An electrical generator is one of the most efficient large-scale machines. It converts mechanical to electrical energy with an efficiency coefficient of approximately 99%. The remaining 1% can mainly be contributed to heat losses. Direct cooling is only necessary for larger turbogenerators with more than 250 MVA where the cooling media is introduced via hollow conductors within the stator bars. Turbogenerators of approximately up to 700 MVA nowadays use exclusively hydrogen (H2) gas as a cooling media. Even larger turbogenerators have to introduce direct water cooling.
 The water chemistry of the stator cooling water is typically of neutral pH and has a conductivity of less than 0.1 μS/cm. Two zones of the oxygen (O2) concentration have been established through the last 50 years, one at low dissolved O2 concentration with less than 20 ppb, the other with high concentrations of more than 2 ppm. The latter has to continuously inject CO2 free air to ensure to always keep the oxygen concentration above 2 ppm.
 The first part of this publication shows several incidents with the air injection system in different Nuclear Power Plants in the US, resulting in unfavorable stator cooling water chemistry. This led to a reduced cooling efficiency, resulting in several chemical online cleanings being necessary.
 The second part of this work presents a technical solution to overcome the issues associated with the reduced stator cooling. It continuously injects and monitors the air injected into the system. Additionally, it also measures the hydrogen leakage rate.


London's Metropolitan Police has recently established a team of "super-recognisers" to identify suspects. Limited attention has been given to the use to which their evidence may properly be put during investigations, formal interviews and prosecutions. This article explores the ways investigators have approached the identification of persons of interest in crime-related images and the use of this evidence at trial. It explains that the courts have largely been inattentive to scientific research; particularly notorious difficulties and the (un)reliability of much image interpretation and comparison. Following a review of admissibility jurisprudence in England and Australia and relevant scientific research, it concludes that the strategic use of those with enhanced abilities - to recognise familiar faces and to match unfamiliar faces - would improve the reliability of identifications and offer the potential to circumvent the dangers of unreliability, bias and contamination that threatens current police and expert practice.


We computed the O(αs) virtual gluino correction to t → H+b in the minimal supersymmetric standard model, and investigated the dependence of the process on gluino and squark masses. For some values of masses, the correction implies up to 8% reduction in the partial width relative to the tree-level result. Finally, we compared the correction with quantum colourdynamics and electroweak corrections.


Abstract In the study, the measurements of Scots pine height increments were used to compare the increments of pine trees of different age classes. All of the analyzed trees were growing in stands located on fresh mixed coniferous forest sites. The study concerned a 10-year period of growth of 8 tree age classes. Due to variation in climate conditions, all trees were studied over the same calendar period. Longitudinal analysis was used to compare different age classes of trees with reference to the increments in height. This procedure had not been previously used for such purpose. The results obtained did not confirm the hypothesis of parallel profiles implying that there existed differences in the growth of trees in various age groups.


This study was carried out to investigation the needs, problem and prospects of drug production in tertiary health institutions using Lagos University Teaching Hospital as a case study and to recommend solutions to the problems so identified.
The use of questionnaires was employed in the study covering all pharmacists in the pharmaceutical services department, pharmacy technicians and quality control technologist in the drug production unit of the hospital. It was unanimously agreed by the respondents that local drug production was necessary in tertiary hospitals. About two third of the respondents considered the current performance of the drug production unit to be at most, average. The major problems were identified to be lack of adequate funding, inadequate support and commitment by the hospital management and absence of maintenance culture leading to breakdown and collapse of equipment and machinery.

It was realized that the prospect of drug production in tertiary health institution was very bright and that success could be achieved, but only through very careful planning and execution of the project, adequate funding, strong commitment from the management of the institution, well trained and motivated staff.
 NQJHM Vol. 15 (4) 2005: pp. 155-158


This paper presents a preliminary study to demonstrate the instantaneous local effect of compression stocking (Class 2) on skin microcirculatory activity. The measurement needs to be carefully performed as the sensor is placed under the garment. To assess the local effect of compression stockings, we use the ambulatory device Hematron located on the calf under the garment. Skin microcirculatory activity is assessed through the skin's effective thermal conductivity measurement. A specific housing for the sensor has been designed to avoid excessive pressure induced by the sensor when squeezed by stockings. The experiment, conducted on ten healthy subjects, comprised two stages: without and with compression stockings. Skin effective thermal conductivity was recorded at three successive positions (supine, sitting and standing). Significant improvement in skin microcirculatory activity was recorded by the Hematron device for the three positions. We have also demonstrated that Hematron sensor can be used under compression stockings.


The coefficients of the simplest normal forms of both high-dimensional Neimark-Sacker and generalized Neimark-Sacker bifurcation systems were discussed. On the basis of the simplest normal form theory, using appropriate nonlinear transformations, direct computation and the second complete induction, the central manifold equations were further reduced to the simplest normal forms which only contained two nonlinear terms. Theorems were established for the explicit expression of the simplest normal forms in terms of the coefficients of the conventional normal forms of Neimark-Sacker and generalized Neimark-Sacker bifurcations systems.


This paper addresses methodology issues related to evidence-based healthcare research, specifically when evaluating and analyzing the hospital practice environments (HPE) impacts on the patient health outcomes are conducted in longitudinal intervention survey studies. HPE include the spatially clustered hospital characteristics, including practice environment scale (PES) measures, hospital facilities, nursing staffing and nursing attributes. The longitudinal associations between HPE and patient smoking cessation counseling (SCC) activities, and patient heart failure (HF) outcomes are examined. Various longitudinal and hierarchical modeling are compared including linear mixed models with restricted maximum likelihood estimation, generalized estimating equations with quasi-likelihood estimation, hierarchical linear regression models with nonparametric generalized least squares estimations, and repeated ANOVA. Moreover, both pre-modeling including the items/dimension reduction issues for longitudinal item-response hospital survey data and post-modeling (the mediation analysis) are discussed and conducted. Results show some methodology and solution differences when including the spatial or temporal correlations of HPE simultaneously for examining the longitudinal effects of HPE on HF core outcome measures adjusted or potentially mediated by SCC and nurse staffing environmental variables. This may have implications and potential impact for healthcare decision-making. Patients can benefit from these research findings.


Unbiased SGG has achieved significant progress over recent years. However, almost all existing SGG models have overlooked the ground-truth annotation qualities of prevailing SGG datasets, i.e., they always assume: 1) all the manually annotated positive samples are equally correct; 2) all the un-annotated negative samples are absolutely background. In this paper, we argue that both assumptions are inapplicable to SGG: there are numerous "noisy" ground-truth predicate labels that break these two assumptions, and these noisy samples actually harm the training of unbiased SGG models. To this end, we propose a novel model-agnostic NoIsy label CorrEction strategy for SGG: NICE. NICE can not only detect noisy samples but also reassign more high-quality predicate labels to them. After the NICE training, we can obtain a cleaner version of SGG dataset for model training. Specifically, NICE consists of three components: negative Noisy Sample Detection (Neg-NSD), positive NSD (Pos-NSD), and Noisy Sample Correction (NSC). Firstly, in Neg-NSD, we formulate this task as an out-of-distribution detection problem, and assign pseudo labels to all detected noisy negative samples. Then, in Pos-NSD, we use a clustering-based algorithm to divide all positive samples into multiple sets, and treat the samples in the noisiest set as noisy positive samples. Lastly, in NSC, we use a simple but effective weighted KNN to reassign new predicate labels to noisy positive samples. Extensive results on different backbones and tasks have attested to the effectiveness and generalization abilities of each component of NICE.


Rill erosion is an important process that occurs on hill slopes, including sloped farmland. Laboratory simulations have been vital to understanding rill erosion. Previous experiments obtained sediment yields using rills of various lengths to get the sedimentation process, which disrupted the continuity of the rill erosion process and was time-consuming. In this study, an improved experimental method was used to measure the rill erosion processes by concentrated channel flow. By using this method, a laboratory platform, 12 m long and 3 m wide, was used to construct rills of 0.1 m wide and 12 m long for experiments under five slope gradients (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 degrees) and three flow rates (2, 4, and 8 L min−1). Sediment laden water was simultaneously sampled along the rill at locations 0.5 m, 1 m, 2 m, 3 m, 4 m, 5 m, 6 m, 7 m, 8 m, 10 m, and 12 m from the water inlet to determine the sediment concentration distribution. The rill erosion process measured by the method used in this study and that by previous experimental methods are approximately the same. The experimental data indicated that sediment concentrations increase with slope gradient and flow rate, which highlights the hydraulic impact on rill erosion. Sediment concentration increased rapidly at the initial section of the rill, and the rate of increase in sediment concentration reduced with the rill length. Overall, both experimental methods are feasible and applicable. However, the method proposed in this study is more efficient and easier to operate. This improved method will be useful in related research.


This chapter considers 'illegality' as a ground of judicial review. Illegality is one of the three main grounds of judicial review as outlined by Lord Diplock in Council of Civil Service Unions & Others v Minister for the Civil Service. Broadly, the aim of this ground of judicial review is to ensure that public authorities act within the scope of their powers. This means that illegality is a wide ground of judicial review and is best considered as an umbrella term for a range of different ways in which a decision by a public authority can be challenged. A decision can be challenged under this ground of judicial review on the basis that the public authority lacks the power to make the decision in the first place, or if it does have the power, then the power has been exercised incorrectly.


SUMMARY Abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation in leaves of drought-stressed coconut palms and its involvement with stomatal regulation of gas exchange during and after stress were investigated. Two Brazilian Green Dwarf coconut ecotypes from hot/humid and hot/dry environments were submitted to three consecutive drying/recovery cycles under greenhouse conditions. ABA accumulated in leaflets before significant changes in pre-dawn leaflet water potential (ΨPD) and did not recover completely in the two ecotypes after 8 days of rewatering. Stomatal conductance was influenced by ABA under mild drought and by ΨPD under severe drought. There were no significant differences between the ecotypes for most variables measured. However, the ecotype from a hot/dry environment showed higher water use efficiency after repeated cycles of water stress.


In today's increasingly competitive environment, there is constant pressure for corporate leaders to add value to their organizations. These contemporary organizations are increasingly moving into business models that attempt to reduce duplicate supporting processes and staff by streamlining business processes that are not central to the organization's operations and concentrating on strategies on strategic or core, business processes. This concept, known as Shared Services, attempts to bundle some of the supporting processes and non-strategic activities into a separate organization, which in turn treats those processes and activities as the core of its own business. Shared Services consolidate and support redundant functions, such as accounts payable and procurement, for disparate business units. By leveraging economies of scale from a common IT infrastructure, such a group is able to market specific services to business units. Many organizations are employing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, for example SAP, to facilitate Shared Service initiatives by aggregating backroom functionality across departments. This research-in-progress paper investigates issues and problems with ERP enabled Shared Services in 19 organizations. The results reveal five main issues that organizations face in implementing a Shared Services initiative.


Abstract. In flood modeling, many 1D and 2D combination and 2D models are used to simulate diversion of water from rivers through dyke breaches into the hinterland for extreme flood events. However, these models are too demanding in data requirements and computational resources which is an important consideration when uncertainty analysis using Monte Carlo techniques is used to complement the modeling exercise. The goal of this paper is to show the development of a quasi-2D modeling approach, which still calculates the dynamic wave in 1D but the discretisation of the computational units are in 2D, allowing a better spatial representation of the flow in the hinterland due to dyke breaching without a large additional expenditure on data pre-processing and computational time. A 2D representation of the flow and velocity fields is required to model sediment and micro-pollutant transport. The model DYNHYD (1D hydrodynamics) from the WASP5 modeling package was used as a basis for the simulations. The model was extended to incorporate the quasi-2D approach and a Monte-Carlo Analysis was used to conduct a flood sensitivity analysis to determine the sensitivity of parameters and boundary conditions to the resulting water flow. An extreme flood event on the Elbe River, Germany, with a possible dyke breach area was used as a test case. The results show a good similarity with those obtained from another 1D/2D modeling study.


Chorea is thought to be caused by deactivation of the indirect pathway in the basal ganglia circuit. However, few imaging studies have evaluated the basal ganglia circuit in actual patients with chorea. We investigated the lesions and mechanisms underlying chorea using brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). This retrospective case series included three patients with chorea caused by different diseases: hyperglycemic chorea, Huntington's disease, and subarachnoid hemorrhage. All the patients showed dysfunction in the striatum detected by both MRI and FDG-PET. These neuroimaging findings confirm the theory that chorea is related to an impairment of the indirect pathway of basal ganglia circuit.


The aim of this paper is to provide information and suggest ways to develop young children's self-regulation through Tools of the Mind program. Characteristics of preschool and kindergarten children indicate their potential for the development of self-regulation. They are capable of voluntary control of their emotions, their social interactions, and problem-solving activities (Bronson, 2000). Self-regulatory abilities are of fundamental significance for children's general and academic development. Research point to the need for children to develop self-control, self-direction, and positive strategies to cope with life situations which of these abilities has been accepted as a form of self-regulation (Bronson, 2000). Tools of the Mind is a program developed based on Lev Vygotsky's views with a particular aim of promoting children's self-regulation. This paper reviews the need for development of self-regulation in early years and how Tools of the Mind program supports this skill. The risks of the lack of self-regulation and its results in early childhood learning environments are discussed within the paper.  The components of the Tools program are revealed within activity examples. The implementation of developmentally appropriate and play based activities in an enjoyable manner help children improve their thinking and enhance self-regulatory skills. Children practice self-regulation through carefully designed academic activities and make-believe play. The article underlies the need for self-regulation in early years and suggest ways to promote self-regulation. Keywords: self-regulation, early childhood education, tools of the mind


A study was conducted in western Canada to evaluate the efficacy of florfenicol for the treatment of undifferentiated fever (UF) in feedlot calves. One hundred and twenty-five recently weaned, auction market derived, crossbred, beef steer calves suffering from UF were allocated to 1 of 2 experimental groups as follows: florfenicol, which was intramuscular florfenicol administered at the rate of 20 mg/kg body weight at the time of allocation (day 0) and again 48 h later; or control, which was intramuscular saline administered at the same volume as florfenicol at the time of allocation and again 48 h later. Eighty-four calves were allocated to the florfenicol group and 41 calves were allocated to the control group. Outcome measures describing animal health, body weight, and rectal temperature parameters were used to determine the efficacy of florfenicol for the treatment of UF. The 1st relapse of UF, 2nd relapse of UF, overall mortality, bovine respiratory disease mortality, and haemophilosis mortality rates were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the florfenicol group than in the control group. Animals in the florfenicol group were significantly (P < 0.05) heavier at day 15 and day 45 than animals in the control group. The rectal temperature on days 1, 2, 3, and 4 of animals in the florfenicol group was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than in the control group. In addition, the change in rectal temperature from day 0 to day 4 was significantly (P < 0.05) different between the experimental groups. The results of this study demonstrate that florfenicol is an efficacious antimicrobial for the treatment of UF.


The research urgency is caused by necessity to build a clear hierarchy of objectives of teaching mathematics for different groups of professions (technical, economic, humanitarian) in Universities. Defining priorities allows focusing on the most important goals of teaching mathematics. In this regard, this paper is focused on the calculation of numerical values of priorities of the following strategic objectives in teaching mathematics: the formation of mathematical competences for the solution of professional tasks; the formation of logical thinking; the education of mathematical culture in teaching mathematics. These are the very goals which determine the mission of teaching mathematics in high school. A leading approach to the study of such problems is a method of hierarchies' analysis by Thomas Saaty which allows bringing the qualitative (linguistic) expert assessment of the objectives' importance into the quantitative values of their priorities. The author has modernized this method, organized the process of peer-review assessment of the objectives' importance in teaching mathematics and first got the numerical values of the priorities, showing the importance of each of the objectives to achieve the goal of teaching mathematics in high school. The materials of the article are of practical value for teachers of mathematics, heads of departments of mathematics and academic managers in higher education institutions, since the hierarchy of objectives allows highlighting of the most important ones in the development of curricula, programs of mathematical disciplines and teaching methods.


The effects of strain rate on compressive and tensile strength of fly ash based geopolymer concrete were investigated experimentally. Four mixes of geopolymer concrete using different alkaline solutions and under vary curing conditions were prepared. One mix of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete was prepared for comparison. Both Quasi-Static tests using standard MTS and dynamic tests using Split-Hopkinson pressures bar (SHPB) were conducted, which were giving varying strain rate loadings from 10‾⁷ to 103 per second. The strain rate effect is presented as the ratio of dynamic compressive strength to static compressive strength (DIF). Results show that DIFs of geopolymer concrete are generally higher than those of OPC concrete at strain range of 187/s to 346/s (compression tests) and 7/s to 13/s (splitting tensile tests), respectively. This tendency is independent on loading regimes (compression or tension). This suggests that geopolymer concrete can be used as an alternative construction material to OPC concrete for the structures which has a high risk of being subjected to impact loadings.


Background Bartonella henselae is the causal agent of cat scratch disease in immunocompetent persons and bacterial angiomatosis in immunocompromised patients. In Chile, the prevalence of antibodies against B. henselae in healthy children and adolescents is 13.3%, in persons with occupational risk 60.5%, and in cats 85.6%. There are no published data regarding the seroprevalence in blood donors in our country, so determining if B. henselae is present in the blood of donors at the time of donation is very important, since this microorganism can survive up to 35 days in the red blood cells stored in a blood bank at 4 °C. Objective To determine the prevalence of B. henselae in blood donors. Methodology 140 donor blood samples were analyzed to detect the presence of B. henselae, using the polymerase chain reaction technique. Results 13.6% of the blood donors with positive polymerase chain reaction for B. henselae were obtained. The sequence of the amplified fragments showed an identity of over 98% with respect to B. henselae reference sequences. Conclusion The risk of blood transmission is due to a country with high B. henselae infection.


Abstract In many countries of Latin America, Jointed Plain Concrete Pavements (JPCP) are designed using the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) or the Portland Cement Association (PCA) methods, none of which take explicitly into account the environmental conditions of the specific region where a JPCP will be built. It is well known that temperature gradients across the thickness of concrete slabs produce curling which can cause slabs to lose support at its corners and its center depending on the time of the day. This situation, in combination with vehicle loading, generates tensile stresses which can be significant enough to cause initial cracking and the subsequent failure of the pavement. In this research, the Finite Element (FE) package EverFE2.25 was used to study the impact of temperature gradients (calibrated to account for humidity gradients) in combination with a vehicle load (a dual wheel tandem axle of 180 kN) on the performance of a typical JPCP highway section. For the JPCP under study, the apparent increase of the tensile stresses attributable to negative local (ΔT = -18.5°C) Equivalent Temperature Gradients (ETGs) was as 5.5 times larger than the one induced by the axle when it was placed at the border of the slab and up to 8.8 times larger when it was placed at the corner of the slab. Although the apparent increase was not as high when the positive local ETGs (ΔT = +18.5°C) were used, the absolute magnitude of the stresses in combination with the vehicle load were still high enough for the pavement to fail under fatigue. Thus, local temperature gradients should be studied regionally and considered in the design of JPCP using more suitable design procedures such as the Mechanistic-Empirical design procedure.


The work of Jose Marti, both in prose and in verse, contains numerous references and allusions to the environment in general and in particular to the relationship between man and society, giving it a high axiological value. This work consists of a historical analysis to the treatment to the environmental dimension in higher education in Cuba and evaluates the importance of the didactic use given to the work of the Apostle in order to build feelings towards the identification with nature and the protection of the environment of students, in this case those who intend to become Bachelor's in sociocultural studies, who, due to the characteristics of the professional model should graduate with a particular environmental sensitivity.


Antimicrobial use in livestock production systems is increasingly scrutinised by consumers, stakeholders, and the veterinary profession. In Austria, veterinarians dispensing antimicrobials for use in food-producing animals have been required to report these drugs since 2015. Here, we describe the national monitoring systems and the results obtained for Austrian pig production over a six-year period. Antimicrobial dispensing is described using the mass-based metric, milligrams per population correction unit (mg/PCU) and the dose-based metric, Defined Daily Dose (DDDvet) per year and divided into the European Medicines Agency's prudent use categories. Pig production was divided into breeding units, fattening farms, farrow-to-finish farms, and piglet-rearing systems. Over all six years and all pig production systems, the mean amount of antimicrobials dispensed was 71.6 mg/PCU or 2.2 DDDvet per year. Piglet-rearing systems were found to have the highest levels of antimicrobial dispensing in DDDvet, as well as the largest proportion of Category B antimicrobials, including polymyxins. Although progress has been made in promoting a more prudent use of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine in Austria, further steps need to be taken to proactively improve animal health and prevent disease to reduce the need for antimicrobials, particularly those critically important for human medicine, in the future.


The Government and industry are now recognising the strategic importance of further education for the future well-being of the country. The one area where UK education is ahead of that in Europe is in the use of information technology. Here, the author argues that if further education is to take maximum advantage of corporate status from April 1993, it will be essential to use IT to enhance the learning experience and to provide accurate management information. >


Abstract. Data from the four spacecraft Cluster mission during a high altitude cusp crossing on 13 February 2001 are presented. The spacecraft configuration has one leading spacecraft, with the three trailing spacecraft lying in a plane that corresponds roughly to the nominal magnetopause surface. The typical spacecraft separation is approximately 600km. The encounter occurs under conditions of strong and steady southward Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF). The cusp is identified as a seven-minute long depression in the magnetic field, associated with ion heating and a high abundance of He+. Cusp entry involves passage through a magnetopause boundary that has undergone very significant distortion from its nominal shape, is moving rapidly, and exhibits structure on scales of the order of the spacecraft separation or less. This boundary is associated with a rotation of the magnetic field, a normal field component, and a plasma flow into the cusp of approximately 35 km/s. However, it cannot be identified positively as a rotational discontinuity. Exit from the cusp into the lobe is through a boundary that is initially sharp, but then retreats tailward at a few km/s. As the leading spacecraft passes through this boundary, there is a plasma flow out of the cusp of approximately 30km/s, suggesting that this is not a tangential discontinuity. A few minutes after exit from the cusp, the three trailing the spacecraft see a single cusp-like signature in the magnetic field. There is an associated temperature increase at two of the three trailing spacecraft. Timing measurements indicate that this is due to cusp-like regions detaching from the rear of the cusp boundary, and moving tailward. The magnetic field in the cusp is highly disordered, with no obvious relation between the four spacecraft, indicative of structure on scales Key words. Magnetospheric physics (magnetopause, cusp and boundary layers; solar wind-magnetosphere interactions) – Space plasma physics (discontinuities)


In this paper, an analytical investigation on the track separation mechanism for tracked excavator was studied. Relative motions of track links, sprocket, idler and support rollers are very important in the driving of an excavator The interference and friction between each components lead to noise and vibration. And also this has a great influence on the life for tracked excavator. RecurDyn program was used for the three dimensional modeling of the track assembly. Investigating the interference between sprocket and track links, the mechanism of the track separation was analyzed.


A face detection method for the color image with complex background is presented, which is a mixed skin-color segmentation model in both YCbCr and HIS color space constructed; The mixed skin-color segmentation model can be used to segment of possible skin regions in the original image. After skin-color segmentation, the geometrical shape information of face and the maximum of the complexity of eyes in faces can be used to detect face's position accurately. Experimental results show that the proposed approach can effectively prevent the side effects on the image caused by light condition, reduce the undetected rate, increase the speed of the face detection. Compared with other methods, this method has a very good result.


In this paper, we review emerging technologies to build up Tb/s per channel transmission capacity. We discuss the appropriate choice of modulation formats as well as options for generation and multiplexing of multiple lower bit rate subchannels. Different multiplexing approaches, mainly based on various implementations of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing and Nyquist wavelength division multiplexing are introduced. Their main strengths and weaknesses are discussed by means of selected experimental demonstrations.


A noncoding RNA molecule is required for plants to become competent to flower after a period of cold. Many plants flower in the spring after exposure to low winter temperatures to ensure reproductive success and maximize seed production. This response to cold, called vernalization, overcomes a block that prevents premature flowering in autumn. The molecular mechanisms underlying vernalization are fascinating because they must induce flowering only after a plant has been exposed to cold for several weeks, but not after short exposures characteristic of autumn, and must allow flowering to proceed stably after temperatures rise in spring (see the figure). On page 76 in this issue, Heo and Sung (1) describe how a temporal cascade of RNA transcripts generated from a single genomic locus regulates this response.


Since the 1980s, sputum induction by inhalation of hypertonic saline has been successfully used for diagnosing Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients infected with HIV. In recent years, sputum induction and its subsequent processing has been refined as a noninvasive research tool providing important information about inflammatory events in the lower airways, and it has been used for studying various illnesses. In asthma, one application is to use sputum inflammatory indices to increase our understanding of complex relationships between inflammatory cells, mediators, and cytokine mechanisms. In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sputum assessment could be used as a screening test before deciding on long-term corticosteroid treatment. In tuberculosis, sputum induction is a valuable diagnostic tool for HIV-seropositive patients who do not produce sputum. Sputum induction appears to be a relatively safe, noninvasive means of obtaining airway secretions from subjects with cystic fibrosis, especially from those who do not normally produce sputum. Moreover, sputum induction can also be used in chronic cough and lung cancer. Generally, induction is performed through ultrasonic nebulizers, using hypertonic saline. It is recommended that sputum be processed as soon as possible, with complete homogenization by the use of dithiothreitol. We have also shown in this article an example of a protocol for inducing and processing sputum employing a nebulizer produced in Brazil.


Industries such as electroplating, dyes manufacturing, metal plating facilities and
other similar industries produce heavy metal which are highly toxic for human and the
environment. Zinc is one of the heavy metals discharge from above mentioned
industries and need to be treated according to the regulation limit imposed by
Malaysian government. There are several methods for removing heaving metals from
wastewater. Ion exchange process using resin have many advantages compared to
other methods hence will be used in this study. The extent of the project work are
conducting experiment to determine the influence of different operating parameters on
the zinc ion removal process specifically effect of initial concentration (50ppm,
lOOppm & 150ppm) and effect of pH (3, 5 & 7), determine the effect of regeneration
on the resin's performance and analyze the experimental data using Thomas model.
Results from this project work will be useful in designing wastewater treatment
system in the industry.


Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) causes systemic hypotension, pulmonary vasodilation, and loss of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction. NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) inhibits nitric oxide (NO) production and prevents some systemic manifestations of TNF-alpha. We tested using an isolated perfused canine lobe whether NO also mediates the pulmonary vascular effects of TNF-alpha. Total resistance (RT) was measured during control and hypoxic ventilation over a 90-min period in six control lobes, five lobes treated with TNF-alpha (250 micrograms), six lobes treated with L-NMMA (200 mg), and five lobes treated with L-NMMA (200 mg) + TNF-alpha (250 micrograms). In the control lobes RT increased (P < 0.02) from 0.0474 +/- 0.0105 to 0.0677 +/- 0.0133 cmH2O.ml-1 x min during normoxic and hypoxic ventilation, respectively. RT decreased (P < 0.05) from a baseline of 0.0593 +/- 0.0133 to 0.0449 +/- 0.0176 cmH2O.ml-1 x min 30 min after TNF-alpha administration and did not further change during hypoxic ventilation (0.0475 +/- 0.0107 cmH2O.ml-1 x min). L-NMMA pretreatment did not prevent the TNF-alpha-induced loss of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, with values of RT unchanged from normoxic (0.0541 +/- 0.0067 cmH2O.ml-1 x min) to hypoxic (0.0545 +/- 0.0078 cmH2O.ml-1.min) ventilation (P > 0.10) in the L-NMMA + TNF-alpha group after TNF-alpha administration. We conclude that NO is not the mediator responsible for the acute pulmonary vascular effects of TNF-alpha.


Aim The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between social functioning perceptions of the caregivers toward their patients, and their perceived care burden. Method The descriptive, cross-sectional and correlational study was carried out between September 2017-September 2019 using two measurement tools, in addition to an introductory information form: the Burden Interview and Social Functioning Scale The study was conducted with caregivers of the 76 addict outpatients and inpatients of the Alcohol and Substance Addiction Treatment Center of a university hospital in Turkey. The study data were evaluated using descriptive statistical analysis and correlation analysis. Results Of the caregivers, 69.7% were female and had a mean age of 43.32 ± 13.35 years; 52.6% and 47.4% of the all caregivers provided care to substance abusers and alcohol abusers, respectively. Of the addicted individuals receiving care, 78.9% were male, 60.5% were single, and 56.6% were unemployed. The mean age of patients was found to be 35.94 ± 11.75 years, and patients had been given treatment for an average of 7.56 ± 7.26 years. It was found that as caregivers' total mean Social Functioning Scale scores and mean subscale scores increased, their mean Burden Interview scores decreased (p > .05), though this value was not found to be statistically significant. Conclusion These results are important to support not only the addicted individual but also their caregiver, and to conduct the related treatment and care holistically.


It remains unknown which factor(s) control mast cell recruitment in chronic immune reactions. Although TGF-beta has been shown to function as a potent chemotactic factor for monocytes, fibroblasts, and neutrophils, its effect on mast cells has not been previously determined. In this study, TGF-beta 1 was shown to cause directed migration of cultured mouse mast cells at femtomolar concentrations, with a maximal chemotactic response observed at 25 fM. Moreover, chemotaxis to TGF-beta was also seen using freshly isolated rat peritoneal mast cells. Addition of neutralizing Ab to TGF-beta abrogated its chemotactic activity for both freshly isolated rat peritoneal mast cells and cultured mouse mast cells, whereas an irrelevant species-matched control Ab had no effect. Checkerboard analysis confirmed the mast cell chemotactic activity after exposure to concentration gradients of TGF-beta. Mast cells were observed to undergo rapid and extensive shape changes on exposure to TGF-beta, assuming a polarized morphology in preparation for migration. Other known mast cell chemoattractants including laminin, c-kit ligand, and IL-3 were found to be considerably less potent on a molar basis in inducing directed migration. Affinity cross-linking studies identified TGF-beta binding proteins with M(r) at 70 and 288 kDa, consistent with types I and III TGF-beta receptors on the mast cells. In summary, TGF-beta is the most potent chemoattractant described for mast cells and conceivably relevant, because pathologic processes mediated by TGF-beta are often associated with mast cell accumulation.


The invention relates to a method for producing acroleic acid/ epoxide resin modified aqueous polyurethane, which employs processes of interpenetrating polymer network and grafting which comprises following steps: (1) pre-polymerization for polyatomic alcohol and polyisocyanates, adding hydrophilic chain propagation agent chain propagation reaction and getting preploymer containing hydrophilic group; (2) adding mixture of polyhydroxy compound, acroleic acid modified epoxide resin and acrylic ester monomer containing dissolvent into reaction system for second chain propagation reaction; (3) neutralizing by adding neutralization agent, adding water for emulsification, adding polyamine for chain propagation; (4) polymerization for free radical emulsion; (5) distilling to remove dissolvent after reaction and getting polyurethane hybrid water dispersion which taking acrylic resin as nucleus and acroleic acid/ epoxide resin modified aqueous polyurethane as shell. The product is characterizedby strong weatherability, good chemical product resistance and water resistance, excellent hardness, glossiness, storage stability, mechanics performance and comprehensive property.


A photoinitiated thiol-ene "click" reaction was used to synthesize S-lipidated collagen model peptide amphiphiles. Use of 2-iminothiolane provided an epimerization-free thiol handle required for thiol-ene based incorporation of lipid moieties onto collagen-based peptide sequences. This approach not only led to improvements in the triple helical characteristics of the resulting collagen model peptides but also increased the aqueous solubility of the peptide amphiphiles. As a result, this methodology holds significant potential for the design and advancement of functional peptide amphiphiles, offering enhanced capabilities across a wide range of applications.


There is debate as to whether chest compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CC-CPR) or standard 30:2 CPR should be taught to laypersons. Equivalence in outcomes between standard CPR and CC-CPR has been amply demonstrated in communities with short ambulance response times of about five minutes. Depriving oxygen from a collapsed patient beyond six minutes results in poorer outcomes. Communities with prolonged ambulance travel times have seen improved outcomes with CPR than CC-CPR. While healthcare workers demonstrate a reluctance to perform mouth-to-mouth ventilation, laypersons generally show a willingness to do so. Rescuer fatigue also argues against the use of CC-CPR for more than a few minutes. For communities with relatively long ambulance transport times, the best approach appears to be standard CPR, with emphasis on good quality compression. For dispatcher-assisted CPR, communication issues suggest that CC-CPR is advisable. Public CPR training should include teaching of mouth-to-mouth ventilation alternating with chest compressions.


The federal government's response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States has improved greatly over the past 20 years although there are still many challenges. In the earliest years, it was often hard enough simply to have key policymakers utter the word "AIDS" and acknowledge that there was a problem. Driven by the devastation of a deadly epidemic and confronted with a lack of treatment options, people living with HIV/AIDS and their advocates took up the fight for a reasonable government response. At the same time, we were forced to develop an unprecedented community care structure. Federal advocacy focused with urgency on researcher and regulatory reforms and securing funding for research, care, treatment, prevention, and housing programs. At the same time, we had to fight many attempts at passing harmful or discriminatory legislation and to guarantee protection from institutional and private bias.


A 56-year-old male patient had suffered from recurrent oral aphthae, acne-like rashes on the face, an erythema nodosum-like rash on the left lower leg, and severe heel pain on the left-hand side. Colonoscopy revealed six ulcerative lesions in the terminal ileum. Ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging showed an inflammatory lesion in the Achilles tendons, with greater inflammation on the left. Achilles tendonitis was considered to be a peripheral enthesopathy in this patient with Behçet's disease complicated by an ileal ulcer.


The literature concerning quartz deformation is reviewed, and the different theories are briefly compared. Two types of experiments have been performed on quartz single crystals in the attempt to produce plastic flow. The highest pressures available in the laboratory (maximum pressure, ca. 138,000 atmospheres) do not produce a measurable degree of plasticity, unless undulatory extinction may be so considered. High-temperature experiments show the tendency of quartz to fracture into needles, governed by the crystallographic properties of the quartz. A very striking correlation is observed between the experimental data and Sander's observations of major uniformities in his petrofabric studies of S-tectonites. From this is developed a working hypothesis of the mechanism of orientation of quartz in S-tectonites.


In Sentiment Analysis (SA), a vague assignment of a text to a set of n-ary discrete classes is insufficient. A great deal of research is concentrated on the automated assignment of strength to both terms and the finer-grained term senses, but these strength values rely purely on statistical means, and there is no semantic mechanism involved, leading to potentially biased results. As a solution, this works proposes a model that utilizes only the semantic information manually encoded within the human-defined glosses of term senses, a semantic network, and a set of predefined degree adverbs, in order to quantify their 'Natural' Sentiment Strength (NSS) values. The 'natural' sentiment strength of a term sense here refers to the strength value derived in a 'semantically natural' manner, i.e. the NSS is assigned based on the agreed-upon meanings that humans have naturally assigned to words; and not 'artificially statistical', i.e. based a simple metric of probabilistic computation. Intrinsic evaluation against a manually-annotated gold standard benchmark demonstrates that the model outperforms related sense-level lexicon generation models against this same benchmark, and that it is in agreement with human intuition.


Perennial weed infestations are putting severe constraints on organic and conventional farming. Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. and Tussilago farfara L. have high vegetative regeneration capacity from underground organs. These organs can reach deep soil layers, which prevent them from being easily uprooted. In our research, we primarily addressed the importance of the source-sink dynamics of carbohydrates at different phenological stages and related results to eventual management strategies.
Experimental work was carried out under greenhouse and/or growth chamber conditions. The first study spanned from roots/rhizomes planting to shoot establishment. The second study began after establishment and included the rosette to the flowering stages. The third study was about the storage of carbohydrates in the underground parts. And finally, a fourth study aimed at unraveling the effect of drought on new shoots of these perennials.
To determine the depletion of carbohydrate storage associated with shoot development, we destructively sampled roots of C. arvense and rhizomes of T. farfara from which nonstructural carbohydrates were measured using HPLC. We found that fructan was highest at the planting time, but it decreased by releasing fructose as shooting growth progressed. However, before the released fructose was depleted, carbohydrates were reloaded by photo-assimilates. This was demonstrated by 14C labelling to track the commencement of the basipetal translocation of photo-assimilates. The conclusion was that appreciable basipetal translocation starts at 6 and 8 fully developed leaves for T. farfara and C. arvense, respectively. This falls between 500 and 600 degree days or around 21 to 23 days after emergence under our experimental conditions.
After shoot establishment we measured the maximum net photosynthesis of disturbed and undisturbed clones over a period of 3 weeks, from the rosette stage to the flowering stage. Maximum net photosynthesis decreased over time, but there were no differences between disturbed and undisturbed clones. Our conclusion was that the physiological integration found in other clonal species seems to be absent in C. arvense and T. farfara, suggesting that shoots are autonomous.
To understand carbohydrate storage, juvenile and mature plants were grown at different temperatures. The results showed that the polymerization of fructans was associated with low temperatures for C. arvense but not for T. farfara. Polymerization of fructans in roots/rhizomes was not significantly different between juvenile and mature plants. Only the dry weight of shoots from juvenile plants reflected the differences found in carbohydrate content. The conclusion is that the continuous growth of underground propagules facilitates the survival of these two perennials and thus complicates their control.
Gradient soil water content during the establishment period of shoots of C. arvense, T. farfara and Elytrigia repens showed that E. repens is more tolerant to water stress than broadleaf T. farfara and C. arvense. T. farfara is more prone to water stress compared to C. arvense if we consider the relationship between the soil water content and shoot biomass. This susceptibility might give an opportunity window for managing broadleaf perennial weeds.


Studies were performed in rats that had been fasted 24 h, fed a glutathione (GSH)-free semisynthetic diet (AIN-76), and fed the same diet supplemented with GSH. The results from the fasted rats and those fed GSH-free diet showed that the duodenum and jejunum contained 0.2-0.5 mumol of GSH/gram wet wt of luminal contents. The GSH contents of biliary juice was sufficient to maintain this amount of GSH in the intestinal lumen. Other analyses showed that cell sloughing, bacterial GSH content, and GSH secretion by epithelial cells of the jejunum were not sufficient to account for this content. GSH concentrations following consumption of a GSH-supplemented diet (5-50 mg/g AIN-76) showed a rapid increase in all regions of the small intestine and indicated that removal occurred primarily in the jejunum. However, the combined activities of brush-border gamma-glutamyltransferase and GSH uptake systems were not sufficient to remove all of the ingested GSH. Results from in situ vascular perfusions of small intestine showed that the upper jejunum is a principal site of GSH absorption. Measurements of the GSH-to-glutathione disulfide (GSSG) ratio in the lumen after ingestion of GSSG (5 mg/g diet) indicated that the upper small intestine also has a mechanism for reducing GSSG to GSH. The results therefore indicate that GSH is present in the lumen of the small intestine of rat under most if not all conditions. Although the physiological importance of luminal GSH remains unclear, it could potentially be used to detoxify reactive electrophiles in the diet or be absorbed for intracellular detoxication reactions.


This paper presents the research on the interdisciplinary research infrastructure for understanding human reasoning in game-theoretic terms. Strategic reasoning is considered to impact human decision making in social, economical and competitive interactions. The provided introduction explains and connects concepts from AI, game theory and psychology. First result is a concept of interdisciplinary game description language as a part of the focused interdisciplinary research infrastructure. The need of this domain-specific language is motivated and is aimed to accelerate the current developments. As second result, the paper provides a summary of ongoing research and its significance.


Hair cells are the sensory epithelial cells of both the auditory and the vestibular systems in the inner ear of all vertebrates. Auditory hair cells are located in the organ of corti on a thin layer of basement membrane in the cochlea of the inner ear. Damage to hair cells decreases hearing sensitivity. When these delicate hair cells in the cochlea are damaged, sound signals cannot be sent to the brain. In general, damage to the mammalian inner ear, is not returnable. In fact, a key goal in the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss is to find appropriate procedures to replace the missing hair cells. Cell therapy is one of the treatment options for hearing loss. In this regard, studies focus on ways which hair cells can be provided from exogenous and endogenous stem cells. This review identified ways to induce auditory hair cells regeneration from stem cells as the potential therapeutic approaches for the hearing loss.


Motion artifacts in image reconstruction problems can be reduced by performing image motion estimation and image reconstruction jointly using a penalized-likelihood cost function. However, updating the motion parameters by conventional gradient-based iterations can be computationally demanding due to the system model required in inverse problems. This paper describes an optimization transfer approach that leads to minimization steps for the motion parameters that have comparable complexity to those needed in image registration problems. This approach can simplify the implementation of motion-compensated image reconstruction (MCIR) methods when the motion parameters are estimated jointly with the reconstructed image.


The gap between the needs of indigents and the state subsidised legal services or pro bono legal services exist in all societies. Traditionally, the state and the legal fraternity have assumed responsibility to bridge this gap. Law schools have traditionally and culturally confined themselves to the academic instruction of the law. This paper considers whether law schools have an equal responsibility to plug this gap. Four main issues are considered. First, law schools have a professional responsibility to instill legal professionalism in law students, which includes educating students in a pro bono culture. Second, these responsibilities can be effectively discharged by engaging faculty and students in pro bono programs/clinics which have the effect of sensitising law students to social justice issues, advocate legal professionalism and demonstrate professional and community relevance in education. Third, these responsibilities should not merely be justified on the basis of pedagogical relevance and value. Legal curriculum should be improved upon to advance professional responsibilities and a pro bono culture. Fourth, it is important to sustain the pro bono commitment nurtured in law schools. To this end, it is proposed that the Singapore Legal Profession Act, 2009, Cap. 161, § 71, The Legal Profession (Professional Conduct) Rules, (2010) and the Legal Professional Conduct Rules (LPCR) be amended to reflect the professional responsibilities of a lawyer and to encourage dedication of certain number of pro bono hours per annum.


The present study looked at some of the psychological factors of children who habitually sniff glue. A control group of non-glue-sniffing delinquent boys was compared with an experimental group of glue-sniffing boys. The comparison was across a number of personality variables, using the HSPQ, and the two groups were matched in terms of age, social class and intelligence. A significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of one HSPQ primary factor (factor F) and one HSPQ secondary factor (factor QI).


The data allocation problem in incomplete information environments consisting of self-motivated severs responding to users' queries is considered. Periodically, the servers use auctions for allocation of new data items, and for reallocation of old data items. The utility of a server from storing a data item strongly depends on the usage of the item. However, each server has information only about the past usage of the data stored locally, but does not have information about the usage of data stored elsewhere. In this paper we propose that in order to improve the behaviour of the servers in the auctions, each server learns the expected usage of data items from information about past usage of its own data items. We implemented this type of learning process using neural networks. Simulations showed that our learning methods improve the results of the bidding mechanism, and they are better than the results obtained when learning via k-nearest neighbors algorithms.


Christopher J. Mertens1, Brian T. Kress2, Michael Wiltberger3, W. Kent Tobiska4, Barbara Grajewski5 and Xiaojing Xu6 1NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia 2Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 3 High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado 4 Space Environment Technologies, Pacific Palisades, California 5National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio 6Science Systems and Applications, Inc. USA


■ The city as a site of everyday practice provides valuable insights into the linkages of the global capitalist economy with the texture and fabric of human experience. My comments focus on cities as centers of abuse, violence and enslavement as documented in the papers of Ida Susser and Peter Kwong. I place each author's critique within this urban order by using the images of the 'ethnic city', 'gendered city', and 'global city'. By focusing on spatial images of cities, I redirect our attention to the sites of social problems produced by expan sion of global capitalism, and to the location of possible resistance.


We use the singular value decomposition (SVD) to analyse the linear systems of equations that are the heart of the Backus-Gilbert method (1968). We show that the method has a regularizing effect, and our analysis also leads to an alternative implementation, based on the Lanczos algorithm, which is faster than the standard implementation when few SVD components are sufficient in the regularized solution.


Decision support systems (DSSs) built to expand human decision capabilities can simultaneously restrain decision-making. This characteristic is referred to as system restrictiveness. The existing conceptualization of system restrictiveness is reviewed, and the concept of induced restrictiveness as a subtle force that restricts decision-making by inducing decision-makers to take a particular decision process is introduced. The validity of this concept has been demonstrated by a controlled laboratory experiment that employed a protocol analysis technique. The experiment evaluated the decision process induced by Lotus 1-2-3 for a particular type of task. The results indicated that Lotus tended to induce the incremental decision process as opposed to the synoptic decision process favored by the control group. The incremental decision process generates alternatives by making marginal changes to a previous solution, whereas the synoptic decision process is characterized by unbiased search for solutions. These results are discussed in the context of induced restrictiveness. >


Abstract The paper traces the intertextual echoes of Frances Burney's debut novel, Evelina, in The Belle's Stratagem, a play by Burney's contemporary Hannah Cowley. The latter was certainly an avid admirer of Burney. In one of her poems she pays tribute to the novelist and praises her ability to achieve uncommon subtlety in the depiction of characters in her writing: "What pen but Burney's …/… draws from nature with a skill so true" (Escott 2012: 38). The paper, however, argues that the connection between the writers and their literary productions goes much further than the obeisance paid to Burney in Cowley's admiring verses. The congruence between the plots of Evelina and The Belle's Stratagem, and, in some instances, the very wording used in the two texts, poses immediate questions about its significance in Cowley's popular play (which was first produced in 1780, two years after the publication of Burney's debut). The conclusions suggest that Cowley deliberately drew Burney's novel into a discussion on viable models of femininity and matrimony in contemporary society. But they also point to a wider phenomenon, namely, the extent to which the relationship between the eighteenth-century theatre and novel was reciprocal. While several recent studies discuss the influence of the theatre on the novel, little has been said on the importance of the novel for the development of the contemporary drama. This new reading of Cowley's The Belle's Stratagem as a response to Burney's Evelina shows the immediacy with which a literary dialogue could be opened by authors and appreciated by audiences on the vibrant eighteenth-century cultural scene.


Hurricane Earl formed in the Gulf of Mexico in September 1998. It quickly was upgraded from a tropical disturbance to tropical storm status and then to a hurricane. Earl possessed hybrid (tropical and extratropical) characteristics throughout its lifetime. The system maintained and erratic track, which led to wide variability in the operational track forecasts. It eventually made landfall on the Florida panhandle on 2 September and raced northeastward. During August and September 1998, NASA conducted the third Convection and Moisture Experiment (CAMEX-3). The experiment was focused on studying hurricanes with an emphasis toward developing a better understanding of their intensification and motion. Earl provides a unique opportunity to utilize high spatial and temporal resolution data collected from the DC-8 and high altitude ER-2 NASA platforms, which flew over Earl as it made landfall. These data can also be put into broader view provided by other instruments from the Geosynchronous Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellites. Hurricane Earl was affected by entrainment of dry air from the northwest. Hurricane Isis was intensifying and approaching the Mexican Pacific coast with its associated outflow potentially affecting the inflow into Earl as the storm neared Florida. In addition, a longwave synoptic trough circulation was present over the eastern U.S. Either or both of these could be responsible for the dry air into the system. This paper will focus on identifying the source of the dry by using upper-level wind and moisture fields derived from the GOES 6.7 um water vapor imagery. We will attempt to relate the large-scale observations to those from the NASA aircraft. An infrared instrument onboard the ER-2 also has a similar wavelength and may be able to confirm some of the GOES findings. In addition, a microwave radiometer with 4 channels focused on measuring precipitation and its associated ice scattering was also aboard the ER-2. The microwave observations will allow the authors to relate the entrainment to precipitation changes near the flight path of the aircraft.


Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of photoselective vaporization of prostate (PVP) using a 100W potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) laser in comparison to transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) in patients of benign prostatic enlargement (BPE). Materials and Methods: Between Jan 2014 and December 2015, 121 patients satisfying the eligibility criteria underwent surgery 62 PVP (Group A); 59 TURP (Group B). The groups were compared for functional outcome, perioperative parameters and complications, with a follow up of 6months. P value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The baseline characteristics of the two groups were comparable. Mean age was 65.72 years and 64.38 years, mean IPSS score was 19.02 and 20.18, mean prostate volume was 43.67 cc and 48.78 cc in Group A and B, respectively. Improvements in IPSS, QOL, prostate volume, Q max and PVRU at 6 months were similar in both groups. PVP patients had longer operating time, lesser perioperative blood loss, shorter catheterization time when compared to TURP. Conclusions: In patients of benign prostatic enlargement, KTP-PVP is a good alternative to TURP with durable results at 6 months follow up with additional benefits of lesser perioperative blood loss, lesser transfusion requirements and a shorter catheterization time.


Despite the fact many proposals have been made for abstract user interface models it was not given a detailed context in which it should or could be used in a user-centered design process. This paper presents a clear role for the abstract user interface model in user-centered and model-based development, provides an overview of the stakeholders that may create and/or use abstract user interface models and presents a modular abstract user interface modeling language, CAP3, that makes relations with other models explicit and builds on the foundation of existing abstract user interface models. The proposed modeling notation is supported by a tool and applied to some case studies from literature and in some projects. It is also validated based on state-of-the-art knowledge on domain-specific modeling languages and visual notations and some case studies.


This paper investigates the behavior of three phase transformers with internal faults under sinusoidal and nonsinusoidal operating conditions. The terminal behavior of the transformer was investigated by coupling the finite element transformer's physical model with external electric circuit equations. Two types of internal faults were modeled turn-to-ground faults, and turn-to-turn faults with and without arcing. A discrete wavelet transforms (DWT) procedure was then used to extract the feature of the transformer fault currents. The key advantages of the DWT are its ability to provide a local representation of the current signal for normal and faulty modes, as well as its applicability to handle nonstationary fault signals. This characterization gives us an efficient way to design and evaluate detection algorithms for transformers internal faults and the system they operate in


Synopsis : A high power microwave induced plasma (MIP) source using an Okamoto cavity can be sustained by He, N2 and air at atmospheric pressure. The cavity has been originally developed to produce an alternative analytical ionization source to argon inductively coupled plasma (ICP) for mass spectrometry (MS). This review introduces that an annular-shaped high power (1.0 kW) nitrogen microwave induced plasma (N2-MIP) sustained at atmospheric pressure by Okamoto cavity, as a new excitation source for atomic emission spectrometry (AES), has been demonstrated. Subsequently the combination of high power N2-MIP-AES with the continuous-flow hydride generation method was examined for the determination of such hydride-forming elements as arsenic, selenium, antimony, tellurium and bismuth. Moreover, the same technique has been extended for two (arsenic and antimony)and three-element (arsenic, antimony and bismuth) simultaneous determination. After the interference study, the present method has been applied to the determination of trace concentrations of the above-mentioned hydride-forming elements in several steels reference materials. The results obtained by this method were in good agreement with their certified values.


BACKGROUND
Cardiac surgery is performed worldwide. Most types of cardiac surgery are performed using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Cardiac surgery performed with CPB is associated with morbidities. CPB needs an extracorporeal circulation that replaces the heart and lungs, and performs circulation, ventilation, and oxygenation of the blood. The lower limit of mean blood pressure to maintain blood flow to vital organs increases in people with chronic hypertension. Because people undergoing cardiac surgery commonly have chronic hypertension, we hypothesised that maintaining a relatively high blood pressure improves desirable outcomes among the people undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB.

OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the benefits and harms of higher versus lower blood pressure targets during cardiac surgery with CPB.

SEARCH METHODS
We used standard, extensive Cochrane search methods. The latest search of databases was November 2021 and trials registries in January 2020.

SELECTION CRITERIA
We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing a higher blood pressure target (mean arterial pressure 65 mmHg or greater) with a lower blood pressure target (mean arterial pressure less than 65 mmHg) in adults undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We used standard Cochrane methods. Primary outcomes were 1. acute kidney injury, 2. cognitive deterioration, and 3. all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were 4. quality of life, 5. acute ischaemic stroke, 6. haemorrhagic stroke, 7. length of hospital stay, 8. renal replacement therapy, 9. delirium, 10. perioperative transfusion of blood products, and 11. perioperative myocardial infarction. We used GRADE to assess certainty of evidence.

MAIN RESULTS
We included three RCTs with 737 people compared a higher blood pressure target with a lower blood pressure target during cardiac surgery with CPB. A high blood pressure target may result in little to no difference in acute kidney injury (risk ratio (RR) 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.81 to 2.08; I² = 72%; 2 studies, 487 participants; low-certainty evidence), cognitive deterioration (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.45 to 1.50; I² = 0%; 2 studies, 389 participants; low-certainty evidence), and all-cause mortality (RR 1.33, 95% CI 0.30 to 5.90; I² = 49%; 3 studies, 737 participants; low-certainty evidence). No study reported haemorrhagic stroke. Although a high blood pressure target may increase the length of hospital stay slightly, we found no differences between a higher and a lower blood pressure target for the other secondary outcomes. We also identified one ongoing RCT which is comparing a higher versus a lower blood pressure target among the people who undergo cardiac surgery with CPB.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
A high blood pressure target may result in little to no difference in patient outcomes including acute kidney injury and mortality. Given the wide CIs, further studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of a higher blood pressure target among those who undergo cardiac surgery with CPB.


— Grid computing is a form of distributed computing that involves coordinating and sharing computational power, data storage and network resources across dynamic and geographically dispersed organizations. Scheduling onto the Grid is NP-complete, so there is no best scheduling algorithm for all grid computing systems. An alternative is to select an appropriate scheduling algorithm to use in a given grid environment because of the characteristics of the tasks, machines and network connectivity. Job and resource scheduling is one of the key research area in grid computing. The goal of scheduling is to achieve highest possible system throughput and to match the application need with the available computing resources. Motivation of the survey is to encourage the amateur researcher in the field of grid computing, so that they can understand easily the concept of scheduling and can contribute in developing more efficient scheduling algorithm. This will benefit interested researchers to carry out further work in this thrust area of research.


Chloroxylenol, also known as p-chloro-m-xylenol (PCMX), is a compound that has been used as a preservative in cosmetics and as an active agent in antimicrobial soaps. We present two patients with allergic contact dermatitis from PCMX, confirmed by positive (+++) patch-test reactions at 48 and 72 hours, identification of PCMX in a soap and in a hand cream used by the patients, and improvement following withdrawal of the incriminating products. The mechanism of action, structure, antimicrobial activity, and dangers of PCMX are reviewed.


Trypanosoma cruzi is an intracellular obligate parasite and the causative agent of Chagas disease. Previous work has shown that the chemokine receptor CCR5 plays a role in systemic responses against T. cruzi. We evaluated whether CCR5 plays a critical role in mucosal protection against natural oral and conjunctival challenges. Memory-immune CCR5-/- and wild-type C57BL/6 mice were generated by repeated infectious challenges with sublethal doses of insect-derived metacyclic trypomastigotes. Similar IgA, IgG and IFN-γ responses were detected in the spleen in both memory-immune and primary infected wild-type and CCR5-/- mice. More importantly, protection was evaluated in memory-immune mice via real-time PCR and limiting dilution assay for parasite outgrowth. CCR5-/- memory-immune mice developed equivalent levels of protection against both oral and conjunctival mucosal challenges. Preliminary studies from the stomachs of CCR5-/- memory-immune mice showed an increase in the transcript levels of CCL5 as compared to memory-immune wild-type mice. Overall, it appears that CCR5 does not play a critical role in the control of parasite replication and immune responses at sites of initial mucosal infection with T. cruzi. However, CCL5 signaling through CCR1 and/or CCR3 may compensate for the absence of CCR5.


Deep learning methods produce promising results when applied to a wide range of medical imaging tasks, including segmentation of artery lumen in computed tomography angiography (CTA) data. However, to perform sufficiently, neural networks have to be trained on large amounts of high quality annotated data. In the realm of medical imaging, annotations are not only quite scarce but also often not entirely reliable. To tackle both challenges, we developed a two-step approach for generating realistic synthetic CTA data for the purpose of data augmentation. In the first step moderately realistic images are generated in a purely numerical fashion. In the second step these images are improved by applying neural domain adaptation. We evaluated the impact of synthetic data on lumen segmentation via convolutional neural networks (CNNs) by comparing resulting performances. Improvements of up to 5% in terms of Dice coefficient and 20% for Hausdorff distance represent a proof of concept that the proposed augmentation procedure can be used to enhance deep learning-based segmentation for artery lumen in CTA images.


A case of successful direct percutaneous transhepatic coil embolization of a ruptured intrahepatic aneurysm under computed tomography (CT) guidance is presented. The patient had a history of multiple operations for liver echinococcosis and was transferred to the emergency department in a deteriorating clinical condition due to active hemorrhage. The aneurysm was treated with percutaneous transhepatic embolization under CT guidance. The procedure is not time-consuming and keeps the time interval between diagnosis and treatment to a minimum, thereby limiting subsequent blood loss.


BACKGROUND
Paediatric tumours are seen by the radiotherapist following referral from other specialists. Patients seen by the radiotherapists may not conform to the full spectrum seen in the hospital.

OBJECTIVE
To review the pattern of presentation of paediatric malignancies seen at the radiotherapy department of the UCH, Ibadan.

METHODS
Retrospective study of all patients below the age of 12 seen in Radiotherapy Department of UCH, Ibadan over a 19-year period was undertaken. Data were collected from the case files and the radiotherapy treatment cards.

RESULTS
244 cases were evaluated with age ranged between 4 months and 12 years. Male to female ratio was 1.15 to 1.0. 23 tumour types were seen with retinoblastoma accounting for about 45% of all the patients reviewed. Burkitt's lymphoma accounted for only about 2.5%.

CONCLUSION
Retinoblastoma, nephroblastoma, intracranial malignancies and rhabdomyosarcoma are the tumours most commonly seen at the Radiotherapy Department of the UCH, Ibadan.


is perhaps beyond the scope of the book's project. Freed never claims to offer a close reading of Musil's masterwork. Rather, he is interested in working out the implications of Essayismus as a discursive model for dealing with ethical and epistemological questions that modern philosophical discourses have seemed ill-equipped to fully confront. In this he largely succeeds. Scholars and graduate students working on Musil from a philosophical perspective will find much of value in Freed's work, which both stands as an achievement in itself and provides an intellectual framework that invites future scholarship to further explore the idea and correspondences presented here. Even students not particularly interested in Musil will be well-served by Freed's clear and concise explications of many of the most important strands of continental philosophy over the past two centuries.


A new class of recursive order-statistic soft morphological (ROSSM) filters are proposed and their important properties related to morphological filtering are developed. Criteria for specific selection of parameters are provided to achieve excellent performance in noise reduction and edge preservation. It is shown through experimental results that the ROSSM filters, compared to the order-statistic soft morphological filters or other well known nonlinear filters, have better outcomes in signal reconstruction. Two examples are given for demonstrating the flexibility of the proposed filters in signal processing applications.


An approach that is particularly well adapted to study the dynamics of adoption and diffusion of innovations is agent-based simulation. It allows modelers to take into account the complex interactions between actors as well as their heterogeneity. Numerous works have already shown the interest of this method for the study of innovation diffusion processes. However, the vast majority of these works have been limited to an abstract and simplified representation of this process. This very abstract representation does not allow users to understand and explain the reasons for the change of opinion of an agent, which is nevertheless fundamental to understanding the dynamics of innovation diffusion. In order to overcome this limitation, we propose an agent-based model of adoption and diffusion of innovations that uses a structured argumentation framework. An application of this model is proposed to study the diffusion of communicating water meters by farmers on the Louts river (South-West of France) and shows that the introduction of new arguments could impact the adoption process.


Abstract Based on recent vegetation distribution and an integration of macropalaeobotanical and palynological information, a palaeocommunity model is explored that may permit detailed interpretations of quantitative sporomorph distribution patterns in the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous of NW-Europe in terms of changes in palaeoenvironment (sea-level, climate). The conceptual model is based on the recognition of Sporomorph Ecogroups (SEGs) that reflect broad co-existing plant communities, viz. upland, lowland, river, pioneer, coastal, and tidally-influenced SEGs. In successive palynological assemblages, shifts in the relative abundance of SEGs are thought to be indicators of sea-level changes. Climatic changes may be recognised through significant shifts within the quantitative composition of individual SEGs.


Mycosociological studies on microfungi parasitising vascular plants were carried out on 21 permanent observation plots in 5 phytocoenoses representing beech forests ( Luzulo pilosae-Fagetum , Melico-Fagetum , Dentario enneaphyllidis-Fagetum , Carici-Fagetum )  and  xerothermic  grassland  ( Origano-Brachypodietum  pinnati )  as  well as using route  method in other  plant communities.  The frequency  of host  plants and fungi  occurring on  permanent plots was estimated using 5-degree scale. The observations yielded in 478 fungal species belonging to Peronosporales ( Oomycota ), Dothideales , Erysiphales , Helotiales , Hypocreales , Mycosphaerellales , Phyllachorales , Pleosporales , Xylariales ( Ascomycota ), Uredinales , Microbotryales , Urocystales ( Basidiomycota ) and Hyphomycetes and Coelomycetes (anamorphic fungi), which were hosted by 301 species of vascular plants as well as by 19 taxa of Erysiphales and Uredinales . The predominanting group was anamorphic fungi (65% of species), especially members of Sphaeropsidales (39%). This group was however less dispersed on the study area than Uredinales and Erysiphales , which were represented by relatively small number of species. The results provided data on diversi- fied occurrence of fungi depending on abiotic (humidity, temperature, insolation) and biotic factors (e.g. density of host plant population) provided by plant communities. The differences concern species composition and richness of fungi, their distribution as well as frequency of hosts and parasites. In the case of members of Erysiphales , Moniliales and Peronosporales differences in phenology were also noted. The greatest species richness and distribution of the micromycetes was observed in Origano-Brachypodietum and the poorest were plots of Luzulo pilosae-Fagetum . Most frequently the parasites infected small percentage of the individuals in the population of the hosts (about 1%), which occurred with the lowest coverage (below 10%). This type of relationship between frequency of fungi and density of plants dominated in all of the studied phytocenoses. Sixty two species of fungi observed on Wyzyna Czestochowska Upland are new for Polish biota. They belong to anamorphic fungi, mainly to Phyllosticta (32 species) and Ascochyta (15).


1923. Volume 11 of 14. The 16th Century: Mystic Philosophy, Words and Numbers through Summary and By-Products. The aim of this set is to treat the history of magic and experimental science and their relations to Christian thought during the first thirteen centuries of our era, with special emphasis upon the 12th and 13th centuries. Magic is understood under the broadest sense of the work, as including all occult arts and sciences, superstitions and folklore. The author believes that magic and experimental science have been connected in their development, and within these pages will attempt to prove the same.


Biliary carcinomas can occur as a delayed complication of bilioenterostomy. The aim of this study was to determine whether bilioenterostomy influences biliary carcinogenesis in hamsters. Syrian hamsters were subjected to three different surgical procedures: simple laparotomy (SL), choledochoduodenostomy (CD) and choledochojejunostomy (CJ). They were given no carcinogens, and five to six hamsters from each group were killed every 20 weeks up to 120 weeks after surgery. Thirty-seven, 32 and 38 hamsters were sampled from the SL, CD and CJ groups, respectively. Cholangiocarcinomas developed in 5.4, 15.6 and 23.7% of hamsters in the SL, CD and CJ groups, respectively. The incidence of biliary carcinoma was significantly higher in the bilioenterostomy groups, especially CJ (P < 0.05), than in SL. The tumor latency period after surgery was 20-40 weeks shorter in the bilioenterostomy groups than in SL. Persistent cholangitis and bile stasis were frequent in the bilioenterostomy groups, and a significant correlation between cholangitis and biliary carcinogenesis was noted in the CD group. The proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) labeling index was higher in the biliary epithelium of the bilioenterostomy groups. In conclusion, persistent cholangitis after bilioenterostomy accelerates biliary carcinogenesis through activation of biliary epithelial cell kinetics.


This paper introduces a novel adaptive nonlinear beamforming design by using the wide frame of Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Spaces (RKHS). The task is cast in the framework of convex optimization. A collection of closed convex constraints is developed that describe: (a) the information dictated by the training data and, (b) the required robustness against steering vector errors. Since a time recursive solution is sought, the task is equivalent with the problem of finding a point, in a Hilbert space, that satisfies an infinite number of closed convex constraints. An algorithm is derived using projection mappings. Numerical results show the increased resolution offered by the proposed approach, even with a few antenna elements, as opposed to the classical Linearly Constrained Minimum Variance (LCMV) beamformer, and to a nonlinear regression approach realized by the Kernel Recursive Least Squares (KRLS) method.


A portable microcomputer has been developed and programmed for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to perform in-field analysis of plutonium gamma-ray spectra. The unit includes a 16-bit LSI-11/2 microprocessor, 32-K words of memory, a 20-character display for user prompting, a numeric keyboard for user responses, and a 20-character thermal printer for hard-copy output of results. The unit weights 11 kg and had dimensions of 33.5 x 30.5 x 23.0 cm. This compactness allows the unit to be stored under an airline seat. Only the positions of the 148-keV /sup 241/Pu and 208-keV /sup 237/U peaks are required for spectral analysis that gives plutonium isotopic ratios and weight percent abundances. Volume I of this report provides a detailed description of the data analysis methodology, operation instructions, hardware, and maintenance and troubleshooting. Volume II describes the software and provides software listings.


A fluid viscosity measuring device using forward light scattering is presented. The sensing principle makes use of the damping characteristic of a vibrating taut optical fibre probe that is sensitive to the viscosity of an immersed fluid. Measurements of the resonant frequency and the amplitude are used to determine the viscosity of the liquid. Experimental results are presented for sucrose solutions of varying concentrations with a viscosity varying from 1 to 6 cP. Keywords: fluid viscosity, mass density, light scattering, interference, in-line process monitoring


The recurrent selection currently exists as a cyclical breeding technique that has been widely used for improvement in maize (Zea mays L.). In Pakistan maize crop is mainly grown in two seasons i.e., spring (sown during February 10 to March 10) and summer (sown during June 20 to July 20). Maize base population 'PSEV3' was developed through selfed progeny recurrent selection for three years in five consecutive crop seasons (during spring and summer - 2014 and 2015, and spring - 2016). During Summer 2017, the present study was aimed to assess the mean performance of maize improved populations C1 (based on S1 lines) and C2 (based on S2 lines) developed through selfed progeny recurrent selection, in comparison to base population (PSEV3-C0) and check genotypes (cultivars Azam and Jalal, and hybrid Kiramat) for earliness and yield traits across four environments (two each location and planting time). Genotypes, locations, and planting times exhibited significant (p≤0.01) differences for the majority of the traits. However, genotype by location, genotype by planting time, and genotype by location by planting time interactions were nonsignificant for most of the variables. By comparing with base population and check genotypes, the improved maize populations [PSEV3 (S1)-C1 and PSEV3 (S2)-C2] showed the best performance by having early maturity with increased grain yield across the locations and planting times. However, the C2 population was leading, followed by C1 as compared to the original population (C0) and check genotypes for the majority of the traits. Overall, the selfed progeny recurrent selection was found effective in improving maize base population 'PSEV3' for maturity and yield related traits.


Background Scar tissue formation is the major cause of failure in peripheral nerve surgery. Use of a hyaluronic acid-carboxymethylcellulose (HA-CMC) membrane (Seprafilm) as a solid anti-adhesion barrier agent is one of the therapeutic approaches to reduce postoperative scar tissue formation. However, a solid membrane may not be suitable for repair of a weak peripheral nerve site. This study examined the effect of HA-CMC solution on perineural scar formation after peripheral nerve repair in rats. Methods The sciatic nerves of 40 rats were transected and then immediately repaired using 10-0 nylon. The nerves were divided randomly into two groups. Saline and HA-CMC solution were applied topically to the nerve repair sites in the control and experimental groups, respectively. Reoperation was performed at 3, 6, 9, and 12 weeks to assess scar tissue formation. The assessment included the quality of wound healing, presence of perinueral adhesion, cellular components of the scar tissue, thickness of the scar tissue and histomorphological organization of the repair site. Results Topical application of the HA-CMC solution significantly decreased the macroscopic nerve adherence score and the numbers of the cellular components such as fibroblasts and inflammatory cells (p < 0.05, Mann-Whitney U-test). The scar tissue formation index was significantly lower in the experimental group at 12 weeks than that in the control group (p < 0.05, Mann-Whitney U-test). The grading scores of the histomorphological axonal organization at the repair site were significantly higher in the experimental group than those in the control group at 12 weeks (p < 0.05, Mann-Whitney U-test). No evidence of wound dehiscence or inflammatory reactions against the HA-CMC solution was noted. Conclusions Topical application of a HA-CMC solution is effective in reducing the perineural scar formation and adhesion after sciatic nerve repair in rats, and is effective in promoting peripheral nerve regeneration at the repair site.


A multiplier design based on look-up tables and squared law algorithms is presented. This multiplier can compute the full precision product of two integer numbers or their product modulo 2/sup N/, modulo 2/sup N/-1, or modulo 2/sup N/+1. The design is based on decomposing the two numbers into smaller sizes, performing the cyclic convolution on these smaller numbers, and then finally reconstructing the desired product. The algorithms use no multiplications and instead rely only on squaring operations, additions, and subtractions. A comparative analysis of ROM requirements and hardware complexities for performing the multiplication operation using various look-up techniques is presented.<<ETX>>


For more than a decade the Balkans were a bloody arena of monstrosities, the memory of which has still not subsided. Many heated discussions have been devoted to understanding the underlying logic and causes of the Balkan conflicts. Those futile "attempts," however, have given rise to "balkanization"— a discourse that capitalized on the "Balkan essence" and diagnosed that the region is caught up in a vortex of ancient hatreds. Presenting a frozen image of the Balkans, such a discourse gradually gained autonomy that allows no dynamism and has the potential to turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. With this paper I will examine four theories explaining the emergence of the Balkan discourse. By utilizing a post-modernist approach to look into the specifics of Balkanism, I will investigate the signifier "Balkan" which has come to designate the geographical region as a cultural entity and inspect if such usage is justified. Providing a historical study, I will compare nationalisms in the Balkans with nationalisms elsewhere in Europe and investigate what, if anything makes Balkan nationalism qualitatively different.


Background: Although hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) may offer the best chance for cure for patients with relapsed/refractory hematologic malignancies, many of these patients will relapse after HCT. Escalating doses of total body irradiation (TBI) or chemotherapy prior to HCT can decrease relapse, but incurs higher toxicity, resulting in no survival benefit. Therefore, there is a need to reduce relapse without increasing the toxicity of the conditioning regimen prior to HCT. In addition, many potentially curable candidates for HCT do not have a fully human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matched donor. This is an especially challenging hurdle for many ethnic minority patients, yet nearly all patients have a related donor identical for one HLA haplotype (i.e., haploidentical). Radioiodinated anti-CD45 radioimmunotherapy (RIT) has been shown to deliver high-doses of radiation specifically to hematolymphoid organs, while sparing normal tissues. We report a phase I/II study using iodine-131 (131I)-anti-CD45 antibody (BC8) combined with pre- and post-transplant cyclophosphamide, and reduced intensity conditioning prior to haploidentical HCT. Methods and Patients: Eligible patients over the age of 18 had relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL), or high-risk (>5% active marrow blasts) myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Patients received a 131I-anti-CD45 dosimetry dose, followed by serial gamma-camera imaging for organ dosimetry estimates. One to two weeks later a therapeutic dose delivering escalating doses (12 to 26 Gy) to the liver (the normal organ that received the highest dose) was administered, followed by fludarabine (FLU; 30 mg/m2 on day -6 to -2), cyclophosphamide (CY; 14.5 mg/m2 on day -6 and -5), 200 cGy TBI on day -1, and subsequent haploidentical marrow HCT on day 0. For GVHD prophylaxis, patients received CY (50 mg/kg) on day+3 plus standard tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil. Results: A total of 25 patients have been treated (21 with advanced AML, 3 with ALL and 1 with high-risk MDS). Ten patients were in florid refractory relapse with 6-20% abnormal marrow blasts while 9 were in remission with minimal residual disease (MRD) 0.03-5.4% by flow cytometry, and only 6 were in remission and MRD negative by flow cytometry. All 24 patients who had marrow aspiration on day 28 after HCT achieved a morphologic remission, with only two patients showing MRD by flow cytometry (0.002 -1.8% abnormal blasts). There were no graft failures, and all patients with chimerism studies (n=15) had 100% donor CD3+ and CD33+ cell engraftment at day 28 after haploidentical HCT. Median time to neutrophil engraftment (ANC>500/ml for 3 consecutive days) was 15 (range, 12-19) days. Median time to platelet engraftment (platelets >20,000/ml for 7 consecutive days without transfusion support) was 23 (19-44) days. The maximum tolerated dose was not determined and there were no unexpected adverse events, as the most frequent grade ≥3 adverse events were infections/neutropenic fevers (32), gastrointestinal (22), and laboratory abnormalities (cytopenias 18; metabolic 16). Five patients had grades 3-4 acute GVHD. Twelve patients relapsed with median time to relapse of 2.4 months. Most deaths have been from relapse (11), and infections (2). Eight (32%) patients were alive at a median follow up of 4 years after HCT (range 1 to 9 years). Overall survival at one and three year was 42% and 26%, and progression-free survival was 40% and 25%, respectively (Figure). Conclusions: Although patients with active disease are not traditionally referred for HCT, the use of 131I-anti-CD45 RIT prior to a haploidentical HCT may facilitate improved survival for these patients. Given these results, anti-CD45 RIT prior to HCT using haploidentical donors warrants further investigation for patients with advanced leukemia and high-risk MDS. Disclosures Orozco: Actinium Pharmaceuticals: Other: Research Funding to Institution for sponsored Clinical Trials. Shadman: PLEXXIKON: Research Funding; AbbVie: Other: advisory board; Genentech: Consultancy, Research Funding; Emergent: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding; Gilead: Research Funding; Acerta Pharma: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Other: advisory board, Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding. Gopal: Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Research Funding. Pagel: Actinium Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees.


In this paper, a light-controlled variable damping system (LCVDS) is proposed based on PLZT ceramics and electrorheological fluid (ERF). The mathematical models for the photovoltage of PLZT ceramics and the hydrodynamic model for the ERF are established, and the relationship between the pressure difference at both ends of the microchannel and the light intensity is deduced. Then, simulations are conducted by applying different light intensities in the LCVDS to analyze the pressure difference at both ends of the microchannel using COMSOL Multiphysics. The simulation results show that the pressure difference at both ends of the microchannel increases with the increase in light intensity, which is consistent with results from the mathematical model established in this paper. The error rate of the pressure difference at both ends of the microchannel is within 13.8% between the theoretical and simulation results. This investigation lays the foundation for the application of light-controlled variable damping in future engineering.


Disk harmonics are defined, and an explanation is given as to why they can be interpreted as the natural generalization of the Fourier basis set onto the unit disk. An existing statistical theory is used to show that a particular set of disk-harmonic coefficients is more suitable for describing images on the unit disk than Zernike or pseudo-Zernike moments are. Zernike moments have been applied to a wide range of problems. However, we concentrate on the problem of invariant pattern recognition and briefly indicate other problems where disk-harmonic coefficients are possibly useful. The effects that different pixel resolutions and discrete white noise have on the three moment or coefficient sets compared in this paper are briefly investigated experimentally.