This thesis considers the issue of evaluating heteroskedasticity consistent covariance matrix estimators (HCCME) in linear heteroskedastic regression models. Several HCCMEs are considered, namely: HC0 (White estimator), HC1 (Hinkley estimator), HC2 (Horn, Horn & Duncan estimator) and HC3 (Mackinnon & White estimator). It is well known that White estimator is biased in finite samples; see e.g. Chesher & Jewitt and Mackinnon & White.A number of simulation studies show that HC2 & HC3 perform better than HC0 over the range of situations studied. See e.g. Long & Ervin, Mackinnon & White and Cribari-Neto & Zarkos.The existing studies have a serious drawback that they are just based on simulations and not analytical results. A number of design matrices as well as skedastic functions are used but the possibilities are too large to be adequately explored by simulations. In the past, analytical formulas have been developed by several authors for the means and the variances of different types of HCCMEs but the expression obtained are too complex to permit easy analysis. So they have not been used or analyzed to explore and investigate the relative performance of different HCCMEs.Our goal in this study is to analytically investigate the relative performance of different types of HCCMEs. One of the major contributions of this thesis is to develop new analytic formulae for the biases of the HCCMEs.These formulae permit us to use minimax type criteria to evaluate the performance of the different HCCMEs. We use these analytical formulae to identify regions of the parameter space which provide the ranges for the best and the worst performance of different estimators. If an estimator performs better than another in the region of its worst behavior, then we can confidently expect it to be better. Similarly, if an estimator is poor in area of its best performance, than it can be safely discarded. This permits, for the first time, a sharp and unambiguous evaluation of the relative performance of a large class of widely used HCCMEs.We also evaluate the existing studies in the light of our analytical calculations.Ad hoc choices of regressors and patterns of heteroskedasticity in existing studies resulted in ad hoc comparison. So there is a need to make the existing comparisons meaningful.The best way to do this is to focus on the regions of best and worst performance obtained by analytical formulae and then compare the HCCMEs to judge their relative performance. This will provide a deep and clear insight of the problem in hand. In particular, we show that the conclusions of most existing studies change when the patterns of heteroskedasticity and the regressor matrix is changed. By using the analytical techniques developed, we can resolve many questions:1) Which HCCME to use2) How to evaluate the relative performance of different HCCMEs 3) How much potential size distortion exists in the heteroskedasticity tests 4) Patterns of heteroskedasticity which are least favorable, in the sense of creating maximum bias.Our major goal is to provide practitioners and econometricians a clear cut way to be able to judge the situations where heteroskedasticity corrections can benefit us the most and also which method must be used to do such corrections.Our results suggest that HC2 is the best of all with lowest maximum bias.So we recommend that practitioners should use only HC2 while performing heteroskedasticity corrections.


The calcium-channel blockers have expanded the therapeutic choices of the practicing physician. The recent changes in the recommendations regarding first-line therapy in the treatment of essential hypertension have allowed the use of a variety of different antihypertensive agents to provide safe and effective therapy.


Turbulence in hot magnetised plasmas spontaneously has been shown to spontaneously organise on global scales into the so-called " E × B staircase ". Further characterisation of this structure is detailed below.


Transparent public financial management at the subnational level requires institutions and processes that mirror those needed at the central government level, in order to generate better accountability and competition among different subnational governments, critical elements in ensuring good governance and efficiency of decentralized administrations. Further subnational debt also has implications for overall macroeconomic stability that concerns the central government. The key components are identified, with a particular focus on subnational debt monitoring and management.


Rumination is a kind of repetitive negative thinking that in- volves prolonged sampling of negative episodes from one's past, typically prompted by a present negative experience. We model rumination as an attempt at hidden-state inference, formalized as a partially-observable Markov decision process (POMDP). Using this allegorical model, we demonstrate conditions under which continuous, prolonged collection of sam- ples from memory is the optimal policy. Consistent with phe-nomenological observations from clinical and experimental work, we show that prolonged sampling (i.e., chronic rumination), formalized as needing to sample more evidence before selecting an action, is required when possible negative outcomes increase in magnitude, when states of the world with negative outcomes are a priori more likely, and when samples are more variable than expected. By demonstrating that prolonged sampling may allow for optimal action selection under certain environmental conditions, we show how rumination may be adaptive for solving particular problems.


Background . The requirement for high-quality oat grain for food production leads to the need for studying the resistance of this cereal crop to harmful diseases and for the development of new productive cultivars. Materials and methods . A comparative characterization was performed among the breeding lines of naked oats from Nemchinovka Federal Research Center according to the parameters of microbiological purity of grain. The mycological method was applied for the analysis of infection in the oat grain, and fungal species composition was identified. The DNA amount of toxin-producing species from genus Fusarium Link in the grain was detected using the real-time PCR, and the amount of mycotoxins was measured by the enzyme immunoassay. Results . The fungi of Alternaria Nees, Fusarium, Cladosporium Link, Cochliobolus Drechsler, Epicoccum Link were associated with oat grain. Uniquely high infection of the grain by F. langsethiae Torp & Nirenberg (14%) was found under the natural conditions of the Central Region of Russia. The differences revealed among the analyzed breeding lines and cultivars in the DNA amount of F. langsethiae and F. sporotrichioides Sherb. were from 1.3×10-4 to 7.2×10-3 pg/ng in the total DNA, and from 5 to 1230 μg/kg in the content of T-2/ HT-2 toxins. Conclusion . All naked oat breeding lines were relatively resistant to Fusarium infection and proved the best as regards the mycotoxin contamination of the grain against the reference hulled cultivar 'Yakov'. In the competitive variety trials, three lines – 66h2618, 54h2476 and 70h2613 – were characterized as relatively resistant to Fusarium disease, compared with the naked oat reference 'Vyatsky golozerny'.


In recent years, it is a trend to integrate the ideas in game theory into the research of multi-robot system. In this paper, a team-competition model is proposed to solve a dynamic multi-robot task allocation problem. The allocation problem asks how to assign tasks to robots such that the most suitable robot is selected to execute the most appropriate task, which arises in many real-life applications. To be specific, we study multi-round team competitions between two teams, where each team selects one of its players simultaneously in each round and each player can play at most once, which defines an extensive-form game with perfect recall. We also study a common variant where one team always selects its player before the other team in each round. Regarding the robots as the players in the first team and the tasks as the players in the second team, the sub-game perfect strategy of the first team computed via solving the team competition gives us a solution for allocating the tasks to the robots—it specifies how to select the robot (according to some probability distribution if the two teams move simultaneously) to execute the upcoming task in each round, based on the results of the matches in the previous rounds. Throughout this paper, many properties of the sub-game perfect equilibria of the team competition game are proved. We first show that uniformly random strategy is a sub-game perfect equilibrium strategy for both teams when there are no redundant players. Secondly, a team can safely abandon its weak players if it has redundant players and the strength of players is transitive. We then focus on the more interesting case where there are redundant players and the strength of players is not transitive. In this case, we obtain several counterintuitive results. For example, a player might help improve the payoff of its team, even if it is dominated by the entire other team. We also study the extent to which the dominated players can increase the payoff. Very similar results hold for the aforementioned variant where the two teams take actions in turn.


Ecosystem services (ES) are a key-component for sustainable management of human–environment systems, particularly in polar environments where effects of global changes are stronger. Taking local knowledge into account allows the valuation of ES experienced by stakeholders. It is the case for reindeer herders in Scandinavia, the ungulate being a keystone specie for subarctic socio-ecosystems. We adapt the ecosystem services assessment (ESA) proposed in Finland to the case study of the Gabna herders' community (Sweden), considering its cultural, geographical, and dynamic specificities. We used Saami ecological categories over the land-use categories of the CORINE Land Cover (CLC). We reassessed ES at the scale of the Gabna community and its seasonal pastures. We studied their evolution over 2000–2018, using CLC maps and Change CLC maps. Integration of Saami ecological categories in the classification of land cover did not substantially change the land cover distributions. However, ES were greater in Saami land use compared to other CLC categories. Cultural services were higher for summer and interseasonal pastures, dedicated to the reindeer reproduction, suggesting interactions between provisioning and cultural ES. Land cover changes are mostly represented by intensive forestry (5% of winter pastures) impeding reindeer grazing activity, while other seasonal pasture landscape composition stayed comparable along time. Consequently, forest activity, and in a lesser extent glacier melting and urbanization are the main drivers of the temporal evolution of ES. In the frame of pastoral landscapes conservation, the use of local terminologies opens perspectives for a holistic approach in environmental science. It raises the importance of local stakeholders as co-researchers in nature conservation studies.


We introduce probabilistic many-valued logic programs in which the implication connective is interpreted as material implication. We show that probabilistic many-valued logic programming is computationally more complex than classical logic programming. More precisely, some deduction problems that are P-complete for classical logic programs are shown to be co-NP-complete for probabilistic many-valued logic programs. We then focus on many-valued logic programming in Pr/sub n/* as an approximation of probabilistic many-valued logic programming. Surprisingly, many-valued logic programs in Pr/sub n/* have both a probabilistic semantics in probabilities over a set of possible worlds and a truth-functional semantics in the finite-valued Lukasiewicz logics L/sub n/. Moreover many-valued logic programming in Pr/sub n/* has a model and fixpoint characterization, a proof theory, and computational properties that are very similar to those of classical logic programming.


0 false 14 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false For many poor women in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the early 20 th century, the only work available was in factory sweat shops or big city department stores. A young, Portuguese immigrant, Maria do Carmo, managed to escape this fate when she responded to an advertisement in a magazine and was cast as the lead actress in a film called Urutau (William Janssen, 1919) and became the motion picture star, Carmen Santos. Following her path, one can trace the trajectory of Brazilian film, headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, from the silent era to the creation of the industrial base of the sound film industry. Despite receiving praise at special showings in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Urutau did not catch the attention of exhibitors. The producing company, Omega Filmes, folded and the only print of the film disappeared. However, at this time that Santos met Antonio Lartigau Seabra, a young businessman and member of a prominent Portuguese textile family. Nine years her senior, he had  received a modern European education and was devoted to horses, cars, and planes.  "Antonico," as he was called, became the principle source of encouragement and financial support for the actress's projects. In the 1920's, Santos was often featured in the pages of Brazil's newspapers and magazines with stories about two controversial projects in which she was involved—motion picture adaptations of Julio Robert's A Carne and Benjamin Costallat's Mlle. Cinema . Both novels were considered excessively lascivious by the era's standards. Although filming didn't go forward with either project, Santos remained in the public eye through news items accompanied by provocative photographs that showcased her beauty, a strategy that was unheard of for Brazilian actresses during this era. After a respite following the birth of her first child with Lartigau Seabra, Santos joined a group from Cataguases to star in another film directed by Mauro, Sangue Mineiro (1929). The experience inspired her to develop her own project, Labios sem beijos , with Ademar Gonzaga. However, filming was inexplicably halted although it was eventually completed, but without her participation, under Mauro's direction. After the birth of her second child in September 1930, Santos starred in Limite (1931), Mario Peixoto's first film. They joined forces for another film, Onde a terra acaba , an ambitious project which was to be filmed on Marabaia Island. However, the project was interrupted due to a misunderstanding between the producer and the director. Unwilling to give up, Santos engaged the support of Ademar Gonzaga's studio, Cinedia, hired Gabus Mendes to direct, and finished the film, which had already recieved significant publicity. It premiered in 1933 but was coolly received by the public.  However, this lack of success did not discourage her.  Planning for sound film's new requirements,  Humberto Mauro and Santos founded Brasil Vox Filmes, which would later become Brasil Vita Filmes.  While waiting for the studio to be constructed, the company produced a number of silent short films. Unfortunately, there are no extant prints of these films. Carmen Santos' refused to conform to the role of the seductive muse, taking charge of her professional life by choosing her own projects, hiring her directors, and producing, starring in, and directing films. Unfortunately, a complete evaluation of her contribution to the development of the Brazilian film industry is prejudiced by the irreparable loss of most of her films: only Sangue Mineiro (1929), Limite (1931), and  Argila (1940) survive.


The study presents, discusses and analyses the brand image and the role of emotions. The text consists of two parts: neuroscience and marketing-psychological. The neuroscience section presents and discusses emotions from a medical perspective. Emotions are expressed by visceral motor changes. A special review is based on Damasio's theory of emotions analysed in the context of neuromarketing. In the marketing-psychological part, the roles of emotions on consumer behaviour are discussed. It starts from the presentation of the brand image and the connection with the brand identity. The image starts from the roots of imagination, the theory of emotion and the psychological construct of self-image. The brand becomes the consumer's image communicating at the symbolic level, and at the same time represents the active image of the consumer's self-image. Given the increasing complexity of the neuromarketing doctrine, the proposed approach could be useful for improving the understanding of brand image from an interdisciplinary perspective. This study provides theoretical framework on brand image and neuromarketing. Moreover, it offers valuable insight to marketers from neuroscience and semiotics.


This volume is among the first of a series, Oxford Approaches to Classical Literature, in which eminent scholars offer interpretations of the 'masterpieces' of classical literature, aimed particularly at those encountering the relevant works for the first time. The Symposium is an ideal choice for such a series: all have heard of'Platonic love', but few know what that entails, and the dialogue, with its wealth of imagery, myth and metaphor, its dazzling array of characters and brilliant setting, is an excellent introduction to Plato's writing. Gone are the days when Plato's philosophy was regarded as being separable from the context in which it is embedded, and Richard Hunter's sophisticated study shows how the dialogue's form is integral to its meaning. Thus the elaborate narrative frame not only highlights the Symposium's own problematic status as a written account of a quintessentially oral occasion, but also raises the central question of how Socrates should be remembered. Alcibiades' eulogy of Socrates in the final scene returns to this question, and H. focuses on the famous comparison of Socrates to Silenus, with its invitation to find the spoudaion beneath the geloion, as a programmatic image for the reading of Plato's Socratic dialogues as a whole, especially this one. That challenge has reverberated through the centuries, and H. discusses some of the key moments in the dialogue's reception, from Plutarch through Methodius and Ficino to Shelley, E.M. Forster, Freud and Lacan.


Telecommunications technologies are evolving at a rapid pace. The old Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is being replaced with wireless and voice over IP (VoIP) systems. This requires the service providers to offer their services on competitive prices, on one hand, and to ensure the interoperability of their services over hetero- geneous networks on the other. Added to this is the challenge of keeping up with the expectations of the clientele as regards quality of service (QoS). Thus to enable the successful deployment and functioning of a telecommunications network, it is equally important to estimate the speech quality as it may be perceived by the humans. The goal of this research was to derive superior non-intrusive speech quality esti- mation models. Model superiority was sought in a multi-objective sense: 1) enhance- ment of prediction accuracy of the derived models as compared to the previous ones. 2) model simplicity or parsimony was desired as it may enhance the computational efficiency. In this research this is achieved by employing a novel approach based on Genetic Programming (GP).


Health care facilities providing
antiretroviral treatment (ART) to HIV positive people have seen a decline in
the uptake and use of HIV support groups. A cross sectional survey was
conducted to 1)
determine the characteristics of HIV positive people who have and who have not
attended support groups; 2) determine
factors associated with attendance of support groups; and 3) investigate perceived barriers to
participate in support groups among HIV positive adults attending an ART clinic in Gauteng, South
Africa. The total samples included 248 HIV positive adults and the highest proportion were females (n = 156, 62.9%). The mean age of the
participants was 34.2 years, (range 18 to 56 years). Almost two thirds (n = 144, 58.1%) had never attended
support groups. Participants who attended support groups were more likely to be
older than non-attenders (OR = 1.04, CI: 1.01 - 1.07), more likely to be taking ART
medication (OR = 1.64, CI: 1.00 - 2.65) and more likely to have known of
their HIV diagnosis for a longer time (OR = 2.20, CI: 1.42 - 3.40). Employed participants were less
likely to attend support groups than unemployed participants (OR = 0.47, CI: 0.27 - 0.80). Concerns for privacy and
confidentiality in support groups, and fear of stigma and discrimination were
the key barriers to participate in support groups. Participants also perceived
support groups as a service for people who could not cope with their HIV
diagnosis. Health care providers who plan to start support groups should take
into consideration issues of support group size, confidentiality, and timing
for support group meetings. It is imperative that education on the benefits of
HIV support groups forms a primary component of routine counselling for PLWHI.


The financialization of commodity markets has drawn the attention of risk managers and policy-makers on the assessment of the commodity risk arising from commodity prices fluctua-tions. Energy markets have revealed to be strongly connected to financial markets and to investor sentiment, which has a relevant role in the prediction of volatility. A relevant question concerns the prediction of the risk aversion of investors towards the risk generated by the variability in commodity price fluctuations, the commodity variance risk. In this study, we introduce notion of the ex-ante variance risk premium and apply it to forecast the energy markets, capturing the expected the degree of distress as measured by the predicted propensity of market participants to hedge energy variance risk. We use daily stock prices that span the period from October 2011 to February 2022 and focus on two energy indices, the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) and the United States Oil Fund (USO), and compare the results to the benchmark of the equity market, the SPX. To accom-plish our goal, the methodology proposed relies on GARCH-type models to provide the forecasts of the realized variance whereas we retrieve the variance swap rates through the volatility indices VXXLE, OVX, and VIX of the corresponding market indices. We account for the typical stylized facts of asset returns such as conditional heteroskedas-ticity, regime-switching, skewness, and kurtosis estimating the ex-ante variance risk premium from GARCH and Markov-switching GARCH (MS-GARCH) models with different distributions for the innovations (Gaussian, Student's-t, Skewed Gaussian, Skewed Student's-t). The MS-GARCH spec-ification allows us to appraise the structural differences within energy and equity markets, especially through the computation of filtered and smoothed probabilities. Our main result is that the ex-ante variance risk premium succeeds to anticipate the spikes of the ex-post variance risk premium which naturally arise during periods of increasing uncertainty in the market. In particular, the magnitude of the ex-ante


INTRODUCTION
Breast cancer affects over 200,000 women each year; however, with earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment, patients are living longer, even in the presence of metastatic disease. Current estimates place patients with breast cancer as the largest population of cancer survivors in the United States. Given the successes in treatment, quality of life (QOL) of breast cancer survivors has become a more important consideration.

AIM
The aim of this study is to examine QOL throughout the cancer journey.

METHODS
The cancer journey will be conceptualized across disease states.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Understanding of the longitudinal journey associated with dynamic changes in physical, mental, and psychosocial spheres that occur with cancer, cancer treatment, and the sequelae of both. Conceptualization of changes is shown through the QOL as the survivor moves through the phases of cancer.

RESULTS
QOL is not a static concept, and breast cancer survivors undergo dynamic changes in QOL starting at diagnosis, as they progress through treatment and enter posttreatment. Some domains that make up QOL (i.e., sexual functioning and role functioning) can show persistent detriments related to cancer and its treatment.

CONCLUSIONS
In this article, we will provide a snapshot of some research performed to better understand the QOL of breast cancer survivors using a disease states model of breast cancer.


Presents an evolutionary algorithm for the robust motion controller design in mechatronics systems using a genetic algorithm (GA). The motion control system is composed of a robust 2-degrees-of-freedom compensator based on the coprime factorization description. Conventional controller design approaches to the optimization for compensator-free parameters essentially require complicated numerical procedures under the given control specifications. In this research, a simple and practical algorithm for the compensator design for motion control systems has been proposed. Using the optimization ability of the GA, the proposed algorithm is able to autonomously tune the optimal combination of the compensator-free parameters to satisfy the specified motion control performance. The effectiveness of the proposed optimal design can be verified by experiments using a prototype, paying attention to the system robustness against variations of mechanical parameters and the fast convergence of the optimization by the GA.


This paper studied the impact of the microstructure of interdigital electrodes on the performance of surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators and proposed an innovative piston, dummy finger and tilt (PDT) structure, which was then applied to the GLONASS L3 band filters. Through the adoption of 3D finite element simulation (FEM), photolithography, and testing on an incredible high-performance surface acoustic wave (I.H.P. SAW) substrate, it is concluded that the total aperture length is 20T (T is period), resulting in a more optimal resonator performance; changing the width and length of the piston can suppress transverse modes spurious, but it does not enhance impedance ratio; to further improve the quality of the SAW resonator, the proposed PDT structure has been experimentally proven to not only effectively suppress transverse modes spurious but also possess a high impedance ratio. By utilizing a PDT structure within a "T + π" topology circuit, we successfully designed and manufactured a GLONASS L3 band filter with a bandwidth of 8 MHz and an insertion loss of 3.73 dB. The design of these resonators and filters can be applied to the construction of SAW filters in similar frequency bands such as BeiDou B2 band or GPS L2/L5 band.


Field problem surveillance for the Army has identified vehicle power loss caused by premature fuel filter plugging as a major maintenance and readiness problem. A systematic approach to the analysis of fuel system contaminants has been partially developed. First, a set of reference materials was gathered based on the most commonly encountered fuel system contaminant. The most useful microscopic and spectroscopic techniques and their utility for examining the various types of contaminants were identified. The individual reference materials were characterized for use in comparison to actual field samples. Sample preparation procedures were developed for fuel filters, fuel samples, and fuel tank sludge samples. A scheme for the final analysis of the prepared samples was devised. This methodology requires some technical judgment in assessing the relative amounts of some of the contaminant types; however, this methodology provides a step-by-step means of determining the identify of fuel system contaminants.


Importance
Previous histologic classifications of brain tumors have been limited by discrepancies in diagnoses reported by neuropathologists and variability in outcomes and response to therapies. Such diagnostic discrepancies have impaired clinicians' ability to select the most appropriate therapies for patients and have allowed heterogeneous populations of patients to be enrolled in clinical trials, hindering the development of more effective therapies. In adult-type diffuse gliomas, histologic classification has a particularly important effect on clinical care.

Observations
In 2021, the World Health Organization published the fifth edition of the Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System. This classification incorporates advances in understanding the molecular pathogenesis of brain tumors with histopathology in order to group tumors into more biologically and molecularly defined entities. As such, tumor classification is significantly improved through better characterized natural histories. These changes have particularly important implications for gliomas. For the first time, adult- and pediatric-type gliomas are classified separately on the basis of differences in molecular pathogenesis and prognosis. Furthermore, the previous broad category of adult-type diffuse gliomas has been consolidated into 3 types: astrocytoma, isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutant; oligodendroglioma, IDH mutant and 1p/19q codeleted; and glioblastoma, IDH wild type. These major changes are driven by IDH mutation status and include the restriction of the diagnosis of glioblastoma to tumors that are IDH wild type; the reclassification of tumors previously diagnosed as IDH-mutated glioblastomas as astrocytomas IDH mutated, grade 4; and the requirement for the presence of IDH mutations to classify tumors as astrocytomas or oligodendrogliomas.

Conclusions and Relevance
The 2021 World Health Organization central nervous system tumor classification is a major advance toward improving the diagnosis of brain tumors. It will provide clinicians with more accurate guidance on prognosis and optimal therapy for patients and ensure that more homogenous patient populations are enrolled in clinical trials, potentially facilitating the development of more effective therapies.


Knowledge workers remain to be seen as one of the biggest assets for modern enterprises to maintain their competitiveness in the twenty-first century. This has led to a steady increase in academic interest in knowledge workers research, as evidenced by the rise in the number of related publications. However, there is a dearth of research on the growth and existing literary landscape of research focusing on knowledge workers, thus making it challenging for scholars to determine the current trends and future direction in this area. To address the issue, this study provided an overview of the evolution of academic research on knowledge workers over four decades (1981-2021) and identified the existing key trends. A bibliometric review of the data extracted from the Web of Science database using Biblioshiny and VOS viewer. The analysis of 1667 articles confirmed a steady growth in the literature on knowledge workers both in terms of the number of publications and citations. The study identified the evolution of knowledge research in three key dimensions: knowledge work, performance, and human capital. Moreover, "performance", "management" and "model" have also become the most frequently occurring words. The research findings not only deepened our comprehension of the research landscape but also provided insights into potential implications.


The split-Ubiquitin (split-Ub) technique was used to map the molecular environment of a membrane protein in vivo. Cub, the C-terminal half of Ub, was attached to Sec63p, and Nub, the N-terminal half of Ub, was attached to a selection of differently localized proteins of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The efficiency of the Nub and Cub reassembly to the quasi-native Ub reflects the proximity between Sec63-Cub and the Nub-labeled proteins. By using a modified Ura3p as the reporter that is released from Cub, the local concentration between Sec63-Cub-RUra3p and the different Nub-constructs could be translated into the growth rate of yeast cells on media lacking uracil. We show that Sec63p interacts with Sec62p and Sec61p in vivo. Ssh1p is more distant to Sec63p than its close sequence homologue Sec61p. Employing Nub- and Cub-labeled versions of Ste14p, an enzyme of the protein isoprenylation pathway, we conclude that Ste14p is a membrane protein of the ER. Using Sec63p as a reference, a gradient of local concentrations of different t- and v-SNARES could be visualized in the living cell. The RUra3p reporter should further allow the selection of new binding partners of Sec63p and the selection of molecules or cellular conditions that interfere with the binding between Sec63p and one of its known partners.


4 Shabetai R, Fowler NO, Guntheroth WG. The hemodynamics of cardiac tamponade and constrictive pericarditis. Am J Cardiol 1970;26:480-9. 5 Reddy PS, Curtiss EI, O'Toole JD, Shaver JA. Cardiac tamponade: hemodynamic observation in man. Circulation 1978;58:265-72. 6 Feigenbaum H, Waldhausen JA, Hyde LP. Ultrasound diagnosis of pericardial effusion. JAMA 1965;191:711-4. 7 Rubin RH, Moellering RC. Clinical, microbiologic and therapeutic aspects of purulent pericarditis. Am)J Med 1975;59:68-78. 8 Smolar EN, Rubin JE, Avramides A, Carter AC. Cardiac tamponade in primary myxedema and review of the literature. Am J Med Sci 1976; 272 :345-52. 9 Biran S, Brufman G, Klein E, Hochman A. The management of pericardial effusion in cancer patients. Chest 1977;71:182-6. 10 Uhl' GS, Koppes GM. Pericardial tamponade in systemic sclerosis (scleroderma). Br Heart J 1979;42:345-8. 1 McWhorter JE, Leroy EC. Pericardial disease in scleroderma (systemic sclerosis). Am J Med 1974;57:566-75. 12 Thadani U, Iveson JMI, Wright V. Cardiac tamponade, constrictive pericarditis and pericardial resection in rheumatoid arthritis. Medicine 1975;54:261-70. 13 John JT, Hough A, Sergent JS. Pericardial disease in rheumatoid arthritis. Am I Med 1979;66:385-90. 14 Tew FT, Mantle JA, Russell RO, Rackley CE. Cardiac tamponade with nonhaemorrhagic pericardial fluid complicating Dressler's syndrome. Chest 1977;72:93-5. 15 Santos GH, Frater RWM. The subxiphoid approach in the treatment of pericardial effusion. Ann Thorac Surg 1977;23:467-70. 16 Krikorian JG, Hancock EW. Pericardiocentesis. Am J Med 1978;65: 809-14.


Clopidogrel is a thienopyridine derivative and a potent inhibitor of ADP-induced platelet aggregation. We compared clopidogrel with aspirin as an adjunctive treatment to tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) for thrombolysis and reocclusion. Thrombosis was induced in coronary arteries of 32 dogs by injuring the endothelium with an electric charge. Coronary blood flow velocity was monitored by a pulsed Doppler flow probe placed around the artery. After the artery had been occluded by a thrombus for 3 continuous hours, each animal was given one of the following intravenous treatments: 1) t-PA (80 micrograms/kg + 8 micrograms.kg-1.h-1) and heparin (200 U/kg) (group 1, n = 7); 2) t-PA, heparin, and aspirin (5 mg/kg) (group 2, n = 8); 3) t-PA, heparin, and clopidogrel (5 mg/kg) (group 3, n = 9); and 4) t-PA, heparin, and clopidogrel (10 mg/kg + 2.5 mg.kg-1.h-1) (group 4, n = 8). After treatment, thrombolysis developed in 45 +/- 12 min in group 1, 39 +/- 10 min in group 2, 39 +/- 10 min in group 3, and 27 +/- 10 min in group 4 (compared with group 1, P > 0.05). After thrombolysis, reocclusion occurred in 5 of 5 dogs in group 1 and 7 of 7 in group 2, but only 2 of 7 in group 3 and none of 7 in group 4 (compared with groups 1 and 2, P < 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


The authors present results of retrospective study of 25 patients with the first attack of acute optic neuritis followed at the Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Hradec Králové. Visual functions were deteriorated in all patients. Visual acuity was in range between 0.8 to hand movement. Central scotoma was present in 12 patients, other visual field patterns were seen in 13 patients. Complete recovery of visual functions was observed in 24 patients during the six months. Patients were examined for signs of multiple sclerosis (MS). In the group without MS (15 patients) were three treated with steroids (2 received intravenous methylprednisolone and 1 oral prednisone before referral to us), vitamins were administered to the others. The patients with proved MS were managed at the Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Hradec Králové.


Cross section and analysing powers of the 6Li( d ,cr ) 4 ~ e reaction have been measured at deuteron energies from 1.5 to 11.5 MeV 111 and more recently up to 22 MeV 121. A distinctive feature of the reaction is the large tensor analysing powers (TAP) which reaches values close to their theoretically maximum values. In particular Ayy is very large for 8 < Ed < 10 MeV and 60' < 8 < 120' reaching its maximum value Ayy = 1 at Ed = 8.8 MeV 131. For Ed = 8MeV the energy dependence of the polarization observables suggests the presence of two overlapping resonances at Ed = 0.8 and 3.75 MeV. For energies Ed > 8 MeV all coefficients from the Legendre polynomial analysis of the reaction observables I11 show a fairly flat behaviour with energy indicating that only very broad resonances might exist and therefore that the reaction mechanism is predominantly direct. Here we present an analysis of the reaction based on the direct reaction mechanism and on the a -d cluster model of 6 ~ i . Since the exit channel spin is zero the orbital angular momentum transfer in the reaction P is equal to the entrance channel spin s=0,1,2. The expansion of the transition amplitude into terms with definite P gives w h e r e d d and d are the 2~ and 6 ~ i spin projections. In a direct reaction model, with no spin + + dependent forces in the entrance channel, P =t 2 ' where L and e' are the orbital angular momentum of the transferred deuteron in 6 ~ i and 4 ~ e . Thus with pure S-states P can only be zero. A more detailed analysis 141 shows that the amplitudes B Z h are essentially determined by the D-state components in 6Li and 4 ~ e while Boo and B l are determined by the S-state components with central and spin-orbit interactions in the entrance channel, respectively. Because of the high reaction Q-value the momentum tranfer is very large. Transitions with P=2 are strongly enhanced because they lead to better momentum and angular momentum matching. This results in a strong amplification of the D-state effects. In the Madison coordinate 4 + + system with y axis along kd x ko and z axis along kd , parity conservation in the reaction implies that there are 5 independent complex amplitudes Boo, B l 1 , B20, B21, B ~ ~ . By expressing the reaction observables in terms of the amplitudes B P h we can determine their relative sensitivity to specific interactions and in particular to the D-states. Interferences terms of the form Boo B ~ ~ * will show strong D-state effects since the dependence on B 2 I is amplified Article published online by EDP Sciences and available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/jphyscol:1990648 COLLOQUE DE PHYSIQUE by the relatively large Boo amplitude. Such terms are only present in the TAP, which,in the Madison coordinate system, are given by /4/ where 0 represents terms quadractic in the B21 amplitudes and 6 (8 ) is proportional to the unpolarized cross section. The eqs.(2) show that Tzl and the linear combination TZ0 4 2 / 3 ~ 2 2 are very sensitive to the D-state effects. It is of particular interest to consider the observable which reaches its maximum value Ayy = I for goo = 1 die ( ~ 2 0 + & ~ 2 2 ) (4) Eq.(4) shows that when Ayy = 1 the contributions from P =O and P =2 transitions are of comparable magnitude. The observation of large Ayy and in particular Ayy. .= 1 confirms that the peculiar kinematic conditions in the reaction tend to enhance P =2 transttions and therefore to magnify the effects of the D-states. Furthermore when Ayy = 1 it is in principle possible to determine completely the amplitudes B P I from the measuiement of the unpolarized cross section and all analysing powers in the 6 ~ i ( d , a ) 4 ~ e and 2 ~ ( 6 i i , a. ) 4 ~ e reactions. Since Avy is equal in both reactions the number of independent observables is 7 and there are 4 B~~ a m p l i t u d e s corresponding to 7 real numbers plus an overall phase factor. For Avv < 1 the determination of the BP amplitudes requires also the measurement of spin correlation coefficients. However it is interesting that the full determination of the transition amplitudes from relatively simple experiments is, in principle, possible in a situation where the physics of the reaction is particularly significant because of the large P =2 contributions. One and two step ( involving the spin-orbit splitted triplet of low lying excited states of 6 ~ i ) DWBA calculations have been performed using a modified version of the program FRESCO /5/ that accounts for the symmetrization in the a. a channel. The d-d configuration in 4He is taken as a superposition of S and D states. The D-state component has been extensively studied by various authors 161. It is well established that the asymptotic D/S state ratio 0 ( 4 ~ e ) is negative although the uncertainty in its value is still rather large. Recent theoretical determinations of D 2 ( D2 = 11 /a ) range from -0.24fm2 to -0.16fm2 171. The a -d configuration in 6 ~ i is the superposition of 2 s and ID states but the amplitude a2 of the small 1D component is not known. Nishioka et al. /8/ have shown that in the a -d cluster model of 6Li the negative quadrupole moment of 6 ~ i , Q( 6 ~ i ) = -0.064 fm2, can be reproduced with a2 = -0.08 which corresponds to 11 (6Li) = -0.014. However 3-body model claculations by Lehman et al. 191 predict a positive but 6 ~ i ( z , a ) 4 ~ e lOMeV 6 ~ i ( z , C K ) 4 ~ e 10 MeV


Micrococcal nuclease, DNase I, and trypsin have been employed to study the kinetics of core particle self-assembly by salt jump from 2.0 to 0.2 M NaCl. A few seconds after the initiation of the reassociation reaction, the bulk of core particle DNA becomes protected from digestion by micrococcal nuclease, whereas free DNA, under the same conditions, is completely hydrolyzed. The central and C-terminal regions of core histones are also protected from trypsin digestion immediately after the 2.0-0.2 M NaCl salt jump. Moreover, the extent of degradation produced by trypsin is the same for samples digested a few seconds after the salt jump and for samples digested 20 min after the salt jump. With DNase I, minor structural differences have been detected between samples obtained at different times during the reaction. However, even in this case our results indicate that many of the characteristic histone-DNA contacts within the core particle are made a few seconds after the initiation of the self-assembly reaction. Furthermore, core particles have been labeled with the fluorescent reagent N-(1-pyrenyl)maleimide (NPM), which was previously used as a sensitive probe for nucleosome conformation. Extensive DNase I or trypsin digestion of NPM-labeled core particles in 0.2 M NaCl does not produce significant changes in excimer fluorescence. This allows us to conclude that the covalent continuity of DNA is not required for the maintenance of the folded conformation of the core particle and that the trypsin-resistant domains of core histones play a fundamental role in the stabilization of this structure.


The different Compton profiles for amorphous alloys of composition Fe82-xNixB18 (x=70, 41 and 12) have been studied using 60 keV and 412 keV gamma -radiation. The data have been analysed on the basis of the O'Handley and Boudreaux model, involving charge transfer from boron to transition metal 3d bands on alloying. This model, which is often invoked to explain the magnetic moment in these amorphous alloys, does not fit the measured Compton profiles and a simpler model, consistent with the experimental data, is considered. This is based simply on the free atom profiles of 3d states in nickel and iron with a small charge transfer from the conduction band to the nickel 3d states. The authors data also show that the iron and nickel sites in these alloys are weakly ferromagnetic.


This book presents a terrain visualization application developed on a responsive workbench system. The application enables stereo viewing of a terrain as if a physical mock up model of it is actually on a real table. Head tracking system allows the user to move around the terrain model. The terrain visualization system has multi-texturing and level of detail capabilities. It also has tools that extracts culture feature data and displays it. Application also has a tool that performs visibility analysis on terrain. A remote controller is used to control system to give user more flexibility. Effect of various stereo visualization parameters like eye separation is analyzed as part of evaluation in system usability. Main goal is to represent a conceptual stereo briefing map that is usable for military or GIS purposes.


Objectives: Infliximab is considered superior to adalimumab in patients with ulcerative colitis, especially in severe cases. Whether this is true for Crohn disease (CD) patients with colonic involvement is unclear. Our aim was to compare the clinical effectiveness of infliximab versus adalimumab in pediatric ileocolonic (L3) CD. Methods: This retrospective study included patients <18 years with ileocolonic CD treated with infliximab or adalimumab between 2014 and 2021. Primary outcome was steroid-free clinical remission by week 52. Secondary outcomes were treatment modifications, drug discontinuation, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-associated hospitalizations, and surgery during the first year of treatment. Results: We identified 74 patients treated with adalimumab and 41 with infliximab, with comparable demographic features. Concomitant immunomodulator therapy at biologic initiation was significantly lower in the adalimumab group (28% vs 85%, P < 0.001). Rates of drug intensification were higher in the infliximab group at end of induction (EOI) and at 52 weeks (55% vs 32% and 88% vs 46%, P < 0.001). Given significant differences between initial median Pediatric Crohn Disease Activity Index scores (20.0 [interquartile range, IQR 15.0–27.5] vs 11.0 [IQR 7.5–20.0] for infliximab and adalimumab groups, respectively, P < 0.001), propensity score matching was performed. Following matching, the rate of patients in steroid-free clinical remission by EOI was significantly higher in the adalimumab group (93.8% vs 46.9%, P < 0.001), but comparable by 1 year. Moreover, inflammatory markers and fecal calprotectin values were also similar at these time points. Rates of drug discontinuation, IBD-associated admissions, and surgery were similar between groups. Conclusions: In a retrospective study of patients with ileocolonic CD, adalimumab and infliximab had comparable outcomes by 52 weeks.


This invention is directed at preventing unnecessary processing and CPU load of a PC when always printing via a printer driver, and avoiding the omission of a printer driver function when always performing direct printing. When using a printer having a direct printing function, which of printing via the printer driver and direct printing is to be done is determined in accordance with print settings of each print job, and then printing is executed. A function to be implemented by the driver among set functions is determined (S504). If there is a function to be implemented by the driver, it is determined whether to give priority to direct printing (S505). If no priority is given to direct printing, the driver is used; otherwise, direct printing is performed.


The purpose of this article is to contribute to the dialogue on spirituality in mental health care (psychiatry and psychotherapy). Spirituality is still an uncomfortable theme in mental health care despite a burgeoning literature and research. We will introduce a conceptual model on spiritual and interpersonal relationships based on love in relatedness. The model will enable the (psycho)therapist to assess the interconnectedness of spiritual and interpersonal relationships, to analyse positive or negative effects of spirituality on interpersonal functioning and vice versa, and to look for possibilities for spiritual and therapeutic change. Based on the model, the next step is to reflect on the relationship between psychiatry and spirituality with a view to dialogue instead of unfruitful discussion and controversy. We will propose a dialogue about the alternative DSM-5™ model for personality disorders. Although preliminary, we will show the usefulness of such an interdisciplinary dialogue.


- An important factor to consider while providing patient care is the psychological support. Many chronic ill patients consistently reported having "significant information and emotional needs" and several studies reported that nurses play a pivotal role in providing both care and support to patients from diagnosis, treatment to cure, end of life/palliative care. Nurse practitioners play a significant role in patient supportiveness effectively by building communication and understand patient's needs and requirements during their treatment. Adequate psychological support to patients throughout their journey will make them understand and feel-safe and better. Clinical nurse practitioners play a significant role in patient supportiveness effectively by building communication and understand patient's needs and requirements during their treatment. .


Natural killer (NK) cells are considered innate lymphocytes that are able to kill pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, parasites and fungi as well as virus-infected cells and tumor cells without prior stimulation. Recent studies suggest that they possess a memory-like property to previously encountered pathogens (e.g., cytomegalovirus). We showed that NK cells directly kill Cryptococcus and Candida, which are fatal opportunistic fungi often infecting immunocompromised individuals. We determined that NKp30 is the activating pattern recognition receptor that mediates NK cell killing of these fungi, and that β-1,3-glucan is the ligand for NKp30. Interestingly, we found that soluble β-1,3-glucan enhanced NK cell killing of C. neoformans and C. albicans. Since humans and animals are exposed to β-1,3-glucan through inhalation of components of the cell wall of microbes or consumption of dietary grains, we asked whether isolated β-1,3-glucan plays a role in shaping NK cell immunity. To determine whether β-1,3-glucan induces a training or memory effect, YT cells, an NK cell line, were treated for 24 hours with laminarin or Saccharomyces β-1,3-glucan and cultured for various times. After an initial period of enhanced C. neoformans killing, killing was reduced to the untreated level on the second week after the initial treatment. However, when cryptococcal killing was assessed on the fourth week, a much greater killing was observed compared to the enhanced killing. This suggests that a recall immune response was induced. We conclude that β-1,3-glucan may induce NK cell memory- like immunity.


The asphalt mixture performance tester (AMPT) requires an exhaustive examination of the factors that influence the dynamic modulus and flow number test results. Interlaboratory research conducted in NCHRP Project 9–29, Phase 4, showed that dynamic modulus test results were highly dependent on the testing laboratory and the preparation of the AMPT specimens. Factors could include the oxidative aging and the steric hardening of asphalt in the mixture specimens during storage in a laboratory. The Asphalt Institute, Lexington, Kentucky, performed an experiment in cooperation with FHWA to evaluate the effect of ambient laboratory sample storage on the mechanical properties of asphalt mixture specimens. A half-factorial test matrix with triplicate specimens was developed to evaluate the effect of the following factors on the dynamic modulus and flow number of a laboratory standard mixture: storage duration (1 to 84 days), binder type (PG 64–22 and modified PG 76–22), storage of the specimen in a bag, and the cutting and coring of the specimen after compaction or immediately before it was tested. The results showed that storage duration could affect significantly the properties of the mixture with neat binder. The bagging of specimens did not seem to prevent their stiffening. However, storage of specimens uncut and uncored seemed to delay the stiffening phenomenon.


Using a Gruss type inequality for Lipschitzian type functions to obtain a sharp Ostrowski-Gruss type inequality in which a unified treatment of sharp integral inequalities for Lipschitzian type functions of mid-point, trapezoid and Simpson type is provided. Applications for cumulative distribution functions are given.


The methylation of gene promoters is an epigenetic process that can have a major impact on plant phenotypes through its control of gene expression. This phenomenon can be observed as a response to stress, such as drought, cold/heat stress or pathogen infection. The transgenerational heritability of DNA methylation marks could enable breeders to fix beneficial methylation patterns in crops over successive generations. These properties of DNA methylation, its impact on the phenotype and its heritability, could be used to support the accelerated breeding of improved crop varieties. Induced DNA methylation has the potential to complement the existing plant breeding process, supporting the introduction of desirable characteristics in crops within a single generation that persist in its progeny. Therefore, it is important to understand the underlying mechanisms involved in the regulation of gene expression through DNA methylation and to develop methods for precisely modulating methylation patterns for crop improvement. Here we describe the currently available epigenetic editing tools and their advantages and limitations in the domain of crop breeding. Finally, we discuss the biological and legislative limitations currently restricting the development of epigenetic modification as a crop improvement tool.


The feasibility of using a modulated beam of ions as an antenna in the magnetosphere is discussed briefly. A computer simulation of an ion beam in a plasma is presented in which the motion of the ions is prescribed while the electrons in the surrounding plasma are represented by concentric charged shells, each of which moves in the self-consistent field set up by the beam and the other shells. By following the motion of the shells on a computer, an attempt is made to estimate the sheath current that is induced in the plasma by the beam.


This paper presents numerical analysis of e ciency of di erent shapes and material composition of piezoelectric actuators used for vibration reduction. Four numerical models representing a plate clamped on all sides with two attached piezoelectric elements were created. For each model, one element had the same shape and composition and was used for plate excitation, and the other one, used for vibration reduction, had di erent shape and possibly material composition and could be of square or circular shape with either homogeneous or two-part material composition. Two modes were taken into account: the rst mode and the fth mode. Analysis of results was performed with ANSYS software.


Three different methods of wrapping and storing alfalfa hay in round bales were used to explore possible differences in preferential consumption. Large round bales of alfalfa were stored indoors, outdoors with conventional net wrap, or outdoors with a new wrap that incorporates a breathable film. This film is intended to better conserve hay in round bales by shedding precipitation but allowing internal moisture to exit the bale through microscopic pores. Five separate preference trials, each of 18-d duration with six 3-d periods, were conducted using beef cattle. In all 5 preference trials, hay wrapped with breathable film was preferred over net-wrapped hay stored outdoors. For instance, in trial 1 hay wrapped with breathable film was preferred over net-wrapped hay stored outdoors in all 18 pairings (P < 0.001), and consumption of the film-wrapped hay was significantly greater (78 vs. 28% of total hay offered, P = 0.05). Results suggest that when bales are stored outdoors, cattle will strongly prefer to consume hay from bales wrapped with breathable film compared with net-wrapped bales. Although in 2 trials hay wrapped with breathable film was preferred over hay stored indoors, when considered across all trials and pairings, preference of hay from breathable film bales did not differ from that stored indoors.


Despite the widespread prophylactic use of antifungal agents in neutropenic patients, invasive fungal infections continue to emerge as major causes of morbidity and mortality. With the exception of fluconazole prophylaxis in allogeneic marrow transplant recipients, no firm conclusions can be drawn due to the lack of reliable, randomized trials. At the present time, it seems that antifungal chemoprophylaxis is more a matter of faith rather than science. Earlier diagnosis based on noninvasive diagnostic techniques and pre-emptive strategies may offer more promise than a liberal prophylactic approach.


This article investigates onion epidermal tissue (Allium cepa) using a combination of mechanical testing, microscopy and modeling and relates tissue mechanical properties to the known structure of the cell walls. Onion epidermal tissue has a simple, regular structure of elongated cells, which have been used to enable the contributions to mechanical properties of cell walls and of higher order structures to be separated and analyzed. Two models of wall behavior were used to explore how Poisson's ratio of cell walls parallel to the plane of the epidermal surface may vary with applied strain. In the first model, cellulose microfibrils can be reorientated in an unrestricted way with the result that the cell wall volume decreases. In the second model the volume of the cell wall remains constant, which controls the reorientation of microfibrils, hence the Poisson's ratio. Measurements made from uniaxially stretched cells show that the data most closely fits model I, therefore, it is concluded that the bulk of the matrix has little influence on the observed mechanical properties (at a test rate of 1 mm/min), allowing cellulose microfibrils to reorient through the matrix in an unrestricted way during uniaxial tests. In its mechanical attributes the primary cell wall resembles more a knitted cloth than a semisolid composite material. When biaxial stretching is applied to tissue, so that there is no re-orientation of microfibrils, the cell wall material is still able to reach surprisingly large elastic strains of up to 12.5% and no plastic deformation was recorded. Current theory suggests that cellulose microfibrils can stretch elastically by a maximum of 7%, therefore further work is required to identify mechanisms that could account for the extra elastic strain.


The history of market systems reveals recurrent patterns of booms and busts over centuries, emanating precisely from the developed world. Economic historians speak of the Great Depressions of the 1840s, 1870s, and 1930s, and of the Great Stagflation of the 1970s, and course the current one which is the first Great Depression of the 21st century. The present crisis has exposed the weaknesses of orthodox economic theory which is built upon an idealized and utterly fictitious vision of capitalism characterized by optimal production and consumption outcomes and the automatic full employment of labor. This paradigm was utterly unable to recognize the build-up to the current crisis, and has failed to develop models relevant to our current circumstance. Alternative viewpoints, such as the one in this paper, have been almost entirely excluded from the conventional discourse. We need to open up a space for a more vigorous debate among competing views.


The Indigenous Languages of South America: A Comprehensive Guide is a thorough guide to the indigenous languages of this part of the world. With more than a third of the linguistic diversity of the world (in terms of language families and isolates), South American languages contribute new findings in most areas of linguistics. Though formerly one of the linguistically least known areas of the world, extensive descriptive and historical linguistic research in recent years has expanded knowledge greatly. These advances are represented in this volume in indepth treatments by the foremost scholars in the field, with chapters on the history of investigation, language classification, language endangerment, language contact, typology, phonology and phonetics, and on major language families and regions of South America.


Abstract Backgroud: Lymphatic filariasis constitutes a major public health issue in French Polynesia. Diagnosis has been revolutionized with the availability of circulating filarial antigen (CFA) tests which are easy to perform but are costly. Filariasis is responsible for acquired eosinophilia and eosinophil blood count (EBC) is commonly used as a screening tool. Methods: We retrospectively analysed all the results of EBCs and CFA tests performed in our laboratory over a 2-year period. We calculated the prevalence of antigenemia for nine different eosinophil cutoffs. We calculated the number of patients detected by CFA testing and the number of estimated CFA-positive patients according to their EBC. Results: Over a 2-year period, we detected 7503 eosinophilic patients. For an EBC above 500/mm3, the prevalence of positive CFA was 25·78% and the estimated number of positive CFA patients was 1934. During the same period, as CFA determination is not routinely performed, only 141 patients were detected and treated. Conclusion: Our current strategy against lymphatic filariasis which combines annual mass drug administration, systematic treatment of antigenemic and microfilaraemic patients, and vector control; failed to reach the target of 1% prevalence. Unfortunately, mainly for economical reasons, the antigenemia cannot be determined for all patients. In complement to existing strategy, we propose an additional action based on the treatment of eosinophilic patients in order to reduce the filariasis prevalence in our country.


OBJECTIVE
Evaluate the prognostic value of lymph node ratio (LNR) in patients undergoing resection of stage III colorectal cancer.

METHODS
The clinicopathological and follow-up data were collected from 174 surgical patients with stage III colorectal cancer. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier method. The impact of LNR and clinicopathological factors on DFS and OS were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS
After a median follow-up of 62.5 months, the 5-year DFS and OS of the patients were 51.8% and 56.3%, respectively. The median number of lymph nodes harvested and the median number of positive lymph nodes examined were 10 and 3, respectively. The patients were stratified into 4 groups according to LNR quartiles (LNR1, LNR≤0.125; LNR2, 0.1250.500), whose 5-year DFS and OS were 64.2%, 53.5%, 41.8%, and 25.7% (P<0.05) and 68.1%, 60.8%, 49.2%, and 32.7% (P<0.05), respectively. Multivariate analysis identified age, T stage and LNR as the independent predictors of both DFS and OS. Subgroup analysis showed that LNR had an independent prognostic value on DFS and OS irrespective of the number of lymph nodes harvested.

CONCLUSION
LNR is an independent prognostic factor for survival in patients with stage III colorectal cancer and is superior to the pN category in TNM staging.


In contrast to the classification of FN1 as a fix minus mutant (Postma et al., 1990), in these experiments, nodules of the FN1 mutant (formed by Rhizobium leguminosarum RCR 1045) showed acetylene reduction activity, but at a much lower level than in the Rondo parent line. The presence of nitrogenase was confirmed by immunodetection. Microelectrode measurements of O 2 gradients across the nodule cortex indicated that the oxygen diffusion barrier in mutant nodules appeared to be functioning normally. Leghaemoglobin (Lb) haem concentration in FN1 nodules was only 40% and 25% of that in the Rondo parent line at 3 and 4 weeks, respectively, whereas immunodetection of the apoprotein suggested reductions to 57% and 46%, respectively. FN1 nodules also contained substantially lower amounts of ononitol, aspartate and asparagine in comparison with Rondo nodules. Sucrose concentration was similar, but starch content was 2-fold higher in the mutant nodules. Of the 15 enzymes of C and N metabolism investigated, only sucrose synthase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, alanine pyruvate aminotransferase, glutamine synthetase, and glutamate synthase were significantly lower in the nodules of the FN1 mutant. In contrast to other fix minus or fix impaired mutants, alcoholic fermentation was not induced in FN1 nodules.


Organizational Modeling is concerned with analyzing and understanding the organizational context within which a software system will eventually function. This chapter proposes organizational patterns motivated by organizational theories intended to facilitate the construction of organizational models. These patterns are defined from real world organizational settings, modeled in i* and formalized using the Formal Tropos language. Additionally, the chapter evaluates the proposed patterns using desirable qualities such as coordinability and predictability. The research is conducted in the context of Tropos, a comprehensive software system development methodology. INtrODUctION Analyzing the organizational and intentional context within which a software system will eventually operate has been recognized as an important element of the organizational modeling process also called early requirements engineering (see e.g., (Anton 1996, Dardenne, van Lamsweerde & Fickas 1993, Yu 1995)). Such models are founded on primitive concepts such as those of actor and goal. This chapter focuses on the definition of a set of organizational patterns that can be used as building blocks for constructing such models. Our proposal is based on concepts adopted from organization theory and strategic alliances literature. Throughout the paper, we use i* (Yu 1995) as the modeling framework in terms of which the proposed patterns are presented DOI: 10.4018/978-1-60566-146-9.ch006


In recent years, several methods have been proposed to exploit image context (such as location) that provides valuable cues complementary to the image content, i.e., image annotations and geotags have been shown to assist the prediction of each other. To exploit the useful interrelatedness between these two heterogeneous prediction tasks, we propose a new correlation guided structured sparse multi-task learning method. We utilize a joint classification and regression model to identify annotation-informative and geotag-relevant image features. We also introduce the tree-structured sparsity regularizations into multi-task learning to integrate the label correlations in multi-label image annotation. Finally we derive an efficient algorithm to optimize our non-smooth objective function. We demonstrate the performance of our method on three real-world geotagged multi-label image data sets for both semantic annotation and geotag prediction.


The determination of atomic masses from highly ionized atoms using Penning Traps requires precise values for electronic binding energies. In the present work, binding energies of several ions (from several elements) are calculated in the framework of two relativistic many-body methods: Relativistic Many-Body Perturbation Theory (RMBPT) and Multi-Configuration Dirac– Fock (MCDF). The ions studied in this work are: Cl (He and Li-like), Se (F and Ne-like), Cs (He, Be, Ne, Al, Cl, Ar, K, Kr, Xe-like and neutral Cs), Hg, Pb and U (Br and Kr-like). Some of them are presented in this paper. Cesium has been treated in more details, allowing for a systematic comparison between MCDF and RMBPT methods. The Cs ions binding energies allow for the determination of atomic Cs mass, which can be used in a QED-independent fine structure constant determination.


The Impact of Internal Management on Organizational Performance. (August 2009) Stephen Andreas Sargent, B.A., Sam Houston State University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Kenneth Meier This dissertation explores the impact of internal management on the performance of public organizations. This research descends from the management matters research agenda and uses the Meier/O'Toole model to present the organizational process. I identify five types of internal management: goal setting, human resource management, structure (delegation), budgeting and technology (use). Additionally, I identify multiple indicators of performance: efficiency, outputs, service outcomes, responsiveness and democratic outcomes. The development of measures of internal management and the use of multiple performance indicators will allow for the development of a strategic guide for management.


PurposeTo show that when volume of trades is taken into consideration, Bitcoin does not seem as volatile as it claimed. Further, to study the relationship between Bitcoin trading volume, volatility and returns, and the asymmetry in response to economic information for the period from July 2010 to November 2017.Design/methodology/approachComparison of Bitcoin price volatility with that of six currencies and gold. We repeat the analysis using returns divided by volume. We examine the relationship between volume, returns and volatility, and the asymmetry of the reaction of the volatility to economic news using asymmetric models (EGARCH) run for four meaningful distinct time periods/subsamples.FindingsPositive and significant relationship between (1) volume and volatility after 2013 (year Bitcoin became popular) and (2) volume and returns before the Mt. Gox hack. During the euphoric period, starting at the beginning of 2013 until the Mt. Gox hack, unexpected increases in Bitcoin returns increased Bitcoin volatility more than unexpected, equally sized decreases (asymmetry).Originality/valueWe take into consideration the volume of trades to show that Bitcoin volatility seems high because of the low volume of trades. We study an extended time period, not covered by other studies. We divide our sample into four meaningful time periods based on important events in Bitcoin market history. This is important for a new market such as the Bitcoin market; the relationships under study are very important in markets where participants rely on technical analysis in the absence of reliable fundamental methodology to measure the intrinsic value of the asset.


Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are outstanding novel materials that have great potential for a variety of chemical and biomedical applications. However, the mechanism of their interactions with biomaterials is still not fully understood, and more insightful research work is needed. In this work, we use the 2D hydrophobic-polar lattice model and the Monte Carlo simulation method to study the interactions between model peptides and CNTs. The energy parameters of the coarse-grained lattice model are qualitatively determined based on experimental data and molecular dynamics simulation results. Our model is capable of reproducing the essential phenomena of peptides folding in bulk water and binding to CNTs, as well as providing new insights into the thermodynamics and conformational properties of peptides interacting with nanotubes. The results suggest that both the internal energy and the peptide conformational entropy contribute to the binding process. Upon binding to the CNTs, peptides generally unfold into their denatured structures before they reach the lowest-accessible energy states of the system. Temperature has a significant influence on the adsorption process.


: Wound, known by the term ' Vrana ' in Ayurveda refers to the Injury of Skin. More specifically explained as the damage caused to the Epidermis of Skin by any kind of Injury. Nowadays, the most challenging clinical problem faced by the clinicians is the Healing of Wounds. Therefore, one has to adopt a correct and efficient clinical treatment protocol. Ayurveda , the ancient traditional system of medicine is with a rich source of knowledge and is known as Ethnopharmacological and Folklore based system. Charaka Samhita, one of the famous treatises of this traditional medicine, is with a rich heritage of knowledge. In Sutra Sthana , 4 th chapter " Shad Virechana Shatashriteeya" of Charaka Samhita, Acharya has explained about 50 Mahakashaya or Dashemani . These are groups containing 10 herbs each, exhibiting one common Pharmacological action. One such group is, the Sandhaniya Mahakashaya , called Unifying medicine [1] . It includes: - Madhuyashthi[Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn.], Guduchi [Tinospora cordifolia Miers.], Prishniparni[Uraria picta Desv.], Patha[Cissampelos pareria Linn.], Lajjalu[Mimosa pudica Linn.], Mocharasa[Bombax ceiba Burm.f.], Dhataki[Woodfordia fruticosa Kurz.], Lodhra[Sympolcos racemosa Roxb.], Priyangu[Callicarpa macrophylla vahl.], Katphala[Myrica esculenta Buch-Ham.]. It is well-known fact that, certain plants can repair the wound in their natural way. Therefore this traditional system of medicine helps in finding that specifically apt herbal drugs, which can help in Regeneration and Growth promotion of the damaged body tissues. So in this article, each drugs of Sandhaniya Mahakashaya are explained concerning its ability to manage the wound.


A member of the p21-activated protein kinase (PAK) family, gamma-PAK has cytostatic properties and is activated by cellular stresses such as hyperosmolarity or DNA damage. We report herein that gamma-PAK is associated in vivo with the nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinase c-Abl. gamma-PAK phosphorylates c-Abl on sites located in the kinase domain, in a region that is implicated in protein-protein interactions and in subcellular localization. Activation of gamma-PAK in human embryonic kidney 293T cells by cotransfection with constitutively active Cdc42 induces activation of c-Abl, resulting in increased phosphotyrosine levels. Cotransfection of c-Abl and gamma-PAK elicits phosphorylation of gamma-PAK on tyrosine and down-regulation of gamma-PAK activity, promoting accumulation of inactive gamma-PAK. gamma-PAK is also phosphorylated in vitro by c-Abl. gamma-PAK activity is regulated by ubiquitination and proteolysis in vivo, as shown by immunoblotting with an anti-ubiquitin antibody in the presence of proteasome inhibitors. In summary, we describe a functional interaction between gamma-PAK and c-Abl in which gamma-PAK stimulates c-Abl tyrosine kinase activity and c-Abl phosphorylates and down-regulates gamma-PAK, suggesting the existence of a negative feedback loop between c-Abl and gamma-PAK.


The widespread availability of IoT technologies allows, among others, detailed monitoring of environmental parameters that can be used for effective prevention and forecasts of natural disasters. When such events occur, or are about to occur, the primary concern of authorities responsible for the public safety is to organise and enforce the relief in an as quick as possible and effective way. However, the huge amount of information that an IoT infrastructure is able to provide is useless if not correlated and contextualised on the territory where the hazard has occurred. In this paper the authors present the design of a semantic information model which integrates different information domains into a unified framework. In particular, some ontologies have been defined to represent, respectively, the information domain of hazards, the domain of sensors (which are responsible for measuring the phenomena that may trigger hazards), the geographic domain and the environmental risk domain, also including the potential damage and dangerousness of such events. In the proposed semantic framework, a place (be it a single building or an entire region) can be characterised from the environmental risk point of view. The resulting knowledge base can then be used to build monitoring services capable of identifying on the territory those sensing units whose sensed data are really useful for the setup of a relief plan. A prototype of such a monitoring tool was also implemented. Finally, two simple yet complete use case examples focusing on the wildfire hazard and on the flood risk respectively are discussed in the paper.


ABSTRACT This study examines the influences of online communication, in-person socialization, and degree of community connectedness on transgender citizens' political participation in the United States. Drawing on the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, we find that while demographics, socioeconomic status, and political self-efficacy contributed to individuals' civic engagement and political campaign contribution, community connectedness was the single largest predictor of civic engagement and alone accounted for almost as much variance in the measurement of civic engagement as all demographics and socioeconomic status combined. At the same time, we found an unhypothesized mutually causal relationship between community connectedness and civic engagement, suggesting each reinforces the other. We also found evidence in-person communication with other transgender people was a larger predictor of political participation than online communication. Taken together, our results move us beyond the traditional sociodemographic or media-use predictors toward a more socially embedded perspective of civic engagement among marginalized groups, demonstrating the vital significance of connectedness to one's identity-based community.


The interest of this case lies in the fact that an osteochondroma of the head of the mandibular condyle is rarely seen, its appearance in a women aged 68 years (it is usually noted in young subjects), and the good results after surgery (controlled by radiological examination two years later).


The Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor consists of four instruments performing a CMB polarization survey. Currently, the 40 GHz and first 90 GHz instruments are deployed and observing, with the second 90 GHz and a multichroic 150/220 GHz instrument to follow. The receiver is a central component of each instrument's design and functionality. This paper describes the CLASS receiver design, using the first 90 GHz receiver as a primary reference. Cryogenic cooling and filters maintain a cold, low-noise environment for the detectors. We have achieved receiver detector temperatures below 50mK in the 40 GHz instrument for 85% of the initial 1.5 years of operation, and observed in-band efficiency that is consistent with pre-deployment estimates. At 90 GHz, less than 26% of in-band power is lost to the filters and lenses in the receiver, allowing for high optical efficiency. We discuss the mounting scheme for the filters and lenses, the alignment of the cold optics and detectors, stray light control, and magnetic shielding.


A Drosophila melanogaster cDNA clone (GH01916) encoding a putative 723-residue long (82 kDa) protein (CG 7415) and displaying 50% identity with mammalian cytosolic dipeptidyl aminopeptidase (DPP) III was functionally expressed in Schneider S2 cells. Immunocytochemical studies using anti-(rat liver DPP III) Ig indicated the expression of this putative DPP III at the outer cell membrane and into the cytosol of transfected cells. Two protein bands (82 and 86 kDa) were immunologically detected after PAGE and Western blot of cytosol or membrane prepared from transfected cells. Western blot analysis of partially purified D. melanogaster DPP III confirmed the overexpression of these two protein bands into the cytosol and on the membranes of transfected cells. Despite the identification of six potential glycosylation sites, PAGE showed that these protein bands were not shifted after deglycosylation experiments. The partially purified enzyme hydrolysed the insect myotropic neuropeptide proctolin (Arg-Tyr-Leu-Pro-Thr) at the Tyr-Leu bond (Km approximately 4 micro m). In addition, low concentration of the specific DPP III inhibitor tynorphin prevented proctolin degradation (IC50 = 0.62 +/- 0.15 micro m). These results constitute the first characterization of an evolutionarily conserved insect DPP III that is expressed as a cytosolic and a membrane peptidase involved in proctolin degradation.


In positron-emission tomography (PET), to certify that the observed radioactivity in the organ of interest represents the true underlying radioactivity concentration, an experimental/theoretical treatment of factors such as scatter, randoms, reconstruction parameters, recovery coefficients and the cross-calibration procedure is required. Dual isotope experiments used to check the overall tomograph performance are described. It is found that the inclusion of a real-time calibration tube standard in the tomograph field-of-view during scanning compensates for any temporal variation in the machine sensitivity and provides a built-in dead time correction. Reconstruction parameters and recovery coefficients were optimized through phantom experiments. It is shown that results similar to other head and whole body scanners have been achieved. >


Background: N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) methylation is the most prevalent internal posttranscriptional modification on mammalian mRNA. The role of m6A mRNA methylation in the heart is not known. Methods: To determine the role of m6A methylation in the heart, we isolated primary cardiomyocytes and performed m6A immunoprecipitation followed by RNA sequencing. We then generated genetic tools to modulate m6A levels in cardiomyocytes by manipulating the levels of the m6A RNA methylase methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) both in culture and in vivo. We generated cardiac-restricted gain- and loss-of-function mouse models to allow assessment of the METTL3-m6A pathway in cardiac homeostasis and function. Results: We measured the level of m6A methylation on cardiomyocyte mRNA, and found a significant increase in response to hypertrophic stimulation, suggesting a potential role for m6A methylation in the development of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Analysis of m6A methylation showed significant enrichment in genes that regulate kinases and intracellular signaling pathways. Inhibition of METTL3 completely abrogated the ability of cardiomyocytes to undergo hypertrophy when stimulated to grow, whereas increased expression of the m6A RNA methylase METTL3 was sufficient to promote cardiomyocyte hypertrophy both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, cardiac-specific METTL3 knockout mice exhibit morphological and functional signs of heart failure with aging and stress, showing the necessity of RNA methylation for the maintenance of cardiac homeostasis. Conclusions: Our study identified METTL3-mediated methylation of mRNA on N6-adenosines as a dynamic modification that is enhanced in response to hypertrophic stimuli and is necessary for a normal hypertrophic response in cardiomyocytes. Enhanced m6A RNA methylation results in compensated cardiac hypertrophy, whereas diminished m6A drives eccentric cardiomyocyte remodeling and dysfunction, highlighting the critical importance of this novel stress-response mechanism in the heart for maintaining normal cardiac function.


Hepatitis B virus (HBV) core antigen (HBcAg) detected by the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique was present in the nucleus and cytoplasm of some infected hepatocytes but only in the cytoplasm of other hepatocytes. When cells expressing HBcAg were examined by in situ hybridization for the presence of HBV DNA, the intracellular level of cytoplasmic HBV replicative intermediate DNA correlated with the level of cytoplasmic HBcAg, but not with the presence or absence of nuclear HBcAg. This suggests that nuclear HBcAg may not be directly involved in hepadnavirus replication.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of school culture on performance of Kenya certificate of Secondary Education examinations in schools in Maara District by establishing the extent to which element of school culture influence students KCSE performance; analyzing decision making on students' academic performance examining the effects or reward systems on students performance, determining the extent to which principal's leadership skills influence students performance as well as establishing the extent to which students perception of culture influence their academic achievements. Culture includes deep patterns of values, beliefs and traditions that have been formed over the course of history. In the study, the school culture is defined as the element of school environment that is developed over time. The study was based on the assumption that the respondents would be honest in their responses, the records would be available in selected schools in the district to confirm students' performance and the headteachers would allow the researcher to access students academic records on Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE). The study was guided by Victor Vroom's expectance theory of motivation which shows motivation as a product of valence, expectancy and instrumentality. The study used descriptive study design to collect data from a large popultitipn.. in order to determine the correlation between variables. The population consisted of 600 teachers and 42 headteachers in Maara District. Thirty secondary schools were selected from the 42 across categories and type which includes: day, boarding, single sexi and mixed schools. The researcher applied stratified sampling to select a total of 229 respondents. The analysis of data was aided by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer soft ware. Processed data was represented in the form of percentages and tables upon which data could be interpreted easily. According to the study, majority of the teachers indicated that principals leadership skills highly influence students' performance. In addition most of headteachers used leadership style that involved teachers and students in decision making. The study findings indicated that the three selected elements of culture had a positive influence on students' performance in KCSE. For example schools where parents are involved in decision making, students' performance was improved. Likewise when both teachers and students are motivated, a culture of hardwork and team spirit is enhanced which in turn affect performance positively. The study established that a number of schools in the district have embraced respect, team work and hardwork as their cultural aspects and this has influenced students' academic performance positively. The researcher suggests that other studies on the same should be carried out in other districts, to investigate whether schools in these districts are experiencing the same cultural challenges. The researcher recommends that headteachers should create a culture that acts as standard or a rule book for teachers and students and should also adopt a leadership style that includes major stakeholders in decision making and teachers should be motivated to enhance a good culture within their schools.


A family of monodisperse YBO3: Eu3+ 3D microstructure with nine morphologies were firstly synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. Different microstructures were controllably obtained through adjusting the molar ratio of Y: B (Yttrium: Boron) and solvent. Photoluminescence (PL) of nine samples were investigated and demonstrated that under the excitation of 254 and 363 nm honeycomb-like YBO3: Eu3+ spheres had the highest Red/Orange ratio as potential red phosphor for applications, such as PDPs (plasma display panels) and LEDs (light emitting diodes). Subsequently, the morphology of YBO3: Eu3+ is further controlled by changing the borate starting material and pH values. Moreover, related photoluminescence of YBO3: Eu3+ with various morphologies was compared. There is the graduate increase of luminescence intensity of Eu3+ on annealing the YBO3: Eu3+ microflowers at 400, 600, and 800 °C. The growth process of the YBO3 sparse and dense flowers was explored based on the time-dependent experiments and the results showed that the growth mechanism follows an in-situ growth through an initial nucleating, localized self-assembly, and Ostwald ripening process rather than self-assembly process as reported previously. Photoluminescence of white LEDs phosphors YBO3: Tb3+, Eu3+ was systematically studied demonstrating that under the excitation of 365 nm ultraviolet (UV) light. Tunable emission by varying the relative doping ratios were demonstrated, and eventually YBO3: Tb3+ (12.5%), Eu3+ (2.5%) exhibits a white light. It includes three emissions: a blue band attributed to self-trapped exciton, a green band due to the Tb3+ transition of 5D4 −7Fj (j = 6, 5, 4, 3), and a red band due to the Eu3+ transition of 5D0 −7Fj (j = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4). Energy transfers from host YBO3 to Tb3+, and Eu3+ and Tb3+ to Eu3+, as well as tunable emission by varying the relative doping ratios were identified through experimental strategies. At last, the combination of blue emission from self-trapped exciton with green and red emissions from activators was firstly used to fabricate white light emitting diodes by coating YBO3: Tb3+ (12.5%), Eu3+ (2.5%) phosphors on the commercial UVLED. Corresponding CIE coordinate, electroluminescence, color temperature, luminous efficiency, etc. were measured for the assessment of application.


Background. The aim of this study was to determine concordance rates for prostatectomy specimens and transrectal needle biopsy samples in various areas of the prostate in order to assess diagnostic accuracy of the transrectal biopsy approach, especially for presurgical detection of cancer in the prostatic apex. Materials and Methods. From 2006 to 2011, 158 patients whose radical prostatectomy specimens had been evaluated were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Concordance rates for histopathology results of prostatectomy specimens and needle biopsy samples were evaluated in 8 prostatic sections (apex, middle, base, and transitional zones bilaterally) from 73 patients diagnosed at this institution, besides factors for detecting apex cancer in total 118 true positive and false negative apex cancers. Results. Prostate cancer was found most frequently (85%) in the apex of all patients. Of 584 histopathology sections, 153 (49%) from all areas were false negatives, as were 45% of apex biopsy samples. No readily available preoperative factors for detecting apex cancer were identified. Conclusions. In Japanese patients, the most frequent location of prostate cancer is in the apex. There is a high false negative rate for transrectal biopsy samples. To improve the detection rate, transperitoneal biopsy or more accurate imaging technology is needed.


The day-time concentrations of TSH, T3, T4, FT3 and FT4 were investigated in clinically healthy volunteers, 20 young individuals, aged from 20 to 27 years, and 12 elderly subjects, aged from 70 to 81 years. Nocturnal sampling was purposely avoided in order to eliminate the interindividual differences in sleep patterns. The day-time series were analysed by means of cosinor analysis to interpolate the best-fitting sinusoidal wave that covers the day-night period. The reconstruction of the circadian sinusoidal wave was validated for TSH, T3, T4, FT3 and FT4 in young subjects, and, with limitation, for T4 in elderly individuals. The findings suggest that the day time patterns of TSH, T3, FT4 and FT3 in elderly subjects are characterized by a dyschronism that is not detectable in young subjects. The investigation of the day-time concentrations is suggested as a cost-effective tool for exploring the circadian cycle of the pituitary-thyroid hormones in aged people.


ICT in education has emerged as a widespread phenomenon and has been widely considered and explored. While remarkable achievement in ICT use in the teaching and learning process has been observed in the developed part of the world, schools in the developing countries still fail to do so. Pakistan, as a less developed country, has still been in its infancy stage of ICT integration in schools. The purpose of this paper was thus, to explore the existing state of affairs in relation to ICT integration in schools via reviewing both the hindering and enabling factors. The study employed a systemic review method to review the available research, conducted in Pakistan, in the last ten years. The results inform about several fundamental issues and provide a way forward towards effective ICT integration in the process of teaching and learning.


Mitogen-activated protein kinases(MAPKs)are Ser/Thr kinases consisting of extracellular regulated protein kinases(ERK)1/2,c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1/2/3,p38 isoforms(α,β,γ,and δ),and ERK5,which mediate a range of cellular activities including proliferation,differentiation,apoptosis,immunity,and inflammation. Pain sensitization is a remodeling mechanism of central and peripheral nociceptor. A growing number of evidences have indicated that MAPKs are extensively activated in the spinal dorsal cord and dorsal root ganglions in the animal models of diabetic neuropathic pain(DNP)and play an important role in the central and peripheral sensitization of DNP. In addition,some drugs can alleviate DNP by suppressing MAPKs activation of central and peripheral nervous system. This article summarizes the research progress of MAPKs in central and peripheral sensitization of DNP.


This paper aims to investigate the impact of board composition on environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting in the Gulf countries. Despite the vast literature on the significance of ESG disclosure on firms' performance, trust and reputation, there are relatively few studies on the influence of board structure on ESG disclosure in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Gulf countries are witnessing a fast growing capital markets and having serious efforts to attract foreign investments to divert their economies from the oil and gas reliance. This could be facilitated by illustrating firms' good citizenship and communicating the fulfillment of their social obligation.,The study examines publically listed companies between 2008 and 2017. Thomson Reuter's database is used to collect the ESG disclosure scores and governance information. The authors apply multiple panel data regressions and sensitivity testing to ensure the robustness of the results.,Examining publically listed companies for a 10-year period shows that higher board independence and female board participation facilitate the transmission of a firm's positive image by improving social responsibility. Independent boards of directors and participation among women serve as catalysts to strike an effective balance between firms' financial targets and social responsibilities. In contrast, boards chaired by chief executive officers are less supportive in executing a social agenda and consequently reporting their ESG activities.,The results suggest that firms that appoint a sustainability and/or governance committee tend to engage in more impactful social and environmental activities and communicate their societal engagements more effectively.,The paper recommends that policymakers, executives and shareholders in the GCC countries support board participation among women, independent directors and formation of sustainability committees to facilitate engaging in effectual social activities.,Empirical evidence regarding the relationship between board composition and ESG disclosure in the Gulf countries is limited. Prior literature mainly provides results on developed countries in which the governance system is mature and well structured. This study provides useful evidence regarding the Gulf countries that lack privatization and where corporate boards tend to be dominated by families and governments.


Biomedical industry is in continuous growth in the last decade. Low profile compact tunable antennas are crucial in the development of wearable human biomedical systems. The antenna resonant frequency may be tuned by using a varactor to compensate variations in antenna resonant frequency at different locations on the body. Design considerations, computed and measured results on the human body of wideband printed antennas with high efficiency at 434MHz are presented in this paper. The proposed antenna may be used in Medicare systems.


Real estate appraisal refers to the process of developing an unbiased opinion for real property's market value, which plays a vital role in decision-making for various players in the marketplace (e.g., real estate agents, appraisers, lenders, and buyers). However, it is a non-trivial task for accurate real estate appraisal because of three major challenges: (1) The complicated influencing factors for property value; (2) The asynchronously spatiotemporal dependencies among real estate transactions; (3) The diversified correlations between residential communities. To this end, we propose a Multi-Task Hierarchical Graph Representation Learning (MugRep) framework for accurate real estate appraisal. Specifically, by acquiring and integrating multi-source urban data, we first construct a rich feature set to profile the real estate from multiple perspectives~(e.g., geographical distribution, human mobility distribution, and resident demographics distribution). Then, an evolving real estate transaction graph and a corresponding event graph convolution module are proposed to incorporate asynchronously spatiotemporal dependencies among real estate transactions. Moreover, to further incorporate valuable knowledge from the view of residential communities, we devise a hierarchical heterogeneous community graph convolution module to capture diversified correlations between residential communities. Finally, an urban district partitioned multi-task learning module is introduced to generate differently distributed value opinions for real estate. Extensive experiments on two real-world datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of MugRep and its components and features.


Abstract A single corner-tang biface has been recovered from a secure context beneath a large rock in a Late Archaic component dated to ca. 2400 B.P. at the Pipeline site (41PT185/C) near Amarillo, Texas. Use-wear and starch grain analyses indicate this specimen exhibits no detectable unique function, just cutting of soft material such as hide. Although two technical analyses detect no special use, the unique context of this artifact indicates that it retained perceived value and was "cached" under a rock for future retrieval.