This book introduces a new wellbeing dimension to the theory and practice of learning space design for early childhood and school contexts. It highlights vital, yet generally overlooked relationships between the learning environment and student learning and wellbeing, and reveals the potential of participatory, values-based design approaches to create learning spaces that respond to contemporary learners' needs. Focusing on three main themes it explores conceptual understandings of learning spaces and wellbeing; students' lived experience and needs of learning spaces; and the development of a new theory and its practical application to the design of learning spaces that enhance student wellbeing. It examines these complex and interwoven topics through various theoretical lenses and provides an extensive, current literature review that connects learning environment design and learner wellbeing in a wide range of educational settings from early years to secondary school. Offering transferable approaches and a new theoretical model of wellbeing as flourishing to support the design of innovative learning environments, this book is of interest to researchers, tertiary educators and students in the education and design fields, as well as school administrators and facility managers, teachers, architects and designers.


The traditional way of delivering a protein drug requires daily, sometimes multiple, injections to achieve its therapeutic effectiveness. To improve patient convenience, sustained release dosage forms have been developed. Recently, many therapeutic proteins have been encapsulated in micro-/nanoparticles made of biodegradable block copolymers of poly (lactic acid) and PEG (PEG/PLA). However, an important issue frequently overlooked is alterations in the drug structure upon its incorporation in such particles. In this study LA 37 -EO 136 -LA 37 triblock copolymers were employed to prepare a protein delivery system. To assess such alterations, bovine and human insulins, as model proteins, were each incorporated in polymeric micelles and their structural properties compared.
UV-vis spectrophotometric titrations were used to determine the binding affinities of the copolymer to bovine and human insulins. Results indicate that the copolymer displays 3:1 molecular complexes with both types of insulins. The copolymer shows a higher binding affinity to bovine insulin which could be ascribed to the higher hydrophobicity of this protein. Changes in the secondary structure of proteins upon interaction with the copolymer were studied by far-UV CD spectra. At low polymer concentrations, a small decrease in the helical content of insulin is observed. Upon increasing the copolymer concentration, first the secondary structure almost recovers its native form and then there is a significant decrease in helicities of insulin. The results are supported by acrylamide quenching experiments showing reduced accessibility of tyrosines. Upon addition of the copolymer, tyrosines of insulin, located in helices, are exposed to the hydrophobic environment of micelles. Hence, the tyrosine accessibility is reduced.


Most universities in Australia have established at least one organizational unit with a responsibility for academic development. While 'academic' could embrace all aspects of the role of academics, including research, innovation, and contributions to community and professional bodies, the expectation is that the focus will be on learning and teaching. In this paper, I address the extent to which – and the sense in which – this is true. I use the results of several surveys conducted in Australia in 2007 and information emerging from a forum of Australian university personnel associated with the development of academics. These sources show that academic development units often perform a range of functions that go beyond the development of learning and teaching. Reviewing the available data, I conclude that the current role of academic developers is very much influenced by strategic pursuits of universities. In this climate, the potential for academic development to operate with the integrity of a practice informed by the disciplined study of learning and teaching is more limited than it was during periods where the understanding of learning and teaching drove the enterprise.


Polycythemia vera (PV) is a common cause of Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) and portal vein thrombosis (PVT). The postpartum period is a precipitating cofactor. An additional heparin-induced thrombocytopenia/thrombosis (HIT/T) leads to a life-threatening condition in which transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunting (TIPS) seems to be the only life-saving procedure. We describe the case of a subacute BCS and PVT in the late postpartum period. The diagnosis was established using CT scan, MRI, and Doppler ultrasonography of abdominal vessels and the laboratory findings were compatible with PV. After a successful creation of TIPS, a HIT/T worsened the hemorrhagic and thrombotic picture. TIPS procedure was successfully repeated and heparin was replaced with Fondaparinux and then vitamin K antagonist. The treatment with interferon alpha-2A, started after the normalization of liver functions, resulted in a complete remission within 6 months. The JAK2 V617F mutation clone remained undetectable after 2 years' follow-up.


Congenital inguinal hernias, relatively common among infants, have rarely been reported in utero. In this brief report, the prenatal diagnosis of this condition based on movement of the intestinal content within the ileal loops is described. The differential diagnosis with other masses protruding from the abdominal wall (omphalocele) or the perineal region (sacrococcygeal teratoma, hydrocele) is discussed. Copyright © 1996 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology


Twentieth century allergy has caught the popular imagination. This article looks at the nature of the problem and whether it is in fact a true allergy. A practical approach to clinical assessment is made and advice as to management is offered.


Grammatical error correction (GEC) greatly benefits from large quantities of high-quality training data. However, the preparation of a large amount of labelled training data is time-consuming and prone to human errors. These issues have become major obstacles in training GEC systems. Recently, the performance of English GEC systems has drastically been enhanced by the application of deep neural networks that generate a large amount of synthetic data from limited samples. While GEC has extensively been studied in languages such as English and Chinese, no attempts have been made to generate synthetic data for improving Persian GEC systems. Given the substantial grammatical and semantic differences of the Persian language, in this paper, we propose a new deep learning framework to create large enough synthetic sentences that are grammatically incorrect for training Persian GEC systems. A modified version of sequence generative adversarial net with policy gradient is developed, in which the size of the model is scaled down and the hyperparameters are tuned. The generator is trained in an adversarial framework on a limited dataset of 8000 samples. Our proposed adversarial framework achieved bilingual evaluation understudy (BLEU) scores of 64.5% on BLEU-2, 44.2% on BLEU-3, and 21.4% on BLEU-4, and outperformed the conventional supervised-trained long short-term memory using maximum likelihood estimation and recently proposed sequence labeler using neural machine translation augmentation. This shows promise toward improving the performance of GEC systems by generating a large amount of training data.


The Arizpe and Bacanuchi Quadrangles provide a geologic history representative of the north-central part of Sonora, where lithologies are dominated by late Mesozoic and Cenozoic igneous rocks. In this study, new geologic mapping, 40Ar/39Ar dating, and geochemical analyses have been combined to provide a stratigraphic framework for this area. Ten lithostratigraphic units and several igneous and tectonic events can be recognized. The oldest outcropping rocks are Lower Cretaceous strata of the Bisbee Group, which along with the Picacho conglomerate record a middle Cretaceous compressive tectonic event and associated sedimentation. Laramide igneous activity is widespread and represented by (1) highly altered andesitic flows and volcaniclastic rocks (Arroyo Alcaparros andesitic rocks) of late Campanian to Maastrichtian age, (2) less altered andesitic and dacitic flows (Cerro Las Jarillas volcanic rocks) of late Paleocene age, and the intrusive bodies of (3) Sierra El Manzanal granodiorite and (4) Rancho Vaqueria quartz monzonite. The Sierra El Manzanal granodiorite was emplaced at ca. 68 Ma on the basis of a 40Ar/39Ar biotite age (67.97 ± 0.19 Ma) and cooled relatively rapidly according to less precise 40Ar/39Ar hornblende and K-feldspar ages from the same sample (64.8 ± 1.0 Ma and 62.8 ± 0.3 Ma, respectively). The Cerro Las Jarillas volcanic rocks are slightly younger (40Ar/39Ar biotite age of 58.67 ± 0.17 Ma). The Rancho Vaqueria quartz monzonite was emplaced at ca. 57 Ma (40Ar/39Ar biotite age of 56.73 ± 0.14 Ma and a less precise 40Ar/39Ar hornblende age of 55.0 ± 0.7 Ma); a protracted cooling history of this pluton is indicated by the age spectrum of K-feldspar from the same sample. A probable magmatic lull and denudation seem to have occurred between middle and late Eocene time and probably until the early Oligocene. Subsequently, rhyolitic to mafic volcanism began close to late Oligocene time and lasted until the early Miocene. Felsic volcanism is represented by the Cerro Cebadehuachi volcanic rocks, from which 40Ar/39Ar hornblende ages of 27.25 ± 0.09 and 27.32 ± 0.06 Ma and a biotite age of 26.97 ± 0.06 Ma were obtained at three different localities. The Mesa Pedregosa volcanic rocks represent the transition to younger, mafic volcanic activity that occurred during the late Oligocene, as indicated by a sanidine 40Ar/39Ar age of 25.48 ± 0.05 Ma. This late Oligocene and early Miocene magmatism was paired by two episodes of extensional deformation. The first phase is characterized by northwest-striking normal faults and folds, which expose the deepest structural levels of the area, and by the related basin fill, the Bacanuchi conglomerate. The second phase is represented by north-striking normal faults and by the syntectonic basin fill, the Arizpe conglomerate. Basaltic andesite volcanic flows at the base of the Arizpe conglomerate yielded 40Ar/39Ar (whole-rock) ages of 23.52 ± 0.17 and 21 ± 0.20 Ma. The extensional deformation (27 to 23 Ma) in the study area is coeval with the development of metamorphic core complexes in neighboring areas of Sonora and with the onset of extension in southern Sonora. The mafic volcanic rocks and clastic sedimentary units associated with this extension resemble the basin fills that in other parts of Sonora are assigned to the Baucarit Formation.

Geochemical information from samples representing each of the igneous events displayed high-K calc-alkalic and mostly metaluminous compositions. The older units including the Arroyo Alcaparros andesitic rocks, the Cerro Las Jarillas volcanic rocks, the Sierra El Manzanal granodiorite, and the Rancho Vaqueria quartz monzonite are characterized by steep chondrite-normalized REE (rare earth element) slopes and generally well-developed negative Eu anomalies, suggesting garnet and plagioclase removal in the source. The younger igneous events including the Cerro Cebadehuachi and Mesa Pedregosa volcanic rocks, and the basaltic flows associated with the Arizpe conglomerate, showed basin-shaped REE slopes with no Eu anomalies, suggesting clinopyroxene or amphibole fractionation.


Stormwater from trafficked areas often contains high pollution levels. In traditional stormwater management design, stormwater is first transported away through piped networks, and then in most cases passes through oil separators before finally reaching the recipients. While this traditional method removes certain pollutants from the stormwater, it does not reduce the total flow, as in the case of ecological stormwater management. In the ecological method the stormwater is not simply transported away, but is recirculated through infiltration, percolation, and detention. The aim of this study is to investigate possible advantages of ecological management designs, in contrast to traditional management. The study also incorporates legal aspects of the stormwater issue, in particular how the Swedish national environmental quality goals Poison-free Environment and Adequate Habitational Environment can be successfully linked to stormwater management. A parking area located next to a shopping centre is used as an example in order to offer practical solutions for designing an ecological stormwater management system. This involves using adjacent green spaces for infiltration and to construct wet ponds to maintain flood control and separation of pollution; furthermore it is argued that ecological management can contribute to enhance the aesthetics of an area.


Using HTML5, web developers can create standards-based browser applications with extraordinary richness and power, incorporating everything from drag-and-drop to native audio and videoall without any third-party plug-ins. Simply put, every web developer needs to master HTML5and the sooner you do so, the greater advantage youll have. HTML5 Developers Cookbook provides all the expert advice and proven code you need to start building production-quality HTML5 applications right now. Authors Chuck Hudson and Tom Leadbetter present tested, modular recipes at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. Youll learn exactly how to deliver state-of-the-art user experiences by integrating HTML5s new and enhanced elements with CSS3, multimedia, and JavaScript APIs. Reflecting current standards, this book prioritizes HTML5 features with substantial browser support and identifies the level of browser support for each feature discussed. Coverage includes Understanding and using HTML5s new structural elements Using grouping, text-level, and redefined semantics Managing browser-handling in HTML5 Leveraging new CSS3 layout and style techniques Maximizing interactivity with HTML5 Web Forms Embedding audio and video with HTML5 Drawing with the canvas Controlling browser histories Integrating location awareness with the Geolocation API Implementing client side storage Working with local files Managing communication and threading Optimizing the HTML5 browser experience Integrating device data Turn to HTML5 Developers Cookbook for expert answers, real solutions, and the code required to implement them. Its all you need to jumpstart any HTML5 project and create rich, high-value web applications your users will love.


Using a dynamical model based on the NN{yields}d{pi},NNN{yields}dN, and NN{pi}{yields}d{pi} reactions and measured proton and pion transverse momentum spectra and elliptic flows, we study the production of deuterons and their elliptic flow in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC. The results are compared with those from the coalescence model. The deviation of deuteron elliptic flow from the constituent nucleon number scaling expected from the coalescence model and the comparison with the experimental data are discussed in connection to the allowed nucleon phase space in these reactions.


AbstructA hew microcell configuration scheme in urban; areas is proposed in order to increase the reuse efficiency of radio resources. Multiple directional-beam antennas lined up along a street form a cigar-shaped cell. Antennas are located at intersection and are directed along the intersecting streets. Two antennas facing each other form a microzone and, therefore, a cigar-shaped cell consists of multiple microzones in a line. Each microzone is protected against co-channel interference from neighboring microzones by confinement of transmitted signals to a microzone using down-tilting of antenna beams. Therefore, a radio channel which is occupied in one microzone can be used in adjacent microzones. An increase in system capacity is achieved by the high reuse efficiency of radio resources. The proposed system increases system capacity by 560% with a call blocking probability of 1% when compared with a conventional system.


Many physicians agree on the advantages of using Evidence-based Medicine (EbM) in daily practice, but they do not make use of this method very often. One reason for this lack of EbM implementation is that it is difficult to access clinically relevant and appropriate information in daily practice. The division "Principles and Practices of EbM" in the German Network for Evidence-based Medicine (DNEbM) initiated a pilot project to improve their information management. During two weeks in February 2007 physicians in a local setting in the southeast part of Germany were offered an EbM expert service. They were asked to formulate open-ended questions arising from daily practice. Seventeen experts answered these questions within a three day period. In addition, all participants regularly received an edited version of these topics, and finally a questionnaire was sent out to evaluate physician satisfaction. Five family doctors and two hospital departments formulated 28 questions in two weeks. There was a wide range of answers, from evidence summaries (including full texts of the trials or relevant guidelines) up to expert opinion together with a discussion of different action strategies in the case of uncertain evidence. The participating physicians' satisfaction with this offer of low-barrier access to the best available evidence and the answers provided by the experts was high. Apart from the suggested solutions to the respective problems the project initiated a critical self-analysis of their individual clinical practice among the participating physicians. All of them saw the need for continuing this project. Further investigations are needed in order to optimise both the process of EbM implementation on a long-term basis and the health care quality by providing EbM expert services.


Polarized epithelial cells are differentiated into apical and basolateral plasma membrane domains separated by tight junctions. The apical cell surface usually faces the external milieu, the basolateral domain provides cell-cell and cell-substratum contact and is surrounded by body fluids. In Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells the unique protein and lipid composition of the two surface domains is generated by sorting in the trans-Golgi network (TGN) and selective delivery to the cell surface by a vesicular carrier mechanism. Sorting to the apical plasma membrane has been proposed to be mediated by a co-clustering of proteins and glycosphingolipids in the TGN. In order to identify the molecular machinery involved in sorting and transport of apically destined cargo I have characterized glycolipid-enriched, detergent-insoluble complexes from MDCK cells. Several proteins of the complexes were found to be components of immunoisolated apical and basolateral exocytic carrier vesicles thus representing prime candidates for the sorting machinery. By using preparative two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis and the information of 2-D gel databases I was able to identify and to purify several of these proteins for peptide microsequencing. Subsequently, I isolated the cDNAs encoding VIP36 (VesicularIntegral Membrane Protein of 36 kDa) and annexin XIIIb. VIP36 is a glycolipid raft component present in apical and basolateral vesicular carriers. The protein had a significant sequence similarity to leguminous plant lectins. VIP36 was shown to be an integral membrane protein localized to the Golgi apparatus and the cell surface, presumably recycling between them. The protein might bind to sugar residues of glycoproteins, glycolipids or glycosylphosphatidyl inositol-anchored proteins and provide a link between the luminal face of glycolipid rafts and the cytosolic vesiculation machinery. A mammalian homologue of VIP36 is localized to the early secretory pathway. This suggests that a new family of hitherto unknown animal lectins may be involved in the sorting of saccharide bearing molecules throughout the biosynthetic pathway. Annexin XIIIb is a component enriched in apical exocytic carrier vesicles and is a new member of an epithelial specific sub-family of annexins. Annexin XIIIb was localized to the apical cell surface and vesicular structures in MDCK cells. Annexins are implicated in membrane-membrane interactions and annexin XIIIb may be involved in delivery to the apical cell surface in MDCK cells. With the identification of these new, general and epithelial specific factors it will be possible to gain access to additional components of the epithelial sorting and targeting machinery to elucidate the molecular mechanisms responsible for protein and lipid sorting and vesicular transport.


Optical property changes should be considered to realize safe laser treatments. This study shows the optical properties of normal and laser treated tissues in visible to near-infrared wavelength range by using double integrating sphere system.


In this article the term knowledge and technology transfer broadly denotes any activities targeted at transferring knowledge and technology that may help a company or a research institution – depending on the direction of the transfer – to further promote its activities. We present here the main results of two surveys on transfer activities in the Swiss economy among Swiss enter - prises in 2005 and 2011, respectively.


Background. Colored-flesh potato varieties are becoming more and more popular in Poland. One of the distinctive features of tuber quality is a tendency for the enzymatic darkening of flesh. The aim of the research was to determine the effect of red and purple flesh potato varieties on the change of their color immediately after cutting tubers, one hour and four hours after their cutting, and on the total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity. The research material was three purple flesh potato varieties: Provita, Double Fun, Violet Queen and three red flesh potato varieties: Magenta, Mulberry Beauty, Lily Rose. The raw material came from Polish producers from the 2020 and 2021 growing seasons. Basic chemical composition, total polyphenol content and ABTS+• (μM TROLOX/1g d.m.) and DPPH (μM TROLOX/1g d.m.), as well as antioxidant activity were determined for the potatoes. The color of tuber flesh and its changes were determined calorimetrically using a Minolta CR-200. Results and conclusions. Purple flesh potatoes were characterized by higher total polyphenol content (by 2%) and higher antioxidant activity of ABTS+• and DPPH• (71.2, and 21.0 μM TROLOX/1g d.m. respectively) in comparison to the red varieties (ABTS+• – 60.5 and DPPH – 15.5 μM TROLOX/1g d.m.). The potato varieties tested were characterized by a low tendency for the enzymatic darkening of tubers. The flesh of purple potatoes immediately after cutting was darker (L* 41.8 on average). It was also characterized by a higher share of blue (b* -2.8 on average) and a lower share of red (a* 3.8 on average) than for red flesh potatoes. The flesh of red potatoes after cutting was characterized by a color with a higher proportion of yellow shade (parameter b* was 7.2 on average), which did not change after four hours after cutting.


: Individual differences in trait empathy is one of the important research topics in psychology. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have been done to reveal the neurobiological underpinnings of trait empathy. As these studies found out, both trait emotional empathy and trait cognitive empathy show individual differences in the brain's empathic responses, brain structures and resting-state functional connectivity. Such findings imply that trait empathy is closely related with imitative ability, emotional processing capacity and emotion understanding level. Moreover, with several types of genes related to it, trait empathy is also highly inheritable. Further studies are needed to extend the understanding of the structure of empathy, explore the interaction of environment and gene in shaping individual differences in trait empathy, and apply theoretical findings to the clinical practice of training and improving empathy ability.


Global financial markets require suitable techniques for the quantification of the downside risk of financial positions. In the current paper, we concentrate on Monte Carlo methods for the estimation of an important and broad class of convex risk measures which can be constructed on the basis of optimized certainty equivalents (OCEs). This family of risk measures — originally introduced in Ben-Tal and Teboulle (2007) — includes, among others, the entropic risk measure and average value at risk. The calculation of OCEs involves a stochastic optimization problem that can be reduced to a stochastic root finding problem via a first order condition. We describe suitable algorithms and illustrate their properties in numerical case studies.


Abstract This research begins s from the basic assumption that basically in Islam is known spatial concepts that make the lives of people and society better. It is included the campus as a place for higher education in producing religious and professional national next generation . Realizing this assumption certainly requires a comfortable situation for academic people on the beloved campus. It is match with UIN SU that continues to develop campus infrastructure lately . This development ideally integrates the concepts of Islam and the local culture of North Sumatra so as to provide a sense of ownership and comfort for the residents of the campus itself. For this reason, it is important to have the view of UIN SU academic community how their perceptions of the comfort of spatial concept of UIN SU based on knowledge, experience and beliefs as Muslims and local cultural owners, in the context of this culture that lives in North Sumatra. The study used a descriptive quantitative approach using the Likert scale in measuring the scale of perception of the research subjects. The research subjects consisted of structural officials at the UIN SU campus, ordinary lecturers, employees and students. The results of this study indicate that the academic community of UIN SU generally has a positive perception of the spatial planning and building layout that provides comfort on the campus of UIN SU Medan, which reaches an average of 62.25%. However, it is also important to see that 60.6% of the academic community still states that the infrastructure of UIN SU is not yet accessible for persons with disabilities, 43.7% said that the circulation of in and out campuses was not smooth and 40.8% said that the green open space was insufficient. This finding indicates that the academic community has moderate or neutral perceptions on the campus out-of-campus circulation, comfort, cleanliness and smell, and climate comfort. Although this is a moderate perception , it is still important to continue to make improvements in these comfort indicators. On the other hand, campus infrastructure development previously did not pay attention to social relations, and buildings in the context of Islam and local culture. Later some building infrastructure or supporting facilities were built with regard to student social relations, as well as the structure of Islamic buildings. For this reason, it is important to look at infrastructure development policies by looking at the needs of green open space, friendliness of the infrastructure for the disabled and the in and out circulation system of the campus which is not confusing and prone to congestion by making Islamic building structures as the main reference. It is also important to formulate an infrastructure development policy that provides a comfort space for Muslim worship with a touch ing of local culture. It is also important to continue to disseminate the spatial policy so that the implementation of policies can be integrated to the working units . Keyword s : Perception, Campus spatial, comfortable, sociology of religion, social relation


COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic by the world health organization. Patients with cancer, and particularly hematologic malignancies may be at higher risk for severe complications due to their malignancy, immune dysregulation, therapy, and associated comorbidities. The oncology community has been proactive in issuing practice guidelines to help optimize management, and limit infection risk and complications from SARS-COV-2. Although hematologic malignancies account for only 10% of all cancers, their management is particularly complex, especially in the time of COVID-19. Screening or early detection of COVID-19 are central for preventative/mitigation strategy, which is the best current strategy in our battle against COVID-19. Herein, we provide an overview of COVID-19 screening strategies and highlight the unique aspects of treating patients with hematologic malignancies.


Background parenchymal enhancement (BPE), and the amount of fibroglandular tissue (FGT) assessed with MRI have been implicated as sensitive imaging biomarkers for breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively assess breast parenchymal uptake (BPU) on 18F-FDG PET/CT as another valuable imaging biomarker and examine its correlation with BPE, FGT, and age. Methods: This study included 129 patients with suspected breast cancer and normal imaging findings in one breast (BI-RADS 1), whose cases were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent prone 18F-FDG PET/CT and 3-T contrast-enhanced MRI of the breast. In all patients, interpreter 1 assessed BPU quantitatively using SUVmax. Interpreters 1 and 2 assessed amount of FGT and BPE in the normal contralateral breast by subjective visual estimation, as recommended by BI-RADS. Interpreter 1 reassessed all cases and repeated the BPU measurements. Statistical tests were used to assess correlations between BPU, BPE, FGT, and age, as well as inter- and intrainterpreter agreement. Results: BPU on 18F-FDG PET/CT varied among patients. The mean BPU SUVmax ± SD was 1.57 ± 0.6 for patients with minimal BPE, 1.93 ± 0.6 for mild BPE, 2.42 ± 0.5 for moderate BPE, and 1.45 ± 0.3 for marked BPE. There were significant (P < 0.001) moderate to strong correlations among BPU, BPE, and FGT. BPU directly correlated with both BPE and FGT on MRI. Patient age showed a moderate to strong indirect correlation with all 3 imaging-derived tissue biomarkers. The coefficient of variation for quantitative BPU measurements with SUVmax was 5.6%, indicating a high reproducibility. Interinterpreter and intrainterpreter agreement for BPE and FGT was almost perfect, with a κ-value of 0.860 and 0.822, respectively. Conclusion: The results of our study demonstrate that BPU varied among patients. BPU directly correlated with both BPE and FGT on MRI, and BPU measurements were highly reproducible. Patient age showed a strong inverse correlation with all 3 imaging-derived tissue biomarkers. These findings indicate that BPU may serve as a sensitive imaging biomarker for breast cancer prediction, prognosis, and risk assessment.


The present invention is to prevent that a secondary battery, it is object of the present invention according to a contact defect caused by the weakening circuit pattern in contact with the bonding strength between the substrate and the loop antenna, or to increase the contact resistance. The present invention for this purpose is made of a loop antenna according to a plurality of layers printed circuit pattern electrically connected to and formed between the printed wiring patterns and a plurality of layers formed between the multilayer dielectric substrate and a plurality of layers laminated layer printed circuit It discloses a substrate. Thus, the printed circuit board of the present invention is a contact defect is reduced, so improving the bonding strength between the insulating substrate and the loop antenna, the contact resistance is prevented from increasing. Also, the secondary battery of the present invention using the printed circuit board provides a stable structure before the battery pack. The loop antenna, an insulating substrate, a printed circuit board, RFID


Indigenous chickens play an essential role in the Iranian economy especially in the rural sector. Juxtaposing the economic factor against the state of the health of the indigenous birds in Iran, more specifically the prevalence of parasitic infectious diseases, this study was conducted to determine the presence and intensity of species of helminthes in the alimentary canals of the local chickens in the Isfahan area, which is centrally located in Iran. For the purpose of this study, 100 local chickens from five different parts of the geographic region of Isfahan were collected randomly, during 2010-2011. The chickens were slaughtered and their gastrointestinal tracts and alimentary canals where examined for the presence of helminthes. The study identified three nematodes, and two cestodes species. No trematodes were found. From the 100 local chickens examined, 81 were infected (81%). The distribution of the presence of species was as follows: Raillietina tetragona (46%), Heterakis gallinarum (42%), Ascaridia galli (36%), Raillietina echinibothrida (7%) and Subulura brumpti (2%). More research is needed to identify all parasites in the region, and to understand the causes of infection, disease and death. Such research will provide the basis for improving the conditions including a reduction of the high mortality rate of local chickens in the area. It is therefore necessary that periodical parasitological investigations as well as anthelmintic treatments should be carried out regularly. Key Words: Helminthes, Isfahan, local chicken


This study investigated judgments of the seriousness of problems by 25 telephone counselors and 25 members of the public not involved in helping professions. Subjects rank ordered 15 problem descriptions taken from counseling files in terms of their seriousness and provided ratings for each problem on a series of bipolar scales. The two groups displayed a high level of agreement in relation to the ranks assigned and in relation to the problem characteristics associated with seriousness. Highly serious problems were ones in which help was needed immediately, a threat to life was involved, the victim was responsible for the welfare of others, and the problem was complex. Multidimensional scaling analysis of the ranks revealed similarities, and differences, in the dimensions the two groups used to cognitively represent the problems.


BACKGROUND
Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a cutaneous malignancy that is uncommon anywhere on the body but is especially uncommon on the vulva. This cancer rarely metastasizes but has a high incidence of local recurrence because of its tendency to grow in fingerlike projections away from the primary tumor.

CASE
A 36-year-old, black woman was the 10th and youngest patient with DFSP of the vulva to be reported. Treatment of the 5-cm, mobile, well-circumscribed lesion consisted of local excision. Several adjacent microscopic lesions showing DFSP were found in the pathologic specimen, however, so an even wider excision was performed. Twenty-seven months following removal, there was no evidence of recurrence.

CONCLUSION
Survival rates for DFSP of the skin range from 91% to 100% in reported series, but local recurrence rates of 20-49% have also been noted. The reported deaths from the disease have resulted from extensive local spread due to inadequate excision and, only rarely, metastases. Because DFSP tends to spread to microscopic projections away from the visible lesions, very wide local excision is required for tumor control.


A 30-year-old man with progressive hemifacial atrophy is described. He had right hemifacial atrophy and epileptic seizures first noted at the age of about 15 years. Examination revealed atrophy of the right half of the tongue, skin pigmentation in the right neck, grizzled hair on the right side of the head, and left upper temporal homonymous hemianopsia. CT and MRI revealed multiple intracerebral calcifications, and EEG showed spike discharges predominantly in the right occipital lobe, ipsilateral to the hemifacial atrophy. The epileptic seizures were associated with visual hallucinations that are characteristic of occipital epilepsy. A skin biopsy obtained from the pigmented region in the right neck showed chronic inflammatory changes consisting of severe atrophy of the epidermis, dermis, and fatty tissue, marked proliferation of collagen fibers, and perivascular infiltration by round cells and giant phagocytes. Previous descriptions on the pathogenesis of hemiatrophy of the face and brain were reviewed in relation to the present case.


Spin wave (SW) devices are receiving growing attention in research as a strong candidate for low power applications in the beyond-CMOS era. All SW applications would require an efficient, low power, on-chip read-out circuitry. Thus, we provide a concept for an on-chip oscilloscope (OCO) allowing parallel detection of the SWs at different frequencies. The readout system is designed in 40-nm CMOS technology and is capable of SW device characterization. First, the SWs are picked up by near field loop antennas, placed below yttrium iron garnet (YIG) film, and amplified by a low noise amplifier (LNA). Second, a mixer down-converts the radio frequency (RF) signal of 5 − 50 GHz to lower intermediate frequencies (IF) around 10 − 50 MHz. Finally, the IF signal can be digitized and analyzed regarding the frequency, amplitude and phase variation of the SWs. The power consumption and chip area of the whole OCO are estimated to 166.4 mW and 1.31 mm2, respectively.


Autism is gradually becoming an epidemic. The frequency of this disorder now is one per 60–80 infants, against 1:5000-10000 approximately 60–70 years ago. Because epidemics of genetic disease do not occur, this confirms that most cases of autism are not associated with the genome problems but rather with the progressive deepening of environmental problems. Environmental pressure may be barely noticeable for an adult, but this could disturb the development of a much more fragile foetus. A variety of industrial and agricultural pollutants, heavy metals, pathogenic bacteria, etc. may be involved in the pathogenesis of autism. All of them cause similar persistent changes in the production of autoantibodies and cytokines influencing the foetal development. Moreover, trans-placental transfer of the excess of some maternal аuto-antibodies of IgG class leads to pre-birth 'tuning' of the immune system of the foetus by mechanisms of maternal immune imprinting. This phenomenon could be an additional factor in the pathogenesis of autism. It is noted that the environment-induced immune changes are mostly adaptive for the mother; however, for the unborn child, they can often be the factors of pathogenesis. Discuss the possibility of the study of repertoires of maternal autoantibodies for the prediction of normal or abnormal development of the foetus and the birth of the newborn with congenital disorders that are not caused by gene defects.


Ovulatory cycles in women result from sequential stimulation of ovarian follicular development by pituitary follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). In the follicular phase the initial FSH stimulus declines and LH secretion increases toward the mid-cycle ovulatory surge. During the luteal phase gonadotrophin secretion is reduced. This reflects the effects of ovarian steroids inhibiting the frequency of gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion by the hypothalamus, and the direct effects of oestradiol and inhibin to reduce gonadotroph (FSH) secretion. The frequency of GnRH stimulation of the gonadotroph is a selective regulator of gonadotrophin synthesis, with slow frequency stimuli favouring FSH and faster frequency stimuli favouring LH secretion. Current research has only revealed a single gonadotrophin releasing hormone. Thus, the ability to change the pattern (particularly frequency) of GnRH stimulation of the gonadotroph is proposed as an important regulator of differential FSH and LH synthesis, and hence of ovulatory cycles. In some disorders of ovulation the ability to regulate GnRH pulse frequency appears to have been lost. Slow frequency GnRH pulses are consistently seen in women with hypothalamic amenorrhoea and hyperprolactinaemia. The reduced GnRH secretion appears to reflect increased hypothalamic opiate tone and can be rapidly reversed with an opiate receptor blocker. Other disorders associated with anovulation show rapid frequency GnRH secretion, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCO) is commonly associated with fast-frequency, high-amplitude LH (GnRH) pulses. Such a GnRH stimulus would favour LH and androgen production and the failure of ovarian follicular maturation in PCO may reflect inappropriate sequential FSH secretion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


The objective of the experiment was to know the effect of vitamin C on gonadal development of giant freshwater prawn ( Macrobrachium rosenbergii ) broodstock. Female broodstock of 30-60 g and male broodstock of 40-70 g average body weight were used in this experiment. The broodstock were fed with different dose of vitamin C in feed as 0; 0.05; 0.10; and 0.15% at 3-4% of biomass weight per day for 3 months. Gonado Somatic Index (GSI) value obtained from the diet with 0.15% of vitamin C was significantly different from others (P0.05). The supplementation of vitamin C in the diet of giant freshwater prawn broodstock is important for gonadal development.


Abstract SYNOPSIS Kite flights and pilot balloon observations made in the north-central portion of the United States on January 24, 25, and 26, 1931, showed easterly winds persisting to heights of 3 kilometers or more. Easterly winds at these altitudes are rare in the United States during the winter season on account of the strong latitudinal temperature gradients usually existing. Pressure was generally high to the north of this region and low in the south, with a moderately steep surface temperature gradient extending from south to north. A large temperature inversion at Ellendale, however, caused the pressure to remain higher over this region, at least to 3 kilometers, than at Drexel where iso-thermal conditions obtained to 2,500 meters elevation.


The problems of polarization rotation losses, in meteor burst communication systems, are examined using a theoretical model developed for the purpose. The paper takes into account both the polarization changes due to ionospheric Faraday rotation and the rotation of the wave polarization that takes place as a result of scattering from underdense meteor trails. Linearly polarized systems, employing copolar transmitting and receiving antennas, and hybrid systems, employing a linearly polarized transmitting antenna and a circularly polarized receiving antenna, are studied. It is shown that, particularly in linearly polarized systems, polarization rotation may introduce unexpected diurnal performance variations in systems operating at frequencies ∼40 MHz. For the two 40-MHz linearly polarized links investigated in detail the model predicts that, for noon summer solstice conditions during periods with a high solar sunspot number, these losses cause a reduction in data throughput to between 15 and 70% of the value expected had no polarization rotation occurred. By using a cross polarization approach, qualitative experimental confirmation of the predictions is also given.


Streptococcus agalactiae or Group B Streptococcus (GBS) remains a leading cause of neonatal infections worldwide; and the maternal vaginal-rectal colonization increases the risk of vertical transmission of GBS to neonates and development of infections. This study reports the in vitro antibacterial effect of the oleoresin from Copaifera officinalis Jacq. L. in natura (copaiba oil) and loaded into carbomer-hydrogel against planktonic and sessile cells of GBS. First, the naturally extracted copaiba oil was tested for the ability to inhibit the growth and metabolic activity of planktonic and sessile GBS cells. The time-kill kinetics showed that copaiba oil exhibited a dose-dependent bactericidal activity against planktonic GBS strains, including those resistant to erythromycin and/or clindamycin [minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) ranged from 0.06 mg/mL to 0.12 mg/mL]. Copaiba oil did not inhibit the growth of different Lactobacillus species, the indigenous members of the human microbiota. The mass spectral analyses of copaiba oil showed the presence of diterpenes, and the kaurenoic acid appears to be one of the active components of oleoresin from C. officinalis related to antibacterial activity against GBS. Microscopy analyses of planktonic GBS cells treated with copaiba oil revealed morphological and ultrastructural alterations, displaying disruption of the cell wall, damaged cell membrane, decreased electron density of the cytoplasm, presence of intracellular condensed material, and asymmetric septa. Copaiba oil also exhibited antibacterial activity against established biofilms of GBS strains, inhibiting the viability of sessile cells. Low-cost and eco-friendly carbomer-based hydrogels containing copaiba oil (0.5% – CARB-CO 0.5; 1.0% – CARB-CO 1.0) were then developed. However, only CARB-CO 1.0 preserved the antibacterial activity of copaiba oil against GBS strains. This formulation was homogeneous, soft, exhibited a viscoelastic behavior, and showed good biocompatibility with murine vaginal mucosa. Moreover, CARB-CO 1.0 showed a slow and sustained release of the copaiba oil, killing the planktonic and sessile (established biofilm) cells and inhibiting the biofilm formation of GBS on pre-coated abiotic surface. These results indicate that carbomer-based hydrogels may be useful as topical systems for delivery of copaiba oil directly into de vaginal mucosa and controlling S. agalactiae colonization and infection.


Abstract Biomolecular complexes are often multimers fueling the demand for methods that allow unraveling their composition and geometric arrangement. Pulse electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is increasingly applied for retrieving geometric information on the nanometer scale. The emerging RIDME (relaxation‐induced dipolar modulation enhancement) technique offers improved sensitivity in distance experiments involving metal centers (e.g. on metalloproteins or proteins labelled with metal ions). Here, a mixture of a spin labelled ligand with increasing amounts of paramagnetic CuII ions allowed accurate quantification of ligand‐metal binding in the model complex formed. The distance measurement was highly accurate and critical aspects for identifying multimerization could be identified. The potential to quantify binding in addition to the high‐precision distance measurement will further increase the scope of EPR applications.


Skylab, the fourth in a logical sequence of USA manned space flight projects following Mercury, Gemini and Apollo, presented life scientists with their first opportunity for an in-depth study of man's response to the space environment. Extensive medical investigations were undertaken to increase our understanding of man's adaptation to the space environment and his readaptation to gravity upon return to earth. The flight durations of the three Skylab missions were progressively increased from 28 days to 59 days and, finally, 84 days. The results of these investigations of the various body systems clearly demonstrated that man can adapt to zero gravity and perform useful work during long-duration space flight. However, definite changes (some unexpected) in the vestibular, cardiovascular, musculo-skeletal, renal and electrolyte areas were documented. The most significant were: the occurrence of space motion sickness early in the missions; diminished orthostatic tolerance, both in-flight and post-flight; moderate losses of calcium, phosphorus and nitrogen; and decreased tolerance for exercise post-flight. The mechanisms responsible for these physiological responses must be understood and, if necessary, effective countermeasures developed before man can endure unlimited exposure to space flight.


Gender Identities in American Catholicism contains over one hundred original documents that range temporally from the earliest days of American Catholicism to the present. These documents illustrate how gender is a prime determiner of social position in the church and in American society as a whole, and how changing attitudes to gender identities affect a community's self-understanding. These carefully selected texts show ways in which gender issues were constructed in the past and how they are reconstructed in the midst of historical developments. What may surprise many readers are the ways in which male domination was subtly challenged long before such epochal events as women's suffrage and the feminist revolution occurred. Taken together, these texts show the plurality of American Catholic ideas about gender and the tension between competing attitudes.


Background and Aims: The agaves are a natural resource appreciated by about people from Oaxaca as food source and for the mescal production; however, there is scarce information the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associated to them. The objective of this study is to contribute to the taxonomic knowledge of the AMF in Mexico with four new records; in particular, in mescal agaves of the semi-arid region of Oaxaca. Methods: In nine sites of the Central Valleys and the Southern Highlands of Oaxaca, rhizosphere soil was collected from three plants of Agave karwinskii and A. angustifolia to isolate the spores of AMF, and to make permanent preparations with polyvinyl lacto glicerol (PVLG) and reagent of Melzer. Morphological characters of the spores were used for taxonomic identification. The soil texture, the active pH (1:2.5 soil-water), the percentage of organic matter, the available phosphorus and the extractable bases Ca ++ , Mg ++ , K + and Na + were determined. Key results: Four species of Glomeromycota are cited for the first time from Mexico: Acaulospora minuta , A. papillosa , A. reducta and, Paraglomus bolivianum , all associated with the rhizosphere of Agave karwinskii and, the last two species, also with that of A. angustifolia . The AMF were registered in soils of thick texture, rich in calcium and poor in available phosphorus. The taxonomic descriptions and illustrations of the four species are presented. Conclusions: With these four new records, Acaulospora minuta , A. papillosa , A. reducta and P. bolivianum , 148 species of AMF are known from Mexico. Oaxaca is a state of high floristic diversity and a center of diversification of plants, among them agaves; however, the AMF have been barely studied and their taxonomic diversity is probably important.


Abstract : Dover Air Force Base (DAFB) is located in Kent County, Delaware. The base is situated 3.5 miles southeast of the center of Dover, Delaware, the state capital. The base covers approximately 3,902 acres of land area including annexes, easements, and leased property. DAFB has two active airfields. The north-south airfield at DAFB divides the main Base into two primary sections. Open space, recreational areas, and limited amounts of industrial uses are located east of the airfield. The land uses west of the airfield and east of U.S. Route 113 are industrial, airfield operations, administrative, community, medical, some unaccompanied personnel housing, and a golf course located west of U.S. Route 113 and east of St. Jones River. The surrounding areas consist primarily of cropland and wetlands, with the St. Jones River running adjacent to the southwestern comer of the base. The proposed project identified in the AF Form 813 would clear cut 37 acres of trees down to 3 inches above the ground. Currently trees intrude into the controlled airspace as defined by the Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) 3-260-01, Design: Airfield & Heliport Planning and Design and Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 4165.57, Air Installation Compatible Use Zones. An airfield survey in 2005 revealed trees penetrating into the approach-departure and transitional zone of the clear zones as defined in UFC-3-260-01. The direct elimination of threats to air navigation is a Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR), Part 139 and the U.S. Air Force (USAF) requirement.


Background:
 Bowel movement frequency has been related to a variety of cardiovascular risk factors such as inflammation and metabolism of gut microbiota. However, few studies have examined the relations of bowel movement frequency with risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and mortality in prospective cohorts.

 Objectives:
 To investigate the prospective associations between bowel movement frequency, incident CHD, and mortality in a large cohort of US women, the Nurses' Health Study.

 Methods:
 Bowel movement frequency was self-reported at baseline in 1982 by 85,976 women who were free from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Incident CHD including symptomatic nonfatal myocardial infarction or fatal CHD was subsequently identified. Deaths were reported by the next of kin or the postal authorities or identified by searching the National Death Index. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the associations of bowel movement frequency with risk of CHD, total mortality, and mortality due to cardiovascular disease.

 Results:
 During follow-up, we documented a total of 5,805 incident CHD cases (1982-2010) and 20,972 deaths (1982-2012). After adjustment for potential confounders and CHD risk factors at baseline (age, ethnicity, multivitamin use, aspirin use, family history of heart disease, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, or diabetes at baseline, menopausal status and postmenopausal hormone therapy use, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, BMI, dietary fiber intake, and AHEI score), having a bowel movement more than once daily was significantly associated with increased risk of CHD, total mortality, and cardiovascular mortality. As compared with women with bowel movement frequency of once daily (reference), the hazard ratios (HRs) for those with more than once daily were 1.09 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.18) for incident CHD; 1.08 (95% CI: 0.99-1.18) for cardiovascular mortality; and 1.13 (95% CI: 1.08-1.18) for total mortality. Less frequent bowel movements were not significantly related to risk of CHD or mortality. Similar findings were observed in sensitivity analyses that excluded participants who had ulcerative colitis history or excluded those who used laxatives.

 Conclusions:
 Compared to those with daily bowel movements, women with more frequent bowel movements had a modestly increased risk of CHD incidence and total mortality. These associations should be examined in other populations.


The single-stranded RNA genome of SARS-CoV-2 contains some G-quadruplex-forming G-rich elements which are putative drug targets. Here, we performed a ligand-based pharmacophore virtual screening of FDA approved drugs to find candidates targeting such RNA structures. Further in silico and in vitro assays identified three drugs as emerging SARS-CoV-2 RNA G-quadruplex binders.


Visual detection of a line target differing in orientation from a background of lines may be achieved speedily and effortlessly. Such performance is assumed to occur early in vision and to involve filter mechanisms acting in parallel over the visual field. This study establishes orientational limits on this performance and analytically derives some generic properties of the underlying filters. It was found that, in brief displays, target orientation detection thresholds increased approximately linearly with background orientation, from minima at 0° (vertical) and 90°, whereas background orientation detection thresholds decreased approximately linearly with target orientation, from maxima at 0° and 90°. Target and background threshold functions were exactly antisymmetric. These data are shown to indicate a model of early line processing dominated by two classes of orientation-sensitive filter with axes close to the vertical and horizontal and orientation-tuning half-widths each of approximately 30° at half-height.


In competitive speed skating healthy athletes complain of subjective variants of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction such as coughing, chest tightness and excessive mucus production. This is especially so after a 1500 m race which can be considered as extremely strenuous. We compared peak expiratory flow (PEF) measurements 3, 10, 20, 60, 90 and 120 min after such a race with baseline, just before the race, in 10 adults in a competitive situation in Calgary (Canada) and The Hague (NL) and in 8 children in Utrecht (NL). A gradual decline in PEF was found, the mean decrease reaching significance (p < 0.05) at 10, 90 and 120 min in Calgary, at 90 and 120 min in The Hague and at 90 min in Utrecht for the children. The mean decrease over the whole period was significantly greater (3.6%, SEM 0.6%) in Calgary when compared with The Hague. The decrease could not be explained by the daily PEF variation that we measured in both groups. We conclude that there is a slight bronchoconstrictory effect, even in healthy athletes, when partaking in this strenuous type of exercise at low temperatures. An explanation may be the strong drying and temperature stimulus to the airways, stimulating vagal nerve activity, causing not only the cough and mucus production but also a gradually increasing minor bronchoconstriction.


Cross-coupling reaction of aryl trifluoroacetates with organoboron compounds catalyzed by palladium complexes gives trifluoromethyl ketones in moderate to excellent yields under mild conditions. The catalytic process has been designed on the basis of fundamental studies dealing with oxidative addition of phenyl trifluoroacetate to a Pd(0) complex to give a (phenoxo)(trifluoroacetyl)palladium(II) complex and its subsequent reaction with phenylboronic acid to liberate phenyl trifluoromethyl ketone. The catalytic cycle is proposed to be composed of (a) oxidative addition of the ester to give acyl(aryloxo)palladium intermediate, (b) the subsequent transmetallation with arylboron compounds, and (c) reductive elimination. Palladium(0) complexes, as well as catalysts prepared in situ from palladium acetate and 3 molar amounts of tributylphosphine or phosphite at room temperature, serve as convenient and effective catalysts. The process is applicable to a wide range of phenyl- and naphthylboronic acids to give va...


Using primary and secondary historical data, descriptive time-series data, and site observations, this study unpacks the developmental history of one of the United States' oldest, largest, and still working fisheries. This study uses narrative analysis to explore how processes of commodification and the institutional workings of capitalist food regimes drove specific developmental outcomes. Internal comparison across periods enables an analysis of why the fishery declined in recent decades. The case also reveals important dynamics of the capitalist world food system and demonstrates how intersectional considerations, particularly the intersection of race and class dynamics, can bolster the "tragedy of the commodity" theoretical framework. The study thus tests and expands on that framework by including the considerations of cross-cutting inequalities and the world food system. Overall, this study demonstrates how the demands of generalized commodity production, in conjunction with the institutional parameters of a world capitalist food system, link processes of development across terrestrial and aquatic food systems. Furthermore, the internal comparison elucidates the socio-structural factors that drove the severe decline of the 170-year-old Atlantic menhaden fishery.


The development of high performance artificial photosynthetic devices, to store solar energy in chemical bonds, requires the existence of stable light-absorbing electrodes for both the oxidative and reductive half-reactions. The development of such systems has been hindered in part by the lack of semiconducting photoanodes that are stable under the water spitting conditions. We demonstrate, for the first time, the synthesis of ZnO nanotubes via anodization of Zn foil and their use as photoanodes in photoelectrochemical hydrogen generation systems. Structural, optical and photoelectrochemical measurements showed the superiority of the nanotubular structure over the nanowire and hierarchical counterparts.


Using the molecular beam epitaxy technique, fluoride superlattices of FeF2(001)/ZnF2 (001) and FeF2(110)/ZnF2(110) were prepared on single-crystal substrates, Al2O3 (101̄0) and MgO(100), respectively. In addition to structural characterization, dependence of the Néel temperature on the thickness of the FeF2(001) and (110) layers was investigated in detail. The observed periodic variations of the Néel temperature with a period of 1 atomic monolayer were discussed in terms of an interface-topographical frustration due to the competing exchange interactions of J2 and J3.


The current global occurrence of dengue infection annually is approximately 400 million, with a case fatality rate of 2.5%. However, there are no antiviral agents. Carica papaya leaf extract is known for its medicinal value, due to the presence of organic compounds that possess antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. This study determined the anti-dengue effect of C. papaya leaf extract silver synthesized nanoparticles. In this study, aqueous and non-aqueous extractions were carried out, followed by the synthesis of silver nanoparticles as well as characterization through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy. The in vitro anti-dengue effect was evaluated using a focus reduction neutralization test on kidney Vero E2 cell lines. In silico studies involved molecular docking to determine the potential interactions between the bioactive compounds in C. papaya leaf extract and the viral NS5 protein. C. papaya leaf methanol extract silver synthesized nanoparticle was the most promising with an IC50 of 9.20 µg/mL. Molecular docking showed 5,7 dimethoxycoumarin as the best ligand, with binding energy of −7.75 kcal/mol, indicating high affinity for the NS5 protein. These results highlight that C. papaya leaf methanol extract silver synthesized nanoparticles could be used to inhibit dengue virus type 2 viral replication. However, we recommend further studies to determine their toxicity and the safety profiles.


SUMMARY

We perform the full elastic waveform inversion in the frequency domain in a 2-D geometry. This method allows imaging of two physical seismic parameters, using vertical and horizontal field components. The forward problem is discretized using finite difference, allowing to simulate the full elastic wavefield propagation. Moreover, it is solved in the frequency domain, a fast approach for multisource and multireceiver acquisition. The non-linear inversion is based on a pre-conditioned gradient method, where Born and Rytov formulations are used to compute Frechet derivatives. Parameter perturbations linearly depend on fields perturbations in the Born kernel, and on the generalized complex phases of fields in the Rytov kernel, giving different Frechet derivatives. The gradient is pre-conditioned with the diagonal part of the inverse Hessian matrix, allowing to better estimate the stepping in the optimization direction. Non-linearity is taken into account by updating parameters at each iteration and proceeding from low to high frequencies. The latter allows as well to progressively introduce smaller wavelengths in parameter images. On a very simple synthetic example, we examine the way the inversion determines the Vp (P-wave velocity) and Vs (S-wave velocity) images. We highlight that, with a transmission acquisition, final parameter images weakly depend on the chosen formulation to compute Frechet derivatives and on the inverted parameters choice. Of course, convergence strongly depends on the medium wavenumber illumination which is related somehow to the acquisition geometry. With a reflection acquisition, the Born formulation allows to better recover scatterers. Moreover, the medium anomalies are not well reconstructed when surface waves propagate in the medium. This may be due to the evanescent nature of surface waves. By selecting first body waves and then surface waves, we improve the convergence and properly reconstruct anomalies. This shows us that preparation of the seismic data before the inversion is as critical as the initial model selection.


ABSTRACT This study uses survey research to examine the nature and role of intellectual capital in the lodging or accommodation sector of the Antalya Region, Turkey. At the onset, the concept of intellectual capital is discussed in detail. Thereafter, survey research data from five-star hotels and first-class holiday villages in Antalya, a region that hosts over 30% of Turkey's lodging firms, are examined. As such, the nature and importance of intellectual capital for wealth creation in the lodging or accommodation sector is better understood.


Purpose of reviewThe aim of this article is to discuss the relevant pathobiologic effects of lenalidomide and the most recent clinical evidence to support its use in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome. Recent findingsLenalidomide is an immunomodulatory agent with biological activity in several hematologic malignancies, including myelodysplastic syndrome. The precise mechanism yielding benefit in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome and 5q− syndrome is not clear, but various molecular and pathogenic targets have been identified. Enhancement of cellular immunity through T-cell and NK-cell activation and suppression of inflammatory cytokines and pro-angiogenic peptides upon lenalidomide treatment has been demonstrated in in-vitro models of myelodysplastic syndrome. Furthermore, lenalidomide induces a direct cytotoxic effect against 5q− clones in leukemia cell lines and enhances ligand-induced erythropoietin receptor signaling in erythroid progenitors. Clinical trials with lenalidomide in myelodysplastic syndrome have supported the in-vitro evidence of karyotype-dependent activity by demonstration of a high frequency of cytogenetic and pathologic responses in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome and deletion of chromosome 5q. Lenalidomide was approved for the treatment of transfusion-dependent patients with low to intermediate risk myelodysplastic syndrome and chromosome 5q deletion. SummaryLenalidomide is an active immunomodulatory agent for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome with encouraging erythropoetic and cytogenetic remitting activity that is karyotype dependent.


Phytochrome (phy) system in plants comprising a small number of phytochromes with phyA and phyB as major ones is responsible for acquiring light information in the red—far-red region of the solar spectrum. It provides optimal strategy for plant development under changing light conditions throughout all its life cycle beginning from seed germination and seedling establishment to fruiting and plant senescence. The phyA was shown to participate in the regulation of this cycle which is especially evident at its early stages. It mediates three modes of reactions—the very low and low fluence responses (VLFR and LFR) and the high irradiance responses (HIR). The phyA is the sole light receptor in the far-red spectral region responsible for plant's survival under a dense plant canopy where light is enriched with the far-red component. Its appearance is believed to be one of the main factors of plants′ successful evolution. So far, it is widely accepted that one molecular phyA species is responsible for its complex functional manifestations. In this review, the evidence of the existence of two distinct phyA types—major, light-labile and soluble phyA′ and minor, relatively light-stable and amphiphilic phyA″—is presented as what may account for the diverse modes of phyA action.


Chemical pressure plays a crucial role in determining the electronic properties of the quantum materials. Investigation of electronic structure of Ho2GexTi2−xO7 (x  =  2, 1.9, 1.75, 1.5 1, 0.5, 0.25, 0.1 and 0) series has been performed. Pyrochlore and Pyrogermanate, Re2B2O7 (Re  =  Ho3+, B  =  Ti4+ and Ge4+; rare earth titanates and germanates), substituted with increasing amount of Ge4+ at the Ti4+ site and vice versa develops structural distortions. Distinct shrinkage effect has been established in the Ho2Ti2O7 matrix upon Ge+4 substitutions at B site, resulting in the modification of band gap value. Band gap of 5.24 eV drastically drops to 3.92 eV with immediate Ti4+ substitution in Ho2Ge2O7. Electronic states of Ho3+ (4f forbidden transitions) had also been identified. We observe favored sub level transition (Specific Stark component) corresponding to5F5 to 5I8 electronic transition for Ho3+ at λexc.  =  450 nm. The upper valence band consisted of O 2p state hybridized with Ho 5p and Ti and Ge 4p states and conduction band primarily formed by Ho 5d state hybridized with Ti 3d and Ge 4d states as obtained from density of states (DOS) calculations. Strong hybridization between Ho 5p1/2 and Ti 3p orbital upon Ti4+ inclusion in Ho2Ge2O7 has been observed through both theoretical studies using LDA—1/2 and UV–Vis, photoluminescence, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The evolution of total DOS of all studied composition shows that valence band edge is more sensitive than conduction band to composition. These results provide chemical pressure as an excellent tool to tailor the band gap and fine tune the intermediate electronic states in Ho2GexTi2−xO7.


We analyzed issues of playoff uncertainty (PU) by examining competitive balance and outcome uncertainty. Specifically, we (i) developed an alternative measure of PU, (ii) analyzed the relationship between PU and postseason structure in Major League Baseball (MLB), and (iii) tested the PU of the outcome hypothesis using our PU measure. The results provide empirical evidence that postseason restructurings in 1969 and 1995 enhanced the PU significantly and had positive effects on fan demand for MLB. This implies that the league office can partly control PU by revising the league structure and thus increasing fan demand.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the application of 10-20 kHz audiometry in early diagnosis of noise-induced hearing loss and to explore the relationship between hearing loss and subjects' age, the exposure time as well as the noise level.

METHODS
One thousand workers with noise exposure history were examined by pure tone audiometry(0.5-20 kHz). One hundred and twenty normal subjects served as the control group.

RESULTS
The noise levels at working sites ranged from 95 to 115dB(A). Compared with the control group, noise-exposed subjects showed minor changes in the thresholds from 0.5 to 6 KHz, whereas the thresholds were elevated in the high frequency range of 10-16 kHz (P < 0.001). The incidence of ears without any response to the maximum output at the frequency range of 14 to 20 kHz was much higher (P < 0.01) than that of the control group. In the animals exposed to noise, the thresholds of 10-18 kHz increased with the aging and with increase of working time (6-10 years), but there were no significant differences among subjects exposed to the noises at different levels(P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION
In noise-exposed ears, the occurrence of threshold changes in the high frequency range (10 to 20 kHz) is earlier than that in the low frequency range (0.5 to 6 kHz). Aging and working time also affect the 10-20 kHz hearing thresholds. The lack of responses to maximum output and the changes in thresholds in the high frequency range (10-20 kHz) can be used as indices for the diagnosis of early noise-induced hearing loss and for the assessment of the susceptibility of the subject to noise damage.


Microalgae have long been recognized as a potentially good source for biofuel production because of their high oil content and rapid biomass production. There are two main objectives of this research: one is to explore the effect of growth conditions on the lipid content in algae biomass and the other is to convert the algae biomass into lipid by using so-called hydrothermal liquefaction, (HTL, a process where long chain polymers of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon decompose into shortchain petroleum hydrocarbons, under heat and high pressure). The optimal circumstances for the HTL both in terms of temperature, pressure and running time during the HTL were investigated, with the aim maximizing the lipid content. Microalgae strain, isolated from the geothermal environment of the Blue Lagoon in Iceland was cultivated at the Blue Lagoon R&D Center in geothermal seawater. Algae were harvested and subsequently processed by HTL by exposing the algae to high pressure (more than 50 bar) and high temperature (up to 270 °C) at the same time, to achieve the chemical conversion of the biomass. An induction-heated autoclave, available from a previous M.Sc. project carried out at the Blue Lagoon R&D Center, was used. To investigate the highest amount of lipids naturally accumulated in the microalgae cells, growth conditions (nutrition concentration and pH) were manipulated in small-scale bioreactors. As the best outcome, oil content increased to 9.03% from the initial 0.46% in algae biomass, during hydrothermal processing at 280 °C temperature and under 56-61 bar pressure. This research confirmed that, microalgae cultivated with low nutrition concentration has the most lipid content per produced mass. However, unfavorable circumstances are limiting the growth rate of the biomass in a way, the absolute mass of produced lipids in are the lowest in the case of nutrition limitation. The thesis also gives an overview of geothermal systems and the most common methods and technologies used to harness geothermal energy.


Decentralized and unstructured peer-to-peer (P2P) networks such as Gnutella are attractive for Internet-scale information retrieval and search systems because they require neither any centralized directory nor any centralized management of overlay network topology and data placement. However, due to this decentralized architecture, current P2P keyword search systems lack useful global knowledge such as popularity of data items and relationships between keywords and data items. As a result, current P2P keyword search systems supports only naive text-match search and can find only data items with a keyword (or meta-data) exactly indicated in a query. In this paper, we show an efficient P2P search system which increases possibility of discovering desired data items. The key mechanism is query expansion, where a received query is expanded based on keyword relationships managed in a distributed fashion by participating nodes. Keyword relationships are improved through search and retrieval processes and each relationships is shared among nodes holding similar data items. We also present implementation of our P2P search system.


Dr. Harry Riddle's first problem was the whereabouts of the grotesque hitchhiker who had vanished after killing Innis St. Erme. The second was what he did with St. Erme's missing right hand. Riddle's investigation reaches into the very core of madness, but it takes one further, horrific turn when he himself becomes implicated in the serial killer's trail of murders. Soon to be a major motion picture.


Background A substantial number of patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) have axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), but early recognition of these patients is difficult for general practitioners (GPs). The Case Finding Axial Spondyloarthritis (CaFaSpA) referral strategy has shown to be able to identify patients with CLBP at risk for axSpA, but its impact on clinical daily practice is yet unknown. Objective To assess the effect of the CaFaSpA referral strategy on pain caused by disability in primary care patients with CLBP. Methods Within this clustered randomized controlled trial 93 general practices were randomized to either the CaFaSpA referral model (intervention) or usual primary care (control). In each group primary care patients between 18 and 45 years with CLBP were included. The primary outcome was disability caused by CLBP, measured with the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) at baseline and four months. Secondary outcome was the frequency of new axSpA diagnosis. Descriptive analyses were performed, and a linear mixed-effects model was used. Results In total 679 CLBP patients were included of which 333 patients were allocated to the intervention group and 346 to the control group. Sixty-four percent were female and mean age was 36.2 years. The mean RMDQ score at baseline was 8.39 in the intervention group and 8.61 in the control group. At four months mean RMDQ score was 7.65 in the intervention group and 8.15 in the control group. This difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.50). Six (8%) out of the 75 finally referred patients, were diagnosed with axSpA by their rheumatologist. Conclusions The CaFaSpA referral strategy for axSpA did not have an effect on disability after four months caused by CLBP. However, the strategy is able to detect the axSpA patient within the large CLBP population sufficiently. Trial registration number: NCT01944163, Clinicaltrials.gov.


Viral hepatitis is the most frequent occupational disease in the health service workers. On the ground of epidemiological data on certifications of occupational diseases, an analysis of morbidity of viral hepatitis was performed. Among viruses that can cause occupational hepatitis there are HAV, HBV and HCV. However, occupational HDV and HGV infections are also possible. In Poland, the number of hepatitis diagnosed as occupational diseases became more stable in the years 1996-1998, whereas morbidity of hepatitis C significantly increased. Such an epidemiological situation could be observed in the area of Wielkopolska and throughout the country. In the former province of Poznań and in the present province of Wielkopolska, occupational hepatitis occurred mostly in nurses. In the nineteen sixties and seventies, the most dramatic increase in the incidence of hepatitis B was noticed in the population of nurses and midwives at the age between 21 and 30 years. This can provide evidence of especially high exposure to infectious factors in this occupational group and of high HBV infectivity. Nowadays, an average age at the time of diagnosis of hepatitis C is somewhat higher. Hepatitis C is usually recognized at the age between 30 and 39 years. A relatively low infectivity of HCV and mostly asymptomatic course of the infection, which delays diagnosis, may provide some explanations of these phenomena. The geographical distribution of stated cases of hepatitis C is difficult to predict and may suggest that some non-medical factors also play a role. Since no specific measures to prevent the incidence of hepatitis C have been developed, a good recognition of HCV reservoir in the population of health service workers (particularly nurses) is one of possible methods to improve the epidemiological situation. It might also be necessary to discuss some limitations in work ability of infected persons. In addition, good training in occupational hygiene and how to handle infectious materials is essential for health service workers.


Presents a distributed planning and control architecture for autonomous multi-manipulator systems (MMS). The control architecture is implemented using an agent-based approach. A team of distributed and autonomous agents is deployed to model the flexible assembly system in such a way that the agents negotiate, collaborate, and cooperate to achieve the goals of assembly tasks. The main focus of the paper is on assembly task allocation and assembly task execution. We describe the agent models and communication mechanism, and explain how they handle complex interactions among agents. A distributed trajectory planning approach based on artificial potential fields is also presented. Experimental results show that our multi-agent planning and control framework is suitable for flexible robotic assembly tasks. Our approach addresses the issues of flexibility, scalability, reconfigurability, and fault-tolerance. We anticipate that the same approach can be applied to other flexible manufacturing environments.


The maximum range of a projectile in a vacuum is easily derived from the range formula or the calculus, but Galileo solved this problem in the 1600s without knowledge of either. This paper decribes his method and provides the first detailed study and discussion in the literature (to this author's knowledge) of Galileo's work on the maximum range problem.


We propose a method of accelerating Python code by just-in-time compilation leveraging type hints mechanism introduced in Python 3.5. In our approach performance-critical kernels are expected to be written as if Python was a strictly typed language, however without the need to extend Python syntax. This approach can be applied to any Python application, however we focus on a special case when legacy Fortran applications are automatically translated into Python for easier maintenance. We developed a framework implementing two-way transpilation and achieved performance equivalent to that of Python manually translated to Fortran, and better than using other currently available JIT alternatives (up to 5x times faster than Numba in some experiments).


The modernization of public services is a major issue for public authorities and delegated public service organizations. The latter are faced with challenges that necessitate in-depth organizational change. This chapter presents the case of a French delegate public service entity, designated by the letter U, in which we have conducted since 1995 a socio-economic intervention-research.


Single phase mixed zirconium phosphate phenylphosphonates, ZrP(PP)x, were prepared by two different synthetic approaches: reaction of gels of nanosized α-zirconium phosphate in propanol with solutions of phenylphosphonic acid (H2PP), leading to the topotactic exchange of monohydrogen phosphate groups with phenylphosphonate groups, and precipitation from propanol solutions of H2PP, phosphoric acid, and zirconyl propionate. In both cases, propanol intercalated compounds were obtained. The x values of the ZrP(PP)x materials prepared by topotactic anion exchange ranged from 0.37 to 0.56 for (H2PP/Zr) molar ratios in the range 0.52-4.16 and [H2PP] = 0.1 M, while a maximum x value of 0.73 was only reached at 60 °C, with (H2PP/Zr) = 4.16 and [H2PP] = 0.31 M. Direct precipitation of ZrP(PP)x provided samples with 0.13 ≤ x ≤ 1.54, for H2PP molar fractions in the range 0.05-0.5 and (P/Zr) molar ratio = 6. At 90% relative humidity, the (H2O/Zr) molar ratio for the precipitated ZrP(PP)x powder samples increased in the range 1.3-3.0 with increasing x and resulted in being higher than that of nanosized ZrP (0.8). The analysis of the X-ray diffraction patterns of the gel and powder samples, together with the hydration data of the powder samples, suggested a structural model in which the random distribution of the phosphate and phenylphosphonate groups creates cavities which can accommodate propanol molecules in the gel samples and water molecules in the hydrated powder samples.


Nanotubes of quasilayered bismuth telluride compound were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis. Nanotubes have diameters smaller than 100nm and spiral tube-walls. The low-dimensional morphology and hollow structure enable bismuth telluride nanotubes to be a potential thermoelectric material with a high figure of merit due to the efficient phonon blocking effect. The experimental results show that the addition of nanotubes leads to a remarkable decrease in the thermal conductivity with the electrical conductivity much less affected and thus to an increase in the figure of merit of the Bi2Te3-based material.


Abstract A method to simulate die compaction and sintering is presented. By implementing user defined routines for both processes into the general purpose finite element program ABAQUS quantitative predictions of density distributions and shape distortions can be obtained as well as the stresses in the tool components. By computational optimisation of the individual production steps suggestions can be made to improve the final properties. As an example for both die pressing and sintering a complex three-dimensional part is simulated and suggestions to improve dimensional accuracy are made. Finally, stresses in the tools are calculated showing that the deflections are large enough to cause punch to punch contact so that tool wear must be expected.


We studied epidemiologic and immunologic factors in infants with bronchiolitis caused by influenza virus. The proportion of these infants who were male and who had an immediate family member with a history of asthma was similar to that of a control group of infants with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis. In subjects with influenza virus infection, concentrations of the beta chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein‐1alpha (MIP‐1α), but not other beta chemokines, in nasopharyngeal secretions (NPS) were greater among infants with more severe, hypoxic bronchiolitis than in subjects with mild, nonhypoxic bronchiolitis, or upper respiratory tract infection alone. Quantities of MIP‐1α were also correlated with lower values of oxygen saturation. These findings point out epidemiologic and immunologic similarities between bronchiolitis caused by influenza and RSV, and suggest that host factors are more important than the nature of the infecting virus in the development of severe forms of bronchiolitis caused by influenza and RSV. J. Med. Virol. 75:282–289, 2005. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


We revisit the problem of inertial r-modes in stratified stars, drawing on a more precise description of the composition stratification in a mature neutron star. The results highlight issues with the traditional approach to the problem, leading us to rethink the computational strategy for the r-modes of nonbarotropic neutron stars. We outline two strategies for dealing with the problem. For moderate to slowly rotating neutron stars the only viable alternative may be to approach the problem numerically from the outset, while a meaningful slow-rotation calculation can be carried out for the fastest known spinning stars (which may be close to being driven unstable by the emission of gravitational waves). We demonstrate that the latter approach leads to a problem close, but not identical, to that for barotropic inertial modes. We also suggest that these reformulations of the problem likely resolve the long-standing problem of singular behavior associated with a corotation point in rotating relativistic neutron stars. This issue needs to be resolved in order to guide future gravitational-wave searches.


Academic studies play a central role in determining socioeconomic status in Western society. Nevertheless, most research had focused on factors of academic achievement and paid less attention to factors of actual registration for academic studies. Reasons for choosing to enrol in academic studies are particularly important for understanding majority and minority group differences in rates of registration for such studies and helping promote ethnic groups. The present research, conducted with undergraduate students in Israel, examined differences between students of Jewish and Arab origin in terms of their reasons for undertaking studies. First, qualitative interviews were held with 50 students from the two groups about their reasons for choosing to study. Based on thematic analysis of the interviews, a quantitative questionnaire was developed. It was administered to 367 students from the two groups. The data indicate several differences between the groups, but also reveal opposite directions of correlations in the two groups, corresponding with different family situations. Some possible explanations are suggested for the associations of the groups, family status, and reasons for studying, and the theoretical and methodological implications of these associations are discussed.


In recent years, commercial exploitation of small satellites and CubeSats has rapidly increased. Time to market of processed customer data products is becoming an important differentiator between solution providers and satellite constellation operators. Timely and accurate data dissemination is the key to success in the commercial usage of small satellite constellations which is ultimately dependent on a high degree of autonomous fleet management and automated decision support. The traditional way for disseminating data is limited by on the communication capability of the satellite and the ground terminal availability. Even though cloud computing solutions on the ground offer high analytical performance, getting the data from the space infrastructure to the ground servers poses a bottleneck of data analysis and distribution. On the other hand, adopting advanced and intelligent algorithms onboard offers the ability of autonomy, tasking of operations, and fast customer generation of low latency conclusions, or even real-time communication with assets on the ground or other sensors in a multi-sensor configuration. In this paper, the advantages of intelligent onboard processing using advanced algorithms for Heterogeneous System Architecture (HSA) compliant onboard data processing systems are explored. The onboard data processing architecture is designed to handle a large amount of high-speed streaming data and provides hardware redundancy to be qualified for the space mission application domain. We conduct an experimental study to evaluate the performance analysis by using image recognition algorithms based on an open source intelligent machine library "MIOpen" and an open standard "OpenVX". OpenVX is a cross-platform computer vision library.


In avoiding damage to fruit species the permissible falling height and permissible static pressure are of great importance. The former is important in planning harvesting and handling operations, the latter in selecting the height of transport containers. Fruits are generally transported in containers. The static and dynamic forces which then act on the fruit will cause damage if they exceed given value. The static force may be calculated from the weight of the fruit column being transported while the dynamic load is a consequence of vibration caused by transport. The permitted static load for a given fruit may be determined experimentally. In this study, physical properties of interest were determined for fresh pomegranate fruit then calculations for the design of a suitable height were conducted based on the measured properties using Ross and Isaacs's theory. Maximum height for packing and storing of fresh pomegranate fruit in the box was determined to be less than 123 cm based on a rupture force of 40.7 N.


To approach an understanding of the way in which totonaca traditional healers conceive dreams and how they function in healing, we carried out sixteen focal interviews. Although we centred this work on dreams reported by traditional healers recognized as such in their community, dreams were also important during initiation and training. PALABRAS CLAVE | KEYWORDS medicina tradicional | psicologia cultural | suenos | cuanderismo | medicos tradicionales | totonacas | Mexico | traditional medicine | cultural psychology | dreams | traditional healers


This paper presents the calculation of lightning-induced voltages over lossy ground, generated by a lightning strike to a flat ground and a tall object. A hybrid electromagnetic circuit model method adopting an approximation formula, i.e., Cooray-Rubinstein expression, is employed in this paper. A comparison of the simulation results with experimental data shows that the Cooray-Rubinstein formula is still good enough for the calculation of a lightning-induced voltage. Electric fields calculated by the proposed method, and by equations derived by Master and Uman and a conventional dipole technique, are compared. The two approaches yield the same total electrical fields but different components of electrostatic, induction and radiation.


The propagation of electromagnetic waves over the earth's surface is considered under transient conditions. The source is taken to be a vertical electric dipole whose current moment is suddenly established. The build-up of the radiated field is calculated under various assumed corditions. It is shown, even in the absence of an ionospherically reflected wave, that the influence of earth curvature has a pronounced effect on the distortion of the original pulse shape. For great distances (i.e., d>2000 km), it is found to be more convenient to regard the field as a sum of modes. Particular attention is given to the transient characteristics of the dominant mode as a function of the source waveform.


This article discusses the development path taken by Malaysia after Independence to achieve a developed country status by the year 2020, from pursuing economic development with redistribution paying somewhat little attention to the health of the environment to a balanced approach through a balanced development strategy involving the pursuance of economic growth, societal development and protecting the natural as well as the built-up environment. And then in April 2010 the Malaysian Prime Minister announced to the Malaysian public the concept and substance of the New Economic Model (NEM) that will leverage future Malaysian development efforts. In the NEM, economic growth is still a pivotal concern but this time with a difference to similar efforts to achieve economic growth in the past, in that economic growth in the NEM is to push Malaysia into a higher income country, thus freeing the country from the middle income syndrome. The average Malaysians will enjoy in the end living in a peaceful, prosperous and livable country captured in a living condition of a high quality of life. In short, for over fifty years after Independence Malaysia has experienced two development phases, and now entering into another onea third one, forming in all three transitions to sustainability. What have been the environmental impacts of those development phases to the country and the Malaysian citizen? During the period of growth with redistribution, the economy was making the country a reasonably comfortable country with a rising middle class but poverty was still ravaging, and the environment was slowly degrading. There was a conscious effort by the government to conserve bio-diversity and protect the environment during the sustainable development phase; but the momentum of pursuing growth and societal development the environment continued to experience degradation. It is too soon to evaluate the fate of the environment in the NEM phase. But the fact that economic activities for high growth, social 'inclusivity' as the second pillar with sustainability as the third pillar the way forward for the environment seems well protected to deliver the promised higher and better quality of Malaysian life in the future.


After we modified raw data for anomalies, we conducted spectral analysis using the data. In the frequency, the spectrum is best described by a decaying exponential function. For this reason, stochastic models characterized by a spectrum attenuated according to a power law cannot be used to model precipitation anomaly. We introduced a new model, the e-model, which properly reproduces the spectrum of the precipitation anomaly. After using the data to infer the parameter values of the e-model, we used the e-model to generate synthetic daily precipitation time series. Comparison with recorded data shows a good agreement. This e-model resembles fractional Brown motion (fBm)/fractional Levy motion (fLm), especially the spectral method. That is, we transform white noise Xt to the precipitation daily time series. Our analyses show that the frequency of extreme precipitation events is best described by a Levy law and cannot be accounted with a Gaussian distribution.


Background: Trying to figure out how someone died is difficult. Identifying whether a death was caused by suicide, an accident, or a homicide during the first stages of an inquiry is one of the most challenging tasks for a forensic expert and medical staff. Aim: The research aims to analyse the stab wound on chest through the lungs. Method: A case was reported. A corpse known by the initials BS which based on the visum request letter dated September 08, 2020, No.K/04/IX/2020/Reskrim on behalf of Binjai Resort Police. On September 08 2020 at 21.00 Western Indonesia Time at the Forensic Room of the Djoelham Hospital, carried out external examination of the corpse and continued internal examination on September 8, 2020 at 22.05 Western Indonesian Time. Findings: Head and neck stab wounds are uncommon. The stabbing wound on the left chest is the most hazardous. The tendency is for someone to penetrate the left chest. Furthermore, a murderous person will stab themselves in the left chest. People believed the sufferer would pass away sooner because the majority of the heart is on the left side of the chest.