This study measures the static and dynamic agricultural competitiveness of Vietnam by the RCA and the NRCA. The dynamics of the trade competitiveness indicators are assessed in three ways: OLS regression, Markov matrices, and trend analysis. The paper, moreover, tests the consistency between the RCA, NRCA, and RTA indices. The results show that (i) Vietnam, generally, achieves strong competitiveness in crop and fishery sectors whilst it has weak competitiveness in livestock and processed food sectors; (ii) the country has the convergent pattern of agricultural competitiveness with the high stability of strong competitive and uncompetitive sectors; (iii) the country's agricultural export strategy and competitiveness pattern are based on the natural-resource-intensive and traditional agricultural products with a slight improvement over time; and (iv) the RCA, NRCA, and RTA indices are strongly consistent in identifying the degrees of competitiveness and determining whether a country obtains competitiveness while they are weakly consistent in ranking competitiveness.


The undetectable onset of glioma and the difficulty of surgery lead to a poor prognosis. Appropriate biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment need to be identified. Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) is involved in the initiation and progression of cancer. However, up until now, no report has revealed the relationship between IRAK4 and glioma. The present study aimed to examine the expression of IRAK4 in glioma, and to determine if there was a relationship between IRAK4 expression and clinical outcomes or survival prognosis. Thousands of glioma tissue samples and corresponding clinical information were obtained from various databases. Then a series of bioinformatics methods were used to reveal the role of IRAK4 in glioma. Finally, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR technology was used to verify the bioinformatics results. The study found that the expression of IRAK4 was significantly increased in glioma compared with the control brain tissue samples, and IRAK4, as an independent prognostic factor, shortened the overall survival time of patients with glioma. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis showed that IRAK4 promoted the activation of cell signalling pathways, such as NOD-like and Toll-like receptor signalling pathways. Co-expression analysis showed that the expression of IRAK4 was correlated with CMTM6, MOB1A and other genes. The present study demonstrated the role of IRAK4 as an oncogene in the pathological process of glioma for the first time, and highlights the potential of IRAK4 as a biomarker for prognostic evaluation and treatment of glioma.


Red abalone nacre is an intensely studied biomineral, and yet its formation mechanism remains poorly understood. Here we report quantitative measurements probing the degree of order of the aragonite tablets in nacre, and show that order develops over a distance of about 50 microns. These observations indicate that the orientational order of aragonite tablets in nacre is established gradually and dynamically, and we show that a model of controlled assembly based on suppression of the crystal growth rate along a specific direction, when growth is confined in a layered structure, yields a tablet pattern consistent with those revealed by detailed experimental measurements. This work provides strong evidence that the organism s control of crystal orientation in nacre occurs via regulation of crystal nucleation and growth as opposed to direct templation or heteroepitaxial growth on organic molecules on the organic matrix sheets.


Several lines of evidence suggest that neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients are partially due to damage to small vessels. However, the potential mechanisms are unclear. Here, we show that brain endothelial cells express SARS-CoV-2 receptors. The main protease of SARS-CoV-2 (Mpro) cleaves NEMO, the essential modulator of NF-κB signaling. By ablating NEMO, Mpro induces the death of human brain endothelial cells and a microvascular pathology in mice that is similar to what we find in the brain of COVID-19 patients. Importantly, the inhibition of receptor-interacting protein kinase (RIPK) 3, a mediator of regulated cell death, blocks the vessel rarefaction and disruption of the blood-brain barrier due to NEMO ablation. Our data suggest RIPK as a therapeutic target to treat the neuropathology of COVID-19.


Set-valued classification, a new classification paradigm that aims to identify all the plausible classes that an observation belongs to, can be obtained by learning the acceptance regions for all classes. Many existing set-valued classification methods do not consider the possibility that a new class that never appeared in the training data appears in the test data. Moreover, they are computationally expensive when the number of classes is large. We propose a Generalized Prediction Set (GPS) approach to estimate the acceptance regions while considering the possibility of a new class in the test data. The proposed classifier minimizes the expected size of the prediction set while guaranteeing that the class-specific accuracy is at least a pre-specified value. Unlike previous methods, the proposed method achieves a good balance between accuracy, efficiency, and anomaly detection rate. Moreover, our method can be applied in parallel to all the classes to alleviate the computational burden. Both theoretical analysis and numerical experiments are conducted to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.


This article explores the potential for drugs which can cause oedema to exacerbate pre-existing lymphoedema. Guidance on the assessment and management of patients taking these drugs is given. Drugs which may be used to treat lymphoedema are also considered. Current evidence does not support the routine use of benzopyrones, selenium, or diuretics in the management of lymphoedema. There is, however, a place for the use of corticosteroids and diuretics in specific circumstances, such as in the oedema of advanced cancer.


The Gulf of California, or, more poetically, the Sea of Cortez, is a fascinating and complex semienclosed sea of the eastern North Pacific. Surrounded by arid and mountainous regions, the Gulf loses moisture to the atmosphere, creating a high-salinity, relatively warm water mass, and giving rise to a vertical thermohaline circulation. Although there is an excess of evaporation over precipitation in the Gulf, there is a net gain of heat from the atmosphere, of sufficient magnitude to reverse the evaporative buoyancy loss. This combination of air-sea heat and moisture fluxes requires an annual average of deep inflow and shallower outflow, which is opposite to the exchange between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean or the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Water mass tr nsformation in the northern Gulf reflects this inverted system: limited convection and extensive tidal mixing combine the saline surface waters of the far northern Gulf and the fresh, deep, inflowing Pacific Intermediate Water into a distinct water mass, Gulf Water, exchanged with the Pacific. Deep inflow to the Gulf provides enhanced nutrients and may well be responsible for the high productivity observed in the Gulf. Tides are strong in the Gulf because of co-oscillation with the Pacific and resonance of the semidiurnal component. Significant tidal energy also distinguishes the Gulf from other midlatitude marginal seas, providing energy for enhanced mixing. Wind forcing of circulation in the Gulf appears to be of secondary importance, even over the shelf. Remote effects, including coastally trapped waves, dominate shelf circulation on the eastern side of the Gulf, at least during summer. Although energetic currents are observed on the western boundary of the Gulf, they do not appear to correlate with the local wind nor with the shelf waves on the eastern coast. The forcing mechanisms responsible for observed basinwide gyres and intense currents along the western boundary have yet to be identified. Interannual variability in the Gulf is dominated by End_Page 511------------------------ effects of the global phenomenon labeled El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). In the Gulf, productivity is greatly enhanced during ENSO years, unlike the open coast of California, where productivity is reduced. ENSO conditions in the eastern Pacific bring warm, fresh Tropical Surface Water well into the Gulf, where it is normally not found. Water mass formation by winter convection appears to be more widespread during ENSO years, possibly reflecting changes in the water mass flowing into the northern Gulf during ENSO winters. Changes in hydrography during ENSO years extend to the bottom of the 1500-m-deep channels of the northern Gulf and suggest annual renewal of those deep, oxygen-rich waters.


Agricultural zonal migrations and altitudinal shifts of high chill requirements fruit trees such as apple trees is considered a way of adaptation to climate change in mountain agriculture. This study examines near and far future options (2050-2070) of this local adaptation method in four village clusters in Mount-Lebanon, involving the expansion of agricultural lands to suitable regions under different degrees of climate change scenarios of temperature increase and precipitations regime fluctuation. A Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping calculation model was established for agricultural land evaluation which aims to locate spaces where the agriculture development indicators such as soil type, slope, future temperatures, and future precipitations will be suitable for cultivation under different climate change scenarios and models. The model does not seek the exact delineation of plots as much as the location of areas with a trend of agricultural relevance in the next 30 to 50 years. This classification is a tool to help Mount-Lebanon farmers and apple growers in adapting locally to climate change by choosing the best future spots to migrate their crops to. Results showed that most lands in which agricultural development is viable, are already in use for apple production (mainly) in the 4 clusters, leaving small parcels of land with variable agro-potentials to be developed in the future under favorable climate conditions. The agriculture potential of plots of altitude exceeding 2000 meters is to be validated in the studied area, especially since the climatic and irrigation conditions of there can present serious challenges.


3D synchrotron radiation microtomography was used to investigate bone architecture in order to study the genetic influence of a model of osteoporosis. For this purpose, two strains of mice with different skeletal characteristics C3H/HeJ (C3H) and C57BL/6J (B6), were submitted to a model of bone loss by hind limb unloading produced by tail-suspension. Three groups of mice were constituted for each strain: basal control, attached non-suspended control, and tail-suspended. The distal metaphyses of the femur of each mouse was imaged using 3D synchrotron radiation microtomography at the ESRF (ID19) with a 6.65 /spl mu/m resolution. A 3D ROI containing the trabecular bone of the secondary spongiosa above the growth cartilage was automatically selected within each reconstructed volume. Then, 3D morphological and topological parameters quantifying the 3D bone architecture were computed. Results show that the two strains present significant differences in bone architecture, in their responses to immobilization. In particular, strain B6, having lower BV/TV and thinner trabeculae than strain C3H, loses bone when suspended, while strain C3H does not.


In skeletal muscles, the calcineurin - nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) pathway has been implicated as a positive regulator of the slow muscle phenotype. Spinal cord transection (ST) results in muscle paralysis and a slow to fast shift in muscle phenotype in the normally slow soleus muscle of rats. Therefore, to determine if the NFAT pathway could mediate the slow to fast shift after ST, NFAT-directed transcription was assessed in the soleus muscle of rats after ST. Seven days after ST, a significant down-regulation in the activity of an exogenous NFAT sensor promoter-reporter construct was observed (~20% of control levels). Second, RT-PCR analyses revealed that MCIP1.4 mRNA, an endogenous indicator of NFAT-directed transcriptional activation, was decreased by ~80% relative to controls when normalized to β-actin mRNA levels. Similarly, real time RT-PCR showed a down-regulation in the relative levels of MCIP1.4 mRNA at 1 day (92% reduction) and 7 days (89% reduction) after ST relative to control levels. These data demonstrate that NFAT-directed transcriptional activity is rapidly down-regulated following a reduction in neuromuscular activity. Since ST also results in a slow to fast shift in phenotypic protein expression, the down-regulation of NFAT transcriptional activity is consistent with a role for the calcineurin - NFAT pathway in down regulating slow muscle phenotypic gene expression after ST.


Learning from incidents (LFI) is a useful approach when examining past events and developing measures to prevent ensuing recurrence. Although the reporting of incidents in the aircraft maintenance and continuing airworthiness domain is well appointed, it is often unclear how the maximum effect of safety data can be efficaciously applied in support of LFI in the area. From semi-structured interviews, with thirty-four participants, the gathered data were thematically analyzed with the support of NVivo software. This study establishes a relationship between an incident in its lifecycle and the learning process. The main aim of this work is to elucidate factors that enable LFI. The analysis of the data revealed, for example, the benefits of a just culture and the use of formal continuation training programs in this respect. Moreover, it identified limitations inherent in current processes such as poor event causation and poorly designed learning syllabi. Additionally, aspects such as a lack of regulatory requirements for competence in the areas of learning for managers and accountable persons currently exist. This thematic analysis could be used in support of organizations examining their own processes for learning from incidents. Additionally, it can support the development of terms of reference for a continuing airworthiness regulatory working group to examine, strengthen and better apply LFI in the aviation industry.


A 2-year-old girl with failure to thrive underwent abdominal ultrasound which suggested a single kidney. Tc-99m DMSA imaging revealed a large, irregular reniform-shaped structure in the left abdomen and no activity on the right side. A dynamic study with Tc-99m MAG3 confirmed the presence of crossed renal ectopia with good function of both kidneys.


Q-35 [1-cyclopropyl-6-fluoro-1,4-dihydro-8-methoxy-7-(3-methylaminopiperid ine-1-yl)-4-oxoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid], a fluoroquinolone, has absorbance peaks at 333 and 286 nm. No spectral change was observed even when this aqueous solution was irradiated with 3 J of long-wavelength UV light (UVA) per cm2. On the other hand, its derivatives, which are unsubstituted (8-H analog) or which are substituted with fluorine at the 8 position (8-F analog), were found to have decreased antibacterial activities with a simultaneous increase in their cytotoxicities when they were degraded in a dose-dependent manner with respect to UVA irradiation. Similar results were observed with the other available fluoroquinolones. Enoxacin and lomefloxacin exposed to 0.3 J of irradiation per cm2 and norfloxacin, ofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin exposed to 1 J of irradiation per cm2 underwent absorption spectrum changes, an accompanying decrease in antibacterial activity, and an increase in cytotoxic activity. These results suggest that the introduction of a methoxy group into the 8 position of quinolones plays an important role in the stability of fluoroquinolones against irradiation by UV light.


This paper presents new investigations on the aging of Thermal Interface Materials (TIM) subjected to thermal cycling conditions. The challenge was to design a specific and original set-up in order to not only undergo avionic temperature mission profile (-50°C/+150°C) but also to perform standardized thermal characterization at always same conditions. Thermal conductivity is used as aging indicator. Several TIM materials (change phase, graphite and polymer based) have undergone 1500 of such cycles. As a result, only the phase change material thermal interface has been affected with a 30% increase of initial thermal resistance.


Snoring has been shown to be the primary sign of a potentially serious medical condition, ie, obstructive sleep apnea. Traditionally, the otolaryngologist has been the primary resource for patients with snoring problems although, until recently, little was known about the now-acknowledged serious complications of this phenomenon. Among the primary treatments for this condition, the most commonly used to-date involve surgical procedures routinely performed by the otolaryngologist, ie, tracheostomy and uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. Thus, the practicing otolaryngologist has been thrust into the forefront of diagnosis and management of obstructive sleep apnea, and it behooves the modern practitioner to be cognizant of the multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis and management of this problem. The utilization of information obtained during the sleep study determines the management of the sleep apneic patient.


Fungi from the genera Alternaria, Colletotrichum and Fusarium are listed among the most important storage pathogens of apple fruits. Isolate of Alternaria sp. was obtained from apple fruit samples expressing rot symptoms. Biological control of plant pathogens by means of microorganisms is considered as an attractive alternative to chemicalbased treatments, with minimal impact on the environment. Actinomycetes are known to have a great potential for control of plant fungal diseases and their antifungal activity greatly depends on the medium


Intoduction Essential oils (EOs) are important aromatic components of herbs and spices which are complex mixtures of secondary plant metabolites consisting of low-boiling-phenylpropenes and terpenes. Their biological activities have been known and utilized since ancient times in perfumery, food preservation, flavoring, and medicine. Some of their biological activities include antibacterial, antifungal, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The ban on the use of antibiotics as growth promoters has stimulated the search for alternative feed supplements in animal production. EOs have received attention in recent years as potential 'natural' alternatives for replacing antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) in animal diets due to their positive impact on growth performance and welfare. A number of studies have been carried out to investigate the effects of EOs on broiler performance rather than the physiological effects, but the results have not been consistent (or constant). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of four essential oils (Thymus vulgaris, Mentha piperita, Citrus lemon, Carum copticom) on growth performance, some of the serum biochemistry parameters and lipogenic gene expression in broiler chickens.
Materials and Methods A total of 312, 1-day-old broiler chicks were allocated in completely randomized design to 13 groups with 6 replicate cages per treatment. After 2-day adjustment with the basal diet, the birds were randomly assigned to the corresponding experimental diets supplemented with 0 (Control), 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg diet essential oils extracted from Crum capticum, Thymus vulgaris, Mentha piperita and Cirtus lemon. The basal diet composed of maize–soybean meal prepared in our laboratory and all birds had free access to water for the entire period. Food intake and BW were recorded to determine growth performance and feed: gain ratio. At the end of the experiment (42 day) blood samples (6 samples per treatment) were taken for measuring biochemical analysis including total protein, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-c and LDL-c by commercial kits. Samples of the liver were collected on day 42 after slaughter (6 samples per treatment) and the hepatic expression of the genes encoding malic enzyme (ME), fatty acid synthase (FAS) were determined with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using SYBR green as a flourophore monitored in a real time mode.
Results and discussion The results showed that the body weight, feed intake and feed conversion ratio of broilers at day 42 were not affected by supplementing EOs to the basal diet. However, daily body weight gain of broilers at 21 day decreased significantly (P<0.05) by dietary supplementation of 150 ppm Mentha piperita essential oil compared to control and some of the treatment groups. In the previous studies, variable effects of EOs on performance have been reported. The variability in the efficacy of EOs on animal performance could be attributed to the composition of the basal diet (less digestible diet), level of feed intake, hygienic standards and environmental conditions. Other factors that could affect the results of in vivo experiments are: harvesting time and state of maturity of plants, extraction methods of plants, method and duration of conservation and storing and possible synergistic or antagonistic effect of the bioactive compounds. The concentrations of serum cholesterol, total protein, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-c and LDL-c were not affected by treatments. The absence of hypochlosrtrolemic and hypolipidemic effects of applied essential oils in the present study may be attributed to rapid urinary excretion of essential oil metabolites and composition of the basal feed. Treatments had no significant effect on the expression of mRNA for fatty acid synthase compared to control. In chicks fed the diet supplemented with 150 ppm mint essential oil, malic enzyme mRNA expression was significantly (P≤0.05) enhanced compared with chicks fed the basal diet. The reason for this effect is unknown, but it may be attributed to Stress-Induced Metabolic or metabolic stress inducing by upper dose of mint EO that may predispose broilers to hepatic steatosis.In general, results of the present study propose a possible role for some herbal essential oils in the regulation of broiler metabolism. However, contrary to our previous assumption, this role may not be antilypogenic. Moreover, according to the results it could be claimed that EOs may have differential and dose response effects on lipid metabolism in broilers. In conclusion, supplementation of Mint EO at upper levels (150 ppm) in not recommended as feed additive in broiler diets.


This essay investigates how Leibniz and Daniel Ernst Jablonski handled the ironing out of intra-protestant religious differences, notably on predestination in the years ca. 1697-1702. I shall be focusing on the recently published union document between the Lutherans of Hanover and the Calvinists of Brandenburg, entitled the Unvorgreiffliches Bedencken1 (hereafter UB)and on the equally recently published and hitherto practically unknown Meditationes pacatae de praedestinatione et gratia, fato et libero arbitrio of 1701-ca. 1706 2. This is a series of Leibniz's annotations on Jablonski's Latin translation of article 17 (predestination) of the bishop of Salisbury, Gilbert Burnet's Exposition of the 39 Articles of the Church of England. I shall try to show how the issue of predestination is handled in the UB by Leibniz and how his notes on the Meditationes complement and modify Jablonski's Latin edition of the 17th article of Burnet's Exposition the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England. This will enable us to isolate the set of theological problems faced by the Lutheran and Calvinist participants in the negotium irenicum of 1697 -1702 and to point to the specific nature of the solutions proposed by Leibniz which were philosophical rather than theological. The underlying issue here is that of coexistence of philosophy and theology in Leibniz's system. Indeed, one of the persistent questions about this philosopher concerns the exact relationship between his metaphysics (including physics and mathematics) and his theological views: which determined which? I hope to take the debate further here by analysing Leibniz's contribution to the specifically theological issue of predestination, which, it will emerge, has direct bearing on Leibniz's Essais de théodicée of 1710.


We present the UltraSound ToolBox (USTB), a processing framework for ultrasound signals. USTB aims to facilitate the comparison of imaging techniques and the dissemination of research results. It fills the void of tools for algorithm sharing and verification, and enables a solid assessment of the correctness and relevance of new approaches. It also aims to boost research productivity by cutting down implementation time and code maintenance. USTB is a MATLAB toolbox for processing 2D and 3D ultrasound data, supporting both MATLAB and C++ implementations. Channel data from any origin, simulated and experimental, and using any kind of sequence, e.g. synthetic transmit aperture imaging (STAI) or coherent plane-wave compounding (CPWC), can be processed with USTB. Here we describe some of the elements of USTB such as: the ultrasound file format, the concept of the general beamformer, and the signal processing pipeline. We also show a minimal code example, and demonstrate that USTB can be used with the most used transmit sequences: STAI, CPWC, diverging wave imaging (DWI), focused imaging (FI), and retrospective transmit beamforming (RTB).


The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between neuropathic symptoms (i.e. pain and paraesthesia/dysaesthesia) and structural damage and functional alterations of spinal sensory tracts in patients with syringomyelia. Three-dimensional fibre tracking of the cervical spinal cord (at level C3-C4), electrophysiological assessments of nociceptive (laser-evoked potentials) and non-nociceptive (somatosensory-evoked potentials) pathways and quantitative sensory testing were carried out in 37 patients with syringomyelia, 27 with neuropathic pain and 21 controls. Four regions of the body (both hands and shoulders) were systematically examined with laser-evoked potentials and quantitative sensory testing, and somatosensory-evoked potentials were induced from both hands. The diffusion tensor imaging variables investigated included the mean fractional anisotropy, the mean apparent diffusion coefficient and the number of reconstructed nerve fibres of the tracts located within three volumes of interest (full spinal section, anterior cord and posterior cord). Consistent with the results of previous studies, patients with or without neuropathic pain were indistinguishable on the basis of quantitative sensory testing, laser-evoked and somatosensory-evoked potentials and three-dimensional fibre tracking analyses. However, in patients with neuropathic pain, higher average daily pain intensity was correlated with greater structural damage to the spinal cord, as assessed by fractional anisotropy (Spearman's ρ = -0.64, P = 0.020) and the number of reconstructed nerve fibres (r = -0.75; P = 0.020) of the full spinal cord. The number of reconstructed nerve fibres was negatively correlated with two neuropathic dimensions, i.e. 'deep spontaneous pain' (r = -0.59, P = 0.040) and 'paraesthesia/dysaesthesia' (i.e. pins and needles/tingling) (r = -0.67, P = 0.020), suggesting that various pain descriptors have distinct underlying mechanisms. Patients with both spontaneous and evoked pain clearly differed from patients with spontaneous pain only. Patients with spontaneous pain only had more severe spinal cord damage, and the correlation between average daily pain intensity and fractional anisotropy of the full spinal cord was particularly strong in this subgroup of patients (Spearman's ρ = -0.93, P = 0.008). By contrast, patients with both spontaneous and evoked pain had not only less structural spinal cord damage, but also better preserved spinothalamic and lemniscal tracts on quantitative sensory testing and electrophysiological testing. These data showed, for the first time, a direct relationship between central neuropathic pain and objective markers of spinal cord damage, and confirmed the clinical relevance of 3D fibre tracking for the sensory assessment of patients with a spinal cord lesion.


The authors report six personal cases of malignant venous tumours of the limbs, tumour pathology of the inferior vena cava being excluded from this study. Diagnostic features are described together with the various therapeutic possibilities. This discussion forms the basis of a review of the worldwide literature, but stresses two problems which determine the prognosis: that of diagnosis, which in the majority of cases is very late, and that of their prognosis, which remains somber because of their tendency to metastasize by blood-borne spread and that of locoregional recurrences. Finally, the authors suggest a three stage classification, taking into account not only macroscopic pathological features but also the results of the various special investigations which have led to the diagnosis. Prognostic correlation based upon the features involved in this classification is entirely satisfactory.


We read with interest the work of Gabay and colleagues' and their exchange of letters with Dr Nesher and colleagues.2 We would like to try to reconcile the two points of view regarding antiperinuclear factor (APF) results in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), first by drawing attention to an important technical detail which seems to have been neglected until now, and then by suggesting an alternative explanation for this discrepancy between results. Our experience corroborates that of Nesher's group, as we noted APF-IgG in four of 16 cases of JRA of polyarticular onset but in no other form; however, interestingly, three of these four patients were young adults at the time of APF testing (personal unpublished results). When we used the exact methodology described by Youinou,' especially the 10% positive cell criterion and a 1:80 threshold dilution, the titres of these four sera were evaluated as 1:200 (twice), and 1:500 (twice). Thus we can also agree with Gabay and colleagues that the suggested procedure' is relevant, especially the 10% positive cell criterion. Accordingly, Nesher's explanation for the lower prevalence found in Gabay's study is apparently not correct. How could such a misunderstanding occur? We had the opportunity several years


Abstract—PID controllers are widely used in industrial plants because it is simple and robust. So the control engineers are adapting the tuning process. This paper presents an optimization technique method of particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm for tuning the proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller parameters for electro-hydraulic servo system. ZieglerNichols, tuning method and automatic tuning method was applied in the PID tuning and results were compared with the PSO-Based PID for optimum control. Simulation results are presented to show that the PSO-Based optimized PID controller is capable of providing an improved closed-loop performance over the ZieglerNichols and automatic tuned PID controller Parameters.


The Sunbelt's social, cultural, and economic development from the 1940s through the 1970s foreshadowed the region's emergence as a nationally dominant political force during the 1980s and beyond. From roughly 1945 until the close of the 1970s, the Sunbelt was transformed into an economically vibrant, culturally diverse, and bitterly contested battleground on which many of the most divisive and important political struggles of the postwar era were waged. The Sunbelt's development also correlated with an important trend in American politics – one in which the nation's political culture, over time, came to resemble and reflect the Sunbelt's. Put another way, by the 1980s, the Sunbelt seemed to encapsulate the very essence of American politics, if not American history more broadly – sentimentally patriotic, nostalgic, and dedicated to middle-class expansion on the one hand, divisive, polarized, and passionately contested on the other. These were not necessarily new characteristics in the history of American politics, but so far as the twentieth century was concerned, it was the contested but predominantly conservative nature of the Sunbelt's development that entrenched these characteristics at the forefront of the nation's political stage. If the first three decades following the end of World War II were a story about the Sunbelt's remarkable rise from obscurity (or nonexistence) to prominence and power, then the last two decades of the twentieth century were a story about how the rest of the United States came to see the Sunbelt not as an anomaly, but as a pacesetter and role model.


Received: Revised: Accepted: Published online: October 10, 2018 February 15, 2019 February 28, 2019 March 22, 2019 Brucellosis is an economically important zoonotic disease that is endemic in different parts of Iraq. An outbreak of abortion occurred in sheep and goats in Sharazor subdistrict, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq and Brucella infection was suspected to be the cause. Between November 1, 2014, and January 31, 2015, 47 tissue and vaginal swab samples were collected from 17 herds. Samples from each herd were mixed together to make 17 pooled samples. The Brucella genus-specific primer Bruc was used to amplify the 223 bp amplicon of bcsp31 gene. Fifteen of the 17 samples (88%) were positive for Brucella genus. Thereafter, five samples were randomly selected to identify the species by designing four sets of Brucella-species-specific primers. Sequencing of the Outer Membrane Protein 2 (omp2) gene was performed and the sequences were aligned with others in the GenBank databases. The results showed that the omp2 gene of the five isolates from Sharazor had 99-100% similarities with Brucella melitensis bv. 2 that was isolated from United States (accession number CP007789) and B. melitensis strain 20236 (accession # CP008750) isolated from human in China. The amino acid sequences of the omp2a gene in the five isolates were similar with other isolates in GenBank with the exception of B. suis bv. 2 (accession # CP007720). This study reported the occurrence of B. melitensis for the first time in Sharazor subdistrict, Sulaymaniyah, northern Iraq, using molecular techniques. ©2019 PVJ. All rights reserved


In this paper, we propose a fully automatic approach for person-independent 3D facial expression recognition. In order to extract discriminative expression features, each aligned 3D facial surface is compactly represented as multiple global histograms of local normal patterns from multiple normal components and multiple binary encoding scales, namely Multi-Scale Local Normal Patterns (MS-LNPs). 3D facial expression recognition is finally carried out by modeling multiple kernel learning (MKL) to efficiently embed and combine these histogram based features. By using the SimpleMKL algorithm with the chi-square kernel, we achieved an average recognition rate of 80.14% based on a fair experimental setup. To the best of our knowledge, our method outperforms most of the state-of-the-art ones.


Introduction  - periodontal disease is considered the sixth classic complication of the diabetes melito. Recent studies tell that the diabetes melito and the periodontal disease represent a bidirectional association, in which the diabetes favors the development of the periodontal disease and this, when no treated, it hinders the metabolic control of the diabetes. The periodontites related to systemic diseases are caused by bacterial plate and also exacerbated by the oral condition. Objective: accomplish a literature revision in relation to the influence of the periodontal disease in the diabetic patient's systemic factor, and for its time, the influence of the diabetes in the development and progression of the periodontal disease. Conclusion: the diabetes melito is a factor of importance in the incidence and prevalence of periodontal disease, as well as the periodontal disease it can have influence on the metabolic control of the diabetes. The periodontal treatment seems to contribute for the improvement of the glycemic control of diabetic individuals and with periodontal disease.


The development of paradoxical clinical worsening following initiation of tuberculosis treatment may complicate the clinical course of both HIV-infected and uninfected patients. We report a severe manifestation of the so called paradoxical reaction to the treatment of tuberculosis that unmasked previously silent meningeal disease in a 34-year-old HIV-infected male patient.


ABSTRACT This paper explores the unit of Micah 3,9-12, its structure, language, imagery, and the worldviews reflected in it. Based on this discussion I reach the conclusion that the prophet is not only reproaching the leaders for how they fulfill their role, but he mainly focuses on the mindset that motivates their actions. The prophet criticizes leaders for assuming that "God is among [them]," which leads them to cast off their personal responsibility and pin their hopes on God. The prophet seeks to undermine the centrality of God's role, and to shift the responsibility to the leaders in particular, and to humanity in general. He does this not only by expressing their main sin in v. 11, but also through the prediction of the punishment of destruction that appears in v. 12 and the formulation of the connections between their sin and their punishment. The formulation of this unit reflects the struggle with the so-called 'Zion Tradition' and the effects it may have on human behavior. The position reflected in the unit of 3,9-12 is also expressed in other units in the book of Micah, which I will mention briefly in my conclusion.


Fundamental oscillators prove the existence of gain at high frequencies, revealing the speed limitations of other circuits in a given technology. This paper presents an oscillator topology that employs feedback from an output stage to the core, thus achieving a high speed. The behavior of the proposed oscillator is formulated and simulations are used to compare it with the conventional cross-coupled pair circuit. Three prototypes realized in 65-nm CMOS technology operate at 205 GHz, 240 GHz, and 300 GHz, each drawing 3.7 mW from a 0.8-V supply.


The main objective of this work is to determine if ISAGEN in practice has been able to implement comprehensively the whole concept of "Shared Value" set to redefine its strategy. While, in 2012 ISAGEN incorporated Shared Value concept in its company mission and its corporate strategy, the research group will seek to identify what are the key variables underlying the concept of shared value and look for evidence in management of ISAGEN to determine if there is indeed a consistency between Shared Value concept in theory and practice.


Alometric relationships among morphological characters provide evidence of the evolutionary forces that act on a particular trait. Spiders that live on the ground are less dimorphic than orb web spiders, which have been attributed to their different reproductive and foraging strategies. It has been proposed that long legs with respecto to the body size in males, yields an optimization of locomotion costs. The aim of this study was to characterize the variability of the length of legs in the Chilean recluse spider Loxosceles laeta and to compare the alometric relationships of the locomotor legs in males and females. Both sexes showed negative alometric relationships between the length of the legs and the lengtgh of the cephalotorax, ie spiders of large body size have proportionally shorter legs than that of small body size, which may be explained by bio mechanic causes. The males showed longer legs than females both in absolute and relative terms. That means that males have a higher locomotor efficiency than females. The relative small body size is related to a low transportation cost, which associated with long legs is the expected morphology for the more active and mobile males in this species.


Коzlova V. Y. Information technologies in the conditions of strategy of reformation of higher education in Ukraine. In the article research of «Strategy of reformation of higher education is conducted in Ukraine» in the cut of introduction of ІТinfrastructures. It is reasonable, that this process is accompanied by substantial changes in a pedagogical theory and practice of educational process, related to making alteration in maintenance of technologies educating that must be adequate to modern economic feasibilities. Information technologies are called to become a not additional «make-weight» in educating and by inalienable part of integral educational process, a considerably step-up his efficiency. It is important to put right a collaboration between ІТcompanies and institutions of higher learning. Specialists from ІТ-companies it will be given possibility not only to shorten terms of introduction of ІТ-projects and to promote an economic return from them, but also to give a push to development that is provided by the correctly chosen strategy on a distant prospect. Institutions of higher learning need support from the side of business. There must be the mixed financing, plus a transmission in institutions of higher learning on gratuitous basis and without the licensed limitations of software of those firms that want to move forward the software at the Ukrainian market. Such experience is already, and he is necessary to be extended. From the side the state must finance the infrastructural projects of institutions of higher learning, creation of centers of the collective use and situational centers, of to execute the role of catalyst of translation of educational process on a new infrastructural and technological level.


Centrifugal pump performance is affected when pumping viscous liquids, requiring a larger power input than the same pump handling water. In applications of chemical, civil, environmental, and mechanical engineering that involve centrifugal pumps, it is a challenge to accurately estimate and even more of a challenge to improve their performance when handling viscous liquids. When accurate performance data is needed, difficult experiments must be conducted with the operating viscous flow. The extension of the applicability of numerical techniques for solving fluid dynamics (CFD) permits the consideration of these tools as a definite possibility for predicting the performance of centrifugal pumps with viscous flows. The purpose of this study is to perform a 3D-CFD steady-state simulation of three different configurations of centrifugal pumps. The first is an impeller-diffuser pump (ns = 19) taken from an ESP model. The second is a Francis Pump-Turbine (ns = 28). Finally, the third configuration possesses an impeller and volute (ns = 32). The objective is to characterize and evaluate their performances with four different fluids from 1 to 420 cSt. These are: water at 25°C, SAE10 and SAE30 oils, and Fuel Oil Medium (FOM). For water flow conditions, the numerical results were compared with experimental data, and found to be consistent with global performance parameters. With regard to the higher viscosity fluids, the CFD calculation was compared with those obtained through the standard empirical method (ANSI/HI9.6.7). This resulted in good agreement between the performance results. The commercial software ANSYS-CFX was used for the CFD calculations.The resulting pump performance curve (head, hydraulic efficiency and power output) is consistent with that expected by theory. In general, as the viscosity of fluids increases, the hydraulic energy losses increase. Of the three pumps, slip factor for SAE30 oil was larger for all volumetric flows since it features the best guidance of the flow in the impeller blade passage. For the ns32 pump and the pump-turbine ns28, the volute losses rose from water to FOM, just like the impeller hydraulic losses. For these two turbo machines, the impeller losses were larger than volute losses. For the pumps with volute, the effects of fluid viscosity on the radial forces were evaluated. It was found that the radial forces decrease when the viscosity increases. This paper attempts to contribute to a better understanding of fluid dynamics within centrifugal pump impellers handling viscous fluids, and intends to shed more light on the approaches that performance prediction models should follow in the future.Copyright © 2012 by ASME


This paper presents an extended formulation for fault location on electric distribution systems based on one-terminal measurement of apparent impedance. The method is developed using phase-components analysis to account for the inherent unbalanced operation of distribution feeders. Since distribution loads present a stochastic variation through time, a technique for compensation of load variation in both magnitude and angle is also presented. The proposed developments include two general fault location equations that account for any fault type. An iterative algorithm to compensate the line capacitive current component is also provided, thus enabling the application of the technique to long rural and underground systems, in addition to overhead distribution systems. Test results show the accuracy and robustness of the fault location algorithm to different fault types, distances and resistances, considering system's load profile variations up to ± 50%.


Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the role that internal marketing and internal communications play in transferring the corporate identity to the members of the organization Background: Having a strong corporate identity can be a competitive advantage. However, few organizations are willing to devote the time and money it takes to ensure that everyone within the organization are fully aware of the corporate identity. One way to spread the corporate identity within the organization is through internal marketing. Many different activities fall under the concept internal marketing one of them being internal communications. One problem with this is that most organizations are more willing to make sure that their external stakeholders know of their corporate identity and they willingly throw money into advertising campaigns without informing the employees. Method: The investigation is based on a qualitative method in form of a case study where Riksbyggen was used. Five employees were interviewed and the results are presented in the empirical findings. Later the data was analyzed along with the frame of reference. Conclusion: The research found that Riksbyggen does not use their internal marketing to a large extent to spread their corporate identity. They use other internal marketing activities, e.g. internal training, bonus system, health care and funding to take courses that are unrelated to their work. The evidence that those activities actually spread the corporate identity might not be clearly visible to everyone. However, when analyzing Riksbyggen's values, vision, history and through interviewing the employees it was clear that they embodied the corporate identity of Riksbyggen.


The problem of optimal allocation of service centers is considered in this paper. It is supposed that the information received from GIS is presented like second kind fuzzy graphs. Method of optimal location as method of finding vitality fuzzy set of second kind fuzzy graph is suggested. Basis of this method is building procedure of reachability matrix of second kind fuzzy graph in terms of reachability matrix of first kind fuzzy graph. This method allows solving not only problem of finding of optimal service centers location but also finding of optimal location k-centers with the greatest degree and selecting of service center numbers. The algorithm of the definition of vitality fuzzy set for second kind fuzzy graphs is considered. The example of finding optimum allocation centers in second kind fuzzy graph is considered too.


Abstract: Management of corn (Zea mays) row spacings and populations has been used for many years to increase corn productivity. In 1998 and 1999, nonirrigated corn was grown in 38-, 56-, and 76-cm row spacings at populations averaging 59,300, 72,900, and 83,900 plants/ha in Michigan. Glufosinate at 0.29 kg/ha was applied to common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) averaging 5 cm in height in each plot. Corn population and row spacing did not influence weed emergence following application of glufosinate. Common lambsquarters biomass and seed production were reduced when grown under canopies of corn planted in populations exceeding 72,900 plants/ha. Common lambsquarters biomass was reduced as corn row spacings were reduced from 76 to 38 cm. Early-season interception of photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) by corn canopies increased as row spacings decreased, but differences were not apparent later in the season. Interception of PAR was similar throughout the season when corn populations exceeded 72,900 plants/ha. Corn yields were not affected by row spacing, but they were increased with corn populations of 72,900 plants/ha or higher. Nomenclature: Glufosinate; common lambsquarters, Chenopodium album L,. #3 CHEAL; corn, Zea mays L. 'DK 493GR'. Additional index words: Crop density, herbicide-tolerant crops, narrow-row corn. Abbreviation: PAR, photosynthetic active radiation.


A method was developed for the determination in honey of the Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) derived pyrrolizidine alkaloids jacoline, jacozine, jacobine, seneciphylline and senecionine, combining solid-phase extraction with high performance liquid chromatography and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometric detection. The method allowed determination of individual alkaloids and offered a considerable improvement in terms of speed, sensitivity and specificity over previous approaches, but was not suitable for determination of jaconine, a minor alkaloid in Ragwort. Instrument calibrations were linear over the range 0.005 to 100 micrograms/ml, equivalent to approximately 0.001 to 2.0 mg/kg in honey with the extraction method used and allowing for observed recoveries. Detection limits in honey were 0.002 mg/kg. Recoveries for most of the alkaloids were between 57 and 70%. The alkaloids have been determined in a number of samples of honey selected after pollen identification and counting. The alkaloids were not detectable in samples containing two grains or less of Ragwort pollen per gram of honey. Samples collected in late July and August contained Ragwort pollen at 15-21 grains/g and total alkaloid concentrations of 0.011-0.056 mg/kg. Similar contributions to the total were made by jacozine, seneciophylline and senecionine, with jacobine making a larger and jacoline a smaller contribution. Two samples of honey containing Ragwort pollen at 24 and 16 grains/g had total alkaloid concentrations of 0.42 and 1.48 mg/kg respectively (not corrected for recovery). The alkaloid profile in these samples was dominated by seneciphylline and senecionine which together comprised 90-95% of the total. Alkaloids were not detected in retail honeys.


The paper reports the preparation and the chromatographic separation of new deaminated analogs of S-adenosyl(5')-3-methylthiopropylamine, i.e. S-adenosyl(5')-3-methylthiopropanol and S-inosyl(5')(-3-methylthiopropanol. These compounds can be used as specific inhibitors of polyamine biosynthesis. It is also reported the characterization of new sulfonium compounds by U.V. spectrophotometry, thin layer chromatography, high voltage electrophoresis, hydrolysis to known fragments.


This study aimed to identify the classes of secondary metabolites from the ethanol extract of fruits of Solanum acanthodes and evaluate the fungicidal activity against Candida albicans in vitro. We carried out the identification of secondary metabolites with crude plant extract and chromatography test to identify potential substances in the ethanol extract as substances isolated patterns of other species of Solanum. For the test fungicide used the technique of fusion disc. For positive control, we used discs without the plant extract and as a negative control discs with emulsifying chemical Kasumin®. The design was completely randomized with three replicates per treatment. The evaluation consisted of checking the growth of fungus, every 24 hours for six days, measuring the colonies. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and means were compared by Tukey test at 5%. Regarding the recognition of secondary metabolites from the ethanol extract of the fruits of S. acanthodes tests, the presence of alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, coumarins, tannins, triterpenes and free antracenicos derivatives was found. However, the results were negative for flavonoids. In chromatographic technique it was possible to identify the glycoalkaloid solasodine. After 144 hours, noted that the ethanol extract of the fruits of S. acanthodes showed satisfactory results of C. albicans, which occurred inhibition of fungal growth (average 2.4 mm) demonstrating greater inhibitory spectrum compared to the chemical (average 3 4mm). We conclude that S. acanthodes presents secondary metabolites and that these had a direct relationship in the inhibition of growth of C. albicans, but new methods and concentrations need to be tested.


Objective: This study sought to determine whether infusion device event logs could support accident investigation. Methods: An incident reporting database was searched for information about log file use in investigations. Log file data from devices in clinical use were downloaded and electronically searched for characteristics (signatures) matching specific function queries. Different programming sequences were simulated, and device logs were downloaded for analysis. Results: Database reports mentioned difficulties resolving log file data to the incident report and used log file data to confirm programming failures. Log file search revealed that, aside from alarm types and times, the devices were unable to adequately satisfy functional queries. Different simulated programming scenarios could not be easily differentiated by log file analysis. Conclusions: The device logs we studied collect data that are poorly suited to accident investigation. We conclude that infusion device logs cannot function as black boxes do in aviation accidents. Logs would be better applied to assist routine operations.


Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus Aureus(MRSA) has become one of the most prevalent pathogens in animals and humans giving rise to various diseases. MRSA infection in horses and transmission between horses and humans have dramatically increased recently.This study investigated the isolation frequency and antimicrobial susceptibility of MRSA isolated from horses in South Korea.Screening of the MRSA isolates was conducted by conventional methods and multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of oxacillin was determined by the broth microdilution test method. Overall antibiogram was obtained by disk diffusion susceptibility test. All antimicrobial tests were conducted in accordance with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines.S. aureuswas isolated from 116 (19.46%) of 596 horses tested. Of the 116S. aureusisolates, 52 (8.72%) strains were identified as MRSA by multiplex PCR. Among the 52 MRSA strains, 24 (46.15%) and 28 (53.85%) were oxacillin-resistant MRSA (OR-MRSA) and oxacillin-susceptible MRSA (OS-MRSA), respectively. OR-MRSA showed the highest susceptibility to florfenicol (100.00%), followed by doxycycline (95.83%), cefepime (91.67%), tetracycline (75.00%), and trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole (70.83%). OS-MRSA showed the highest susceptibility to florfenicol (100.00%) and trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole (100.00%), followed by cefoxitin (96.43%), ciprofloxacin (92.86%), enrofloxacin (92.86%), lincomycin + spectinomycin (89.29%), cefuroxime (89.29%), and cefonicid (89.29%).This study may facilitate treatment and prevention of MRSA infections and further benefit not only horses, but also people related with horse farms, horse riding clubs and animal hospitals.


Currently, emphasis is placed on the efficiency of process technology in the production of energy. Large energy corporations are forced to develop new and optimize existing technologies to reduce emission limits. In coal and biomass combustion technologies, it is important to continually monitor and evaluate the quality of input material. A sampling device is used to obtain a representative sample of the fuel from the continuous conveying process. In this research work, the effect of setting the operating conditions of the rotating sampling device for coal, which is intended for combustion, is investigated. From the operating tests, we found that the different settings of the sampling device (velocity, dimensional parameters) influence the quality and quantity of a representative sample of coal taken from the belt conveyor of the technological line.
Keywords: Coal; Sample; Sampling device.


A 62-YEAR-OLD CHINESE WOMAN was admitted with a 1 month history of a progressively enlarging left thyroid nodule associated with generalized malaise, weight loss, dysphagia, and vomiting. She had a history of left modified radical mastectomy for poorly differentiated ductal carcinoma of the left breast (T2 N1 M0) 4 years ago. Physical examination showed a clinically solitary firm left thyroid nodule measuring 4 cm in size. Her serum thyrotropin was less than 0.03 mIU/L (normal range, 0.35-5.5 mIU/L) and her free thyroxine was 26 pmol/L (normal range, 10-19 pmol/L). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 10 mm in 1 hour (normal, ,20 mm/hr). Both antimicrosomal and antithyroglobulin antibodies were within normal limit. Fine-needle aspiration cytology confirmed metastatic adenocarcinoma. Technetium thyroid scan revealed diffuse decreased in tracer uptake over left thyroid lobe and normal uptake in the right lobe of thyroid gland (Fig. 1). In view of the persistent symptoms, left thyroid lobectomy was performed for palliation and pathology confirmed metastatic adenocarcinoma from the breast (Fig. 2). She was discharged 2 days after surgery and was able to tolerate a normal diet. At 1 month after surgery, free thyroxine was 10 pmol/L and thyrotropin was 1.3 mIU/L. A bone scan subsequently revealed multiple bone metastases and chemotherapeutic agents were administered. However, she developed pancytopenia after the second course of chemotherapy and died of septicemia 3 months after the thyroidectomy.


We report a 70-year-old male patient who had successful hepatic resection with "Wrapping therapy" for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) uncontrolled by arterial embolization. His laboratory tests were as follows: Alb: 4.7 (g/dl), T. Bil:0.9 (mg/dl), ICG R15:26.8 (%), PT: > 100%, AFP:33 (ng/ml), HCV-Ab:(-), HBs-Ag:(-). Hepatic angiogram showed a 20 cm sized tumor in the left lobe and many large and small tumors in the right lobe. He received chemoembolization (TAE) five times during seven months. At the time of the fifth hepatic angiogram, TAE was assessed as ineffective because of the resulting collateral feeding arteries. Thus, he underwent left lobectomy, partial resection of the right lobe, and partial "Wrapping therapy" for the regions including foci supplied with parasitic branch. Afterwards, he had TAE two times. One year and five months after the procedure, he is still alive without signs of recurrence.


In order to establish which are the most frequent endoscopic detectable colorectal disorders in AIDS patients with intestinal complaints we analysed 236 colonoscopies in a series of 186 patients. The colonoscopic procedure was always followed by biopsies, even in the absence of macroscopic lesions. The most frequent diagnosis was colitis due to citomegalovirus infection observed in 64 exams (27.1%) and presented with an inflammatory pattern with ulcers, followed by Cryptosporidium sp., found in 31 exams (13.1%). This infection, conversely, presented as an inflammatory non-ulcerative lesion. Others pathogens found in lower frequency were: Mycobacterium sp., Histoplasma capsulatum, Herpes simplex, Isospora sp., Giardia sp., Candida sp. and Campilobacter sp.. Neoplastic lesions, mostly Kaposy's sarcoma, were detected in 10 of the colonoscopies (4.2%). The most frequent colorectal disorders in AIDS patients detected by endoscopic procedures are citomegalovirus and Cryptosporidium infection. Biopsies are always necessary to confirm the endoscopic diagnosis and to identify the presence of associated pathogens.


Abstract : The Influence of Economic and Socio-Demographic Variables to The Woman's EconomicStatus in Jembrana District. This research was aimed to analyze the influence of economic variables(income, working hours, employment sector, employment status) and socio-demographic variables (areaof residence, number of household members, education level) to the woman's economic status, eithersimultaneously or partially. The results showed that economic variables (income, working hours,employment sector, employment status) and socio-demographic variables (area of residence, number ofhousehold members, education level) simultaneously have significant influences to woman's economicstatus in Jembrana. Socio-demographic variables (number of household members) have a significantlypositive effect, meanwhile economic variables (working hours) and socio-demographic variables (levelof education) have a significantly negative effect to the woman's economic status in Jembrana.Thedominant variable that influence the woman's economic status in Jembrana is number of household members. Keywords: economic, socio-demographic, woman economic's status


This paper describes self-reinforced antibacterial and oil-resistant properties that were successfully prepared by surface selective dissolution of filter paper in a NaOH/Urea/ZnO (weight ratio of 8:12:0.25) aqueous solution. The effect of the processing time on the mechanical properties of this paper was evaluated at -12°C. The paper morphologies were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The oil-resistance and antibacterial properties of the produced paper were also investigated. Excellent mechanical properties were observed for an optimized handling time. The tensile and burst strengths of the modified paper were in excess of 100% of the original. Meanwhile, the treated paper was completely oil-resistant within 24 h and demonstrated good antibacterial properties when exposed to Staphylococcus aureus. The traces of residual zinc oxide were found to be safe for food.


Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain can be defined as Eurozone periphery countries due to their specifics being rooted in policy systems and lagging behind in economic performance when compared with EU-15 countries. The objective of this paper is to provide an initial exploration of the similar and dissimilar business aspects´ development within observed Greek and Irish entities´ economic performance in different industries, using two-dimensional visualisation in the context of the recent world financial and economic crisis. This visualisation approach using classical correspondence analysis helps to reveal broader associations, which could influence the economic status of observed business units. Greek and Irish businesses which have been considered to be specifically, strongly and negatively influenced by the world economic downturn were observed. A sample of companies' corporate financial statements´ data were employed. The sample of entities was set up according to the criterion of profitability of the whole involved capital development, regardless of its nature during the time period of the years 2008 – 2010, i. e. according to either the continual increase or decrease of the aforementioned indicator. Consequently, there were explored other attributes of assorted businesses, namely economic size and industry classification as the components for cross-tabular data sets. Authors revealed associations among different industries and size categories of Greek and Irish businesses using classical correspondence analysis.


A recently completed California Strong Motion Instrumentation Program (CSMIP) data interpretation project used recorded ground and floor motion data to evaluate a key ASCE/SEI 7‐05 (and 7‐10) equation for seismic design of acceleration‐sensitive building nonstructural components. CSMIP motions from 73 earthquakes recorded in 151 fixed‐base buildings were used in the evaluation. An improved equation was developed with two categories of revisions. First, the current code formula considers a linear relationship between the peak floor acceleration (PFA) and the relative height of the component in the building with a roof PFA that is three times that of the peak ground acceleration. The analyses of the recorded motions showed that improved results could be obtained by using a nonlinear relationship and by considering both the building approximate period, Ta, and the level of ground motion. Second, the code formula considers a component amplification factor, ap, that takes values between 1.0 and 2.5 depending on the flexibility of the nonstructural component. Analyses showed that component amplification factor can be better represented using a three‐segment spectrum composed of a linear rise from 1.0 to maximum value of ap at short periods, a flat segment with the maximum value of ap at medium‐range periods and a nonlinear decaying segment at longer periods. The shape and amplitude of the spectrum were found to vary depending on Ta. This paper evaluates tall buildings with at least 15 stories using the proposed equations and confirms that the revisions provide improvements in matching design equations with recorded response. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Side Information generation is one of major problems in Distributed Video Coding (DVC). This can be performed by motion compensated temporal interpolation (MCTI) between two closest key frames. However, when temporal distance between the key frames increases, its linear interpolation becomes less effective. This paper introduces a hierarchical side information generation structure applicable to DVC with long Group of Picture (GOP) sizes in mind. Moreover, two quantization parameter control techniques are proposed. Experimental results verify efficiency of the proposed algorithms.


Introduction: Cervical cancer remains one of the most common and deadly cancers in women worldwide. There is a significant health disparity in the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer between American Indian and Caucasian women, especially for American Indian women residing in the Northern Plains. The development of cervical cancer is closely associated with persistent infection with a high risk genotype of HPV. Additionally, exposure to cigarette smoke is also a risk factor for cervical cancer. Our previous and current studies indicate that American Indian women living in the Northern Plains have a high rate of both HPV infection and exposure to cigarette smoke. While smoking is known to increase the risk of developing cervical cancer, the molecular interactions between HPV and smoke carcinogens are not well known. The purpose of this study was to determine the molecular effects of benzo-a-pyrene (BaP) (a carcinogen in cigarette smoke) on the expression of HPV oncoproteins. Methods: The effects of BaP on HPV associated molecular events was determined using cervical cancer cell lines. Following BaP exposure in either an acute or extended treatment protocol, the levels of HPV oncoproteins, activation of NFkB and AP-1 cell signaling pathways and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were determined using a combination of techniques including flow cytometry, immunofluorescence and immunoblotting. Cervical cancer cells were also treated with curcumin, a natural anti-cancer and chemopreventive compound. Results: In cervical cancer cells, exposure to BaP increased the expression of HPV oncoproteins in both acute and extended treatment protocols. BaP exposure also increased activation of NFkB and increased levels of ROS. To address the mechanism of increased HPV E7 protein expression, we assessed the ability of BaP to activate AP1 signaling. The AP1 family of transcription factors (including c-Fos) is known to induce transcription of HPV E6/E7 through binding to the Upstream Regulatory Region (URR). We detected an increase in the amount of AP1 (c-Fos) in the nucleus of cervical cancer cells exposed to BaP, suggesting that BaP may increase HPV oncoprotein expression through modulation of AP1. Interestingly, BaP9s increase in HPV oncoprotein expression was inhibited by curcumin treatment, likely through curcumin9s inhibition of AP-1 and NFkB pathways. Conclusion: Taken together this data imply that a high prevalence of HPV infection and a high exposure rate to BaP may synergize to increase the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in American Indian women residing in the Northern Plains. Additionally, we have also identified curcumin as a potential compound that may be effective in preventing and/or treating cervical cancer. Increased cervical cancer screening is warranted for American Indian women living in the Northern Plains and additional steps, such as the use of the HPV vaccine and use of dietary agents, such as curcumin, may also be helpful to effectively decrease the health disparity associated with cervical cancer in American Indian women. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010;19(10 Suppl):B66.


There has been a considerable expansion of corporate bond markets in China in the recent years. The objective of this study is to examine the stock market reaction following bond issuance by Chinese companies. In addition to analyzing for positive or negative reactions to bond issues, we consider the influences of ownership and management characteristics on the stock market reaction. Applying an event-study methodology to a sample of 481 bond issues of 347 Chinese companies over the period 2009–2013, the univariate results show that Chinese bond issues typically generate a positive stock market reaction. The reaction is only significantly positive, however, in the case of central state-owned companies (as opposed to those owned by local or provincial governments). The multivariate results indicate that insider ownership influences stock market reaction to a bond issue, while management characteristics have no discernable impact.


Switzerland (7.2 million inhabitants) is a federal State composed of 26 Cantons. Article 3 of the Federal Constitution grants large autonomy to the single cantons in the sectors which are not regulated directly by the constitution itself, among others the health and social care sector. The decision-making autonomy of the cantons in the field of health and social care for the elderly creates a strong heterogeneity in the regulations and organization in the various cantons. Moreover, the long-term care for the elderly is supplied by private for-profit nursing homes, private non-profit nursing homes and public nursing homes, respectively. This mixed economy and heterogeneity of regulation between the cantons, which characterizes the long-term care market in Switzerland, raises the interesting issue of the effects on scale and cost efficiency of the different institutional organization forms and regulation structures. In the first part of this paper we present the organization and regulation procedures of the Swiss nursing home industry. In the second part of the paper we estimate a translog cost frontier function for a sample of 835 Swiss nursing homes.The results of this analysis are used to examine the relationship between cost efficiency and the alternative institutional and regulation forms.


Purpose
This study aims to investigate an under-researched area, the impact of causal attributions (i.e. causal stability and company-related/-unrelated attributions) on salespeople's job satisfaction following their performance appraisal.

Design/methodology/approach
A pre-test and a between-subjects experimental study test the effect of accurate or biased perceptions of causal attributions on salespeople's job satisfaction. Data collected from 209 salespeople provide evidence that they make perceptual attribution errors in their appraisals of the performance outcome they achieve or do not achieve.

Findings
When salespeople correctly attribute their performance, causal stability affects their job satisfaction. However, company-related attributions affect their satisfaction only in the case of a poor performance outcome. As expected, salespeople who make biased attributions experience misattributed or "unwarranted" satisfaction or dissatisfaction, a higher or lower satisfaction level than they would have experienced had they made proper causal attributions.

Research limitations/implications
Using Weiner's theory of emotion and motivation as a theoretical framework, this study confirms that cognitive appraisals of event outcomes (in this case performance reviews) impacts salespeople's emotional experience. Furthermore, causal ascriptions following the salesperson's performance appraisal affect job satisfaction.

Practical implications
This study discusses how managers can ensure the continued satisfaction of their salespeople, which constitutes a stable source of motivation, by understanding their performance attributions.

Originality/value
This study introduces a new concept of misattributed job satisfaction or dissatisfaction. While anecdotally some scholars have investigated when salespeople play "the blame game", this study shows how salespeople correctly or incorrectly ascribe blame for the outcomes and the impact on job satisfaction.


The Musoshi copper deposit is a typical ore shale-type deposit, located centrally in the Zaire-Zambian copper belt. Cu-Fe sulfides are disseminated in a 20-m-thick laminated black siltstone unit, the ore shale, which occurs above a thick ( approximately 1 km) sequence of oxidized arkosic sediments of the Roan Group, at the base of the Katangan sedimentary basin.Uraninite occurs in veins which cut the ore shale and extend from major hydrothermal alteration zones in the footwall. Rutile accompanying this veining was dated, by Richards et al. (1988), at 514 + or - 2 m.y. (2Sigma ). In the present study, nine analyses of five uraninite samples give a U-Pb age of 514 + or - 3 m.y. (2Sigma ), in exact agreement with the rutile age.Information concerning the age and source of the copper mineralization at Musoshi has been sought by study of Pb isotopes in the Cu-Fe sulfides and other minerals. Leach-residue analyses of most ore samples show poor correlations on 207 Pb/ 204 Pb vs. 206 Pb/ 204 Pb diagrams, and scatter in a band. These samples typically display mature (recrystallized) textures and may contain thin concordant sulfide veinlets, with coarse secondary biotite, quartz, and carbonate. However, analyses of three samples from near the center of the ore shale, which show less evidence for recrystallization and contain no veinlets, form a wellcorrelated line (MSWD = 2.54; 15 analyses) corresponding to a two-stage model age of 645 + or - 15 m.y. (2Sigma ). Data from the other samples scatter below this line on the Pb-Pb diagram, and toward the secondary isochron obtained from the hydrothermal rutiles. Similar phenomena are observed on a 208 Pb/ 204 Pb vs. 206 Pb/ 204 Pb diagram, where addition of U to the disturbed samples is clearly demonstrated. We conclude that the samples record disturbance of Pb isotopes in a simple two-stage system by the late uranium-depositing hydrothermal event at 514 m.y.The significance of the 645-m.y. fractionation event is not clear, however. At least two interpretations may be given: that the event reflects primary Cu-Fe sulfide ore deposition, or that Pb isotopes were homogenized at this time in a preexisting orebody by some process which also introduced U and Th into the deposit. We are not able at present to distinguish between these two alternatives, but whichever is correct, it is clear that copper ore deposition occurred at or before 645 m.y. and is thus unrelated to the later 514-m.y. hydrothermal event.A high integrated U/Pb source ratio (mu = 10.2) obtained from the 645-m.y. sulfide isochron suggests an evolved crustal source for Pb in the orebody and rules out a significant contribution from mafic igneous rocks. If Cu and Pb are assumed to share a common source, these results do not support derivation of the metals from mantle-derived materials at Musoshi. This U/Pb ratio contrasts strongly with a value of mu = 9.7 calculated from the rutile analyses for the late hydrothermal overprint and further confirms that this later event was not involved in the formation of the copper deposit, other than in coarsening and locally concentrating the ore. The high-temperature (397 degrees + or - 5 degrees C) fluids associated with this event were probably derived from deep levels in the crust and appear to have been expelled during a late pulse of activity at the close of the Lufilian orogeny.


In this study, a protocol was developed to increase accuracy, generality and efficiency when determining piloted ignition properties. A new procedure for calibrating the radiative and convective heat flux profiles on exposed specimens, such as Douglas-fir plywood, has been implemented for the lateral ignition and flame spread test (LIFT) apparatus. The boundary conditions needed for heat transfer analysis are made unambiguous by including a simple, direct measure of surface emissivity. A new aluminum foil shutter improves accuracy for measuring ignition time. A recently developed theory of ignitability provides a formula to account for the transition from thick to thin thermal behavior, allowing specimens of finite thicknesses and a full range of test irradiances.


An explicit spectrally accurate order-adaptive Hermite-Taylor method for the Schrödinger equation is developed. Numerical experiments illustrating the properties of the method are presented. The method, which is able to use very coarse grids while still retaining high accuracy, compares favorably to an existing exponential integrator – high order summation-by-parts finite difference method. AMS subject classifications: 65L20, 81V10


Background: This study was conducted within the Goias Mastology Research Network. To verify the possibility of diminishing pain, and discomfort during the mammography using analgesic administration. Methods: Randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled trial, testing paracetamol to diminish the pain, and discomfort during mammography. Three hundred patients who came for screening mammography were randomized for this study. A questionnaire with 2 parts was used: the first had questions that concerned the patient identification, and factors related to the pain during mammography; and the second asked about the scale of discomfort (no discomfort; uncomfortable; very uncomfortable; intolerable), and the pain (analogical linear scale) during the mammography. Each patient received 1000 mg of paracetamol, or placebo. Afterwards each patient filled out the second part of the questionnaire. Six patients were excluded from the analysis; this resulted in 149 in the paracetamol group, and 145 in the placebo group. Results: The 2 groups were homogenous concerning the mean of the ages, weight, height, and breast size. The mean of the pain was 3.5 in the paracetamol, and 2.8 in the placebo group (P = .12). There were fewer women experiencing mild pain in the paracetamol group when compared with those in placebo group (relative risk [RR] 0.76, confidence interval [CI] 95% 0.52–0.98). There was no significant difference between the 2 groups, according to the degrees of discomfort (P =  .69). Conclusion: The use of paracetamol can reduces the mild pain for women undergoing mammography.


This work presents a new methodology for the allocation of transmission service cost among network users in energy markets. The proposed method is based on an optimization/game-theoretic framework (Aumann-Shapley) that retains the desirable properties of other existing methodologies such as the Average Participations Factors (APF) and Long Run Marginal Costs (LRMC). The approach is shown to be computationally feasible and presents desirable characteristics in terms of economic coherence and isonomy. Computational results are presented for the Brazilian power system and compared with those obtained by three other methodologies: LRMC, APF, and the current method adopted in Brazil.


State attorneys general are major participants in intergovernmental relations in the United States. This article presents six models that may explain their interactions with each other and tests three hypotheses associated with two models. Their interactions comport with the cooperative and the innovation-diffusion models. Only limited evidence supports the hostility model and its associated hypothesis. No evidence supports the mercantilist and competitive models. The response from only one attorney general suggested his actions are based on the benign neglect model. The conclusion is drawn that the cooperative activities of the attorneys general have produced a more harmonious federal system in terms of enforcement policies.


The revision rate of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is between 3% and 25%, with the suboptimal surgical technique contributing to 77% to 95% of failures of the index procedure. The cause of failure of ACL reconstruction should be clearly identified before proceeding with revision ACL reconstruction. Incorrect tunnel placement is the most commonly identified surgical error. In this paper, we describe the radiographic evaluation of proper tunnel placement, discuss the indications for 1-stage and 2-stage ACL revision reconstruction, and describe techniques for 1-stage and 2-stage ACL revision reconstruction. The overall reported results after revision ACL revision reconstruction are inferior to primary ACL reconstruction. Patients should be appropriately counseled with respect to expected postoperative outcomes.


Sustained enjoyment of life over several years in older age is associated with lower mortality, and the longer a person reports enjoying life, the lower their risk of death, say researchers from University College London.


Ganglioneuromas (GN) are rare, benign neurogenic tumors
that arise from sympathetic ganglia. They are often asymptomatic. However, in
rare cases, they may secrete catecholamines, vasoactive intestinal polypeptides
(VIP), or androgenic hormones and manifest with flushing, symptoms of
catecholamine excess or chronic diarrhea. We report a young Saudi girl with
chronic secretory diarrhea, severe hypokalemia and abdominal distension. After
an extensive work up, a well-defined hypodense heterogeneous mediastinal mass
was noted in radio imaging. A complete recovery was seen after surgical removal
of that mediastinal mass which turned to be a ganglioneuroma.


SUMMARY Models of development of lattice preferred orientation (LPO) of crystals aggregates in convec- tive flow are necessary to interpret the anisotropic seismic signature of the Earth's upper mantle. For that purpose we previously developed a model of LPO evolution in olivine aggregates by plastic deformation and dynamic recrystallization by subgrain rotation and grain-boundary migration. This paper presents a refined version of that model, called D-Rex (for dynamic recrystallization-induced LPO), a public version of which is made available on our web site. The code displays two new features: (1) enstatite is incorporated in the aggregates and (2) grain-boundary sliding (GBS) of small grains is taken into account. Enstatite is incorporated on the assumption of no direct interaction with olivine. The fast (a-)axis of enstatite grains tend to be parallel to the slow (c-)axis of olivine, which dilutes the total anisotropy. Grain boundary sliding is included using a threshold dimensionless volume fraction χ , defined as the ratio of the initial size of the grains over the size for which GBS is the dominant mechanism of deformation. Grains with a dimensionless volume smaller than χ do not rotate by plastic deformation and their strain energy is set to zero. Comparison with torsion experiments at very large strain constrains the threshold dimensionless volume to 0.3 ± 0.1. The incorporation of grain-boundary sliding prevents the LPO from becoming singular at large strains and yields more realistic predictions. Our kinematic formalism and the model's semi-analytical character insures that it is fast, robust and stable. It can be applied efficiently to arbitrary 3-D convective flows.


When Brian Huseman, vice president of public policy for the Seattle-based internet retailer and technology company Amazon.com (Amazon), prepared to meet economic-development officials and community leaders from Arlington, Virginia, in the wake of the company's February 2019 decision to pull a second headquarters location out of New York City, a lot was on the line. Facing a limit on its growth in Seattle, Amazon had embarked on a search for a second corporate headquarters, dubbed HQ2, in September 2017, and ultimately surprised the country when it announced its decision to split its HQ2 into two locations, Arlington and New York City, in late 2018. New York ultimately failed to give Amazon the warm welcome it was looking for, so Amazon focused solely on Arlington to claim the biggest economic development prize in recent memory. Amazon was making a huge commitment to Arlington including plans to develop up to eight million square feet of office space and hire 25,000 employees (each with an average salary higher than $100,000) over the next 15 years one that would make it the region's largest private-sector employer. Huseman wanted to be sure Virginia was fully prepared to create the right ecosystem for Amazon's HQ2 to thrive. How should the e-retail giant approach the meeting, considering what could be asked of itand what it should request in return?

Excerpt

UVA-S-0323

Rev. Feb. 8, 2021

Amazon's HQ2 in Arlington: New Digs, New Strategy?

When Brian Huseman, vice president of public policy for the Seattle-based internet retailer and technology company Amazon.com (Amazon), prepared to meet economic-development officials and community leaders from Arlington, Virginia, in the wake of the company's February 2019 decision to pull a second headquarters location out of New York City, a lot was on the line.

Facing a limit on its growth in Seattle, Amazon had embarked on a search for a second corporate headquarters, dubbed HQ2, in September 2017, and ultimately surprised the country when it announced its decision to split its HQ2 into two locations, Arlington and New York City, in late 2018. Despite the wider talent-pool advantages that came with having headquarters in both locations, New York ultimately failed to give Amazon the warm welcome it was looking for, forcing Amazon to halt its plans in New York and focus solely on Arlington to claim the biggest economic development prize in recent memory.

Amazon was making a huge commitment to Arlington including plans to develop up to eight million square feet of office space and hire 25,000 employees (each with an average salary higher than $ 100,000) over the next 15yearsone that would make it the region's largest private-sector employer. Huseman wanted to be sure Virginia was fully prepared to create the right ecosystem for Amazon's HQ2 to thrive. How should the e-retail giant approach the meeting, considering what could be asked of itand what it should request in return?

. . .


Work from several laboratories indicates that guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (GTP-binding proteins) are required for intracellular vesicular transport. In a previous report we presented evidence indicating that one or more heterotrimeric G proteins regulate fusion between endosomes (Colombo, M. I., Mayorga, L. S., Casey, P. J., and Stahl, P. D. (1992) Science 255, 1695-1697). We now report on experiments showing that Gs plays a role in endosome fusion. We have used several reagents known to modulate Gs function including (i) peptides corresponding to the cytoplasmic domains of G protein-coupled receptors and peptides that mimic interaction of receptors with G proteins, (ii) anti-G protein antibodies, and (iii) cholera toxin. Synthetic peptides corresponding to the third cytoplasmic loop of the beta 2-adrenergic receptor which putatively interact with G alpha s inhibited endosomal fusion. The inhibitory effect of these peptides was prevented by a short preincubation of endosomes with guanosine-5'-3-O-(thio)triphosphate or by phosphorylating the peptide with cAMP-dependent protein kinase. The involvement of Gs in endosome recognition and/or the fusion process was assessed by testing an antibody against the COOH terminus of G alpha s. Anti-G alpha s IgG completely abolished fusion between endosomes. Lastly, preincubation of endosomal vesicles with cholera toxin abrogated fusion in the presence of NAD, whereas no effect was observed in the absence of the cofactor. Taken together these findings indicate a role for Gs in either the mechanism or the regulation of fusion among endosomes. These results raise the possibility that signal transduction through cytoplasmic domains of receptors may participate in the regulation of endocytic trafficking.


Neutrophils have conflicting roles in the context of cancers, where they have been associated with contributing to both anti-tumor and pro-tumor responses. Their functional heterogenicity is plastic and can be manipulated by environmental stimuli, which has fueled an area of research investigating therapeutic strategies targeting neutrophils. Dendritic cell (DC)-based cancer vaccination is an immunotherapy that has exhibited clinical promise but has shown limited clinical efficacy. Enhancing our understanding of the communications occurring during DC cancer vaccination can uncover opportunities for enhancing the DC vaccine platform. There have been observed communications between neutrophils and DCs during natural immune responses. However, their crosstalk has been poorly studied in the context of DC vaccination. Here, we review the dual functionality of neutrophils in the context of cancers, describe the crosstalk between neutrophils and DCs during immune responses, and discuss their implications in DC cancer vaccination. This discussion will focus on how neutrophil extracellular traps can influence immune responses in the tumor microenvironment and what roles they may play in promoting or hindering DC vaccine-induced anti-tumor efficacy.


The performance of a photovoltaic (PV) array is affected by temperature, solar insolation, shading and array configuration. The PV system exhibits a non-linear I-V characteristic and its unique maximum power point on the P-V curve varies with insolation and temperature. Often the PV array gets shadowed, completely or partially, by passing clouds, neighbouring buildings and trees. This situation is of particular interest in case of large PV installations such as those used in a distributed power generation scheme and residential PV systems. Under partially shaded conditions, the P-V characteristic becomes more complex with multiple peaks. Conventional Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) techniques fail to reach global peak power point and tend to stay in local peak power point which significantly reduces the efficiency of the PV system. This paper mainly focuses on extracting the maximum power from PV array under partially shaded conditions by executing improved hill climbing algorithm to identify the global maximum power point (GMPP) and SEPIC is used as a dc-dc interface. Simulation results have been presented to verify the performance of the proposed GMPPT technique.


Helium bubbles are known to form in nuclear reactor structural components when displacement damage occurs in conjunction with helium exposure and/or transmutation. If left unchecked, bubble production can cause swelling, blistering, and embrittlement, all of which substantially degrade materials and—moreover—diminish mechanical properties. On the mission to produce more robust materials, nanocrystalline (NC) metals show great potential and are postulated to exhibit superior radiation resistance due to their high defect and particle sink densities; however, much is still unknown about the mechanisms of defect evolution in these systems under extreme conditions. Here, the performances of NC nickel (Ni) and iron (Fe) are investigated under helium bombardment via transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Bubble density statistics are measured as a function of grain size in specimens implanted under similar conditions. While the overall trends revealed an increase in bubble density up to saturation in both samples, bubble density in Fe was over 300% greater than in Ni. To interrogate the kinetics of helium diffusion and trapping, a rate theory model is developed that substantiates that helium is more readily captured within grains in helium-vacancy complexes in NC Fe, whereas helium is more prone to traversing the grain matrices and migrating to GBs in NC Ni. Our results suggest that (1) grain boundaries can affect bubble swelling in grain matrices significantly and can have a dominant effect over crystal structure, and (2) an NC-Ni-based material can yield superior resistance to irradiation-induced bubble growth compared to an NC-Fe-based material and exhibits high potential for use in extreme environments where swelling due to He bubble formation is of significant concern.


The possibility of denouncing the ICSID Convention has recently sparked doctrinal controversies. The scope of such a denunciation and the consequences relating to it were central in these debates. Starting with the analysis of the mechanism precisely set out in the Convention, this article, focusing only on the implication for non-contractual arbitration, aims at clearly establishing the meaning of consent to ICSID arbitration, one of the conditions preventing the denunciation of the Convention from having a full effect. The question thus becomes whether BITs and national laws could be considered as unilateral consent to arbitration, as understood by the drafters of the Convention. Applying concrete and correct treaty interpretation rules will enable us to establish an accurate understanding of the relevant provisions of the Convention, without depriving them of their proper meaning.


The double-stranded DNA copy of the matrix protein (M) gene of the influenza virus A/USSR/90/77 (H1N1) has been inserted in PstI site of plasmid pBR322 and cloned in E. coli. The full-length DNA copy of the M gene has been sequenced using Maxam-Gilbert method. Analysis of nucleotide sequence of segment 7 RNA of influenza virus A/USSR/90/77 and nucleotide substitutions, as compared with known primary structures of segment 7 RNA for other strains, is presented. A hypothetical model of secondary structure of segment 7 RNA of influenza virus and repeating sequences at nucleotide and amino acid levels, revealed in the central region of M1 protein, are discussed.


The rate of comorbid substance use disorder in patients with schizophrenia is 3 times higher than that in the general population. Men with schizophrenia appear to be particularly vulnerable to substance use disorders. Substances commonly abused in patients with schizophrenia include alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine. Although the basis of comorbidity is unclear, a number of theories have been proposed, including the possibility of a deficiency in the dopamine-mediated mesocorticolimbic brain reward circuit. Data suggest that substance abuse may complicate and worsen the course of schizophrenia. Early intervention with appropriate pharmacotherapy may prove beneficial and potentially improve the long-term course of the disorder. Conventional antipsychotics have not been overly useful in this patient population, but some atypical antipsychotics have been shown to reduce the use of alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, and tobacco in patients with schizophrenia. Further research is required, but early evidence suggests that at least some atypical antipsychotics may prove to be therapeutically effective in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia and comorbid substance use disorder.


Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a motor neuron disease and the leading cause of infant mortality. SMA results from insufficient survival motor neuron protein (SMN) levels due to alternative splicing. Antisense oligonucleotides, gene therapy and splicing modifiers recently received FDA approval. However, early intervention is required for optimal outcomes, and even continuous treatment maybe insufficient to restore full motor function. Although severe SMA transgenic mouse models have been beneficial for testing therapeutic efficacy, models mimicking milder cases that manifest post-infancy have proven challenging to develop. We have established a titratable model of mild and moderate SMA using the splicing compound NVS-SM2. Administration for 30 days prevented development of the SMA phenotype in severe SMA mice, which typically show rapid weakness and succumb by postnatal day 11. Furthermore, administration at day eight resulted in phenotypic recovery. Remarkably, acute dosing limited to the first three days of life significantly enhanced survival in two severe SMA mice models, easing the burden on neonates and demonstrating the compound as suitable for evaluation of follow-on therapies without potential drug-drug interactions.


Mixed and augmented reality is an emerging technology with growth popularities in recent years. This paper presents the challenges of designing next generation wireless devices to facilitate applications on mixed and augmented reality. A review of leading mobile system architecture, user interface, and communication protocols, are discussed in this paper. The review of current and previous research in the field provides the design guidelines for the future of ubiquitous augmented reality.


Orange-red trinuclear nickel(II) complexes are obtained by reacting Ni(ClO4)2(H2O)6 with 3(5)-arylpyrazoles in the presence of a base. Herein, the diamagnetic nickel centers are coordinated in a square-pyramidal manner by four pyrazolato ligands, each of which bridges two nickel sites. The structurally unique complexes were investigated by NMR, IR, fluorescence, and X-ray spectroscopy. All seven compounds described here were structurally elucidated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. With 3(5)-ferrocenylpyrazole as the substrate, a nonametallic system that possesses six redox-active ferrocenyl moieties was obtained.