In the United States (US), new firefighters' fitness and health behaviors deteriorate rapidly after fire academy graduation. Over the long-term, this increases their risks for chronic diseases. This study protocol describes the proposed usability testing and pilot study of a newly designed and developed healthy lifestyle smartphone app, "Surviving & Thriving", tailored towards young US firefighters. "Surviving & Thriving" will provide interactive educational content on four lifestyle factors; nutrition, sleep, physical activity, and resilience, and include a personalized journey, habit tracker, and elements of gamification to promote engagement and long-term healthy behavior change. The first phase of the app development entails alpha testing by the research team and pre-beta testing by a fire service expert panel which will help refine the app into a pre-consumer version. Upon completion of the full app prototype, beta 'usability' testing will be conducted among new fire academy graduates from two New England fire academies to collect qualitative and quantitative feedback via focus groups and satisfaction surveys, respectively. A last phase of piloting the app will evaluate the app's efficacy at maintaining/improving healthy lifestyle behaviors, mental health metrics, and physical fitness metrics. We will also evaluate whether firefighters' perceived "health cultures" scores (ratings of each fire station's/fire department's environments as to encouraging/discouraging healthy behaviors) modify the changes in health metrics after utilizing the app for three to six months. This novel user-friendly app seeks to help new firefighters maintain/improve their health and fitness more effectively, reducing their risk of lifestyle-related chronic disease. Firefighters who can establish healthy habits early in their careers are more likely to sustain them throughout their lives.


Dominance hierarchies represent some of nature's most rudimentary social structures, and aggression is key to their establishment in many animal species. Previous studies have focused on the relative influences of prior experience and physiological traits of individuals in determining social rank through aggression. Here we examine the behavioural potential for dominance hierarchy formation in the subsocial small carpenter bee, Ceratina calcarata . Both physiological traits and social experience were found to play partial roles in predicting future interactive behaviour in this species. Our results suggest that individual size is associated with dominance in initial encounters, while prior experience plays a larger role in predicting dominance in subsequent encounters. Social systems in the early stages of social evolution may well have followed these same predictive factors and these factors are key targets for future studies of social evolution and the behavioural origins of dominance hierarchies.


A new research instrument has been developed over the last four years and is now available for studying driver performance objectively under actual driving conditions. This report describes a new method of evaluating the effects of fatigue on driving performance using this equipment. A mathematical rating system is developed based on the results of this preliminary experiment and pre-tests. Examples demonstrate how the equations are used for rating the degree of driver fatigue at several stages of the test run. The results of this test are now being used in planning a new experiment for studying driving fatigue on a small population of drivers. The same approach can also be applied to study the effects of drugs, alcohol, and physical deficiencies on driver performance.


In this article, we investigate the possible existence of error-detection/correction mechanisms in the genetic machinery by means of a recently proposed coding strategy. On this basis, we numerically code exons, creating binary parity strings and successively we study their dependence structure by means of rigorous statistical methods (moving block bootstrap, and a new entropy-based method). The results show that parity sequences display complex dependence patterns enforcing the hypothesis of the existence of deterministic error-correction mechanisms grounded on this particular parity coding.


Cognition and comportment are subserved by interconnected neural networks that allow high‐level computational architectures including parallel distributed processing. Cognitive problems are not resolved by a sequential and hierarchical progression toward predetermined goals but instead by a simultaneous and interactive consideration of multiple possibilities and constraints until a satisfactory fit is achieved. The resultant texture of mental activity is characterized by almost infinite richness and flexibility. According to this model, complex behavior is mapped at the level of multifocal neural systems rather than specific anatomical sites, giving rise to brain‐behavior relationships that are both localized and distributed. Each network contains anatomically addressed channels for transferring information content and chemically addressed pathways for modulating behavioral tone. This approach provides a blueprint for reexploring the neurological foundations of attention, language, memory, and frontal lobe function.


This magnificently produced book is in the same style as The Mineral Kingdom (M.M. 37-630, and here again the author's stimulating narrative is accompanied by colour photographs expertly displaying faceted gems and other worked mineral specimens. The text brings to life both the science and the romance of gems; the great gem species--diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald, and opal--and the less precious but equally interesting species favoured by collectors and craftsmen are all illustrated and described. The qualities of gemstones, the art of the lapidary, the fashioning of jewellery, royal jewels, and the carving of jade--the 'sometimes green stone'--are included. But for many readers it will be Lee Boltin's incomparable colour photographs of many of the finest gems and minerals in the Smithsonian Institutions collections that make this a highly desirable work for all who admire, collect, or search for gems and gemstones. R. A. Howm


First, this paper describes a future layered Air Traffic Management (ATM) system centred in the execution phase of flights. The layered ATM model is based on the work currently performed by SESAR [1] and takes into account the availability of accurate and updated flight information ?seen by all? across the European airspace. This shared information of each flight will be referred as Reference Business Trajectory (RBT). In the layered ATM system, exchanges of information will involve several actors (human or automatic), which will have varying time horizons, areas of responsibility and tasks. Second, the paper will identify the need to define the negotiation processes required to agree revisions to the RBT in the layered ATM system. Third, the final objective of the paper is to bring to the attention of researchers and engineers the communalities between multi-player games and Collaborative Decision Making processes (CDM) in a layered ATM system


We tested several sample pre-treatment protocols for the study of oxygen isotope ratios in the phosphate phase of mammalian enamel of ten different fossil samples. We investigated the effect of different pre-treatment methods and the duration of the hydrogen fluoride treatment on enamel samples from skeletal phosphate with known δ18O values. The samples had been measured previously, so we could compare the ratios measured in our laboratory with the previous values to choose the best chemical preparation procedure. Four pre-soaking methods and two different time intervals of 2 mol dm−3 hydrogen fluoride treatment were compared during our experiments. In our experimental conditions, the distilled water wash and the 6 h of soaking in hydrogen fluoride gave the closest results to the expected δ-values. The steps of the tested preparation processes were repeated at least three times on each sample, so the reproducibility of the process could be also investigated.


Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) and growth/differentiation factor 5 (GDF5) are closely related protein family members and regulate early cartilage patterning and differentiation. In this study, we compared the functional outcome of their actions systematically at various stages of chondrogenesis in mouse embryonic limb bud mesenchyme grown in micromass cultures. Overall, both growth factors enhanced cartilage growth and differentiation in these cultures. Uniquely, BMP4 not only accelerated the formation and maturation of cartilaginous nodules, but also induced internodular mesenchymal cells to express cartilage differentiation markers. On the other hand, GDF5 increased the number of prechondrogenic mesenchymal cell condensation and cartilaginous nodules, without altering the overall pattern of differentiation. In addition, GDF5 caused a more sustained elevated expression level of Sox9 relative to that associated with BMP4. BMP4 accelerated chondrocyte maturation throughout the cultures and sustained an elevated level of Col10 expression, whereas GDF5 caused a transient increase in Col10 expression. Taken together, we conclude that BMP4 is instructive to chondrogenesis and induces mesenchymal cells toward the chondrogenic lineage. Furthermore, BMP4 accelerates the progression of cartilage differentiation to maturation. GDF5 enhances cartilage formation by promoting chondroprogenitor cell aggregation, and amplifying the responses of cartilage differentiation markers. These differences may serve to fine‐tune the normal cartilage differentiation program, and can be exploited for the molecular manipulation in biomimetics. Published 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


While e-learning use has sharply increased, the drop-out rate is high. This paper addresses some of the aspects that cause users to reject e-learning and not finish. It focuses on the concept of "usability", especially pedagogical usability that is currently central to usability design. While the term is nebulous, it is identified by attributes such as learnability, efficiency and (subjective) satisfaction. Attributes can be measured and designers add new ones as the need arises. Satisfaction has become the focus of pedagogical usability experts who claim the term includes motivational and emotive factors and may be measured by psychometric testing. Currently, efforts are underway to integrate pedagogical usability into e-learning design and create attractive, flexible features that are easy to handle and available on demand. Efforts are also underway to design mobile learning that incorporates usability principles. Usability improvements have been incremental because the e-learning process is not clear to designers, but it is expected that awareness and innovations will correct this problem in the future.


Primary tracheal adenoid cystic carcinoma (TACC) is a rare malignancy without an established treatment. Central airway obstruction due to TACC often decreases the quality of life and has life-threatening consequences. A 19-year-old man with unresectable TACC and central airway obstruction suffered from progressive cough and dyspnea after exercise. Proton beam therapy (PBT) was selected as the preferred treatment over systemic anti-cancer chemotherapy for TACC. PBT led to complete remission of TACC and the almost complete disappearance of the respiratory symptoms without adverse events. PBT is a useful and safe treatment for unresectable primary TACC.


Mathematical communication plays a very significant role in the success of mathematical learning. In the process of learning, attitude factors also have influences towards students' psychological aspect. One of those factors is mathematical resilience. The research was a descriptive research with qualitative approach. The aim of this research was to describe and analyze students' abilities in solving problems about mathematics communication skills viewed from the mathematics resilience categories. The subjects in this research were twenty eighth grade students in a state junior high school in West Java Province, Indonesia. The methods of collecting data were giving a test, conducting interviews, and taking documentations. The students were categorized into three resilience categories and then their mathematical communication skills were analyzed using the data from the test and the interview. The results show that the mathematical communication skills of the students with high resilience are high. The students with medium resilience have low mathematical communication skills, and the students with low category in resilience have in a very low category in mathematical communication skills.


OBJECTIVE
To analyze variant of SGCA gene in a Chinese pedigree affected with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2D with whole exome sequencing (WGS).

METHODS
Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) was employed to detect large fragment deletion or duplication of the DMD gene. FastTargetTM next generation sequencing was used to detect variants of the DMD gene, and the result was verified by Sanger sequencing. After excluding the diagnosis of DMD for the proband, WGS was applied to test the proband and his parents. Suspected pathogenic variants were validated by Sanger sequencing.

RESULTS
No variant, deletion or duplication of the DMD gene was detected. Whole exome sequencing showed that the proband has carried compound heterozygous missense variants c.409G>A (p.Glu137Lys) and c.409G>C (p.Glu137Gln) in exon 5 of the SGCA gene, which were respectively inherited from his mother and father. Neither variant was found in DNA derived from the cord blood sample.

CONCLUSION
The c.409G>A (p.Glu137Lys) and c.409G>C (p.Glu137Gln) compound heterozygous missense variants probably underlie the disease in the proband. Above finding has facilitated genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis for the family.


The article discusses several novels by Andrei' Makine, a modern writer, in whose work Russian and French cultures are closely intertwined. The author of such works as The French Testament, Requiem for the East, The Woman Who Waited, etc., having emigrated to France in 1987, writes his novels in French. But in all his works the Russian theme is presented in one way or another. Besides the Russian literary tradition is important for the writer. The experience of I.A. Bunin, in particular, is especially revered by Andrei Makine. In his novels, this Franco-Russian author refers to different stages of Russian history of, including those that had occurred before his birth. On the one hand, he relies on the events of his own biography, introduces autobiographical elements into the plot of novels, on the other hand he constantly mixes these elements with fiction, shifts and pushes the boundaries of time. Fictional metamorphoses in A. Makine's works allow him to express nostalgia for Russia in the artistic canvas of the text in French.


This paper describes the characterization of dispersions of oleic-acid-coated magnetic iron particles by small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering (SANS and SAXS). Both oxidized and non-oxidized dilute samples were studied by SANS at different contrasts. The non-oxidized samples are found to consist of noninteracting superparamagnetic single dipolar particles, with a lognormal distribution of iron cores, surrounded by a surfactant shell, which is partially penetrated by solvent. This model is supported by SAXS measurements on the same dispersion. Small iron particles are expected to oxidize upon exposure to air. SANS was used to study the effect of this oxidation, both on single particles, as well as on interparticle interactions. It is found that on exposure to air, a nonmagnetic oxide layer is formed around the iron cores, which causes an increase of particle size. In addition, particles are found to aggregate upon oxidation, presumably because the surfactant density on the particle surfaces is decreased.


A protein fraction with actin-like characteristics has been isolated from E. coli. The fraction (referred to as A-L fraction) undergoes reversible increases in molecular weight under the same catalytic conditions that polymerize actin, exhibits a distinct peak on SDS electrophoresis at the characteristic molecular weight for actin, depends primarily on potassium for its polymerization, and is not "polymerized" by sodium. A-L fraction in the monomeric form was eluted in the void volume of a Sepharose 6B column, suggesting a large Stoke's radius and a molecular weight in excess of 400,000. The fraction contained 30% RNA by weight that proved refractory to experimental efforts at removal.


OBJECTIVE
to report on the creation and implementation of telehealth activities developed by the Forest Health Program in communities in conservation areas, in the state of Amazonas, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS
this is an experience report on the creation and implementation of the program.

RESULTS
the project began in June 2021 with medical and nursing services and currently has 63 points of connectivity installed. Dermatology was the most requested specialty (30.1%), with dermatitis being the main grievance diagnosed. For nursing, the most requested specialty was obstetrics, followed by pediatrics. Rio Madeira and the Catuá-Ipixema Extractive Reserve requested more than half of all consultations.

CONCLUSION
this project showed a differentiated performance of telehealth in riverside communities in Amazonas, especially in the pandemic context, expanding health care in remote areas, such as these.


ABSTRACT Extant research on the education of Black girls primarily focuses on urban settings, distances study participants from the outcomes of the research, and positions Black girls as problems to be solved, rather than as critical and sociopolitical actors and agents of change. This qualitative case study enacts a humanizing research approach in exploring the experiences of a group of Black twelfth grade girls in a predominantly white high school in order to discover how they developed tools for navigating and resisting the oppression they experience through their racialized and gendered identities. Focusing on the participants' co-construction of homeplaces for resistance and survival in school, this study reveals the need for teachers and school leaders to develop anti-racist, anti-oppressive school policies and practices. This study highlights how understanding the schooling experiences of Black girls is necessary for developing schools that foster healing, solidarity, and a critical consciousness necessary for social transformation.


The ongoing microlensing searches have generated more photometric measurements of pulsating stars than all previous observing projects combined. In particular, OGLE has made ~ 340,000 B, V, and /-band measurements of ~ 1,300 Cepheids in the Large Magellanic Clouds accessible over Internet. Microlensing searches contributed to the development of very efficient image subtraction software which works best in crowded fields. This suggests the use of a period flux amplitude rather than period luminosity relation for the Cepheids for distance determination, as the flux amplitude is directly measurable with the image subtraction, and it is not biased by crowding. Future projects will dramatically increase the data rate, will provide all-sky coverage and a complete census of variables, including pulsating stars, to the ever fainter limits. Time will show which approach, a small number of large teams or a large number of small teams, will be more productive.


A patient with a venous angioma of the temporal lobe, which was discovered as a result of intracranial hemorrhage, underwent a two-stage surgical procedure. First, the hematoma was removed and the medullary veins that converge at the draining vein were partially coagulated. Next, the majority of the remaining medullary veins were coagulated. A postoperative angiogram showed a reduction in the size of the venous angioma and good opacification of the venous system surrounding the angioma. Various other operative procedures for venous angioma are also discussed.


The objective of the present study was to evaluate the risk factors associated with the presence of coronary artery calcification (CAC) in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). A cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 consecutive T1D patients without coronary artery disease, with at least 5 years of diabetes and absence of end-stage renal disease. Mean age was 38 ± 10 years and 57% were males. CAC score was measured by multidetector computed tomography (Siemens Sensation 64 Cardiac). The insulin resistance index was measured using the estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR). The eGDR was lower among CAC-positive patients than among CAC-negative patients, suggesting an increased insulin resistance. In a logistic regression model adjusted for age (at 10-year intervals), eGDR, diabetic nephropathy and gender, CAC was associated with age [OR = 2.73 (95%CI = 1.53-4.86), P = 0.001] and with eGDR [OR = 0.08 (95%CI = 0.02-0.21), P = 0.004]. In T1D subjects, insulin resistance is one of the most important risk factors for subclinical atherosclerosis.


This report provides a detailed evaluation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) as a potential technology improvement over the Coast Guard's existing side-looking airborne radar (SLAR) for oil-spill surveillance applications. The U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center (RD Center), Environmental Safety Branch, sponsored a joint experiment including the U.S. Coast Guard, Sandia National Laboratories, and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Hazardous Materials Division. Radar imaging missions were flown on six days over the coastal waters off Santa Barbara, CA, where there are constant natural seeps of oil. Both the Coast Guard SLAR and the Sandia National Laboratories SAR were employed to acquire simultaneous images of oil slicks and other natural sea surface features that impact oil-spill interpretation. Surface truth and other environmental data were also recorded during the experiment. The experiment data were processed at Sandia National Laboratories and delivered to the RD Center on a PC-based computer workstation for analysis by experiment participants. Synthetic aperture radar, Side looking airborne radar, Oil slicks.


Multi-body launch vehicles require the use of Solid Film Lubricants (SFLs) to allow for unrestricted relative motion between structural assemblies and components during lift off and ascent into orbit. The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster (SRB), uses a dual coat, ceramic-bonded high temperature SFL in several locations such as restraint hardware between the SRB aft skirt and the Mobile Launch Platform (MLP), the aft SRB/External Tank (ET) attach struts, and the forward skirt SRB/ET attach ball assembly. The proposed National Launch System (NLS) may require similar applications of SFLs for attachment and restraint hardware. A family of environmentally compatible nonlead/antimony bearing alternative SFLs have been developed including a compatible repair material. In addition, commercial applications for SFLs on transportation equipment, all types of lubricated fasteners, and energy related equipment allow for wide usage of these new lubricants. The new SFLs named BOOSTERLUBE is a family of single layer thin film (0.001 inch maximum) coatings that are a unique mixture of non-hazardous pigments in a compatible resin system that allows for low temperature curing (450 F). Significant savings in energy and processing time as well as elimination of hazardous material usage and disposal would result from the non-toxic onestep SFL application. Compatible air-dry field repair lubricants will help eliminate disassembly of launch vehicle restraint hardware during critical time sensitive assembly operations.


Thiol–ene click chemistry has become a powerful paradigm in synthesis, materials science, and surface modification in the past decade. In the photoinitiated thiol–ene reaction, an induction period is often observed before the major change in its kinetic curve, for which a possible mechanism is proposed in this report. Briefly, light soaking generates radicals following the zeroth-order reaction kinetics. The radical is the reactant that initializes the chain reaction of thiol–ene coupling, which is a first-order reaction. Combining both and under the light-limited conditions, a surprising kinetics represented by a Gaussian-like model evolves that is different from the exponential model used to describe the first-order reaction of the final product. The experimental data are fitted well with the new model, and the reaction kinetic constants can be pulled out from the fitting.


Public Service Broadcasting has been a distinct feature of the media systems in the Nor- dic countries. In the perspective of media policy the Nordic countries have shared common features such as universality regarding content and reach independence from government, funding by licence fee and no advertising. A press run in accordance with free market principles has been an equally important feature, making the systems highly mixed regarding governance and control. Th e last dec- ades the PSBs have faced competition from an increasing number of purely commercial broadcasters as well as hybrid PSBs. Even more recently the PSBs are facing challenges from multimedia technolo- gies and markets. Are these new challenges and opportunities changing media policy and the PSBs position in the media systems? Or is new technology being shaped to fi t traditional public service ideas? Th e results from this analysis indicate that the PSBs to some extent have fl irted with the com- mercial aspects of new multimedia technologies, but partly these experiments have been called off by widening the concept of PSBs to public service media, and partly the fi nancial payoff s have been mi- niscule and also have produced heavy criticism. What has come out of these processes seems to be a confi rmation of the basic values of the public service mission.


Medokan Ayu Community Health Center had a mission to achieve 100% patients satisfaction. Unfortunately 13.38% of patients dissatisfied. This study analyzed gap between patients perception and expectations. The satisfaction level was calculated by using CSIndex. This was a descriptive study with cross sectional approach. The research sample was 150 peoples lived around Medokan Ayu. The Community Satisfaction Index was based on KEP/25/M.Pan/2/2004.The gap between patients perception and expectation showed patient satisfaction. Majority of patients perception were good. The speed of service was the only aspecr which still fairly good. All patients had high expectations in service element. Overall, patient was satisfied towards the service element, but there were still some elements in fairly satisfied. These elements were service personnel clarity, official responsibility, service personnel ability, speed of service, courtesy and hospitality services, and the certainty of service cost. This study concluded that patients perception in service element was filled their expectations. Meanwhile Medokan Ayu Community Health Center stil need to improve their speed in served the patient.Key words: CSIndex, expectations, gap, perception


Education has had an important place throughout history. Education should continue continuously because it shapes society. Education is required to progress in fields such as construction, health, agriculture, transportation, tourism, science, art, literature, etc. Because education is important for the future of society, it continues even in extraordinary situations such as war and epidemics. Education continued remotely during the COVID-19 epidemic, which was considered an extraordinary situation. The COVID-19 virus, which has felt its impact in many areas around the world, has caused changes in some areas in Turkey. The aim of the study is to determine the experiences of Turkish teachers regarding the educational method applied and the technological tools used to continue education during the distance education process. This study also aims to shed light on other studies on how the distance education process can become more efficient. Qualitative research method and case design were preferred in the study, which included the opinions of the Turkish teachers who participated in the study about the distance education process. In the study, it was stated that our teachers as a country were not yet ready for the distance education system, but this process in which we suddenly found ourselves with the pandemic was managed well in line with the possibilities. During the pandemic period distance education process, having communication skills and mastering technology came to the fore as teacher competencies. It has been determined that the most important factor behind students' inability to attend class is the lack of materials. In addition, the most used communication tool during the distance education process during the pandemic period was the phone, while the most used communication application was Whatsapp. It was concluded that Zoom and EBA applications are the most preferred applications after Whatsapp. Various suggestions were made in the light of the findings obtained at the end of the study.


The lack of appropriate strategies in cultural development has become one of the reasons for the weakness of Sundanese culture in maintaining the power and quality of its life. Thus, there is a need for an appropriate and tested cultural development strategy. This strategy must be compiled and built together based on the principles of strategic and equitable. This study aims to create a literacy model as part of cultural preservation.The researcher used a descriptive method with a case study approach. Data collection is done through participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation study. Respondents in this research were the managers of the Saung Budaya Tatar Karang Cipatujah, community leaders, religious leaders, and the government representatives of 13 people.Data analysis is done by technical triangulation. The data analysis process is carried out through the stages of reduction, display, and verification.The results showed that the cultural literacy model developed in the Sindangkerta area was based on Culture Experience and Culture Knowledge with the principle of life: silih asih, silih asah silih asuh . From the results of the research it can be concluded that the cultural literacy has been able to build public awareness in preserving Sundanese culture. Furthermore, it is suggested that research be conducted to examine the effectiveness of applying the cultural literacy model based on community participation.


We present a modeling study for reverse-time migration (RTM) imaging for different interpretations of the top salt boundary. The top salt is represented either as a rough surface or as a plane with a single anomaly resembling a syncline or an anticline. The focus of our analysis is the coherency and illumination of the underlying flat reflectors, given the true model and a set of perturbations from the true model. The perturbations are aimed at representing interpretations of the top salt boundary. One of our main findings is that an RTM image using the correct top salt model, but shifting it horizontally, diminishes the illumination and continuity of the underlying reflectors more than using a flat reflector. The RTM image of a syncline anomaly using an incorrect interpretation resembles an anticline, which can considerably affect the top salt picking and further refinements in its interpretation. In the models studied, we also find that changes in the vertical amplitude of the anomaly or of the roughness are more forgiving than changes in the width of the anomaly or in the frequency or the rugosity.


Background Approximately 5 to 10% of FMF patients do not respond to colchicine treatment and/or intolerant to colchicine because of side effects. Several case reports and case series have pointed out the efficacy of IL-1 blockade in colchicine resistant FMF subgroup. Objectives To review the patients followed in our center with FMF who received Anakinra, an anti IL-1 receptor antagonist, in terms of outcome and side effects. Methods 36 FMF patients who were treated with Anakinra were retrospectively reviewed with regard to indication, effect on disease activity and acute phase response, adverse events. Patient global assessment was recorded before and after Anakinra treatment. Nine patients were pregnant at the time of the treatment and reported previously (1). Results There were 27 FMF patients with FMF who were treated with Anakinra for various indications (colchicine resistant recurrent febrile attacks in 21, colchicine related side effects in 6). The mean age of the 27 patients was 33.16±10.29 years. The mean duration of the disease was 19.29±10.94 years. There were various co-existing pathologies among this study group like Ankylosing Spondylitis (1), SLE (1), Behçet's disease (1) and Gout (1). The mean colchicine dose was 2.03±2.031 mg/d. The mean duration of anakinra treatment was 14,18± 18.39 months. Nine teen patients reported no attacks after anakinra treatment whereas 5 patients reported at least 50% decrease in the attack frequency and 3 patients reported less than 50% decrease in attack frequency. Mean patient global assessment decreased from 8,57±2,23 to 2,61±2,82 under Anakinra treatment (p<0.001) As for the adverse events, four patients had allergic reactions under Anakinra treatment (severe disseminated rash in 1 patient and severe injection site reaction in 2 patients and tolerable injection side reaction in 1) therefore the treatment was terminated for 3 patients with severe allergic reactions. One patient had genital warts and urinary tract infection after the injections and Anakinra was stopped. One of our patients reported that her psoriatic lesions got worse on Anakinra. Twenty one patients reported no adverse events during the course of treatment. Anakinra treatment was terminated in overall 11 patients for various reasons: Inadequate response in 3, allergic reactions in 3, flare in psoriatic plaques in 1, infection and genital warts in 1, full recovery in 2 and patient's preference in 1. Sixteen patients are still on Anakinra treatment. Conclusions Colchicine resistance or intolerance in FMF, although not very common, is an issue in daily rheumatology practice. During our experience with Anakinra, we reported remarkable decrease in the frequency of attacks in many patients with relatively tolerable side effects. Among patients whom Anakinra treatment was terminated, the most common reason was injection site reaction. We state that Anakinra is an effective alternative in patients with inadequate response or intolerance References Ugurlu S, Ergezen B, Ozdogan H. Anakinra Treatment in Patients with Familial Mediterranean Fever: A Single-Center Experience [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2015; 67 (suppl 10). Disclosure of Interest None declared


On Sunday, April 13, 2003, Erika-Renee Lanier writes a short essay about coming to grips with her mother's mortality and her own unexpected adulthood. She shares these words on her personal website, Snazzykat. The same day, Mark Woods offers a birthday tribute to the late Eudora Welty and a collection of links to resources regarding her work. Meanwhile, elsewhere on the web, Joseph Duemer reflects on the visual imagery of the American war in Vietnam. These instances of online writing, weblogs all, cover a range of topics as vast and varied as their authors. Lanier works at an urban teen center in Massachusetts, and frequently addresses the intimate details of her life and her work. Duemer is a poet and professor of English in upstate New York, and his weblog focuses on political and cultural fascinations. Woods offers an encyclopedic daily compendium of literary and cultural artifacts, and reveals no more about his offline life than that he writes from Ontario, Canada. Other weblogs are devoted to everything from evolutionary biology and genetics, to a fictionalized diary of Julius Caesar, to dealing with the death of an online acquaintance. All of them share the classification "weblogs," yet each is remarkably different from its peers.


Bone loss is commonly encountered at the time of revision total knee arthroplasty because of loosening of the implant, osteolysis, infection, or difficulty with removal of the original implant. Regardless of the etiology of the bone loss, its location and magnitude may compromise adequate fixation, alignment, and ligamentous stability of the revision prosthesis.

In the setting of bone stock deficiency, or when an implant with a constrained articulation is used, it is prudent to use a longer stem to effect stress transition that protects weak or newly grafted proximal bone1. Successful stabilization of the implant construct can be achieved with a variety of fixation strategies: cementing the condylar surfaces of the implant while using a cementless press-fit stem2,3, fixation of the entire construct without cement4, or fixation of the entire construct with cement. All have been used with success5-7.

Because patterns of bone loss can vary so extensively, a classification of the bone loss that is encountered during revision total knee arthroplasty is useful when selecting patients for bone graft procedures. The classification system of the Anderson Orthopaedic Research Institute (AORI) provides guidelines for bone defect management at the time of revision total knee arthroplasty8( Table I). Type-1 defects can be restored either with local autologous bone grafts that are obtained during the revision or with particulate allograft. Type-2 defects are associated with damaged metaphyseal bone that requires either cement, metal augments, or a bone graft to restore the joint line. Type-2 defects may be subdivided into Type-2A defects (involving only one condyle) or Type-2B defects (involving both condyles). Structural and particulate bone graft may be used for Type-2 defects depending on the need for structural support of the prosthesis. Type-3 defects are characterized by deficient …


The article analyzes the national context of higher education reforms in Southern Europe, based on broad source analysis. The author has found out that the countries of Southern Europe (Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Greece) are distinguished by the national peculiarities of institutional transformations in the field of higher education, demonstrate the experience of successful implementation of the EHEA educational policy, taking into account the national priorities and historical traditions of higher education. A qualitative approach was applied when judging the level of involvement in quality assurance (QA) agencies in Eastern Europe. To implement the national Laws on Higher Education, harmonized with «Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the EHEA», agencies & HEIs in Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece emphasize quality assurance procedures focused on learning, teaching, and research output. The article highlights organizational, content and procedural activities of higher education QA agencies. The competencies of national agencies have been characterized in the article. Study findings identified the trends in the implementation of the European concept of QA in higher education: the institutionalization of national systems, articulation of consistency with EU documents, national legislation; the scientific and educational collaboration in different fields of activity; internationalization and visualization of the agencies' activities in the international educational space. It is concluded that general trends determine the directions of dynamic organizational and procedural changes in national higher education systems. Particular attention in the article is paid to the internal QA systems in HEIs under the guidance and with methodological support national agencies provided. The general and specific procedures of external and internal quality assurance in the countries of Southern Europe have been described. From the material presented in this paper, the following theme may require further attention: examining quality frameworks and quality assurance standards in Eastern Europe.


This paper offers new evidence on the sources of cross-country income differences. It exploits the idea that observing immigrant workers from different countries in the same labor market provides an opportunity to estimate their human-capital endowments. These estimates suggest that human and physical capital account for only a fraction of cross-country income differences. For countries below 40 percent of U.S. output per worker, less than half of the output gap relative to the United States is attributed to human and physical capital. (JEL O15, O41, F22)


This article will discuss the way Ophelia's end is portrayed by the  fin de siecle poet Renee Vivien's two French poems "La Chanson d'Ophelie" and "A la perverse Ophelie". It will examine how, between the first and the second poem, Vivien's Ophelia shifts from an image of purity and purification of sins by water, as suggested by some previous French poets rewriting the heroine's death such as Rimbaud, to an icon of perversion who embodies the ambiguities and the demonic aspects of the decadent female figure. First translating Gertrude's lyricism towards the heroine's end and imitating the Bard, then challenging his authorship and reshaping a poetical feminine space where men are excluded, Vivien seems to place her poetry and her Ophelia in an agonistic position with respect to the English canon. The poetic imaginary of Ophelia's drowning in deathly waters blends with other literary references as it is regenerates in another cultural context.


Keynote Address: Laura DeNardis, The Global War for Internet Governance Internet governance conflicts are the new spaces where political and economic power is unfolding in the 21st century. Technologies of Internet governance increasingly mediate freedom of expression and individual privacy. They are entangled with national security and global commerce. The distributed nature of Internet governance technologies is shifting historic control over these public interest areas from sovereign nation-states to private ordering and new global institutions. The term "Internet governance" conjures up a host of global controversies such as the prolonged Internet outage in Syria during political turmoil or Google's decision not to acquiesce to U.S. government requests to remove an incendiary political video from YouTube. It invokes narratives about the United Nations "taking over" the Internet, NSA surveillance revelations, cybersecurity concerns about denial of service attacks, and the mercurial privacy policies of social media companies. These issues exist only at the surface of a technologically concealed and institutionally complex ecosystem of governance that is generally out of public view. This talk explains how the Internet is currently governed, particularly through the sinews of power that exist in technical architecture and new global institutions, and presents several brewing Internet governance controversies that will affect the future of economic and expressive liberty.


Following the research steps of the Rhodes-Livingstone Institute which started in 1937, three new research institutes were formed in the British Empire viz. The East African Institute of Social Research (later re-named Makerere Institute of Social Research [MISR]); The West African Institute of Social Research (WAISER) and the West Indies Institute of Social Research (WIISR). This expansion in knowledge production had its own logic and history as well as links to the deepening studies in social sciences, especially anthropology. Over the years, the Institute at Makerere has continued with a fledgling relationship with Makerere University with which it shares a history since 1948. We attempt to place the institute within a history; a history of social science knowledge production; a history of an endogenous institute attempting to attain indigeneity and space.


This article illuminates the author's concern that policies of multiculturalism which reverberated around the euphoria of the reformasi era appears to be in fact a response of the New Order government policy which emphasize on 'mono-culture' policy. The author sees that is not an impossible thing that policies of multiculturalism will be trapped on primordialism and certain ethnic domination. The author builds the argument from empirical data collected from art inventions of several ethnic groups in Indonesia that illustrate there is a tight relationship between art inventions and ethnic existence identity/solidarity. Arts invention brings toward identity reinforcement, existence, and finally authority from the ethnic group. This empirical data demonstrates that arts invention brings ethnic authority not only arts authority, but also authority in political life. Studying from the data raises the concern that multicultural policies which gives freedom to culture will bring to authority formation and concentration among ethnic groups with the strong potential in creating their arts. When this happens, Indonesia will return to certain ethnic domination. Is the government ready for the possible implication of such multicultural policies?


This study aims to analyze and describe the implementation process of green environmental movement campaign in supporting national food security through hydroponic farming campaign conducted by Military District Command (KODIM) 0503 West Jakarta. The concepts used are the public relations, public relations campaigns, and environmental communication. The method used in this research is qualitative research with single case study design. This research revealed that the green environment movement campaign, in supporting national food security through cultivation activity with hydroponics technique, covers three stages:1) Problem identification, which is to review and identify the problem prior to campaign program implementation, 2) Campaign management, which is to identify the characteristics of target audiences in order to formulate messages, campaign actors, campaign channels, and technical campaign implementation, 3) Evaluation stage, which is to see how many people have started this green environmental movement campaign program at their home.. The results of this study suggested the following: 1) to add more varied campaign media, 2) a brand ambassador for the campaign program, 3) to strengthen media relations activities for campaign publicity purposes, 4) to add quantitative methods in conducting surveys on the success of the campaign program.


Introduction: Pregnancy in adolescence is a problem of alarming dimensions that demands comprehensive multisectoral care. The incidence of pregnancy in adolescents has grown and no previous studies on the entity were found. Objective: To describe the behavior of adolescent pregnancy in the Mantilla health area. Method: Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study of a universe of 82 pregnant adolescents from the Mantilla health area from April 2019 to November 2020. A survey and test of perception of family functioning were applied, which were processed using Descriptive Statistics techniques. Results: 57.3% of the pregnant women were between 17 and 19 years old, 53.7% had not completed the pre-university or intermediate technical level and 75.6% did not wish to interrupt their pregnancy. Conclusions: Pregnancies in adolescence are unplanned and therefore unwanted; the vast majority of adolescents admit that they are incapable of facing pregnancy and what it means for their later life.


There are three kinds of Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) filter design which are the Interdigitated Interdigital Transducer (IIDT) type design, Double Mode SAW (DMS) type design and ladder-type design. However, this study will focus on the SAW ladder-type filter with prescribed group delay as synthesis approach is applied to obtain a ladder filter with specific group delay network. A SAW ladder-type filter consists of one-port SAW resonators connected in series and shunt to obtain a bandpass filter (BPF) response. Therefore, the modeling of one-port SAW resonator using its equivalent circuit is conducted to investigate the relationship between the resonator structure and the lumped element parameters. The band-pass LC channel is outlined in light of the conventional Bessel channel plan. At that point, LC resonators in the channel are supplanted by SAW resonators with limited capacitance proportion γ. Limited γ creates passband swells in the gathering delay. ADS is chosen to coordinate the reaction of estimated SAW resonator with its identical circuit. The ability to build in transmission zeros at finite frequencies can improve the close-to-band rejection slope in term of high selectivity, and/or enhance the linearity of in-band group delay. In this paper, the synthesis is developed and presented together with the required canonical low-pass circuit forms and corresponding transmission zeros that the transfer functions may realize. The procedure for different low-pass filter degrees is included with the required circuit transformations which was a significant piece of work. Design examples are included to illustrate the synthesis technique.


Seventy-six patients, forty-four of whom were children, underwent Brittain ischiofemoral arthrodesis for tuberculosis of the hip with irretrievable damage. The operation was satisfactory with regard to relief of pain, healing of the disease, and return of functional capacity. It was performed safely in the presence of actively discharging sinuses and was not restricted to cases with quiescent disease or to hips with fibrous ankylosis.

Successful fusion occurred in 93.7 per cent of the adolescents and adults. Nine of the children required a second operation because of absorption of the grafts, and the success rate was 73.6 per cent according to the number of operations (88.6 per cent of the children's cases ultimately demonstrated fusion). The causes of failure were mainly technical and were avoidable. Sufficient (displacement of the osteotomy (more than one third the diameter of the femur) was associated with a lower incidence of graft fracture or absorption, or both, and hastened incorporation of the graft and fusion of the joint. The graft should be inserted firmly into the broad area of bone beneath the acetabulum. If inserted too high, it may enter the site of the active infection, and, if too low, a proper and firm engagement in the pelvic bone may not be obtained. Roentgenographic control is advisable, particularly in children or for severe deformity. Severe destruction of the joint with subluxation or upward migration did not predispose to absorption or fracture of the graft. Prolonged immobilization tended to produce stiffness of the knee in adults and mild deformity or ligamentous laxity of the knee in children.

The Brittain arthrodesis did not limit growth of the limb significantly. Sciatic-nerve injury was not encountered in this series.


Introduction/Background Sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping with indocyanine green (ICG) is used for nodal staging in patients with endometrial cancer for last 10 years. Many authors showed the efficiency of using ICG in SLN mapping in endometrial cancer. As part of surgical management in endometrial cancer, bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy is considered standard of care. However, pelvic lymphadenectomy is associated with complications, such as lymphedema, the risk of nerve injury, and lymphocyst formation. Methodology From January 2016 to March 2018 in single-center study, 100 patients with endometrial cancer IA-IB stages underwent laparoscopic surgery using ICG for SLN mapping. A unit of 4 cc of this ICG solution was injected into the cervix alone divided into the 3- and 9-o´clock positions, with 1 cc deep into the stroma and 1 cc submucosally on the right and the left of the cervix. Results Overall detection rate of SLNs registered in 99/100 patients (99.0%), bilateral - 95/100 (95.0%). Only in one patient SLNs were not detected -1/100(1%). Lymph node metastatic disease identified in 11/100 patients (11.0%). All metastasis identified in SLNs. The most frequent localization of SLN was in internal lymphatic group 94/220 (46%). Diagnostic efficiency of the SLN biopsy: sensitivity - 100.0%, specificity -93.0%, accuracy - 93.0%, false-negative results - 0%. In the high risk group of metastasis, metastasis were detected in 6/100 (6%) patients. In the intermediate group and low risk group - SLN metastasis were identified in 5/100 (5%) patients. No metastatic disease was identified in non SLN. In the case of absence of metastases in SLNs 88/99 (89%), all non-SLNs were intact. Conclusion SLN detection with ICG in patients with endometrial cancer IA-IB stages is an effective diagnostic fluorescence method. Overall and bilateral detection rate of SLN visualization is high, which allows removing the detected SLNs, making frozen-section and individualizing the treatment. Disclosure Nothing to disclose.


During extracellular electrophysiological recording experiments, the waveform of neuronal spikes recorded from a single neuron often changes. These spike-waveform changes make single-neuron identification difficult, particularly when the activities of multiple neurons are simultaneously recorded with a multichannel microelectrode, such as a tetrode or a heptode. We have developed a tracking method of individual neurons despite their changing spike amplitudes. The method is based on a bottom-up hierarchical clustering algorithm that tracks each neuron's spike cluster during temporally overlapping clustering periods. We evaluated this method by comparing spike sorting with and without cluster tracking of an identical series of multineuronal spikes recorded from monkey area-TE neurons responding to a set of visual stimuli. According to Shannon's information theory, errors in spike-amplitude tracking reduce the expected value of the amount of information about a stimulus set that is transferred by the spike train of a cluster. In this study, cluster tracking significantly increased the expected value of the amount of information transferred by a spike train (p<0.01). Additionally, the stability of the stimulus preference and that of the cross-correlation between clusters improved significantly (p<0.000001). We conclude that cluster tracking improves the quality of multineuronal data analysis


INTRODUCTION: Morphologic changes in the size and granularity of leukocytes seen in sepsis could be measured using the volume, conductivity, and scatter (VCS parameters) from the automated hematology analyzers. The objective of this study is to find the clinical usefulness of VCS parameters as possible indicators of sepsis and to determine the effect of treatment on these parameters. METHODS: This observational study was conducted in a tertiary level hospital in India. Hemogram and VCS parameters obtained from LH 750 (Beckman coulter, Fullerton, CA) from 134 proven blood culture-positive cases of sepsis were reviewed on the day of culture positivity (day 0), day 3, and day 7 were analyzed and compared with those of samples from otherwise healthy 100 participants. Statistical analysis of data was done, and cutoff value was established using receiver-operator characteristic curve. RESULTS: Out of 134 culture-positive cases, 55.2% (n = 74) Gram-negative and 44.8% (n = 60) Gram-positive bacteria were isolated. The mean neutrophil volume (MNV) and mean monocyte volume (MMV) were higher in the sepsis group compared to that of the control group (165.43 ± 18.21 vs. 140.59 ± 7.6, P = 0.001 for MNV and 179.8 ± 14.16 vs. 164.54 ± 9.6, P = 0.001 for MMV). A significant decrease in MNV and MMV was observed with the initiation of the treatment. Significant changes in scatter and conductivity parameters were also noticed. A cutoff value of 150.2 for MNV gave a sensitivity and specificity of 79.1% and 95%, respectively, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 92.3%. With a cutoff of 168.3, MMV had a sensitivity of 80.6% and specificity of 77.5%, AUC of 83%. CONCLUSION: VCS parameters such as MNV and MMV can be easily obtained by an automated hematology analyzer and could be used for early detection and therapeutic response in sepsis.


The frequency of serious infections due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa is increasing among patients with advanced HIV infection; most of the cases are community-acquired. Early diagnosis and adequate treatment--usually with the combination of an anti-pseudomonas beta-lactam antibiotic and an aminoglycoside--have a crucial bearing on prognosis. The good in vitro activity of aminoglycosides against mycobacteria contrasts with the need for intravenous administration and toxicity. In patients with Mycobacterium avium complex infection, amikacin should be given only in the event of difficulty with an oral regimen and only on a temporary basis. Similar rules apply to the treatment of multiresistant tuberculosis with streptomycin or amikacin. Paromomycin is not absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract when taken orally, constitutes the treatment of choice against cryptosporidiosis and serves as an alternative against Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia. Topical treatment with paromomycin ointment can be used in cutaneous leishmaniasis.


Background: United States Census Bureau projects African Americans (AAs) will be one of the fastest growing populations over the next 30 years. Research suggests they are at higher risk for developing dementia. It is important to know about AA adults' beliefs about, and knowledge of, dementia; and how these beliefs and knowledge impact participation in dementia research. Methods: Four focus groups were completed with 51 older AA adults (76.5% female; mean age=68) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to examine understanding of dementia and barriers influencing willingness to participate in a clinical trial on dementia risk reduction. Findings: Participants exhibited awareness of several risk and protective factors related to dementia, including family history of dementia, lack of cognitive engagement, and sedentary lifestyles. They were willing to participate in interventions to lower the risk of developing dementia. Barriers to participation included invasive procedures, pharmaceutical interventions, mistrust of investigators, inadequate compensation, and long study duration. Discussion: Given the high relevance of dementia research to older AAs, their knowledge of dementia, and their willingness to participate in dementia research once barriers are addressed, it is imperative to continue to identify and remediate factors contributing to the poor representation of AAs in dementia research.


The generation of 3-D vascular networks in engineered tissues can be studied by culturing endothelial cells (ECs) on Cytodex3 microcarrier beads in 3-D matrices in vitro. By optimizing this model we found that the initial EC attachment to the beads depended on EC type and EC/bead culture method, while the EC/bead culture time influenced EC migration . A confluent EC monolayer on the microcarrier bead surfaces formed only when bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) were admixed to the beads under constant agitation. After embedment of these BAEC-coated beads into collagen and fibrin gels, we characterized the outgrowth. Interestingly, migration distance and type were influenced not only be the matrix itself but also by the serum supplementation of the cell culture medium. While at serum concentrations of 0% and 10% the average migration distance was highest in collagen gels, tube formation was enhanced in fibrin matrices. The opposite result was observed at a serum concentration of 0.1%. The average migration distance was reduced and the number of tubes per bead doubled in collagen matrices compared to fibrin matrices. These results stress the importance of a careful selection of cell type, culture method and matrix for in vitro angiogenesis studies. In addition, the results show the existence of a complex interplay of three-dimensional matrix and serum concentration, which can influence the outcome of in vitro angiogenesis assay experiments.


We describe the effect of nanoscale spatially coupled trapping centre (TC)–luminescent centre (LC) pairs on the thermoluminescence (TL) properties of LiF : Mg,Ti. It is shown that glow peak 5a (a low-temperature satellite of the major glow peak 5) arises from localized electron–hole (e–h) recombination in a TC–LC pair believed to be based on Mg2+–Livac trimers (the TCs) coupled to Ti(OH)n molecules (the LCs). Due to the localized nature of the e–h pair, two important properties are affected: (i) heavy charged particle (HCP) TL efficiency: the intensity of peak 5a relative to peak 5 following HCP high-ionization density irradiation is greater than that following low ionization density irradiation in a manner somewhat similar to the ionization density dependence of the yield of double-strand breaks (DSBs) induced in DNA. Our experimental measurements in a variety of HCP and fast neutron radiation fields have demonstrated that the ratio of glow peaks 5a/5 is nearly independent of particle species for the protons, deuterons and He ions investigated, is somewhat dependent on HCP energy, and is roughly 2–3 times greater than the peak 5a/5 ratio in low ionization density electron and photon fields. The intensity ratio of peak 5a/5 thus has the potential of estimating the ratio of dose deposited via high ionization density interactions compared to low ionization density interactions in a nanoscale volume without any prior knowledge of the characteristics of the radiation field, (ii) non-linear TL dose response: the relative lack of competitive processes in the localized recombination transitions leading to the TL of composite peak 5 versus the dose-dependent competitive processes in conduction band-mediated delocalized luminescence recombination leads to non-linear dose response (supralinearity) for composite peak 5 and a dependence of the supralinearity on ionization density. This behaviour is modelled in the framework of the unified interaction model (UNIM).


Norwegian firefighters in sites with established associations to known carcinogenic occupational exposures. This included sites within the respiratory, urinary, and lympho-haematopoietic systems, as well as the skin and all sites combined. Methods A newly established historical cohort of 3881 Norwegian firefighters who worked within the period 1950–2018 was linked to the Cancer Registry of Norway for incident cancers occurring in the period 1960–2018. We calculated standardized incidence ratios (SIR) with rates for the national male population as reference, and stratified SIR analyses by period of first employment, duration of employment, and time since first employment. Results Elevated risk was seen for all sites combined (SIR 1.15, 95% confidence interval 1.07–1.23). Elevated risk of urinary tract cancer was observed among firefighters who began working before 1950, and with observation 40 years since first employment. With 40 years since first employment, risks of mesothelioma and laryngeal cancer were also elevated. Conclusions Our patterns of increased incidence in cancer sites somewhat differs from observations in other studies, which may reflect that firefighting is a complex exposure that differs between countries, and that exposures have likely changed alongside changing fire contents, firefighting techniques, and equipment. However, our observed associations between firefighting and urinary tract cancer, laryngeal cancer, and mesothelioma have been observed in some studies previously, and may be related to carcinogenic occupational exposures. Differences in risk by period of employment potentially reflect improved quality and use of personal protective equipment, while stratification by time since first employment suggests that some cancers may have yet to develop among more recently employed firefighters.


Contextual therapies are experiential and developed within the frame of modern behavior analysis. Despite having a psychoeducational focus and being inspired by dialectic philosophy and Zen Buddhism, the dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) gathers interest of contextual therapists that wish to include its strategies as enhancement to their practice. Some DBT therapists look at modern behavior analysis as a possible scientific frame that provides more precision, control and actualization of its technology. This paper representes the first analysis of DBT, as known by the author, in relation to contextual behavioral science (CBS). It's aimed to provide a logical analysis that allows DBT therapists to rethink their strategies from a CBS perspective, and contextual therapists to integrate DBT strategies without losing coherence with their science. We believe a CBS reasoning could help therapists integrate both approaches.


Quality-adjusted life years (QALY) utility models are multiattribute utility models of survival duration and health quality. This paper formulates six classes of QALY utility models and axiomatizes these models under expected utility (EU) and rank-dependent utility (RDU) assumptions. The QALY models investigated in this paper include the standard linear QALY model, the power and exponential multiplicative models, and the general multiplicative model. Emphasis is placed on a preference assumption, the zero condition, that greatly simplifies the axiomatizations under EU and RDU assumptions. The RDU axiomatizations of QALY models are generally similar to their EU counterparts, but in some cases, they require modification because linearity in probability is no longer assumed, and rank dependence introduces asymmetries between the domains of better-than-death health states and worse-than-death health states. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.


Professional sports teams have struggled to incorporate social network sites into their existing branding and media strategies, wrestling with issues of access and trust. This case study examines an innovative effort by one organization, Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians, to create a physical space for online discussion about their team. In that space, called the "Social Suite," local social media users were given exclusive access to watch the team's games from a suite, along with access to team staff and information. Through in-depth interviews and participant observation this study found suite users saw themselves not as members of the media, but as active participants in the team's own online marketing efforts. This self-perception corresponded with team executives' goal to use the suite as a way to reverse negative online discussion about the team by creating a network of influential "brand ambassadors" who spread positive perceptions about the organization. This novel approach—one that illustrates the changing landscape of media and communication practice and theory—may serve as a model for other sports teams and businesses as they work to integrate the public into their digital and online efforts.


Visual information is delivered to retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) by the retinal circuit and then transmitted from RGCs to the brain. Among these RGCs, there are over 30 different types and each type carries specialized information about the visual world. The question of whether and how RGCs also show different types of responses to electrical stimulation has been much debated for a long time. This work aims to classify RGC responses to pulsed electrical stimulation based on the peri-stimulus time histogram (PSTH). Both hard and soft partitioning methods were used to perform unsupervised clustering. The results of the clustering algorithms were evaluated using cluster validity indices with no prior information. The result was that the k-means as a hard partitioning method provided about 17 clusters, while the fuzzy Gustafson Kessel algorithm gave about 25 clusters. After manual inspection, it was concluded that the clusters are both diverse and specific enough to likely correlate to known RGC types. Therefore, performing clustering based on the electrical pulse-elicited PSTH could be a powerful tool and can contribute in differentiating RGCs and stimulating them selectively.


The Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO) has observed the Cygnus region on several occasions since its launch in 1991. The data collected by the COMPTEL experiment on CGRO represent the most sensitive observations to date of Cygnus X-1 in the 0.75-30 MeV range. A spectrum accumulated by COMPTEL over 10 weeks of observation time shows significant evidence for emission extending out to several – 2 – MeV. We have combined these data with contemporaneous data from both BATSE and OSSE to produce a broad-band γ-ray spectrum, corresponding to the low X-ray state of Cygnus X-1, extending from 50 keV up to ∼5 MeV. Although there is no evidence for any broad line-like emissions in the MeV region, these data further confirm the presence of a hard tail at energies above several hundred keV. In particular, the spectrum at MeV energies can be described as a power-law with a photon spectral index of α =-3.2, with no evidence for a cutoff at high energies. For the 200 keV to 5 MeV spectrum, we provide a quantitative description of the underlying electron spectrum, in the context of a hybrid thermal/non-thermal model for the emission. The electron spectrum can be described by a thermal Maxwellian with a temperature of kT e = 86 keV and a non-thermal power-law component with a spectral index of p e = 4.5. The spectral data presented here should provide a useful basis for further theoretical modeling.


Myanmar is moving rapidly in the direction of a more democratic and economically strong future. However, many challenges remain and constructive change will require the cooperation of the corporate sector. Many foreign businesses are interested in investing in Myanmar as a result of political reforms. The government could take a pivotal role, leading the agenda by setting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) standards as a tool for social development. This paper explores how CSR could be embedded in government business strategy, how business practice could exceed public expectations, how labour laws could strengthen employee packages and benefits, and how foreign investors could be encouraged to bring CSR expertise to strengthen domestic capabilities. Finally, this paper argues that a CSR code of conduct should be imposed to ensure that business practices are tailored to national economic and social interests, and the form such a code of conduct could take.


Capital structure is permanent financing consisting of long-term debt, preferred stock, and shareholder capital. Therefore, it is necessary to examine whether internal factors including company size, liquidity, ROA (Return on Assets) and sales growth affect the capital structure of companies listed in the Jakarta Islamic Index. This study aims at examining the effect of company size, liquidity, ROA and sales growth on the capital structure. The analysis used in this study was a multiple linear regression analysis. The results showed that company size, liquidity, ROA and sales growth have a significant influence on the capital structure of companies listed in the Jakarta Islamic Index, while the rest was explained by other factors not included in this study.


OBJECTIVE
To compare main lacrimal gland values through shear-wave elastography (SWE) in patients with low Schirmer value and unspecified Sjögren's syndrome (SS) with healthy controls.

MATERIAL AND METHOD
Admitted to the ophthalmology department with Schirmer value <10 mm, randomly selected 46 eyes of 46 patients evaluated for Sjögren's syndrome (SS) in the rheumatology department between December 2022 and April 2023 were classified as low Schirmer group (LSG). Randomly selected 48 eyes of 48 patients at a similar age with Schirmer value >10 mm were included as controls. Main lacrimal gland SWE measurements in LSG and control groups were recorded and compared as meter/second (m/sec).

RESULTS
Mean SWE values of the main lacrimal gland were measured as 2.78±0.66 m/sec and 2.26±0.29 m/sec in LSG and controls. SWE measurements were significantly higher in LSG patients than in controls (p<0.001). No significant correlation was found in the analysis between the Schirmer and the main lacrimal gland SWE values in LSG patients (p=0.702, r=0.058). No significant correlation was also detected between the Schirmer and main lacrimal gland SWE values in controls (p=0.097, r=0.242). No significant relationship was also found between age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and SWE values (p=0.351, p=0.493, p=0.328, respectively).

CONCLUSION
Mean SWE value of the main lacrimal gland was determined as significantly higher in patients with aqueous lacrimal insufficiency without SS than in controls. We consider that SWE measurements may be an imaging method to support the diagnosis of aqueous lacrimal insufficiency and used in follow-ups of those with dry eye syndrome (DES) in the future.


The purpose of this study is to investigate in detail the implementation of theme based instruction model  in teaching extensive reading. This study is classroom action research conducted at the fourth semester students' English Educational Sciences, Educational Sciences Faculty, Universitas Muhammadiyah Jakarta with participant number are 40 students. Data obtained from the result of the test in each cycle. The findings showed that the learning process using theme based instruction model  in teaching extensive reading makes the students more participative and active in their classroom reading learning process, it is showed by their high participation  during the teaching is increased. Another finding revealed that there is significant influence toward the students' extensive reading learning process from preliminary to cycle II stage in the research process. The average score of students at the preliminary stage is only 68 then it increased to 72 in the first cycle and increased significantly in cycle II with the amount of 83. It can be concluded that classroom action research is done by using of theme based instruction model in teaching extensive reading in the fourthsemester students of English Educational Sciences significantly helps the students in increasing about 21% improvement from pre-cycle to cycle II in their Extensive Reading course. This study recommends the continuation of using various teaching models for university students to improve their English language skills, especially English reading skill.


In three studies, we found that reading information in a foreign language can suppress common superstitious beliefs. Participants read scenarios in either their native or a foreign language. In each scenario, participants were asked to imagine performing an action (e.g., submitting a job application) under a superstitious circumstance (e.g., broken mirror, four-leaf clover) and to rate how they would feel. Overall, foreign language prompted less negative feelings towards bad-luck scenarios and less positive feelings towards good-luck scenarios, while it exerted no influence on non-superstitious, control scenarios. We attribute these findings to language-dependent memory. Superstitious beliefs are typically acquired and used in contexts involving the native language. As a result, the native language evokes them more forcefully than a foreign language.


Conditions have been elaborated for the identification of all the compounds belonging to the group of angiotensin convertase inhibitors: lisinopril, quinapril, ramipril, spirapril, moexipril, trandolapril, benazepril, cilazapril, fosinopril, captopril, enalapril, imidapril and zofenopril by thin-layer chromatography. The selected conditions were used to design the densitometric method for the content determination of the above mentioned compounds in substances and medicines. The statistical data obtained for the designed method indicate adequate accuracy and precision.


Objective: This article provides a review of empirical studies of automated vehicle takeovers and driver modeling to identify influential factors and their impacts on takeover performance and suggest driver models that can capture them. Background: Significant safety issues remain in automated-to-manual transitions of vehicle control. Developing models and computer simulations of automated vehicle control transitions may help designers mitigate these issues, but only if accurate models are used. Selecting accurate models requires estimating the impact of factors that influence takeovers. Method: Articles describing automated vehicle takeovers or driver modeling research were identified through a systematic approach. Inclusion criteria were used to identify relevant studies and models of braking, steering, and the complete takeover process for further review. Results: The reviewed studies on automated vehicle takeovers identified several factors that significantly influence takeover time and post-takeover control. Drivers were found to respond similarly between manual emergencies and automated takeovers, albeit with a delay. The findings suggest that existing braking and steering models for manual driving may be applicable to modeling automated vehicle takeovers. Conclusion: Time budget, repeated exposure to takeovers, silent failures, and handheld secondary tasks significantly influence takeover time. These factors in addition to takeover request modality, driving environment, non-handheld secondary tasks, level of automation, trust, fatigue, and alcohol significantly impact post-takeover control. Models that capture these effects through evidence accumulation were identified as promising directions for future work. Application: Stakeholders interested in driver behavior during automated vehicle takeovers may use this article to identify starting points for their work.


Measurement of facial similarity or checking similarity is done using features. The algorithm for describing the most up-to-date and best face features for generating features is Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNNs). Based on this, this study uses MTCNN (Multi-task Cascaded Convolutional Neural Network) as one variation of the DCNN method. In this research, we built a research system to test results with javascript. Given the many needs that are based on mobile or can be run on a smartphone. One of them is to support the absent feature that is used in a mobile manner such as the reporting system of sales and marketing performance or members of the police personnel who normally work on a mobile basis. From the results of the tests carried out automatically using several variation models testing the image of the Aberdeen dataset as many as 60 images from 30 different people used in the face recognition research system using MTCNN with influencing image parameters such as lighting variations, object position variations, then the position taken and expression face on the object image, the research system managed to do face recognition by 100%. Thus, true positive values are equal to the amount of data tested and zero negative true values.


The microtidal, low-wave energy, United States coast of the Gulf of Mexico is characterized by an abundance of shoreface bars. Four distinct component bars can be identified, though interference patterns exist. Vertical air photos since 1945 and numerous overflights and field measurements during the last two years have shown that the equilibrium bar configuration at any given site is time-invariant. During storms, however, the bars go through cycles of change in a manner similar to those identified by Short. Based on plan geometry the following four bar types are identified. Multiple (10 or more) longshore bars: Multiple longshore bars, without interference from other bar types, occur on the low-tide platform in front of a steep beach face, along shoreline segments of convex plan form and low wave energy. The bars have a sinusoidal cross-profile, constant height, and constant spacing suggesting that they form in response to a standing wave pattern established through interference between incident wind waves and waves reflected from the steep beach face. Transverse bars: Bars oriented at steep angles relative to the shoreline dominate in low energy environments (Mississippi Sound and other sheltered embayments) along the central Gulf coast. Intersecting transverse bars, forming an overall rhombic pattern, dominate the lagoonal platform behind the Mississippi-Alabama barrier chain. The mainland shoreface of Mississippi Sound, however, is dominated by intersecting transverse and multiple longshore bars. Generally, transverse bar spacing appears to be proportional to bar amplitude. The transverse bar morphology reflects a complex interaction between incident, high-frequency waves and the resultant longshore currents. Crescentic bars: The Gulf beaches of barriers and spits of the Florida panhandle, Alabama, and Mississippi are characterized by crescentic bars or single longshore bars. The crescentic form is best developed adjacent to, or between, shore-normal structures which might be jetties, groins, or natural headlands. This suggests that the crescentic bar morphology forms in response to a wave motion transverse to that of the incident waves, i.e., edge waves which are expectedly best developed trapped between reflecting shore-normal structures. Longshore bars: These bars characterize the entire Texas coast and many Louisiana barriers. This coastline has the highest wave energy in the study area. The constant crest-to-trough water depth ratio, the asymmetric cross-profile, and the landward decrease in size and spacing suggest that these are breakpoint bars. These four component bars, all resulting from different mechanisms of generation, occur either individually or in different patterns of superposition creating six commonly observable bar morphologies along the Gulf Coast barriers and mainland shores. Specific coastal subenvironments are characterized by time-invariant equilibrium bar configurations. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1565------------


In order to investigate the interaction of fresh and frozen-thawed spermatozoa with oviduct epithelial cells, spermatozoa were co-incubated with ovine oviduct epithelial cell monolayers (OECM) derived from either complete oviducts, at any stage of the oestrous cycle (Experiments 1 and 2), or from different regions of the oviduct at different stages of the cycle (Experiment 3). Fresh and frozen-thawed spermatozoa displayed different patterns of binding to, and release from, the OECM. Frozen-thawed spermatozoa immediately bound to the complete oviduct OECM and were released after 2 h. A small proportion of fresh spermatozoa bound immediately, increasing to a maximum after 2 h, and were gradually released thereafter. When only the cells that were released from the OECM were observed by chlortetracycline staining in Experiment 2, it was found that the presence of an OECM increased the number of capacitated fresh spermatozoa while decreasing the number of capacitated frozen-thawed spermatozoa. Overall, the OECM advanced the membrane state of both types of spermatozoa from uncapacitated to acrosome-reacted. Fresh and frozen-thawed spermatozoa bound to OECM derived from the cells of the isthmus and the ampulla in similar proportions. However, more spermatozoa were capacitated when incubated with OECM derived from isthmic rather than ampullary cells. Higher proportions of fresh spermatozoa bound to, and were acrosome-reacted following incubation with OECM derived from post- rather than pre-ovulatory tracts. Such differences were not observed for frozen-thawed spermatozoa. The findings reported in this study show that fresh and frozen-thawed spermatozoa behave differently when in contact with oviduct cells in vitro. This may be a consequence of the more advanced membrane state of the frozen spermatozoa upon thawing.


In this report, we will be interested at Dynamic Bayesian Network (DBNs) as a model that tries to incorporate temporal dimension with uncertainty. We start with basics of DBN where we especially focus in Inference and Learning concepts and algorithms. Then we will present different levels and methods of creating DBNs as well as approaches of incorporating temporal dimension in static Bayesian network.


This thesis offers a narratorial and textual examination of the tragic in Hardy's fiction and uncovers how his tragic vision of a changing world led him into proto-modernist forms of writing. By first positing Hardy within his milieu and exploring the ideas, beliefs and attitudes that gave rise to his expression of the tragic, the thesis proceeds to conducts a close textual analysis of the fiction. His early psychological use of environment and the construction of metaphoric landscapes evoke a disturbing sense of place, in which individuals are diminished and displaced by nature. In this mode, Hardy's agnostic, secular recasting of the tragic brings to the fore the material world, objects, animals and the non-human. Hardy's experimental use of fetichism and the primitive and his animism intensify the tragic situation in the middle fiction. Here, there is also a pronounced satiric strain in the writing, elements of the absurd and use of 'abstract imaginings' through which Hardy expresses what he called 'tragical mysteries of life'. The hybrid nature of the texts, with their fluid oscillations of mode, I argue, shapes the tragic effect and reflects Hardy's experimental and recursive procedures during this period. The final concern of the thesis is the fragmentation of experience in the later fiction, which focuses upon Hardy's depiction of the destructive forces of the unconscious and his use of shocks and interruptions in the short stories. The vision of isolated individuals failing to find fulfilment and connection with each other comes to the fore in these works. Hardy's later and more radical experiments in characterisation present unstable beings that are read as simulacras; amalgamations of nerves and sensations. Such a recasting of the human reflects a vital proto-modernist aspect of Hardy's writing, which subverts realist representations of the individual and anticipates the fractured, unstable characters of the modernists.


In recent years, natural language processing (NLP) technology has made great progress. Models based on transformers have performed well in various natural language processing problems. However, a natural language task can be carried out by multiple different models with slightly different architectures, such as different numbers of layers and attention heads. In addition to quantitative indicators such as the basis for selecting models, many users also consider the language understanding ability of the model and the computing resources it requires. However, comparing and deeply analyzing two transformer-based models with different numbers of layers and attention heads are not easy because it lacks the inherent one-to-one match between models, so comparing models with different architectures is a crucial and challenging task when users train, select, or improve models for their NLP tasks. In this paper, we develop a visual analysis system to help machine learning experts deeply interpret and compare the pros and cons of asymmetric transformer-based models when the models are applied to a user's target NLP task. We propose metrics to evaluate the similarity between layers or attention heads to help users to identify valuable layers and attention head combinations to compare. Our visual tool provides an interactive overview-to-detail framework for users to explore when and why models behave differently. In the use cases, users use our visual tool to find out and explain why a large model does not significantly outperform a small model and understand the linguistic features captured by layers and attention heads. The use cases and user feedback show that our tool can help people gain insight and facilitate model comparison tasks.


Most hydrogels involve synthetic polymers and organic cross-linkers that cannot simultaneously fulfill the mechanical and cell-compatibility requirements of biomedical applications. We prepared a new type of chitosan physical hydrogel with various degrees of deacetylation (DDs) via the heterogeneous deacetylation of nanoporous chitin hydrogels under mild conditions. The DD of the chitosan physical hydrogels ranged from 56 to 99%, and the hydrogels were transparent and mechanically strong because of the extra intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions between the amino and hydroxyl groups on the nearby chitosan nanofibrils. The tensile strength and Young's modulus of the chitosan physical hydrogels were 3.6 and 7.9 MPa, respectively, for a DD of 56% and increased to 12.1 and 92.0 MPa for a DD of 99% in a swelling equilibrium state. In vitro studies demonstrated that mouse bone mesenchymal stem cells (mBMSCs) cultured on chitosan physical hydrogels had better adhesion and proliferation than those cultured on chitin hydrogels. In particular, the chitosan physical hydrogels promoted the differentiation of the mBMSCs into epidermal cells in vitro. These materials are promising candidates for applications such as stem cell research, cell therapy, and tissue engineering.


Payers in the US do not embrace a single, dominant method for determining the value of new technologies. With this mind, Dr Steven Pearson has convened a US policy workgroup of payers, drug and device manufacturers, patients' groups, and clinician specialty societies to help develop a "value framework" to guide the assessment of drugs and devices in the US. In this Briefing, based on an OHE lunchtime seminar, he presents an early draft version of this framework as a method for integrating elements of cost-effectiveness and affordability.


DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGYRecently, researchers have linked overactivity in one of the cell's major biochemical routes for relaying developmental messages to the nucleus, the Wnt signaling pathway, to colon and other cancers ( Science , 4 September, pp. [1438][1] and [1509][2]). Now, in work reported in the 25 November issue of Cell , researchers have shown that a key player in that pathway, a protein called b-catenin, can stimulate the growth of new hair follicles in mice. The team sees the finding as a possible first step toward a baldness remedy, but they will have to be very careful that such tinkering doesn't trigger tumors--as happened with their hirsute mice.

 [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/281/5382/1438
 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/281/5382/1509


Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with an increased risk for venous thromboembolism. However, so far, relatively few and small size-based studies have been conducted. We aimed to investigate the link between RA and venous thromboembolism utilizing a large sample of subjects originating from a large data base. Materials and methods: The study was performed utilizing the medical database of Clalit Health Services, the largest healthcare provider in Israel. We enrolled all patients with RA and age- and gender-matched controls. Chi-square and t-tests were used for univariate analysis and a logistic regression model was used for a multivariate analysis. RA patients were compared to controls regarding the proportion of venous thromboembolic events (defined as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism or both). Multivariate logistic regression was employed to assess factors associated with thromboembolic events. Results: The study included 11,782 patients with RA and 57,973 age- and gender-matched controls. RA patients had a higher rate of venous thromboembolism events compared with controls (6.92% vs. 3.18%, respectively, p<0.001). RA and mean C-reactive protein levels were found to be independently associated with the proportion of thromboembolic events (OR 2.27 for RA and 1.07 for each 1 mg/dL increment of mean C-reactive protein, respectively). Conclusion: RA and C-reactive protein levels are independently associated with venous thromboembolic events. Physicians should be aware of such findings and have a lower threshold for suspecting detecting such events in patients with RA, mainly those with mean high levels of C-reactive protein.


Background Coronary heart disease (CHD) has reached 'epidemic' proportions in South Africa. CHD is uncommon in the black population of South Africa, yet the prevalence of hypertension in the adult black population is high. Design This study compared the blood pressure profile in 154 medical students of which 83 were Indians (I), 71 were black (B), 87 were male (50 I, 37 B), and 67 were female (33I, 34 B) age 21 (SD ± 1.6), using the cuff method and 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Methods All students underwent ABPM. Biochemical studies for CHD risk factors were done. Electrocardiography (ECG) was performed in all participants and echocardiography in 90. Results ABPM showed that black students had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure throughout the day, night and critical time periods compared with the Indian students. Blood pressure load was higher in black (40.8%) than in Indian participants (29.6%; P < 0.05) and there was less dipping at night. Left ventricular mass was significantly higher in black than in Indian participants (29.6%; P < 0.05) and there was less dipping at night. Left ventricular mass was significantly higher in black than in Indian participants. Risk factors leading to CHD were more common in Indian than in black participants. Those with borderline hypertension (blood pressure ≥ 130/85 and ≤ 140/90 mmHg) had statistically higher serum triglyceride and left ventricular mass than normotensives. Conclusions Young black people had higher blood pressure readings than young Indian participants in the absence of metabolic abnormalities and had greater cardiac involvement. Borderline hypertension is not innocuous. Metabolic risk factors for CHD in Indian people are apparent at an early age. This study emphasizes the need for prevention of risk factors leading to CHD at an early age.


The treatment of ectopic maxillary tooth is surgical removal via a Caldwell-Luc procedure. Trans-nasal extraction of tooth may be attempted if the tooth is small and sited near the maxillary antrum. It is also mandatory to completely remove all pathological antral tissue and thoroughly assess all resected soft tissue histologically. This is important as certain antral pathologies such as dentigerous cyst, as in this case, may co-exist with an ectopic molar. It is thus important to follow-up such patients. In the absence of any unusual histology, surgery provides the patient with a definitive cure of his symptoms.


Background Cancer diagnosis and treatment during the early stages of disease remain extremely challenging clinical tasks. The development of effective multimode contrast agents could greatly facilitate the early detection of cancer. Materials and Methods We prepared dual-mode contrast agents using a biotin/avidin bioamplification system. Through in vivo and in vitro experiments, we verified the imaging performance of this contrast agents in both fluorescence and ultrasound and its targeting specificity for MDA-MB-231 cells. Results The RGD peptide-labelled microbubbles showed excellent targeting of αvβ3 integrin expressed by MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro and in vivo. The signal intensity and time duration of ultrasound imaging using these particles were superior to those obtained with a typical ultrasound contrast agent in the clinic. The tumour areas also demonstrated high Cy5.5 accumulation by fluorescence imaging. Conclusion The results show that this targeted dual-mode imaging system yields outstanding US/NIRF imaging results, possibly allowing the early clinical diagnosis of cancer.


Designing the topology of a clock distribution network is considered for a synchronous digital integrated circuit so as to satisfy a nonzero clock skew schedule. A methodology and related algorithms for synthesising the topology of the clock distribution network from a clock schedule derived from circuit timing information are presented. A new formulation of the problem of designing the clock distribution network is given as an efficiently solvable integer linear programming problem. The approach is demonstrated on the suite of ISCAS'89 benchmark circuits. Up to 64% performance improvement is attained on these circuits by exploiting nonzero clock skew throughout the synchronous system. Clock tree topologies that implement the nonzero clock skew schedule based on the synthesis algorithms presented are described for each of the benchmark circuits.