazepine-2-acetic acid methyl ester (SB-235349), a key Lotrafiban intermediate, has been investigated in six ionic liquids including [BMIM][PF6] and [BMIM][N(SO2CF3)2]. The initial rate and final yield of the reaction have subsequently been determined in [BMIM][PF6] as a function of initial substrate concentration (5–40 g L−1), temperature (25–100 °C) and initial water content (3–15% H2O w/w). In each case the results have been compared to those obtained for the optimised industrial process operated in t-butanol (88% v/v). Simply replacing the organic solvent with an ionic liquid under otherwise identical reaction conditions reduced the rate of conversion. However, exploiting the increased solubility of the substrate in ionic liquids and the ability to operate at higher temperatures increased the overall rate of reaction by a factor of four while maintaining the same overall yield of 47%. In each case the ee of the product was 99%. Further experiments demonstrated the ability to re-use the enzyme over 10 reaction cycles and suggested that solute mass transfer in ionic liquids might be an issue for reactions carried out at larger scale. Overall the results suggest that ionic liquids can be very favourable reaction media for industrial bioconversion processes, which also overcome many of the safety and environmental concerns of conventional organic solvents.


In Malaysia, the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii is becoming an increasingly important targeted species, as its culture, is considered to have the potential to raise income among impoverished farmers. Although, total freshwater aquaculture production decreased in the year 2013 compared to previous year, the aquaculture production of M. rosenbergii increased from 318 tonnes in 2012 to 457 tonnes in 2013. Recently, the production of giant freshwater fries increased from the three government and 21 private hatcheries in 2012 to the four government and 19 private hatcheries in 2013. The number and production of feed mills increased in 2013 compared to the four years ago. Until recently, lack of a stable nursery of PL and feed had been an important obstacle to the further expansion and development of M. rosenbergii culture. This paper reviews the current status of freshwater prawn culture in Malaysia and background history, and future prospects of freshwater prawn farming. It was concluded that freshwater prawn farming in Malaysia has a favorable scenario for expansion due to increasing demand and to prospects of an improved organization of the productive chain.


The Legis case did part of the project "Built to last in Colombia" that wants to illustrate some managerial practices that make Colombian enterprises last in time. It follows a methodological design of multiple case, the information has been recompiled using a guide that consists in ten categories and forty three sub categories of analysis. There were used multiple sources of information to support the case and researchers were consulted to guarantee the validity of the results. The conclusions emphasize in the importance of social responsibility in the strategic process, managerial innovations and goverment-entreprise relationships.


The overview of the latest advances in magnetoencephalography (MEG) technology, including the development of optically pumped magnetometers (OPM), is presented. The main advantage of OPM over conventional superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUID) is the absence of cryogenic cooling, which reduces the cost of equipment by 2-3 times. Moreover, the OPM can be positioned a few millimeters from the scalp, which roughly doubles the signal-to-noise ratio. In addition, they are not as susceptible to muscle artifacts as electroencephalography (EEG) signals. Moreover, placing the OPM in a nulling magnetic field reduces the effects of head movement artifacts in the surrounding field. All these advantages open up great potential for the development of a new generation of OPM-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) that are cheaper, more flexible and more responsive than SQUID-based BCIs, which can perform both motor and non-motor tasks. Despite the tremendous progress made over the past few years, OPM-MEG is still an evolving technology that requires further improvement. Due to the large size of the sensors, the number of channels is relatively small (less than 50), so they cannot cover the entire head. Although many BCI applications require only a few sensors, their correct placement in selected areas of the scalp is very important. The miniaturization and versatility of lightweight helmets could be an important step towards the further development of OPM for BCI and other applications.


Leaves and branches of mature trees, lianas, and gap species were warmed in an Amazonian forest for 4 mo to observe the effect of warming on photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and transpiration. Electric resistance heaters increased air temperatures near the leaves by approximately 2°C. Sunlit leaf temperatures increased by 2–3°C on average, but during some periods leaf temperatures increased by >5°C. Maximum photosynthesis (Amax) decreased significantly in the warmed leaves vs. the control leaves over the 13‐wk study period with an average decrease in Amax of 1.4 μmol/m2s (19% decrease from a mean Amax of 7.2 μmol/m2s) when measured at 30°C and there were no signs of acclimation to higher temperatures within existing leaves. The decline in Amax was likely due to irreversible temperature damage caused by very high leaf temperatures and not due to Ci limitation of carboxylation. Warming had a larger negative impact on Amax in canopy level tree species than other tested functional groups such as lianas or gap species. Transpiration did not significantly increase in the warmed leaves compared with the control group. This study indicates that increased temperatures due to global warming could potentially decrease future tropical forest carbon uptake by a significant amount.


The DNA of a eukaryotic chromosome is probably one single molecule, amounting to several centimetres in length if laid out straight, and it must be highly folded to make the compact structure one can see in a chromosome. At the same time it is organized into separate genetic or functional units, and the manner in which this folding is achieved, genes organized and their expression controlled is the subject of this Discussion Meeting. The subject is a wide ranging one but there has been such rapid progress in the various branches that the organizers felt it timely to review the current position and to see what connections could be made between structural organization at various levels and functional control. The first session is devoted to the topic of chromatin, the name given to the chromosomal material when extracted. It consists mainly of DNA, tightly associated with an equal weight of a small set of rather basic proteins called histones. Other proteins and RNA are present in lesser amounts, and these non-histone proteins include polymerases which transcribe the DNA, other enzymes and putative regulatory proteins. For many years the histones themselves appeared rather complex, but by about 1970 (see, for example, DeLange & Smith 1973) it had become clear that there were only five types, the apparent proliferation of types or species arising from various post-synthetic chemical modifications such as acetylation or phosphorylation, which take place during various phases of the cell cycle.


Abstract Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare neurodegenerative disease leading to progressive muscular atrophy, respiratory failure, and premature death. Secondary thorax and spine deformities are frequent. In July 2017, the antisense oligonucleotide nusinersen (Spinraza) was approved for the recurrent lifelong intrathecal treatment of SMA in Europe. Lumbar punctures are challenging especially in SMA patients with severe spine deformities and after spine surgery. In the light of alternative SMA therapies that are available or are expected to be available soon and which are administered orally or via one-time infusion, an appraisal of the established therapy is significant. Discussion about which therapy is the best for each individual patient will have to include not only the safety and efficacy of data but also the application form and its burden for the patient and the health care system. Therefore, we analyzed our 3-year experiences and challenges with 478 lumbar puncture procedures in 61 pediatric SMA patients with and without spine deformities or instrumentation.


Abstract The marine turtle fishery of Grenada was assessed using interviews with marine turtle fishermen and by examination of turtle catch data from a major landing site. An estimated 782 turtles, mainly Endangered green turtles Chelonia mydas and Critically Endangered hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbricata, were caught around Grenada and its sister island Carriacou each year between 1996 and 2001 during an annual 8-month open season, with only a small percentage being officially recorded at a landing site. Turtles were primarily caught with nets and spearguns, with more green turtles caught by net fishermen and more hawksbill turtles by spear fishermen. Catch per unit effort data suggested that relative abundance had declined since the previous estimate was made in 1969. Few adult green or loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta were caught, indicating the relative scarcity of this size class of these two species around Grenada. Adult-sized hawksbill turtles were caught regularly, with larger adults being caught in the non-breeding months of the open season than in the breeding months. A higher percentage of adult hawksbill turtles present during the breeding season are likely to be animals that nest in Grenada, and their smaller size may result from historically heavy fishing pressure. The larger sized adults caught during the non-breeding season are likely to be animals that forage around Grenada but breed elsewhere in the Caribbean where they are protected.


Although melanins can be formed in vitro by the unique action of tyrosinase on L-tyrosine, it is now well accepted that other enzymes termed tyrosinase-related proteins are involved in mammalian melanogenesis. However, some aspects of their roles in the regulation of the pathway are still unknown. The action of dopachrome tautomerase on L-dopachrome yields DHICA, a stable dihydroxyindole with a low rate of spontaneous oxidation. However, DHICA is efficiently incorporated to the pigment, as judged by the high content of carboxylated indole units in natural melanins. Therefore, the fate of this melanogenic intermediate and the mechanisms of its incorporation to the melanin polymer are major issues in the study of melanogenesis. We have recently shown that mouse melanosomes contain two electrophoretically distinguishable tyrosinase isoenzymes, LEMT and HEMT, that can be purified and completely resolved (Jiménez-Cervantes et al., 1993a). Herein, we have compared the ability of these tyrosinases to catalyze DHICA oxidation. Although highly purified LEMT shows a very low specific activity for dopa oxidation in comparison to HEMT, it is able to catalyze DHICA oxidation. However, the DHICA oxidase activity of HEMT was very low, if significant. The ability of purified LEMT to catalyze DHICA oxidation was abolished by heat, trypsin, or phenylthiourea treatments. LEMT acting on DHICA caused the formation of a brownish soluble color similar to DHICA-melanin. Immunoprecipitation of the DHICA oxidase activity of LEMT by specific antibodies suggests that this activity corresponds to TRP1. These results indicate that LEMT, most probably identical to the product of the b locus, is a tyrosinase having a specific DHICA oxidase activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


INTRODUCTION
Hyperthyroidism is a rare condition among children and the most common cause is Graves' disease. The best therapy for these patients continues to be debated.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
The medical records of 20 patients with Graves' hyperthyroidism who were treated between 1989 and 2003 were reviewed. Clinical symptoms, thyroid function, thyroid autoantibodies, thyroid imaging tests, first line therapy, disease or treatment-induced complications and the need for a secondary treatment option, as well as outcomes, were analyzed.

RESULTS
Age at diagnosis ranged from 5 to 16 years and there were more girls than boys (3:1). The most frequent symptom was hyperactivity (58 %). The most frequent sign was goiter (79 %). Thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin antibodies were found in 90 % of the patients, at the beginning or during the course of the disease. All of the patients received antithyroid medication as first line therapy, but remission was achieved in just one patient. Surgical thyroidectomy was required in three patients, and two patients were treated with radioiodine.

CONCLUSION
Because few children achieve remission with medical therapy, other types of treatment (surgery or radioiodine) are often required. Although antithyroid drugs are considered the first choice for treatment in Europe, some authors advocate radioiodine as the treatment of choice.


Abstract In this study, we investigate if chronic inflammation and autoimmunity might be related to the development of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). Conducting a case-control study, we included 112 CMML subjects diagnosed at three hematological departments in Denmark between 2003 and 2013. Controls were 231 unmatched chronic lymphatic leukemia (CLL) subjects diagnosed at one of the departments between 2003 and 2012. Subjects with a history of chronic inflammation or autoimmune disorders were retrieved and odds ratios (ORs) calculated. 16.1% of CMML subjects and 6.5% of CLL subjects presented with a history of chronic inflammatory or autoimmune conditions. This was significantly associated with an increased risk of CMML (adjusted OR 3.24, 95% CI: 1.5–7.0). At individual levels, this association was statistically significant for polymyalgia rheumatica and ITP (p values  < 0.01 and 0.03, respectively). We found an association of CMML and smoking status (OR 1.42, 95% CI: 1.06–1.90) with more "former smokers" in the CMML group.


This paper is devoted to investigating the effects of high-speed elongation of arcs inside ultra-fast switches (ucontact≈ 5–80 m/s), through a 2-D time-dependent model, in Cartesian coordinates. Two air arcs in series, one between a stationary anode and a moving cathode and the other between a stationary cathode and a moving anode in the arc chamber, are considered. A variable speed experimental setup through a Thomson drive actuator is designed to support this study. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) equations system is solved for fluid velocity, pressure, temperature, and electric potential, as well as the magnetic vector potential. Electron emission mechanisms on the contact surface and induced current density due to magnetic field changes are also considered to describe the arc root formation, arc bending, lengthening, and calculating the arc current density, as well as the contact temperatures, in a better way. Data processing techniques are utilized to derive instantaneous core shape and profiles of the arc to investigate thermo-electrical characteristics during the elongation progress. The results are compared with another experimentally verified magnetohydrodynamics model of a fixed-length, free-burning arc in the air. The simulation and experimental results confirm each other.