Community-dwelling adults (N = 104) aged 20- to 99-years-old told narratives about neutral, positive, and worst traumatic events; they also completed mental health questionnaires. Consistent with previous research, trauma narratives were longer, and contained more somatosensory and negative bodily experience detail. Recent trauma was associated with more somatosensory detail. Longer trauma narratives were associated with better psychological adjustment, whereas negative bodily experiences related to poorer psychological adjustment and more posttraumatic stress symptoms. Results provide some support for unique trauma narrative characteristics indicative of psychological adjustment among community-dwelling adults.


The present invention discloses an intramedullary nail, intramedullary nail device is inserted and the screw insertion method. The intramedullary nail includes at least one guide bore between the proximal aperture, a distal aperture and a proximal aperture and a distal end positioned within the aperture of the intramedullary nail, the guide axis parallel to the proximal and distal bore hole axis of the hole . The diameter of each guide hole is substantially less than the guidewire inserted into the guide hole, and drilling along the guide wire. Subsequently, a metal screw to retain the nail in the bone marrow, the intramedullary nail to prevent vertical movement and twisting, so without the aid of X- ray imaging apparatus can be easily and accurately inserted into the distal end of a metal screw. Thus, reducing the operation time, prevents the patient from unwanted bone injury or infection, greatly reducing the patient and / or physician in an X- ray radiation exposure.


Abstract Upper Klamath Lake (UKL) in southern Oregon has experienced declines in water quality due to excessive nutrient loading. This has led to annual cyanobacterial blooms, primarily of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA). Benthic invertebrates are important food resources for benthic feeding fishes; however, they can increase autochthonous nutrient cycling in lakes and as a result might be contributing to poor water quality in UKL. This study determined the density and taxonomic richness of benthic invertebrate assemblages in three geographic regions (north, central, and south) and three habitats (littoral, open-water and trench) across UKL. Sediment composition and water quality were also characterized at each of the 21 benthic invertebrate collection sites. Three sampling trips were made from May–July 2013. Mean lake-wide invertebrate density was 12 617 ± 7506 individuals m-2 (n = 63, based on 189 Ekman grabs) with oligochaetes, chironomids, and leeches representing 97% of all individuals. Mean invertebrate richness per sample was 16 ± 4 (n = 63). Two and three-way repeated measures ANOVAs identified differences in invertebrate densities and richness among regions, habitats, and sampling periods. There were no differences in total density among sampling periods. Total density was higher in littoral compared to open-water habitats, and in the northern region, proximal to all riverine inputs to the lake, compared to the central or southern regions. Although variances were heterogeneous, the number of taxa appeared to differ between habitats and regions.


Mechanical alloying is among the few cost effective techniques for synthesizing nanocrystalline alloy powders. This article reviews mechanical alloying or ball-milling of (NC) powders of Fe-Cr alloys of different compositions, and the remarkable oxidation resistance of the NC alloy. The article also reviews challenges in thermal processing of the mechanically alloyed powders (such as compaction into monolithic mass) and means to overcome the challenges.


During brain homeostasis, stem cell fate determination is crucial to guarantee function, adaptation and regeneration while preventing neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment. How neural stem cells (NSCs) are instructed to generate neurons or glia is not well understood. Here we addressed how fate is resolved in multipotent adult hippocampal NSCs, and identify Scaffold Attachment Factor B1 (Safb1) as a determinant of neuron production by blocking glial commitment. Safb1 is sufficient to block oligodendrocytic differentiation of NSCs by preventing expression of the transcription factor NFIB at the post-transcriptional level. Detailed interrogation of the Drosha interactome and functional validation revealed that Safb1 enhances NFIB mRNA cleavage in a Drosha-dependent fashion. Thus, our study provides a cellular mechanism for selective NSC fate regulation by post-transcriptional destabilization of mRNAs. Given the importance of NSC maintenance and fate determination in the adult brain, our findings have major implications for cell-specific gene expression, brain disease and aging.


Sky Quality Meter (SQM) is a commercial instrument based on photometers widely used by amateur astronomers for skyglow measurement from the ground. In the framework of the MINLU project, two SQM-LE units were integrated in an autonomous sensor suite realized and tested at University of Padova for monitoring light pollution from drones or sounding balloons. During the ground tests campaign before airborne measurement, the performance of both SQM units was verified in laboratory using controlled light sources as a reference input; the results showed that both units presented an angular response deviating consistently from the expected performance and that the sensors' field of view was larger than the one declared in the manufacturer's datasheet. This aspect in particular would affect direct skyglow measurements during flight as light sources close to the boundaries of the field of view would not be attenuated but instead detected by the sensors. As a direct consequence, the measurement of low-intensity skyglows at stratospheric altitudes could be affected by high-intensity punctual sources acting as lateral disturbances. A dedicated test campaign was therefore conceived and realized to investigate SQM unit response to light sources in the field of view and identify the true angular response curve; the setup consisted in a controlled rotatory stage moving the unit in front of a fixed diffusive light source. Different test conditions were used to validate the experimental procedure, demonstrating the repeatability of the measurements. This paper presents the experimental campaign and the resulting SQM angular response curve; results indicate for both SQMs a larger than expected field of view and the presence of a double peak in the angular response, which is likely related to a non-perfect alignment of SQMs collimation optics. Furthermore, the wider resulting curves suggest that the contribution of lateral sources is more prominent with respect to the response predicted by the manufacturer. For this reason, the utilization of baffles to restrict SQMs field of view is analyzed to minimize the disturbance of lateral light sources and two different geometries are presented.


A reconstructed pattern of main river valleys of the Mazovian (Mindel II /Riss I ; Holstein in Germany) Interglacial for eastern Central Europe is considerably different from those presented previously. This pattern comprises the pre-Vistula and pre-Neman drainage basins, both entering northwards to the Holstein Sea bay and including the Sambia region, as well as of the pre-Warta/Odra and pre-Notec drainage basins, running westwards into the Holstein Sea bay that reached the present-day Lower Elbe area. The development of this valley system depended upon the extent of glacidynamic structures and deglaciation after the Sanian (= Mindel II ) Glaciation as well as upon the results of neotectonic movements.


Background Urine specimen collection is better accepted by the patients than invasive collection techniques for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG). Self-collection is useful for Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) screening programs. Dedicated urine collection devices for molecular assay are unsuitable for other molecular assays and for bacteria culture investigation. Urine collection devices that are easy to collect and transport and are leak proof, that can be used for STD screening by culture and molecular assays are essential. Copan has introduced the UriSwab (US), that consists of a leak proof tube with a screw cap containing a plastic stick with sponges attached that absorb and retain the urine sample during transport while preventing bacterial overgrowth. The objective of this study was to compare the Copan UriSwab for collection, transportation and preservation of first catch urine (FCU) specimens to the BD ProbeTec Urine Preservative Transport Kit (UPT) for the detection of CT and NG with the BD ProbeTec assay. Method FCU specimens were self-collected from 134 male patients attending an STD clinic or who were residents of a detenction center in the Italian city of Asti. Duplicate FCU specimens were collected, one with the US and the other with the UPT. The US specimens were centrifuged and the urine pellets were eluted with ProbeTec lysis buffer. US and UPT urine specimens were processed according to the manufacturer's recommended procedure with the BD ProbeTec ET assay (Becton Dickinson). Results Out of 134 males from the detention center and the STD clinic, 115 were negative and 19 positive for either CT or NG in both US and UPT collection devices. Five patients were positive for both CT and GC. The CT prevalence was 8.2 %. The NG prevalence was 10.44%. Conclusions Good results agreement was found between the Copan UriSwab and the BD urine collection devices for the detection of CT and GC with the BD ProbeTec ET assay. The UriSwab is easy to transport and process in the laboratory for the detection of CT, GC and other STI infectious agents with molecular assays and can also be used for culturing all urogenital bacteria. The UriSwab can facilitate self-collection for STI screening.


The purpose of this article is to shed light on informal resistance among home health aides in Sweden. Although they endure stressful working conditions, down-sizing, and management-initiated changes that are in some cases considered irrelevant and even stupid, surprisingly few formal resistance actions are carried out by home health workers in Sweden. This doesn't mean that they (and other workers too) are passive victims of management power; nor does it mean that they are free riders acting only according to their self-interest. Their resistance strategies are characterized by divided loyalties and competing interests rather than conscious and rational choice. The results of this study show that the home health aides do not engage in formal resistance even though they are unionized and have the opportunity of collective action; instead they engage in informal resistance. The main reason for their informal resistance, I argue, is the loyal attitude and loyal way of thinking and acting that is embedded in their professional identity. It holds them back and hinders them from expressing resistance in a loud manner. At the same time,their loyalty can also be considered as a form of resistance when they use it in a selective manner as a way of creating scope for action.


Abstract Aims: The recent licensing of Disease Modifying Treatments (DMTs) for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has increased available treatment options. The aim of this study was to explore MS patients' preference for the different attributes of DMTs in the UK. Materials and methods: Attributes (treatment characteristics) for inclusion in the discrete choice experiment (DCE) were determined through published literature and interviews with 12 people with MS. Seven attributes were selected. Participants were presented with three hypothetical treatment options sampled from included attributes and asked for their most/least preferred options. The influence of patient characteristics and demographics on patient preference was also investigated. Results: The DCE was completed by 350 people with MS (81% female, mean age = 39). Results showed that method of taking medication was the strongest determinant of preference (27%; relative importance out of 100%), followed by relapse free rate (21%) and symptom progression (14%). Risk of fatigue (8%) and type of monitoring (6%) were the weakest determinants of preference. Once-daily oral treatment was preferred over all other methods of administration. Participant characteristics did not influence data on strength of preference. Limitations: This study assumed adequate participant understanding of the discrete choice experiment task, and recruitment targeted those with access to the internet. Conclusions: These results, derived from people with MS in the UK, should be used to inform individual discussions with patients about DMT choices.


While the definition of a fractional integral may be codified by Riemann and Liouville, an agreed-upon fractional derivative has eluded discovery for many years. This is likely a result of integral definitions including numerous constants of integration in their results. An elimination of constants of integration opens the door to an operator that reconciles all known fractional derivatives and shows surprising results in areas unobserved before, including the appearance of the Riemann Zeta Function and fractional Laplace and Fourier Transforms. A new class of functions, known as Zero Functions and closely related to the Dirac Delta Function, are necessary for one to perform elementary operations of functions without using constants. The operator also allows for a generalization of the Volterra integral equation, and provides a method of solving for Riemann's "complimentary" function introduced during his research on fractional derivatives.


Gambir (Uncaria gambir Roxb) is a kind of dried sap which is produced from leaves and twig of plant extract. Gambir is used traditionally for various purposes such as mixture of betel nut, drugs, adhesives and textile industry. One of central production of gambir in Indonesia is Pakpak Bharat District, North Sumatera Province. The purpose of this research were to getting information about technique of gambir processing in Sub-district of Pergetteng Getteng Sengkut and to comparing the quality of gambir with SNI 01-3391-2000. The method of this research was descriptive method using interview of respondent, then direct observation in field of gambir processing. The research showed that the technique of gambir processing generally was simple and used the traditional tools. The steps of gambir processing were boiling and compressing leaves, then the sap was got from compressed the leaves. After that, the sap was sedimented, drained to a paste form, and dried. The result of these research showed that the yield was 5.80% with the range from 5.26-6.04%. The moisture content of gambir from Simapera village was 15.38% and fulfilled the quality II, whereas the other villages in Sub-district Pergetteng Getteng Sengkut did not fulfill the quality requirements. Ash content and water-insoluble materials content were fulfilled the quality I and quality II. Keywords : Gambir, processing techniques, yield, moisture content, ash content, water-insoluble materials content


The urgency for new and novel therapeutic agent has increased since last few decades by the serious advent of resistant pathogens and our lifestyle. The situation is becoming scary due to very less arrival of new antibiotics or other bioactive agents. Since past few years the concept of drug discovery has changed dramatically. Several modern strategies have adopted and by using different revolutionary tools and techniques and software based program it has now become easier to screen the potential strain as well as purify those highly demanding molecules. Few significant approaches that are being taken recent days to face the challenge, have discussed in this editorial.


Author(s): Lakshmi, Anusha | Abstract: This essay considers the significance of Narendra Modi's yoga agenda against the backdrop of increasingly violent right-wing Hindu nationalist policies and interventions under his administration. One of Modi's first official acts after being elected Prime Minister of India in 2014 was to urge the United Nations member states to declare June 21st International Yoga Day. In his speech, he argued that yoga has the capacity to unite both the self and the world. Though Modi espouses unity through yoga, he has arguably been one of the most divisive Indian leaders in recent memory. How do we reconcile the contradiction between "Modi the yogi" who proposes to unify the country and "Modi the Hindu nationalist" who has been actively responsible for dividing it along sectarian lines? What is the function of International Yoga Day within the broader context of Modi's anti-Muslim politics, both past and present? Why has yoga, in particular, become a central tenet of Modi's Hindu nationalist agenda? Drawing on Wendy Brown's (2006) theorization of "tolerance," I consider how Modi's yoga agenda has further entrenched the binary of the tolerant, "civilized" Hindu and the intolerant, "irrational" Muslim Other within the Indian national imaginary. In contrast to the notion of Muslims as militant, ideologically rigid, and intolerant (of difference), yoga performs the Hindu nation as flexible, yielding, open, and tolerant. With its benign, benevolent associations with health and well-being, mind-body harmony, and peace, Modi has mobilized yoga to obfuscate the increasing violence, inflexibility, and intolerance of difference under his administration. This essay concludes by thinking about the complicity of the liberal Hindu citizen in the rise of Hindu nationalism and the Hindu supremacist state.


In the previous paper, the authors investigated the fluctuation of oil-film pressure and the vibration of cylinders caused by a periodical change in the width of the contact surface. The calculated results were obtained by solving a Reynolds equation and an equation of motion of the cylinder simultaneously, on the condition that the load on the cylinder is so low that the elastic deformation is negligible. In this paper, the effect of the contact-surface-width variation on the elastohydrodynamic line contact has been studied by solving the above-mentioned equations with a formula of elastic deformation and with a formula of pressure dependence of viscosity. One of these calculated results indicates that, under the condition of elastohydrodynamic lubrication, the oil film shape is changed with time similar to wave motions.


Introduction/Background The disappearance of cancer after an initial diagnosis without any definite treatment, particularly without any evidence of disease elsewhere, would be unexpected, so called 'vanishing carcinoma'. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of vanishing endometrial cancer (EMC) in our institution which is a tertiary hospital for cancer care during the 20-year period. The clinico-pathologic features of the patients including pre-operative findings, adjuvant treatment, and clinical outcomes were also studied. Methodology Patients who had pre-operative tissue diagnosis of EMC, and had surgical treatment including hysterectomy in the institution between 1995 and 2015 were identified. The patients who had no residual carcinoma in all pathologic specimens including the uterus were included. Pre-and post-operative clinico-pathological data were collected. Clinical outcomes including recurrence and survival of the patients were studied. Results Among 422 patients who had tissue diagnosis of endometrial cancer, twenty patients had no residual cancer in the hysterectomy specimens. Three patients who had pre-operative radiation therapy or had evidence of endometrial cancer outside the uterus, so 17 patients (3.8%) were diagnosed as having vanishing cancer. One of the 17 patients, who had pre-operative endometrioid endometrial cancer, had adjuvant chemotherapy for synchronous serous carcinoma of fallopian tube. From a follow-up period of 62.7 months (range, 6.8–184.4 months), no recurrences were found. Only 2 patients were dead of other diseases. Conclusion The prevalence of vanishing endometrial cancer was 3.8%. Patients with vanishing endometrial cancer had excellent prognosis. Adjuvant treatment may not be needed. However, periodic surveillance was still recommended because data were derived from only small number of patients. Disclosure Nothing to disclose.


Rational:Septic shock may be associated with a loss in cardiovascular variability and adrenal dysfunction. Objectives:To investigate the relationship between cardiovascular autonomic modulation and adrenal function during sepsis. Measurement and Main Results:Seventy-five volunteers with septic shock and six healthy volunteers were prospectively included in the study. Cardiovascular variability was assessed by spectral analysis of heart rate and diastolic blood pressure signals, which included computation of normalized low (LFnu) and high frequency (HFnu) components. Cardiovascular variability was investigated in patients and healthy volunteers immediately before and 1 hr after a single bolus of 50 mg of hydrocortisone (study phase I); in patients according to adrenal function (study phase II); and in patients with septic shock and adrenal insufficiency, before and 72 hrs after a treatment with 50 mg every 6 hrs of hydrocortisone and 50 &mgr;g daily of fludrocortisone or their placebos (study phase III). As compared to healthy volunteers, patients had decreased LFnu-HR (.16 ± .05 vs. .23 ± .07 p = .01) and LFnu-DBP (.18 ± .11 vs. .28 ± .02 p = .01) and, after hydrocortisone, they had a greater increase in LFnu-DBP (p = .01). As compared to patients with normal adrenal function, those with adrenal failure had decreased LFnu-HR (.1 ± .01 vs. .2 ± .15 p = .01) and LFnu-DBP (.008 ± .01 vs. .14 ± .22 p = .0003). In patients with adrenal failure, as compared to placebos, hydrocortisone plus fludrocortisone increased significantly LFnu-DBP (p = .02) and low frequency/high volume ratio (p = .009). Conclusion:In septic shock, the loss in cardiovascular variability is more marked in patients with adrenal insufficiency and is partly restored by exogenous administration of corticosteroids.


The time decay of the surface resistance RS(t) was measured for the La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 perovskite nanocontacts obtained by break technique at liquid nitrogen. The corresponding time relaxation can be described by two-term formula: stretched exponential function and logarithmic dependence. The characteristic times τ1 and τ2 of the relaxation processes are of order of seconds and few tens of seconds, respectively. The appearance of both contributions evidences the existence of two sources of relaxation, which can be assigned to inhomogeneous changes of the angle between the magnetic moments of the neighboring Mn ions inside spin blocks (τ1) and between the spin blocks (τ2) occurring near surface of the nano-electrodes. Similar to magnetic viscosity, the dependence of resistance viscosity SR on basis current is characterized by bell-shaped curve. These results point out the important role of the structural arrangements of the Mn-ions into spin blocks on the surfaces electrodes of the nanocontact.


A positive corporate reputation is generally taken to be a valuable resource leading to competitive advantage. In this paper we examine the association between a firm's media reputation and the amount of trade credit given in a sample of listed UK firms. Consistent with expectations, our results show that a firm's willingness to extend trade credit to its customers is inversely related to its media reputation. The better its reputation, the less trade credit it allows. Moreover, the effect of media reputation on trade credit supply is stronger for younger firms and smaller firms, suggesting that media reputation is more effective in reducing trade credit given for firms lacking a well-established product performance reputation. These results document one of the ways in which corporate reputation, as an intangible resource, creates value for a firm.


We performed radionuclide scanning after intravenous administration of 80 MBq of 111In-labeled non-specific polyclonal human immunoglobulin G (111In-DTPA-IgG). Serial scintigrams were acquired at 6, 24, 48, and 72 hr after injection in 10 patients suspected of having inflammation and/or infection. In 5 patients, the results of scintigraphy were verified with intraoperative cultures or biopsy. The values were as follow: sensitivity: 100% (4/4); specificity 50% (3/6); accuracy: 70% (7/10); positive predictive value: 57.1% (4/7); and negative predictive value: 100% (3/3). The results indicate that 111In-DTPA-IgG scintigraphy is certainly a promising method for the detection of inflammation and/or infection.


Background The prevalence of misinformation poses a substantial threat to individuals' daily lives, necessitating the deployment of effective remedial approaches. One promising strategy is psychological inoculation, which pre-emptively immunizes individuals against misinformation attacks. However, uncertainties remain regarding the extent to which psychological inoculation effectively enhances the capacity to differentiate between misinformation and real information. Objective To reduce the potential risk of misinformation about digital health, this study aims to examine the effectiveness of psychological inoculation in countering misinformation with a focus on several factors, including misinformation credibility assessment, real information credibility assessment, credibility discernment, misinformation sharing intention, real information sharing intention, and sharing discernment. Methods Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted a meta-analysis by searching 4 databases (Web of Science, APA PsycINFO, Proquest, and PubMed) for empirical studies based on inoculation theory and outcome measure–related misinformation published in the English language. Moderator analyses were used to examine the differences in intervention strategy, intervention type, theme, measurement time, team, and intervention design. Results Based on 42 independent studies with 42,530 subjects, we found that psychological inoculation effectively reduces misinformation credibility assessment (d=–0.36, 95% CI –0.50 to –0.23; P<.001) and improves real information credibility assessment (d=0.20, 95% CI 0.06-0.33; P=.005) and real information sharing intention (d=0.09, 95% CI 0.03-0.16; P=.003). However, psychological inoculation does not significantly influence misinformation sharing intention (d=–0.35, 95% CI –0.79 to 0.09; P=.12). Additionally, we find that psychological inoculation effectively enhances credibility discernment (d=0.20, 95% CI 0.13-0.28; P<.001) and sharing discernment (d=0.18, 95% CI 0.12-0.24; P<.001). Regarding health misinformation, psychological inoculation effectively decreases misinformation credibility assessment and misinformation sharing intention. The results of the moderator analyses showed that content-based, passive inoculation was more effective in increasing credibility and sharing intention. The theme of climate change demonstrates a stronger effect on real information credibility. Comparing intervention types showed that pre-post interventions are more effective for misinformation credibility assessment, while post-only interventions are better for credibility discernment. Conclusions This study indicated that psychological inoculation enhanced individuals' ability to discern real information from misinformation and share real information. Incorporating psychological inoculation to cultivate an informed public is crucial for societal resilience against misinformation threats in an age of information proliferation. As a scalable and cost-effective intervention strategy, institutions can apply psychological inoculation to mitigate potential misinformation crises.


ABSTRACT This article claims that the practices undertaken by digital platforms to counter disinformation, under the EU Action Plan against Disinformation and the Code of Practice, mark a shift in the governance of news media content. While professional journalism standards have been used for long, both within and outside the industry, to assess the accuracy of news content and adjudicate on media conduct, the platforms are now resolving to different fact-checking routines to moderate and curate their content. The article will demonstrate how fact-checking organisations have different working methods than news operators and ultimately understand and assess 'accuracy' in different ways. As a result, this new and enhanced role for platforms and fact-checkers as curators of content impacts on how content is distributed to the audience and, thus, on media freedom. Depending on how the fact-checking standards and working routines will consolidate in the near future, however, this trend offers an actual opportunity to improve the quality of news and the right to receive information.


Abstract An experiment to test the feasibility of tracking Gulf Stream rings with neutrally buoyant SOFAR floats was begun in September 1974. Three floats were launched at depths of 750, 1050 and 1080 m in a ring west of Bermuda. One float left the ring after 3 weeks. The other two floats remained in the ring for 2–3 months, while it moved 375 km westward at a rate of 6 cm s−1; they were subsequently entrained by the Gulf Stream off Cape Hatteras. A second ring seeded with floats coalesced with the Gulf Stream and five of its six floats were carried eastward in the Stream. The sixth float drifted south out of the ring and into the Sargasso Sea. One float was launched in the Sargasso between the two rings; its net drift over a 6-month period was to the west at 1.1 cm s−1. These results indicate that there is considerable exchange of water between a ring and surrounding water at depths of 750 to 1100 m and that rings can be tracked for periods of only a few months with SOFAR floats at these depths. Paths of...


Background Complement plays a pivotal role in the immune response to infection. Several studies demonstrated complement activation in sepsis, yet little is known of the relationship of complement terminal pathway activation and the clinical characteristics of sepsis patients. Therefore, we investigated serum C5, soluble C5b-9 (sC5b-9), and soluble CD59 (sCD59) and their relation to organ failure in sepsis patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods In this prospective cohort study, all available patients admitted to the adult ICUs between June 2020 and January 2021 were included. Patients were divided into sepsis and non-sepsis groups according to the Sepsis-3 criteria, serum samples from both groups were investigated for the levels of C5, sC5b-9, and sCD59 using commercial sandwich ELISA kits. Results We analyzed 79 serum samples, 36 were from sepsis patients. We found that sepsis patients had significantly lower C5 (83.6± 28.4 vs 104.4± 32.0 µg/mL, p = 0.004) and higher sCD59 (380.7± 170.5 vs 288.9± 92.5 ng/mL, p = 0.016). sC5b-9, although higher in sepsis patients, did not reach statistical significance (1.5± 0.8 µg/mL vs 1.3± 0.7 µg/mL, p = 0.293). Sepsis patients who died during their ICU stay had significantly higher sCD59 compared to those who survived (437.0 ± 176.7 vs 267.8 ± 79.7 ng/mL, p = 0.003, respectively). Additionally, C5 and sCD59 both correlated to SOFA score in the sepsis group (rs = −0.44, P = 0.007 and = 0.43, P = 0.009, respectively), and a similar correlation was not found in the non-sepsis group. Discussion In sepsis patients, levels of C5 and sCD59, but not sC5b-9, correlated to the severity of organ damage measured by SOFA. A similar correlation was not found in non-sepsis patients. This indicated that organ damage associated with sepsis led to a more pronounced terminal pathway activation than in non-sepsis patients, it also indicated the potential of using C5 and sCD59 to reflect sepsis severity.


Based on the authors' results of EPR experiments, they point out that KCuF3, a one-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnet in spite of its pseudo-cubic crystal structure, has a Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya (DM) antisymmetric exchange interaction Sigma dijSi*Sj between spins on the c-axis; the direction of dij is perpendicular to the c-axis. The observed EPR linewidth shows (2+sin2 theta )-like angular behaviour ( theta is the angle between the c-axis and the external field), which coincides well with the theory of line broadening due to the DM interaction with dij perpendicular to c-axis. The linewidth shows a rapid decrease with lowering temperature and its value extrapolated to T=0 K from the paramagnetic region is zero. As the theory by Soos et al. (1977) shows, this temperature dependence also indicates that the EPR line is governed by the DM interaction; i.e. it arises from the four-spin correlation functions ((Sialpha Sjbeta -Sibeta Sjalpha )2) (where alpha and beta =x, y and z) in the second moment due to the DM interaction which is different from ((Sialpha Sjbeta +Sibeta Sjalpha )2) of the perturbation terms of both the dipole-dipole and the anisotropic exchange interactions.


PREMISE OF THE STUDY
The function of most ecosystems has been altered by human activities. To asses the recovery of plant communities, we must evaluate the recovery of plant functional traits. The seasonally dry tropical forest (SDTF), a highly threatened ecosystem, is assumed to recover relatively quickly from disturbance, but an integrated evaluation of recovery in floristic, structural, and functional terms has not been performed. In this study we aimed to (a) compare SDTF plant functional, floristic, and structural change along succession; (b) identify tree functional groups; and (c) explore the spectral properties of different successional stages.

METHODS
Across a SDTF successional gradient, we evaluated the change of species composition, vegetation structure, and leaf spectral reflectance and functional traits (related to water use, light acquisition, nutrient conservation, and CO(2) acquisition) of 25 abundant tree species.

KEY RESULTS
A complete recovery of SDTF takes longer than the time period inferred from floristic or structural data. Plant functional traits changed along succession from those that maximize photoprotection and heat dissipation in early succession, where temperature is an environmental constraint, to those that enhance light acquisition in late succession, where light may be limiting. A spectral indicator of plant photosynthetic performance (photochemical reflectance index) discriminated between early and late succession. This constitutes a foundation for further exploration of remote sensing technologies for studying tropical succession.

CONCLUSIONS
A functional approach should be incorporated as a regular descriptor of forest succession because it provides a richer understanding of vegetation dynamics than is offered by either the floristic or structural approach alone.


With the explosive development of the next era for mobile wireless networks, there has been a lot of studies in the promising techniques for multimedia services - the statistical quality-of-service (QoS) technique, which has been proved to be effective in statistically guaranteeing delay-bounded video transmissions over the time-varying wireless channels. On the other hand, as the 5G-promising techniques, multiple input multiple output-orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (MIMO-OFDMA) based cognitive radio schemes are proposed to significantly improve the system capacity while mitigate the interference for future dynamic spectrum access networks. However, due to the heterogeneity caused by different links of simultaneous traffics over the wireless relay, supporting diverse delay-bounded QoS guarantees for MIMO-OFDMA based cognitive radio networks (CRNs) imposes many new challenges not encountered before. To effectively overcome the aforementioned problems, in this paper we propose the heterogeneous QoS- driven resource allocation scheme by applying the MIMO-OFDMA based relaying scheme over CRNs. In particular, under the Nakagami-m fading model, we establish the MIMO-OFDMA based system model. Then, given the heterogeneous statistical QoS constraints, we derive and analyze the effective capacity under our developed optimal power-allocation policies for the MIMO- OFDMA based CRNs. Also conducted is a set of simulations which show that our proposed scheme outperforms the other existing schemes in terms of effective capacity to efficiently implement the heterogeneous statistical QoS over MIMO-OFDMA based CRNs.


Abstract The Australian Constitution lays down a process for creating new states out of the existing states that form the Australian Federation. This article explores that process, in historical and political perspective. It examines the drafting of the relevant provisions of the Constitution, and legal uncertainties that arise from them, including as to what terms and conditions might be imposed by the Commonwealth, and whether a referendum is required to create a new state in this way. The article then examines attempts to bring about new states from Australia's existing states, before considering proposals for constitutional reform. It demonstrates how an apparently dynamic set of constitutional provisions have given rise to a static Federation in which there is no realistic prospect that a new state will be formed out of an existing state in the near future. The article suggests, however, that in the longer term there is a better prospect that new states will be formed from existing states if proposals for constitutional reform are adopted.


The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is under development by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the geologic disposal of transuranic waste. The primary regulatory requirements (Le.. 40 CFR 191 and 40 CFR 194) placed on the WIPP by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) involve a complementary cumulative distribution function (CCDF) for normalized radionuclide releases to the accessible environment. The interpretation and use of this CCDF from a decision analysis perspective is discussed and illustrated with results from the 1996 performance assessment for the WIPP, which was carried out to support a compliance certification application by the DOE to the EPA for the WIPP.


1. Hemp: A Plant with a Worldwide Distribution 2. The History of Hemp 3. Physiology and Botany of Industrial Hemp 4. Genetics and Selection of Hemp 5. Factors Affecting the Yield of Industrial Hemp - Experimental Results from France 6. Hemp Agronomics and Cultivation 7. Legislative Controls on the Cultivation of Hemp 8. The Agricultural Economics of Hemp 9. The Industrial Hemp Economy 10. Integrated Quality Management for Bast Fibres in Technical Applications 11. Use of Natural Fibres in Composites for German Automotive Production from 1999 till 2005 12. Increasing Demand for European Hemp Fibres 13. Hemp in Paper Making 14. Hemp and Plastics 15. Medicinal Uses of Hemp 16. Hemp Seeds for Nutrition 17. Hemp and the Construction Industry 18. The Uses of Hemp for Domestic Animals 19. Chemical and Morphological Differences in Hemp Varieties 20. Hemp Production outside the EU - Eastern Europe and North America 21. The Role of Hemp in Sustainable Development.


Few studies have examined the influence of individual-, household-, and community-scale risk factors on carriage of resistant commensal bacteria. We determined children's medical, agricultural, and environmental exposures by household, pharmacy, and health facility surveys and Escherichia coli cultures of children, mothers' hands, household animals, and market chickens in Peru. Among 522 children with a positive stool culture, by log-binomial regression, using "any antibiotic" and 1-14 (versus 0) sulfa doses in the past 3 months increased children's risk, respectively, for ampicillin- and sulfamethoxazole-resistant E. coli carriage (P = 0.01-0.02). Each household member taking "any antibiotic" increased children's risk for sulfamethoxazole- and multidrug-resistant E. coli carriage (P < 0.0001). Residence in a zone where a larger proportion of households served home-raised chicken (as contrasted with intensively antibiotic-raised market chicken) protected against carrying E. coli resistant to all drugs (P = 0.0004-0.04). Environmental contamination with drug-resistant bacteria appeared to significantly contribute to children's carriage of antibiotic-resistant E. coli.


Literature data on the transient DC current exhibited by polyimide films are reinterpreted in terms of the contribution of dipolar rotation.


High resolution and isolated scanning probe microscopy (SPM) is in demand for continued development of energy storage and conversion systems involving chemical reactions at the nanoscale as well as an improved understanding of biological systems. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have large aspect ratios and, if leveraged properly, can be used to develop high resolution SPM probes. Isolation of SPM probes can be achieved by depositing a dielectric film and selectively etching at the apex of the probe. In this paper the fabrication of a high resolution and isolated SPM tip is demonstrated using electron beam induced etching of a dielectric film deposited onto an SPM tip with an attached CNT at the apex.


A new decentralized routing strategy using H infin optimal control is introduced in this paper. For each node a local state feedback control is designed such that the proposed global objective function which is the worst-case queuing length is minimized. By taking advantage of H infin control theory, a robust routing performance in the presence of unknown fast time varying network delays is achieved. The resulting optimization problem is then recast as a linear objective minimization problem involving linear matrix inequality (LMI) constraints. The physical constraints are also expressed as LMI feasibility conditions. Simulation results are presented to illustrate and demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed routing strategy.


We first show the existence of a novel non-Hermitian symmetry, i.e., complex mirror symmetry. We then demonstrate a recursive process that generates high-order non-Hermitian degeneracies based on this new symmetry, which can potentially increase the spontaneous emission rate and sensing sensitivity of optical devices by orders of magnitude.


Ten healthy adult men were fed a diet low in folate and exogenous methyl groups to study the effects on in vivo methylation capability. The men were housed in a metabolic unit for the entire 108 d of the study. After a 9-d baseline period (Period 1), the men were fed a soy-product-amino acid defined diet for 45 d, which provided 25 micrograms/d of folate for 30 d (Period 2) and, with a folate supplement, 99 micrograms/d for 15 d (Period 3). During Period 2 and Period 3, the low methionine and choline diet was supplemented with methionine for half the subjects to vary the dietary methyl group intake. The periods were then repeated over the next 54 d (Periods 4-6), with a crossover of methionine intakes in Period 5 and Period 6. A 1-g oral dose of nicotinamide was given at the end of each period and methylated urine metabolites determined. Other measures related to in vivo methylation capability included urine creatinine, and plasma and urine carnitine. Even with moderate folate depletion, none of these measures was decreased by low methionine and choline intakes. Plasma methionine concentrations were unchanged throughout. Limiting exogenous methyl group intake by restricting dietary methionine and choline did not impair in vivo methylation capabilities for the variables tested, even at low folate intake.


While society is changing at speeds never seen before, some questions arise about the impact that new technology causes and will cause in the lives of citizens. Unfortunately, not all innovation leads to development, and not all development is of a global nature. In this context, the law presents interesting alternatives. The state can play an important role in regional economic development through state enterprises. State enterprises ally with private and public investment, which assures that the interest of the collective prevails. However, the performance of state enterprises is very limited by the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (hereinafter 'SCM Agreement'). To a certain extent, the restrictions therein contradict the sole aim of the agreement, which clearly expresses the importance of subsidies in economic development. This paper analyzes the legal system of state enterprises within Brazil and their recent successes, as a basis to rethink the limitations imposed by the SCM Agreement.


As a means of improving Korean Soil Classification System, we have reviewed Australian Soil Classification System by comparing Soil Taxonomy and FAO/WRB Classification System. Australian Soil Classification System is composed of 14 of Order, 87 of Sub-order, 556 of Great-group, 2,451 of Sub-group, and 7,276 of Family. Interestingly, soil order has the Anthroposols which is not classified with Soil Taxonomy, and the classification for some of soils is based on soil texture abruption horizon and soil structure. Seven of 14 soil orders are classified with an old version based on soil color rather than morphological characteristics. The distribution scale of Australian soil order is the largest in Tenosols, and followed by Kandosols, Rudosols, Sodosols and Vertisols in Australia.


The Vehicular Ad-Hoc Network (VANET) is an application derived from the MANET (Mobile Ad-Hoc Network) is a current research topic in intelligence transport system. VANET provides wireless communication between the vehicles which help in road safety application such as traffic and accident. So the security of the VANET is an important factor. Different techniques exist for evaluation the security of VANET. In ART: An attack resistant trust management, existing system provide the evaluation of trustworthiness of data and node. This method also copes with the malicious attack. But the drawback of this method is it doesn't evaluate the capacity of channel or the channel parameter is not calculated. Channel is important factor in wireless communication. In this paper the channel estimation and packet loss is also calculated. It identifies whether the misbehavior is due to channel weakness or some malicious attack. The precision value is calculated from the overall trust and the result were compared .


Lianas account for a small fraction of forest biomass, but their contribution to leaf or litter biomass and thus to food webs can be substantial. Globally liana exhibit fast life‐history traits. Thus, liana litter may decompose faster than tree litter, and could enhance the decomposition of tree litter (complementarity effect). The differences in decomposition may also vary with mesofauna access or across forest communities. The contribution of these factors to nutrient biogeochemical cycling is poorly understood. We examined the decomposition of litter of 20 liana and 20 tree species of three different tropical forest communities in southern China, over 1 year. (i) We incubated the litter in bags with coarse and fine mesh to distinguish mesofaunal and microfaunal effects. (ii) We used single‐species litter bags to compare decomposition rates of lianas and trees, to test which functional traits best explained decomposition, and whether those traits differed between lianas and trees, and among forest types. (iv) We used mixed‐species litter bags to test whether liana litter enhances decomposition in litter mixtures. (v) We evaluated how leaf litter nutrients decayed in relation to litter mass. Litter decayed faster in coarse‐mesh than fine‐mesh bags, but there was no interaction effect with forest type or growth form. Liana litter decayed faster than tree litter in single‐species bags with mesofauna access and in mixed bags (liana‐only mix, tree‐only mix) without mesofauna. Lianas had higher nitrogen content and specific leaf area and lower leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and toughness than trees. Decomposition rate was significantly negatively related to LDMC. Litter of evergreen broadleaved forest decomposed slower than that of other forest types. Liana litter did not enhance the decomposition of tree litter in mixtures. Liana litter released calcium slightly faster than trees. Synthesis: Leaf litter decomposes faster for lianas than trees, despite high variability of traits and decomposition rates within each growth form and overlap between growth forms, and we found no evidence for the complementarity hypothesis. Our study sheds light on the potential role of lianas within brown food webs and their importance on terrestrial biogeochemistry.


This paper introduces Avatar CAPTCHA, an image based approach to distinguish human users from computer programs (bots). The proposed CAPTCHA asks users to identify avatar faces from a set of 12 grayscale images comprised of a mix of human and avatar faces. Experimental results indicate that it can be solved 62% of the time by human users with an average success time of 24 seconds and a positive user rating of 90%. It is designed to be secure against computer programs (bots). Using brute force attack the success rate for a bot to solve it is 1/4096.


Typed entailment graphs try to learn the entailment relations between predicates from text and model them as edges between predicate nodes. The construction of entailment graphs usually suffers from severe sparsity and unreliability of distributional similarity. We propose a two-stage method, Entailment Graph with Textual Entailment and Transitivity (EGT2). EGT2 learns the local entailment relations by recognizing the textual entailment between template sentences formed by typed CCG-parsed predicates. Based on the generated local graph, EGT2 then uses three novel soft transitivity constraints to consider the logical transitivity in entailment structures. Experiments on benchmark datasets show that EGT2 can well model the transitivity in entailment graph to alleviate the sparsity, and leads to significant improvement over current state-of-the-art methods.


Background: This study was aimed to see the frequency of polyzoospermia and teratozoospermia, among men with history of infertility, presenting at National Institute of Health, Islamabad.
 Material and Methods: Seven hundred and ninety married men presenting with a complaint of infertility underwent their semen analysis. They were categorized on the basis of sperm count and morphology. The sperm count was performed by Neubauer haemocytometer, while morphology assessed after staining the slides as described by the WHO methodology.
 Results: The 790 men were classified as having azoospermia (203), oligozoospermia (353), polyzoospermia (13) and normozoospermia (221). While on the basis of morphology as teratozoospermia (37) and normozoospermia (550). The frequency of polyzoospermia in our study was 1.65% and teratozoospermia 6.30%.
 Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of both qualitative and quantitative analysis of sperms i.e. count and morphology in order to accurately diagnose the causes of infertility. It shows low frequency of polyzoospermia and teratozoospermia in infertile men.


Multiple identities are becoming an increasingly important issue in a globalized world. This study examines the interference of Jewish identity with other collective identities, national and transnational, as well as the influence of religion and values on Jewish and other collective identities in Jewish late adolescents in Belgium. We compared data with those of a previous study on native Belgians and Muslim immigrants (Saroglou & Galand, 2004) and found similarities between Jews and the other two groups in the hierarchies of collective identities and values; however, Jews differed in their weak European identity and the considerable importance to them of autonomy and self-enhancement values (power and achievement). Jewish cultural identity was unrelated to other collective identities, but a shift from a Jewish identity to a new, Belgian identity or to a broad, transnational identity (or both) was occasionally related to low levels of attachment to religion, tradition, power, security, and hedonism and to high levels of universalism, autonomy, and conformity.


One of the major issues in the design of SRAMs is the memory access time (or speed of read operation). For having high performance SRAMs, it is essential to take care of the read speed both in the cell-level design and in the design of a clever sense amplifier. Sense amplifiers are one of the most critical circuits in the organization of CMOS memories. Their performance strongly influences both memory access time and overall memory power consumption. High density memories commonly come with increased bit line parasitic capacitance. These large capacitance slow down voltage sensing and makes bit line voltage swings energy-consuming, which result in slower more power hungry memories. Need for larger memory capacity, higher speed, and lower power dissipation.In this work, design of low power high speed sense amplifier for CMOS SRAMs has been done. It has to sense the lowest possible signal swing from the SRAMs bit lines and its response time should be very fast while keeping the power consumption within a tolerable limit. This sense amplifier will be based on latest architectures available in literature and my focus will be to improve the power consumption and response time.


Abstract: Recent changes and limited resources for drug development and manufacturing have rendered the conventional pharmaceutical quality assurance approach insufficient and have given rise to new research in these areas. To address these research efforts, the FDA improved and modernized the rules governing pharmaceutical manufacturing and product quality in 2002, thereby realizing a paradigm change in the current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). The Quality by Design (QbD) approach has entered the pharmaceutical industry within the last 10 years after the approval of the ICH Q8 in 2005. QbD is based on an understanding of the target product's quality profile (QTPP) and an assessment of its risks during the design and development of pharmaceutical dosage forms. By determining the critical quality attributes of the drug, including its active ingredient, its excipients, and the processes and design spaces used during the R&D phase, multi-way tracking during the life cycle of the drug can be achieved. This tracking can provide numerous advantages, including flexibility in licensing by decreasing the variation and type modifications in applications of the pharmaceutical product, which result from minimizing the possible issues arising after the release of the product. When all these data are observed, it is clear that the new QbD approach benefits the authorities, the drug manufacturers and the patient. Although QbD has certain challenges during its early stages, it is thought that QbD will benefit pharmaceutical manufacturers. Keywords: Quality by design (QbD), target product quality profile, critical quality attributes, design space, risk assessment.


The Hakata hot springs area is located in Fukuoka City, which is in the southwestern part of Japan. Gamma-ray and gravity surveys were conducted to understand the relationship between the low-temperature hydrothermal systems and geophysical data of the area. The depth of the reservoir basement, which was derived from gravity data, gradually deepens toward the east; it includes some steep depth gradients in the Hakata hot springs area. High intensities of gamma-rays were detected around these gradients. In addition, higher hot spring temperatures and flow rates can be observed in this area. These results indicate that some part of the level of the basement where the hot springs are concentrated is a part of the Kego Fault and is similar to the fracture zone created by past activities of the fault. Moreover, these steep depth gradients act as a path for hot spring water from the deeper side of the granitic body to the surface.


Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), based on the IEEE 802.16 standards, is a technology that offers low cost mobile broadband access to multimedia and internet applications for operators and end-users. Similarly to cellular phone or other Radio Frequency devices, WiMAX has to be considered as a possible source of electromagnetic pollution and so monitoring its emission could be necessary to verify compliance with the applicable emission limits. Generally, the monitoring of the electromagnetic pollution is performed by means of a suitable measurement chain constituted by an antenna connected to a traditional spectrum analyzer. The use of this kind of device to measure the power of digital modulated noise- like signals, such as WiMAX, requires to use proper measurement methods and to carefully set many instrument parameters to obtain reliable measurement results, otherwise a significant underestimate or overestimate of the human exposure can be obtained. In this framework, this paper investigates the feasibility of us ing the traditional spectrum analyzer to perform the electromagnetic pollution measurements due to WiMAX devices. A large experimental campaign is carried out to identify the most proper measurement method and spectrum analyzer settings able to warrant rel iable measurements.


Multi-Granular Optical Networks (MG-ONs) offer enhanced bandwidth utilization, reduced transmission cost and increased scalability in the optical Internet backbone. There have been several proposals for optimized design of MG-ONs as power consumption in the Internet backbone has recently become an important concern. Although recent research has shown that multi-granular switching concept can guarantee energy savings when compared to the traditional traffic grooming, MG-ON design still calls for legitimate and self-contained design specifications. In this paper, we revisit the Routing and MultiGranular Path Assignment (RMGPA) problem by having the objective of minimized power consumption. Heuristic solutions of RMGPA problem show that crucial power and cost savings can be achieved with the proper selection of the wavelength capacity, waveband size and number of wavebands per fiber with a certain fiber capacity.


R. K. Thomas Applied Mechanics Division 1544 Sandia National Laboratories• Albuquerque, NM USA TI1e problem of predicting the mechanical stress and deformation states in wound tapes that result from the winding process addressed by application of the finite element method. The generally heterogeneous tape construction is approximated by continuum finite elements each of which represents many tape plies. Material behavior within the finite element continuum is assumed to be ortl10tropic elastic. The actual winding process, in which stressed plies are added to an already stressed but partially wound tape, is simulated by sequentially activating layers of finite elements which have initial stress equal to the average winding stress. This model has been implemented in the three-dimensional code JAC3D. Numerical results are presented for the case of a regular two-dimensional circular geometry, for which analytical solutions have been reported in the literature. The favorable comparison between finite element results and analytical results for this example problem validate the finite element approach.


Globally, invasive predators are major pests of agriculture and biodiversity and are the focus of comprehensive control programs. Because these species are typically elusive, wary of traps, and occur at low densities, their fundamental population dynamics are difficult to determine and quantitative evaluations of control programs are rarely conducted. Noninvasive DNA analysis has the potential to resolve this long-standing limitation to pest management. We carried out a landscape-scale experiment to quantify reduction in the abundance of a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) population when baited with sodium fluoroacetate (1080) poison (the most widely used method of fox control in Australia). We collected fox hairs with hair snares during 4 4-day sessions over the course of 6 months at a site in semi-arid Western Australia. The first session took place in late summer just prior to when juvenile foxes typically disperse, and the final session followed aerial baiting with 1080 poison. We obtained consensus microsatellite genotypes from 196 samples, and used them to conduct both spatially explicit and open model capture–recapture analysis. Twenty-eight percent of trap nights yielded hair samples suitable for identification of individual foxes, which is more than an order of magnitude greater than trapping rates reported with conventional techniques. Fox density changed little during 3 pre-baiting sessions and averaged 0.73 foxes/km2 (±0.33 SE), which is less than most previous trap-based estimates for Australian foxes. Density dropped significantly in response to baiting to 0.004 foxes/km2. Prior to baiting, the apparent survival of foxes remained static (0.72 ± 0.14 SE), but in response to baiting it dropped precipitously and was effectively zero. This experiment provides the first quantitative assessment of the effectiveness of 1080 poison baiting for reducing fox density, and in this case demonstrates it to be a highly effective method for culling foxes from a region. Further, it demonstrates that noninvasive DNA analysis will provide significantly more data than conventional trapping methods. This method is likely to provide greater precision and accuracy than conventional methods and therefore result in more robust evaluations of management strategies for the fox in Australia, and for cryptic species elsewhere. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.


This study shall present the consequences of the paradigm shift in thinking about law that took place in Ancient Rome (primarily, but not exclusively, in the early republic). It will present what distinguished the Roman concept of law from the concept of law present in other ancient laws, and what is still a living heritage of Roman thought, even if we do not realize it on a daily basis. Roman law will be compared with other laws of the European cultural circle, and therefore, apart from ancient Greece, the so-called Eastern despotias and the state (states) of the Jews. However, it is more about ideas than specific solutions. Therefore, in the comparative material will be also included the Muslim law, although it was created after the promulgation of the Justinian Code, considered the final stage in the formation of ancient Roman law. The Muslim law is however - in a sense - an heir of Middle Eastern legislation and expresses an alternative to Roman way of thinking about law. The aim is to show not only what distinguishes Roman law from the laws that precede it or its contemporaries, but what distinguishes Roman law from other possible ways of looking at laws in general. As a research hypothesis is presented the statement that the fundamental for the development of European legal culture were not so much specific Roman normative solutions, but a change in the paradigm of thinking about law: its secularization, understood as a break with divine origin or the sanctioning of law, and its professionalization, understood as the development of a specific category professional people dealing with the analysis and interpretation of law. At the end it is presented an open question why the secularization of the law happened only in Rome and why it ever happened there although in all other analyzed legal systems the connection between law and religion was never surpassed which this did not prevent the formation of a precise and sublime law, as was the case of the Islamic world.


The Malaysian Government has recognized Human Capital Development (HCD) as a vital thrust for public sector innovation in this dynamic working world led by advanced globalization. The Public Sector in Malaysia is constantly looking forward to renew and improve public services and
the quality of workforce with many plans, programs and strategies. To fulfill this aspiration, it is important to gain an understanding of the frontline staffs in public sector because they have extensive interaction with public and create the first impression towards Government efforts. The main objective of this research is to study the effect of personality, emotional intelligence,affectivity, emotional labor and emotional exhaustion on counterproductive work behaviour of frontline staffs in the public sector. Up to now the literature shows that very little academic research had been carried out in this area among frontline staff especially in Malaysian Public
Sector. A survey (self-rated by the respondents) with established constructs was carried out to 625 frontline staffs working in 25 ministries in Malaysia. The data analysis was carried out using IBM-SPSS/PC V20.0 for descriptive and inferential statistics. The descriptive analysis shows the profile of respondents and perceptions of the variables. Whereas, the inferential statistics
(Hierarchical Regression) was used to compute difference of mean, relationship and the mediation effect of emotional labor. The findings of this study provided a better understanding of the predictors of emotional labor and subsequently its impact to the emotional exhaustion and
counterproductive work behavior among the frontline staff. Besides that, through the integrated model the study identified the mediating roles (partial mediator) of emotional labor between emotional intelligence and emotional exhaustion and also between personality and
counterproductive work behavior. This exploratory study provides theoretical basis, empirical evidence and a data-base to develop new strategies, further research and review of the policy involving frontline staffs in public sector to have right skills and appropriate training to manage their emotion.


Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is abbreviated as skin three-dimensional computed tomography, which can help clearly observe the structure of the epidermis and superficial dermis. It is a non-invasive skin disease examination method and provides fast access to real-time, dynamic skin micro-anatomical images. Therefore, RCM is widely used in the clinical diagnosis of skin diseases. For example, the RCM features of vitiligo are as follows: pigment loss or partial pigment loss in the lesion area, loss of the basal layer pigment ring. The RCM findings of Riehl melanosis are as follows: basal cell liquefaction and degeneration. The RCM results for verruca plana show: the Rose-like structure. The characteristics of psoriasis under RCM include: hyperkeratosis, parakeratosis, thickening of the spinous layer, capillary dilatation and hyperaemia, peripheral inflammatory cell infiltration. Epidermal brain-like structure was observed under RCM of seborrheic keratosis. With RCM, image acquisition and preservation of the skin is convenient, and the technique is convenient for comparing the development of lesions during long-term follow-up observation. Therefore, it helps to understand disease development in real time and dynamically and can be used to evaluate the curative effect. In this article, we briefly review the technical principles, diagnostic criteria for RCM application and RCM-related research progress in the diagnosis of pigmentary diseases, inflammatory diseases, skin tumours, and other common skin diseases.


Properly determined pump characteristics constitute major criteria of selection of pump systems in manufacturing plants. In food processing industry, positive displacement pumps as well as rotodynamic pumps are widely used. The type of pump primarily depends on the properties of the fluid to be displaced and on its viscosity. Generally, positive displacement pumps are mainly used for medium and high-viscosity fluids, such as chocolate (2.5-16 Pa·s), whereas rotodynamic pumps are used for low-viscosity fluids such as milk (0.002-0.004 Pa·s) [4]. In the subject literature, the available information pertains to research on operation of pumps depending on the viscosity of the pumped fluid. The research, however, was carried out repeatedly with several types of oil of various viscosity (below 0.5 Pa·s). Publication [8] presents the results of positive displacement pumps using viscous fluids (10-41 Pa·s). The tests run with a rotary cam pump proved that increased viscosity significantly influences its characteristics [8]. Such information regarding gear pumps is rather scarce and pertains mostly to hydraulic pumps. The body of research into the effect of fluid viscosity in hydraulic pumps is vast. It includes numerous phenomena occurring when the pump operates, e.g. the pulsating capacity [7] or the impact of the operating parameters on the efficiency of the pumps, which was studied using hydraulic oil of viscosity ranging from <0.015 to 0.2> Pa·s [6]. When testing gear pumps used in the food industry, it is important to carry out tests with fluids of substantially higher viscosity (several dozen Pa·s). The flow characteristics of gear pumps are presented mainly in technical documentation provided by their manufacturers (Pomac Pumps, All Pumps, Tapflo) and are not generally accessible. Consequently, there is a need to work out the characteristics of gear pumps depending on the viscosity of the fluid they displace. The above statement encouraged the researchers from Industrial Institute of Agricultural Engineering and, specifically, its Department of Research and Development of Foodstuff Machinery and Devices to address the said problem. The aim of this work is to present selected characteristics of a gear pump of declared capacity of 2.5 m·h, depending on the viscosity of the pumped fluid [1]. The detailed aims include defining the following characteristics: volumetric capacity depending on the pump rotational speed Q(n), power needed to energize the pumps depending on their rotational speed P(n), pressure difference across the pump depending on its rotational speed p(n).


Plant operation procedures are used to guide operators in coping with normal, abnormal or emergency situations in a process control system. Historically, the plant procedures have been paper-based (PBP), with the digitalization trend in these complex systems computer-based procedures (CBPs) are being developed to support procedure use. This work shows briefly the research on CBPs at the Human-System Interface Laboratory (LABIHS). The emergency operation procedure EOP-0 of the LABIHS NPP simulator was implemented in the ImPRO CBP system. The ImPRO system was chosen for test because it is available for download in the Internet. A preliminary operation test using the implemented procedure in the CBP system was realized and the results were compared to the operation through PBP use.


The Bers-Greenberg theorem tells that the Teichm\"{u}ller space of a Riemann surface with branch points (orbifold) depends only on the genus and the number of special points, but not on the particular ramification values. On the other hand, the Maskit embedding provides a mapping from the Teichm\"{u}ller space of an orbifold, into the product of one dimensional Teichm\"{u}ller spaces. In this paper we prove that there is a set of isomorphisms between one dimensional Teichm\"{u}ller spaces that, when restricted to the image of the Teichm\"{u}ller space of an orbifold under the Maskit embedding, provides the Bers-Greenberg isomorphism.


Numerical analysis of heat transfer processes proceeding in a nonhomogeneous biological tissue domain is presented. In particular, the skin tissue domain subjected to an external heat source is considered. The problem is treated as an axially-symmetrical one (it results from the mathematical form of the function describing the external heat source). Thermophysical parameters of sub-domains (volumetric specific heat, thermal conductivity, perfusion coefficient etc.) are given as interval numbers. The problem discussed is solved using the interval finite difference method basing on the rules of directed interval arithmetic, this means that at the stage of FDM algorithm construction the mathematical manipulations are realized using the interval numbers. In the final part of the paper the results of numerical computations are shown, in particular the problem of admissible thermal dose is analyzed.


The following summary highlights important advances in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B as announced at the European Association for the Study of Liver meeting. This report focuses on long-term follow-up of patients on first-line hepatitis B therapies as well as the outcomes in expanded patient populations.


Neural engineers have made significant, if not remarkable, progress in interfacing with the nervous system in the last ten years. In particular, neuromodulation of the brain has generated significant therapeutic benefits [1–5]. EEG electrodes can be used to communicate with patients with locked-in syndrome [6]. In the central nervous system (CNS), electrode arrays placed directly over or within the cortex can record neural signals related to the intent of the subject or patient [7, 8]. A similar technology has allowed paralyzed patients to control an otherwise normal skeletal system with brain signals [9, 10]. This technology has significant potential to restore function in these and other patients with neural disorders such as stroke [11]. Although there are several multichannel arrays described in the literature, the workhorse for these cortical interfaces has been the Utah array [12]. This 100-channel electrode array has been used in most studies on animals and humans since the 1990s and is commercially available. This array and other similar microelectrode arrays can record neural signals with high quality (high signal-to-noise ratio), but these signals fade and disappear after a few months and therefore the current technology is not reliable for extended periods of time. Therefore, despite these major advances in communicating with the brain, clinical translation cannot be implemented. The reasons for this failure are not known but clearly involve the interface between the electrode and the neural tissue. The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) as well as other federal funding agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health have provided significant financial support to investigate this problem without much success. A recent funding program from DARPA was designed to establish the failure modes in order to generate a reliable neural interface technology and again was unsuccessful at producing a robust interface with the CNS. In 2013, two symposia were held independently to discuss this problem: one was held at the International Neuromodulation Society's 11th World Congress in Berlin and supported by the International Neuromodulation Society1 and the other at the 6th International Neural Engineering conference in San Diego2 and was supported by the NSF. Clearly, the neuromodulation and the neural engineering communities are keen to solve this problem. Experts from the field were assembled to discuss the problems and potential solutions. Although many important points were raised, few emerged as key issues. (1) The ability to access remotely and reliably internal neural signals . Although some of the technological problems have already been solved, this ability to access neural signals is still a significant problem since reliable and robust transcutaneous telemetry systems with large numbers of signals, each with wide bandwidth, are not readily available to researchers. (2) A translation strategy taking basic research to the clinic . The lack of understanding of the biological response to implanted constructs and the inability to monitor the sites and match the mechanical properties of the probe to the neural tissue properties continue to be an unsolved problem. In addition, the low levels of collaboration among neuroscientists, clinicians, patients and other stakeholders throughout different phases of research and development were considered to be significant impediments to progress. (3) Fundamental tools development procedures for neural interfacing . There are many laboratories testing various devices with different sets of criteria, but there is no consensus on the failure modes. The reliability, robustness of metrics and testing standards for such devices have not been established, either in academia or in industry. To start addressing this problem, the FDA has established a laboratory to test the reliability of some neural devices. Although the discussion was mostly centered on interfacing with the CNS, it has recently become clear that the peripheral nervous system (PNS) could be an important target for interfacing, perhaps even more accessible for interfacing than the CNS. A recent initiative called Bioelectronic Medicines3 is a step in that direction. A recent summit held in New York was organized to investigate novel and disruptive neural technologies to interface specifically with the PNS in order to restore health and biological function to organs. With significant interest in neurotechnology for neural interfacing (see footnotes 1, 2 and 3) and uncovering new ways to treat, prevent and cure brain disorders (President Obama's brain initiative4), it seems clear that the problems at the interface will not remain unsolved for long. Finding solutions to the problem at the neural interface for interacting with the nervous system (PNS and CNS) is crucial for understanding and restoring brain function. This would in turn have a significant impact on health care and quality of life for patients with neural disorders. References [1] Follett K A et al 2010 Pallidal versus subthalamic deep-brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease New Engl. J. Med. 362 2077–91 [2] Holtzheimer P E et al 2012 Subcallosal cingulate deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant unipolar and bipolar depression Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 69 150 [3] Carron R, Chabardes S and Hammond C 2012 Mechanisms of action of high-frequency deep brain stimulation. A review of the literature and current concepts NeuroChirurgie 58 209–17 [4] Vidailhet M et al 2005 Bilateral deep-brain stimulation of the globus pallidus in primary generalized dystonia New Engl. J. Med. 352 459–67 [5] Theodore W H and Fisher R S 2004 Brain stimulation for epilepsy Lancet Neurol. 3 111–8 [6] Kübler A, Kotchoubey B, Kaiser J, Wolpaw J R and Birbaumer N 2001 Brain–computer communication: unlocking the locked Psychol. Bull. 127 358–75 [7] Schalk G, Miller K J, Anderson N R, Wilson J A, Smyth M D, Ojemann J G, Moran D W, Wolpaw J R and Leuthardt E C 2008 Two-dimensional movement control using electrocorticographic signals in humans J. Neural Eng. 5 75 [8] Serruya M D, Hatsopoulos N G, Paninski L, Fellows M R and Donoghue J P 2002 Brain–machine interface: instant neural control of a movement signal Nature 416 141–2 [9] Hochberg L R, Serruya M D, Friehs G M, Mukand J A, Saleh M, Caplan A H, Branner A, Chen D, Penn R D and Donoghue J P 2006 Neuronal ensemble control of prosthetic devices by a human with tetraplegia Nature 442 164–71 [10] Collinger J L et al 2013 High-performance neuroprosthetic control by an individual with tetraplegia Lancet 381 557–64 [11] Leuthardt E C, Schalk G, Wolpaw J R, Ojemann J G and Moran D W 2004 A brain–computer interface using electrocorticographic signals in humans J. Neural Eng. 1 63 [12] Maynard E M, Nordhausen C T and Normann R A 1997 The Utah intracortical electrode array: a recording structure for potential brain-computer interfaces Electroencephalogr. Clin. Neurophysiol. 102 228–39 1 www.neuromodulation.com/8-june-2013 2 http://neuro.embs.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2013/05/SymposiumAdvert1.pdf 3 www.gsk.com/explore-gsk/how-we-do-r-and-d/bioelectronics.html 4 www.whitehouse.gov/share/brain-initiative


UNLABELLED
We compared the quantitative leakage between forearm and conventional IV regional anesthesia (IVRA). Forearm IVRA remains unpopular because of the theoretical risk of local anesthetic leakage through the interosseous vessels. IVRA was simulated on the forearm or arm during two separate, randomized sessions using a double tourniquet in 14 volunteers. A radiolabeled substance, DISIDA (99m Tc-disofenin) with a structure similar to lidocaine, was injected instead of local anesthetic. Volumes of 0.4 mL/kg (maximum 25 mL), were used for forearm IVRA and 0.6 mL/kg (maximum 45 mL) for conventional IVRA. A gamma camera recorded radioactivity levels in the limb distal to the tourniquet every 30 s while the tourniquet was inflated (25 min) and for 20 min postdeflation. The leakage of radiolabeled substance during inflation was similar in both groups, 6%+/-12% (mean +/- SD) from the forearm and 10%+/-20% from the upper arm. After deflation, mean loss of radioactivity was higher in conventional IVRA, 70%+/-7% vs 57%+/-11% and 82%+/-5% vs 69%+/-11% at 3 and 20 min, respectively (P < 0.001). We conclude that forearm IVRA results in tourniquet leakage comparable to conventional IVRA and is potentially safer because the required dose of local anesthetic is smaller.

IMPLICATIONS
Using a tourniquet on the forearm for IV regional anesthesia does not increase the risk of drug leakage. This is potentially a safer technique compared with conventional IV regional anesthesia because a much smaller dose of local anesthetic is required.


We investigate the role of migration and housing constraints in determining income inequality within and across Chinese cities. Combining microdata and a spatial equilibrium model, we quantify the impact of the massive spatial reallocation of workers and the rapid growth of housing costs on the national income distribution. We first show several stylized facts detailing the strong positive correlation between migration inflows, housing costs, and imputed income inequality among Chinese cities. We then build a spatial equilibrium model featuring workers with heterogeneous skills, housing constraints, and heterogeneous returns from housing ownership to explain these facts. Our quantitative results indicate that the reductions in migration costs and the disproportionate growth in productivity across cities and skills result in the observed massive migration flows. Combining with the tight land supply policy in big cities, the expansion of the housing demand causes the rapid growth of housing costs and enlarges the inequality between local housing owners and migrants. The counterfactual analysis shows that if we redistribute land supply increment by migrant flow and increase land supply toward cities with more migrants, we could lower the within-city income inequality by 14% and the national income inequality by 18%. Meanwhile, we can simultaneously encourage more migration into higher productivity cities.


The purpose of the paper is to define and measure the customer engagement as a forming element of the relationship marketing theory. In the first part of the paper, the authors review the marketing literature regarding the concept of customer engagement and summarize the main models for measuring it. One probability model (Pareto/NBD model) and one parametric model (RFM model) specific for the customer acquisition phase are theoretically detailed. The second part of the paper is an application of the RFM model; the authors demonstrate that there is no statistical significant variation within the clusters formed on two different data sets (training and test set) if the cluster centroids of the training set are used as initial cluster centroids for the second test set.


Against recent attempts to argue that generic distinctions between history and other forms are not particularly relevant to analysis of how the divine is represented, this paper argues that generic distinctions are important from Herodotus on. History has its own distinctive discursive practices, however inventively historians work on the margins with other genres such as epic and tragedy.


Nonlinear Fourier division Multiplexing (NFDM) can be realized from modulating the discrete nonlinear spectrum of an $N$-solitary waveform. To generate an $N$-solitary waveform from desired discrete spectrum (eigenvalue and discrete spectral amplitudes), we use the Darboux Transform. We explain how to the norming factors must be set in order to have the desired discrete spectrum. To derive these norming factors, we study the evolution of nonlinear spectrum by adding a new eigenvalue and its spectral amplitude. We further simplify the Darboux transform algorithm.
We propose a novel algorithm (to the best of our knowledge) to numerically compute the nonlinear Fourier Transform (NFT) of a given pulse. The NFT algorithm, called forward-backward method, is based on splitting the signal into two parts and computing the nonlinear spectrum of each part from boundary ($\pm\infty$) inward. The nonlinear spectrum (discrete and continuous) derived from efficiently combining both parts has a promising numerical precision. This method can use any of one-step discretization NFT methods, e.g. Crank-Nicolson, as an NFT kernel for the forward or backward part. Using trapezoid rule of integral, we use an NFT kernel (we called here Trapezoid discretization NFT) in forward-backward method which results discrete spectral amplitudes with a very good numerical precision.
These algorithms, forward-backward method and Darboux transform, are used in [1],[2] for design and detection of phase-modulated 2-soliton pulses, and more recently, in [3] for design and detection of more complex pulses with 7 eigenvalues and modulation of spectral phase. For those soliton pulses, the discrete spectral amplitudes (in particular, phase) of both eigenvalues are quite precisely estimated using the forward-backward method.


Sleep disorders have an extremely negative impact on human vital functioning, encompassing both mental and somatic sphere. A large number of clinical trials have shown an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and their complications, including the risk of ischemic stroke, in patients suffering from insomnia or sleep-related breathing disturbances. These types of sleep disorders are the most common in the structure of all violations of sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is the most clinically significant type of sleep-related breathing disturbances. A number of pathophysiological mechanisms that may be responsible for the negative impact of sleep disorders was identified. In order to treat insomnia, behavioral techniques, including the normalization of sleep hygiene, behavioral and cognitive therapy, medication treatment, are used. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy is currently the method of choice in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome of any etiology.


Perovskite compositions in the system La 1-x M x Co 1-y Fe y O 3-δ (M = Sr, Ba, Ca) exhibited high electronic and ionic conductivity. Substantial reversible weight loss was observed at elevated temperatures as the materials became increasingly oxygen deficient. This loss of lattice oxygen at high temperatures, which tended to increase with increasing acceptor content, resulted in a decrease in the electronic conductivity. In an oxygen partial pressure gradient, oxygen flux through dense sintered membranes of these materials was highly dependent on composition and increased with increasing temperature. The increase in oxygen flux with increasing temperature was attributed to increases in the mobility concentration of lattice oxygen vacancies. The calculated ionic conductivities of some compositions exceeded that of yttria-stabilized zirconia.


The results of research on the study of the influence of soil processing systems and fertilizer using co-product for sown clogs and the yield of agricultural plants in a short-growing crop rotation are given. The influence of soil processing systems and fertilizer using co-products for sown clogs and the yield of agricultural plants in a short-live crop rotation is investigated. It has been established that on dark gray soil use in crop rotation of unifituted soil treatment systems contributes to an increase in the level of sown clogging (barley of the corn on grain at 1.4–1.6, wheat winter of winter of winter in 1.4–1.8 times) Due to the accumulation of the main amount of weed seeds in the upper soil layer. The system of fertilizer with by-products at the beginning of the vegetation of plants stimulates the germination of weeds. On average, over the years of research, the abundance of weeds in cropping crops at the beginning of vegetation when using unifituted soil treatment systems was 213–362 pcs/m2, dismissal – 94–108 pcs/m2, and before harvesting was noted a decrease in clogging, respectively, 29–57 pcs/m2, 10–13 pcs/m2. The air-dry weight of the weeds of the highest was with surface soil processing using co-product fertilizer (81.3–85.4 g/m2) relatively with dumping soil treatment (21.7–23.3 g/m2). The highest grain grain of wheat winter – 6.91 and 6.50, corn – 11.47 and 11.74, barley of the yarn – 5.37 and 5.13 and the rape of winter – 3.08 and 3.19 t/ha received when Discalled by 20–22 cm and shallow 10–12 cm soil processing system. With a 6–8 cm surface, the yields of crops decreased by 1.45, 3.66, 1.69 and 0.31 t/ha correspond to plants. A significant reason for reducing plant yields in versions with unifituted soil treatment systems served as a clogging factor, because the level here was higher than when the soil processing.


In this essay I will argue that beauty is an important part of human well-being. Not only may experiences of beauty contribute to physical and mental recuperation, but beauty also figures importantly in our conceptions of ourselves and our natural and social environment. Relating ourselves to norms of beauty and evaluating our environment from the point of view of its (lack of) beauty, we form ourselves aesthetic identities that are also important aspects of our self-esteem. Given the importance of beauty to human well-being, and given that an argument can be given for a right to well-being, the conclusion of this essay will be that there is also a right to beauty.


Pseudopaludicola canga was described by Giaretta & Kokubum (2003) based on 74 individuals previously assigned to P. mystacalis by Lobo (1995). In the diagnosis of P. canga, the original authors assigned the presence of terminal T-shapedphalanges as a character state for this taxon. However, the osteology of P. canga is not described and the presence of toetips not expanded laterally is a characteristic share with all members of Pseudopaludicola unassigned to any group. In thiswork is describe for first time the osteology of P. canga, re-examining the external morphology providing a new diagnosisand establishing the taxonomic position of P. canga in the framework of phylogenetic hypothesis proposed by Lobo(1995). Additionally, is compared the toe tip digit IV, between P. falcipes and all the species included in the P. pusilla groupand updated the type locality of P. canga. The osteology reveals that P. canga has the toe tips not T-shaped as mentionedby the original authors and this characteristic has important consequences for the diagnosis of the species. Additionally, the erroneous inclusion of P. canga in the P. pusilla group is confirmed by the phylogenetic analysis.


The evolution of the shape degrees of freedom, namely necking and deformation, has been studied in a classical dynamical model using the proximity nuclear interaction and the Coulomb interaction for the conservative forces and with wall and window frictions as the dissipative forces. The systems 238U+238U at 700 and 800 MeV and 208Pb+208Pb at 650 MeV centre-of-mass energies have been considered. Though the total interaction energy has pockets for certain shapes of the dinuclear complex, the dynamically evolved shapes do not have such pockets and the reaction time is typically approximately 10-21 s as in deep inelastic collisions.


This paper presents the design of a fully integrated CMOS 4-channel phased-array receiver for 10.5-14.5 GHz telecom infrastructure, microwave link and radar applications. The phased-array is built using 0.13μm CMOS, and has a gain of 24.5 dB at 12.5 GHz, an input IIP3 of -7.3 dBm, a NF of 4.8 dB and the RMS phase error is 3o. The chip occupies an area of 2.9×3.2mm with a total power consumption of 204 mW from a 1.5-V supply. This paper presents the design of all the receiver blocks; LNA, phase shifter, combiner and the I/Q mixer, and finally the layout of the full chip and post layout verification and electromagnetic simulations of entire chip are presented. The design and simulations are carried out using different CAD tools like Cadence, ADS and Sonnet.


Production lines with limited storage capacities can be modeled as cyclic queueing networks with finite buffers and general service times. A new technique, called perturbation analysis of discrete event dynamic systems, is applied to these queueing networks. An estimate of the gradient of the system throughput is obtained by perturbation analysis based on only one sample trajectory of the system. We show that the estimate is strongly consistent. Using this perturbation analysis estimate of gradient, we can apply the Robbins-Monro stochastic procedure in optimizing the system throughput. Compared to the conventional Kiefer-Wolfowitz optimization procedure, this approach saves a large amount of computation. For a real system, the gradient estimate can be obtained without changing any parameters in the system. The results also hold for systems with general routing but in which no server can block more than one other server simultaneously.


Circuit performance has been the key design constraint for over a decade. Variable-latency design (VLD) paradigm was proposed for optimizing the overall performance in terms of throughput. In addition, process variations and aging effects manifest themselves as gate delay shifts, and in turn cause variability of circuit timing (timing variability). Required for dealing with the impact of timing variability better, detailed evaluation and analysis of circuit timing for VLD are actually not straightforward. In this paper, we present a systematic methodology for analyzing a VLD circuit, and identifying critical 1-cycle and 2-cycle paths/gates. Based on the criticality analysis, a gate sizing framework using particle swarm optimization (PSO) is proposed. Our objective is, in a less pessimistic fashion, making constructed VLD circuits better (less vulnerable to timing variability). The proposed framework is experimentally verified to be runtime-efficient and able to provide promising results. On average, an extra timing margin of 11% can be obtained without lengthening the clock period, and only 4% area overhead is introduced.


ABSTRACT Introduction: Procedural sedation is of paramount importance for a plethora of electrophysiological procedures. From electrical cardioversion to electrophysiology studies, device implantations, and catheter ablations, intraprocedural sedation and anesthesia have a pivotal role in allowing procedural success while ensuring patient safety and avoiding discomfort. Areas covered: The present review will discuss the current state-of-the-art in sedation and anesthesia during electrical cardioversion, cardiac implantable electronic device implantation, catheter ablation and electrophysiology studies. Specific information will be provided for each procedure in order to reach the core of this important clinical issue, and specific protocols will be compared. The main pro-arrhythmic and anti-arrhythmic effects of the most commonly used sedatives will also be discussed. Expert commentary: According to much recent evidence, the cardiologist can be the only person responsible for sedation administration in many settings, highlighting few safety issues associated with the absence of a dedicated anesthesiologist thus a concomitant reduction in costs. However, many concerns have been raised in allowing non-anesthesiologists to manage sedatives, as adverse events, while rare, could have catastrophic consequences. The present paper will highlight when a cardiologist-directed sedation is considered safe, how it should be performed, and the pros and cons related to this strategy.


The two-sample Lepage test, devised for testing equality of the location and scale parameters against the alternative that at least for one of the parameters the equality does not hold, is extended to the general case of $k>1$ sampled populations. It is shown that its limiting distribution is the chi-square distribution with $2(k-1)$ degrees of freedom. This $k$-sample statistic is shown to yield consistent test and a formula for its noncentrality parameter under Pitman alternatives is derived. For some particular alternatives, the power of the $k$-sample test is compared with the power of the Kruskal–Wallis test or with the power of the Ansari–Bradley test by means of simulation estimates. Multiple comparison methods for detecting differing populations, based on this multisample version of the Lepage test or on the multisample version of the Ansari–Bradley test, are also constructed.


Previously, Define.pdf was used as a submission deliverable to enable FDA reviewers to understand the content of submitted proprietary datasets. Define-XML was introduced by CDISC as a machine-readable alternative, and this has replaced Define.pdf as a mandatory part of an eCTD-based FDA submission. Define-XML is still often seen as an afterthought, only produced when datasets are ready to be submitted.


Climate change is now a global phenomenon with growth, poverty, food security, and stability implications, and is one of the greatest challenges the world is facing today. The economic impact of climate change mainly depends on the sectoral composition of the economy. That are certain sectors like agriculture are more sensitive to climate change and the associated variability. The main objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of climate change on agricultural gross domestic product growth in Ethiopia. This study uses time-series annual data from 1992/93to 2017/18 and, an effort is made to identify the long run and short-run impact of climate change in Ethiopia using an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) and error correction methods. The results of the study provide evidence that climate change and variability affect real agricultural gross domestic product growth negatively in the long run. The coefficient of the error term that captures the speed of adjustment toward the long-run equilibrium is found with the correct sign and magnitude. The overall findings of the study underlined the importance of building resilience to climate change and minimizing the adverse impacts of climate change to promote agricultural output and hence economic growth in Ethiopia.