OBJECTIVE
To review the facts and legal rationale of a lawsuit in which a hospital was held liable for discharging a pharmacy technician from employment.

SUMMARY
The hospital and the pharmacy technician previously had disagreed about several matters. The technician believed he was being discriminated against based on his need to be away from work to serve in the National Guard. On one occasion, the technician reported to work in what appeared to be a drug-impaired state. The technician subsequently was discharged from employment. He sued, contending that the discharge was in retaliation for his asserting his rights as a National Guard member. The technician won the lawsuit.

CONCLUSIONS
Employment law bends over backward to protect employees. When an employee is not licensed, the only effective peer review is within the employment relationship. The public may not be effectively protected from harm that might be caused by employees who are not competent. Strong laws that protect employees restrict the ability of employers to oversee employee conduct. Therefore, for employees whose incompetence may pose a threat to the public, licensure provides a necessary additional level of protection.


With the rise of blockchain technology, the peer-to-peer (P2P) network system has once again caught people's attention to equipping a blockchain with a big storage capacity. In the traditional P2P file-sharing network systems, such as InterPlanetary File System (IPFS), data stored in the other nodes cannot be revoked by the owner and can only be removed by other nodes themselves. To comply with the criteria of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation, it is important to ensure that personal data can be completely removed by their owners. To improve the privacy and security of the P2P file-sharing system, we propose a revocable and monitorable P2P file-sharing system over a consortium blockchain to achieve revocation of files in the decentralized environment. By using a trusted execution environment, such as Intel Software Guard Extensions (SGX), the proposed scheme can verify the integrity of the executables of the P2P file-sharing system and generate a file authentication code for each IPFS node to make sure that the system is synchronized correctly. This scheme elaborately integrates the autonomous smart contracts and Intel SGX hardware to obtain the monitorable merit. The experimental results suggest that enhancing the security and privacy take modest computing costs into consideration. To the best of our knowledge, this scheme is the first attempt to achieve the P2P file-sharing system with securely revocable functions.


Quantitative sputum cytometry facilitates in assessing the nature of bronchitis associated with exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This is not assessed in most clinical trials that evaluate the effectiveness of strategies to prevent or to treat exacerbations. While up to a quarter of exacerbations may be associated with raised eosinophil numbers, the vast majority of exacerbations are associated with neutrophilic bronchitis that may indicate airway infections. While eosinophilia may be a predictor of response to corticosteroids (oral and inhaled), the limited efficacy of anti–interleukin 5 therapies would suggest that eosinophils may not directly contribute to those exacerbations. However, they may contribute to airspace enlargement in patients with COPD through various mechanisms involving the interleukin 13 and matrix metalloprotease pathways. The absence of eosinophils may facilitate in limiting the unnecessary use of corticosteroids. The presence of neutrophiia could prompt an investigation for the specific pathogens in the airway. Additionally, sputum measurements may also provide insight into the mechanisms of susceptibility to airway infections. Iron within sputum macrophages, identified by hemosiderin staining (and by more direct quantification) may impair macrophage functions while the low levels of immunoglobulins in sputum may also contribute to airway infections. The assessment of sputum at the time of exacerbations thus would facilitate in customizing treatment and treat current exacerbations and reduce future risk of exacerbations.


Abstract Infectious complications are still a major cause of morbidity and mortality after organ transplantation, and early therapy would certainly reduce the risk associated with severe infections. We therefore investigated the significance of polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) functional tests as predictive markers for infection in transplant patients under immunosuppressive therapy in a longitudinal study. In 41 patients, blood PMN migration and reactive oxygen species release, the blood levels of PMN elastase, malondialdehyde, neopterin, sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1, and urine neopterine were measured in 3- and 4-day intervals after liver-, kidney-, kidney-pancreas-, and heart and lung transplantation. PMN migration was determined in whole blood and estimated by the amount of PMNs to penetrate into a membrane filter upon FMLP stimulation. Three groups of patients were formed according to their postoperative course. Group I patients (n = 23) had no or only minor local infection, group II patients (n = 11) had infections with distinct systemic involvement, and group III patients (n = 7) developed sepsis. A first elastase-level of over 100 mg/L after surgery, followed by a drop in the amount of blood PMNs ready to migrate, on FMLP stimulation, to below 12 %, turned out to be a marker for impending infection, whereas all other parameters tested were not predictive. In six of seven group III patients, this marker became positive (sensitivity 85.7 %) up to 15 days before clinical manifestation of sepsis. In group I (largely uneventful recovery) only one of 23 patients was positive (specificity 95.6 %), whereas group II patients were in between (4 of 11 positive). By this method it seems possible to diagnose severe infections in the preclinical phase, which may help prevent them if treatment is begun promptly.


This paper introduces the concept of Non Trivial Online Forms (N-TOFs). We characterise these forms in terms of their criticality to the life and well-being of individuals such as where they are the primary route to legal, financial, employment related, medical or other important transactions. The aim of the research is to develop a usability analysis model which will evaluate the N-TOF by engaging the form designer in reflecting upon characteristics of the form. From this an assessment of form usability quality will be measured against the ISO standard 9241: 210 on Human-centred design for interactive systems. Where possible this model based output would be formative helping the designer address areas needing improvement within an N-TOF as a whole or a section of an N-TOF.


Angular distributions of 58,60,62,64Ni(p,t) ground state transitions at Ep = 25 MeV have been measured and compared with distorted wave Born approximation predictions. Relative enhancement factors for four Ni isotopes have been extracted. Comparison between the enhancement factors and the predictions of interacting boson approximation model has been made. It is found that a value of Ων = 6 is needed to describe the experimental result in SU(5) calculation.


Thirty-one untrained men between the ages of 50 and 74 (61 +/- 6 yr, mean +/- SD) were studied to compare the effects of strength and flexibility (SF) training, flexibility only (FO) training, and no training (inactive control group) on shoulder and hip range of motion. Fourteen of these subjects volunteered to participate in an SF training program three times per week for 10 wk. Ten others participated in an FO training program during this same time period, and the remaining seven subjects agreed to serve as an inactive control group by not participating in any regular exercise. The SF training consisted of a 3-min warm-up on a stationary bike, approximately 30 min of heavy resistance strength training, and about 10 min of static stretches performed before and after each training session. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), percentage of body fat, and muscular strength (three-repetition maximum and peak isokinetic torque) were assessed before and after training for the SF group. Shoulder abduction, shoulder flexion, and hip flexion were measured with a universal goniometer in all groups before and after the training period. The FO training consisted of the identical warm-up and stretching exercises used in the SF training but without strength training. The results indicate that the FO group increased its range of motion in shoulder abduction to a significantly greater extent than the SF group (P < 0.001), and none of the changes in range of motion for the SF group was significantly different than the changes in the control group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


This chapter analyzes the film We Can't Go Home Again (1972–1976), which the American director Nicholas Ray realized in collaboration with a class of students he taught at the State University of New York in Purchase. The film exemplifies the ability of cinema to provide access to an "elsewhere" and "elsewhen," analyzed by Anne Friedberg in her book Window Shopping: Cinema and the Postmodern. This chapter claims that the film's use of multiscreen projection can be illuminated through Friedberg's notion of the virtual window, developed in The Virtual Window: From Alberti to Microsoft. Thanks to the collaboration on the film of video artist Nam June-Paik and the employment of techniques associated with the contemporaneous practice of "expanded cinema," We Can't Go Home Again is an important precursor to contemporary digital media.


Block Markov superposition transmission (BMST) of first-order Reed–Muller and extended Hamming (RMEH) codes is investigated. Multiple code rates can be easily realised by adjusting the mixture ratio of Reed–Muller and extended Hamming codes. Compared with the original BMST of repetition and single-parity-check (RSPC) codes, the proposed BMST-RMEH codes can perform close to Shannon limits over a wide range of code rates with about only half the encoding memories of BMST-RSPC codes. As a result of the reduction of encoding memories, the decoding complexity and delay of BMST-RMEH codes are approximately half (or even lower than) those of BMST-RSPC codes.


Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TiL) and autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), mainly from breast and kidney tumor patients were cultivated with high- and low-dose rIL-2 under addition of autologous tumor cells or nonmalignant epithelial cells. Tumor cells added to TIL-cultures induced an additional proliferative response. Before cultivation, CD8+ and CD25+ lymphocytes were more frequent in TIL when compared to PBL, while CD16+, CD19+ and CD56+ cells were rare. After culture, lymphocytes of both origins showed an increase of CD2+, CD25+, CD56+ and HLA-DR+ cells and a relative decrease of CD3+ cells. The CD4+/CD8+ ratios and a number of CD56+ cells were rIL-2 dose dependent.


High-quality cutting of steel sheets of thickness up to 50 mm is performed upon a simultaneous action of laser radiation and a supersonic oxygen jet on the material. Parameters of the nozzle used for jet formation are determined by simulating numerically three-dimensional flows of a viscous and heat-conducting gas in a plane channel that is geometrically similar to the laser cut.


Two applications of multi-objective genetic algorithms to the analysis and optimization of electrical transmission networks are reported to show the potential of these combinatorial optimization schemes in the treatment of highly interconnected, complex systems. In a first case study, an analysis of the topological structure of an electrical power transmission system in the literature is carried out to identify the most important group of elements of different sizes in the network. The importance is quantified in terms of group closeness centrality. In the second case study, an optimization method is developed for identifying strategies of expansion of an electrical transmission network by addition of new lines of connection which are optimally identified with respect to the objective of improving the transmission reliability, while limiting the investment cost.


Background: The acetabulum is a cup-shaped depression on the hipbone. All three innominate elements, the ilium, ischium and pubis contribute to its formation unequally. The acetabular fossa articulates with the head of femur to form the hip joint. Objectives: To document the relationship between the depth and diameter of the acetabulum and to describe the anterior acetabular ridge morphology. Material and Methods: The study was conducted on 73 adult unpaired dry hipbones of unknown age and sex were assessed for two morphometric and one morphological character. The data of the acetabular depth and diameter was determined using Vernier calipers. The morphology of anterior acetabular ridge was evaluated and classified as curved, angular, straight and irregular. Results: The mean diameter of acetabular cavity on right side was found to be 48.3 ± 3.4mm and on the left side 48.9 ± 3.5mm. The mean depth on right side was measured to be 27.1 ± 3.4mm and on left side 27 ± 3mm. We observed positive co-relation between the mean and standard deviation of total diameter and depth of acetabular cavity. The Curved shape anterior acetabular ridge was the most predominant type (41.1%) and the least type was straight shaped (5.5%). Conclusion: The morphometric assessment of the acetabulum has a myriad of utilities for Anatomists, anthropologists, experts in forensic medicine and orthopaedic surgeons for better alignment of acetabular cup placement during total hip arthroplasty. Further, the anterior ridge morphology may be vital in diagnosing congenital acetabular dysplasia and during treatment of hip joint fractures.


The pistachio a member of the Anacardiaceae produces seeds that are widely consumed as food. Pistachio is a desert plant, and is highly tolerant of saline soil. Excessive soluble salts and minerals in the water and soil solution which leads to the accumulation of salts in the root zone of the plant can not absorb enough water from the soil solution. This study was carried out to evacuate the effect of salinity on germination and deployment of Pistachio vera var. Badami which have large cultivation area in the Iran. Three months after planting, the nutrient solutions were salinized with NaCl to levels of 20, 40, 80, 120 and 160 mmol/L. By increasing the salinity from this level Badami cultivar showed the highest germination percentage.


The purpose of this study was to explore the indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants for treating common illnesses among the Ovahimba of Oukongo village in the Kunene region of Namibia. The coevolutionary theory of sustainable development informed this study as it promotes the anti-hegemonic ecology of knowledge and synchronises traditional knowledge with the modern world. The interview data were analysed using the inductive approach and content analysis. The results show that the Ovahimba community of Oukongo village use plant-based remedies such as roots, leaves, bark, fruits and flowers for the treatment of ailments such as headaches and diarrhoea, high blood pressure, chest pain and syphilis. The remedy preparation follows the process of harvesting parts of a plant, cleaning and breaking it into small pieces or crushing it into powder and then mixing with water or some form of liquid. The process also includes chewing roots, leaves and burning flowers into ashes. The study recommends further research to document indigenous health care practices of the Ovahimba. It also recommends the adoption of the co-evolutionary theory of sustainable development as the basis for the synchronisation of indigenous knowledge with modern health care and thus promote future generations' access to the rich heritage of ancestral knowledge on health care.


The biphalangeal little toe is an anatomical anomaly that has been previously well described in the early anatomical literature. But, as is the case with many anomalies, there is a lack of awareness of it amongst current clinicians. We report the case of a fracture through the distal phalanx of the little toe, with a delay in the diagnosis due to confusion over the X-ray findings. X-rays revealed a biphalangeal toe with a fracture through the distal phalanx, which mimicked the usual triphalangeal toe. This is the first reported case of clinical confusion over this anatomical variation. A review of 102 human skeletal feet at the Department of Anatomy, University of Melbourne, was performed to evaluate the frequency of the biphalangeal little toe variant, revealing an incidence of 26%.


Software Defined Networking (SDN) provides opportunities for flexible and dynamic traffic engineering. However, in current SDN systems, routing strategies are based on traditional mechanisms which lack in real-time modification and less efficient resource utilization. To overcome these limitations, deep learning is used in this paper to improve the routing computation in SDN. This paper proposes Convolutional Deep Reinforcement Learning (CoDRL) model which is based on deep reinforcement learning agent for routing optimization in SDN to minimize the mean network delay and packet loss rate. The CoDRL model consists of Deep Deterministic Policy Gradients (DDPG) deep agent coupled with Convolution layer. The proposed model tends to automatically adapts the dynamic packet routing using network data obtained through the SDN controller, and provides the routing configuration that attempts to reduce network congestion and minimize the mean network delay. Hence, the proposed deep agent exhibits good convergence towards providing routing configurations that improves the network performance.


Background
Cluster randomized trials (CRTs) are increasingly used to assess the effectiveness of health interventions. Three main analysis approaches are: cluster-level analyses, mixed-models and generalized estimating equations (GEEs). Mixed models and GEEs can lead to inflated type I error rates with a small number of clusters, and numerous small-sample corrections have been proposed to circumvent this problem. However, the impact of these methods on power is still unclear.

Methods
We performed a simulation study to assess the performance of 12 analysis approaches for CRTs with a continuous outcome and 40 or fewer clusters. These included weighted and unweighted cluster-level analyses, mixed-effects models with different degree-of-freedom corrections, and GEEs with and without a small-sample correction. We assessed these approaches across different values of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), numbers of clusters and variability in cluster sizes.

Results
Unweighted and variance-weighted cluster-level analysis, mixed models with degree-of-freedom corrections, and GEE with a small-sample correction all maintained the type I error rate at or below 5% across most scenarios, whereas uncorrected approaches lead to inflated type I error rates. However, these analyses had low power (below 50% in some scenarios) when fewer than 20 clusters were randomized, with none reaching the expected 80% power.

Conclusions
Small-sample corrections or variance-weighted cluster-level analyses are recommended for the analysis of continuous outcomes in CRTs with a small number of clusters. The use of these corrections should be incorporated into the sample size calculation to prevent studies from being underpowered.


The invention relates to the field of medicines, in particular to application of a monoclonal antibody of an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor to the treatment of gastric cancer, and a humanized monoclonal antibody, namely Nimotuzumab. The monoclonal antibody is a specific purified antibody generated for a specific antigen, has high specificity, can specifically perform targeted therapy on tumor cells so as to reverse the malignant biological behavior of the tumor cells from the molecular level, has the characteristics of strong targeting, high specificity, low toxic or side effect and the like, and can remarkably strengthen the therapeutic effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.


The process of formation of therapeutic remission in patients with acute schizophrenic episodes was studied. Two types of the therapeutic regression, i.e. the critical and the lytic ones (both having a harmonious and a dysharmonious variants) are specified. It is shown that the process of the therapeutic remission formation in the harmonious variant of the lytic regression passes through a regular sequence of stages (stages of polymorph disturbances, structural organization of the objective manifestations of the psychosis, reduction, destruction, and transformation of the syndrome and the disturbances at the neurotic level). The integrated picture is formed at each stage of psychopathological disturbances having peculiarities associated with the level of the patient's conscience and self-conscience. The direction of the experiences, as regards the values and the sense, regularly changes. At each stage respective ways of psychological defence are realized.


We show that under coarse-grained measurements there is no observational difference between a quantum superposition of macroscopically distinct states ("Scrödinger-cat states") and a classical mixture of these states. Since normally our observations in every-day life are of limited accuracy, no quantum features can be observed. Remarkably, the information gain in such classical coarsegrained measurements is only half of the maximal information gain in sharp quantum measurements. This suggests a novel approach to macroscopic realism and classical physics within quantum theory.


We review both observational and theoretical aspects of the generation of auroral radio emissions at the outer planets, trying to organize the former in a coherent frame set by the latter. Important results have been obtained in the past few years on these radio emissions at the five magnetized planets, from the observations of Ulysses at Jupiter and of Wind and other Global Geospace Science spacecraft in Earth orbit, from the reanalysis of Voyager data about Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, from ground-based high frequency-time resolution and full polarization measurements, and from pioneering multispectral observations of the Jovian and Saturnian aurorae (radio/UV/IR). In parallel, considerable progress has been made in their generation theory (Cyclotron-Maser operating in small-scale, laminar, hot-plasma-dominated radio source structures), mostly on the basis of in situ observations of terrestrial radio sources. Particle acceleration and precipitation is also better documented, thanks to in situ measurements in the Earth auroral zones and to multispectral studies of Jupiter and Saturn. Finally, the modeling of the planetary magnetic field and magnetospheric plasma at these two planets has also been considerably improved. To organize the wealth of observational results within a coherent theoretical frame, we emphasize unresolved questions (e.g., planetary radio bursts generation) and contradictions and propose ways to answer them. Our ability, already significant, to perform remote sensing of magnetoplasmas at the giant planets and, hopefully, at other distant radio sources (solar, stellar) in the near future, depends on the good understanding of the physical processes underlying the generation of auroral electromagnetic emissions. The question of the existence of exoplanetary radio emissions and the possibility to detect and study them is briefly discussed.


Steady swimming can be characterized as both periodic and stable. These characteristics are the very definition of limit cycles, and so we ask "Can we view swimming as a limit cycle?" In this paper we will find that the answer is "yes". We will define a class of dissipative systems which correspond to the passive dynamics of a body immersed in a Navier-Stokes fluid (i.e. the dynamics of a dead fish). Upon performing reduction by symmetry we will find a hyperbolically stable fixed point which corresponds to the stability of a dead fish in stagnant water. Given a periodic force on the shape of the body we will invoke the persistence theorem to assert the existence of a loop which approximately satisfies the exact equations of motion. If we lift this loop with a phase reconstruction formula we will find that the lifted loops are not loops, but stable trajectories which represent regular periodic motion reminiscent of swimming.


Dynamic three point bending test is one of the general methods to test the dynamic fracture characteristics of materials. However, it is generally hard to measure the dynamic load generated by interaction of two bodies. In order to make it easier in the test, many impact methods, such as the one using a rod-impactor to measure the dynamic load from its response and that using the electro-magnetic force instead of the impactor loading, have been proposed.In addition, the evaluation of the dynamic fracture mechanics parameter is also difficult. Many researchers are using the static calibration between the load and KI value. However, it has been also reported that the load doesn't have good correlation to the dynamic stress intensity factor. Therefore, a detailed simulation is necessary to evaluate the methods of obtaining the dynamic stress intensity factor.In this study, the finite element analysis of dynamic three point bending test using a rod-impactor, by which the dynamic load can be measured easily, was made with consideration of the contact-separate behavior and frictional effect at the loading and support points. The stress intensity factors evaluated by several methods were compared. The following results were obtained.(1) KI values calculated by the static load-KI relation had a larger oscillation than those by other methods. In addition, the non-zero frictional coefficient caused the reductions in displacement, CODmouth and J-integral, but did not affect the load. From these points, the method using the static load-KI relation is not appropriate for this case.(2) As the ratio of the span to the width of the specimen (S/W) became smaller, the oscillation of the time history of KI value and the separation between the specimen and the support became less.(3) The lower modes of vibration were dominant in the response of the specimen in spite of impact loading.


The structure and content of the development strategy of the information society in the Russian Federation shows compliance with the generally accepted approach in the world, including the Seoul Declaration and the results of a survey of OECD countries. However, this strategy has drawbacks, namely: the consequences of the development of digital technology (and the information society as a whole) on the structure and level of employment of the population have not been determined; the issues of the existing technological lag of individual sectors of the economy and social sphere and the ways to eliminate it have not been worked out; the problems of regional differentiation of the level of readiness for implementation and the potential for using the capabilities of the digital economy have not been studied. These important questions are fraught with threats to the successful implementation of the strategy, as they form the basis for the implementation of the negative consequences of globalization of the economy, including increasing the dependence of local economic entities on transnational corporations, widening the gap in the socio-economic development of individual regions and the living standards of individual strata of the population. Insufficient attention is currently being paid to the classification of the effects of digitalization on the functioning of the regional economy and the appropriate response by local authorities and businesses. Based on the foregoing, it is proposed to consider the possibility of introducing elements of the digital economy in the field of agriculture and food production, that is, the transition to the so-called "digital agriculture".


This study critically engages with the concept of 'recovery' which has become a dominant discursive feature in the UK mental health policies. It asks 'what people recover from' through a case study of Chinese mental health service users in the UK. The dominant recovery approach under the dominant neo-liberal context tends to promote individualistic recovery strategies. It fails to address the structural inequalities that give rise to distress and mental ill health or place sufficient emphasis on the diversity of intersectional inequalities among service users that shape recovery journeys. To make visible what recovery means for ethnic minorities, Chinese mental health service users were chosen as the case study to explore how structural factors such as class, gender and ethnicity, contribute to their diverse recovery journeys.

A synthesis of the Capabilities Approach and Intersectionality Analysis was developed as an alternative framework to shed light on the complex interplay of structure and agency in shaping recovery journeys. They were adapted as evaluation and analytic tools to reveal the social conditions that facilitate or hinder a meaningful recovery for Chinese mental health service users. Repeat in-depth life history interviews were carried out with twenty two Chinese people having received a psychiatric diagnosis, recruited from three cities in the England. Their recovery journeys were analysed thematically.

Findings showed how the participants strove, sometimes cautiously, to retain and exercise agency to move from patienthood to personhood. Their journeys were shaped by social inequalities demonstrating that targeting social inequalities is essential for facilitating and nurturing meaningful recovery. Class, gender, ethnicity, ageism, and other forms of discrimination contributed to the diminishment or deprivation of capabilities, resulting in distress and mental ill health among the Chinese mental health service users in this study. The different ways that these inequalities intersected gave rise to the variations in what they needed to recover from and hence also the directions of their recovery journeys. The process of becoming a psychiatric patient can help develop capabilities for some but it could also result in a diminishment of other capabilities. While striving to rebuild a life they value, ableism and sanism intersect with other inequalities to constrain their life chances. While the way 'hope' was 'adapted' to limited perceived life chances and dominant ideologies of class, gender, and ethnicity could be capability diminishing and detrimental to nurturing their aspirations.


The Alcon Renaissance handheld keratometer was evaluated for percent testable and repeatability in children under six years of age. Sixty children participated in the study. Three readings per eye were attempted for each child. For those children over two years of age, a seventy-five percent testable level or better for three readings was found. The study also indicated consistent repeatability with excellent correlations between the first reading and the mean of three readings found for the horizontal meridian (90% <0.50D), vertical meridian (87% <0.50D), Delta K (96% <0.50D), and axis values (76%


The globalisation processes taking place in recent decades imply the functional integration of development, design and manufacturing. In many newly industrialising economies, such as China, one of the industries sought after is the high-technology aircraft industry. China has emerged as an important international supplier of components and parts, mainly due to the drive for market access and lower costs. This study shows that China's integration into international supplier networks has continued since the middle of the 1990s. China has developed its supplier competence by moving into manufacturing of new parts but also new materials and technologies such as composite. Supply-chains are a main tool of transfer of knowledge and technology. Due to the shift towards more of integrated cooperation in design and manufacturing, the basic production-chain model in the modern aircraft industry differs from traditional basic product chains.


In data mining one of the classical algorithms is Apriori which has been developed for association rule mining in large transaction database. And it cannot been directly used in spatial association rules mining. The main difference between data mining in relational DB and in spatial DB is that attributes of the neighbors of some object of interest may have an influence on the object and therefore have to be considered as well. The explicit location and extension of spatial objects define implicit relations of spatial neighborhood (such as topological, distance and direction relations) which are used by spatial data mining algorithms. Therefore, new techniques are required for effective and efficient spatial data mining. Geostatistics are statistical methods used to describe spatial relationships among sample data and to apply this analysis to the prediction of spatial and temporal phenomena. They are used to explain spatial patterns and to interpolate values at unsampled locations. This paper put forward an improved algorithm of Apriori about mining association rules with geostatistics. First the spatial autocorrelation of the attributes with location were estimated with the geostatistics methods such as kriging and Spatial Autoregressive Model (SAR). Then a spatial autocorrelation model of the attributes were built. Later an improved algorithm of apriori combined with the spatial autocorrelation model were offered to mine the spatial association rules. Last an experiment of the new algorithm were carried out on the hayfever incidence and climate factors in UK. The result shows that the output rules is matched with the references.


Abstract : The Civil Engineering Laboratory is developing a unique and improved ground fault detection and diver protection system that will allow safe electrical power transmission underwater. The system is designed to sense and shut down all electrical power on ground fault currents of 4.5 mA or more in 10 ms. The shutdown is performed in two steps: (1) first a signal initiated by a leakage to ground in the transmission cable or load trips the main power circuit breaker, and (2) a set of triacs are turned on which are connected to short the power lines. The circuit breaker is backed up by conventional fuses that would blow quickly from the short circuit current if the breaker should fail. This sequence of events is designed to occur in approximately 10 ms. The design of the system is adaptable to electric power transmission systems supplying up to 100 kW. The paper reviews electrical safety criteria relative to divers, describes the Civil Engineering Laboratory's protection concept, and presents laboratory test results from an experimental system protection a 30-kW underwater load. (Author)


This paper deals with the automatic classification of signals for aeronautical communication. The automatic signal classification is an important feature for the application of Cognitive Radio in aeronautical communications. Cognitive Radio will allow of automatically adapting the transmission parameters according with the radio environment and the channel conditions, with the aim of assuring reliable communication and high data rates. In particular, an algorithm has been proposed, allowing to identify signals transmitted according with the new proposals for aeronautical communication systems, and to distinguish such signals from linearly modulated ones and noise. The developed algorithm has been then validated on simulated signals, by considering a model of the aeronautical channel.


The objective of the research was to determine the effect of stocking density, feed type and feeding time on the growth and survival rate of juvenile whiteleg prawn (Penaeus vannamei) cultured in an extensive pond. A completely randomized design (CRD) was applied to a split-split plot design with three factor (stocking density as primary factor, feed type as sub-factor, and feeding time as sub-sub factor), giving 8 treatment combinations with 3 replicates (24 experimental units). Analysis of variance did not indicate any significant interaction between the effects of treatments on whiteleg prawn growth of any two or three factors (P > 0.05). Both stocking density (5 or 10 prawns/m3) and feed type (snails or corn) had a significant effect (P 0.05). Absolute growth of juvenile whiteleg prawn ranged from 2.16 to 7.03 g/prawn with a survival rate range of 60-100%. Keyword: whiteleg prawn, stocking density, feed type and feeding time.


Three experiments were conducted to evaluate effects of including copra meal, palm kernel expellers (PKE), and palm kernel meal (PKM) in diets for weanling pigs from approximately 9 to 20 kg of BW. A total of 128, 128, and 160 pigs were used in the experiments with copra meal, PKE, and PKM, respectively. In each experiment, pigs were randomly allotted to 4 dietary treatments with 4 or 5 pigs per pen and 8 replicates per treatment. The control diet was based on corn, soybean meal, and 4% fish meal. Three additional diets were formulated by including 5, 10, or 15% copra meal, PKE, or PKM at the expense of corn and soybean meal. Diets were formulated to contain equal quantities of digestible AA and P, and ME. Pigs were fed experimental diets for 20 or 21 d, and ADG, ADFI, and G:F were calculated. Results indicated that pigs fed increasing levels of copra meal had a linear reduction (P < 0.05) in final BW, overall ADG, and ADFI, but overall G:F was unaffected. Pigs fed increasing levels of PKE had a linear reduction (P < 0.05) in final BW and overall ADG, but overall ADFI and G:F were not influenced. No differences were observed in growth performance if PKM was used. In conclusion, if diets are formulated based on digestible nutrients and ME, diets for weanling pigs may include up to 15% PKM without affecting overall growth performance, but if copra meal or PKE is used, pig performance may be reduced.


The European and the Korean contributions to the ITER Project in terms of cable-in-conduit conductors have been assigned to the Italian Consortium for Applied Superconductivity (ICAS). ICAS' charter members are: ENEA, with the role of general supervision and monitoring, CRIOTEC Impianti S.r.l., in charge of jacketing activities, and TRATOS Cavi S.p.A., with the duty of cable manufacturing. The ITER production consists of about 40 km of Nb3Sn toroidal field (TF) conductor and 22 km of NbTi poloidal field (PF) conductor, for coils 1 and 6. As part of the EU contribution to the construction of the JT-60SA Japanese Tokamak Reactor, ICAS is also in charge of producing about 28 km of NbTi TF conductor, required for the whole TF magnet system. Thanks to the high level and unique expertise available at ICAS, the consortium has been also assigned to manufacture the ITER Central Solenoid conductor samples to be tested in SULTAN for the final, positive, assessment of the updated design. In the present paper, the steps leading to the successful qualification of the main production processes will be described. What is more, the manufacturing of the first conductor unit lengths of the "production phase," i.e., the ones that will be wound to operate in the actual ITER TF and JT-60SA TF superconducting magnets, will be reported. The fabrication of the ITER CS conductor samples will be illustrated as well.


1. Much IS research is not valued by practitioners. Senn (1998, p. 23) quotes an IS executive who described IS research as "not relevant, readable, or reachable." Robey and Markus (1998, p. 8) indicate that, "From a practitioner's perspective, academic writings are literally unreadable." Benbasat and Zmud (1999) report that non-academic subscriptions to MIS Quarterly declined by more than 60% after the subscription was unbundled from membership in the Society of Information Management.


A/B testing is an important decision making tool in product development because can provide an accurate estimate of the average treatment effect of a new features, which allows developers to understand how the business impact of new changes to products or algorithms. However, an important assumption of A/B testing, Stable Unit Treatment Value Assumption (SUTVA), is not always a valid assumption to make, especially for products that facilitate interactions between individuals. In contexts like one-to-one messaging we should expect network interference; if an experimental manipulation is effective, behavior of the treatment group is likely to influence members in the control group by sending them messages, violating this assumption. In this paper, we propose a novel method that can be used to account for network effects when A/B testing changes to one-to-one interactions. Our method is an edge-based analysis that can be applied to standard Bernoulli randomized experiments to retrieve an average treatment effect that is not influenced by network interference. We develop a theoretical model, and methods for computing point estimates and variances of effects of interest via network-consistent permutation testing. We then apply our technique to real data from experiments conducted on the messaging product at LinkedIn. We find empirical support for our model, and evidence that the standard method of analysis for A/B tests underestimates the impact of new features in one-to-one messaging contexts.


Tuberculosis is a significant global disease today, so understanding its origins and history is important. It is primarily a lung infection and is transmitted by infectious aerosols from person to person, so a high population density encourages its spread. The causative organism is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, an obligate pathogen in the M. tuberculosis complex that also contains closely related species, such as Mycobacterium bovis, that primarily infect animals. Typical bone lesions occur in about 5% of untreated infections. These can be recognized in historical and archaeological material, along with nonspecific paleopathology such as new bone formation (periostitis), especially on ribs. Based on such lesions, tuberculosis has been found in ancient Egypt, pre-Columbian America, and Neolithic Europe. The detection of M. tuberculosis ancient DNA (aDNA) by using PCR led to the development of the new field of paleomicrobiology. As a result, a large number of tuberculosis cases were recognized in mummified tissue and bones with nonspecific or no lesions. In parallel with these developments, M. tuberculosis cell wall lipid biomarkers have detected tuberculosis suggested by paleopathology and confirmed aDNA findings. In well-preserved cases, molecular typing has identified M. tuberculosis lineages and genotypes. The current interest in targeted enrichment, shotgun sequencing, and metagenomic analysis reveals ancient mixed infections with different M. tuberculosis strains and other pathogens. Identification of M. tuberculosis lineages from samples of known age enables the date of the emergence of strains and lineages to be calculated directly rather than by making assumptions on the rate of evolutionary change.


In order to facilitate the investigation of plate tectonic on the continent, the writer proposes some principles for references. They are: 1, the juncture between two plates is always represented by a great fault or fracture zone extending for at least several hundreds or usually more than one thousand kilometers long; 2, the sharp diversities of depositional phases and faunas on the adjacent plates; 3, the presence of melanges; 4, the presence of ophiolite zone; 5, the presence of blueschists; 6, the dis-tribution with some regularities of intrusive and extrusive rocks; 7, the distribution of earthquake epicenters; and 8, the unequal polar wanderings of adjacent plates.Judging from the above mentioned principles and examining the geological features of China, we find that, some mountain ranges and territories may be considered as junctures of plate tectonics, those are: 1, the Tsinling structural zone, 2, the eastern coast of Taiwan, 3, the Yalutsangpo Eiver in Tibet, 4, the upper stream of Jinsha River, 5, the Lungmen Mountain and "Kangdian axis" and 6, the northern rim of Chilien Mountain.There are some questions, which need to be further studied. 1, The hypothesis of collision of two continents seems to require certain modifications, because almost all of the subduction zones occur along one or both sides of the geosyncline, and two con-tinents do not come to contact directly with each other. It is fairly the same as along the continental margin, where the oceanic plate moves against the continental plate. 2, Can the ultrabasic rocks intrude into continental crust, or can they only be gene-rated in the mantle? 3, If the ultrabasic rocks appear only in the geosyncline, is it possible to say, that the old massifs, in which ultrabasic rocks are present, such as the Taihwa group of Shensi and the Hwaiyang Shield of Dabie Mountain are geosynclinal metamorphic rocks instead of igneous origin? 4, In northwestern Pacific all of the is-land arcs are with the convex side opposite to the underthrusting plate. Is it possible to be considered as a rule to judge that, which side is the undergoing plate ? It is true, that the subduetion zones on the continent and even along the line between Pacific and South America are not in arc form. 5, According to Dickinson, Mitchell and Eeading there is a gap between the trench and volcanic arcs. In China, so far we know, the intrusive bodies are always directly in contact with the subduction zone, with only the Taiwan Strait as an exception. 6, Sometimes there are granite or granodiorite intrusions to be found behind the subduction zone. Is there another subduction zone behind the former one, or were there igneous activities during the folding of geosyn-cline as indicated .by the classical geotectonic theory ? 7, Except in the eastern provinces of China, where the volcanic rocks are wide-spread, in central and western China very rare volcanic rocks have been found along the margin of overriding plate. Whether the volcanic rocks were eroded away on the magma did not rise to the earth surface at all, is still a question.


This book includes papers tied to a collaborative project to undertake policy analysis and projection studies on supply, demand, and trade of rice in some of the major rice-producing countries. The papers were presented at a workshop on Medium- and Long-Term Prospects of Rice Supply and Demand in the 21st Century held at IRRI headquarters on 3-4 December 2001. Medium- and long-term projections of rice supply, demand, and prices are key information needed to guide national policy decisions and investment plans. In close collaboration with researchers and scientists from the NARES, IRRI, and IFPRI embarked on the collaborative research project to make an in-depth analysis of the changing structure and dynamics of rice supply and demand and to institutionalize the research and policy analysis capacity and projection work as a core research activity in selected NARES. With financial support from the Japanese government and from core funds of IRRI and IFPRI, the project started with the following countries selected to participate: Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Myanmar, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan (China), Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.


Mammalian hibernators survive prolonged periods of cold and resource scarcity by temporarily modulating normal physiological functions, but the mechanisms underlying these adaptations are poorly understood. The hibernation cycle of thirteen-lined ground squirrels lasts for 5–7 months and comprises weeks of hypometabolic, hypothermic torpor interspersed with 24–48-hour periods of an active-like interbout arousal (IBA) state. We show that ground squirrels, who endure the entire hibernation season without food, have negligible hunger drive during IBAs. These squirrels exhibit reversible inhibition of the hypothalamic feeding center, such that hypothalamic arcuate nucleus neurons exhibit reduced sensitivity to the orexigenic and anorexigenic effects of ghrelin and leptin, respectively. However, hypothalamic infusion of thyroid hormone during an IBA is sufficient to rescue hibernation anorexia. Our results reveal that thyroid hormone deficiency underlies hibernation anorexia and demonstrate the functional flexibility of the hypothalamic feeding center.


BACKGROUND: High-throughput gene expression studies on glioblastoma have identified proneural (PN) gene-expression type as the one characterized by a strong expression of neurogenesis-related genes. Although the PN type is generally associated with good prognosis, the clinical and biological significance of the PN type has not been completely elucidated. In the current study, we aimed to expound the biological significance of the PN subtype by quantifying its gene signature in glioblastoma, low-grade gliomas, and glioblastoma-derived cellular spheres. METHODS: To evaluate the PN gene-expression signature of all the glioma grades, we quantified the expression signature of 82 gliomas (grade II, 14 gliomas; III, 16; and IV, 52) by using real-time reverse transcription PCR. All samples had been assessed for IDH mutation and 1p/19q co-deletion. We characterized the PN signature by estimating the relative expression score of nine PN markers (DLL3, BCAN, OLIG2, NKX2.2, ASCL1, SOX2, ERBB3, NCAM1, and NCAM2) and eight mesenchymal (MES) markers (YKL-40, CD44, Vimentin, COL1A1, TRL2, TRL4, TRADD, and RELB). In addition, we evaluated the expression signature of five matched glioblastoma tissues and glioblastoma-derived cellular spheres. RESULTS: The PN gene-expression signature was higher in low-grade gliomas than that in glioblastoma. In the IDH-wild glioblastoma (n = 42), 19% of the tumor was characteristic of the PN type, while 32% was of the MES type. The overall survival time was not significantly different between two types. The analysis of five glioblastoma-derived spheres demonstrated that two of them showed the PN signature, and the remaining three showed the MES signature. Glioblastoma-derived spheres showed a different expression signature from that of the originating tumor. In particular, two spheres derived from the MES glioblastoma showed the PN signature after successful expansion as neurospheres, suggesting a conversion of the MES to PN type under proliferating conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The expression analysis of glioma tissues showed that the PN signature is displayed early in gliomagenesis, and is not specific to a subset of glioblastomas. Given that the MES to PN conversion is a frequent event under proliferating conditions, a display of the subtype-specific gene signature might be reversible phenomenon. SECONDARY CATEGORY: Neuropathology & Tumor Biomarkers.


AXAF telescope witness mirror calibrations have been carried out on ALS Beamline 6.3.2 in July 1997 and Jan-Feb 1998 to ascertain whether sufficient beam purity and signal to noise were available over the energy range 50-1000 eV. An overall accuracy of 1 percent is necessary on reflectivities to meet AXAF program requirements. Some beamline variations were incorporated - based on two previous test runs. Various filter/order-sorter combinations were used to control beam purity. A test involving strength of the N-edge dips in reflectivity versus sample angle to the beam showed the NVII, NVI, NIII, NII, and NI edges in roughly expected proportions. This verified adequate purity in all filter/order-sorter channels except the 260-454 eV channel that includes the NV and NIV edges just above the carbon K- edge. We discuss a future solution of this puzzle by other test for evaluation of the carbon contamination layer. Oxygen contamination is also ubiquitous on Ir mirrors and foils. These problems can also be handled through optimization of the data acquisition and use of control samples. In reflection Ir NIII appears out of the noise as two doublet-like bumps. Ir NII has so far been observed near the noise level < 2 percent. Averaged over many scans it too appears to be doublet-like. Scans through the NI edge near the noise level are compatible with a doublet-like or broad feature from 685-707 eV. transmission data give the NI and NIII edges better. Ir NIV and NV edges are not yet measurable for systematic reasons. NVI and NVII appear to be normal edges. Angle scans to derive the Ir and Cr layer thicknesses are feasible at approximately 900-920 eV. Reflectivities can be reliably measured at small angles to 1300 eV. This will be useful for overlap with measurements at NSLS. Optical constants derived from reflectivities in most segments of this energy range will meet requirements for AXAF. Transmission measurements are being pursued in addition, for confirmation and to augment some segments.


We developed a new operation with clipping of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical technique. Twenty-one patients underwent this procedure, since May, 1994. The average age was 5.8 years (range 2-16 years), and average weight was 16.5 kg (range 8-37 kg). All patients had successful closure of PDA, except one whe had open surgical PDA division and one who had opening of the clip after 72 hours. One had recurrent larygeal nerve injury and two had pneumothora on the left side. There were no other complications and no deaths. The need for a chest tube is in doubt if there is no air leak or bleeding. Closure of PDA by VATS is marked by safe, less postoperative pain and early recovery.


A simple fabrication of graphene-MoS2 nanocomposite, as well as individual graphene and molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) film has been done through a liquid phase exfoliation method using chitin as a binder. All of the developed films are integrated as a passive Q-switcher in an Erbium doped fiber laser. The graphene-MoS2 nanocomposite based passive Q-switcher is generated by a pulsed fiber laser with the shortest width of 1.63 µs and the highest signal to noise ratio of 51.01 dB. The graphene-MoS2 nanocomposite films show a better saturable absorption response compared to an individual graphene-chitin and MoS2-chitin based passive Q-switcher. Full Text: PDF ReferencesB. Zhang et al., "Recent Progress in 2D Material-Based Saturable Absorbers for All Solid-State Pulsed Bulk Lasers", Laser Photon. Rev. 14(2), 1900240 (2020). CrossRef M. Zhang, H. Chen, J. Yin, J. Wang, P. Yan, "Recent development of saturable absorbers for ultrafast lasers [Invited]", Chinese Opt. Letters 19(8), 081405 (2021). CrossRef S.A. Hussain, "Beta rhythm events predict corticospinal motor output", Scientific Reports 9(1), 1 (2019). CrossRef B. Fu, Y. Hua, X. Xiao, H. Zhu, Z. Sun, C. Yang, "Broadband Graphene Saturable Absorber for Pulsed Fiber Lasers at 1, 1.5, and 2 μm", IEEE J. Selected Topics in Quant. Electron. 20(5), 411 (2014). CrossRef S.N.M. Halim, S.N.F. Zuikafly, M.F.M. Taib, F. Ahmad, "First Principles Study on Electronic and Optical Properties of Graphene/MoS2 for Optoelectronic Application", IEEE International Conference on Semiconductor Electronics (ICSE), 29-32, (2020), CrossRef Z. Wang, H. Mu, J. Yuan, C. Zhao, Q. Bao, H. Zhang, "Graphene-Bi2Te3 Heterostructure as Broadband Saturable Absorber for Ultra-Short Pulse Generation in Er-Doped and Yb-Doped Fiber Lasers", Quant. Electron. 23(1), 195 (2016). CrossRef E.P. Randviir, D.A. Brownson, C.E. Banks, "A decade of graphene research: production, applications and outlook", Materials Today 17(9), 426 (2014). CrossRef S.N.F. Zuikafly, N.F. Razak, R.M. Rosnan, S.W. Harun, F. Ahmad, "Graphene slurry based passive Q-switcher in erbium doped fiber laser", Bull. Electr. Engin. Informat. 8(4), 1351 (2019). CrossRef W.M.F.W. Nawawi, K.-Y. Lee, E. Kontturi, R.J. Murphy, A. Bismarck, "Chitin Nanopaper from Mushroom Extract: Natural Composite of Nanofibers and Glucan from a Single Biobased Source", ACS Sustainable Chem. Engin. 7(7), 6492 (2019). CrossRef


Congenital complete heart block (CCHB) occurs in the offspring of mothers who have the HLA-A1;B8; DR3 haplotype and Ro (SS-A) autoantibodies. It has been shown that the presence of HLA-DR3 in mothers may facilitate Ro synthesis, but may not, by itself, be sufficient to induce CCHB in the offspring. However, maternal DR3 and Ro antibody seem to be independent factors associated with CCHB. Other HLA antigens, including class III (complement) genes, may also be necessary to induce CCHB in newborns since A1;B8; DR3 haplotypes, together with BfS and/or C4AQ0B1, are increased in Ro+ mothers of infants with CCHB compared with both controls and with Ro+ mothers whose offspring do not have CCHB. On the other hand, DR3 genes in a different HLA haplotype (i.e., B18; BfF1;DR3) are nonpathogenetic; this latter finding may be due to a DR3 gene's intrinsic difference or to the influence of neighboring genes. Also, a trend toward DR3 bias transmission is observed in DR3+ mothers who are also Ro+; fetal DR3 might protect the fetus against in utero death when Ro antibodies are present.


Impaired diabetic wounds are one of the major pathophysiological complications caused by persistent microbial infections, prolonged inflammation, and insufficient angiogenic responses. Here, we report the development of nitric-oxide (NO) -releasing S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP) -loaded chitosan/polyvinyl–alcohol hydrogel and its efficacy in enhancing the wound-healing potential of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in diabetic wounds. NO-releasing hydrogels significantly increased the cell viability and cell proliferation of hydrogen-peroxide (H2O2) -pretreated bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs), demonstrating their cytoprotective activity, which was further confirmed by gene expression of many times as much B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), stromal cell-derived factor-1alpha (SDF-1α), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Furthermore, the SNAP-loaded hydrogel showed continuous cell-proliferating activity for six days, due to the slow release of NO from the hydrogel. Wound-healing studies of rabbits with induced diabetes showed that the application of SNAP-preconditioned BMSCs and NO-releasing hydrogels significantly sped up the healing process, compared to the control group. The wound-healing potential of BMSCs plus NO-releasing hydrogel was further validated by improved collagen deposition and epithelial layer formation, as confirmed by histopathological examination, as well as upregulation of VEGF and SDF-1α biomarkers, as evidenced by gene-expression analysis. These results demonstrated that the application of BMSCs with NO-releasing hydrogel can promote faster regeneration of damaged tissues. Therefore, BMSCs plus NO-releasing hydrogels can be very useful for the treatment of diabetic wounds.


Effective media education requires that teachers have sufficient media literacy competencies as well as the competencies to promote media literacy in students. This article describes the development of a questionnaire to measure these competencies individually or as a team. The questionnaire was developed in five stages. A systematic and critical listing of existing inventories resulted in a preliminary questionnaire. In the final stage, the questionnaire was submitted to a representative sample of 454 teachers and 219 student teachers, and an exploratory factor analysis was conducted. The results show that the questionnaire is sufficiently valid and reliable.


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

Colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) is one of clear examples of inflammation-carcinogenesis sequence, based on which strict control of colitis provides the right rationale of the intervention of anti-inflammatory drug on the chemoprevention. We have shown that 8-OHdG, which traditionally has been acknowledged as a marker of oxidative stress-related mutagenesis, could paradoxically exerted potent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant action in various inflammation models (Ock CY et al, Biochem Pharmacol, 2010). Based on the fact that Rac1 binds and activates STAT3 which is significantly up-regulated in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as well as CAC, we hypothesized that attenuation of Rac1-STAT pathway by exogenous 8-OHdG treatment may block inflammatory bouts in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) induced colitis and can reduce carcinogenesis promoted by azoxymethane (AOM) followed by DSS ingestion. First we have checked whether exogenous 8-OHdG can ameliorate IBD, for which IL10 knock-out mice, IBD prone mice, are designed to ingest 5% DSS in tap water ad libitum for a week, and 8-OHdG (50, 100, or 150 mg/kg) is given intraperitoneal route daily. Treatment with 8-OHdG significantly reduced complication rates, pathologic grade of inflammation and edema compared with DSS only group. On pathogenic basis, the expressions of various inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α, IL-6, COX-2 and iNOS were decreased, as well as Rac1 activity and phosphorylation of STAT3 in 8-OHdG treated group in a dose-dependent manner. Next, in order to document the chemoprevention effects of 8-OHdG, mice were injected AOM (10 mg/kg) intraperitoneally followed by drinking 2.5% DSS for a week, after which AIN76 diet that contains 0.03 % and 0.06 % 8-OHdG was given for 20 weeks. As results, mice which consumed 8-OHdG-contained diet were significantly reduced tumor incidence and tumor multiplicity. Increased activity of Rac1 and phosphorylation of STAT3 with AOM plus DSS administration were significantly attenuated in 8-OHdG treatment group. These results were further validated with human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2 in vitro model. Conclusively, for the very first time, we clearly showed chemopreventive effect of exogenous 8-OHdG against CAC. Since 8-OHdG, one of well-known by-products generated by oxidative stress, paradoxically blocks inflammation-carcinogenesis sequence in colitis-associated cancer model, 8-OHdG could be a promising chemopreventive drug for the patient suffering from longstanding and extensive IBD, high risk group for CAC.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 848. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-848


Archaeological contexts in arid lands are particularly endangered, not only by the natural damaging effects of desert environments, but also by both recent indiscriminate tourism and infrastructural developments, specifically oil exploitation. This case study of the Acacus and Messak Mountains in the Libyan Sahara explores the history and causes of the present situation, through a detailed analysis of the state of preservation of the cultural heritage – particularly rock art. At the same time, it provides the first evaluation of the perception of the situation by local people, placing it in a wider scenario that integrates tourism, development, and conservation.


A new adaptive sampling is proposed to accelerate frequency-domain calculations. The algorithm is based on the survival-of-the-fittest principle of genetic algorithms and uses rational functions to approximate the frequency response. The sampling algorithm is derivative free and well-adapted to devices with rapidly varying frequency responses like microwave filters. The criteria for convergence checking and to determine the location of additional sampling points are easy and fast to evaluate because they are based on the rational functions. Moreover, they provide an estimation of the approximation error and can be used to determine whether the algorithm has problems to reach convergence. The adaptive sampling algorithm leads to a significant reduction of simulation points, as demonstrated by parameter studies. This allows an efficient simulation of electromagnetic responses, as application examples show, which is of great importance when optimizing devices.


Substantial changes in both the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) can be expected in the near future. First, we should expand the prescription of thromboprophylaxis to acutely ill medical patients and improve the early detection of VTE in patients at high risk. The new antithrombotic drugs, which will shortly become available, will probably improve adherence to thromboprophylaxis. Future perspectives focus on better identification of which patients with acute pulmonary embolism may safely be treated at home, and on how to individually tailor antithrombotic therapy to VTE patients with special conditions.


Piezoelectric actuators are popularly applied as actuators in high precision systems due to their small displacement resolution, fast response and simple construction. However, the hysteresis nonlinear behavior limits the dynamic modeling and tracking control of piezoelectric actuators. This paper studies a dynamic model of a moving stage driven by piezoelectric stack actuator. The Bouc-Wen model is introduced and analyzed to express the nonlinear hysteresis term. Two triangular actuating voltages with frequency of 1 Hz and amplitudes of 80 V and 90 V are applied to drive the piezoelectric stack actuator. The results demonstrate the existence of the hysteresis phenomenon between the input voltage and the output displacement of the piezoelectric stack actuator, and validate the correctness of the model.


Vision uses specific image features or cues to infer physical properties of the world. Here, we use a novel illusion to show that occlusion, traditionally thought of as a cue to depth, is also a powerful cue to motion. A display of stacking disks that contains only occlusion as a cue to depth generates a vivid sense of movement that is likely computed in early or middle levels of visual processing.


The farmer is the main body of agricultural technology demand. The Bayesian Network method was adopted to entropy reduction and sensitivity analysis in this paper, we determined the order of the factors that influenced famers to adopt technology. Through related economic analysis, this paper believed that we must really understood the technical demand of farmers, master farmers' psychological characteristic and behaviors, analyze the problems in the using the technical. At the same time, we should stand on the farmers, carry out planned, this will reduce the risk of farmers to adopt new technology.


Search personalization aims to tailor search results to each specific user based on the user's personal interests and preferences (i.e., the user profile). Recent research approaches to search personalization by modelling the potential 3-way relationship between the submitted query, the user and the search results (i.e., documents). That relationship is then used to personalize the search results to that user. In this paper, we introduce a novel embedding model based on capsule network, which recently is a breakthrough in deep learning, to model the 3-way relationships for search personalization. In the model, each user (submitted query or returned document) is embedded by a vector in the same vector space. The 3-way relationship is described as a triple of (query, user, document) which is then modeled as a 3-column matrix containing the three embedding vectors. After that, the 3-column matrix is fed into a deep learning architecture to re-rank the search results returned by a basis ranker. Experimental results on query logs from a commercial web search engine show that our model achieves better performances than the basis ranker as well as strong search personalization baselines.


Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles thin film has been successfully synthesized by a spray pyrolysis deposition method by using an air compressor on a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate and was annealed at different temperature. TiO2 is the most common oxide as an electrode in dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) which still has chances of improvements to increase its efficiency as an electrode. The efficiency of a DSSC was relatively low but modifications on every part of a DSSC were currently in research progress and an increase in adsorbed dye molecules was considered a potential. Thus, the influences of annealing temperature on structural and morphological properties of TiO2 have been studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), respectively, while the efficiency of the films in a solar cell was studied by a solar simulator. The FESEM result showed several degrees of porosity obtained by varying the annealing temperature. The crystallinity of TiO2 investigated by XRD showed that the crystallinity of the TiO2 thin films was generally unaffected by the annealing temperature. The relationship between the properties and the efficiency of the films as an electrode was also studied.


We introduce a novel approach to feed-forward neural network interpretation based on partitioning the space of sequences of neuron activations. In line with this approach, we propose a model-specific interpretation method, called YASENN. Our method inherits many advantages of model-agnostic distillation, such as an ability to focus on the particular input region and to express an explanation in terms of features different from those observed by a neural network. Moreover, examination of distillation error makes the method applicable to the problems with low tolerance to interpretation mistakes. Technically, YASENN distills the network with an ensemble of layer-wise gradient boosting decision trees and encodes the sequences of neuron activations with leaf indices. The finite number of unique codes induces a partitioning of the input space. Each partition may be described in a variety of ways, including examination of an interpretable model (e.g. a logistic regression or a decision tree) trained to discriminate between objects of those partitions. Our experiments provide an intuition behind the method and demonstrate revealed artifacts in neural network decision making.


Constructivism asserts that knowledge is actively constructed by the learner through interaction with the world and social negotiation; learner explores the world and transforms his understanding of the world. Story-telling, is also an integral part of our lives, in understanding and communicating with the world. Science, on the other hand, is a subject which rests upon inductive reasoning and analytical thinking, and also requires social negotiation and classroom is the social unit where knowledge is constructed. This paper discusses how story-telling approach for the content- matter of a science textbook can be used as a constructivist tool in teaching of science.


The dynamics of vortex domain walls (VDWs) in ferromagnetic nanotubes induced with dc and ac magnetic fields is investigated theoretically. Such domain walls (DWs) are physical objects living in a fairly rich energy landscape with paths that can be tailored. In this way, two different Walker fields has been already predicted to appear in the tubes, a fact that was attributed to the breaking of left-right symmetry of the walls. The physical origin of such behavior is the interplay between the curvature of the ferromagnetic nanomembrane and the dipole field of the VDW. In this paper it is predicted that the excitation of such domain walls with time-dependent fields may be useful in a variety of situations. First, to avoid the Walker breakdown (and to increase the average velocity) a time-dependent field can be superimposed to a dc field, allowing to control the wall by trapping it in a potential well. This is achieved with a proper combination of dc and ac fields needed to avoid the wall to overcome the energy barriers associated to the Walker breakdown fields, frustrating then the precessional DW motion and increasing the average DW speed. The wall is further pumped with the time-dependent field in a breathing mode, near the top of the energy barrier. This pumping mechanism may be also useful for the generation of spin waves.


This paper considers the design of a dynamic measurement framework for public procurement from an emergent system's perspective. In order to continue into sustainable excellence, an adaptable and reliable measurement system is needed to measure procurement's current performance and make well-informed sustainable decisions into the future in the context of a changing political environment. Measurements would need to include: public confidence (with ethical accountability and transparency), efficiency and effectiveness (as measured in value for money and the delivery of procurement outcomes) and policy compliance and consistency. These measures would need to be nested in a larger measurement system (as reflected in a sustainable generic public management system that would reflect quality of life as opposed to simply material wealth). In terms of design principals for such a measurement system, three main themes have emerged in the literature. First, organisations are complex multidimensional nested systems, second the integrity of the whole system needs to be maintained and third, in order to improve complex social systems, such as large public procurement entities, performance management systems need to function as an ethical learning tool. The actual design of an integrated measurement system to gauge procurement performance within public procurement is potentially a research area for the future.


Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) in the gestational period damages the reproductive health of offspring; detailed evidence regarding BPA-induced damage in testicular germ cells of offspring is still limited. In this study, pregnant mice (F0) were gavaged with three BPA doses (50 μg, 5 mg, and 50 mg/kg body weight (bw)/day; tolerable daily intake (TDI), no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL), and lowest-observed-adverse-effect level (LOAEL), respectively) on embryonic days 7 to 14, followed by investigation of the transgenerational effects of such exposure in male offspring. We observed that the NOAEL- and LOAEL-exposed F1 offspring had abnormalities in anogenital distance, nipple retention, and pubertal onset (days), together with differences in seminiferous epithelial stages and testis morphology. These effects were eradicated in the next F2 and F3 generations. Moreover, there was an alteration in the ratio of germ cell population and the apoptosis rate in germ cells increased in F1 offspring at the LOAEL dose. However, the total number of spermatogonia remained unchanged. Finally, a reduction in the stemness properties of spermatogonial stem cells in F1 offspring was observed upon LOAEL exposure. Therefore, we provide evidence of BPA-induced disruption of physiology and functions in male germ cells during the gestational period. This may lead to several reproductive health issues and infertility in offspring.


Objective:  To determine the frequency of risk factors leading to acute accidental poisoning in children presenting in emergency of a tertiary care hospital. Material and Methods:  This study was conducted from 20 th April 2012 to 19 th Oct 2012 in Pediatric ward emergency, Jinnah Hospital, Lahore. There were 200 patients included in this study presented to emergency department with poisoning. Results: A total of 200 patients were included. Age ranged from 1 year to 8 years with a mean age of 3.49 years and standard deviation (SD) of ± 1.77 years. Majority patients were upto 5 years of age 82.5%(165) and the patients above 5 years were 17.5%(35). Male were predominantly involved 76%(152) and females were 24%(48). There was easy access to poison in 84.5%(169) of the cases. Most of the mothers were illiterate or had education less than middle 71%(142). There were 29%(58) mothers who had education more than middle. Large family size with 3 or more kids were 66.5%(133) and families with less than 3 kids were 33.5%(67). Those with poor socioeconomic status (income per month less than 8250 Rs) were 73.5%(147). There were 77.5%(155) mothers who did not had awareness about toxic effects of the poison. Storage at common places was in 88%(176). Common places of storage were: kitchen 38.5%(77), understairs 21%(42), bedroom 15.5%(31), bathroom 6.5%(13) and elsewhere (roof, floor etc) 6.5%(13). Mother's distraction was found in 91.5% (183) of the cases. Conclusion: Male sex, age less than five years, easy access to poisonous substance, family size three or more kids at home, poor socioeconomic status, lack of maternal awareness about toxic effects of poison, storage at common places and mother's distraction were factors leading to acute accidental poisoning in this study.


This paper is a study on the development of an active buffer for railway vehicles using electrorheological (ER) fluid as a functional material. The coupler force is controlled by adjusting the electric field applied to the ER fluid. A prototype buffer, which consists of a hydraulic cylinder, an ER bypass slit valve and a PID feedback controller, is fabricated. The damping force is developed in the ER valve both through the bypass slit and at the piston–cylinder gap. In the theoretical analysis, it is assumed that the flow of the ER fluid through the bypass slit is the Bingham plastic flow-mode flow while it is in the Newtonian mixed-mode flow in the piston–cylinder gap. The force opposed by the buffer is obtained as a function of the shaft velocity and the electric field applied to the ER fluid. The theoretical results are compared with the experimental results. Further, an active control test using the PID feedback controller is carried out for the problem where the shaft reaction force is retained at a constant prescribed strength while the shaft is translating at a constant velocity. Both results show that the coupler force of the railway vehicle can be controlled effectively by using the proposed electrorheological bypass damper.


Human error is the main cause of the many road traffic accidents which every year take the lives of millions of people and injure many more. Driving safety is thus a major concern leading to research in autonomous driving systems. One project at the centre for computational intelligence (C2i), NTU, aims at using fuzzy neural architectures such as GenSoFNN-Yager to realize intelligent driving Le., to learn to autonomously park, make U-turns, drive, and even decide when to change lane, overtake, etc. This paper presents recent work on intelligent speed adaptation and steering control (ISASC), a novel feature of which is the ability to anticipate the road profile and negotiate curves safely. The proposed system was developed and tested on a driving simulator. Experimental results show the robustness of the system in learning from example the desired human driving expertise and applying this knowledge to negotiate new unseen roads.


In the last 30 years the traditional concept of schizophrenia has changed basically because of epidemiological investigations and studies on expressed emotion and on life-events. The concept of vulnerability in schizophrenia distinguishes stress and protection factors. As a consequence to social psychiatry, psychiatric clinics got smaller, and new outpatient facilities were created. In the treatment of schizophrenic patients, the general practitioner has an important role. Some practical concepts of therapy are discussed.


Sex-determining mechanisms are highly variable between phyla. However, there is an apparent exception in which structurally and functionally related genes control sex determination in different phyla: the sexual regulators DSX of Drosophila melanogaster and MAB-3 of Caenorhabditis elegans both containing a DNA-binding motif, DM domain. Proteins containing the domain may also play a role in sexual development of vertebrates. For examples, both the human DMRT1 (doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor 1) gene and mouse Dmrt1 gene are necessary for male development. In this paper, through the degenerated PCR, a DNA fragment ADM was amplified out from genomic DNA of brine shrimp, Artemia sinica from YunCheng Salt Lake, Shanxi, China and Artemia parthenogenetica from GaHai, Qinghai, China, respectively. ADM encodes 47 amino acids and is highly homologous to amino acid sequence of the known DM domains. By comparing total of 27 DM domains in distant related species, a phylogenic tree of DM domain was constructed. In the tree, these DM domains were divided into different branches according to their subtypes. Among the DM domains that were compared, ADM is most homologous to the DM domain contained in human DMRT3 and mouse Dmrt3, which shares 83% identity between them. In addition, the same length of ADM could also be amplified out from cDNA of Artemia sinica and Artemia parthenogenetica, which indicated that ADM was expressed and located in one exon. The DM domain in brine shrimp reported here would make it possible for cloning the full-length cDNA containing the DM domain and further elucidating their functions.


The authors examine nuptiality, family characteristics, and fertility in the central Spanish village of Mocejon in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.


Over the centuries happiness, or more broadly, well-being has been subject of unremitting debate. Recently, measures of so-called subjective well-being (SWB; e.g. self-reported happiness) have gained prominence and are receiving increasing attention from scientists, policy makers and the public alike. A consensus appears to be emerging that people's selfassessment of how well life is going can convey important information, in particular on underlying emotional states. This paper introduces measures of SWB, examining whether the measures are meaningful and valid, and exploring a possible role in shaping and appraising public policy. The first part elaborates what SWB means and discusses some of the indicators used to measure the construct. Special attention is paid to the quality of different SWB measures, i.e. their reliability and validity. SWB appears to be largely defined through the specific indicators used to measure it but that is not to say that these measures are not capturing something important. In the second part, several possible uses of SWB in the making of policy are discerned: (1) SWB as an explicit policy target; (2) SWB as a complement to existing measures of well-being; (3) SWB as a measuring rod in cost-benefit analyses; and (4) the use of SWB in the construction of poverty statistics and equivalence scales. The broad conclusion that emerges is that SWB indeed can help shape and appraise public policy. This holds despite the fact that SWB research still has important gaps. What is more, future research promises to secure further the usefulness of SWB research in policy applications, not least as improvements in measurement take hold.


Cannibalisation and trial are both potential consequences of line extension strategies with, normally, the former to be controlled and the latter encouraged. Both stem from the familiarity of the parent brand, the main driver of line extension strategy. For a brand manager, considering the launch of a new line, these two effects create tensions; how can trial be maximised whilst parental share loss is minimised? We examine these two effects in different line extensions in the UK and Germany to understand how trial and cannibalisation interact to affect the success of a line extension. Our empirical research analyses the purchase patterns of buyers of a new line, before and after the launch of the extension, and compares these with the level of cannibalisation. Our aim is to understand the dynamics of consumer response to the new line. The household panel data analysis of fmcg purchases shows that line extension buyers are disproportionate purchasers of the parent brand, both before and after the launch. However these measures of cross-purchase correlate only weakly with the level of cannibalisation (rho = .42 before, .43 after). Whilst a line extension clearly encourages purchase of the new line by purchasers of the existing parent, this leads to additional portfolio purchasing as often as substitution. This provides some proof of the efficacy of line extension strategies in expanding brand sales.


The causative species is an important factor influencing the evolution of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL). Due to its wide distribution in endemic areas, Leishmania (V.) braziliensis is considered one of the most important species in circulation in Brazil. Molecular targets derived from ribosomal RNA (rRNA) were used in studies to identify Leishmania spp.; however, the Intergenic Spacer (IGS) region has not yet been explored in parasite species differentiation. Besides, there is a shortage of sequences deposited in public repositories for this region. Thus, it was proposed to analyze and provide sequences of the IGS rRNA region from different Leishmania spp. and to evaluate their potential as biomarkers to characterize L. braziliensis. A set of primers was designed for complete amplification of the IGS rRNA region of Leishmania spp. PCR products were submitted to Sanger sequencing. The sequences obtained were aligned and analyzed for size and similarity, as well as deposited in GenBank. Characteristics of the repetitive elements (IGSRE) present in the IGS rRNA were also verified. In addition, a set of primers for L. braziliensis identification for qPCR was developed and optimized. Sensitivity (S), specificity (σ), and efficiency (ε) tests were applied. It was found that the mean size for the IGS rRNA region is 3 kb, and the similarity analysis of the sequences obtained demonstrated high conservation among the species. It was observed that the size for the IGSRE repetitive region varies between 61 and 71 bp, and there is a high identity between some species. Fifteen sequences generated for the IGS rRNA partial region of nine different species were deposited in GenBank so far. The specific primer system for L. braziliensis showed S = 10 fg, ε = 98.08%, and logσ = 103 for Leishmania naiffi; logσ = 104 for Leishmania guyanensis; and logσ = 105 for Leishmania shawi. This protocol system can be used for diagnosis, identification, and quantification of a patient's parasite load, aiding in the direction of a more appropriate therapeutic management to the cases of infection by this etiological agent. Besides that, the unpublished sequences deposited in databases can be used for multiple analyses in different contexts.


Fowler (1935) has shown that the Langmuir adsorption isotherm can be deduced from statistical considerations and he (1936) and Peierls (1936) have recently extended the statistical treatment to obtain the form of the isotherm when there is interaction between the adsorbed particles. In the preceding paper J-S. Wang has applied a similar treatment including the effect of interaction between adsorbed particles to the case of diatomic molecules which dissociate on adsorption. For the purpose of obtaining the form of the isotherm the statistical method is of course the correct method to use, but, to obtain from the interpretation of experimental results a full understanding of the various processes occurring at the surface, expressions are required for the rates of these individual processes. The aim of the present paper is to deduce such expressions (4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12) from kinetical considerations when the effects of interaction between adsorbed particles are included. It is important to check that the expressions obtained lead to an isotherm of the same form as that deduced statistically. The first part of the problem is to obtain the answer to the following and similar questions. If the average probability that a site on the surface is occupied is θ and if a given site is occupied, what is the probability that neighbouring sites are occupied? The answers to these questions are of course given in the complete statistical treatment by Peierls, but they are obtained by considering the partition functions for the whole system including the gas phase, such considerations giving the complete solution of the equilibrium problem. Here we need the result when we consider the surface only, the equilibrium between adsorbed and free atoms being obtained separately by considering the mechanisms of condensation and evaporation. It therefore seems desirable for the sake of clearness to select and repeat in its slightly modified form that part of Peierls' argument which is relevant.


Campylobacter jejuni was isolated in pure culture from the tissues and stomach contents of an aborted fetus from a mixed-breed Illinois goat herd. In the herd, 5 of 21 does aborted in late gestation. The does had diarrhea before or concurrent with the abortions. Does that did not abort were vaccinated with ovine C fetus bacterin and were given chlortetracycline orally at the rate of 75 mg/day for 2 weeks. Further abortions did not occur.


OBJECTIVES
We aimed to investigate the demographic and clinical characteristics, echocardiographic and microbiologic features, and outcomes of patients with permanent pacemaker (PM) and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) endocarditis in this study.

STUDY DESIGN
The study population consisted of 15 patients with permanent PM and ICD endocarditis. Data on demographics, medications, clinical procedures, microbiology, echocardiography, surgery, and outcome were collected.

RESULTS
The mean age of the patients was 57 ± 16. Seven patients (47%) were female. Of the 15 permanent PM and ICD endocarditis patients, 5 died during hospital follow-up (33%). Four patients (27%) experienced a pulmonary embolism. Culture-negative endocarditis was seen in 5 cases (33%). Staphylococci were the most common causative organisms (60%). Three patients had undergone surgical treatment (20%).

CONCLUSION
Cardiac device-related endocarditis remain a rare but potentially fatal complication of device implantation.


Electron and hole currents from Schottky contacts to high-resistivity silicon, used for radiation detectors, are analysed and compared with values expected from Schottky barrier heights, for some types of contacts commonly used, such as Al, Au and amorphous Ge films. A peculiar effect pointed out is the anomalously low hole currents observed, which is exemplifed for Al, Au and Ni contacts. These are explained with a model assuming the presence of trapped positive charge (holes) in the interface oxide of the contact. For amorphous Ge contacts a contributing current-limiting mechanism may be due to limited supply of thermally generated carriers in the film.


SGLT2 inhibitors have been shown to provide pronounced reductions in cardio-renal outcomes, including cardiovascular death, heart failure, and renal failure. The mechanisms underlying these benefits remain uncertain. We hypothesized that the effects could be attributed to the elevated glycosuria induced by these drugs. Urine concentrations of glucose, creatinine, and ketones were measured at baseline and after 1-year treatment with either placebo or canagliflozin 100mg/day in ∼2600 individuals from the CREDENCE trial (enrolling patients with type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and albuminuria). Associations between glycosuria and the primary composite endpoint from CREDENCE and secondary outcomes were assessed using Cox proportional hazards models. Canagliflozin treatment increased fractional urinary glucose excretion from 3±9% at baseline to 30±26% at year 1 (vs 5±19% with placebo, p<0.001). Subjects on canagliflozin and in the top quartile of urine glucose/creatinine ratio at year 1 were significantly protected for the primary endpoint (HR=0.42 [95% C.I.:0.30-0.61]); similar results were seen for hospitalized heart failure (HR=0.45 [0.27-0.73]) and all-cause death (HR=0.56 [0.39-0.80]). These associations persisted on adjustments for multiple conventional risk factors. In patients with T2D and CKD treated with canagliflozin, individuals with the highest amount of glycosuria showed the strongest protection against multiple cardio-renal outcomes.


This article discusses the conditions of a paradoxical reception of Marx's 'Capital', which rests on a distorted classification of Marx's critique of classical political economy as a last representative of this school. This article reveals some examples of an implicit critique in Marx's arguments and discusses the question of what was really new in Marx's theory of value and capital. Furthermore, the article presents some stereotypical examples of contemporary critiques of Marx and in conclusion sketches the unfinished state of 'Capital' and what we can expect from forthcoming publications in MEGA.


MINI: In this analysis of insurance claims, we observed that new persistent opioid use was independently associated with significantly higher total health care spending during the 180 days after surgery, primarily due to higher utilization of ambulatory care and readmissions. Targeted value-based care initiatives may be required to incentivize early identification and coordinated pathways of care for patients with new persistent opioid use after surgery.

OBJECTIVE
We sought to describe the differences in health care spending and utilization among patients who develop persistent postoperative opioid use.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA
Although persistent opioid use following surgery has garnered concern, its impact on health care costs and utilization remains unknown.

METHODS
We examined insurance claims among 133,439 opioid-naive adults undergoing surgery. Outcomes included 6-month postoperative health care spending; proportion of spending attributable to admission, readmission, ambulatory or emergency care; monthly spending 6 months before and following surgery. We defined persistent opioid use as continued opioid fills beyond 3 months postoperatively. We used linear regression to estimate outcomes adjusting for clinical covariates.

RESULTS
In this cohort, 8103 patients developed persistent opioid use. For patients who underwent inpatient procedures, new persistent opioid use was associated with health care spending (+$2700 per patient, P < 0.001) compared with patients who did not develop new persistent use. For patients who underwent outpatient procedures, new persistent opioid use was similarly correlated with higher health care spending (+$1500 per patient, P < 0.001) compared with patients who did not develop new persistent use. Patients without persistent opioid use returned to baseline health care spending within 6 months, regardless of other complications. However, patients with persistent opioid use had sustained increases in spending by approximately $200 per month.

CONCLUSION
Unlike other postoperative complications, persistent opioid use is associated with sustained increases in spending due to greater readmissions and ambulatory care visits. Early identification of patients vulnerable to persistent use may enhance the value of surgical care.


Abstract. On 7 December 2000, TV ASC camera in Barentsburg (Svalbard) observed pre-noon (at 09:00–10:00 MLT) rayed auroral arcs, which occurred at the pole-ward edge of the auroral oval after an IMF transition from By -dominated (By = + 8.8, Bz = + 4.3) to strongly northward dominated (By = + 2.7, Bz = + 8.6). The arcs appeared from the area of enhanced luminosity seen in the western (nightside) horizon, and developed to the east, progressing at a velocity of about 1.5 km/s. Simultaneously, the arcs were drifting poleward at a velocity of 300–500 m/s, whose value was equal to the F-region ionospheric plasma drift velocity observed by the Incoherent Scatter Radar (ESR). The arc appearance and motion corresponded well to the poleward expansion of the auroral oval following the IMF shift, which was observed by the UVI on board the Polar satellite. The observed auroras were associated with closed LLBL indicated by the particle precipitation data from DMSP satellites showing also several-keV electrons of PS origin. The observations allow us to suggest that the arcs arise due to the interchange instability that starts to develop at the boundary between the magnetospheric plasma and the magnetosheath flux tubes entering the closed magnetosphere due to the reconnection beyond the cusp after the IMF changes. The interchange instability can be suggested as a possible mechanism for the formation of the LLBL.  Key words. Magnetospheric physics (auroral phenomena; magnetopause, cusp and boundary layers; magnetospheric configuration and dynamics)


Since 1970s, energy-saving design criteria of buildings has been improved through numerous revisions. The purpose of this research is to show how energy saving design criteria affects heating energy consumption of apartments using district heating. Heating energy consumption has been measured in 4 apartments located in Gyeonggi province, Korea from Nov. 1, 2007 through Oct. 31, 2008. Collected data was regressed to linear correlations. Heating energy consumptions were calculated for past, present and future energy-saving design criteria, which are outdoor temperature, ventilation and insulation. The results show that present design criteria has reduced heating energy consumption by 15%, and the future criteria will reduce the energy consumption by 42% compared to the criteria before 2001.