Background: Compliance is one of the major factors of achieving asthma control. Emotional and psychological peculiarities of compliance in patients with bronchial asthma (BA) have not been studied enough.

Aim: To study clinical-functional and psycho-emotional peculiarities of patients with BA depending on compliance.

Methods: 91 patients with mild to moderate BA at the age of 36±1.1 years were examined. Women comprised 65%. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Self-estimation scale developed by Spilberger-Hanin, and TAS for alexitimia were used.

Results: The patients were divided into groups considering compliance: the 1st group consisted of patients with positive compliance (PC), they followed all doctor's recommendations during the year; the 2nd group included the patients with negative compliance (NC), they either absolutely or partially did not follow the recommendations. The patients with NC had a more intense degree of BA severity (69%) and were of an older age (p<0,002). Higher values were revealed in the 2nd group by TAS, scales of depression, personal and reactive anxiety. The average profile of a personality by MMPI scales in BA patients with NC was higher than the standard one. A high risk of psychopathologic reactions was revealed in the patients of this group (impulsiveness, nonconformity, nonstereotipeness). The patients of this group had inner tension, nervousness, aloofness, which can intensify psychosomatic disorders.

Conclusion: For BA patients with NC it is necessary to create a psychotherapeutic environment in the hospital as well as an individual approach to recommendations and their explanation.


The literary data concerning the mechanisms of an increase of lipofuscin amount in cells are reviewed. The paper contains information about the properties of lipofuscin inclusions, the influence of autophagocytosis, intralysosomal degradation, and exocytosis on lipofuscin content in cells. The question of the possibility of complete elimination of autophagocytosed material is discussed.


This paper shares findings from a qualitative study on university student mental health and illness that included digitally recorded interviews with university student services and programs professionals and staff at a Canadian university. Transcripts were thematically coded and analyzed using a disability studies informed interpretive sociological approach. Four key themes emerged: dwelling with disclosure, being open to the 'nothing but', understanding oneself as 'not a counselor', and coming to terms with the reality that under neoliberalism 'we all fall' Two key insights also emerged from the analysis: 1) Access to university-based programs and services is shaped by assumptions about productivity and reputation; 2) Psychiatric knowledge and expertise influences and informs how university student services staff understand and enact their roles within the university system. This paper considers how university-wide productivity-oriented psy-knowledge and practices organize and authorize what one participant described as a 'hidden curriculum' of academic success. This hidden curriculum manifests in the form of a referral-based resiliency (govern)mentality in university student service provision. It closes with a reflection on the transformative potential of adopting a "critically maladaptive" (McLaren, 2010, p. 504) approach that is attentive to alterity in university-based student services professional perspectives which appears in the form of a thoughtful "but…".


In Egypt require to improve agricultural production
to save food demand with increase population. Soil salinity is a
significant attractive problem for agriculture in irrigated areas.
As a result, monitoring of soil salinity is required for salinization
control. One of the greatest challenges faced by Egypt's
decision-makers is the acquisition of reliable integrated soil
salinity information to introduce and recommendation of a simple
approach to formulating a guideline for stakeholders. Saline
affected areas are vast, making it extremely difficult to examine
soil quality with field and laboratory data to provide reliable
approach to forecast and monitor soil salinity. Objective of this
paper is to research remote sensing and ArcGIS tools by
Geo-Statistical Analyst techniques to map saline-sodic heavy clay
soils of the Tina plain area in Egypt. Tina Plain characterizes a
serious area for potential development of agricultural land in
Egypt. Satellite images were downloaded by Landsat 8,
Sentinel-2A, Sentinel-1, and Synthetic Aperture Radar C-band
data were wont to map soil salinity within the area. By coefficient
of correlation method were preformed, evaluated and compared of
the Three models. The results revealed that the Sentinel-2A
optical imaging satellite yielded the very best prediction
performance. ArcGIS Geo-Statistical Analyst was also
successfully wont to predict and map the saline-sodic heavy clay
soils with a mistake percentage of about 4.28%, which is taken
into account as a minor error. generally, the study confirms that
the Remote Sensing and ArcGIS Geo-Statistical Analyst are often
considered by researchers and decision-makers as a credible,
cost-effective, and time-controlled techniques to work out and
predict the extension of soil salinity.


Survivors Healing from Abuse: Recovery through Exposure (SHARE) is a brief, exposure-based group treatment for incarcerated female survivors of sexual violence. Preliminary evaluations of SHARE showed declines in depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms from pre- to posttreatment. However, prior investigations have not included a longitudinal follow-up period and thus knowledge of whether therapeutic benefits persist following the termination of the group is lacking. Here, we examined data from 57 incarcerated women who completed SHARE and provided follow-up data while still incarcerated (M = 95 days posttreatment). Results from a one-way repeated-measures ANOVA showed significant reductions in PTSD and depression symptoms from pre- to posttreatment (large effect sizes), with symptoms further reduced during the follow-up period. In addition, McNemar tests showed a significant reduction in the proportion of participants at or above the clinical cut-off for probable PTSD and depression from pre- to posttreatment as well as from posttreatment to the follow-up assessment. Together, results suggest that the therapeutic benefits of SHARE persist after treatment is completed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).


We prove a complexity dichotomy theorem for a class of Holant problems on planar 3-regular bipartite graphs. The complexity dichotomy states that for every weighted constraint function $f$ defining the problem (the weights can even be negative), the problem is either computable in polynomial time if $f$ satisfies a tractability criterion, or \#P-hard otherwise. One particular problem in this problem space is a long-standing open problem of Moore and Robson on counting Cubic Planar X3C. The dichotomy resolves this problem by showing that it is \numP-hard. Our proof relies on the machinery of signature theory developed in the study of Holant problems. An essential ingredient in our proof of the main dichotomy theorem is a pure graph-theoretic result: Excepting some trivial cases, every 3-regular plane graph has a planar 3-way edge perfect matching. The proof technique of this graph-theoretic result is a combination of algebraic and combinatorial methods. The P-time tractability criterion of the dichotomy is explicit. Other than the known classes of tractable constraint functions (degenerate, affine, product type, matchgates-transformable) we also identify a new infinite set of P-time computable planar Holant problems; however, its tractability is not by a direct holographic transformation to matchgates, but by a combination of this method and a global argument. The complexity dichotomy states that everything else in this Holant class is \#P-hard.


White light emitting mixture (WLEM) was produced by controlled mixing of blue emitting silicon quantum dots (Si QDs) and orange red emitting gold nanoclusters (Au NCs). The chromaticity color co-ordinate of the WLEM studied using CIE (Commission Internationale del'Eclairage) diagram was found to be (0.33, 0.32), which was very close to that of perfect white light emitting source. The WLEM can also be achieved in the form of gel, solid and film with nearly the same CIE co-ordinates which enhances its utility as white light-emitting source in solid state devices. The reversible and thermo-responsive behaviour of the WLEM broadens its application in thermal sensing. Furthermore, the system was found to be showing fast, sensitive and selective detection of Hg2+ ions and thiol containing amino acid cysteine.


Taxon sampling is a central aspect of phylogenetic study design, but it has received limited attention in the context of molecular dating and especially in the framework of total-evidence dating, a widely used dating approach that directly integrates molecular and morphological information from extant and fossil taxa. We here assess the impact of different outgroup sampling schemes on age estimates in a total-evidence dating analysis under the uniform tree prior. Our study group are Pimpliformes, a highly diverse, rapidly radiating group of parasitoid wasps of the family Ichneumonidae. We cover 201 extant and 79 fossil taxa, including the oldest fossils of the family from the Early Cretaceous and the first unequivocal representatives of extant subfamilies from the mid Paleogene. Based on newly compiled molecular data from ten nuclear genes and a morphological matrix that includes 222 characters, we show that age estimates become both older and less precise with the inclusion of more distant and more poorly sampled outgroups. In addition, we discover an artefact that might be detrimental for total-evidence dating: "bare-branch attraction", namely high attachment probabilities of, especially, older fossils to terminal branches for which morphological data are missing. After restricting outgroup sampling and adding morphological data for the previously attracting, bare branches, we recover a Middle and Early Jurassic origin for Pimpliformes and Ichneumonidae, respectively. This first age estimate for the group not only suggests an older origin than previously thought, but also that diversification of the crown group happened before the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. Our case study demonstrates that in order to obtain robust age estimates, total-evidence dating studies need to be based on a thorough and balanced sampling of both extant and fossil taxa, with the aim of minimizing evolutionary rate heterogeneity and missing morphological information.


A bias correction for multiple-recapture sampling is proposed. The correction is similar to Chapman's (1951, University of California Publication in Statistics 1, 131-160) correction of the Lincoln-Petersen estimator of population size. Small-sample properties of the modified population size estimator are examined using Monte Carlo simulation. Substantial reductions in estimator bias and variance are obtained with the modified estimator.


Djernaes, M. 2011. The sternum V glands in Lepidoptera. —Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 00: 1–16.

Abstract

I investigated representatives for all lepidopteran families known to possess the sternum V glands (Micropterigidae, Agathiphagidae, Heterobathmiidae, Erio-craniidae and Lophocoronidae) as well as representatives for the two families (Neopseustidae and Nepticulidae) known to posses fenestrae on sternum IV, structures associated with the sternum V glands in Eriocraniidae. I found significant variation in the gland structure. The gland opening is associated with a variety of cuticular modifications, several of which provide enlarged evaporative surfaces for enhanced dispersal of gland products. The gland reservoir was surrounded by musculature in all families except Agathiphagidae and Nepticulidae, providing means of rapid expulsion of gland products. The fenestra in female Eriocraniidae, Neopseustidae and Nepticulidae are perforated. Furthermore, the fenestra in female Neopseustidae and Nepticulidae are associated with what appears to be functional sternum V glands consisting of a reservoir and secretory tissue albeit without a gland duct. I discuss the evolutionary history and functional considerations of the sternum V gland in Lepidoptera.


H2; H4; H7; C33 KEy woRdS: JEL Classification: fiscal competition, public expenditure, panel data econometrics 1 University of Salzburg and Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO), Austria Corespondence concerning to this article should be addressed to: firstname.lastname@example.com Hannes Winner1


Glutathione, considered to be the master antioxidant (AO), is the most-important redox regulator that controls inflammatory processes, and thus damage to the periodontium. Periodontitis patients have reduced total AO capacity in whole saliva, and lower concentrations of reduced glutathione (GSH) in serum and gingival crevicular fluid, and periodontal therapy restores the redox balance. Therapeutic considerations for the adjunctive use of glutathione in management of periodontitis, in limiting the tissue damage associated with oxidative stress, and enhancing wound healing cannot be underestimated, but need to be evaluated further through multi-centered randomized controlled trials.


ABSTRACT Migration is a phenomenon that impacts a range of areas in people's lives. However, research identifying differences and similarities in socio-emotional processes, considering different types of migration, is scant. Adopting a resilient framework, the present study sought to fill a gap in knowledge by comparing Venezuelan migrants (n = 346) to Peru with Peruvian internal migrants (n = 294) residing in the same city. The results showed significant differences in the emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and suppression) in favour of Venezuelan migrants, while a higher level of perception of social support from friends was observed in the Peruvian sample. A greater number of social predictors (perceived social support from family and significant other) and sociodemographic variables (gender and student status) on emotion regulation were observed in the Venezuelan sample; whereas in the Peruvian sample only two significant predictors (perceived social support from family and work status) contributed to emotion regulation strategies. It is concluded that migration, whether international or internal, is associated with adaptive processes, whereby social supports and socio-demographic characteristics can act as protective or risk factors. These findings have implications for the development of policies in support of migrants' psychological well-being.


Passed in 2006, the Massachusetts healthcare reform bill represents an innovative approach to healthcare reform in the United States. The bill (Chapter 58 of the Massachusetts Laws of 2006) has four main goals: to use an individual mandate to expand access to near universal levels; to establish guidelines for employers' 'fair share' contribution and involvement; to reorganize insurance markets and manage the distribution and subsidization of several insurance plans through the new Massachusetts "Connector"; and to establish transparency that will aid in understanding and assessing the bill's cost and quality of care.


Background : NCCN provides guidelines for breast cancer post-therapy surveillance (clinic appointments, mammograms, and anti-hormone therapy use). The multidisciplinary breast care clinic (MDC) was designed with a specific infrastructure to serve women with state-federal safety net funding. The purpose of this study was to determine patient compliance in this population. Methods : A retrospective chart review was performed on 82 previously diagnosed breast cancer subjects seen at the MDC during 2011-13. Post-therapy surveillance compliance for clinic appointments (CA, n=82), annual mammography for subjects with one or both breasts intact (MAM, n=75), and yearly evaluation for subjects prescribed anti-hormone therapy (AHT, n=61) was assessed. Compliance was compared based on subject characteristics: age, stage, distance from home to MDC, insurance carrier, race, and ethnicity. Results : The per patient average combined compliance for all post-therapy surveillance was 87.7% at 12 months, 57% at 18 months, and 76.9% at 60 months. There were no trends in the analysis of average of CA kept based on insurance carriers. HMO participants had the highest percentage compliance at (95.0%; n= 2). After that, the ranking was as follows: 73.7% of those who are under the Breast Cancer Early Detection Program (BCEDP) (n=9), 68.6% under Cal Optima (n= 63), 68.2% straight Medicare (n= 2), and 63.1% for subjects with MediCal (n= 6). While no trend was identified for MAM by insurance carrier, the compliance was overall higher (average of 90%) when compared to CA (average of 74%) and AHT compliance (average of 87%). The overall cumulative percent compliance by test category and characteristic groups was: Conclusions: Given the perceived challenge of consistent, reliable follow up in this patient population, the results of this analysis are quite encouraging with averages for mammogram at 87%, AHT compliance of 76%, and CA at 68%. The compliance patterns discovered in this evaluation document the expectations and serve as a real-life practical, community standard. Mammography emerged as a driving component of compliance. The overall average combined compliance reduction at 18 months may be associated with possible visits to non-MDC facilities when mammography was not performed. An attempt to define outlier groups for potential infrastructure modification, based on unique group characteristics, was unsuccessful. While this may be attributed to the small n values, an alternate explanation is that the consistent infrastructure designed for a diverse, underinsured population resulted in a lack of variation. Citation Format: Carandang MI, Wagman LD, Babaran W. Compliance improvement with enhanced, patient-specific breast clinic infrastructure. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-10-03.


Objective: To evaluate the method and curative effect of plate fixation or percutaneous screws for the treatment of calcaneal fractures of Sanders type Ⅱ and Ⅲ via a minimally invasive sinus tarsi incision combined with a variety of manipulative reduction methods. Methods: Twenty-one patients with closed calcaneal fractures treated in the Department of Orthopedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from January 2014 to January 2016 were collected. There were 15 men and 6 women, with an average age of 39.3 years(from 25 to 63 years). According to the Sanders classification, 16 cases were type Ⅱ and 5 were type Ⅲ.All cases were treated with internal fixation with plate and percutaneous screws via the mini-open sinus tarsi approach following reduction of the posterior articular surface of the subtalar joint and calcaneal length, width and height.Statistical analysis was performed on calcaneal width and Böhler angle, Gissane angle preoperatively and postoperatively (3 days and 3 months). All data were analyzed by ANOVA, functional recovery was evaluated according to the Ankle and Hind-foot Score of American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS). Results: Twenty one patients were followed up for a mean duration of 13.4 months(6 to 24 months). All cases gained primary incision healing, without complications such as skin necrosis, wound infection, tenosynovitis of peroneus longus and brevis muscles, or fracture displacement and hardware failure.Bone union was achieved at an average of 10.5 weeks(9 to 11 weeks). No obvious malunion occurred by the last follow-up. Compared to preoperative, calcaneal width(F=25.62, 38.90) were significantly improved 3 days and 3 months after surgery, Böhler angle(F=440.24, 272.42) and Gissane angle(F=91.86, 43.74) were normal, the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Compared to 3 days after surgery, calcaneal width, Böhler angle and Gissane angle kept normal 3 months after surgery, there were no statistically differences (F=0.26, 1.35, 2.60, all P>0.05). By the AOFAS scoring, 10 cases were rated as excellent, 7 were good and 4 were fair. Conclusions: Fixation with plate and percutaneous screws via the mini-open sinus tarsi approach is an effective treatment for Sanders types Ⅱ and Ⅲ calcaneal fractures, which with the advantages of small wound, simple operation, reliable fixation, no incision complication, especially suitable for elderly patients and the patients with severe injury of local soft tissue.


An experimental study of cavitating flow on a heated NACA0015 hydrofoil was conducted in a cavitation tunnel to investigate the influence of the hydrofoil surface temperature on the cavitating flow. The cavitation behavior under different heating conditions was examined using highspeed video, and an image processing method was used to obtain the periodic characteristics of the cavitating flow. The results revealed that attached sheet cavitation and supercavitation occurred on both heated and unheated hydrofoils. However, sheet-cloud cavitation was observed only on the unheated hydrofoil, whereas transient cavitation was observed only on the heated hydrofoil. Transient cavitation also exhibited periodic growth/collapse behavior; however, there was no shedding of a large vapor cloud. Moreover, with a further increase in the hydrofoil surface temperature, transient cavitation turned into opentype cavitation. The cavitating flow exhibited a quasisteady cavity length with an open cavity closure. It was considered that the surface temperature promoted vapor generation at the cavity leading edge, which enlarged the vapor-filled fore part of the sheet cavity. This enlarged sheet cavity prevented the reentrant flow from moving upstream and thus turned the cavity closure into an open type. Once the cavity closure turned into an open type, the local disturbance led to a smaller adverse pressure gradient, which was not sufficiently strong to create a reentrant flow. In this case, if the vapor production at the cavity leading edge was sufficiently large to reach a balance with vapor condensation at the open cavity closure, the cavity would be steady.


Cryocoolers with large cooling powers at 80 K are very promising as they could find important applications in superconducting field such as cooling cables, transformers and fault current limiters. The pulse tube cryocooler has attracted attention due to its virtue of no moving components in the cold region. However, as the cooling power increases, problems inside the thermal buffer tube, such as difficulty in obtaining good flow straightening, existence of Rayleigh streaming, the gravity effect etc., present big obstacles to achieving high thermal efficiency. On the other hand, a free piston Stirling cryocooler, though more complicated due to the existence of the displacer, could avoid these problems with the elimination of the thermal buffer tube. Meanwhile, the efficiency is better than the pulse tube cryocooler around 80 K due to its capability of recovering the acoustic work. In this article, a free piston Stirling cryocooler with about 300 W cooling power at 80 K is designed with our simulation based on thermoacoustic theory. The theoretical analysis and numeric model are given in detail. The phase shift effect of the displacer and the internal energy loss mechanism are discussed. From our calculation, a relative Carnot efficiency of about 50% at 80 K has been obtained analytically.


High-spin states in 158Er have been populated with the reactions 145Nd(16O,3n) and 146Nd(16O,4n) and high-spin states in 159Er by the reaction 145Nd(18O,4n). Gamma-gamma coincidence and angular correlation data were obtained using an array of five Ge(Li)-NaI(Tl) escape-suppressed spectrometers. Linear polarisation data were obtained using a sectored Ge(Li) detector and internal conversion data were obtained using a mini-orange spectrometer. In 158Er the yrast band has been observed up to Jpi =26+ and three negative-parity side bands have been observed up to spins Jpi =23-, 22- and 15- respectively. The ground-state band has been observed to continue after the first backbend in the yrast sequence to Jpi =20+ and the odd- and even-spin members of the gamma-vibrational band were observed up to 7+ and 10+, respectively. In 159Er the yrast band has been observed up to Jpi =57/2+ and four side bands have been identified to spins Jpi =15/2-, 39/2+, 49/2-, and 51/2- respectively. The bands observed are interpreted as configurations of quasiparticles using the cranked shell model. Residual quasiparticle interactions are calculated as a function of rotational frequency.


Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL

Purpose. Dysregulated Notch signaling has been connected with a variety of cancers, including melanoma. We previously demonstrated that aberrant Notch signaling is a crucial oncogenic promoter in driving melanoma development and progression. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the oncogenic effect of Notch signaling on melanoma progression remains largely unknown, and we hypothesized it might be mediated in part through regulating miRNAs. We sought to identify these Notch-regulated miRNAs.

Methods. Notch-regulated specific miRNAs were identified by examining miRNA profiles in response to Notch activation and inhibition in melanoma cells using RT2-PCRArray. Enforced activation and suppression of the Notch pathway were achieved by transducing melanoma cells with viral vectors encoding activated Notch1 (NIC) and dominant-negative Mastermind-like 1 (DN-MAML1), respectively. The role of specific miRNAs in mediating the oncogenic effect of Notch was studied by testing whether alteration of miRNA expression could reverse the oncogenic effect of the Notch signaling on promoting melanoma cell growth, survival, and colony-formation in vitro. The potential targets of the Notch-regulated specific miRNAs were investigated by testing several known Notch targets, including MAPK, Akt, Mel-CAM, N-cadherin and β-catenin.

Results. It was found that hsa-let-7b and hsa-let-7d miRNAs respond to Notch activation specifically in primary melanoma cells. Hsa-let-7b and hsa-let-7d were down-regulated 3.9-fold and 3.1-fold respectively when the Notch1 pathway was constitutively activated, whereas such down-regulation could be completely reversed when Notch activation was suppressed by DN-MAML1. Overexpression of hsa-let-7b or hsa-let-7d was able to antagonize the Notch activation-induced melanoma cell colony-formation on soft-agar, yet did not affect melanoma cell growth and survival in vitro. Both hsa-let-7b and hsa-let-7d appeared to specifically modulate the Notch-induced Akt activation in melanoma cells as phosphorylation of Akt was attenuated by overexpression of either hsa-let-7b or hsa-let-7d, while other known Notch targets were not affected.

Conclusions. The hsa-let-7b and hsa-let-7d were identified as Notch-regulated specific miRNAs in primary melanoma cells. Both hsa-let-7b and hsa-let-7d are responsible for mediating, in part, the oncogenic effect of aberrant Notch signaling on promoting melanoma progression, presumably through modulating Akt activation. Our findings not only uncovered a novel mechanism underlying the oncogenic effect of the Notch signaling on promoting melanoma progression, but also provided potential novel targets for melanoma diagnosis, prognosis and therapy.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 143. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-143


Background: The chemical pollution in industries has make an unacceptable risk for the human health. For the risk assessment of the human exposure, it is necessary to be considered the material dangers based on the consumption rate, dose, toxic properties, and evaluation of potential effects on the human health. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the semi-quantitative risk of the occupational exposure to chemical contaminants among workers of the industrial wastewater unit in an oil refinery as a model to predict the exposure. Methods: This descriptive-analytic study was performed in the industrial wastewater unit of Abadan oil refinery in 2016. After the similar exposure groups (SEGs) were determined and information were collected, fourteen materials were measured by the short-time personal sampling and real-time monitoring methods using the IONFirst Check. The exposure rate of workers to chemical contaminants was determined using the Industrial Hygiene Statistics software (IHS) based on the results of the sampling and analysis. At the first, the Exposure Rate (ER) and then the Hazard Rate (HR) were calculated to determine the exposure risk level. Results: Based on the results of this study, pools were cleaned four times per day and fourteen hours per week by workers. The results showed that weekly exposure of workers to ethylene oxide (16.7 ppm), nitrobenzene (16 ppm), and nitrogen dioxide (15 ppm) had the highest values, respectively. Lowest values of the exposure were related to the carbon monoxide (2.8 ppm) and carbon disulfide (1.5 ppm), respectively. Benzene (12.5), ethylene oxide (10), acrolein (10), nitro benzene (7.5), hydrogen sulfide (7.5), hydrogen peroxide (7.5) and aniline (6) had the highest risk level, respectively. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that workers of the industrial wastewater unit have a very high risk level of the exposure to chemical contaminants. Therefore, the prioritization of control measures such as new wastewater treatment methods using the semi-quantitative health risk assessment is one of the most important ways to prevent and decrease the exposure of workers to contaminants. Conflicts of interest: None Funding: None


Background Lichen striatus is an common dermatosis that follows the lines of Blaschko. Aetiology of this eruption is unknown, its features are less known to paediatricians. Objective We attempted to characterise the clinical, pathologic features and evolution of one case presented to the paediatric departament in our clinic. Materials and methods A 2-year-old girl, atopic, presented with fever and upper respiratory tract infection. Clinical examination: one month long dull-red papulo-squamous dermatosis arranged in a Blaschko line. The eruption appeared suddenly a month ago. The skin lesions were asymmetrically distributed linearly unilateral along the left arm, arranged in a Blaschko line pattern. Intense itching was present in this case. Laboratory results: Hb = 12,6 g/dl, Ht = 35,2%, WBC = 9400/µL, S = 25%, Eo = 2,5%, Ba = 0,745%, Ly = 71,1%, RBC = 4,38 × 10 mil/µL, PLT = 336000 µL, ALT = 23 U/L, AST = 31 U/L, CRP = 0,6 mg/dL; Creatinin, Immunogram, Glucose –normal; HIV 1 + 2, Ag HBs, Anti HCV-negative Histopathology revealed features consistent with lichen striatus. Tratament for itchy lichen striatus consisted in topical steroid application (mometasone furoate 1% cream once daily for two weeks). Five months later, complete resolution of the skin lesions occurred without any other treatment, leaving only slightly hypopigmented macules on the left arm. Conclusion That lesions of lichen striatus may have a prolonged active phase, the differential diagnosis includes other inflammatory diseases that can assume a linear pattern, paediatrician and dermatologist must team up in these cases; Post-inflammatory hypopigmentation can be a cause for concern for the parents and their children.


Background The prognosis of hospitalized patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is difficult to predict, while the capacity of intensive care units (ICUs) is a limiting factor during the peak of the pandemic and generally dependent on a country's clinical resources. Purpose To determine the value of chest radiographic findings together with patient history and laboratory markers at admission to predict critical illness in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Material and Methods In this retrospective study including patients from 7th March 2020 to 24th April 2020, a consecutive cohort of hospitalized patients with RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 from two large Dutch community hospitals was identified. After univariable analysis, a risk model to predict critical illness (i.e. death and/or ICU admission with invasive ventilation) was developed, using multivariable logistic regression including clinical, CXR and laboratory findings. Distribution and severity of lung involvement was visually assessed using an 8-point scale (chest radiography score). Internal validation was performed using bootstrapping. Performance is presented as an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Decision curve analysis was performed, and a risk calculator was derived. Results The cohort included 356 hospitalized patients (69 ±12 years, 237 male) of whom 168 (47%) developed critical illness. The final risk model's variables included gender, chronic obstructive lung disease, symptom duration, neutrophil count, C-reactive protein level, lactate dehydrogenase level, distribution of lung disease and chest radiography score at hospital presentation. The AUC of the model was 0.77 (95% CI: 0.72-0.81, P < .001). A risk calculator was derived for individual risk assessment; Dutch COVID-19 risk model (see Appendix E2). At an example threshold of 0.70, 71 of 356 patients would be predicted to develop critical illness of which 59 (83%) would be true-positives. Conclusion A risk model based on chest radiographic and laboratory findings obtained at admission was predictive of critical illness in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019. This risk calculator might be useful for triage of patients to the limited number of ICU beds/facilities.


Are fiscal spillovers today as large as they were during the global financial crisis? How do they depend on economic and policy conditions? This note informs the debate on the cross-border impact of fiscal policy on economic activity, shedding light on the magnitude and the factors affecting transmission, such as the fiscal instruments used, cyclical positions, monetary policy conditions, and exchange rate regimes. The note assesses spillovers from five major advanced economies (France, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, United States) on 55 advanced and emerging market economies that represent 85 percent of global output, looking at government-spending and tax revenue shocks during expansion and consolidation episodes. It finds that fiscal spillovers are economically significant in the presence of slack and/or accommodative monetary policy—and considerably smaller otherwise, which suggests that spillovers are large when domestic multipliers are also large. It also finds that spillovers from government-spending shocks are larger and more persistent than those from tax shocks and that transmission may be stronger among countries with fixed exchange rates. The evidence suggests that although spillovers from fiscal policies in the current environment may not be as large as they were during the crisis, they may still be important under certain economic circumstances.


Distributed systems, which consist of a collection of high performance systems interconnected via high performance networks (e.g. ATM), are becoming feasible platforms for execution of large-scale, complex problems. We address various issues related to mesh partitioning for distributed systems. These issues include the metric used to compare different partitions, efficiency of the application executing on a distributed system, the number of cut sets, and the advantage of exploiting heterogeneity in network performance. We present a tool called PART for automatic mesh partitioning for distributed systems. The novel feature of PART is that it considers heterogeneities in the application and the distributed system. The heterogeneities in the distributed system include processor and network performance; the heterogeneities in the application include computational complexities. Preliminary results are presented for partitioning regular and irregular finite element meshes for the WHAMS2D application executing on a distributed system consisting of two IBM SPs. The results from the regular problems indicate a 33-46% increase in efficiency when processor performance is considered as compared to the conventional even partitioning; the results also indicate an additional 5-16% increase in efficiency when network performance is considered. The result from the irregular problem indicate a 21% increase in efficiency when processor and network performance are considered as compared to even partitioning.


Off-farm income has recently been incorporated into the analysis of technology adoption, due to its increasing share in total farm household income in the U.S. Previous studies, however, found inconsistent results with respect to the impact of off-farm income on adoption of conservation practices. The contribution of the current study is to provide a conceptual model which shows that off-farm work has positive impact on adoption of capital incentive practices and negative impact on adoption labor intensive technologies. The results of multivariate probit regression confirms that adoption of injecting manure into the soil, which is a capital intensive practice, is positively and significantly impacted by off-farm work, and adoption of record keeping, which is a labor intensive practice, is negatively and significantly impacted by off-farm work.


The rapid development and wide application of computer network effectively promoted the development of China's economy and information technology, but network and information security problems also came. In our view, we should focus on management on one hand and grasp network security technique on the other hand. Both are equally important. Without the support of management, even the best technique does not work. Conversely, without technique, management becomes empty words. The management system mainly includes construction of leading bodies and technical team, establishing a set of rules, technology implementation strategy, and construction of internal and external environments. The technical system mainly includes physical security, reasonable network topology, the efficiency and reliability of network, the application security, against network attacks and data storage security. Campus network security management is a complicated and systematic project and it needs to be integrated into the agenda of college and university management and the cooperation of staff and students of the whole college and university.


ABSTRACT The affinity of the origin-binding domain (OBD) of simian virus 40 large T antigen for its cognate origin was measured at equilibrium using a DNA binding assay based on fluorescence anisotropy. At a near-physiological concentration of salt, the affinities of the OBD for site II and the core origin were 31 and 50 nM, respectively. Binding to any of the four 5′-GAGGC-3′ binding sites in site II was only slightly weaker, between 57 and 150 nM. Although the OBD was shown previously to assemble as a dimer on two binding sites spaced by 7 bp, we found that increasing the distance between both binding sites by 1 to 3 bp had little effect on affinity. Similar results were obtained for full-length T antigen in absence of nucleotide. Addition of ADP-Mg, which promotes hexamerization of T antigen, greatly increased the affinity of full-length T antigen for the core origin and for nonspecific DNA. The implications of these findings for the assembly of T antigen at the origin and its transition to a non-specific DNA helicase are discussed.


Kelp habitat restoration is gaining traction as a management action to support recovery in areas affected by severe disturbances, thereby ensuring the sustainability of ecosystem services. Knowing when and where to restore is a major question. Using a single-species population model, we consider how restoring inside marine protected areas (MPAs) might benefit coastal fish populations and fisheries. We found that MPAs can greatly enhance the population benefits of restoration but at a small cost to fishery yields. Generally, restoring inside MPAs had a better overall gains-loss outcome, especially if the system is under high fishing pressure or severe habitat loss. However, restoring outside became preferable when predatory fish indirectly benefit kelp habitats. In either case, successful restoration actions may be difficult to detect in time-series data due to complex transient dynamics. We provide context for setting management goals and social expectations for the ecosystem service implications of restoration in MPAs.


A study was conducted at the Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan during the winter season, to find out the suitable transplanting dates and spacing for quality seed production of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) Cv. Calabrese. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications, where main plot treatment consisted of transplanting dates (November 1, November 15 and November 30) and sub plot treatment consisted of spacing (60 cm × 50 cm, 60 cm × 60 cm, 60 cm × 75 cm). Since transplanting time and spacing affect vegetative traits, which are very important for seed yield. The highest seed yield (1.09 mt./ha) was obtained with November 1st planting at the spacing of 60 cm × 50 cm. So that transplanting date of November 1st with spacing 60 cm × 50 cm is better for seed production of broccoli in plain areas of Chitwan, Nepal.


The objective of this paper is to analyze how the variability of wind affects optimal dispatches and reserves in a daily optimization cycle. The Cornell SuperOPF is used to illustrate how the system costs can be determined for a reliable network (the amount of conventional generating capacity needed to maintain System Adequacy is determined endogenously). Eight cases are studied to illustrate the effects of geographical distribution, ramping costs and load response to customers payment in the wholesale market, and the amount of potential wind generation that is dispatched. The results in this paper use a typical daily pattern of load and capture the cost of ramping by including additions to the operating costs of the generating units associated with the hour-to-hour changes in their optimal dispatch. The proposed regulatory changes for electricity markets are 1) to establish a new market for ramping services, 2) to aggregate the loads of customers on a distribution network so that they can be represented as a single wholesale customer on the bulk-power transmission network and 3) to make use of controllable load and geographical distribution of wind to mitigate the variability of wind generation as an alternative to upgrading the capacity of the transmission network.


Advances in nanotechnology have led to the design of multifunctional nanoparticles capable of cellular imaging, targeted drug delivery, and diagnostics for early cancer detection. We synthesized poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles encapsulating a model radiosensitizing drug docetaxel accomplishing localized in situ delivery of the sensitizer to the tumor site. The synthesized nanoparticles have been characterized for their physicochemical properties. The in vitro cytotoxicity of drug-loaded nanoparticles has been studied on human tongue carcinoma cell line SCC-9 (ATCC-CRL-1629).


At the peak of his career and after some unbearable literary conflicts, Carlo Goldoni accepts the invitation of the Theâtre Italien ('Italian Theatre') in Paris and leaves Venice. Una delle ultime sere del Carnovale ('One of the Last Nights of the Carnival') is the comedy with which he says goodbye to his Venice audience, and in the form of an allegory, entering the comedy behind its protagonist, Anzoletto, he speaks about his professional reasons to leave Venice. This parallelism between Anzoletto and Goldoni is analyzed through the latest theatrical version of this comedy that was staged at the Katona Theatre in Budapest.


Deep neural networks (DNNs) have recently been applied in the classification of radio frequency (RF) signals. One use case of interest relates to the discernment between different wireless technologies that share the spectrum. Although highly accurate DNN classifiers have been proposed, preliminary research points to the vulnerability of these classifiers to adversarial machine learning (AML) attacks. In one such attack, a surrogate DNN model is trained by the attacker to produce intelligently crafted low-power "perturbations" that degrade the classification accuracy of the legitimate classifier. In this paper, we design four DNN-based classifiers for the identification of Wi-Fi, 5G NR-Unlicensed (NR-U), and LTE LAA transmissions over the 5 GHz UNII bands. Our DNN models include both convolutional neural networks (CNNs) as well as several recurrent neural networks (RNNs) models, particularly LSTM and Bidirectional LSTM (BiLSTM) networks. We demonstrate the high classification accuracy of these models under "benign" (non-adversarial) noise. We then study the efficacy of these classifiers under AML-based perturbations. Specifically, we use the fast gradient sign method (FGSM) to generate adversarial perturbations. Different attack scenarios are studied, depending on how much information the attacker has about the defender's classifier. In one extreme scenario, called "white-box" attack, the attacker has full knowledge of the defender's DNN, including its hyperparameters, its training dataset, and even the seeds used to train the network. This attack is shown to significantly degrade the classification accuracy even when the FGSM-based perturbations are low power, i.e., the received SNR is relatively high. We then consider more realistic attack scenarios, where the attacker has partial or no knowledge of the defender's classifier. Even under limited knowledge, adversarial perturbations can still lead to significant reduction in the classification accuracy, relative to classification under AWGN with the same SNR level.


In our previous work (Merchant and McGregor 2005) we outlined preliminary studies into the effectiveness of a teaching method designed to encourage students to pose their own questions as an assignment task. While the questions posed by students provide considerable feedback on their progress, several questions about the technique need to be answered: was the dialogue between students on a level where they were discussing true and accurate science? Apart from the first attempt, was the technique practical to implement for large classes? And finally, can this technique be useful in all years of a program? In this paper we provide a further analysis of the student discussions and how they relate to the questions posed, moreover how they relate to the objectives of the course. We will discuss modifications to the assessment task aimed both to reduce the administrative load in implementing the task and to encourage validation of the student discussions through self-moderation. Finally we propose a model for implementing the technique of student-authored questions at different year levels.


Background Perinatal asphyxia is a common cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Inflammatory cascades are involved in the pathogenesis of ischemic brain injury during asphyxia, which is mediated by cytokines such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Objective We determined IL-1β in cases with perinatal hypoxia to evaluate its role in the pathogenesis of this condition and its relation to the development of complications, which may be reflected on its management. Design This is a case–control study. Patients and methods The patient group included 31 full-term newborn infants diagnosed as having perinatal asphyxia who were selected from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Benha Teaching Hospital. The control group included 16 full-term newborns with no natal or postnatal complications who were selected from the well baby care unit. IL-1β and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured by the ELISA technique (highly sensitive CRP). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was performed by the Wintrobe method. Statistical analysis Results were analyzed and compared with 16 controls using SPSS 20. Results IL-1β was significantly higher in asphyxia cases compared with controls. In addition, it was significantly higher in cases with seizure, systemic organ failure, and in cases who developed cerebral palsy (CP) compared with those without seizure, organ failure, and CP. IL-1β correlated positively with encephalopathy stages. It showed no relation to gestational age, sex, weight, hematological data, or CRP. Conclusion We conclude that the level of IL-1β is high in cases with perinatal asphyxia. Cases with seizure, organ failure, and neurological sequelae had higher levels. It correlates positively with encephalopathy stages without relation to hematological parameters or CRP.


The evolution of gas content from clathrated ice is very sensitive to pressure and to storage temperature. As such substances are likely to be found in deep Antarctic ice and the Greenland ice sheet (Miller 1969, Shoji and Langway 1982), the influence of clathrate formation and incomplete back-diffusion on the measured air composition was investigated. We have undertaken laboratory studies on the kinetics of formation and decomposition of clathrate hydrates of air and carbon dioxide. The kinetics were found to be controlled mainly by the self-diffusion of water molecules. The clathrate structure being of type II (Davidson and others 1984), the diffusion of guest molecules and the role of auxiliary gases was studied. A bubble-relaxation model is presented for air-hydrate inclusions in fresh ice cores. It takes into account the diffusion constant for desorption of clathrates and the mechanical relaxation of the bulk ice. The increasing pressure and the initially low bubble surface are factors which limit the rate of decomposition. The rate of decomposition was compared with the natural bubble relaxation measured in deep ice cores (Gow and Williamson 1975). Fractionation was also observed through the formation and decomposition of mixed hydrates. The diffusion control of the recrystallization process affects this fractionation. On the basis of this study we make some recommendations for the analysis of deep ice-core samples.


Background: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state (HHS) are hyperglycemic emergencies. The objective was to compare acute kidney injury (AKI) between youth with isolated DKA to those with hyperosmolarity and explore associations to risk of AKI.
 Methods: Charts were reviewed from 01/20through 12/2020 for youth admitted with DKA (serum bicarbonate ≤16 mEq/L) and/or HHS (blood glucose ≥600 mg/dL and osmolality ≥320 mOsm/kg) . Isolated HHS youth were combined with hyperosmolar DKA for analysis. AKI was defined as elevated creatinine level for age. The total amount of isotonic fluids administered was collected, both given as bolus or continuously within the first 12 hours after DKA and/or HHS confirmation. Identification of patients on an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) was a marker for microalbuminuria.
 Results: A total of 369 admissions were included: 334 (90.5%) had isolated DKA, 32 (8.7%) had hyperosmolar DKA, and 3 (0.8%) had isolated HHS. Median age was 14 years (IQR=11.2,16.8) and 60% were female. Ninety-six percent had type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) ; 4% had type 2 DM. New onset DM accounted for 31% of admissions. More hyperosmolar youth had AKI compared to isolated DKA (63% vs. 15%, p<0.001) . Both received similar total volume of fluids; median was 33.6 ml/kg (IQR=28.0,39.5) for isolated DKA and 38.5 ml/kg (IQR=29.1,45.4) for hyperosmolar (p=0.09) . For each unit increase in serum osmolality, the odds of having AKI increase by a factor of 1. (p<0.001) . The odds of AKI for new onset DM is 0.68 compared to known DM diagnosis (p=0.005) . Of the 17 patients (5%) taking an ACEI during admission, three had AKI.
 Conclusions: Higher serum osmolality or new onset DM are associated with increased odds of having AKI. Our findings will be useful to identify youth at risk for AKI and guide interventional studies for those with AKI and hyperosmolarity.

 E.Zarse: None. M.Knoll: None. D.D.Williams: None. K.Halpin: None. G.Kallanagowdar: None. S.Tsai: Stock/Shareholder; Dexcom, Inc.


The widespread enthusiasm for internationally-supported liberal statebuilding since the 1990s has become much more tempered, due in part to the mixed record of postwar liberal statebuilding. Over time, many postwar countries have adopted more authoritarian statebuilding trajectories, despite the fact that negotiated peace agreements tend to reflect liberal principles. This is often attributed to 'liberal' international actors encountering resistant 'illiberal' domestic elites. The postwar statebuilding trajectory in Burundi appears to fit this dominant narrative, with the ruling party, the Conseil National pour la Défense de la Démocratie-Forces pour la Défense de la Démocratie (CNDD-FDD), deviating from some of the liberal principles that underpinned the Burundian peace agreement. Drawing on a detailed analysis of the internal politics of Burundi's ruling party, we show that this account is flawed. We question overly simplified accounts of 'illiberal' ruling party elites and we argue that tensions, competition and fragmentation within the ruling party were decisive in Burundi's statebuilding path. Rather than seeing Burundi as an inevitable failure of liberal statebuilding, we highlight how there was some commitment to liberal principles even within the ruling party. Internal struggles within the ruling CNDD-FDD led to current outcomes in Burundi, which should not be interpreted as predestined or definitive. We show that understanding the complexities, diversities and contingencies within ruling parties opens new spaces for thinking about the creation and recreation of political orders after war.


The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the global community in ways unimaginable. The Ghanaian COVID-19 response has been touted as effective to a large extent from the viewpoint that the government provided leadership based on scientific data with collaboration from traditional leaders, faith based, civil societies etc. This article discusses inadvertent "omissions and commissions'' on the part of the government and the people of Ghana defined as "missed preventive health and behavioural opportunities'' that would possibly have reduced the current morbidities and mortalities. Important lessons are drawn and recommendations made for future national responses to epi-and pandemics. Using secondary data, extant relevant publications (peer – reviewed articles, online blogs etc.) on the subject were retrieved, critically appraised to complement the authors' ideas in this special article. The study found among others, some missed preventive opportunities included delayed mandatory quarantine, border closures, too flexible partial lockdown, facemasks wearing as an afterthought of COVID-19 protocol, and non-enforcement of executive instruments on the part of government. Moreover, a significant proportion of the citizenry has remained non-compliant with the President's instituted protocols to date. The study recommends that Governments should strengthen their nations' disease surveillance systems, be willing to initiate stringent, unpopular but effective and uncompromising public protection protocols to mitigate such outbreaks. These may include closing borders and entry ports promptly (or a more regulated one), imposing lockdowns, instituting aggressive public education in collaboration with relevant bodies. On the part of the citizenry, executive instruments must be enforced to the latter with commensurate understandable education. Finally, traditional leaders, faith based and civil societies, should embark on mass education, national drives for necessary PPE's and food for the poor and vulnerable as they collaborate with the authorities on other relevant fronts.


This study was performed to investigate the role of pH and temperature postmortem, and to demonstrate the importance of these factors in determining meat quality. Postmortem pH45min (pH at 45 min postmortem or initial pH) via analysis of Pearson's correlation showed high positive correlation with pH change pHc24 (pH change from pH45min to pH24h postmortem). However, postmortem pH after 24 h (pH24h or ultimate pH) had a high negative correlation with pH change, pHc24, CIE L*, and protein content. Initial temperature postmortem (T1h ) was positively associated with a change in temperature from 45 min to 24 h postmortem (Tc24) and cooking loss, but negatively correlated with water holding capacity. Temperature at 24 h postmortem (T24h) was negatively associated with Tc24. Collectively, these results indicate that higher initial pH was associated with higher pHc24, T1h, and Tc24. However, higher initial pH was associated with a reduction in carcass weight, backfat thickness, CIE a* and b*, water holding capacity, collagen and fat content, drip loss, and cooking loss as well as decreased shear force. In contrast, CIE a* and b*, drip loss, cooking loss, and shear force in higher ultimate pH was showed by a similar pattern to higher initial pH, whereas pHc24, carcass weight, backfat thickness, water holding capacity, fat content, moisture content, protein content, T1h, T24h, and Tc24 were exhibited by completely differential patterns (p<0.05). Therefore, we suggest that initial pH, ultimate pH, and temperatures postmortem are important factors in determining the meat quality of pork.


Spectroscopic observations of stellar oscillations provide an indispensable input for asteroseismology. High-resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio time-series spectroscopy can reveal radial velocity variations as well as profile variations in stellar absorption lines which are caused by non-radial pulsations. Oscillations in solar-like stars have been detected in radial velocity measurements obtained with stabilized spectrographs. For hotter stars on the main sequence, besides for the purpose of abundance analyses, spectroscopy is mainly acquired to carry out mode identification, the assignment of the spherical degree l, and the azimuthal order m, to the observed pulsation frequencies. It has been demonstrated for several stars on the main sequence hotter than the sun that only combined spectroscopic and photometric time-series measurements can lead to successful seismic modeling. In this article, I will focus on the application of spectroscopic mode identification on pulsating stars and discuss some recent results.


Long-term use of levodopa (L-dopa) in patients with Parkinson's disease is associated with development of dyskinesia. This study explored whether Parkinson's disease patients with L-dopa-induced dyskinesia experience improved OFF-time from higher L-dopa doses without worsening of dyskinesias when receiving adjunctive mavoglurant. Patients with moderate-to-severe L-dopa-induced dyskinesia were randomized to receive mavoglurant or placebo. Mavoglurant (AFQ056) was up-titrated over two weeks from 25 mg twice daily (bid) to 100 mg bid (L-dopa kept stable), followed by three weeks during which the daily L-dopa dosage was increased by up to 300 mg/day. A sample size of 30 was initially planned; however, the study was terminated prematurely due to enrollment challenges. OFF-time showed greater improvements in the mavoglurant group (n = 7) compared with the placebo group (n = 7); difference at week 5 was –2.77 h (90% confidence interval –5.44, –0.09 h; p = 0.09). ON-time without troublesome dyskinesia increased more from baseline to week 5 in the mavoglurant group (4.38 h) versus the placebo group (0.63 h). Clinician-rated measures were conflicting. The Modified Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale scores showed a slight improvement with mavoglurant compared with placebo, while the Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale parts III and IV worsened slightly with mavoglurant compared with placebo. Due to the low patient numbers and conflicting clinician-rated outcomes data, our findings are not conclusive. However, our results suggest that mavoglurant combined with higher doses of L-dopa may be effective in treating patients with Parkinson's disease experiencing L-dopa-related motor fluctuations and dyskinesias.


Research Question: Organizations increasingly buy standardized continuous auditing solutions from vendors rather than develop their own. What opportunities lie in exploring the adoption, implementation and application of such solutions in the context of internal auditing? Motivation: Extant literature has not fully examined the implications of this development and there are several interesting unexplored research questions in this area. Idea: We develop a framework for examining continuous auditing as an information system solution and link this to internal auditing. Data: We employ existing literature as data and build on similar frameworks from ERP systems and AIS research. Findings: The findings of the paper are a series of research questions for examining this relationship as well as a proposal for using different theoretical perspectives and methodologies. Contribution: The contribution is a new perspective on continuous auditing research that could move this research area forward and link it to current developments in the field.


The purpose of the wok is to derive analytical expressions of spectral characteristics at electrical braking of linear induction motor with diverse number of poles as well as to provide results of calculations. The major task in the analysis of braking modes is to determine spectral characteristics of braking current, primary magnetic field and braking force. To this aim Maxwell equations were solved together with Fourier and Laplace integral transformations. The obtained results indicate that in addition to the main component of the magnetic field, when the space frequency is , in the process of braking there appears continuous spectrum of elementary components with the frequencies occupying the infinite sector from - to + . Due to that fact, during the process of energy conversion at the moment of braking, there participate positive – sequence, negative – sequence components and elementary components of the continuous spectrum, motionless in the space.


The power conversion efficiency of organic photovoltaics is strongly limited by relatively large energy loss, which is partially due to the disordered nature of organic semiconductors. This disordered nature not only hinders the rational design of molecules with excellent photophysical properties but also prevents a more thorough understanding of the inherent link between microscopic parameters and physical phenomena. In this Perspective, we demonstrate that the injection-dependent emission line-shape in organic semiconductors is primarily associated with a state-filling effect, where the extent of spectral blue-shift can be a strong indicator for energetic disorder. Molecular geometry with rigidity and coplanarity not only promotes preferential face-on stacking that narrows the energetic distribution of subgap states but also impedes torsional deformations of the conjugated backbone away from planarity, thereby facilitating larger π-electron delocalization. These structural characteristics explain the seemingly contradictory high radiative efficiency of low-bandgap nonfullerene molecules, providing promising molecular design strategies to realize high-efficiency organic photovoltaics.


The 'Quest for the Holy Grail' in the 'dioxin' analysis area is dedicated to the development of reliable procedures that can offer congener-specific results on a short time scale, at a low cost, while avoiding down time issues. Such a procedure obviously has to fulfil strict QA/QC requirements such as the ones listed in Eurachem analytical guidelines and EU or other Directives, but also has to comply with ISO17025 and/or GLP procedures. Each part of such a procedure, namely extraction, clean-up, fractionation, chromatographic separation, and physico-chemical (or biological) measurement, has to be fine tuned to its optimum capabilities.


High flow oxygen (HFO) therapy is able to deliver up to 60L/min of a heated and humidified air-oxygen mixture through nasal cannulae and to provide small amount of positive end-expiratory pressure. Our objective was to assess the outcome of patients admitted for acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) who were treated by HFO and to determine if HFO could decrease endotracheal intubation rate. We retrospectively selected 38 consecutive patients (median age 57 yrs) admitted in ICU for ALI (n=5, 13%) or ARDS (n=33, 87%) and who underwent HFO (Optiflow®, Fisher & Paykel, France) at admission (PaO2 = 65 mmHg, PaO2/FiO2 = 110±71 mmHg). Most of our population (26/38 patients, 68%) resolved their acute episode with HFO. In this group, invasive ventilation was not required and this decision was not stated on EOL care (success group). PaO2/FiO2 at admission was found higher in the success group (126 vs. 76 mmHg, p=0.04). Failure patients (12/38, 32%) exhibited more comorbidities (Charlson9s score = 4.5 vs. 2.5, p=0.034) and appeared more severe at admission (SAPS2 = 45 vs. 31, p=0.0054). After 24 hours, the %FiO2 under HFO was significantly lower in the success group (50% vs. 70%, p=0.004). The hospitalization length was similar in both groups (p=0.28). Hospital mortality rate was significantly higher in the failure group than in the success group ((92% vs. 4%, p In conclusion, HFO may avoid endotracheal intubation during ALI/ARDS and its usefulness in hypoxemic respiratory failure needs further investigations.


• Unlike linear programming problems, integer programming problems are very difficult to solve. In fact, no efficient general algorithm is known for their solution. • Given our inability to solve integer programming problems efficiently, it is natural to ask whether such problems are inherently "hard". Complexity theory, offers some insight on this question. It provides us with a class of problems with the following property: if a polynomial time algorithm exists for any problem in this class, then all integer programming problems can be solved by a polynomial algorithm, but this is considered unlikely. • Algorithms for integer programming problems rely on two basic concepts:


Hamming codes are widely used for the single bit error correction double bit error detection (SEC-DED) which occurred during data transmission process. This paper presents an enhanced detection of double adjacent bit errors and correcting all possible single bit errors in Hamming codes through selective bit placement technique for memory application. Soft errors occur due to the radiation particles which affects the memory elements. These soft errors cause flipping of single bit or more often adjacent bits in the memory. Proposed technique improves the probability of detecting double adjacent bit errors and also provides a simple method of detecting double adjacent bit errors as compared to convolution coding through interleaving which is complex and requires higher memory. Hamming (12, 8) is implemented on hardware using RL 78 (G13) Microcontroller.


ABSTRACT Several Fusarium species cause disease on human hosts, including commonly fatal infections in immunocompromised individuals. Recently, cases of hospitalized patients affected by fusaria were reported in the Tyrrhenian Island of Sardinia, Italy. To precisely characterize the Fusarium species and haplotypes present in hospitals of the region, a multilocus DNA sequence typing (MLST) approach was applied. Water distribution systems in four departments belonging to four Sardinian hospitals were sampled. Fusarium species and sequence types (STs) were identified using MLST based on sequences of the elongation factor 1-alpha (EF-1α) gene, the nuclear ribosomal DNA intergenic spacer region (IGS rDNA), and/or a portion of the second-largest subunit of RNA polymerase (RPB2) gene. The majority of isolates obtained from Sardinian hospitals (90.7%) were identified as representatives of the Fusarium oxysporum species complex (FOSC), followed by those of the F. solani species complex (FSSC) (8.2%), and F. dimerum (1.1% of all isolates). Ten STs were found among the FOSC and FSSC, with more than 60% of the isolates identified as either FOSC ST 33 or FSSC 1 (F. petroliphilum). More than half of the FOSC isolates obtained from the water systems in all four hospitals belonged to the worldwide distributed clonal lineage ST 33. This haplotype is the most prevalent among the FOSC in different countries, being responsible for the vast majority of cases of human fusariosis.


We report the f ixing of photorefractive holographic gratings with high eff iciency in a sample of K1-yLiyTa1-xNbxO3 doped with Cu, V, and Ti. Holograms are thermally fixed through the screening of a photorefractive space-charge field by a nonphotoactive species at elevated temperatures. Fixed holograms are revealed by illumination at lower temperatures. Diffraction efficiencies of 25% in a 0.54-cm-thick sample are measured. Holograms undergo thermal decay with a 0.67-eV activation energy.


The susceptibility of a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system to interference is of concern in both military and civil applications. The effects of interference can be seen on early images from the JERS system, for example, where the interference came from land based radars. A schematic illustration of an electronic countermeasures (ECM) scenario is shown. This paper introduces a novel radar equation relating the effectiveness of SAR ECM jamming to the main system parameters. The SEA SAR processing software, which can provide accurate simulations of SAR ECM jamming, is described and example simulations are shown.


The phenomenon of chirality induced spin selectivity (CISS) has triggered significant activity in recent years, although many aspects of it remain to be understood. For example, most investigations are focused on spin polarizations collinear to the charge current, and hence longitudinal magnetoconductance (MC) is commonly studied in two-terminal transport experiments. Very little is known about the transverse spin components and transverse MC - their existence, as well as any dependence of this component on chirality. Furthermore, the measurement of the CISS effect via two-terminal MC experiments remains a controversial topic. Detection of this effect in the linear response regime is debated, with contradicting reports in the literature. Finally, the potential influence of the well-known electric magnetochiral effect on CISS remains unclear. To shed light on these issues, in this work we have investigated the bias dependence of the CISS effect using planar carbon nanotube networks functionalized with chiral molecules. We find that (a) transverse MC exists and exhibits tell-tale signs of the CISS effect, (b) transverse CISS MC vanishes in the linear response regime establishing the validity of Onsager's relation in two-terminal CISS systems, and finally (c) the CISS signal remains present even in the absence of electric magneto chiral effects, suggesting the existence of an alternative physical origin of CISS MC.


This paper combines the multi-innovation theory with the auxiliary model identification idea to present the auxiliary model based multi-innovation stochastic gradient algorithm by expanding the scalar innovation to an innovation vector and introducing the innovation length. Convergence analysis in the stochastic framework indicates that the parameter estimation error consistently converges to zero under certain excitation condition. Finally, we illustrate and test the proposed algorithm with an example.


Summary
• Sulphur export and redistribution from the cotyledons of pea (Pisum sativum) seedlings was investigated to determine the role of cotyledons as a sulphur source during root–shoot axis development.
• Thiols and sulphate were analysed using standard biochemical techniques, and 35S fed to cotyledons by injection.
• After 35S-cysteine injection, c. 50% of the labelled S in the cotyledon was metabolized to 35S-sulphate. This reaction was partly inhibited by aminooxyacetic acid, an inhibitor of cysteine-desulfhydrase. After 35S-sulphate application, c. 1% of the radiolabel was found in cysteine and glutathione in the cotyledon. After 2 h, c. 20% of the 35S was transported into the root–shoot axis independently of whether 35S-sulphate or 35S-cysteine was injected into the cotyledon. After 4 h, 40% of 35S was found outside the cotyledon.
• Cotyledons of pea seedlings are capable of sulphate assimilation and cysteine degradation. Both sulphate and reduced sulphur were allocated from the cotyledons to the developing tissues of the pea seedlings.


This study investigated students' outcomes in online information literacy skills and the reasoning on which students base their decisions. Online information literacy is the ability to identify information needs, locate information sources, extract and organize information from sources, and synthesize that information. Information literacy is a sub-skill of the 21st century skill digital literacy, which points to the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are necessary to use the computer. Each 21st century skill points to a competence that is assumed to be important to respond to future needs. There is a need to focus on certain skills in education, because students in the 21st century need to master online information literacy and need the understanding of the rationale behind using information for their success in learning advancement. This study aimed to respond to this need of skills, and therefore consisted of three parts. First, based on the goals for online information literacy obtained from literature, a practical assessment was used. Second, students reasoning behind their actions were recorded through a Retrospective Think Aloud (RTA) protocol after finishing the practical assessment. Third, a questionnaire was used to gain insight in background information of the students. The main research question is: 'How well do students (between 10 and 14 years old) master online information literacy and how can it be explained by looking at the underlying reasoning regarding defining, searching, selecting, processing, presenting and evaluating digital information?'. A mixed method exploratory research design was used to answer this question. Frequencies and percentages were used to analyse the RTA protocol and an independent samples t-test, and a linear regression were used to determine the other sub-questions. The 30 participants of this assessment were all Dutch students between ten and 14 years old. Results indicated that students were often unfamiliar with online information literacy skills. Using the practical assessment helped the participants to became more aware of the difficulty of online information literacy and addressing the base level. However, more time, clear instructions from the test leaders and a clear construct of the underlying goals in the practical assessment was needed to implement online information literacy skills effectively in primary education and to optimize the practical assessment to knowledge and skills. The information resulting from this study could be used advisory for the design of the practical assessment, as well as specifically for online information literacy in primary education.


This study proposes a numerical analysis for predicting fiber motion during injection molding of short-fiber-reinforced composites using the moving particle semi-implicit (MPS) method. Its meshless and Lagrangian nature enables us to track individual fibers and to easily represent free surfaces. In this study, the mechanism of fiber orientation in a T-shaped bifurcation was investigated experimentally and numerically. The fiber orientation of injection-molded glass-fiber/polypropylene composite was observed by X-ray CT. Despite the symmetric mold shape, there was asymmetric fiber orientation due to the mold filling process. Fiber motion in the bifurcation was then analyzed by the proposed simulation, and the fiber orientation was quantitatively evaluated in each small region. The prediction agreed well with the experiment, and the associated mechanism of fiber orientation is discussed. Furthermore, this approach explicitly demonstrates the interaction between fibers, which is an advantage of the proposed approach. Ac ce pt ed M an us cr ipt


In many applications, we need to analyze a large number of time series. Segments of time series demonstrating dominating advantages over others are often of particular interest. In this paper, we advocate interval skyline queries, a novel type of time series analysis queries. For a set of time series and a given time interval [i : j], an interval skyline query returns the time series which are not dominated by any other time series in the interval. We illustrate the usefulness of interval skyline queries in applications. Moreover, we develop an on-the-fly method and a view-materialization method to online answer interval skyline queries on time series. The on-the-fly method keeps the minimum and the maximum values of the time series using radix priority search trees and sketches, and computes the skyline at the query time. The view-materialization method maintains the skylines over all intervals in a compact data structure. Through theoretical analysis and extensive experiments, we show that both methods only require linear space and are efficient in query answering as well as incremental maintenance.


With more concrete pavements being constructed over soft soil foundations, the use of coal combustion products, such as furnace (bottom) ash, to provide bridging of soft areas and reduced construction risk by being able to be placed insitu in wet weather, becomes more critical. The use of such materials in improving the bearing capacity and stability of road pavement foundation layers has been documented in the technical literature worldwide. Applications of bottom ash to supplement structural fill in pavement construction have been successfully carried out in Australia and overseas. The previous section of the Ballina bypass in northern New South Wales extensively used Bayswater bottom ash to assist in reducing settlement and movement of road embankment elements in soft soil areas. With further work proposed to be done in the Clarence Valley where soft soils are prevalent in conjunction with high average rainfall, the use of bottom ash could aid in providing improved materials with respect to bearing capacity and stability. The technical and engineering advantages of using the designed bottom ash blended materials in areas where the ground is expected to settle and consolidate over time are described. Furnace Bottom Ash, with compacted bulk density of approx. 0.8T/m3 and Particle Density of approx. 1.7T/m3, provides a lightweight material that occupies more volume per tonne than other natural alternatives and with such an advantage longer haul distances become economically viable.


Introduction: Physical activity is recommended to maintain physical health. In addition, it is also thought that exercise affects the brain in different ways that may counteract the effects of mental deficiency, such as encouraging neurogenesis and improving cerebral perfusion and increasing cerebral blood flow.
Background: Physical exercise and fitness have been proposed as potential factors that promote healthy cognitive function.
Objective: Our objective was to evaluate the effects of a training program with standardized exercise on reaction time in male adolescents with mental deficiency.
Method: A total of 51 male adolescents, aged 14 to 16 years were divided into three groups: (1) healthy group (HG: 17 healthy school children without any mental deficiency), (2) a trained group (TG: n=17) that participated in an aerobic programme,consisting of one daily session (~60 min),twice weekly, during a period of three months, and (3) a sedentary group (SG: n=17, that performed no training). HG and TG were participants with mild mental deficiency. The software "REACTION" was used to measure the reaction time in response to visual stimulus at different periods (at rest: one day before exercise, immediately after exercise and one day after exercise). Anthropometric characteristics were determined in the three groups. All measurements were determined before and after the experimental period.
Comparisons were determined for intra and inter-groups.
Results: The results showed significant differences (p<0.001) in reaction time between SG and TG in the different time periods. In addition, the mean of reaction time in TG was similar to that observed in HG.
Conclusions: This research suggests that three months of regular exercise training significantly improved reaction time and consequently the cognitive function in mild mentally deficient adolescents. Physical activity seems to be an indispensable means of improving performance of cognitive activity in adolescents with mild mental deficiency. In addition, these results could be used to justify the relationship between task difficulty and exercise.


This study was conducted to investigate the water content, carbohydrate and bulb development according to different clipping time of leaf sheath for drying after garlic harvesting in the field. The garlic cultivar 'Namdo' Southern ecotype in Muan region was harvested on May 25, May 30 and June 13. Water content and carbohydrate of garlic plants were observed at harvest date (May 30), and leaf sheaths were clipping 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 16 days after harvest. Water content of clipping leaf sheath at harvest time slightly decreased from 79.3 to 65.8% according to drying days. While water content of the non-clipping leaf sheath greatly decreased according to 4, 7, 10 and 16 days drying as 76.5, 68.9, 60.9 and 50.1%, respectively. But water content of bulb was simultaneously decreased with drying periods. Total free sugar content of non-clipping leaf sheath was decreased to 0.28 mgg-1 at 7 days after harvested compared with 0.57 mgg-1 at harvest. On the other hand, the fructosan content of non-clipping bulb was from 0.93 mgg-1 at harvest and increased to 1.31 mgg-1 10 days after harvest. But fructosan of leaf sheath was not affected by drying time. Harvesting on May 25, the ratio of large bulb diameter (above 45 mm) and yield of clipped sheath were 41% and 1,159 kg/10a, respectively, lower than those dried for 9 days as 84.8% and 1,483 kg/10a. On May 30 at harvest, yield of clipped sheath was 1,324 kg/10a, but dried for 3-9 days were 1,613-1,665 kg/10a.


The use of digital technology for educational and recreational purposes among adolescents has drastically increased during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the prolonged isolation and excessive screen time of the social media platforms might lead to mental health issues, particularly the fear of missing out (FOMO). Thus, this study is aimed at exploring the adolescent's screen time and its contribution to FOMO. This study employed a qualitative method using semi-structured interviews with 30 selected adolescents. The data were collected during the third peak of the pandemic period in Malaysia, between the 11th of April 2021 and the 1st of July 2021. The results revealed that there were four issues related to the FOMO: loneliness, life satisfaction, self-disclosures, and social comparison. In short, self-regulation and awareness on the effects of long screen time need to be instilled among the adolescents during the pandemic. Also, it is pivotal to address the psychological needs, such as healthy social interactions in ensuring the adolescents are not inclined toward FOMO.


1. The desired outcome of providing a safe environment for the resident on a mechanical ventilator was realized through an educational program that focused on knowledge and skill competency. 2. The program content included a didactic lecture, skills demonstration and competency evaluation through use of a mannequin with a tracheostomy tube on a mechanical ventilator to simulate life-like situations. 3. Staff without long-term care experience require additional learning opportunities addressing the specialized needs of the long-term care resident and family.


appeared after 1985 (and three are by Woodward himself); the collapse of Ethiopia and of the Soviet Union, and other events (including the 1989 coup) all lay ahead. Sudan after Nimeiri might have been published, in pamphlet or periodical form, immediately after the conference that engendered it. It is now of little use beyond providing summaries, often overlapping, of political developments during the Nimayri era. Typographical errors mar the text. The index, without entries even for Sadiq al-Mahdi, Lam Akol, Hasan al-Turabi, and most other prominent Sudanese political figures, serves no purpose.


The photoionisation of Xe has been studied by photon-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (PIFS) for photon energies between 23 and 26.5 eV. The fluorescence radiation was dispersed and recorded between 103.5 and 112 nm. A prominent peak structure of the Xe 5s photoionisation cross section was observed and was attributed to two-electron excitations in neutral Xe which strongly contribute to the ionisation process.


Absrract-This paper attempts to provide a technical perspecthe for a 1 Mm MOSFET VLSI technology described in the technical papers that follow. Highlights of various aspects of the technology development are discussed briefly. These include device design, circuit dwign, hot-electron effects, processing technology, electron-beam lithography, metal silicide interconnections and radiation effects. HE EXTENSION of any semiconductor technology to small dimensions brings with it a host of new technology, physics, and engineering challenges. The potential rewards in logic and memory applications are performance and cost improvements which in addition to the normal desire to overcome technological problems have been the driving force from the beginning. The series of papers [I] - [7] following this overriew describe the development of a 1 pm MOSFET technology in a project called the logic and array test vehicle (LATV) :ontaining two comprehensive test chips, a device test chip, and a circuit test chip. It is a feasibility study to determine what the problems are and how they can be overcome. The study was aimed primarily at demonstrating the extendibilitJr of silicon-gate MOSFET technology to 1 pm dimensions for \ LSI applications. It also serves as a vehicle to consolidate and firm up device and circuit designs, processing technologies, reliab llity issues, and electron-beam exposure ground rules and to expose reliability issues. Logic circuit performance is examined using NOR circuit ring oscillators at both room and liquid nitrclgen temperatures. Array logic performance is demonstrated by measuring cycle times of programmed logic array (PLA) mi:roprocessor cross sections implemented in dynamic and static configurations. Package-induced delays and inductance-related noise problems due to fast rise times pose peripheral probkms of equal magnitude which are important but have not been addressed here. Related to the packaging issues, heat dissipation concerns must also be taken into serious considerat:on. At the 1 pm or sub-pm lithography level, direct elect1,onbeam writing appears to be the most suitable method for patterning complex VLSI chips at the present time. Although optical lithographic techniques including deep UV [8] and X-ray lithography [9] are under intensive investigaton,


Recent studies have shown that disaster risk can generate asset return moments similar to those observed in the U.S. data. However, these studies have ignored the cross-country asset pricing implications of the disaster risk model. This paper shows that standard U.S.-based disaster risk model assumptions found in the literature lead to counterfactual international asset pricing implications. Given consumption pricing moments, disaster risk cannot explain the range of equity premia and government bill rates nor the high degree of equity return correlation found in the data. Moreover, the independence of disasters presumed in some studies generates counterfactually low cross-country correlations in equity markets. Alternatively, if disasters are all shared, the model generates correlations that are excessively high. We show that common and idiosyncratic components of disaster risk are needed to explain the pattern in consumption and equity co-movements.


We report a feed-forward polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) compensator with four fixed differential group delay elements, which is capable of compensating for any first- and second-order PMD in a transmission fiber. The compensator consists of seven control parameters [or seven degrees of freedom (DOF)]. An extra DOF is employed to ensure analytical solutions of control parameters for the case of random changes of PMD vectors. Our model shows excellent robustness to possible perturbations by Monte Carlo simulations.


Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are rare precursors in all organs of the body. MSCs have profound anti-inflammatory effects and reduce alloreactivity in vitro and in vivo. In pediatric allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), MSCs have mainly been used to treat acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). MSCs are commercially available for this indication in Canada, Japan, and New Zeeland. More rare indications for MSCs in pediatric patients include graft failure and chronic GVHD. MSCs from bone marrow, adipose tissue, umbilical cord, Wharton's jelly, placenta tissue, and decidua have been used, but the optimal clinical stromal cell source has not been compared in clinical trials. More experimental clinical indications using MSCs, such as sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, hemorrhages, pneumo-mediastinum, and neuroinflammation have primarily been explored in animal models or adult HCT patients. MSCs have almost no if any side-effects. In this pilot study we report the outcome of six children treated with decidua stromal cells (DSCs) for steroid refractory acute GVHD. At 6 months, complete response was seen in four patients and partial response in two patients. One child with high-risk ALL died from relapse and a boy with sickle cell disease died from a cerebral hemorrhage. Five-year survival was 67% and all survivors showed a Lansky score of 100%. To conclude, MSCs from various organs are well-tolerated and have shown an encouraging outcome for acute GVHD in pediatric patients.


International law increasingly is designed to constrain the regulatory activities of countries where these activities have external effects on other countries. While countries retain the right to regulate, it is a qualified right, with a number of restrictions under international trade, investment, finance, human rights, and other areas of international law. The restrictions are often nuanced: while maintaining maximum policy autonomy, countries agree to international legal rules that establish increasingly complex preconditions for national regulatory action. In some cases, preconditions are formulated so as to establish procedural, as distinguished from substantive, predicates for national action. These varying types of preconditions are often designed to be met through determinations and procedures of domestic administrative agencies, and so they form a particular variety of global administrative law: they are means by which international law harnesses and guides national administrative decision making in order to take into account the concerns of foreign countries. This article examines how these methods are used in several important examples of international legal control of domestic administrative processes, and develops a set of hypotheses regarding the circumstances under which these respective mechanisms would be used by countries.


The effect of pH on iron-containing complex coacervate core micelles [Fe(III)-C3Ms] is investigated in this paper. The Fe(III)-C3Ms are formed by mixing cationic poly(N-methyl-2-vinylpyridinium iodide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) [P2MVP(41)-b-PEO(205)] and anionic iron coordination polymers [Fe(III)-L(2)EO(4)] at stoichiometric charge ratio. Light scattering and Cryo-TEM have been performed to study the variations of hydrodynamic radius and core structure with changing pH. The hydrodynamic radius of Fe(III)-C3Ms is determined mainly by the corona and does not change very much in a broad pH range. However, Cryo-TEM pictures and magnetic relaxation measurements indicate that the structure of the micellar cores changes upon changing the pH, with a more crystalline, elongated shape and lower relaxivity at high pH. We attribute this to the formation of mixed iron complexes in the core, involving both the bis-ligand and hydroxide ions. These complexes are stabilized toward precipitation by the diblock copolymer.


Instrumental developments for imaging and individual particle detection for biomolecular mass spectrometry (imaging) and fundamental atomic and molecular physics studies are reviewed. Ion-counting detectors, array detection systems and high mass detectors for mass spectrometry (imaging) are treated. State-of-the-art detection systems for multi-dimensional ion, electron and photon detection are highlighted. Their application and performance in three different imaging modes--integrated, selected and spectral image detection--are described. Electro-optical and microchannel-plate-based systems are contrasted. The analytical capabilities of solid-state pixel detectors--both charge coupled device (CCD) and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chips--are introduced. The Medipix/Timepix detector family is described as an example of a CMOS hybrid active pixel sensor. Alternative imaging methods for particle detection and their potential for future applications are investigated.


On the basis of the ecological leadership theory (van de Vliert & Smith, 2004), the perceived effectiveness of charismatic leadership in a country's organizations is conceptualized as an adaptation to two interacting characteristics of the environment—cold, temperate, or hot climate, and national wealth. A secondary analysis of managerial survey data gathered in 61 countries (House, Hanges, Javidan, Dorfman, & Gupta, 2004) supports the viewpoint that charismatic organizational leadership is endorsed more in higher income countries with more demanding climates (e.g., Scandinavia) but less in lower income countries with more demanding climates (e.g., Soviet successor states). These climatoeconomic effects are mediated by national culture: charismatic organizational leadership thrives in niches of climate-based demands, wealth-based resources, low power distance, and low uncertainty avoidance.


Power-line interference (either 50 Hz or 60 Hz) is a significant source of noise in biomedical recording. Elimination of power-line interference in the Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal by various methods have been proposed in the past. Despite the high common mode rejection ratio of the input amplifiers of the Electrocardiographs, recordings are often contaminated by power-line (mains) frequency interference, usually phase shifted with respect to the mains voltage. The use of conventional filter affects the signal components adjacent to the mains line frequency. A variety of adaptive filters for this purpose have been proposed but they require some adaptation period whenever there is change in the power-line interference. This paper describes a method of implementing the genetic algorithm noise cancellation in real time, using TMS320C50 based add-on DSP card that does the process of conversion and subtraction and the host PC doing the training process.


The prostaglandin hyperalgesia and tail immersion tests were used to evaluate the analgesic action of morphine, codeine, d-propoxyphene and pentazocine following intraperitoneal, intraplantar and intracerebroventricular administration to rats. In the prostaglandin hyperalgesia test, all drugs produced a dose-dependent analgesia by the various routes. The rank order of potency after intraperitoneal administration was morphine (100) greater than d-propoxyphene (4) greater than pentazocine (2) greater than codeine (1). Although morphine (ID50 = 4 micrograms) was a very potent analgesic when given intracerebroventricularly, very shallow dose-response curves were obtained with the other substances which promoted less than 30% of inhibition at doses up to 250 micrograms. In the paw, morphine (ID50 = 5 micrograms) was only 5-8 times more potent than pentazocine, propoxyphene and codeine. Thus, in contrast with morphine, intraplantar administration of codeine, pentazocine and d-propoxyphene is much more effective than intracerebroventricular administration. In the tail immersion test the smallest intraperitoneal doses which affected the reaction time were 9 mg/kg morphine, 16.2 mg/kg codeine and pentazocine and 48.6 mg/kg d-propoxyphene. When injected intracerebroventricularly morphine (10 micrograms) was the only opiate that caused a detectable analgesic effect. In the prostaglandin hyperalgesia test, a small dose of naloxone (1 micrograms) given into the rat paw significantly antagonized the analgesic effect of d-propoxyphene, codeine and pentazocine administered either intraperitoneally or intraplantarly. These results clearly indicate that a method involving or mimicking inflammatory hyperalgesia is much more sensitive in detecting opiate analgesia than a method which uses heat as a nociceptive stimulus. Furthermore, our results support the proposition that part of the overall analgesia which follows the systemic administration of opiates is due to a peripheral antinociceptive action.