: Falls, which are increasing at an unprecedented rate in the global elderly population, are associated with a multitude of needs such as healthcare, medical, caregiver, and economic, and they are posing various forms of burden on different countries across the world, specifically in the low- and middle-income countries. For these respective countries to anticipate, respond, address, and remedy these diverse needs either by using their existing resources, or by developing new policies and initiatives, or by seeking support from other countries or international organizations dedicated to global public health, the timely identification of these needs and their associated trends is highly necessary. This paper addresses this challenge by presenting a study that uses the potential of the modern Internet of Everything lifestyle, where relevant Google Search data originating from different geographic regions can be interpreted to understand the underlining region-specific user interests towards a specific topic, which further demonstrates the public health need towards the same. The scientific contributions of this study are two-fold. First, it presents an open-access dataset that consists of the user interests towards fall detection for all the 193 countries of the world studied from 2004–2021. In the dataset, the user interest data is available for each month for all these countries in this time range. Second, based on the analysis of potential and emerging research directions in the interrelated fields of Big Data, Data Mining, Information Retrieval, Natural Language Processing, Data Science, and Pattern Recognition, in the context of fall detection research, this paper presents 22 research questions that may be studied, evaluated, and investigated by researchers using this dataset.


Two hundred miles south of the Texas-Mexico border a dramatic transformation occurs. Arid mesquite woodlands and sorghum fields adjoin tropical rivers and lakeshores. Supporting a variety of plants many of which produce edible fruits or seed pods, the scene is set for the Amazon parrot. The yellow-crowned Amazon (Amazona ocbrocepbala) is the first species encountered. In the northern portions of its range it shares the arid tropical lowlands and riverine forest with the smaller green-cheeked Amazon (Amazona viridigenalis). Proceeding southward, the yellowcrowned Amazon continues to be observed, in one subspecies form or another, into South America. The range of the green-cheek, however, is much more restricted extending only into the Mexican state of Veracruz. With the encroachment of tropical, decidious forest, the green-cheek is replaced by the more forest-loving yellow-cheeked Amazon (Amazona autumnalis). Westwardly the green-cheek can be observed well into the pine-oak belt of the Sierra Madre Oriental range. Due to its restricted range and popularity in the pet trade, I began a field study in 1983 inquiring as to the status of the species in the wild. Funded, in part, from A.F.A. Avian Research Grants in 1982-83, this paper summarizes my findings during the preliminary trips into the species' range in 1983. A subsequent paper will deal with the species' diet and conservation. ''A great flock of red-crowned parrots flies swiftly down river. Some of them are very low, only a few yards above the house. Heelo, heelo, heelo, era, era, era they shriek, the sound is deafening.'' Cornell-Clarkton Expedition of 1941 in: At A Bend In A Mexican River, Sutton, 1972. Mexico has changed a great deal since the early travels of George Sutton. The mighty El Salta Falls has since been tamed by a hydroelectric facility, the magnificent ornate hawk-eagle is seldom seen and the shrieking cry of the green-cheeked parrot can hardly be ''taken for granted as the air we breathe.'' Throughout 1983 I made seven trips into the range of the species. Trips were made in the months of January, February, June and August. With the aid of a LANDSAT satellite photograph, I attempted to visit all areas of undisturbed forest accessible by a fourwheel drive vehicle. Residents were frequently questioned as to the abundance of the species. Captive birds were investigated as to their origin. DESCRIPTION Since most individuals are familiar with this species, only a brief description will be given. In general, the species is approximately 12 inches in length and green in coloration. The forehead, lores and crown are crimson to varying degrees. As with the other members of the genus Amazona, the base of the outer webs of the first five secondaries have red markings. In the field its call, a distinctive era, era, era, is unmistakable and often the only means of identifying young birds in flight. Several authors have mentioned that the amount of crimson is greater on the males. Not having examined a large number of birds of known sex and noting several examples that did not conform to this statement, I can't support its validity. RESULTS As stated previously, the greencheeked Amazon is first encountered approximately two hundred miles south of Brownsville, Texas. One of the first areas where the species' presence has been documented is along the Rio Corona, one of several rivers that feed into the popular bass fishing lake Vicente Guerrero. During a camping trip in 1978, the species, although not abundant, was present along the riverine forest in small numbers (5-15 birds). Within recent years, however, extensive clearing of the vegetation along the river combined with the accelerated popularity of the area for bathing, washing and swimming purposes has had a dramatic, negative effect upon the parrot population. In addition to the Rio Corona, parrots are also present along the lake itself. Other rivers flowing into the lake (e.g., Rio Purificacion, Rio Soto la Marina) support additional populations of A. viridigenalis although, like the corona, the numbers are low and on the decline. Proceeding south from the lake through the city of Ciudad Victoria the arid slopes of the Sierra Madre Oriental are soon within view. Without the moisture provided from rivers and streams, only sparse dwarf oaks and thorny scrubs exist. From this point south the habitat vegetation takes a tropical "twist." The major section of such is found along the Rio Sabinas in what is frequently called the Rio Sabinas river valley. Approximately 100 miles south of Ciudad Victoria a great deal of the area is in a ''more or less" natural state providing feeding, roosting and the nesting requirements for the green-cheeked Amazon.


Obesity is associated with health consequences, and thyroid dysfunction may be an adaption to the increased energy expenditure in obesity. With the rising prevalence of obesity in childhood, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome may also increase. In the current study, we have shown gender differences in the association of thyroid hormones with obesity, and attempted to elucidate the relationship between thyroid hormones and anthropometric parameters and biochemical data in obese Japanese children. We analyzed anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, body composition, thyroid hormones, and lipid profiles in 283 obese children. The association between thyroid hormones and several parameters differed by gender. The free T3 to free T4 ratio (fT3/fT4) in boys was negatively associated with the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index, whereas in girls, thyroid-stimulating hormone levels were positively correlated with levels of glucose, diastolic blood pressure, and non-high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and fT3/fT4 was positively correlated with uric acid levels. FT3/fT4 in boys with metabolic syndrome was relatively higher than in those without metabolic syndrome. The cause of gender differences is unknown. Therefore, further studies with larger sample sizes and a long-term follow-up period are needed to address the influence of thyroid hormones on various parameters.


The objective of this study was to assess the gait variability of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patients and to evaluate its postoperative progression. The hypothesis was that LSS patients' preoperative gait variability in the frequency domain was higher than the corresponding postoperative. A tri-axial accelerometer sensor was used for the gait measurement and a spectral differential entropy algorithm was used to measure the gait variability. Twelve subjects with LSS were measured before and after surgery. Preoperative measurements were performed 2 days before surgery. Postoperative measurements were performed 6 and 12 months after surgery. Preoperative gait variability was higher than the corresponding postoperative. Also, in most cases, gait variability appeared to decrease throughout the year.


We described a 57-yr-old male diagnosed with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma that had failed multiple treatment options, as his disease was mainly confined to one limb. We attempted a novel approach in this condition using a technique of intra-arterial limb infusion with cytotoxic agent Melphalan (ILI) which has been proven beneficial in management of localised malignant melanoma. This treatment approach was well tolerated with mild myelosuppression and moderate limb toxicity. However, a significant improvement has been noted in the affected limb. This case demonstrated the successful use of isolated limb infusion with Melphalan in the management of localised cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. However, this result needs to be confirmed and further study is recommended. We are unaware there have been similar cases reported in the literature.


N2 fixation was investigated in suspensions of washed cells of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas capsulata grown on various carbon and nitrogen sources. Maximum nitrogenase activities were common to cultures supplied with glutamate. Cells grown with nitrate contained appreciable nitrogenase activity and produced H2 in the light. Nitrogenase activity in washed cells derived from various nutritional conditions was markedly increased when NaHCO3 was included in the reaction mixtures.


This study addresses a methodological issue regarding the preferred method of collecting early memories data—using an interpersonal administration to collect the data, or using a written procedure in which subjects are asked to record their early memories privately. Early memories from clinical and nonclinical control groups from two experimental conditions were scored on the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale (SCORS). The results support the superiority of the interpersonal administration over the private, written condition in differentiating clinical from nonclinical controls. The results are discussed in the context of contemporary trends in personality assessment, which attempt to limit interpersonal contact with the patient during the assessment process, in order to save time and money. The authors contend that this practice may yield less complex and less fertile projective data than the traditional interpersonal testing context.


The standard formalism of quantum theory treats space and time in fundamentally different ways. In particular, a composite system at a given time is represented by a joint state, but the formalism does not prescribe a joint state for a composite of systems at different times. If there were a way of defining such a joint state, this would potentially permit a more even-handed treatment of space and time, and would strengthen the existing analogy between quantum states and classical probability distributions. Under the assumption that the joint state over time is an operator on the tensor product of single-time Hilbert spaces, we analyse various proposals for such a joint state, including one due to Leifer and Spekkens, one due to Fitzsimons, Jones and Vedral, and another based on discrete Wigner functions. Finding various problems with each, we identify five criteria for a quantum joint state over time to satisfy if it is to play a role similar to the standard joint state for a composite system: that it is a Hermitian operator on the tensor product of the single-time Hilbert spaces; that it represents probabilistic mixing appropriately; that it has the appropriate classical limit; that it has the appropriate single-time marginals; that composing over multiple time steps is associative. We show that no construction satisfies all these requirements. If Hermiticity is dropped, then there is an essentially unique construction that satisfies the remaining four criteria.


: A survey was conducted with two sub-samples of respondents, karate athletes representatives (members of the national team) and karate athletes competitors in the kumite (sports fi ght). The survey was conducted on a strati fi ed sample of 32 respondents divided into two groups, 16 karate representatives and 16 karate competitors, males, seniors from the Republic of Macedonia. The main purpose of the research is to determine the differences in the psychological characteristics between the two sub-samples of the respondents. In the research, a total of 13 variables for the assessment of psychological characteristics were applied: for estimation of emotional characteristics six (6) variables, three (3) variables for assessment of the motivational dispositions, for assessment of the speci fi c intellectual characteristics (3) three variables and one variable for assessing the general intellectual characteristic. The basic statistical parameters are determined using the basic descriptive statistics for the two groups of respondents separately, while for determining the differences in the arithmetic means of the psychological characteristics, a T-test for small independent samples was applied. From the analysis of the data from the basic descriptive statistical parameters, it was established that in all applied variables, homogeneity of the results as well as normal distribution was obtained, with very small deviations present in two variables. The results of the T - test obtained in the survey show statistically signi fi cant differences in the entire analyzed space between the two groups, with the exception of two variables (L - social desire and P - psychoticism), i.e. differences were found in 11 variables from a total of 13 examined variables.


The aim of the project is a comprehensive analysis of psychotherapeutic outcome research from a differential perspective. All controlled psychotherapy outcome studies which have been published until 1983 (n = 897) were carefully analyzed with an especially developed assessment-manual. Special importance was laid on those features of the results that throw some light on the comparative effects and prescriptive criteria of the therapies under investigation and their preconditions in the experimental design, measurement and statistical analysis of the respective study. The procedure is described in detail. It results in a comprehensive report on the research which has been done and the results that have been found for each psychotherapy method. An example of such a report is given.


Terrestrial or Handheld Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB-T/H) and Terrestrial Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (T-DMB) are two popular broadcasting standards that enable digital television transmissions to handheld receivers. This paper presents a comprehensive performance comparison between the physical layers of DVB-T/H and T-DMB when employed for mobile communications. By exploiting a recently proposed fast simulation model, we assess the BER of the two coded OFDM systems in several realistic scenarios, taking into account Rayleigh and Rice channels, different mobile speeds, inner and outer channel coding, channel estimation, and one or two receive antennas. Our comparison shows that the DVB-T/H physical layer performance highly depends on the delay spread of the channel, whereas T-DMB is less sensitive to the frequency selectivity of the channel. As a result, DVB-T/H yields better performance than T-DMB in typical Rayleigh channels with significant delay spread. On the contrary, at high SNR, T-DMB outperforms DVB-T/H in Rice channels with low delay spread. As a side result, we show the performance improvement of DVB-H produced by MPE-FEC at the data link layer.


Copper-selective ligands are essential tools for probing the affinity of cuproproteins or manipulating the cellular copper availability. They also harbor significant potential as antiangiogenic agents in cancer therapy or as therapeutics to combat copper toxicity in Wilson's disease. To achieve the high Cu(I) affinities required for competing effectively with cellular cuproproteins, we recently devised a ligand design based on phosphine-sulfide-stabilized phosphine (PSP) donor motifs. Building on this design strategy, we integrated two PSP donors within preorganized ligand architectures composed of either a hinged bithiophene backbone (bithipPS) or a single rigid thiophene bridge (thipPS). Extensive characterization based on X-ray crystal structures, solution NMR data, spectrophotometric titrations, and electrochemical studies established that bithipPS adapts well to the coordination preferences of Cu(I) to form a discrete air-stable mononuclear Cu(I) complex with a dissociation constant of 4 zM. In contrast, the wider bite angle of thipPS introduces some strain upon Cu(I) coordination to yield an almost 10-fold lower affinity with a Kd of 35 zM. As revealed by ICP-MS and two-photon excitation microscopy studies with the Cu(I)-selective fluorescent probe crisp-17, both ligands are effective at removing cellular copper from live mouse fibroblasts with rapid kinetics. Altogether, the stability and redox properties of PSP-ligand-Cu(I) complexes can be effectively tuned by judicious balancing of their geometrical preorganization and conformational flexibility.


In the field of turbo machinery design frictional coupling has been found to be a low cost method to increase the mechanical damping of bladed disks. Underplatform dampers (UPD's) are commonly used which are metal devices pressed against the blades by centrifugal forces. The main task is to find the optimum value of the contact normal force to maximize energy dissipation. This optimum strongly depends on the excitation of the structure. Traveling waves are excited by engine order excitation and flutter. Flutter caused by fluid structure interaction can be reduced by intentional mistuning of the bladed disk whereas forced response levels will be typically increased by mistuning. A compromise is alternate mistuning.The present paper deals with the influence of alternate mistuning on frictional coupling of blisks. Firstly, the dynamics of a tuned blisk are explained with a simplified lumped mass cyclic oscillator model. It is pointed out that eigenfrequencies of traveling waves around the blisk are influenced by structural coupling. Alternate mistuning leads to mode coupling with the possibility of energy transfer. The performance of friction coupling strongly depends on the nodal diameter mode shape of vibration which is stated analytically for pure Coulomb sliding contact. Following this, a simplified blisk model with underplatform dampers is developed to analyze alternate mistuning and frictional coupling. The simulation results show a significant influence of the mistuning on the damping performance.Copyright © 2014 by ASME


The use of wide-angle Acousto-Optic Tunable Filter (AOTF) for hyperspectral imaging is considered: the diffraction efficiency is calculated around a usual diffraction plane for two degrees of freedom (azimuthal and transverse angle). The efficiency evolution is also examined over a wide wavelength band. The diffraction efficiency is determined as a function of the incident angles and the results are commented. The spectral bandwidth is also studied.


The author presents case reports of seven girls with histories of hypersexual behavior associated with delinquency, aggressive behavior, and hypomania. Six of the girls had been exposed to virilizing hormones in utero or in childhood. Most of the girls in the sample were hirsute, tended toward mesomorphic build, and had been young at menarche. The author postulates that exposure to virilizing hormones can result in the kind of hypersexuality and delinquent behavior observed in his sample; he points out the need for adequate medical attention to this type of patient.


We consider the release from a point source of relatively heavy fluid into a porous saturated medium above an impermeable slope. We consider the case where the volume of the resulting gravity current increases with time like $t^\alpha$ and show that for $\alpha\,{<}\,3$ at short times the current spreads axisymmetrically, with radius $r\,{\sim}\,t^{(\alpha+1)/4}$, while at long times it spreads predominantly downslope. In particular, for long times the downslope position of the current scales like $t$ while the current extends a distance $t^{\alpha/3}$ across the slope. For $\alpha\,{>}\,3$, this situation is reversed with spreading occurring predominantly downslope for short times. The governing equations admit similarity solutions whose scaling behaviour we determine, with the full similarity form being evaluated by numerical computations of the governing partial differential equation. We find that the results of these analyses are in good quantitative agreement with a series of laboratory experiments. Finally, we discuss the implications of our work for the sequestration of carbon dioxide in aquifers with a sloping, impermeable cap.


Background In 2010, the government of Sierra Leone implemented the Free Health Care Initiative (FHCI) in the country with the objective of reducing the high maternal, infant, and child mortality rates and improving general health indicators. The objective of this study was to assess the trends in the prevalence of health care-seeking and to identify the determinants of healthcare service utilization by caregivers of children younger than five years. Methods The analysis of health-care-seeking behavior was done using data from four population-based surveys in Sierra Leone before (2008) and after (2013, 2016, 2019) the FHCI was implemented. Care-seeking behavior was assessed with regard to caregivers seeking care for children under-five in the two weeks prior to each survey. We compared the percentages of healthcare-seeking behavior change and identify factors associated with healthcare-seeking using a modified Poisson regression model with generalized estimating equations. Results In 2008, a total of 1208 children with fever were recorded, compared with 2823 children in 2013, 1633 in 2016, and 1464 in 2019. Care-seeking for children with fever was lowest in 2008 (51%; 95% CI (46.4−55.5)) than in 2013 (71.5%; 95% CI (68.4−74.5)), 2016 (70.3%; 95% CI (66.6−73.8)), and 2019 (74.6%; 95% CI (71.6−77.3)) (p < 0.001). Care-seeking in 2013, 2016 and 2019 was at least 1.4 time higher than in 2008 (p < 0.001) after adjusting for mother's age, wealth, religion, education level, household head and the child's age. Care-seeking was lowest for children older than 12 months, mothers older than 35 years, children living in the poorest households, and in the northern region. A trend was observed for the sex of the household head. The level of care-seeking was lowest when the household head was a man. Conclusions The increase in healthcare-seeking for children under-five with fever followed the introduction of the FHCI in Sierra Leone. Care-seeking for fever varied by the child's age, caregiver's age, household wealth, the sex of the household head and region. Maintaining the FHCI with adequate strategies to address other barriers beyond financial ones is essential to reduce disparities between age groups, regions and, households.


The requirement of high-speed data for various forms of application is increasing rapidly. Power Line communication (PLC), a technology which uses the existing power line network as a transmission medium, is a choice for this provision, owing to the ready presence of the medium. This channel (power line), is severely bewitched by noise and attenuation owing to the branches, length and the load connection on the line. Cooperative relaying, which transmits the same information through several nodes is deployed in this paper to combat the data outages caused by the channel's characteristics. Amplify-and-forward and decode-and-forward were the cooperative protocols deployed.The outage probability of each of the protocols were obtained, analysed and compared with the conventional direct link (without cooperation). Results shows that outage probability was drastically reduced on the cooperative links. The performances of the two cooperative links were close due to the noise mitigating circuit incorporated.This achievement in outage probability performance enhances the reliability of the PLC system.


Colorectal flat-type tumors include laterally spreading tumors (LSTs) and flat depressed-type tumors. The former of which shows a predominant lateral spreading growth rather than an invasive growth. The present study examined the morphological characteristics of LSTs, in comparison with polypoid- or flat depressed-type tumors, along with the expression of atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) λ/ι, a pivotal cell polarity regulator, and the hallmarks of cell polarity, as well as with type IV collagen, β-catenin and E-cadherin. In total, 37 flat-type (24 LSTs and 13 flat depressed-type tumors) and 20 polypoid-type colorectal tumors were examined. The LSTs were classified as 15 LST adenoma (LST-A) and nine LST cancer in adenoma (LST-CA). An immunohistochemical examination was performed on aPKC λ/ι, type IV collagen, β-catenin and E-cadherin. The LST-A and -CA showed a superficial replacing growth pattern, with expression of β-catenin and E-cadherin in the basolateral membrane and type IV collagen along the basement membrane. In addition, 86.6% of LST-A and 55.6% of LST-CA showed aPKC λ/ι expression of 1+ (weak to normal intensity staining in the cytoplasm compared with the normal epithelium). Furthermore, ~45% of the polypoid-type adenomas showed 2+ (moderate intensity staining in the cytoplasm and/or nucleus) and 66.7% of the polypoid-type cancer in adenoma were 3+ (strong intensity staining in the cytoplasm and nucleus). A statistically significant positive correlation was observed between the expression of aPKC λ/ι and β-catenin (r=0.842; P<0.001), or type IV collagen (r=0.823; P<0.001). The LSTs showed a unique growth pattern, different from the expanding growth pattern presented by a polypoid tumor and invasive cancer. The growth characteristics of LST appear to be caused by adequate coexpression of β-catenin, type IV collagen and aPKC λ/ι.


Holmes is frequently employed by a client in order to avert, or suppress a scandal. While secrecy is the client's objective, the scandal itself is – usually – revealed to the privileged reader. This is exemplified by the very first Holmes short story, whose scandalous subject is even declared in its title. When the King of Bohemia employs Holmes to save his forthcoming marriage to Clotilde Lothman von Saxe-Meningen, second daughter of the King of Scandinavia, full details of the incriminating evidence – letters and a cabinet photograph1 – are revealed in a comic catechism between Holmes and the King: 'If this young person should produce her letters for blackmailing or other purposes, how is she to prove their authenticity?' 'There is the writing.' 'Pooh, pooh! Forgery.' 'My private note-paper.' 'Stolen.' 'My own seal.' 'Imitated.' 'My photograph.' 'Bought.' 'We were both in the photograph.' 'Oh, dear! That is very bad! Your Majesty has indeed committed an indiscretion.' (Adventures, 13)


Alternative iterative methods for a nonexpansive mapping in a Banach space are proposed and proved to be convergent to a common solution to a fixed point problem and a variational inequality. We give rates of asymptotic regularity for such iterations using proof-theoretic techniques. Some applications of the convergence results are presented.


This study investigated the effects of different n-6:n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratios in pig diets using vegetable oil supplementation on growth  performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and fatty acid composition in the longissimus dorsi muscle (LM) and subcutaneous adipose  tissue (SAT) of pigs. Fiftyfour cross-bred growing pigs (Large White × Landrace × Duroc; 45.03 ± 1.72 kg) were randomly assigned to one of three  isoenergetic diets: the 1) basal diet (control), 2) RAPO diet (diet supplemented with 4.5% rapeseed oil), and 3) MIXO diet (diet supplemented with 2.25%  rapeseed oil and 2.25% linseed oil), with n-6:n-3 PUFA ratios of approximately 13:1, 7:1, and 2:1, respectively. The experiment lasted 42 days. The RAPO  and MIXO diets did not affect the growth performance and carcass characteristics of pigs, while the content of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides  (TGs), and glucose (GLU) in the serum decreased substantially. Intramuscular fat (IMF) content increased by 19.25% and 20.11% in the LM of pigs fed the  RAPO and MIXO diets, respectively, and lower cooking loss and drip loss of meat were observed only in pigs fed the MIXO diet. The RAPO and MIXO diets  decreased the stearic acid and palmitoleic acid levels, increased the total PUFA levels (including those of α-linolenic and linoleic acid), and decreased the  n-6:n-3 PUFA ratios in LM and SAT. However, the MIXO diet was more effective in improving the fatty acid composition. A mixed oil diet with an n6:n-3  PUFA ratio of 2:1 is an effective measure for improving meat quality.


The prevalence of oral soft and hard tissue lesions related to mechanical oral hygiene procedures was recorded and correlated to toothbrushing habits and oral hygiene status in two selected samples. Fifty-one percent of 533 persons examined exhibited gingival retractions and 45% had wedge-shaped defects in the cervical area of one or several teeth. Both types of lesions were often seen in the same area, indicating a common etiologic factor. The subjects with a good oral hygiene status, as well as those who brushed more than twice daily, showed a high frequency of lesions. The various toothbrushing techniques did not, however, seem to influence the development of such lesions in the present material. Subjective symptoms were reported in a few cases only.


In this work, we investigate Gaussian Processes indexed by multidimensional distributions. While directly constructing radial positive definite kernels based on the Wasserstein distance has been proven to be possible in the unidimensional case, such constructions do not extend well to the multidimensional case as we illustrate here. To tackle the problem of defining positive definite kernels between multivariate distributions based on optimal transport, we appeal instead to Hilbert space embeddings relying on optimal transport maps to a reference distribution, that we suggest to take as a Wasserstein barycenter. We characterize in turn radial positive definite kernels on Hilbert spaces, and show that the covariance parameters of virtually all parametric families of covariance functions are microergodic in the case of (infinite-dimensional) Hilbert spaces. We also investigate statistical properties of our suggested positive definite kernels on multidimensional distributions, with a focus on consistency when a population Wasserstein barycenter is replaced by an empirical barycenter and additional explicit results in the special case of Gaussian distributions. Finally, we study the Gaussian process methodology based on our suggested positive definite kernels in regression problems with multidimensional distribution inputs, on simulation data stemming both from synthetic examples and from a mechanical engineering test case.


usual levels for toxic overdoses, the methodology for preparing levels, and the ranges for toxicity based on these levels. The volume is limited to drugs about which sufficient information regarding human disposition and levels associated with toxicity is known. A table at the end of the volume provides an alphabetical listing of the drugs, and describes the substance analyzed, the dosage, the route, the frequency, the number of subjects, the weight, the average blood level, the time after administration, and the clinical condition of the patient, along with references. Disposition of Toxic Drugs and Chemicals in Man is an adequate reference for those clinicians actively involved in the treatment of overdose patients and those in poison information centers. It would also be a good source for students concerned with toxicology. However, due to lack of any clinical discussion and the small amount of detail provided on symptoms, it should not be considered a major reference for the clinical treatment of patients.


Large online social rating networks (e.g., Epinions, Blippr) have recently come into being containing information related to various types of products. Typically, each product in these networks is associated with a group of members who have provided ratings and comments on it. These people form a product community. A potential member can join a product community by giving a new rating to the product. We refer to this phenomenon of a product community's ability to "attract" new members as product affinity. The knowledge of a ranked list of products based on product affinity is of much importance for implementing policies, marketing research, online advertisement, and other applications. In this article, we identify and analyze an array of features that exert effect on product affinity and propose a novel model, called AffRank, that utilizes these features to predict the future rank of products according to their affinities. Evaluated on two real-world datasets, we demonstrate the effectiveness and superior prediction quality of AffRank compared with baseline methods. Our experiments show that features such as affinity rank history, affinity evolution distance, and average rating are the most important factors affecting future rank of products. At the same time, interestingly, traditional community features (e.g., community size, member connectivity, and social context) have negligible influence on product affinities. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


In the present study a large group health population was selected as a normal population. A random sample of this parent population was studied by Goldmann's applanation tonometry and by the Schiotz method. After tonometry, tonography was performed on a group of glaucoma suspects and an appropriate control group. Method A large group health population of approximately 20,000 patients was studied.* This group is composed of 95% white and 4% colored patients from the Bronx borough of New York City. It comprises the following employment groups and their families: Board of Education 17%, Police and Fire Department 14%, Transit Authority 14%, Other City of New York Employees 20%, Trade Unions 16%, Other 19%. There is approximately an equal number of males and females. The percentage distribution by age is as follows: between 14-20 years 6%, between 20-39 years 23%, between 40-59 years 33%, over 60 years 12%, unknown age 2%.


Subalpine grasslands are highly seasonal environments and likely subject to strong variability in nitrogen (N) dynamics. Plants and microbes typically compete for N acquisition during the growing season and particularly at plant peak biomass. During snowmelt, plants could potentially benefit from a decrease in competition by microbes, leading to greater plant N uptake associated with active growth and freeze-thaw cycles restricting microbial growth. In managed subalpine grasslands, we expect these interactions to be influenced by recent changes in agricultural land use, and associated modifications in plant and microbial communities. At several subalpine grasslands in the French Alps, we added pulses of 15 N to the soil at the end of snowmelt, allowing us to compare the dynamics of inorganic N uptake in plants and microbes during this period with that previously reported at the peak biomass in July. In all grasslands, while specific shoot N translocation (per g of biomass) of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) was two to five times greater at snowmelt than at peak biomass, specific microbial DIN uptakes were similar between the two sampling dates. On an area basis, plant communities took more DIN than microbial communities at the end of snowmelt when aboveground plant biomasses were at least two times lower than at peak biomass. Consequently, inorganic N partitioning after snowmelt switches in favor of plant communities, allowing them to support their growing capacities at this period of the year. Seasonal differences in microbial and plant inorganic N-related dynamics were also affected by past (terraced vs. unterraced) rather than current (mown vs. unmown) land use. In terraced grasslands, microbial biomass N remained similar across seasons, whereas in unterraced grasslands, microbial biomass N was higher and microbial C : N lower at the end of snowmelt as compared to peak biomass. Further investigations on microbial community composition and their organic N uptake dynamics are required to better understand the decrease in microbial DIN uptake.


We study two problems of private matrix multiplication, over a distributed computing system consisting of a master node, and multiple servers that collectively store a family of public matrices using Maximum-Distance-Separable (MDS) codes. In the first problem of Private and Secure Matrix Multiplication (PSMM) from colluding servers, the master intends to compute the product of its confidential matrix <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathbf {A}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> with a target matrix stored on the servers, without revealing any information about <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathbf {A}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and the index of target matrix to some colluding servers. In the second problem of Fully Private Matrix Multiplication (FPMM) from colluding servers, the matrix <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathbf {A}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is also selected from another family of public matrices stored at the servers in MDS form. In this case, the indices of the two target matrices should both be kept private from colluding servers. We develop novel strategies for the two PSMM and FPMM problems, which simultaneously guarantee information-theoretic data/index privacy and computation correctness. We compare the proposed PSMM strategy with a previous PSMM strategy with a weaker privacy guarantee (non-colluding servers), and demonstrate substantial improvements over the previous strategy in terms of communication and computation overheads. Moreover, compared with a baseline FPMM strategy that uses the idea of Private Information Retrieval (PIR) to directly retrieve the desired matrix multiplication, the proposed FPMM strategy significantly reduces storage overhead, but slightly incurs large communication and computation overheads.


Background: To investigate effect of postoperative anti-rotation on the union of intracapsular displaced femoral neck fracture treated with three cannulated screws. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on all the intracapsular femoral neck fractures treated in the department of orthopedics of the second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from July 2015 to December 2018. Fractures of femoral neck were reduced and fixed with three cannulated screws. The patients who wore anti-rotation shoes in the affected side were kept at bed rest for 10-12 weeks after surgery. The results were analyzed.Results: A total of 135 patients were included in the analysis. Six patients (4.4%) were not united. There were 12 cases of avascular necrosis (9.3%). No wound infections, screw breakages was found.Conclusion: Anti-rotation after surgery can significantly reduce the rate of femoral neck fracture nonunion, but not significantly improve the femoral head necrosis


In this paper, we consider robust output regulation and the internal model principle for infinite-dimensional linear systems. We concentrate on a problem where the control law is required to be robust with respect to a restricted class of perturbations. We show that depending on the class of admissible perturbations, it is often possible to construct a robust controller with a smaller internal model than the one given by the internal model principle. In addition, we also look for minimal classes of perturbations that make the full internal model necessary. We introduce a straightforward way of testing for robustness of the control law for a given set of perturbations. The test in particular shows that the robustness is only dependent on the way the perturbations affect the transfer function of the plant at the frequencies of the exosystem. The theoretic results are applied to designing controllers for a one-dimensional wave equation and for a system consisting of three independent shock absorber models.


New measurements of the ratio of Fe to LiF and Al_2O_3 anvil thermal diffusivities are used to obtain revised shock temperatures for Fe. New results match Brown and McQueen's (1) calculations of the temperatures of 5000 and 5800K at the 200 and 243 GPa transitions in Fe. New sound speed measurements along the Hugoniot of γ-Fe, centered at 1573K, demonstrate that this phase melts at ∼70 GPa and ∼2800 K and the γ phase does not occur above ∼93 GPa. At higher pressures, perhaps over the entire pressure range of the Earth's molten outer core (132 to 330 GPa), the β (dhcp) phase, and not the e phase, appears to be the solidus phase of pure Fe.


Copyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. For more information on Open Research Online's data policy on reuse of materials please consult the policies page. 1 Introduction This special issue explores key issues relevant to psychosocial research and presents innovative qualitative approaches for investigating this emerging field. The term 'psychosocial' is increasingly widely used and has become associated with its own 'turn' in social theorising and research. Such a turn would be consistent with a now-well established trajectory of academic innovation. It implies a Kuhnian leap and a major re-framing through which deficiencies and absences in current theory and research are recognised then remedied, opening up new directions and problems for investigation, as occurred in psychology with the 'discursive turn' of the 1980s and 90s. However, the status of a psychosocial turn is less clear-cut, first because of the very broad reference of the term 'psychosocial', second, because of the apparent overlap with the project of social psychology, and third, because of the odd relation of the psychosocial to psychology more generally, including the rejection of its main traditions of qualitative research. This introduction expands on these points and introduces the five central articles in this special


A guide to online resources in music, including indexes to the academic literature, reference works, scores, and music across many genres.


Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic fatty acid (DHA), are widely recognized to impact fetal and infant neurodevelopment. The impact of DHA on brain development, and its inefficient synthesis from the essential alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), has led to recommended DHA intakes of 250–375 mg eicosapentaenoic acid + DHA/day for pregnant and lactating women by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Despite these recommendations, the intake of omega-3s in women of child-bearing age in the US remains very low. The low maternal status of DHA prior to pregnancy could impair fetal neurodevelopment. This review focuses on maternal omega-3 status in conditions of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and preeclampsia, and the subsequent impact on placental transfer and cord blood concentration of omega-3s. Both GDM and preeclampsia are associated with altered maternal omega-3 status, altered placental omega-3 metabolism, reduced cord blood omega-3 levels and have an impact on neurodevelopment in the infant and on brain health later in life. These findings indicate lower DHA exposure of the developing baby may be driven by lower placental transfer in both conditions. Thus, determining approaches which facilitate increased delivery of DHA during pregnancy and early development might positively impact brain development in infants born to mothers with these diseases.


Patients with end stage renal disease frequently show indigestion symptoms as a result of uremia. However, the association between the indigestion symptoms and the earlier stage of diabetic nephropathy is unclear. Therefore we conducted a multicenter study using self-administered questionnaires: the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS).Patients were type1 or type 2 DM between 20-85 years old treated in 2 hospitals and 3 clinics in Yokohama and Tokyo during June 2016 to January 2017. We excluded patients if they were either 1) pregnant or 2) suffering from malignant disease or digestive disease. We defined diabetic nephropathy as stage 3 or later and clinically significant indigestion symptoms (CSIS) as GSRS≧3. We analyzed the association between diabetic nephropathy and CSIS.In total of 722 patients, 430 (61%) were male and 36 (5%) were Type 1 DM. Mean age was 65 years old, mean BMI was 25.0, mean HbA1c was 7.5% and mean duration of DM was 155 months. As for diabetic microangiopathy, 177 (26%) had nephropathy, 186 (30%) had peripheral neuropathy, 180 (29%) had retinopathy. GLP-1 receptor agonists were used in 62 (8.8%) patients. In comparison between patients with and without CSIS, age, BMI, HbA1c were not different. Duration of DM was longer in CSIS (193 ± 19 vs. 153 ± 5 months, p=0.046). Presence of diabetic nephropathy was associated with CSIS (OR=2.08, 95% CI: 1.10-3.91), in contrast, that of neuropathy and retinopathy was not. In multivariate analysis adjusting age, BMI, HbA1c and use of GLP-1 receptor agonist, CSIS were significantly associated with longer duration of DM (β=0.003, SD=0.001, p=0.01), and diabetic nephropathy (OR=1.95, 95% CI:1.01-3.71). Neuropathy and retinopathy had no significant association with CSIS. Our results suggest that not only in the end stage renal disease, earlier stage of diabetic nephropathy with proteinuria might be the risk of indigestion symptoms in patients with diabetes mellitus. Disclosure Y. Namiki: None. E. Yamada: None. Y. Takano: None. H. Takamine: None. H. Sasaki: None. K. Inazumi: None. T. Minami: None. S. Ito: None. N. Mantani: None. T. Iwasaki: None. M. Yamada: None. A. Nakajima: None. Y. Terauchi: Research Support; Self; MSD K.K.. Speaker9s Bureau; Self; MSD K.K.. Advisory Panel; Self; MSD K.K.. Research Support; Self; Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.. Speaker9s Bureau; Self; Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.. Research Support; Self; Novartis Pharma K.K., Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH. Speaker9s Bureau; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH. Advisory Panel; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH. Research Support; Self; Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation. Speaker9s Bureau; Self; Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation. Advisory Panel; Self; Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation. Research Support; Self; Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited. Speaker9s Bureau; Self; Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited. Advisory Panel; Self; Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited. Research Support; Self; Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho Co., Ltd.. Speaker9s Bureau; Self; Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho Co., Ltd.. Research Support; Self; Novo Nordisk Inc.. Speaker9s Bureau; Self; Novo Nordisk Inc.. Advisory Panel; Self; Novo Nordisk Inc.. Research Support; Self; Eli Lilly and Company. Speaker9s Bureau; Self; Eli Lilly and Company. Advisory Panel; Self; Eli Lilly and Company. Research Support; Self; Sanofi. Speaker9s Bureau; Self; Sanofi. Advisory Panel; Self; Sanofi. Research Support; Self; Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd.. Speaker9s Bureau; Self; Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd.. Research Support; Self; Shionogi & Co., Ltd.. Speaker9s Bureau; Self; Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Bayer Yakuhin, Ltd., Astellas Pharma US, Inc., AstraZeneca. Advisory Panel; Self; AstraZeneca, Teijin Pharma Limited. U.N. Osada: None.


The world is plagued by the historic pandemic of coronavirus disease. The situation is gruesome in developing countries with a large burden of other infectious diseases like tuberculosis (TB), and HIV-AIDS. Globally the chaos due to the ever-growing cases of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has overwhelmed the health systems. The condition of healthcare in some of the underprivileged countries is grave. In this current scenario, the attention is mostly towards the COVID-19 and the efforts for the control of other diseases like TB have taken a back step. We herein, present the world's first case of primary multidrug-resistant pulmonary TB with COVID-19 in an Indian female. To the best of our knowledge, there is no such case ever reported in the medical literature to date.


To the Editor. With the evolution of today's specialized therapy, the role of the compounding pharmacist in the practice of pharmacy is more evident than ever. The art and science of compounding allows the pharmacist to prepare dosage forms that best suit the needs of individual patients. For several years compounding has been on the rebound, influenced by the modernized practice of pharmacy. In the United States, compounded prescriptions occupy a growing portion of the drug market and account for 250 million prescriptions annually.1 Patients and the Food and Drug Administration have entrusted compounding pharmacists with preparing these compounded preparations. Although the state pharmacy boards regulate and guide compounded preparations, they are seldom analyzed for quality, and it is left to the individual pharmacist to assure the quality.

In 2001, the FDA's Division of Prescription Drug Compliance and Surveillance conducted a limited survey of common drugs and dosage forms compounded by 12 pharmacies located throughout the United States2. This survey enabled the FDA to assess quality, purity, and potency of the compounded drug products. Twenty-nine samples were collected and subjected to original and repeated analytical testing during the survey. Ten (34%) of 29 sampled products failed standard quality tests. Nine of the 10 products failed potency testing (less of the active ingredient(s) than declared on the label) with a failure range of 59 to 89%.

In 2006, the FDA conducted a second survey in which it collected both active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and finished compounded drug products from compounding pharmacies.3 Of the 36 samples analyzed, 12 (33%) failed analytical testing, with potency ranging from 67.5% to 268.4% of the amount declared on the label.

Both studies by the FDA confirm that the pharmacy profession has the opportunity to make an important contribution to the quality of preparations compounded in laboratories and pharmacies. In order to maintain the highest professional standards and ethics, we have to identify the sources of error that may affect the quality of these preparations so we can reexamine our compounding techniques and modernize them where needed.

There have been few if any academic reports describing the incorporation of analytical testing within the compounding teaching laboratory. We decided to integrate the analytical component into our compounding curricula to evaluate students' skills, performance, and competency. For this purpose, we set up a special session in the advanced compounding laboratory where we analyzed a suppository from each student and reported the result to the student.

We started this exercise in fall 2008. Students prepared progesterone, 25mg, suppositories using PEG bases as directed. Students had no previous knowledge that their preparations would be analyzed. A United States Pharmacopeia (USP) method was adopted for analyzing the suppositories using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The same testing was also repeated with a different class in the fall of 2009. This class was informed about the suppository analysis before preparation. The results of the potency testing in 2009 were better than 2008; thus, this exercise showed that analytical testing is crucial and needed.

More attention must be focused on the potency and strength of compounded preparations, and students should be aware of the consequences if they do not adhere to the appropriate guidelines. The most likely source of error for this experiment was the improper incorporation and mixing technique for progesterone with the melted PEG base prior to pouring into the molds. However, this stresses the importance of attaining a simple compounding technique and justifies the need to address the preparation of more challenging formulations. The FDA's findings from both surveys did not elaborate on the sources of error in their findings.

Our aim was to help the students gain more knowledge about the steps taken for the development of an analytical method, and to better guide them in the pursuit of reasonable explanations for why their suppositories failed the potency and strength test. When student results fall outside of the acceptable range, they understandably will begin to question the importance of proper mixing and compounding techniques.

In this regard, we are calling for a widespread effort at the academic level to address this problem. Our task as academicians is to ensure the quality of teaching and learning, and analytical testing is the proper tool to preserve the quality and integrity of compounding. We call upon every college and school of pharmacy to incorporate some type of analytical testing in compounding laboratories, leaving no doubt that our pharmacy students and professional pharmacists are always striving to perform their duties to the highest standards. Compounding requires diligence and careful attention to small details, and we are committed to pursuing more rigorous academic solutions to this problem. In the meantime, we are hopeful that most institutions will begin to incorporate analytical testing to instill in the minds of the students the importance of potency, strength, and quality of preparations, and strengthen their compounding skills and mixing techniques.

Hassan Almoazen PhD

Anthony C. Samsa, MS

Charles N. May, MS

College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center


Moho depth and Vp/Vs estimates from stacking phases of receiver functions along the Aleutian island arc give new constraints on its composition and structure. They expand on the current understanding of island arcs and their relationship to continental crust production. We also present an approach for including constraints from active‐source data in receiver function analysis in a region with sparse data coverage to complement this analysis. Moho depth averages 37.5 km with an average uncertainty of 2.5 km along the entire arc. Excluding the westernmost island of Attu yields an average crustal thickness of 38.5 ± 2.9 km. The Vp/Vs ratio decreases moving eastward along the arc with an average value of 1.80 in the western and central portion of the arc built on oceanic crust, but 1.63 in the eastern section built on continental crust. This may reflect tectonic and compositional changes along the arc. However, overall the arc appears more mafic than continental crust. Near‐constant crustal thickness, despite significant compositional changes, may indicate that nonmagmatic processes such as erosion and isostasy act to regulate arc thickness. Additionally, strong conversions from an upper crustal magma chamber are observed beneath Akutan Island, confirming and clarifying the geometry of the magma body inferred from other techniques. They indicate a volcanic body much larger than the eruptive edifice, a feature that must persist between eruptive cycles.


Ultrafast terahertz (THz) pump-probe spectroscopy reveals an unusual out-of-equilibrium Cooper pair nonlinear dynamics and a nonequilibrium state driven by femtosecond (fs) photoexcitation of superconductivity (SC) in iron pnictides. Following fast SC quench via hot-phonon scattering, a second, abnormally slow (many hundreds of picoseconds), SC quench regime is observed prior to any recovery. Importantly, a nonlinear pump fluence dependence is identified for this remarkably long prebottleneck dynamics that are sensitive to both doping and temperature. Using quantum kinetic modeling we argue that the buildup of excitonic interpocket correlation between electron-hole (e-h) quasiparticles (QP) quenches SC after fs photoexcitation leading to a long-lived, many-QP excitonic state.


Papillary muscle isolated from adult mouse hearts can be used to study cardiac contractility during different physiological/pathological conditions. The contractile characteristics can be evaluated independently of external influences such as vascular tonus or neurohumoral status. It depicts a scientific approach between single cell measurements with isolated cardiac myocytes and in vivo studies like echocardiography. Thus, papillary muscle preparations serve as an excellent model to study cardiac physiology/pathophysiology and can be used for investigations like the modulation by pharmacological agents or the exploration of transgenic animal models. Here, we describe a method of isolating the murine left anterior papillary muscle to investigate cardiac contractility in an organ bath setup. In contrast to a muscle strip preparation isolated from the ventricular wall, the papillary muscle can be prepared in toto without damaging the muscle tissue severely. The organ bath setup consists of several temperature-controlled, gassed and electrode-equipped organ bath chambers. The isolated papillary muscle is fixed in the organ bath chamber and electrically stimulated. The evoked twitch force is recorded using a pressure transducer and parameters such as twitch force amplitude and twitch kinetics are analyzed. Different experimental protocols can be performed to investigate the calcium- and frequency-dependent contractility as well as dose-response curves of contractile agents such as catecholamines or other pharmaceuticals. Additionally, pathologic conditions like acute ischemia can be simulated.


Multidisciplinary teams are essential in managing Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). IBD nurses play a critical role in improving patient outcomes and providing cost-effective quality of care. In Canada, access to IBD nurses remain inconsistent. There are more than 270,000 people living with IBD in Canada and fewer than 90 IBD nurses to care for them. This study was conducted to capture the value of IBD nurses, to identify gaps in resources, and to generate strategies for building IBD nurse capacity and enhancing the contributions of IBD nurses in Canada.

 A convergent mixed-methods design was utilized to gather input from 4 stakeholder groups: IBD nurses, gastroenterologists, individuals living with IBD, and caregivers. Data collection was done through completing a review of the literature, stakeholder surveys, and one-on-one online semi-structured interviews with all stakeholders. Descriptive statistics were used for the quantitative analysis. Semi-structured interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim then thematically analyzed.

 The IBD nurse's role in clinical care was recognized as a value-add across all stakeholder groups. Having access to a specialized IBD nurse was recognized as a service that elevates the quality and continuity of patient care. As the interface between patients and other healthcare providers, there was recognition amongst stakeholders that IBD nurses are ideally positioned to educate patients about IBD management, general health promotion in the context of chronic disease and may support other aspects of care such as psychosocial, nutrition, and other extraintestinal manifestations or to help guide patients toward appropriate care channels. Many IBD nurses view advocacy as a logical extension of their official responsibilities, helping IBD patients to make treatment decisions and assisting them with disease challenges that affect their quality of life.

 IBD nurses represent an underused resource in Canadian IBD care. Canada currently falls short of the recommended 2.5 full-time IBD nurse equivalents per 250,000 population. Achieving this objective will require a commitment to train IBD nurses and additional funding for their education and employment. The government can work with nursing institutions to set benchmarks, establish training programs, and create opportunities for IBD nurses in Canada. Introducing more IBD nurses into the system and using them to their full capacity makes sense from both a clinical and economic standpoint. It lifts the burden on gastroenterologists and primary care physicians, reduces costs to health systems while improving the overall quality of care for IBD patients.


Dengue fever is a febrile illness caused by Dengue Virus, which belongs to the Flaviviridae family. Among its proteome, the nonstructural protein 5 (NS5) is the biggest and most conserved. It has a primer-independent RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) domain at its C-Terminus. Zou et al. studied the biological relevance of the two conserved cavities (named A and B) within the NS5 proteins of dengue virus (DENV) and West Nile Virus (WNV) using mutagenesis and revertant analysis and found four mutations located at cavity B having effects on viral replication. They recommended Cavity B, but not Cavity A as a potential target for drugs against flavivirus RdRp. In this study, we virtually screened the MayBridge drug fragments dataset for potential small molecule binders of cavity B using both AutoDock Vina, the standard docking tool, and QuickVina 2, our previously developed tool. We selected 16 fragments that appeared in the top 100 docking results of each of the representative structures of NS5. Visual inspection suggests that they have reasonable binding poses. The 16 predicted fragments are plausible drug candidates and should be considered for further validation, optimization, and linking to come up with a suitable inhibitor of dengue virus.


INTRODUCTION
The objective of this study is to assess the oral and maxillofacial characteristics of microcephalic children associated with congenital Zika syndrome (CZS).

METHODS
A cross-sectional, observational study was carried out with 61 patients with microcephaly/CZS born between June 2015 and September 2017 (29 boys and 32 girls, average age of 22.8 months) and a control group with 58 non-CZS children born in the same period (25 boys and 33 girls, average age of 23.8 months). The functional clinical analysis considered the labial and lingual frena, tongue anterior projection, oral escape, palate form, and first tooth eruption. For the craniofacial analysis, facial anthropometric points and the cephalic perimeter at the time were measured. Demographic data were collected from medical records, and a clinical exam was performed in order to register the intrabuccal characteristics and craniofacial measures. The chi-square test and Student's t-test were used with a significance level of 0.05.

RESULTS
The narrow palate form, tongue anterior projection, oral escape, and late first tooth eruption were significantly more present in the group with microcephaly/CZS. As for the craniofacial analysis, face width (Bi-Zi), mandible width (Go-Go), height of face upper third (Tr-G), and monthly growth of cephalic perimeter were significantly smaller, whereas height of face lower third (Sn-Gn) was significantly bigger in the group with microcephaly/CZS (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION
Children with microcephaly resulting from a congenital Zika infection showed functional, oral, and maxillofacial changes and smaller facial development in comparison with non-CZS children in the same age group.


this difficulty. He carefully classifies and documents the case-histories of all the characters of 'New Comedy' known to him. He then reaches the merited conclusions that the good in the end triumph, the evil are punished (but not severely); that what is generally considered ethically good is upheld, immorality is condemned; that young men are expected to fall in love, old men forbidden; that the love-interest arouses sympathy; that young women are inevitably pretty, old women generally respectable. Neumann deserved less expected results, for his investigation is thorough and his remarks on characters sensible. But he scarcely ever finds himself forced to reinterpret a passage nor does he feel due embarrassment at the fact that most of his evidence about New Comedy comes from Roman comedy. He silences doubt: for instance on Pseud. 434 ff. he says (p. 70): '(Callipho) ist versohnlich (495; vga u c h 537 und bes553)Obwohl Pseudolus ihn bittet zu bleiben (547 f.), kommt er nicht weiter vor, was vielleicht auf ^Contamination zuruckzufuhren ist, da die Bemerkung des Pseudolus keinen Sinn gibt.' But if 'Kontamination' must be reckoned with, then how is it permissible to use this play, without further question, as evidence for New Comedy? Neumann might have reached some results of interest if he had decided the main features of poetic justice in New Comedy, keeping to Greek evidence and such Latin evidence as seems beyond question. He might then have been able to point to certain exaggerating tendencies in Plautus, or a certain carelessness of moral feeling in Terence, which disrupted the Greek endings of some specific plays. He might have been able to do more with Terence's Adelphi, which he simply leaves as an exception, confining himself to vague remarks (pp. 173 ff.). But the results achieved by Neumann can only be vague and generalized: they cannot, therefore, be applied with any precision whatever.


Some emerging technologies are used as strategies for the analyses of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that have attracted much interest in recent years, applied to various scientific areas. They have been extensively used as markers to identify genes that underlie complex diseases and also to realize the potential of pharmacogenomics in relation to different drug responses. Additionally, SNPs have been shown to be very useful in forensic genetics resolving all kinds of legal problems, namely crime cases, disaster victim identification and paternity and kinship investigation testing. The low mutation rate of SNPs, makes these markers very suitable for relationship testing. In the great majority of the cases, analyses with the widely used sets of STR markers provide powerful statistical evidence but some of them remain with ambiguous results. Those include cases with complex pedigrees or cases with some problems, like mutations, that are inherent to the use of STRs. At this time several forensic laboratories are using SNPs especially to complement the study of STRs in some of their casework cases. This paper intends to analyze some of our casework examples and to providea data update on the joint use of STRs and autosomal SNPs in the evaluation and kinship calculation, one of the strategies currently used for this purpose, namely reviewing and comparing results published by various working groups.


Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) has been shown to inhibit IgE‐dependent histamine release from human lung mast cells. This effect of PGE2 is believed to be mediated by EP2 receptors. However, definitive evidence that this is the case has been lacking in the absence of EP2‐selective antagonists. Moreover, recent evidence has suggested that PGE2 activates EP4 receptors to inhibit respiratory cell function.


Opportunistic infections are common complications of advanced immuno-deficiency in individuals with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection. Following involvement of the lung, the central nervous system (CNS) is the second most commonly affected organ. We report two cases of concurrent cryptococcal meningitis and tuberculosis (TB) in HIV infected persons. A high suspicion of multiple opportunistic infections should be kept in mind in HIV seropositive individuals.


Beach sports and activities shed light on the cultures, coastal areas, and societies they are linked to. By cross-referencing contributions from the geography of sports, coastal geography, and the geography of tourism, this study looks at the evolution of leisure and sporting activities and spaces in coastal areas. The analysis draws upon the entire range of beach sports and activities and stems from a combination of sources: direct observation, publication of works in the humanities and social sciences, information collected on the internet (local or regional authorities, associations, federations, regional newspapers, and so on), and interviews with public and private stakeholders interacting in coastal areas. Studying the diversity of beach sports and activities enables the issues surrounding them, as well as the places in which they take place and their development conditions, to be reinterpreted. While pointing to the dichotomous aspects (federal framework/recreational framework), this article aims to highlight the ongoing transformations and trends whose dominant features amount to practices associated with a hedonistic quest in a recreational and sporting environment.


Ecological modeling and forecasting are essential tools for the understanding of complex vegetation dynamics. The parametric demands of some of these models are often lacking or scant for threatened ecosystems, particularly in diverse tropical ecosystems. One such ecosystem and also one of the world's biodiversity hotspots, Madagascar's lowland rainforests, have disappeared at an alarming rate. The processes that drive tree species growth and distribution remain as poorly understood as the species themselves. We investigated the application of the process-based individual-based FORMIND model to successfully simulate a Madagascar lowland rainforest using previously collected multi-year forest inventory plot data. We inspected the model's ability to characterize growth and species abundance distributions over the study site, and then validated the model with an independently collected forest-inventory dataset from another lowland rainforest in eastern Madagascar. Following a comparative analysis using inventory data from the two study sites, we found that FORMIND accurately captures the structure and biomass of the study forest, with r2 values of 0.976, 0.895, and 0.995 for 1:1 lines comparing observed and simulated values across all plant functional types for aboveground biomass (tonnes/ha), stem numbers, and basal area (m2/ha), respectively. Further, in validation with a second study forest site, FORMIND also compared well, only slightly over-estimating shade-intermediate species as compared to the study site, and slightly under-representing shade-tolerant species in percentage of total aboveground biomass. As an important application of the FORMIND model, we measured the net ecosystem exchange (NEE, in tons of carbon per hectare per year) for 50 ha of simulated forest over a 1000-year run from bare ground. We found that NEE values ranged between 1 and −1 t Cha−1 year−1, consequently the study forest can be considered as a net neutral or a very slight carbon sink ecosystem, after the initial 130 years of growth. Our study found that FORMIND represents a valuable tool toward simulating forest dynamics in the immensely diverse Madagascar rainforests.


The Landsat series of satellites provides the longest running continuous data set of moderate-spatial-resolution imagery beginning with the launch of Landsat 1 in 1972 and continuing with the1999 launch of Landsat 7 and current operation of Landsats 5 and 7[1]. The Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) will continue this program into a fourth decade providing data that are keys to understanding changes in land-use changes and resource management. LDCM consists of a two-sensor platform comprised of the Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensors (TIRS). A description of the applications and design of the TIRS instrument is given as well as the plans for calibration and characterization. Included are early results from preflight calibration and a description of the inflight validation.


Red pigments with bright colors were widely used in ancient Chinese painted pottery, books, antiques, calligraphy, and paintings. Herein, red pigments of traditional paper notes were investigated by non-invasive optical technology in order to enrich the Chinese historical pigments knowledge base. The results of laser Raman spectroscopy tests on five paper notes clearly identified the inorganic mineral pigments including ocher and cinnabar. Infrared spectroscopy measurements indicated that an artificial synthetic magenta was employed as the organic pigment. Inorganic and organic red pigments were applied together on the same samples 2 and 5 which can be speculated to serve an anti-counterfeiting function. In addition, SEM-EDS analysis of sample 5 clearly showed that the red pigment was composed of lead oxides and ZnS was added as color modulator. Combined with the abovementioned non-invasive techniques, analysis of printed pigments can provide a feasible method to authenticate and conserve paper notes.


The expansion of primordial germ cells (PGCs), the precursors for the oocytes and spermatozoa, is a key challenge in reproductive biology/medicine. Using a chemical screening exploiting PGC‐like cells (PGCLCs) induced from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs), we here identify key signaling pathways critical for PGCLC proliferation. We show that the combinatorial application of Forskolin and Rolipram, which stimulate cAMP signaling via different mechanisms, expands PGCLCs up to ~50‐fold in culture. The expanded PGCLCs maintain robust capacity for spermatogenesis, rescuing the fertility of infertile mice. Strikingly, during expansion, PGCLCs comprehensively erase their DNA methylome, including parental imprints, in a manner that precisely recapitulates genome‐wide DNA demethylation in gonadal germ cells, while essentially maintaining their identity as sexually uncommitted PGCs, apparently through appropriate histone modifications. By establishing a paradigm for PGCLC expansion, our system reconstitutes the epigenetic "blank slate" of the germ line, an immediate precursory state for sexually dimorphic differentiation.


Vitiligo is an acquired dermatological disease frequently associated with autoimmune thyroid disorders. Several theories have been proposed so far to unravel the complex vitiligo pathogenesis. Currently, the autocytotoxic and the autoimmune theories are the most accredited hypothesis, since they are sustained by several important clinical and experimental evidences. A growing body of evidences shows that autoimmunity and oxidative stress strictly interact to finally determine melanocyte loss. In this scenario, associated thyroid autoimmunity might play an active and important role in triggering and maintaining the depigmentation process of vitiligo.


In children with perinatal pathology of central nervous system content of vitamins A and E was decreased in blood serum. At the same time, some patterns of lipid and protein metabolism were altered. These alterations were especially distinct in pathological conditions accompanied by inflammatory reaction due to infections. Parenteral administration of a complex of vitamins A and E (drug "Aevit") within 2 weeks led to normalization of the content of these vitamins in blood serum. At the same time, the altered patterns of lipid and protein metabolism were normalized.


In this study, a photovoltaic textile structure generating electricity by using solar radiation is presented. Polymer based organic semi-conductors as photoactive layer in heterojunction structure and polypropylene (PP) tape which was non-transparent and non-conductive as substrate were used. Photoelectrical characterization of samples were performed under AM 1.5 (Air mass 1.5) conditions (100 mW/cm2 illumination intensity). Obtained photovoltaic textile structure exhibited a short-circuit current density of 1.7 mA/cm2.


A 50-year-old married woman with a history of recurrent depression developed a severe abnormal grief reaction following the death of her son (who had recovered from an eating disorder) in a car crash. The patient reported a number of bizarre rituals involving her son's ashes and personal effects obtained post mortem. She developed anorexia nervosa four months after his death.


Since the emergence of learning analytics, much of the research has emerged from traditional campus-based institutions in the Global North (Prinsloo, 2018, 2020). While learning analytics is not a panacea for all of the challenges faced within distance education with regard to, for example, student retention and throughput, there is evidence that it may impact positively on course design, pedagogical strategy, student support and a deepening of the student learning experience (Blumenstein, 2020; Ifenthaler & Yau, 2020). // This paper reports on the findings of a bibliometric analysis of the state of learning analytics research in 27 Open Universities in the Commonwealth. It confirms that the majority of research is from Open Universities in the Global North. The seeming absence of published research from the Global South raises a number of questions. The paper concludes with observations and pointers for future work.


The infrared reflectance spectrum up to 2500 cm−1 for heavily overdoped Tl-2201 at 300 K has been analysed under the semiclassical approximation. In this approach, we use two independent sets of parameters to fit the reflectance: the momentum-dependent Fermi velocity νk and the momentum-dependent scattering rate τ−1 (∊κ). Unlike the case at optimal doping in which the transport properties are dominated by the nodal quasi-particles (QPs), both the lifetime and the Fermi velocity of the QPs in the antinodal region near the Fermi surface increase remarkably for the heavily overdoped samples. Our fitting results indicate that the antinodal QPs tend to dominate the transport properties in heavily overdoped high-Tc cupratesa.


Different transgenic potato lines were generated for improving the nutritional value of tubers by an advanced perception of their sulphur metabolism. So far no data exist about possible implications for plant health and stress resistance. Metabolite analysis revealed that modifications of enzymes involved in sulphur metabolism were necessarily not reflected in distinctly altered thiol contents. The release of H 2 S by plants is putatively involved in pathogen resistance, because of its fungi-toxic mode of action. The emission of H 2 S was determined in 16 potato lines with modified expression level in ATP sulphurylase (ATPS), serine acetyltransferase (SAT), O-acetylserine(thiol)lyase (OASTL), homoserine kinase (HSK) and threonine synthase activities. The emission significantly increased by factor 7 in one of the ATPS antisense lines and by factor 8 in one of the OASTL antisense lines. A strong increase in H 2 S emissions was observed in transgenic plants based on the potato cultivar White Lady, which expressed the Escherichia coli SAT. In addition, the exchange of COS was determined in relation to genetic modifications. Generally, plants act as a sink for COS, but all transgenic lines expressing the E. coli HSK and one of the ATPS antisense lines emitted COS indicating to strong changes in the metabolism of these plants. Such alterations in the gas exchange of transgenic potato plants will most likely also affect their resistance against biotic and abiotic stress.


This article examines the Italian procedural rules implementing the New York Convention by reference to specific proceedings for recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards in Italy. In providing an overview of the relevant jurisprudence, this article makes reference to judgments of the Italian Supreme Court, which hears the I.C. Appeal of parties dissatisfied with decisions of the competent Court of Appeal granting or refusing recognition and enforcement of an award on any of the grounds set out in Article V(1) and Article V(2) of the New York Convention.


Leaf and stem fibers of Sorghum halepense L. (SH) were investigated as fillers for recycled polypropylene (RPP) at 10, 20, and 30 wt%. The effects of SH in RPP on the thermal and mechanical properties of composites were investigated by tensile and bending tests, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It was found that mechanical properties of the RPP composites decreased but their elasticity modulus increased. The addition of SH fibers to the polymer matrix changed the thermal properties of RPP. A slight decrease in DSC crystallinity was observed with the addition of 10% SH leaf and stem fiber to the polymer matrix and then the percentages of crystallinity increased with the addition of 20% and 30% SH leaf and stem fiber. The SEM images showed that the SH fibers mixed well with the polymer matrix without agglomeration, and the fracture sections of the composites were less rough than that of the RPP by itself.


The genesis for this special edition occurred at the 8th Biennial Australian and New Zealand Association of Leisure Studies conference hosted by Victoria University, Melbourne in 2008. A special theme, organized by Tess Kay, Kevin Lyons and John Jenkins encouraged eight presenters to examine masculinities and leisure under the title of 'Unlocking men: Presentations around the theme of men, gender and leisure'. Three papers are worthy of specific mention as they revealed that a more extensive examination of leisure and masculinities was warranted. Kay (2008) provided a critical assessment of the gendering of leisure studies and a call to address the deficit of knowledge concerned with masculinities and leisure. Kevin Lyons (2008), in a similarly provocative manner, examined how men's leisure research had been preoccupied with responding to the critiques made by feminist leisure scholarship rather than addressing the gendered experiences of men's leisure. And Veal (2008) argued that the leisure experiences of men had been neglected, and perhaps even 'stereotyped', within leisure studies. It was within this challenging and critically engaged context that the seeds for this special edition were sown. In this introductory paper, we first present an abridged overview of how gender analyses within leisure studies have developed. We then provide the results of a content analysis that examined papers published in three leading leisure journals concerned with leisure and masculinities. This is followed by a discussion of issues associated with theorizing masculinities. Finally, we introduce the papers presented within this special edition.


Though it is unlikely that instituting universal guidelines will ever be possible for patient approval of the analyst's use of clinical material outside of the treatment setting, the author offers some supplementary refl ections to those already available in the literature. Broadly applied informed consent guidelines would increase the distortion that already exists in our clinical literature due to self‐imposed restraints by writers. Moreover, the powerful irrational forces mobilized by consent in the dyad are not easily 'held' by traditional applicable legal categories. Metapsychological formulations of the intrapsychic and intersubjective impact of patient participation in the writing process on individual analytic dyads are needed. Notions of privacy protection, validation, dyadic co‐construction, or writing‐as‐containment by a third as rationales for informed consent fail to encompass the transindividual and external sources of human identity and the ineradicable lack of unity in the unconscious. Nevertheless, theoretical affi nity and preferred technique may be mediating factors in positive outcomes of the consent process. Some paradigms not only accommodate more comfortably but also actively seek the intersubjective repercussions of informed consent. Asanalternativeorcomplementaryviewpoint, theauthoroffersthehypothesis that the clinical ramifi cations of either disguise or consent are not exclusively, nor even necessarily, concerned with what patients read about themselves, but what they assess or intuit‐directly or indirectly through the material presented‐of their analyst's unconscious strivings. To truly triangulate the clinical reporting project, it is wisest to consult the third ear of a colleague to assess the potential impact on patients on what might be being unconsciously transmitted by the analyst in the writing and the consent process


The typical use of ultrasonic sensors has been limited to estimation of the location of targets in a robot workspace. CTFM sonars have also been used successfully in classifying primitive targets. In this paper the classification is extended to include textures typical of these found in pathways the robot may need to follow or identify. The pathway classes examined are considered to be plane surfaces of various roughness corresponding to hard smooth floor, carpet, and asphalt. Each class is modeled using an extension of the Kirchhoff approximation method describing the scattering of the acoustic wave on rough surfaces. The CTFM sonar image corresponding to each class is derived and compared with the experimental one. Then a feature is extracted that exploits the differences between the three surface models. A neural network is trained for recognition with excellent results.


Motion acknowledgment, it is an innovation which is gone for translating human motions with the assistance of numerical calculations. When all is said in done, buyer electronic gear utilize remote control for UIs. By supplanting the remote control framework with hand signals is an imaginative UI that settle the entanglements in the utilization of remote control for residential supplies. The proposed model manages utilizing hand motion to play out the essential controls in robot movement controlling. This kind of UI utilizing signal has focal points of straightforward entry and human machine collaboration. Signals are a characteristic type of correspondence and are anything but difficult to learn. Anyway utilizing signals to control robot movement requires motion acknowledgment calculation and sufficient equipment identifying with it.


Rhizoctonia solani causal agent of banded leaf and sheath blight (BLSB), is widely distributed in the South China and Southeast Asian in maize causing severe yield losses. In this study, we identified the disease resistance of 282 maize inbred lines to BLSB. The results showed that no immune and highly resistant germplasm was found and four moderately resistant inbred lines were identified. These four moderately resistant inbreds had good performance in grain yield, combining ability and a suitable growth period; they could be good donor of disease resistance gene to improve the other maize lines. The environments, R. solaniisolate and the evaluation method were main factors that affect the evaluate results. In order to evaluate the disease resistance of maize lines to BLSB, environments beneficial to the disease, R. solani isolate have stronger pathogenic force, artificial infection and proper disease nurseries were necessary. The analysis on the disease resistant inbred lines from different heterosis groups showed that lack of resistance germplasm in SS array was more serious and it was more effective to seek resistance germplasm from the NSS array, especially from the PB and tropical maize germplasm.

 Key words: Maize, inbred lines, resistance, banded leaf and sheath blight (BLSB).


Published and informal assessments of the prospects for neuroimaging in political science have tended to range from overexuberant to reflexively dismissive. We seek to present a cautious but fair middle ground in considering this new methodology, primarily from an epistemological perspective. Our examination centers on the relationship between two levels of analysis, focusing on the potential for connection between behavior-based theories of political psychology and cognition and the neural processes and systems involved in generating behaviors and states of mind. We explore the place of each level of analysis on its own, as well as the potential for the fruitful interaction of the two. This analysis brings together opinions and ideas presented by others in various forums and across multiple disciplines, offers a discussion of the the promises and perils of neuroimaging in its application to social science, as well as some practical thoughts regarding its early-stage incorporation into political psychology. We argue in favor of proceeding with more substantial incorporation of neuroimaging into political psychology's methodological arsenal, but note that this will initially require both (1) greater acceptance of work more focused on presenting empirical results than on providing dispositive evidence in broader theoretical debates and (2) a commitment on the part of those conducting this research to refrain from overstating the definitiveness of its theoretical implications. Language: en


The aim of the study was to evaluate the validity of 201Tl scanning for clinical routine use in the diagnosis of coronary heart disease. A computer-aided matrix with very high resolution displaying subtle color nuances was used. For semi-quantitative assessment a scale with 16 colors was applied. This permitted to differentiate between changes of intensity of 6.25%. Compared with the ECG on exercise no higher sensitivity or specifity of 201Tl scanning was found using coronary angiography as the reference method. When a typical angina pectoris and a pathological ECG on exercise was present, confirmation of the diagnosis of coronary heart disease by scanning was readily obtained. Moreover, in the event of equivocal findings in the ECG and of atypical chest pain scanning is helpful without having to resort to invasive methods. Additionally to the exercise ECG, the location of ischemic areas in the myocardium can be easily demonstrated by scanning. When angiography has shown unobstructed coronary arteries but the ECG is suggestive of scar formation, scintigraphy provides additional information regarding the diagnosis of coronary heart disease. It is also possible by scanning to delineate the tissue defect representing fibrotic areas. This is necessary for instance when aneurysmectomy is planned.


This paper studies the question of the resolvent existence, as well as, the
 smoothness of elements from the definition domain (separability) of a class
 of hyperbolic differential operators defined in an unbounded domain with
 greatly increasing coefficients after a closure in the space L2(R2). Such a
 problem was previously put forward by I.M. Gelfand for elliptic operators.
 Here, we note that a detailed analysis shows that when studying the spectral
 properties of differential operators specified in an unbounded domain, the
 behavior of the coefficients at infinity plays an important role.


An adaptation mechanism is proposed for the Neural Integrator (NI) of the eye movement system. The NI model has a bilateral structure with the commissural inhibitory connections, and the adaptation mechanism is based on the function of the bilateral structure. The adaptation mechanism gives the NI model a large time constant and adjusts its resting balance. Retinal-image slip signals are used as error signals. The NI connections are assumed to be separated into two classes based on their discharge type. According to the direction of the retinal slip, they are modified reciprocally: the NI connection weights of one class are modified more while those of the other class are modified less. The connection weights in each class are directly modified by using retinal slip signals without any complex calculations. The relationship between the NI adaptation mechanism and that of the pulse and step com ponents was analyzed, and the different adaptation rates were introduced to make the NI adaptation robust. Fast adaptation rates were given to the pulse and step components, and a slow rate was given to the NI. The ability of the proposed adaptation mechanism was tested by the simulation.


BACKGROUND/AIMS
This study retrospectively analyses the relative value of various laboratory tests in the diagnosis of procedure-related pancreatitis in patients submitted to endoscopic retrograde cholangiography with sphincterotomy due to choledocholithiasis.

METHODOLOGY
A detailed laboratory assessment was performed on 238 patients 4, 10, 24, 48 and 72 hours after undergoing endoscopic sphincterotomy.

RESULTS
Of the 238 patients analyzed, 16 (6.7%) had a complication, including pancreatitis in 6 (2.5%), hemorrhage in 4 (1.7%), acute cholangitis in 3 (1.3%), and perforation in 3 (1.3%). In patients developing acute pancreatitis a significant rise was noted not only in serum amylase but also in the white blood cell count and aspargine transaminase at 24 hours following endoscopic sphincterotomy. Endoscopic procedure (difficulty in cannulating the bile duct and/or obtaining cholangiogram) was a significant risk factor for complications.

CONCLUSIONS
It is possible to stratify patients according to their risk of developing pancreatitis according to serum amylase, white blood cells and aspargine transaminase levels monitored for at least 24 hours following ERC. Patients for whom the procedure was difficult and selective cholangiogram was not obtained are at increased risk of developing procedure-related complications.


Studies were made of the effect of potassium concentration on the amount of potassium coprecipitation with BaSO., and the effect of a surface active agent, Triton-X 100, on the coprecipitation of potassium with BaSO.. It was found that a log-log plot of concentration of KCl in the solution phase vs the amount of potassium coprecipitated was linear indicating that the Freundlich adsorption isotherm was followed. This indicated that the amount of potassium coprecipitated was determined by adsorption on crystalline BaSO •. The addition of Triton-X 100 reduced the coprecipitation of potassium by as much as 20% but the improvement was limited by miceller formation at a Triton-X 100 concentration of approximately 0.3%. In the past, methods for removing the interferences caused by the coprecipitation of foreign ions have generally been approached from the standpoint of removal of the interfering ions. Up to this time the best method of removing interferences has been through ion exchange. Fritz :and Freeland ( 1-3) found that concentrations of potassium twice that of the sulfate ion gave about -6.6% error, and that most other cations interferred to some extent. Cations can be removed through ion exchange. Anions were found to interfere in the decreasing order P0=4, F-, N0-3, CI-, Br-, CI0-4. An alumina column can be used for both anion and cation separation. Alumina has a high affinity for S0=4, a somewhat lower affinity for P0=4 , and F-, an<ll a much lower affinity for Cl-, N0-3 Cl0-4, and most metallic cations. Furthermore sulfate is easily eluted with hydroxide ion. The main weaknesses of ion exchange separations are 1) cations that form complex ions with sulfate (Cr and Zr.) are not completely removed from solutions, and 2) sulfite is adsorbed and eluted with sulphate on the alumina column. Hakoila and N oponen ( 4) studied the effects of various ions on the volumetric determination of sulfate and suggested a blank procedure in which the barium solution was standardized against a solution of high, known concentration of salt. Salt was added to the sample until it was of twice the molar concentration of the sulfate in the sample and the sample titrated. The relative titration error using this technique was about 1.5%. They were able to improve the endpoint by using a Thorin-Methylene blue mixture and adding thorium nitrate to make the endpoint more distinct, hut the absolute error remained the same. 1 Department of Chemistry, Iowa State Universi y, Ames 68 1 Ford and Marple: The Effect of a Nonionic Surface Active Agent on the Coprecipitat Published by UNI ScholarWorks, 1966 1966] NON IONIC SURFACE ACTIVE AGENT 69 It is the purpose of this study to investigate an untried approach to the problem of coprecipitation with BaS04, the physical protection of the precipitated BaS04 crystals from contact with interfering ions by use of a surface active agent. If the coprecipitation phenomenon is due to surface adsorption then the surface active agent should compete with the coprecipitated ion for surface sites on the BaS04 crystals and thereby lower coprecipitation. Potassium ion was chosen for study since it is strongly coprecipitated with barium sulfate.


The simulation of transitional gas flow near rarefied regimes requires new models which can describe kinetic effects but which are less complex than the original Boltzmann equation. The strategy introduced by Levermore [1] rewrites the Boltzmann equations as a system of moment equations, with a new closure procedure. We recall here the mathematical properties of this Levermore's moment systems. Boundary conditions derived from the kinetic theory are proposed. Based on these properties, we present an original first-order kinetic scheme with explicit flux splitting and implicit source terms. A 14-moments system model is tested to simulate one-dimensional gas flows (Couette flow and normal shock wave) near the transitional regime.


Palpebra reflex and gushing blood downtime can be used as parameters to see animals death after slaughtered. Stop bleeding time was an indication that the heart is unable to pump blood out of the body due to no more oxygen in the blood of the heart, so that the cattle can be said has been dead perfectly. The aims of this study was to calculate the stop bleeding time of cattle slaughtered by stunning and non stunning methods, thus obtained the avaraging data of perfectly death time of animals. Thirty catlles's Brahman Cross divided into two treatment groups, firstly 15 cattle's were slaughtered by stunning method (group 1) and the second one 15 cattle's were slaughtered by non stunning method (group 2). Blood gushing downtime was calculated immediately after the animal is slaughtered until the blood stops radiating. The results showed the average blood gushing downtime in cattles that were stunning before slaughtered is 3,02 minutes and the average time to stop blood gushing in cattles of non stunning group is 2,13 minutes. The interval blood gushing downtime between the cattles slaughtered by stunning and non stunning was 53,4 seconds. Blood gushing downtime was affected by the treatment of animals before they were slaughtered.