This paper deals with the design of blind mobile station (MS) receiver for time-hopping (TH) ultrawide-band (UWB) impulse radio (IR) system employing antipodal pulse amplitude modulation (PAM). In the presence of multipath fading channel, batchmode minimum output energy (MOE) receiver, as well as a blind channel estimator, is first developed. To reduce the computational complexity, we propose two blind adaptive algorithms to determine the weight vector of the MS receiver. The rational of the algorithms premises on iteratively maximizing the minimum possible receiver's output energy. The first (indirect) approach is derived by first developing an adaptive blind channel estimator, then the updated channel impulse response (IR) is used to calculate the MS receiver's weight vector. Meanwhile the second (direct) method jointly and iteratively optimizes the weight vector and channel IR to improve system performance. Simulation results demonstrate convergence of both algorithms. Moreover, the algorithms are shown to be robust to multiuser interference (MUI) and near-far problems.


Scholars have noted the variety of ideological and religious perspectives
present in the Tea Party movement. This study addresses why both religious and nonreligious
individuals may be involved in the Tea Party despite its cultural connection to
'traditional' conservative Christianity. The article explores Tea Party participation and
commitment, arguing that group membership is sustained by the party's ability to create
interaction rituals reflective of Christian culture as an acknowledgement of American
Christian values. The Tea Party frames its ideology as sacred, thereby establishing
group commitment and cohesion. As a result, it is capable of attracting constituents
from inside and outside of the Religious Right. By validating the experiences of others
and creating a system of interdependency, the Tea Party has the potential to create group
solidarity leading to collective action and exceptional political influence.


Eastern Sudan is in a critical stage, where local fault lines intersect with Horn of Africa tensions and regional and international ambitions. This study traces those fissures and their intersections in order to understand and analyze the conflict in the region. Its basic premise is that eastern Sudan represents the priority and geographical entry point in the Sudanese peace-building process, and that the establishment/strengthening of peace in this region is linked to a reciprocal relationship with the security and stability of the Horn of Africa. The study presents preliminary ideas, in terms of preventive diplomacy, that may contribute to healing the rifts. It is based on a combination of primary sources, literature, and personal interviews with Sudanese academics, diplomats and other actors. In addition, it builds on the outputs of two workshops from the Sudan Track II Peace Dialogue Project. It frames some aspects of the analysis and ideas presented with a set of theories and hypotheses that intersect with the field of conflict studies, following the "combined approach," for studying complex conflict environments.


: Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess the competence of serum C-Reactive protein in the detection of NS (Neonatal Sepsis) and part of this protein in the determination of the period of antibiotic therapy in Neonatal Sepsis. Methodology: In this current research work, we recruited one hundred and thirty-five suffering from suspected detection of sepsis in duration of ten months from October 2018 to July 2019 in Mayo hospital Lahore We took the samples of blood from every newborn for sensitivity of culture and calculation of the level of serum C-Reactive protein. In all the suspected patients, empirical antibiotics like Ampicillin or Gentamycin were initiated after gathering of samples of blood. We marked the levels of Serum C-Reactive protein of greater than 5 mg/dl as positive results. We took the second samples of blood for the calculation of the serum C-Reactive protein after three days of the first sample. There were 2 end points of this research work; one point was the determination of the specificity and sensitivity of the serum C-Reactive protein against blood culturing and the 2 nd point was the determination was the negative predictive value of C-Reactive protein during finding out the period of antibiotic treatment in patients appearing with Neonatal Sepsis. Results: Out of one hundred and thirty-five patients, 75.5% (n: 102) were present with sepsis utilizing reports of blood culture. The results of C-Reactive protein were present as positive in 62.9% (n: 85) neonates on initial baseline calculation and they were positive in 76.29% (n: 103) neonates after three days of initial measurement. C - reactive protein sensitivity in the detection of sepsis was 98.03%, 91% was specificity, PPV (Positive Predictive Value) was 97% and NPV (Negative Predictive Value) was 93.7%. The average duration of the antibiotic therapy in the C - reactive protein guided group was 5.03 days versus 7.02 days in the group of standard treatment duration with P value of less than 0.001. The value of NPV of C - reactive protein in the determination of the period of antibiotic therapy was hundred percent. Conclusion: The level of serum C - reactive protein is authentic test in the establishment of the detection of Neonatal Sepsis. It precisely checks the duration of the antibiotic treatment and outcomes in important decrease in the duration of treatment of Neonatal Sepsis.


The global imbalances of the 2000s and the recent global financial crisis are intimately connected. Both originate in the combination of economic policies adopted by the two key economies, the US and China. Global financial markets served as a transmission belt, both during the boom as during the bust. In the US, the interaction among the Fed's monetary stance, global real interest rates, distorted incentives in credit markets, and financial innovation created the mix of conditions which first drove growth, but then made the US the epicenter of the global financial crisis. Exchange rate and other economic policies followed by emerging markets such as China and the oil-exporting countries contributed to the US ability to borrow cheaply abroad and thereby finance its unsustainable housing bubble during the upswing. But we find that the key drivers of asset prices are global liquidity conditions. Central banks flooded the markets with ample liquidity. Mopping up this excess liquidity will be one major task for central banks worldwide, which needs to be done in a coordinated fashion. Moreover, our analysis has shown that liquidity will first show up in asset price inflation and only later in consumer goods inflation. This renders it difficult for central bank to exit from their current very expansive monetary policy stance if they continue to focus only on price stability.


Roads cause both chemical and physical disturbance at the time of creation and through the maintenance of the road. However, none have fully considered the extent of aboveand below-ground impacts related to roads. Our study seeks to fill this gap with three objectives: (1) quantify differences in the nematode community by road-use intensity, (2) estimate distance of environmental impact of roads using nematode community indices, and (3) relate nematode communities to abiotic soil and aboveground plant communities for a relatively comprehensive environmental assessment of the spatial footprint of roads on the landscape. Soil and plant samples were co-located at six distances from the road edge (shoulder, sideslope, ditch, backslope, 10 m from forest edge, and 50 m from road crown) for each of 10 transects perpendicular to each of three road types (highways, two-lane paved, and gravel). There were differences in all nematode community measures based upon distance as a main effect, correlating with patterns of plant communities. Nematode community index values reflect increased disturbance closer to the road, particularly at the shoulder, with later ecological succession and a shift in the decomposer food web with increased distance from the road and in reference forest sites. In contrast, chemical properties of soil were influenced more by road type and the two-way interaction of road type and topography. Salt concentrations were greatest by two-lane paved roads, while heavy metal concentrations were greatest near highway roads. This study is one of the most comprehensive assessments of environmental impact by roads, providing data for accurate transportation system models. The results suggest that conscious design and management of the forest buffer and intentional inclusion of a ditch as a roadside feature may minimize pollutant movement and protect surrounding landscapes.


The effect of the support material and chemical state of Rh in Rh/A2O3 and Rh/SiO2 model catalysts during CO2 hydrogenation were studied by a combined array of in situ characterisation techniques including diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray absorption spectroscopy and high-energy X-ray diffraction at 250–350 °C and atmospheric pressure. CO2 methanation proceeds via intermediate formation of adsorbed CO species on metallic Rh, likely followed by their hydrogenation to methane. The linearly-bonded CO species is suggested to be a more active precursor in the hydrogenation compared to the bridge-bonded species, which seems to be related to particle size effects: for larger particles mainly the formation of inactive bridge-bonded CO species takes place. Further, analysis of the chemical state of Rh under the reaction conditions reveal a minor formation of RhOx from dissociation of CO2, which is a consequence of the increased activity observed over the Rh/Al2O3 catalyst.


Learning high-dimensional systems from data often becomes computationally challenging in the presence of nonlinearities and dynamics. The paper proposes a novel approach for identification of high-dimensional systems based on decomposing systems into networks of low-dimensional linear dynamical subsystems, with memoryless, scalar nonlinear feedback elements, and memoryless, linear interactions. The proposed model, called Dynamic Nonlinear Networks (DyNNets), can encompass a wide range of complex phenomena, and is particularly well-suited for modeling neurological systems. It is shown that the posterior density of the hidden states given the unknown parameters of a DyNNet admits a factorable structure that separates the linear dynamics, memoryless nonlinearities and linear interactions. This factorization enables efficient implementation of MAP state estimation and system identification via the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM). The methodology is illustrated on estimation of neural mass models.


The identification of markers capable of evaluating oocyte quality, its maturation, function, and embryo progression and implantation potential has frequently initiated research interest. However, to date, univocal criteria of oocyte competence do not exist. A major cause of low oocyte quality is evidently advanced maternal age. However, other factors may influence oocyte competence. Among these are obesity, lifestyle factors, genetic and systematic pathologies, ovarian stimulation protocols, laboratory procedures, culture, and environmental conditions. The morphological and maturational evaluation of oocytes is probably the most widely used. Several morphological features, both cytoplasmic (cytoplasmic pattern and hue, presence of vacuoles, refractile bodies, granulation, and smooth endoplasmic reticulum clusters) and extra-cytoplasmic (perivitelline space, zona pellucida thickness, oocyte shape, and polar bodies), have been proposed to distinguish oocytes with the best reproductive potential among a cohort. No single abnormality seems to be sufficiently predictive of the developmental capacity of the oocyte. Some abnormalities such as cumulus cells dysmorphisms, central granulation, vacuoles, and smooth endoplasmic reticulum clusters, however, seem to be associated with poor developmental potential of the embryo, although oocyte dysmorphisms are very common and the data in the literature is limited and provide conflicting views. Other criteria involving gene expression of cumulus cells as well as the metabolomic analysis of spent culture media have been explored. Also, sophisticated technologies such as polar bodies biopsy, meiotic spindle visualization, mitochondrial activity, oxygen consumption, and measurement of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity have been proposed. Many of these approaches, however, remain largely research-based and have not found widespread application in clinical service. Due to the lack of consistent data for the assessment of oocyte quality and competence, probably oocyte morphology and oocyte maturity remain important indicators to determine oocyte quality. The aim of this review was to provide spherical attributes and evidence on recent and present research on the topic by analyzing the current methods for evaluation of the oocyte quality, and the impact of oocyte quality on reproductive outcomes. Additionally, current limitations of oocyte quality evaluation are highlighted and insights on future research are provided to optimize the selection techniques of oocytes to improve ART outcomes.


It is a pleasure to be introducing this symposium to provide an appreciation of the real interest that NASA has in using plant systems for life support in space. The symposium is directed toward providing details on what is planned, and what is actually underway, in this effort. It is a program that has been titled CELSS, Controlled Ecological Life Support System, and involves a tremendous breadth of horticultural areas—areas that can require the expertise of nearly everyone in horticulture, as suggested in Fig. 1. The project must start with plant propagation, probably tissue culture propagation, and involve all aspects of environmental optimization of growth, breeding of adapted cultivars, nutrient, possibly nutrient film, feeding techniques (NFT) and automated nutrient recycling, contaminant control in the atmosphere, pathogen control in the nutrient solution, precise growth modeling for regulation of the system, maximization of harvest index to reduce inedible portions, efficient food processing, balanced diets, and complete recycling of all wastes. The expertise of all types of horticulturists is needeed if this project of NASA is to be successful.


Author(s): Patel, Ashay | Advisor(s): Houk, Kendall N | Abstract: Pericyclic reactions are important class of chemical reaction because they occur stereospecifically often with a high degree of regio-, stereoselectivity, and atom economy. This dissertation summarizes our efforts – using chemical computations – to better understand how these reactions occur in both biological and abiological settings.This dissertation is divided into two portions; the first of which describes quantum mechanical studies of biosynthetic and enzyme-catalyzed cycloadditions. Chapter 1, 2, and 3 detail studies of these enzymatic processes. Using state-of-the-art density functional theory, we have determined whether these reactions are feasible biosynthetic transformations, elucidated the mechanistic subtleties of these reactions, and proposed how enzymes may catalyze such transformations. Chapter 1 describes a computational study of a strained biosynthetic transannular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. Computations reveal that substrate preorganization overrides distortion in the transitions, resulting in a reaction is feasible. Efforts to account for the influence of water – through solvent-solute hydrogen-bonding interactions – were modeled using "mircosolvated" reactant and transition states: We conclude that the reaction remains feasible in aqueous media. Strategic hydrogen bonding, according to theory, can accelerate the reaction by 2000-fold. Chapter 2 summarizes a computational investigation of the Diels-Alder reaction involved in the biosynthesis of spinosyn A. We find that the mechanism of this transannular cycloaddition is "ambimodal", proceeding through a "bis-pericyclic" transition structure that leads directly two products, the observed Diels-Alder adduct and an unstable [6+4] adduct. This [6+4] adduct can readily and irreversibly rearrange into the Diels-Alder adduct via a Cope rearrangement. Simulations of the reaction mechanism determine that the nonenzymatic cycloaddition occurs predominantly via a mechanism that involves the intermediacy of the [6+4] adduct. Chapter 3 discusses an ongoing collaboration with the Tang laboratory at UCLA and involves an effort to understand the intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction involved in the biosynthesis of cholesterol-reducing agent, lovastatin. We have modeled the reaction of a related cycloaddition performed experimentally, and computations recapitulate the selectivity observed experimentally for this nonenzymatic process. The stereochemical outcome of the enzymatic reaction diverges from the outcome of its synthetic analogue. Computation of the reactive conformer of the model substrate suggests that substrate preorganization could accelerate the intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction by approximately a 1000-fold. Theoretical studies of stereoselective electrocyclic reactions are described in Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. These reactions have been examined by experimentally by chemists in the laboratory and, subsequently, have been modeled using quantum mechanical computations. From this computational work, we have determined the stereoselectivity of several synthetically relevant electrocyclic reactions, the effect of substituents of the reactivity of the electrocyclization precursors.In Chapter 4, we summarize our work with Dr. Gregg Barcan and Prof. Ohyun Kwon to elucidate the origins of 1,6-stereoinduction of a triene electrocyclization employed in their total synthesis of reserpine. We determine that conformational transmission of the stereochemical information found at a distal stereocenter is "transmitted" to the forming stereogenic center via A1,3 strain. Allylic strain destabilizes the disfavored mode of ring closure. According to both theory and experiment, stereoselectivity is shown to be sensitive to the size of the substituent involved in the A1,3 strain. Chapter 5 outlines a computational investigation of the 8π-6π electrocyclization cascades of substituted tetraenes, such species are common intermediates in the biosyntheses of many natural products containing bicyclo[4.2.0]-octadiene ring systems. These cascades reaction occur spontaneously in a growing number of natural products. Here we determined the influence terminal substitution on the reactivities, thermodynamics, and stereoselectivities of these reactions. Terminal substituents destabilize the tetraene precursor and the resulting 8π electrocyclization product. Strain relief drives and promotes the subsequent 6π electrocyclization. Where possible, the diastereoselectivity of this cascade is controlled by a steric effect that destabilizes the endo mode of electrocyclic ring closure.Chapter 6 reviews a density functional theory study of a series of torquoselective triene and Nazarov electrocyclizations of bridged bicyclic substrates. We find that the torquoselectivities of highly exo selective ring closures are controlled by action of torsional effect that acts in concert with either steric attraction or repulsion. In one case, a Nazarov cyclization, a through space orbital interaction overrides this exo selectivity.


Experimental results and complimentary computations for airfoils with vortex generators are compared in this paper, as part of an effort within the AVATAR project to develop tools for wind turbine blade control devices. Measurements from two airfoils equipped with passive vortex generators, a 30% thick DU97W300 and an 18% thick NTUA T18 have been used for benchmarking several simulation tools. These tools span low-to-high complexity, ranging from engineering-level integral boundary layer tools to fully-resolved computational fluid dynamics codes. Results indicate that with appropriate calibration, engineering-type tools can capture the effects of vortex generators and outperform more complex tools. Fully resolved CFD comes at a much higher computational cost and does not necessarily capture the increased lift due to the VGs. However, in lieu of the limited experimental data available for calibration, high fidelity tools are still required for assessing the effect of vortex generators on airfoil performance.


The vibrational behaviour of the azide anion in a variety of environments has been examined by DFT methods. The frequency is sensitive to polar, dipolar and quadrupolar fields. The frequency is also dependent on the metal to which it is bonded and thus to the details of that bonding. Several azides within one molecule can be strongly vibrationally coupled, a coupling which carries with it a transfer of spectral activity. It is suggested that whilst absolute vibrational frequencies carry little immediately accessible information, a combination of infrared and Raman data for the antisymmetric stretch region might give limited structural insights.


: ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF ENTREPRENEURS TOFU (Studies Empowering Entrepreneurs Tofu through the role of the Department of Cooperatives, Industry and Trade Kediri District). Empowerment of Cooperatives, Industry and Trade of the Tofu Businessmen. Is a cold process kindness achieved by the government and the private sector need to be empowered in order to achieve an independent local community welfare. Department of Cooperatives, Industry and Trade, empowering entrepreneurs tofu the ways in accordance with the decree, that in the study, there are three main points in the empowerment implemented by Cooperative Agency, industry and trade, that empowerment in the areas of capital, which the Department of Cooperatives, industry, trade and often provide grants that are usually replaced immediately in the form of items required, coaching or giving knowledge to entrepreneurs to learn more about the types of business, and administrators who monitor the Tofu Businessmen that once there is a connection with the Department of Cooperatives, industry and trade as Tofu Businessmen who never get a grant. So expect from the district administration, there is a good relationship between the private sector that Tofu Businessmen the government agencies that the Department of Cooperatives, industry and trade. Constraints and Implementation Support Empowerment Cooperative Agency, industry and trade to entrepreneurs know. Constraints in the implementation of the empowerment arises because, lazily most entrepreneurs know in following training activities and associations of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises District, Kediri. So that products and marketing for entrepreneurs who are inactive to grow. Supporting factors that I know in the field is the board's role PMKM at the Department of Cooperatives, Industry and Commerce which supports the welfare of Tofu Businessmen. Apparatus existing Resources. Further supporting factor in achieving the welfare of the Tofu Businessmen, tofu Culinary Kediri is well-known, so that adds to the interest of marketing. Just how entrepreneurs know how to package products that many consumers demand widely.


Over the four decades that followed the creation of the NHS, British diabetes management slowly spread outside the hospital. During the late 1940s and the 1950s, clinicians first co-operated with local government public health doctors to extend the reach of surveillance and education. From the late 1960s onwards, GPs assumed roles as coordinators and providers of care in the community, developing systems of disease management on their own and in collaboration with specialists. Although individual GPs moved into diabetes care for a range of reasons, by the 1980s professional bodies like the RCGP had connected diabetes management to professional projects. The promotion of diabetes management formed part of efforts to enhance GP responsibility for preventive medicine, with understandings of secondary and tertiary prevention recasting GP diabetes care as an innovative form of risk management. The re-spatialisation of care, together with a growing emphasis on surveillance and blood glucose control, raised questions for clinicians and GPs involved in diabetes management. The first was how doctors involved in new schemes could prevent patients falling through the gaps between different sites of oversight; the second – serving as a mirror image – was how practitioners could avoid unnecessary duplication of labour. In short, how could care be co-ordinated? Furthermore, in the context of political and professional anxiety about professional competence, both specialists and GPs asked how they could ensure that surveillance and treatment would be of sufficient quality. In other words, they asked what counted as good care, and how standards could be maintained within innovative organisational arrangements. This chapter examines how creators of novel systems for diabetes management sought to answer these questions at a local level. Concentrating on the use of recall systems, patient records, and care protocol,


This paper proposes a fast and accurate trajectory planning algorithm for autonomous parking. Nominally, an optimal control problem should be formulated to describe this scheme, but the dimensionality of the optimal control problem is usually large, because the vehicle needs to avoid collision with every obstacle at every moment during the entire dynamic process. Although an initial guess obtained by a sample-and-search based planner facilitates the numerical optimization process, it is still far from being as fast as real-time. To address this issue, we replace all of the collision-avoidance constraints by series of within-tunnel conditions. Concretely, we develop a tunnel-based strategy such that the vehicle is restricted to move within the tunnels which naturally separate the vehicle from the obstacles. Unification, efficiency, and robustness of the proposed trajectory planning method have been verified by simulations.


This paper presents a small quad-channel driver module for optical modulators in digital coherent systems. To decrease the size of the module, we designed a compact quad-channel package. The size of the package is 14 × 8 × 2.8 mm3. The bandwidth of the driver module is 36 GHz with maximum differential gain of 15 dB. Waveforms with clear eye-openings at symbol rates of 32 and 50 Gbaud were observed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most compact quad-channel driver module in 50-Gbaud class.


The morphometric measurements of 10 taxonomically important characters, and the coloration features of the 8 subspecies of Mertensiella luschani were investigated and statistical analyses were carried out. The importance of these characters in distinguishing the subspecies is discussed and some of them were found to be very reliable, although some did not show any statistical differences among the subspecies of M. luschani. The mean total body length, and the ratio of the width of the parotid to its length were the most important; the ratio of head length to head and body length, the ratio of head width to head length, the ratio of forelimb length to head and body length, and the ratio of nostril-eye distance to head length were important characters in the recognition of these subspecies. The ratios of tail length to head and body length, hind limb length to head and body length, length of parotid to the length of head and body and tail length to the total body length were not statistically significant in distinguishing subspecies of the Lycian salamander.


This paper investigates the potential of 6LiI(Eu)/photodiode (PD) detector systems for application as neutron counters in radioisotope identification devices (RIID). Those are exposed to mixed neutron-gamma fields. An effective suppression of signals due to gamma interactions with the scintillator or the PD bulk material is of major importance since neutron alarms in RIID are triggered by a few single neutron counts; any gamma signal not rejected may generate a false neutron alarm. Measurements demonstrated that digital signal processing combined with simultaneous pulse height and pulse shape analysis can provide efficient neutron-gamma discrimination. The results were obtained with a compact, basic detector configuration and sampling rates of only 10 MS/s. Such systems can be realized with state-of-the-art miniaturized electronics.


As complete as possible a picture of the current state of cytostatic chemotherapy in the treatment of metastatic breast carcinoma is offered. Attention is therefore mainly concentrated on application modalities of this form of therapy in relation to the clinical stage of the disease and to the use of other treatment possibilities. Methods and results of cytostatic therapy are then considered. The present situation is reviewed and the pharmacological and toxic aspects of prolonged antiblastic treatment are assessed. After outlining a number of special problems relating to the treatment of CNS and pleural metastases, the personal series is presented and results, which do not differ from other reported series, reported. In conclusion, stress is laid on the importance and effectiveness of cytostatic therapy in the treatment of metastatic breast carcinoma, but extended, controlled studies are also recommended.


This issue has picked up momentum in the last few months on the state and federal level spurred by legislation enacted in the previous session. Legislators this year are caught in the uncomfortable position of protecting their constituents through the regulation of potentially unsafe on-line drug dispensing, while simultaneously allowing consumers the benefits of easy access to drugs over the internet.


5 Bedrooms Bedrooms With 4 Bathrooms Bathrooms Single Family Residence For Sale Levenham Ave In 5675 Levenham Ave, Meridian, Idaho 83646


The availability of long term multispecies retrievals offers an opportunity to study spatiotemporal patterns of atmo- spheric composition, especially over large anthropogenic pollution regions. Here, we jointly analyze IASI retrievals of O3 and CO (along with OMI NO2) to explore additional observational constraints on anthropogenic pollution. In particular, we estimate the trends of the enhancement ratios derived from IASI O3 and CO and OMI NO2 over major combustion regions in China and United States. Our results show intriguing differences of dO3/dCO across Chinese megacities. In particular, Beijing and Shenzhen shows a positive linear trend (0.58±2.15 and 0.38±0.42 %/yr respectively) while Shanghai shows a negative trend (-062±0.67%/yr). This may be attributed to differences in VOC-NOx-O3 regime between these cities, which predictive models of atmospheric composition should be able to capture. On the other hand, enhancements of O3 derived from these ratios show a pattern of decreasing to increasing trend across Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen which may indicate differences in combustion-related activity between these cities consistent with the developing economic status of these cities. We suggest further evaluation against other datasets (ground- based, airborne, or other retrievals) to enhance the rigor of these find- ings. Nevertheless, this study offers an impetus towards characterizing other species relationships (e.g., IASI NH3, CH4, CO2) not only as basis for monitoring consistency in atmospheric composition but also as a way to fully utilize the information content of these retrieval products in the context of data assimilation and reanalysis.


Objective:  It was recently debated in the media that filing names of hospitals and physicians involved in medical malpractice suits on the Internet  may create incentives for hospitals and physicians to improve their quality of care. Also, with improved quality of care, it may curb the need for expensive litigations. Method: Different arguments pertinent to such a deci-sion, in terms of effectiveness, efficacy, efficiency, and practicability, are considered. Results and conclusions:  The litigation system has been documently more adequate to determine injury than negligence, and so, making malpractice data and the names of those involved available on the Internet is a hazardous plan. In terms of effectiveness, efficacy, efficiency, and practicability, there are too many counter-arguments to warrant implementing this plan. Key words:  Malpractice, litigations, negligence, injury, internet.


Agonist-induced internalization of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) has been implicated in receptor desensitization, resensitization, and down-regulation. In the present study, we sought to establish whether the histamine H2 receptor (H2r) agonist amthamine, besides promoting receptor desensitization, induced H2r internalization. We further studied the mechanisms involved and its potential role in receptor resensitization. In COS7 transfected cells, amthamine induced H2r time-dependent internalization, showing 70% of receptor endocytosis after 60-min exposure to amthamine. Agonist removal led to the rapid recovery of resensitized receptors to the cell surface. Similar results were obtained in the presence of cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis. Treatment with okadaic acid, an inhibitor of the protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) family of phosphatases, reduced the recovery of both H2r membrane sites and cAMP response. Arrestin 3 but not arrestin 2 overexpression reduced both H2r membrane sites and H2r-evoked cAMP response. Receptor cotransfection with dominant-negative mutants for arrestin, dynamin, Eps15 (a component of the clathrin-mediated endocytosis machinery), or RNA interference against arrestin 3 abolished both H2r internalization and resensitization. Similar results were obtained in U937 cells endogenously expressing H2r. Our findings suggest that amthamine-induced H2r internalization is crucial for H2r resensitization, processes independent of H2r de novo synthesis but dependent on PP2A-mediated dephosphorylation. Although we do not provide direct evidence for H2r interaction with β-arrestin, dynamin, and/or clathrin, our results support their involvement in H2r endocytosis. The rapid receptor recycling to the cell surface and the specific involvement of arrestin 3 in receptor internalization further suggest that the H2r belongs to class A GPCRs.


Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide affecting both genders equally. However, in comparison to men, in women it often is underrecognized and undertreated in both the primary and secondary prevention settings. It is clear, that in the healthy population, there are profound differences both anatomically and biochemically between woman and men and this may impact how both groups present when they become ill. Therefore, there are some diseases that affect more frequently in women than in men such us myocardial ischemia or infarction without obstructive coronary disease, Tako-subo syndrome, some atrial arrhythmias or the appearance of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Therefore, the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies that have been established based largely on clinical studies with a predominant male population must be adapted before being applied to women. There is a paucity of data regarding cardiovascular disease in women. It is inadequate to only perform a subgroup analysis evaluating a specific treatment or invasive technique, when women constitute fifty percent of the population. In this regard, this may affect the time of clinical diagnosis and severity assessments of some valvulopathies. In this review, we will focus on the differences in the diagnosis, management, and outcomes of woman with the most frequent cardiovascular pathologies including coronary artery disease, arrythmias, heart failure and valvopathies. In addition, we will describe diseases that exclusively affect to women related with the pregnancy some of them are life treating. Although the lack of research in women plays a role in the poorer outcomes in women specially in ischemic heart disease the results of some techniques such as transcathether aortic valve implantation and transcatheter edge to edge therapy seem to have better outcome in women.


Received: 3/Dec/2007, Accepted: 23/Jan/2008 Objective: This study was performed to determine whether melatonin at physiological concentrations (0.01-10nM) could affect the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of Rat ADSCs in vitro. Materials and Methods: ADSCs were isolated from the fat of adult rats. After cell expansion in culture media and through three passages, osteogenesis was induced on a monolayer culture with osteogenic medium with or without melatonin at physiological concentrations (0.01-10nM). After 4 weeks cultures were examined for mineralization by Alizarin Red S and von Kossa staining and for alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity by ALP kit. Cell viability and apoptosis were also assayed by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)2-(4-ulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium assay and flowcytometry, respectively. All assays were performed in triplicate. Results: The results indicated that at physiological concentrations, melatonin suppressed proliferation and differentiation of ADSCs. These data indicate that ADSCs exposed to melatonin, had a lower ALP activity in contrast to the cells exposed to the osteogenic medium alone. Similarly, the mineral deposition (calcium level) also decreased. The flow cytometry proved that the cell growth decreased and the apoptotic cells increased. Conclusion: These results suggest that physiological concentration of melatonin has a negative effect on ADSCs osteogenesis.


The blockage/starvation patterns of known instability examples suggest using local demand information-which is precisely what is provided by the widely advocated kanban approach to flow control in manufacturing systems. Therefore, we have re-analyzed for stability the examples described in the 1990 Kumar-Seidman paper when modified by introducing kanban control. It is found that this does not ensure stability and, in fact, some interesting new instability phenomena arise. Counterintuitively, it is possible that increasing some reserve in a stable system may induce instability.


Impulse buying is a phenomenon that is understood and treated extremely differently by marketer and psychologist. The study focused on the impulse buying behaviour and demographic analysis among University of Calabar students. Through the methodology of a self-administered survey, the study answered research questions on the relationship between sex, age and mood and impulse buying. Ordinary least square was used in the hypotheses tests and it was discovered that demographic variables have a significant influence on impulse buying behaviour of the University of Calabar students. It was however recommended that retailers should increase usage of visual merchandizing techniques and emphasize on building visually appealing products/display and focusing on the shelf position of the products in order to entice customer's to make unplanned purchases.


Background: Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused millions of pneumonia related death since December 2019. Cardiac troponin-I elevation is associated with adverse outcomes in cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular disease. There is a lack of data regarding the role of troponin-I on the assessment and COVID-19 stage classification and stratification. Objective: The study was aimed to estimate prevalence of troponin-I among hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Methods: This cross sectional descriptive type of observational study was carried out at COVID-19 isolation unit of Sylhet Women's Medical College Hospital during the period of six months from April 2021 to September 2021. Data were collected from purposively selected 204 patients with COVID-19 from patient files and EMR. Data were analyzed by using SPSS version 21.0. Results: The study results revealed that mean age of the patients with COVID-19 was 57.97 years with a standard deviation of 15.78 years. Majority of them (121, 59.3%) were female and the remaining (83, 40.7%) were male. Proportion of comorbidities were estimated and found that each 115 (56.4%) patients were hypertensive and diabetic. Thirty five (16.2%) had ischemic heart disease; 3 (1.5%) had congestive cardiac failure and 2 (1.0%) had asthma. Only 1 (0.5%) patent has atrial fibrillation. Minimum level of troponin-I was 0.01 ng/ml and the maximum level was 21.70 ng/ml with a range of 21.69 ng/ml. Mean troponin-I of patients with COVID-19 was 0.38±1.78 ng/ml. Estimated prevalence of elevated troponin-I was 39.1%. Level of troponin-I in patients of different age group was compared and Chi-square test showed no significant difference (p>0.05). Elevation of troponin-I in both sex was compared and again Chi-square test showed no significant difference (p>0.05). Elevation of troponin-I was significantly higher on those who were detected by RT-PCR than those who were detected by rapid antigen test (p=0.048).Conclusion: Though the pattern of elevation of troponin-I was found similar in younger and older patients and in males and females, a significant number of patients with COVID-19 (65/204, 39.1%) had elevated troponin-I which should be addressed to evaluate and manage patients with COVID-19 more efficiently.


An integrated device including microfluidic channels and incorporated magnetoresistive spin valve sensors has been developed and used to detect single magnetic bead motion at cm/s velocities. The sensitivity of the system is high enough to determine the magnetic orientation, the flowing height and the speed of each particle for velocities between 10-23 mm/s and the counting capability of the device is fully working for this range of velocities and below this limit. Sensor signals (between 3-100 muVp-p) correspond to bead moments at different directions indicating a physical rotation of the beads, and a slow response (seconds) of the bead moment to magnetizing field changes. Subsequent magnetic characterization of the micron-sized beads indicates that they are composed of strongly interacting magnetic nanoparticles.


Because of its strong agrarian roots, the South has typically been viewed as a region not favorably disposed to innovation and technology. Yet innovation was never absent from industrialization in this part of the United States. From the early nineteenth century onward, southerners were as eager as other Americans to embrace technology as a path to modernity.This second volume in the series "New Currents in the History of Southern Economy and Society" features seven essays that range widely across the region and its history, from the antebellum era to the present, to assess the role of innovations presumed lacking by most historians. Offering a challenging interpretation of industrialization in the South, these writings show that the benefits of innovations had to be carefully weighed against the costs to both industry and society.The essays consider a wide range of innovative technologies. Some examine specific industries in subregions: steamboats in the lower Mississippi valley, textile manufacturing in Georgia and Arkansas, coal mining in Virginia, and sugar planting and processing in Louisiana. Others consider the role of technology in South Carolina textile mills around the turn of the twentieth century, the electrification of the Tennessee valley, and telemedicine in contemporary Arizona - marking the expansion of the region into the southwestern Sunbelt.Together, these articles show that southerners set significant limitations on what technological innovations they were willing to adopt, particularly in a milieu where slaveholding agriculture had shaped the allocation of resources. They also reveal how scarcity of capital and continued reliance on agriculture influenced that allocation into the twentieth century, relieved eventually by federal spending during the Depression and its aftermath that sparked the Sunbelt South's economic boom."Technology, Innovation, and Southern Industrialization" clearly demonstrates that the South's embrace of technological innovation in the modern era doesn't mark a radical change from the past but rather signals that such pursuits wer always part of the region's economy. It deflates the myth of southern agrarianism while expanding the scope of antebellum American industrialization beyond the Northeast and offers new insights into the relationship of southern economic history to the region's society and politics.


Lovastatin and erythromycin when used concurrently may cause myositis. Lovastatin is metabolized by the cytochrome CYP450 system, mainly using the CYP3A4 pathway. Drugs that inhibit or compete for the CYP450 pathway can cause elevations in lovastatin blood levels and resulting in possibility of increased side effects. Erythromycin is one of the agents known as one of the potent CYP450 pathway inhibitor, which can cause an acute increase of lovastatin concentration. We present a case of lovastatin-erythromycin induced myositis occurring in a 73-year-old female patient who was admitted to the intensive care unit for acute pulmonary oedema. Key words: Lovastatin, Erythromycin, Myositis, Mechanism.


This paper aims to get the relationship between drought and crop growth. By investigating synthetic aperture radar (SAR) backscattering coefficients, HH- and VV- polarization were found different due to influence from canopy, because of strong attenuation of the VV- polarization by the vertically oriented wheat stems. In small incidence angle, HH is sensitive to soil moisture, while VV is more sensitive to canopy. Two classes of crop with low and high soil moisture are investigated by "water-cloud" model with vegetation descriptor vegetation water mass (VWM). Parameters of the model show that in drought the crop growth will be worse. This research presents that it is possible to study the influence of drought to wheat growth with small incidence angle of C-band SAR.


We consider a scenario with an additional scalar standard model singlet ϕS, living in a single extra dimension of the RS1 background. The zero mode of this scalar which is localized in the extra dimension is a dark matter candidate and the annihilation cross section is strongly sensitive to its localization parameter. As a second scenario, we assume that the standard model Higgs field is accessible to the fifth flat extra dimension. At first we take the additional standard model singlet scalar field as accessible to the sixth extra dimension and its zero mode is a possible dark matter candidate. Second, we consider that the new standard model singlet, the dark matter candidate, lives in four dimensions. In both choices the KK modes of the standard model Higgs field play an observable role for the large values of the compactification radius R and the effective coupling λS is of the order of 10-2–10-1 (10-6) far from (near to) the resonant annihilation.


Classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to provide a conceptual understanding of the amorphous-crystalline interface for a candidate negative thermal expansion (NTE) material, ZrW2O8. Simulations of pressure-induced amorphization at 300 K indicate that an amorphous phase forms at pressures of 10 GPa and greater, and this phase persists when the pressure is subsequently decreased to 1 bar. However, the crystalline phase is recovered when the slightly distorted 5 GPa phase is relaxed to 1 bar. Simulations were also performed on a two-phase model consisting of the high-pressure amorphous phase in direct contact with the crystalline phase. Upon equilibration at 300 K and 1 bar, the crystalline phase remains unchanged beyond a thin layer of disrupted structure at the crystalline-amorphous interface. Differences in local atomic structure at the interface are quantified from the simulation trajectories.


Summary
The mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA) exhibits a wide range of toxic effects in animals and
humans including hepato-, nephro-, neuro-, and genotoxicity. The toxicity mechanisms of
OTA are not yet fully understood. It has been suggested that inhibition of protein synthesis,
disturbance of mitochondrial function, and oxidative stress are involved in OTA mediated
toxicity.
The studies presented in this thesis aimed to counteract OTA cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells by
various antioxidants such as vitamin E and dietary flavonoids, for example epigallocatechin
gallate and quercetin. Furthermore, the effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and buthionine
sulfoximine (BSO), modulators of intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels, on OTA cytotoxicity
were investigated.
Neither vitamin E nor flavonoids protected HepG2 cells from OTA induced cell death. This
lack of protection by antioxidants might be due to an insufficient access of the antioxidants to
the intracellular sites of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and/or suggests a minor
role for ROS in OTA mediated hepatotoxicity. In agreement, neither NAC nor BSO affected
OTA induced cytotoxicity, suggesting that GSH may not be pivotally involved in the
protection from acute OTA toxicity in HepG2 cells.
A second aim of this thesis was to study the gene modulatory activity of OTA in HepG2 cells
using Affymetrix GeneChip® technology. OTA reduced mRNA levels of genes encoding for
proteins that are centrally involved in energy metabolism, such as phosphoglycerate kinase
1, isocitrate dehydrogenase 3 (NAD+) beta, and uncoupling protein 2. All mitochondrial
genes affected by OTA were at least twofold down regulated. A particularly strong downregulation
was observed for mRNA and protein levels of the insulin-like growth factor binding
protein 1, which has been demonstrated to counteract p53 mediated apoptosis in
mitochondria. Overall, the data presented in this thesis suggest that OTA may mediate its
cytotoxicity in liver cells partly by lowering mRNA levels of genes crucial for energy
homeostasis.


The intensity of O2 adsorption by ascite tumour cells does not practically depend on the monovalent cation concentration gradient between the cells and the incubation medium, whereas the rate of glycolysis decreases simultaneously with the diminution of the concentration gradient. In synchronized cultures at the beginning of the mitotic cycle, the bulk of ATP resynthesized via glycolysis is utilized for the synthesis of biopolymers, whereas that at the end of the S-phase and in the G2-phase--for cation transport across plasma membranes. From 35 to 100% of the whole amount of ATP resynthesized via glycolysis is utilized for transport purposes. The experimental results and theoretical calculations suggest that in glucose-containing media Na+ transport increases from 0.75 to 1.78 pmol/hour on a per cell basis. The activation of Na+ transport is due to the exchange of protons formed via glucose conversion into lactate for Na+, i.e., to the stimulation of Na+/H+ antiport. The permeability of plasma membranes for K+ increases 2.75-fold, while the passive flux of Na+ diminishes. It is concluded that the observed increase in the Na+/K+ ratio in ascite tumour cells is connected with their enhanced ability to synthesize lactic acid. Presumably, glycolysis is one of regulatory mechanisms of intracellular ratios of monovalent cations.


In Subversive Archaism, Michael Herzfeld explores how individuals and communities living at the margins of the modern nation-state use nationalist discourses of tradition to challenge state authority under both democratic and authoritarian governments. Through close attention to the claims and experiences of mountain shepherds in Greece and urban slum dwellers in Thailand, Herzfeld shows how these subversive archaists draw on national histories and past polities to claim legitimacy for their defiance of bureaucratic authority. Although vilified by government authorities as remote, primitive, or dangerous—often as preemptive justification for violent repression—these groups are not revolutionaries and do not reject national identity, but they do question the equation of state and nation. Herzfeld explores the political strengths and vulnerabilities of their deployment of heritage and the weaknesses they expose in the bureaucratic and ethnonational state in an era of accelerated globalization.


Mammary carcinomas are the most common neoplasms observed in women and in female dogs. Canine mammary tumors show epidemiological, clinical, genetic, and prognostic characteristics comparable to human breast cancers. The recent introduction of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has greatly improved research and diagnostics for humans, while these new tools still need to be implemented in animal models. In this study we developed and validated an AmpliSeq Panel assay for the identification of BRCA variants in twenty-two different dogs. The amplicon mean coverage was 5499× and uniformity was higher than 98% in all samples. The results of germline single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and insertions/deletions (INDELs) were fully concordant regardless of the types of samples considered (blood, fresh and FFPE tissues). Moreover, despite the high DNA degradation observed in older FFPE blocks (>5 years), the assay allowed full coverage of all amplicons for downstream analyses. We consider the NGS panel developed in this study as a useful tool for expanding information on BRCA genes in the veterinary field and for human health from a comparative oncology perspective.


We investigated the transport properties of high-quality YBa2Cu3O7/PrBa2Cu3O7 superlattices. The exceptional structural order of the superlattices resulted in satellite peaks up to the ninth order in x-ray diffraction diagrams and high Tc values. We find high superconducting critical transport current densities jc even for ultrafine modulated superlattices which proves the existence of nearly continuous YBa2Cu3O7 layers. The activation energy U is found to be constant or to have a linear temperature dependence over a wide temperature range.


Frequencies of spontaneous DNA rearrangement within or near integrated simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA were measured in four transformed mouse and rat cell lines of independent origin and in five clones of the SV40-transformed mouse line SVT2. Rearrangements were detected as polymorphisms of restriction enzyme fragment length in subclones of the lines. At least 17% of the subclones of each line had detectable rearrangements. The rate of rearrangement was calculated to be at least 5 x 10(-3) events per cell per division. No rearrangements were detected in sequences of an immunoglobulin gene, part of the coding region of the mouse protein p53, and five proto-oncogenes. The possible role of recombination between duplicated segments of integrated SV40 DNA in generating rearrangements was studied in the five SVT2 clones, which differed in the number of duplications within a single SV40 DNA segment. The SVT2 clone that had no duplications, M3, became rearranged further at least as frequently as did closely related lines with one, two, or three duplications. Another line in this group that had one small duplication, X1, had a much higher frequency of rearrangement than did the others; integrated SV40 DNA of X1 became mostly rearranged within 100 cell divisions. The examples of M3 and X1 suggested that the high rate of rearrangement characteristic of integrated SV40 DNA was influenced more by the presence of particular sequences within or near integrated SV40 DNA than by the number or extent of duplicated sequences.


The push for citizenship education, not only for school children but also for immi grants as prospective citizens, has been a common agenda in European societies. More than ever, education has been given the mission of creating globally com petitive and nationally cohesive societies. Does this new citizenship agenda under mine the 'binding ties' in multicultural and multinational societies? Kymlicka's thoughtful discussion lays out possible fault lines and the theoretical normative foundations in which we should look for solutions. His is a convincing normative position, but still largely wedded to the Canadian experience that con stitutes the yardstick in much of his writing. Kymlicka's call for a strong 'multi cultural nationhood' does not stand too well in the European context. Canada historically endorsed such a model, partly because its nation-building and negoti ation project was closely entangled with immigration. The postwar transformations of citizenship and nation in Europe have not transpired via immigration, but essentially via a transnational route as a response to its 'horrific past' (Levi and Sznaider, 2004; Soysal, 1994). Europe's 'problematic past' and its commitment to a transnational future rules out a 'strong nation' project, multicultural or not. Indeed, when viewed from the field of education, the long-term trend is the devalorization of confined and unitary notions of the nation in favour of a trans national project that privileges openness and diversity as a common good. This orientation is robustly reflected in school teaching.1 Consider the latest history curricula from England and France, for example. In both cases, we observe a decisive move to depict a diverse nation and citizenship identity, both historically and at present, and to locate it within the broader world.


Previous behavioral studies suggest that people who have an abnormal eating behavior may perceive information concerning body image distortion more aversively than others. We performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study on 15 young women, using an emotional decision task including unpleasant words concerning body image and neutral words. The left amygdala and right parahippocampal gyrus were activated by unpleasant words concerning body image relative to neutral words. In addition, activation of the right parahippocampal gyrus was negatively correlated with the severity of psychological and behavioral problems assessed by the Eating Disorder Inventory-2. This activation also positively correlated with the subjects' rating of pleasantness of words concerning body image. These results demonstrated that the temporomesial area plays an important role in the perception of unpleasant words concerning body image. In particular, it is suggested that the right parahippocampal gyrus may be associated with subjective sensitivity to unpleasant information concerning body image.


Kazakhstan's Law on Personal Data and their Protection, signed into law on May 21, 2013 by President Nursultan Nazarbayev (in office since 1990) will come into effect on November 26, 2013. Kazakhstan thus becomes the second country in Central Asia with a data privacy law, joining the Kyrgyz Republic (Law on Personal Data, 2008), and the 100th jurisdiction globally to enact a data protection law. This article summarizes the main components of the law, concluding that it does contain the essential components of a data privacy law. The law covers both public and private sectors. It includes a set of data protection principles largely consistent with basic international standards. The law does not create a data protection authority (DPA) but does make provision for civil and criminal penalties for breaches. The article also considers briefly the position of a data privacy law in an authoritarian state with single-party rule, and no history of respect for civil liberties. Despite its limitations and questionable likelihood of enforcement, the law raises issues to which any companies doing business in or with Kazakhstan must give serious consideration, particularly due to the potential for inconsistent approaches by different government agencies.


Ernst Junger (1895-1998) is an important figure in 20th century German intellectual history. His extensive work still polarizes literary critics and public response to his work, particularly because of the 'heroic nihilism' of his early work with its tendency to glorify violence, which originated in his reading of Nietzsche. At the same time, his linguistic artistry and gift of observation as shown for example in his travel writings and journals make him one of the most important figures in modern German literature. The present volume provides a complete compendium combining analyses of the most important aspects of his work, including his critique of the modern and his concept of aesthetic escapism, the political, literary, mythical and psychoanalytical influences on his stories and novels, and the role of the writer in modern philosophical and literary systems. The volume presents a many-facetted overview of the current state of Junger research and offers a new objective academic perspective on the influential work of this significant writer.


Macroinvertebrate assemblages were used as indicators to assess the water quality of the three estuary sites in Iligan City. A total of 6 orders (Decapoda, Diptera, Odonata, Archaeognatha, Gastropoda, and Oligochaeta) were collected in the three estuary sampling sites during the four sampling periods. Arthropoda was the most diverse group of all macroinvertebrates, and they were present in the three estuaries due to their high tolerance to some organic pollution. The overall diversity indices in the three estuaries obtained low values that imply that the estuaries were composed only of a small variety of macroinvertebrate assemblage. Tambacan area has the highest value of Field Biotic Index, between 5.30-5.40, which was influenced by anthropogenic disturbances. The highest rating of water quality was found in Timoga, and the lowest value was obtained in Tambacan. Associating dissolved oxygen with the macroinvertebrates in Timoga site signified that the macroinvertebrates in the area were sensitive since they were abundant in high oxygenated streams. The estuaries in Iligan City showed a poor abundance of macroinvertebrates due to the low water quality that could be caused by the disturbances of human activities. Keywords: diversity, indicators, oxygen, pollution, streams


Objective. To describe the prehospital use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) system for the treatment of presumed acute severe pulmonary edema (ASPE). Methods. The efficacy of prehospital CPAP treatment was analyzed in terms of changes in oxygen saturation, need for intubation or ventilatory support, and possible morbidity associated with the CPAP therapy. This was a retrospective cohort study conducted in the mobile intensive care unit of a university hospital. Participants included all consecutive patients with a clinical picture of ASPE treated by a mobile intensive care unit between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 1999. Results. 121 patients were included in this study. 116 patients received prehospital CPAP therapy. Two patients (1.7%) from the CPAP-treated patients were intubated in the field. A total of six patients required endotracheal intubation before hospital, and six other patients after that. After the beginning of CPAP treatment, there was statistically significant elevation in blood oxygen saturation (mean and standard deviation [SD] before CPAP 77% ± 11% and after CPAP 90% ± 7%) (p < 0.0001) as well as reductions in the respiratory rate (mean and SD before CPAP 34 ± 8 breaths/min and after CPAP 28 ± 8 breaths/min) (p < 0.0001), systolic blood pressure (mean and SD before CPAP 173 ± 39 mm Hg and after CPAP 166 ± 37 mm Hg) (p = 0.0002), and heart rate (mean and SD before CPAP 108 ± 25 beats/min and after CPAP 100 ± 20 beats/min) (p = 0.0017). The main reason for in-hospital death (8%) was myocardial infarction. No technical problems or complications occurred during CPAP treatment. Conclusions. Prehospital CPAP treatment in patients with ASPE improved oxygenation significantly and lowered respiratory rate, heart rate, and systolic blood pressure. Because of the retrospective nature of this study, the hemodynamic effects of nitroglycerine and morphine cannot be excluded. The mortality rate was low, which needs to be confirmed in a controlled, prospective study.


This is the first of two papers reporting the findings of a study on the views of women with regards to the cervical smear test. In this first paper the views of those who have not had a smear test are analysed. The implications of those views for nursing practice in primary health care are identified and explored. Conducted in 1989-1990, the ESRC-funded study was located in the north-east of England and drew respondents from two age groups living in working-class localities. Focusing upon the views of women who have not had a smear test, a number of conclusions were evident: (a) that the call, recall system did not invite all women in the screening target group for a smear test; (b) that beliefs and attitudes, rather than practical problems, were cited as major factors in non-attendance; and (c) that women hold strong views on aspects of service delivery they would like to see in place. Thus the organization and delivery of the service might be reviewed. However, the barriers posed by beliefs and attitudes must be further explored through community-based work encompassing all community-based health professionals.


Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) has become a highly curable disease using target drugs including all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO) with or without chemotherapy. However, APL patients with acquiredPML mutationsin PML-RARα had dismal outcomes and showed resistance not only to ATO but also to ATRA.In this study, we confirmed in the clinic that APL patients with mutations in the PML moiety of PML-RARα showed different resistanceto ATRA (cross-resistance). We demonstrated that critical mutations are responsible for this "cross-resistance". Super-resolution microscopy and electron microcopy were employed to examine the fine structural changes of PML/PML-RARα nuclear bodies (NBs) in response to therapy. We observed drug-induced acceleration of NB movement, which was absent in the mutant cells. Furthermore, NB doublets were revealed, and fusion events were captured upon drug treatment. We proposed that SUMOylation contributed to increased NB dynamics, leading to more fusion incidents and thustaking functional NBs for oncoprotein degradation. Different protein density in the mutant NBswas identified by single molecule quantification, indicating reduced permeability and recruitment of clients. Taken together, our results revealed that critical sites in the PML moiety of the PML-RARα fusion gene disrupted NB scaffold organization and perturbed fusion protein degradation in response to ATRA.Our work will largely improve the mechanistic understandings of APL pathology and therapy and will shed new light on unveiling the structure and function of PML NBs.

 No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Background and objectives An increasing number of research studies point toward the importance and prevalence of long-term neurocognitive symptoms following infection with COVID-19. Our objectives were to capture the prevalence of cognitive impairments from 1 to 16 months post-COVID-19 infection, assess the changes in neuropsychological functions over time, and identify factors that can predict long-term deficits in cognition. Methodology A cross-sectional research design was adopted to compare four sub-samples recruited over a 16-month timeframe (1–4, 5–8, 9–12, and 13–16 months). Phone interviews were conducted at least 6 weeks after being infected by COVID-19. Sociodemographic and clinical questionnaires were administered followed by standardized neurocognitive and psychological tests and health questionnaires screening cognitive symptoms, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and autonomy. Results Regarding general health questionnaires, 55.2% of the 134 participants had symptoms of psychiatric illness, while 21.6% of patients had moderate-to-severe anxiety or depression. Cognitive efficiency was diminished in 19.4% of our population. Executive dysfunction was screened in 56% of patients, and an impairment of cognitive flexibility and inhibition was revealed in 38.8%. Depression, hospital or intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and the duration of hospital or ICU stay were associated with an inhibition deficit. The duration elapsed from the initial infection, and the neurocognitive assessment was not associated with a decrease in inhibition deficit. The prevalence of cognitive impairments, other than inhibition deficit, tended to decrease during the study period. Discussion This study supports the extensive literature on the cognitive and neuropsychiatric sequelae of COVID-19 and highlights long-lasting inhibition deficits, while other cognitive functions seemed to improve over time. The severity of infection could interact as a catalyst in the complex interplay between depression and executive functions. The absence of a relation between inhibition deficits and sociodemographic or medical factors reinforces the need for cognitive screening in all COVID-19 patients. Future research should focus on inhibition deficits longitudinally to assess the progression of this impairment.


Does having more women on a committee matter? Interestingly, answers to this question are unknown, despite a significant push toward greater gender diversity on committees and boards. This paper uncovers the mechanism of if and how committees' gender diversity impacts its deliberations and decisions. We utilize a unique dataset that matches detailed meeting transcripts of the Federal Reserve's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) spanning over 30 years, with member characteristics and economy-wide conditions, allowing us to effectively compare committees with the same member resources and economy-wide conditions but different gender diversity. We find that deliberations are more thorough and engaged in more gender-balanced committees, wherein both men and women talk more about wider topics in depth. Unlike findings from other studies, women in the FOMC participate as active members, whereby they are more likely to voice formal disagreement and less likely to be dismissed by an interruption. Finally, we find that member resources and the economy-wide conditions explain the committee's decision, where gender diversity exhibits no explanatory power by and in itself. With the high correlation between gender diversity and member resources, we demonstrate that gender composition affects committees via two channels; deliberation qualities and member resources.


The important role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in economic development has been recognized by scholars and governments. At present, SMEs have stable cooperation with financial institutions. However, the financing difficulty of such firms still remains the bottle-neck for their development. This paper develops a two-phase model of family, enterprise and bank based on the characteristics of the banks and firms in the transitional process. Applying the path dependence theory and from the systemic drawbacks of China state banks, we analyze in depth the mechanism of the non-performance loans on SMEs financing problem. Finally, we discuss the effects of the opening of pure trade sector and trade and financial sectors on the solving of SMEs financing problem and make some policy suggestions.


For a human being`s smooth activity, the clean air and comfortable lighting environment are needed. The suitable lighting environment is obtained generally by making it available for being formed the bright situation easy for seeing object and the visually comfortable atmosphere. In this way, even the lighting environment was changed along with economic development. Even a light source was diversified. Thus, several kinds of new light sources such as LED, OLED, PLS, and CNT came to appear. Halogen lamp, which has low efficiency due to high color rendering among lamps of being used now, is being much used yet. However, owing to radiation of UV and IR, there are many limitations to the subject in general exhibition lighting, museum, and art museum. Accordingly, a research was performed on filter that is blocked UV and IR at the same time, by using halogen lamp that is excellent in color rendering and in life.


This article analyzes whether and to what extent the policy environment of civil servants has an impact on their level of Public Service Motivation (PSM). It hypothesizes that public employees working in different policy domains and stages of the policy cycle are diversely motivated by four PSM orientations (Compassion, Commitment to the public interest, Self-sacrifice and Attraction to politics). The empirical results are based on a survey of 6885 Swiss civil servants. They show that those in charge of Welfare State policies are inclined to have higher levels of 'Compassion', whereas those performing core state functions report lower levels. Furthermore, employees whose main tasks are related to policy formulation display high levels of the 'Attraction to politics' dimension of PSM. This study questions the generalization of previous findings on PSM that are based on heterogeneous survey populations.


The Cordillera Vilcanota in the southern Peruvian Andes has been the site of significant research focused on paleoclimatic reconstructions from ice cores (Quelccaya), past glaciations, climate–glacier interactions, and ecological and human responses to climate change. In this article, we analyse precipitation patterns in the region from 2004 to 2010 using twice daily precipitation observations from six regional climate stations and hourly observations of precipitation intensity from nearby Cusco International Airport. We also analyse atmospheric fields of temperature, wind, and moisture at 700 and 200 hPa from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis dataset and create 72‐h antecedent upstream air trajectories for the heaviest precipitation events using the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model. Results indicate that the majority of annual precipitation across the cordilleras and inter‐montane valleys alike occurs from nocturnal, regionally coherent rainfall events, inferred to be stratiform in structure, that occur in association with deep moist convection over adjacent Amazon lowlands. Low‐level moisture (as inferred from the antecedent upstream air trajectories) for precipitation events can be supplied from a number of different regions, including from the northwest and west. The trajectory analysis reveals a strong dominance (83%) of precipitation events occur under weak flow regimes from nearby Amazon basin source regions, with 50% associated with trajectories from the northwest. In addition, the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) signal reported in previous work in the central Andes is not necessarily representative of the Cordillera Vilcanota, where La Niña years (including 2007–2008) typically experience slightly below normal precipitation and El Niño years (including 2009–2010) are considerably wetter. These results are of particular value in understanding atmospheric signals registered in Andean low latitude ice cores, and point the way towards obtaining greater climatological inference from parameters preserved in annual snow and ice stratigraphy. Copyright © 2013 Royal Meteorological Society


Commodity network devices support adding in-band telemetry measurements into data packets, enabling a wide range of applications, including network troubleshooting, congestion control, and path tracing. However, including such information on packets adds significant overhead that impacts both flow completion times and application-level performance. We introduce PINT, an in-band network telemetry framework that bounds the amount of information added to each packet. PINT encodes the requested data on multiple packets, allowing per-packet overhead limits that can be as low as one bit. We analyze PINT and prove performance bounds, including cases when multiple queries are running simultaneously. PINT is implemented in P4 and can be deployed on network devices.Using real topologies and traffic characteristics, we show that PINT concurrently enables applications such as congestion control, path tracing, and computing tail latencies, using only sixteen bits per packet, with performance comparable to the state of the art.


Ambrosia is a kind of dulce de leche homemade with milk, eggs and sugar. It is usually sold in free markets and it is largely consumed in South America. Food contamination by pathogenic microorganisms can occur during the food processing, in distribution centers, in retail markets or in the consumer's homes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival in ambrosia of main pathogenic microorganisms eventually transmitted by dairy products. Ambrosia fractions were experimentally contaminated with Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. Analysis to evaluate the microorganisms' viability were made after storage for 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20 and 30 days. Salmonella and L. monocytogenes were recovered from all samples during the 30 days of study. E. coli O157:H7 was isolated until the tenth day and S. aureus until the third day. It was demonstrated that important pathogenic microorganisms are able to survive up to 30 days in ambrosia, which makes this product a potential carrier of food-borne diseases. This work is the first study about the possibility of ambrosia transmitting relevant public-health danger pathogenic microorganisms.


The objective of this study was to determine effects of supplementing Tris-based semen extenders with either cholesterol-loaded cyclodextrin (CLC) or 7-dehydrocholesterol loaded cyclodextrin (7-DCLC) plus trehalose (T) for cryopreservation of ram semen. Semen was collected with an artificial vagina from five Merino rams (2–3 years of age) during the non-breeding season. Ejaculates were pooled, divided into eight equal portions, diluted with a standard Tris-based extender containing: no additive (control); T (50 mM); or T (50 mM) + 1.5, 2.5 or 3.5 mg of either 7-DCLC or CLC. Semen was chilled from 37°C to 4°C, placed in 0.25 ml French straws, held 5 cm above liquid nitrogen for 12 minutes, then plunged into liquid nitrogen. After thawing, a computer-aided semen analyzer system (CASA) was used to assess motility, whereas plasma membrane and acrosome integrity (PMAI) and high mitochondrial membrane potential (HMMP) were assessed with flow cytometry. Sperm supplemented with 2.5 mg and 3.5 mg CLC + T had the highest (P < 0.05) total and progressive motility (65.2 ± 4.7 and 19.0 ± 1.0% respectively, mean ± SEM), albeit with no significant differences from sperm with 1.5 or 3.5 mg CLC + T. Sperm with 2.5 mg CLC + T had the highest (P < 0.05) PMAI (59.3%; not different from 3.5 mg CLC + T) and highest (P < 0.05) HMMP (64.6%; not different from 1.5 or 3.5 mg CLC + T). The lowest ALH value, 2.8 ± 0.3 µm was in the 2.5 mg 7-DCLC + T group; otherwise, there were no significant differences among groups for any other CASA end point. In conclusion, adding CLC + T to a tris-based extender optimized quality of frozen-thawed ram semen. Therefore, extenders including CLC + T have potential to improve quality of frozen-thawed ram sperm.


THE PRESENT article was prepared at the request of the American Medical Association as part of the symposium on poliomyelitis. It represents the author's evaluation of published and unpublished data pertinent to the prophylactic use of gamma globulin in prevention of poliomyelitis. The chief sources of data are the four recently published papers of Dr. Hammon and his associates.1The critical analyses and opinions of Dr. Alexander Langmuir, Dr. William Clark, Dr. Albert Sabin,2Dr. Karl Habel,3Dr. Harry Weaver, and others have been obtained through personal communication and carefully considered prior to preparing this discussion. Inasmuch as many and varied hypotheses have been advanced concerning the epidemiology of poliomyelitis, it is first necessary to summarize very briefly the generally held epidemiologic concept of the natural occurrence of poliomyelitis, so as to bring our thinking onto common ground. Since the paralytic disease is of primary concern, it


Purpose: Certain cultural beliefs related to breast cancer may act as a barrier to a woman seeking breast cancer preventive services or timely follow-up for a breast symptom. In the Breast Cancer Care in Chicago study, Hispanic patients held considerably more cultural beliefs compared to African-American or non-Hispanic White patients. For Hispanics, holding beliefs that are inconsistent with health care seeking behavior may lead to low or delayed utilization of care regardless of access. This study explores factors associated with breast cancer beliefs among Hispanic women and how this might lead to delays in seeking care or receiving treatment for breast cancer. Methods: Data were obtained from a population-based sample of 181 urban Hispanic women recruited as part of the Breast Cancer Care in Chicago study. Women were ages 30-79 and had been diagnosed with primary in situ or invasive breast cancer. Interviews included a 15 item cultural beliefs scale spanning a range of beliefs regarding the meaning of a breast lump, importance of treatment, and the role of faith – beliefs that could be inconsistent with motivation to seek timely health care. We dichotomized the total number of beliefs at the sample mean, such that patients holding 3 or more beliefs (index) were compared to patients holding fewer than 3 beliefs (referent). Potential demographic, sociocultural, parental, and care utilization factors were examined, as were measures of acculturation and cultural isolation. An acculturation scale was created based on patient country of origin and language, and parents9 country of origin and education. Possible scores ranged from 0-6 (low acculturation=0, high acculturation > 1). Prolonged treatment delay was defined as a time from first clinical visit to first breast cancer treatment exceeding 60 days (sample median), and prolonged total delay was defined as a time from initial symptom detection (self-detected or clinically detected) to first treatment exceeding 90 days (sample median). Logistic regression with model-based standardization was used to estimate confounder-adjusted risk differences for prolonged delay by number of beliefs held. Results: Seventy-five percent of women held 1 or more beliefs. Beliefs most commonly held were: 1) Faith in God can protect you from breast cancer (48%); 2) If a breast lump is touched or pressed often, the lump will turn out to be breast cancer (30%); and 3) If breast cancer is cut open in surgery, it will grow faster (28%). Fifty percent of the sample had an acculturation score of zero (Mean= 1). Lower acculturation was associated with greater beliefs: patients who were older, born outside the US, did not speak English as a primary language, or whose parents were less educated or born outside the US tended to hold more beliefs (p Conclusions: Cultural beliefs may predispose certain Hispanic women who are less acculturated and of lower SES to prolong seeking care for breast symptoms and may influence delays in receiving diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer. Citation Format: Rani I. Gallardo, Garth Rauscher, Carol Ferrans. Cultural beliefs among Latina women: The role of acculturation and impact on timeliness of breast cancer care. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Sixth AACR Conference: The Science of Cancer Health Disparities; Dec 6–9, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2014;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B03. doi:10.1158/1538-7755.DISP13-B03


To expand the utility of α-cleavage at cryogenic temperatures, we investigated the photoreactivity of 2-azido-2-phenyl-1,3-indandione (1). EPR spectroscopy revealed that irradiating 1 in 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (mTHF) matrices forms alkylnitrene 32, which has zero-field splitting parameters (D/hc = 1.5837 cm-1; E/hc = 0.0039 cm-1) typical of an alkylnitrene. IR spectroscopy demonstrated that irradiating 1 in argon matrices results in the concurrent formation of 32, imine 3, benzocyclobutenedione 4, and benzonitrile 5.


Road traffic safety has attracted increasing research attention, in particular in the current transition from human-driven vehicles to autonomous vehicles. Surrogate measures of safety are widely used to assess traffic safety but they typically ignore motion uncertainties and are inflexible in dealing with two-dimensional motion. Meanwhile, learning-based lane-change and trajectory prediction models have shown potential to provide accurate prediction results. We therefore propose a prediction-based driving risk metric for two-dimensional motion on multi-lane highways, expressed by the maximum risk value over different time instants within a prediction horizon. At each time instant, the risk of the vehicle is estimated as the sum of weighted risks over each mode in a finite set of lane-change maneuver possibilities. Under each maneuver mode, the risk is calculated as the product of three factors: lane-change maneuver mode probability, collision probability and expected crash severity. The three factors are estimated leveraging two-stage multi-modal trajectory predictions for surrounding vehicles: first a lane-change intention prediction module is invoked to provide lane-change maneuver mode possibilities, and then the mode possibilities are used as partial input for a multi-modal trajectory prediction module. Working with the empirical trajectory dataset highD and simulated highway scenarios, the proposed two-stage model achieves superior performance compared to a state-of-the-art prediction model. The proposed risk metric is computationally efficient for real-time applications, and effective to identify potential crashes earlier thanks to the employed prediction model.


COST Action 819: Entomopathogenic nematodes, supercedes Action 812: Cold active lines of insect parasitic nematodes in Agriculture and Biotechnology. It functions in the field of Agriculture and Biotechnology and began in July 1994 and will end in May, 1999. The main objective is to combine interrelated European expertise to increase the use of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) in integrated pest management and to reduce the need for chemical control. Coordination of the Action is the responsibility of a management committee in accordance with a Memorandum of Understanding, which has been signed by representatives of 17 countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. A research institute in Israel is also participating. Over 40 research institutions and 10 commercial companies participate in Action 819. The EU funding meets the costs related to coordination including the scientific secretariat, workshops, management committee and working group meetings, publications, short term scientific missions and evaluations.


Fracture dislocations of the lumbar vertebrae are rare. According to Frazier and Allen1the infrequency of lumbar dislocations may be attributed to a number of anatomic factors. Unlike the cervical region, where dislocations are most common, there is a comparatively limited range of motion in the lumbar region; the bodies of the lumbar vertebrae are much larger in every dimension the intervertebral disks are thicker and more elastic; the ligaments at this level of the spine have great strength, and finally—what is probably a factor of greatest importance—the articular processes interlock. These authors have stated that with one exception in all cases dislocations of the lumbar vertebrae have been either backward or forward. In the exceptional case, reported by Schmid,1a rotary dislocation is seen in roentgenograms with the second, or proximal, vertebra projected to the right 1.5 cm. beyond the third, or distal, vertebra and the alinement


In many electrochemiluminescent (ECL) systems, coreactants play crucial roles in the redox-induced light emission process at the electrode surface. In this work, a novel and environment-friendly nanoplatform for ECL immunosensing enabled by triethanolamine (TEOA)-modified gold nanoparticles (TEOA@AuNPs) is reported. The monodisperse TEOA@AuNPs are fabricated by one-pot synthesis using TEOA as both reducing and stabilizing agent. Then the TEOA@AuNPs-modified electrode not only acted as coreactant for Ru(bpy)32+ ECL system but also provided a carrier for antibody 1 to form label-free immunosensor through an interaction between antigen and antibody. The unique structure of the TEOA@AuNPs loaded a large amount of coreactant of Ru(bpy)32+, which shortened the electron-transfer distance from the AuNPs surface to the appended TEOA molecules, thereby greatly enhancing the ECL efficiency and amplifying the ECL signal. In addition, Ru(bpy)32+-doped silica (RuSiO2) nanoparticles and antibody 2 were combined to form a composite for labels and a sandwich-type ECL immunosensor has been constructed. The possible mechanism of those ECL systems have also been proposed and confirmed by the EC-MS hyphenated technique. The human cardiopathy biomarker, cardiac troponin I (cTnI), was detected in a wide linear concentration range and the limit of detection (LOD) was 34 or 5.5 fg mL-1 by using the proposed label-free or labeling ECL immunoassay method.


The presented production experiment analyzes the phonetic differences between neutral (i.e. sincere) and sarcastically ironic utterances in German. Results show in line with previous studies that sarcastic irony is expressed by longer utterance durations, lower and flatter F0 contours, and a lower intensity level. Moreover, extending previous findings, sarcastic irony is also characterized by a more variable (in tendency breathier) voice quality and a higher degree of segmental reduction, probably reflecting the speakers' dissociation from the wording of their utterances.


SUMMARY Cameroon's for est sector has for many decades been characterized by industrial, large-scale, concession-based and export-oriented timber production. Over the past two decades, many innovative regulations have been adopted that largely responded to the external requests of the country's technical and financial partners. By using data and information collected over more than a decade, complemented by semi-structured interviews, we assess how some of the most relevant regulations have been implemented. Findings indicate that over the years, a clear disconnect appears between what is promised and adopted in the rules and regulations governing the industrial sector, and what is actually implemented on the ground. We discuss how such disconnect may have originated and how it may negatively impact the sustainable development of the industrial forest sector. We propose some technical and policy options that may improve the sector's management, positively impact Cameroon's international image and possibly strengthen the country's engagement in international regimes such as FLEGT and/or REDD+.


The use of competency frameworks as a basis for workplace learning initiatives is now relatively commonplace in organisations. This is reflected in the emphasis given to competencies in the HRD literature. However, the terrain of the competency discussion is somewhat ill defined. This article attempts to define the context within which the value of competencies as a basis for workplace learning can be considered and discusses the philosophical and epistemological perspectives found in much of the literature. Competency definition and competency measurement issues are explored as are a range of other issues concerning the value of competencies in a workplace learning context. The article concludes that in the interests of clarity, consistency and reliability of measurement, consensus needs to be reached on the basic parameters and definition of competency.


Within social hierarchies, low social status is associated with increased vigilance, hostile expectations, and reactive aggression. We propose that societal devaluation is common across many low social status groups and produces a sense of threatened social worth. Threatened social worth may lead those of low status to be more vigilant towards social threats, thereby increasing the likelihood of hostile attributions and endorsement of aggression. Integrating theory on belongingness, social rejection, and stigma compensation, two studies test a sequential process model demonstrating that threatened social worth mediates the relationship between status, hostile attributions, and endorsement of aggression. Employing a relative status manipulation, Study 2 reveals a causal effect of status and highlights the importance of perceptions of low social status on threatened social worth. These data demonstrate the role of social worth in explaining the link between status and hostility and have implications for research in the social, health, and developmental domains.


This book examines issues of sex and society in early twentieth-century Spain, and does so by using a specific case history, namely that of Hildegart Rodriguez (19141933) who came to be one of the central players in the Spanish chapter of the World League for Sexual Reform (WLSR). In all its diversity and with all its inbuilt contradictions the movement provides the complex backcloth for understanding the nature and activity of Hildegart, while her life in its turn demonstrates how the divers strands of the movement led to paradox and conflict. In addition to this Hildegart's correspondence with the English sexologist Havelock Ellis provides a unique base of evidence for understanding the WLSR in Spain and its links with similar movements elsewhere in Europe.


Based on the "abstract modeling" and "tag technique", a template which can achieve automatic simulation, modeling and calculation for the drawing process of wire drawing dies was developed in the present work. The template, featured by process automation, has a wider application scope than the customized development, and will greatly improve the efficiency of those simulation analyses involving many repetitive operations. The template has been integrated to the Web, through which users can download tag files. The next steps for them are to add tags to the simulation model and submit simulation parameters. Then computing will be executed at the cloud background. By virtue of this mode, the users no longer need to pay much for software and hardware resources, and it will be more accessible to the wire drawing die simulation analysis. Thus, the analysis based on computer aided engineering (CAE) can also be applied by the users unskilled in CAE software.


A code is developed using the hybrid Cartesian/immersed boundary method and it is applied to simulate flows around a three-dimensional deforming body. A new criterion is suggested to distribute the immersed boundary nodes based on edges crossing a body boundary. Velocities are reconstructed at the immersed boundary nodes using the interpolation along a local normal line to the boundary. Reconstruction of the pressure at the immersed boundary node is avoided using the hybrid staggered/non-staggered grid method. The developed code is validated through comparisons with other experimental and numerical results for the velocity profiles around a circular cylinder under the forced in-line oscillation and the pressure coefficient distribution on a sphere. The code is applied to simulate the flow fields around a plate whose tail is periodically flapping under a translation. The effects of the velocity and acceleration due to the deformation on the periodic shedding of pairs of tip vortices are investigated.


The study of geographical location is based on the studies that depend on the scientific method and technique، as well as the effect of development and environmental variables and how to characterize them according to efficiency and industrial utilization. The spatial analysis of the pattern of population distribution and its effect on the spatial profiling of industries in 2018 in the cities and centers of the districts of Diyala governorate is presented to give a picture of the relative size of the population، the number of workers and the area of the districts. The number of workers was 1485407، And the industrial density in the districts (Baquba، Muqdadiya، Khalis، Khanaqin، Baldrouz، Kafri) was recorded as follows: 29،35، 14،01، 25،67، 17،04،11،96،  The study also examined the nature of indicators of the spatial reality of the structure of the main industries and the extraction of simple correlation coefficients (Pearson) through the use of statistical program sspsV17، the most important of which is the government planning policy (0.94%) followed by marketing plan (0.90%)، and then know the level of settlement rates، as well as the efficiency and utilization of the patterns of basic and alternative industries in the provinces of Diyala in 2018، To be concentrated in the districts of industries (1.1، 1.2، 1.0، 0.3، 1.4 and 0.6) respectively.. Diyala Governorate for the period 2018- 2030، depending on the economic statistics program EVIEWS 10.1 to build realistic development model.


OBJECTIVE
To explore prediagnostic illness behavior in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHOD
In this descriptive study, interview and medical records data from 50 female patients were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative techniques.

RESULTS
Findings revealed a high incidence of symptom normalization, self-treatment, symptom comparison, and prolonged time to diagnosis with multiple misdiagnoses and physicians consulted. Most subjects reported invalidation of initial symptoms, multifaceted emotional distress, and relief upon accurate diagnosis. Significant associations were found between (a) illness-related symptom attributions and fewer physicians consulted (P < 0.05) and less invalidation (P < 0.05); (b) life stress events and fewer physicians consulted (P < 0.05) and shorter time to diagnosis (P < 0.05); (c) remissions and time to diagnosis (P < 0.05), number of physicians consulted (P < 0.001), and number of misdiagnoses (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION
Illness behavior in RA is prolonged, convoluted, and accompanied by personal and social stress. Invalidation of reported symptoms and relief upon definitive diagnosis are prominent features of the process.