AIMS
Enhanced external counter pulsation (EECP) is a non-invasive and non-pharmacological therapy for patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD). There are, however, insufficient data to support the effectiveness of EECP in improving the myocardial mechanical properties of patients with refractory stable angina. We aimed to assess the effects of EECP on myocardial mechanical properties and cardiac functions in CAD patients not eligible for surgical or percutaneous revascularization procedures.

METHODS AND RESULTS
Twenty patients in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional Class III and IV angina were evaluated. The mean age of the patients was 63 +/- 9 years, and 65% were male. A comprehensive echocardiographic study including an evaluation of the tissue Doppler-based parameters of systolic and diastolic functions was performed before and after the termination of the protocol. EECP was carried out 1 h per day, 5 days per week, for 7 weeks. EECP resulted in a significant increase in peak late diastolic transmitral inflow velocity (0.75+/-0.14 vs. 0.83+/-0.20 m/s, P<0.05), propagation velocity (42.35+/-6.25 vs. 46.00+/-5.68 cm/s, P<0.05), peak early diastolic velocity of mitral annulus (5.35+/-1.79 vs. 5.95+/-1.10 cm/s, P<0.05), peak systolic velocity (2.51+/-0.28 vs. 2.67+/-0.26, P<0.05), and early diastolic velocity (3.24+/-0.18 vs. 3.52+/-0.26 cm/s, P<0.01) of all middle segments, peak late diastolic velocity of all basal (4.48+/-0.58 vs. 4.75+/-0.70 cm/s, P<0.05) and middle segments (2.82+/-0.66 vs. 3.25+/-0.46 cm/s, P<0.01), peak systolic strain rate of all basal (0.76+/-0.07 vs. 0.99+/-0.08 1/s, P=0.001) and middle segments (0.75+/-0.09 vs. 0.94+/-0.09 1/s, P<0.001), peak systolic strain of basal (11.64+/-1.51 vs. 13.97+/-1.52%, P<0.01) and middle segments (11.81+/-1.15 vs.13.73+/-1.57%, P<0.001), and left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (40.25+/-12.72 vs. 46.25+/-12.97%, P<0.001).There was also a significant decrease in the ratios of transmitral E/A (0.92+/-0.41 vs. 1.08+/-0.46, P<0.05) and E/Ea (12.61+/-4.22 vs. 15.44+/-6.96, P<0.05) after EECP therapy. A significant reduction in NYHA angina class (>or=1 angina class) was seen in the patients, who completed treatment.

CONCLUSION
EECP therapy seemed to improve both regional and global LV systolic and diastolic functions in patients with chronic angina pectoris.


It is a tendency of specialists in any field to examine all phenomena exclusively with the instruments of their own speciality. Infantile stridor has been a perquisite of laryngologists for so long that it is not surprising to find the many descriptions of it devoted largely to laryngeal factors. A great deal of attention has been paid to the larynx but very little to the infant. As a result, information regarding associated conditions, complications and sequelae, prognosis and mortality has been neglected. This paper records follow-up observations on 80 infants who had stridor. The sole criterion for inclusion was the occurrence of sustained stridor in early infancy. The data include observations on stridor itself, on the infants who presented with it, and on the mechanism and aetiology of its production.


beta-fructosyltransferase produces fructooligosaccharides from sucrose by transglycosylation. In this aticle recent advances were summarized from related literatures. The tendency of the development in this field was prospected.


Urban landscapes have depauperate avifaunas, but there have been few studies of urban bird communities in Southeast Asia. Domestic cats can attain very high densities in urban environments, and are known to have
detrimental effects on local avian assemblages. The aim of this study was to describe the urban bird assemblage of Kuching, an equatorial city in Borneo, and to investigate its potential relationship with the abundance of cats. The density of birds and domestic cats was examined in ten discrete urban areas from November
2014 to April 2015 using line transects. A total of 1,844 bird observations were made, involving 27 species. Bird species richness and diversity were negatively
related to cat density (R2 = 0.41 and 0.43, respectively), but cat density did not significantly affect bird density (R2 = 0.032). Bird species richness was strongly correlated with the size of urban areas (R2
= 0.76, P = 0.001) suggesting that larger areas offer additional habitat or niches (e.g. street trees, parks, waterways), which in turn support more species. Reduction of habitat heterogeneity and type of surrounding matrix, as well as the presence of abundant introduced predators
may play important roles in structuring the composition and population dynamics of this urban bird community. Urban areas do have some biodiversity conservation
value, but the challenge is to enhance this value through better planning.


Aims To evaluate the prevalence of myopic maculopathy among participants aged 50 years and older in rural southern China. Methods Population-based, cross-sectional study. Subjects were recruited using cluster sampling from Yangxi County, Guangdong Province, China from August to November in 2014. Non-cycloplegic autorefraction and fundus photography were performed on all of the participants. Myopic maculopathy was graded based on fundus photographs using the International Classification of Myopic Maculopathy. Results Among 5825 individuals who participated (90.7% response rate), a total of 4469 participants with gradable fundus photographs for myopic maculopathy and automated refractive data were included in this study. The mean age of these participants was 65.50±9.70 years. The crude prevalence of myopic maculopathy was 1.4% (62/4469; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0% to 1.8 %) and age-standardised prevalence was 1.2% (95% CI 1.1% to 1.2%). Diffuse chorioretinal atrophy, patchy chorioretinal atrophy, macular atrophy, lacquer cracks and staphyloma were observed in 43 (1.0%), 3 (0.1%), 1 (0.1%), 15 (0.3%) and 8 eyes (0.2%), respectively. Myopic maculopathy was more common in eyes of older participants (OR 1.07; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.11) and more myopic spherical equivalence (OR 1.69; 95% CI 1.57 to 1.84). Conclusion The prevalence of myopic maculopathy was low among the rural southern Chinese population. Diffuse chorioretinal atrophy was the most common retinal finding among Chinese myopes.


This is an Introduction to the first section of the book that includes papers considering the art of Ancient world. Along with a brief review of the papers, the author puts up a problem of artistic stereotype in the art of Classical antiquity, and its significance for the development of the simultaneous provincial art of the Oikoumene's outskirts, as well as its influence upon art and figurative culture after Antiquity. While reviewing the publications of the section, the author accentuates the fact that actually all the problems discussed in Classical studies, when touching upon fine arts, appear to disclose figurative schemes elaborated in Classical antiquity. Being applied to artistic practice of various times and regions these programmatic finds of antique artists prove conceptual European artistic unity based upon Hellenic and Roman achievements to exist through ages.


A luminance adjusting algorithm using light sensing scanner is proposed for small-sized high resolution and high image quality active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) displays such as smartphone applications. By using simple pixel structure with the proposed algorithm, high aperture ratio in high resolution display can be achieved. Experimental results show that the standard deviation of luminance improves from 7.07 to 1.81 LSB when the proposed adjusting method is used to 3.5-inch AMOLED display with 8-bit gray scale.


In this paper, the characteristics of trapezoidal air screws is studied. These screws can e applied to the elevator having column driving shaft. The generalized coordinate transformation technique is used to solve incompressible Reynolds' equation because the air lubricated plane is twisted. The transformed equation is discretized by the base of Finite difference method. Using Visual C++ language, a GUI program which can calculate he load carrying capacity for this kind of air screw is developed, then the design variables for these air screws is studied.


Nowadays, using of e-learning has a special place in organizations and universities. Understanding the efficiency and effectiveness of this type of education, scientific and professional assemblies try to provide effective tools and strategies to operate this kind of training better. E-Learning management system as one of the basic requirements of the system plays a special role in this field. Therefore all companies are looking for a system that meets their needs in the field of e-learning. Standards of content and structure of e- learning must be set so that access to possibilities such as content reuse or gathering or discriminating subject from various sources at different times is possible. This paper reviews and compares some of the most important standards in the field of e-learning.


This paper, Part II, deals with the software platform that implements the workflow described in Part I, i.e., a thermography-based diagnostics able to provide a detailed, clear, and unambiguous information on the health state of photovoltaic (PV) modules. The methodology, in fact, allows a numerical and qualitative evaluation of each cell of the PV module. In particular, this paper deeply describes the main features of the software platform and introduces the graphical user interface that makes the framework efficiently and effectively adoptable since it leads to the automatic generation of a report. In order to show the manifold features, three cases of study, which have been derived from a real monitoring survey, are discussed, highlighting the critical situations revealed neither with a direct observation of the infrared image nor with its manual processing: The first case in regard to a defected PV module and the second one an almost completely uniform module, while the third one deals with a dishomogeneous module.


Abstract The transport of energy by turbulence and pressure is examined for a turbulent surface layer over a dry prairie grassland. Both terms are found to be significant in the budget of turbulent kinetic energy. The values of the divergences are deduced by considering the variations of the non-dimensionalized terms with respect to z/L. It was found that the divergence of the turbulent kinetic energy flux was about equal to minus the buoyancy production. The main contribution was due to the divergence of the vertical transfer of the vertical component of kinetic energy. The divergence of pressure transfer was found to be of opposite sign and of about equal magnitude to the divergence of turbulent energy flux. The dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy about equalled the local production. The spectral components of the energy budget are briefly examined. It was found that the non-dimensional frequency range with no appreciable production nor dissipation was only about a decade wide whereas the spectral f...


The Politics of Massacre. Political Processes in South Vietnam. By Charles A. Joiner. (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1974. pp. xv, 346. Index. $12.50.) This book essentially is a collection of slightly revised, previously published essays by Professor Joiner analyzing the full diapason of political activity in South Vietnam and its historical antecedents. It is an important collection, although it would be more readable if the syntax of the contents mirrored some of the flare of its title. That it does not disappoints my desire as a television journalist to get it said in thirty seconds or less, but the scholarly detail and thorough knowledge of the subject contained in the essays more than satisfies the lawyer in me, and should quench the thirst of the serious student as well.


Current treatments of Parkinson's disease (PD) have limited efficacy in alleviating freezing of gait (FoG). In this context, concomitant deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) has been suggested as a potential therapeutic approach. However, the mechanisms underlying this approach are unknown. While the current rationale relies on network-based hypotheses of intensified disinhibition of brainstem locomotor areas to facilitate the release of gait motor programs, it is still unclear how simultaneous high-frequency DBS in two interconnected basal ganglia nuclei affects large-scale cortico-subcortical network activity. Here, we use a basic model of neural excitation, the susceptible-excited-refractory (SER) model, to compare effects of different stimulation modes of the network underlying FoG. We develop a network-based computational framework to compare subcortical DBS targets through exhaustive analysis of the brain attractor dynamics in the healthy, PD and DBS states. We demonstrate the validity of the approach and the superior performance of combined STN+SNr DBS in the normalization of spike propagation flow in the FoG network. The framework aims to move towards a mechanistic understanding of the network effects of DBS and may be applicable to further perturbation-based therapies of brain disorders. AUTHOR SUMMARY Parkinson's disease patients with Freezing of Gait (FoG) may be treated by deep brain stimulation, which produces effects mediated by brain networks. Currently, the approach of combined DBS of the subthalamic nucleus and the substantia nigra pars reticulata is investigated for being particularly beneficial for patients with axial symptoms, but the exact mechanisms of this effect are unknown. Here, we present a network-based computational framework using a basic excitable model that enables us to simulate the complete activity patterns of the brain network involved in FoG. These simulations reveal network mechanisms underlying STN+SNr DBS and its efficacy in alleviating FoG. The proposed framework can capture the influence of the DBS target sites on cortico-subcortical networks and help to identify suitable stimulation targets.


As is well known, the availability of water for mining processes in Chile is limited. In addition, it should be considered that the vast majority of mining plants are located in the northern part of the country, which is for the most part desert, and mainly at a high altitude.
Given the low availability of water, various alternatives have emerged such as thickening tailings to high concentrations by weight (recovering more water in the thickeners) or using desalinated seawater.
The present study aims to define the optimum thickening concentration for copper tailings, applied to a case study of representative Chilean mine tailings, from a rheological and energy point of view, as a function of recovered water in the thickeners and specific energy consumption (SEC), transporting one ton of Non-Newtonian thickened tailings.
The specific energy consumption (SEC) should be related mostly to the solids transported than to the mixture, with thickening becoming a relevant parameter, since in slurry transport, the solids are usually the "payload", while the conveying fluid is simply the "vehicle".
The result of this paper provides the industry with an additional variable to consider in the optimum grade of tailings thickening and rheological design parameters for projects, which could be considered in conceptual and pre-feasibility stages or in the optimization of existing systems.


This paper presents an enhanced implementation for the classic merge sort algorithm which reduces both the execution time as well as the extra space requirements. The main idea is to modify the merge procedure such that it only moves half of the input array into one single auxiliary array instead of the conventional whole array and two auxiliary arrays. Experimental data proves that the proposed implementation is faster than the conventional implementation.


Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and characteristics of sport and recreation (SR)-related injuries treated in an emergency department (ED). This paper is the first community based study on SR- related injuries in Finland in a defined geographic region. Material and Methodology: Prospective observational study based on injury information recorded in the injury data base in ED. From June 1, 2004 to May 31, 2006 of a total of 4 844 unintentional injuries (in 4 407 patients) leading to treat- ment in ED), 414 (in 404 patients, 9%) were SR-related. Results: In SR-related injury patients the median age of females was 25 years (SD 21) and that of males 25 years (SD 13) (range: 5 to 88 years). Patients aged 10 to 19 years had the highest injury rates. Most of the injuries were fractures (35%), sprains (28%) and wounds or contusions (27%). 38% of all injuries were located in the upper and 40% in the lower ex- tremity. 14.5% of the patients were hospitalized. Patients with SR-related injuries had relatively more fractures and dislo- cations than those with other unintentional injuries (� 2 = 31.67; d.f. = 10, p = 0.0005). The annual rate of SR-related inju- ries attended to hospital ED was 251 per 100 000 persons. Conclusion: In order to prevent SR-related injuries, the knowledge of preventive methods should be improved among residents and athletes.


Ground control points (GCPs) are critical for agricultural remote sensing that require georeferencing and calibration of images collected from an unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) at different times. However, the conventional stationary GCPs are time-consuming and labor-intensive to measure, distribute, and collect their information in a large field setup. An autonomous mobile GCP and a collaboration strategy to communicate with the UAV were developed to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the UAV-based data collection process. Prior to actual field testing, preliminary tests were conducted using the system to show the capability of automatic path tracking by reducing the root mean square error (RMSE) for lateral deviation from 34.3 cm to 15.6 cm based on the proposed look-ahead tracking method. The tests also indicated the feasibility of moving reflectance reference panels successively along all the waypoints without having detrimental effects on pixel values in the mosaicked images, with the percentage errors in digital number values ranging from −1.1% to 0.1%. In the actual field testing, the autonomous mobile GCP was able to successfully cooperate with the UAV in real-time without any interruption, showing superior performances for georeferencing, radiometric calibration, height calibration, and temperature calibration, compared to the conventional calibration method that has stationary GCPs.


Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) continues to be a major cause of disease and premature death. As with all viruses, HIV-1 exploits a host cell to replicate. Improving our understanding of the molecular interactions between virus and human host proteins is crucial for a mechanistic understanding of virus biology, infection and host antiviral activities. This knowledge will potentially permit the identification of host molecules for targeting by drugs with antiviral properties. Here, we propose a data-driven approach for the analysis and prediction of the HIV-1 interacting proteins (VIPs) with a focus on the directionality of the interaction: host-dependency versus antiviral factors. Using support vector machine learning models and features encompassing genetic, proteomic and network properties, our results reveal some significant differences between the VIPs and non-HIV-1 interacting human proteins (non-VIPs). As assessed by comparison with the HIV-1 infection pathway data in the Reactome database (sensitivity > 90%, threshold = 0.5), we demonstrate these models have good generalization properties. We find that the 'direction' of the HIV-1-host molecular interactions is also predictable due to different characteristics of 'forward'/pro-viral versus 'backward'/pro-host proteins. Additionally, we infer the previously unknown direction of the interactions between HIV-1 and 1351 human host proteins. A web server for performing predictions is available at http://hivpre.cvr.gla.ac.uk/.


The Austrian Oetztal has a beautiful and impressive alpine landscape: high alpine summits, glaciers, and specialized plants and animals characterize this wonderful environment. Fortunately, and possibly because of that, the Inner Oetztal is one of the best studied alpine areas of Europe and probably the world: since 1951, the Alpine Research Centre Obergurgl has monitored the entire region carefully, creating a wealth of successful research projects. Decades of research have now culminated in the publication of Glaziale und periglaziale Lebensräume im Raum Obergurgl (Glacial and periglacial habitats in the region of Obergurgl, German with English abstracts). The history of research in the Inner Oetztal goes back to 1951, when Prof Wolfgang Burger founded the Alpine Research Centre Obergurgl (part of University of Innsbruck) to study alpinism and undertake alpine research, and to provide a research station available for scientists from around the world. Since then, the priorities of the center have been research into plants and animals, the alpine environment, and mountain medicine. In 1973, research in Obergurgl was intensified when the area became a study region of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere program, in which ecological and economic aspects were studied in collaboration with the local population. Today still, or even more than ever, the Alpine Research Centre enables and fosters research from a wide array of disciplines, which has now resulted in the publication of this interesting and comprehensive book. History, geology, climate, glaciers, vegetation history, soils, succession on glacier forefields, plants, animals, and microbes in terrestrial and aquatic habitats (even on snow and ice!) are all covered and nicely illustrated in 10 chapters. Changes in the environment and society are apparent in many chapters. For instance, the social and economic structure of the village of Obergurgl has changed dramatically in past 3 centuries. What used to be a farming village has now become a popular tourist destination, with subsequent impacts on the environment. The geomorphology of the area shows impressively how glaciers have shaped the landscape during the Ice Age. In the past millennium, glaciers reached their maximum extent at the end of the Little Ice Age (around 1850). Since then, the glaciers have lost almost 50% of their area, which is not surprising because the climate has warmed by about 1.2uC since the foundation of the Alpine Research Centre Obergurgl. Climate change after the last Ice Age is also reflected in the vegetation history of the area. Interestingly, pollen analysis shows that, shortly after the end of the Ice Age, trees had already established at a similar elevation as today. Today, as glaciers retreat, the colonization by plants and animals of formerly ice-covered areas enables interesting insights into the succession of highalpine habitats. Studies of invertebrate animals have shown that the most important changes in species assemblages and diversity happened within the first 50 years after glacial retreat. After that, the animal communities largely resemble those in adjacent areas. Finally, the book presents studies on organisms that may not be so easy to discover for a nonspecialist. In aquatic communities, species numbers were low, but the discovered species were interesting specialists in this extreme environment. In soils, fungi and microbes turned out to play a very important role for the development of the ecosystem, which illustrates that these organisms, largely invisible to the naked eye, cannot be neglected in alpine habitats. Even on snow and ice, living organisms could be found. Not only do the famous red snow algae live in the snow cover, but an entire food web can be sustained in small melt water pockets in snow and ice. This book illustrates the importance of research in high-alpine habitats and also points to remaining research gaps. Much of the basic research that has been carried out in the Inner Oetztal helps us to understand the functioning of the ecosystem and is necessary to address applied issues such as high-altitude restoration, climate and vegetation change, or water budgets. The book is nicely designed and illustrated, and will hence be a delight to all scientifically interested people.


Chloramphenicol (CAP) is a forbidden antibiotic that enters the food chain by illegal use in food-producing animals, potentially causing aplastic anaemia in humans. Immuno-PCR has the potential to address the need of meeting strict limits for this antibiotic by detecting trace levels of CAP present in animal-derived foods. A real-time immuno-quantitative PCR (RT-IPCR) assay for the quantification of CAP based on the simple and quick immunomagnetic bead recovery of CAP in milk was developed. The immunomagnetic beads were obtained by linking the reporter DNA to anti-CAP monoclonal antibody with N-succinimidyl S-acetylthioacetate (SATA) and succinimidyl-4-(N-maleimidomethyl)cyclohexane-1-carboxylate (SMCC) and immobilising the anti-CAP monoclonal antibody/DNA-label conjugate on the magnetic beads with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl-aminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide (SNHS). The RT-IPCR assay allows the sensitive detection and quantification of CAP in the concentration range of 0.001–0.11 μg L−1 (R2 = 0.9986) with a 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) value of 0.008 μg L−1. The RT-IPCR approach discussed here is presented as a model system that could be easily adapted for small molecule detection in a variety of foods using simple immunomagnetic bead recovery.


It was reported in the authors' previous study that the glucosamine (GlcN) content of Asian elephant milk (516 mg GlcN/100 g milk) was markedly higher than that of cow, mare and human breast milk. Based on these findings, the GlcN levels of milk from other mammals, especially herbivores, were analyzed using the identical high performance ion exchange liquid chromatography as was employed in the previous study. The following mg GlcN/(100 g milk) values were obtained for milk hydrolysates from various mammals: Jersey cow 12; water buffalo 6; goat 10; hippopotamus 19; dog 24; bear 97; giant panda 72; seal 114; and dolphin 94. Additionally, mg GlcN/(g total amino acids), and mg GlcN/100 kcal were calculated. The milk from herbivores contained much lower levels of GlcN than elephant milk. Bear and marine mammals' milk exhibited moderate GlcN levels, probably because of their low moisture content. Giant panda milk displayed slightly increased GlcN levels and the highest value of mg GlcN/(g total amino acids), and mg GlcN/100 kcal. Free GlcN was not detected in any of the milk samples. The large interspecies differences in milk GlcN concentrations may be related to their ways of life and have important implications for human and animal health, especially in bone development and gut microbiota.


Covid-19 pandemic is determined as non-natural disaster, because its rapid transmission and endanger humans, especially pregnant women, childbirth, post-partum, newborns. The increase ofincidence number that befall the community from day to day, there are still families and postpartum mothers who do not understand in postnatal maternal and infant health care and prevention of covid transmission 19. to increase family participation and knowledge of postpartum mothers about maternal and infant health care in the prevention of Covid-19 transmission and its application during the first week of her baby's birth at home. This coaching was implementating from April to June 2020 on 20 post partum mothers  while being treated at the midwife clinic and during homecare services in the first week, by providing education, fill post-test questionnaire, observing the implementation of maternal and infants careand Covid 19 prevention at home. Family participation increased by 16 people (80%), Post-Test Knowledge was good for 17 people (85%), Good Mother and Baby Care Techniques for 13 people (65%). It is hoped that postpartum motherswill continue to carry out maternal and infant care and prevention of Covid 19 during the pandemic period as suggested by the midwife.


This study is nationwide retrospective multi-center study to investigate the incidence and characteristics of blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI) in elderly Japanese patients with traumatic cervical spine injuries (CSI) including spinal cord injury (SCI) without major bone injury. The study enrolled 1512 patients (average age: 75.8 ± 6.9 years; 1007 males, 505 females) from 33 nationwide institutions, and 391 (26%) of the participants had digital subtraction angiography and/or computed tomography angiography. Fifty-three patients were diagnosed as having BCVI by angiography. We assessed neurological evaluation, comorbidities and classification of CSI in the elderly patients with/without BCVI and collected 6-month follow-up data on treatment, complications, and patient outcome. We also statistically analyzed the relative risk (RR) and relationship between BCVI and other factors. Significant differences were identified between BCVI (+) (n = 53) and (–) (n = 1459) patients with American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (ASIA) A, C, D, cervical fracture, C3-7 injury level (AO type F and/or C), cervical dislocation, spinal surgery for CSI, tetraplegia type of SCI, and/or head injury. Fifty-three (3.5%) elderly patients had CSI complicated by BCVI including 10 (19%) cases of Denver grade I, four (7%) of grade II, 1 (2%) of grade III, 29 (55%) of grade IV, and nine (17%) of grade V. Sixteen cases were treated by interventional radiology. Rates of mortality and brain infarction from BCVI were 0.13% and 0.40%, respectively. RR of BCVI was significantly higher in the elderly cervical injury patients with head injury, severe neurological deficit, ASIA A (RR: 4.33), cervical fracture at the C3-7 level (RR: 7.39), and cervical dislocation at the C1-6 level (RR: 3.06-7.18). In conclusion, 53 (3.5%) elderly patients were complicated with BCVI. BCVI more frequently complicated head injury, severe neurological deficit (ASIA A or tetraplegia), AO type F, and/or C fractures and cervical dislocation in these patients. Six patients (11%) suffered brain infarction and two patients died from BCVI.


Background Low back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of work disability. While absent from work, workers with LBP may receive income support from a system such as workers' compensation or social security. Current evidence suggests that income support systems can influence recovery from LBP, but provides little evidence as to why and how these effects occur. This study examines how and in what contexts income support systems impact the healthcare quality and functional capacity of people with work disability and LBP. Methods We performed a realist review, a type of literature review that seeks to explain how social interventions and phenomena in certain contexts generate outcomes, rather than simply whether or not they do. Five initial theories about the mechanisms of the relationship were developed, tested, and refined by acquiring and synthesising academic literature from purposive and iterative electronic database searching. This process was supplemented by grey literature searching for policy documents and legislative summaries, and semi-structured interviews with experts in income support, healthcare, and LBP. Results Income support systems influence healthcare quality through healthcare funding restrictions, healthcare provider administrative burden, and allowing an employer to select healthcare providers. Income support systems influence worker functional capacity through the level of participation and share of income support funding required of employers, and through certain administrative procedures. These mechanisms are often exclusively context-dependent, and generate differing and unintended outcomes depending on features of the healthcare and income support system, as well as other contextual factors such as socioeconomic status and labour force composition. Conclusion Income support systems impact the healthcare quality and functional capacity of people with work disability and LBP through context-dependent financial control, regulatory, and administrative mechanisms. Future policy design and research efforts should consider how income support systems may indirectly influence workers with LBP via the workplace.


The purpose of any discourses, either spoken or written ones, is to communicate the messages to the targeted audiences. Written discourse appears to be the most cau-tious piece of work since it is a product of a well-organised and long-term writing process. To achieve the communicative purpose, an author should interpersonally interact with the targeted readers. The interpersonal interaction can be realised through the use of modalisation to express certainty and uncertainty as well as the use of attitudinal evaluation to evaluate things, events, people, situations and etc. In this case, the analysis of some extracts which are produced as guidelines for the teachers suggest that the written texts are quite convincing and evaluative as well as successful in persuading the readers. This is typical to this genre of discourse as its ultimate goal is to win over the interest of the reader in using the product. In other word, the author tries to make the text convincing and persuasive in order to win over the teachers' interest in using the textbook in their classrooms.


Listeners associate certain vowels and consonants with specific meanings, known as phonetic/sound symbolism. For example, the vowel // is often associated with small, thin and more female entities compared to the vowel //. Sound symbolism studies so far mainly focused on the effects of intrinsic pitch (F0) of vowels while no research has taken other intrinsic properties, such as intensity, into account. The present research investigates the effect of both intrinsic pitch and intrinsic intensity, which can be directly linked to vowel articulation, on perceptual associations. To this end a production task and a perception experiment have been carried out. The production task elicits read-aloud vowels from which measurements of intrinsic pitch and intrinsic intensity were taken. Results of an articulatory analysis on these measures show that intrinsic pitch and intrinsic intensity correlate negatively. Using a subset of the elicited vowels in the production task, the subsequent perception experiment investigated the effects of intrinsic pitch and intrinsic intensity on associated meanings. Results show that both intrinsic properties contribute to sound symbolism with intrinsic pitch being a stronger cue than intrinsic intensity.


To restore the long term sustainability of pension schemes and improve pension benefits adequacy in recent years many countries have raised the statutory retirement age. According to official reports, however, there is a significant difference between statutory and actual (effective) retirement age. While in some countries the former is considerably higher than the latter, in other it is quite the opposite. Thus a question which underlays this research appears: what determines the effective retirement age? To answer these questions the study objectives are 1) to identify and discuss potential factors affecting retirement decisions; 2) to estimate the impact of the identified factors on the decision to retire. The empirical analysis in the study is based on the cross-country analysis of 34 OECD countries. To assess the impact of different variables on the effective retirement age we use a multivariate regression model. The model considers variables related to general economic conditions, health, and pension system architecture. Moreover, we also add to a model a dummy variable which informs whether a country is a European one or not. To fit the model and eliminate the highly correlated independent variables we apply the stepwise regression with forward selection. Taking into account the persistent gender differences, we calculate two separate models for men and women. The results of our regression model show that the most significant influence on the retirement age has: perceived health status, life expectancy and the employment rate of people aged 60 to 64. Furthermore, we observe a noticeable impact of ?being a European country? variable - simply being the European country leads to 3,76 lower retirement age for men and 2,78 for women. We also find that effective retirement age is positively and statistically significantly correlated with the relative poverty of the elderly, and negatively with old-age dependency ratio and replacement rate. There is also a strong, negative correlation between a dummy ?being a European country? variable and effective retirement age. Interestingly, we find no evidence that variables related to pensioners? income (the level of GDP per capita or disposable incomes of people aged over 65 and average wages) affect the effective retirement age.As our model is not capable to fully explain the differences in effective retirement age in analysed countries, we believe that apart from the quantitative parameters regarding economic conditions; financial incentives and pension system architecture; and health and demographic that are considered in the model, also other, rather qualitative factors, influence retirement decisions. We suppose that among these factors are mainly attitudinal and behavioural


We present a detailed comparison of strong-field ionization of diatomic molecules and their companion atoms with nearly equal ionization potentials. We perform calculations in the length and velocity gauge formulations of the molecular strong-field approximation and with the molecular tunneling theory, and in both cases we consider effects of nuclear motion. A comparison of our results with experimental data shows that the length gauge strong-field approximation gives the most reliable predictions.


Computation of a precise gravimetric geoid model with sparse and limited data is a difficult task, which needs a special notice. This book investigates the procedure for gathering, evaluating and combining different data for the determination of an optimum gravimetric geoid model as a case study in Iran. It covers the theoretical and practical aspects of geoid modelling and its applications in geosciences and engineering. It is intended to serve as a text book for graduate students in geosciences such as geodesy, geophysics and surveying engineering. It is consists of the basic theories and materials which need for precise geoid modelling including theory of the Least-Squares Modification of Stokes's formula (KTH approach), qualification and refinement of the gravity data,determination of the gravity and gradient components, Global Geopotential Models (GGM),Digital Elevation Models (DEM), lateral density variation, corrective surface and engineering height datum, quasi-geoid modeling, variance components analysis, geodynamical and geophysical interpretations of geoid models.


The main aim of this thesis is to investigate the relations between the topics of self-reference and personal identity and to demonstrate that, and how, certain misconceived views concerning self-reference have influenced the interpretation of various 'thought-experiments' cited in recent discussions of personal identity. The problem posed by personal identity, I argue, is not so much an ontological problem concerning the special nature of a particular kind of substances (i.e. persons), but consists rather in the fact that I (and all other persons) are tempted to take our identity to be governed by a criterion of identity different from the criterion governing the identity of all other kinds of concrete particulars (namely spatio-temporal continuity ). I argue that this temptation stems from the possibility of adopting a first-person point of view towards personal identity. This possibility is shown to be intimately connected with a person's ability to refer to himself-as-subject (i.e. without the application of any criteria of his identity ). This particular kind of self-reference displays certain epistemic idiosyncracies which make us susceptible to certain systematic illusions with regard to the nature of persons and of personal identity over time. Following Kant, I call these misconceptions ' paralogistic illusions ', and I try to show that,and how, various thought-experiments envisaging a person's putative ' body-change ' draw their persuasive strength from these illusions. Kant's distinction between a purely ' logical ' and an ontological, or substantial , understanding of the 'identity of the subject' is shown to be central to a dissolution of the illusion as well as to the solution of various philosophical conundrums concerning (particular kinds of) memory and imagination. The view of persons and their identity that emerges from the discussion differs sharply from both a 'Simple View' and a 'Reductionist View' of personal identity. Persons, it will appear, are a functionally definable sub-class of animals, and - given the fulfilment of certain background-conditions ~ a person's numerical identity over time consists in the spatio-temporal continuity of his living body .


The multivariate models examined by Gladman, Harwood and Barer predicted death within three months of a stroke with an accuracy of only 50-75%.1 It should be emphasised, however, that these models were not designed to predict mortality at three months; the Uppsala and Belfast models were designed to predict mortality at one and six months respectively, and the Guy's Hospital Prognostic Score was designed to predict death or functional dependence at two months. We have used data from an unselected cohort of patients registered with the Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project (OCSP)2 to examine the utility of the Guy's score in predicting severe functional dependence or death at one and six months after a first stroke. For this analysis a modified Rankin grade3 of 4 or 5 was taken to indicate severe functional dependence. When applied to the 165 patients registered in the final year of the OCSP, when the relevant data items were collected, the Guy's score predicted severe functional dependence or death one month after the stroke with a specificity of 99% and a sensitivity of 34% (predictive accuracy 77%). A modified version of the score which omitted one clinical feature, loss of conciousness at onset, but could be tested on the whole cohort of 675 patients, performed with a similar accuracy (table 1). With the sensitivity of the modified score equal to that of impaired conscious level (unconscious or drowsy at 24 hours), the likelihood ratio of the modified score (8 0) exceeded that of impaired conscious level (5 5), suggesting that when used to predict both functional dependence and death, the Guy's score did provide additional prognostic information. The clinical usefulness of the Guy's score may, however, be limited. The calculation was laborious and the score required the identification of higher cerebral dysfunction which was difficult in acute stroke patients. A single clinical feature, such as, impaired conscious level might therefore be preferred. In this analysis urinary incontinence (or the use of a urinary catheter), occurring between the time of the stroke and the examination by the study neurologist (median 4 days), was the most accurate predictor of a poor outcome (table). JOHN BURN Department ofRehabilitation Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, S09 4XY, UK PETER SANDERCOCK Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK


This dissertation analyses the aspects of Macedonio Fernandez's reflections on love, pointing to similarities and differences between his theory and his novel Museo de la Novela de la Eterna . Love is a marker of personal identity construction and destruction that mediates private relationships between individuals. Macedonio's love is a mystical, non-erotic, and misogynist affection that is supposed to unite the lovers and triumph over death. It is divided into three stages: sympathy, fission, and chiasmus. His work and narrative are generally regarded as philosophical literature. Museo speaks of love moving from monologue to dialogue, yet no romantic action is truly represented. In this dissertation, it is argued that the movement of the narrative from monologue to dialogue can correspond with the stages identified in Macedonio's philosophy. The lack of an erotic nature in the novel and philosophy translates into a lack of performativity, which results in the failure of the theory and of love in the story. Macedonio's goal to triumph over death drives him to present a relationship where the beloved's body is not necessary, yet the novel takes on many characteristics of maternal and physical beauty to represent the beloved. The tensions and contradictions, the omission of the erotic nature of love, as well as his demonstration of misogynist attitudes in the Museo, generate paradoxes and incoherence that doom his theory of 'todo-amor' to fail both as a love story and as a philosophy.


The rail guns can be classified into three types by the interior surface shape of rails, which are the type of plane-rail, convex-rail, and concave-rail. In this paper, the characteristics of current distribution in rails and armature is analyzed and compared for those three types, during the rising, dropping and the flat part of the exciting current source. The current distribution is simulated by the finite element software ANSYS. The convex-rail type gun is of the weakest opposite direction current phenomenon, and its current distribution on the rail section is the most even. The evenness of the current distribution can be adjusted by changing the height of the convex part. The current density at the corner of armature is very large in the plane-rail and the concave-rail types, which results in stress concentration and probably damage of armature or rail surfaces.


A key feature of fifth generation (5G) and Software Defined Networking (SDN) is the assurance of high levels of the quality of service (QoS). To this end, Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are introduced in order to fulfill the gap between network operators and their customers. An SLA is a contract between the operator and the internal or external customer, which determines what Network Services (NSs) are offered and the guaranteed level of performance. Taking into consideration the above-mentioned needs, in this paper, we are introducing a fully integrated SLA management framework in a real 5G environment. In this demonstration we aim to bind business requirements as Service Level Objectives (SLOs) between network operators and the customers, with measurable recourse attributes. To achieve this, we allow network operators to choose between different SLOs during the SLA Template generation, and then automatically formulate an Agreement, based on each network slice instantiation and the corresponding NS. Finally, we provide a monitoring system in order to detect and alert for any violations.


Before and after the interventions of summer classes for parents and an interactive homework program, parents of children in an inner-city southeastern U.S. elementary school were interviewed and teachers surveyed to determine home and school factors that impacted parental involvement in their children's education. Beliefs about roles and perceptions of life contexts consistently indicated that these mostly high-school-educated, African American parents in a Title I school were involved in the education of their elementary school-age children, at home and school. Self-reported teacher behaviors included an increase in helping parents to establish home environments more conducive to support children, more regular communication, more involvement of parents in decision-making, and more involvement in the community. Results about factors influencing involvement at home were basically the same for these Title I parents as factors more often associated with higher socioeconomic status parents. School practices indicated that teachers need to better understand the lives that Title I parents live, as well as how to help parents improve their efforts to support children's education, at home and school.


Sera from 77 rodents (Psammomys obesus: 64; Meriones (M.) shawi: 10; M. libycus: 3) trapped in a focus of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) (Leishmania (L.) major) were examined for the presence of anti-leishmanial antibodies by the indirect fluorscence antibody technique (IFAT) (L. major antigens) using homologous antiglobulins and/or anti-Rattus conjugates. Sera from 21 animals were positive with titres that ranged from 1: 20 up to 1: 640. The investigation revealed that a good correlation existed between the occurrence of antileishmanial antibodies in the sera and amastigotes in the rodents' ears. The data also suggest the suitability of the IFAT as an epidemiological tool to estimate rates of infection by L. major in Psammomys obesus and Meriones Spp. in foci of ZCL.


Purpose. Establish the content of chemical compounds in sesame seeds depending on varietal characteristics.
Methods. Laboratory, analytical, statistical.
Results. The fat content and its quality is the main indicator characterizing the value of oil. In oilseeds and in particular in sesame, it varies widely depending on the variety, area and growing conditions, the degree of maturity of the seeds and other indicators. It was found that the protein content in sesame seeds, depending on the varietal characteristics, was from 20.53 to 20.11 g. The lowest carbohydrate content was in variety 'Kadet' (0.13 g), and the highest was in 'Boiaryn' and 'Ilona' (0.17 g). Dietary fiber content in 'Ilona' was 12.5 g and was dominated by other varieties, such as 'Boiaryn' (0.3 g), 'Husar' (0.7 g), 'Kadet' (0.9 g). Weather conditions significantly affected the accumulation of water by seeds. Thus, over the years of research, this indicator averaged from 3.95 to 3.77 g. The high content of calcium was in variety 'Kadet' (376 mg), slightly lower was in variety 'Ilona' (374 mg), 'Husar' (372 mg) and low in 'Boiaryn' (367 mg).
Conclusions. Soil and climatic conditions significantly affected the accumulation of water by seeds. Thus, over the years of research, this indicator averaged from 3.95 to 3.77 g. The high content of K was in variety 'Kadet' (376 mg), slightly lower in 'Ilona' (374 mg), 'Husar' (372 mg) and low in 'Boiaryn' (367 mg). According to the calcium (Ca) content, it was determined that only 'Kadet' variety contained 62 mg, while in all other varieties its content was lower 60 mg. The quantitative content of Mg differed in the studied varieties of sesame as following: 'Kadet' 347 mg, 'Ilona' 345 mg, and 'Husar' 344 mg. Slightly lower indicators were in variety 'Boiaryn' (341 mg). According to the studies, it was found that the variety 'Kadet' (47 mg) insignificantly dominated the studied varieties in terms of sodium content by 0.2 mg. The S content in sesame seeds was as following: in 'Kadet' 204.8 mg, 'Husar' 204.3 mg, 'Ilona' 203.6 mg, and 'Boiaryn' 203.1 mg. The quantitative content of P in the studied sesame varieties was the highest in 'Kadet' reaching 672 mg, which is 0.2 mg less than in 'Husar', 6.0 mg less than in 'Ilona', and 18 mg less than in 'Boiaryn'. Thus, the content of macronutrients in sesame seeds was the highest in variety 'Kadet'.


In this paper we argue for the position that responsible safeguards for privacy and ethical treatment of human data are of vital importance to retain the public confidence and trust that is necessary for the development and future success of internet mediated research (IMR). We support our position based on the high level of popular and media attention that is currently directed at IMR, which in combination with the relative uncertainties that still exist around the ethics of various IMR methods, raises the risk that IMR might succumb to a public backlash of similar proportions to the controversy that hit genetically modified (GM) crops in Europe. Based on the lessons that came out of the GM crops controversy we discuss the ethics requirements and challenges that must be met in order to retain the public trust in IMR. We end our argument by briefly reviewing a couple of examples of "privacy protecting architectures" that are being developed for IMR.


Vernacular and low-tech technologies in humanitarian architecture on the example of Senegal Humanitarian architecture belongs to the broader trend of socially engaged architecture, whose main goal is to introduce new values to the quality of life of particular communities. Specifically, humanitarian architecture deals with aid to poverty-stricken communities. The context of economic constraints poses a particular challenge to architects and builders. It is a matter of natural necessity to look for cheap, locally available materials and solutions that can be applied by unskilled labor. The above article discusses the applicability of native and low-tech technologies as basic con struction methods for humanitarian architecture. The research focuses on Senegal, located in West Africa. The article aims to identify material and construction solutions in buildings related to humanitarian aid and social support on behalf of the local community, erected or designed in Senegal. An analysis of four examples in Senegal was conducted, namely, two implemented facilities and two planned ones. The basic criteria for the analysis were provided by the social purpose these objects serve, as well as by the materials and technologies applied. The conclusions concern the types and scope of vernacular and low-tech technologies applied, as well as the correlation between the analyzed objects' design and construction and sustainable development.


Metal organic vapour phase epitaxy (GaAs)1-x(Ge2)x alloy layers, 0<x<0.22, were grown at temperatures between 640 ̊ and 690 ̊C, on vicinal (001) GaAs substrates. Phase separation occurred in all the layers. The phase-separated microstructure changed with alloy composition, growth temperature, and substrate orientation. In x ≈ 0.1 layers grown at 640 ̊C, Ge segregation occurred on {115}B planes associated with a {115}B surface faceting. Increase in growth temperature led to the formation of large, (001)-oriented, irregular-shaped platelets of Ge-rich material. Growth on {115}B substrates resulted in a "natural superlattice" of GaAs/Ge along the growth direction.


ABSTRACT Many migratory bird species, including the American Black Duck (Anas rubripes; hereafter black duck), face challenges to their survival during winter due to potentially limited resources and high energetic demands. These winter processes can be especially important for the population dynamics of migratory species. Despite stabilization of the overall black duck breeding population, historical declines continue for black ducks wintering in the Mississippi Flyway. It remains unclear if declining abundance in this region reflects high winter mortality. We radio-tagged 111 females in the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge (TNWR), a major wintering area for mid-continent Mississippi Flyway black ducks, from December to February of 2010–2012 to estimate winter survival and investigate factors that may influence survival rates, including body mass, age, hunting period, and weather. Winter survival (0.83–0.85) was greater than or comparable with previous estimates for black duck populations in North America. Generally, birds with greater body mass had higher survival than birds of lesser body mass; a bird 100 g heavier than one of average body mass had 18% greater interval survival. We also found that body mass had a greater influence on survival during late (nonhunting) periods and a more severe winter, when resources potentially were limited. For example, a bird with a body mass 100 g above average had 9% greater interval survival than one of average body mass during the winter of 2010–2011, but in the subsequent milder winter, the heavier bird had similar survival to the bird of average body mass. Our results suggest that winter mortality is not a primary factor contributing to declining abundance of black ducks in the TNWR. If this reflects the general pattern in the Mississippi Flyway, declining regional abundance may be driven by movement patterns or cross-seasonal effects rather than winter mortality.


BACKGROUND
 Child life specialists (CLSs) play an important role in supporting patients and their families during their visits to a children's hospital. Although CLSs are equipped with considerable expertise to support families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives, we introduced an additional resource to them in the form of a humanoid robot named MEDi.

 OBJECTIVE
 The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of CLSs using a robot to support children.

 METHODS
 We interviewed 7 CLSs who had worked with this robot for several years. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using open and axial coding.

 RESULTS
 The first main theme that emerged was the process of navigating from fear to friendship in learning to use a humanoid robot for therapeutic support. The second major theme was MEDi as a source of connection and support to children. CLSs' perceptions of MEDi as an adaptable resource and working with the limits of MEDi constituted the last 2 themes.

 CONCLUSIONS
 These descriptions show how CLSs can incorporate a robot into their practice.


A common problem with space suit systems is overly rigid gloves that resist astronaut finger motion and gripping. In this paper, the design of a mechanism is considered that exploits the small-scale nature of shape memory alloys for actuating glove fingers to assist hand gripping. The design problem is introduced by considering the objectives, constraints, and variables relevant to a spacesuit glove actuator design. Advantages and disadvantages of shape memory alloys for this application are presented. The selection of a specific shape memory alloy composition is considered, as well as specimen dimensions and connection configuration, based on ergonomic considerations. Mechanism actuation was then simulated using finite element analysis of a simulated glove-finger-actuator assembly. The results of this paper show that the designed shape memory alloy mechanism is feasible for assisting astronaut hand gripping.Copyright © 2012 by ASME


This paper deals with early and accurate breast cancer risk assessment for women. The use of texture analysis tools for the eventual development of an automatic system is proposed. In a first step, a standard procedure for obtaining x-ray mammograms is set up, the resulting radiographic images then being classified into four risk groups by a specialist. In a second step, specific and selected texture algorithms using both global and local statistical properties of the images are implemented. A number of x-ray mammograms have been studied. One of the resulting important observations is that it seems inappropriate to define a set of distinct classes of risk; rather, an increasing gravity degree correlated to a continuous evolution of the mammographic textures from the lowest to the highest degree of risk is to be preferred. Finally, a systematic comparison between the human classification and the numerical coefficients provided by the texture analysis is performed. The coefficients do not allow risk classification by themselves. A critical examination of these preliminary results leads us to a constructive discussion concerning the future developments of the proposed method.


This article investigated main purposes of the Project of Forest Land Survey(Imya Chosa Sa?p) performed by the Japanese Government-General in Chos?n from the year of 1917 to 1924. Although it has been regarded that this project played the important role in the Japanese authority's plunder of some of land owned by Koreans, in fact the purpose of this project was not to create public forest section but to officially approve of existing land ownership. According to some studies published by Japanese scholars, the Government- General intended to modernize Korean rural area. The Government-General also required the improvement of watercourses and the conservancy of forest zones in order to carry out this modernization. Therefore forestation had been adopted as the primary economic policy by the Japanese colonial authority. In other words, this project was that the Japanese authority allowed existing Korean land-owners legal ownership for the purpose of promoting Koreans' voluntary forestation in private land. But this project was actually functioned as an way for expanding tax sources of the colonial government. Finally the Japanese Government- General forced land-owners to organize cooperative associations, and levied heavy taxes to these associations after carrying out this project.


ABSTRACT Can AI solve the ethical, moral, and political dilemmas of warfare? How is artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled warfare changing the way we think about the ethical-political dilemmas and practice of war? This article explores the key elements of the ethical, moral, and political dilemmas of human-machine interactions in modern digitized warfare. It provides a counterpoint to the argument that AI "rational" efficiency can simultaneously offer a viable solution to human psychological and biological fallibility in combat while retaining "meaningful" human control over the war machine. This Panglossian assumption neglects the psychological features of human-machine interactions, the pace at which future AI-enabled conflict will be fought, and the complex and chaotic nature of modern war. The article expounds key psychological insights of human-machine interactions to elucidate how AI shapes our capacity to think about future warfare's political and ethical dilemmas. It argues that through the psychological process of human-machine integration, AI will not merely force-multiply existing advanced weaponry but will become de facto strategic actors in warfare – the "AI commander problem."


Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is the most frequent childhood cancer and accounts for 80% of cases of acute leukaemia.1 Its underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. There is growing evidence of the role of genetic factors in its aetiology. This statement is based on the following: (1) there is a strong association between ALL and some chromosomal translocations; (2) the incidence of acute leukaemia is greater in relatives of patients with acute leukaemia, and (3) there is a higher incidence of leukaemia in individuals with certain genetic syndromes (Down syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, neurofibromatosis, Shwachman syndrome, etc.).1 In recent years, genetic mutations associated with an increased risk of ALL have been reported, in spite of which its heritability remains uncertain. We present a case of ALL in a sibling of a patient that had received a diagnosis of ALL 4 years earlier. The patient was a boy aged 18 months brought to the emergency department with fever of up to 39 ◦C lasting 2 days and associated with cold symptoms and breathing difficulties. There had been no complications during pregnancy, delivery or the neonatal period. The boy had received vaccinations conforming to the official schedule. There were no other medical or surgical diseases. The complete blood count revealed pancytopenia. A bone marrow sample was obtained 48 h after admission whose analysis revealed infiltration with 60% of blast cells and markers compatible with common ALL (B-cell precursor). The relevant family history included an older brother aged 6 years with B-cell precursor ALL diagnosed 4 years earlier that had completed treatment 2 years after the diagnosis. The father had insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus since age 25 years, the mother was healthy, and a paternal aunt had died of cancer at age 40 years.


This article notes the polarized nature of scholarship on Simon of Cyrene (Mark 15.21) and reviews the evidence used to support both the view that he is a fictional character and the view that he is a historical figure. This falls into four categories: competing traditions, homiletic function, absence of Christian witnesses, and the significance of Alexander and Rufus. Concluding that the evidence invoked cannot account for these divergent views, I propose that the decisive factor in scholarly choice is hermeneutical in origin; it is the influence of the matrix of presuppositions that each scholar brings to this text. Until such time as we have investigated these matrices more fully, I suggest that any agreement on texts like Mark 15.21 will remain strictly limited. By way of conclusion, my personal view of Simon is outlined and deemed less than adequate in the light of this study.


Some basic results of the theory of Yangians of Lie superalgebras are described. Yangian of basic Lie superalgebra is described as a result of quantization of Lie superbialgebra of polynomial loops. Also, we consider a quantization of Lie superalgebra of twisted currents. Two systems of generators and defining relations are introduced. Equivalence of this systems of generators and defining relations is proved. The notion of double of Yangian and formula for universal R-matrix for double of Yangian are discussed for Yangian of Lie superalgebra A(m,n) type.


The work had for objective to evaluate to the mineral nutrition and photosynthetic pigment content at the time of first flowering of the yellow passion fruit plant. The treatments were disposed in randomized blocks 2x2x2 factorially arranged. The treatments were irrigated with water of low (0.5 dS m-1) and high salinity (4.5 dS m-1), with and without bovine biofertilizers, with and without mulch. In the full flowering of the plants were evaluated the content of macronutrients N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S in dry matter of leaf tissue and the concentration of chlorophyll a, b, total carotenoids in the dry plants. The treatment plants were adequately supplied with biofertilizers in nitrogen, potassium, magnesium and sulfur. The irrigation with saline water has caused imbalance in the accumulation of leaf potassium, calcium and magnesium. The bovine biofertilizer attenuated the depressive effects of salts in pigment chlorophyllian and carotenoids of yellow passion fruit. The mulching increased the photosynthetic condition of yellow passion fruit irrigated with saline water.


Accurately estimating gas usage is essential for the efficient functioning of gas distribution networks and saving operational costs. Traditional methods rely on centralized data processing, which poses privacy risks. Federated learning (FL) offers a solution to this problem by enabling local data processing on each participant, such as gas companies and heating stations. However, local training and communication overhead may discourage gas companies and heating stations from actively participating in the FL training process. To address this challenge, we propose a Hierarchical FL Incentive Mechanism for Gas Usage Estimation (HI-GAS), which has been testbedded in the ENN Group, one of the leading players in the natural gas and green energy industry. It is designed to support horizontal FL among gas companies, and vertical FL among each gas company and heating station within a hierarchical FL ecosystem, rewarding participants based on their contributions to FL. In addition, a hierarchical FL model aggregation approach is also proposed to improve the gas usage estimation performance by aggregating models at different levels of the hierarchy. The incentive scheme employs a multi-dimensional contribution-aware reward distribution function that combines the evaluation of data quality and model contribution to incentivize both gas companies and heating stations within their jurisdiction while maintaining fairness. Results of extensive experiments validate the effectiveness of the proposed mechanism.


This paper analyses the role of academic preparation and learning strategies in the prediction of first-year Portuguese college students' academic achievement, considering students' sex and academic field attended. A sample of 445 first-year college students (68.5% female) from the University of Minho (25.8% enrolled in economics, 35.3% in science/technology, and 38.9% in humanities degrees) participated in the study. Students answered a questionnaire on learning strategies in the classroom at the end of the first semester, which consisted of 44 items organized in five dimensions: comprehensive approach, surface approach, personal competency perceptions, intrinsic motivation, and organization of study activities. Academic achievement (grade point average at the end of first year) and academic preparation (students' higher education access mark) were obtained through the academic records of the university. Results showed that academic preparation was the strongest predictor of first-year academic achievement, and only marginal additional variance was explained by learning strategies as assessed by the self-reported questionnaire. There were sex and academic field differences, but these variables do not seem strong enough to affect the results, although the different percentages of variance captured by each model and the different weights associated to higher education access mark, stimulate the use of these and/or other personal and contextual variables when analysing the phenomenon.


Different linguistic perspectives causes many diverse segmentation criteria for Chinese word segmentation (CWS). Most existing methods focus on improve the performance for each single criterion. However, it is interesting to exploit these different criteria and mining their common underlying knowledge. In this paper, we propose adversarial multi-criteria learning for CWS by integrating shared knowledge from multiple heterogeneous segmentation criteria. Experiments on eight corpora with heterogeneous segmentation criteria show that the performance of each corpus obtains a significant improvement, compared to single-criterion learning. Source codes of this paper are available on Github.


The superficial brachial artery (SBA), a branch of the axillary artery, is one of the most common arterial variations in this area. While it is more vulnerable to accidental arterial injection or injury, it could be useful for the nourishment of a medial arm skin free flap. To analyze the relationship between the SBA of axillary origin and segmental variation of the axillary artery, we dissected 304 arms of Korean cadavers. We found an SBA of axillary origin in 12.2% of cadaveric arms. Unilateral occurrence was detected in 16 cadavers and bilateral in 10. SBAs gave rise to radial and ulnar arteries in the cubital fossa (8.9%), continued in the forearm as the radial artery (2.3%), or ended in the upper arm (1.0%). The SBA ended as ulnar artery was not found in any of the cadavers. The bifurcation of the SBA into the radial and ulnar arteries, presence of an SBA that ends in the upper arm, and the lack of continuation as the ulnar artery are characteristics of SBAs in Korean cadavers.


This study aimed at developing a new approach for analyzing life-cycle costs for road barriers during the road planning and design process. A method called Activity-Based Life-Cycle Costing using the Monte Carlo Simulation was used to analyze and calculate the life-cycle costs. The results show a potential for increasing efficiency throughout the road planning and design process by minimizing the life-cycle costs of road components. The results also show that implementation of life-cycle cost analyses in the road planning and design process is possible, but difficult, mainly due to lack of relevant data.


This paper deals with the electromagnetic scattering of a plane wave obliquely incident on an infinite penetrable cylinder in uniform motion with velocity v along its axis. The analysis is carried out by means of a hybrid technique, which combines the finite-element method and the well-known modal expansion of a field scattered by cylindrical structures. The method presented allows for analysis of moving cylinders of arbitrary cross section and material properties.


Mesenchymal hamartoma is a benign tumor of the liver with a poorly understood pathogenesis. It is uncommon in older children, especially after 2 years of age. The signs and symptoms may be nonspecific; therefore, a high index of suspicion is required for diagnosis and treatment. We report a 5-year-old previously healthy male who presented with acute abdominal pain, fatigue, and fever. He was diagnosed with pneumonia initially and treated with antibiotics. A computed tomography (CT) scan done for evaluation of his persistent abdominal pain demonstrated a hepatic mass. Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the liver demonstrated multiple serpiginous tubular-type structures, read as possible Caroli syndrome. He had a normal abdominal examination and normal biochemistries including alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase, and alpha-fetoprotein. He was referred to our institution for second opinion. On further review of his imaging studies, the lesion was thought to be a mesenchymal hamartoma. He subsequently underwent resection of the mass. Pathology confirmed the diagnosis of mesenchymal hamartoma.


Hordeum vulgare (barley), is an important agricultural crop for food, feed and also has been used virtually worldwide as a model plant for biological research. It is a diploid crop with a low chromosome number (2n = 14) and targeted as a proper crop for intense research on mutagenesis, mutagens and mutants (Khattak and Klopfenstein, 1989). Recently, heavy-ion beams have been used as novel and efficient mutagens in plant breeding. Many plant variations were induced by irradiation and many novel experimental materials and practical cultivars were generated. The present research aimed to estimate the effect of different gamma radiation on germination and emergence indexes of Barley variety Nosrat. Barley seeds were treated with 4 different gamma ray doses (0, 200, 700, 1200 Gy) from 3 angels. Results of this study expressed that high gamma ray doses decreased emergence index compare with control treatment and also, radiation has inhibitory effect on stem height and width. Base on experimental and green house studies doses of 700 and 1200 Gy strongly decline plant growth and treated plant seeds with these radiation doses did not emerge in the field. Therefore we suggest that 200 gamma ray dose was the best treatment to screen mutant Barley.


CD8+ T cells are effective mediators of immunity against Listeria monocytogenes, but the mechanisms by which they provide antilisterial immunity are poorly understood. CD8+ T cells efficiently lyse target cells in vitro by at least two independent pathways. To test the hypothesis that CD8+ T cell-mediated immunity to L. monocytogenes is dependent on perforin or CD95 (Fas, Apo-1), we used C57Bl/6 (B6) and perforin-deficient (PO) mice to generate CD8+ T cell lines specific for the L. monocytogenes-encoded Ag listeriolysin O (LLO). Both lines specifically produce IFN-γ and TNF-α, and mediate target cell lysis in vitro. Cytolysis mediated by the PO-derived CD8+ T cell line is delayed relative to the B6-derived line and is completely inhibited by anti-CD95 Abs. In vivo, PO-derived CD8+ T cells provide specific antilisterial immunity in B6 hosts, CD95-deficient hosts, and IFN-γ-depleted hosts. However, PO-derived CD8+ T cells fail to provide antilisterial immunity in hosts depleted of TNF-α. These results indicate that single Ag-specific CD8+ T cells derived from PO mice can mediate antilisterial immunity by a mechanism that is independent of CD95 or IFN-γ, but requires TNF-α.


The fourth-moment equation for plane waves of two different frequencies propagating through a two-dimensional, dispersive random medium, is solved numerically using a split step method. In this numerical scheme, the extended medium is replaced by a series of phase screens interspersed with diffraction layers and thus it provides a test for the validity of using a single effective phase screen to describe an extended random medium in the calculation of the intensity cross-correlation function. The intensity cross spectrum in the multiple scattering regime is calculated for different values of the ratio of the two frequencies under the "frozen flow" assumption, when temporal evolution of the irregularities is absent. Irregularities with either a Gaussian or a power law spectrum are considered. The effect of varying irregularity strength on the normalized cross correlation of intensity fluctuations observed at the same location is also investigated. The two-frequency intensity space-time cross-correlation function is determined for a special case of "nonfrozen" flow where the irregularities have a random drift superimposed on uniform convection.


This article discusses the concept of epistemic authority in the context of English law relating to expert testimony. It distinguishes between two conceptions of epistemic authority (and epistemic deference), one strong and one weak, and argues that only the weak conception is appropriate in a legal context, or in any other setting where reliance on experts can be publicly justified. It critically examines Linda Zagzebski's defence of a stronger conception of epistemic authority and questions whether epistemic authority is as closely analogous to practical authority as she maintains. Zagzebski elucidates a kind of deference that courts generally, and rightly, try to avoid. Her concept of 'first person reasons', however, does capture an important aspect of the deliberations of conscientious legal actors.


Arsenic (As) is a non-essential toxic metalloid whose elevated concentration in rice grains is a serious issue both for rice yield and quality, and for human health. The rice-As interactions, hence, have been studied extensively in past few decades. A deep understanding of factors influencing As uptake and transport from soil to grains can be helpful to tackle this issue so as to minimize grain As levels. As uptake at the root surface by rice plants depends on factors like iron plaque and radial oxygen loss. There is involvement of a number of transporters viz., phosphate transporters and aquaglyceroporins in the uptake and transport of different As species and in the movement to subcellular compartments. These processes are also affected by sulfur availability and consequently on the level of thiol (-SH)-containing As binding peptides viz., glutathione (GSH) and phytochelatins (PCs). Further, the role of phloem in As movement to the grains is also suggested. This review presents a detailed map of journey of As from soil to the grains. The implications for the utilization of available knowledge in minimizing As in rice grains are presented.


Prom June 1988 to Ju1y 1991, 143 cetacean boat surveys were conducted at Babia de La Paz, B.C.S. to elucidate the relation between B. edeni 's sigbting frequency, and seasonal and annual sea surface temperature (SST). SST showed significant seasonal and annual changes respectively due to the periodic entrance of tropical water masses to the area, and the intlux of oceanographic phenomena lilee El Nino and La Nina. Such events carry associated changes in productivity and food availability at the corresponding time scales. In contrast, B. edeni 's sighting frequency did not showed correspondence to such SST seasonal or annualchanges. It was evident that B. edeni 's relative abundance changed notably only during specific oceanographic. settings derived from the interaction of annual and seasonal conditions. The results do not support B. edeni 's warm water affinity, nor the species exodus out of Bahia de La Paz during the winter. According to these and other evidences, the proposed winter emigration of such population out of the Gulf of California seems improbable


We present our cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution for educational purposes deployed within the Engineering faculity of our university. Its foundation is the open source Jupyter Notebook project with a web application providing an online environment for various programming purposes. These Jupyter Notebooks have evolved into the JupyterHub project. JupyterHub enables multi-user capabilities and allows students and researchers to have their individual Notebook environments hosted on an online platform. This paper presents our experiences with JupyterHub together with nbgrader, which allows the creation and grading of assignments. This powerful educational SaaS solution has been validated for multiple programming related courses, such as Python, C, C# and Java, throughout the past two academic years. Feedback from students and academic personnel is positive. JupyterHub is currently actively developed for deployment on the popular cloud-based Kubernetes container orchestrator platform, providing nearly infinite cloud-based scaling potential. This open source platform-as-a-service (PaaS) solution can be consumed from various public cloud providers, or it can be set up on-premise. We introduce the means to do the latter on a data center within the university.


Through the preparation of a novel controlled pore glass-poly(pyrrole) material we have developed a conducting support that is not only suitable for the co-immobilisation of enzymes and co-factors, but also enables the facile electrochemical regeneration of the co-factor during a reaction. Employing the selective reduction of (rac)-2-phenylpropionaldehyde to (S)-phenyl-1-propanol as a model, we have demonstrated the successful co-immobilisation of the HLADH enzyme and co-factor NAD(H); with incorporation of the material into a continuous flow reactor facilitating the in situ electrochemical regeneration of NAD(H) for in excess of 100 h. Using this approach we have developed a reagent-less, atom efficient system applicable to the cost-effective, continuous biosynthesis of chiral compounds.


This paper deals with dynamic simulation and optimization of wastewater treatment plants. Moreover, the benchmark plant (www.benchmarkWWTP.org) was considered and its corresponding model was used. Simulations were carried out using gProms software for dry, rain and storm weather data files. The optimization consisted in the determination of continuous aeration and internal recycle profiles which minimize the aeration energy under effluent constraints. The results obtained showed that we were able to save up to 30% of energy compared to the usual aeration policy and the effluent constraints are satisfied.


The paper is mainly emphasizes on the microstrip patch antenna design for satellite applications. The specific objective of this study is to solve the research problem on finding the simple and compact design for small satellite application in real world. A new design of a Planar Inverted-F Antenna (PIFA) with the two height of 12mm and 10mm are proposed for low Earth orbit (LEO) applications in S band. The antenna is a single form antenna with the coaxial probe fed is used. CST Microwave Studio student version was used for the simulation of the antenna and matching design parameters. The antennas are obtained an efficient high return loss -18.426dB and -18.169dB at S11, the return loss bandwidth of 471MHz and 466MHz. The radiation pattern results are analyzed beam width angle 85.1° and 95.1°. Moreover, the peak directivity gain results 4.7dBi and 4.79dBi, the absolute E-filed radiation effect are also presented. The actual measurement results for S11 parameter of return loss -13.54dB and -14.2dB, return loss bandwidth of 510MHz and 425MHz are also fabricated with the comparison of simulation and fabrication process of PIFA antenna characteristics. The measurement of the return loss (S11) and return loss bandwidth were almost identical with the simulation.


The distribution of gallium and germanium over the available framework sites in the type-I clathrate Sr 8 Ga 16 Ge 30 (Pm3n) has been determined by powder diffraction using several different combinations of resonant scattering data sets, collected at energies close to both the Ga and Ge K-edges, and time-of-flight (TOF) neutron diffraction data. Based on a combined refinement using three X-ray data sets and a composition restraint, the fractional occupancies of the 6c, 16i and 24k sites by gallium are estimated to be 0.705 (5), 0.181 (3) and 0.376 (2), respectively. The required resonant scattering factors were determined by Kramers-Kronig transformation from X-ray absorption spectra. The results from refinements using single data sets and various combinations of data sets are compared. The high degree of scattering contrast that resonant diffraction can provide leads to very precise site occupancies. However, systematic errors in the resonant diffraction intensity data can considerably degrade the accuracy of the results. The use of a carefully chosen multiple-data-set strategy can minimize bias in the refinement results by reducing the correlations between site occupancies, atomic displacement parameters and histogram scale factors. The effect of errors in the resonant scattering factors on the refinement results was also examined.


BACKGROUND
Infants with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) show abnormalities of body composition. Children with PWS treated with growth hormone (GH) demonstrate improved body composition and motor skills.

OBJECTIVE
To assess body composition and motor changes in infants with PWS following 6 months GH therapy.

METHODS
Twenty-five infants with PWS (mean age 15.5 mo) underwent dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) assessment of body composition, and motor assessment with the Toddler Infant Motor Evaluation (TIME). Patients were then randomized to treatment (Genotropin, 1 mg/m2/day) or control, with reassessment at 6 months.

RESULTS
GH treatment significantly increased lean body mass (6.4 +/- 2.4 kg to 8.9 +/- 2.7 kg) and decreased body fat (27.6 +/- 9.9% to 22.4 +/- 10.3%). Age equivalent motor scores improved 4 months in the treated group vs 2 months in controls (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS
Infants with PWS show significant body composition and motor development improvement following 6 months GH therapy. We are investigating whether this improvement leads to long-term reductions in obesity.


In contrast to their bulk counterparts, ultrathin solar cells exhibit bias-dependent optical properties. This has severe implications for the validity of conventional opto-electronic reciprocity relations. We review the predictions of this phenomenon from quantum-kinetic theory and discuss the experimental confirmation, as well as the extension of the theoretical framework for the rigorous assessment of photon recycling effects in the electrical characteristics of ultrathin-film solar cell devices.


Mechanisms of cancer cell recognition and elimination by the innate immune system remains unclear. Circulating hemocytes are associated with the hematopoietic tumors in Drosophila mxcmbn1 mutant larvae. The innate immune signalling pathways are activated in the fat body to suppress the tumor growth by inducing antimicrobial peptides (AMP). Here, we investigated the regulatory mechanism underlying the activation in the mutant. Reactive oxygen species accumulated in the hemocytes due to induction of dual oxidase and its activator. The hemocytes were also localized on the fat body. These were essential for transmitting the information on tumors toward the fat body to induce AMP expression. Regarding to the tumor recognition, we found that matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1) and MMP2 were highly expressed in the tumors. Ectopic expression of MMP2 was associated with AMP induction in the mutants. Furthermore, the basement membrane components in the tumors were reduced and ultimately lost. The hemocytes may recognize the disassembly in the tumors. Our findings highlight the underlying mechanism via which macrophage-like hemocytes recognize tumor cells and relay the information toward the fat body to induce AMPs. and contribute to uncover the immune system's roles against cancer. SUMMARY STATEMENT Drosophila blood cells transmit information regarding the existence of tumor cells to the fat body and induce the production of anti-tumor peptides via the generation of reactive oxygen species.


In this paper we first analyze the actual voting results in the 2016 Henryk Wieniawski International Violin Competition in which the Borda count was adopted to determine the final ranking of contestants. We show that some jurors are suspected of having exploited a weakness in the method to manipulate the final results. We then consider modifications of the standard Borda count with a view to designing a method more resistant to manipulation. We show that discarding all the scores of the 20% of jurors who deviate most from the jury average gives a ranking that agrees with the opinion of the public and of many experts. Modifications of the Borda count were then experimentally tested against their resistance to manipulability. The results clearly show that excluding jurors has very good statistical properties to recover the objective order of the contestants. Most importantly, however, it dramatically reduces the level of manipulation demonstrated by subjects playing the role of jurors. Finally, we present the mathematical properties of the method proposed. We show that the method with 20% of the jurors excluded is a compromise between the Majority Criterion and the standard Borda count in that it offers more "consensus-based" rankings than the former while being less vulnerable to manipulation than the latter. The method proposed in this paper may be applied not only to musical competitions, but to many other voting systems in which the Borda count is usually adopted, e.g. elections in educational institutions and professional and technical societies, sports awards, and even some political elections.


Conditioned eyeblink responses (CRs), sensitization, and spontaneous eyeblinks were studied in C57BL/6J and BALB/c mice. Both strains of mice acquired CRs during 10 days of classical delay eyeblink conditioning. The BALB/c mice reached a higher asymptotic CR level than the C57BL/6J mice. The CRs were extinguished and recovered in both strains following conditioned stimulus-alone and paired conditioned stimulus-unconditioned stimulus training. During 10 days of explicitly unpaired training, the control groups showed no signs of sensitization and low incidence of spontaneous eyeblinks. When switched to paired training, the unpaired groups exhibited significant conditioned inhibition. These results suggest that strain differences must be considered in experimental design and data interpretation for these basic aspects of associative learning and memory.


The increased use of newer potent immunomodulatory therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS), including natalizumab, fingolimod, and dimethyl fumarate, has expanded the patient population at risk for developing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). These MS therapies shift the profile of lymphocytes within the central nervous system (CNS) leading to increased anti-inflammatory subsets and decreased immunosurveillance. Similar to MS, PML is a demyelinating disease of the CNS, but it is caused by the JC virus. The manifestation of PML requires the presence of an active, genetically rearranged form of the JC virus within CNS glial cells, coupled with the loss of appropriate JC virus-specific immune responses. The reliability of metrics used to predict risk for PML could be improved if all three components, i.e., viral genetic strain, localization, and host immune function, were taken into account. Advances in our understanding of the critical lymphocyte subpopulation changes induced by these MS therapies and ability to detect viral mutation and reactivation will facilitate efforts to develop these metrics.


In addition to 10 known compounds (7- 16), one new brominated diterpene, 10-hydroxykahukuene B (1), two new sesquiterpenes, 9-deoxyelatol (2) and isodactyloxene A (3), one new brominated C 15-acetogenin, laurenmariallene (4), and two new naturally occurring halogenated sesquiterpenes (5 and 6) that were previously obtained as intermediates in a biomimetic synthetic study of rhodolaureol and rhodolauradiol have been isolated and identified from the organic extract of the marine red alga Laurencia mariannensis. The structures of these compounds were established by spectroscopic methods. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of new compounds 1-4 were evaluated.


15,874 school children showed that only 492 were unprotected against small-pox. There was, however, a considerable increase recorded in the percentage of children with defective eyes, enlarged tonsils, and adenoids, due to the more stringent examilnations now being made. Increased attention is now giveni in Burma to general hygiene. A hygiene publicity officer has been appointed to provide instruction oni general sanitation, maternity, and child welfare by means of leaflets and lectures. Wre referred on February 21st, 1925 (p. 383), to the laying of the founidation stone of the Hygiene Institute in Rangoon by the Governor of Burma. Tlie buildinig and equipping operations have made good progress under the directionl of Major Jolly, C.I.E., and Dr. G. Mackey, late assistant director of the Central Researchl Inistitute at Kasauli.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the interplay between the characteristics of trustee and trustor in trust formation at the initial stage of a relationship in the B2B context.

Design/methodology/approach
The study was experimental. A situation was simulated in which sales managers choose prospective customers on whom his or her company should concentrate after entering the new market. A total of 108 managers participated in the study.

Findings
The results indicate that during the pre-relationship stage salespeople declared trust toward a prospective customer despite having no previous interactions with the other party. Salespeople start the trust-development process by gathering clues about the trustworthiness of the potential partner organization. The cognitive information provided to salespeople impacts interpersonal trust to a greater extent than effective communication. This influence is moderated by trustor trust propensity. There is no difference in the type of information about a trustor when it comes to organizational reliance.

Originality/value
This paper provides a new insight into research on trust in interorganizational relationships as the authors adopted the perspective of the supplier who is most frequently perceived as a trustee, rather than a trustor. It directs attention to the pre-relationship stage, which precedes the interaction that may lead to a relationship developing but also links the object of trust (trustee) with the subject of trust (trustor) and integrates two separate approaches to the ascendance of trust with its multi-dimensional and multi-level nature. Moreover, an experimental design that is rare in research on business relationships was implemented.


Several authors have collected a great deal of data in the study of abdominal aorta aneurysm through the swift diffusion of ultrasonography in the abdominal diagnostics. The authors illustrate their experience confirming the excellent reliability of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of abdominal aorta aneurysms with respect to other methods of imaging (Angiography, CAT, etc) not with a view to replacing them but as a useful means of screening.


We put forth a shared-experience algorithm for business simulations that effects an endogenous incentive to horizontal integration, a merger or acquisition involving two directly competing firms. We propose a measure of integration, and report on the degree of integration in a 357-period simulation exercise involving GEO, an Internet-based, computer-assisted simulation that incorporates the algorithm. At the end of the exercise, the degree of horizontal integration was significantly greater than would be expected from chance. The data did not suffice to determine if the result was a particular response to the endogenous incentive of the algorithm or a general response to other incentives for integration that may have been present. We argue for incorporating an endogenous integration incentive in strategic management simulations even if they should be administered for the typical length of about a dozen periods.


To develop health functional foods using high amylose rice flours, the properties of flours prepared from domestic high amylose rice varieties, Goamy2 and Goamy, and imported rice from Thailand were investigated. After soaking the rice grains and drying, the dry-milled rice flours were passed through a 120-mesh sieve. The protein and total starch contents of the Goamy2 rice flour were lowest, but its crude lipid and ash contents were highest among the flours. In addition, apparent amylose content, water binding capacity, and total dietary fiber were highest in the Goamy2 flour (36.2, 255.0, and 9.2%, respectively). The Thai rice flour had the highest swelling power, whereas the Goamy2 flour had the lowest swelling power and solubility. By Rapid visco-analysis, the Thai flour showed the highest peak and total setback viscosities and lowest breakdown viscosity. The pasting pattern of the Goamy2 flour was different from that of the other flour, where low viscosity was maintained during heating and cooling. Goamy and Thai rice flours showed an A type crystallinity, but Goamy2 flour showed a B type crystallinity similar to high amylose maize starch. The Goamy2 flour presented a dull and yellowish color, and the lowest lightness (L) value and the highest yellowness (+b) value.