Persons with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) can suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-like) symptoms in the absence of inflammation. Also, the prevalence of anxiety symptoms and disorders is increased in IBD. Both IBS-like and anxiety symptoms impair quality of life and are challenging to treat as well as poorly understood in IBD. Visceral hypervigilance (VH) as a specific form of anxiety and a common feature of disorders of gut-brain interaction may be a relevant symptom in IBD and could relate to IBS-like symptoms. This study aimed at investigating clinical, psychological and biological factors associated with VH in persons with IBD.

 We used the visceral sensitivity index (VSI) to investigate VH in 308 patients with different states of IBD disease activity (as determined by Harvey Bradshaw Index or partial Mayo Score). We further assessed demographic (age, sex), clinical (disease duration, CRP levels) and psychological (anxiety and depression, HADS) characteristics. Genetic and metabolic parameters related to serotonin metabolism were analyzed in subsamples with active disease (single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes related to serotonin signaling (n=83) and serum tryptophan metabolites (n=70)). We used multiple regression analyses to examine which factors could predict patients' VH levels and to explore genetic and metabolic predictors of VH.

 The strongest predictors for VH were anxiety, depression and disease activity (all p < .001, Fig.1, left). Explorative analyses revealed polymorphisms in the HTR3A (p = .028) and SERT gene (p = .030) to predict VH (Fig.1, middle). While clinical disease activity was related to VH, there was no association between VH and inflammatory biomarkers or tryptophan metabolites (Fig.1, left and right).

 VH as a specific type of anxiety strongly relates to psychopathology in persons with IBD. Anxiety was found to be the strongest predictor of VH, contributing to a greater extent to VH than disease activity. Possible genetic predispositions of VH should be investigated in larger studies. Screening patients for VH could help to detect disturbances in gut-brain-interactions and improve individualized treatment.


In 1794 André Michaux discovered dwarf sumac Rhus michauxii in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, and in 1803 published a species description under the name Rhus pumila. In 1895 C.S. Sargent assigned the name R. michauxii to correct Michaux's use of a homonym and to honor its discoverer. The type location is now in Union County, North Carolina, which was formed from part of Mecklenburg County in 1842.


For the first time, we have used melt-assisted wetting of porous alumina templates to prepare ordered core–shell nanorod arrays of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) for use in polymer solar cells. We characterized these arrays using tunneling electron microscopy and conductance atomic force microscopy, which revealed the presence of phase-separated shell (p-type) and core (n-type) regions. Under illumination, we observed a variation of several picoamperes between the currents in the core and shell regions of the P3HT/PCBM nanorod arrays.


Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have tremendous potential as a cell source for regenerative medicine due to their capacity for differentiation into endothelial-like cells when seeded on nonmodified cover glasses. This absence of removable surface, preventing recovery of cell sheet, constitutes a critical obstacle to predict an application in tissue engineering. It remains unknown whether MSCs differentiation could be realized when the cells are cultivated on a scaffold that could be used in vascular engineering. In this study, we propose to differentiate human MSCs into endothelial-like cells on surfaces coated with polyelectrolyte multilayer film (PMF) and fibronectin (control surfaces). We quantified Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (PECAM) and von Willebrand Factor (vWF) expressions (endothelial cell specific markers) and nitric oxide (NO) production, which is representative of the cell functionality. After only two weeks of differentiation, we showed, on PMF, that MSCs expressed PECAM and vWF, exhibiting a differentiation into endothelial-like cells, which functionality was explored by a significant production of nitrites. These results highlight the importance of PMF to get human MSCs differentiation and suggest that this film of nanometer thickness opens a new route for vascular bioengineering by pre-seeding hMSCs directly into a vascular graft functionalized by a removable coating.


In these proceedings, we review the main results concerning superspace geometries with nonanticommutative spinorial variables and field theories formulated on them. In particular, we report on the quantum properties of the WZ model formulated in the N = 1/2 nonanticommutative superspace.


The aim of this study was to investigate the In vitro efficacy of 96% alcohol extracts of Evernia prunastri and Pseudevernia furfuracea var. furfuracea that were in foliose-fruticose form and Parmelia sulcata in foliose form against important plant pathogens. The growth of fungal colonies in Petri plates amended with lichen extracts at 25°C was measured a day before covering all surface of Petri plate in control treatment. Data were analysed according to statistic analysis test LSD at p≤0.05. The in vitro efficacy of extracts of E. prunastri, P. sulcata and P. furfuracea var. furfuracea showed a significant inhibition against mycelia and spor growth of Aspergillus niger, Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium culmorum, F. solani, Macrophomina phaseolina, Penicillium expansum and Rhizoctonia solani. The level of inhibition among extracts showed variation. It was concluded that secondary metabolites of lichens may be used as biological chemicals against some plant pathogens.


The author brings up the problem connected with the intersection (coherence) of "personal rightness" and "poetic rightness" in Czeslaw Milosz's literary output; she endeavours to interpret his poetry as a distinct mark of personal identity. In odrer to do so she refers to such crucial contexts of Milosz's writing, the authos of "Ziemia Urlo" as, for instance, Polish romanticism and French writers. The sketch becomes concluded by the necessary – for the poet himself – acceptance by the others.


Several scholars have carried out investigations on writing errors in second language learning. However, longitudinal studies that focus on the linguistic development in general and lexical competence of the anglophone learners of French, in particular, are still very scarce. An investigation of this sort will give a concise scope of the language development of the anglophone learners of French and some of the factors that are responsible for the errors found in their writing. This study investigates the writing errors of the Obafemi Awolowo University learners of French. The subjects who participated in the study were 14 beginner students. The learners were monitored from their first year of study at the University all through the end of their third year of study. An essay writing exercise was administered on the subjects at the end of their first academic year in 2015/2016. By the end of their second year at the university in 2016/2017 and the end of their third year in 2017/2018, the same essay writing exercise was administered to the same set of students. The study found out that Obafemi Awolowo University learners of French-made frequent errors in their writing. They made repeated errors ranging from wrong spellings, determinants, prepositions, choice of words, overgeneralization, and wrong analogy. The study thus suggested that the learning techniques, teaching methods, and teaching curriculum be regularly reviewed to reflect the language needs of the learners.


OBJECTIVE
The aims of this study were to observe the regularity of blood glucose changes in hemodialysis patients with diabetes, time of onset of hypoglycemia and blood glucose level during dialysis, and to explore the sensitive early warning indicators of hypoglycemia in dialysis patients.

BACKGROUND
Diabetes patients have a high incidence of hypoglycemia during hemodialysis.

METHODS
A total of 124 maintenance hemodialysis patients with diabetes were selected for this study. Before dialysis, one, two, and three h after dialysis, and when hypoglycemia symptoms occurred, the blood glucose changes were monitored, the blood glucose drop range was observed when hypoglycemia symptoms occurred, and the correlation between the two was analyzed.

RESULTS
After the start of the dialysis, the patient's blood glucose showed a downward trend. The symptoms of hypoglycemia were most obvious within one-two hours, with an incidence rate of 57.9%. When the blood glucose drop percentage reached 37.7%, the specificity and sensitivity of early warning hypoglycemia symptoms were 84.6 and 73%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS
For hemodialysis patients with diabetes, attention should be paid to the symptoms of hypoglycemia during dialysis, and blood glucose should be monitored before dialysis and after 1-2 h of dialysis. If the blood glucose drop percentage is greater than 37.7%, the timely measures should be taken.


The role of institutions in the process of economic growth and development has generated considerable interest among researchers over the past few decades. In particular, incorporating institutional variables into the established growth theories and empirics involves understanding the impact and mechanisms through which institutions affect growth. In surveying recent developments in the economic growth literature, this review pays attention to the resurgent institutionalist research trend and its implications for growth theory and empirical research on growth. Policy issues primarily focused on Asian Pacific developing countries are highlighted.


Dr. Moulton's training and research well fit him to present the Bible in broad outlines. The purpose is not to present an intensive study of the Bible,but simply to present a clear view of its character and content which is essential to more detailed study. This the author has admirably done. The subject matter is divided as a drama in two acts, followed by the Epilogue, i. e., The Book of Revelation. The appendix is especially well arranged and suggests a method for systematic Bible reading. H. C. WAYMAN.


In this paper, we propose a novel weighted shallow-deep feature fusion convolutional neural network (WSDFNet) for the task of multispectral image pansharpening. This network could effectively overcome the drawback of the common identity skip connection (ISC), and propagate shallow features scaled by a novel adaptive skip weighter (ASW) to deeper layers. By the technique, it could favor the feature fusion in different network depths adequately, as well as yield a promising outcome. Experimental results on reduced- and full-resolution WorldView-3 dataset demonstrate the superiority of the WSDFNet compared with recent state-of-the-art (SOTA) pansharpening approaches. Moreover, WSDFNet is also verified as a lightweight network.


Because soldiers in the US Army are recurrently tested for the presence of antibody to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), HIV seroconversion rates can be directly measured. From November 1985 through October 1989, 429 HIV seroconversions were detected among 718,780 soldiers who contributed 1,088,447 person-years of follow-up time (HIV seroconversion rate, 0.39 per 1000 person-years). Period-specific seroconversion rates declined significantly from 0.49 per 1000 person-years (November 1985 through October 1987) to 0.33 per 1000 person-years (November 1987 through October 1988) to 0.29 per 1000 person-years (November 1988 through October 1989). The HIV seroconversion risk among active-duty soldiers was significantly associated with race/ethnic group, age, gender, and marital status. Based on these trends, we estimate that approximately 220 soldiers (95% confidence interval, 160 to 297 soldiers) were infected with HIV during 1989 and 1990, with potentially fewer in future years.


This study deals with the author's version of the reconstruction of history of formation and development of the state approach to the education of children with disabilities (or special educational needs) in Ukraine in the period 1920–2019. For the first time, a systematic coverage of the experience gained by Ukraine in correctional and rehabilitation work and education of such children and the individualization of education of students with primary academic failure at primary school. The contribution of Ukrainian teachers and psychologists to the development of special pedagogy is briefly covered. Particular attention is paid to the ideas of Yu. Hilbukh (1920–2000) in the context of primary school education for students having diffculties in mastering the curriculum, which we consider a variable annunciator of inclusive education. The change of the pedagogical paradigm concerning the education of children with special needs is substantiated due to the introduction in 2017 of modern international principles of inclusive education. In conclusion, it is stated that the introduction of inclusive education indicates the modernization of Ukraine's humanitarian policy in the direction of further humanization of education. At the same time, it is emphasized that it would be wrong not to take into account the scientific and experimental base created in previous years for the study of such children and the experience of their education, rehabilitation and socialization.


The paper describes the design of the "Community Broker" as a case study for the development of a tool attempting to support individual web-search strategies by using the community-based nature of a great deal of information exchange and learning. Community experiences affect the understanding, validation and organization of individual knowledge. Communities affecting the representation of knowledge frame the every-day decisions individuals have to take in spite of incomplete, insecure knowledge and the vagueness of communicating in natural languages. As for the often distributed, fragmented and heterogeneous nature of knowledge and related problems of information search in the internet some of which are described in the paper technical tools can support information search, when the influence of community-based identities upon knowledge representation and -identification is used as a source of additional information instead of being ignored.


An ANN based classification system for human emotion paper. The data used in this study are forward back-propagation neural network is applied for the classification of human classify emotion in two classes, high arousal(HA) and low arousal(LA)


COMFORT behavior scale (Cb) has been applied in neonatal units to measure pain in newborns. This study aimed to analyze parameter s scale testing if they differ in sensibility to pain. The scores were correlated to skin conductance activity (SCA). Thirty-six newborns were videotaped whilst heel prick. The images were analyzed in three intervals: before, during and after the pain event. Cb scale scores were compared to SCA variables: number of waves/sec and area under curves in three different time intervals after the pain event: 15, 30 and 180sec. All factors of Cb were sensitive to changes among periods during-before and after-during. Significant correlations values were found between Cb and number of waves (r < 0.6). Facial Tension was the gold standard response to pain meanwhile factors as Crying and Calmness can be considered poor indicators of pain. These results are discussed in terms of phenomenological approach and anxiety paradigm.


Simulations of static and dynamic aspects of the functionality of the human body are getting more important as the complexity of operations increases. The preoperative planning of maxillofacial operations like the repositioning of the jaw is an example for such operation. Here, but also in other medical fields, simulation can help to estimate the results of a procedure or can facilitate the diagnosis through a better view of the anatomy and pathology of the patient. A virtual view on the pathology and the possibility of simulating the postoperative results simplifies and improves the preoperative planning. The goal of our research is the development of a graphical simulation of the human mastication system to give the surgeon an impression on the inner anatomy of his patient. This simulation allows him to predict the aesthetic and functional outcome of his operation. The main focus of this paper is the introduction of a kinematic model of the temporomandibular joint. This kinematic model describes the geometrical and analytical movement of the jaw by specially defined axes. It is the basis for an animated simulation of the mandible movement. Through integration of the muscles and muscle forces, we come to a realistic dynamic simulation of the whole mastication system.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to gain insight on parental attitudes towards weaning practices and weaning foods for health in Malaysia using Q-methodology.

Design/methodology/approach
The study population was parents that had a child aged three years or less. A total of 47 parents were recruited to partake in a one-on-one activity which involved sorting 69 statements about weaning practices and weaning food products into a grid that was normally distributed ranging from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree". Sorting was immediately followed by a short interview to understand the reasons behind the placement of particular statements.

Findings
Data analysis identified three statistically distinct participant attitudes towards weaning practices and foods for health that were then interpreted using the rich qualitative data from the post-sort interviews. The attitudes identified were "All Homemade and Natural", "Commercial Convenience and Trust" and "Balance and Variety".

Originality/value
This study identified the dominant sets of attitudes held by Malaysian parents towards weaning practices and weaning foods for health using Q-methodology. To authors' knowledge, this is the first paper focussing on weaning foods for health, specifically on functional weaning food. This new understanding of shared attitudes will allow product developers, marketers and health communicators to more effectively design their products and their marketing mix to ensure that these messages resonate well with the target audience who want to provide the best weaning foods possible for their children.


Introduction: Right heart failure is the main cause of death in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). Current medication aims to reduce right ventricular (RV) afterload, but the effect on RV function is unknown. Therefore, we aimed to assess the influence of PAH-specific treatment on load-independent RV systolic function and RV-arterial coupling.

Methods: In 39 IPAH patients we determined RV end-systolic elastance (Ees), arterial elastance (Ea) and RV-arterial coupling (Ees/Ea) at baseline and follow-up. Maximal isovolumic pressure (Piso) was estimated from RV pressure curves with the single-beat method. Ees=(Piso-mPAP)/SV and Ea=mPAP/SV. (SV=stroke volume, mPAP=mean pulmonary artery pressure, both measured using right heart catheterization)

Results: Median follow-up (FU) time was 0.8 years (interquartile range 0.5-1.0). PAH-therapy lowers mPAP, pulmonary vascular resistance and mean right atrial pressure and increases cardiac index (p<0.01 for all). Figure 1 shows Ees, Ea and Ees/Ea. Under PAH-therapy, Ees and Ea decreases (p=0.01 and p<0.01 respectively), and Ees/Ea increases(p=0.01).

Conclusions: PAH-specific treatment decreases both arterial and end-systolic elastance. Whether the improvement in RV-arterial coupling results from an RV-specific treatment effect or is secondary to the decreased afterload, is a subject for further research.

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This paper focuses on the calculation of the incident power density using various antennas: a basic dipole, a two-arm dipole and a three-arm dipole, all with a single access. A deterministic channel is considered and modelled by an incident plane wave with an electric field amplitude of 100V/m. It is shown that the dipole gives inaccurate power density estimation with error up to 100%. With the two-arm dipole (array of two orthogonal dipoles having a single access), the results still include errors up to 100% even though the blind zones are reduced. However, with the three-arm dipole (array of three orthogonal dipoles having a single access), the blind zones are completely removed, providing more accurate results with less than 1% relative errors. These results are theoretically formulated and validated with the Finite Integration Technique performed by CST.


During Early Miocene northwestern Sardinia was interested by widespread volcanic activity belonging to the calcalkaline to high-K calcalkaline "orogenic" Sardinian cycle. The peak of activity is recorded in the ~ 22-18 Ma time span and it is mostly concentrated along the Fossa Sarda graben, an Oligo-Miocene rift system cutting the western Sardinia from north to south. The northwestern Sardinia volcanic rocks crop out in the districts of Bosa-Alghero, Anglona, Logudoro, Mulargia-Macomer and Ottana graben, ranging in composition from rare high alumina basalt lavas to rhyolitic ignimbrites (welded and unwelded) and lava flows, through basaltic andesites, andesites and dacitic domes, with the most evolved rocks (dacites and rhyolites) being volumetrically predominant. Here we report the chemical composition of the main rock-forming minerals (clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, plagioclase, sanidine, magnetite, ilmenite, olivine, brown mica and amphibole) and whole-rock data covering the entire spectrum of occurring lithotypes. The bulk-rock major and trace element variations are consistent with an evolution mainly driven by fractional crystallization of the observed mineral phases. This was confirmed by mass balance calculations and MELTS-based modelling, which allowed reconstructing liquid lines of descent for each district. Crystallization conditions took place at low pressures (1 kbar) and low H 2 O contents (< 2 wt.%), with oxygen fugacities close to the QFM and Ni- NiO synthetic buffers and temperature values ranging from ~ 900 to ~ 1150 °C for mafic rocks and from ~ 800 to ~ 1000 °C for the silicic ones. Open-system processes may also have had a role in the petrogenesis of the silicic rocks.


As a contribution to the UNESCO-IUGS IGCP 601 project Seismotectonics and seismic hazards in Africa and inpreparation of the Seismotectonic Map of Africa, we compiled the neotectonic faults related to the East African Rift System around the Tanzanian craton. The initial aim was to identify and map the potentially active faults. Faults are usually defined as active when they show seismogenic displacement during the last 10,000 to 100,000 years, generally on the basis of paleoseismic investigation. In East Africa, however, very few faults have been studied by paleoseismic techniques and even fewer have known historical seismic activation. To address this issue, we mapped faults that show morphological indications of displacement. We used the SRTM DTM (90 and 30 m when available to us), with artificial shading as basis for identify neotectonic faults, in combination with existing data from geological maps, publications and reports, complemented by our own field observations. Thermal springs often occur along tectonically active faults. We use them to distinguish present-day faulting from other mapped faults as they are in most cases structurally controlled. In parallel, we used also the available focal mechanisms and geological fault-slip data to constrain the stress second-order stress field (at the scale of rift segments) and locally also the third-order stress field (at the local scale). All these elements are combined and compared with existing kinematic models for the East African Rift based on earthquake slip vectors, GPS measurements and geologic indicators. The comparison evidences some local discrepancies between the stress field and the direction of opening, probably due to the interactions between different rift segments, as in the Rukwa rift, Mbeya southern junction between the eastern and western rift branches, and in the Manyara-Natron area.


Provision of comprehensive health services to children and adolescents is a central role for school nurses. Children with chronic health conditions are at the intersection of the health and education systems. Recently, educators, neurology care providers (MD/NP/PA) have initiated discussions about the impact of a child's health on their ability to learn. The purpose of this project was to develop a child neurology curriculum for school nurses. A needs assessment survey was distributed. The survey results revealed a need for further education and training in child neurology diagnoses. Four areas were chosen for curriculum development: seizures/ epilepsy, headaches/migraines, tics, and post-concussion management. The Healthy Learner Model (HLM) and Child Neurology Process-Oriented Triage (ChiNePOT) are the conceptual frameworks used in this curriculum. Associated findings include the need of school nurses for pertinent evidence-based research to guide their practice, which will ultimately lead to a healthier learner. Running head: CHILD NEUROLOGY CURRICULUM 3


Cryptococcal CNS infections in immunocompetent individuals are occasionally reported in literature. The spinal manifestations of cryptococcal CNS infections are epidural abscess, chronic arachnoiditis, intramedullary granuloma, myelitis and vasculitis. We report a rare case of CNS cryptococcal infection presenting as a longitudinal extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) in an immunocompetent male. This report highlights cryptococcus as an important etiology among infectious causes in acute LETM patients in-spite of the immunocompetent status of the patient and the utility of CRAG (cryptococcal antigen) for diagnosis in such patients. We also present a literature review of all reported cases of cryptococcal myelitis.


Diverse cropping systems can have significant impacts on nutrient losses through tile drain systems and to surface water bodies (rivers and streams). Increased transport of nitrogen to water bodies can reduce dissolved oxygen and enrich the supply of nutrients, resulting in hypoxic zones. With the objective of reducing the transport of nutrients from agricultural watersheds, long term studies (1990 to 1998) were conducted in Iowa to investigate the impact of tillage, crop rotation, and N-management practices on NO3-N leaching Iosses to tile drain water. Results of these studies indicated that continuous corn production systems required higher input of nitrogen fertilizers and resulted in significantly higher NO3-N leaching losses compared to rotated corn in plots either fertilized with manure or urea ammonium nitrate. Also, rotated corn gave higher corn yields, 8 megagrams per hectare (Mg/ha) versus 6 Mgfha, than continuous corn. The higher N application rates resulted in increased NO3-N concentrations in tile water. A strip cropping system with alfalfa lowered NO3-N concentrations in tile water to less than 10 mg/l. These studies indicated that better land use practices can reduce NO3-N leaching losses to surface and ground water systems and will help in mitigating environmental concerns of the production agriculture. (KEY TERMS: tillage systems; crop rotations; water quality; tile drainage; nitrate-nitrogen losses.) Kanwar, Rameshwar S., 2006. Effects of Cropping Systems on NO3-N Losses to Tile Drain. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 42(6):1493-150


Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is the key material for achieving excellent long-term results in total joint arthroplasties. Despite the fact that there has been a substantial amount of research and development over the years, new aspects of this material are still controversial and the most recent innovations have had a variable reception regarding clinical use. Advancements in conventional UHMWPE in the 1990s (nitrogen atmosphere irradiation, barrier package) were further improved by introduction of first-generation crosslinked polyethylene, as seen both from laboratory findings and clinical results. However, while clinical data on first-generation highly crosslinked polyethylene (HXLPE) showed reduced wear in the medium-term, academic and industrial research have helped to refine the material further, to overcome criticisms regarding residual oxidation and potential material fracture. Present concerns, although less nowadays, relate to the post-irradiation techniques used to stabilize the crosslinked polyethylene, namely annealing and remelting. Current topics of research interest include in vivo oxidation, second-generation highly crosslinked polyethylene, vitamin E doped or blended polyethylene, fracture mechanics, and consequences of wear. Some of these improvements derived from recent research are already available to the orthopedic community, and others will appear in the next few years. This review gives an overview of these topics, and the latest advancements are described in detail with a view to help the orthopedic surgeon make scientifically sound decisions when selecting material for total-joint implants. We conclude the review by affirming that today's state-of-the-art material is no longer conventional UHMWPE, but HXLPE.


The clinico-hemodynamic and angiographic findings in 66 patients with ischemic heart disease were analysed to identify the risk factors of complications in the digestive system and to determine the methods for their prevention after myocardial revascularization. It was found that complications in the gastrointestinal tract develop after extracorporeal circulation more often in patients with lesions of the visceral branches of the abdominal aorta than in those without them. With purposeful preventive therapy and observance of definite precautions before, during, and after the operation, the incidence of complications in abdominal organs and the organs of the retroperitoneal space reduced to one fourth while the nature of these complications was less aggressive. This was confirmed by no postoperative deaths in the group of patients who had undergone preventive treatment.


BACKGROUND
Canine pigmented viral plaque (PVP) is an uncommon skin disease, associated with papillomavirus infection. Lesions are usually small (<1 cm diameter), pigmented macules to plaques on the ventral abdomen and medial thigh.

ANIMALS
An 8-year-old male, neutered golden retriever dog presented with numerous dark plaques forming cohesive plaques on the ventrum extending down the medial aspect of both hind legs. The plaques were associated with significant pruritus.

RESULTS
Histology confirmed a diagnosis of PVP and PCR amplified Canis familiaris papillomavirus 4 from a formalin fixed plaque sample. The PVPs were completely resolved by two courses of CO2 laser treatment. There was very minimal postoperative discomfort and no relapse or new lesion development within a 12 months follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE
Extensive PVPs have not previously been described in a golden retriever dog or previously reported to cause pruritus in dogs. Due to the large skin area involved, surgical excision was not feasible in this case. However, two rounds of treatment using laser were completely curative for both focal pedunculated and plaque-like PVP lesions. Additionally, compared to surgical excision, laser treatment is expected to result in less postoperative discomfort, reduced surgery time and fewer postoperative infections. This is the first report of successful treatment of canine PVPs using a CO2 laser. The success of this treatment in this case suggests that laser provides an excellent treatment option for extensive PVPs in dogs.


This paper present the Three-Level converter using IM(Integrated Magnetics) method for high power application. In power conversion system, magnetic components are important devices used for energy storage, energy transfer, galvanic isolation and filtering. The proposed Three-Level converter is to reduce the number of magnetic components using transformer integrated with output inductor. This paper proposes reluctance model base on the magnetic analysis for the Three-Level converter. Also, the secondary rectification was discussed by a single core transformer winding. A protype featuring 540[V] input, 48[V] output, 40[kHz] switching frequency, and 3[kW] output power using IGBT.


Purpose - – This report aims to investigate the approaches taken by financial institution to implement and compute the funding valuation adjustment (FVA). FVA can be defined as the incremental cost attributable to trades with non-collateralised counterparties. This cost emerges related to the need to fund the collateral calls associated with collateralised hedge trades. In this respect, one common challenge faced by banks relates to designing appropriate methodological approaches to compute an FVA. Design/methodology/approach - – Recognising the growing importance of an FVA, this report is designed to investigate different approaches to computing FVA and pricing funding costs into the uncollateralised positions. Embarking on semi-structured interviews, the report explores the methodologies and structural solutions utilised by global banks. Findings - – This report has indicated several influential trends that shape the nascent FVA landscape, as well as innovative initiatives undertaken by the banks to effectively use this metric. Going forward, this paper has pointed to a number of current and future challenges faced by the participating banks with regard to implementing the FVA. Originality/value - – Before regulators make FVA punitive, unprofitable or inadequate by propagating the move to collateralised trading or introducing sanctions on banks recognising FVA in their financial statements, and thus reducing banks' exposure to arbitrage opportunities, FVA will remain a challenging metric for the banking industry in the near future. Therefore, it is pivotal to understand any potential risks and operational difficulties arising from "sailing on the uncharted waters with FVA". Moreover, it is necessary to understand market consensus on methodological approaches to computing FVA, as well as practices around constructing the bank's own cost of funds curves.


Mecyclothorax palikea, sp.n. is described from the vicinity of Palikea, southern Waianae Range, Oahu, HI, USA and is assigned to Britton's Mecyclothorax flavomarginatus species group. Cladistic analysis, based on 20 morphological characters and including several outgroup taxa, places Mecyclothorax impunctatus Liebherr of Molokai as adelphotaxon to the other eight species of the group, with subsequent speciation events successively isolating M. sharpi Britton of West Maui versus a clade of seven Oahu species. Phylogenetic relationships among the Oahu clade species posit three historical speciation events vicariating ancestors on the western Waianae and eastern Koolau Ranges. Mecyclothorax palikea is placed as adelphotaxon to M. carteri (Perkins), a species allopatrically distributed to the north in the Waianae, corroborating existence of southern and northern areas of endemism within the Waianae Range. Relative ages of the respective volcanoes housing M. flavomarginatus group species — Waianae (3.7 million years ago), Koolau (2.6 million years ago), Eastern Molokai (1.8 million years ago), West Maui (1.3 million years ago)—imply that ancestral occupation of Oahu by this group occurred subsequent to completion of the shield building phases of Oahu's two volcanoes, Waianae and Koolau. Diversification within the group on Oahu was associated with vicariance events that occurred within a terrestrial environment. Whereas all four species of the M. flavomarginatus group occupying Waianae Range habitats have been observed recently in nature, collection of M. flavomarginatus in 1906 represents the most recent record for any M. flavomarginatus group species in the Koolau Range, indicating the importance of conserving appropriate Waianae Range habitats in order to preserve representative biodiversity in this species group.


Biobanks connected to In Vitro Fertilization hospitals do not merely function as repositories for biologicals. They also contribute to the restoration of reproductive substances to distinct social environments. Cases of commercial gamete donation in India often entail the infringement of social boundaries, as the socioeconomic backgrounds of gamete donors and recipients diverge. In a highly stratified society, biobanks perform "relational work" in order to nevertheless enable the transaction of substances. The selection of donors, the secluded laboratory, medical protocols, bureaucratic procedures, policies of anonymity, and rhetorical devices all reconfigure intimate material provided by specific donors into standardized products and relatable entities, thereby augmenting their economic value. The fact that relational work is not only performed on substances but also on suppliers and biodata sheets invites more general reflections about notions of "the living" or "the biological" in biobanks around the world.


Erythromycin has been separated from simulated broths by free and facilitated pertraction with D2EHPA dissolved in dichloromethane using an U-shaped pertraction cell. The pertraction has been analyzed by means of initial and final mass flows and permeability factor. The main factors which control the pertraction efficiency were identified to be the pH-gradient between the feed and stripping phase, aqueous phases viscosities and mixing intensity.


In the latter stages of the ENIAC project, the team's scientists and engineers gave increasing time, consideration, discussion, and planning to the design attributes of ENIAC's successor, the EDVAC. John von Neumann, who became involved late in the ENIAC project, wrote the ''First Draft of a Report on the EDVAC,'' a document distributed in late June 1945. Among other things, the report defined the storedprogram concept, a critical element to the design structure—known thereafter as the Von Neumann Architecture—that quickly became dominant in digital computing. Scholars and writers have debated the proper attribution of credit for the insights of the report—in particular, which ideas originated with von Neumann and to what degree he was influenced by J. Presper Eckert, John Mauchly, and other members of the ENIAC team. Similarly, growing controversy has emerged over the level and proper attribution of credit for the team members involved in the project that became the first realization of the stored-program concept, the Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine (SSEM) project at Victoria College, University of Manchester. SSEM, better known as the Manchester Baby, first successfully demonstrated the stored-program concept in mid-June 1948, just days shy of the third anniversary of the distribution of von Neumann's report. Over the past several decades, scholars such as Simon Lavington have highlighted the important contributions of engineers F.C. Williams and Tom Kilburn to the Baby project. The Williams Tube (a uniquely designed cathode-ray tube), less commonly but perhaps more appropriately referred to as the Williams-Kilburn Tube, was the achievement of these engineers. Apportioning proper credit for the Manchester Baby computer, which was constructed to operationally test these tubes, is less clear. In this issue's important, two-part cover article, B. Jack Copeland engagingly revisits the Manchester Baby project, highlighting the important roles of mathematicians Max Newman, I.J. Good, and Alan Turning. In doing so, he challenges the interpretations of Lavington and others. While acknowledging Williams and Kilburn's path-breaking tube technology, Copeland relates how Turing tutored Kilburn in computer architecture, how Good's instruction set provided the basis for the Baby's instruction set, and how Newman profoundly influenced Williams and Kilburn's overall design decisions with the Baby. From Arthur Norberg and Judy O'Neill's Transforming Computer Technology and Atsushi Akera's Calculating the Natural World to Janet Abbate's Inventing the Internet and the National Research Council volume Funding a Revolution, much quality work has been written on major computer projects financed by the US government. Far less has been written about the use of computing in government. James Cortada's informative and impressive survey The Digital Hand, volume 3, and Paul Edwards' The Closed World contribute meaningful discussion to the topic. Meanwhile, Jon Agar's analysis on the interrelationship and dialogue between British bureaucracy and the mechanization of information processing over two centuries demonstrates the great value of deep analysis of government computing. For the US, many areas of government computing still remain entirely unexplored. In this issue, John Laprise provides an important and highly original contribution to the history of government computing with his article on the adoption of computers within the National Security Council during the Nixon Administration. National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger was the force behind this computerization effort within the White House at the end of the 1960s, a path he found essential given the flood of information to organize and analyze for the nation's security. Finally, Frank Veraart insightfully demonstrates the many and deep cultural meanings of early computer game development and use among Dutch computer hobbyists. He then looks at how many of these meanings and constructions of users diminished over time as games became mere entertainment.


Electrosurgery is the use of radio-frequency electric current for the cutting of biological tissue e.g. for resection of tumour tissue. In this work, the optical emission of plasma being generated during the electrosurgical procedure is investigated with a high resolution echelle spectrometer to find differences between tumour tissue and normal renal tissue in a pre-clinical ex vivo study. Trace elements like zinc, iron, copper and cadmium are present in the tissue spectra as well as the electrolytes magnesium, calcium, sodium and potassium and some diatomic molecules such as hydroxyl radical, cyano radical, dicarbon, nitrogen monohydride and molecular nitrogen which are mainly dissociated from polyatomic molecules. With the atomic emission line of cadmium at 228.8 nm the treated tissue can be differentiated in tumorous and healthy tissue with correct assignment of 95% for tumour tissue and 92% for normal renal tissue.


Reflected refractions are considered as the limiting case for ordinary steeply dipping reflections. Particularly, reflected refractions may be constructed (migrated) according to the same principles as ordinary reflections. In view of the inherent inaccuracy of the velocity data, there is no discrimination between reflected refractions and other steep events by methods of construction. Velocity determinations from reflection data also show a continuous transition from steep reflections to reflected refractions. I.e., it is impossible to discriminate by seismic ray methods between reflected refractions and other steep events.

If disturbing, steep events may be attenuated to a great extent by special shot and geophone set-ups. Also in this connection it is unnecessary to distinguish between reflected refractions proper and steep reflections.

It seems to be more rational to consider steep events as ordinary steep reflections in the beginning of a survey, because otherwise real structural indications might possibly be thrown away.


By using mixed-signal simulation, the test engineer can obtain the nominal operation and operational range of an analog or mixed-signal device, board, or subsystem. The engineer can also study how the Device Under Test will operate if a component were to fail. For each test, the engineer can specify a sequence of single-point, hard faults, analyze the resultant measurement data, and compare the results with previously determined test limits. Analysis of injected faults produces a Fault Table which presents a fault coverage summary of the tests in the proposed TPS. This table will allow the test engineer to evaluate the quality and fault coverage of TPSs. Using simulation, the test engineer can also analyze the results of TPSs to efficiently isolate a failure in the DUT, leading to potentially significant savings in repair times. By using simulation capabilities of the Saber simulator and the AIM scripting language, the engineer can evaluate performance of the DUT under a wide range of failure conditions without needing to exercise the DUT on the ATE tester hardware. This paper presents a methodology which allows the test engineer to modify the simulation model of the DUT to include component failure effects. Through simulation, circuit behavior is predicted as each component within the DUT is failed in a user-specified sequence. The results of this fault analysis are compiled automatically. They specify the anticipated fault coverage of the TPS and facilitate creation of a fault dictionary for later use.


Training sample re-weighting is an effective approach for tackling data biases such as imbalanced and corrupted labels. Recent methods develop learning-based algorithms to learn sample re-weighting strategies jointly with model training based on the frameworks of reinforcement learning and meta learning. However, depending on additional unbiased reward data is limiting their general applicability. Furthermore, existing learning-based sample re-weighting methods require nested optimizations of models and weighting parameters, which requires expensive second-order computation. This paper addresses these two problems and presents a novel learning-based fast sample re-weighting (FSR) method that does not require additional reward data. The method is based on two key ideas: learning from history to build proxy reward data and feature sharing to reduce the optimization cost. Our experiments show the proposed method achieves competitive results compared to state of the arts on label noise robustness and long-tailed recognition, and does so while achieving significantly improved training efficiency. The source code is publicly available at https://github.com/google-research/google-research/tree/master/ieg.


This paper presents the results of new composite materials based on polylactide and coffee grounds sorption characteristics study. New material, that include coffee grounds as additive material is cheaper than one of common polylactide. All types of dishes cam be made from new material and they also will be biodegradable, as made from polylactide. The sorption properties and characteristics were tested in different liquid medium. The last was chosen among the most wide spread mediums which are contact with dishes during its operational life. It was found, that optimal content of coffee grounds is 40 wt.% as for level of impact strength also for complex of sorption characteristics.


We explore long short-term memory-recurrent neural networks (LSTM-RNN) for mitigating severe inter-symbol-interference caused by bandlimited components. We simulate two bandlimited channels (experimental and synthetic) and demonstrate our proposed LSTM-RNN architecture provides the same bit error rates as a maximum likelihood sequence estimator (MLSE) for 4QAM.


In this paper, we propose a new selection mechanism based on ε-dominance which is called "ε-selection". An interesting feature of this selection scheme is that it does not require to set the value of o ahead of time. Our ε-selection is incorporated into the GD-MOEA algorithm, giving rise to the so-called "Generational Distance & ε-dominance Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm (GDE-MOEA)". Our proposed GDE-MOEA is validated using standard test functions taken from the specialized literature, having three to six objective functions. GDE-MOEA is compared with respect to the original GD-MOEA, which is based on the generational distance indicator and a technique based on Euclidean distances to improve the diversity in the population. Additionally, our proposed approach is compared with respect to MOEA/D using Penalty Boundary Intersection (PBI), which is based on decomposition, and SMS-EMOA-HYPE (a version of SMS-EMOA that uses a fitness assignment scheme based on the use of an approximation of the hypervolume indicator). Our preliminary results indicate that our proposed GDE-MOEA is a good alternative to solve multi-objective optimization problems having both low dimensionality and high dimensionality in objective function space because it obtains better results than GD-MOEA and MOEA/D in most cases and it is competitive with respect to SMS-EMOA-HYPE but at a much lower computational cost.


Enterprise software development is a very knowledgeintensive process. Modern component-based application development organizations often require collaboration of several stakeholders distributed between different sites. To support developers in performing their tasks, suitable knowledge management tools are required that are able to leverage semantics. Recent developments in the context of the Semantic Web and ontologies including technologies such as Topic Maps or RDF/OWL show potential to address those issues. In this paper, we present an architecture for a distributed knowledge management information system that uses Topic Maps in the background and Semantic Wikis as front end for developers to document and access relevant software development knowledge. The backbone is a Topic Map application infrastructure (called "Topic Grid" in the following) allowing transparent, node-spanning access to different Topic Maps distributed in a network.


As work teams become more distributed, effective computer-mediated communication is increasingly impacting their performance. This study investigates how team climate influences communication frequency among team members and their use of different communication media. Data were collected in two information systems courses offered at an Austrian university in which 50 student teams developed web-based applications and conducted usability tests. A team climate framework based on task and social orientation was used to assess the teams' performance and communication patterns. We found that both task and social dimensions of team climate were positively related to higher communication frequency as well as objective and subjective performance. Among other things, the results suggest that a task-oriented climate is especially linked to the use of e-mail, while social orientation is linked to the use of face-to-face meetings. We also found differences in communication patterns and performance across four different types of team climates (fully functioning, cozy, cold, and dysfunctional). The results underscore the importance of both task and social dimensions for a team to perform well. Our study contributes to both the academic literature that investigates factors affecting media choice and the practitioner literature that examines how to manage virtual teamwork effectively.


The catalytic mechanism of doped complex hydrides for hydrogen storage remains unconfirmed. Here, we report a simple method to separate the active species of Ti-based catalysts in NaAlH(4) by filtration using tetrahydrofuran (THF) as solvent. The results show that the average particle size of the obtained Al-Ti active species is 30-50 nm.


A fairly easy method for high-resolution MR imaging of the shoulder is described. The combination of a defined arrangement of the gradients with a small-volume Helmholtz coil provides the possibility of a high zoom of structures apart from the magnet's centre. The maximal achievable zoom factor depends on the ratio of FOV/sensitive coil volume. The ZEPRA method acts by phase-encoded aliasing only. With this technique all interesting soft tissue of the shoulder may readily be visualized in every direction and with every type of sequence.


Effective component relabeling in Bayesian analyses of mixture models is critical to the routine use of mixtures in classification with analysis based on Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. The classification-based relabeling approach here is computationally attractive and statistically effective, and scales well with sample size and number of mixture components concordant with enabling routine analyses of increasingly large datasets. Building on the best of existing methods, practical relabeling aims to match data:component classification indicators in MCMC iterates with those of a defined reference mixture distribution. The method performs as well as or better than existing methods in small dimensional problems, while being practically superior in problems with larger datasets as the approach is scalable. We describe examples and computational benchmarks, and provide supporting code with efficient computational implementation of the algorithm that will be of use to others in practical applications of mixture models.


Video watermarking is an important method of protecting the intellectual property copyright of the video media. It allows embedding of copyright information into the video pictures. In this paper a new digital video watermarking scheme with an Error Correcting Code (ECC) is proposed. This watermarking scheme maximizes the watermark payload while minimizing the perceptual degradation of video quality caused by the embedded watermark by means of an appropriate choice of embedding position. Two error correcting codes, BCH (31,8) and Turbo (3,1) were implemented and compared. We found that BCH (31,8) achieved higher error correcting capability than Turbo (3,1) under the simulated noise tests.


The study is devoted to the analysis of methods and techniques of mythologization in the novel The Ground Beneath Her Feet written by the British author of Indian origin S. Rushdie. The paper explores the narrative organization of the novel, in which images and motifs of ancient mythology are used as a special code for artistic interpretation of European culture of the second half of the 20 th century. The article examines the artistic reality of the novel, which combines the modern history of rock culture and classical mythology of Ancient Greece. S. Rushdie addresses problems related to the nature of creativity using as the main plot-forming motifs such mythologemes as the love story of Orpheus and Eurydice, the myth of all-devouring Tartarus, twin myths. The study shows that a typical technique for creating expressive three-dimensional multivocal images in Rushdie's novel is a combination of real facts from the world of rock culture and mythological allusions, intertwining, overlapping and collision of various motifs and plots of Greek mythology, which, taken all together, generates the original artistic reality. The article analyzes how the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice acquires a cultural dimension in the novel and what techniques are used by the author to activate the extensive cultural memory of the Orphic myth. The concentration and interpretation of iconic images and motifs of ancient mythology are used in the novel for artistic analysis of the state of culture in the second half of the 20 th century and of its attempts to counter the catastrophic tendencies of destruction and death of the modern civilization.


This paper presents findings from a study that developed a model process and created a Quality of Life-Value-Added Index for Education. The model helps communities assess the value-added characteristics of education by providing the methods necessary to evaluate the value added of their schools. "Value-added" refers to the value that schools add to the entire community. The study utilized the Delphi technique to develop a profile list of priority values. A list of 100 variables was presented to a blue-ribbon panel comprised of teachers, principals, parents, professors, students, and administrators throughout Mississippi. Participants ranked the variables that contributed to the quality of life in a community. A three-round Delphi process and factor analysis reduced the original list to 13 variables, which were ranked in order of importance. After modification, the index can be used to supplement the America Goals 2000 Community Report Card. (LMI) ********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ***********************************************************************


Beef cattle grazing, soil microbial respiration, and Rhizobia spp. populations serve important roles in soil nutrient cycling and during periods of drought, when abnormal precipitation declines, forage production for animal grazing and performance are negatively impacted. Soil nutrient availability is essential for adequate crop production and extended drought reduces soil microbial activity and therefore nutrient cycling. During the 2017 growing season between April and October in the northern Great Plains region of the USA, effective precipitation for crop production and animal grazing was severely reduced due an exceptional drought as classified by the US Drought Monitor. At the NDSU – Dickinson Research Extension Center, Dickinson, North Dakota, USA, a long-term integrated system that includes yearling steer grazing within a diverse multi-crop rotation (spring wheat, cover crop, corn, pea-barley intercrop, and sunflower). Within the rotation of cash and forage crops, beef cattle graze the pea-barley, corn, and cover crop (13-specie) within the rotation and is being utilized to monitor the effects of animal, microbial and fungal activity over time and space in the crop and animal production system. Nitrogen fertilizer has been replaced in the system by soil microbial and fungal activity (Potential Mineralizable Nitrogen: 8.4 mg N/kg) such that for each 1% increase in SOM there is a corresponding increase of 18.8 kg of potential nitrogen mineralized per ha. Animal grazing days are severely reduced when precipitation is inadequate for soil microbial respiration to occur. What is even more concerning, when relying on microbial activity to supply plant nutrients, is recovery time for microbial activity to fully recover from exceptional drought as was the case in this research project. Compared to the 2016 crop production year that preceded the 2017 drought, cover crop (13-specie), pea-barley, and corn yields were reduced 86, 33, and 64% during the 2017 drought. This decline in crop production reduced the number of days of grazing by an average 50% and average daily gains were also reduced. Steer average daily gains were 1.05 0.95, and 0.83 kg/steer/day in 2017 when grazing pea-barley, corn, and cover crop, respectively. For this research that relies on soil derived plant nutrients soil analysis for microbial and Rhizobia spp. biomass began recovery in 2018 and continued into 2019 as evidenced by large percentage increases in organism biomass; however, complete production recovery did not occur by the end of the 2019 grazing season in which days of grazing were reduced compared to the 2016 grazing season. Biological animal, crop, microbial, fungal, and nutrient replacement recovery will be presented in the poster.


To counter the charge that it is an elite-driven political project, the European Union increasingly uses online systems to render its working practices visible to its citizens. This article analyses how the actors involved in European Union policy-making understand the benefits derived from providing information through e-transparency, and examines whether they consider that the e-transparency systems deliver these benefits. Drawing on data from 63 semi-structured interviews with officials, Members of the European Parliament and Brussels-based transparency campaigners, the article shows a wide variation in participants' views concerning the rationale for e-transparency. It shows that e-transparency is variously seen as the means to address declining citizen trust in the Brussels institutions; as a mechanism through which citizens can participate in European Union processes and as a means of holding its institutions to account. The article argues that these various e-transparency attributes are contradictory, and it advances a framework for information providers to assess how the e-transparency tools can best meet the differing requirements of transparency users.


Materials and Methods: This study included careful analysis of 24 knees with polyethylene wear in which revision surgery was performed. Preoperative evaluations included (1) single-leg standing AP, lateral and stress view, (2) dynamic weight-bearing lateral radiographs, and (3) manual test under anesthesia. Intraoperatively, (1) morphologic change of the worn inserts, (2) rotational alignment of tibia-femoral articulation (3) motion behavior of the joint following trial insertion was observed. Based on the above evaluation, 20 knees were revised with 3-component revision by constrained PS knees. The remaining 3 knees received isolated insert exchange. Results: During the follow-up of 2–6 years, good and excellent results were obtained in all 21 patients who received three-component revision with Osteonics series IV constrained PS prosthesis. The mean HSS score was 92 and the mean ROM was 112 degrees. In the three patients receiving exchange of a thicker polyethylene only, two failed with the same mechanism 15 months and 23 months later and received re-revision. The X-ray of the remaining patient at 5-year F/U revealed impending failure. Discussion: Based on our preoperative plain/dynamic radiographs and intraoperative findings, we postulate that tibial polyethylene wear is attributed to retained PCL in the absence of ACL, excessive posterior slope of tibial cut, rotational mismatch of tibia-femoral rotation and abnormal condylar lift-off in weight-bearing phase. With passage of time and progression of wear, secondary ligamentous decompensation and multidirectional instability may develop as a result of abnormal kinematics. Therefore, by isolated exchange of insert, the failure mechanism remains unchanged and secondary ligamentous instability persists. Eventually the new insert will fail again. Conclusion: In revision surgery of tibial polyethelene wear, both the primary cause of failure and the secondary ligamentous instability must be addressed. The author strongly advocate that, in addition to reversal of the primary failure mechanism by 3-component revision, the use of a constrained PS prosthesis is mandatory to overcome the secondary soft tissue decompensation.


With the increased use of invasive fetal procedures, the number of women facing post‐procedure membrane rupture is increasing. Here we review the use of platelets and fresh frozen plasma for sealing iatrogenic fetal membrane defects by describing the mechanisms of action of the amniopatch procedure as well as published experience. In cases of iatrogenic preterm pre‐labour rupture of the membranes, amniopatch effectively seals the fetal membranes in over two‐thirds of cases. There is a risk of 16% of in utero fetal death, which may occur at varying intervals from the procedure and often for unknown reasons. Amniopatch has also been used as a treatment of chorionic membrane separation. In summary, current experience suggests that in cases of early onset but persistent amniotic fluid leakage following an invasive fetal procedure, amniopatch is an option. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


AbstractAustralians have characteristically seen themselves as a people who are unenthusiastic about hard work and more oriented toward the pursuit of leisure. It has often been suggested that the basis of this national identity as a 'laid back and carefree people' was the uniquely Australian industrial system. Recently there has been growing alarm that this situation has been eroded by deregulation of the labour market and by the emerging problems for women of balancing work and family. This sense of alarm is supported by high levels of subjectively reported time pressure. However, analysis of a substantial body of diary-based information about time use presents a paradoxical picture. While there continues to be a wide disparity between those population groups experiencing 'time poverty' and those who are 'rich' in available free time, between 1974 and 1992 average free time has increased. This holds true even after controlling for the social changes that make comparisons over time more difficult. Moreov...


Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and appropriateness of colistin therapy in patients with hematological malignancies.
Methods: Age, gender, type of hematologic malignancy, and potential carbapenem-resistant microorganism risk factors were all noted in this retrospective study. In empirical and agent-specific treatment groups, differences in demographic features, risk factors, treatment responses, and side effects were compared.
Results: Sixty-three patients were included, 54% were male, and the median age was 49. In the last three months, the hospitalization rate history was 68%, and four patients had a hospitalization history in the ICU. Carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae colonization was present in 22 patients (35%). Gram-negative microorganisms were isolated in 34 patients (54%). The carbapenem, quinolone, and colistin resistance rates were 82%, 76%, and 4% respectively. Clinical and microbiological response rates were 60% and 69%. 7 and 28-day mortality rates were 17% and 35%. There was no significant difference in demographic data and comorbidities in empirical (n=48) and agent-specific (n=15) treatment groups. The rate of carbapenem and glycopeptide treatments before colistin was higher in the empirical treatment group (p = 0.004; p = 0.001). The rate of starting combined antibiotics was higher inthe empirical treatment group (p = 0.016). Two of the patients developed renal failure in the first week after treatment.
Conclusion: The use of empirical colistin may be unavoidable given the risk considerations. Shortly, colistin-resistant strains may also be a factor affecting treatment success negatively.


In this memoir the computability of the effective homology of fibrations is studied. In Chapter 0, the basic notations about effective homology, simplicial sets and computability are introduced. In Chapter 1, an "effective version" of the Eilenberg-Moore spectral sequence is defined. Using this spectral sequence, we give in Chapter 2 an algorithm computing the effective homology of the fiber for a simplicial fibration E? B where B is simply connected and the effective homology of E and B are known. In the last Chapter, by using the above results and the acyclic models method, we find an algorithm computing the effective homology of the simplicial loop space of a simply connected simplicial set whose effective homology is known.


International trade can foster economic development. This paper examines the link between immigration from developing countries to OECD countries and their bilateral trade; it also explores some possible mechanism behind this link. It uses a gravity equation for trade augmented by an immigrant stock variable and a set of control variables. The immigrants' variable enters the estimated equation in different ways depending on immigrants' relevant characteristics both individual and non individual-specific. Results show that in developing countries there is a positive link between immigration and both exports and imports. We find evidence for the trade transaction cost channel but not for the preference one. We identify the social or ethnic network effect as the mechanism behind this link since immigrants related to business activities are the ones who have a positive effect on bilateral trade.


Gambogic acid-loaded polylacticacid nanoparticles (GA-PLA-NPs) were prepared by modified emulsification solvent diffusion. The shape of nanoparticles was observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM).The size distribution and mean diameter were measured by laser particle size analyzer. The entrapment efficiency and content of drug loading were determined by Ultraviolet Spectrophotometer after ultracentrifugation. GA-PLA-NPs release behavior in vitro was carried out. The acute toxicity were carried out to study the security of GA-PLA-NPs. The preparation process adapted to the formulation was as follows: the volume ratio of the aqueous and organic was 2∶1(v/v), the surfactant concentration in aqueous was 0.5%,the drug concentration in organic was 0.1%(w/v), GA∶PLA was 1∶4(w/w). The mean diameter was 51.36nm for the nanoparticles prepared by above conditions.The entrapment efficiency and content of drug loading were 98.87 % and 13.3 %. The release behavior of drug in vitro showed an initial burst effect with subsequently a slower rate stage. The LD50 value of GA-PLA-NPs on mouse was 26.3 mg/kg. The results showed that the GA-PLA-NPs were well prepared with stable quality and high dispersion. PLA-NPs might be used as a new carrier for gambogic acid.


After G. N. Lewis (1875-1946) proposed the term "photon" in 1926, many physicists adopted it as a more apt name for Einstein's light quantum. However, Lewis' photon was a concept of a very different kind, something few physicists knew or cared about. It turns out that Lewis' name was not quite the neologism that it has usually been assumed to be. The same name was proposed or used earlier, apparently independently, by at least four scientists. Three of the four early proposals were related to physiology or visual perception, and only one to quantum physics. Priority belongs to the American physicist and psychologist L. T. Troland (1889-1932), who coined the word in 1916, and five years later it was independently introduced by the Irish physicist J. Joly (1857-1933). Then in 1925 a French physiologist, Rene Wurmser (1890-1993), wrote about the photon, and in July 1926 his compatriot, the physicist F. Wolfers (ca. 1890-1971), did the same in the context of optical physics. None of the four pre-Lewis versions of "photon" was well known and they were soon forgotten.


Teachers can assume different roles in a distance education environment, but teachers should appreciate their importance in helping learners persist in a distance education activity. In order to discover what d;.stance education students regarded as helpful teacher behaviors, a questionnaire was designed and mailed to 334 1993-94 graduates of the 10-month nursing management distance education program across Canada. The qualitative data were collected by two methods--a critical incident exercise and interviews--and analyzed through an inducted process and followed steps suggested by Van Kaam (1959) for analyzing written descriptions and Colaizzi (1978) for analyzing interview data. A total of 926 descriptions and explanations of the distance education experience were gleaned from 109 participants. The results of the study produced six general themes of teacher behavior that students regarded as important: teaching practices, evaluation practices, interpersonal relationships, personal characteristics, professional competence, and availability to students. Students contributed positive degcriptions of how teacher behavior in each of these areas encouraged them to persist in their program. The study concluded that teachers may need to make more effort to engage in the behaviors the students regarded as helpful in order to encourage student persistence in the distance education programs. (Contains 19 references.) (KC) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * from the original document. * HELPING STUDENTS TO PERSIST IN A DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM: THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF NURSING UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA


We give a family of tautologies whose algebraic translations have constant-degree, polynomial size polynomial calculus refutations over Z/sub 2/, but which require superpolynomial size bounded-depth Frege proofs from Count/sub 2/ axioms. This gives a superpolynomial size separation of bounded-depth Frege plus mod 2 counting axioms from bounded-depth Frege plus parity gates. Combined with another result of the authors, it gives the first size (as opposed to degree) separation between the polynomial calculus and Nullstellensatz systems.


Nowadays, the complexity of the interactions between thermal plants and buildings for NZEB buildings is increasing. The decrease in primary energy consumption by NZEB is generally pursued by maximizing the use of renewable energy which gives a discontinuous contribution during the season; it becomes important to study in detail the dynamic interactions between the building and the adopted HVAC systems, by taking into account unsteady state behaviour of walls, roofs, windows, and so on. This kind of analysis can be carried out with conventional dynamic simulation software (i.e. TRNSYS, ESP-r, Energy Plus, DesignBuilder). It has been demonstrated that a detailed analysis of controlled HVAC systems can also be carried out by using SIMULINK, and in the past open block libraries made in SIMULINK were proposed for HVAC system analysis, like in the case of the CARNOT blockset. However, besides its completeness, the building modelling is still considered a weak point of CARNOT due to its limited flexibility. For this reason, a new specific library named ALMABuild based on SIMULINK blocks for the dynamic modelling of a building is presented in this paper with the aim to integrate and improve the blocks already available in CARNOT. In ALMABuild, the modelling of a building with SIMULINK is driven by means of a series of Graphical User Interfaces (GUI). In this paper a benchmark of ALMABuild is shown by using TRNSYS as a reference. The comparison evidenced a good agreement between the two methods. However, differences were present each time that the procedure indicated by the European Standard EN ISO 13790:2008 (and integrally followed by ALMABuild) was not in agreement with the procedure followed by TRNSYS (based on American standards).


The purpose of this review is to capture the scope of literature with regard to the current state of supports addressing student resilience. More specifically, this researcher is interested in those structures and interventions that are in place for post-baccalaureate students in higher education plans of study. In its infancy, research and intervention addressing this topic occurred at the K-12 level of education and later moved into baccalaureate programs of study for the most part. In addition, this research investigates the literature in order to explore the desired state in terms of student resilience. A deeper understanding of these two factors will drive future research in terms of the development and evaluation of appropriate interventions to address post-baccalaureate student resilience in higher education.


Abstract. Tidal activity in the Mesospheric Lower Thermosphere (MLT) region over Trivandrum (8.5° N, 77° E) is investigated using the observations from newly installed SKiYMET Meteor Radar. The seasonal variability and vertical propagation characteristics of atmospheric tides in the MLT region are addressed in the present communication. The observations revealed that the diurnal tide is more prominent than the semi/terdiurnal components over this latitude. It is also observed that the amplitudes of meridional components are stronger than that of zonal ones. The amplitude and phase structure shows the vertical propagation of diurnal tides with vertical wavelength of ~25 km. However, the vertical wavelength of the semidiurnal tide showed considerable variations. The vertical propagation characteristics of the terdiurnal tide showed some indications of their generating mechanisms. The observed features of tidal components are compared with Global Scale Wave Model (GSWM02) values and they showed a similar amplitude and phase structure for diurnal tides. Month-to-month variations in the tidal amplitudes have shown significant seasonal variation. The observed seasonal variation is discussed in light of the variation in tidal forcing and dissipation.


Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Patients who present with the metabolic emergency of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) have similar symptoms of diaphoresis, nausea, emesis, and abdominal pain, which can conceal acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We present a unique case where computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis with IV contrast played an integral role in diagnosing an acute myocardial infarction in a patient with no typical ischemic symptoms. A 56-year-old female presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. She was suspected of having DKA. Aggressive management was started, including weight-based appropriate IV regular insulin. A CT abdomen and pelvis with IV contrast was performed due to persistent abdomen pain. This demonstrated severe hypoattenuation of the posteroinferior aspect of the left ventricular wall. An EKG was immediately performed and was consistent with an inferior STEMI. The patient was taken to the interventional cardiology suite where they found the culprit lesion to be mid-circumflex with 100% stenosis. This case highlights many important lessons in approaching diabetic patients who are presenting with DKA. DM is associated with cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN), a condition that greatly influences perceived chest pain. While little is known about this condition, some manifestations include resting tachycardia, exercise intolerance, orthostatic hypotension, and an increased risk of silent myocardial infarction. Critically, providers must maintain a low threshold to assess for cardiac ischemia in diabetic patients and more readily obtain EKGs in triage as well as during the patient's course in the ED to prevent complications from delayed ACS care.


UV radiation (UVR) is invisible to the human eye, so is also, at least according to the official statistics in most countries, the prevalence of skin cancer caused by UVR at the workplace. For that reason, skin cancer by UVR (mainly actinic keratosis, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma) is a mayor challenge, considering that it is the most frequent and fastest growing occupational malignancy. According to EUOSHA more than 14.5 million workers across the EU are regularly working outdoors by ≥75% of their daily working hours. Thus, outdoor workers are in need of targeted protection against UVR, representing the group I definition for a complete carcinogen to humans according to IARC. Specific prevention measures, including workers education, early diagnosis and medical screening are crucial to minimise the risks and to reduce morbidity. Few European countries recognise occupational skin cancer by UVR as an occupational disease. Yet, even in those few countries, workers with skin cancers related to chronic, work-related solar UVR exposure are not granted legal recognition because under-reporting is tremendous. For instance, in Denmark, in the decennium after introducing of recognition in 2000, only 35 cases had been legally acknowledged as occupational. Recent German figures may provide an estimate of the disease burden. Within the first 24 months from its recognition (2015), more than 8000 cases of occupational 'cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma or multiple actinic keratoses' are notified each year, making it the most frequent occupational disease e.g. in agriculture and construction, as well as the most frequent occupational cancer of all branches. The magnitude of affected workers and recent dosimetric UVR measurements showing high annual exposures (>600 SED) are currently stimulating regulatory efforts for improved workplace prevention. The recognition of UVR induced skin cancer as an occupational disease, has proven to be pivotal to this approach.


The aims of the study were to: (i) identify differentially regulated proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) between multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and non‐MS controls; (ii) examine the effect of matching the CSF samples on either total protein amount or volume, and compare four protein normalization strategies for CSF protein quantification. CSF from MS patients (n = 37) and controls (n = 64), consisting of other noninflammatory neurological diseases (n = 50) and non neurological spinal anesthetic subjects (n = 14), were analyzed using label‐free proteomics, quantifying almost 800 proteins. In total, 122 proteins were significantly regulated (p < 0.05), where 77 proteins had p‐value <0.01 or AUC value >0.75. Hierarchical clustering indicated that there were two main groups of MS patients, those with increased levels of inflammatory response proteins and decreased levels of proteins involved in neuronal tissue development (n = 30), and those with normal protein levels for both of these protein groups (n = 7). The main subgroup of controls clustering with the MS patients showing increased inflammation and decreased neuronal tissue development were patients suffering from chronic fatigue. Our data indicate that the preferable way to quantify proteins in CSF is to first match the samples on total protein amount and then normalize the data based on the median intensities, preferably from the CNS‐enriched proteins.


This article presents research on how Icelandic university staff understand the role of the university and the service they owe to society as part of their job. The results are measured against four university traditions or ideologies, named after Cardinal Newman, Wilhelm Humboldt, St. Thomas Aquinas and Napoleon Bonaparte. A questionnaire was sent to all academic staff and specialists at Icelandic universities. The results strongly indicate that the basic values of the Humboldt university are strongly entrenched in the community of Icelandic academics. They emphasize that a university ought to be a force of criticism in society, and they share the vision that a university is an independent, academic zone of immunity, where academic freedom is of fundamental value. A large majority believes it is important to establish rules for governing the funding of university positions. This indicates concerns that university funding is becoming increasingly dependent on wealthy special interests with the consequence that researchers, specialists, teachers and students have less than full freedom to seek the truth in every matter. The working environment of Icelandic academics is also criticized, including the systematic evaluation of the effectiveness of university teachers and specialists, which determines their wages and promotion opportunities. Being directly linked with the academic workers' material interests, this evaluation system has a controlling influence. Its use appears problematic because it turns out that the incentives it creates seem to be at odds with the professional ideals that university staff adhere to concerning their participation in communal discourse.


: Knowledge representation (KR) is the study of how knowledge and facts about the world can be represented, and what kinds of reasoning can be done with that knowledge. It is a medium for pragmatically efficient computation, and the computational environment in which thinking is accomplished. The knowledge representation is used to solve the problems encountered in artificial intelligence. KR is a field of artificial intelligence that focuses on designing computer representations that capture information about the world that can be used to solve complex problems. Knowledge representation techniques support the representation of knowledge in a structured form which is suitable for computer processing. Today's knowledge representation system requires to design a general system which is applicable to represent declarative as well as procedural knowledge.


Background: Although the new model of sustainable employability (SE), which builds on the capability approach, has received growing attention, research on how to enhance workers' SE is scarce. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether (1) inclusive leadership and high-involvement HR practices are positively associated with SE and whether (2) strengths use mediates these associations. To test our research hypotheses, we surveyed Dutch employees (N = 364), selected with random sampling. The results of structural equation modeling showed that inclusive leadership and high-involvement HR practices were positively associated with workers' SE. Moreover, we discovered that strengths use mediated these relationships. These results contribute to the SE literature by providing initial evidence that inclusive leadership and high-involvement HR practices are directly and indirectly (through strengths use) related to workers' SE.


Palliative radiotherapy plays a major role in the managment of metastatic patients, it is effective in controlling pain, maintaining patient quality of life and / or stabilizing tumor progression. Delivery of an ablative radiotherapeutic dose with technologies such as image-guided stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) may allow a higher biologically effective dose to be delivered for better pain relief and potential local tumor control. Integration of SBRT into oligometestatic patients care may yield future benefits, with improved disease-free and overall survival. It has been recently proposed that during the evolution of some tumors, a clinical state of oligometastasis may exist when metastases are limited in number and/or in destination organs. Gain in accuracy and sensitivity of imaging techniques has in parallel induced a relative increase in the "early onset" metastatic cases. Phase I/II studies have shown potentially improved local control over conventional techniques in both primary tumors and metastasis. The translation of these technological improvements into changes in clinical practice need to be established by a robust demonstration that radiotherapy for M1 stage patients can provide clinical usefulness. At the same time we are at a turning point where novel anti-cancer agents have yielded unprecedented survival gains in metastatic patients. The challenges will be to integrate novel radiotherapy capabilities with optimal systemic therapies, while the positioning of stereotactic radiotherapy for brain mets appears to be univocal, the precise impact of SBRT for limited stage M1 patients is still a matter of debate. Biological identification parameters will be key to define the optimal patient population. The clinical setting also requires to be defined, should radiotherapy be used as a salvage alternative for tumors refractory to systemic therapies or do we have to consider SBRT as a debunking strategy independently of chemosensitivity parameters? Emerging concepts such as immune cell death and selection of refractory cells under therapeutic pressure are pleading for an early use of radiotherapy. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.


One potential explanation for the persistent gap between international state-builders' aspirations and achievements is their misguided understanding of states as institutional apparatuses abstracted and separated from society. State-society interpenetration is actually the historical norm, and a proper understanding of state forms requires close analysis of the conflicts between different social forces as they promote state projects that will advance particular interests over others. International state-builders are best conceptualised as merely one—albeit important—party to this ongoing struggle, which state-builders have no realistic hope of taming. The argument is illustrated by the case of East Timor. Both Indonesian and UN efforts to transplant state projects into Timorese society, even when backed by tremendous economic and coercive resources, failed to simply penetrate and dominate, or to create a technically efficient state insulated from, society. Rather, their state projects became interpenetrated with the society they sought to govern, and thus became shot through with social conflict. Neither more 'capacity-building' nor 'participatory intervention' can eliminate this conflict, nor evacuate it from the state.


The Catholic Magisterium has made a distinction between homosexual orientation (disordered but not sinful), homosexual activity (sinful, but judged "with prudence"), rights of gay and lesbian people, and the Church's pastoral responsibilities to gay and lesbian people. Both the Vatican and the American bishops have clearly stated that the topic of homosexuality must be addressed in Catholic education, but the emphases on how it is addressed differ between the Vatican (emphasis on finding causes and cures) and the American bishops (providing pastoral care and inclusion). This article deals with the experiences of gay and lesbian youth in Catholic high schools. It is based on in-depth interviews with 25 (12 female and 13 male) gay and lesbian alumni who attended Catholic high schools in the 1980s and 1990s. What emerged is a theme of "disintegration." Things simply did not fit together in their lives in the areas of family, peers, school, spirituality, and identity. This is in stark contrast with Catholic teaching, which proposes that the purpose of Catholic education is the integration of all these areas.


Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is being used to treat a growing number of neurological disorders. Until recently, DBS has been thought to act mainly by suppressing local neuronal activity, essentially producing a functional lesion. Numerous studies are now demonstrating that DBS has widespread network effects mediated by white matter pathways. The new science of connectomics aims to map the connectivity between brain regions in health and disease. Targeting DBS specifically to pathways which exhibit pathological connectivity could greatly expand the possibilities for treating brain diseases. This brief review examines the current state of brain imaging for visualization of these networks and describes how DBS might be used to restore normal connectivity in pathological states.


DNA has shown great promise as a building material for self-assembling nanoscale structures. To further develop the potential of this technology, more methods are needed for functionalizing DNA-based nanostructures to increase their chemical diversity. Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) holds great promise for realizing this goal, as it conveniently allows for inclusion of both amino acids and peptides in nucleic acid-based structures. In this work, we explored incorporation of a positively charged PNA within DNA nanostructures. We investigated the efficiency of annealing a lysine-containing PNA probe with complementary, single-stranded DNA sequences within nanostructures, as well as the efficiency of duplex invasion and its dependence on salt concentration. Our results show that PNA allows for toehold-free strand displacement and that incorporation yield depends critically on binding site geometry. These results provide guidance for the design of PNA binding sites on nucleic acid nanostructures with an eye towards optimizing fabrication yield.


The Ottomans ruled much of the Arab World for four centuries. Bruce Masters's work surveys this period, emphasizing the cultural and social changes that occurred against the backdrop of the political realities that Arabs experienced as subjects of the Ottoman sultans. The persistence of Ottoman rule over a vast area for several centuries required that some Arabs collaborate in the imperial enterprise. Masters highlights the role of two social classes that made the empire successful: the Sunni Muslim religious scholars, the ulama, and the urban notables, the acyan. Both groups identified with the Ottoman sultanate and were its firmest backers, although for different reasons. The ulama legitimated the Ottoman state as a righteous Muslim sultanate, while the acyan emerged as the dominant political and economic class in most Arab cities due to their connections to the regime. Together, the two helped to maintain the empire.


The digit-recurrence division relies on a sequence of addition/subtraction and shift operations in a manner similar to the paper-and-pencil approach, that gives a very regular structure suitable for efficient VLSI implementation. Speed is obtained through the use of redundant number notation allowing carry-propagation-free addition/subtraction with a delay independent of the size of the divisor. Since the quotient digits are obtained sequentially, the delay can theoretically be further reduced by recurring to higher-order radixes to obtain several quotient bits at once. This paper compares the synthesis of radix-2 and radix-4 dividers.


In 2019, the University of South Carolina's Office for the Study of Aging (OSA) remodeled the curriculum for the nationally registered Dementia Dialogues® program that delivers high-quality education to formal and informal caregivers of persons who exhibit signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). This study evaluated new knowledge acquired and program satisfaction by North and South Carolina program participants (N = 235) after completing updated modules. Pre/post module survey data were analyzed using means and percentiles, McNemar's test, and paired t tests. Results demonstrated significant positive increases in caregiver knowledge attainment, with differences in overall knowledge change in specific modules among caregivers and noncaregivers (p < .0001–<.05). Dementia Dialogues® may serve as a useful tool in providing important information that increases caregiver knowledge of persons living with ADRD. Further research is recommended to examine how knowledge improvement translates into caregiving practices.


The following guidelines were adopted by an Ad Hoc Committee convened at the Fourth International Workshop on the Fragile X Syndrome and X-Linked Mental Retardation to establish minimum cytogenetic standards for the preparation and analysis of the fragile X chromosome. The intention of the committee was to develop and provide practical standards for the routine cytogenetic detection of the fragile X. The guidelines describe reasonable criteria for effective tissue culture methods for eliciting the Xq27.3 fragile site in vitro and for the analysis of such chromosome preparations.


Background: In the USA, the lack of processes standardisation in histopathology laboratories leads to less than optimal quality, errors, inefficiency and increased costs. The effectiveness of large-scale quality improvement initiatives has been evaluated rarely. Aim: To measure the effect of implementation of a Lean quality improvement process on the efficiency and quality of a histopathology laboratory section. Methods: A non-concurrent interventional cohort study from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2006 was performed, and the Lean process was implemented on 1 January 2004. Also compared was the productivity of the Lean histopathology section to a sister histopathology section that did not implement Lean processes. Pre- and post-Lean specimen turnaround time and productivity ratios (work units/full time equivalents) were measured. For 200 Lean interventions, a 5-part Likert scale was used to assess the impact on error, success and complexity. Results: In the Lean laboratory, the mean monthly productivity ratio increased from 3439 to 4074 work units/full time equivalents (p<0.001) as the mean daily histopathology section specimen turnaround time decreased from 9.7 to 9.0 h (p = 0.01). The Lean histopathology section had a higher productivity ratio compared with a sister histopathology section (1598 work units/full time equivalents, p<0.001) that did not implement Lean processes. The mean impact, success and complexity of interventions were 2.4, 2.7 and 2.5, respectively. The mean number of specific error causes affected by individual interventions was 2.6. Conclusion: It is concluded that Lean process implementation improved efficiency and quality in the histopathology section.


This paper assesses the metabolic effort exerted by three transfemoral amputees, when using a powered knee and ankle prosthesis for stair ascent, relative to ascending stairs with passive knee and ankle prostheses. The paper describes a controller that provides step-over stair ascent behavior reflective of healthy stair ascent biomechanics, and describes its implementation in a powered prosthesis prototype. Stair ascent experiments were performed with three unilateral transfemoral amputee subjects, comparing the oxygen consumption required to ascend stairs using the powered prosthesis (with a step-over gait), relative to using their daily-use energetically passive prostheses (with a step-to gait). Results indicate on average a 24% reduction in oxygen consumption and a 30% reduction in stair ascent timewhen using the powered prosthesis, relative to when using the passive prostheses. All subjects expressed a strong preference for ascending stairs using the powered prosthesis.