The doctrine of resurrection is the heart of Christianity. It is what makes Christianity different from other religions. In the days of Jesus, there was a difference of opinion among the Jews concerning resurrection. The doctrine of resurrection, thus, has been opposed in history. Some scholars are doubtful of the opinion that the very body which was deposited in the grave would be raised up. While some early Christian fathers stressed the identity of the present body and the resurrection body. The dispute concerning the concept of resurrection lies in African Traditional Religion. Most scholars are of the opinion that African Traditional Religion is silent on this. Through a comparative study, the paper examined the concept of resurrection in Christianity and African Traditional Religion. Oral interview is a tool employed in this study to ascertain the perception of adherents of African Traditional Religion on resurrection of the body. This paper discovered that the idea of bodily resurrection is not absent in both religions. In African Traditional Religion, resurrection is conceived in reincarnation and apparition. The concept of resurrection is widely accepted in Christianity but not explicitly stated in African Traditional Religion.


The beet cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii infests the roots of Beta vulgaris as well as many members of the Brassicaceae, including Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Inoculation of Arabidopsis roots with newly hatched beet cyst nematodes leads to the formation of a syncytium within the root vascular cylinder that serves as a feeding site for the developing nematode. Since the developing parasite continuously withdraws nutrients from the syncytium, it represents a major sink for solutes suchas sugars or aminoacids that are imported into the root via the vascular system. A controversial point has been whether these nutrients are loaded symplastically or apoplastically into the syncytium. In recent years, a consensus seemed to be emerging, based on many lines of evidence, that solute transport from the host phloem into H. schachtii-induced syncytia is apoplastic. In this issue, however, Hoth et al. (pp. 383–392) present new evidence, using nematode-infected Arabidopsis plants expressing either free green fluorescent protein (GFP) or free or membrane-bound GFP-fusions exclusively in the companion cells surrounding syncytia, which suggests that nutrients may enter syncytia symplastically. The soluble GFP and GFP fusions less than 30 kDa in size underwent cell-to-cell movement. In contrast, the membrane-attached GFPs were nonmobile. GFP synthesized within companion cells is able to move into the sieve elements and eventually into the syncytial complex. Thus, syncytial feedingwith organic solutes apparently occurs via largeplasmodesmata formed between de novo synthesized phloem cells and the syncytia.


Two mathematical models to analyze the impact of locating new global distribution centers for a company that originally exports its products directly to its customers are presented. The models consider transfer pricing and inventory costs, which causes the models to be nonlinear. The solution method includes the linearization of the product between the transfer prices and the product flow variables and the application of an iterative procedure to obtain consistent inventory costs. The results show that under most assumptions considered, it is profitable to open international distribution centers. Several sensitivity analyses, such as the impact of the variation of transfer price bounds, corporate income tax rate, and duties, are also presented.


This research examines factors influencing the adoption of crop and revenue insurance. This is accomplished by estimating a multinomial logit model of insurance choices facing U.S. farmers. Results indicate significant differences in the probabilities of adoption of each insurance plan. The levels of selected explanatory variables, such as operator's education level, debt‐to‐asset ratio, off‐farm income, soil productivity, participation in production and marketing contracts, and type of farm ownership, appear to be the determinants of the probability of having adopted each insurance plan.


Abstract The equations for the photochemistry of ozone and radiative heating in the mesosphere are, for certain regions, reduced from differential-integral equations to much simpler differential-algebraic equations which are more readily incorporated into hydrodynamic models. The simplified equations are first solved for joint radiative-photochemical equilibrium; the distributions obtained are in fair agreement with the more detailed calculations of Leovy (1964). The equations for temperature and ozone, with advection included, are linearized in terms of perturbations on the equilibrium fields, and a brief discussion of the effect of photo-chemistry, radiative transfer and their interaction on the thermal response to a field of motion is presented. Finally, the problem of the joint photochemical-radiative relaxation of perturbations in the absence of motion is investigated. It is found that the coupling sharply accelerates thermal relaxation above 35 km, and appreciably accelerates photochemical relaxatio...


The article analyzes the influence of the Iranian nuclear program on the geopolitical situation in the Middle East as well as on the relations between the West and Iran. The author examines the security level in the region at present and the probable future.


Individuals differ in their biological rhythms and their preference for morning or evening hours. Morning types prefer morning hours for intellectual and physical activities while evening types feel and perform best at late afternoon or in the evening. This not only is a simple dichotomous classification but also can be viewed as a continuum. Individual differences in morningness–eveningness are an interesting facet of personality, but little is known about the relationship between psychological factors or health-related variables and morningness–eveningness in adolescents. In Study I, there were positive correlations between morningness and positive attitude towards life and a negative association between morningness and depression. In Study II, there were significant positive relationships between morningness and physical health, mental health, self-esteem, familial relationship, and school functioning. These results indicate that eveningness might be an unspecific risk factor for mental and physical health.


Background: COPD exacerbations (EXs) are associated with increased morbidity, mortality and disease progression. The ECLIPSE study showed the best predictor of future EXs is a history of EXs, identifying a frequent exacerbator phenotype maintained over time. Roflumilast (ROF) reduces EX rate in frequent exacerbators, but its relative effect in this phenotype is not known. Methods: In a post-hoc pooled analysis of two 1-yr studies of ROF 500μg in pts with severe COPD, chronic bronchitis and a history of EXs, pts were classified as frequent (≥2 events) or infrequent (1 event) exacerbators based on moderate/severe EX history in the previous yr. EX frequency status was analysed in ROF- and placebo (PBO)-treated pts at baseline and at yr 1. Results: Among ROF-treated frequent exacerbators (n=413), 32.0% still had frequent EXs at yr 1 vs 40.8% of PBO-treated pts (n=417; RR=0.799, p=0.0148). Among infrequent exacerbators, 17.5% of ROF-treated pts (n=1124) had ≥2 EXs at yr 1 vs 22.9% of PBO-treated pts (n=1137; RR=0.768, p=0.0018). This reduction was similar when considering concomitant LABA, previous ICS treatment or severe EXs leading to hospitalisation/death. When analysed by COPD severity, 26.4% of ROF-treated frequent exacerbators with severe COPD (FEV 1 30–50% predicted, n=246) still had frequent EXs at yr 1 vs 38.9% of PBO-treated pts (n=239; RR=0.683, p=0.0042); the percentage of frequent exacerbators was similar between treatments in pts with very severe COPD (FEV 1 Conclusions: This analysis shows that ROF shifts pts from the frequent to the more stable infrequent exacerbator state. This effect was not seen in frequent exacerbators with very severe COPD, highlighting the need for early treatment initiation.


The DEVICE project aspires to bridge traditional industrial design programs with ergonomics, usability concepts and user experience approaches with a specific focus on vulnerable generations.
It intends to address the need to modernize and develop educational programs with a specific focus on vulnerable generations, mainly children and elderly, and to become a milestone towards the modernization of design education.
To improve the design practice in the area of design for children, it is necessary not only to study and improve methodology, but also to transfer the gained knowledge to new generations of designers in order to ensure its use in design. We wish to contribute to the community by bringing up the discussion on how to transform our knowledge and teach how to design for children.


We study systematically the scattering processes and the conductance spectra in nodal-line semimetal-superconductor junctions using the extended Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk theory. The coexistence of peculiar quadruple reflections are found, which are the specular normal reflection, the retro-normal reflection, the specular Andreev reflection and the retro-Andreev reflection. The incident angle dependence and the quasiparticle energy dependence of the double normal reflections and the double Andreev reflections are investigated under various values of parameters such as the interfacial barrier height, the chemical potentials, and the orbital coupling strength. It is found that the appearance and the disappearance of the reflections and their magnitudes can be controlled through tuning these parameters. The scattering mechanism for the reflections are analyzed in details from the viewpoint of the band structure. We also investigate the conductance spectra for the junctions, which show distinctive features and strong anisotropy about the orientation relationships of the nodal line and interface. The unique scattering processes and conductance spectra found in the junctions are helpful in designing superconducting electronic devices and searching for the nodal line in materials experimentally.


I examine the consequences of the implementation of the 45B Credit, an employer payroll tax subsidy (administered as an income tax credit) intended to encourage honest wage reporting for tipped employees. I find evidence suggesting that wage reporting for tipped employees increased following the implementation of the 45B Credit. I also find evidence suggesting that this credit influenced investment and economic performance. Specifically, I find that 45B Credit firms increased investment and experienced greater profitability and growth compared to non-45B Credit restaurant firms. Overall, these findings suggest that the implementation of the 45B Credit had important intended and unintended consequences. This study provides insights into the relation between firms, industries, and tax subsidies, which should be useful to lawmakers when reviewing the net benefits of this tax subsidy and other tax subsidies in the future.
 Data Availability: Data used from publicly available sources.


This study examines relationships between experienced aggressive behaviour and burnout of staff caring for residents living in homes for the elderly (n = 551). Burnout was conceptualized as a three-dimensional syndrome consisting of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment. From the results of the hierarchical regression analyses it appeared that physical and psychological aggression and the number of weekly working hours had a significant relationship with emotional exhaustion of staff. Psychological aggression was found to have a significant relationship with depersonalization. Neither sex nor age had a relationship with any of the burnout dimensions. Implications for research and suggestions for work and training of staff caring for the elderly are discussed.


Finite-state devices such as finite-state automata and finite-state transducers have been known since the emergence of computer science and are recently extensively used in many areas of language technology. The use of finite-state devices is mainly motivated by their time and space efficiency. In this paper we present the Finite-State Machine Toolkit for building, combining and optimizing the finite-state machines, developed at the Language Technology Lab of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence.


We investigate the two-neutron correlations in 6He and 11Li nuclei through the density distributions of two valence neutrons. In this work, we use the two-neutron wave functions for halo nuclei within the extended three-cluster model assuming the core+n+n structures, where the internal correlations in the core nucleus is taken into account. For the 6He nucleus, the mixing of higher partial waves increases the spin singlet states slightly and enhances the di-neutron correlations. For the 11Li nucleus, a large s-wave mixing suppressed to form the spin triplet states and the di-neutron correlations are dramatically enhanced by the large amount of the singlet states.


Objectives: The AngioVac system (AngioDynamics, Latham, NY, USA) provides a method for the minimally invasive, percutaneous aspiration of thrombus formations originating from the central venous system as well as solid matter such as lead vegetations and right atrial thrombi. Methods: This retrospective, observational study describes the initial experience in 52 adult patients with the AngioVac system, focusing mainly on the development of the extracorporeal circuit to improve usability and safety. Results: The mean patient age was 62.9 years (range 23-86 years). 22 patients were female and 30 were male. Indications for percutaneous aspiration were lead vegetations (n = 36; 69.2%), right atrial thrombi (n = 9; 17.3%), central venous thrombi (n = 5; 9.6%) and pulmonary embolisms (n = 2; 3.8%). Successful aspiration was performed in 44 cases (84.6%) and partial success was achieved in five patients (9.6%), while failure to remove thrombi or vegetations occurred in three cases (5.8%). Our practical experience led to the installation of a shunt line for recirculation and the implementation of safety features concerning air handling, which are also employed in minimally invasive extracorporeal bypass circuits. Initial tests monitored the level of negative pressure according to differences in flow and access sites but these still have to be validated on a larger scale. Conclusion: In this initial experience, the AngioVac system appeared to be safe regarding the extracorporeal circulation and the elimination of thrombi and lead vegetations.


This chapter introduces the use of Text Mining in scientific literature for biological research, with a special focus on automatic gene and protein annotation. This field became recently a major topic in Bioinformatics, motivated by the opportunity brought by tapping the BioLiterature with automatic text processing software. The chapter describes the main approaches adopted and analyzes systems that have been developed for automatically annotating genes or proteins. To illustrate how text-mining tools fit in biological databases curation processes, the chapter presents a tool that assists protein annotation. Besides the promising advances of Text Mining of BioLiterature, many problems need to be addressed. This chapter presents the main open problems in using text-mining tools for automatic annotation of genes and proteins, and discusses how a more efficient integration of existing domain knowledge can improve the performance of these tools.


The detrimental effects of drilling electrical steel sheets on the flux propagation and domain structure in the vicinity of a hole were experimentally studied by using Kerr microscopy. As a model system, a (110)[001]-textured Fe-3%Si sheet sample in Epstein geometry with the preferred transverse and longitudinal axis to the working direction and a 10 mm hole in the middle of the sheet sample were chosen. Under such conditions, branched surface domains are formed in moderate magnetic fields, the orientation of which turned out to be a sensitive indicator for the local effective field, thus allowing to visualize the flux propagation and degradation around the hole. It was also found an interesting way to use the orientation of the surface domains at the presence of an applied magnetic field as an indicator for the local effective field direction. Since the reluctance was growth depending upon decreasing cross-sectional area in the sides of the non-magnetic region, rapid saturation was able to observe by the evaluation of magnetic domains.


Abstract Ice streams are sites of ice-sheet drainage and together with other processes, such as calving, have an impact on deglaciation rates and ice-sheet mass balance. Proglacial lake deposits provide records of ice-sheet deglaciation and have the potential to supplement other paleoclimate records. Oneida Lake, northeastern USA, contains a thick proglacial lake sequence that buries evidence of ice streaming and a paleo-calving margin that developed during retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Previous high-resolution digital elevation models identified the Oneida Ice Stream from glacial landforms northwest of the lake. In this study, we utilize seismic refractions from a multichannel seismic (MCS) reflection dataset to estimate the thickness of glacial deposits using seismic tomography. With this method we constrain the depth to top of Paleozoic strata, especially in areas where the reflection data yielded poor outcomes and validate our reflection data in regions of good coverage. We demonstrate that where long offset seismic data are available, the first-arrival tomography method is useful in studies of formerly glaciated basins. Our study identifies a ~108 m thick sedimentary section and potentially long paleoclimate record in Oneida Lake, and identifies a paleotopographic low that likely encouraged formation of the Oneida Ice Stream.


This dissertation posits a new model for understanding media audiences, bringing the scholarship of game studies to the critical analysis of audience practices. The concept of play proves beneficial for understanding the complex processes of media audiences, as they are able to traverse dichotomous categories when engaging media content. The genre of professional wrestling proves a perfect case study for examining these playful audience practices, and this study is an ethnographic account of the practices of wrestling fans. Focusing on the behaviors of fans at live wrestling events, in online contexts, and in the subcultural setting of a card game entitled Champions of the Galaxy, this study demonstrates the necessity of the concept of play for understanding what media audiences do when they engage media content. These practices, however, are always negotiated by the hegemonic power of the rules that structure how audiences are encouraged to engage content, resulting in ideological constraints on the possibilities play offers. INDEX WORDS: Play, Audience, Smark, Professional wrestling, Media fandom, Fan community, Playful audience, Game THE PLAYFUL AUDIENCE: PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING, MEDIA FANDOM, & THE OMNIPRESENCE OF MEDIA SMARKS


For the finite element simulations of polymeric materials mathematical models are needed which cover all the phenomena of the material. In the first part of this paper a new model based on the invariant theory is introduced. With this model it is possible to describe accurately the mechanical behaviour of thermoplastic materials. The second part shows methods for the data processing of the measured data. These data are used for the determination of the model's parameter. A new filter method is introduced which can reduce the superposed oscillations from the measured data.


The reversible inhibitory action of an aromatic analog of retinoic acid, ethyl all-trans-9-(4-methoxy-2,3,6-trimethylphenyl)-3,7-dimethyl-2,4,6,8-nonatetraenoate (aromatic retinoid) on bladder carcinogenesis was studied by biochemical and histopathological methods. fischer 344 female rats were fed a diet containing the aromatic retinoid (0, 12.5 or 50 ppm) for 56 days. On day 57, 60 or 70, 50 mg/kg body weight of N-butyl-N-(3-carboxypropyl)nitrosamine (BCPN) in a volume of 0.3 ml was directly instilled intravesically through a urethral catheter. DNA damage in rat bladder epithelial cells 2, 24 and 48 hr after administration of BCPN was examined by measuring the change in sedimentation profile of the DNA in 5 approximately 20% alkaline sucrose gradients. DNA sedimentation was measured by a fluorometric procedure. Histopathological examination of the bladder epithelium was performed at the same time. Two hours after a 5-min exposure to BCPN, DNA damage at the urothelium was observed in rats fed the diet without the aromatic retinoid, but the damage was repaired after 24 and 48 hr. The highest dose of the aromatic retinoid almost completey prevented DNA damage by BCPN on days 57 and 60. A lower dose of the aromatic retinoid did not prevent DNA damage by BCPN on days 57, 60, and 70, while the higher dose did not prevent damage by BCPN on day 70. No histological changes were observed in the urothelium of rats treated with the aromatic retinoid and BCPN, and electron microscopy showed that the epithelium also remained normal. DNA damage was induced by BCPN at the urothelium, and the damage was inhibited by previous administration of the aromatic retinoid.


Using individual level panel data, we analyse the divergence between an unemployed individual´s reservation wage, as well as their expected wage, and their predicted market wage, focusing upon how job search activities influence the potential divergences. In addition, using propensity score matching techniques, we explore the implications of such divergences for future employment and wages. Our findings, which are consistent with job search theory, suggest that reservation wages (and expected wages) that are high relative to the predicted market wage influence both future employment and future wages.


Ultrasound provides a non-invasive means for visualizing various tissues within the human body. However, these visualizations tend to be filled with speckle noise and other artifacts, due to the sporadic nature of sound waves. The paper presents a novel segmentation technique for use on noisy B-mode ultrasound images of the carotid artery. This scheme is based on histogram equalization, Canny edge detection and morphology methods. The proposed scheme provides various degrees of customizability, for a wide range of ultrasound images. The experimental results show that this scheme is accurate enough to segment the different textures in ultrasound images. These automatically segmented regions may alleviate the need for a practitioner's time-consuming manual segmentation of wanted regions.


The integrity decisions for cracked pipelines can be made based on the conventional Finite Element Method (FEM). However, it is extremely time-consuming due to the requirement of remeshing to continuously conform to the geometric discontinuities as the crack propagates. The more recently developed Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) provides a more robust approach in which a crack can propagate through the finite element analysis mesh and thus alleviates the requirement for remeshing. However, the current criteria for crack initiation and propagation in XFEM framework have not been calibrated to pipeline steels. The current built-in criterion in Abaqus assumes a fixed value as the damage strain. Crack initiation occurs after this strain is exceeded. However, the accuracy of numerical crack propagating path is questionable, especially in a side-grooved single edge notched tension (SENT) model. Faster crack initiation at specimen side over the center conflicts with the actual crack propagating path obtained from a physical test. This paper develops a new crack initiation criterion which defines a variable damage strain as a function of the stress configuration at the crack tip. The criterion is modified from the Mohr-Coulomb fracture criterion as a function of stress triaxiality and Lode angle parameters. The damage strain exponentially decreases as the stress triaxiality increases. This paper presents a parametric study on the effects of material parameters considered in the criterion on the development of damage strain locus. The new crack initiation criterion is applied to a side-grooved SENT model, in which the corresponding failure mechanism is defined by the user's subroutine UDMGINI in Abaqus.


This article examines the limits of law to resolve or transform the contemporary dilemmas provoked by the provision of social care to adults in the UK. It juxtaposes the judgments in two cases, each of which interrogates the legal consequences of the mixed economy of care: the majority and minority opinions of the House of Lords in YL v Birmingham City Council (2007) and the Care Standards Tribunal decision in Alternative Futures v National Care Standards Commission (2002). We read the opinions/decisions as narratives that tell a variety of stories reconciling the different roles of law, the state, the family and the individual in the provision of care. Drawing upon David Scott's concern with 'the conceptual problem of political presents and with how reconstructed pasts and anticipated futures are thought out in relation to them' (2004: 1), we seek to examine legal responses to the contractions and mutations of social welfare.


Recent studies demonstrated that the reproducibility of previously published computational experiments is inadequate. Many of these published computational experiments never recorded or preserved their computational environment, including packages installed in the language, libraries installed on the host system, and file locations. Researchers have created reproducibility tools to help mitigate this problem, but these tools assume the experiment currently executes. Thus, these tools do not facilitate reproducibility of the large number of published experiments. This situation is not improving; researchers continue to publish without using reproducibility tools. We define a framework to distinguish between actions taken by a researcher to facilitate reproducibility in the presence of a computational environment and actions taken by a researcher to enable reproduction of an experiment when that environment has been lost to clarify the gap between what existing reproducibility tools are capable of and what is required to reproduce published experiments. The difference between these approaches lies in the availability of a computational environment. Researchers that provide access to the original computational environment perform proactive reproducibility, while those who do not enable only retroactive reproducibility. We present Reproducibility as a Service (RaaS), which is, to the best of our knowledge, the first reproducibility tool explicitly designed to facilitate retroactive reproducibility. We demonstrate how RaaS fixes many common errors found in R scripts on Harvard's Dataverse and preserves a recreated computational environment. Finally, we discuss how a retroactive reproducibility service such as RaaS is also helpful as an 'artifact evaluation assistant' in a journal's publication pipeline.


Identifying nanoscale biomolecules in aqueous solutions by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) provides an in situ and noninvasive method for exploring the structure, reactions, and transport of biologically active molecules. However, this remains a challenge due to the strong and broad IR absorption of water which overwhelms the respective vibrational fingerprints of the biomolecules. In this work, a tunable IR transparent microfluidic system with graphene plasmons is exploited to identify ≈2 nm‐thick proteins in physiological conditions. The acquired in situ tunability makes it possible to eliminate the IR absorption of water outside the graphene plasmonic hotspots by background subtraction. Most importantly, the ultrahigh confinement of graphene plasmons (confined to ≈15 nm) permits the implementation of nanoscale sensitivity. Then, the deuterium effects on monolayer proteins are characterized within an aqueous solution. The tunable graphene‐plasmon‐enhanced FTIR technology provides a novel platform for studying biological processes in an aqueous solution at the nanoscale.


We investigate the dynamics of a non-linear network with noise, periodic forcing and delayed feedback. Our model reveals that there exist forcing regimes – called persistent entrainment regimes – in which the system displays oscillatory responses that outlast the termination of the forcing. Our analysis shows that in presence of delays, periodic forcing can selectively excite components of an infinite reservoir of intrinsic modes and hence display a wide range of damped frequencies. Mean-field and linear stability analysis allows a characterization of the magnitude and duration of these persistent oscillations, as well as their dependence on noise intensity and time delay. These results provide new perspectives on the control of non-linear delayed system using periodic forcing.


In Belgium, from June 1st 2018 on, a renewed reim- bursement for hip arthroplasty implants was launched and from January 1st 2019 on, a lump sum covering doctors' fees for "low variable patients", was introduced. We investigated the impact of both reimbursement systems on the funding of a University Hospital in Belgium. All patients from the UZ Brussel with a severity of illness score of one or two whom had an elective total hip replacement implanted between January 1st and May 31st 2018, were included retrospectively. We compared their invoicing data to those of patients operated in the same period but one year later. Moreover, we simulated the invoicing data of both groups as if they had been operated in the other period. Overall, we compared invoicing data of 41 patients before and 30 after the introduction of both renewed reimbursement systems. After the introduction of both new laws, we noted a loss of funding per patient and per intervention between 46.8€ and 753.5€ for a single room and, between 105.5€ and 1877.7€ for a double room. We noted the highest loss in the subcategory "physicians' fees". The renewed reimbursement system is not "budget neutral". In time, the new system can lead to an optimization of care, but it can also lead to a progressive decrease of funding if future fees and implant reimbursements would be aligned towards the national mean. More- over, we fear the new financing system could affect the quality of care and/or result in the selection of profitable patients.


Current ultraviolet (UV) curable polymer techniques for MEMS fabrication pose certain challenges due to the electrical and mechanical properties of the polymer. A novel UV-curable polymer uniformly bonded with functionalized nanotubes was synthesized via a modified three-step in-situ polymerization. Purified multi-walled nanotubes, gained from the microwave chemical vapor deposition method, were functionalized by oxidation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to identify the -OH and -COOH groups attached to nanotube surface. The UV curable polymer was prepared from toluene diisocyanate (TDI), functionalized nanotubes, and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). The chemical bonds between -NCO groups of TDI and -OH, -COOH groups of functionalized nanotubes were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. This new UV-curable polymer is expected to be a cost-effective solution with a variety of applications in UV coating, phase shifters for telecommunications and global positioning systems, and polymer and BioMEMS devices.


In this study, urban regeneration works are discussed. The study area is Çamlıca Houses located in Gaziantep Nuripazarbaşı neighborhood. The aim of the study is to find out societal and spatial expectations and satisfaction of the residents regarding urban regeneration. The study consists of two main parts. In the first part, changing urban policies are discussed in particular relation with urban transformation practices in Turkey and Gaziantep. The second part of the study consists of field data. In this scope, questionnaires and interviews were given to 420 participants, who live in Çamlıca Houses in Nuripazarbaşı. On the data obtained here, exploratory factor analysis was performed in order to identify the factors related to urban regeneration. As a result, 5 factors were found in the scale developed for urban regeneration. In this study, it was found out that the residents in the study area have in common with those living in squatter settlements in terms of social classes and their average household income level is equal to or below the minimum wage. Apart from that, most of the participants stated that they do not feel comfortable about the surrounding squatter settlements and they regarded those places as dwellings in need of regeneration. In the light of the findings, our substantial recommendation is that in situ transformation should be encouraged in the case of urban regeneration in not only Gaziantep but also other parts of Turkey where applicable. In this way, the cultural tissues of the neighborhoods can be preserved and spatial segregation can be prevented.


Abstract This article addresses the concept and practice of liaison librarianship newly introduced in 2019 at the University Library of Freie Universität Berlin. Chances and challenges of library-faculty collaboration of two liaison librarians assigned to work with the Department of Earth Sciences and the Seminar of East Asian Studies, respectively, are discussed. The contribution seeks to give a stimulus for liaison librarianship in academic libraries and to connect to the well-established discourse on liaison librarianship in the Anglophone academic library world.


Asymptomatic, female, 56-year-old identical Japanese twins were found to have a severe abnormality in the surface-mediated intrinsic coagulation, fibrinolysis and esterolytic activity. These defects were thought to be due to the lack of Fitzgerald factor, because of the prolongations of kaolin-activated partial thromboplastin time and kaolin-activated euglobulin lysis time that were not corrected by the addition of Fitzgerald trait-plasma but were corrected to normal levels by the addition of isolated bovine high-molecular-weight kininogen, Fletcher trait-plasma or Hageman trait-plasma.


The antiviral effects of interferon (IFN) on varicella zoster virus (VZV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV) in vitro were examined. The values for the 50% inhibitory dose (ID50) of IFN-alpha, beta and gamma determined by plaque reduction assay, were 0.813, 0.650 and 13.750 IU/ml, respectively, against VZV and 18.00, 10.38 and 115.0 IU/ml, respectively, against HSV. Thus IFN-alpha and beta were more effective than IFN-gamma against both VZV and HSV and VZV was more sensitive than HSV to the IFNs. Five mutants of VZV which were resistant to acyclovir (ACV), phosphonoacetic acid (PAA) or bromodeoxyuridine (BUDR) were also sensitive to IFN beta, their average ID50 being 1.31 IU/ml. Analysis of virus-specific proteins by the immunofluorescent technique with various antisera showed that IFN had a significant effect before early protein synthesis.


Three juvenile captive spectacled caimans (Caiman sclerops) had scattered, gray-white, circular, 1- to 3-mm skin lesions. In one caiman, the lesions were particularly prominent on the phalanges, palpebrae, and integument overlying the maxillae and mandible. Digital biopsy revealed large eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusions within epithelial cells. Transmission electron microscopy of lesions from the lower jaw revealed viral particles morphologically similar to poxvirus.


To overcome the bad performance of surface contamination assessment for the current high voltage insulator, which induced by a lot of uncertainties existing in measurement information and the thing between measurement and assessment result, a novel assessment strategy is proposed based on D-S evidence theory in this paper. Firstly, the D-S reasoning model is established to assess contamination extent on the basis of information or evidence. Secondly, the effective representation for uncertainties is solved by processing obscurely the corresponding measurement information. Afterwards, the uncertain reasoning for assessment result is finished based on fuzzified uncertain information by the proposed novel algorithm for the insulator contamination assessment. Finally, computer simulation example is illustrated to prove the validity of the proposed novel algorithm.


PURPOSE
Responsiveness of the PEDI-CAT Mobility, Daily Activities, and Social/Cognitive domains and Wheelchair subdomain was evaluated for youth admitted to a pediatric post-acute care hospital.

METHODS
Inpatients ages 2-21 years, with a length of stay of ≥ 5 days and with both admission and discharge scores were included. The difference between mean admission and discharge PEDI-CAT scaled scores were analyzed using paired t-tests. Effect sizes, standard response means (SRMs), and minimal detectable change values were calculated. Score comparison between diagnostic subgroups (Traumatic Brain Injury, Neurological, Orthopedic, Medical) and age groups ( ≤ 5, > 5 but < 13, ≥ 13 years) were evaluated for the Mobility domain.

RESULTS
Sample size differed by domain with 66 Mobility, 30 Daily Activities, 19 Social/Cognitive and 9 Wheelchair subdomain pairs. Significant differences were found for all domains when mean admission and discharge scaled scores were compared. Moderate to large effect sizes and SRMs were found for the Mobility and Daily Activities domains and Wheelchair subdomain. Small effect size but large SRM was found for the Social/Cognitive domain. The Mobility domain was also responsive to changes in all diagnostic and age groups.

CONCLUSION
The PEDI-CAT was responsive to functional changes for youth discharged from an inpatient pediatric rehabilitation hospital.


Print-based instructional materials have been more popular than any other medium for teaching practical skills during the delivery of technical and vocational education and training via distance learning. However, the approach has its shortcomings and in recent times alternatives have been sought. The comparative instructional effectiveness of one such alternative is the focus of this paper. The study sought to examine the instructional effectiveness of video-based instructional materials vis-a-vis traditional print-based instructional materials for teaching distance learners of a Block-Laying and Concreting practical skills programme. An experimental design was used and participants were randomly assigned to two treatment groups: Users of video-based instructional materials or users of print-based instructional materials. A researcher-designed performance test and an achievement test of 20 multiple-choice items were used to collect data from 34 participants who used print-based instructional materials and 35 participants who used video-based instructional materials to learn practical skills. The instruments were based on the instructional objectives of lessons on mortar and wall finish. Pilot test data for the achievement test yielded Cronbach's alpha of 0.84. Descriptive statistics and t-test at a 0.05 level of significance were used to analyse the data. The results indicated that the two instructional materials were pedagogically equivalent in terms of theoretical knowledge acquired. Practical skills acquired, however, were significantly higher among users of video-based instructional materials. Finally, users of video-based instructional materials displayed significantly superior craftsmanship.


Reasons why water storage reservoirs are necessary in accordance with the sustainable development strategy are described in the paper. The main positive and negative impacts of reservoirs on the environment are analyzed. The most important are: the improvement of hydrological regimes (decreasing maximal and increasing minimal flows), the creation of optimal water management, utilization and protection of water, and the creation of better conditions for river and coastal ecosystems. Negative impacts and measures for its mitigation or elimination are also analyzed. The conclusion is that water storage reservoirs can be harmoniously incorporated into the environment. Serbia has a limited number of locations suitable for the construction of reservoirs, therefore it is necessary to retain these areas for storage in regional development plans and other


Three different types of high-speed transistor shift registers are discussed. The high speed (3 to 5 microseconds per shift pulse) is made possible by the use of nonsaturating bistable circuits. Two general shift registers are described making use of respectively one and two transistors per stage. The third register is of a specialized variety capable of shifting a single digit. In addition, an analysis is made of the triggering requirements of the register using a single transistor per stage.


Dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) is unique among the catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes in that release from sympathoadrenal cells during neurotransmission is an integral part of the enzyme's physiology. Because of this unique attribute, the metabolic pathways regulating DBH cannot depend solely upon intraneuronal processes. This manuscript summarizes evidence relating to the regulation of DBH metabolism in the rat. Levels of DBH in the circulation, which derive from release of sympathoadrenal cellular enzyme stores, are genetically determined; even though inherited, circulating DBH levels bear no apparent consistent relationship to cellular enzyme levels or to sympathoadrenal function. These findings suggest that processes regulating neuronal release of DBH are separate from other processes regulating disposal of the circulating enzyme. We have evaluated the circulating DBH disposal pathways by standard metabolic techniques. Our data strongly suggest that clearance of DBH from the circulatory compartment is a main, and perhaps the primary, disposal mechanism for cellular enzyme stores.


THE WINNERS of the Nursing Standard nurse awards 2011 will be announced at a ceremony in London on April 28. One of the categories that will honour good leadership and innovation is the ward sister award.


This paper deals with a problem to coordinate objects according to their impressions. First, the authors propose and define a KANSEI coordination problem, especially the color harmonization and arrangement for color combinations, and then formulate this problem. They simplify the practical complicated problem of arranging and coordinating colors for interior coordinates. This simplification enables one to formulate and finally resolve the problem into an optimization of the evaluation function under some constraint formulas. Therefore, it is expected that many kinds of constraint satisfaction methods can be used. The authors also point out that the evaluation function can be considered as a KANSEI model which can represent the relationship between subjectivity (the degrees of color harmony) and coloring styles.


Recent data suggest that the mechanisms determining whether a tumor cell reaching a secondary organ will enter a dormant state, progress toward metastasis, or go through apoptosis are regulated by the microenvironment of the distant organ. In neuroblastoma, 60–70% of children with high‐risk disease will ultimately experience relapse due to the presence of micrometastases. The main goal of this study is to evaluate the role of the lung microenvironment in determining the fate of neuroblastoma lung metastases and micrometastases. Utilizing an orthotopic mouse model for human neuroblastoma metastasis, we were able to generate two neuroblastoma cell populations—lung micrometastatic (MicroNB) cells and lung macrometastatic (MacroNB) cells. These two types of cells share the same genetic background, invade the same distant organ, but differ in their ability to create metastasis in the lungs. We hypothesize that factors present in the lung microenvironment inhibit the propagation of MicroNB cells preventing them from forming overt lung metastasis. This study indeed shows that lung‐derived factors significantly reduce the viability of MicroNB cells by up regulating the expression of pro‐apoptotic genes, inducing cell cycle arrest and decreasing ERK and FAK phosphorylation. Lung‐derived factors affected various additional progression‐linked cellular characteristics of neuroblastoma cells, such as the expression of stem‐cell markers, morphology, and migratory capacity. An insight into the microenvironmental effects governing neuroblastoma recurrence and progression would be of pivotal importance as they could have a therapeutic potential for the treatment of neuroblastoma residual disease.


The late Paleozoic Gondwanan ice age (LPGIA), which spans the late Carboniferous through early Permian, marks Earth's last complete transition into, and out of,'icehouse' conditions, and corresponds to peaks in the diversity and extent of paleotropical 'wet' forests [Gastaldo et al., 1996]. Studying the LPGIA therefore has the potential to provide valuable information for understanding the Earth's transition out of the current Cenozoic ice age.

A recent two-day workshop brought together about 40 researchers from the various subdisciplines of the geosciences to (1) assess the current understanding of the timing, duration, and character of the LPGIA and how it influenced Earth's climate, sea level, depositional systems, and biota; (2) begin integrating the growing body of knowledge into a holistic framework that includes all aspects of studies of the LPGIA, including sedimentological, paleontological, and geochemical data; and (3) devise plans for future integrated research.


In speech perception, phonetic information can be acquired optically as well as acoustically. The motor theory of speech perception holds that motor control structures are involved in the processing of visible speech, whereas perceptual accounts do not make this assumption. Motor involvement in speech perception was examined by showing participants response-irrelevant movies of a mouth articulating /ba/ or /da/ and asking them to verbally respond with either the same or a different syllable. The letters "Ba" and "Da" appeared on the speaker's mouth to indicate which response was to be performed. A reliable interference effect was observed. In subsequent experiments, perceptual interference was ruled out by using response-unrelated imperative stimuli and by preexposing the relevant stimulus information. Further, it was demonstrated that simple directional features (opening and closing) do not account for the effect. Rather, the present study provides evidence for the view that visible speech is processed up to a late, response-related processing stage, as predicted by the motor theory of speech perception.


AIM
To analyze reliability among endoscopists in diagnosing portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) and to determine which criteria from the most utilized classifications are the most suitable.

METHODS
From January to July 2009, in an academic quaternary referral center at Santa Casa of São Paulo Endoscopy Service, Brazil, we performed this single-center prospective study. In this period, we included 100 patients, including 50 sequential patients who had portal hypertension of various etiologies; who were previously diagnosed based on clinical, laboratory and imaging exams; and who presented with esophageal varices. In addition, our study included 50 sequential patients who had dyspeptic symptoms and were referred for upper digestive endoscopy without portal hypertension. All subjects underwent upper digestive endoscopy, and the images of the exam were digitally recorded. Five endoscopists with more than 15 years of experience answered an electronic questionnaire, which included endoscopic criteria from the 3 most commonly used Portal Hypertensive Gastropathy classifications (McCormack, NIEC and Baveno) and the presence of elevated or flat antral erosive gastritis. All five endoscopists were blinded to the patients' clinical information, and all images of varices were deliberately excluded for the analysis.

RESULTS
The three most common etiologies of portal hypertension were schistosomiasis (36%), alcoholic cirrhosis (20%) and viral cirrhosis (14%). Of the 50 patients with portal hypertension, 84% were Child A, 12% were Child B, 4% were Child C, 64% exhibited previous variceal bleeding and 66% were previously endoscopic treated. The endoscopic parameters, presence or absence of mosaic-like pattern, red point lesions and cherry-red spots were associated with high inter-observer reliability and high specificity for diagnosing Portal Hypertensive Gastropathy. Sensitivity, specificity and reliability for the diagnosis of PHG (%) were as follows: mosaic-like pattern (100; 92.21; High); fine pink speckling (56; 76.62; Unsatisfactory); superficial reddening (69.57; 66.23; Unsatisfactory); red-point lesions (47.83; 90.91; High); cherry-red spots (39.13; 96.10; High); isolated red marks (43.48; 88.31; High); and confluent red marks (21.74; 100; Unsatisfactory). Antral elevated erosive gastritis exhibited high reliability and high specificity with respect to the presence of portal hypertension (92%) and the diagnosis of portal hypertensive gastropathy (88.31%).

CONCLUSION
The most suitable endoscopic criteria for the diagnosis of PHG were mosaic-like pattern, red-point lesions and cherry-red spots with no subdivisions, which were associated with a high rate of inter-observer reliability.


Introduction A high level of uric acid (UA) is a strong, independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus. The relationship between UA levels and the development of type 2 diabetes in women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus (pGDM) remains unclear. The aim of study was to evaluate the UA levels in pGDM women in relation to their current nutritional status and carbohydrate metabolism. Material and Methods 199 women with pGDM diagnoses based on oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) 5–12 years previously and a control group of 50 women without pGDM. The assessment included anthropometric parameters, body composition (Tanita SC-330S), current OGTT, insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), β-cell function (HOMA-%B), HbA1c, lipids, and uric acid. Results No differences between groups were found in terms of age, time from the index pregnancy, anthropometric parameters, lipids or creatinine levels. The incidences of overweight and obesity were similar. Carbohydrate abnormalities were more frequent in the pGDM group than the control group (43.2% vs 12.0% p<0.001). The women with pGDM had significantly higher fasting glucose, HbA1c, glucose and insulin levels in the OGTTs, but similar HOMA-IR values. Their UA levels were significantly higher (258±58 vs 230±50 μmol/L, p<0.005) and correlated with BMI and the severity of carbohydrate disorders. The normal weight and normoglycemic pGDM women also demonstrated higher UA levels than a similar control subgroup (232±48 vs 208±48 μmol/L, p<0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed significant correlations of UA level with BMI (β = 0.38, 95% CI 0.25–0.51, p<0.0001), creatinine level (β = 0.23, 95% CI 0.11–0.35, p<0.0005), triglycerides (β = 0.20, 95% CI 0.07–0.33, p<0.005) and family history of diabetes (β = 0.13, 95% CI 0.01–0.25, p<0.05). In logistic regression analysis, the association between higher UA level (defined as value ≥297 μmol/L) and presence of any carbohydrate metabolism disorder (IFG, IGT or diabetes) was statistically significant (odds ratio 3.62 [95% CI 1.8–7.3], p<0.001). Conclusions Higher UA levels may be associated with the development of type 2 diabetes in pGDM women, also in these with normal body weights.


Dikes along rift zones propagate laterally downslope for tens of kilometers, often becoming arrested before topographic reliefs. We use analogue and numerical models to test the conditions controlling the lateral propagation and arrest of dikes, exploring the presence of a slope in connection with buoyancy and rigidity layering. A gentle downslope assists lateral propagation when combined with an effective barrier to magma ascent, e.g., gelatin stiffness contrasts, while antibuoyancy alone may be insufficient to prevent upward propagation. We also observe that experimental dikes become arrested when reaching a plain before opposite reliefs. Our numerical models show that below the plain the stress field induced by topography hinders further dike propagation. We suggest that lateral dike propagation requires an efficient barrier (rigidity) to upward propagation, assisting antibuoyancy, and a lateral pressure gradient perpendicular to the least compressive stress axis, while dike arrest may be induced by external reliefs.


Self-consolidating concrete (SCC) currently holds less than a 10% share of the cast-in-place concrete market in Sweden. One of the factors leading to this low level of acceptance is the difficulty of predicting formwork pressures associated with SCC. If the actual formwork pressure can be monitored in real time, concrete contractors will be able to adjust the casting rate to maintain the formwork pressure below a safe threshold. For that purpose, different methods of measuring formwork pressure were compared.


Pseudomonas aeruginosa septicemia are frequent complications of patients with major burns. To evaluate more rapid culture methods for diagnosis, we have established a new culture method of pseudomonas aeruginosa by oxygen addition. The results of vitro study showed that the growth time of pseudomonas aeruginosa was 8 to 12 hours earlier by the new culture method than by the ordinary method, when pseudomonas aeruginosa were incubated in broth at 37 degrees C to achieve approximately 50 to 65 colony-forming units/bottle. A total of 60 samples was tested when each culture bottle was added approximately 2 to 10 colony-forming units. The percentage of positive culture was 75% by venting oxygen addition method and 33.3% by ordinary method. The result of assay of 26 blood samples from patients with major burns showed that the percentage of positive blood cultures was 69.2% by the new method and 42.3% by the ordinary method. The culture time of the new method was 4 to 12 hours earlier than the ordinary method. This technique may lead to a greater chance of recovery and rapid detection of pseudomonas aeruginosa from blood samples.


BACKGROUND
Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) is rapidly establishing its place in the evaluation of blunt abdominal trauma. However, no prospective study specifically evaluates its role in penetrating abdominal trauma.

METHODS
Data were collected prospectively in 75 consecutive stable patients with penetrating trauma to the abdomen, flank, or back, from December 1998 to June 1999. Those with an obvious need for emergent laparotomy were excluded. FAST was performed as the initial diagnostic study on all patients. Wound location, type of weapon, and findings of diagnostic peritoneal lavage, triple-contrast computed tomographic scan, or laparotomy were recorded. The presence of peritoneal blood was noted. Data were analyzed using the chi(2) test.

RESULTS
Of the 75 patients, there were 32 stab and 43 gunshot wounds. There were 66 male patients and 9 female patients; the mean age was 30 years; 41 had proven abdominal injury and 34 had no injury; and 21 patients had a positive FAST. Nineteen had peritoneal blood and injuries requiring repair at the time of laparotomy. There were two false-positive studies. Fifty-four patients had a negative FAST. In 32 patients, this was a true-negative study. Thirteen patients had a false-negative FAST and had peritoneal blood and significant injury on further evaluation. Nine patients had a negative FAST and no peritoneal blood but still had abdominal injuries requiring operative repair, including liver (four), small bowel (four), diaphragm (three), colon (three), and stomach (one). The overall sensitivity of FAST was 46% and the specificity was 94%. The positive predictive value was 90%, and the negative predictive value was 60%.

CONCLUSION
FAST can be a useful initial diagnostic study after penetrating abdominal trauma. A positive FAST is a strong predictor of injury, and patients should proceed directly to laparotomy. If negative, additional diagnostic studies should be performed to rule out occult injury.


Ultrafast ultrasound imaging is essential for advanced ultrasound imaging techniques such as ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM) and functional ultrasound (fUS). Current ultrafast ultrasound imaging is challenged by the ultrahigh data bandwidth associated with the radio frequency (RF) signal, and by the latency of the computationally expensive beamforming process. As such, continuous ultrafast data acquisition and beamforming remain elusive with existing software beamformers based on CPUs or GPUs. To address these challenges, the proposed work introduces a hybrid solution composed of an improved delay and sum (DAS) algorithm with high hardware efficiency and an ultrafast beamformer based on the field programmable gate array (FPGA). Our proposed method presents two unique advantages over conventional FPGA-based beamformers: 1) high scalability that allows fast adaptation to different FPGA platforms; 2) high adaptability to different imaging probes and applications thanks to the absence of hard-coded imaging parameters. With the proposed method, we measured an ultrafast beamforming frame rate of over 3.38 GPixels/second. The performance of the proposed beamformer was compared with the software beamformer on the Verasonics Vantage system for both phantom imaging and in vivo imaging of a mouse brain. Multiple imaging schemes including B-mode, power Doppler and ULM were evaluated with the proposed solution.


The output voltage from the vertical axis wind turbines, build at Uppsala University, varies in the sense that it increases with the speed of the wind. To get a steady output from these wind turbines a stepless adjustable transformer was constructed. The transformer is cable wound and is adjusted by moving the turns from working with the magnetic field to working against it. With this technique the same cable can be used twice, as a consequence, half the amount of cable is required and the size of the transformer is reduced. The results from the report are that no losses can be connected exclusively to the regulating part of the transformer. No transients of significance occur when the transformer is regulated on load.


A calculation of the one loop gravitational self-energy graph in non-anticommutative quantum gravity reveals that graviton loops are damped by internal momentum dependent factors in the modified propagator and the vertex functions. The non-anticommutative quantum gravity perturbation theory is finite for matter-free gravity and for matter interactions.


This paper describes the implementation and performance of the virtual assembly support system (VASS), a new system that can provide designers and assembly process engineers with a simulation and visualization environment where they can evaluate the assemblability/disassemblability of products, and thereby use a computer to intuitively create assembly plans and interactively generate assembly process charts. Subassembly planning and assembly priority reasoning techniques were utilized to find heuristic information to improve the efficiency of assembly process planning. Tool planning was implemented to consider tool requirements in the product design stage. New methods were developed to reduce the computation amount involved in interference checking. As an important feature of the VASS, human interaction was integrated into the whole process of assembly process planning, extending the power of computer reasoning by including human expertise, resulting in better assembly plans and better designs.


STUDY OBJECTIVE
In the present study, a number of compounds were tested to evaluate their efficacy in exerting a protective effect on gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB)-induced mortality in mice. The drugs investigated were the gamma-aminobutyric acid B (GABA B ) receptor antagonist SCH 50911, the GABA A receptor antagonist bicuculline, the benzodiazepine receptor antagonist flumazenil, the putative GHB receptor antagonist NCS-382, the opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone, and the amino acid and possible neuromodulator, taurine.

METHODS
All mice were initially treated with a lethal dose of GHB (7 g/kg, administered intragastrically). Once mice had displayed clear signs of GHB intoxication, animals from each group were treated acutely with either SCH 50911 (vehicle; 75, 150, and 300 mg/kg, administered intraperitoneally), bicuculline (vehicle; 2, 4, 6, and 8 mg/kg, administered intraperitoneally), flumazenil (vehicle; 1, 3, and 10 mg/kg, administered intraperitoneally), NCS-382 (vehicle; 50 and 200 mg/kg, administered intraperitoneally), naltrexone (vehicle; 3 and 10 mg/kg, administered intraperitoneally), or taurine (vehicle; 250 and 750 mg/kg, administered intraperitoneally). The various doses of each single drug were administered to 10 mice, randomly allocated throughout the experimental groups. Mortality was recorded every hour for the first 9 hours and subsequently 12, 18, and 24 hours after GHB injection.

RESULTS
In each experiment, all vehicle-treated mice died within 24 hours of GHB injection. Doses of 150 and 300 mg/kg SCH 50911 produced a marked protection on GHB-induced mortality, evidenced by the death of only 0 of 10 and 2 of 10 mice in the 150- and 300-mg/kg SCH 50911 groups, respectively. In contrast, at all doses tested, bicuculline, flumazenil, NCS-382, naltrexone, and taurine were not observed to exert any protective effect on GHB-induced mortality (9 to 10/10 mice died in each treatment group).

CONCLUSION
These results suggest an involvement of the GABA B receptor, at least in rodents, in the mediation of the lethal effects of GHB.


AIM
Selective outcome reporting (SOR) is a type of bias that occurs when the primary outcome of a trial protocol is changed or omitted in the paper. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of SOR in publications of randomized clinical trials (RCT) concerning dental implants.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Two reviewers independently screened protocols registered at ClinicalTrials.gov until February/2019. If the protocol met the eligibility criteria, the reviewers tried to identify the corresponding publication. Data extraction was carried out by the same reviewers. Primary and secondary outcomes were recorded for each trial and compared to outcomes previously described in protocols.

RESULTS
A total of 49 protocols were included. SOR was identified in 27 (55.1%) trials. The major discrepancies were as follows: protocol-defined primary outcome omitted in the publication (n = 6, 12.2%), new primary outcome introduced (n = 8, 16.3%), discrepancy in the primary outcome time frame (n = 17, 34.7%) and new secondary outcome introduced (n = 31, 63.3%). SOR was significantly associated with industry funding (p = 0.04) and timing of registration (p = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate a high rate of SOR in dental implants clinical trials. Use of registry data during the peer-review process may help decreasing SOR.


Brain computer interface (BCI) is known as a good way to communicate between brain and computer or other device. There are many kinds of physiological signal can operate BCI systems. Motor imagery (MI) has been demonstrated to be a good way to operate a BCI system. In some recent studies about MI based BCI systems, low accuracy rate and time consuming are common problems. In this thesis, a novel motor imagery algorithm is proposed to improve the accuracy rate and computational efficiency at the same time. The architecture of many BCI system is quite complex and they involve time consuming processing. The electroencephalography (EEG) signal is the most commonly used inputs for BCI applications but EEG is often contaminated with noise. To overcome such drawbacks, in this paper we use the common spatial pattern (CSP) for feature extraction from EEG and the linear discriminant analysis (LDA) for motor imagery classification. In this study, CSP and LDA have been used to reduce the artifact and classify Mi-based EEG signal. We have used two-level cross validation scheme to determine the subject specific best time window and number of CSP features. We have compared the performance of our system with BCI competition results. This novel algorithm with high accuracy rate and efficiency can be applied to real time BCI system in real-life applications.


Background: Physical activity is one of the major lifestyle related health determinants. Doctors' self-involvement in physical activity may improve patient motivation, thus encouraging them for a physically active lifestyle.
AIMS: To co-relate physical activity and quality of life in middle age female medical professionals using International Physical Activity Questionnaire and SF-36 respectively.
Materials & Methods: 40 female health professionals between 40-60 years were included with no history of recent trauma or surgery. Those willing and fulfilling the selection criteria were then explained the nature and purpose of the study. Demographic details were taken along with the outcomes measures were taken using the self administered questionnaires. Level of significance was set at 5%.
Results: Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 16. Variables were analyzed for normal distribution. Pearson's test of co-relation was applied between the outcome measures. Physical activity was found to have a strong positive co-relation with physical component summary of SF-36 (r=0.724) and a weak positive co-relation with mental component summary (r=0.302). Mean physical activity levels were calculated for 4 domains: work, domestic, leisure and transport.
Conclusion: Physical activity co-relates with physical component of quality of life in female doctors, highlighting the importance of physical activity and its benefits.


Science talked to Ron Fouchier of Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, who carried out one of the two controversial H5N1 avian influenza studies that triggered the international debate. (His paper is under review at Science.) Fouchier9s answers have been translated from Dutch and edited for clarity and brevity. An extended transcript of the interview is posted online.


The paper discusses the principle of power amplification, as it can be found in many systems powered by PV panels and buffered by batteries. Under different categories of application examples, one is compacting containers for plastic or other waste materials. The main goal of such systems is to supply high-power intermittent systems from low-power sources. The studied example discusses an energy harvesting system using a low-power solar PV collection system dedicated to energize a specific application, sequentially operated at high power. The transformation of the power level is achieved using intermediary storage, where the charging sequence is characterized by a very low power level for a longer time, followed by a shorter discharge sequence of the storage means with a much higher instantaneous power. The performance of the PV harvesting system is discussed from the point of view of its energy efficiency. Several solutions are discussed, and finally, a new two-stage harvesting system is introduced. The requirement of a multistage amplification system is related to the power amplification ratio itself. The design method for the system relies on the concept of the so-called "modified Ragone representation", MRR, that is shortly introduced in the paper. A prototype realization of the two-stage system is also presented.


A communication unit (10) can have at least a first receiver (11) and a second receiver (12). The latter typically consumes more power than the former during ordinary operation. Pursuant to one embodiment a communication unit can use the lower-power receiver to detect energy on a monitored channel while the second receiver is retained in a reduced power mode of operation. Upon detecting an absence of channel activity the second receiver can be restored to normal operability to effect such activities as are then presently required.


SMEs are of overwhelming importance to the young and growing economies of most Southeast Asian nations, but this is exceptionally the case for Myanmar. The country is rich with resources but has not managed to rid itself of post colonial mismanagement, socialist and bureaucratic tendencies. This paper evaluates the existing private sector development policy in Myanmar which can only be defined as lacking any substance, coherence and coordination. Myanmar needs to create a meaningful and comprehensive policy for the development of its private sector. This includes trade and investment liberalization and creation of infrastructure. Much can be learned from other members of ASEAN, such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, that have succeeded in similar endeavors.


This paper presents an optimization of a micro grid that consists ofphotovoltaic (PV) array, wind turbine, diesel generator and storage battery. The aim of the optimization is to design a system that operates at minimum cost and maximum availability. The mathematical models for the system components and meteorological variables, such as solar energy, temperature and wind speed, are employed for this purpose. The results showed that the optimum sizing ratios for the PV array, wind turbine, diesel generator, and battery for a system are 0.737, 0.46, 0.22 and 0.17 respectively. The results have been validated by comparing the proposed optimization method with the method in the HOMER software.


We have investigated the effect of pain without tissue injury on natural killer (NK) cell activity in peripheral blood in humans and the effect of local anaesthesia on the response. Ten subjects were investigated during two sessions. First, self-controlled painful electric stimulation was applied to abdominal skin for 30 min to an intensity of 8 on a visual analogue scale (0-10). Next, the electric intensity profile was reproduced during local anaesthesia (mepivacaine 10 mg ml-1 s.c. to a total dose of 2.5 mg kg-1). NK cell cytotoxicity was measured using a 4-h 51Cr-release assay against K562 target cells. NK cell activity increased from mean 22 (SEM 4)% (baseline) to 35 (6)% and 36 (5)% after 15 and 30 min of painful stimulation, respectively (P < 0.02). A simultaneous increase in the number of CD56+ cells in peripheral blood during pain was found. Stimulation after local anaesthesia did not change either NK cell activity or number. Parallel and significant increases in concentrations of plasma epinephrine and serum cortisol were observed. These changes were abolished by local anaesthesia. We conclude that acute severe pain without tissue injury markedly increased NK cell cytotoxicity. Local anaesthesia completely abolished this immunological and hormonal response.


The antiaggregant drugs class is registering in the last few years an increased dynamics. The action mechanism relies either on the platelet activator pathway inhibition, or on the natural inhibitory pathway stimulation. The most frequently implied action mechanisms are COX inhibition, the cyclic nucleotides synthesis inhibition, ADP receptor's inhibition, TxA2 synthesis/action's inhibition, the fibrinogen receptor's blocking. The foreseen introduction of new antiaggregant drugs does have in view the von Willebrand factor-GP I interaction's inhibition, NO releasing, the platelet activation's inhibition using thrombin, the collagen--platelet interaction's inhibition. The widening of this drugs class, established by the constant creation of new antiaggregants, is leading to a doubtless result, meaning the prognosis improvement of certain diseases, in which the platelet activation is a key link of the pathogenic mechanism.


The Maritime Transportation System is crucial to the global economy, accounting for more than 80% of global merchandise trade in volume and 67% of its value in 2017. Within the US economy alone, this system accounted for roughly a quarter of GDP in 2018. This paper defines an approach to measure the degree to which individual stakeholders, when disrupted, affect the commodity flows of other stakeholders and the entire port. Using a simulation model based on heterogeneous datasets gathered from fieldwork with Port Everglades in FL, we look at the effect of varying the timing and location of disruptions, as well as response actions, on the flow of imported commodities. Insights based upon our model inform how and when stakeholders can impact one another's operations and should thereby provide a data-driven, strategic approach to inform the security plans of individual companies and shipping ports as a whole.


This study investigated the relationship between quality of life (QOL) and efficacy or occurrence of adverse events in patients who were administered lenalidomide and dexamethasone (Len+Dex) therapy for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (MM) in the hematology department at Obihiro Kosei Hospital from September 2010 to September 2012. QOL was evaluated using a quality of life questionnaire for cancer patients treated with anticancer drugs (QOL-ACD). The average QOL score of 7 patients receiving 4 cycles of Len+Dex treatment decreased 5 points from baseline Len+Dex treatment. The change in QOL score was significantly correlated with changes in serum M-protein (correlation coefficient: R=0.777). However, there was no significant correlation between adverse events and the change in QOL score. Our results indicate that QOL may be improved by the effects of Len+Dex treatment.


Implementing sustainable initiatives requires a competent leader who can sense the importance of entrepreneurial opportunities to outperform their competitors using interpersonal and sustainable skills. Considering this, current research seeks the underlying role of green entrepreneurial orientation (GEO) and green innovation (GI) between leaders' competencies and sustainable performance in small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) of an emerging economy. This paper also examines institutional support as a moderator between GI and sustainable performance. The data from 329 SMEs using multi‐respondent and time‐lagged strategies were collected and analyzed using "structural equation modeling." The results demonstrate that leaders' competencies significantly predicted GEO and GI, while GI strongly influences economic performance. Additionally, the association between GI and sustainable performance is strengthened by institutional support. Theoretically, this study empirically tested that leaders' sustainable competencies can lead to GI and sustainable performance. For practitioners, this study proposes that institutional support is an important factor that should be properly exploited for better social, environmental, and economic performance.


The paper presents influence of the main dimension of smoothing media used in the vibro-abrasive machining for geometric structure of the machining surface parts made of aluminum alloy EN AW-2017A. There were used Rollwasch smoothing media PB series -polyester bonded. The factors causing the surface roughness have also been taken into consideration. Attention has also been given to the relation between the properties of abrasive media and the surface roughness. Media were cone-shaped, with different abrasive properties. The process was conducted for three frequencies of tumbler: 2000 Hz, 2500 Hz, 3000 Hz and time of machining 60 minutes. The surface roughness and waviness of the machined parts were measured by using optical profilometer Talysurf CCI Lite -Taylor Hobson. To illustrate the surface taper ratio and edge optical microscope Nikon MA 200 Eclipse with the image analysis system NIS 4.20 was used. Analysis of the vibration smoothing technology in terms of technical refers mainly to compare the results of the geometric structure of the surface. The process was carried out by using liquid supportive series ME L100 A22/NF. Finally, the 3D analysis of the surface topography for all samples was carried out. In this paper, removal of edge burrs is reported.


Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SFCE) may lead to femoro acetabular impingement and long-term function impairment, depending on initial displacement and treatment. There are several therapeutic options which include in situ fixation (ISF). The objective of this study was to evaluate long-term functional and radiographic outcomes of patients with SFCE treated with ISF. We conducted a single-center, retrospective study evaluating the clinical and radiographic outcomes of SCFE in situ fixation with a mean follow-up of 26 years (10-47). Analysis of preoperative and last follow up radiographs was performed. The functional status of the hip was evaluated according to the Oxford hip score-12 and the radiographic osteoarthritis stage was rated according to Tönnis classification. Signs of femoro acetabular impingement were sought. Ten patients (11 hips) were included. The average initial slip was 33.5° (10-62). At final follow up, the average Oxford hip score was 19.3 (12-37), it was good for groups who had a small initial slip (16.7) or moderate (17) and fair for the severe group (27). Average Tönnis grade was 1.3 (0-3). The average alpha angle was 65.3° (50-80°). Femoro acetabular impingement was likely in 100% of patients with severe slip, in 50% of patients with moderate slip and in 33% of patients with a slight slip. In situ fixation generated poor functional results, substantial hip osteoarthritis and potential femoro acetabular impingement in moderate to severe SCFE's. However, in cases with minor displacement, functional and radiographic results are satisfactory. The cut off seems to be around 30° slip angle, above which other treatment options should be considered.


The primary antibody response to alumadsorbed BSA was depressed when initiated during low-grade chronic Plasmodium berghei malaria in mice, as previously reported during acute P.y. yoelii infection. Induction of immunological memory by soluble polymerized BSA was abolished in both infections; in infected hosts this normally immunogenic stimulus resulted in partial tolerance. In contrast to the depression of immune response, neither infection interfered with the induction of low-zone tolerance by monomeric BSA. The rate of non-immune elimination of BSA was found to be normal during acute malaria, and only slightly reduced in chronic infection. These results may be explained in terms of abnormal antigen handling in infected mice, due to some functional defect in macrophages, although this does not seem to be a sufficient explanation for all the phenomena of malaria-associated immunosuppression.


There are practical limitations in predicting dyebath concentrations and dyebath exhaustion using absorbance measurements from optical spectroscopy. The purpose of this paper is to examine the common assumptions of prediction models that cause prediction errors, and especially when multiple dye combinations are used. If a linear model is used to map absorbance to concentration, then five assumptions must hold: measurement repeatability, linear scaling, spectral additivity, linear independence of the constituent spectra and the absence of spectral morphing. Violation of one or more of these assumptions will lead to errors in predicting the concentrations of dyes in a dyebath and subsequent exhaustion calculations.


Background Total knee and hip arthroplasties are one of the most common and costly surgical procedures. They are performed to relieve pain and improve the patient's quality of life. Purpose To describe the use of prostheses in hip and knee replacement surgery in a 1200-bed hospital. Materials and Methods Descriptive retrospective study of the prostheses used in elective total hip and knee arthroplasties during year 2011. Surgical orthopaedic interventions records and clinical histories were reviewed. Variables studied: sex, age, number of total hip and knee replacements performed: primary and revision (prosthetic replacement) procedures and reasons for revision surgery. Results 94 total hip arthroplasties were carried out: 80 primary surgical procedures (85.1%) performed on 40 men and 40 women, with a median age of 64 years (20–84), and 14 revision surgical procedures (14.9%) performed on 4 men and 10 women, with a median age of 75 years (46–84). 2 of these patients had undergone primary surgery in the same year. Reasons for prosthetic replacement were: aseptic loosening: 6 patients (6.4%), dislocation: 4 (4.3%), pain: 3 (3.2%) and infection: (1.1%). 140 total knee replacement procedures were carried out: 125 primary procedures (89.29%) performed on 28 men and 99 women, with a median age of 71 years (42–87), and 15 revision procedures (10.71%) performed on 2 men and 13 women, with a median age of 72 years (65–80). Etiologic factors of revision were: stiffness: 5 patients (3.6%), instability: 5 (3.6%), pain: 2 (1.4%), aseptic loosening of the prosthesis: 2 (1.4%) and infection: 1 (0.7%). Conclusions In most cases, both procedures are performed in patients younger than 75 years in order to improve their quality of life. Total knee replacement surgery is more common than hip replacement. It is mainly performed in women and revision surgical procedures are less likely. Prosthetic infection is the most important complication after surgery, but fortunately, is the least frequent cause of revision surgery. No conflict of interest.


Background: Asthma accounts for considerable burden on health care, but in most cases, asthma can be controlled. Quality-of-care indicators would aid in monitoring asthma management. We describe the quality of asthma care using a set of proposed quality indicators. Methods: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study using health databases in Saskatchewan, a Canadian province with a population of about 1 million people. We assessed 6 quality-of-care indicators among people with asthma: admission to hospital because of asthma; poor asthma control (high use of short-acting β-agonists, admission to hospital because of asthma or death due to asthma); no inhaled corticosteroid use among patients with poor control; at least moderate inhaled corticosteroid use among patients with poor control; high inhaled corticosteroid use and use of another preventer medication among patients with poor control; and any main preventer use among patients with poor control. We calculated crude and adjusted rates with 95% confidence intervals. We tested for differences using the χ2 test for proportions and generalized linear modelling techniques. Results: In 2002/03, there were 24 616 people aged 5–54 years with asthma in Saskatchewan, representing a prevalence of 3.8%. Poor symptom control was observed in 18% of patients with asthma. Among those with poor control, 37% were not dispensed any inhaled corticosteroids, and 40% received potentially inadequate doses. Among those with poor control who were dispensed high doses of inhaled corticosteroids, 26% also used another preventer medication. Hospital admissions because of asthma were highest among those aged 6–9 years and females aged 20–44 years. Males and those in adult age groups (predominantly 20–44 years) had worse quality of care for 4 indicators examined. Interpretation: Suboptimal asthma management would be improved through increased use of inhaled corticosteroids and preventer medications, and reduced reliance on short-acting β-agonist medications as recommended by consensus guidelines.


This research was conducted at Napangga Lake Tanjung Medan Village Tanjung Medan Subdistrict Rokan Hilir Regency on march 2015. This research was aimed to analyse the welfare level of fisherman household of Napangga Lake Tanjung Medan Village. The method used is survey method. The respondents is determined by using simple random sampling. This research uses by indicator of BKKBN, BPS and UMR. Tanjung Medan district has 4278 inhabitants consists 2.219 males and 2.059 females. Their incomes are about Rp 800.000 to Rp 1.500.000 per month and the number of dependents are 5 to 6 people. From 33 families as respondents, BKKBN afford 20 families (62,5%) that included to disadvantages families, the BPS afford 2 families as poor families and the last indicator, UMR, shows that, the most of the households are poor, because their income underthan the regional minimum wage of Rokan Hilir Regency which is 1.520.000 per month.Keywords : Welfare, Fisherman household, Napangga Lake


An analysis of the noise floor owing to temperature-induced index fluctuations in the fiber of a dynamically biased interferometric fiber-optic gyroscope is presented. A comparison with shot noise indicates that, for a harmonic bias modulation, thermal noise in the fiber dominates for fiber lengths longer than ~1-2 km when practical source power levels are considered. The noise can be reduced or eliminated by the proper choice of modulation frequency or waveform.


This article focuses on the administration of courts in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The comparison of the recent developments and case law in both countries suggests that in post-Communist societies, the problems encountered in the area of the administration of courts are the same irrespective of the institutional design chosen, that is, irrespective of the fact whether or not a country established a self-standing judicial council or not. Moreover, as the current developments in Slovakia show, the establishment of an independent judicial council in a politically immature environment may even lead to certain 'hijacking' of a new institution by the old Communist judicial elites and the sealing-off of the institution behind a veil of judicial independence


Audio source separation consists in recovering different unknown signals called sources by filtering their observed mixtures. In music processing, most mixtures are stereophonic songs and the sources are the individual signals played by the instruments, e.g. bass, vocals, guitar, etc. Source separation is often achieved through a classical generalized Wiener filtering, which is controlled by parameters such as the power spectrograms and the spatial locations of the sources. For an efficient filtering, those parameters need to be available and their estimation is the main challenge faced by separation algorithms. In the blind scenario, only the mixtures are available and performance strongly depends on the mixtures considered. In recent years, much research has focused on informed separation, which consists in using additional available information about the sources to improve the separation quality. In this paper, we review some recent trends in this direction.


Abstract: Like many evangelical authors, Frank E. Peretti claims that his writing is a ministry. While critics and reviewers have noted the way he popularized supernatural thrillers in the evangelical market and enjoyed unprecedented financial success for an evangelical author, they fail to recognize that the specific kind of ministry that Peretti engages in through fiction is new in three key ways: it is masculine, it is political, and it is sectarian. As a result, this paper argues that Peretti is responsible for changing the relationship between fiction authors and their audience within the evangelical market.


Background

 Bacillus cereus is known as one of the major foodborne pathogens that often associated with the contamination of raw milk and dairy products. The aim of this study was to isolate the emetic toxin-producing Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) in unpasteurized traditional dairy products. Also, the antimicrobial resistance pattern was investigated in the isolates.
Methods

For this purpose, 150 samples of unpasteurized ice cream, cheese, doogh, curd and butter (prepared by traditional method) were randomly selected from the market from March 2019 to July 2020. Samples were evaluated for the presence of emetic toxin-producing B. cereus using culture and PCR method.
Results

Sixteen of 150 (10.66%) samples were contaminated with B. cereus. This pathogen was isolated from one (3.33%) sample of ice cream, 9 (30%) of doogh, 6 (20%) of curd in the mean contamination levels of 2.0 ± 0.0 and 4.4 ± 0.6, respectively. B. cereus was not isolated from cheese and butter samples. The contamination level of curd to this bacterium was significantly higher than other products (p < 0.05). PCR results showed that 14 (78.5%) of 16 isolates contained the ces gene. The results of the antibiogram test showed that B. cereus isolates were resistant to penicillin, cefazolin and co-trimoxazole (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole), semi-sensitive to vancomycin and erythromycin, and sensitive to gentamicin, ciprofloxacin and clindamycin. Also, 31.25% of isolates were resistant to six antibiotics simultaneously.
Conclusion

The findings of present study showed that traditional unpasteurized dairy products could provide a great potential for intoxication by antimicrobial-resistance and emetic toxin-producing strains of B. cereus.


A deep-sea core Ph05-5 (16.05°N, 124.34°E; 3382m deep; 400 cm long) was taken in the northern margin of the Western Pacific Warm Pool (WPWP), the western Philippine Sea in December 2004, for study on stratigraphy and productivity in the area. The core was stratigraphically complete without obvious hiatus and contained 5 layers of volcanic ash deposit. The geological age was AMS14C-dated on four foraminifera samples against SPECMAP δ^18O norm in the WHOI laboratory, from which chronology of the core was integrated since 190 ka B.P. upon the correlation and comparison with well-established columns in the world. The upper water structure and paleoproductivity were reconstructed with nannofossil and foraminifera, influential factors discussed, and variation in depth of the thermocline estimated in Florisphaera profunda content. The results indicate that the nutricline and thermocline were shallower in glacial periods (MIS 6 and 5d-2) and deeper in interglacial periods (MIS 5e and the Holocene), and the maximum depth occurred in the MIS 5e during the last two glacial cycles. Meanwhile, the primary productivity was higher in glacial periods and lower in interglacial periods determined with F profunda data, and the lowest primary productivity appeared at MIS 5e, as indicated by variations in absolute abundance of the calcareous nannofossils in the core. In addition, the export productivity was indicated lower in interglacial periods and higher in glacial periods as shown in the δ^13C differences of benthic foraminifera Cibicides wullerstorfi to those of calcareous nannofissils and planktonic foraminifera Neogloboquadrina dutertrei. Interestingly, during MIS 5e, the export productivity was remarkably low and very similar in patterns of productivity and upper water structure to that of modern La Nina activity. Therefore, during the MIS 5e, La Nina events were inferably frequent in the northern marginal region of the WPWP, and the main body of the Kuroshio was probably intensified, as suggested also by trade wind fluctuation theory.


Summary.  Background: The best available test for the diagnosis of upper extremity deep venous thrombosis (UEDVT) is contrast venography. The aim of this systematic review was to assess whether the diagnostic accuracy of other tests for clinically suspected UEDVT is high enough to justify their use in clinical practise and to evaluate if any test can replace venography. Methods: MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched from inception to June 2009. Two reviewers independently evaluated study eligibility, extracted data, and assessed study quality. Results: We identified 17 papers, reporting on 793 patients. Overall, the methodological quality was poor, sample sizes were small, and large between‐study differences were observed in spectrum and design. The summary estimates of sensitivity (95% confidence interval) were 97% (90–100%) for compression ultrasonography, 84% (72–97%) for Doppler ultrasonography, 91% (85–97%) for Doppler ultrasonography with compression, and 85% (72–99%) for phleboreography. The corresponding summary estimates of specificity were, respectively, 96% (87–100%), 94% (86–100%), 93% (80–100%), and 87% (71–100%). Clinical findings, a clinical score, D‐dimer, magnetic resonance imaging, rheography and plethysmography were evaluated in one study each, involving a median number of 46 patients (range 21–214). Sensitivity and specificity ranged from 0% to 100% and from 14% to 100%. Conclusions: Methodological limitations, large between‐study differences and small sample sizes limit the evidence of tests for clinically suspected UEDVT. Compression ultrasonography may be an acceptable alternative to venography. The addition of (color) Doppler does not seem to improve the accuracy. Adequately designed studies are warranted to confirm these findings.


The human skeletal muscle is composed of intricate anatomical structures, including uniaxially arranged myotubes and widely distributed blood capillaries. In this regard, vascularization is an essential part of the successful development of an engineered skeletal muscle tissue to restore its function and physiological activities. In this paper, we propose a method to obtain an engineered vascularized skeletal muscle structure developed using cell-electrospinning and 3D bioprinting. To elaborate, on the surface of mechanical supporters (polycaprolactone and collagen struts) with a topographical cue, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs)-laden alginate bioink was uniaxially electrospun. The electrospun HUVECs showed high cell viability (90%), homogeneous cell distribution, and efficient rearrangement into vessels. Furthermore, the myoblasts (C2C12 cells), which were seeded on the vascularized structure (HUVECs-laden fibers), were co-cultured to facilitate myoblast regeneration. As a result, the scaffold that included myoblasts and HUVECs represented a high degree of the myosin heavy chain with striated patterns and enhanced myogenic-specific gene expressions (MyoD, troponin T, and myogenin) as compared to the scaffold that included only myoblasts.


Hemodynamic and metabolic effects of nitroglycerin ointment (40 mg nitroglycerin) were tested on 15 patients with clinical evidence of stable angina. Basal value (B) and atrial pacing (AP)-dependent changes were evaluated before and 30 min after ointment administration. After treatment tension time index (TTI) basal value showed a 19% reduction (p less than 0.05). Compared to the control a lesser AP-dependent increase was also noted (27%, compared to 45%; p less than 0.005). According to TTI reduction, MVO2 showed an evident decrease both in basal conditions and during AP (21% and 29.6%, respectively). On the contrary, diastolic pressure time index (DPTI) does not result significantly influenced by the treatment. Consequently, DPTI/TTI ratio increase is largely the result of TTI reduction, which is well correlated to myocardial oxygen demand. Coronary sinus blood flow decrease (16% and 27% under basal conditions and during AP, respectively) confirms that the therapeutic efficacy of the ointment does not result from an increase in myocardial oxygen supply. Finally, during AP nitroglycerin ointment resulted in a significant decrease in myocardial lactate release (L% mean value ranges from-17.5% to 3.4%; p less than 0.001). Such an improvement probably reflects a primary influence of the drug on the extracoronary vascular bed.


Recaptures of adult, hatchery-reared, brown trout, Salmo trutta L., and fishing time from anglers were used to evaluate the benefits of stocking programmes with repeated releases of adult brown trout. The recapture rate varied between 17% and 29%. The time between stocking and capture (referred to as residence time) varied between 1 and 160 days (median 3–49 days). Between 67% and 84% of trout caught in the river were recently released fish. Fishing effort increased after stocking, thereby increasing the impact of angling on wild stocks. Stocking with adult brown trout decreases the impact of angling on wild trout only if the time spent fishing by all anglers is kept stable. Furthermore, because of the short residence time of stocked trout, long-term impacts through competition for space and food, or genetic impact through introgression, are limited.


The use of voice-over-IP technology has rapidly expanded over the past several years, and has thus become a significant portion of traffic in the real, complex network environment. Deep packet inspection and middlebox technologies need to analyze call flows in order to perform network management, load-balancing, content monitoring, forensic analysis, and intelligence gathering. Because the session setup and management data can be sent on different ports or out of sync with VoIP call data over the Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) with low latency, inspection software may miss calls or parts of calls. To solve this problem, we engineered two different deep learning models based on hidden representation learning. MAPLE, a matrix-based encoder which transforms packets into an image representation, uses convolutional neural networks to determine RTP packets from data flow. DATE is a density-analysis based tensor encoder which transforms packet data into a three-dimensional point cloud representation. We then perform density-based clustering over the point clouds as latent representations of the data, and classify packets as RTP or non-RTP based on their statistical clustering features. In this research, we show that these tools may allow a data collection and analysis pipeline to begin detecting and buffering RTP streams for later session association, solving the initial drop problem. MAPLE achieves over ninety-nine percent accuracy in RTP/non-RTP detection. The results of our experiments show that both models can not only classify RTP versus non-RTP packet streams, but could extend to other network traffic classification problems in real deployments of network analysis pipelines.