A wet chemical route was used to prepare the oxygen deficient codoped perovskite oxide BaZr0.5In0.25Yb0.25O3−. Analysis of X-ray powder diffraction data showed that the sample belongs to the cubic crystal system with space group Pmm. Dynamic thermogravimetric (TG) analysis confirmed complete filling of oxygen vacancies (V) by protonic defects (OH) during the hydration process. The proton conductivity was investigated by impedance spectroscopy. The bulk and total conductivities of prehydrated BaZr0.5In0.25Yb0.25O3− were found to be 8.5×10−4 and 2.2×10−5 S cm−1, respectively, at 300°C. The total conductivity in the codoped perovskite oxide was higher compared to that of the respective single doped perovskite oxides with the same doping level. The bulk and grain-boundary mobility and diffusion coefficients of protons were calculated at 200°C using impedance and TG data to obtain the conductivity and proton concentration, respectively. The high bulk diffusivity (2.3×10−7 cm2 s−1) was obtained which indicates that the protons are more free to move in the heavily doped matrix compared to the lightly doped systems where trapping of protons occurs.


Duloxetine was developed for the management of depression. This drug was later found to be effective in the treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence. It exerts its action by blocking the reuptake of serotonin and nor epinephrine in an area of the sacral spinal cord that contains a high density of these neurotransmitter receptors, thus stimulating specific motor neurons that regulate the urethral striated muscle sphincter


In general, plaque and gingivitis scores were correlated negatively with the manual parameters and positively with the academic and mental parameters studied. Plaque showed significant negative correlations with the manual average and the carving test. Gingivitis also demonstrated a negative correlation, just short of significance, with the manual average, but virtually no correlation existed between gingivitis and the carving test. Gingivitis displayed a significant positive correlation with the academic average, and plaque exhibited a nonsignificant positive correlation with the academic average. Relationships between these parameters may help determine what segments of the population are more susceptible to plaque accumulation and gingivitis and may suggest possible new approaches to the adoption of preventive measures. Finally, in view of the statistically significant but relatively low correlation found between manual dexterity and oral health, further investigations are indicated to establish the validity of the relationship.


One of the most quoted applications for digital watermarking is in the context of copy-protection of digital (multi-)media. In its most basic form a watermark is used as a single bit that indicates whether or not content is copyrighted. By the nature of a watermark, this copy-protection bit is (theoretically) strongly tied to the content: it can only be removed when the content suffers serious degradation. As simple as this idea may seem, the actual design of an appropriate watermarking scheme and its application in a copy protection system is quite complicated. In this article we illustrate the various issues that play a role in designing a copy-protection system for digital versatile disk (DVD) video as perceived by Millennium, one of the two contenders in the DVD-video copy protection standardization activity. We present the Millennium watermark system, the systems proposed for DVD video copy protection by Philips, Macrovision, and Digimarc. We also address some specific system aspects, such as watermark detector location and copy generation control.


Article history: This work aimed to study the effect of putrescine at (50, 100 and 200 ppm ) as a chemical growth regulator , moringa leaves extract ( 3.5%, 7% and 10 %) as a natural extract and control (distilled water ) on growth, photosynthetic pigments, phytochemicals and antioxidant capacity of jojoba plants grown in earthenware pots. Application of MLE (10 %) caused an increase in plant height by 103.24%, meanwhile (7 %) of MLE led to 4.08% increment in the branches number as compared to control plants. Chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids recorded the highest concentrations by treating with MLE (10 %) followed by putrescine (50 ppm).Total phenolic, flavonoid , tannin content and antioxidant activity of jojoba plants significantly increased with putrescine treatment at 50 ppm and these increments were 28.98%, 31.33%, 74.82% and 65.44%, respectively as compared to control plants. Also, foliar spray of MLE (7 %) led to highest increment of total phenolic, flavonoid and tannins (41.67%, 85.13% and 80.50%, respectively).Moringa leaves extract had the superiority in increasing reducing power ability it increased gradually by increasing moringa leaves extract concentration. Some changes in amino acids concentration were observed with putrescine (50and200 ppm) as well as total essential amino acids.


In this paper, transient natural convection combined heat and mass transfer in enclosures filled with humid air, including condensation to the walls, which are subjected to time varying prescribed temperatures, was studied numerically.Ansys Fluent CFD code implemented to the model for wall condensation from a vapor and non-condensable gas mixture. User-Defined Function (UDF) has been used to predict the condensation rate for a mixture of air and water vapor flowing past a cooled surface. The effect of the condensation process on the flow and species distribution in the vapor phase is incorporated into the flow calculations through a customized source term applied in wall-adjacent cells. The condensation phenomenon is modeled from first principles as sink terms for the mass, momentum, species and energy conservation equations. The condensation rate is obtained by requiring the condensate–gas interface to be impermeable to the non-condensable gas.The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) program was used to calculate the value of condensation rates, latent and sensible heat transfer rates as well as the relative humidity rates and mass fractions of species.In the study, the effects of different initial relative humidity ratios and the characteristic lengths of the condensation plate on the condensation mass fluxes were studied.The results indicated that the new system could reduce the risk of condensation on the cooling panels and provide a more comfortable indoor environment. The new system has a great potential for use in hot and humid climate regions with radiant cooling systems.Copyright © 2014 by ASME


This paper presents a comparative analysis of 2- and 3-D methods for computing the electromagnetic field generated by overhead transmission lines operating at the power frequency. The study focuses on the catenary effect of cables and the effect of electric charges and currents present in tower elements when computing the electric field on the cables' surface and the electric and magnetic fields near the earth's surface. Results for a typical three-phase 138-kV line are presented as well as the proper range of the application for a modified and fast 2-D solution.


Systematic annealing experiments on fission tracks in phlogopite have been carried out under standard etching conditions to obtain the correction curve for the ages of phlogopite, which might have been lowered due to geological annealing of fossil fission tracks. Variation of fission track density with etching time at different annealing temperatures has been analysed in order to standardize the etching conditions. All the tracks in phlogopite are annealed by heating at 590 °C for 1 h. Extrapolation of experimental data suggests that a temperature of 215 °C would be required for 1 Ma to remove all the tracks. The corrected age of a phlogopite sample from Neyyur village, Kanya Kumari District, India, is 395 ± 20 Ma. The mean values of fission fragment range for induced 235U fission tracks, uranium concentration, activation energy, and an effective paleoisotherm for fission track clock in the Neyyur village phlogopite are 17.7 ± 2.0 μm, 3.12 × 10−9 g/g, 1.8 eV, and 150 °C, respectively.


Component magnetization and post-assembly magnetization are compared for the brushless dc motors used for hybrid electric vehicles through theoretical analysis, finite-element method (FEM) calculation, and experiment. Provided with enough magnetizing magnetomotive force (MMF), the permanent magnets can be fully magnetized both by component magnetization and post-assembly magnetization. The tested rotor surface flux densities of the component magnetization and post-assembly magnetization are consistent, and they are in good agreement with the FEM calculated values. By contrast, we prefer the post-assembly magnetization in order to overcome the problem of magnetic forces and ferrous debris during the assembly process.


One of the potential major consequences of mining activities is the degradation of the surrounding ecosystems by Acid Mine Drainage (AMD). A high-resolution hyperspectral drone-borne survey provides a useful, fast, and non-invasive tool to monitor the acid mine drainage mineralogy in mining sites. In this study, we propose to integrate drone-borne visible-to-near infrared (VNIR) hyperspectral data and physicochemical field data from water and sediments together with laboratory analysis for precise mineralogical and surface water mapping. The Tintillo River is an extraordinary case of the collection of acidic leachates in southwest Spain. This river is highly contaminated, with large quantities of dissolved metals (Fe, Al, Cu, Zn, etc.) and acidity, which later discharged into the Odiel River. At the confluence of the Tintillo and Odiel rivers, different geochemical and mineralogical processes typical of the interaction of very acidic water (pH 2.5 – 3.0) with circum-neutral water (pH 7.0 – 8.0) occur. The high contrast among waters makes this area propitious for the use of hyperspectral data to characterize both rivers and better evaluate mine water bodies with remote sensing imagery. We present an approach that makes use of a supervised random forest regression for the extended mapping of water properties, using the data from collected field samples, as training set for the algorithm. Experimental results show water surface maps that quantify the concentration of dissolved metals and physical-chemical properties along the covered region and mineral classification maps distribution (jarosite, goethite, schwertmannite, etc.). These results highlight the capabilities of drone-borne hyperspectral data for monitoring mining sites by extrapolating the hydrochemical properties from certain and specific areas, covered during field campaigns, to larger regions where accessibility is limited. By following this method, it is possible to rapidly discriminate and map the degree of AMD contamination in water for its future treatment or remediation.


One of the primary scientific objectives of the Maritime Continent Thunderstorm Experiment was to study cloud electrification processes in tropical island convection, in particular, the coupling between ice phase precipitation and lightning production. To accomplish this goal, a C-band polarimetric radar was deployed in the Tropics (11.68S, 130.88E) for the first time, accompanied by a suite of lightning measurements. Using observations of the propagation-corrected horizontal reflectivity and differential reflectivity, along with specific differential phase, rain and ice masses were estimated during the entire life cycle of an electrically active tropical convective complex (known locally as Hector) over the Tiwi Islands on 28 November 1995. Hector's precipitation structure as inferred from these raw and derived radar fields was then compared in time and space to the measured surface electric field, cloud-to-ground (CG) and total lightning flash rates, and ground strike locations. During Hector's developing stage, precipitating convective cells along island sea breezes were dominated by warm rain processes. No significant electric fields or lightning were associated with this stage of Hector, despite substantial rainfall rates. Aided by gust front forcing, a cumulus merger process resulted in larger, taller, and more intense convective complexes that were dominated by mixed-phase precipitation processes. During the mature phase of Hector, lightning and the surface electric field were strongly correlated to the mixed phase ice mass and rainfall. Merged convective complexes produced 97% of the rainfall and mixed-phase ice mass and 100% of the CG lightning. As Hector dissipated, lightning activity rapidly ceased. As evidenced from the multiparameter radar observations, the multicell nature of Hector resulted in the continuous lofting of supercooled drops to temperatures between 2108 and 2208C in discrete updraft cores during both the early and mature phases. The freezing of these drops provided instantaneous precipitation-sized ice particles that may have subsequently rimed and participated in thunderstorm electrification via the noninductive charging mechanism.


In a phase II clinical trial to test the ability of recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO) to reverse the anemia of patients undergoing hemodialysis, the changes of enzyme activity in red blood cells were evaluated in 5 hemodialysis anemic patients who were treated with r-HuEPO. Concerning the activity levels measured, the following conclusions are drawn. 1) HK, ALD, TPI, G6PD and 6PGD were statistically significantly increased at the time when the hematocrit has risen by 8% with the use of r-HuEPO. 2) The enzyme activity levels of PFK, GA3PD, MPGM, ENOL, PK, GR and ADA were higher than normal already before the r-HuEPO treatment. 3) The increases of HK and G6PD by r-HuEPO, as age dependent enzymes, may reflect the generation of young red blood cells. 4) In view of the fact that they are related to ATP production in the glycolysis cycle, we infer that increases of red blood cell enzymes by r-HuEPO may play at least some part in bringing a sensation of "well-being" to severely anemic patients undergoing hemodialysis.


Service oriented computing (SOC) has provided a promising architectural for business collaboration. However challenging security issues concerning business collaboration have arisen because of its dynamic and loosely coupling nature. An important problem is how to specify security policies that belong to different application domains and integrate them to satisfy the requirements of the collaboration. In this paper we will provide analysis on authorization policy requirements for business collaboration, collaboration patterns and various security comparability and integration issues. We believe it is a first step toward a framework for modeling, specifying and handling authorization control for business collaboration.


Abstract Background Transition from pediatric to adult healthcare for adolescents with chronic health conditions has emerged as a critical period influencing health outcomes. Suitable transition readiness measures are necessary to facilitate effective planning. Currently, there is little consensus about well-validated transition readiness measures. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify best practices in transition readiness measurement for adolescents and young adults with chronic health conditions. Data sources Academic databases searched included PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Google Scholar and Athabasca University Library's Discover. Study selection Articles were included that discussed the development and psychometric properties of transition readiness measures for adolescents and young adults (11–25 years) with chronic health conditions and/or that utilized a previously developed measure. Data extraction The primary and secondary reviewers extracted data from the selected articles as per the data extraction tool developed for this review. Results Forty-eight articles, representing 19 tools, were included in the review. Ten of the tools were disease-specific; nine were disease-neutral. According to the Cohen criteria, eight measures were "well-established assessments". The Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire was deemed the best measure of transition readiness available. The literature search included only articles published in peer-reviewed journals; measures nearing completion or awaiting publication were not included. In addition, only English manuscripts were included, many from North America. Conclusions Despite national practice guidelines and ongoing policy development, there is slow movement towards achieving a gold standard or best-practice measure of transition readiness.


Potential manned military space missions would involve exposing crews to many environmental factors, including ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation in space comes from several natural and man-made sources. Many parameters influence the radiation dose crews would receive and the biomedical outcome of the exposure. A systematic approach has been developed to examine military space crew doses and its impact on mission objectives. The approach involves determining mission and orbital parameters from analysis of preliminary spaceflight operational concepts and objectives, the types of radiation qualities and dose rates to which crews' would be exposed, the critical crew functions, and the resulting impact of the projected radiation exposure. From this analysis and a review of the current space radiobiology database, areas requiring further information or research are identified. An initial space radiobiology research program has been outlined. The resulting Space Radiation Effects Study Program has been incorporated into the current DoD 5-Year Plan for Ionizing Radiation Biomedical Research.


Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is regarded as one of the most versatile tablet filler binders, finding a wide use in both granulation and direct compression operations. It has been shown that MCC particle populations consist of a mixture of 'rod like' primary particles, and agglomerates, and that the proportion of these primary particles and agglomerates differs within the different grades of materials, contributing to the different bulk properties of these materials. However, the proportion of primary particles and agglomerates has not previously been fully elucidated, and their contribution to the performance factors such as flow explained. In this paper we use a novel microscopy-based characterization technique to demonstrate that the proportion of 'agglomerates' in the series of MCC grades between PH101 and PH200 is, by number, very low, but sufficient to perturb a volume-based particle size method by significant amounts.


The current situation in the global arena may be characterized as a rapidly changing process with new trends appearing. This situation is not a problem for the young generation which has many different names, such as the "Net Generation", "Digital Natives", "Y" and/or "X" Generation, etc. As a matter of fact, these modern names are closely associated withhigh consumption of virtual media, such as the Internet. A great majority of young individuals perceive their own existence mainly in the virtual space. Thus, themodern approachto communication demonstrated by the young generation cannot be refuted by any educationalinstitution or governmental body which are involved invarious processes of policy creation and regulation of modern societal norms. The educational system can be referred to as a priority in the entire world, because newly educated and trained specialists take an active part in the processesof economic, political, education, etc. development aiming to create a positive image of their country in the world. Multilingualism is part ofthe daily life due to the provided ability to communicate atan international level. New opportunities, such as travelling or jobsand studies abroad, expand people's horizons and demand new skills. A second language is amustin the contemporary world. Language acquisition is more efficient when innovations are integrated into the educational field. This article aims at revealingthe methods of practice ofvirtual cross-cultural interaction facilitating the acquisition and development of the foreign language communication skills. The conducted survey suggests thatvirtual cross-cultural interaction is an innovative routine acknowledged by every respondent, andallthe positive aspects are clearly and indisputably presented by the survey participants.


A computational fluid dynamics study of the influence of wing span has been conducted for an inverted wing with endplates in ground effect. Aerodynamic coefficients were determined for different spans at different ground clearances, highlighting a trend for shorter spans to delay the onset of both separation and resulting loss of negative lift. The vortices at the wing endplates were not observed to change significantly in terms of strength and size; thus, at shorter spans, their influence over a larger percentage of the wing helped the flow stay attached and reduced the severity of the adverse pressure gradient which invokes separation at greater spans. Consequently, it was shown that, compared to a large-span wing, a wing with a shorter span may have a lower lift coefficient but can operate closer to the ground before performance is adversely affected.


During the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple aspects of human life were subjected to unprecedented changes, globally. In Sri Lanka, a developing country located in South Asia, it was possible to observe a range of events that arose due to the influence of the COVID-19 virus outbreak. Thus, the people of Sri Lanka used Social Media to voice their opinions regarding such events and those involved in them, enabling the ideal avenue to explore the social perception. However, the outcome of such actions was at certain times detrimental. This study was conducted as an attempt to identify the reasons for such instances as well as to identify the behaviours of the Sri Lankan populace during such a crisis event. To support this study, observations, as well as data of related posts from a sample of 50 sources, were manually collected from the most popular social media platform in Sri Lanka, Facebook. The posts considered spanned until approximately a month after the initial major virus outbreak in the country and contained content that even vaguely related to the virus. Utilising such data, various forms of analyses such as topic significance and topic co-occurrences were conducted. The findings highlight, while there can be social detrimental ideas shared, the majority of the posts point constructive and positive thoughts suggesting the successful influence from the cultural and social values Sri Lanka society promotes throughout.


Few clinical reports exist regarding the effects of phosphodiesterase III inhibitors on cerebral arteries. Therefore we used a [99mTc]-ECD brain SPECT and an ultrasound method to quantitatively evaluate cerebral and systemic flow dynamics after the administration of olprinone, a phosphodiesterase III inhibitor. In 15 patients (65 +/- 8 years, M/F = 13/2) with no abnormalities on a brain computed tomography (CT), cerebral blood flow and cardiac output were measured using [99mTc]-ECD brain SPECT and Doppler echocardiography, respectively. Measurements were repeated at baseline and after the administration of olprinone. Significant increases in cerebral blood flow (p = 0.0007) and cardiac output (p = 0.001) were observed, and systolic blood pressure (p = 0.02) and systemic vascular resistance (p = 0.002) significantly decreased. No significant correlation between the increase in cerebral blood flow and the increase in cardiac output was observed. The data indicate that olprinone has a direct vasodilator effect on the cerebral artery, which was little related to the increase in cardiac output in patients who had not experienced stroke.


The dynamics of the real economy is a major driver of the evolution of arrears at the level of the pool of loans granted to non-financial companies, completed by the financial pressure induced by the monetary conditions. Lending allows on the one hand providing resources for companies that need financing for investment projects, on the other hand, it supports the fund holders to place resources for obtaining profit. The role of the lending policy in the activity of commercial banks is very important, as it may influence both the cost of credits and the loan portfolio quality in the future. The purpose of this research is to find the macroeconomic variables that significantly influence credit risk and to develop a statistical model for predicting the doubtful and non-performing loans rate. Thus, it is envisaged the research of mechanisms by which the dynamics of the real economy and the money market conditions influence the evolution of the credit risk in different business sectors.


Abstract The article attempts to locate the contested notion of work–life balance within the context of global trends and recent policy developments. It describes a small-scale qualitative study of work–life balance as it is experienced within a low-income neighbourhood in the UK. The study findings are used to inform reflections on the powerlessness experienced by many working parents seeking to accommodate family life with paid employment; and on the nature of the calculative responsibilities that are imposed upon working parents by recent shifts in social and labour market policy. It is contended that policy makers should tip the balance of the work–life equation from the current preoccupation with business interests in favour of wider social responsibility concerns.


It may amaze those in education that in this age of technology and computers, how basic concepts of classroom teaching are similar or even more important than they were 40 years ago when Kounin first defined withitness elements. New challenges, related to laptop Internet instruction, require instructors to develop withitness skills and situational awareness as they compete with computers for students attention and class participation. "Withitness" skills may be needed when teaching students in classrooms with laptops connected to the Internet.


High-performance computing continues to increase its computing power and energy efficiency. However, energy consumption continues to rise and finding ways to limit and/or decrease it is a crucial point in current research. For high-performance MPI applications, there are rollback recovery based fault tolerance methods, such as uncoordinated checkpoints. These methods allow only some processes to go back in the face of failure, while the rest of the processes continue to run. In this article, we focus on the processes that continue execution, and propose a series of strategies to manage energy consumption when a failure occurs and uncoordinated checkpoints are used. We present an energy model to evaluate strategies and through simulation we analyze the behavior of an application under different configurations and failure time. As a result, we show the feasibility of improving energy efficiency in HPC systems in the presence of a failure.


With the rise in popularity of the Internet, data describing unique types of items has been collected into easy to access sources. Using this newly acquired data, is it possible to predict if an item will become a bestseller while another fade away with time? Popularity prediction is a problem that has attracted a great deal of research recently, and for good reason. The ability to predict an items future rise to popularity or fall to obscurity is a possibly priceless skill and sought out in many different industries such as sales, investments, and marketing. This report enumerates and analyzes a number of factors assumed to be an indicator of popularity. Additionally, we propose a number of popularity prediction methods, and evaluate using a cohost of evaluation metrics, and state of the art baselines. Our findings show promising potential for popularity prediction, based on a combination of structural and temporal properties indicative of popularity. The key proposed metrics include a measure of similarity between two items, and various definitions of popularity evolving with time. Experiments on a large scale real dataset from Yelp allow us to demonstrate the performance of our methods on predicting the popularity of businesses. We believe the methods described below can be extended to be used for diverse types of data.


During 2012 allelopathic effects of Xanthium strumarium L. and Abutilon theophrasti Med. extracts to germination and initial development of maize (Zea mays L.), and soybean (Glycine max L.) were studied in laboratory conditions. In addition to the Water extracts out of dry mass of the tested weed species, extracts made by use of hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol in different concentrations were also used. The applied concentrations were 10, 20, 30 and 40 g/l of dry matter made out of weed species in the 3-4 leaf stage of development. Inhibiting effect of water extract from dry matter of Xanthium strumarium (L.) and methanol extract from which methanol part was evaporated to maize seed epicotyls and hypocotyls length was established. In comparison to the control, the maximum concentration of 40 g / l of the extract made from Water solution of Abutilon theophrasti Med. showed inhibitory effect on soybean seed epicotyls and hypocotyls length. The study was conducted in a randomized block design with 4 replications during which 25 seeds of maize and soybean were laid into Petri dishes. The applied extracts made out of dry matter of the both of the studied weed species Xanthium strumarium (L.) and Abutilon theophrasti Med. reduced maize seed germination for 14.8-26.83% and soybean seed germination for 18.5-35.82%, in comparison to the control in which it was 95% and 92%, respectively. After germination in a climate chamber, epicotyls' and hypocotyls' length of maize and soybean seeds was measured three, six and ten days following spraying by extracts.


this hypothesis. The relation of vitamin C to endocrine diseases and suggestions that it might be specifically related to hyperthyroidism, diabetes, and Addison's disease were discussed. Dr. Portnoy did not believe that there was any justification for the association of vitamin C with any haemorrhagic state other than scurvy. It was mentioned that ascorbic acid acted as a diuretic when administered orally in certain cases of cardiac disease, and it was also of apparent value in controlliag intolerance to arsenicals.


Continuous Anterior Sciatic Nerve Block: A Case Series
Sciatic nerve block is classically performed through posterior or lateral approaches. With the increased use of ultrasound, the anterior approach has gained popularity. An anterior approach should be considered in patients after trauma and severe postoperative pain where patient positioning can be challenging. The anatomical landmark techniques can be difficult for anterior approach and cannot always be relied on due to inconsistency in extremely obese population. The presence of large blood vessels in the needle path and increasing use of anticoagulants, call for the use of ultrasound guidance for anterior approach to sciatic nerve


This article examines the China-ASEAN free trade agreement (ACFTA) in light of regionalism in East Asia and China's new diplomacy. Dubbed "peaceful rise," China's new diplomatic strategy seeks to capitalize on globalization to accelerate China's economic development and elevate China's power. In Southeast Asia, "peaceful rise" is promoted through a FTA agenda reflecting geopolitical and geoeconomic objectives cultivating goodwill among neighbors, maintaining regional stability, and securing key markets and raw materials needed for China's economic growth. China sees ACFT A as a tool to respond to challenges posed by competitive regionalisms in the world economy, cement growing economic ties with Southeast Asia, secure raw materials, and ensure a peaceful environment to support China's growing influence and counterbalances American and Japanese power. ASEAN nations are attracted by the opportunites entailed in China's expanding trade and economy; they also seek to leverage ACFTA to additional FTAs with important trading partners within (e.g., Japan) or outside (e.g., the U.S.) the region. Due to the disparate levels of development and policy priorities of ASEAN members, ACFTA may cause various challenges to individual members and ASEAN as a whole.


Early detection and timely treatment hold the key to cure retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).ROP screening is carried out unevenly in China.Examination equipments and personnel experiences are the major factors to constraint ROP screening.In addition to strengthening personnel training,it is necessary to establish a standard guideline and pipeline for ROP consultation and referral. Laser photocoagulation and cryotherapy are the first options for the threshold ROP and Type 1 pre-threshold ROP.Scleral buckling or vitrectomy is needed for advanced ROP when retinal detachment occurs. The clinical efficacy of intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor monoclonal antibody) for severe ROP is encouraging,but needs further verification.Genetic interference and stem cell therapy will be the prosperous futures in the treatment of ROP.The screening and treatment of ROP in China is becoming more common and improved,but it is still a long way to go considering the huge population of China.

Key words:
Retinopathy of prematurity/diagnosis; Retinopathy of prematurity/drug therapy; Laser coagulation; Cryotherapy; Editorial


Though many cell-intrinsic genetic and genomic alterations contributing to tumorigenesis of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (T-ALL) have been uncovered, the contributions of non-tumor cells and their associated signals in the tumor microenvironment have remained obscure. To address whether the tumor microenvironment contributes to T-ALL tumor growth, we first analyzed the thymic microenvironment during T-ALL progression in murine models of T-ALL. The cellularity and architecture of the thymic stroma becomes increasingly aberrant during initiation and progression of disease, such that tumor cells accumulate and proliferate in epithelial-free regions at the periphery of the thymus. In addition to proliferating tumor cells, these thymic epithelial free regions contain vasculature, fibroblast networks, and an accumulation of dendritic cells. Interestingly, a subset of conventional thymic dendritic cells is greatly expanded in tumor-bearing thymi. To determine if cellular subsets in the tumor microenvironment contribute to T-ALL growth, we established a co-culture system containing primary T-ALL cells and purified stromal subsets taken directly from the tumor microenvironment. We found that ex vivo lymphoma cells require the presence of tumor-associated stroma for survival and proliferation. Strikingly, tumor-associated myeloid cells are necessary and sufficient to support ex vivo lymphoma survival, with tumor-associated dendritic cells most potently promoting T-ALL growth. Tumor-associated dendritic cells, but not wild-type thymic dendritic cells, are uniquely capable of supporting T-ALL survival. Global gene expression profiling reveals that tumor-associated dendritic cells exhibit limited altered gene-expression profiles, such that they upregulate transcripts associated with tumor-associated macrophages. Importantly, we find that T-ALL cells from metastatic tumor sites retain their dependence on stromal cells from the tumor microenvironment, and dendritic cells from metastatic tumors are sufficient to promote T-ALL survival. Thus, dendritic cells both at the primary tumor site and at sites of disseminated disease are sufficient to support growth of T-ALL cells. To determine if T-ALL cells preferentially contact dendritic cells in an intact thymic microenvironment, we used 2-photon microscopy to visualize interactions of thymic dendritic cells with T-ALL cells versus wild-type thymocytes. T-ALL cells interact with thymic dendritic cells with increased frequency and duration relative to wild-type thymocytes. Taken together, these studies strongly implicate endogenous myeloid cells, and particularly dendritic cells in the tumor microenvironment as potent stimulators of T-ALL growth, and suggest tumor-associated dendritic cells or their associated mitogenic signals could serve as novel therapeutic targets. Citation Format: Todd A. Triplett, Kim T. Cardenas, Jessica N. Jones, Hilary J. Selden, Guadalupe J. Jasso, Sadhana Balasubramanyam, Zicheng Hu, Li LiQi, Paul E. Love, Lauren IR Ehrlich. Altered myeloid cells in the tumor microenvironment promote growth of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Hematologic Malignancies: Translating Discoveries to Novel Therapies; Sep 20-23, 2014; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2015;21(17 Suppl):Abstract nr A02.


Due to their use by humans and to preserve public health, recreational marine environments should fulfill physico-chemical and microbiological quality prerequisites. Nevertheless, anthropogenic activities such as agriculture, cattle raising, industrial, touristic and domestic, can discharge contaminated water at marine beaches. The present methods for evaluating the bacterial load of recreational waters does not appear satisfactory, especially concerning the detection of pathogenic microorganisms due to the presence, in marine waters, of viable but not cultivable bacteria (VNCB). This study evaluated the bacterial load of mesophilic aerobials, total and fecal coliforms, and enterococci at the Chichiriviche beaches, Falcon State, Venezuela, and the effect of marine water concentrations over the bacterial densities. The determinations were done in nutrient, Mac Conkey and KF agar prepared with distilled water (MAD) or with sea water (MSW). The bacterial load increased between 27 and 47 times when the culture media were supplement with sea water. The differences of the bacterial loads between MAD and MSW for mesophilic aerobials, total and fecal coliforms were statistically significant (p≤0.05). Dissolved oxygen and pH presented permissible values in both media.


Disabled people who are one of disadvantaged groups of the society want to live with the society just like the people with normal life conditions. This research aims to provide the opportunity of employment and vocational rehabilitation to the disabled people experiencing social exclusion and thereby ensuring their integration with the society. The research was conducted at GulenYuzler Vocational Rehabilitation and Business Center which is affiliated to BELDE A.Ş., a subsidiary of Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality. The research is a qualitative and quantitative research. Under theoretical framework, policies for disabled people, social security opportunities offered by employment, disabled employment methods, effects of sheltered workshops on social exclusion and inclusion, importance of vocational rehabilitation for disabled people, contributions of working life and social model approach on social inclusion/integration were addressed. It was seen that vocational rehabilitation centers are different from sheltered workshops and they pull the disabled people into working environment and include them in the production thereby ensuring progress in them. Participation in work labor provides income for the disabled, helps them establish a family environment, prevents social exclusion and integrates disabled people with the society.


With rapidly aging populations worldwide, osteoporosis has become a serious global public health problem. Caused by disordered systemic bone remodeling, osteoporosis manifests as progressive loss of bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue, increasing the risk of fractures and eventually leading to osteoporotic fragility fractures. As fracture risk increases, antiosteoporosis treatments transition from nonpharmacological management to pharmacological intervention, and finally to the treatment of fragility fractures. Calcium-based nanomaterials (CBNMs) have unique advantages in osteoporosis treatment because of several characteristics including similarity to natural bone, excellent biocompatibility, easy preparation and functionalization, low pH-responsive disaggregation, and inherent pro-osteogenic properties. By combining additional ingredients, CBNMs can play multiple roles to construct antiosteoporotic biomaterials with different forms. This review covers recent advances in CBNMs for osteoporosis treatment. For ease of understanding, CBNMs for antiosteoporosis treatment can be classified as locally applied CBNMs, such as implant coatings and filling materials for osteoporotic bone regeneration, and systemically administered CBNMs for antiosteoporosis treatment. Locally applied CBNMs for osteoporotic bone regeneration develop faster than the systemically administered CBNMs, an important consideration given the serious outcomes of fragility fractures. Nevertheless, many innovations in construction strategies and preparation methods have been applied to build systemically administered CBNMs. Furthermore, with increasing interest in delaying osteoporosis progression and avoiding fragility fracture occurrence, research into systemic administration of CBNMs for antiosteoporosis treatment will have more development prospects. Deep understanding of the CBNM preparation process and optimizing CBNM properties will allow for increased application of CBNMs in osteoporosis treatments in the future.


In this paper, we propose a novel model, a discriminatively learned iterative shrinkage (DLIS) model, for color image denoising. The DLIS is a generaliFA01-B5010-A071zation of wavelet shrinkage by iteratively performing shrinkage over patch groups and whole image aggregation. We discriminatively learn the shrinkage functions and basis from the training pairs of noisy/noise-free images, which can adaptively handle different noise characteristics in luminance/chrominance channels, and the unknown structured noise in real-captured color images. Furthermore, to remove the splotchy real color noises, we design a Laplacian pyramid-based denoising framework to progressively recover the clean image from the coarsest scale to the finest scale by the DLIS model learned from the real color noises. Experiments show that our proposed approach can achieve the state-of-the-art denoising results on both synthetic denoising benchmark and real-captured color images.


Self-esteem has been traditionally assessed via self-report (explicit self-esteem: ESE). However, the limitations of self-report have prompted efforts to assess self-esteem indirectly (implicit self-esteem: ISE). It has been theorized that ISE and ESE reflect the operation of largely distinct mental systems. However, although low correlations between measures of ISE and ESE empirically support their discriminant validity, similarly low correlations between different measures of ISE do not support their convergent validity. We explored whether such patterns would reemerge if more recently developed, specific, and reliable ISE measures were used. They did, although some convergent validity among ISE measures emerged once confounds resulting from conceptual mismatch, individual differences, and random variability were minimized. Nonetheless, low correlations among ISE measures are not primarily caused by the usual psychometric suspects, and may be the result of other factors including subtle differences betw...


As the spectrum under 6 GHz is being depleted, pushing wireless communications onto millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies is a trend that promises multi-Gbps data rate. mmWave is therefore considered as a key technology for 5G wireless systems and has attracted tremendous research efforts. The booming research on mmWave necessitates a reconfigurable mmWave testbed that can be used to prototype and validate new research ideas in real wireless environments. In this paper, we develop an easy-to-use mmWave testbed using commercial off-the-shelf devices (USRP and 60 GHz Tx/Rx RF frontends) and open-source software package (GNU Radio). A key component of our testbed is a phase noise cancellation (PNC) scheme, which can significantly reduce the phase noise at the receiver by leveraging the pilot signal inserted at the transmitter. We have implemented a simplified version of IEEE 802.11 PHY on this mmWave testbed. Experimental results show that, with the PNC scheme, our testbed can achieve −20 dB EVM data transmission for real-time video streaming.


This document describes the Water Flow Measurement Standards at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). These primary standards are disseminated using calibration services offered by NIST's Fluid Metrology Group using its Water Flow Calibration Facility (WFCF). This facility has three parallel pipelines with diameters of 100, 200 and 400 mm and three weighing systems with capacities of 1100 kg, 3700 kg and 22500 kg. Part of the WFCF which includes a 3700 kg collection tank and a 100 mm pipeline (for the sake of simplicity hereafter referred to as WFCF 3700/100) is now complete and operated by the Fluid Metrology Group. The WFCF 3700/100 is used to provide water flowmeter calibration services as reported in [1] for the Calibration Service ID Number 18020C. The WFCF 3700/100 uses the static gravimetric method [2] and an error-free uni-directional diverter with a collection/bypass unit (CB unit) to perform water flowmeter calibrations between 40 L/min and 1600 L/min. The WFCF measures flow using the static gravimetric method that employs weighing the water collected in the 3700 kg tank during a measured time interval [3]. The expanded uncertainty of the flow measurement is 0.033 % when a full tank (3700 kg) is weighed (k = 2 or approximately 95 % confidence level).


Background: In spite of mass drug administration, in Ethiopia, a significant number of school children infected had an intestinal parasite infection. Investigating factors associated with the prevalence of intestinal parasite infection among school children is indispensable to design appropriate preventive strategies. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of intestinal parasite infection and associated factors among school children in Melka Essa primary school, Shashamane town South Ethiopia. Methods: A school–based cross–sectional study was employed in south Ethiopia from June 19–30, 2019. Three hundred thirty–three school children were included using a systematic sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and stool–specimen examination for intestinal parasites. Stool samples were collected and processed by direct wet mount and formol–ether concentration techniques for microscopic detection of intestinal parasites. Descriptive statistics were computed. Binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with intestinal parasites. Results: The overall prevalence for at least one intestinal parasite infection was 19.7% (95%CI: 15.3–24.5). Hymenolepsis nana (36.2%), Ascaris lumbricoides (24.1%), Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (12.1%), Giardia lamblia (12.1%), Tinea species (12.1%), and Enterobius Vermicularis (3.4%) were identified. Walking with barefoot [AOR=3.63, 95% CI =1.63– 8.07] and having untrimmed fingernails [AOR=1.95, 95% CI=1.05–3.62] were associated with the presence of intestinal parasite infections. Conclusions: Overall, every fifth of the student was infected by intestinal parasites in the present study. Walking with barefoot and having untrimmed fingernails were independent predictors for intestinal parasite infections. Thus, there is a need for consistent health education related to personal hygiene along with routine mass drug administration in the study area.


Site-specific and risk factor-specific cancer programs can point to impressive accomplishments, but coordination among them often is lacking. The Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is working with state health agency staff and other stakeholders to develop a comprehensive, integrated, nationwide approach to cancer control. The participatory innovation diffusion model may help this complex public health innovation be adopted. The participants in the process identified problematic aspects of the innovation and steps that the division can take to ameliorate these problems before the innovation is implemented.


Despite advances in chemotherapeutics, overall survival for advanced lung cancer patients remains poor. Consequently, efforts have focused on the use of targeted therapies to improve response rates and survival. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in a variety of cancers, including lung, and may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of disease. Small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as gefitinib (Iressa(R)), have response rates of between 10 and 27% in Phase II trials, and anecdotal reports of dramatic and sustained responses. Two recent studies published simultaneously, identified mutations in the ATP-binding cleft of the EGFR that are associated with clinical response to gefitinib. This finding has extraordinary implications and serves as a critical step toward individualized, patient-specific treatment plans based on the molecular constitution of the tumor of each individual.


Simultaneous phase noise mitigation and automatic phase/frequency-locked homodyne reception is demonstrated for a 20-32 Gbaud QPSK signal. A phase quantization function is realized to squeeze the phase noise of the signal by optical wave mixing of the signal, its third-order harmonic, and their corresponding delayed variant conjugates, converting the noisy input into a noise-mitigated signal. In a simultaneous nonlinear process, the noise-mitigated signal is automatically phase- and frequency-locked with a "local" pump laser, avoiding the need for feedback or phase/frequency tracking for homodyne detection. Open eye-diagrams are obtained for in-phase and quadrature-phase components of the signal and ∼2  dB OSNR gain is achieved at BER 10-3.


Loss of vitality of keratinocytes after influence of strong allergens and irritants was examined. Cell viability was determined by trypan blue exclusion assay and eosintyrode solution. The results of the two methods harmonize essentially, but obviously, single noxa can lead to changes of the dye that exclude the use for an appropriate test. On principle, the method is suitable for testing the substances. The toxic final concentration should constantly be ascertained. Still, the results are recommended to be guaranteed through other methods.


Islamic banking did not develop quickly enough to rival the conventional banking sector, particularly in Pakistan. Due to the industry's explosive growth, there was competition among Islamic banks to advertise their products and services. It was instructed that the advertisement should include Islamic principles and values because it's a banking service founded on Islamic principles. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to define the guidelines for Islamic banking sector marketing. The second goal of this study is to explore, clarify, and impart to the audience the significance of colour in Islamic banking advertisements. As with other forms of art, religion relies heavily on colour to express its ideals. And in order to do this, the advertisement designer makes an effort to avoid using dissimilar and jarring hues that deprive the human soul of comfort and calm. This article discusses the visuals used in Islamic banking advertisements in terms of marketing, calls attention to contradictions and disputes surrounding colour psychology, and looks at how colours affect advertising. According to the research's findings, banking advertisements can utilise colour to influence a variety of behaviours, including mood and perception of attractions.


This research arises from the need to know the elements that have an impact on the audiovisual competencies of adolescents during the confinements provoked to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The purpose is to diagnose the development of audiovisual communication skills among Ecuadorian adolescents as a contribution to sustainability, based on the intervention of educational actors. The methodology is qualitative, with a descriptive approach. The instruments used were: focus groups with parents, students, and teachers from public and private institutions in Ecuador; semi-structured interviews with experts: and non-participant observation. It can be concluded that adolescents acquire audiovisual skills, processes, and languages autonomously before entering college, but they do so without the social context, ethical values and responsibilities that should be part of complete media learning. The demands of online learning during the pandemic have resulted in the development of skills and attitudes, but they have not led to full media literacy. It is pertinent to provoke innovations and updates in the curricula of higher education, specifically in the careers of social communication, in order to be aware of the technological changes on the basis of deontological principles and in favour of democratic values, tolerance, and responsibility with the sustainability of nature and people.


A composite plastic member contains a first laminate (102a) formed from a plurality of chromium layers laminated on a plastic base material, and a second laminate formed from a plurality of chromium nitride layers laminated on the first laminate. The first laminate and the second laminate are each formed by alternately laminating in the lamination direction layers that are less hard relative to the layers on the top and bottom thereof and layers that are harder relative to the layers on the top and bottom thereof. In the second laminate, the thickness of the chromium nitride layers that are harder is 40% or less than the thickness of the layers that are less hard. This composite plastic member exhibits high wear resistance and excellent sliding properties and is provided with a conductive laminate having an excellent outward appearance.


Human voice originates from the three-dimensional (3D) oscillations of the vocal folds. In previous studies, biomechanical properties of vocal fold tissues have been predicted by optimizing the parameters of simple two-mass-models to fit its dynamics to the high-speed imaging data from the clinic. However, only lateral and longitudinal displacements of the vocal folds were considered. To extend previous studies, a 3D mass-spring, cover-model is developed, which predicts the 3D vibrations of the entire medial surface of the vocal fold. The model consists of five mass planes arranged in vertical direction. Each plane contains five longitudinal, mass-spring, coupled oscillators. Feasibility of the model is assessed using a large body of dynamical data previously obtained from excised human larynx experiments, in vivo canine larynx experiments, physical models, and numerical models. Typical model output was found to be similar to existing findings. The resulting model enables visualization of the 3D dynamics of the human vocal folds during phonation for both symmetric and asymmetric vibrations.


It is generally accepted that one of the main sources of acoustic radiation from a supersonic jet is due to spatial instability wave packets propagating downstream within the jet. This approach has enabled to explain and predict the principal features of sound radiated by a supersonic jet with a circular nozzle. The aim of this present work is the generalize such an approach to jets with a circular nozzle deformed into a weakly corrugated (slobed) shape. This leads to the presence of two additional parameters, the lobe number (an integer) characterizing the corrugation wavelength and the corrugation amplitude respectively. Their presence can be shown to lead to a resonant coupling between different instability waves which, in turn, can either intensify or suppress the aerodynamic noise. The assumption of a small corrugation amplitude enables us to investigate the problem analytically using disturbance theory methods. The structure of the eigen-oscillations is determined at leading orders, where it is shown that differing azimuthal harmonics are coupled over a wide range of frequencies. The result of such couplings on the radiated sound is significant, even for a small corrugation amplitude. The above suggests that the effect of mode coupling, due to nozzle corrugation, could be used as a tool for noise control in supersonic jets.


We report the experience of implementing event detection analytics to monitor and forewarn oil production failures in modern, digitized oil fields. Modern oil fields are equipped with thousands of sensors and gauges to measure various physical and chemical characteristics of oil and gas from underground reservoirs to distribution systems. Data from these massive sensor networks weave a picture depicting the state of oil production and potentially hinting at troubles ahead. Continuous streams of sensor readings can be tapped and fed into analytical algorithms in real time to estimate the likelihood of failure events and generate alerts for possible engineering actions. However, the large amount of main memory required to maintain algorithmic states on cumulative stream data poses challenges to today's web-centric, short-message oriented IT infrastructure. Familiar techniques such as data aggregation, selective sampling and window truncating cannot be applied to some sophisticated algorithms. The paper details our end-to-end solution, points out mismatches with the prevalent transactional web model and suggests new research directions.


Concentrations of the total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in both the gas-phase and particle-phase were measured simultaneously in industrial, urban and suburban areas, and were 1652, 1185, and 834 ng/m 3 , respectively. PAHs with two to four-ring were distributed more than 94% in the gas-phase of all sampling sites. Meanwhile, for PAHs with five to seven-ring, less than 70% were distributed in the gas-phase of the three sites. Approximately two-thirds of the three most hazardous PAHs (BbF + BaP + DBA) were distributed in the gas-phase at the TIP and NCHU, and only one-third of BbF + BaP + DBA were distributed in the gas-phase at the THU. Total dry deposition flux was mainly contributed, with a proportion of between 53.3% and 63.4%, by PAHs with three to four-ring at the three sites. For LMW PAHs, the gas-phase PAHs contribute over 87% to the dry deposition flux at the three sites. Meanwhile, the particle-phase PAHs contribute more than 86% and 99% to the dry deposition flux of the MMW and HMW PAHs, respectively. The mean dry deposition velocities were 0.01, 0.24, 0.47, 0.76, 0.84 and 0.88 cm/s for two to seven-ring PAH homologue. Notably, the dry deposition velocity of the HMW PAHs was significantly higher than that of the LMW PAHs at the three sampling sites. The dry deposition velocities of BbF + BaP + DBA PAHs were 0.8, 0.64 and 1.02 cm/s at the TIP, NCHU and THU, respectively. Accordingly, hazardous PAHs with high dry deposition velocities are threatening to human health by dry deposition.


ABSTRACT Viral fitness dictates virulence and capacity to evade host immune defenses. Understanding the biological underpinnings of such features is essential for rational vaccine development. We have previously shown that the live-attenuated herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) mutant lacking the nuclear localization signal (NLS) on the ICP0 gene (0ΔNLS) is sensitive to inhibition by interferon beta (IFN-β) in vitro and functions as a highly efficacious experimental vaccine. Here, we characterize the host immune response and in vivo pathogenesis of HSV-1 0ΔNLS relative to its fully virulent parental strain in C57BL/6 mice. Additionally, we explore the role of type 1 interferon (IFN-α/β) signaling on virulence and immunogenicity of HSV-1 0ΔNLS and uncover a probable sex bias in the induction of IFN-α/β in the cornea during HSV-1 infection. Our data show that HSV-1 0ΔNLS lacks neurovirulence even in highly immunocompromised mice lacking the IFN-α/β receptor. These studies support the translational viability of the HSV-1 0ΔNLS vaccine strain by demonstrating that, while it is comparable to a virulent parental strain in terms of immunogenicity, HSV-1 0ΔNLS does not induce significant tissue pathology. IMPORTANCE HSV-1 is a common human pathogen associated with a variety of clinical presentations ranging in severity from periodic "cold sores" to lethal encephalitis. Despite the consistent failures of HSV subunit vaccines in clinical trials spanning the past 28 years, opposition to live-attenuated HSV vaccines predicated on unfounded safety concerns currently limits their widespread acceptance. Here, we demonstrate that a live-attenuated HSV-1 vaccine has great translational potential.


Aim: Little is known about recent treatment patterns among patients with unresected stage III NSCLC in the real world. This retrospective study used medical records from USA community oncology practices to address this knowledge gap. Materials & methods: Eligible patients were stage III NSCLC adults diagnosed between 1 January 2011 and 1 March 2016 without surgical resection. Treatment patterns were assessed across three progression intervals, from stage III diagnosis through third progression. Results: The most common regimen in interval 1 was platinum doublet chemotherapy + radiation therapy, in interval 2 was chemotherapy only, and in interval 3 was non-platinum chemotherapy monotherapy. Conclusion: Most patients were treated following national guidelines, but important unmet needs remain.


The influence of landscape features on the occurrence and size of forest fires in Northern Europe has not been well-studied. In this paper, we analyzed the impact of human-related landscape properties (road and human population density), biotic features (amount of firebreak area and vegetation zone) and fire weather indices (Buildup Index, BUI and Initial Spread Index, ISI) on the occurrence and size of forest fires in Sweden from 1998 to 2017. To analyze the environmental controls of fire occurrence and fire size under different levels of climatological fire hazard, we divided the data into two subsets: (1) large fire years (LFY), defined as the years with the total amount of burned area being higher than the dataset-wide average (2002, 2003, 2006, 2008 and 2014), and (2) the remaining years (nLFY). Our analytical approach was based on spatial models using Integrated Nested Laplace Approximations (INLA). Models built on both LFY and nLFY subsets suggested a strong human influence on fire occurrence: road density, the number of firebreaks, and population density, all were positively associated with fire occurrence, suggesting an important role of human-related ignitions. The southernmost vegetation zones in Sweden (boreo-nemoral and nemoral) exhibited the highest fire occurrence (LFY), a pattern potentially related to a higher population density in combination with weather more conducive for fires in this part of the country. The patterns that emerged from the fire size models pointed to the climate as the main factor controlling fire size, irrespective of the type of years analyzed. Road density, number of firebreaks and population density showed a negative association with fire size, possibly indicating higher efficiency of fire suppression in the areas with higher human presence. Vegetation zones were selected as an informative predictor, indicating that the fire activity varies across the zones, with those in mid-Sweden being the most prone to large events. The ISI correlated strongly and positively with fire size in both subsets (LFY and nLFY), pointing to the role of weather conditions favorable for fire spread, primarily that of surface fires. The BUI showed a weak negative correlation to fire size, indicating that dryness of organic horizon, specifically its deeper layers, is less relevant for predicting fire size. Contemporary fire activity in Sweden is driven by a combination of humanrelated ignitions, and weather conditions controlling fire spread with a moderate effect of vegetation composition and generally efficient fire suppression. Human-related landscape features (roads and population density) play a major role in shaping ignition patterns, whereas climate (ISI) and vegetation properties appear informative as predictors of fire size, even under a modern fire suppression effort.


This article pursues the question of the origin of the left-Hegelian concept of immanent transcendence that emerged in the nineteenth century. Whereas some contemporary critical theorists apparently understand the concept as deriving from a religious origin, evolutionary and historical considerations would seem to indicate that more might be involved. Evolutionarily, the origin of the concept can be traced to the civilisation-founding cognitive achievement that marks the emergence of the current version of the human species and the concomitant cultural explosion during the Palaeolithic period. In this context, the cultural consolidation of the newly acquired metarepresentational capacity by language and visual symbolisation or art preceded religion by a considerable elapse of time. As one among a number of sociocultural practices, it could only have made a partial contribution to the conditions for the emergence of the concept. Historically, the thought of the key nineteenth-century left-Hegelians Marx and Peirce was fundamentally shaped, not by religion, but rather by the core modern innovation of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries – the new mathematical-scientific-philosophical understanding of infinity as real – which gained primacy by significantly impacting on relevant late eighteenth- and nineteenth-century intellectual developments, including laying down the parameters of classical social thought in general and left-Hegelianism in particular. Since the competing religious understanding of infinity, despite having left traces on modern validity concepts such as truth, justice and truthfulness, remained shrouded in indefinite incomprehensibility, it could at best continue to play only the role of an identity-securing, identity-cultivating and motivational source for some, not all. As such, it did not contribute to the nineteenth-century left-Hegelian concept.


Background: Deodorization of the olein fraction of red palm oil (OFRP) determines not only the taste of a multivitamin emulsion but also its antioxidant capacity. The emulsion product was formulated from OFRP, pumpkin juice (PJ), and dragon fruit juice (DFJ). This study aimed to optimize vacuum evaporation and nitrogen-assisted deodorizations of OFRP, observing levels of β-carotene, α-tocopherol, inhibition percentage of ABTS reduction, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) activity. Methods: The deodorizations observed were vacuum evaporation in four conditions: (1) 90°C, 80±5 mmHg, (2) 100°C, 80±5 mmHg, (3) 90°C, 100±5 mmHg, (4) 100°C, 100±5 mmHg, and nitrogen-assisted in two flow durations: (1) 15 min and (2) 30 min. β-carotene, α-tocopherol, and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) were employed as standards. Results: The deodorized OFRP had fewer than 2% free fatty acids (FFA), lower than 3% peroxide value (PV), and lower than 4% acidic value (AV). Fluctuations of the β-carotene and α-tocopherol concentrations were observed in the deodorized OFRP. The final emulsion product had β-carotene of 259.9±1.4 to 271.7±2.4 ppm and α-tocopherol of 36.36±0.20 to 39.12±0.20 ppm. The total betacyanin of the emulsions were ±25% than DFJ. The emulsions had 22.93 to 32.11% of ABTS reduction inhibitory activity of the BHT activity and FRAP activity of 16.54±0.19 to 17.69±0.67 mM FeSO4•7H2O. Conclusions: The best vacuum evaporation optimized at 90 °C, 100±5 mmHg, 60 RPM for 1 hour. The best nitrogen-assisted deodorization was at 85±3°C and 1 l/minute of nitrogen for 15 minutes. The deodorization process affected the antioxidant activity of OFRP and emulsions.


In the practice of medicine and surgery, emergency conditions arise that call for treatment though the conditions have never been seen before; but if similar conditions have been reported by others and the means of handling them have been described, they become much simpler. It is for this reason that I am reporting a case of sudden esophageal occlusion due to the ingestion of Saraka, a hygroscopic gum laxative, which resulted in an extremely uncomfortable and progressive condition because of its progressive swelling. Mrs. H. B., aged 59, had been taking Saraka as a laxative. She took 1 or 2 drachms (4 or 8 Gm.) each day by putting a drachm on the back of her tongue and helping it down with a glass of water. She did not object to the taking of the Saraka but considered it as a means to an end (relieving constipation). Nov. 16, 1937,


The crystal structure of the high-pressure phase-II of cristobalite has been solved by neutron diffraction (space group P21/c, a = 8.3780(11) AÊ , b = 4.6018(6) AÊ , c = 9.0568(13) AÊ , b = 124.949(7)8, at P = 3.5 GPa). This phase corresponds to a distortion of the high-temperature cubic b-phase, rather than of the ambient temperature and pressure tetragonal a-phase.


on through the developments which followed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution in 1964. The result, according to the author, has been tragic, for the United States locked itself into a series of interlinking commitments in "those unfamiliar Asian settings." The book attempts to answer the broad question: "What, then, should American policy be, toward the tortured lands of the Middle East, and toward the countries of Asia from the eastern shores of the Persian Gulf all the way to the China Sea?" The result is a work crammed full of


The success of a school is determined by the teaching-learning process in which the
teacher becomes the most crucial component. As a key factor in the success of education, the
teachers have to improve their professional capabilities. As the principals are having the main
responsibility for improving the quality of education in schools, it is expected for them to
provide guidance on teacher competencies so that the teacher will perform optimally. The
founding on teacher's professional abilities can be done through supervision of classroom
visitation so that it will have an impact on student learning achievement. The purpose of this
research was to determine whether there were significant influences of the principal
supervision toward the teachers' performance in PangudiLuhurAmbarawaElementary School.
This research used a qualitative research approach with a qualitative descriptive method. The
populations in this study were PangudiLuhurAmbarawaElementary School teachers. The
sampling technique used in this study is a random sampling technique, taking 6 teachers or
38% of the total population. The data collection techniques were done by using
questionnaires and interviews. Analysis of the data used in this research is a descriptive
analysis technique. Based on the research findings, can be concluded that: (1) the
implementation of the principal supervision was done by using a model of supervision
approach either directly or indirectly with the class action supervision technique, (2) teachers'
response toward the implementation of a variety of supervision were basically approves and
supports the supervision in order to improve the professionalism of teachers, (3) the
implementation of the supervision carried out based on the needs and potentials of the
teacher, (4) the improvement of professionalism marked by the improvement of teachers'
skills and the improvement of teaching performance. Based on the results of this research
could be concluded that there is a significant positive effect of classroom-visitation
supervision toward the competence and performance of PangudiLuhurAmbarawaElementary
School teachers.
Keywords: classroom-visitation supervision, competence, teachers' performance.


In this study, a formally third-order, finite volume, unstaggered (co-located), modified SIMPLE algorithm-based 2D code was created utilizing multigrid for fast convergence. Stone`s Strongly Implicit Procedure (SIP) is employed as a relaxation (smoother, matrix eq. solver) method, due to its high performance. The quadratic formulations QUICK, mixed and UTOPIA were used to discretize the convective terms in momentum equations. Velocity and pressure coupling was addressed via modified SIMPLE algorithm. Due to the co-located nature of method, the cell fact velocities are obtained via the so called momentum balancing technique introduced before. The Multigrid idea is implemented to the solution of pressure correction equation. Various ways of implementing Multigrid algorithms are discussed. An ASME benchmark case (backward facing step with heat transfer) is chosen as the problem. The so called accommodative FAS-FMG was used. Predictions show that high order convective term discretization improves the predictions, while multigrid enables about an order of magnitude CPU time savings. Results point out that the promises of both high order discretization and multigrid can be harvested for recirculating flows.


ITC's e-Choupal is internet kiosk, village gathering place and e-Commerce hub all rolled into one. It caters to the information needs of the farmers at their doorstep by bridging the information and service gap of rural India. It also established a low- cost fulfillment system focused on the needs of rural India, which helps in mitigating rural isolation, create more transparency for farmers, and improve their productivity and income. e-Choupal provides information on agriculture, health, insurance and education. The effectiveness of these services depends upon how well they are being known by rural people. Thus the present research was designed to study the knowledge of rural people about e-Choupal and its services. The present study was conducted in four districts namely Ganga Nagar, Kota, Bharatpur, and Chittorgarh of Rajasthan. Two Panchayat samities from each district and two villages from each Panchayat samiti were selected on random basis. For studying the impact, one village from each selected district, where e-Choupal is not functioning was selected. The sample consisted of 160 women and 160 men users and 40 women and 40 men non users of e-Choupal. Personal interview technique was used for collecting data. The data were analyzed by using frequency, per centage, mean per cent score and Z test. The findings of the study clearly indicated that users (13.4, 26.0, 58.1, 71.5, 81.9 MPS) had more knowledge than nonusers (0.0, 12.7, 35.3, 42.9 MPS) in all the five services i.e. agriculture, insurance, health, education and entertainment. Thus the e- Choupal has made significant impact in terms of information empowerment of rural people.


dIstended. There was no hmmogloblnuria or albuminuria. The child has made a steady progress towards recovery. The ends of the stumps of the fingers have not been trImmed beyond removIng pteces of dead bone as they separated. . As regards treatment at first, he was given sodIum salicylate and liquor opii scdativU8 to relieve the pain and sleeplessness. In the early stages he was seen by Dr. Clubbe, who recommended the compound tincture of benzoIn and castor oil as an application to the gangrenous patches. He was given In creasIng doses of the staphylococcal vaccIne. Later on he had Iron and IIUZ vomil.'a, and Is now beIng put on small doses of thyroid extract. Lauder Brunton and Osborne strongly recommend the exhibition of the latter. No vaso-dllators were given, as they are of little It any assistance In the severe cases. The areas of skIn whIch sloughed have all healed, leavIng a hard. raised scar. This patient is an example of those cases In whIch the gangrene is not limIted to the extremities. but areas of the limbs and other parts of the body are affected more or less symmetrIcally. These cases of extensive multiple gangrene occur usually In children, and have an acute course. Osler, In his text book. mentions a sImilar case to the above. reported by Weeks. of Ohio, In whIch the boy had rheumatic pains in the legs and purpuric patches developed before the gangrene began. In the dIagnosIs at first It was thought that the condition was one of purpura, on account of the rheumatic pains and the development of purpuric patches. but later. when gangrene of the fingers supervened. the dIagnosIs of Raynaud's disease was obvious. although a condition of gangrenous purpura Is described in .which there is sloughing or the mucous membranes. more rarely of the skin and subcutaneous tissues, and even the muscles may be Involved.


Epidermal growth factor-like domain 7 (Egfl7) is important for regulating tubulogenesis in zebrafish, but its role in mammals remains unresolved. We show here that endothelial overexpression of Egfl7 in transgenic mice leads to partial lethality, hemorrhaging, and altered cardiac morphogenesis. These defects are accompanied by abnormal vascular patterning and remodeling in both the embryonic and postnatal vasculature. Egfl7 overexpression in the neonatal retina results in a hyperangiogenic response, and EGFL7 knockdown in human primary endothelial cells suppresses endothelial cell proliferation, sprouting, and migration. These phenotypes are reminiscent of Notch inhibition. In addition, our results show that EGFL7 and endothelial-specific NOTCH physically interact in vivo and strongly suggest that Egfl7 antagonizes Notch in both the postnatal retina and in primary endothelial cells. Specifically, Egfl7 inhibits Notch reporter activity and down-regulates the level of Notch target genes when overexpressed. In conclusion, we have uncovered a critical role for Egfl7 in vascular development and have shown that some of these functions are mediated through modulation of Notch signaling.


A phase I study of teniposide administered orally for 5 consecutive days was performed. The first dose was 60 mg/m2/d, with increments of 25 mg/m2/d. Nineteen patients entered the study and received a total of 77 courses with a median of two (range, 1 to 12). Dose-limiting toxicity occurred at 160 mg/m2/d and consisted of myelosuppression, mainly leukocytopenia, and gastrointestinal toxicity. Sufficient recovery of blood counts was seen by day 21 to allow for a repeat course. Two patients, treated with teniposide doses of 110 and 160 mg/m2/d, respectively, were considered toxic deaths. Partial alopecia was frequent at doses above 85 mg/m2/d. Retching and vomiting during administration of the drug were encountered in virtually all patients. Oral teniposide 135 mg/m2/d for 5 consecutive days on a 3-week schedule is recommended for evaluation of antitumor efficacy in phase II studies.


Helmholtz resonators are commonly used as underwater acoustic transducers to transmit low-frequency, great power acoustic waves at fluid cavity resonant frequency. Therefore, it is an important problem in the study of how to calculate accurately the fluid cavity resonant frequency of Helmholtz resonator, especially when the Helmholtz resonator is used in underwater acoustic environment where Helmholtz transducers cannot be designed using the classical air acoustic Helmholtz resonator theory. The elasticity of the cavity wall has to be considered because it has a strong influence on the fluid cavity resonant frequency at low frequency band. In this paper, the method of calculating accurately fluid cavity resonant frequency is researched for low-frequency Helmholtz underwater transducers. A Helmholtz resonator is a slender cylindrical shell, the boundary condition of its two ends is free: one side is a radiating port, and the other side is considered as a rigid baffle. Firstly, the fluid cavity resonant frequency of the rigid wall Helmholtz resonator is given, then the radial mechanical impedance of the slender cylindrical shell is derived based on the wave equations. Elasticity of the cavity wall is introduced into the acoustic impedance of fluid cavity in the form of additional impedance. Based on the low-frequency lumped parameter model of the slender cylindrical shell, additional acoustic impedance expression of elastic cavity wall is derived, complete equivalent circuit diagram of elastic Helmholtz underwater transducers is developed, taking into account the elasticity of the cavity wall. Based on the equivalent circuit, the accurate fluid cavity resonant frequency formula has been derived; the formula shows that both the structure size and material characteristics of the cavity wall have influence on the fluid cavity resonant frequency. The thinner the cavity wall, the lower the fluild cavity resonant frequency; and the smaller the Young's modulus of the material, the lower the fluild cavity resonant frequency. To verify the accuracy of the present theory, several slender cylindrical shell models with different wall thickness, materials, and wall length are investigated by both elastic theory method and finite element method (using ANSYS software). These results reveal that the elastic theory results are in excellent agreement with the finite element simulation results. That means, compared to traditional rigid wall theory results, the results from elastic theory in this paper is much closer to the real situation. This conclusion can provide a theoretical support for the accurate design of low-frequency elastic Helmholtz underwater acoustic transducers.


The aim of the research is to evaluate the differences between economic and financial results in a sample of micro enterprises (MEs) and small / medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in fruit and vegetables processing industry in Italy. The firms included in the sample operate in an industry characterized by high capital intensity; this character is caused by the length of working capital cycle and high level of fixed asset investment. These characteristics of the firms can amplify the differences in economic and financial management results. In order to offer a comparison in applying economic and financial approaches, especially useful for agro-food firms operating in a capital intensive sector, in the article are calculated 12 ratios, of which 7 are sustainability ratios (calculated 3 with economic approach and 4 with financial approach) and 5 are interest coverage ratios (calculated 2 with economic approach and 3 with financial approach). The article highlights that economic and financial approach has statistically different result in the firm's sample. Considering the significant differences in economic approach and financial approach, the firms could incur in error, and it will be necessary to identify which of the 2 approaches provides the correct indication of sustainability. The way of analysis proposed in the article can then be used to analyze firms operating in other agro-food sectors, especially if characterized by high capital intensity, high capital investment in fixed assets, long production cycle and long time debt collection.

 Key words: Firm cycle sustainability, economic and financial approach, interest coverage ratio, fruit and vegetables processing industry.


The developmental program by which plants respond is tightly controlled by a complex cascade in which photoreceptors perceive and transduce the light signals that drive signaling processes and direct the transcriptional reprogramming, yielding specific cellular responses. The molecular mechanisms involved in the transcriptional regulation include light-regulated nuclear localization (the phytochromes and UVR8) and nuclear accumulation (the cryptochrome, cry2) of photoreceptors. This regulatory cascade also includes master regulatory transcription factors (TFs) that bridge photoreceptor activation with chromatin remodeling and regulate the expression of numerous light-responsive genes. Light signaling-related TFs often function as signal convergence points in concert with TFs in other signaling pathways to integrate complex endogenous and environmental cues that help the plant adapt to the surrounding environment. Increasing evidence suggests that chromatin modifications play a critical role in regulating light-responsive gene expression and provide an additional layer of light signaling regulation. Here, we provide an overview of our current knowledge of the transcriptional regulatory network involved in the light response, particularly the roles of TFs and chromatin in regulating light-responsive gene expression.


Carnivorous plant of Sarracenia genus are used by human in folk medicine for centuries. The reason for this phenomenon is biochemical composition of Sarracenia plants, which possess many bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral and antibacterial properties.The subject of this research was genetic transformation of Sarracenia purpurea L. with Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain 15834, 9402 and A4 by using two alternatively methods of bacterial injection or co-culture the bacteria with plants explants. These studies confirmed the possibility of hairy roots induction in S. purpurea using the strain of A. rhizogenes 15834 and the injection method. Seven lines of transformed plants, exhibiting the integration of rolB gene, were obtained. The formed hairy roots showed morphological differences in comparison to the roots of unmodified plants. A mathematical model was used to optimize the conditions for the extraction of bioactive compounds. Extracts isolated under optimal conditions from transformed plants showed biochemical changes i.e., the increase in the accumulation of total polyphenols and triterpenes in comparison to untransformed plants, especially when induced roots were analyzed. HPLC analysis showed increase in the level of betulinic acid in some transformed Sarracenia lines. Betulinic acid remains pentacyclic triterpenoid compound with high pharmacological significance. The further work connected with isolation and identification of the other bioactive compounds will be done in the nearest future.


In a research field of network-based control systems (NBCSs), the time delay problem is one of the most significant issues. Efficient stabilization methods of time delayed control systems enable NBCSs to be flexibly applied to many kinds of situations. A novel time delay compensation method based on the concept of network disturbance (ND) and communication disturbance observer (CDOB) has been proposed. The compensation method has the same effectiveness as that of the Smith predictor. In addition, since the method is simple and does not need time delay model or time delay measurement, it can be easily implemented to various applications. However, the design method has not been concerned so far. This paper therefore presents stability analysis and studies a practical design procedure of the time delayed control systems with CDOB. At first, the concept of ND is introduced and the validity of the time delay compensation method is described. Then an analysis about the effects of parameters in control systems on stability is conducted. Characteristics of the effects of parameters on stability come out. Then we study a practical design procedure of the time delayed control systems. The validity of the design procedure is validated by experimental results. In the experiment, we also verify the performance of the system in the case of time-varying delay. Finally, comparative study of the method to the Smith predictor is presented.


The relationship between Self-Respect (specifically Recognition Self-Respect and Appraisal Self-Respect) and Prejudice has not yet been fully investigated, and there are indications that they relate to Prejudice through other components of Self-concept, such as Empathy and Unconditional Respect. To establish the dynamics of this relationship participants (N = 95, 54 females and 41 males) from an opportunity sample of students and members of the public from Cheshire County participated in a Crosssectional survey study. Different scales were employed measuring: Recognition SelfRespect, Appraisal Self-Respect, Unconditional Respect, Self-Esteem, Empathy Scale, and Paid Respect Scale. Appraisal Self-Respect was found to be a significant predictor of Prejudice, and this relationship was mediated bf Empathic-Concern Empathy. Recognition Self-Respect was not found to be a significant predictor of Prejudice, after adjusting for global Self-Esteem. The discrepancy in findings within the concept of Self-Respect may be a reflexion of the complexity in the components that constitute Self-Respect, and of the dynamic manner, in which Respect and SelfRespect relate as a continuum.


The self-assembly of nanomaterials into ordered two- or three-dimensional structures has been extensively explored over the past years due to the great application potential. This paper reports a simple one-step methodology for the synthesis and assembly of Prussian blue/polypyrrole (PBPPy) nanocomposites into close-packed monolayer at a toluene-water interface where the formation of PBPPy and evaporation of organic phase happen simultaneously. The formed films could be easily transferred onto the glass carbon surface by layer-by-layer technique. The obtained PBPPy nanocomposites and their assembled film were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The PBPPy nanocomposite film on the electrode surface exhibits excellent electron transfer and high electrocatalysis toward the reduction of H2O2. Herein, PPy component in PBPPy nanocomposites plays a great role in this great electrochemical performance. On the one hand, the presence of PPy is helpful of the formation of close-packed monolayer of PBPPy nanocomposites, and the adhesion of the ordered monolayer or multilayer onto the electrode surface due to the molecular interaction of PPy or the surface group of electrode. On the other hand, the conductive PPy facilitates the electron transfer between PB and PB or PB and electrode. The suggested method can be extended to a wide range of nanomaterials assembly and devise development.


Abstract — In today's microelectronic industry, the increasing demand for miniaturization and high function integration poses a big challenge in maintaining the reliability of the package. It was found out that majority of the reliability problems can be attributed to thermal and mechanical loadings during manufacturing and assembling process. Die cracking and die tilting are two of the most common defects originating from this process that affect the reliability of the electronic packages. This study aims to investigate the influence of die tilting to the propensity of crack propagation on the silicon die. In this research, the cooling phase of the die and clip attach reflow of small outline transistor was simulated using a finite element-based software. An initial crack was incorporated in the silicon die model to show the imperfections acquired during manufacturing stage. J-integral (J) parameter of fracture mechanics was employed as a criterion for the behavior of incipient cracks. With the assumption that the die used in this study exhibits linear elastic, isotropic property, the calculated J-integral values were correlated to the energy release rate (G). The simulation results showed that as the tilt angle increases, there is also a significant increase in the value of J-integral. The highest J value was observed on the maximum tilt angle. Moreover, this study presents clear relationship between the die strength and the specified failure factors; crack and tilt. Keywords — Fracture Mechanics, ANSYS, Crack Propagation


Goswami and Bryant (1990) proposed a theory of reading development based on three causal connections. One of these causal connections was based on the relationship between rhyming skills and reading development found in English. To explain this connection, they suggested that young readers of English used analogies based on rimes as one means of deciphering the alphabetic code. This proposal has recently become the subject of some debate. The most serious critique has been advanced by Seymour and his colleagues (Duncan, Seymour, & Hill, 1997; Seymour & Duncan, 1997; Seymour & Evans, 1994). These authors reported a series of studies with Scottish schoolchildren which, they claim, show that progression in normal reading acquisition is from a small unit (phonemic) approach in the initial stage to a large unit (rime-based) approach at a later stage. Two experiments are presented which replicate those conducted by Seymour and his group with samples of English schoolchildren. Different results are found. It is argued that methodological and instructional factors may be very important for the conceptual interpretation of studies attempting to pit "small" units (phonemes) against "large" units (onsets and rimes) in reading. In particular, it is necessary to consider whether a given phonological awareness task requires the recognition of shared phonological segments ("epilinguistic" processing) or the identification and production of shared phonological segments (metalinguistic processing). It is also important to take into account the nature of the literacy instruction being implemented in participating schools. If the phonological aspects of this tuition focus solely on phonemes (small units), then poor rime-level (large unit) performance may be found in metalinguistic tasks.


To investigate kinetic differences in the coronal plane between healthy individuals wearing shoes with lateral-offset soles and shoes with lateral-wedge insoles while walking, hip abduction, knee adduction, and ankle abduction moments were estimated using a 3-dimensional motion analysis system under 3 different conditions: wearing conventional shoes (control), wearing lateral-offset sole shoes (condition A), and wearing lateral-wedge insole shoes (condition B). Forty-eight healthy individuals (24 men and 24 women) were tested. Condition A resulted in a significantly reduced peak knee adduction moment compared with the control (condition A=0.316 Nm/kg; control=0.380 Nm/kg; P=.006). The peak knee adduction moment of condition B was also lower than that of the control (condition B=0.299 Nm/kg; P=.002); however, the peak knee adduction moment was not significantly different between conditions A and B (P=.386). Condition B resulted in an increased mean ankle abduction moment in the stance phase compared with the control and condition A (control=0.007 Nm/kg; condition A=0.013 Nm/kg; condition B=0.023 Nm/kg) (control vs condition A, P=.051; control vs condition B, P<.001; condition A vs condition B, P=.002). The hip abduction moments were not significantly different between the control and condition A, control and condition B, or conditions A and B. Wearing lateral-offset sole shoes reduces the peak knee adduction moment and exerts less influence on ankle moment than does wearing lateral-wedge insole shoes. Neither lateral-offset sole shoes nor lateral-wedge insole shoes induce kinetic changes in the coronal plane of the hip.


Scoliosis is a very common problem and many children show some evidence of trunk asymmetry. Clinical significant scoliosis is less common, with one study showing the UK prevalence of curves greater than 20 degrees to be less than 1 in 1000 among children aged 6–14 years.1 Children with spinal deformity attend for outpatient assessment regularly and often undergo repeated radiographic examination. While this is an imaging modality that most doctors are comfortable with there are some problems in its application to spinal deformity.

Curves are described by their appearance on plain films and quantified by the magnitude of the Cobb angle derived from the radiograph. This is the angle subtended between lines drawn along the upper border of the most tilted vertebrae above the curve's apex and the lower border of the most tilted vertebrae below the apex.2 Interpretation of these results is difficult as radiographs represent oblique projections of the twisting spine and the Cobb angle can be seen to vary widely depending on the angle of the beam to the patient.3 In addition significant positioning, and intraobserver and interobserver errors have been observed in calculation of the Cobb angle.4

The child and parents involved are also less concerned with size of the radiographic curve than the magnitude of the perceived deformity, which is very difficult to quantify using radiographs. A large component of the deformity is a result of vertebral rotation causing one side of the trunk to become prominent, producing a rib or loin prominence. While vertebral rotation may be assessed from radiographs, the size of this prominence is less easily defined and as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are performed supine, at present, their exact relation to the erect clinical picture is unclear. All these factors combine, and a …